What I Loved about the Hardy Boys
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tonight I went to a special midnight showing of the last play of the semester at WCU, That's What We Love About You, Hardy Boys!
Directed by Anthony Giordano (who played "Nathan Detroit" in Guys and Dolls and the title character in The Nerd), the play is a musical comedy spoof of the classic Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon. According to the program, Charles Ellis worked as an assistant director. Ellis, Sean Nelson and Ben Chafetz helped Giordano write the script. My apologies to that group if I have not given enough credit to a certain individual.
I enjoyed reading the books as a youngster, and so I appreciated the humor and fun in the play tonight. Not only is Giordano an excellent actor, the play demonstrates his skill in directing great comedy. He and the other writers have an ear for what their generation likes to see and hear. The audience sang along with almost all of the music performed tonight, from the theme songs to Scooby Doo, Inspector Gadget, and even music from the bar scene in Star Wars. Writing and directing a full length play is a monumental task. That Giordano and his team, "The Part Time Models," saw it to fruition with such success is a great accomplishment. I do not remember another theater student reaching such a goal while I was an undergraduate here.
Hopefully, Anthony's talent and hard work here at Western will springboard him into the show business career he wants. I encourage you to check out his website at http://www.anthonybgiordano.com/.
Again, the cast was a joy for me to watch. Many were the same actors from Guys and Dolls, and their performances made me think they had just as much fun with this production.
Nathaniel Mason and Ben Chafetz played "Frank Hardy" and "Joe Hardy." Giordano writes Mason's "Frank" as the competent, handsome lead while Chafetz plays the slower, less socially skilled "Joe" who follows in Frank's footsteps. The two worked well together and got a lot of laughs. Frank Hardy's nightmare scene was surprisingly surreal and disturbing to me-- perhaps in part because the hour neared 1 a.m. as it was performed.
Christy Waymouth and Bethany Rowe both lit up the stage in Guys and Dolls, and they did so again tonight with their singing and dancing. When I wrote about Guys and Dolls, I had never recognized Bethany on campus. But then I saw her for the first time a week ago on the University Center Lawn as the actors staged a promotion for the play. She has a lovely smile, and the unique confused look she kept giving to the audience tonight cracked me up.
Sarah Lipham, who directed Stop Kiss last semester, portrayed "Mrs. Hardy." Sarah is an attractive blonde, and this role let her show some of her great talent as she bounced back and forth from the typical conservative "apple pie" mom of the 1950s to a sultry and ravenous woman who craves the affections of her husband.
Dayna Damron plays "Hannah." She also acted as "Mimi" in Guys and Dolls and had a large role in Lucky Stiff. Dayna is one of the most beautiful women on this campus. Her looks are somewhere between "Snow White" and a porcelain doll come to life. She is also a mesmerizing dancer. Dayna has the "Marilyn Monroe effect," at least on me. She grabs my complete attention when she comes on stage. I hope she will go far with her acting.
"Oscar," a sort of nerdy character, is played by Sean Nelson. I do not know Sean personally, but he has always been friendly when I say "hi" to him on campus. He seems to be a really nice guy, and he impressed me with his athleticism tonight, staging a couple of great falls. His role grows in importance as the play progresses, and he has a great flourish near the end. I also enjoyed watching his portrayal of a drunkard in Guys and Dolls.
Abby Gonzalez and Mark Hudson, two of my favorite actors from past productions, did not disappoint tonight. Abby plays a bubbly, cheerful "Iola Morton," Hudson a comically abused husband. Hudson spent most of his time on stage in roller skates, reminding me of his great performance with a wheel chair in Lucky Stiff.
A new actress, Kaley McCormack, played the role of "Lucy Drew" quite well. She was cute with her thick glasses and the way she ran around stage. Perhaps she has been in other productions, but this is the first time I really noticed her. Both my date and I laughed a lot with her performance and the other characters' reaction to her.
The two actors who carried the show tonight were Greg Kennedy as "Mr. Hardy" and Peter Savage as "Mr. Johnson." They play opposing political candidates. Savage, a professor at WCU, does a John or Ted Kennedy impersonation while using the thumb pointing mannerism made popular by Bill Clinton. He is the "villain" of the play, and it was hilarious to watch him spontaneously react to the chorus of boos he received from the audience. "I did not have sexual relations with that bear" was my favorite line of the night.
As for Greg Kennedy, I start laughing almost as soon as he starts talking. This play was great for his over the top style of comedy. His facial expressions and booming voice worked so well for his role. You have to see him and watch him. He was wonderful as well in Lucky Stiff and Guys and Dolls.
The other actors were great, from the gay store owner played by Tim Stoeckel to the Bear, I believe played by Charles Ellis.
Let me end with Tivis Womack, who portrays the "Big Nose Girl with Bangs and Short Socks." I loved her in Guys and Dolls. Almost immediately after that production ended, she dyed her hair a sort of orange red. After watching her performance tonight, now I know why. It made me laugh to see her carry an airplane across the stage again, just as she did in Guys and Dolls. Like I said before, she is a sweet girl with one of the best personalities I have ever come across. I was glad to see her do well in this production, possibly the last one I will see at Western.
I plan to go see the play again, and I encourage you to take it in. It will show Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 pm, with a 3:00 show time for Sunday. One final word of advice, though. This is not a show for children or young audiences. The humor is racy and full of adult innuendo-- college students pushing the limits. I enjoyed the play and appreciate the hard work of everyone involved. Thank you again for a great evening.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
Directed by Anthony Giordano (who played "Nathan Detroit" in Guys and Dolls and the title character in The Nerd), the play is a musical comedy spoof of the classic Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon. According to the program, Charles Ellis worked as an assistant director. Ellis, Sean Nelson and Ben Chafetz helped Giordano write the script. My apologies to that group if I have not given enough credit to a certain individual.
I enjoyed reading the books as a youngster, and so I appreciated the humor and fun in the play tonight. Not only is Giordano an excellent actor, the play demonstrates his skill in directing great comedy. He and the other writers have an ear for what their generation likes to see and hear. The audience sang along with almost all of the music performed tonight, from the theme songs to Scooby Doo, Inspector Gadget, and even music from the bar scene in Star Wars. Writing and directing a full length play is a monumental task. That Giordano and his team, "The Part Time Models," saw it to fruition with such success is a great accomplishment. I do not remember another theater student reaching such a goal while I was an undergraduate here.
Hopefully, Anthony's talent and hard work here at Western will springboard him into the show business career he wants. I encourage you to check out his website at http://www.anthonybgiordano.com/.
Again, the cast was a joy for me to watch. Many were the same actors from Guys and Dolls, and their performances made me think they had just as much fun with this production.
Nathaniel Mason and Ben Chafetz played "Frank Hardy" and "Joe Hardy." Giordano writes Mason's "Frank" as the competent, handsome lead while Chafetz plays the slower, less socially skilled "Joe" who follows in Frank's footsteps. The two worked well together and got a lot of laughs. Frank Hardy's nightmare scene was surprisingly surreal and disturbing to me-- perhaps in part because the hour neared 1 a.m. as it was performed.
Christy Waymouth and Bethany Rowe both lit up the stage in Guys and Dolls, and they did so again tonight with their singing and dancing. When I wrote about Guys and Dolls, I had never recognized Bethany on campus. But then I saw her for the first time a week ago on the University Center Lawn as the actors staged a promotion for the play. She has a lovely smile, and the unique confused look she kept giving to the audience tonight cracked me up.
Sarah Lipham, who directed Stop Kiss last semester, portrayed "Mrs. Hardy." Sarah is an attractive blonde, and this role let her show some of her great talent as she bounced back and forth from the typical conservative "apple pie" mom of the 1950s to a sultry and ravenous woman who craves the affections of her husband.
Dayna Damron plays "Hannah." She also acted as "Mimi" in Guys and Dolls and had a large role in Lucky Stiff. Dayna is one of the most beautiful women on this campus. Her looks are somewhere between "Snow White" and a porcelain doll come to life. She is also a mesmerizing dancer. Dayna has the "Marilyn Monroe effect," at least on me. She grabs my complete attention when she comes on stage. I hope she will go far with her acting.
"Oscar," a sort of nerdy character, is played by Sean Nelson. I do not know Sean personally, but he has always been friendly when I say "hi" to him on campus. He seems to be a really nice guy, and he impressed me with his athleticism tonight, staging a couple of great falls. His role grows in importance as the play progresses, and he has a great flourish near the end. I also enjoyed watching his portrayal of a drunkard in Guys and Dolls.
Abby Gonzalez and Mark Hudson, two of my favorite actors from past productions, did not disappoint tonight. Abby plays a bubbly, cheerful "Iola Morton," Hudson a comically abused husband. Hudson spent most of his time on stage in roller skates, reminding me of his great performance with a wheel chair in Lucky Stiff.
A new actress, Kaley McCormack, played the role of "Lucy Drew" quite well. She was cute with her thick glasses and the way she ran around stage. Perhaps she has been in other productions, but this is the first time I really noticed her. Both my date and I laughed a lot with her performance and the other characters' reaction to her.
The two actors who carried the show tonight were Greg Kennedy as "Mr. Hardy" and Peter Savage as "Mr. Johnson." They play opposing political candidates. Savage, a professor at WCU, does a John or Ted Kennedy impersonation while using the thumb pointing mannerism made popular by Bill Clinton. He is the "villain" of the play, and it was hilarious to watch him spontaneously react to the chorus of boos he received from the audience. "I did not have sexual relations with that bear" was my favorite line of the night.
As for Greg Kennedy, I start laughing almost as soon as he starts talking. This play was great for his over the top style of comedy. His facial expressions and booming voice worked so well for his role. You have to see him and watch him. He was wonderful as well in Lucky Stiff and Guys and Dolls.
The other actors were great, from the gay store owner played by Tim Stoeckel to the Bear, I believe played by Charles Ellis.
Let me end with Tivis Womack, who portrays the "Big Nose Girl with Bangs and Short Socks." I loved her in Guys and Dolls. Almost immediately after that production ended, she dyed her hair a sort of orange red. After watching her performance tonight, now I know why. It made me laugh to see her carry an airplane across the stage again, just as she did in Guys and Dolls. Like I said before, she is a sweet girl with one of the best personalities I have ever come across. I was glad to see her do well in this production, possibly the last one I will see at Western.
I plan to go see the play again, and I encourage you to take it in. It will show Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 pm, with a 3:00 show time for Sunday. One final word of advice, though. This is not a show for children or young audiences. The humor is racy and full of adult innuendo-- college students pushing the limits. I enjoyed the play and appreciate the hard work of everyone involved. Thank you again for a great evening.
Until Next Time,
Nathan Marshburn
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