Boeing-Boeing (play)

Boeing-Boeing
Written by Marc Camoletti
Date premiered 10 December 1960
Place premiered Comédie-Caumartin, Paris
Original language French
Subject "It all boils down to juggling timetables and a reliable maid who never forgets to change the photographs."
Genre Comedy; farce
Setting Bernard's apartment, Paris, France

Boeing-Boeing is a farce written by the French playwright Marc Camoletti. The English language adaptation, translated by Beverley Cross, was first staged in London at the Apollo Theatre in 1962 and transferred to the Duchess Theatre in 1965, running for a total of seven years.[1] In 1991, the play was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most performed French play throughout the world.

Synopsis

The play is set in the 1960s, and centres on bachelor Bernard, who has a flat in Paris and three attractive stewardesses all engaged to him without knowing about each other. But Bernard's life gets bumpy when his friend Robert comes to stay, and a new, speedier Boeing jet disrupts his careful planning. Soon all three stewardesses are in the city simultaneously, timid Robert forgets which lies to tell to whom, and catastrophe looms.

Characters

  • Bernard– a Parisian architect and lothario (turned into an American who resides in Paris in the most recent Broadway production)
  • Berthe– Bernard's French Housekeeper
  • Robert– Bernard's old school chum (from Wisconsin)
  • Jaqueline (or Gabriella)– the French fiancée (or the Italian fiancée) and air hostess
  • Janet (or Gloria)– the American fiancée and air hostess
  • Judith (or Gretchen)– the German fiancée and air hostess

Productions

The English version of the play was first staged in London's West End at the Apollo Theatre in 1962 with David Tomlinson in the lead role and then transferred to the Duchess Theatre in 1965, running for a total of seven years.[1]

The play was produced on Broadway at the Cort Theatre from February 2, 1965, closing on February 20, 1965, after 23 performances.[2][3][4] Directed by Jack Minster, the cast included Ian Carmichael, Susan Carr, Diana Millay and Gerald Harper.

The play was also on in Blackpool at the South Pier during 1967 and featured Vicki Woolf, Dandy Nichols, Hugh Lloyd, Ann Sidney and Christina Taylor.

The play was adapted by W!LD RICE production in Singapore in 2002. It was directed by Glen Goei, Glen and the company revisited, modernized, and relocated this classic comedy to Asia and the present day, whilst keeping faithful to the text and the spirit of the play. The three air hostesses's nationalities were changed to Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. The show starred Lim Yu-Beng, Pam Oei, Emma Yong, Chermaine Ang, Sean Yeo & Mae Paner-Rosa.[5]

Boeing-Boeing was revived in London in February 2007 at the Comedy Theatre in a production directed by Matthew Warchus. Once again the play proved to be a hit with critics and audiences alike. The original cast of the production featured Roger Allam as Bernard, Frances de la Tour as Bertha, Mark Rylance as Robert, and Tamzin Outhwaite, Daisy Beaumont and Michelle Gomez as Bernard's three fiancées, Gloria, Gabriella and Gretchen. This production received two Olivier Award nominations, for Best Revival and Best Actor (Mark Rylance), but won neither.[6] Elena Roger later took on the role of Gabriella.

Warchus also directed the 2008 Broadway revival, which started previews on April 19, 2008 and opened on May 4 at the Longacre Theatre to good reviews.[7] The cast featured Christine Baranski as Berthe, Mark Rylance, reprising his role as Robert, Bradley Whitford as Bernard, Gina Gershon as Gabriella, Mary McCormack as Gretchen and Kathryn Hahn as Gloria. The curtain call of this revival was choreographed by Kathleen Marshall with original music by Claire van Kampen.[8] The production closed on January 4, 2009, after 279 performances and 17 previews.[9] A 45-week North American tour began in Fall 2009.[10] The production won the Best Revival of a Play and Rylance won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor. The production was nominated for several other Tony Awards including: Best Featured Actress (Mary McCormack), Best Director (Matthew Warchus), Best Costume Design (Rob Howell) and Best Sound Design (Simon Baker). The production won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play, and Mark Rylance won for lead actor in a play.[11] A current production directed by Dennis Začek[12] is at Drury Lane Theatre in Oak Brook Terrace, IL[13] and stars Nora Dunn as Berthe (as it is rendered in the program), Stef Tovar[14] as Bernard, and Dan Cantor[15] as Robert, who is a rube from Wisconsin in this Chicago area production. The stewardesses are Gloria in red from TWA, played by Kara Zediker, Gabriella in blue from Alitalia played by Dina DiConstanzo,[16] and Gretchen in yellow from Lufthansa played by Katherine Keberlein.[17]

2007 West End revival

DatesBernardBertheRobertGabriellaGloriaGretchen
Feb-May 2007Roger AllamFrances de la TourMark RylanceDaisy BeaumontTamzin OuthwaiteMichelle Gomez
May-Jun 2007Patricia HodgeAmy Nuttall
Jun-Oct 2007Adrian DunbarRhea PerlmanNeil StukeElena RogerDoon Mackichan
Oct 2007-Jan 2008Kevin McNallyJean MarshJennifer EllisonTracy-Ann Oberman
UK Tour Dec 2008-Apr 2009Martin MarquezSusie BlakeJohn MarquezThaila ZucchiSarah Jayne DunnJosephine Butler

2008 Broadway

DatesBernardBertheRobertGabriellaGloriaGretchen
April 2008Bradley WhitfordChristine BaranskiMark RylanceGina GershonKathryn HahnMary McCormack
Sept 9, 2008Greg GermannMissi Pyle
Oct. 7, 2008Rebecca GayheartPaige Davis

[18]

Adaptations

References

  1. 1 2 Mervyn Rothstein (8 June 2008). "Flying High". Playbill. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  2. ↑ Louis Calta, "New Directors for Lincoln Rep," New York Times, 31 January 1965
  3. ↑ Howard Taubman, "Theater: 'Boeing-Boeing' at the Cort," New York Times, 3 February 1965
  4. ↑ John Chapman, "It's Jet-Age, but French Farce Isn't," Chicago Tribune, 4 February 1965
  5. ↑ "Boeing-Boeing". Wild Rice Theatre Company. 2002. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  6. ↑ "Boeing Boeing London theatre tickets and information". thisistheatre.com. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  7. ↑ Ben Brantley (5 May 2008). "Up, Up and Away (and Watch Those Swinging Doors". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  8. ↑ Elyse Sommer (8 May 2008). "Boeing, Boeing Flies Its Daffy Lovers to Broadway". Curtainup. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  9. ↑ Boeing-Boeing at the Internet Broadway Database
  10. ↑ Kenneth Jones (2 December 2008). "Grounded! Hit Boeing-Boeing Will Close Jan. 4, 2009; Tour Planned". Playbill. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
  11. ↑ Lawrence Van Gelder (19 May 2008). "Drama Desk Awards". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  12. ↑ "Dennis Zacek Interview". YouTube. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 2013-08-06.
  13. ↑ "Drury Lane Theatre & Conference Center". Retrieved 2013-08-06.
  14. ↑ Stef Tovar on IMDb
  15. ↑ "Daniel Cantor, Department of Theatre". Northwestern University School of Communication. Retrieved 2013-08-06.
  16. ↑ "Dina DiCostanzo". Retrieved 2013-08-06.
  17. ↑ Katherine Keberlein on IMDb
  18. ↑ Jones, Kenneth."Two New Stews: Davis and Gayheart to Climb Aboard Broadway's Boeing" Archived October 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine., playbill.com, Sept. 29, 2008

Further reading

  • Camoletti, Marc; Mithois, Marcel (1961). Boeing-boeing. Avant-scène no. 240 (in French). Paris: L'Avant-scène. pp. 46 pp. OCLC 56696680.
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