Stage Write

  Clue, the classic whodunit farce, kicks off Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre's 50th anniversary season. The mystery show takes the famous board game and film and turns it into a play. Each character is given a weapon and a motive and the murders begin. Eddie Curry directs the fast-paced production and keeps the actors as close to their movie counterparts as possible.  The cast reads like a who’s who of Beef and Boards' favorites including Suzanne Stark, John Vessels, Deb Wims, David Schmittou, Jeff Stockberger, and Sally Scharbrough. Audiences might also recognize a subdued Ben Asaykwee in a very different role than many of his other productions. Scot Greenwell particularly shines as the timid Mr. Green. For each cast member, the role plays to their individual strengths. Schmittou's impressive monologue explaining each of the crimes at the end is an absolute highlight.  The set is incredibly simple, a turntable with half a dozen doors perfec...

One bride, one mom, and three potential dads all on one Greek island; the premise of Mama Mia! might seem silly, but its playful absurdity provides the right framework for a musical built around ABBA songs. Beef & Board Dinner Theatre’s current production captures that spirit and runs with it. The 2007 Broadway Across America production felt much more like a concert. Beef & Boards’ show instead has a more intimate feel and it shines a light on the lovely mother/daughter relationship at the heart of the story. It also emphasizes the message that your identity is not created by your “family”, it’s something you must discover for yourself. Both Sophie (Rachelle Rose Clark) and her onstage mother Donna (Amy Bodnar) give enthusiastic performances. Bodnar is a Broadway veteran, who is new to the Beef & Boards stage. Her performance of “The Winner Takes It All” completely knocked it out of the park. Her vocal skills shine in those powerful solo moments. Tanya played...

Beef & Boards Dinner Theater kicks off its 45th season with “Greater Tuna”. The show is set in a small Texas town in the 1980s where a bevy of local rednecks live. Playing more than a dozen characters, Eddie Curry and Jeff Stockberger perform the entire show. The comedy relies heavily on the two actors donning dresses and wigs, rapid costume changes, and over-the-top accents. The problem is, nowadays there’s not much to laugh that when the joke is about censorship or a local gun salesperson touting the incredible killing properties of her wares. Instead of accentuating these stereotypes, it might help to start 2018 off highlighting our similarities with people who come from a different point of view.   The stage is simple; diner tables with a backdrop of cornfields and telephone poles. Audience members must use their imagination as Curry and Stockberger mime drinking a cup of coffee or answering an invisible telephone. The two actors are long-standing regulars at Be...

Peter Pan was one of the very first shows I saw performed live. I had grown up watching the 1960 TV version starring Mary Martin, but it wasn’t until I saw it at Beef & Boards that it truly came alive for me. Peter Pan is back on stage at the Indianapolis dinner theatre and seeing the Beef & Boards’ production was a sweet reminder of the songs and story I loved so much when I was young.   The adventure-packed show is a wonderful introduction to theatre for young kids. With pirates, Indians, fairies, and flying there’s so much magic happening on stage the youngsters in the audience couldn’t help their occasional exclamations of excitement.   Phebe Taylor, who served as the spirit Ariel in HART ’s “Tempest” last summer, is a Beef & Boards newcomer. She’s perfect as the eternally youthful Peter Pan. Her energetic performance was backed by incredible vocals on numbers like “Neverland” and “Distant Melody”. The villains are over-the-top and cartoonish,...

Beef & Boards launches its 2015 season with the buddy comedy The Odd Couple. It’s the story of two men, unmoored from their marriages, who find themselves as unlikely roommates. One is the fastidious Felix, a worry wart with an anxious disposition and a deep desire to clean. The other, Oscar, is a slob, with no motivation to tidy his home. The Neil Simon comedy is celebrating its 50 year anniversary, which is a tribute to just how timeless this story is.   The production is a perfect showcase for two of Beef & Boards’ favorite performers, Eddie Curry (Felix) and Jeff Stockberger (Oscar). It’s at its best during a silent scene where the two men circle each other after a big fight. They do everything they can to provoke a response, all without words. Both men excel at physical comedy and the bit works well. The set gives the show a farcical feel, which fits in well as Beef & Boards traditional season opener usually falls into that category. Doorbells or pho...