Drury Lane’s 'Boeing Boeing' Is A Bumpy Flight
By Melody Udell in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 3, 2013 5:40PM
Stef Tovar, Dina DiCostanzo and Daniel Cantor star in Drury Lane's production of Boeing Boeing.
It’s the 1960s, a time when air travel was a sign of elitism and flight attendants served up more eye candy than safety advice. At least, that’s the vibe we’re supposed to get in Drury Lane’s rather dated production of the 1962 French farce Boeing Boeing. Unfortunately, this iteration of a play so heavily reliant on the sexist absurdity of the 1960s never fully commits to the time period, leaving the audience to bridge the gap.
Luckily, the plot is set up with just the right amount of slapstick antics to make it amusing. Bernard (Stef Tovar), an American businessman living in Paris, is engaged to three different “air hostesses” (Kara Zediker, Dina DiCostanzo and Katherine Keberlein) who don’t know their beloved is a serial fiancée. With a little help from his dour house maid, Berthe, (played by Saturday Night Live alum Nora Dunn), Bernard spends time with each girl without the other two knowing thanks to a complicated yet organized schedule of flight times. But once Bernard’s Wisconsin-bred school pal, Robert (Daniel Cantor), drops by for a visit, Bernard is finding it increasingly difficult to juggle his three-woman charade. You can guess what happens next: The two daft men go to extreme lengths to make sure Bernard’s formerly foolproof system doesn’t implode.
The play, originally written in French by Marc Camoletti and translated into English, isn’t meant to be over-thought — the script is more gentle than brash. But the cast doesn’t quite have the farcical energy to make up for it. Cantor’s good-'ol-pal Robert bears the brunt of the hijinks — stunts that loiter mostly in the camp of physical comedy, which is certainly expected in a zany farce. But Tovar’s Bernard doesn’t quite take his character far enough into smarmy womanizer territory; we’re never sure if we should root for his scheme or hope it blows up in his face. The rest of the cast is wholly entertaining — Keberlein’s obstinate German air hostess is certainly one of the highlights. And the hilariously dry Dunne has plenty of spot-on comedic timing despite a script that needs a little nudging.
Both the modular, retro-ish set from Sam Ball and figure-flattering costume design by Christine Pascual are period-appropriate but can’t quite elevate the rest of the production into full-on swinging ‘60s mode. With a little more urgency and more consistent pacing, this raucous play has the potential to cash in on some high-stakes laughs. But no amount of door-slamming and close-calls can transport the audience into the world of martini-swilling playboys and beautiful, jet-setting flight attendants. Boeing Boeing cruises along at low altitude.
The show runs through Aug. 4 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook. For tickets call 630-530-0111 or online.