NY Theatre Guide Review: "Wonder of the World" at Buffalo Laboratory Theatre

I have been a fan of David Lindsay-Abaire for years. The first play of his I ever saw was “Fuddy Meers” and then a few years later I had the pleasure of seeing “Good People.” Both of these works are some of my favorite pieces, because of how ridiculous the characters and the stories tend to be. I love how all the stops are pulled out at the end of the second act, and how in typical Linday-Abaire fashion, a metaphorical train wreck is always present at one point in the piece. When I saw that Buffalo Laboratory Theatre was producing “Wonder of the World,” I was excited to see the antics that would be cooked up in this show.

“Wonder of the World” tells the story of Cass (Anne Roaldi Boucher) and Kip (Sean Murphy) who have been. . .unhappily married for seven years, even if Kip believes the marriage is going well. Cass wants more out of her life, and has a list of items she wants to check off before she dies, and Kip is a pathetic introvert. Cass decides to leave Kip and go travel the world, after a deep, deep, deep, dark secret is revealed of Kip’s sexual tendencies. . .which includes a box of Barbie Doll heads.

Cass goes to Niagara Falls, and on the way meets a group of characters including Lois (Diane Di Bernadro), who is going to Niagara Falls to go over it. . .in a barrel; Karla (Kerrykate Abel) and Glen (Larry Smith) two private investigators; Captain Mike (Aaron Moss), the captain of the Maid of the Mist, and who Cass falls head over heels for; and The Sextuplets (Marie Costa) who pop up all over the area as wait staff, helicopter pilots, and even a group therapist.

Director Taylor Doherty has created a vision that is very attractive to the audience. Wonderful video projections of footage from Niagara Falls, and even an opening title sequence as if you were watching a movie is present. I really thought that this was a pretty cool idea, and enjoyed the footage and the music that played throughout the show. Steven J. Fox’s media and Katie Gilliand’s technical designs make the minimalistic set shine and keep the audience engaged.

Anne Roaldi Boucher’s Cass is full to the brim with energy. She reminded me of the energizer bunny, and she just kept going and going and going. Her delivery and her stage presence is entertaining, but after a while, her energy is just so high, that you begin to get tired for her, and tired of how preppy her character is. By the middle of the second act, I was exhausted for Cass.

Sean Murphy plays the sadly pathetic Kip to a tee. So much in fact that you wonder how this character was able to leave the house to meet Cass in the first place. His mannerisms are funny for the character up until a point, and then begin to get distracting and unbelievable.

Dianne Di Bernadro’s Lois is probably the funniest character in this show, and she possesses the best balance of zaniness that you expect in a Lindsay-Abaire piece, and real truth. Her character has the most depth in the piece, and you find yourself rooting for her, more than you root for Kip and Cass.

Kerrykate Abel as Karla and Larry Smith as Glen are a funny duo, and you are excited to see them when they enter the stage. They have wonderful chemistry and keep the laughs flowing throughout the show.

Aaron Moss does a nice job as Captain Mike, and is probably the most grounded character when it comes to authenticity in this show. Moss has fun with his character and makes his part believable, even if this is a Lindsay-Abaire play.

Special recognition has to be given to Marie Costas who plays numerous characters in the show and gets big laughs with every character that she brings out. She makes great choices, and is right out hilarious.

Unfortunately, this David Lindsay-Abaire piece did not live up to the others I have seen in the past. While the script has nothing to do with Buffalo Laboratory Theatre, it is hard to create a production that is to be remembered when the material itself is not up to par.

The intimate setting of Shea’s 710 Theatre is great for performances, but with this one, I found it difficult to hear all of the dialogue, and I was sitting two rows from the stage. The actors seem to have been focusing on the stage action and not so much projection when it came to delivering their lines.

Overall, this show did not deliver for me. It felt long, because it is long, and the story just isn’t good enough to sustain over two hours. While the actors give it their all, and try to create a memorable performance, the ball just isn’t hit out of the park.

Article Link: http://nytheatreguide.com/2016/09/theatre-review-wonder-of-the-world-by-buffalo-laboratory-theatre-at-sheas-710-theatre/