Here are some attendees thoughts:

From: "Suzanne"
Date: November 22, 2009

Subject: Viagara Falls Testimonial

My husband and I attended the performance Viagara Falls last night at Stage West in Mississauga. We have travelled the world and have been on over 30 cruises in our lifetime. We have seen many comedies and plays. This was such a treat, it was one of the funniest plays we have ever seen. We wish you all the best and hopefully, some day we will come across your play once again.

Regards
Suzanne and John Barrett




From: annie
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:26 AM
To: lois@stagewest.com
Subject: Great Show

I was trying to find a comment page but couldn't. I would like to say how much I enjoyed the show Viagara Fall, I saw it last week with some friends and wanted to pass that on to you and the actors/actresses. They did an amazing job with the show. I acutally laughed until I cried. I loved it.

These might not be considered reviews by purists, but it's fair to say that the audience has the final word and we welcome your comments about the play.

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Review by Mark Andrew Lawrence

October 7, 2009



With its endless parade of jokes about the male anatomy and erectile dysfunction, the production of Viagara Falls currently on view at Stage West Dinner Theatre seems perilously close to being a sex farce. Yet there is more to it than that. Charley and Moe are life-long friends, veterans of the Korean War, and both are widowers so they take care of each other. Charley decides that Moe needs one last fling to sow his last oats, so he orders up a call girl and gets some black market viagara. With that premise in mind you can pretty much guess where this is headed, so you sit back and enjoy the ride. Fortunately we have two expert drivers at the wheel, which helps make this an enjoyable trip even when things get a little bumpy. And they do get bumpy from time to time. The authors are determined that not one penis joke, not one reference to erections gets missed. Some of it is very funny but after a while it grows tiresome. Then just when you think this is all that we'll get, there is a little twist that provides some underlying pathos to the comedy. The play has considerable heart which at times seems to battle for supremacy with an overactive libido. Fortunately both Lou Cutell (who co-wrote the piece) and Bernie Kopell know just far to push the limits. With the appearance early in the second half of Nancy Osborne as Jacqueline, the hired hooker, we move closer to sex farce territory. Now the jokes are directed at her ample endowment, but once again the authors lay it on a little thick and after a while it becomes a series of diminishing returns. When the play becomes suddenly serious in the final scene it gets back to that huge heart that I mentioned earlier, but then suddenly it's over. It feels like a more substantial play might be lurking inside there but until it emerges what we are left with is a production that entertains thanks largely to the trio of performers who manage to make even the more tasteless jokes palatable. Viagara Falls plays Tuesdays to Sundays at Stage West Dinner Theatre until Nov. 22. Call the box office at 905-238-0042 to reserve the dinner/show packages.

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"VIAGARA FALLS" ...not your average tourist location

Review by Danny Gaisin

Sept. 25th, 2009

         ... get thee immediately to STAGE WEST for their opulent gourmet buffet and a serio-humorous glimpse into octogenarian sex.

Recognizable comedian Lou Cutell co-wrote and stars in VIAGARA FALLS, along with singer/actress Nancy Osborne of the Chordettes & Tex Beneke band; plus Bernie Kopell of 'Get Smart' and 'The Love Boat'. Three renowned performers with nary a scintilla of attitude or egotism and their personal intramural chemistry make this wonderfully humanistic presentation seem truthful & honest. Briefly, the plot deals with two close-knit widowers and the decision by one to celebrate his birthday by procuring the services of a call girl. The friend is socially & emotionally aghast- hence the alluding to that infamous blue pill.


Lou Cutell; Bernie Kopell; Nancy Osborne & Danny G.

The dialogue is continually clever and perceptive; yet stiletto sharp. Defining an 'all-nighter' as not waking in order to pee touched a sensitive note with this old fart! Cutell as the birthday-boy 'Charley' has the best lines- with ripostes that cracks up the audience. Kopell is his more anal straight man who exhibits a temerity different from his iconic TV roles. Their 'odd couple' dialogue is so machine-gun paced that intermission arrives way too soon! Then we meet and see Jacqueline Tempest. Va va voom- Ms. Osborne is a 'Stupefying Jones ...the epitomic hooker-with-brains-and-a-heart-of-gold. The interaction and trialogue between all three is a constant giggle- with poor Jacquie having to put up with these two boobs...Charley and Moe - not her teats!

The ironic twists are creative yet representational of the perversity of life. The play may be a comedy but the intellectual focus and direction adds a scholarly dimension to the serious theme on which the plot is based- friendship, mutual generosity, respect and especially aging ...even a maturity of differing levels! I saw myself emotionally identifying with Charley's character, both his philosophy and desire to live life to the fullest - struck a sympathetic note. The muse agreed with my analysis.

Three highly-professional actors, a play that affords opportunities for each member to demonstrate thespian excellence; and a message that almost every spectator will take home makes this one of those rare Don't Miss It events.

VIAGARA FALLS will be at Stage West until Nov. 22nd. Call 905-238-0042

STAGE WEST DINNER THEATER
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

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From The Desk Of
Fran�oise Rhodes
Traveling With Fran�oise


June 19, 2009

Frank Montiforte
Viagara Falls

Dear Mr. Montiforte,

This is Fran�oise Rhodes, owner/producer and host of the number one weekend radio talk show Traveling With Fran�oise! As you know TWF airs every Sunday, live on Newstalk 920 KPSI AM. In addition, TWF is also heard live streaming on www.travelingwithfrancoise.com.

I would like to express my gratitude for Viagara Falls participation with TWF and its listeners. Viagara Falls received rave reviews from not only me, but many of my listeners who attended the play. Below is a sample of those reviews:

"We had a great time and found that Viagara Falls was perfectly cast." Pete & Elaine R. in San Diego

"I saw the show two years ago, entertaining and very clever." Emery H. in Palm Desert

"My wife and I enjoyed the show very much... A great adult evening... All the characters were well played and most enjoyable." Roy K. La Quinta

"What a hoot, I laughed until I cried. I hope they plan on performing VF all over the U.S. !" Jack R. in Palm Desert



Once again, "Thank You's" go out to you and the cast. Please keep me informed of where the production is headed next, I would like to inform the Convention and Visitors Bureaus in those area about what a fantastic production Viagara Falls is.

Regards,
Ms. Fran�oise Rhodes
Direct: 760.409.9779
Email: travelershotline@aol.com


Traveling With Francoise!
SATW Member
Presented by Jensen's Finest Foods
Sunday's 11 am to 1 pm
Newstalk 920 KPSI
www.travelingwithfrancoise.com
www.helpingpeoplehearagain.com
Francoise Rhodes
760.409.9779




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The following is not a review, but we want to share what one attendee had to say...




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THEATREWORLD INTERNET MAGAZINE
February 21, 2009

Review by Kedar K. Adour, MD

VIAGRA FALLS: A Comedy Stage Play by Lou Cutell and Joa Machado.
Directed by Don Crichton.

A ROLLICKING,... RIBALD ROMP



"Viagara Falls" is a charming, three character, 90-minute naughty romp that returns to the Indian Wells Theatre where its 2007 world premiere attracted appreciative audiences and word of mouth spread its fame throughout the Desert Region. Since then it has enjoyed a successful run on the road in Canada and the United States. All three actors are consummate professionals with impressive stage, TV and movie credentials. This production is as fresh and pleasing as the opening night with Don Jacob replacing the indisposed Harold Gould.

It is an ensemble production and although in the original cast, Harold Gould was the most recognizable member, Jacob's performance is equally adept and adds a touch of blue-collar mentality that is perfect for the part as written. Then too, he integrates perfectly with Lou Cutell and Teresa Ganzel under Crichton's choreographic direction that keeps the action moving forward at a fast clip with appropriate pregnant pauses when the ribald double entendres bring laughs and understanding guffaws from the audience. Interspersed with the action, the authors have included quiet moments that add a touch of pathos defining inner thoughts of the male characters.

Charley Millhouse (Lou Cutell) and Moe Crubbs (Don Jacob), old widowers are upstairs and downstairs neighbors in a Sunnyside, Queens, New York apartment building. They are inseparable and further bonded after Moe saved Charley's life during the Korean War. What do you give your best friend, Charley, on his 77th birthday? Moe arrives with the proverbial cake and balloons. Charley has other ideas that involve a stash of blue Viagra pills secreted in an aspirin bottle. Charley, for reasons we learn later, wants to give the reticent Moe a "night to remember" that involves taking one of the blue pills and enjoying an erotic evening with a couple of hookers who advertise on the internet that they cater to men over 60. It's a hard and humorous sell that takes up the first third of the play. Moe's attachment to his deceased wife's memory prevents him from being enthusiastic about such an arrangement.

Moe has second and third thoughts when only one girl, Jacqueline Tempest (tall, beautiful, buxom Teresa Ganzel), a $100 per hour happy-hooker arrives assuring them she is enough girl for both of them. Charley's social security check money does not cover the total amount and there is a laugh aloud scene as the two men scramble to make up the difference and come up a quarter short. Big-hearted Jacqueline declines the last quarter with a sexy "My treat." Ganzel's performance is a treat to behold as she shows spot-on timing with her sexy, funny, sympathetic lines to match Cutell and Jacob. Moe capitulates and follows Jacqueline into the bedroom. (Lights out). He returns from the bedroom with a new vigor that makes life worthwhile.

There is a dramatic twist to this tale, that will not be revealed here, that may bring a tear to your eye, as it held the Thursday night audience in attentive silence. Moe and Charley are perfect foils for each other and Jacob and Cutell are extremely facile breathing life into their characters making them memorable. By the end of the show, the on stage personae have progressed to being believable and psychologically understandable as real people.

There is a lot more to this play than a ribald romp and older members of the audience will identify with many of the prophetic lines concerning love, marriage, aging and become more appreciative of pharmaceutical advances that extend life's pleasure. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!




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"Viagara Falls" Review 8/8/08

Tony Curulla

The Oncenter Complex presents a solid piece of comedy in their booking of "Viagara Falls", a well-written, funny, yet poignant play starring stage, screen, and television veterans Lou Cutell, Harold Gould, and Janice Hamilton.

As the title of this one-act "road show" by Joao Machado and Lou Cutell might suggest, there are laughs aplenty concerning the waning days of physical pleasure for two widowers and best friends, Charley Millhouse (Cutell) and Moe Crubbs (Gould).

On the night of his seventy-seventh birthday, Charley decides that what he and Moe need more than a balloon and a birthday cake is a fling (perhaps the last) with two "ladies of the evening", an idea inspired by his long absence from his dead wife and various services he found on the internet.

Moe, an avowed celibate since his wife died, will have nothing to do with Charlie's foolish and foolhardy plan. A good one-third of the play is spent with Charlie attempting to cajole the reluctant Moe into "living it up" one last time with lines like, "C'mon, Moe, you still have a little of the wolf left." To which Moe dryly retorts, "Yeah, but he only howls when I'm constipated".

Much of the humor hinges on the incongruities between the stuff of advancing age (aches and pains, medication, the advantages of carrot and prune juices, and, of course, impotence) and the idea of these two fulfilling sexual fantasies. And even though the rapid-fire jokes have a vaudevillian sensibility without the crashing cymbal, in the hands (and mouths!) of these two seasoned performers with impeccable timing, the lines are not only very funny, but flow naturally from their shared predicament.

Hamilton's Jacqueline Tempest is very funny and very sexy in her portrayal of a "hooker with a heart" as she teases and tempts her potential clients, but nonetheless, shows her own vulnerabilities concerning age with lines like, "I used to be a hot babe, but now it only comes in hot flashes".

Played upon a single, well-appointed set indicative of an aging man's apartment, "Viagara Falls" moves at a fast pace, given its uninterrupted 100-minute length, and bit-by-bit, and beyond the quips and the jokes, builds up to a statement about real friendship and real love.


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WRPB Radio

11.16.07
Cuillo Center
201 Clematis St. West Palm Beach FL

Viagara Falls



With a name like Viagara Falls, ones mind runs rampant with possible and obvious plot twists but don't be misled. This production, labeled "A Comedy Stage Play", takes the audience on a 2 hour emotional roller coaster that is hard not to find pleasurable.

This story involves two long time friends who also happen to be widowers. The first scene opens with Charlie in his home; there is a knock in the door and on the other side stands Moe, there to wish Charlie a Happy Birthday just as he has been doing every year since he saved Charlie's life in the war. These are seriously long term buddies who have been through a great deal together.

Moe, played by Harold Gould, is the straight-laced of the pair, Charlie, played by Lou Cutell, the more impetuous of the duo. Throughout their friendship Moe has been the follower to Charlie's lead, and boy has Charlie lead him down some crazy paths. This night was to be no different; for this night Charlie has procured some of those little blue pills referenced in the title and now he is on the phone ordering up a couple of hookers for a night the two friends will never forget.

Teresa Ganzel portrays Jaqueline the hooker roll very well, although I'm not certain she would see that as a compliment. With her entrance this play takes even more roller coaster dips and turns but the plot is simple to follow if you can stop laughing long enough to grasp it. There is also a deep-thinking, caring atmosphere within the plot that is almost tangible if one is open to it. Each of the characters knows his/her place and they carry off their parts with the style that we have come to expect (but rarely get these days) from seasoned professional actors.

Viagara Falls is written by Lou Cutell and Joao Machado, an obvious winning team. This play lines the audience up in one direction with expectations of a certain outcome, only to have the rug pulled out from under us (again) with yet another twist. The writers, whose years of experience are evidenced with this script, were savvy enough to have this play run straight through with no intermission, no point taking a break at an integral point and chancing a soft finish.

Include seeing Viagara Falls at the Cuillo Center in your evening plans will ensure a fun night out with lots of laughs, surely a winning pick.


Wayne Filowitz
WRPBradio/RadioPalmBeach



Writers note: Just a quick note. The performers in this play are all long time established actors of record. I am certain you'd be able to recognize the faces but you may not be able to place the names right away so I'll help you a little bit.

Lou Cutell (Charlie Milhouse) has appeared in many Broadway roles including: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Young Abe Lincoln. He also has appeared in movies such as: The Wedding Crashers, The Odd Couple II, Honey I Shrunk the Kids and many others. If that doesn't jog your memory, Lou has been a guest star on over 200 shows some of which are: Without a Trace, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Will and Grace, Spin City, Seinfeld and many many more.

Harold Gould (Moe Crubbs) has received recognition on Broadway for his roles in such plays as: House of Blue Leaves, Fools, Grown Ups and others. His credits also include films such as: The Sting, Silent Movie, Patch Adams and many more. He has also appeared on the small screen in Rhoda and The Golden Girls to add to this wonderful cast of characters.

Last but not least I must mention the unforgettable Teresa Ganzel (Jacqueline Tempest) and her numerous appearances on the Johnny Carson Show, Threes Company, Malcolm in the Middle and other TV performances. She has also starred opposite Jim Carey in The Duck Factory and Transylvania 5000.


Wayne Filowitz
WRPBradio/RadioPalmBeach



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'Viagara Falls', a bawdy, funny play

By Ted Hadley NEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER
Updated: 09/09/07 6:54 AM


NORTH TONAWANDA - When the young editors assigning reviewers to the flurry of plays marking the beginning of Western New York's 2007-08 theater season came to the touring comedy "Viagara Falls", perhaps they said, "Let's send the old guy."

Actually, I'm glad they did because I witnessed a strange phenomenon: a small but appreciative Friday night audience chuckling - and often laughing out loud - at a plot centering around erectile dysfunction.

Viagra and its purpose for existing have given scores of stand-up comics and talk-show hosts plenty to jest about, and the Internet has pages of jokes about the "little blue pill." Harvey Korman and Tim Conway, visiting Shea's Buffalo Performing Arts Center two years ago, commented at length on the drug, and Conway observed that while he had his doubts about its use, he did think that it would prevent rolling out of bed. "Think about it," he said.

And why does the Riviera Theatre production of "Viagara Falls" begin at the early hour of 7 p.m.?

It was suggested to me that it was because the elderly cast members - television and bigscreen character actors Harold Gould and Lou Cutell - can't stay up too long.

See, you can't stop. The story, written by Cutell and Joao Macado, is this: Charley and Moe, two longtime widowers and friends, both nearly 80, decide after some angst to celebrate a birthday by hiring a hooker. Moe isn't in favor of this menage a trois.

"Moe," says Charley, "this is sex. Doesn't that ring a bell?"

"It's not the bell," answers Moe. "It's the clanger."

Viagra is on the coffee table, ready to solve such a problem. So, "Viagara Falls" - the hooker is from Niagara Falls, hence the "Viagara-Niagara" connection - doesn't really get going until the Amazonian lady-of-the evening appears and situational comedy goes full tilt.

Teresa Ganzel, the bosomy and ditzy blond foil of a hundred Johnny Carson late-night skits, is terrific in a very dumb role. Gould and Cutell, two polished, excellent old pros, are fun even when the script occasionally goes nowhere. The show has New York ambitions. Hold off making reservations. The humor is bawdy - lots of bodily function chat - but seldom blue.

After aging issues have surfaced, darker themes appear. There is more talk of lasting friends, loving family and living each day to the fullest. A bittersweet toast finishes this very funny and often wise tale.

Don Crichton directs. There is a preshow organ recital. Somehow, it seems appropriate.

Theater Review

The Buffalo News

Rating - 3 Stars



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LAUGHTER IN APARTMENT 1C--VIAGARA FALLS IN CONNECTICUT
Reviewed by C. F. Green (Syndicated Columnist)


Charley Milhouse (Lou Cutell, Seinfeld's "Assman") and Moe Crubbs (Robert Pine, TV's Sgt. Getraer on "CHips") are longtime friends. They have lived in the same apartment buildling in Sunnyside, Queens, New York since long before they both became widowers; long before Moe saved Charley's life in Korea; and long before they started sharing the same mail box. It's Charley's 75th birthday, and Moe--as he has done for years--comes in bearing a cake and a smiley balloon. However, Charley has landed some "bootleg" Viagra and dreams of a very different celebration this time.

Charley wants Moe to drop his inhibitions, drop his loyalty to his late wife, drop his pants, swallow just one blue pill, and join him in one last, lusty, rip-roarin' night of erotic abandon, provided they can get a couple of happy hookers from the internet to come over. He's even willing to give up his next Social Security check to finance the adventure. Charley tries to encourage Moe to do something daring, to "be creative." Moe and Charley are perfect foils for each other. Creative they are. Pine and Cutell make them so real, that you won't soon forget them.

Moe is not easy to persuade, especially when only one girl shows up. She is Jacqueline Tempest (played by buxom and beautiful Sara Ballantine) who assures them that, at $100. an hour, she is girl enough for both of them. They comb their pockets for the money, missing only the last twenty-five cents. But Jackie is nothing if not big-hearted. The last quarter is her treat. And what a treat she is! Ballantine is sweet, simpatico, funny, and moves like a dream.

I haven't heard audiences roar with laughter at any of the few new comedies in New York this season as they do here. Naturally, you'd think, just by the title, that the jokes might be predictable, but Lou Cutell (co-author, with Joao Machado) is a pro. Local audiences may remember "The Sicilian Bachelor," his last comedy at Seven Angels Theatre. Cutell hasn't lost his touch. He is original, funny, avoids the obvious, and makes you laugh so much your cheeks hurt. "Viagara Falls" is warm, sentimental, sexy, and good, clean fun--even if it is a little dirty. Get there quick, before it melts.

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FALLING FOR 'VIAGARA'
By Gary Walker


92260
Celebrating The Lifestyle & Community Of Palm Springs
JAN/FEB 2007


"The lines are ribald, but not rude. Sexy, but not lewd.
It's not for kids, but it's not just for seniors either.
The laughs come fast and furious and fit all adult sizes."
-Gary Walker







To learn more about the cast members pick up a copy of the magazine and read the entire article!

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Walker
CURTAIN TIME
For Nov. 30, 2006

"Viagara Falls" has been running several weeks now, and it looks like the risky venture of booking an unknown play in a new theater for a multi-month run is paying off.

Written by Joao Machado and co-star Lou Cutell, the well-written 90-minute laugh-a-thon is directed with a deft comedic touch by Don Crichton and brilliantly acted by stage veterans Harold Gould, Teresa Ganzel and Cutell.

But with all of this excellence in all the right areas, the show would have suffered if it weren't available at a reasonable price, $35-40. That's one of the major reasons people are coming back for more and bringing friends and relatives with them.

With a tip of the hat to vaudeville and burlesque comedy, the show moves quickly but carefully as it allows the characters' arcs the nuances of change that make for three-dimensional people in realistic, if heightened, situations.

The presumed folly of two old bosom buddies having a last fling with a titillating lady of the evening doesn't seem like virgin territory, but "Viagara Falls" is clever enough not to reveal too much too soon. Even with its rare moments of pathos, it's a an uplifting hour and a half.

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VIAGARA FALLS
LAUGH OUT LOUD COMEDY

By Scott Brassart


Memo to Broadway:  Brace yourself, Viagara Falls is coming.

Viagara Falls is a rare treat, a Broadway play with a Broadway cast and crew making its world debut in the desert. Lou Cutell's hilarious two-act romp has chosen the wonderful new Indian Wells Theater as the locale of its trial run. And what a trial run it has become. This wonderful play about two old friends, a buxom call girl, and the miracle of a little blue pill is playing to a sold out house and garnering a much-deserved standing ovation every time out.

The show takes place entirely in the apartment of Charley Millhouse. It's his 77th birthday, and this year he wants to do something special. He's invited his best friend, Moe Crubbs, over to help celebrate with the help of a few call girls and some black market Viagra. The trouble is Moe doesn't want to participate. And one of the call girls has gotten herself arrested. And Charley has a terrible secret he'd rather not share. The result is a heartwarming, deliciously entertaining play.

Without question, the show is extremely funny, abounding with both unexpected and time-tested jokes. That alone is reason to see it. But there is more to Viagara Falls than mere comedy. The show examines the importance of close friendships, the realization that emotions don't diminish with age, and the idea that feeling wanted can be the difference between living and just existing. Packaged together, these ideas combine to form a wonderful, life-affirming message that speaks to every generation.

The show stars Lou Cutell as Charley, Harold Gould as Moe, and Teresa Ganzel as call girl Jacqueline Tempest. Broadway and television veteran Don Crichton directs, with costumes by the legendary Bob Mackie. All three performers have stage, television and film resumes that could choke a horse, and all three are at the top of their game in this production. With a nod to both Cutell and Gould, though, it is Ganzel who steals the show. Her role is a tango of tawdriness and innocence, and she executes the intricate steps in a way no other actress
could possibly manage. She is, quite simply, perfection in spiked heels.

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