OUR REVIEWS

(We update as we get them.)

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.

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.

* * *

* * *

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.

* * *

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

* * *

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.

* * *

* * *

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.

* * *

Back To Top