HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES Opens at Broadway Onstage Tonight

HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES, a unique comedy by Britain's Neil Simon, Alan Ayckbourne, is the next offering of the season at Eastpointe's Broadway Onstage Live Theatre when it opens tonight, February 22. The comedy portrays 3 couples who are connected by the men's work. It runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Select Sundays at 2pm through Saturday, March 23.

Select Sunday Matinees are only performed at Broadway Onstage when a prearranged group of 30 or more is scheduled to attend. Broadway Onstage Live Theatre is located at 21517 Kelly Rd. at Toepfer (8 ½ Mile Rd.) in Eastpointe. The theatre is the home of the patented TeeVeeStage Presentation system, which employs cameras above the audience and monitors above the stage to provide audience members with different viewing perspectives of the live stage performance. Broadway Onstage Live Theatre is also the home of Dennis Wickline Productions, Inc., which began producing Non-Equity professional live theatre on the Eastside of Detroit in February of 1980.

HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES is staged on the overlapping living areas of two couples, the Fosters and the Phillips. It is 1978. Frank Foster is the boss. Bob Foster is one of Frank's employees. As the play opens it becomes obvious that Fiona, Frank's wife, has had some sort of romantic liaison with Bob. Terry, Bob's wife, becomes increasingly suspicious when unusual phone calls occur and the fact that Bob was out all evening the night before. Frank also questions the whereabouts of Fiona that same night. To make excuses, both Bob and Fiona use a third couple, the Detweilers, as their alibi. The plot thickens when Frank announces that he is promoting William Detweiler into his department and has invited the Detweilers for dinner that night, Thursday. When Bob uses the Detweilers as his excuse for being out all night, Terry decides to invite them for dinner on the following evening, Friday. The following scene is a dinner in both living areas, one on Thursday evening and one on Friday evening. The misinformation, confusion and supposed liaisons continue through a delightful conclusion in Act Two.

The cast of HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES at Broadway Onstage is enormously talented. Portraying Fiona is Krista Schafer. Ms. Schafer portrayed Veronica in GOD OF CARNAGE at Broaway Onstage earlier this season. Frank is played by Christopher Oakley. Mr. Oakley has directed a number of shows at Broadway Onstage and returns to the stage after a long absence. The Phillips are portrayed by CharLes Davis and Sharron Nelson. Mr. Davis was seen as Miles in THE GREAT AMERICAN SEX FARCE! at the Eastpointe Theatre earlier this season. Ms. Nelson was also in that production, as Falon, as well as portraying Annette in GOD OF CARNAGE. John Arden McClure and Stella Rothe complete the cast as the Detweilers. Mr. McClure has been in a number of productions at Broadway Onstage including the recent TRENT'S LAST CASE, as Trent, a script he also dramatized. Ms. Rothe was also in that production, as Mabel. HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES is under the able direction of Donna DiSante. Ms. DiSante directed the original as well as subsequent versions of THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS at Broadway Onstage, as well as taking on the lead role of Minnie in later years. Patrick Sharpe acts as Stage Manager.

Tickets for Opening Night, tonight, February 22 are $14. Tickets for all other performances are $16. Again,Broadway Onstage is located at 21517 Kelly Rd. at Toepfer (8 1/2 Mile Rd.) in Eastpointe, Michigan. Ticket Reservations are strongly recommended by calling (586) 771-6333.

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