BWW Reviews: Hilarity Flies into Raleigh with BOEING BOEING by Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy

I have a theory when it comes to the theater.  That theory states that the number of doors on a set is directly correlated to the hilarity which will ensue onstage.  There are 6 doors on stage at Boeing Boeing at Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy – 7 if you count the big double-doors as two separate doors.  That's a lot of doors, and a lot of laughter.

My theory pans out quite nicely in this production.  Boeing Boeing tells the story of a man, Bernard, with three fiancées.  Each is from a different country, each is a flight attendant on a different airline, and none knows of the others.  At the same time that Bernard's old school friend Robert comes to town, his schedules fail him and he must manage all three fiancées in a way he never anticipated.  Poor Robert gets dragged into the scenario and becomes a major player in this high-energy show.

As you can imagine, this rather simple story line becomes increasingly complex.  The crazy scenes, including as many entrances and exits as you would imagine for a show with six doors, are all handled well by the solid cast of actors, anchored by the three ladies.  If acting were an Olympic event, then Bryan T. Donovan would be solidly in medal contention for his performance as Robert In this production.  I was tired just watching him try to juggle three ladies and keep his buddy out of trouble.

Other highlights of the show for me were, in no particular order: Mike Raab proving that anything, when done right, can be hilarious – including eating carrots; Lauren Barone's perfectly smooth Italian accent; the assortment of popular music in several languages; and the skillful direction of Jessica Bogart, which brought the whole show together into one cohesive unit.

Boeing Boeing runs through June 24.  For tickets and more information, visit www.HotSummerNightsAtTheKennedy.org.

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