SHEFFIELD– The Ritz Theatre’s production of Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo opens this week, with 7:30 p.m. performances on Sept. 9-11 and 17-18, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Sept. 12. This screwball comedy is directed by Michael Green, and tickets are available at tennesseevalleyarts.org or at the door.
Director Michael Green, a mainstay in community theatre in the Shoals, chose this play for the Ritz Theatre’s fall production because he believes that its light-hearted tone is just what audiences need right now.
“Moon Over Buffalo is a ridiculous, silly, fun-filled play that asks nothing more of the audience than to sit back and laugh,” said Green. “I hope this show gives everyone some relief for a couple of hours from all the craziness in the world today.”
The play focuses on George and Charlotte Hay, fading theatre stars of the 1950s. On the brink of a disastrous split-up, they receive word that they might have one last shot at stardom: famed film director Frank Capra is coming to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his next movie. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong in this valentine to the stage and the larger-than-life personalities that inhabit the world of the theatre. The show contains mild profanity and adult situations.
Moon Over Buffalo features a cast of local theatre regulars alongside actors who are new to The Ritz stage. Christopher Spencer and Elizabeth Ragsdale star as George and Charlotte Hay, and they are joined by Lucy Lemaster Hill, Michael Hill, Tyler Hudson, Kirstin Pace, Amber Rhodes, and Wesley Thompson.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students. In addition to purchasing online at tennesseevalleyarts.org, tickets can also be purchased by calling 256-383-0533 or stopping by the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art. They will also be available at the door.
In order to continue offering art experiences for the community while keeping performers, staff, and patrons safe, COVID protocols are in place for this production. Theatre capacity will be kept to under 50%, with seats blocked off for distancing. (If you have a party that is larger than available blocks of seats, just call 256-383-0533). Masks are also required in the theatre.
For more information about the Tennessee Valley Art Association, which runs the Ritz Theatre and the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, visit tennesseevalleyarts.org.
