Room Service November 12, 2010

Room Service is a fast-paced vintage farce written by John Murray and Allen Boretz. It is the hilarious story of a second-rate New York theater producer residing in a Broadway hotel, and his efforts to get his show presented.

First produced and directed in 1937 by Broadway legend George Abbott, the original production featured the talents of Sam Levene, Eddie Albert and Betty Field. A year later, a movie version followed, showcasing the talents of the Marx Brothers, Lucille Ball and Ann Miller. In the mid-eighties, Mark Hamill starred in a revival for the Roundabout Theater Company.

Directed by our resident farce expert, Heights Players president Ed Healy (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo, ...Forum, and last season's Leading Ladies), the cast features a mixture of familiar faces and newcomers to our stage.

Appearing in the central role of producer Gordon Miller is newcomer James Basile; his two zany cohorts in crime are being brought to life by David Mackler (who debuted with us in this season's opener, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) as director Harry Binion, and Sam Greene (last seen as Pete in Show Boat) as Miller's assistant Faker Englund. Newcomer Alexandra Drori is playing Miller's actress girlfriend Christine Marlowe, and John P. Graham is making his Heights debut as neophyte playwright Leo Davis.

Members of the hotel staff include Heights veterans Thomas N. Tyler (Candide) as the harried manager, Joseph Gribble; John Downing (Fiorello!) as his tyrannical boss, Gregory Wagner, and Joe Cooper (The Odd Couple) as the hotel doctor. They are joined by newcomers Jay Fink as Sasha the waiter, and Samantha Westervelt as Hilda Manney, a secretary.

Rounding out the cast are Christopher Polito (...Cuckoo's Nest) as the Bank Messenger, and newcomers Todd Simmons as backer Simon Jenkins, and J. Samuel Horvath as collection agent, Timothy Hogarth.

Official Website: http://www.heightsplayers.org/now_more.html