MSU Theatre closes out theatrical season with ‘Moon Over Buffalo’

Morehead State University's Department of Music, Theatre and Dance will close out its 2020-21 theatrical season with the production of Ken Ludwig's "Moon Over Buffalo." MSU Theatre will present the show virtually. A recording of the performance is available online from Thursday through Sunday, April 8-11, and Thursday through Sunday, April 15-18.  

"Moon Over Buffalo" revolves around a couple of Broadway stars, George Hay (Everett Quiggins, junior music education major of Louisville) and Charlotte Hay (Logan Wilkerson, freshman theatre education major from Orange Park, Florida), taking their rundown touring company to Buffalo, New York, in the summer of 1953. With the legendary Frank Capra heading to town on a talent-scouting mission looking to hire the couple for his swashbuckling “Scarlet Pimpernel” epic. As a result, the Hay Family must do whatever they can to get their frequently intoxicated father George back to the stage and ready to perform the show.  

Octavia Biggs, director of The Little Company, served as a directing mentor to a production managed entirely by MSU students.  

"This show is completely designed, acted and directed by students in our department," Biggs said. "I love our student productions; they offer such insight to me as part of the staff here at MSU. I enjoy watching our students apply what they are learning from the faculty and apply it toward their own production."  

Hannah Holbrook, a senior theatre major and public relations/event planning minor from Grayson, served as the director for "Moon Over Buffalo." She said this production was a huge reason that she fell in love with theatre after seeing a shortened version of the show in Georgia.  

"When it came time for me to submit a show with the chance to direct, there was no hesitation. I knew 'Moon Over Buffalo' was the show I wanted to work on," she said. "Directing this now has felt like a full-circle moment in my life as a theatre artist because it was a show that inspired me to dive into the world of theatre and now, I am finishing my career at MSU by directing it."  

Holbrook said working during the pandemic and figuring out a way to present the show virtually, safely and effectively has been a challenge. However, she said her fellow cast and crew members rose to the challenge and the bond they formed should be evident in the finished product.  

"After a year of being away from loved ones and socially distancing, it has been wonderful to create art and enjoy a few hours a day in rehearsal, cracking jokes and having fun with other artists," she said. "This show is based around a family of theatre performers and by working on it, we have only added more people to our own theatre families. Creating those fun moments during this pandemic has been the most enjoyable part about this whole process."  

Tickets are $11 for the general public, $6 for seniors and non-MSU students, and free with ID number to MSU students. Thanks to the MSU University Store, online purchases of tickets will be available. The MSU Theatre box office is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. In place of a ticket, an email with a link, password and playbill will be sent to patrons before the show starts.     

Go to www.bookstore.moreheadstate.edu and click on "Theatre and Dance Tickets" under the "Merchandise" tab for online payment. Patrons should forward their confirmation email to mtdboxoffice@moreheadstate.edu to verify receiving a link and password.      

Reservations are required for all MSU Theatre productions and can be made by calling 606-783-2170 or emailing mtdboxoffice@moreheadstate.edu.      

To learn more about MSU's theatre program, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/theatre.