Buyer & Cellar (1812 Productions, Philadelphia) by Jonathan Tolins #buyerandcellar #1812productions

My love of all things 1812 is no surprise to those who know me and I should probably preface this by letting you know that my husband David, and I are the honorary producers of this show.  That said, you should get yourselves to the Plays and Players Theatre to see this terrifically innovative fantasy being brought hilariously to life by the magnificent Dito van Reigersberg.  Mr. van Reigersberg is one of my favorite Philadelphia actors.  I’ve been a fan since I first saw him in a Pig Iron production two decades ago.

Buyer & Cellar is the fable of an out-of-work actor, Alex More, who becomes the ‘shopkeeper’ in the ‘mall’ (an arcade of faux shops in which she stores all manner of her belongings) in Barbra Streisand’s basement.  As unbelievable as it sounds, this ‘mall’ apparently really exists and is highlighted in Ms. Streisand’s book on design.  The ‘shopkeeper’ is the hilarious creation of the fertile mind of playwright Jonathan Tolins.

Mr. van Reigersberg is the entire cast of characters and though he doesn’t ‘do’ Barbra, his imaginary interactions with her are hilarious (when she’s trying to convince him to drop the price of one of the doll’s in ‘B’s Doll Shop’ and he refuses to do so she shows up a few days later with a coupon); completely believable (as certain people are so famous that they feel known to us) and often poignant. He is Alex’s high-strung and snarky but ultimately loveable boyfriend; the brittle liaison who mans the gate between Alex (and the rest of the world) and Ms. S; the laconic and slightly out-of-place James Brolin.  This show is an acting tour-de-force which Mr. van Reigersberg pulls off with a high-energy joie de vivre.

At 1812 they believe that you can never have too much laughter.  This show, which kicks off their 21st season of comedy will have you believing the same.