Fair Lawnites Headline Bergen County Players Show

Adultery does not always come easy, as Barney Cashman will find out this weekend when the Bergen County Players (BCP) present Last of the Red Hot Lovers, an uproarious comedy by Neil Simon. The show, whose production prominently features two Fair Lawn residents, opens Saturday, Feb. 18.

In Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Cashman, who has been happily married to his high school sweetheart for close to 30 years, finds himself drawn into the sexual revolution of the 1960s as his milestone anniversary approaches. Though he’s a kind and gentle man, with no history of adultery, Barney decides to try and take advantage of the new sexual mores before opportunity passes him by. The question: Will Barney’s libido liberate or humiliate him? The answer may lie in the women – experienced Elaine, actress Bobbi and family friend Jeannette – he tries to seduce.

The show is being directed by Fair Lawn resident Jerry Pettinati and stars Mike Scelzo, also of Fair Lawn, as the nebbish Cashman.

Pettinati has been a member of BCP for more than three decades and is a former BCP president. He started directing in 1974 and has helmed more than 20 productions on the BCP stage, including Plaza Suite, The Prisoner of Second Avenue and The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife.

Scelzo has appeared in several of BCP’s past mainstage productions of Simon’s work, including Plaza Suite, The Prisoner of Second Avenue and Laughter on the 23rd Floor.

Sexpot Elaine is played by Janet Gaynor-Matonti of Ramsey. She was last seen at BCP in Who Am I This Time?, and previously in Steel Magnolias and Prelude to a Kiss.

The free-spirited actress Bobbi is played by Nicole Aleles of Rutherford. Nicole is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University with a B.A. in Theatre Arts, and is an Equity Membership Candidate.

Moralist best friend to Barney’s wife, Jeannette, is played by Debbie Buchsbaum of River Vale. Debbie last appeared on the BCP stage in Plaza Suite. Earlier BCP credits include Bermuda Avenue Triangle and The Story of Hansel & Gretel.

Last of the Red Hot Lovers will be performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre, 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell from Feb. 18 through March 10, with shows at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays.

As it has for the past few seasons, BCP will continue to offer a Q & A (“Questions & Artists”) discussion following select performances. The Last of the Red Hot Lovers Q&A will kick off immediately following the Friday, Feb. 24 performance. Admission is included in the cost of the ticket.

Tickets, which are $19 for Friday and Saturday night performances and $16 for Sunday matinees, can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200, or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

Student Rush tickets are available for $5 for students age 25 and under with valid ID, 30 minutes prior to curtain. One ticket per ID. Cash only. Students can also guarantee their seats in advance, either online or through the box office, for $14.

Parking is free at the Park Avenue municipal lot, across the street, one-half block north of the theater.