Moon Over Broadway (1997) User Reviews

When the Moon Hits Your Eye ...

[jimbeaux101 · 8/10 · 30 April 2004]

An edge-of-your-seat thriller for the theatergoers among us, "Moon Over Broadway" is the documentary record of Carol Burnett's return to Broadway after a 30-year-stopover in Hollywood. Will "Moon Over Buffalo" make it to Great White Way? Will the critics accept Burnett back into the Broadway fold? Will the damn thing make money for the Landesman's and their co-producers?

In 1997, Ms. Burnett took on the task, along with noted thespian Philip Bosco, attempting to make Ken Ludwig's mediocre farce palatable to the theater crowd deeply buried in the over-the-top world of Andrew Lloyd Weber. And work overtime they did! What is most fascinating here is seeing Ms. Burnett and Mr. Bosco uncertain of their own talents. Often we find Carol unsure of herself, attempting to justify acting choices that really don't matter much when you have such a weak vehicle. The constant `new pages' cause her to worry that her years of improv in TV fare have left her unable to keep up with the rigors of molding a finished product. And then there's Bosco uncharacteristically bellowing as he realizes the laughs just aren't there.

It's a treat to follow these two, along with director Tom Moore and the playwright, from first reading to closing in New York, all taking place in just a bit over a year. I saw the show on Broadway. Since it's closed a long time ago you won't have the chance. Not necessarily a drawback! This film is much more entertaining and will keep you on your toes wondering what hurdle these professionals will next have to overcome.

Broadway's Backstage Pass...

[swmdp03 · 8/10 · 16 February 2006]

This documentary is an exciting look into the world of Broadway. A great find for students involved in theater, it can also hold appeal to theater-goers in general, and those whose hobbies include the grand spectacle of theater.

Through this documentary, we watch Carol Burnett and Philip Bosco perform in "Moon Over Buffalo", a farce that integrates the likeness of "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Private Lives." Through rewrites and revisions, through fights and insecurities, the company debuts in Chicago to garner audience interest and fix any major problems before their Broadway debut in New York. We see the managers fussing why people in Row E didn't laugh, why people in the left side of Row K didn't laugh. Obsessive? Perhaps. But in a culture where theater productions live a hit-or-miss, flop-or-success life, it makes sense, and this documentary brings to light the different stages of that production process.

This was a great documentary!! I love the film.

[ApolloBoy109 · 8/10 · 18 September 2005]

-- now the play that was a different thing.

Moon over Broadway -- gee -- I was really bored. How does a repeatedly produced and published playwright become bored watching a behind the scenes documentary about mounting a Broadway show starring big hitters. How could this have happened??

So many problems of the show (the play) came from the lack of prior readings of the play. It is clear this was rushed into production once carol B. signed up for it. We will note here that carol b. has not mounted a second Broadway return. Why? It's hard. Being on stage in a farce no less is very hard to do at 20, 40 or 60. She's clearly insecure, doesn't know her lines and does not like being told she has to do better. Worse -- she doesn't understand the writer's pacing - pacing period, (there is a rhythm to every stage play, notice I said stage play not a TV skit) That's a major problem. Lastly she prefers paraphrasing instead of sticking to the script. The very reason Mary Tyler Moore was fired by Neil Simon recently, if you'll remember. Not since Moore starred in an ill-fated musical verision of Breakfast at Tiffanys (70s) had she been on stage. There was a reason. She's TV. And so is carol b.

Back to the moon! Carol B.'s co-star Philip b. is a pompous butt jerk, plain and simple; reminding more of the Jon Levowitz skit Master Actor! One more complaint from him and his acting persona and I was gonna shut it off completely.

I am reminded of the character of Lloyd Richards (the playwright) in the movie All about Eve saying: There comes a time that a piano realizes that it has not written a concerto.

It is no wonder that when their contracts were up carol b. and philip b. left the show, and why their replacements (raquel w. and Robert g.) failed.

The show was packaged and sold as a carol b. production -- that's why people came to see it. Though the play is great for what it is, it is not something that will be done a 100 years from now. Therefore the draw of both carol b. and Philip b. got it as far as it was going to go.

The director --- the 4 foot two -- two-bit politically correct homosexual (hey it takes one to know one) from Hollywood didn't get it either. Either that or he didn't care and was in it for the cash.

Re: scene between Ken L. and director nails that criticism. "You didn't think there were problems?" asked very-worried playwright, who thinks there are a lot of problems. Director replies he's pleased as punch. Bull. The run-through sucked, well, carol B. and Philip sucked, the rest of the cast was wonderful. Pint-sized tart boy directs ken L.'s play by the numbers -- adding little -- that's not how it should work. We only write the words, and the story and the jokes, it can only ascend to something better when a good director takes it on.

Theatre is collaboration -- to a point.

During the entire doc-o-drama Midget man (director-thing) paid nothing but lip service like a two bit palm avenue hustler -- desperately wanting to get to his next line of coke and his ass on a red-eye back to Hollywood. I think he was bored too. Really, I do.

I am shocked as a playwright that ken. L many times found himself defending his work to a TV comic star with only one star turn on Broadway over 40 years ago. She doesn't know her character better than the man who created her. Period.

I am frightened to think that if I ever even get close to having a piece performed on any NY stage that I will blow it as I am sure I will tell someone, at some point to shove their opinion up their pink portal. You can see that on ken. L's face many times during this wonderful documentary. He's a better man, than I.

To conclude this rant I leave you with a carol b. defense, "On the show we could paraphrase." But honey, this isn't TV, you're not Dorothy and this isn't Kansas.

This is More Like "Macbeth"

[Bilko-3 · 10/10 · 7 June 2001]

If we go by this film, the theatre world could take the gold medal in backstabbing.

I saw "Moon Over Buffalo" on Broadway. Throughout the first act, you wondered whether the play was really funny, or if it was that Philip Bosco & Carol Burnett were so good. The second act, you just screamed all the way through. I mention Bosco first because, although not apparent here, he had the lead role in the show, with a great deal of slapstick. He and Burnett were both wonderful, but Bosco was not overshadowed by Burnett. It was a very funny show.

The snobbery on display here is fascinating. The director disparages Burnett behind her back for being a tv actress. I guess the Broadway shows she did in the late 50's-early 60's don't count.

And I really felt sorry for Ken Ludwig, the playwright, who is treated as if he were a black cat continually crossing the path of everyone connected with the show. His "Lend Me A Tenor" is a brilliant farce, and "Moon Over Buffalo" is only slightly below that in quality. He really gets a shaft up his ass here, with no justification. His lead character in "Lend Me A Tenor" is feckless, likable, nervous and ultimately talented. Watching him here, it is obvious that he based the character on himself.

But, as in his plays, Ludwig gets the last laugh. At the end of this film, a list scrolls by of all the productions of "Moon Over Buffalo" around the world. Everyone has moved on to other projects, but Ludwig is still making money off of this. Good.

A riveting backstage look at a Broadway play

[lizelaw · 10/10 · 18 June 2000]

From Andy Hardy musicals and plays like Noises Off and Kiss Me, Kate, we all have images of what it's like behind-the-scenes during a theatrical production. But in this movie from two award-winning documentarians, the true story of one play's run--from its first read-through to its last performance--is more filled with intrigue and problems than any fictitious drama would have dreamt up. Most interesting is the fact that the director and writer have a huge problem with Carol Burnett's overacting and paraphrasing of her lines, while it's obvious everytime we see a scene from the play that the writing is in desperate need of help--and in fact Burnett gets great reviews, while the play itself is slammed by the critics. Especially noteworthy are a scene where Burnett's co-star, the venerable Phillip Bosco, finally loses it with the director, and a scene where the first reviews come in--"They're bad, but they're not mean bad" says one man, who's agency will use the reviews to write an ad. If you like the theater, this video is the equivalent of a page-turner--you won't be able to hit the pause button!

A terrific inside look at professional theater

[909 · 10/10 · 13 February 2000]

All sorts of drama unfolds within this film. Diva-esque actresses, lying producers, inept writers....Basically, it's your average Broadway show. There are some amazingly revealing moments here. At one point, Thom Moore, the director of Moon Over Buffalo criticizes Carol Burnett...She nods and accepts the criticism, but you can see the hurt in her eyes. I think Burnett comes out as the heroine of this film. One night in Boston, the set breaks down and she goes out to entertain the audience by answering questions about her life and so forth. An excellent film that is really really hard to find!

Everyone has an opinion

[tidalcreek-924-213933 · 10/10 · 13 January 2024]

Carol Burnett is the reason I went to see the play on Broadway called MOON OVER BUFFALO. Carol Bernett was a joy in the play and also in this movie. Phil Bosco and Jane Connell are the icing on the cake, as they were in the play, and in this movie.

I knew nothing about this documentary until I was walking past the Film Forum one evening in lower Manhattan. There was a movie poster with Carol Burnett's face on it, and I wondered what the heck this movie was since I had not heard anything about it.

I bought a ticket and went right in and was delighted. What a thrill to watch the making of a Broadway hit as it unfolds, mistakes and all.

The reason to watch this movie is the same that I went to see the play on Broadway. Carol Burnett. This is a master class in BRILIANCE, as led by Carol Burnett. Even considering actors are human and have faults, here is a master at work, who proves she can work under any circumstances. This movie is a gem.

Moon Over Boring

[mollilypan-97-771046 · 5/10 · 21 May 2020]

I love Carol Burnett and I love the theater and I have even been a part of a production of Moon Over Buffalo, but this doc... did not age well.

There were no body mics so it was often difficult for me to make out exactly what people were saying as the ambient noise was so prominent.

I didn't really see much of what other reviews have stated. Although most were written almost 20 years ago. The entire doc is mostly about the production team absolutely obsessing over every detail and whether or not they should use the word "lemonade." They came off as pretentious and self serving in my opinion. I didn't think there was a ton of theater drama either - tho that is inherent in any show. People working together so closely for so long - it feels like family and with that comes a bit of the love/hate bond.

The main thing I took away from this is that straight shows on broadway aren't all that different than quality local theater - just bigger names and so much more pressure. I cannot imagine how anyone involved can squeeze out even a drop of enjoyment from the experience.

Lemonade.

I wish there hadn't been just so much talking by the powers that be. It bored me. I really would have loved to see more backstage interactions and more rehearsal time. I think it could have been a really fun documentary but its focus was off. But again... it was 23 years ago.

Overall - I was a little bored but not enough to turn it off. It was worth watching for Carol alone. Personally I found her as sweet and warm as ever. Most of the doc shows her just "being". She isn't on stage so she isn't "on" or in performance mode. She's just being a person that's working. I thought it was a nice peek into that side of her - to see how she is when she's not in character.

If you're interesting in seeing this doc - it is available on YouTube.