A late rejiggering of the “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” cast did little to dampen the enthusiasm of Telegram & Gazette reviewer Paul Kolas, who called Stageloft’s current production “a rousing show in the face of adversity,” with its “well-chosen cast a rainbow of lovable lunacy.”
Kolas deemed the show worthy of 3.5 stars on the T&G’s 4-star scale.
After emergency back surgery prevented Mark Axelson from performing in the lead role of R.P. McMurphy for the show’s opening weekend, cast member Sean Gardell “filled in heroically … delivering an animated portrayal of Ken Kesey’s swaggering rebel with playful guile and mischievous calculation,” said Kolas.
Axelson has returned to the cast for the remainder of the show’s run.
Carol Allard Vancil’s portrayal of Nurse Ratched also fetched high praise. “She’s the subtly domineering Ice Queen,” wrote Kolas, “controlling her patients with cunning psychological castration.”
Click here to read the full review on telegram.com. Visit the “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” show page to pre-order tickets.
