Chris Crawford stars in the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre production of Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins.
Photo by Alberto Romeu.
There are a lot of “What If’s” in Buyer & Cellar.
- What if Barbra Streisand had a street of shops built in the basement of her house in Malibu?
- What if an unemployed actor was hired to mind those shops?
- And what if the actor became Streisand’s acting coach for a new version of "Gypsy"?
Except the first question is not a What If. Streisand really does have a meticulously detailed street of shops right out of a movie set in the basement of a house on her sprawling Malibu property. This ultimate retail fantasy land has been well-documanted in magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar (bizarre indeed) and in Streisand’s own book, My Passion for Design.
While Streisand provides the setting, playwright Jonathan Tolins provides the set-up of "Buyer & Cellar," a whimsical play now on stage at Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables.
Chris Crawford stars in the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre production of Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins.
Photo by Alberto Romeu.
The one-man show stars Chris Crawford, who won a Carbonell Award for playing a sexually-charged, macho barkeep in "Murder Ballad," also at Actors’ Playhouse. In "Buyer & Cellar," Crawford plays the opposite of macho and dangerous. Actually, Crawford tackles six characters in "Buyer & Cellar": Alex More, a gay unemployed actor; his former trysting partner Vincent; boyfriend Barry; house manager Sharon; actor James Brolin; and La Streisand herself. There is a disclaimer at the start of the show from Crawford that he doesn’t “do her” and he doesn’t, not traditionally anyway, but, through voice and gesture, he gives the suggestion of her, and suggests her so well that their playful conversations easily achieve the suspension of disbelief needed for the audience to go along with him on this wild ride.
See feature: Five Questions With Chris Crawford
The plot goes like this: Unemployed actor Alex More, recently fired from Disneyland over a fracas in Toon Town, gets hired to work in Streisand’s basement, keeping things tidy, acting as shopkeeper when the great lady descends the staircase, and later, becoming her acting coach. Over the course of 95 minutes, Alex goes from dumbstruck employee to fawning fan to comfortable confidante, in service of a job and a woman that eventually consumes every aspect of his life.
The scenic design is bare bones, especially by Actors’ Playhouse standards, but it serves the play’s needs. Shaun Mitchell’s projections of photographs, some directly from Streisand’s book, help illustrate Crawford’s descriptions of the basement shops and their wares in stunning detail.
Chris Crawford stars in the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre production of Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins.
Photo by Alberto Romeu.
And while "Buyer & Cellar" is not a designer’s dream show, it is a showcase for Crawford, who morphs seamlessly from one character to another in scenes while also injecting his own narrator comments. Highlights include Alex’s first encounter with Streisand, when she inquires about the price of a beautiful doll in Bee’s Doll Shop in the basement. Alex not only comes up with a price but a name and complete back story for the doll, justifying its price tag to the woman who already owns the doll but plays along by trying to negotiate a lower price.
Each of Crawford’s characterizations are vivid and distinct. One can envision Sharon as a chain-smoking, gravel-voiced cynic who runs the house for Streisand; or Barry, Alex’s boyfriend, who grows jealous of the woman his boyfriend appears to be falling in love with.
But it’s as Alex that Crawford is most winning. Flamboyant, cheerful and naïve, Alex is adorable, and completely sells the audience on his reality of a preposterous situation. Crawford’s portrayal of Alex’s exuberance, full of big gestures, short asides and giddiness, make "Buyer & Cellar" a delight.
Buyer & Cellar runs through August 7 at Actors’ Playhouse, in Coral Gables. For tickets and information, call 305-444-9293 or visit ActorsPlayhouse.org.
