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Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
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Indianapolis, IN

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre is on the Money with Ghost, the Musical

by Rita Kohn
October 8, 2017
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
9301 N. Michigan Road
Indianapolis, IN 46268
317-872-9664
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre delivers Ghost, the Musical with perfect balance between kitsch and kindred, interrelated parts floating through the snug theatre space like a Calder mobile. Having not viewed the original film or seen any other stage version of the Bruce Joel Rubin/Dave Stewart & Glen Ballard West End to Broadway romantic comedy, I’m giving star status to Michael Layton’s scenic design along with Ryan Koharchick’s lighting, Zach Rosing’s visual effects and Bill Mollencupp’s technical direction. Let it be known Daniel Heselbrock’s sound design consistently is the best of any other performance space in Indianapolis. You have to snag a seat to witness what they’ve conjured up for this world, the next, and the places between.

Directed by Douglas E. Stark with musical staging by Ron Morgan, the cast of ten zips through the story as easily as Wall Street operatives button down illicit ventures. In the guise of a sweet love story we get a foul scent of what life is like behind the translucent doors of money managers.

While Eddie Egan as "Sam" and Andrea Laxton as "Molly" are convincing lovers adjusting to life as live-togethers in their brief moment of real life together, the showstoppers are Renee Jackson as "Oda Mae Brown," John Vessels as the "hospital ghost" and Joshua L.K. Patterson as the "subway ghost." This trio out-phantoms Shakespeare in all his guises.

Jackson rips through every scene with the aplomb of Hera manipulating mere mortals; Vessels is the epitome of Vaudeville and Patterson is as fiercely lithe as Muhammad Ali. Singly and together they were a force greater than the real life storm raging outside the theatre, nearly overpowering the orchestra during the Oct. 7 performance.

Choreography throughout is twinned to the music, giving us something of everything that’s generic to the move-to-the-beat for recent generations of musicals and rock operas. I overheard someone who obviously has seen another production comment, “They trimmed the dancing down so it’s a lot faster and smoother.” I’ll borrow that as a plus.

Ghost, the Musical
Based on the Paramount Pictures film written by Bruce Joel Rubin
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
9301 Michigan Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46268
Now through Nov. 18, 2017
Box office: 317-872-9664
Information & Show Schedule: beefandboards.com
Pottery Wheel: Molly (Andrea Laxton) feels the presence of Sam (Eddie Egan), whose spirit is unable to leave until Molly is protected from those who took his life in Ghost, The Musical, now on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Based on the hit 1990 film, this Broadway adaptation is making its debut at Beef & Boards, and is on stage through Nov. 18. Tickets include Chef Odell Ward’s dinner buffet. For reservations, contact the box office at 317.872.9664. For more information and show schedule, visit beefandboards.com. This show is rated PG-13.

Pottery Wheel: Molly (Andrea Laxton) feels the presence of Sam (Eddie Egan), whose spirit is unable to leave until Molly is protected from those who took his life in Ghost, The Musical, now on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Based on the hit 1990 film, this Broadway adaptation is making its debut at Beef & Boards, and is on stage through Nov. 18. Tickets include Chef Odell Ward’s dinner buffet. For reservations, contact the box office at 317.872.9664. For more information and show schedule, visit beefandboards.com. This show is rated PG-13.

Photo © & courtesy of Patricia Rettig


Life Turns on a Dime: Sam (Eddie Egan), at back, is horrified that his former friend Carl (Patrick Michael Joyce), seated at left, not only had him killed but is trying to seduce his girlfriend Molly (Andrea Laxton) in Ghost, The Musical, now on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Based on the hit 1990 film, this Broadway adaptation is making its debut at Beef & Boards, and is on stage through Nov. 18. Tickets include Chef Odell Ward’s dinner buffet. For reservations, contact the box office at 317.872.9664. For more information and show schedule, visit beefandboards.com. This show is rated PG-13.

Life Turns on a Dime: Sam (Eddie Egan), at back, is horrified that his former friend Carl (Patrick Michael Joyce), seated at left, not only had him killed but is trying to seduce his girlfriend Molly (Andrea Laxton) in Ghost, The Musical, now on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Based on the hit 1990 film, this Broadway adaptation is making its debut at Beef & Boards, and is on stage through Nov. 18. Tickets include Chef Odell Ward’s dinner buffet. For reservations, contact the box office at 317.872.9664. For more information and show schedule, visit beefandboards.com. This show is rated PG-13.

Photo © & courtesy of Patricia Rettig


Say my name: Realizing that storefront psychic Oda Mae Brown (Renee Jackson), seated center, may be able to hear him, Sam (Eddie Egan), at right, tells her his name several times and implores her to repeat it to confirm his suspicions in Ghost, The Musical, now on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Based on the hit 1990 film, this Broadway adaptation is making its debut at Beef & Boards, and is on stage through Nov. 18. Tickets include Chef Odell Ward’s dinner buffet. For reservations, contact the box office at 317.872.9664. For more information and show schedule, visit beefandboards.com. This show is rated PG-13.

Say my name: Realizing that storefront psychic Oda Mae Brown (Renee Jackson), seated center, may be able to hear him, Sam (Eddie Egan), at right, tells her his name several times and implores her to repeat it to confirm his suspicions in Ghost, The Musical, now on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Based on the hit 1990 film, this Broadway adaptation is making its debut at Beef & Boards, and is on stage through Nov. 18. Tickets include Chef Odell Ward’s dinner buffet. For reservations, contact the box office at 317.872.9664. For more information and show schedule, visit beefandboards.com. This show is rated PG-13.

Photo © & courtesy of Patricia Rettig


Suspend My Disbelief: Singing “Suspend My Disbelief,” Molly (Andrea Laxton) decides to hope against hope that Sam may somehow still be with her after his murder in Ghost, The Musical, now on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Based on the hit 1990 film, this Broadway adaptation is making its debut at Beef & Boards, and is on stage through Nov. 18. Tickets include Chef Odell Ward’s dinner buffet. For reservations, contact the box office at 317.872.9664. For more information and show schedule, visit beefandboards.com. This show is rated PG-13.

Suspend My Disbelief: Singing “Suspend My Disbelief,” Molly (Andrea Laxton) decides to hope against hope that Sam may somehow still be with her after his murder in Ghost, The Musical, now on stage at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Based on the hit 1990 film, this Broadway adaptation is making its debut at Beef & Boards, and is on stage through Nov. 18. Tickets include Chef Odell Ward’s dinner buffet. For reservations, contact the box office at 317.872.9664. For more information and show schedule, visit beefandboards.com. This show is rated PG-13.

Photo © & courtesy of Patricia Rettig

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