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BOBBYWOOD: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BOBBY THE BELLBOY?

solo performance · BILL RATNER · Ages 12+ · United States of America

one person show world premiere
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CRAIG CALSBEEK certified reviewer June 26, 2013
Once again Bill hits it out of the park with Bobbywood! This is a real tribute to his Uncle Bobby and Bill writes and performs so naturally that you feel part of the family. Circle around the campfire and don't miss this incredible performance.... full review
MICHAEL SHAW FISHER certified reviewer June 27, 2013
This is my first Bill Ratner show and I am officially furious with myself for not having seen his last show Voices in my Head. The man is just so good at what he does. He is such an awesome, good hearted badass. I think Bobby would be proud of this show. What a tribute!!!!... full review
CHRISTIAN FLETCHER certified reviewer June 28, 2013
Bobbywood is an intriguing, hilarious journey that had us laughing from beginning to end. Bill Ratner is a masterful storyteller, seamlessly jumping between characters, locations and time periods. This is definitely one to see!... full review
LAILA BERZINS VOICE OVERS certified reviewer June 29, 2013
Bill is a storytelling MASTER. What's even more fun is how much you can tell he enjoys it. He paints a vivid picture with his voice. He transitioned seamlessly from character to character, with such fluidity, I forgot where I was and became completely engulfed in the story. Bill Ratner is the one to see when you see a One Man Show! Kudos, Bill, on such a GEM to the theater community! Laila Berzins VO Artist/Singer www.lailaberzins.com ... full review
JON JOYCE certified reviewer June 29, 2013
Such a deeply affecting story. We've all had family members or friends like Bobby but none were so handsomely saluted. The music, the lighting, and the staging all work to present a wonderful, personal story that we can all find something of value in. Bill is a gifted story teller. ... full review
JOHN PAUL KARLIAK certified reviewer June 30, 2013
Talk about a story that sets a mood! Ratner's killer promo voice--backed by the jazzy stylings of piano wizard Jonathan Menchin--leads us through this Hollywood tale that is one murder shy of full on noir. The tragic tale of stardom gone sour is all too familiar, but Ratner weaves his yarn with such nuance and wild details, it feels fresh and alive. He deftly mixes his voice with varying degrees of whiskeyed rasp and tired cynicism to create the multiple characters, especially the marvelously complex Uncle Bobby. Added treats included juicy gossip about "I Love Lucy" and a very "different" perspective on famed Hollywood landmarks. Some of the references went over the head of this ignorant 30-something, but Ratner tells the tale SO well ... full review
ARABELLA SERRELL certified reviewer June 30, 2013
Billywood Thankyou for the visceral journey into the heart and root of hollywood culture and past times.. I now wish I could have spent time with bobby the bellboy The story was shared so generously it conjured up the moments picture perfectly Billywoods storytelling ways added so much dimension to each one of the characters I felt like I may have been related to the family by the end ... It was a super treat ... full review
JOEL BELLMAN certified reviewer July 02, 2013
Another inspired and heartfelt showbiz saga from a truly gifted raconteur. Bill is the man of a thousand voices and a million stories. He's a gifted mimic, but inventive enough to create his own original characters and personalities with humor and pathos. Here he constructs a narrative around his Uncle Bobby, an elusive relative who was never more than a bit player on the vast Hollywood stage. But thanks to this loving portrait and bittersweet tribute, Bobby achieves a kind of immortality that few could dream of and fewer still actually attain. And if he helped inspire and motivate Bill in his own creative endeavors, that's a legacy of which anyone would rightly be proud.... full review
RONALD BACON certified reviewer July 02, 2013
Three days after seeing the Saturday evening performance of Mr. Ratner's play, I am still resonating. Billy's honest performance and kickass vocal skills, coupled with fun music equals future Tony's and Oscar's. Much better than the movie it will eventually become. ... full review
RHONDA FUNES certified reviewer June 17, 2013
Bill Ratner, you rock! your voices and stories are still vividly dancing through me. Such a wonderful form of entertainment, your storytelling is!Thanks for a journey back in time and for memorializing Bobby the Bellboy so candidly. ... full review
bobbywood: whatever happened to bobby the bellboy?