One hotel, two divas, countless laughs in a 'Suite Surrender'

The Whitefish Theatre Company concludes the 2022-23 season with the uproarious comedy, “Suite Surrender,” a love note to classic farces of the past.

It's 1942 and two of Hollywood's biggest divas have descended upon the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel to perform at a USO benefit. Complication No. 1: The two dueling divas — played by Kim Krueger and Nicki Corne’ — have a legendary ongoing feud that turns violent if they come near each other. Complication No. 2: The performers both wind up booked into the same presidential suite.

Throw in a beleaguered general manager trying to keep the peace, two easily confused bellhops, a nose-rubbing society matron, and a gossip columnist looking for dirt — this play of mistaken identities, overblown egos, double entendres and a lap dog named Mr. Boodles is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud romp.

“Anyone who is a fan of screwball comedies of the 1930s and 1940s will certainly find themselves right at home in the audience of ‘Suite Surrender,’” said Director Scarlett Schindler.

Krueger plays Claudia McFadden, Corne’ plays Athena Sinclair, Tristen Hollist plays Otis, Matt Strool plays Francis, Todd Malo plays Bernard S. Dunlap, Katie Nixon plays Dora Del Rio, Amy Galt plays Mrs. Everett P. Osgood, Hunter Cripe plays Mr. Pippit, and Laura Abernethy plays Murphy. Mr. Boodles appears as himself.

“The actors have met the show's physical demands with humor and gusto. Working with such a talented and focused cast has been an absolute delight,” Schindler said.

The play opens with a sneak preview at 7:30 p.m. June 1 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Tickets for this performance will only be sold at the door and cost $12 for adults and $10 for students.

Performances continue on June 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m. A 4 p.m. performance will be held June 4. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for students with reserved seating. Tickets may be purchased online at www.whitefishtheatreco.org, at the box office, 1 Central Ave. in Whitefish, or by calling 862-5371.

The box office is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and one hour before performances.