A hot and fresh 44-year-old comedy hit the grill at Pintello Comedy Theater this week, with “Wally’s Cafe” opening at the local theater company’s venue at the Grange Hall in Gilroy.
Running through May 24, the play follows the eponymous restaurateur “Wally” (portrayed by Charley Gilmore), his wife “Louise” (Denee Lewis), and wannabe Hollywood starlet slash on-again, off-again waitress “Janet” (Christy Wright) through their struggles and triumphs over 40 years, beginning in 1941 when the couple opens a roadside diner in the Mojave Desert. It revisits them again with its second act, set in 1958, and the final scene takes place in 1981.
“Wally’s Cafe is Wally’s dream,” Whitney Pintello explained. “This is his first ever big grownup purchase and he really wants to make a go of it, and his wife is so worried that it is not going to be good. It’s in the middle of nowhere and they don’t know if they’re going to make a go of it.”
The story begins with the newlyweds opening their diner on the wrong side of the highway about 60 miles outside of Las Vegas, far from an ideal location. They soon meet Janet, a young woman with Hollywood aspirations.
“She stops and meets these lovely people out in the middle of nowhere while hitchhiking across America,” Wright said. “They help her by lovingly discouraging her from going on to Hollywood, because she is not as talented as she believes that she is. It is very fun to play.”
The production uses several techniques to convey the passage of time between scenes.
“We watch the price of the Wally Burger change, which tells the times a little,” Pintello said. The production also incorporates “a musical montage with the top five hits for every year for 18 years.”
Louise is described as the most “grounded” of the characters, having a sober view of the very real challenges that stand before the success of their restaurant.
“She is realistic, if somewhat pessimistic,” Lewis said of her character. “She sees what is really in front of her.”
Though “Wally’s Cafe” features an ensemble cast of equal importance to the story, Louise’s journey of emotional growth through the cafe’s trials and tribulations creates a throughline for the audience to relate to.
“Louise actually has slightly more presence in the show. One could argue that she is the main character,” Gilmore said. Wright agrees, noting, “I think that the main character is Louise, personally. We see her journey throughout every single scene.”
For Gilmore and Pintello, the decision to produce “Wally’s Cafe” came decades in the making. The couple recalled Gilmore’s father starring in the same show four decades back, and he has been itching to reprise the role ever since.
“It was such a juicy role when I saw him do it in ’85,” Gilmore said. “For one person to play a character at three different points in their life is a thrilling challenge. The beauty of running your own theater is that sometimes, you can do whatever the heck you want.”
The choice also came with practical considerations, including the desire to produce a show with a small cast. The theater recently presented similarly food-themed “Mystic Pizza” with a 17-person cast, an immense challenge for the company’s tiny stage.
The producers expect the play to appeal to the theater’s established audience, particularly emphasising the elements of nostalgia and the relatable elements of showing the characters aging over the story’s 40-year span of time.
“Our demographic loves a little bit of nostalgia,” Pintello said. “We have a lot of seniors who come, in fact that is probably our most supportive group that comes consistently.”
Lewis described working with the Pintellos as a family experience.
“Working with the Pintellos is like a family,” she said. “There are not a lot of theaters in this area, and if you don’t sing, there are not a lot of places you can go as an actor. They are very supportive, and are always finding the best in all of us.
“It’s really a great place to work, and I know the patrons feel the same way too. When I come in to watch a show, it is just such a warm and wonderful environment.”
Gilmore reflected on what he sees as the play’s central message: “Live in the moment. Because when it’s gone, all you ever do is think back, and cherish it.”
While “Wally’s Cafe” is ostensibly a comedy, the show has a depth to it that will give the audience just as much to think about as to laugh at, Lewis explained.
“I love a play with some depth to it,” she said. “Sometimes, I feel like comedies can just be purely for laughs. This really has some ups and downs, and while there may be some darker themes going on, they make it light. I think that’s the fun of it, is keeping the depth and the richness inside the play, but keeping it light enough to have everyone laughing along.”
“Wally’s Cafe” runs Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm through May 24, with Sunday matinees at 2pm. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit pintellocomedy.com.
