SUNY Oneonta Students Produce "A Day In Hollywood / A Night in Ukraine" with Theatre Department

The SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department presented "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in Ukraine" in a double feature performance for its end-of-the-year production.

"A Day in Hollywood / A Night in Ukraine" are two one-act plays that make up the two Tony Award-winning musical comedy. With music by Frank Lazarus and book and lyrics by Dick Vosburg, "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in Ukraine" debuted on Broadway in the fall of 1980 with two distinct yet complementary performances, directed and choreographed by American actor and dancer Tommy Tune.

"A Day in Hollywood" is a musical revue and salute to the Golden Age of film musicals, highlighting music from the 1930s and is about ushers at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

"A Night in Ukraine" is a Marx Brothers-style farce based on Anton Chekhov's "The Bear." Together, the musical comedy is known for its blend of original songs and classic film music.

"I chose this script years ago as an experiment," said Professor of Theatre, Dramatic Literature and Acting John McCaslin-Doyle. "When I worked as a producer for a summer stock company, the performers that were offered the most in their contracts could sell songs (especially from the American "Tin Pan Alley" Songbook), dance in a variety of styles (especially tap), and are willing not to take themselves too seriously. This project fits that bill!"

Directed by McCaslin-Doyle, "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in Ukraine" is a joint performance made possible by the SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department's faculty and staff and students from the Mask and Hammer Theatre Club. Cast and crew began working on the production in February and the show was cast in November 2025.

"I also chose this script because it has become more difficult to find students with a common 'cultural literacy,'" said McCaslin-Doyle. "Some have not seen Star Wars, know who Bob Hope was, or The Wizard of Oz."