Josh Powell and Ted Gibson Photo by Alex Mongillo

The play begins with the various cast members directly addressing the audience with a host of pithy one-liners. The plot is essentially the golf match between the man who runs the country the club, Bingham (the terrific Josh Powell), and one of the best players at the club, Dickie (played by the amusing Sean Hannon). Not to give too much away, but the game is somewhat rigged and a great deal of money is at stake, as well as the antique shop that belongs to Bingham's wife Muriel (portrayed with grand wit and sophistication by Anette Michelle Sanders).

Ken Ludwig excels at comedies like this and The Fox on the Fairway is just as good as Ludwig's other works, Lend Me a Tenor and the book for the musical Crazy For You. If this story is relatively lightweight, the actors work overtime to keep the audience energized, with some belly laughs along the way. The cast is uniformly fine and the interplay among the actors and various plot points that keep popping up are adeptly handled.

Other characters include Justin (the funny and adorable Ted Gibson), who works at the country club, and his girlfriend Louise (played by the fine Erin M. Williams at an almost hysterical level, without being too much). The lovely and stylish Missy Dowse portrays Dickie's ex-wife Pamela, who works alongside Bingham.

Scenic designer Sean Sanford provides the perfect set for the show, with plenty of doors and an especially plush couch at center stage that is used hilariously.

Costume designer Diane Vanderkroef has really outdone herself, and the golf sweaters and costumes she has designed are so gloriously (and appropriately) hideous that they nearly stop the show. Of course, with a farce like this, the action very rarely stops for a moment during the two hour running time (with an intermission). The lighting design by Peter Petrino is stellar and the sound design provided by Jon Damast is crystal clear, with one especially funny scene in which one of the characters accidentally talks into a microphone he doesn't know is on.

The Fox on the Fairway contains a wonderful conceit at the very end of the show: the actors are asked to reenact the entire action of the production and they are able to accomplish this in under a minute's time. Considering how gleeful this show is throughout, this coda is like the icing on an extremely tasty cake. The cast seems to be having the time of their lives and The Fox on the Fairway at Music Theatre of Connecticut offers the audience a joyous and much-needed evening of zany entertainment.

The Fox on the Fairway runs through November 23, 2025, at Music Theatre of Connecticut, 509 Westport Ave., Norwalk CT. For tickets and information, please visit www.musictheatreofct.com.