“Well, hello gorgeous.”

What does an unemployed and rather desperate actor and a wealthy multi-talented celebrity have in common?

They share a kit kat bar and a dream.

Exploring the psyche of the have and have nots, Jonathan Tolins’s fictional one man comedy, Buyer and Cellar brings to light the weighty and wild world of excess on the journey of discovering what is truly important.

With lighthearted direction by Daniel Bourque, Hub Theatre Company of Boston continues Buyer and Cellar live and in person at Club Café in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, August 1.  The action is not limited to the stage and runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.  Pay-what-you-can tickets are available.  The production occasionally contains adult and unfiltered language.  Purchase a drink during this show and Club Café offers a full menu.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Buyer and Cellar is a fictional tale, but is based on real life aspects of Barbara Streisand’s life drawn from Streisand’s book, My Passion for Design which sits on a lighted pedestal.  Streisand’s book offers insight into her legacy and the story behind building her dream home.  While the show revolves around Barbara Streisand, you do not necessarily need to be a fan to appreciate this production.

From Funny Girl to Yentl, sound designer Gage Baker weaves inflections of Streisand’s most memorable film theme songs into the playful and whimsical sound design.  Under a sparkling disco ball, Club Café always offers a little extra in its vibrant space and Justin Lahue takes full advantage of that space through the tiered set and surrounding projections scattered throughout Club Café’s back room.  A variety of projections include some of Streisand’s most coveted and iconic ensembles, store fronts, book racks and a peek into the architecture from the book. Two vintage wardrobe stands ostentatiously adorned and topped off with a pink feather boa situated side by side for colorful ambiance and a sophisticated chair and ottoman is a wink to Barbara’s style.

One of the most fascinating aspects and the center of this production is that Barbara Streisand built a shopping mall in the cellar of her Malibu mansion in the late 2000s.

Yes, really.  It’s mindboggling to think Streisand has that many possessions and all the more intriguing are the eccentric stories behind them.  With a wealth of pop culture references and self aware humor, Victor L. Shopov amicably portrays down-on-his-luck California actor Alex More who has had just about enough working for Disneyland and is looking for his big break. Central Casting arranges a bizarre new opportunity in which Alex is tapped by gravelly throated estate manager Sharon to become the shopping mall’s very first employee.  Confusion, havoc, mystery and even monotony ensue on the job before Alex is face-to-face with Streisand herself.  

Shopov is a candid and engaging storyteller infusing animated and eccentric voices emphasizing various mannerisms and avoiding impressions.  He perfects a mix of imaginative and real life voices with flair including a humorous and exacting take on Barbara delicately sampling a morsel of food with her incomparably long nails. Navigating between awestruck, sarcastic, earnest and dubious, Shopov’s Alex takes this amusing and outrageous journey through Streisand’s wonderland through panic and in stride.  However, nothing beats Shopov’s hilarious talent for narrating and delivering commentary on one particular film that won’t be revealed here.

Buyer and Cellar is a funny tale about another side of a legend.  One may long to be rich.  However, not everything is what is seems, even for someone who seems to have it all.

Hub Theatre Company of Boston continues Buyer and Cellar live and in person at Club Café in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, August 1.  Click here for more information and for tickets.