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Review: In ‘Bus Stop,’ finding human connection on a lonely road

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“We’re all in this alone,” in the immortal words of Lily Tomlin. Yet unexpected moments of connection and intimacy are still possible, as random blizzard-bound strangers discover in Theatre 40’s revival of William Inge’s “Bus Stop.”

Notwithstanding the sizable cast of characters, Inge’s 1955 romantic comedy is fundamentally about loneliness, a timeless theme that director Ann Hearn Tobolowsky illuminates with style and grace.

Secrets are spilled and destinies changed when Inge’s busload of stranded travelers seeks refuge in a roadside diner, fabulously realized by Jeff G. Rack’s period set, in all its turquoise and chrome splendor.

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Hearn Tobolowsky’s staging fares particularly well with the emotional fireworks involving Cherie (Kaitlin Huwe), a jaded Kansas City nightclub singer who’s already regretting her impulsive road trip with stage-door cowboy Bo (Niko Boles) after a one-night stand. Sexy, flighty and vulnerable by turns, Huwe’s layered performance frees Cherie from Marilyn Monroe’s famous portrayal in the film version and justifies her self-styled “chanteuse” title when called upon to sing.

As Bo, the macho chauvinist who won’t take Cherie’s “no” for an answer, Boles is comically unconvincing — which is precisely the point. Bo’s bluster is an ill-fitting cover for a gangly, romantically inexperienced loner. It takes a firm intervention by the wise local sheriff (calmly assured Shawn Savage) to make Bo’s innocent and caring nature endearingly apparent to us — and, most important, to Cherie.

In the creepier role of a predatory alcoholic professor who hits on the diner’s perky teen-aged waitress (Mani Yarosh), miscast Jack Sundmacher doesn’t quite sell the required mix of dazzling cerebral wit and self-loathing. Nevertheless, playwright Inge’s inclusive optimism and generosity of spirit allows the possibility of redemption for even this reprehensible character.

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“Bus Stop” doesn’t cut as deep as Inge’s classic, the Pulitzer winner “Picnic,” and its narrative construction is a bit dated and creaky, but it still impresses with its affirmation of basic human decency that seems in particularly short supply nowadays.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

‘Bus Stop’

Where: Theatre 40 at Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills

When: 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Monday; 2 p.m. Sundays; ends Dec. 16

Tickets: $35

Info: (310) 364-0535, theatre40.org

Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

See all of our latest arts news and reviews at latimes.com/arts.

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