Roles are heaven-sent for actor

He's most famous for playing Father Mulcahy, the Catholic priest on the TV sitcom “M*A*S*H.”

The ministerial robes have clung to William Christopher throughout his career.

He made his Broadway debut as an Anglican pastor giving a rambling sermon in the wacky British sketch comedy “Beyond the Fringe” in 1964.

“It was a wonderful piece of material,” Christopher said. “I figured that was as close as I'd get to being in a pulpit. Little did I know what lay ahead of me.”

Now Christopher — a Methodist himself — is coming to Council Bluffs, on tour as a Lutheran pastor in “Church Basement Ladies,” a musical that celebrates the unsung heroes of church kitchens all across the Midwest. The show opens Wednesday at the Arts Center on the Iowa Western Community College campus.

Christopher said he's been on the road since July and still, at age 76, loves working.

“I'm in good health. I don't feel the age,” he said cheerily from Minot, N.D., where the show stopped recently. “I don't know how often I'll get the chance to tour like this,” he said, “but I was glad to have this come along.”

After “M*A*S*H” ended its 1972-1983 run, Christopher and Jamie Farr, who played cross-dressing Corporal Klinger, went on national tour doing “The Odd Couple.”

“It's hard changing hotels every week now, but those were one-night stands, so this is much easier,” he said.

His wife, Barbara, travels with him and often cooks so they don't have to always eat in restaurants, he said.

“She's a tremendous asset to have with me,” he said. “I don't take it for granted. I'm aware constantly the burden it takes off us, how wonderful it is to share.”

He said he loves his home in Pasadena, Calif., where he and Barbara raised two sons who live near them. But he still gets a kick out of acting.

In “Church Basement Ladies,” he's the Rev. E.L. Gunderson, pastor of East Cornucopia Lutheran Church of the Prairie.

“Pastor Gunderson is very Mulcahy-like, except he's a little more advanced in years,” Christopher said. “He's not stressed out, like Mulcahy was in a war situation. But the church ladies do put pressure on him. It's a lot of fun to play.”

The show, full of ethnic Scandinavian humor, originated in Minneapolis, where it played for more than three years to packed houses.

It came to Council Bluffs a year ago, and ticket demand led to extra performances.

“It's kind of nostalgic,” he said. “It takes place in the 1960s, a time of change. The church kitchen is like a little kingdom, and the four ladies get along, but they also scrap a little, too.”

The show takes us through a Christmas dinner, funeral dinner, Easter fundraiser and, of course, a wedding.

Christopher said he concentrates on keeping the show fresh and energetic, part of an actor's training.

Did he ever tire of playing Father Mulcahy?

“Certainly not,” he said. “There we didn't have the same words every week. They were wonderful scripts. We started out with Larry Gelbart, a brilliant writer with a wonderful sense of humor. He could write serious material, yet find a way to make it funny when it needed to be.”

Gelbart's recent death was shocking, Christopher said, but he still connects regularly with his former “M*A*S*H” co-stars.

“We get together every few months and have dinner,” he said. Farr, Loretta Swit, Mike Farrell and Harry Morgan are frequently part of the group.

“Alan Alda isn't on the West Coast much, but when he is he always gets in touch. That's an occasion to get together.”

As for being so closely associated with one particular character, Christopher is philosophical.

“I can't reflect on anything but the positive,” he said. “It doesn't seem a burden. I've done a lot of regional theater, lots of comedy roles far from Mulcahy. I don't feel restricted at all.”

Contact the writer:

444-1269, bob.fischbach@owh.com