South Simcoe Theatre’s (SST) latest production, Honeymoon in Vegas, dances and sings its way on stage May 3 to 19 at 1 Hamilton St. in Cookstown.
This romantic comedy lifts the spirits with funny moments and situations, while taking the audience from New York to Vegas, and then to Hawaii and back to Vegas. A seven-piece live orchestra accompanies the singers, creating strong musical numbers.
“We are really pleased to have Honeymoon in Vegas as our spring show. Folks have been working on this since January,” said SST president Nancy Chapple Smokler. “It’s going to be so much fun, and we hope people will walk out singing tunes. It is a large cast, and everyone has gotten along so well. We are just so excited to have the big part of the season go out with a bang.”
While the cast and the orchestra have worked together for months, so have the producer and a large creative team, providing such services as sets, props, costumes, lighting and sound design and operation, and in this case, original paintings that will be for sale at the end of the run.
Sandy Bishop, a longtime SST member in various roles on and off stage, took up painting in the past few years. She was asked by set designer Stephen Bainborough if she’d be interested in painting “a few” canvases for the production. She thought it sounded like fun and great practice, so she agreed to help.
“When we met with director Sandi LaPlante, we discovered that her vision of the set paintings moving easily on and off stage as the action was happening was a bit more involved, but she was so excited that we got swept up in her vision,” Bishop said.
It turned out to be 29 items to paint.
“Most were three-by-four-foot scenery pieces, and some were two-by-four-foot items like double doors and a boring headboard for a disappointing hotel room,” she said. “There were also two 16-by-24-inch, double-sided five-card poker hands that would be held up by the showgirls during a gambling scene. I started painting at the beginning of January. I worked almost daily for at least a few hours until last Saturday, when I finished the final one.”
The months and hours put in by those involved in the show are all volunteer. The large number of people it takes to launch a show such as Honeymoon in Vegas is a great testament to the ability to co-create. Participants are motivated to tell a story and to bring it to the community to enjoy.
LaPlante is also the choreographer and costume designer. She has years of experience in each of these areas. When asked by InnsifilToday of the challenges of melding those positions in a production, she said, “Well, it’s interesting, particularly in this show that is so musically driven. (The actors) go from talking to dancing, back to talking, to singing, to dancing again. The choreographer and director have to work really closely together, so when it’s one person, there’s no argument. It works seamlessly. Then, with a show like this with all the movement, the costumes have to work. So, knowing what an actor is going to do, I know how to dress them. Knowing how I’m going to dress them, I know what I can have them do.”
All the talent on and off stage meld in this musical production, making a fun theatrical experience for all.
Honeymoon in Vegas, book by Andrew Bergman, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, is based on the Castle Rock Entertainment motion picture. It runs May 3 to 19 (Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m.).
Tickets may be purchased online or by contacting the box office at 705-458-4432 or [email protected].
Four Play: A Showcase of Play Readings will take place at the theatre May 30 to June 2, with SST’s annual Tea Room Saturday to co-ordinate with Cookstown’s Wing Ding.
Those interested in purchasing a set painting by Bishop can email [email protected] or call 705-458-4432.
Rosaleen Egan is a freelance journalist, storyteller, and playwright. She blogs on her website: rosiewrites.com.
