"The Fantasticks," the longest running musical production on Broadway, hits the stage from August 3 to 7 at the Tommy Douglas Performing Arts Centre.
Show times are all at 8 p.m. and there are two dinner theatre performances set for Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6 beginning at 6 p.m.
The play is a classic story, inspired by Edmund Rostand?s "Les Romanesques" about growing up and venturing out into the world. Rostand is best known for his timeless story of "Cyrano de Bergerac."
With book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, the musical score features romantic songs like "Try To Remember," "Much More," "Metaphor" and "Soon It?s Gonna Rain" and comic ditties such as "Never Say No" and "Plant a Radish." There are serious songs too. "It Depends On What You Pay" and "I Can See It" add to the dramatic spice of this production.
Most of the players are home-grown Weyburn talent. Recent high school graduate Kjel Sidloski plays Matt, the brash young poetic scientist who sees wonder in the dissection of leaves and beauty in his younger next door neighbour, Luisa, played by Jenna Neufeld.
Sidloski is very passionate about music. He enjoys composing and arranging music and performing, playing guitar and piano. In this, his graduating year, he played a principle role in the Weyburn Comprehensive School musical ?All Shook Up.? He has also taken full advantage of his high school?s choir programs, including S.T.A.R.S. Show Choir.
This fall he plans to attend Briercrest College in Moose Jaw to continue his musical studies.
The role of Matt in "The Fantasticks" provides his most demanding theatrical challenge yet.
Jenna, a student of St. Michael?s School, has already built an impressive resume of characters in three years of acting technique training offered to young performers at the Tommy Douglas Performing Arts Centre (TDPAC). She played the leading role of Emaline in the 2010 World Premiere of "The Crazy Man," adapted for the stage from Pamela Porter?s award-winning novel of the same title. Jenna has also played the leading roles in three other TDPAC productions: Hana, in "Hana?s Suitcase," Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" and Jim Hawkins in "Treasure Island."
She has also been training in stage management through TDPAC in "On Golden Pond" and "Oscar and Felix."
As romance, in the production, is taken care of by the young lovers, their fathers handle a good portion of the comedy with sometimes acutely bizarre gardening obsessions.
Matt?s father, Huckebee, is played by new Weyburn resident, Michael Dunne, who comes to "The Fantasticks" cast by way of Cork, Ireland. Dunne is a graduate of the Gaiety School of Acting in Cork where he devoted himself to advanced theatre studies. Luisa?s father, Bellomy, is played by veteran Regina actor, Jeff Ring, who is best known in provincial acting circles as prosecution attorneys, Robinson and Osler, in "The Trial of Louis Riel" - the longest-running dramatic production in North America. Ring is a long time member of the Regina Little Theatre.
"The Fantasticks" has more than its share of comedic characters with Dave Frayn and David Rennie, who are back in costume for their roles as Henry and Mortimer. Both Frayn and Rennie will be remembered by area audiences in "The Crazy Man" production as Dr. Osmond and Angus, respectively.
Perhaps the most unusual character is the role of the Mute. This character is energetically played by Kassandra Lawrenz, whose summer student day job is co-programmer for the Signal Hill Arts Centre?s children?s visual arts programs. In the fall, she heads into her fourth year at the University of Regina and her sociology studies.
The musical anchor to the production is award-winning pianist, musician and singer, Britney Alexander, who has embraced and performs accompaniment for the entire score, which she had yet to set eyes on until the second week of July.
Alexander also graduated from the Comp this fall and will attend the same music school as Sidloski in the fall.
Completing the talented cast is award-winning veteran actor, John Nolan, the Tourism and Culture director for the Tommy Douglas Centre. Nolan, who has worked in professional theatre for more than 35 years, directs and plays the enigmatic El Gallo, whose character is inspired by Cyrano himself. He is best known for his dramatic biographies of Tommy Douglas and Clarence Darrow.
Originally from British Columbia, he moved to Weyburn in 2004 and has worked to develop performing arts programming, directed many plays, hosted events and provided professional theatre training for the past four years at the centre.
Without production staff and behind the scenes crews, the production would be very naked and seats sparsely filled. Oscar Rios has been the centre?s technical director for several shows. His creative artisan?s touch has not gone unnoticed. Alice Neufeld is the centre?s invaluable Front of House Manager and Deanna Kolbinson created the Tommy Douglas website and is responsible for many other creative contributions.
Tickets for "The Fantasticks," including the dinner theatre performances, are available at Superior Office Products, Signal Hill Arts Centre, and the Tommy Douglas Centre.
Advanced adult tickets are $20, advanced senior and student tickets are $18. Theatre tickets at the door are $22 and $20.
Ellen Johnston of Flatland Catering will be cooking dinner for the Friday and Saturday dinner theatre performances. Dinner theatre tickets are $50 each for all patrons.
