ESTEVAN — The second main-stage musical at Estevan's Souris Valley Theatre is a spoof on one of the most popular sitcoms from the 1980s and 1990s.
Golden Gals Vacation, written by Randy Apostle, will premiere at the theatre Aug. 4. Performances will take place nightly at 7:30 p.m. from Aug. 4-8 and 11-15, with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Aug. 7, all at the theatre's Frehlick Hall.
Director Brad Wiebe said the rehearsals have been "fantastic" and they were ahead of schedule with a few days to go. The cast is composed of five performers, with four women and one man.
"If you're familiar with the Golden Girls TV show, then it's basically about the relationship with the four ladies," said Wiebe. "Just nitpick and take an episode from that '80s classic sitcom. There's a little mix-up that happens, and then because of that, a whole bunch of things have a domino effect. Let me say it could have been Rose's fault, but it was by mistake."
He's certain that people who loved the sitcom will enjoy the production. When the cast and crew ran through the first song in costumes, they realized that everyone would know who each character is, and it will bring the audience back to the 1980s.
"They all play them fantastically. They're very much Dorothy, very much Blanche, very much Rose and very much Sophia. You'll get your dose of nostalgia if you come to watch the show," said Wiebe.
He watched Golden Girls when he was growing up, and when preparing for the production, he watched more of the show. Now he realizes how funny it was.
"We tried to add as much call-back jokes from the past into this show as we could, and just allow this current cast to express their own version of the Golden Girls, and they've done a fabulous job," he said.
Four of the five actors have been at the theatre previously; Lily Duff, who plays Blanche, is at the theatre for the first time.
Duff said she first met Wiebe and his wife Pam a couple of years ago, and they were raving about the experience at the theatre.
"It's such a beautiful place to be doing something so special, and I feel like every show that happens here just really fits the vibe of here," she said.
The cast members and crew are getting along so well, leaving her to believe there's something "magical" about the Souris Valley Theatre.
"Everyone's so nice, so friendly, so welcoming. It's a really great space," said Duff.
The theatre has been compared to a summer camp by cast and crew members in the past, thanks to the living quarters on the grounds. Duff said she never had that experience in the past, growing up in Great Britain, so it's nice to have it now.
Golden Girls wasn't as big in Britain as it was in the U.S., since it was an American show, but Duff said she enjoyed what she saw. Duff watched it a lot before she came to Estevan for her role, and said it's a really funny show.
"It's great watching it as an adult and actually understanding the humour and understanding some of the things that they're going through," said Duff.
The rehearsals have gone quickly and have been intense, she said, since they only had a couple of weeks. But she said they pulled together, everyone has been supportive and questions are answered clearly.
Brandon Vink is returning to the theatre; two years ago, he was part of the cast for Ranchers and Rustlers 2. This time around, he's playing two roles: Boyd and Lloyd Froylick, which is a spin on the hall's Frehlick name. One of the characters is a hero, he said, while the other plays the villain.
Vink said it's always a lot of fun at Frehlick Hall. The cast and crew is talented, he said, and they get to pitch some "goofy" ideas.
"The best ones stick and they end up getting in the show," said Vink, who said he has worked with some of them previously in Ranches and Rustlers 2 and other locations in Canada.
"Everybody is hilarious. They bring world-class calibre singing and dancing abilities, so being able to share the stage with them is a joy," he added later.
He recalled that when he was a toddler in the early 1990s, when the Golden Girls theme song aired on TV, he came running around the corner in his diaper and danced to the opening theme song.
He predicted fans of the show will enjoy the portrayals of the four female characters.
"We've mixed in a couple of very classic jokes. You'll probably see a cheesecake as one of our props for anyone who loved the show," said Vink.
He has also enjoyed the visits from the youths who are part of the theatre's summer theatre camps. They drop by to watch the songs for Golden Gals Vacation and give the music a hearty round of applause.
Wiebe thanked the theatre for allowing them to have these productions, and he lauded everyone for their hard work in making Golden Gals Vacation happen.
