Jessica Foster
Staff WriterMasquers Theatre Companyís production of ìAnything Goesî opens Thursday, June 17.
Directed by Lon Church, ìAnything Goesî is a popular musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter.
The production takes place in the 1930s and features six main characters among a cast of 30. In addition, a jazz ensemble will be on stage amid the actors and will add to the production.
There are 28 cast members in ìAnything Goes.î Actors include Tina Brauer as Reno Sweeney, Stephanie Meyer as Hope Harcourt, Becky Zierke as Evangeline Harcourt, Aaron Cook as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, Justin Brink as Elisha Whitney, David Thelen as Billy Crocker, Steven Rod as Moonface Martin, Jeanne LaBerge-Petitt as Erma, Wes McDonald as The Captain and Caitlin Ryan as The Purser.
Several other performers from the Forest Lake area and neighboring communities of Andover, St. Francis, Blaine and White Bear Lake also contribute as dancers, sailors and passengers.
The artistic staff includes Deborah Wiersma as producer, Deane Tasler as tap choreographer, Matt Haider as music dire ctor, Florian Keller as rehearsal pianist, Marti Steek and Donni Monn as costumers and Drew McCullough as set construction head.
ìThereís a lot of slap stick, a lot of tap dancing, a lot of jokes, a lot of innuendos,î Wiersma, who also is producing the show, said. ìWe felt we needed another tap musical. Itís nostalgic and itís got a really great repertoire of songs from the jazz era to the big band era.î
Church, who is new to Masquers, said he is enjoying his first endeavor here.
The St. Paul man answered an ad to be a part of the production. His first taste of the local theater company came in the 1970s when he came to Forest Lake to see Masquersí production of ìThe Music Man.î
ìItís (ëAnything Goesí) one of the best musicals Iíve done,î he said.
Cole Porter can take a lot of credit for that, Church said.
ìAh, the Cole Porter music. Even pople in the younger generation know Cole Porter music,î he said. ìPeople really want to do the show and be in the show. Itís very vaudevillian in its humor.î
Next show
After seeing ìAnything Goes,î audiences may want to see the second summer production, ìSouth Pacific.î
ìSouth Pacific,î opens July 15 and runs through July 31.
ìSouth Pacificî will feature a cast of more than 30 actors from 7-years-old to adult.
Rodgers and Hammesteinsís ìSouth Pacific,î with its memorable songs and great story will draw large crowds, producer Deborah Wiersma predicts.
Tickets/showtimes
Showtimes for ìAnything Goesî are 7 p.m. June 17-19, 24-26 and July 1-3. There also is a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday June 19 and 26.
Season tickets, for both shows this summer season, are available for $18 each. Seniors 60-years-old and older, can purchase season tickets for just $16. Season tickets for children 12-years-old and younger are $10 each.
General tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $6 for children per show.
Community Education is offering a discount for Saturday matinees. Individuals who mention Community Education when purchasing tickets for Saturday matinees can buy one ticket and get the second of equal or lesser value for free.
Tickets are available at the door before each show or at The Yellow Bus in the Lakes Shoppes. The Yellow Bus can be reached by calling 651-464-2112.
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