Wednesday, April 26, 2000
Wednesday, April 26, 2000 |
| NCT's
'Lucky Stiff' set to come alive By MICHAEL
BOYLAN You may not have heard about the musical “Lucky Stiff” before, but after Newnan Community Theatre opens the show this weekend, you'll be hearing a lot more about it. The musical is based on the story, “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Michael Butterworth, which deals with what one man will do to inherit his uncle's $6 million inheritance. If Harry Witherspoon is to receive the inheritance, he must take his recently deceased uncle for one last gambling vacation to Monte Carlo. If Harry fails, the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn will receive the money. Hilarity obviously ensues as everybody tries to get their hands on the dough. “Lucky Stiff” is another example of a very productive partnership between composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens. The team is better known for the 1998 Broadway hit “Ragtime: The Musical” as well as the Tony Award-nominated “Once On This Island.” The duo wrote the songs for the animated film “Anastasia” and Ahrens also wrote the words and music for ABC's “Schoolhouse Rock.” “The question that keeps popping up at rehearsal is, `Why isn't this show famous?',” says show director and NCTC artistic director Dale Lyles. “The music is wonderful to sing and hilariously funny. We keep falling over laughing at song after song every night.” The cast features a mixture of NCTC veterans and newcomers. Chris Scott and Brenda Barry-Weaver reunite on the stage as Harry and UDH of B owner Annabel Glick. they were last seen in 1998's production of “She Loves Me.” The rest of the cast is rounded out by Caroline Carr, Jimmy Johnson, Matthew Bailey Jr., Jenifer Doran, Diana Kline and newcomers Murray Weed and Alison Chambers. “Lucky Stiff has been one of the most fun shows I've ever worked on,” says Lyles. “Part of it is the fabulous music, but a lot of it is the cast, who are insane. That always helps.” The show opens Friday, April 28 and runs three weekends, through May 13. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays. A special show for area students will be offered Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for the special student performance. Call 770-683-NCTC to reserve tickets. Tickets are also on sale in Newnan at Scott's Bookstore, The Daily Grind, and Clemens and Company Used Books.
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