The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre (CAST) opens the 2013 season on Thursday, June 6, with the musical “Forever Plaid.” The Plaids are a clean-cut quartet of barbershop-singing friends. Their dreams of making it big are cut short by their untimely collision with a bus full of schoolgirls, hoping to see the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Fortunately, the Plaids have returned from the afterlife for their concert and one last chance at musical glory!
There are many well-known songs in this musical, popular songs from the 1950’s. These include “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Heart and Soul,” “Chain Gang,” “16 Tons,” “Catch a Falling Star,” “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.”
The role of Jinx will be played by Haden Rider, a senior at Brenau University and a student of the Gainesville Theatre Alliance training program. Nathan McHenry, a junior at Belmont University, will play the role of Frankie. Currently working on his B.F.A. at Western Michigan University, Elliott Litherland will play the role of Smudge. Darian Lunsford returns to the Showboat for a second season, playing the role of Sparky. Audiences may remember Lunsford as Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors” or Rapunzel’s Prince in “Into the Woods.”
Shown left-to-right are Litherland, Lunsford, McHenry, and Rider.
“Forever Plaid” may be seen on the Showboat at 7:30 p.m. on June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15 and at 3:00 p.m. on June 9, 12, and 16. Tickets cost $23; $20 for seniors; $16 for students and children.
The CAST box office is open 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, and noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.clintonshowboat.org or by calling 563-242-6760.
Returning for his third summer on the Showboat, Brian Cowing will direct and choreograph “Forever Plaid.” He has choreographed “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” and “Spelling Bee” for the Showboat in the past, as well as acting in “Into the Woods,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Spelling Bee,” “Drowsy Chaperone,” “Altar Boyz,” and “High Fidelity.”
Producing Artistic Director Tommy Iafrate provides musical direction.
Enjoying his first summer with the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Rob Berls (Scenic Designer/Technical Director) is an associate professor of scenic design and technical direction at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Cassie Mings, from Chicago, IL, brings her talents as Lighting Designer for the season. The rest of the creative team for this show are all veterans of the Showboat: Costume Designer–Dusty Shaffer; Sound Designer–Kyle Davis; Stage Manager–Nicole Frechette. Joining C.A.S.T. for her third summer, local resident Erica Vander Velde will serve as Assistant Stage Manager.
The 2013 CAST season includes three more musicals: “Godspell” (June 20-29), “The Sound of Music” (July 3-21), and “She Loves Me” (July 25-August 3.) The play “Almost, Maine” (August 15-23) is the final show of the season. The intern production is “School House Rock Live, Jr!” on August 10-11.
This summer brings two theatre camps for children entering grades 1 to 8. Camp Christmas is Monday through Friday, July 8 to 19, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Camp Rock Around the Classroom is July 20 to August 10. Cost is only $85 per camp. Registration is available online or at the box office.
The Annual Opening Follies will be presented on Tuesday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. The evening will be filled with musical selections performed by the company members and local actors as well. It is the perfect opportunity to welcome the talented cast to Clinton, IA, this summer. Tickets for this fundraiser are $20 for all ages.