Park Players to stage “Showtune” for October
Welcome to another edition of Bergen Backstage. Last month we focused on “Oliver”, presented by the Apple Cider Players. For my October preview I’m focusing on the musical review “Showtune”, which features the music of Jerry Herman, presented by Park Players community theatre.
Park Players Community Theatre formed when 15 people got together and performed their shows in the park, leading to the name Park Players. They each paid $35 and decided to do a Christmas show in the park.
Nicole Parente
Park Players mission is to present affordable theatre with affordable prices. Their goal for the future is to include one to two straight plays a year and they would also like to settle on a permanent home to house their shows.
“Showtune” premiered on May 1, 1985 at The 1177 Club in San Francisco California and it was originally titled “Tune the Grand Up”. The show ran there for two years, winning 11 awards including three for Best Musical. The show came to New York in the fall of 2002 where it finally adapted the name “Showtune”.
The music is taken from “Milk and Honey (1961), “Hello, Dolly! (1964), “Mame” 1966), “Dear World” (1969), “Mack & Mabel” (1974), “The Grand Tour” (1979), “A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine” (1980), and “La Cage aux Folles” (1983).
The show itself is comprised of two acts with five scenes each. The scenes feature the music from each one of Jerry Herman’s musicals and they are placed in order so that the flow is connected from one scene to the next. Since it’s entirely a musical review with no dialogue the music has to flow perfectly so that the audience can understand the show.
Tristian Luysterburg, musical director, gave her opinion on the music of “Showtune”. “The music is quite difficult. When I first heard about the show and researched it, I knew how much work I had ahead of me, but didn’t think the music would be too difficult. What makes it so different from other musicals is the fact that it is literally 99% music. It’s actually considered a song cycle. Where most musicals are based off of a book, this is not. My expectations for any cast are to be responsible for learning, practicing, and memorizing all parts. All I want for them is to feel comfortable and have fun up onstage.”
Trisha Johnson, director, shares her thoughts. “The show has a lot of music and movement. It is fun to see how all these stories are rolled into one. It is going to be a great show.”
“I’m looking forward to singing the section from La Cage Aux Folles” states Joe Conklin, an original founding member of Park Players. “I’m also looking forward to singing in harmony.”
John Conklin, a member of Park Players for 14 years had this to say. “I love the music and Jerry Herman. One thing that was great for me was that I actually met Jerry Herman and it was a great experience. I’ve always loved musical theatre.”
“The show is very upbeat and fast- paced,” said Lynsey Leigh Price who is the choreographer. “The movement is all about having fun and also about bringing and education of the character, but still making it their own. I’m looking forward to putting my creative ideas to the forefront.”
“Showtune” runs October 8-16 at Waterford Towers in Edgewater. Times are: Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 3:00pm. Tickets are: $20, $18 for seniors and students and $15 for groups. For more information please call 201-941-6030 or 201-232-1936.
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