Cookstown’s South Simcoe Theatre is gearing up for its first production of the 2018-2019 season – but it has run into a roadblock. Literally.
The production of Lend Me A Tenor by Ken Ludwig, author of the hit play Fox on the Fairway, described as a “madcap romp through the world of opera,” was supposed to open on Nov. 8, for a three-week stint on the Old Town Hall stage.
Unfortunately, reconstruction of the theatre’s foundation is still ongoing, a portion of the building is blocked off, and the first week of the show had to be cancelled. Instead, Lend Me A Tenor will open Nov. 15 for two weeks only, although South Simcoe Theatre has added two Saturday matinees, on Nov. 17 and 24, to partially make up for the cancelled shows.
Lend Me A Tenor promises farce at its best, with plenty of hijinks, a wife, a mistress, mistaken identity, young love, bedroom doors, closets, and beautiful music.
Directed by Richard Varty, the cast includes local actors Stephen Dobby, Marissa Caldwell, and Tom Mercer.
“It’s hysterical, in the traditional farce style,” and a perfect outing for anyone who is an opera fan, said producer Mel Hinch. “If people are really looking for a good night out with a lot of laughs — this is it!”
The show will be on stage at the Old Town Hall Theatre, at 1 Hamilton St. in Cookstown, Nov. 15-25, with 8 p.m. performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are $20 for reserve seating. Visit southsimcoetheatre.com or call the box office 705-458-4432 for more information.
The regular season will include Dancing at Lughnasa, March 7-24 — a moving Irish drama by Brian Friel, and the smash Broadway musical Hello Dolly! from May 2-19. Season tickets are still available at $51 for all three productions — a saving of $12 off the single ticket price.
South Simcoe Theatre is also offering its annual take on pantomime: That December Show, a family-friendly panto production of Beauty and the Beast, Dec. 6-16. Cheer the hero and heroine, boo the villain, and sing along in this fractured fairy tale that invites audience participation. It will run Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
