Showtunes tackles The Unsinkable Molly Brown - this weekend

(photo by Chris Bennion)

March 11 (8:00pm) and March 12 (2:00pm), Showtunes Theatre Company is taking on The Unsinkable Molly Brown for their next musical presentation. If you aren't familiar with their style, you are missing out on the fun.

The company mostly mounts musicals that will not likely be produced on a local stage, either because it might have great music but not a really great story, or it just has too large a cast for a company to afford. This is a great opportunity to see this classic musical in a concert style.

The actors carry their scripts and they use minimal props and costumes, though they present the entire script and musical numbers. It's an intriguing way to experience musicals that are part of our rich musical theater canon, but rarely receive a full production.

Molly Brown is a classic American tale of a woman who stood up to the men, survived the most famous ship-sinking...and persisted. This 1960 Broadway comedy, with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, composer of The Music Man, and book by Richard Morris, tells the life story of Titanic survivor Margaret Brown and her fight for acceptance as she defied social barriers from the late 1800’s through the turn of the century. A film version starring Debbie Reynolds was released in 1964.

Billie Wildrick, local musical theater star who just finished her run as the lead in 5th Avenue Theatre's Pajama Game, takes on the directing job and has chosen a unique presentation. She has cast eight (8!) singers to portray Molly through multiple perspectives of age and body type. In alphabetical order, they are: Molli Corcoran, Sara Henley-Hicks, Suzy Hunt, Erin Hyatt, Cassi Q. Kohl, Bobbi Kotula, Angie Louise, and Katherine Strohmaier. Rounding out the ensemble (and playing all the rest of the roles - male and female) are Michael Cimino, Ethan Carpenter, Matt Lang, Casey Raiha, Ryan McCabe, Nate McVicker and Nick Watson.

Music director is the very capable Nathan Young. They usually include a select number of other musicians and instruments on stage along side the actors.

Try not to miss out on Showtunes; one of the most fun musical experiences in town!

For tickets and more information, go to http://www.showtunestheatre.org. They will be performing in the lovely upstairs auditorium in Benaroya Hall, downtown Seattle.