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Stage
It's 'Swingtime' at Show Palace
By BARBARA FREDRICKSEN
Published April 19, 2007
Show Palace Dinner Theatre artistic director Matthew McGee had to find six quadruple threats - performers who could sing, dance, act and play a musical instrument - for Swingtime Canteen, a World War II nostalgia piece opening Friday for a six-week run. He found them, but only after a long search and some last-minute show biz networking. "We finally found the last one when someone else in the cast said she knew of someone," McGee said. Swingtime Canteen takes place in the heyday of swing music, the 1940s, and recalls a favorite gathering place of WWII soldiers going off to war or coming back for a rest. In it, Hollywood glamor girl Marian Ames (Susan Haldeman) has been dropped by her studio after her last four movies flopped. So Marian recruits gal pals Lilly McBain (LoriAnn Freda), a clarinetist; drummer Jo Sterling (Trudi Posey, who has played Jo at three other regional theaters); pianist Topeka Abotelli (Rachel Brinker); her niece Katie Gammersflugel (Amanda Carlisle); three more instrumentalists; and four dancers, and they all take off for London to entertain the troops. Songs include the upbeat Ac-Cen-Tchu-Ate the Positive, wistful I'll Be Seeing You and Sentimental Journey, patriotic Thank Your Lucky Stars and Stripes and a medley of Andrews Sisters songs that includes Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Rum and Coca-Cola and Three Little Fishes. Swingtime Canteen opens Friday and runs through May 27 at the Show Palace Dinner Theatre, 16128 U.S. 19, Hudson. Dinner and show, $42.50; show only, $31.45; ages 12 and younger, $24.95 and $19.95. Call (727) 863-7949 in west Pasco or toll-free elsewhere at 1-888-655-7469.
[Last modified April 18, 2007, 11:18:03]
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by Frank
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05/24/07 07:56 PM
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Stay away from this show. I frequent the Show Palace and 99% of the time, it's excellent. This production is unfortunately, terrible. Many people left at intermission. The musicians (if you wish to call them that) were less than grade school caliber
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by Mary L
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04/21/07 09:23 AM
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Do Pasco residents get more detailed news from Barbara about Show Palace than we do? I am interested in the recent article which told somewhat about the beginning of S.Palace. Was that in the Palm Harbor editiion of St.P. Times? If not--why?
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