RRTC In the News - Sold Out

Sold-out crowds flock to Constance Bay

Last Resort a first Rural Root production for some in attendance

May 30, 2010 By DEREK DUNN

Opening night for The Last Resort at the Len Purcell Community Centre in Constance Bay, was a sold-out affair complete with a champagne reception to start, and promised to set the stage for a successful four-night run for Rural Root Theatre Company.

Even special guest Robin Riddihough, chairman of the Ottawa Community Theatre Association – representing almost two dozen theatre companies in the region – was impressed with Rural Root. "Community theatre like this is just wonderful," said Riddihough, also past president of The Ottawa Little Theatre.

"When you get people like this it will do just fine.

"Community theatres put 100,000 bums in seats a year, way more than the NAC or other professional organizations."

After hors d'oeuvres that included scrumptious smoked salmon on cucumber, much laughter and excited chatter about the musical to come, the audience on the evening of May 12 settled in for a night of superb singing and rollicking good times. The piece is classic Norm Foster. A group of apparent strangers is staying the night in Saskatchewan's Last Resort, a hotel in the middle of nowhere that will serve as the perfect hideout for mob informant Nick Galeazzo.

On the run with FBI agent Angela Miller, Nick is paranoid that every other guest in the hotel is out to kill him. Freda Heitz, who operates the rundown hotel, has her work cut-out for her in trying to keep all her guests happy. Her Brazil night festivities unexpectedly provide both party and motive. Certainly, the Barzinis, a couple celebrating their 25th anniversary get more than they bargained for, and poet, Trent Balfour, finds inspiration at last.

Inspector Closely is the RCMP attaché who has to sort out the situation. A tough case to crack indeed. Sexual innuendos were bountiful (the parking attendant was merely "validating my stub"). But it was Inspector Closely (played by Ivo Mokros), who showed the best comedic timing. Nick Galeazzo (played by Ron Gardner) and Sid Barzini (Lee Powell) aced the slapstick scenes.

However, the show was all but stolen by Julia-Jessica Youngstead (Shannan Collins-Vig) and Angela Miller (Katherine Ross) who seemed to vie for strongest singing pipes. The wow factor was nailed over and over again. All actors gave solid, professional performances, even though some hadn't taken to the stage since high school, said director Martin Weeden. He said the almost 500 people who purchased tickets, some for the first time, seemed impressed.

"It's been going incredibly well. We are getting very favourable responses and the cast and crew are having a great time," Weeden said last Friday. "It looks like others have heard about it and will want to come out. People are very impressed, especially with the singing and the zaniness of the costumes."

In the audience that first night was West Carleton-March Coun. Eli El-Chantiry. His Lighthouse Restaurant was worked into the script by the actors, as were other gold sponsors during later performances. He is proud to call himself, as a councillor, also a proud gold sponsor since the company formed six seasons ago.

"I'm thrilled. It's a great event to get people out and interacting together," he said. "Overall I'd say the show was good. It was funny, a good show. You run into people in the restaurant or wherever and you don't expect them to be actors or funny. And they are."

El-Chantiry marvelled at the bravery it takes to participate in a full production. He said the cameo he had in Rural Root's last production was enough to test his limits. The one disappointment let down involved the matinee show, a first for Rural Root. Although a number of groups asked for it, only about 60 per cent of the seats were filled. (Others went beyond capacity, balancing it out with the all sold-out shows.) Nevertheless, Rural Root will offer a matinee in the fall as well.

Check in later at ruralroot.org to find out more about the mid-October production of The White Sheep of the Family, wherein one member of a family of thieves contemplates going straight. Auditions begin in June. All are welcome.