Tuesday April 3 to Sunday April 15, 2018, Tues-Sat 8 pm, Sunday matinées at 2:30 pm. Tickets Tues & Wed $15, Thur-Sun $25. Reservations call 905-543-8512 or
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The Fringe 2017 hit musical Swingin’ In St. John’s returns for a two-week run at Artword Arbar. What if they made an Elvis movie — set in Newfoundland? It’s back and bigger than ever! More singin’! More dancin’! More swingin’! Two brand-new songs, plus the 16 original songs and two Newfoundland classics. Come get Screeched In with us!
Artword Theatre presents A Chasing Shadows Production:
Swingin’ In St. John’s.
Starring Will Gillespie, Rebecca Gilbert Millar, Leonard Cain,
introducing Mariam Bekhet, with Brian Morton as ‘Old Salty’,
and Susan Robinson as ‘The Lobster’.
Written, composed, designed & choreographed by Will Gillespie.
Paintings, props and puppets by Susan Robinson.
Video and lighting technician Judith Sandiford.
In the late 1950’s and early-to-mid 1960’s Elvis Presley starred in some 30 movies. Many of these were campy, light-hearted romps, musical romantic comedies based on what was called the “Presley Formula”: exotic locales, beautiful co-stars and fun songs that blended Rock & Roll with styles inspired by the locations and themes of each movie. What if one of these films was set in Newfoundland? “Swingin’ in St. John’s” is a new stage musical that answers that question.
Our hero, Johnny King is a Rockabilly singin’, hip-swingin’ speed-boat racer washed ashore in a strange new land. There he meets Old Salty, a salt-of-the-earth bartender at the Deep Sea Dive Bar. He’s the wise and wise-cracking father to Annette, sweet girl-next-door type waitress and focus of both Johnny and his new rival Rod’s intentions. Rod is a spoiled cod liver oil baron and local speed-boat champion. Not to be left out is Squirt, a plucky tomboy sidekick with hidden talents and dreams of her own.
They all come together in this “Mississippi catfish out-of-water” story. Who will win the talent contest? The speed-boat race? And, finally the heart of Annette? Find out in this all-singing, all-dancing play that pays homage to both campy 1960’s musicals and the people and culture of the Rock. Written by Hamilton’s own Will Gillespie, Swingin’ in St. John’s features 18 brand-new songs and some traditional Newfoundland classics with a Rock & Roll Memphis twist. Uh huh.
Artword Theatre presents a Chasing Shadows Production.
Written and directed by Will Gillespie.
Paintings, props and puppets by Susan Robinson.
Video and lighting technician Judith Sandiford.
Will Gillespie as Johnny King
Brian Morton as Old Salty
Rebecca Gilbert Millar as Annette
Leonard Cain as Rod Fisher
Mariam Bekhet as Squirt
and
Susan Robinson as the Lobster
