As springtime edges its way closer, Little Lake Theater is making preparations for its 71st season, and with a collection of shows for adults and kids – there’s something for everyone! There will even be an opportunity for kids to enjoy a six-week summer camp, and adults to hone-in on their skills with acting and improv classes.
Little Lake Theater’s 71st season begins with The Drowsy Chaperone. Beginning with a man enjoying his favorite fictional cast recording of a 1928 musical, the music springs to life as the audience gets swept into the heart of the show. The show takes place on the eve of two lovers’ wedding day and features their best man, a determined theatre producer, a thoughtless hostess, two gangsters pretending to be pastry chefs, an ill-advised lady’s man, and a very drunk chaperone. This all leads to an evening of wacky enjoyment! The Drowsy Chaperone will be performed from April 25-27 at 8 pm, May 2-4 at 8pm, May 5 at 2pm, and May 9-11 at 8pm.
The next production in Little Lake Theater’s lineup is Top Girls, by Caryl Churchill. A woman named Marlene has just achieved the position of Managing Director at her job in London at an employment agency. In celebration of her promotion, her work throws a luncheon–but in addition to these guests being her coworkers, friends and clients, the attendees are also legendary and historical women who offer Marlene advice on maternity and ambition. Marlene has paid the price of having to rise from her working-class beginnings to her new executive lifestyle just as her infamous guests before her. Top Girls can be seen from May 16-18 at 8pm, May 23-25 at 8pm, May 26 at 2pm, and May 30-June 1 at 8pm.
The Importance of Being Earnest, a classic by Oscar Wilde, is an entertaining and lighthearted comedy. Based around the lives of two men – Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing – and their pursuit of two women who both want to marry a man named Ernest, this play revolves around courtships, confused identities, and promises. From the vibrant beginning in Moncrieff’s London flat to the comedic end in Worthing’s country manor in Hertfordshire, this timeless classic has the audience on their toes for each plot twist. The Importance of Being Earnest can be seen from June 6-8 at 8pm, June 13-15 at 8pm, June 16 at 2pm, and June 20-22 at 8pm.
To kick off the kid-friendly shows, Little Lake Theater presents Disney’s The Lion King Jr. for the first time! The audience gets to follow the young lion cub, Simba, on his journey to become king. Disney’s The Lion King Jr. can be seen June 19 at 11am, June 21-22 at 2pm, June 26 at 11am, June 28 at 2pm, and June 29 at 11am* and 2pm.
Another classic takes the stage with Electra by Sophocles. This Greek drama takes place in the city of Argos right after the Trojan War. Electra and her brother Orestes plan to take revenge on their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for murdering their birth father, Agamemnon. Anyone who enjoyed shows such as The Crucible and Macbeth will love this performance! Electra can be seen June 27-29 at 8pm, July 5-6 at 8pm, July 7 at 2pm, and July 11-13 at 8pm.
The next children’s performance to hit the Little Lake Theater stage is Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook, which is based off the original book by Barbara Park. When someone at school steals Junie B’s new furry mittens, she becomes outraged! That is until she stumbles upon a multicolored pen and decides to keep it. It is finders keepers, losers weepers after all! Then, a new boy joins Junie B’s kindergarten class and he is the handsomest. But Gracie and Lucille want this new boy to be their boyfriend. Junie B. hopes he will like her when he spots her beautiful new pen – because she is definitely not a crook. Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook can be seen July 10 at 11am, July 12-13 at 2pm, July 17 at 11am, July 19 at 2pm, July 20 at 11am* and 2pm, July 24 at 11am, and July 26-27 at 2pm.
Boeing Boeing, by Marc Camoletti, takes place in the 1960s about a Parisian playboy named Bernard who has an Italian, German, and American fiancées. Each one of them an airline hostess with frequent layovers. Bernard likes to keep “one up, one down, and one pending.” That is until his friend Robert decides to stay, and a brand-new faster Boeing jet flies all three women to Bernard’s apartment at the same time. Audiences will enjoy this hilarious show as this comedic circus unfolds! Boeing Boeing can be seen July 18-20 at 8pm, July 25-27 at 8pm, July 28 at 2pm, and August 1-3 at 8pm.
Winnie-the Pooh, based on the stories by A.A. Milne, appears on stage at the Little Lake Theater! The audience can join Winnie-the Pooh and his friends Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, and Owl on this timeless adventure. Winnie-the-Pooh can be seen July 31 at 11am, August 2-3 at 2pm, August 7 at 11am, August 9 at 2pm, August 10 at 11am* and 2pm, August 14 at 11am, and August 16-17 at 2pm.
Cabaret welcomes you to Berlin, Germany in the year 1928 where the fun never stops! Cliff Bradshaw, a young American writer, has just arrived and has his life turned upside down when he visits the infamous cabaret Kit Kat Club where he meets the English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, the Third Reich begins to rise in power as Germany must grow accustomed to this new change. Cabaret can be seen August 8-10 at 8pm, August 15-17 at 8pm, August 18 at 2pm, and August 22-24 at 8pm.
Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors, by Ken Ludwig, takes place in 1930s Paris revolving around four tenors, two wives, and three girlfriends all in one hotel room preparing for a concert of the century in a packed soccer stadium. That is as long as the producer Henry Sanders can keep his Italian superstar Tito Merelli and his temperamental wife, Maria, from causing ill-advised chaos. This show has the audience on the edge of their seats with romantic mischief and mistaken identities. Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors can be seen September 5-7 at 8pm, September 12-14 at 8pm, September 15 at 2pm, and September 19-21 at 8pm.
Adapted from the famous book by C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe comes to Little Lake Theater! Follow the journey of four kids as they stumble into an old wardrobe where they discover the mystical land of Narnia. Along the way they find the mysterious Aslan, the great lion, and learn of his conflict with the evil White Witch. A special feature of this production is the pre-show workshop that begins at 12:30 before every performance. At the workshop, you can create props that will be featured in the show and learn a part of the play that you could perform alongside the actors during the performance! The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe can be seen September 21, 28, 29 at 2pm and October 5, 6, 19, 20 at 2pm.
Bloomsday, by Steven Dietz, is about a man named Robert who returns to Dublin, Ireland to be reunited with Cait, a woman who captured his heart during a James Joyce literary tour 35 years ago. Traveling backwards through time, the now older couple revisits their younger selves. Within the world of younger Robbie and Caithleen, they re-experience the unexpected events that brought them – briefly – together. This show embraces making the most of the now before it becomes the past. Bloomsday can be seen September 26-28 at 8pm, October 3-5 at 8pm, and October 10-12 at 8pm.
From the recognized playwright who wrote Hay Fever, the Little Lake Theater presents Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit. This comedic hit on Broadway and in London features Charles Condomine, a re-married man who is being haunted – quite literally – by his late first wife, Elvira. Elvira becomes called upon by a visiting “happy medium,” Madame Arcati. As the widowed husband and dead ex-wife clash frequently, Charles’ current wife, Ruth, passes away unexpectedly and joins Elvira in the haunt. Both of these ex-wives haunt the ill-fated Charles in this hilarious play. Blithe Spirit can be seen October 17-19 at 8pm, October 24-26 at 8pm, October 27 at 2pm, and November 1-2 at 8pm.
Over the Tavern, by Tom Dudzick, follows a 12-year-old boy, Rudy, and his journey with family and the Church. Taken place during the Eisenhower years of the 1950s, the Pazinski family must answer a lot of questions in their cramped Buffalo apartment. All hell breaks loose when Rudy decides to go up against the ruler-wielding Sister Clarissa and declares that instead of being confirmed, he’d much rather look for a more “fun” religion. Over the Tavern can be seen November 7-9 at 8pm, November 14-16 at 8pm, and November 21-23 at 8pm.
Based on the favorite Christmas film, Elf, Little Lake Theater presents their last junior show of the season, Elf- the Musical Jr.! Follow Buddy the Elf on his journey to find his birth father in New York City. But along the way, he finds out that his father is on the naughty list, and his half-brother does not believe in Santa Claus. Buddy makes it his mission to bring his father back over to the nice list, while restoring faith in Santa Claus in everyone. Elf- the Musical Jr. can be seen November 23 and 30 at 2pm, and December 1, 7, 8, 14, and 15 at 2pm.
The final show of Little Lake Theater’s season is The (Christmas) Lake Effect by Sunny Disney Fitchett. What better time for everything to go wrong in the theater than right before Christmas? There’s nothing more spectacular than one of Lakeside Theatre’s favorite actors to fall into a midlife crisis right in the middle of the final dress rehearsal of A Christmas Carol. Or when the theater’s roof collapses, the wrong costumes arrive, a horrendous blizzard comes crashing in, a Secret Santa gift exchange doesn’t work out, and a group of actors get locked in the rehearsal barn with a rabid possum. This amusing show brings the right amount of Christmas cheer and humbug! The (Christmas) Lake Effect can be seen November 29-30 at 8pm, December 5-7 at 8pm, and December 12-14 at 8pm.
All other information of the shows and pricing can be found on Little Lake Theater’s website, www.littlelake.org or they can be reached by phone at 724-745-6300. Little Lake Theater is located in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
*sensory friendly performance
Emily Koscinski is a recent graduate from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School. Along with Pittsburgh in the Round her articles have been featured in Midland Today, Beaver County Times, Observer-Reporter, and on the Lincoln Park website. Emily also has her own photography business where her photos have been shown at Robert Morris University and on the Lincoln Park website.
Categories: Feature