After a years long break, APPLAUSE! Musicals in Concert returns this August 25-27 featuring a concert presentation of OUT OF THIS WORLD, a rare Cole Porter work that ran for just 157 performances on Broadway in 1950, on the heals of the incredibly successful Kiss Me Kate.
OUT OF THIS WORLD is comical adaptation of the Greek comedy Amphitryon by Plautus. The story revolves around the god Jupiter who descends from Olympus to woo a mortal woman in modern Greece. He involves his son Mercury (messenger of the gods), which in turn alerts his wife Juno who follows him hoping to catch Jupiter in the act. Instead, she gets tangled up with a gangster running from the law who she believes is her husband in disguise. This madcap plot mixes nicely with Porter’s witty lyrics, and singable melodies.
An American composer and songwriter of many standards of the Great American Songbook, Cole Porter is known for his witty, urbane lyrics, and catchy melodies used throughout his many Broadway musicals, Hollywood films and adaptations. Best known for Anything Goes (1934), Kiss Me Kate (1948), Can-Can (1953) and High Society (1955 film), two of Porter lesser known shows have already been presented by APPLAUSE!, 1929’s Fifty Million Frenchmen presented in 2008, and Jubilee from 1935 presented in 2005.
Founded by Scott Ashton Swan in 1997, APPLAUSE! Musicals in Concert is dedicated to presenting rare, shelved and forgotten musical by popular musical theatre composers. Having presented 47 of these already, in some cases were BC and Canadian premieres. Uniquely, the company’s works with a very short one-week rehearsal and performance period with musical performed in its entirety – music and libretto – “in concert” with “books in hand”. With the focus on the original story and music versus costumes, lights, and scenery, care is taken to try to present these works in their original form versus trying to modernize, or update them.
The APPLAUSE! Musicals in Concert production of Cole Porter’s OUT OF THIS WORLD, will run four performances August 25 @ 8pm, August 26 @ 2pm & 8pm, and August 27 @ 2pm at PAL Theatre, 581 Cardero Street, Vancouver.
Visit applausemusicals.com for more details about APPLAUSE! and OUT OF THIS WORLD and find tickets for the shows on Eventbrite.com
OUT OF THIS WORLD Creative Team
Music Director by: Kate McColl. Director: Scott Ashton Swan
Cast (subject to change/listed alphabetically): Kaden Chad, Kathleen Doerkson, Cecilia Federizon, Wilson Fowlie, Janet Glassford*, Christopher Hall, Dakota Hutchins, Isaac Johnson, Irene Karas Loeper*, Brenda Katzeff, Taylor Marples, Timothy Marron, Annika Meekel, Ken Overbey*, Rebecca Paulding, James Penco, Gordon Roberts*, Amanda Russell, Ashlyn Shaw, and Cathy Wilmot*.
Stage Manager: Sara Lohnes
* Appearing by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.