By Khalida Sarwari
There’s nothing like a murder mystery to ward off the winter chills. The South Bay Musical Theatre will present such an experience at the Saratoga Civic Theater from Jan. 24 to Feb. 14.
This is the first time that SBMT will bring “Curtains” to the stage. Written by the song-writing team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the same guys behind “Cabaret” and “Chicago,” “Curtains” is a show within a show, recounting the fallout that occurs when the lead actress of “Robin Hood of the Old West” is murdered on stage during her opening night curtain call and everyone in the cast and crew is suspected.
The task of saving the production falls into the hands of Lt. Frank Cioffi (played by Michael Rhone), a police detective who moonlights as a musical theater fan. Cioffi must solve the case before the show reopens and to do so he must lock down the theater, holding everyone–from the cast to the audience–captive.
A relatively new musical that was first presented on Broadway in 2007, “Curtains” marks Kander and Ebb’s final show. The show’s director, Doug Brook, promises memorable musical numbers and plot twists.
“It’s a very lighthearted musical,” Brook said. “It’s got all the makings of an Agatha Christie mystery.”
Set in 1959 Boston, the musical explores the themes of romance, specifically unrequited love, as well as handling creative differences, according to Brook.
“It’s a very new musical that’s definitely a throwback to traditional musicals, to older styles in a very good way,” Brook said.
SBMT took on the musical because it hadn’t been done in the area, but since then a few other theater companies, including the one at Foothill College, have produced it, said Brook. The show boasts a cast of about 30, including some faces that audiences of SBMT’s shows are familiar with.
“Curtains” runs from Jan. 24 through Feb. 14. An opening night gala will be held in the lobby and patio after the show that includes a complimentary catered champagne reception and mingling with the cast and crew.
Tickets are $20 to $39 and can be purchased on SBMT’s website at southbaymt.com and at the door if they’re available.
For more information, call 408.266.4734.
Link: Curtains going up on South Bay Musical Theatre’s ‘Curtains‘
