ELBOW - Community theatre returned to the stage in a big way in the lakeside village of Elbow last weekend.
Held on Friday & Saturday night, April 11 & 12, the Line 19 Theatre Group hosted two productions of 'Escape to Margaritaville', a musical based on the songs of the legendary tropical rock and folk singer, Jimmy Buffett. A dinner theatre performance, the pair of shows sold out and had large audiences packed in the Harbor Golf Community Center to watch live adult theatre return to the local stage in Elbow for the first time in years.
A jukebox musical by Greg Garcia and Mike O'Malley, the plot of the show revolves around a part-time bartender and singer, Tully Mars, who falls for a career-minded tourist, Rachel. The play's music consists of songs previously recorded by Buffett, and written by him and various other songwriters.
The show was its own breezy, tropical atmosphere, with the cast having a lot of fun with the material, which wasn't for the kids in some instances. But don't mistake that for any kind of downgrade; this show was hilarious at times and inviting to the audience at others, with people encouraged to join in on a particular Buffett tune if they knew the words. This is the kind of community theatre that one needs to take in sometimes; local folks just having fun on the stage in a show that pulls the audience in to the experience, and in this case, a sun-soaked island one, at that.
Carrying the tunes - or rather, the brunt of the show's plot - were Rick Long as Tully, Brent Griffin as his best buddy Brick (a pun-loving bartender), and Gillian Wankel as Rachel (Tully's eventual love interest) and Courtney Nestman as Tammy, who's just not sure about settling down with her fiance, sports fanatic Chadd who was played with great comic timing by Cory Southam. When Tammy meets Brick on the island, sparks fly and the question lingers, 'Does Tammy go back home to Chadd, or is Brick her new man?'
Together, with the paired romantic storyline between Tully and Rachel, who go their separate ways but eventually find their way back to each other, the story could very well be called a romantic comedy, only with a heavy, HEAVY dose of comedy and sun-soaked tropical island behavior by a gaggle of tourists who've probably had one or two more margaritas than needed.
With a supporting cast including Michelle Burchmore, Ed Niska, Geraime Brochu, Stacey Dorward, Joanne Daniluk, Joy Peddle, Shelley McAmmond, Carter Lemcke, Zach Oberg, Erin Lyons Clark, Russ Clark, Trevor Dament, and Joel Perry, the show's actors including supporting characters and even eye-catching background performers helped make this show a hit with Elbow audiences.
The cast ended the show by featuring a photo of the late Colleen Hoppenreys above the stage, a friend to many and Elbow's dedicated mayor who succumbed to cancer in December 2023.
This production of 'Escape to Margaritaville' was directed by Brooklyn Lemcke, Anne Wilson, and Erin Lyons Clark.
Serving as the launching point to see whether live theatre could make a sustainable return to the community, the success of this show may have shown Elbow residents that their local stage is set to become much busier in the months ahead.
