BY KALISHA MENDONSA
The ZAP! Theatre players and production team have been hard at work for months as they gear up to bring the Canadian premiere of Alison to Central Alberta this month.
Alison is set in the prime of the 1960s, full of music, life and big dance moves. Zap! General Manager and Director Daniel Allers said this particular musical will test the abilities of their cast and that audiences will be delighted by their hard work.
Friday night performances on May 5th and 12th will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday performances on May 6th and 13th will run once at 1:30 p.m. and again at 7 p.m.
There is no admission price, but donations are accepted and all money donated goes directly to supporting the Christian Life Centre, an orphanage in Mwanza, Tanzania.
”Alison is a ton of fun. It takes you back to the golden era of the 1960s and the great music they had back then. It’s a rather typical story of guy meets girl, guy breaks up with girl - guy realizes he made a huge mistake,” Allers said.
“After she is broken up with, Alison, the title character, decides to head off to Hollywood, drowning in her recent heartbreak but determined to become a star. Unfortunately, she falls in with a really shady agent. It’s up to Jeff, our hero, to save the day and keep her from making the biggest mistake of her life.
“It’s a very fun, very family-friendly show, good for all ages and it has some great music.”
Allers said his cast has been dedicating their Saturday nights for months to perfect their choreography, singing and performance.
The performance is led by Luke Wagner (Jeff) and Alexa Murray (Alison).
Zap! Theatre is a post-graduate theatre program, so all of these actors have been trained and are ready to show their stuff.
“We’re excited to bring a really well-choreographed piece to the stage,” Allers said. “There is a lot of choreography for our actors to have learned, which is new to some of them as well. It’s great to be able to bring that kind of show - something that everyone from age nine to 99 can enjoy. It’s going to be a great time with some great laughs.”
He added the performance is a great way to bring enjoyment to people in Central Alberta with a family-friendly, all around high-energy performance.
Each performance Zap! Theatre produces doubles as a fundraiser for the Christian Life Centre orphanage in Tanzania. Allers said these performances are a fantastic way to bring people of many talents and skills together for a great cause as well. Particularly, the cast is honoured to be bringing Alison to Canada.
“This is a really unique opportunity. It’s a production that was produced in Australia. It’s been done a couple of times in North America, but never before in Canada,” Allers explained.
“We were in touch with the playwright and he was wondering if we’d be interested in doing their Canadian premiere, and with what a unique opportunity that would be, we jumped right on board.”
Allers said the entire cast is looking forward to showcasing their hard work and to hopefully draw in crowds from across the area to shine a light on this performance.
He added that although the storyline may seem familiar, there are fun twists and turns as Alison navigates the waters of young adulthood. From the high-energy dance numbers to sentimental scenes between actors, the musical is sure to have something to delight all attendees.
“There is lots of energy, for sure. One thing we specialize in is having our actors bring enough energy to carry the show,” Allers said with a laugh.
A cast of nearly 16 players have come together to bring the performance to life with the assistance of the production team.
In the past, Zap! Theatre has produced such pieces as Sympathy Jones, 3 1/2 Musketeers and ‘Oh Horrors! It’s Murder!’.
Alison will be their 10th production, and Allers and the rest of the team are looking forward to sharing it with the community.
For more, visit www.zaptheatre.ca or find them on facebook.
kmendonsa@lacombeexpress.com