Fort Frances High School’s annual spring musical opens tonight as the curtains rise on Curtains, a comical murder mystery musical which is actually set in the world of theatre, adding layers to the complexity of the show.
Curtains got its start in 2006, with a premier on Broadway in 2007, and is a comedy send-up of both backstage murder mysteries and the Golden Age of musicals, particularly the Rogers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma!. The story itself takes place in 1950’s Boston, Massachusetts, and features a large ensemble cast with plenty of show-stopping songs and dance numbers.
Alex Kabel plays Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, a detective with the Boston police department and one of the lead roles in the show. Kabel explained that the show is about a murder investigation that happens behind the scenes of a musical within the musical.
“It’s pretty much about a failing, not-quite-Broadway show, where one of the lead actors is murdered,” he said.
“My character comes in to solve the murder and then kind of fixes the show in the process, because it’s not very good.”
While murder is certainly a serious subject matter, Liam Dent, who plays Aaron Fox, one of the writers of the show-within-the-show, says there are lots of laughs.
“It’s very funny,” he said.
“Every character will have some nice one-liner or something in the mix.”
Cast members in a round-table interview all agreed that the fact that the show is set at a theatre made it much easier when it came to assembling sets.
The fact that the major plot involves a show within a show means some of the young actors on stage are actually pulling double duty in a way. They play their character in the show Curtains, as well as the role their character is playing in the show within the show, which is a western spin on the legend of Robin Hood.
Cassandra Armstrong plays Georgia Hendricks, who is part of the writing team on the show-within-the-show and eventually takes over the leading role after the murder.
“It’s like acting on double time,” Armstrong said.
“It’s really acting within acting.”
“There are moments within the show within a show where people intentionally screw up and it’s kind of fun,” Kabel said.
“Because you’re purposely screwing up, and it’s fun to be like, ‘oh no, what have I just done?’ You have to pretend you did it by accident and then keep going.”
The show features a roller coaster of emotions, according to Armstrong.
“I also love about the show how many different emotions there are,” she said. “There’s so much comedy, there’s romance, drama, horror you could say.”
There’s a lot of interpersonal conflict, according to Kabel.
“They’re not very nice to each other,” he said.
“It’s sort of just everybody butting heads.”
“They’re constantly taking cheap shots at each other,” Dent added.
“There’s some heartfelt moments too,” added Olivia Handberg, who plays Carmen Bernstein, the show-within-a-show’s co-producer.
As for who the murderer is, you’ll have to come out to the show to find out.
Opening night of Curtains at the Townshend Theatre is tonight, Wednesday, April 9, with performances through Saturday, April 12.The curtains open each night at 7 p.m. and the doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Howarth’s Home Centre (the former Leon’s location). Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students. Unless sold out beforehand, tickets will also be available to buy at the door.
Stage manager Joannie Harmon (Alexis Latter) and producer Carmen Bernstein (Olivia Handberg) are all about being Show People in FFHS’ production of Curtains.
Lt. Frank Cioffi (Alex Kabel), second from right, questions Niki Harris (Delaney McDonald), right, about death threats discovered at the theatre while the rest of the cast and crew look on.
Show director Christopher Belling (Jameer Corneille) describes the epiphany he had about how to fix his struggling show.
Niki Harris (Delaney McDonald) sympathizes with Lt. Cioffi about how all-consuming his job must be.
