Lip-synch spoof act grows into a musical at Stage Left
Stage Left Players of Lisbon has made a change in its schedule, dropping “Dead Pets” and replacing it with the premiere of “Glam ... The Rock Play ... With Music.”
“Dead Pets” was a dark comedy being written by local theater veteran Michael Dempsey. It also was going to be a premiere, but Dempsey had to put that project on hold.
Stage Left was suddenly faced with an empty room until “Glam” came to the rescue, and it sounds like fun.
Written by area theater veteran and comedian Dan Hauter, it’s a comedy that goes back to the hair-metal era of the 1980s. Think big hair, bright colors and cheesy power ballads.
“Glam” looks in on The White Rabbit, a rock venue that has fallen upon hard times. The red-hot glam-band Ireland (Hauter, Niki Slaven and Karen Losito) arrives to save the day for club owner Peter Dent (Dick Fawcett), and. The two-hour show includes many 1980s hair-metal hits mixed with plenty of comedy.
Also in the cast are Kathy Fawcett, Ed Butch and Nick Berger.
“Glam” sprang from an act put together by Hauter and Slaven for Stage Left’s lip-synch night, held earlier this month. Necessity is the mother of invention, so the duo turned their act into a two-hour musical and took over one of the suddenly available weekends.
Kandace Cleland, director of Stage Left, loves it. She also knows how fortunate she is to have such creative people hanging around, who can whip up a show in a week. It’s not a stretch to say that the fictitious band Ireland is also saving Stage Left.
“Glam” will be performed only three times: 7 p.m. April 1 and 2, and 2 p.m. April 3. It’s at Stage Left’s Trinity Playhouse, 234 E. Lincoln Way, Lisbon. Tickets are $10 ($8 for students and seniors) at the door and in advance at stageleftplayers.org.
RAYLAND BAXTER COMING TO THE B&O
Penguin Productions, a student-based group at Youngstown State University that produces entertainment events for the campus and community, will add to its list of quality shows next week.
The group is promoting an appearance by Rayland Baxter next Thursday at B&O Station. A rising alt-country singer-songwriter, the Nashville-based Baxter garnered critical acclaim for his sophomore album, “Imaginary Man.”
The concert will start at 7:30 p.m. with opening act Nikki’s Wives, an alt-pop band from Toronto. Admission is free, and the show is open to the public.
The concert is part of Penguin Productions’ new artist series, which focuses on musicians who are showing a lot of promise. Think of next week’s concert as a chance to catch a future star, for free.
Penguin Productions is producing the concert in conjunction with The Summit radio (90.7 FM), the Valley’s terrific alternative-rock station.
The Summit, by the way, is going to make an announcement Wednesday evening that is very cool. They’re keeping a lid on it until then, but believe, you are going to like it.
JORDAN DEPAUL UNLEASHES ‘FORCES’
A very distinct sound emerges on Jordan DePaul’s latest EP, “Forces.”
The new release from the Nashville-based folk-Americana artist who hails from Youngstown has a Sunday-morning feel – a little melancholy and very melodic.
DePaul says the collection of six songs is the best he has ever written. “I have definitely found my sound, and I am content with the type of artist I am and the music I put out,” he said. “That’s not to say I’m not constantly evolving. I am constantly trying to get better as both a musician and a songwriter ... I am often eager to begin recording the next project before the current project is finished.”
Guy D’Astolfo covers entertainment for The Vindicator and can be reached at dastolfo@vindy.com.