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The Lakeway Players

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PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES BY THE PLAYERS

It all began back in 2001 when the fledgling drama group, The Lakeway Players, decided to hold a courtroom comedy/drama in THE BEST LITTLE COURTHOUSE IN TEXAS, located in the quiet little town of Cedar Valley. The good ladies of the town, headed by hymn-singing Emma Nations, banded together to close down the only watering hole in town, Han O’Hara’s bar. The cast included the typical town sheriff, pompous preacher and local sawbones.

Following that production, the Players led their audiences on a merry romp through the ELYSIAN FIELDS, which, contrary to its meaning in Greek mythology, was not a place of perfect happiness, but a retirement home filled with cranky oldsters with a mystery on their hands to solve.

Next, it was time to revisit Cedar Valley, which involved another mystery where the only clues were a monogrammed handkerchief permeated with THE SCENT OF LAVENDER, The set included an on-stage hoosegow, and the plot involved ghosts and kooky dream sequences.

Changing gears, the Players next took theatre goers on a bittersweet trip down memory lane in MOMENTS TO REMEMBER, three acts featuring reunions of three different high school classes. While some classmates stayed in their hometown to follow their careers, others pursued more flamboyant enterprises, one of which involved the now famous Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.

The four plays mentioned above were written by Sue Wright, and now, in a complete change of pace, the Players took on the comedy, WHEN BULLFROGS SING OPERA, by Houston playwright, Carl Williams. A gal from backwoods Texas is completely out of place visiting her sister in the Big A. A teen romance and Shakespearean scenes rounded out this comedy.

Next, the Players went back to Cedar Valley for the third in the trilogy of Wright’s plays set there, in MAMA LOVES GUMBO, which pitted oldtimers, led by venerable Widow Brown, AKA "Mama" against the newcomers and developers who would threaten the peaceful ambiance of Cedar Valley.

For the spring 2004 production, the Players chose a Neil Simon classic, THE LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS, where inept Barney Cashman attempts unsuccessfully to seduce three women in a fast-paced comedy full of innuendo and misunderstandings.

In fall, 2004, the Players produced their first dinner theatre, SOUTHERN FRIED MURDER, where the audience was served Southern fried chicken while they helped the cast to search for clues to the (almost) onstage murders of two of the cast. This play was staged and performed in the round.

The Spring 2005 production is the soon-to-be classic STEEL MAGNOLIAS. Set against the backdrop of a small Louisiana town, and in particular, the town’s popular beauty shop, Truvey’s, the actors bring the characters to life with witty and acerbic dialogue in this thought-provoking play that left audiences crying and laughing simultaneously.

In Fall, 2005, it was back to Neil Simon, when the Players performed Plaza Suite, a hilarious comedy in three acts, and Barbara Calderaro and Joy Drummond entertained theatregoers at a preshow performance with torch songs of a by-gone era.

The classic comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace, claimed center stage in Spring of 2006, as the slightly dotty aunts prepared their special kind of tea which left bodies in the window seat, much to the consternation of “guest stars” Teddy Roosevelt and Boris Korloff.

It was more murder and mayhem with the Fall 2006 production of Murder on the Rerun, an intriguing, edge-of-the-seat mystery with a surprise ending when murderer was revealed.

For the spring 2007 production, the Players unveiled a thrust stage presentation of the female version of the Odd Couple. Warmly received by the audiences, this version of the Odd Couple proved to be funnier than the original.

For fall, 2007 , the Players chose to reprise their 2001 hit, ELYSIAN FIELDS, the entertaining musical comedy of life and murder (attempts at least!) in the less-than-idyllic retirement home peopled by a diverse group of interesting old folks.

The Players chose another murder/comedy for Spring, 2008, DEAD GIVEAWAY. A bunch of sorority sisters are vying for an inheritance due to the last one left alive, but due to greed and manipulations, the only one left alive by the end of the play is the cat!

An amazing amount of talent was featured in BROADWAY COMES TO LAKEWAY in the Fall of 2008. With nineteen songs from such diversified Broadway hits as Mamma Mia to Phantom of the Opera, this performance showcased the talent of all ages, including a large group of kids from the 620 Dance Centre.

I LOve You, You're Perfect, Now Change played to three sold out houses in Spring of 2009. This hilarious comedy was another Players hit, and with a hit like that (Players promise) "We Won't Change"!

Red, Hot and Cole, a biographical look at American icon, Cole Porter, with hit songs from many of his musicals. Directed by Barbara Caldero, and starring Barb, David Cummings, Lee Dilday, Becky Ames, this hit played to full houses for three nights (October 29-31, 2009). French pastries and champagne were served to theatergoers at intermission.
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