Stage Door News
Stage Door News
ST. JACOBS – These are not the usual suspects! You’ll be screaming with laughter as a crooked carpet salesman, a philandering poet, a pair of calculating twins, and other quirky characters sing their way through a story full of murderous twists and turns in The Last Resort, on stage at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse from March 4th to March 22nd.
Written by Canada’s preeminent playwright Norm Foster, this off-the-wall murder mystery musical follows the trail of Nick Galeazzo, a New York restaurateur who checks in to The Last Resort, a remote lodge in rural Saskatchewan, to hide from the mob. Paranoid and suspicious of everyone he meets, Nick is always on the lookout for the elusive hitman out to get him. As the plot builds to its uproarious climax, theatregoers can’t help but put their detective skills to the test as they try to figure out whodunit. But beware – nothing is what it seems!
An impressive cast of outrageous characters has been assembled for this witty musical mystery – each with a secret to hide. Audiences will be in for triple the laughs, courtesy of the inspired casting announcement of three veteran Drayton Entertainment actors to anchor the production – Keith Savage, Wade Lynch and Eddie Glen.
Savage leads the hunt for the killer as Inspector Kenneth Closely, Lynch takes on the hysterically funny role of Freda Heitz, the eager-to-please proprietor of The Last Resort, and Glen is Sid Barzini, a carpet salesman who comes to the hotel with his wife Liz for their 24th anniversary.
Savage, Lynch and Glen all have an impressive array of credits and are adored by Drayton Entertainment audiences in equal measure.
Savage is known for his goofy physicality and performances in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Boeing Boeing, Annie and many others. Audiences will remember Lynch as Tony the hilarious hairdresser in Shear Madness, DJ Little Big Man in A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline last fall at the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre, and Sancho in Man of La Mancha among other comedic roles. Glen has appeared as Monsieur Thénardier in Les Misérables, Sir Robin in Monty Python’s Spamalot, and Big Band Legends among others. In addition to numerous film and TV roles, he is also the voice of YTV.
What kind of shenanigans will occur with the one-two-three punch of Savage, Lynch AND Glen on set? You’ll have to see it to believe it – all we know is the result will be hysterically funny.
Leading lady Jayme Armstrong, riding a wave of critical acclaim for her portrayal of the young mermaid Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, takes on the dual role of twin sisters Julia and Jessica Youngstead, who have arrived at the hotel for the reading of their father’s will.
Fresh from her villainous turn as Ursula the Sea Witch in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Kristen Peace takes on the role of tough FBI agent Angela Miller. Justin Bott, who recently played Doug Ford in Rob Ford: The Musical, is Nick Galeazzo, a mob informant in protective custody.
Susan JohnstonCollins is Sid’s wife Liz who is looking to rekindle the romance in their marriage, and Dan Payne is Trent Balfour, a poet who is hoping to overcome a seven-year bout of writer’s block by finding inspiration at the resort. JohnstonCollins appeared in Look! No Hans last season, while Payne appeared as taxi driver E.J. Lofgren in the comedy Harvey in 2013.
These eight outstanding performers are led by Director and Choreographer Marc Richard. He is joined by Music Director Steve Thomas and Set Designer Eric Summerley.
“The Last Resort has it all – mystery, mayhem, memorable music. Audiences will be dying with laughter, which is the perfect antidote to this cold winter weather,” says Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment.
The Last Resort is proudly sponsored by Home Hardware and Josslin Insurance. Media Sponsors are 2day FM 107.7 Stratford and the Guelph Mercury. The Design Sponsor is RWAM Insurance Administrators Inc. The 2015 Season Media Sponsor is CTV.
Don’t miss your chance to see the show critics call "the funniest, best-written, Canadian musical comedy." Regular performance tickets are $42.00 for adults; $25.00 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for preview performances scheduled before the official opening and groups of 20 or more are $34.00. HST is applicable to all ticket prices.
The Last Resort runs March 4th through March 22nd. Tickets can be purchased in person at the
St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, online at www.stjacobscountryplayhouse.com or by calling the Box Office at (519) 747-7788 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
2015-01-16
St. Jacobs: All-star line-up of suspects for "The Last Resort" in St. Jacobs March 4-22