Ten Matinee Friends returned to one of our favorite intimate theaters for another entertaining afternoon on Saturday, August 16th. We entered into the comical world of “Heaven Can Wait”, which begins in the anteroom of Heaven where the newly departed are being checked in by guardian angel Mr. Jordan. But the routine is interrupted by the arrival of Joe Pendleton, a young prizefighter who refuses to admit he is dead. Upon his continuing demands to be returned to his body on Earth (which is impossible because it has already been cremated), the angels find him another body–that of wealthy financier Jonathan Farnsworth, who is about to be murdered by his wife and her lover. Joe insists on continuing her career as a boxer, so he trains for the big fight. Can this mess ever be straightened out? Can Joe find love as well as a boxing title? Can the angels keep their jobs? Will the killers be caught? Not surprisingly, everything works out in the most satisfactory way. The actors were all excellent, but my personal favorite was Mr. Jordan.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The nine Matinee Friends who went to Theater Works in Peoria on Sunday afternoon September 7th hoped this was our last outing in 100+temps. The outstanding production we were fortunate to see was “The Prince of Egypt”, the musical based on the beloved DreamWorks animated film. The entire cast of 41(!) gave their all–the ensemble playing several different characters were as impressive as the leads. We heard they only had seven weeks from first reading to first performance, and it was evident that those weeks were full of hard work and dedication. The set seemed simple, but the video projections were amazing, changing the scene from location to location and providing a sea, a construction zone, and a desert. This was the Biblical story of Moses and Ramses–raised as brothers, but divided by destiny as they rose to power. Both were faced with impossible choices. The actors made this familiar story rise to more, as we saw these men were more than powerful leaders–they were very human souls who had to face situations they did not welcome. This show was filled with music by Stephen Schwartz; the Academy Award-winning song “When You Believe” was a definite and very moving highlight. The choreography was very well-performed and always added to the story. It was hard to realize this was community theater; we couldn’t imagine it being any better.
