Eleven Matinee Friends headed west to Peoria to see “A Chorus Line” at Theater Works on Sunday afternoon, February 15. This musical has been around for a long time, but none of us had seen it recently. It is really timeless; Broadway singers and dancers still have to compete in grueling auditions for roles in the line. The show truly does “shine aspotlight on the passion, heartbreak, and sheer dedication of Broadways’ unsung heroes, the ensemble dancers.” The large cast all did a great job portraying their different characters with their different reasons for wanting this part; it was so interesting and often moving to hear their personal stories in pursuit of their dreams. By the end we were all wanting to sing long with the memorable “One”.
The lovely small Don Bluth Front Row Theater was the destination for eight Matinee Friends on Saturday afternoon, February 21. The show was “Blithe Spirit” by Noel Coward, a classic comedy written during WWII, when people were desperate for an escape from the stresses of time. The clever dialogue and spectral mayhem are still very enter- taining today. All the actors were superb, but the audience favorite was Madame Arcati, the eccentric medium, with her outlandish costumes, crystal ball, and dramatic trances which often left her prostrate on the floor. We always enjoy the offerings of this intimate theater, and this was no exception.
Thursday, March 5, found seven Matinee Friends plus an additional friend, traveling to north Scottsdale for an “unofficial” evening outing. We went to a new venue for us, Arizona Musicfest headquarters, where we enjoyed Stars of the Phoenix Theatre Company as they performed Billboard Hits of Broadway. The evening began with wine, cheese, crackers and grapes in the beautiful Annex there. Then seven amazing singer/actors entertained us for a 90-minute review of the highlights of Broadway. It was a wonderful evening.
