“Life Could Be a Dream” Coming to Old Church Theatre
June 10th, 2013 – “Let’s hear it for the boys” in this summer’s rockin’ musical comedy at the Old Church Theatre in New Rockford, Life Could Be a Dream. The show features pop and doo-wop hits from the 60s, with romance, comedy, and dynamic performances by some of the region’s top musical and theatrical talent.
The show centers on the Crooning Crabcakes, four boys preparing to enter the Big Whopper Radio contest to pursue their dreams of making it to the big time. But as described on the publisher’s website, “trouble comes in the form of Lois, who arrives to put some polish on the boys. Denny and Wally fall in love, Eugene falls apart, and along comes handsome heartthrob Skip to send the whole situation spinning.” The production’s soundtrack is filled with favorites from '60s radio doo-wop: "Fools Fall in Love," "Tears on My Pillow," "Runaround Sue," "Earth Angel," "Get a Job," "Unchained Melody," and "Duke of Earl," to name just a few.
The show is directed by Dakota Prairie Regional Center for the Arts’ (DPRCA’s) Managing Director, Deb Belquist, with musical direction by Annette Hovey and choreography by Patrick Kasper. DPRCA’s live house band, made up of Annette Hovey, Delaine Rademacher, Cathy Bowman, Steve Bowman. Javan Arroyo, and Scott Westby, will provide background music and instrumentation for the show’s 24 songs. As for the cast, Belquist says, “With three music majors, a theatre major, and an award-winning high school soloist and actress in the cast, this is going to be an incredibly tight musical production.”
The cast consists of Jared Kolles, Technical Director and veteran performer at DPRCA, Elliott Schwab, a graduate student in Music at NDSU, Tony Peterson, music educator at Wahpeton Middle School, Alex Hovey, a senior at NDSU in Music Education, and Jacee Engels, a senior at New Rockford-Sheyenne School with state-level accomplishments in music and the arts. All five have performed onstage at DPRCA in the past, and are excited to be back on the boards.
Dakota Prairie has earned a reputation in the theatrical and musical communities for drawing in talent from around the state. Speaking on behalf of the visiting cast members, Schwab explains, “We love New Rockford. DPRCA is a unique, professionally-run theatre company that puts on quality shows, and the community is great to the actors who come to perform here.”
Tickets to Life Could Be a Dream are $22, available now at www.dprca.com or through the box office at (701) 947-2174. The show opens July 4 and runs Wednesday through Sunday until August 11. Show dates and seat availability are listed online, with 7:30 p.m. performances for most Wednesday through Saturday shows and 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinees.
Volunteers and ushers are always needed and welcome. To connect with DPRCA, visit our website or find us on Facebook at “Dakota Prairie Regional Center for the Arts” for the most up-to-date photos, video clips, and updates.