**** Recommended **** Canterbury Summer Theatre opens its 55th season, By Land or by Sea in 2023! with one of my favorite tap-dance musicals, Dames at Sea, which is a lot like the big splashy musicals of the thirties, and it’s nothing but fun. Dames at Sea premiered in 1966 with Bernadette Peters as Ruby, had a successful run off-Broadway, and was adapted for television. The Canterbury crew are terrific at both singing and dancing. I really enjoyed this show! 4 Spotlights
By the way, Canterbury Summer Theatre is a summer stock theater which means they produce several shows in a limited amount of time with a resident cast. While one show is on stage, the actors are rehearsing the next.
This summer CST opened with a period drama, The Violet Hour, followed by 3 musicals, Dames at Sea, The Pin-Up Girls and Honky Tonk Angels, and will conclude with another period drama, Scotland Road.
Reid Graham and Sarah Donofrio
Artistic Director Ray Scott Crawford is in his 42nd season with CST, his 38th as AD. During the rest of the year, he is Program Director of Theatre at Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana. Associate Artistic Director David Graham, now based in Michigan City, is in his 33rd summer at Canterbury. Music Director/Associate Director John Berst returns for his 4th season.
CST’s resident company includes Sarah Donofrio (Actor), senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Donna Fondjo (Actor), Chicagoan/student at Ithaca College, New York; Amber Gantt (Costumer/Company Manager), recent grad, Southern Arkansas University; Chloe Rayne Garcia (Property Manager/Stage Manager/Technician), student at Louisiana State University; Jack Gordon (Actor/Technician), senior at Northern Illinois University; Reid Graham (Actor/Technician), Chicagoan & student at the University of Michigan; Alex Gray (Light Designer/Master Electrician/Technician), senior, Southern Arkansas University; Victoria Hickman (Actor/Choreographer), recent grad, Northwestern State University of Louisiana; Annabelle Lamb (Stage Manager/Technician), Lake Forest/senior at Syracuse University; Lauren Landman (Actor), from Michigan, now based in New York; Lari Leber (Associate Director), M.A. from Louisiana Tech University; Charlie Lovett-Dietrich (Shop Director/Technician), student, University of Pittsburgh; Jeremiah Mitchell (Actor/Technician), grad, Northwestern State University of Louisiana; Tony Morrell (Actor), grad, Texas Tech University; Jen “Paz” Paswinski (Costume Consultant), fashion designer & grad, Purdue University; Sophie Stechmann (Actor), grad, Northwestern State University; Calum Sullivan (Actor), grad, Viterbo University, LaCross, WI; and Jenna Weisbach (Actor), from New Jersey, now a student at Ball State University.
Dames at Sea parodies the ‘chorus girl/understudy becomes a Broadway star’ story. Somehow, sweet Ruby (Sarah Donofrio), who arrives in New York with nothing in her suitcase but a pair of tap shoes, and Dick (Reid Graham), sailor and would-be songwriter, manage to get backstage during rehearsals for a new Broadway musical.
When they’re ordered out by the slinky star of the show, Mona Kent (Lauren Landman), Ruby manages to faint in Dick’s arms. Chorus girl/tough dame, Joan (Victoria Hickman) takes pity on her and talks Hennessey (Tony Morell) into giving her a job replacing a dancer who quit.
Reid Graham, Lauren Landman and Sarah Donofrio
As Ruby goes off to rehearse, Dick sits down at the piano to play one of his own songs. Liking what she hears, Mona latches onto Dick, dragging him off to her dressing room. At the same time, Dick’s buddy Lucky (Jeremiah Mitchell) comes looking for him and runs into his former squeeze, Joan.
Meanwhile, the new show has more serious problems than missing stars – during dress rehearsal, the wrecking ball actually hits the theater. Dick and Lucky volunteer their battleship for the show, if The Captain (Jack Gordon) agrees. Mona implies that she and ‘Captain Kewpie Doll’ had a previous relationship, so that won’t be a problem.
The music is catchy, especially when it imitates stuff from other composers – That Mister of Mine and The Beguine. The production numbers, like Broadway Baby, Singapore Sue and Dames at Sea utilize Canterbury’s space well.
Dames at Sea runs through July 1st at Canterbury Summer Theatre, 807 Franklin Street, Michigan City. Plenty of street parking is available. Running time is just under 2 hours with an intermission. Performances are Wednesdays at 2:00 pm, Thursday through Saturday at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $20. FYI (219) 874-4269 or www.canterburytheatre.org