[NEohioPAL] PRESS RELEASE: CVLT to stage early work by South Park / Book of Mormon co-creator Trey Parker
Chagrin Valley Little Theatre
cvlt at cvlt.org
Mon Oct 7 13:47:40 PDT 2013
*PRESS RELEASE*
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 10/07/13
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Andrew Rothman
From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre
40 River Street
Chagrin Falls, OH 44122
Phone: 440-247-8955
E-mail: cvlt at cvlt.org <mailto:cvlt at cvlt.org>
Website: www.cvlt.org <http://www.cvlt.org/>
High-resolution press photos will be available for download at
www.CVLT.org/promo <http://www.CVLT.org/promo>
CVLT to stage early work by South Park / Book of Mormon co-creator
Trey Parker
CHAGRIN FALLS, OH - While studying film at the University of Colorado in
1993, a young Trey Parker hit upon the idea of an /Oklahoma!/-style
musical based on the story of Alferd Packer. Packer earned his place in
Colorado history by leading a group of gold miners into the Rocky
Mountains in the winter of 1873, getting them lost, and arriving alone
at their destination in the spring. Alferd was soon convicted of having
eaten his companions to stay alive. Trey Parker's black comedy student
film garnered little attention and might have faded into obscurity had
he not co-created a little TV show called /South Park/ with his friend
Matt Stone just a few years later. Entitled CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL,
Parker's college film gained cult status after being re-released by
Troma Entertainment on VHS and DVD, and eventually on NetFlix, Hulu and
YouTube.
This month, Chagrin Valley Little Theatre's intimate second stage, the
River Street Playhouse, presents an original stage adaptation of the
film. They are one of only a few dozen theaters to have staged the show
since the first amateur group attempted it in the late 1990s.
"There is no official 'stage version' of this piece," says director
Andrew Rothman. "When the film's producer, Jason McHugh, granted us a
license to adapt it for the stage, we got one copy of the movie script
and one copy of a piano transcription. Unlike traditionally published
musicals, we're given permission to alter and embellish CANNIBAL!
as-needed for the transition from low-budget movie to low-budget play,
so our production will include comedic shtick and musical arrangements
unique to CVLT. The only rules we were given were to keep true to the
plot and characters, not to change Parker's wonderful songs and, above
all, to have fun. We're definitely having fun and we know the audience
will too."
The plot of CANNIBAL! loosely follows the true story of Alferd Packer
(James Pequignot) who, along with his horse/best-friend Liane (Laura
Rightnour-Henri), stumbles his way into the job of leading five
prospectors from Utah to Colorado. The group includes the Mormon
preacher Shannon Bell (Christopher Macchione), sex-starved teen George
Noon (Genny Vince), bragging man-child James Humphrey (John Wright),
unflappable optimist Israel Swan (Seth Clerget) and the brooding butcher
Frank Miller (Dennis Burby). An ambitious reporter, Polly Pry (Colleen
O'Leary), is after Packer's story and perhaps something more, while
thuggish fur trapper Frenchy Cabazon (Ron Lee Davis) is after Packer's
horse. The multitude of other characters in the story are played by the
versatile 'Cannibal Corps' consisting of Craig Gifford, Bob Pollock,
Alison Arko, Carlos Piepenburg, Natalie Dolezal and Assad Khaishgi.
Rothman suggests that "if you enjoyed Parker and Stone's Tony-winning
/The Book of Mormon/ at Playhouse Square this past summer, you'll likely
get a kick out of this as well. Although it was Parker's first
feature-length piece, it bears all the marks of his more-polished later
works: hummable Rogers & Hammerstein pastiches, absurd characters,
tear-inducing laughs, and a smattering of foul language. It's undeniably
Trey Parker."
CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL runs Friday and Saturday nights at 8 PM, October
18 through November 2, with a special Halloween performance on Thursday,
October 31 at 9 PM. Audience members are invited to come to the Thursday
performance in costume starting at 8 PM for pizza, soda and candy, with
special prizes from the film's producer to be awarded for the best
costumes.
Tickets to all performances are $12 general admission and are available
online at CVLT.org or by phone at 440-247-8955. The River Street
Playhouse is located at 56 River Street in Chagrin Falls. Advance
purchases and early arrival are highly recommended. CVLT is generously
funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture
and supported by the Ohio Arts Council.
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