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Written by Al Beeber
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Saturday, July 31 2010, 8:23 PM |
New West Theatre has finished rockin’ the rodeo and now the local theatrical troupe is getting all fired up about its second summer show opening Thursday at the Yates Centre.
With the curtain closed on New West’s first offering, performers and musicians are in full swing rehearsing for “All Fired Up” which runs until Aug. 28.
Tickets are $10-$24 at the Ticket Centre in the Yates, 403-329-7328.
While the first show was a more intimate, low-key celebration of a music that defined the western spirit, “All Fired Up” is a full-throttle, high-energy musical extravaganza featuring dance and dynamic lighting.
“It’s a really dazzling up-tempo rock show,” says New West artistic director Nicholas Hanson
A cast and band that will be largely familiar to New West audiences will be joined on stage by four dancers who will add another dimension to the show.
“They add a lot of spunk and vigour to the show.”
Music will feature hit songs from today to previous generations of popular music. Hanson and company whittled down an initial list of 500 songs to a more manageable 19.
“What they’ve all got in common is it’s fun and it’s really vibrant,” said Hanson recently during a break from rehearsals.
Creating programming that will capture the imagination of audiences throughout the summer is a challenge that New West has met for many years.
“It’s certainly exhausting trying to reinvent the wheel every show,” admits Hanson who believes his company is up for the challenge yet again.
“It’s nice to cycle through new ideals and possibilities; each show has its own identity,” with cast and crew making their own contributions to the creative process.
New West is adding lasers and new lighting technology to spark up the musical revue even more.
“We’re always challenged by our our own previous successes,” says Hanson, adding New West embraces the need to outshine itself with each new offering.
With a strong response to “Rockin’ the Country,” New West has considerable momentum heading into its second offering.
“We sold out a number of performances” and had strong nights throughout July, Hanson said.“We’re excited to build on that.”
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