Grace Cavanaugh ~ Staff Writer
The University of Lynchburg’s Theatre Department will produce the musical, Curtains, by Rupert Holmes, Fred Ebb, and John Kander. The musical will be performed from Thursday, Feb. 28, to Sunday, March 3. Each show will start at 7:30 p.m. with the exception of Sunday’s, which will start at 2:00 p.m.
“Tickets are five dollars for students,” said sophomore Jenna Bohrer. “It is 15 dollars for anybody else, and then there is reduced ticket prices for seniors.” Tickets will be sold all week at the box office outside of Dillard Theatre from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
According to senior, Parker Jones, “Curtains is a whodunit musical within a musical. It is a comedy.. […] Basically, we go on a journey with the audience to figure out who killed the leading lady, Jessica Crenshaw, so it is a fun time.” Sophomore Colin Coviello added, “It is a comedy drenched in mystery and satyr.”
Bohrer plays the part of “Georgia. She is part of the songwriting team, she is the lyricist. She was formerly married to Aaron, who is also working on the show, and she ends up taking on a new role in the show and so she has to figure out what her place is in the cast with all the mayhem that is happening.”
“I play Bobby,” said Jones, “who is the choreographer of the show and the lead of the musical within the musical.” Coviello said, “I am Randy, a sarcastic actor in Boston. He has the role of Sheriff in the production of ‘Robin’ Hood’.”
According to Jones, rehearsals “started about a week before the first day of classes.” Bohrer added, “They have been really good…I actually just had the flu this week so that was stressful, but luckily I am recovered and all better, so I am happy that I am back in rehearsals and they have been going really well.”
“Rehearsals have been amazing,” said Coviello. “The cast is awesome, the music is fun, and the directors [of music, dance, and stage] are great.”
When asked about the best nights to go, Bohrer and Jones had differing opinions. “I think opening night always has a really fun energy because everybody is excited and it is the first time that we get to share this show with the audience,” said Bohrer. Jones said, “Saturdays are the best because the audience is de-stressed. They do not have anything going on in the week, you know? […] Saturday nights are usually the most lively.”
About the set of Curtains, Bohrer said, “We have a couple pieces that doubles so you will see them reappear onstage. […] So it is kind of fun because the musical is a show within a show. […] You will see us strike the set, you will see the curtains come in and out, things like that.”
