South Huron Community Theatre bringing Broadway tribute to the stage

Director Cheryl Masson will take to the stage alongside other talented performers.

By Samantha Lawson

Preparations for the South Huron Community Theatre’s latest production are well underway with the first performance date quickly approaching.

The community theatre is presenting “Give Our Regards to Broadway,” a cabaret-style show that pays homage to iconic Broadway songs.

The show is being performed at the South Huron Recreation Centre on Friday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m., as well as on Saturday, April 18, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Director Cheryl Masson said audience members should expect to be taken on a musical journey through the decades.

“We’re doing sort of a linear progression of Broadway songs from the ‘30s onwards,” said Masson. “In the first act there’s a smattering of Gershwin, Irving Berlin, there’s some Rodgers and Hammerstein. And then in the next act, we go from the ‘70s, Andrew Lloyd Webber to the more modern. We even have a number from ‘The Book of Mormon’ that we have a couple people performing.”

The show is split into two acts with a 20-minute intermission in between and runs for about an hour and a half.

All 25 people involved in the production are local community members from South Huron and surrounding municipalities. People of all ages are taking part, with a couple performers being as young as 11 years old.

Masson said she is pleased with the production’s progress so far.

“I think it’s going really well,” she said. “I’m really impressed with our young people. They are all just doing their utmost, they are really giving it their all, so it’s really impressive and I’m really happy with them.”

This is the community theatre’s eighth year of performances. The group usually organizes a spring production early in the year, and then a winter production later.

Masson is the director of the show but also joins in on a few musical numbers herself. She said musical theatre feeds her soul.

“I’ve loved music since I was a kid,” she said. “I’ve grown up with music and always loved it. I would say it’s the thing that just makes me really happy.

“I’m really happy to share (musical theatre) with other people, and to give other people an opportunity to share their talent as well, it’s a really gratifying feeling.”

Tickets to the show are $20 per person and are available for purchase at Hansen’s Your Independent Grocer in Exeter and at Havasu Coffee Co. in Zurich.