By CRAIG HIGGINS
The Progress
Live theater buffs are in for a treat with Moapa Valley Community Theater’s (MVCT) upcoming slate of productions. MVCT director Kenna Higgins took time out to discuss both the group’s next production, the 1950s-era Bella and Samuel Spewack/Cole Porter musical classic Kiss Me Kate.
“(Kate) is a play-within-a-play about a theater group putting on (Shakespeare’s) The Taming of the Shrew,” Higgins explained. “The lead actress Lilli is actually very shrew-like, partly because she used to be married to main actor Fred. He wants to get back with her (in real life), but she’s engaged to somebody else.”
Higgins went on to elaborate the plot’s further complications, including a cast member with a gambling problem; bumbling hoods come to claim a debt; and numerous cases of mistaken identity.
When asked about the selection of Kate, the director related the journey MVCT took in the last two years.
“After COVID, we went a little smaller with The Curious Savage (a straight play),” she said. “And we just felt like it was time to bring back live musicals to Moapa Valley.”
Higgins also mentioned the economic factor: musicals are crowd pleasers, drawing bigger and more enthusiastic audiences.
The director also discussed the return of the popular and family-friendly Ghost Walk tours, to be held in downtown Overton on Thursday, October 21 and Friday, October 22. Higgins revealed this year’s theme: “Ghost Stories from Lake Mead.”
Unlike the musical, the Ghost Walk’s tales are primarily the creation of local writers, providing an outlet for the region’s creative souls. Proceeds from the Ghost Walk will go toward costs associated with the upcoming musical. And volunteers are still needed to help out with the event, “if they like to scare people,” Higgins said.
Auditions for Kiss Me Kate will be held at Moapa Valley High School (MVHS) on Friday, September 23 from 4 – 7 pm; and Saturday, September 24 from 10 am to 2 pm.
“People can just come in (to try out),” Higgins said.
Auditioners may bring sixteen bars or thirty seconds of music to sing, although this is not required.
The production of Kiss Me Kate will be early next year. The production is planned to run at 7 pm on Thursday, February 23 and Friday, February 24, both at MVHS. A Saturday matinee will close the show on February 25 at 4 pm.
For more information on both events, visit https://notrevo.org/.
