Victoria’s Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre announced that it is changing its original opening play Top Dog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parkes to Terence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.
“We made considerable efforts over the past several months to assemble a creative team that we felt could deliver Ms. Parkes’ remarkable play,” said the company’s artistic director Brian Richmond. “Our effectiveness as producers rests upon our ability to match great plays with the best of contemporary interpreters and, in this instance, we were just not able to accomplish this. So the board of directors, our general manager, Rebekah Johnson, and I made the difficult decision to not proceed with its production at this point in time.”
Stepping into this time slot (October 26 to November 7) will be Terence McNally’s 1987 classic love story Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.
Premiering at a time when the AIDS crisis in the US was at its height, this “achingly, touching but funny play” (Variety) explores the essential human need to make connection when such connection can be a life-and-death matter. Frankie and Johnny, two lonely, middle-aged souls meet for a one-night stand, but discover a potential for love deeper than they ever expected. Over a night filled with intimate thoughts, outlandish coincidences, boisterous hilarity and “the most beautiful music in the world,” they realize that making love is easy—but falling in love is hard.
“I have wanted to do this truly beautiful play ever since I attended the Broadway production starring a young but obviously talented Kathy Bates and the equally remarkable Canadian actor Kenneth Welsh,” said Brian Richmond, who will direct the production. “I am so happy that we will be able to share this story with a new era which, sadly, has also come to understand the consequences that plagues have on our essential human instincts.”
Season’s and single tickets for this production as well as Blue Bridge’s six-play 2021/22 season are now on sale. Further information and tickets can be obtained by visiting bluebridgerep.ca or by calling 250-382-3370.
