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A seasoned troupe of local performers coupled with a veteran producer of theatrical events are putting the finishing touches on their planned dinner theater performance of “1959 Pink Thunderbird Convertible,” a Cajun adaptation of a Texas play written by the late James McClure.
Opening night is scheduled for 7 p.m. dinner followed by an 8 p.m. curtain Thurs., April 25 at the Ellendale Country Club in Houma. The production is the work of producer Lorna Gianelloni, whose credits include the 2017 and 2018 Houma productions of Jesus Christ Superstar.
For this show Gianelloni’s talent includes Sue Peace, Toni Hicks, Reggie Pontiff, Brian Chiasson and Doug Holloway, all of whom have cemented long-standing reputations for dedicated and performances in musicals, comedies and dramas.
“1959 Pink Thunderbird” is a comedy that focuses on three women seated on a folksy porch discussing the men in their lives, with the second act focusing on the men having a similar discussion. The result is a revisiting of former glory days and its props.
McClure, noted for his Broadway productions in the 1970s, died in 2011. While he was still living, Gianelloni read his Pink Thunderbird play and with associates experimented with some writing to see what would happen if its venue was moved from Texas to Louisiana.
The result, she found, was both workable and hilarious.
She sought permission from McClure to make the changes – which he granted – and it has since been performed in the Bayou Region to excellent reviews and appreciation. The show has racked up a strong history locally, first performed at Oak Alley Plantation in 1990.
It is now set on Lake Verrett at a fictional place called “T-Man’s Bar” on Four Mile Bayou.
“The show is dedicated to T-Man who is a hero to all who knew him back in the day,” Gianelloni explained.
Asked what aspect of producing the show stands out, Gianelloni offered praise for her cast.
“It’s the level of talent I am working with,” she said during a rehearsal. “Doing a comedy with a Cajun dialect is not always easy timing. But being surrounded by professionals makes it a blast.”
Altogether there are six performances planned, Fri. and Sat. April 25 and 26 with dinner at 7 p.m. and curtain at 8 p.m.; the same schedule follows for Thurs. May 2 and Fri. May 4. Matinees with lunch at 1 p.m. and performance at 2 p.m. are scheduled for Sun. April 28 and Sun. May 5. Tickets with dinner included are $65 each. Reservations can be made by calling (985) 860-2940.
Once this show closes in May, Gianelloni said, she and her next talent troupe will be busy on a planned new production in a unique setting.
Gianelloni has confirmed that a production of “To Kill A Mockingbird” will be held inside the old Terrebonne Parish courthouse’s main courtroom. A date for that production has not yet been set. •
