Emily Zwart and David Cooper perform in front of the set for “Anything Goes.” The show runs from Aug. 14 to Aug. 16 at the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church.
The last week before any show is hectic. There are daily rehearsals and last-minute changes. But the people at the Bethlehem Summer Music Festival (BSMF) have made the final week a little more difficult. They will be presenting Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” on Aug. 14-16.
At some point during the final week, director James Roe and cast member James Henry will add comic lyrics to a song they pick from the show. The duo will perform their creation at the end of the first act, as a prelude to the intermission.
Their duet is part of the music festival tradition. But director Roe says he never writes the song in advance. He always waits for the last minute.
While he’s occupied writing lyrics next week, several cast members will be busy with a different type of chore. They will be preparing food for the Friday night dinner theater.
The BSMF had hosted dinners in the distant past. But this year’s event will be different. The group has rented a spacious tent for the weekend. Guests will help themselves to the buffet, and will then be invited into the Community Hall, a few rows at a time, to see the performance. Mr. Roe expects it to resemble the boarding procedure for an airplane.
After the comic duet, guests can return to the tent for cake, pie and beverages. Theater-goers on Saturday and Sunday won’t get dinner, but they’ll be welcome to visit the tent for a complimentary dessert.
“Anything Goes” is the 39th annual show the group has presented at the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, 1520 Route 94 in New Windsor. Each year the group presents a scholarship to a graduating high school student.
“Anything Goes” features a talented cast of all ages, a two-story newly built backdrop, and costumes from an Albany theater company.
Dinner will be available at 6 p.m. on Friday. Curtain time is 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For tickets, call 541-2434 or email tickets@bsmf.org.
CAST
Sarah Alestalo, Cori Baxter, Ryan Baxter, David Cooper, Thomas Cooper, Mike Corcoran, Ellie Davis, Mike Donato, Sean Dougherty, Ryan Hazard, Dot Henry, James Henry, Jessica Henry, Kristen Henry, Sarah Henry, John Hines, Jim Krieger, Katie Krieger, Patrick Larkin, Sydney Mayo, Colleen McShea, James Roe, Jeanine Roe, JJ Roe, Jonathan Roe, Al Snider, Ryan Soynaka, Vikas Soynaka, Eileen Zwart, Emily Zwart
