Commentary by Jillian Albrecht
As I approached the warehouse belonging to Actors Theatre of Indiana, I suddenly realized that for all I knew the place could be deserted. I’d seen that movie, and I knew how it ended. I could hear my heart beating in my ears and my chest felt tight. At that very moment, I saw a gorgeous buffet table and the lovely manager Kristen Merritt welcomed me to the musical sneak peek.
All of those Halloween horror movies had taken their toll, but my system was about to be cleansed by some quality entertainment.
“Pete ‘N’ Keely” stars, Judy Fitzgerald and Michael Ehlers, were front and center with musical director Brent E. Marty and the band for the show. They were all brave enough to rehearse together for the first time in front of the sneak peak audience. Director Ronn Johnstone welcomed us, and the stars and band launched into some of the musical numbers that will delight audiences starting Nov. 7 and will run through Nov. 23.
Many of the songs were written for the show, but some were old standards that you would hear frequently on the variety shows that “Pete ‘N’ Keely” pay homage to with tongue-in-cheek flair. In either case, the songs were jazzy with swinging sixties’ beats. We were treated to enough snippets of dialogue to get a taste of the humor, antagonism, and romance that make up the backbone of this fantastic show.
Loaded up on complimentary veggies, crackers, dip, and Coca-Cola, I left the warehouse grateful for the sneak peak and excited about the show. I think you can really feel the difference when you aren’t just having fun watching a show; the cast and crew are having fun putting it on, too. Get your tickets for Actors Theatre of Indiana’s production of “Pete ‘N’ Keely” at the Studio Theater at the Center for the Performing Arts online at actorstheatreofindiana.org, or by phone at 843-3800. It’s a definite ‘be there, or be square’ situation.
