The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company launches a new series in the Vancouver Playhouse Recital Hall with Gunmetal Blues, a musical “stage-noir” of the hard-boiled detective story. This smart and witty “pocket musical” is written by Scott Wentworth with music and lyrics by Craig Bohmler and Marion Adler.
Gunmetal Blues is on stage in the Recital Hall of the Vancouver Playhouse from January 23 to February 4, 2012. Evening performances begin at 9:30pm with a 4pm matinee on Saturday, February 4. All seats are just $20, and are available online at www.vancouverplayhouse.com, by phone at 604 873 3311, or in person at the theatre box office (at Hamilton & Dunsmuir). You can buy both shows in the Recital Hall Series (Gunmetal Blues and The Exquisite Hour coming in April) for $35. There is a Pay-What-You-Can/Actors Fund Benefit performance on Wednesday, January 25.
Gunmetal Blues tells the story of a world-weary private eye solving the mystery of a missing blonde, while lounge singer Buddy Toupee narrates and comments on the action through song.
Director Max Reimer’s love affair with this musical began before it was fully conceived. A musician’s musician, Richard March would entertain the Stratford Festival acting company, including Gunmetal’s authors Scott Wentworth, Marion Adler and Reimer, playing the piano in the upper lounge at the Avon Theatre. He would make up musical puns on the spot and improvise characters that inspired Gunmetal’s Buddy Toupee. This was sauce for Gunmetal’s authors Scott and Marion, who fully appreciated the wit and irony of film noir and were conspiring to write this little piece. Occasionally on those late nights, Richard was accompanied in high style by Marion. They would lash out with bits and pieces of style and substance that can now be seen embedded in Gunmetal Blues.
The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company is British Columbia’s premier regional theatre company, producing engaging plays of the highest calibre since 1962. Purchase tickets here
