Dinner Theater Offers Comic Relief Through Exceptional Musical Cast
By Karen Cotton
Show details. By Dan Goggin
When: Runs through Nov. 30
Performances: Wednesdays through Saturdays, 6 p.m. dinner and 7:30 p.m. show; Sundays, 12:30 p.m. dinner and 2 p.m. show
Where: The Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, located on Interstate- 25 just south of Johnson’s Corner.
Tickets: $36-$59 More info: Group packages and season tickets are also available, 970-744-3746, www.ColoradoCandlelight.com. Synopsis”NUNSENSATIONS” is the sixth show in Dan Goggin’s series of “NUNSENSE” shows.
By Karen Cotton
kcotton@wyomingnews.com
With all worries abounding on Wall Street, one may find some relief in the latest offering from the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse.
“The economy is affecting everyone a bit,” said Nick Turner, the chief executive officer for the playhouse. “But the one thing that I hope to do with this show is to be that relief for people and to give them that moment of enjoyment.”
Turner is directing “NUNSENSATIONS,” a comedy that features five women who he said are “world class performers.”
If you’re not familiar with Dan Goggin’s “NUNSENSE” series, Turner said this sixth show in the series stands alone.
“It’s about five Catholic nuns who are not only great friends but are actresses,” Turner said.
Turner said he chose to direct this show because he knew all five of the actresses and they were precast.
“These are professionals, who are paid to rehearse for two- weeks, eight hours a day, before we even opened. They’re at the top of their craft,” Turner said. “They get paid to rehearse because we’re an Actors Equity Association dinner theater.
He added, “We’re a union dinner theater, which gives us the opportunity to hire from the field of Colorado-based professionals.”
Every one of the actresses, he said, is a star with extensive credits.
– Melissa Swift-Sawyer, best known as Patsy Cline in Denver Center Attractions’ “Always, Patsy Cline,” plays the Brooklyn nun, Sister Robert Anne in this show.
– Reyna Von Vett, who recently starred in Denver Center Attractions’ “The Taffetas,” plays second in command, Sister Hubert. Von Vett was also seen as Tanya in the Las Vegas production of “Mamma Mia.”
– Gina Schuh-Turner, (Nick’s wife), performed for Denver Center Attractions in the record breaking production of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” is playing Sister Mary Amnesia in this show.
– Tracy Venner Warren is cast as Sister Mary Leo, the ballerina nun in this show.
– Venner Warren starred in shows at the Country Dinner Playhouse and portrayed Belle in Disney’s Los Angeles production of “Beauty and the Beast.”
Kathy Leonard plays the Irish Reverend Mother, Sister Mary Regina in this show. Leonard was in Open Stage’s production of “The Cripple of Inishmaan.”
Nick said he likes directing this show because of the interaction between the performers and the audience.
“It’s one of those musicals where the actresses are talking to the patrons, they mingle with them in the beginning, and there’s that feeling of intimacy and give and take,” he said. “The show is irreverent, funny, which important this time of year.
“It’s just entertaining and there’s not a lot of deep thought to it,” he said. “People are coming to be entertained and you combine that with our dinners – the food is fantastic, we have exceptional restaurant food and I don’t make that claim lightly.”
The Candlelight Dinner Playhouse does a four-show season and has three-month runs.
“We’re building an audience up to holidays, which will be our show ‘Swing,’” he said.
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