The '60s were seen as a revolutionary hippie era espousing a simple, nature-loving lifestyle. But in downtown Edmonton, 16 clubs including The Embers, The Sahara, The Beachcombers and The Tropicana were dress-up destinations for cocktails, dining and dancing to live bands.
It was the golden age of supper clubs, and legendary performers such as Bob Hope, Nat King Cole and Edmonton’s own Judy Singh and Tommy Banks appeared at these venues. Unlike the current decade where musicians struggle to make a living, a solid jazz player could find work six nights a week.
By the late '70s, the supper clubs were dying out. But due to a retro resurgence in jazz and swing, Teatro Live remounts Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s from July 14 to 30. First produced in 2009, it’s a tribute to local history that successfully relives a stylish, romantic time seasoned with great hope for the future.
Bursting with music, this two-hour supper club tribute follows the comic misadventures emerging from several tangled romantic knots. It showcases the euphoria of love and desolation of a broken heart in equal measure.
Headlined by Andrea House, the sassy chanteuse Mitzi, it sweeps audiences back to a gentler time. As with any musical, it is grounded in a love story between Mitzi and the younger Jack, (Mark Singonco) her band leader. The duo is hopelessly in love despite a 12-year difference.
But when Jack hires Tippi Lala (Chariz Faulmino), she plants herself between the lovers. Just as Jack is suffering the seven-year itch, he receives an offer from a Las Vegas Club and Tippi begs to go with him.
“It’s a story about coming together and celebrating what we have now. I love these characters, and they use music to come together. It’s a belief in love and who you love. Mitzi learns to believe in herself and her love for Jack. She knows that if that love is true, he will come back,” said director Kate Ryan, one of St. Albert Children Theatre’s original actors.
In a secondary love plot, Mitzi’s two singing waiters, Mitch (Josh Travnik), a teasing bartender, and Numbers (Bella King), a straight-arrow server, are the quintessential oil-and-water couple. Mitzi’s attempts at matchmaking only creates more comedic friction.
Ryan Sigurdson, former St. Albert Children’s Theatre music director, wrote the original 2009 score and updated it for this current production. Farren Timoteo concocted the lyrics, while Jocelyn Ahlf and Andrew MacDonald-Smith wrote the musical’s book.
“The music and songs are jazzy. They’re swing. They’re upbeat and fun. They’re joyous and smart. You hear musical elements from every major musical incarnation, yet it stays original,” Ryan said.
The production was originally slated for the summer of 2020 before COVID put the brakes on the entertainment industry.
“It’s better now. It’s more of a celebratory theme. We’re celebrating where we’re at now. It’s a love letter to the artists who stayed, brought music and collaborated with others.”
Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s plays July 14 to 30 at Varscona Theatre. Admission is $42 for adults, $37 for seniors/students and Sunday matinees are $30. Pay-What-You-Can Tuesdays only.
