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Wendy Long and Henn Sie rehearse a scene from the Calumet Players upcoming production of “The Pin-up Girls.” The play will have six showings the weekends of Nov. 7 to 9 and Nov. 14 to 16. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
The Calumet Players will present “The Pin-Up Girls,” at the Pipestone Performing Arts Center (PPAC) beginning Nov. 7.
The musical by James Hindman and Jeffrey Lodin takes place in a local VFW hall, where a group of friends find a huge stash of letters to and from soldiers that go back to World War I, according to a synopsis from Broadway Licensing Global. The ladies are inspired by what they find and put on a show that celebrates the guys and gals who fight to defend our country.
Director Sylvia Newell said the show includes singing, dancing, humor and sentimentality. When she read the script, Newell said, she felt compelled to bring it to the stage.
The Calumet Players pushed their fall show back from the usual October time frame to November, so that the production would coincide with Veterans Day, which is Nov. 11.
“My dad was in the Navy, I had a brother who was in the Navy, I had a brother who was in the Coast Guard, so this resonates with me and I’m hoping it resonates with the community,” Newell said. “And having it around Veterans Day we thought would be a good thing.”
She said veterans will receive $2 off their tickets and be honored during the show.
Cast members rehearse a scene from the Calumet Players upcoming production of “The Pin-up Girls.” Pictured are Henn Sie (left), Wendy Long (back), Janie Isham (right) and Wendy Van Gelder (right). Photo by Kyle Kuphal
Cast members for the show include Henn Sie as Joel, Janie Isham as Leanne, Wendy Van Gelder as Megan and Wendy Long as Dana. Samantha Davis is the music director, Tylar Dormaier is the pianist, choreographers are Stacie Wallace and Danielle Evers, Traci Nissen is the stage manager, Al VanBemmel helped create the set, Mark Thode will operate the lights, Ella Gorter will operate the spotlights, Mitchell Hamersma and Reggie Gorter will operate the sound board, and Collene Landgren is the costumer mistress. Those involved come from Pipestone, Trosky, Madison, Brookings, Sioux Falls and Lake Benton.
Newell said rehearsals started about eight weeks ago, first three times a week, then four nights and now five to prepare for opening night.
Public performances are Nov. 7, 8 and 9, and 14, 15 and 16. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students. They can be purchased by visiting the PPAC website at www.pipestoneperformingartscenter.com, or by calling the Box Office at 507-825-2020 or 877-722-2787 Tuesdays through Fridays from 12 p.m. 4 p.m.