Victoria theatre to welcome back live audience for first time since pandemic began
Victoria's Blue Bridge Theatre is set to launch its new season with a classic love story.
Frankie and Johnny in the Claire De Lune is about two people who meet for a one-night stand and discover the potential for a deeper love.
The Tony-nominated Terence McNally play has been revived multiple times on Broadway and was turned into a movie in 1991 starring Michelle Pfieffer and Al Pacino.
Although it was written during the late 1980s, director Brian Richmond says the theme remains relevant today.
“Mr. McNally decided he wanted to write a play about connection, and the importance of connection, and about the importance of love and finding love, no matter what stage you happen to be in your life,” Richmond says.
“I hope they find hope in this,” says Kelly Hobson who plays Frankie. “Especially in a time like this during the COVID pandemic. We’re all a little afraid to love each other at this moment and show that love, and I feel like this play kind of hits home with that a little bit.”
The director describes it as a little bit “salty” as it contains some nudity and coarse language.
“Probably the audience in the first few second will go, ‘Oh, they are just going to be dropping swear words,'” says Jacob Richmond, who plays Johnny, a short-order cook. “It actually starts to build throughout the two hours and turns into something quite poetic.”
“It’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for sure,” adds Hobson. “Sort of a mix between comedy and drama. It’s sweet, it’s funny, it’s tough and it’s beautiful.”
This will be Blue Bridge's first full-capacity production since the start of the pandemic and the cast and crew are excited to perform in front of a live audience.
“I’m very excited,” Jacob says. “There’s an unfathomable thing that happens when it’s live bodies in a room watching live bodies performing.”
“There’s nothing like the energy of a full house,” beams Hobson. “It just brings so much to the show and to the actors.”
There will also be a livestream available for those who can’t make it in person or prefer watching from the comfort of their home. Either way, the cast and crew hope people will support the theatre and buy a ticket.
Frankie and Johnny in the Claire De Lune opens Thursday at the Roxy Theatre and runs through Nov. 7.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.