This is MLT’s 44th season. Founded in 1978, the mission of Middletown Lyric Theatre is to inspire, nurture, challenge, educate and empower audiences while continuing a longstanding tradition of producing affordable and accessible community theater productions. The organization will turn 45 next year.
There will be four performances of the show over two consecutive weekends. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m. June 24 and 3 p.m. June 25.
In this music-filled comedy, Casey is young, his rent is overdue, and he has just found out his wife is going to have a baby. To make matters worse, he is fired from his gig as an Elvis impersonator in a run-down, small-town Florida bar. When the owner brings in a drag show to replace his act, Casey finds out he has a lot to learn not only about show business, but himself, and how he can best help his family.
“‘The Legend of Georgia McBride’ involves a straight couple, who is struggling, and they are having financial issues, and this guy is an Elvis impersonator, and he worked for a down-trodden little club, and reality hits them. They are going to have a baby, and they need money, and the club is also in a position where it needs money, and it needs to change its atmosphere and clientele to make money,” Shafor said.
This is a perfect way for a show to be accessible to the audience, and it doesn’t force an agenda at all. There’s no preaching from mountaintops, he said, you can see one man’s determination to take care of his family, and he does what he needs to do to make that happen.
“The great thing about this story is that whether he decides to do it or not, he faces self-discovery, and he’s self-aware of what he has to do to step up and provide for his family, which I think is great,” said Shafor.
The six-person cast is comprised of Adam Jones (Casey/Georgia,) Legend West (Jo,) Diane Minnich (Eddie,) Duane Gordon (Tracy Mills,) Jason Michael Miller (Rexy) and Jason Easter (Jason). The show was written by Matthew Lopez.
“When I read the script, I fell in love with the comedy of it all, and the heart of it all, and being produced during Pride, it seemed like the perfect time to bring a show to the community to allow people to feel included and entertained in a time when we should be celebrating everyone and inclusivity, so it just felt like a great show to explore,” said Jason Michael Miller, who plays the role of Rexy in the production.
Adam Jones, who plays the lead of Casey, said the message of the show is about love and family.
“It seems odd, since we’re talking about a bar and a baudy drag show, but it’s about finding family in unexpected places,” Jones said.
How to go
What: “The Legend of Georgia McBride”
When: Show times are 8 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m. June 24 and 3 p.m. June 25.
Where: Middletown Lyric Theatre is located at 1530 Central Ave., Middletown
Admission: $20 reserved seating (plus applicable ticketing fees). Purchase at www.middletownlyric.org. Advance purchase recommended. If available, tickets may be purchased at each performance.
More info: middletownlyric.org or at (513) 425-7140
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