Footlight Theatre Company presents the fun-lovin', bubblegum-sweet musical phenomenon, The Marvelous Wonderettes at Burnaby's Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, tonight, November 6-15, 2014. Written by famed jukebox musical maven Roger Bean and directed by Wayne Nolan with musical direction by Kate MacColl, this off-Broadway smash hit takes audience members on an incredible journey down memory lane through the smooth harmonies of the '50s and '60s girl group sound.
"The Marvelous Wonderettes is about celebrating a beloved era in American pop music alongside the iconic cultural references that define this generation - crinolines, getting pinned, and cat-eye glasses," says Director Wayne Nolan. "With the growing popularity of present-day musicians whose melodies harmonize, and evoke the spirit of performers from the '50s and '60s, the timing of Footlight Theatre Company's newest production couldn't be more appropriate." Debuting to a Milwaukee audience in 1999 as a simple one-act production, Roger Bean's The Marvelous Wonderettes has since evolved into its current, fully realized two-act spectacle. Enjoying multi-year runs in New York and Los Angeles, this charming production has been recognized with numerous accolades and awards, including the Franklin R. Levy Award for Musical Theatre in 2007. This enchanting story follows the Wonderettes - four friends and members of Springfield High School's 1958 Songleader Squad. When the original group set to perform at the senior prom is forced to drop out at the last minute, the Wonderettes are called upon as a quick replacement. Fast-forward to the ten-year reunion, and the Wonderettes are back at Springfield High, realizing that their lives have each taken very different and unexpected directions. The hopes, dreams, heartaches, and collective tensions of the girls are reminisced through dozens of classic songs including Mr. Sandman, Lipstick on Your Collar, It's My Party, and many more.Videos