From the golden age of Broadway musicals, the live orchestra brings to life a sweltering 1930’s east Texas summer when a rainmaker comes to town and love is in the air! Our heroine is Lizzy Curry, the plain-spoken daughter of a cattle rancher, whose dreams are simply to find someone who loves her for who she is. Will it be the con man Starbuck or the Sheriff File?
Showing July 14-17, 21, 23-24
Call for reservation 870-862-5474
• July 15 Box Office Special: $10 tickets for anyone 35 and under on Friday July 15th only.
• July 17 Wear Your Cowboy Boots & be part of the cast • Cast Party after the show
Based on Nash’s 1954 play The Rainmaker, it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest, and her relationships with local sheriff File, a cautious divorcé who fears being hurt again, and charismatic con man Bill Starbuck, posing as a rainmaker who promises the locals he can bring relief to the drought-stricken area. Nash’s book is faithful to his original play, although all the interior scenes were moved outdoors to allow for the addition of townspeople for ensemble numbers and dances. Many of Jones’ lyrics come directly from Nash’s play.
110 in the Shade (1963) is a golden-age Broadway musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. From its opening bars,110’s symphonic score clearly evokes the Western ballets of Aaron Copland such as Billy the Kid and Rodeo—a connection further strengthened by the fact that Rodeo and 110 were both choreographed by the legendary Agnes de Mille. Schmidt clearly signals to us through the music where our sympathies should lie by having the romantic characters express themselves through beautiful, full-throated vocalism accompanied by lush instrumentation. Secondary and comic characters sing up-tempo numbers and dances and you’ll notice that unsympathetic characters barely sing at all. Starbuck himself tends to sing in more alluring popular styles like jazz, blues and even a Latin-infused number to musically emphasize his outsider status. Starbuck’s initial pitch to the townspeople is accompanied by a cool, hypnotic blues pattern in the piano over which he sings a complex vocal line full of “blue” notes—a jazz technique that mixes pitches from the major and minor scales and that contributes to his smooth charisma. Once Starbuck has his listeners interested, he switches to an energetic tempo and a tune that evokes gospel music with its driving syncopations and leads them in a hand-clapping, foot-stomping revival song to seal the deal.
The list of songs includes links to sound clips from the 2007 Broadway Revival starting Audra McDonald and John Cullum.
Act I
Opening “Gonna Be Another Hot Day” – File and Townspeople
“Lizzie’s Coming Home” – H.C. Curry, Noah Curry, and Jimmy Curry
“Love, Don’t Turn Away” – Lizzie Curry
“Poker Polka” – File, H.C. Curry, Noah Curry, and Jimmy Curry
“The Hungry Men” – Lizzie Curry and Townspeople
“Rain Song” – Bill Starbuck and Townspeople
“You’re Not Foolin’ Me” – Bill Starbuck and Lizzie Curry
“Cinderella” – Vivian Lorraine Taylor and Lizzie Curry
“Raunchy” – Lizzie Curry, H.C. Curry
“A Man and a Woman” – File and Lizzie Curry
Finale Act 1 “Old Maid” – Lizzie Curry
Act II
“Everything Beautiful Happens at Night” – Lizzie Curry and Townspeople
“Evenin’ Star” – Bill Starbuck
scene Stay and Talk, into to Meisande
“Melisande” – Bill Starbuck
“Simple Little Things” – Lizzie Curry and Bill Starbuck
“Little Red Hat” – Snookie and Jimmy Curry
“Is It Really Me?” – Lizzie Curry and Bill Starbuck
“Wonderful Music” – Bill Starbuck, File, and Lizzie Curry
Finale Act 2 “The Rain Song” (Reprise) – Bill Starbuck and Townspeople
Hali Pinson (
Tanner Berry (
Yancey Kyle (
Yancey Kyle ([fusion_popover title=”File” content=” The local sheriff. He is a lean man, reticent, intelligent, in his
late thirties. He />Rev. Phil Pinckard (George Curtis) will make 110 in the Shade his 20th production with SAAC and EHS. His favorites include Meet Me in St. Louis, The Scarlet Letter, Lion in Winter, and Inherit the Wind. Theatre has taught Phil lessons that he applies personally and professionally to his life. Mostly, he is happy to be theatrically wed to Abby Cate again!
Abby Cate (Hanna Curtis) This is Abby’s third show with Roe (Hairspray, Chicago). You may have seen her in Les Mis, Mame, Nunsense, Father of the Bride, Crimes of the Heart, Always Patsy Cline, or Meet Me in St. Louis among others. “I’ve loved SAAC since my first show in 1993 (Into the Woods). It’s my privilege to work with such incredible people having fun and creating.”
Emilia Meinert (Zanetta Curtis) is a junior at Louisiana Tech for theatre performance. She has performed in many shows in El Dorado and at LA Tech including The Woman in Black, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Sleeping Beauty. She would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support. To God be the glory.
Bill Meyer (Clarence Updergraff), for reasons no one has been quite able to figure out, has been allowed to appear once more on an El Dorado stage after a decade of experience. He continues to drive a Corolla in order to stay humble and not become a prima donna. Ordinarily he mangles British accents in his roles, but this time he has an opportunity to mangle a Texan accent instead.
Haley Phillips (Odetta Updergraff) will be working with Monroe Moore for the third time. She has previously been seen in Oliver! and Chicago. Haley has directed occasionally and especially enjoys working with children.
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Maggie Meyer (Marjorie Updergraff) has also appeared on the SAAC stage as a squirrel, a fairy, an angel, a flying monkey, and a Who… and occasionally as a human. She has particularly fond memories of her time as Zuzu in It’s a Wonderful Life. When she grows up, she wants to be a marine biologist and a circus acrobat.
Holland Ruff (Phil Mackey) will make his theatre debut here on the SAAC stage this summer. His talents include singing tenor and playing the trumpet!
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Gary Hall (
Darrin Riley (
Brandon Wallace (
Lainey Walthall (
Bob Stephenson (Joe Copeland) is quickly becoming a new regular, making 110 his third SAAC production in two years! He performed in last summer’s Wizard of Oz and last winter’s Miracle on 34th Street.
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Donna Coker (Beverly Copeland) is ready for her 2nd SAAC production. Last winter she starred in Miracle on 34th Street and has sung at many of El Dorado’s Festival and Events around town. She looks forward to continuing her involvement in SAAC productions in the future.
Elizabeth Phillips (Beatrice Copeland) has performed in Twelfth Night, Oliver!, White Christmas, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Robin Goodfellow here at SAAC as well as several other student shows and vocal performances including El Dorado High School Oratorio. Betsy has enjoyed participating in 110 as she homeschools though the summer.
Tallis Kyle (Dolores Copeland) will wow us in her second-ever role on the SAAC stage. Last year’s Wizard of Oz was her debut performance and confirmed her love of theatre (which pleased her father of course). Tallis is seven years old and will be a second grader at Hugh Goodwin in the fall.
Jaime Ogle (Abigail Connolly) has performed at SAAC in last winter’s Miracle on 34th Street and in Odd Couple at SAU. With a full plate of four children to homeschool, Jaime enjoys her many creative outlets, which include illustration and photography as well. She looks forward to future productions!
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Maggie Phillips (Tammie Faye Connolly) has been in Into The Woods, Alice in Wonderland, Oliver!, Robin Goodfellow, and 101 Dalmatians. Maggie loves to act and dance, and both she and SAAC are excited for her future performances.
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Hayleigh Farish (Annie) will experience her first SAAC production this summer and is very excited! She was a student at Bravo Dance Studio for 16 years, and is now a sophomore at SAU where she is studying for her BSN and participates in the Phi Mu Sorority.