by Ronda Payne
Music has always been said to have the ability to lift the spirit. Thus the great number of lively and upbeat songs written and performed during times of war. Langley welcomes a musical review dedicated to the 1940s at the Chief Sepass Theater on Saturday, Sept. 26 with a focus on many wartime classics.
Producer of the show, Christine Olorenshaw of SPECC-tacular Productions in Maple Ridge, noted the company was asked to do the show in Langley, which is a treat for one member of the company, Langley’s own Patrick Larsen.
“He’s one of our members and he performs in most of our shows,” Olorenshaw said of Larsen.
Not only does Larsen perform, but he is also talented with the technical and musical aspects of putting on a performance like A Walk Down Memory Lane and all its moving parts.
“He’s also a musical director and is a sound tech,” noted Olorenshaw. “He actually teaches music.”
It’s the perfect fit for this show given that it is multi-act, high energy and combines songs, dancing, and sketches based on 1940s life. Musical pieces include Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy, White Cliffs of Dover, A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square, I’ll Be Seeing You, and many more.
While being in Langley for the performance is a benefit for Larsen, he wasn’t responsible for the trip across the river.
“I’m not sure who actually asked for us,” Olorenshaw said. “But it’s such a popular show. An audience member [at a Maple Ridge performance] said, ‘we’d love to see this in Langley’. I didn’t even know there was a Chief Sepass Theatre.”
When she called around looking for venues, A Walk Down Memory Lane was invited with open arms. Olorenshaw hopes this will become something of a habit for the company where its major musical pantomime of the year (Hansel and Gretel) is performed in Langley as well.
“Patrick is in that one,” she said. “He’s the bad witch. Plus he’s also going to be our musical director for that show.”
Tickets, which are $20, for A Walk Down Memory Lane are available at the door of the Chief Sepass Theatre on Saturday prior to the 7:30 p.m. showtime. Advance tickets are at Wendel’s Bookstore and Café, or by phone at 604-513-2238.
