Much of Medicine Hat Musical Theatre's production The Ding Dong takes place in a Parisian hotel, where a small ensemble of characters go through one door and out the other as they navigate amorous relations.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat Musical Theatre’s newest production, The Ding Dong, promises laughter galore as audiences traverse Paris, following an ensemble of colourful – and provocative – characters.
“The show is about Vatelin and Lucy who are married,” director Lyn Weisgerber told the News. “Lucy is a pursued by a fellow who wants to have a rendezvous with her, but she says the only way she would take a lover is if her husband was unfaithful for her. So then the pursuer, Pontignac, goes about trying to prove to her her husband is being unfaithful.”
“It’s based on a French farce,” Weisgerber said. “An American playwright took the show and translated it all into English and converted it more for an American audience.”
The play features a limited cast, with cast members often taking on more than one role.
Genevieve Anne, who has been involved in MHMT since 2008, plays Madame Pontegnac, Fabiola and Mandy. Anne, who had previously choreographed several MHMT productions, knew she wanted to be involved in The Ding Dong after first reading the script and laughing at the shenanigans laid out within it.
“It is full of many tongue-in-cheek moments, sexual innuendo, a journey of who’s been with who, who’s doing what where, and in what closet or through what doorway. So, it’s a wild ride,” Anne told the News. “The nature of it is so playful and fun and taboo, but not in an overly raunchy way … Taboo but it still has style.”
“What I love about it is it’s fast-paced. It will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time,” Anne said. “It just keeps coming at you moment to moment, where audiences might even find it hard to keep up at times. They’ll think ‘What just happened?’ ‘Oh, did you catch that part?’ ‘Did you see that part?’ So, it will keep your attention, for sure.”
The Ding Dong will be the largest production MHMT has put on since the beginning of the pandemic.
“It’s good to get back and do what you’re passionate about again,” Ryan Holdaway, who plays Vatelin, told the News. “We’re looking forward filling seats and making people laugh.”
Weisgerber is also excited to welcome Hatters back to the theatre.
“Medicine Hat Musical Theatre runs on our community. Nobody is paid to do anything here and so we really rely on our patrons coming out to watch us,” she said. “We need shows to do shows … so we really just couldn’t wait until we could open our doors … We still want to keep people safe and do the best we can, but we still have to keep going as well, so we’re excited to do that.”
While all ages are welcome, Weisgerber believes the content will be best understood by those 13 years of age and older.
The Ding Dong will be performed Feb. 18 and 19, 24-26 and March 2-5. The show starts at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase on MHMT’s website.
