Tired of seeing the same old musicals performed every year? Ready for some new talent to come to the stage?
Then check out Riverwalk Theatre's brand new, never-before-seen musical "Flipaswitch."
Written by local thespians Doug Austin and Roger Rochowiak, "Flipaswitch," is set during the Great Depression when five strippers (most of whom are past their prime), a timid comedian and their manager are stranded in Flipaswitch, Tenn.
Flipaswitch is run by the morals of Bertha, the town reverend's wife, and the risqué group scrambles to gain acceptance, which requires some artfully placed lies.
"We wanted to write (a show) that was totally original," Rochowiak said. "We didn't want to just adapt an existing show.
"We wanted it to be totally entertaining and maybe with a little message of love in it."
Austin and Rochowiak wrote "Just the Two of Us," which was produced by Riverwalk Theatre in 1994 and played in New York, among other areas, Rochowiak said.
The duo has worked on "Flipaswitch" since the premiere of "Just the Two of Us," and the entire process from brainstorming to costumes to characters to production has taken 10 years.
The music and score were composed and arranged by Austin, but not without a little help from Frank Lindquist, a New York musician. As for Rochowiak, he wrote the musical's script and "challenging" lyrics, he said.
"The song has to go along with your dialogue and advance the plot of your show," he said. "It's important you find the right places in the show for the right song."
"Flipaswitch" has 28 cast members and is larger than many of the shows performed at Riverwalk Theatre, but Director Louis Balestra said the opportunity to perform a musical for the first time is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"It really fed creativity, we didn't have to follow any one else's interpretation," Balestra said. "You can't compare it to doing something that's already been done - it allows for total artistic freedom."
But creating the scenery, costumes, choreography and blocking all from scratch took a lot of work, Balestra said.
Thus, he took advantage of the writers' close proximity and included them into the entire process from casting to dress rehearsals, he said.
Jennifer McCloy, who plays the stripper Martha, said she worked personally with Austin and Rochowiak, which helped develop her character.
"They have been so supportive and enthusiastic working with me individually and guiding me in the right direction," she said.
Jessica Pipes, who portrays Beth, a young woman new to the stripper biz, said the most challenging aspect of the show is the lack of a previous rendition.
Pipes said she usually develops her characters by viewing previous recordings of the show.
"We didn't have anyone to mold the characters for us so that we could spin them our own way as actors," Pipes said. "I can definitely say that it's been a learning experience from the get-go."
To check out the brand new musical, "Flipaswitch," playing at Riverwalk Theatre, 228 Museum Drive, in Lansing, you'll have to pick up tickets first. Adults get in for $16 and seniors and children pay $14. The show will be playing at 7 p.m. today, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. But if you miss it this weekend, don't fret - it runs through Feb. 6. For more information on Riverwalk Theatre or "Flipaswitch," contact the box office at (517) 482-5700.
