'Mine' full of laughs
A summer dinner comedy presented by Sing Hosanna! will have a Christmas-in-August theme with the show "Misdeeds at Mistletoe Mine" by Tim Koenig and some festive food on a "Yule Fall Inn" buffet, including porcupine balls, stuffing balls, perogies, veggies and cake.
The event will take place Aug. 8 at the South Butler Fire Hall on Old Plank Road.
The tale for the play revolves around poor little Holly Hock (Paige Schreffler) who has been orphaned and inherited a worn out gold mine and a worn out hotel. Her aunt, Rose Bush (Catherine Fuellgraf) takes both Holly and the failing business under her wing.
The future takes a turn for the better when a handsome Redmond Wood (Rod Gasch) rides into town. Lurking in the shadows, ready to put the kibosh on any happiness but his own, is the villainous Mayor William Z. Mucifer (Eric Snyder) who has plans for his own type of fun and games. His sidekick, femme fatale Chiquita Rosarita Ricardo (Kim Gaiser) goes to great lengths to cooperate with Mayor Mucifer and his scheme to drive Red out of town and stake his own claim on Holly, the mine and her hotel.
Schreffler, who will be in eighth grade at Highlands Middle School, has participated in the Sing Hosanna! camps, but will be acting in her first dinner theater production.
"Little Holly is a sweet innocent orphan and I like playing her," she said. "I have to use a higher pitch voice than normal and remembering to do that can sometimes be hard.
"Performing is something I'd love to do more of. I'd love to be the lead in 'Hairspray;' that would be my dream role."
Her caregiver is played by Catherine Fuellgraf of Penn Township, who will be a senior at Knoch High School.
"I play Ms. Rose Bush who is really the heroine," she said. "She is very caring and compassionate and that is easy to play. But she is older than I am so I have to work at appearing much older and more mature than my years."
Fuellgraf said she wanted the part as soon as she read it and said she is enjoying the entire experience, including working with Snyder who played her father in the Sing Hosanna! production of "Sound of Music" last year.
"It has been interesting having to act differently with him. I even get to hit him in one scene," she said.
Snyder is willing to take it on the chin from Fuellgraf, or more appropriately a slap on the cheek for the sake of the craft. "This is really a fun role to play, from Von Trapp to the villain," Snyder said.
"Mucifer wants his own way and his way is a gambling establishment. This is really a funny comedy, and I can take the bad guy role over the top and enjoy it as will the audience."
The production is full of word play and witty but obvious puns.
Also featured during the event will be a "second home" Christmas decoration sale and a silent auction of hand painted Christmas furniture. Proceeds benefit the Sing Hosanna! operations.
Reservations must be made by Wednesday by calling 724-285-3653 or at May's Music Shoppe, 247 E. Jefferson St.
<B>WHO: </B>Sing Hosanna!<B>WHAT: </B>Christmas in August Dinner Theatre "Misdeeds at Mistletoe Mine"<B>WHEN: </B>Noon and 5 p.m. Aug. 8<B>WHERE: </B>South Butler Fire Hall, 98 Old Plank Road<B>TICKETS: </B>$20 per adult and $7 per child age 10 and younger. Reservations due by Wednesday and are available at May's Music Shoppe, 247 E. Jefferson St., or by calling 724-285-3653.<B>INFORMATION: </B>Web site, www.singhosanna.org.
