By Connie Pilston Shoemaker

Eagle Correspondent

All the players have assembled and they are gambling you will take a chance on seeing their show “Bingo! The Winning Musical” debuting July 12 at the Musical Theatre Guild's William A. Lehnerd Performance Hall in Memorial Park.

The show is about a group of die-hard bingo players. In between the number calling, strange rituals and fierce competitions, love blossoms and long-lost friends reunite.

Under the direction of Patrick Erkman and produced by Barbara Osche, the show promises fun and games for the audience and a cast who bring some interesting characters to life.

Erkman, of Ellwood City, said the show is a challenge because of the audience interaction.

“It is a technical nightmare and its audience interactive, so you never know what's going to happen,” Erkman said.

He is excited about the vocals and believes there to be many outstanding numbers, “'Swell'' with the bold voice of Paula Floyd and 'B-4,' a duet with Robin Kriley and Ariana O'Donnell, come to mind,” said Erkman, who hasn't been a part of or even seen this production prior to directing it.

Erkman is directing his wife Tammy in the show.

“I play Patsy, the stereotypical neurotic, obsessively superstitious, passionate bingo player,” she said.

Patsy is also a faithful friend. “These girls enjoy a good game of bingo and each other's company, so don't get in their way of enjoying either,” she said.

“Through flashbacks, we learn how bingo can hurt (and maybe heal) friendships,” she explained.

Erkman said she enjoys the clever songs but one that her character sings sums up the role. “'I Still Believe In You' is the story of how she learned the magic of superstitions with bingo,” said Erkman.

Ariana O'Donnell of Butler Township is preparing to play the role of Alison Boodalay.

“She is the daughter of Bernice, and is on a mission find her mother's bingo-loving friends and reconcile their relationship with Bernice before it is too late,” said O'Donnell.

In the meantime, she gets swept up and carried away in an eventful night of bingo. Laughter is her biggest challenge in preparing for this show. “My main challenge is, actually, to contain my own laughter during rehearsals so that I do not laugh during the performances,” she said.

“Musically, I have one song in the show that, on a technical level, is pretty difficult, and I have to focus extra hard on my performance each time I sing it,” she added.

The character of Bernice is being played by Robin Kriley of Forward Township.

“Once a close friend of Vern, Patsy and Honey, she and Vern had a falling-out 15 years ago and now Bernice no longer plays bingo with them,” Kriley explained. “Like every friendship, each character has their own personality which enhances the craziness of this show.”

The role of Vern is being portrayed by Paula Baptiste Floyd.

Cindy West of Bellevue was cast as Minne Martinelli.

“She is the manager of the bingo hall. She takes the game of bingo very seriously. She's tough, but lovable with a little bit of playfulness to round out her character,” said West.

Dimension to Minnie's character is the biggest hurdle for West. “I am bringing dimension to her by allowing her humor and playfulness to be an integral part of her personality as she rises to the task of managing a bingo hall during the busiest night of the year,” West said.

Her character will have a Midwestern accent during, and West uses that accent to practice even when not on stage. “I also use electronic flashcards to study my lines,” she said.

The role of Honey is being played by Davlin Smith of Winfield Township. For the 5-foot, 2-inch tall actress, this is comical in itself as Honey is described as leggy, she said.

“'Leggy, beautiful, a little past her prime. She's an extremely lovable sex kitten if not the brightest of bulbs' is how the script describes her,” Smith said about her character.

“But she does have a heart of gold,” she added. “My character's main song is called 'Gentleman Caller.' It is her talking about the bingo caller that she is in love with and all his attributes including a 'tobacco stained smile' and 'grease under his nails.' It is funny but needs to be sung with a lot of passion and sincerity,” Smith said.

The show also features one male character, Eric Snyder as Sam.

WHO: Musical Theatre GuildWHAT: “Bingo! The Winning Musical”WHEN: 7:30 p.m. July 12-13 and 19-20 and 3 p.m. July 21WHERE: MTG’s William A. Lehnerd Performance Hall at the rear of Memorial ParkTICKETS: $17, available online at www.mtgbutler.org