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Catch a show at the Regency
WHAT-TO-DO - FREEPORT/LUCAYA & GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND - JULY 2007
Catch a show at the Regency
Drama, music & comedies
Looking for a change of pace during your holiday? Whether you?re a passionate theatregoer or a once-in-a-while footlights fancier, consider taking in a live performance at the Regency Theatre.
Freeport Players? Guild, a non-profit repertory company that has been around since 1961, presents dramas, comedies and musicals at the Regency throughout the year.
A short drive from Pelican Bay, the recently renovated 450-seat theatre is located on Regency Park, just off West Sunrise Highway.
Over the years the Guild has staged a number of well-known musicals, including Guys and Dolls, Fame, The Music Man, Bugsy Malone, Oliver and, in November 2006, high-energy performances of the movie version of That?s Chicago.
?Audiences are absolutely bowled over by the talent we discover right here in Freeport,? says Jackie Dack, who directed That?s Chicago, with choreography by Lois Seiler, who runs the Academy of Dance in Freeport.
In choosing That?s Chicago?a 1926 stage play that became a musical in 1975 and an Oscar-winning movie in 2002?Dack wanted a big show that would highlight the Regency?s new sound, light and stage capabilities.
?That?s Chicago provided the ideal vehicle. It has all the ingredients for a lively, fun-filled romp, as delightful to audiences as it was fun for our actors and backstage crew.?
As a theatregoer you?ll enjoy plush red seats (purchased by Friends of the Theatre, whose names are on the backs of each one). Sir Jack Hayward, honorary chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority and co-founder of the theatrical group, donated funds, too.
A busy season ahead
The Freeport Player?s Guild was launched with several luminaries on the board, including Sir Jack, who served as the first president and remains a staunch supporter, attending many opening nights.
In 1971, the Regency Theatre was built, opening with Oscar Wilde?s hilarious The Importance of Being Ernest. In 1973, the guild welcomed Prince Charles to a performance.
President Sharon Taylor says Freeport is lucky to have such a facility, the only purpose-built theatre in the country. ?Over the years it has attracted many talented, inspirational and hard-working people whose combined efforts mean tourists and locals alike can enjoy a varied programme, presented by talented people,? says Taylor.
A new curtain system was being planned for this year, adds Taylor, noting that the guild is ?working hard to make capital asset improvements that will further serve theatre patrons and those who rent the theatre. It is my personal vision to renovate the foyer by the end of 2008.?
In addition to the Freeport Players? Guild, the Grand Bahama Players? group rents the theatre to stage productions, the most recent being Stand Behind the Yellow Line and Head in His Hands.
The performers who brought That?s Chicago to life in Grand Bahama in 2006 have created a summer theatre arts school for 10- to 16-year-olds.
?This will cover every aspect of the theatre and end with two public performances of Twinderella, in which Cinderella meets her twin brother Bob and his godfather,? says Taylor.
If you are holidaying in the fall, there are more musicals on tap, including The Great American Trailer Park Musical, a country rock musical that tells the story of Pippi, a runaway stripper who is the newest tenant at Armadillo Acres, an ?exclusive? trailer park in Florida.
As well, performances of Macbeth are planned to support local teachers who are introducing young minds to Shakespeare?s Scottish play. Also planned are Many Moods of Christmas in early December and the play Dreamgirls in January 2008.
The Freeport Players? Guild website was under construction by the group?s volunteer web designers at press time but it was expected to be up and running by June. Check out www.regencytheatregbi.com.
A new play opens every few weeks. Interested parties should call to inquire about the full schedule, dates, times and seat availability at 374-2879 or 373-2887.
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