“Goldilocks” Premiers on Most Populous Night for Park Theater

by Betty O’Neal Giboney

Word must be getting around, or it could be Tuesday’s pleasant weather. Whatever the cause, Summer Theater in Park had its most populous night this season when it presented the musical “Goldilocks” in the Shelter House in Memorial Park. Productions are sponsored by the Raintree County Opera House Guild, Inc.

Wathcing Theater in the Park as it premieres its five shows in repertory has the effect of making the heart grow fonder. It’s fun to identify Vickie, Jim, Dicki, Vicki, Diane, Mike and Phil to find out just what each is up to this time with the indispensable aid of other featured players and members of the ensemble.

“Goldilocks” is about the making of silent movies, and the lives of several people involved in the making of these movies. It often is riotous and, at times, hilariously riotous as it tells the story of one Maggie, played by Cikie Willis, a musical comedy queen who had signed a movie contract in an unguarded moment.

Dick Willis is Max, the producer-director with Vicki Horn as Bessie, sort of an unwilling angel to his productions, and Pete, the cameraman, played by John Thiele.

Jim Baird is George, Maggie’s fiancée, and Diane Crisp is Lois who would like to be the fiancée of Max, the producer. Intermingled in the cast are Mike Fleming and Phil Barr as assistants to the producer, Matt Morris as Andy, and Gary Imel playing J. C., the old man in a wheelchair who is bankrolling the producer.

One of the most delightful short interludes, both optically and musically, is the scene involving four nurses hovering over the patient, George, and singing something about “We must do as doctor tells us to.” The nurses are Becky Bronnenberg, Valerie Franklin, Ann Stairs and Katy Thiele.

Others in the delightfully youthful and fresh ensemble are Sherrell Bunton, Chris Dudley, Frannie Franklin, Rick Gann, Theresa Niles, Mike Page, Scott Rauch, Betsy Sitler.

The play will be repeated today at 8 p.m. and again on Aug. 4, 5, and 13. Other plays and musicals, previously reviewed, will fill the intervening dates, with shows on Tuesday through Saturday nights of each week. The season will end Aug. 13.

Goldilocks was written by Jean and Walter Kerr with Joan Ford, and music was composed by Leroy Anderson. Dick Willis directed and Della Mae Tronchuk is musical director and pianist with Carol Keith at the second piano.