The Gazebo – The Show and it’s Performances
FAST FACTS:
SHOW TIMES:
Evening Performances at 8 pm: Feb 21, 22, 27, 28 29 & Mar 5, 6, 7
Matinee Performances at 2 pm: Feb 23 & Mar 1
SHOW RUN:
Feb 21 – Mar 7, 2020
- The Director’s Talk is Friday, Feb 28, 2020
- The Preview is on Thursday, Feb 20 – it is the final dress rehearsal.
- Running Time: 2 hrs 30 min (includes 15 minute intermission)
LOCATION:
1370 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC. Next to the on-ramp to the Arthur Lang Bridge by Marine Drive and Granville .
TICKET PRICING:
$28 for Adults or $25 for Students/ Seniors with a special every Thursday 2 tickets for $40. Preview $15. *GST is additional on all ticket prices
Tickets can be reserved by calling the Metro Box Office 604 266 7191
BOX OFFICE WINDOWS HOURS start 4:30 pm on Performance Days
604 266 7191 voicemail or Contact Us form below can be used at other times.
LICENSED LOUNGE HOURS:
Performance Evenings – 7:00 – 11:00 pm
Performance Matinees – 1:00 – 5:00 pm
PARKING:
There is plenty of easy parking – in the parking lot, on the street, even ‘All Evening Parking’ for $4 at the Value Liquor Store Lot just up the street from Metro – 1450 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC V6P 5Z9
BUS ROUTES:
We’re close to the Marpole bus loop and on the #10 route. Check out www.translink.ca for transit directions.
CONTACT:
Metro Theatre via the contact form at the bottom of this page for more information, publicity photos, and arrangements for interviews.
The Story
The story takes place in 1958. Someone is dredging up dirt of the past, someone is trying to bury it. Someone is about to pay the price and a deadly price it is! Times have changed. Today, cannabis is considered legal over most of North America but what would have been the consequences for indulging in 1958?
The Gazebo – A Play, produced on Broadway in 1958, turned into a movie starring Debbie Reynolds and Canadian Glenn Ford in 1959, released to the movie theatres as a Musical Comedy in 1960, has been produced extensively ever since.
This Production is different from any other that came before because a “Film Noir” vision has been taken by the Director and Design Team. Adopting a darker filmic approach, complimented by a stunning sound scape, a masterful/moody lighting design, and the modern 50’s architecture and wardrobe, we hope to create an atmosphere of a more innocent time… but is it? How far would a loved-one go to protect the other? – murder maybe?
There are the likely suspects along with an abundance of unsavory characters. The top flatfoot is on hand, with his team of experts, to put everything into perspective…? More than anything this is a love story. To sum it up, I would say it’s very much like “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour meets I Love Lucy”!!
Press Release: The Gazebo
They’re sitting on the perfect crime; having a perfectly wonderful time
Metro Theatre is pleased to present The Gazebo an absolutely delicious black comedy written by Alec Coppel and directed by Greg Rogers on stage February 21 – March 7, 2020.
It is 1958. Television writer Elliott Nash dreams up near perfect crimes each week for his TV show. In an iconic twist, Elliot is blackmailed and faced with the prospect of committing a real perfect murder to protect his wife Nell’s reputation. Now a rising soap opera star, Nell had once tried marijuana as a teenager.
Despite his best efforts and a “To Do” list, things do not go according to this best laid plan. Even his shovel is taken away and he has to find a solution quickly. Elliot decides to plant the body of the blackmailer he believes he has killed in a fresh concrete foundation just poured for a gazebo that Nell recently purchased at auction.
In the meantime, the blackmailer he thought he had killed is found shot dead elsewhere. So, who did he shoot? Soon, the Nash residence is crawling with law enforcement, one of which is his neighbour and best friend, the assistant D.A., and then there are the nefarious gang members – all looking to point the finger somewhere. Suffice it to say that Elliot’s attempt at the real thing is less perfect than those he writes for TV.
“Film Noir, Love, Larceny, Loyalty and Laughter- Lots of Laughter …Oh! Did I mention Multiple Murders? LOL” Greg Rogers, Director. The Gazebo isn’t your run of the mill “whodunit”. Frisky blends of suspense and tomfoolery with hilarious levels of farce make it a very unique live theatre experience.
Tickets $28 Adult or $25 Student/Senior can be reserved by calling the Box Office 604 266 7191 or Purchase Tickets
• Audience Advisory: Please be advised that there are Gun Shots and Flashes in this production of The Gazebo. You are welcome to call the Box Office 604 266 7191 for more details about this trigger warning.
Cast and Production Team
CAST
Elliott Nash…………………………………. Kimball Finigan
Nell Nash……………………………………. Ashley Syer
Harlow Edison………………………………Bill McNaughton
Matilda ………………………………………..Aggie Cheung
Charlie Thorpe…………………………….Ken McNicol
Mrs. Chandler………………………………Su Hanson
The Dook……………………………………..Kevin Sloan
Louie……………………………………………Mark “Sparky” MacDonald
Officer Potts, The Body………………. Yasmin Tayob
Detective Jenkins…………………………. Joe Kelly
Dr. Wyner ……………………………………Rhona Lichtenwald
Druker………………………………………… Tim Rapal
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director……………………………………….. ……Greg Rogers
Producer……………………………………………. Jon Morris
Stage Manager…………………………………….Toni Scott
General Manager/Technical Director ……….Les Erskine
ASM/Props………………………………………….Barbara Walsh
Set Design………………………………………….. Heather Stewart
Costume Design………………………………….. Claire Turner
Sound Design……………………………………… Roger Monk
Lighting Design…………………………………… Les Erskine
Scenic Carpenter…………………………………. Robin Richardson
Scenic Painting/Set Decoration………………. Tracy-Lynn Chernaske
Wardrobe Manager…………………………………Sean Ullmann
Publicity……………………………………………… Debra Danny
Graphic Design…………………………………….. Barbara LaBounta
Photography……………………………………….. Tracy-Lynn Chernaske
Reviews & Being Said
“This Metro Theatre presentation is unique, mixing comedy and suspense in a fully satisfying and darkly exhilarating presentation.”
Christian Steckler of REVIEW VANCOUVER
“Metro Theatre’s latest production certainly gives us a suspenseful, comedy-laced evening of great entertainment. It’s a large cast, but each actor seems tailor made for the roles they play.”
Monika Forberger of Entertainment Vancouver
“Metro Theatre’s latest production certainly gives us a suspenseful, comedy-laced evening of great entertainment. It’s a large cast, but each actor seems tailor made for the roles they play.”
Monika Forberger of Entertainment Vancouver
“They work every day and they have the passion and desire to come out and put their heart and soul into something,”
Hannah Scott of The Richmond Sentinel
“Community theatre is a creative outlet for young actors and retired enthusiasts alike.”
Stephen Quinn of CBC Radio Early Edition
Directors Talk
Join director Greg Rogers and the cast on Friday February 28th immediately following that evenings performance of The Gazebo. This is Greg’s first time directing for Metro Theatre. You may recognize him from his acting roles as a regular on the TV show Arrow or a recent national Hyundai commercial shot in Vancouver in January.
The focus of the remarks will be on:
• Developing a character with relationship to accents.
• Allowing the humour to come out of real situations.
• The art of giving and taking focus on the stage.
• Establishing and sustaining trust within the cast and crew….. Is there a place for ego in the process????
Tech
Set Designer, Heather Stewart, takes us through her process for The Gazebo Set
One of the volunteer aspects of Metro is the freedom to try new areas of working backstage. There is always someone experienced to show you what works and doesn’t work. There is fun in learning new things.
After a few shows you are confident when you reply yes to the role of set designer. You know what is needed for the technical director, the set painter, set decorator and carpenters and they will answer any questions that arise. So far nothing out of the ordinary. Script in hand you plan a day to go to the library for some research.
Often, in the back of the script, you may find a floor plan from the original production – often a Broadway sized stage. Next, get out the floor plan for Metro theatre and start reading the script.
You peruse the page that indicates the time and place for the play (number of scenes); then, turn the page to read the playwright’s description where the action takes place. A door here, a window there… this is the scene of the play throughout.
A little farther along The Gazebo is described by a performer as the item is shown on stage – an elaborate prop… doable. I was going to the library anyway.
A little further along, The Gazebo is actually a set piece – that needs to do what ?????? – Fall down in front of the audience (without any damage to the structure/appearance) and then be upright again in place on the stage before the next performance !!!!!
Oh my, thank goodness for the library! Twelve books and many hours of reading, working plans to build a Gazebo that our carpenter can use for the Metro stage plus a copy of plans for the props manager that she will use to build the prop version of the Gazebo.
Enter our hero, Robin, carpenter extraordinaire. I hand him a set of plans for a Gazebo, and discuss how we only need to see this section, and at the end of the play – the Gazebo has to disassemble – AND be back up for the next performance! I rely on Robin’s construction knowledge and experience to build this specialty item.
Next, set painter Tracy-Lynn with paint brush in hand to work her scenic magic (you saw the Eiffel Tower from earlier this season), she brings the Gazebo more to life.
Finally, the Gazebo needs to be “rigged” to allow it to do what it needs to do – Les, our technical director works out how that gets done!
Creativity abounds with this team. We invite you to come and see what our combined knowledge has developed for the very unique set build of THE GAZEBO on stage February 21 – March 7, 2020.