The Glenwood Vaudeville Revue’s summer showcase is in full swing with a lively cast, new parodies covering everything from current events to the dangers of driving through Glenwood Canyon, throwbacks to fan-favorite sketches and musical theater numbers.
“The show is fantastic and I am really pleased with it,” stated owner and performer John Goss. “I’ve got a strong cast and some really great new stuff that we’ve added to the shows, and things that we brought back from the past — some of our favorites. We’re getting fantastic responses, and just hoping to make it better and better.”
The cast of this show includes the returning talents of Tom Erickson, Michael Scarpitti, Tim Veazey and Jet Quealy. Returning to the stage from the winter showcase are Bostyn Elswick and Claire Svedberg, both with notable stage success across multiple theater companies in the Roaring Fork Valley — Sopris Theatre Company and Thunder River Theatre Company — plus the Aspen Choral Society.
Discussing having Elswick and Svedberg back for the summer show, Goss said they bring a “good youthful energy,” which expands the variety at The Vaudeville. He also shared his gratitude for Erickson, who has been with the Vaudeville for many years now.
“[Erickson] has got a couple of new zingers that he’ll be singing all summer, one of my favorites being a parody he does of Adele’s ‘Hello.’ I have spoofed that song so many times I don’t even remember how the original goes, but I decided it would be fun to have Darth Vader sing it and go, ‘Hello from the Dark Side.’” Goss continued, “He sings everything about Star Wars and the power of the Dark Side. People can’t get enough.”
Another fresh bit that has quickly become a favorite includes a number set to the Bee Gees’ hit — as well as the theme song to the 1977 film “Saturday Night Fever” starring John Travolta — “Stayin’ Alive” performed on treadmills.
Despite rave reviews for the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue, it is not lost on Goss that the arts in Colorado, and all over the country, are struggling right now.
“I’ve put 17 years of my life into [this business] and tried everything in the book to help it grow, succeed and do better,” he said. “We hear from 90% of the people that walk out how incredible and wonderful [the show was], and that they’ll be back. Yet, we still have lower numbers.” He added, “Unfortunately, every theater in the state of Colorado is hurting badly right now.”
Goss said that each show is full of surprises, which he has seen diverse audiences enjoy over the years. He encourages folks from all walks of life to take a chance and attend a production.
“All I can say is, for those who don’t really know and maybe think it might be immature — or a bunch of high school kids or something mediocre — it’s much more than that. I’m very proud of it.” He said, “We entertain a lot of different people in a lot of different ways. From the cool tattooed and pierced folks to the businessmen, people come in and they just have a great time.”
Goss also encourages anyone with a passion for performing to audition. While he has a strong seasoned cast, anyone with a background in musical theater, dance or other performative arts experience can try out. Behind the scenes is also a good place to get involved.
“I like to take advantage of people’s talents in areas we have available,” Goss stated. “I have people audition all the time and I’m always looking for new strengths and whatnot.”
The summer showcase will run through Oct. 12. To book your ticket, visit www.gvrshow.com