Catch the waves on Broadway at Gaslight Theatre

Those kids down on Broadway have done it again. Tucson’s Broadway Boulevard, that is where you’ll find the Gaslight Theatre.

It may be 107 degrees outside, but it’s hip to be cool inside with the gang from Gaslight breaking waves and breaking hearts in the theater’s latest musical, “Beach Blanket Be Bop or “That’s for Surfin’.”

The summer action takes place on the Surfside Boardwalk, where you’ll meet Moondoggie, Barbara Anne, Melvin, Francine and Gilligan—oops, wrong character. Gilligan is still stranded with the Skipper on that blasted island.

But theatergoers will see a whole cast of zany characters to get you rocking ’n’ rolling with those summer fun memories, like Moondoggie, the surfing dude, played by Robert Shaw, the boardwalk heart throb, and his sidekick Melvin, played by Mike Yarema, a lovable nerd whose underwear shows above the belt of his over-the-waist pants. (Real wedgie material for those who recall those pranks in the school yard.)

Moondoggie only has eyes for Barbara Anne, “the girl next door” played by Deborah Klingenfus and Francine, “a lovelorn girl” featuring Sarah Vanek, who has a bit of a thing for Melvin.

Enter the boardwalk bully, Moose, acted by Todd Thompson and pal Lunkhead, played by Joe Hubbard.

Choreographer Nancy La Viola kicks up her heels and puts on her acting cap as school administrator, Miss Cliffhause. Joe Cooper plays the crooked land developer Franklin Fogghouse and David Orley plays Woody Longboard, “riding the glide.”

Set in the 1960s, the Surfside Boardwalk’s amusement arcade owned by Barbara Anne’s pop has a thriller roller coaster that’s billed as the main attraction. The rich Franklin Fogghouse, who owns much of the town including the drive-in theater, wants the amusement park to go broke so he can snap it up. He recruits Moose and Lunkhead to cut the wiring on the roller coaster’s motor and they blame Moondoggie. Both Moon and Moose are vying for Barbara Anne’s affections and in the end, battle the “Big Kahuna” in a surfing contest to win the money and the girl.

Sorry, Dave Orley and Joe Cooper, wonderful as always in your roles, this show belongs to the youngsters—the surfin’ sweethearts played by Robert Shaw, the perennial hero and good guy; Deborah Klingenfus, his lovin’ surfin’ sweetheart with hair up to there.

Wonderful to watch

Melvin, Mike Yarema, stages his best performance yet as he changes from nerdy Melvin to the super cool Melvis. What an actor! Yarema’s timing both in his body movements and voice are incredibly wonderful to watch.

Melvin’s love interest, Sarah Vanek, as the nerdette Francine, is adorable. Nerds are the words.

Oh, oh, mustn’t forget Todd Thompson as the bad bully moose, and his sidekick Lunkhead.

Thompson, always good, is better than good at flexing his muscles and causing misery for Moondoggie. But it’s Joe Hubbard, as his sidekick, Lunkhead, fairly new to Gaslight and probably the youngest of the group, who shows talent to spare. We are looking forward to watching him grow on Tucson’s fun-filled Gaslight stage.

We don’t ever remember the audience singing along with the actors as enthusiastically as they did at this show, and many of them weren’t even born when the songs were hits. “Wooly Bully” by Stan the Sham and the Pharaohs (1965) played a major role in the show and was sung by Thompson. He changed the words to “I’m a bully” and corrected the audience mid-song when they continued to sing the original lyrics.

Beyond clever sets

To add to the talent on the stage is the genius of scene designer Tom Benson. All the sets that we have seen at Gaslight have been clever but this one is beyond that. The roller coaster itself, known as “The Tornado,” really works! And there’s the surf. After all, this is a surfin’ show. Watching Moondoggie and Moose surf across a rolling sea on their bright red surfboards as perilous waves take them across the stage is awesome, man!

Can’t say that the plot is thick but writer/director Peter Van Slyke has to be doing something right. The audience is packed and comes out of the theater happier people after seeing a Gaslight production, thanks to the cast, choreography, costumes, music, the high-tide hairdos, and the super surfin’ sets that make it more than worth taking a ride into Tucson and spending a cool evening at the California surfing beach now on stage at the Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway, Tucson.

Shows are 7 p.m., Tuesdays-Thursdays; 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 23. For reservations and ticket prices, call 886-9428.

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740

Roberta Konen has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Emerson College, Boston, Mass. She has also acted and directed for more than 27 years.