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Show Park City Centennial playwrights know their subject matter Park Citys centennial musical, mu-sical, to be staged by Park City Performances, has three authors who are well-versed in the town's theater and lifestyle. David Fleisher appeared in such plays as "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Harvey." He is the author of the Park Record's newspaper column, "The Ten O'Clock Whistle." And he gained nation-wide attention as the co-author of "Death of an American," the story of John Singer. Katherine Reynolds appeared ap-peared in such plays as "Camelot" and "Music Man." But she is better known from radio and stage as the town's irrepressible strangely-garbed society reporter, re-porter, the Shaft. . Mike Phillips, too, has been the veteran of several plays, including "Harvey" and "Mame." Every week, he turns the KPCW studios into "The Rubber Room" to host a late-afternoon Friday show of Top 40 music. Phillips is also employed often to m.c. talent shows for the staion. The idea for the musical, tentatively titled, "This is The Place," began with Fleisher. But David stressed that the finished work is clearly an equal three-part effort. Last year, Fleisher began thinking about a musical that would tell the story of Park City. The idea was discussed with PCP trustees Jere Calmes, Anne MacQuoid and Richard Scott, Fleisher said. His original co-writer, Susan Jarman, dropped out because be-cause of her pregnancy. Fleisher developed the idea of a young Mormon missionary who learns (along with the audience) about life in Park City. "We tried to write an entertaining, funny musical, to show that Park City is different from any other place in Utah," he said. Through a narrator and the lyrics of the songs, the audience gets a look backward back-ward at the town's history. The characters include Record editor Sam Raddon, a walking-tour host, a time-share time-share salesman and an old miner. "There are seven scenes with seven songs," he said. "But none of us had ever written a musical before." Ren Anderton helped with the song numbers. Many of the play's hap penings focus on regiona foibles. For instance, on scene shows a tourist trying to figure out the state's liquor laws. Fleisher began the play ir earnest about two month; ago, after he had finishec promotion chores for his Singer book. "I became obsessed with finishing it,' he said. About a month ago he . said, Reynolds an( Phillips joined him an( worked hard to revise ant tighten the musical. The musical also has beet fortunate to enlist Richan Jewkes, a brilliant director said Fleisher. Jewkes has i great sense of humour, hi said, and has helped a lot ii the writing and acting. The musical will open a the Egyptian on March 8 Park City's Centennial Day. |