A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD / A NIGHT IN THE UKRAINE Comes to Lakewood Theatre Company

The Lost Treasures Collection, a series of rarely performed musical gems, will continue its fourteenth season at Lakewood Theatre Company on its Side Door Stage with A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine, April 12-13, 2024. The shows in the Lost Treasures series are staged in a concert/cabaret style and are presented script-in-hand with minimal staging. No sets, no props and free from the usual trappings of a fully staged production. 

A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine will have only three performances: Friday, April 12 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM. This unique production is a musical comedy consisting of two essentially independent one-act plays, with a book and lyrics by Dick Vosburgh and music by Frank Lazarus. Additional, songs by Jerry Herman are also included. The musical was originally produced on the Broadway stage in 1980. 

Lakewood’s 2023 production is directed by Dennis Corwin and Russ Cowan. The musical director is Jeffrey Michael Kauffman and the choreographer is Liz O’Donnell. Performances are on Lakewood Theatre’s Side Door stage at Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The Lost Treasures series sponsor is Fritz Camp, the curatorial sponsor is Jack’s Overhead Door and the playbill sponsor is Ed & Judy McKenney.

The Story: A Day in Hollywood, a Night in the Ukraine is the perfect double feature musical, encompassing real pathos and perfectly ridiculous entertainment in its wide scope. In the first act, directed by Dennis Corwin, an intrepid team of ushers and usherettes at the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre act as hosts and narrators, leading the audience through origin stories, song history, backstage gossip, and stern warnings set to militant tap-dance. 

In the second act, directed by Russ Cowan, the audience enters the Theatre itself, and enjoys a deliciously absurd Marx Brothers comedy, complete with piano solos, screaming blondes, an obligatory love plot as Groucho, Chico and Harpo wreak havoc on Margaret Dumont’s country estate with silly songs and pun-loving patter. This clever, heart-felt pastiche of 1930s Hollywood glory is a fantastic showcase for a small, triple-threat ensemble. 

The ensemble cast of Lakewood’s production includes Sarah Maines, Danny Caputo, Melissa Standley, Joey Côté, Jessica Maxey, Mike Dederian, and Liz O’Donnell.

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