Friendships formed in the small-town Spitfire Grill include the trio of Percy (Aimee Kelley Spencer), Shelby (Rowen Matkins) and Hannah (Katherine Jensen), here opening the submissions received for an essay contest. Photo by Shelly Randall
Something’s Cookin’ at Key City Players’ “Spitfire Grill”
Heartwarming musical opens Sept. 28 at Key City Playhouse
Port Townsend, Wash.—“Say what ya want; say what ya will—something’s cookin’ at the Spitfire Grill!”
As the lyrics suggest, the fare is both hearty and heartwarming in Key City Players’ musical, “The Spitfire Grill,” opening Friday, Sept. 28, and running for four weekends at Key City Playhouse. The folksy music soars in the telling of one woman’s triumph of spirit in the most unlikely of places: a rural café.
“This show is about starting over in a small town,” says Musical Director David Schroeder. “When I read the script, I thought, ‘This is perfect for Port Townsend.’ We are quintessentially a town of new beginnings, of starting over.”
Director Charles Duncan says the story is right on target, too. “It’s funny, interesting, touching,” he says. “The superb music really drives the story and the orchestration is fresh and unique. Audiences will be enchanted.”
It’s apropos that “The Spitfire Grill” is opening on the same weekend as the Port Townsend Film Festival because the musical by James Valcq and Fred Alley—which was first produced off-Broadway in 2001—is adapted from the 1996 film of the same name.
Also apropos is that breakfast at the original Spitfire Grill in Santa Monica , Calif. , is the grand prize in Key City Players’ annual raffle. One winner will receive round-trip airfare for two from Seattle to Los Angeles , two nights’ accommodations, plus the sentimental meal and more. Tickets are $5, and only 1,000 will be sold at performances and at the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market, with the winner drawn on closing night. See below for details. Last year, “The Threepenny Opera” raffle sent one lucky couple to New York City to see the show on Broadway.
A trio of strong-voiced women leads “Spitfire’s” cast. Aimee Kelley Spencer makes her Key City Players mainstage debut in the role of Percy, a young woman just released from prison who buys a bus ticket to Gilead , Wis. , because of an enticing picture she saw in an old travel magazine.
Gruff Hannah, played by Katherine Jensen (last seen in KCP’s “The Cocktail Hour”) gives Percy a waitressing job at the Spitfire Grill, the fading town’s only café. Most customers are judgmental of Percy’s past. Shelby , played by Rowen Matkins (a veteran of Bremerton Community Theatre, here making her KCP debut) is one of the few townspeople who overcomes her painful shyness to befriend the newcomer.
Hannah, it turns out, has been trying to sell the grill for years with no luck. Percy and Shelby ’s scheme to award the grill to the winner of an essay contest drives the rest of the plot, with wondrous results for the town and its residents.
Also appearing are James Milton as Sheriff Joe; Deena Lien-Richards as Effy, the town postmistress and busybody; John Edwards as Caleb, Shelby’s husband and Hannah’s suspicious nephew; and Mickey McKinney as The Visitor.
The orchestra consists of Ida Wingrove playing violin, Kyle Campbell playing cello, Michael Townsend playing guitar, George Radebaugh playing accordion and David Schroeder playing keyboards and conducting.
Critic Jonathan Frank, writing about the New York production, concluded, “‘The Spitfire Grill’ has a simplicity and emotional resonance that has become all too rare in musical theater. This is a show that succeeds by not trying: it simply is.”
“The Spitfire Grill” runs Sept. 28-Oct. 21 at the Key City Playhouse, 419 Washington St. , Port Townsend. Performances are Thurs., Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m.; Sun. at 7 p.m., with additional Sunday matinee performances at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 14 and 21. General admission is $15; $10 for students.
For the pay-what-you-wish performance on Thurs., Oct. 4, advance tickets are available at full price and donations are accepted at the door for the remaining seats on a first-come, first-serve basis. Key City Players is also participating in the national Free Night of Theatre on Thurs., Oct. 18, a program to attract new theatregoers to America’s not-for-profit theatres. A limited number of free tickets for that night may be reserved online at www.seattleperforms.com/ltw, starting Oct. 8.
Informal “AfterWords” discussions with the artistic staff and cast follow all Thursday performances and Sunday matinees.
All advance ticket sales are handled by Quimper Sound Music and Media, 230 Taylor St., Port Townsend; www.quimpersound.com. 2007 FLEXpass vouchers, member and gift passes may be exchanged for tickets at Quimper Sound.
Theatre patrons are encouraged to secure tickets well in advance, as seats are limited in Key City’s intimate playhouse. For information about group sales and subscription packages, call Key City Players at 360-379-0195. For more about the show or schedule, call the box office info line at 360-385-7396 or visit the show web page.
Key City Players is funded in part by a generous grant from the Port Townsend Arts Commission.
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Take a chance on a winter get-away with $5 raffle tickets
KEY CITY PLAYERS announces a RAFFLE held in conjunction with its presentation of the heartwarming musical, “The Spitfire Grill,” running Sept. 28-Oct, 21 at the Key City Playhouse in Port Townsend.
One winner will receive a TRIP FOR TWO to the original Spitfire Grill in Santa Monica, California!
Only 1,000 tickets will be sold at $5 apiece. The grand prize includes:
The musical presented by Key City Players is based on the 1996 motion picture also called “The Spitfire Grill,” which Lee David Zlotoff wrote in his office above the Santa Monica restaurant.
Santa Monica is home to the nearly century-old Santa Monica Pier with its 1922 Ferris wheel and amusement park. Enjoy shops galore, fine restaurants, and a farmers market, not to mention wide, sandy beaches. Also nearby are the Bergamot Station art galleries and the famous Venice Beach with its cast of unique characters, Muscle Beach volleyball and in-line roller skating rentals.
This year’s raffle continues Key City Players’ tradition of offering extravagant theatre-themed trips. Last year, the Threepenny Opera Raffle sent one lucky couple to see the Broadway revival of “The Threepenny Opera” in New York City.
Raffle tickets (only $5 each!) may be purchased from the following people or places:
Purchase 10 tickets or more and receive an invitation to join us at Port Townsend’s very own Spitfire Grill for brunch on Sunday, Oct. 28. Spitfire cast members will serve you on the set at Key City Playhouse and then join you over coffee to spill the secrets of rehearsing and performing this year’s musical.
The winning ticket will be drawn at the final performance of “The Spitfire Grill” at 7 p.m. Sun., Oct. 21. Need not be present to win.
Travel must be completed by Mar. 31, 2008. Additional restrictions may apply. Package is valued at up to $900. Prize has no cash value. KCP staff and board members are not eligible to enter.
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Free Night
of Theater showcases “Spitfire Grill”
Free tickets may be reserved at
SeattlePerforms.com
Port Townsend, Wash.—Key City Players is participating in the
national Free Night of Theater on Thurs., Oct. 18, a program to
attract new theater-goers to America’s not-for-profit theaters.
A limited number of free tickets for that night may be reserved
online at
www.SeattlePerforms.com/ltw, starting Oct. 8. You will need
to register for a free
SeattlePerforms.com account to reserve tickets.
Currently playing is the musical “The Spitfire Grill” by James
Valcq & Fred Alley, directed by Charles Duncan with musical
direction by David Schroeder. Folksy music soars in the telling
of one woman’s triumph of spirit in the most unlikely of places:
a small-town café. “The Spitfire Grill” runs through Oct. 21 at
the Key City Playhouse, 419 Washington St., Port Townsend.
An informal “AfterWords” discussion
with the artistic staff and cast follows the 8 p.m. Oct. 18
performance and all Thursday and Sunday shows.
General admission is $15; $10 for students. All advance ticket
sales are handled by Quimper Sound Music and Media, 230 Taylor
St., Port Townsend;
www.quimpersound.com.
For more about the show or schedule, call the box office info
line at 360-385-7396 or visit the
Spitfire Grill web page.
Free Night of Theater is a national program of Theatre
Communications Group, presented locally by Theatre Puget Sound.
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