LAKEPORT — On Saturday the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in downtown Lakeport was transported back in time to the days of Prohibition. Scores of people showed up dressed to the nines for New Vintage Productions (NVP)”s latest event, “A Night at the Speakeasy.”
This event featured a casino theme with blackjack and roulette tables manned by period-appropriate dealers, a costume contest, live band and a burlesque show featuring a series of choreographed numbers.
According to Artistic Director John Tomlinson, the costume contest was a big success, with more than half of the attending audience dressed in period clothing. “There were flappers and dappers and well-dressed attendees of all kinds,” Tomlinson said. “Seeing all of thos well-dressed fellas and dames on the dance floor must have been a kick for the live band, Sixty Fingers, who rocked the joint, answering the call for two encores.”
Many of the dancers participated in the costume contest, receiving prizes that included overnight stays at resorts, salon visits and other gifts donated from the community.
The smash hit of the night was the burlesque revue, Tomlinson said. With eight women and three men performers, this troupe brought the crowd to raucous cheering several times. Old classics of the form, such as “Hey Big Spender” and “A Guy What Takes His Time,” were mixed in with more modern tunes, “Welcome to Burlesque” and an updated “Diamonds Are a Girl”s Best Friend,” with dance numbers choreographed for each.
“It was a bit racy, but it was done tastefully,” Wally Fuller, a member of the management committee at Soper-Reese Community Theatre, said. “I saw everyone having a real good time.”
According to Tomlinson, “A Night at the Speakeasy” was a so successful that the organizers are already talking about making it an annual event.
Operating for just about a year in Lake County, NVP has brought “Romeo and Juliet” to the Soper-Reese, and helped to start a new drama club at Kelseyville High School.
This summer will bring the first visit from an out-of-town group. Dell”Arte International will bring its rural residency program to Spring Valley for a series of free workshops and community service efforts. This group will visit because of the efforts of NVP and the Spring Valley Property Owners Association.
“This is what events can bring us,” Tomlinson said. “We have fun on one night, and then we go back to study what we have learned and what we can give back to the community the following day. The visit is a chance for us to see what they do, as well as show off what Lake County has to offer.” Questions about this and any other NVP event can be addressed to John@NewVintage Productions.com or by calling 355-2211.
