The New Beginning Players will present “Li’l Abner,” a musical based on Al Capp’s satirical comic strip July 31-Aug. 2.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday, July 31, 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, in the former church sanctuary at the De Soto Community Center, 400 Boyd St. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors ages 60 and older, and $5 for children 12 and younger. To purchase tickets for the musical, call Norris at 347-239-2258.
Proceeds will be split between the New Beginning Players and the Mel Bay Foundation, which is based at the Community Center.
In addition to the musical, a Hillbilly Dinner fundraiser will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at the De Soto Community Center. The dinner is a fundraiser for the Mel Bay Foundation. The New Beginning Players will perform a couple songs from “Li’l Abner.” Tickets for the dinner are $50. To purchase tickets for the dinner, call 636-282-1870 and leave a message with your name, phone number and number of tickets desired.
“(The play is) full of political satire and humor,” said Julie Norris, who was a theater director at Seckman High School for eight years before founding the New Beginning Players in 2015.
Norris calls the community repertoire company, which is the drama ministry of New Beginnings Baptist Church of Jefferson County in Hillsboro, the best kept secret in Jefferson County. She said they have a core group of 100 actors from the St. Louis area.
Many actors have been with Norris since the New Beginning Players began. Kameron McClinton started out in theater as a freshman at Seckman High School and has stuck with it. He is now a theater teacher at Fox High School.
In the musical, he plays General Bullmoose and a Dogpatch resident.
“I actually really like the parody and the satire of it,” McClinton said. “It makes fun of things in a way that just really makes people laugh and giggle. I think that laughing and that giggling is kind of necessary nowadays. It helps us to keep going so I think that this musical is a good way for people to just feel the catharsis of the moment and understand sometimes the government is absurd.”
For some cast members, the theater group is literally a family affair.
Vincent Italiano plays Marryin’ Sam. His wife, Rachil, is the assistant director and plays a Dogpatch wife.
“I joined this troupe my senior year of high school, and it wasn’t long after I started dating her,” Vincent said. “Now we’re married. I didn’t expect that almost 10 years later that my entire family would basically be doing shows.”
His sister, Evelyn, plays Moonbeam McSwain and Dr. Krogmeyer and his brother, Nicholas, plays Available Jones and Secretary.
Matthew Bailey of De Soto plays Earthquake McGoon, the world’s dirtiest wrestler who wants to marry Daisy Mae (played by Veronica Franklin), who is in love with Li’l Abner.
“He’s a bad guy with a heart of gold,” Norris said. “He’s the hero that kind of saves the day.”
Tommy Heaney reprises the role of Li’l Abner after playing the role in high school.
The group puts on four to six productions a year. Past performances have included “Guys and Dolls,” “The Sound of Music,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
Norris is looking forward to using the Mel Bay Theatre at the De Soto Community Center for future performances.
Other members of the cast include: Meg Heaney, Cole Wright, Becca Alvey, Rebecca Bolin, Gabby DeBold, Charlie Hill, Don Hoekle, Debra Leland, Alvin Keefe, Daisy Keefe, Tammie Keefe, Zoey Laburay, Andrew Lorenz, Eric Lotz, Jeremy Lovier, Jacob Fisher, Brad Mosman, Bradley Rottger, Paul Strebeck, Martin Toma, Anna Wright and Wayne Norris.
About Mel Bay Foundation
Local businessman Jim Thomas purchased the center, formerly known as the First Baptist Church of De Soto campus, in December and formed the Mel Bay Foundation with plans to honor the late Mel Bay, one of De Soto’s most famous former residents.
Bay has been called “the George Washington of the guitar,” and his method of learning the guitar has been taught to millions worldwide.
Thomas said his goals are to use the facilities to support groups that are helping people; further the legacy of Mel Bay and the millions of people who were touched by Bay’s efforts and “give people reasons to visit De Soto.” He hopes the complex will house music history, specifically the Mel Bay Museum; music therapy; and musical performances at the Mel Bay Theatre.