Comedic musical revue asks ‘Ain’t Retirement Grand?’
Peninsula Players to present light-hearted show set in a senior center
ILWACO, Wash. — For those
who are retired or are looking
forward to the those “care free
days” in the next 40 years, the
Peninsula Players are present-
ing a comedic musical revue
entitled “Ain’t Retirement
Grand?” The light-hearted
musical examines some of the
joys and pitfalls of retirement.
It may cause some to wonder
whether retirement is as grand
as they once thought.
The audience will be enter-
tained with such songs such
as “Older Lovers,” “Early
Bird Special” and “Wrinkles,”
There will be “old people
dancing” in some of the more
upbeat numbers with choreog-
raphy by Rita Smith.
The cast consists of eight
of the Peninsula Players’ more
accomplished singers and
actors. Many have appeared in
past musicals for the theater
group.
Smith is directing the
production. Smith has direct-
ed several musicals for the
players, including “Camelot,”
Give My Regards to Broad-
way” and last year’s “Little
Shop Of Horrors.” She is also
an accomplished actress and
has appeared in several plays
on the Long Beach Peninsula.
The musical director is
Barbara Bate, who is well
known for her talent as a pia-
nist and all around musician.
Not only does she accompa-
ny the singers, but she teach-
es the music to the singers as
well. Many hours are spent not
only memorizing the lyrics,
but learning the notes. Bate
has worked with Smith in all
of her musicals; it is a partner-
ship that has brought results.
The “goings on” take place
in a senior center. The usual
problems of those “Golden
Years” come to the surface
at the center. Solutions are
as hard to come by as trying
VISUAL PLE ASURE FOR GENER ATIONS
WIEGARDT STUDIO GALLERY • ERICWIEGARDT.COM
2607 BAY AVE, OCEAN PARK, WASHINGTON • 360.665.5976
MONTHLY SPECIALS • ORIGINAL WATERCOLORS & ACRYLICS
FINE ART PRINTS • PRODUCTS • FRAMING
Submitted photo
The Peninsula Players will present “Ain’t Retirement Grand?” March 4 to 20 at the River
City Playhouse in Ilwaco, Washington.
to decide whether to turn up
a hearing aid or ignore the
world. It is a fun-packed mu-
sical with humor that only an
adult will understand.
“Ain’t Retirement Grand?”
opens Friday, March 4 for
a three-weekend run to March
20. Performances are sched-
uled for 7 p.m. Fridays and
Saturdays, with matinees at
2 p.m. Sundays. The musi-
cal will be performed at the
River City Playhouse, located
at 127 S.E. Lake St.
A special champagne
reception is planned for open-
ing night. Doors open at 6:15
p.m. for the reception.
Tickets are $15 and are
available at the usual outlets:
Okies’ Thriftway in Ocean
Park, Stormin’ Normans in
Long Beach, and Olde Towne
Café in Ilwaco. Tickets will
also be sold at the door, if
available. For additional infor-
mation, call 360-244-3517.
PARTNERS FOR THE PAC
PRESENTS
Directed by
Sheila Shaffer
By Reginald Rose
Adapted by Sherman L. Sergel
March 11,12,18,19
at 7:30 pm
March 13 at 3 pm
CCC PERFORMING
ARTS CENTER
588 16th Street, Astoria
Tickets - $15.00
http://www.supportthepac.org
Permission from Dramatic Publishing
20 | March 3, 2016 | coastweekend.com
Submitted photo
Bradford Loomis and Beth Whitney will perform March 5 in Long Beach, Washington.
NEWS TALK FOR THE COAST
Providing live a nd loca l new s covera ge every da y
Y ou could see it ton igh t, rea d a bout
it tom orrow or h ea r it live N O W !
Beth Whitney, Bradford
Loomis play in Long Beach
LONG BEACH, Wash. — When
artists Beth Whitney and
Bradford Loomis began writ-
ing together they had no idea
their casual co-writing ex-
periment would blossom into
the award winning, critically
acclaimed album “The Ban-
ner Days.” That ¿rst night,
they wrote “My Beloved” in
two hours.
The Peninsula Arts Center
welcomes singer-songwriters
Beth Whitney and Bradford
Loomis together on stage at
7 p.m. Saturday, March 5.
Tickets are $12, and doors
open at 6:30 p.m.
From the ¿rst time Whitney
and Bradford played together,
along with Whitney’s husband
and collaborator Aaron Fish-
burn, the chemistry has been
powerful. The combination of
Whitney’s delicate, pure and
melodious voice and Loom-
is’ soulful, growling tone
makes for a beautifully heart
wrenching harmonious blend.
Their dramatic crescen-
dos and minimalist intensity
through intricate harmonies
have elicited comparisons to
The Civil Wars, the Swell Sea-
son, Robert Plant and Alison
Krauss’ “Raising Sand.”
With equal parts sweet-
ly anthemic pop-tinged folk
provided by Whitney’s and
Loomis’ gritty, passionate
Americana roots sound, “The
Banner Days” is an intrepid
step for both artists that has
garnered them awards.
The Peninsula Arts Center
is located at 504 N. Paci¿c
Ave. Admission is $12 at the
door, online through Brown
Paper Tickets, or call Bill at
360-901-0962. Wine, beer,
and other refreshments are
available for purchase.
Concerts bene¿t the Long
Beach Peninsula Acoustic
Music Foundation, a nonpro¿t
organization.