VOS THEATRE chatted with Florence Fletcher about her upcoming role in The Music Man and what it’s like to do the show the second time around.
VOS THEATRE: Hey there! So you’re a Pick A Little Lady. What’s fun about those ladies – the characters and the actresses.
Florence Fletcher: The Pick a Littles are a terrific group, we have so much fun whenever we are rehearsing. We have Michele McAdam who plays Eulalie, the Mayor’s wife who is, of course, the leader of our little group. Eulalie likes to think she is better than the rest of us due to her elevated position as the Mayor’s wife. She always has to be in charge. Heather Town in the role of Ethel Toffelmier, the youngster in the pack, is unmarried and by 1912 standards,is the most daring of the women. Maude Dunlop is played by Krista Sluiman, Alma Hix by Kara Milner, Lydia Amaro brings us Mrs. Squires and there’s me rounding out the ladies as Mrs. Brit.
We get some of the best, most comfortable costumes in the show.
VOS: You have a history with the show don’t you?
Florence: I do. The Music Man was the first show I ever performed in Cobourg. That was back in 1983. I auditioned for Ruth Harcort, who was the director of the show, along with a man I did not know at the time, Blair MacFadden. Little did I know at the time that Ruth would cast us as Harold and Marian and that we would still be friends 35 years later!
It was a wonderful experience, I had an absolute blast doing the show and have not stopped being involved in local community theatre since.
VOS: Favourite line in the show.
Florence: But he doesn’t know the territory!
VOS: Favourite song.
Florence: My White Knight. But I also loved the Lida Rose, Will I Ever Tell You number that Marion sings with the Quartet.
VOS: What’s your best memory of your first experience and what do you hope the VOS THEATRE production will bring.
Florence: The excitement of performing for the first time in a lead role and my father bringing roses to me at the end of the performance that Mum & Dad came to. Also the people I met while working on that show, many of whom I still see around town and are still numbered amongst my friends.
So many things have changed in community theatre in the past 35 years. Our set the first time around was not fully completed until the end of the first weekend. It was always a surprise to come out each night and see what had been added since the night before. I know that the current VOS Theatre production will be a warm, loving portrayal of a wonderfully written show that is an absolute classic. That it will be a smoother, slicker production with wonderful costumes, a terrific set, inspired direction, terrific performances and brilliant music. Community theatre has evolved in the last couple decades.
It’s the kind of show that you come out humming the songs and feeling great – a really marvelous night out.
VOS Theatre 