When Mark A. Saylor conceived and directed his first cabaret at Pennsylvania Playhouse last fall “ a œmiscast theme that had grown women singing œAnnie and young men crooning notes meant for Eliza Doolittle - he had no idea how it would take off.
œPeople just loved it, Saylor said. œThe performers, the audience. Everyone just had a great time. Since then, Saylor has directed three such shows in what the Playhouse is now calling its œCabaret Series. The latest, 'From Stage to Screen (and Back!)' runs November 2-3 and features popular hits from movie musicals such as 'RENT,' 'Little Shop of Horrors,' 'Chicago,' and 'Les Miserables.'While licensing agreements may restrict Lehigh Valley community theaters from mounting productions of shows still on Broadway, the same guidelines do not apply when producing a musical review. The Cabaret series gives performers the freedom to sing hits from smash shows, such as 'Wicked' and 'Phantom of the Opera.' The Playhouse put its social networking to use this summer when it polled its fans on which Cabaret theme theyd like to see next. 'From Stage to Screen' was an easy winner. œTheres a certain timeless romance surrounding movie-musicals, a genre that began its ascent to popularity more than 75 years ago, Saylor said. Fans of classic musicals can look forward to a special 'Singin in the Rain' tribute, in honor of Gene Kellys 100th Birthday. 'From Stage to Screen (and Back) runs Saturday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at The Pennsylvania Playhouse, Illicks Mill Road, Bethlehem Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at www.paplayhouse.org or by calling 610-865-6665.