Aspen Crossing Theatre kicked off its first show of the dinner theatre season with Gail Whiteford’s “The Perils of Pauline”, the ‘stage’ inside an authentic 1887 Pullman train car in Mossleigh, AB.
Set in 1935, this murder mystery comedy takes place as a movie crew arrives to film one of the first talking pictures, “The Perils of Pauline series.” Along with a film crew and actors, the mayor’s wife Mrs. Harold Lee, played by Gail Whiteford, hilariously tries to gain a small role by moving the town’s money around to fund the production. But, the real heart of the story came from the production’s leading man and lady. Rodney Rockhard, played by J.D. Hanson, becomes heartbroken and jealous when his long time fling with Pearl White, played by Hailey Mcleod, ends when he discovers not only is she having another affair but she is also leaving their set for a big Hollywood movie. Unfortunately for the other characters, Rodney has a hard time killing the right person.
During the show, I very much enjoyed the performance of J.D. Hanson. He played an incredible part as the leading man for the picture who has troubles controlling his voice for the first ‘talkie’ movie, making it screechy and nervous.
I also would like to discuss the performance of Hailey Mcleod. Her egotistical and sleazy character was very interactive with the audience, making funny and cunning remarks throughout the play.
In addition to the fine work of J.D. Hanson and Hailey Mcleod, I was also impressed with the writing and flow of the story. The costumes and props were very comical but reflected the time period nicely.
During the evening Aspen Crossing dining car served a delectable three course meal. The service and my Prime Rib meal was excellent. The timing between dinner breaks and the play was perfect.
Overall, the plot was excellent and the humor was very clever. The characters were entertaining and very believable for the time period. I thoroughly enjoyed Gail Whiteford’s ending where she finishes the play with history of the film industry in Alberta and Canada. “The Perils Of Pauline” dinner theater was a great combination of food laughter and history.
Aspen Crossing Theatre’s next production is the spooky thriller “Loco Motive.” Tickets are $65-75, including dinner and show. Visit www.aspencrossing.com or call 1(866)440-3500 for more information, tickets, or location.
