NCT to debut rowdy cowboy musical ‘Das Barbecü'

Six actors will bring more than 30 characters to life in Newton Community Theatre’s latest production, the off-Broadway gem “Das Barbecü.” This fun, frenetic musical, which brings together the unlikely combo of operatic Norse mythology with deep-fried Texas twang, is directed by Stephanie Alexander, with musical direction by Rachel Faidley. A six-piece band performs live on stage throughout the show.

“This musical has been making us burst out laughing since the first night of auditions,” Alexander said. “The production swings from hilarious to heartfelt to heartbreaking and back again before you know it. When one actor alone is playing a recently comatose ingénue, a man-hungry subterranean soothsayer, a pelvic-grinding granny, a hypothermic mermaid, and a dimwit law enforcement officer, you’re definitely in for something completely unique.”

Another unique feature of “Das Barbecü” is that each of the six performances will be exclusively sponsored by a local business. At least one audience member each show will receive a generously donated prize.

“We have a loyal base of season ticket holders and other fans of the performing arts,” Alexander said, “but we want to grow awareness of everything we offer. We’d love to see more people get involved in theatre, whether on stage, behind the scenes, or in the audience. We thought a great way to do that would be cross-promotional efforts that not only boost NCT, but also show we are a long-time part of this community and that we want people to ‘shop local.’ We cannot say enough about these local businesses and their amazing support.”

Performances and their corresponding sponsors will be:

• 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 1 – Deckerations ($100 gift card)

• 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2 – Silverado Boutique ($100 gift card)

• 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 3 – Capitol II Theatre ($75 gift card)

• 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 8 – Magick Touch Massage (free one-hour massage)

• 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9 – Murph & Mary’s Pub ($100 gift card)

• 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 10 – MercyOne Newton Auxiliary (three winners each to receive a $25 gift cards to the MercyOne Newton gift shop)

“It takes a lot of people to make a show like this possible,” Alexander said. “Every person who takes the time to come see what we’ve created warms our hearts that much more. As NCT president Terry Faidley says, there is nothing like live theatre!”

To learn more about “Das Barbecü,” ticket purchases, upcoming auditions and more, visit www.newtontheatre.com or Facebook.com/NewtonCommunityTheatreIowa.