The popular Church Basement Ladies series has been well received in venues coast to coast for nearly a decade. The Church Basement Ladies made their first appearance at the Marion Palace Theatre with the first installment in 2008. In 2010, the theatre sold out the Christmas Musical sequel, Away In The Basement.
Now, after a four year hiatus, these “bulwarks never failing” are back in their latest installment, A Mighty Fortress Is Our Basement, on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 7:00pm.
Church Basement Ladies is based on a book written by Jessica Zuehlke and Jim Stowell. The lyrics and music of the show are composed by renowned composer Drew Jansen, who is famous for his music for the show How To Talk Minnesotan, The Musical.
The story of the play revolves around four women who work in the kitchen and cook meals for the events that take place in a rural Minnesota church. The year is 1960 and a reformation in the church is underway. With a new crop of Confirmands, Beverly, the youngest of the bunch, dons her first pair of high heels for her confirmation ceremony. Mrs. Snustad, the matriarch of the kitchen, wins top honors at the County Fair for her “Grand Champion” pickles. Mavis, the able bodied farm wife, must find a way to deal with the new “Super Highway” that cuts through her farm. Karin, the real homemaker of the kitchen, finds new freedom behind the wheel of her husband’s pickup truck and must reconcile a new world of change for her daughter, Beverly. Pastor, who has always found strength and solace in the church basement, has found new love and announces his impending nuptials.
Some of the most popular songs from the musical include hit numbers such as Dead Spread, My Own Personal Island, Song For Willy, Get Down to Business, The Pale Food Polka, Closer to Heaven (in the Church Basement) and many more as well.
Audiences nation-wide have sung praises of this musical series, and many share their opinion that each new installment gets better and better. Furthermore, you do not have to have seen past installments in order to know what’s going on. As the St. Paul Pioneer Press says; “The genius in the writing of Church Basement Ladies is that familiarity with previous incarnations is optional.”
The Church Basement Ladies in a Mighty Fortress is our Basement will take place at the Marion Palace Theatre on Saturday, March 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $22, $26, $30. Groups of 20 or more receive a 10% discount.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Marion Palace Theatre Box Office at 740-383-2101 or visit www.marionpalace.org. Sponsored by Marion Industrial Center.
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