The play tells the story of Paul, the eponymous musical hater, who finds his city being overtaken by song and dance in what is described as a horror-comedy. The Cat’s Paw production will be directed by Dawn Bassett and feature an all-local cast with a live backing band. Cast members include Wren Challenger, Troë Weston, and Anne Ramey. The production will feature several shows across a nine-day period, with seven evening shows and two afternoon matinées. Promotional material emphasizes the humorous nature of the musical:
“Follow Paul as he evades an alien hive-mind turning his small town into a Broadway chorus. Sure it doesn't sound scary, but have you thought about the implications?!? Catch this campy nod to B horror (and how overwhelming theatre people can be)...”
This will be the fourth show produced by Cats Paw Productions, a nonprofit theatre organization based in the Okanagan Valley, which has established an identity for itself with offbeat musicals. Past productions in this season have included The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Nevermore. Live stage performances like this often use methods like poster printing and social media clips to help attract audience members.
The Cats Paw production of The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals will run from April 24 to May 3 at the Tempest Theatre in Penticton.