ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Players de Noc cast and crew are hard at work preparing for their latest musical.
The theatre group’s production of Lumberjacks in Love opens this Thursday at the Bonifas Theater.
“It’s a story of five lumberjacks in a lumber camp just north of Hayward, Wisconsin in 1912,” said Jim Soderberg, who plays Muskrat. “And of course, as lumberjacks go, we loved to be independent, get to chew and spit and scratch whenever we want to or wherever we want to. Don’t need women in our lives.”
That all changes when a mail-order bride and a secret identity throw some romance—and some comedy—into the mix.
“When you get four semi-burly guys who are looking a little scruffy around the face up there singing and dancing at the same time, what’s funnier than that?” Soderberg said.
Originally produced by a local theater in Door County, Wisconsin, Lumberjacks in Love is a great fit for an Upper Peninsula audience, according to the cast.
“We’re using a lot of Yooper, Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin accents and dialects and things like that,” said Brennan Richardson, known as Moonlight in the production. “It’s almost written for somewhere like the U.P.”
The set includes an extra touch of authenticity.
“Most of the lumber for our set was donated by Dumbrowski Tree Service,” Richardson said. “It’s a great, genuine feel for the set, and it was much appreciated. They also allowed us to go to their lot to take some promotional pictures, which was really fun and really generous of them.”
Lumberjacks in Love is a family-friendly show full of big characters. The Players de Noc believe audiences will love the production just as much as they do.
“People can expect high energy, a lot of laughs, a lot of flannel, some really fun songs,” said Richardson. “It’s a fast-moving show that really keeps you entertained and engaged.”
“We really love the music in this show,” Soderberg added. “It’s really uplifting. It’s funny. Some of it’s quite touching and kind of rousing. It’s just fun to be in and it’s fun to watch.”
Lumberjacks in Love runs February 29 – March 2 and March 7 – 9 at 7:30 p.m., with a 1:30 p.m. performance on March 3. To purchase tickets, click here.
