'It Shoulda Been You' hits Gretna Theatre stage
Every wedding is stressful - even the most precise planning goes awry somehow. But you’ve never seen a wedding quite as stressful, zany and gut-busting as the one coming to Mt. Gretna.
This wedding is at the center of the hit Broadway comedy ‘’It Shoulda Been You,’’ which will be produced by Gretna Theatre, opening on Thursday, July 28.
The musical follows the wedding day jitters of Rebecca Steinberg and Brian Howard, who are soon to be married. Of course, their families soon get involved, as well as an ex-boyfriend - and that’s only the beginning of the hilarity.
Taking on the role of Judy Steinberg, the mother of the bride, is four-time Emmy award winner Kim Zimmer, best known for her role as Reva Shayne on “Guiding Light.”
“She’s a force to be reckoned with - a mother of the bride on a mission. She’s not so happy with the groom’s parents,” the actress said about her character.
But there are “a lot of surprises, too,” Zimmer claimed, as well as, “some lovely, lovely music that tells a great story.”
“It’s a fun, funny show, and people need to come out and see it,” she said.
Zimmer’s long and storied career began in theater, which she studied in college.
“I took every theater course I could take, until they told me I had to start taking other classes,” she joked, at which point she moved to San Francisco to study.
The actress then moved to Chicago, where she got her feet wet professionally before moving on.
“I moved to New York City with a job already, on a soap. That’s when my daytime career started,” she said.
While the world of TV kept her busy, Zimmer never lost her passion for the stage.
“I always made sure to do some theater. That was always there for me. I tend toward musical theater because it’s just too much darn fun,” she said.
Zimmer knows her stuff about musicals. In addition to giving her a start in theater, she also performed with first national touring company of “Wicked” for 22 months.
Recently, she said, she, “really kind of fell in love with regional theaters.”
“As an actor, when you want to continue to work, I kind of research all the shows regional theaters are doing,” Zimmer said.
This search brought her to Gretna Theatre for the first time, where she is in good company.
“I’m getting to see more and more of the talent that this cast has,” said Zimmer.
Her hope is that she can be a part of bringing that Gretna talent to fans both old and new.
“I’m hoping to see familiar faces and fans from 'Guiding Light' to come out and see me doing something different,” said Zimmer.
“It Shoulda Been You’’ will run from Thursday, July 28 through Saturday, August 6, at 7:30 p.m., with special matinees performances at 2 p.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Running before ‘’It Shoulda Been You,’’ from Friday, July 14 through Sunday, July 24, will be a production of Disney’s "Tarzan," based on the animated movie of the same name, in turn inspired by Edgar Rice Burrough’s novel ‘’Tarzan of the Apes.’’
Amanda Fallon Smith, who starred last year as Ariel in the Gretna production of ‘’The Little Mermaid,’’ returns to Gretna Theater in the starring role of Jane. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on Thursdays and Sundays.
For more information on Gretna Theatre and to order tickets online, visit gretnatheatre.com.