"No, No Nanette" brings the roaring 20s to Richey Suncoast Theatre

The distinctive style and chic of the 1920s is making a comeback at the . Flapper fashion is all the rage in the new production of the musical "No, No Nanette."

The show will open at the theater on Thursday, Feb. 24, and tickets are still available. 

First performed in 1925, "No, No Nanette" tells the story of a young woman trying to shed the shackles of her sheltered life in the rapidly changing world of the 1920s. Nanette lives with her successful Bible-publishing uncle, Jimmy Smith, and his thrifty wife Sue.

While Jimmy is happy to throw his money around, if he feels the cause is just, his wife believes in strict frugality, and this difference of opinion leads to some interesting complications.

Throw in a shopaholic friend, three female benefactors of Jimmy’s generosity, an overzealous fiancé and a holiday cottage, and things soon get seriously tangled.

Co-Director Marie Skelton explained that as the situation becomes more and more complicated, the show becomes more and more amusing.

“It’s good, light-hearted fun,” Skelton said.

The show is set in the mid-1920s, at a time when fashions were evolving at a rapid rate. This results in a production that contains some very distinctive costumes.

“1925 saw a huge change in clothing styles for both men and women,” Skelton said.

Co-Director and co-choreographer Linda Hougland said she is excited to see this period musical comedy come to the Richey Suncoast Theater stage. The show, written by Otto Harbach and Irving Caesar, has been popular since its first Broadway run back in 1925. A 1971 revival, again on Broadway, saw No, No Nanette win several awards, including four Tony Awards.  

The music for the show, written by Vincent Youmans, is being played by a live band, conducted by Music Director Stella Gaukhshteyn.

“I think people will be surprised to find that they know some of the songs in this musical,” said Hougland. “Tea for Two, for example.”

The Richey-Suncoast Theater production has a cast of 19 including Caitlin Ramirez as the eponymous Nanette, David Cruz as Jimmy Smith and Traci Callahan as Jimmy’s wife, Sue. The supporting cast also features Drew Lundquist and Elizabeth Phillips as Billy and Lucille Early, respectively, and Chris Cavalier as Nanette’s fiancé Tom Trainor.

The cast comes from a wide area, some travelling from as far as Weeki Wachee and St Petersburg.

The team at the Richey Suncoast-Theater is always keen to add to its numbers and encourage people to come and audition for its shows.

Managing Director Charles Skelton says the theater has a strict policy on giving everyone a fair chance, newcomers and seasoned veterans alike.

“Our casting is based entirely on talent,” Skelton said.

The next show due for production is "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." Auditions take place at the theater Feb. 27-28 at 7 p.m.

No, No Nanette opens on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. It will also run March 4-6 and March 11-13. For more information on this, or any other performances at the Richey-Suncoast Theatre (6237 Grand Blvd, New Port Richey), visit its website www.RicheySuncoastTheater.com