Goddard's MAD to Perform the Influential Musical 'Show Boat'

"Show Boat", a musical about the lives of individuals living on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississipi River theater boat, will be opening as a dinner theater at the Goddard Space Flight Recreation Center on Oct. 21.

Members of the Music and Drama Club of the Goddard Space Flight Center will perform the musical.

When "Show Boat" first premeired in 1927, on Broadway, it was hailed as groundbreaking for being the first time serious black and white characters shared the stage together as equals, according the PBS documentary "Broadway: The American Musical".

The plot revolves around life on the Cotton Blossom as it sails up and down the Mississippi River for decades. The focus centers on the relationships of the characters that call the boat their home. Among the many vibrant songs, is one of important significance, “Ol’ Man River”, which details the destiny of the people dependent on the Mississippi River, according to "Broadway: The American Musical".

Jerome Kern wrote the music for the play and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the book and lyrics. The idea for the musical came from the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Farber.

MAD’s show will be directed by Mary Lou Fisher and was produced by Eliot Malumuth and Kevin Buter.

Performances will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning Oct. 21 and ending Nov. 13. For the Friday and Saturday night shows, doors open at 6 p.m., dinner served at 6:30 p.m. and the curtain goes up at 8 p.m. The Sunday shows are matinees, with lunch being served at 1:30 p.m. and curtain going up at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $33 for adults, children 10 and under are $23, and after dinner tickets are $20. Tickets will be available up to 30 minutes before the show. The dinner is a buffet with choice of a beverage including beer and wine.

For more information call 240-475-8800 or visit the MAD website.

The Goddard Space Flight Recreation Center is located at 10000 Good Luck Road, Glenn Dale, Md.