Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Stage Company has begun production of its summer children’s musical Bugsy Malone Jr which begins on July 12 and continues for two weekends.

The award-winning members of the Loveland Stage Company that are teaching and coaching the actors and technical crew include Producers Jonathan Eckman, Jill Gornet and Charlie Rader along with Musical Director Stephanie Mackris and Choreographers Marjory Clegg and Alex Rader.  

Director Pia Rader is using her experience to skillfully unify a young (ages 8 to 18 years) and talented cast which is delightfully frolicking through this hilarious musical. In addition to coaching the young performers, award-winning members of the Loveland Stage Company are teaching children hands-on technical skills in producing and presenting a stage show. Bugsy Malone is a musical for kids by kids to be enjoyed by kids at heart!

Bugsy Malone Jr is based on the hit 1976 movie film, starring Scott Baio and Jodi Foster, and featuring a catchy, swinging score by Paul Williams, the composer of The Muppet Movie.  Our story, written by Alan Parker, is about the rivalry of two gangs in a fictitious New York borough in the 1920’s gangster era.

As the curtain raises, the hero, Bugsy Malone (played by Rowan Nelson) walks to center stage and comments on the scene in the voiceover style of the 1940’s noir films. The Hoods gang, who work for Dandy Dan (played by Seth Patterson), is hunting down members of rival mobster Fat Sam’s gang (Fat Sam is played by Brandon Ressler). The Hoods splurge Roxy the Weasel (played by Marco Cramer) who works for Fat Sam with a mysterious new device that fires a lethal dose of silly string! After Roxy is splurged and carted off stage, Bugsy tells the audience that “something fishy is going on” but assures the audience that “by the final curtain I’m thinking everything will turn out A-OK”.

The Chorus Girls introduce Bugsy to the audience with the tune “Bugsy Malone”, and he invites the audience into Fat Sam’s speakeasy, The Grand Slam. Bugsy is immediately smitten with Blousey Brown (played by Nicole Stocks), a new girl auditioning to be a singer at the club. The Hoods break into The Grand Slam and pandemonium resumes. Bugsy, hiding under a table, talks Blousey into a dinner date. Bugsy continues to woo her and to avoid the gangland wars. In the following scenes, Blousey auditions at the Bijoux Theatre competing with headliner Lena Marelli (played by Grace Guthrie) and back at The Grand Slam competing with Fat Sam’s girlfriend, Tallulah (Carissa Palazzolo). Bugsy tells Blousey that she is a sensational singer and “New York is all washed up. Hollywood is where you should be.”

Fat Sam meets with his gang and explains that they need to get their hands on a splurge to defeat their rivals and leaves his gang to figure out how to get a splurger. Just then, Dandy Dan’s gang enters and wipes out the rival gang with silly string. In desperation Fat Sam hires Bugsy to find a new gang. Bugsy succeeds in recruiting men from the docks and arming them with highjacked splurgers. The gangs face each other, and a standoff occurs but Bugsy convinces the two gangs that they’re more powerful as friends than enemies with the song “You Give a Little Love.” Bugsy presents Blousey with the tickets to Hollywood, the two embraces and everything turns out A-OK as the curtain falls.

Don’t miss enjoying this hilarious comical musical. Don’t even be late because the laughter begins when the curtain rises on Bugsy Malone Jr.

Tickets are on sale for evening performances at 7:30 PM on July 12, 13, 19, 20 or matinee performances at 3 PM on July 14 and 21.  To order tickets visit this website at www.lovelandstagecompany.org or call 513-443-4LSC (4572).  All performances are held at the Loveland Stage Company Theatre, 111 Second Street, Loveland, Ohio 45140.