?Flight of the Lawnchair Man? auditions planned Jan. 4-5

KEOSAUQUA ? The Van Buren Players board of director has chosen its winter musical: ?Flight of the Lawnchair Man? by Peter Ullian and Robert Lindsey-Nassif, produced with permission of Theatrical Rights Worldwide.

The musical will be directed by David and Kathleen Paulek, with Linda Mitcheltree as music director.

Production dates are Feb. 24-26.

The musical was loosely inspired by an actual lawnchair flight. In 1982, Larry Walters, a bored California truck driver, attached 42 weather balloons to a lawnchair and flew to a height of 16,000 feet. Unfortunately he flew into the Los Angeles Internatioal Airport?s flight path and was forced to land in a nearby suburb. He landed safely. Yes, there were charges.

The musical tells the story of Jerry Gorman, a bored Walmart employee, who has never let go of his boyhood dream of flying. His girlfriend, Gracie, a toll booth worker, gives him the courage to follow his dreams. After a failed attempt to obtain a pilot?s license ? he?s a bit dyslexic ? and some differences with NASA officials, he attaches helium-filled balloons to a Walmart lawnchair and floats off over New Jersey. In flight, he meets aviators of the past, a 747 pilot having an identity crisis and experiences some issues with the Federal Aviation Administration.

It?s a fun, fast-paced musical comedy written by a team with Iowa ties: Peter Ullian, a graduate of the University of Iowa Playwright Workshop, wrote the script and Robert Lindsey-Nassif, a Cedar Rapids native, composed the music. They worked with the director, Hal Prince, in producing the original show.

?Flight of the Lawnchair Man? has five leads, several cameo parts and an active chorus.

Auditions will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 4 and 5 in the Van Buren High School music room.

If interested in auditioning but unable to attend or if interested in working with the production in any capacity, contact the Pauleks by calling 319-293-3814 or Mitcheltree at 319-293-3620.

Board members include the Pauleks, Mitcheltree, Blain Smith, Barbara Morris, Marcie Atwood, Carol Harlan, Sonia Stookesberry, Mike Hurley, Ronda Watson, Stefany Wells and Julie Garrels.