Fans of the 1982 cult film classic “Eating Raoul” may want to head to Chicago Heights for the musical of the same name.
The Drama Group presents “Eating Raoul” Nov. 10-19 at the Milord Studio Theatre. The cast includes Alsip, Burbank, Chicago Heights, Frankfort, Homewood and Mokena residents.
“It is not as graphic as the film. It’s not as adult or risque as the film. The songs add a campy tongue-and-cheek quality to it,” said director Stacy Jancosek, who uses the name Stacy Louise when working in theater.
“The best way to describe this show is ‘Sweeney Todd’ meets ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ meets ‘Laugh-In.’ You meet a cast of zany characters.”
“Eating Raoul” features book by Paul Bartel, lyrics by Boyd Graham and music by Jed Feuer.
“It’s about Paul and Mary Bland, a husband and wife who live a very prim and proper life. They happen to live in an apartment building with a bunch of swingers. They are appalled by this. They find it very offensive,” said Louise, of Dyer, Indiana.
“They want to leave the hustle and bustle and gritty life of Los Angeles and move out to the countryside and open their own restaurant. They are trying to get their funds together to make that happen.
“Quite accidentally one of the swingers comes into their apartment, thinking they are a different group of people, and ends up making advances on Mary. Her husband accidentally kills the swinger,” she said.
Louise added that after the couple realize the dead swinger has a lot of money, they use money as justification to kill more swingers.
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A husband and wife, along with apartment super Raoul, may be the focus of the story on stage, but a husband and wife also run the show behind the scenes. The crew for “Eating Raoul” includes Louise’s husband, Mark Jancosek, as music director.
“Mark and I collaborating on the project is a dream to me. We actually do all of our shows together. He’s not just musical director but he’s kind of co-director. We really bounce ideas off each other,” said Louise, a board member of the Drama Group.
“He actually introduced me to the show. We always like looking for unusual pieces that aren’t done often. We always like to find a show with a message. This particular show is a very humorous but classic satirical piece and very brilliant for right now in our society.
“It speaks very much about consumerism and capitalism and people doing whatever they need to do to get what they want in this world.”
Nonperishable food donations for Feeding America, Greater Chicago Food Depository and South Suburban Public Action to Deliver Shelter will be accepted beginning at 6:30 p.m. before evening performances and 1 p.m. before afternoon performances.
Donations will be recognized with a $5 discount on tickets for the Nov. 16 evening show or the Nov. 18 afternoon show.
“We try every show to pick a charity to give back to,” said Louise, who was introduced to the Drama Group by her teacher Rick Rapp during her freshman year at Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights.
“It’s a way to give back to the community and also opens up the door to come into our group and maybe opens up their minds and eyes as to what’s in the community as far as theater options.”
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
‘Eating Raoul’
When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10-11 and 16-18; 2 p.m. Nov. 12 and 18-19
Where: The Drama Group’s Milord Studio Theatre, 330 W. 202nd St., Chicago Heights
Tickets: $21 adults; $20 ages 65 and older; $15 students; group discounts available
Information: 708-755-3444; www.dramagroup.org