Two Mormon missionaries have an unexpected encounter with a singing legend when they knock on the door of Ethel Merman’s house in the hilarious musical “The Book of Merman,” presented Feb. 3-26 at the Skokie Theatre.
Performances of the Leo Schwartz (book, music, and lyrics) and DC Cathro (book) musical are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, plus 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 15.
Playing the plum title role is Julie Peterson of Elmhurst, who is a huge Ethel Merman fan and who has the distinction of understudying and playing that role in the 2018 off-Broadway performance of “The Book of Merman.”
That 2018 production was Peterson’s big break after living and auditioning in New York for three years. “When I got the role, I was ecstatic,” Peterson said.
The performer is excited to have the role to herself this time so she can “put more of my spin on it because when you are an understudy you have to copy what the lead has done,” she explained.
It’s a perfect role for Peterson, who declared of Merman, “I thought she was a god. Growing up, I would listen to her all the time because people used to compare my voice to hers. My voice is pretty loud as well.”
Peterson’s favorite song in the show is “A Little Bit of Me.”
She is convinced people will enjoy this show because, “It is about a group of people who are all trying to find themselves,” Peterson said. “With how crazy the world is right now, there’s a lot of confusion in the air. This is taking people on their journey through that. I find that inspirational.”
Another major Ethel Merman fan, award-winning director Ty Perry, is directing this show.
“I love Ethel Merman, and I love parody,” Perry declared. “And the musical that the show is parodying, ‘The Book of Mormon,’ is a favorite of mine as well.”
Perry noted that his love of Ethel Merman began when he was very young.
“When I was a kid, I would stay up late,” he related. “My mom worked at night so my grandmother would come over and babysit us. When my brothers and sisters would go to sleep, she would turn on WGN. They would play musicals. My introduction to Ethel Merman was the movie, ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business.’ She bowled me over. It was love at first sight.”
Perry reeled off a list of shows in which Merman performed that he has loved since that first exposure 50 years ago at age 5.
“I would say she is the foundation on which all musical theater divas are built,” he declared.
Speaking of divas, Perry is confident that Julie Peterson is the perfect performer to play Ethel Merman.
He recalled being immediately wowed by Peterson’s audition. “She walked in being able to do Ethel Merman,” Perry recalled. “You either can do that kind of vocal thing or you can’t. It’s not something you can learn. You’ve either got that or you don’t.”
Perry is convinced that audiences will enjoy the show as much as he and the cast are enjoying working on it. He said, “It is a love letter to the glory days of Broadway.”
‘The Book of Merman’
When: Feb. 3-26
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Where: Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie
Tickets: $45; $38 seniors and students
Information: 847-677-7761; skokietheatre.org
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.