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Jun 2008 Issue
How do you fit “Saturday’s Warrior” and its sequel into the same evening? “With a lot of imaginative writing, a great director, and wonderful actors,” says Las Vegas native, Doug Stewart, producer of the upcoming 35th Anniversary production of “Saturday’s Warrior” and “The White Star.”
“This will be one of the most unique theatrical experiences in a long time,” according to Director, Matt Neves, “as we follow the character of Jimmy Flinders from his iconic teenage role in ‘Warrior’ to manhood in ‘The White Star,’ where he deals with the struggles of raising his own family. And watching over him from beyond is his twin sister Pam.”
Why a sequel now? Stewart explains that “Saturday’s Warrior” was a musical for another generation. Today’s issues are different. “I wanted to write something with relevance for families today—a musical for our time.”
Stewart turned to LDS music icon, Janice Kapp Perry, to write the music for “The White Star,” which premiered to rave reviews last year at BYU education Week. One reviewer said it was “deeper than Saturday’s Warrior… sent shivers down my spine.” Another one “hit the nail on the head”, according to Stewart, in describing the show’s theme: “A story of love and caring on opposite sides of the veil.”
It was Neves’ idea to have the “Saturday’s Warrior Review” up front, with the sequel “The White Star” following. He thought it would make for an incredible evening.
To make the two shows work together seamlessly, Stewart & Neves knew they needed to find the best talent out there. “We found sixteen wonderful professional actors to fill every role except that of Jimmy Flinders,” says Neves. “Finding Jimmy was a challenge, because the actor had to believably portray a young man, then skip ahead 35 years. He also had to have a fabulous voice.”
Finally, the talents of Casey Elliott from Ogden, Utah, came to the rescue (A film actor, and recently starring in a national tour of Disney’s Aida). “He had all the qualities we were looking for,” says Stewart.
As part of an eight city tour, the show comes to the Cashman Theatre in Las Vegas on August 2 & 4. Tickets will go fast, so patrons are encouraged to buy them early. Call 1-888-35-Years, or visit LDSmusical.com.
