The Alcove Restaurant and Dinner Theatre in Mount Vernon will launch its 2021-22 dinner theatre season with performances of "Wally's Cafe" beginning Oct. 29.
According to a press release, playwrights Sam Bobrick and Ron Clark debuted "Wally’s Cafe" on Broadway in 1981. Original castmembers included James Coco, Rita Moreno and Sally Struthers.
Director Ian Fraser Ernsberger said "Wally's Cafe" would be "the perfect play for an evening that will bring laughter, thoughtfulness and tenderness to everyone."
It tells the story of Wally (Bruce Jacklin) and Louise (Maureen Browning), a married couple from New Jersey who have unaccountably opened a roadside dive in the middle of the California desert. Wally's Cafe is shaped like a hamburger, complete with bun and pickle, and is said to be ''60 miles from Las Vegas.''
Janet (Kate Ernsberger) is a naïve girl from Illinois who arrives at the cafe one night on her way to seek stardom in Hollywood but ends up staying as a waitress. Between scenes 1 and 2, Janet actually does try to make it in the movies but gets sidetracked by a scandal involving a stunt man, a gun and a certain aspect of the stunt man's anatomy.
Performance dates are Friday and Saturday nights, Oct. 29-30 and Nov. 5-20. Social hour is 6:30 p.m., dinner is served at 7 p.m., and the show begins after dinner. Dinner selections and prices are on the Alcove and MTVarts websites. Reservations can be made online at Alcoverestaurant.com. The Alcove is at 116 S. Main St.