Kansas: An Original Musical Comes to Canton

'Kansas' takes place in the titular state during the 1940s and is written and directed by Dani Dickinson. The musical was originally performed a few years ago and features an original score and songs. While the musical took around a few months to write, many revisions were made in between performances to polish 'Kansas' into the musical it is today.

The musical focused on Bobbi Jo, played by Sophia Ann Dickinson (also the music director for the production). Along with her boy-crazy sister Amy, played by Miriam Scavelli, she begrudgingly offers the family barn as shelter for Bear, a boy on the run (played by Sam Bradford). As a romance develops between Bobbi Jo and Bear, Bobbi Jo opened her heart just in time to protect Bear when a group of gangsters from his past track him down.

“The inspiration for the show was the opening monologue. It just randomly came to me in a flash, and the entire show ended up built around it,” said Dani Dickinson, the writer and director for the show. The opening monologue by Sophia Ann Dickinson introduces the ensemble of characters. “The characters are definitely very central to the storyline. We have a lot of big personalities in this show.”

The play earned a standing ovation from the audience at the end. Friends of the actors, patrons of the arts, local residents and families alike all attended the show when it ran March 15-17 and March 23-24 at the Canton Theatre. The play was family friendly, funny, and a balanced mix of lighthearted and emotional. The set was beautifully designed to match the vibes of a Kansas small town. The costumes captured the essence of characters as well as staying true to the setting and time period, from Bobbi Jo’s trademark overalls to Amy’s flowy birthday dress.

The entire cast gave an outstanding performance. In particular, Sophia Ann Dickinson and Miriam Scavelli’s powerful voices filled the small Canton Theatre and their accents never failed once. Sam Bradford’s sheepish smile and sarcastic charm brought out a new side of Bear’s character, and the cast as a whole had incredible chemistry and performed well as a team.

“I really love the comradery the cast has. Amy Rose is basically like my little sister, and Mama is like my second mama. I love the relationships we have onstage,” said Sophia Ann Dickinson.

Sam Bradford chimed in, “I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere of working with Lolek, and like she said, the comradery. I also love the ability to add my own personal spin to an original character.”

'Kansas' is original to Lolek Storytellers, a Marietta-based theater company with a focus on Christian and family values. They perform all across the Atlanta area and donate a good share of their proceeds to charity, and they work to showcase local talent in all aspects of production.

Lolek Storytellers will return for a summertime performance of Beauty & The Beast. Auditions are open and show dates are yet to come; tickets will be able to be purchased online at the Lolek Storytellers website (lolekstorytellers.com).

Filled with raw emotion and relatable themes, 'Kansas' brought fresh characters to life onstage, filled the theater with new music, and kept the audience smiling and laughing. While original musicals are stereotyped as shabby and cheesy, 'Kansas' had a professional touch that left the audience amazed.