Canada's Newest Musical Sensation LITTLE MISS COUNTY FAIR Debuts at the Victoria Playhouse This August

Canada's newest musical comedy sensation premiers at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia this August and already has local area theatre fans buzzing with excitement. Little Miss County Fair is a parody of small town beauty pageants, written by Co-Artistic Director David Rogers, with music by Resident Music Director Mark Payne. In Broadway style fashion, its got the production numbers and finesse you'd expect from a big city musical, but is chalk full of local references.

Rogers, who grew up watching televised pageants, said "I was always drawn to pageants on TV as a kid because of the Variety Show element, the unintended hilarity of the eager contestants and, of course, the glamour and the glitz." Co-Artistic Director David Hogan explains, "we thought it was important to start developing our own musicals because we have the talent. David is a great lyricist and Mark writes the most beautiful melodies, so it was important for us to commission our own musicals." When David Rogers was performing in The Phantom of the Opera, Tommy and Cats in Toronto, he used to produce fundraisers and often referred to them as "Miss Mega Musicals". It was an annual benefit in Toronto where all the mega-musicals in the city at the time would participate, sending one representative to 'compete'. Hogan explains, "you'd have Little Miss Phantom, Little Miss Sunset Boulevard and more, doing all kinds of pageant tricks for the fun of the benefit." As for the element of the unknown with a new theatre piece, Rogers promises the audiences an amazing time. "Pageants themselves are highly entertaining. They are, in fact, good old- fashioned variety shows, which feature singing, dancing and a 'variety' of talents and personalities. Audiences know a lot more about pageants than they think they do (or are willing to admit) so they will recognize the format that is being spoofed. The show pokes fun of at pageants by actually being one, with over the top characters, and much like reality shows of today, there is a fascination about who will win the contest.

Audiences can expect to be taken to a familiar world of zany contestants, great talent with plenty of fun and local humour. It's a brand new musical with over fourteen songs consisting of talent competitions, big production numbers, songs from the singing handsome host and a different Little Miss County Fair winner every show- selected by audience judges. Payne echoes Rogers' sentiments, calling the show delightfully refreshing and hilarious. Starring Canada's top triple-threat talent, Moulan Bourke, Jackie English, Melanie Paiement, Kristen Pottle, Jennifer Walls and Amelia Welcher as the six 'little misses' and VPP favourite Michael Vanhevel as the pageant host, 'Slick Parker', Little Miss County Fair runs August 9-20.

Following Little Miss County Fair, the 2016 season continues with Around the Piano (August 24-September 1) starring David Rogers and Mark Payne as they celebrate the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The season closes with The Men of Country - From the Heart, a follow-up to last season's smash hit, The Women of County. Filled with classic country tunes from days gone by, all the way to today's top male country artists, it's got something for everyone and runs September 7-25. Tickets are on sale now at www.thevpp.ca or by calling the Box Office at 1-800-717-7694.

Check out a sneak peek of the show below!

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