 Okay, I'll start off by saying that – nerdy me - some Saturdays I actually sit down and listen to A Prairie Home Companion on National Public Radio. Often, I've wondered what it would be like to actually attend a live radio show broadcast. Last Friday night, I got my chance.
The Citrus Valley Playhouse is an updated version of an old time radio show in a vein similar to A Prairie Home Companion, except that the Citrus Valley Playhouse explores the land and people of Arizona through skits, spoofs, music and games. One of the beautiful moments in the performance now recurring in Prescott, “Arpaio-palooza,” was a skit involving Prescott mayor Rowle Simmons as the Werewolf of Thumb Butte.
Brian Nissen, the show's writer, director, and host, is a very talented voice artist. His free-flowing humor and energetic stage presence make the viewer - and listener - feel comfortable and thoroughly engaged as he navigates through the various skits such as Mullets Over America, The Story of Elliot Power, and The Blind Ranger. His ability to create and perform not only one but, two and sometimes three characters at one time is enough to dizzy me. I found myself wrapped up in the sheer brilliance of what I was hearing. It was exciting and slightly confusing seeing one man on stage talking to himself. Most assuredly, it was very entertaining! All of the actors and musicians involved are very competent and seem to thoroughly enjoy their work. I am especially fond of the way Playhouse brings to life the history of Arizona. One of the best performances of the night was a retelling the story of Frank Luke, for whom Luke's Air Force Base is named; I had no idea what kind of a man he was and how he reflects the Arizona mindset.
There is a word that the actors use throughout the show; I have no idea how to even pronounce it for certain, let alone spell it for this article. If you attend any of the Citrus Valley Playhouse performances this summer you will most definitely hear it yourself. It describes the disorder in which an individual feels disconnected and isolated from his community, the lack of a sense of communal identity. The producers and supporters of Citrus Valley Playhouse prescribe attending a performance as a cure for this debilitating condition. After having attended one edition of this series, I must admit I learned a lot about Arizona and I had a great deal of fun watching our mayor and other community members enjoy themselves. So, in a nutshell, it worked for me.
The only disappointing part of the whole night were the technical difficulties at the beginning of the night, apparently the fault of the building's poor sound system, which took technicians some time to patch together. Regrettably, they had to skip some of the beginning material in order for the show to continue. It took a little time for me to get really into what was happening after that but, fortunately, talent and enthusiasm prevailed.
Citrus Valley Playhouse is performing every Friday night through July 27th at the Elks Opera House. The show starts at 7:30pm, and get there early because the opening music is definitely worth a listen! And somebody tell me how to spell that ridiculous, important word they use...
Ember Larrington is a local musician and writer. You can contact her at
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