Theater hot spot?

Hard work and a healthy reputation have paid off for two Huntley theater companies in a big way -- with completely sold-out shows.

Ticket sales are no longer a concern for the FCC Players' production of "And Then There Were None," opening Friday, or the Theatre Company of Sun City's "Bye Bye Birdie," opening Nov. 15.

While all performances were open to the public, both groups enjoy a loyal following from among their landlord constituencies, First Congregational Church of Huntley and Del Webb's Sun City, respectively.

That's because those audiences know the cast, and they also know good theater when they see it.

"Very often people think that communities such as ours do limited productions or small things," said Jim Williams, director of the Sun City show.

"We don't.

"We do a full-scale production, including an orchestra, just like downtown."

Both directors chose crowd-pleasers -- one a mystery, the other a musical -- in looking for a show to stage.

A Christie classic

When Sheri Storer first read Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" as an eighth-grader in Schaumburg, she was pulled in by the thriller's unrelenting sense of suspense.

She wasn't thinking about how the characters would have delivered their lines or what they would have been wearing, as she has the past several weeks. "It's just really well-constructed," said Storer.

"It's more of a suspense than a mystery.

"It's just a continual sense of 'Who's next, who's next, who's next?'"

Ten strangers are invited to an island, but the host is absent when they arrive.

Instead, they find a poem, "Ten Little Indians," which describes the demise of each Indian, one by one, and plays out on stage as the island guests also begin turning up dead -- one by one.

Not only is the play a "whodunnit," Storer said, but the audience will also be kept wondering who's going to die next, and how the murders will fit with the poem.

The back stories for each person also add to the intrigue.

"I remember it really gripped me when I was a kid," Storer said.

"I remember almost being embarrassed because I liked it so much, and I seemed like the only one in my class who did."

Tina Morales, who plays Ethel Rogers, also is a big fan of the script.

"I just love the suspense," she said. "There's always something happening."

"And Then There Were None" is a family affair for Morales, of Lake in the Hills.

Her real-life husband, Tony, plays her stage husband, Tom Rogers, and their 14-year-old daughter, Jasmine, won the part of the ferry captain's daughter. Son Anthony, 10, helps backstage as a props assistant.

Anthony's favorite scene, his mom said, is when he gets to drench his dad and another actor so it appears they're coming in from the rain.

Other cast members include Jeff English and Karen Jorgensen, both of Crystal Lake; David Dillenbeck, Elgin; Vickie Choin, Jud Strickland, Wanda Strickland, Sara Tustin and Lee Urben, all of Huntley; and Zack Shields, Woodstock.

The play will be presented this weekend in two sold-out performances at the church.

Last weekend, the cast also packed up their sound system and a few set pieces and hauled them to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, performing for the Golden Circle community seniors group that meets there.

'Bye Bye Birdie'

Meanwhile, seniors at Sun City are taking the stage themselves in a full-on rendition of "Bye Bye Birdie."

Themed around 1950s teens, the show is nostalgic for nearly every actor, and gives many of them the chance to put those poodle skirts and leather jackets back on and act like kids again.

"We're having a ball," Jim Williams said .

"It's a rock 'n' roll show. Our choreographer, Val Stroud, is pushing (the players) to dance and dance and dance."

At cast auditions, in fact, seniors had to show they still remember how to jitterbug, kicking up their saddle shoes again for the popular dance from their youth.

All actors except one, Tyler Nowotnik, are residents of the 55-and-older Sun City community.

But Nowotnik is the grandson of cast members Bob and Mary Reuter, and that qualifies him to participate.

Dick Storer, father of "And Then There Were None" director Sheri Storer, plays a jealous teenager.

Sheri said she had to coax her dad into trying theater, but now he's off and running on his own.

"This is his second Sun City production, and he's looking forward to doing a lot more," she said.

Other players include Benny Brunson, Sarah Elam, Jim Ennis, Carol Finkle, Ed Gordon, Janet Graf, Bob Hernandez, Lorel Kelson, Judy Laytham, Walter Lemke, Marla Mallett, Sach Matsumoto, Judy Mercer, Diane Minarcik, Susan Pacione, Dave Patterson, Gail Patterson, Judy Saporta, Myron Shellist, Marie Sieker, Tom Snyder, David Strang, Donna Strang, Ken Stroud, Holly Veach, Helen Wiederkehr and Charles Zunker.

Set in 1958, the story is of teens in Sweet Apple, Ohio, where national singing sensation Conrad Birdie, an Elvis Presley send-up, is making a publicity stop before being sent to the Army.

A deal is made for Conrad to premiere a new song, "One Last Kiss," live on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and give that final kiss to one lucky girl in his fan club -- Kim MacAfee of Sweet Apple.

"It's a very upbeat show, unlike some others we've done," said Mallett.

"Everyone's going to leave the theater humming the songs, jitterbugging, snapping their fingers and smiling."

Especially since they were lucky enough to get seats.

Want to go?

Both shows are sold out, but you can check to see if there are any last-minute cancellations.

"And Then There Were None": Performances at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at First Congregational Church, 11628 E. Main St., Huntley. Call the church at (847) 669-3691.

"Bye Bye Birdie": Dinner shows at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16 and 17, Luncheon show Nov. 17, 11:30 a.m. Regular shows 7 p.m. Nov. 15 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 18 in Drendel Ballroom at the Prairie Lodge, Sun City. Call Marla Mallett at (847) 659-1617. Performances will be held in the Drendel Ballroom at Sun City.