"Sevens" a winner

(This being a quick look at "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" at Beef & Boards, as well as the just-announced 2010 season.)

Put simply, if you liked the classic movie musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," you'll also like the stage version playing on Indy's northwest side.

To pull off the big cast, there are a number of faces familiar to B&B audiences, pooling a lot of professional theatre talent. At the head of the list are real-life engaged couple Tony Lawson and Krista Severeid as Adam and Milly. Perhaps this helps make their on-stage chemistry more genuine, maybe they're just really good actors. Works either way.

One could dwell on the merits of courting via Stockholm Syndrome, but why bother? It's just a light-hearted musical, with good singing and dancing, fun attitude and a big happy ending complete with wedding. The show runs daily except Mondays through Oct. 4.

This week B&B also announced its shows for 2010. This year's season will finish with "Joesph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" (Oct. 8-Nov. 22), followed by "A Beef & Boards Christmas" through the end of December.
After that:
The Foreigner Jan. 6-Feb. 7, the one non-musical stage comedy
Footloose Feb. 11-March 21, musical based on the '80s movie
Hello Dolly! March 25-May 2, a Broadway favorite
Always... Patsy Cline May6-June 6, based on a real life friendship with the legendary singer
High School Musical on Stage June 10-July 18, well, you gotta do something to get kids to come to the theatre
Church Basement Ladies July 22-Aug. 29, musical comedy about the members of the congregation who get things done
Camelot Sept. 2-Oct.10, popular musical of Arthurian legend
Irving Berlin's White Christmas Oct. 15-Nov. 21, based on the classic Christmas movie
A Beef & Boards Christmas Nov. 26-Dec. 31, the B&B tradition continues