By Abigail Worthing

Staff Writer

OLD ORCHARD BEACH – Laura Whited knows that not everyone loves Valentine’s Day.

“Men get nervous and stressed out, and women get their hopes up,” Whited said. “So I decided to do a show for everyone else.”

Whited, along with a select few talented friends, will mount a dinner theater performance of her own musical revue, “Love You More (Or Less)” at Anthony’s Italian Kitchen on Middle Street in Portland at 7 p.m. Feb. 14, 15,and 16. Admission to the performance is $44.95, and includes an all-you-can-eat Italian buffet.

“When I tell friends that I’m doing a Valentines Day revue, their reaction is usually ‘Ugh,’” Whited said with a laugh. “Then I tell them, ‘It’s not like that.’”

For the performance, Whited has curated a selection of what are billed as “one-sided love songs,” dealing with topics less readily discussed on Valentine’s Day, like unrequited love and heartbreak and dysfunction.

To execute the production, Whited reached out to some of her talented, local friends. The cast is a collection of four individuals, two male, Brian McAloon of Old Orchard Beach and Todd Daley of Westbrook, and two female, Kelly Caufield of Lewiston and Whited herself. Gray resident Kevin Smith accompanies the performance on piano, and contributes vocally to some songs when needed.

McAloon, a familiar face at City Theater in Biddeford as well as at Lyric Music Theater and Portland Players in South Portland, didn’t need any convincing to join the group for this production.

“It’s nice to see the other side of love, the uneven side, the dysfunctional, the atypical. Look at Adelaide and Nathan,” said McAloon, referring to the characters of “Guy and Dolls,” of which he performs the song “Sue Me” with Caufield during the production. “Even though they have their problems, you can see that they love each other.”

McAloon will next appear in Biddeford City Theater’s production of “The Light in the Piazza.” He has been part of dinner theater at Anthony’s Italian Kitchen before, and is happy to be back.

“I’m so glad they’re bringing back the dinner theater here at Anthony’s,” McAloon said. “It’ll be a fun evening with damn good food.”

The production begins with all four of the characters joining together to sing “Getting Married Today,” from Stephen Sondheim’s hit show “Company.” The songs immediately sets the tone for what is to come, showing that this will not be a night of traditional love songs.

“What’s a wedding? It’s a prehistoric ritual where everybody promises fidelity forever, which is maybe the most horrifying word I ever heard of which is followed by a honeymoon, where suddenly he’ll realize he’s saddled with a nut, and want to kill me, which he should. Thanks a bunch, but I’m not getting married today,” Whited sings out as Amy, pleading emphatically with the audience with Daley waiting at the altar as the intended-groom.

Cauflied adds her soprano voice to the show and was approached last fall to take part. She runs her own voice studio in Lewiston, and was happy to be able to collaborate on the production.

“I like being able to work with Laura trying to find stories that fit with the theme, and to look for a different angle for Valentine’s Day,” Caufield said.

Whited selected many of the songs for the revue. However, she let cast members suggest and execute numbers they had performed before that they felt would be a good fit.

“One of the best things about working with Laura is that she really gives you the freedom to collaborate. She knows what she wants, but she’ll listen if you have an idea for something you think may be a great idea,” Daley said. “She trusts her performers.”

When asked his favorite song to perform in the revue, he responds without hesitation with, “What Do I Need With Love,” a show stopping number from the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” where paramour Jimmy sings of his great life as a bachelor before realizing he is in love with the titular Millie.

Daley met his wife Katie during a production at Portland Players, and now run the music program at South Portland Church of the Nazarene. Their anniversary is, coincidentally, Valentine’s Day.

“Here I was talking about how much I don’t like Valentines Day, and here comes Todd telling me his anniversary is Valentine’s Day,” said Whited with a laugh. “Oops.”

Whited is contracted by Anthony’s Italian Kitchen to bring dinner theater back to the venue, which has a small stage, emblazoned with a heart adorned with a Band-Aid, in its dining room. Anthony’s is owned by Anthony Barrasso, who, along with his talented children and grandchildren, has graced the stages at a number of South Portland venues such as STAGES, Lyric Music Theater and Portland Players. The walls of the bathrooms are adorned with photos of his family performing locally, and the restaurant is thrilled to be offering dinner theater again.

Whited will next mount a revue for spring, and is eyeing a Mother’s Day theme.

“This is a great partnership, and it’s a great space to bring dinner theater,” Whited said. “This cast is incredible, and I’m so happy with how this turned out.”

Tickets are still available for the three performances of “Love You More (Or Less)” and are available as reservations only. For tickets, call 221-2267.

Contact Staff Writer Abigail Worthing at news@inthecourier.com.

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