Maine West musical comedy is an original

Maine West High School Fine Arts Department will transport theater goers to the early years of American stage and film as it presents the hilarious musical melodrama “Love Rides the Rails (or, Will the Mail Train Run Tonight?)” Friday and Saturday, April 29-30.

Fine Arts teacher Barbara Rieger directs 19 students in a cast that includes a hero, villain and a heroine. The show will start with an audience singalong, and the audience will be invited to boo, hiss and cheer as they are introduced to three of the main characters before the show starts.

The plot centers around villain Simon Darkway, who seeks to control The Des Plaines Valley, Midwest and West Maine Railroad for his own vile purposes.

Opposing Darkway and his evil plan are the gallant Truman Pendennis, the beauteous Prudence Hopewell, the Widow Hopewell and staunch Harold Stanfast.

“The show is fun for all ages, with a lot of silly humor and an amazing train (with steam), onstage, that our crew kids made,” Rieger said. “The villain ties the hero to the railroad tracks, but justice prevails, etc.”

Girls dance the cancan and the hero and heroine sing and dance to “Tea for Two.” Then the villain and his girlfriend sing and dance to the same song as a tango.

Live music will be played throughout the show by Charlotte Jackson on the piano. The set and lighting designer is Christopher Jensen, and the costume designer is Sally Fortier.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Maine West auditorium. Tickets are $7 at the door.

Maine West High School is at 1755 S. Wolf Road in Des Plaines, corner of Wolf Road and Oakton Street.