It’s opening night of the 35^th annual season of the Depot Theatre in Westport and the lobby is a buzz. Tonight we will be treated to a world premiere of a new musical and the writers themselves, are among the excited audience members. We are told this by the Depot Managing Director, Angel Wuellner, in her curtain speech to us before the show begins.

The show we will premiere is “Route 66” which has been advertised as a new romantic musical comedy about a charmingly neurotic big-city journalist and the cowboy photographer with whom she teams up to tell the captivating and quirky stories of the historic old highway. In the process of discovering the beauty of the small towns of America that follow ROUTE 66, the two fall in love – not only with one another, but with the good ol’ U.S.A. “Route 66” features catchy story-songs and clever down-home lyrics that move to the rhythm of America. The book is by Jerold Goldstein and William Squier with music by Fred Stark and lyrics by William Squier.

The show proves to be a refreshing mix of nostalgia about the old cross-country highway and a poignant love story with some wonderful featured players whose vocal and comedic talents shine throughout the musical. My favorite number comes in Act II when Vonda (played by Yvette Monique Clark) and Company belt out, “We’ve Got a Pile Up.”

At the reception after the show, we get to mingle with the Depot personnel as well as the whole cast of “Route 66.” It is a wonderfully uplifting evening.

The rest of the 35^th Depot season includes “Boeing-Boeing,” “Funked Up Fairy Tales,” and “Lombadi.”

The Depot Theatre also boasts an art gallery in its train-station lobby. The featured artists for this run are Tory and Norman Taber with their evocative acrylics, photographs, and pastels.

For more details and information on the full Depot season, click through to the Depot web site.

Or, click through to the Lake Champlain Region for a complete list of events going on this summer in the whole region.

Kathleen Recchia has been Kathleen Recchia has been enjoying the arts in the Adirondacks for about 20 years—both as observer and participant (acting, directing, and producing). She also enjoys cross-country skiing, swimming, juggling, and hosting visitors to the area at her bed & breakfast in Jay.