Four Corners Musical Theatre Company Presents Baby the Musical

The Four Corners Musical Theatre Company presents "Baby!" a comedic and heartwarming musical that takes us through the pregnancy journeys of three couples at very different stages of life. "Baby!" plays from March 21st through March 30th at the Farmington Civic Center. You're watching the "Local NEWS Network," brought to you by SunRay Park & Casino, and The Big Idea Makerspace at San Juan College. I'm Connor Shreve.

"Baby!" is really interesting because it follows three couples, so it actually has six main characters, and they're three separate stories that occasionally interweave and come together. It's really interesting subject matter. It's these three couples at the beginning of the show who find out they're pregnant, and the entire musical is the journey that they go on after finding out this news. Some moments are happier. Some are not so happy, but each of these couples changes in one way or another.

So it's these three stories about either having babies or wanting to have babies that weave through the musical. It's a small cast. We have six principals and six ensemble people, and the ensemble people play everything else in the show. And then they're also what moves the show, that the show takes place in nine months. So there's three seasons and the ensemble moves us to each season.

Emma Price and Gareth West play Lizzie and Danny, two college kids whose unexpected pregnancy throws their lives into chaos. Sarah Harkness and Matthew Aaron play Pam and Nick, a married couple on a challenging road to parenthood. Margaret Clair and Sean McCall play Arlene and Alan, the almost empty-nesters dealing with an unplanned surprise. The three couples' lives become intertwined as they navigate the joys and challenges of expecting a baby.

So "Baby!" was written in the 1980s. It has a lot of classic Broadway elements, classic Broadway styles, but has also a mix of various contemporary genres from the 20th century, including the good old '80s contemporary pop and rock. But it's still timeless and just as relevant today. It's just an absolutely breathtaking score with wonderful, catchy, witty lyrics at times. And we have this incredible cast that is just so well put together. Randy West has done an amazing job at casting the show. Sarah Hardness has made brilliant choreography, and I've been lucky to teach 'em the songs and help bring it to life. So it's been been a great experience all over.

Even though the show was written in the '80s and takes place in the '80s, you could be having these conversations today. I myself have experienced certain aspects of what these characters are going through. Friends and family have. It's the beginning of life and what that does to your current life and whether it's unexpected, or you desperately want to create a life and what that can do to a relationship. And so I like the way this musical presents the material because it's very accessible, and it's very real, and I think it's a great conversation starter. And also, just as a human being, even if you haven't directly experienced this, you can feel for the people who are on stage because it's so real. Not only the subject matter of pregnancy or the fertility or infertility journey, or very common human experiences, it's very joyful. It's very fun. It's very relatable. I know for me, when I seek out material on television or film or in live theater, I love stories like that that are just everyday people trying to figure things out and negotiate. I think it's really lovely to be able to relate to that, and it makes it such an enjoyable, cathartic experience.

The Four Corners Musical Theatre Company was founded by the city of Farmington in 2021 and aims to create opportunities for local talent to work alongside professionals to create great theater in the Four Corners. The Civic Center manages the company as well as the theater education programs in Farmington.

And it's now called Heather McGaughey Four Corners Theatre Academy. And the people that we bring in teach classes all summer for the local people. We're in the middle of teaching classes now with the people that are in "Baby!" So it's a matter of giving back to the community in other ways besides just performing in musicals.

Open auditions for the Four Corners Musical Theatre Company's summer season will be held on Saturday, March 23rd and Monday, March 25th. The summer season will include "Damn Yankees" and "The Wizard of Oz," and both shows have roles for children and adults. If you're interested in auditioning, call the Farmington Civic Center or email Jordan Grant at jgrant@fmtn.org. Purchase tickets for "Baby! The Musical!" online, or at the Civic Center Box Office. For more info about this and other stories, visit farmingtonlocal.news. Thanks for watching this edition of the "Local NEWS Network." I'm Connor Shreve.