The Inn’s Living Tableaux another winner

The Inn in New Canaan, Waveny LifeCare Network’s independent living senior residence, recently delighted the local community with their incredible Living Tableaux, a unique, interactive and much-anticipated theatrical Inn tradition since 2009. This year’s production marked the Inn’s 6th Living Tableaux performance, and featured 13 resident models reenacting characters from musical productions, songs or lyrics.

As traditional black drape curtains were pulled aside to reveal the living characters, the audience was challenged to identify each musical character, with a related song played by volunteer pianist Justine McCurdy accompanying each reveal.

The all-resident cast included:

Allison Caesar as Marion the Librarian from the 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man.
Ron Barlow as Brunhilda from Richard Wagner’s late 19th-century opera Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung).
Rhoda Fisher as Annie from the Broadway musical based Annie.
Betty DeAraujo as Alice Blue Gown from the 1919 Broadway musical Irene.
Jane Corcoran as Madame Butterfly from the opera by Puccini.
Stuart Aaron as Davy Crockett, the 19th century folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician, with a song from the Walt Disney television production.
Helen Tomaselli as Gigi from Vincent Minnelli’s 1958 hit.
Joni Abberley as Dolly from the 1964 Hello Dolly.
Betsey Doyle as Paper Doll from the Mills Brothers’ hit song.
Rose Pla as Second Hand Rose from the Ziegfeld Follies of 1921.
Pam McCusker as Molly Mallone, a popular song published in 1884 set in Dublin, Ireland.
Don Harbour as the Music Man from musical of the same name.
Muriel Tracy as Nellie Forbush from James Michener’s South Pacific.

Best known as tableaux vivants or living pictures, the Living Tableaux art form originated centuries ago in Europe, but is perhaps best known today through the Pageant of the Masters, a celebrated annual event at Laguna Beach’s Festival of Arts, 50 miles south of Hollywood, Cal.

Past years’ Tableaux productions at The Inn have featured famous paintings, stars of the silver screen, book characters, and historical icons.

“When we first started this tradition at The Inn, it was something I’d wanted to do for over a decade,” said Barbara Jeffries, assistant director of Resident Activities. “Finally I thought, ‘what are we waiting for?’ and put up a notice on our activities bulletin board to recruit players. I had no idea what to expect among the residents, but to my delight nearly a dozen people showed up at our first meeting.”

And the rest, as they say, was history, with the Tableaux project gaining a steady momentum of interest, anticipation and participation each year.

According to Jeffries, one of the most challenging – yet exciting – contributing factors to the yearly production’s success is the intense collaboration involved.

“It’s a fairly ambitious project to even consider doing, but between the costumes, practice and attention to detail, I think each tableaux looked very authentic,” she said. “The smiles on the faces of everyone in the audience made every moment of our efforts and planning worth it, and our residents – most of whom are in their 80s and 90s – derived so much pleasure from the entire process from start to finish. It’s fun, it’s creative, it’s inspired, and above all, it’s something very different that we’re thrilled to share with the community.”

Jane Corcoran as Madame Butterfly, left, Joni Abberley as Dolly and Betsey Doyle as Paper Doll as Living Tableaux notables.