“It’s about fun and escaping reality,” says actress Eloise Coopersmith, summarizing My (unauthorized) Hallmark Movie Musical, the one-woman show (well, not exactly, we’ll explain later) that she wrote and stars in which is headed to the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge.
The idea came to Coopersmith, a veteran performer based in the Los Angeles area, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As society shuttered for safety and people looked to find avenues of entertainment within their homes, Coopersmith found herself binge watching none other than Hallmark movies. You know the type…rom-coms, light dramas. Movies where there always seems to be a bakery, a pumpkin patch or a flower shop where two strangers catch each other’s eye, coyly exchange glances, maybe even giggle a bit and…voila…before you can say “let’s go out sometime” they end up becoming an impossibly cute couple. Oh, of course they have to work through a few pesky differences along the way like disagreements over how to take their coffee, or what color is best for matching Christmas sweaters. The big stuff.
Coopersmith was soon caught up in the schmaltz of it all. But she was also inspired by these holiday romance movies to put her musical theatre skills to the test.
And that is how her Hallmark rom-com spoof was born.
“I make fun of Hallmark movies in a loving way,” says Coopersmith, who now tours My (unauthorized) Hallmark Movie Musical nationally.
But there’s a twist. Isn’t there always in a Hallmark movie?
Coopersmith plays a writer setting out to create a Hallmark movie musical. Yes, it’s a one-woman show in that Coopersmith is the only performer live on stage. But she is far from the only character. She interacts and sings with the eight characters who she is creating. Those actors appear on video screens in recorded performances.
“What the show gives you is a sense of well-being. It’s a story of female and male empowerment,” says Coopersmith.
The show is also a milestone for the Sieminski Theater. This is the first time in its six year history that the 257 seat nonprofit has mounted a fundraising performance to benefit the theater.
“This year we decided we wanted to try something new, to have more of an event to gain excitement for the theater,” says Scott Hart, the Sieminski’s theater and programming manager.
The performance of My (unauthorized) Hallmark Movie Musical is part of a full evening of events including a pre-show hors d’oeuvres reception (included with ticket) and cash bar. A post-show dessert and champagne celebration also included with ticket purchases will provide audience members with the opportunity to meet Coopersmith who says she looks forward to mingling following the performance. Raffles, drawings and other surprises are also in store.
Hart says the fundraiser will help the Sieminski Theater put on future shows and bring more programming to the public.
“The cost of putting on shows is exorbitant. Ticket sales do not cover the entire costs of these productions,” says Hart, who adds that the theater relies on donors and sponsors in addition to ticket sales to cover costs.
Hart is hoping that Hallmark movie fans ready to embrace the holiday season and all the Hallmark rom-com madness will make their way to the theater, located on the campus of Fellowship Village, on Saturday, November 15th. The pre-show reception begins at 6 PM with inclusive ticket prices ranging from $100 to $125.
And who knows? Guests may even catch a stranger’s eye, coyly exchange glances, and well, you can imagine how the story goes.