The 2005/2006 season for Stage West was kicked off with Pajama Tops, a comical farce based on the French play MouMou. It stars Playboy Playmate, covergirl, and former Growing Pains star, Julie McCullough.
“It’s a comedy, and I have always loved comedy,” McCullough told GayCalgary.com. “Audiences have reacted very well to it, we’ve had predominantly full houses and that has been a good thing, as it is more fun to play to more people.”
The show’s initial focus is on George Charles (Trevor Leigh) who is planning a trip to Brighton to see his mistress. However, his wife Yvonne (Jill Hayman) has taken the liberty of inviting “[His] good friend Mr. Lovell” and wife to spend the weekend. Everything goes crazy from there. Not only does Charles’ lover Fiona (McCullough) arrive but, later so does her husband Jack (Michael MacLennan.)
The rest of the plot carries on with such twists and turns that, it would be a nightmare to write it down, however it all unfolds with comedic results on stage. Patric Masurkevitch, donned drag for Stage West’s The Last Resort over the summer. Now he returns to the stage as the flamboyantly gay character Leonard Jolly, who a desperate George convinces to pretend to be Mr. Lovell. Masurkevitch is the focus of the show and plays his character so over-the-top that one can’t help but laugh. The show is a farce, meaning the humor may not register with everyone – in fact some may not like the Leonard Jolly character. However if you take the show and role as intended, then you should have no issues.
While you can see McCullough on stage at night, during the day you will likely be able to spot her around town.
“I’ve had the chance to go out to Banff with the other actors, went up the lift to the peak and it was an amazing time. The cast and crew went to the zoo and we got to wash the elephants, it was so exciting. The zoo has invited me back and I am such an animal person - that is the most exciting thing I have done so far. I want to go back and see more of the zoo. I want to see a Moose so bad, the other actors tell me how big they are, I can’t believe they are that big! I want to see one in person. I used to think they were like a deer, I didn’t know they were so much bigger. 17th Avenue reminds me of Melrose Avenue, with all the shopping and the cool little cafes,” McCullough says, before extolling more of Calgary’s virtues.
“I want to see Fort Calgary and Heritage Park. Right when I got here I saw a program on all the haunted places in Calgary and I want to see them. My Mom is going to come up in a couple of weeks, so we will be doing lots of tourist stuff during the day. You should be a tourist at every city you go to. Calgary is a lot like Dallas to me, it looks a lot like Dallas and the fact that you have the plains surrounding the city. I will be checking out the Calgary tower. I want to show my mom that indoor park downtown (Devonian Gardens). That is amazing that you have this full park with ponds and fish and plants and it’s indoors!”
McCullough, a vegetarian, is also very passionate about animals.
“I live on three acres that is attached to the Playboy mansion, which means I have room for my 13 dogs and nine cats, most of which were rescued animals. The mansion has a small zoo as well, with three different species of monkeys and 100 different species of birds. I live with Kimberly Heffner, who is Hugh’s separated wife and she and I both are activists. We love animals and save them all the time.”
So how is McCullough handling being in a very beef oriented city?
“It has been great so far, I grew up in Texas and North Carolina, two states that are big on meat. You adapt, in Calgary I have found a lot of places that have vegetarian food. Stage West has so much food on the buffet, there is something for every taste. That is mostly what I eat and there are plenty of veggies in the buffet.”
The star speaks the truth; you will want to make sure you save room. One thing we have discovered in the year we have been reviewing Stage West, is that not only will you be entertained, you will also eat well. Highlights of the buffet this show include: the Grilled Zucchini and Egg Plant Parmigiana, the Fried Pork Loin Hawaiian and the Baked New Zealand Kiwi Mussel Parmesan. The special appetizer of Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Thai spicy peanut sauce has a definite kick, but is an excellent way to start off your evening.
In addition to her stint on Growing Pains, McCullough has been on shows such as The Golden Girls, Beverly Hills 90210 and The Drew Carey Show. She has found success away from the stigma of being a playmate.
“It’s fine now, it was more difficult when I was young. I’m 40 years old now so it is a different ballgame, as I have done so much work since then. People don’t even bring up that I was a playmate anymore. It is more difficult for a younger actress than someone who has been around for awhile. I’ve been acting now for longer than I did playboy stuff, so it is a little different. I am an icon in the pinup world at this point, a ‘vintage playboy bunny.’”
Stage West Dinner Theatre Presents
Pajama Tops
September 7th - November 13th, 2005.
727 - 42 Avenue SE
Phone: (403) 243-6642
