Super Summer sizzles

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These days, if it’s 110 degrees in the shade in Las Vegas it can be considered a cooling trend.

Luckily though, for theater-goers who journey out to Spring Mountain Ranch State Park to see Super Summer Theatre’s “110 in the Shade” it’s much cooler than that at showtime.

And, if you’re in the front row, you might want to bring an umbrella, says the show’s director, Byron Tidwell. That’s because “110 in the Shade” is based on the play “The Rainmaker” by the late N. Richard Nash.

The musical, which runs Wednesdays through Saturdays beginning this week through July 28, features music and lyrics by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, who created “The Fantastiks.”

Unlike that record-setting musical, this production isn’t done very often, mostly because of the need for a large cast, Tidwell says. “The original cast had 37 people and an orchestra of 26. We have a cast of 23, which makes it much more do-able.”

The story, set in the 1930s, centers on Lizzie Curry, a woman who is afraid she’s going to be an old maid, and Starbuck, a con man who comes to her small drought-stricken Texas town claiming he can make it rain.

“It’s the same story as ‘The Rainmaker,’ but the significant difference is the locale,” Tidwell says. ” ‘Rainmaker’ takes place in interiors, while with ‘110’ it’s all exteriors. That certainly changes the dynamic. It brings in other townspeople.”

Tidwell has wanted to direct “110 in the Shade” since the late 1960s. He previously has directed productions of “The Rainmaker” and has played Starbuck. “I love the story,” Tidwell says. “It is wonderfully romantic. I’ve always loved the music. It doesn’t have a lot of standards, but it really works with the characters. There’s even mariachi music at one point.”

Although there have been changes made to the original in subsequent productions, done with the approval of Jones, Tidwell is keeping all of the songs from the original but “we’re doing surprising things with some of them. People who’ve seen it before will say, ‘Whoa, that’s different.’ “

One difference is the addition of a character that Tidwell says has been missing from the show, but the character has no lines. Plus, the original show had a dream ballet sequence created by the show’s choreographer, Agnes De Mille, which wasn’t necessary, according to Tidwell. That ballet will be used to serve as a transition from Act One to Act Two.

In casting “the heart of the show,” the character of Lizzie, Tidwell says he was fortunate to find Mary Ellen Spann, a jazz singer, as well as Timothy Burris for the role of Starbuck. Also in the cast are James Bottega, a singer in his first theatrical role; Colin Ward as Lizzie’s father, H.C.; and Jennifer De la Torre as Snookie, a character who was only talked about in “The Rainmaker.”

Blaine Senior is the choreographer and plays the depot station master. The set was designed by Tom Bitcee and Tidwell, and Bitcee also created the costumes.

Paul Badia directs a small music combo. Eden Van Ballegooijen designed the lighting.

“We’ve approached the show as if it’s never been done before,” Tidwell says. “We took it apart before we put it back together. Even people who have seen the show will be in for some surprises.”

Gates open at 6 p.m.