Egg-cellent VPA show gets culinary support

An ongoing partnership between a handful of area restaurants and the local community theatre brings a fresh approach to Valley cuisine.

Valley Performing Arts’ production of the musical comedy “Something Rotten!” is the perfect vehicle for Mat-Su foodies and theatre aficionados alike to get together. About to go into its final weekend of production, the VPA show features a unique cross-promotion of restaurants Turkey Red, Feather and Flour, Sweet Gypsy, and Carina’s at the Clocktower (formerly Meta and Rose). The restaurants have agreed to advertise the show on each table and offer a special omelet as part of the promotion. In return, the four get mentioned in pre-show comments, and also get featured in signs that are deftly incorporated into the Renaissance-era set of Something Rotten! Janel Gagnon, volunteer public relations director for the production, said she believes this is the first targeted co-branding effort on the part of VPA with businesses in the community for a specific show.

“All four restaurants are often supporting the community that supports them, so all four seemed like natural choices,” Gagnon said. “I didn't get any resistance from any of the restaurants, although there were definitely looks of curiosity and a little confusion about why an omelet, specifically.”

The egg theme comes from a running joke woven throughout the story line in the acclaimed play that opened on Broadway in 2015.

“It just took showing a few clips of a few key scenes and songs from rehearsals to help each restaurateur understand more clearly the relationship between their chosen omelet and the show. But all were on board wanting to support local performing arts,” Gagnon said. “I was especially impressed with the research that both Janelle Fox of Sweet Gypsy and Alex Papasavas of Turkey Red did of cuisine of the Renaissance era to incorporate some elements of that into their respective egg dishes.”

Fox’s omelet at Sweet Gypsy in Palmer is appropriately named “Muse 1595”, for the year in which the play is set. The Muse is stuffed with pepper jack cheese, spinach, peppers, onions and roasted tomatoes, and it’s all topped with an orange marmalade pepper sauce. It comes with a side of roasted root vegetable gratin and toasted sweet molasses brown bread.

Roger Fox, co-owner of Sweet Gypsy with his wife, Janelle, said customers were enthusiastic about the Muse 1595 omelet, and also about going to the show.

“I think the promotion has been great. We’d definitely do it again,” he said. “Whether its VPA or some other group or small business, we’re big into supporting local.”

At Carina’s in Wasilla, the special also carries a period-appropriate name: The Mona Lisa Omelet. It’s a three-egg concoction with manchego cheese, roast duck, caramelized carrots, oyster mushrooms, and frisee, with a star anise glaze.

Gagnon said the idea for the cross-promotion came from Kyle Fox, a Palmer businessman who serves on VPA’s board of directors. From there, Gagnon thought about restaurants that either she or VPA already had a connection with.

“Since this was a trial run I really just wanted to build off an existing relationship and have some fun,” she said. “Small businesses get pulled on so much, so often by their communities. I guess I went into it just wanting each owner to feel good about the process.”

“Something Rotten!” continues this weekend at the Glenn Massay Theater on the campus of Mat-Su College. There are performances Friday and Saturday night, and a matinee performance on Sunday afternoon.

The comedy is farcical, but also witty and intelligent, with countless, often rapid-fire references to other musicals. There are a handful of adult jokes, but it is mostly family-friendly.

Gagnon described it as a mix of junior high-level humor and sophisticated humor.

“It is pure entertainment. A huge, dynamic, bold, song-and-dance musical that is funny because it simultaneously celebrates theater, musicals, and Shakespeare, while it makes fun of theater, musicals, and Shakespeare,” Gagnon said. “The talent is, perhaps, the best I’ve seen of any local community theatre production.”

VPA has announced that the Saturday evening performance will be a celebration of theatre and musicals. The audience is being encouraged to wear or bring with them swag from other shows they’ve seen or been a part of, or to dress as a character from a favorite musical, for a chance to win a raffle.

Restaurants will be running their omelet specials this weekend, too, along with all the usual goodies their menus offer.

“I hope our community members try them all and then take the opportunity to thank each restaurant owner for being an arts supporter. We want this to become the culture here,” Gagnon said. “We want to see certain restaurants become go-to establishments before a performing arts show, while simultaneously those restaurants get a bump in business because Valley residents who bought tickets to see a show want to make it a complete night out.”