Early this summer, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will premiere “Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” The musical is slated to run June 18 through July 13 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.
“It’s in a Southern Gothic country style,” director Giovanna Sardelli said. “It occupies a unique place in Americana, so it’s bold, it’s funny, it’s heartbreaking, it’s beautiful and it’s transformative. It’s a great hour and a half in the theater.”
“5 & Dime” is a musical adaptation of Ed Graczyk’s play and screenplay of the same name, featuring lyrics by Shakina, music by Dan Gillespie Sells and the book by Ashley Robinson.
In this world premiere, transgender artist and activist Shakina stars as Joanne, a transgender woman.
“In the original piece in the ’70s, Joanne’s transgender identity was salacious and titillating, and that was partly how they marketed the show,” Sardelli said. “In ours, what made a salacious plot point in the ’70s is now almost irrelevant and secondary. So the true heart of the piece is so much clearer.”
The country musical’s story follows a James Dean fan club to their 20th anniversary reunion in a five-and-dime store in small-town Texas. Near that town, James Dean starred in “The Giant” before his death.
“In this 20-year reunion of the fan club, they meet each other as adults and reveal some secrets,” Sardelli said. “They learn about the strength of love and how forgiveness, grace, redemption is possible.”
Lauren Marcus plays Mona, one of the leaders of the fan club.
“Mona is a fervent admirer of James Dean – she was an extra in the film ‘The Giant’ and she’s very proud of that,” Marcus said. “She’s very much holding on to the past, but the billboards and advertisements of this film are now crumbling. If everything about the film disappears, who will she be?”
Marcus was involved with “5 & Dime” long before TheatreWorks’ production, as both a friend and collaborator of Shakina.
“I got asked by Shakina to record a demo during the pandemic, and I hung around with the project to do a couple of readings of it, some concerts,” Marcus said. “And finally, last summer, we brought it to TheatreWorks as part of their 20th annual New Works Festival.”
Sardelli also got on board at the festival.
“We created a special event where Shakina came out, sang the songs and told the story,” Sardelli said. “Just from that event, so many audience members came up to me and said, ‘You’ve got to do this musical.’”
The June production will finally bring the full musical to the stage.
“The set is such a slice of American nostalgia – the Woolworths counter, the five-and-dimes, these stores we all grew up with – and it’s just amazing to see it come to life,” Sardelli said. “The music is out of this world, and it’s the heart of the play.”
For Marcus, acting in a brand-new musical is both challenging and exciting.
“How do you have fun with a country western score when you’re a serious, passionate person with secrets – how do you balance all of it together?” Marcus said. “But it’s a fun challenge for me. I love nothing more than working on something new. You help shape and mold a piece, and when you walk away from it, you’ve left your imprint there forever.”
“5 & Dime” opens at 8 p.m. June 18. Future performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays.
For times, tickets ($34-$115) and more information, visit theatreworks.org/mainstage/5-dime.
