Mickey and Edward .

Saturday, August 14, 1999

Mickey and Edward … born on the same day of the same year; one raised as the only child of a wealthy couple, the other as the last of a large brood on the wrong side of town. They lived only a few blocks from each other to begin with, becoming friends despite their differences and their mothers, never knowing the truth until it was too late.

"Did you hear the story of the Johnston twins?

As alike they were as two new pins …"

The upcoming Riverland Alumni production of "Blood Brothers" opens like something from Shakespeare, with the narrator inviting the audience to watch the tale unfold in rhyming couplets. The story, which begins with the end, follows twins who were separated at birth. One stayed with his birth mother, a poor housekeeper who couldn’t afford two more mouths to feed; the other went to the wealthy woman for whom his mother worked.

"The end of the play is at the beginning," director Jerry Girton said. "You don’t know how they got there – that’s the fun of it, finding out what took them there."

It’s a musical, but not a musical. It’s a show that even musical haters will like. It has drama, wickedness, innocence, hope and an ending that rivals any recent blockbuster. Written by Willy Russell – his only musical – and set in Liverpool, England, the show starts its story in the 1970s and continues to the present.

Brad (Weber) and Mike (Vereide) are perfect for playing the brothers," Girton said Thursday. "The whole show is coming together brilliantly – it’s fun to have all the alumni back."

"Blood Brothers" will run from Wednesday through Saturday, showtime 7:30 p.m. each night, tickets $10 each. Proceeds go to the Riverland Community College Theatre Scholarship Fund. Tickets are available at Nemitz’s in downtown Austin and the Theatre box office, call 433-0595 for reservations.

This is the second year Riverland Alumni have gotten together to raise money for those who are following in their footsteps. Last year’s production of "Forever Plaid" raised $4,500 for scholarships, Girton is hoping they can top that with "Blood Brothers."

While the story is that of the two brothers, Mrs. Johnstone (Krista Lenn Johnson) has the largest role, while the narrator (Joshua Larson) has perhaps the most challenging role. He plays the unnerving, all-knowing narrator – like a modern-day Puck – the milkman (two different ones), the gynecologist, and several other bit roles. Also among the principle players are Mrs. Lyons (Kirsten Lindbloom), Edward’s mother, Mr. Lyons (Patrick Menning), love interest Linda (Natasha Villette) and older brother/bad influence Sammy Johnstone (Lucas Johnson).

"All of the cast members graduated within a couple years of each other, so they’ve worked together before," Girton said. "I think they’re having as much fun with this as I am."