A Little Glitter, A Lot of Heart: Why Zanna, Don’t! Is the Show Loveland Should See Right Now

By. Jenna Schroeder, President of the Loveland Stage Company

Local author / most importantly, aspiring future Valentine Lady

There’s something special about a night out in Loveland.

Maybe it’s the way downtown hums with life; restaurants buzzing, wine glasses clinking, music and laughter spilling out onto the sidewalks. Or maybe it’s the joy of knowing you can wander freely, and stumble into something memorable. Right in the middle of it all sits one of Loveland’s true gems: Loveland Stage Company.

Volunteer-run and award-winning, Loveland Stage Company is a place where full-scale productions come to life because people care deeply about storytelling, connection, and this community. With 180 seats and a packed season of shows and events throughout the year, it has become an entertainment destination in our growing, vibrant town.

And in just a few days, that stage will light up with a show that is bold, funny, heartfelt, and unlike anything else we’ve done before: Zanna, Don’t!

Why This Show and Why Now

Director Nicholas Huitger has had Zanna, Don’t! on his heart for more than two decades, ever since he first saw it in New York in 2003.

“I always knew I wanted to be involved with this show somehow,” he shared. “I felt it speaks to acceptance, not just for the LGBTQIA+ community, but for anyone. And Loveland has love right in its name, so what better place?”

At its core, Zanna, Don’t! is a musical fairy tale, but not the kind you expect. The show flips traditional norms around love, popularity, and power, creating a world where what we consider “normal” is completely turned on its head.

Nicholas hopes audiences leave the theatre thinking and talking.

“When the norm is flipped, some people may feel uncomfortable,” he explained. “But it can also help them see what it’s like for those who don’t feel like everyone else because of who they love,

or how they identify. It’s like asking—what would it look like if the arts or chess club had the budget of the football team, and sports were treated like the underdogs?”

What Happens When You Lean In

One of Nicholas’s biggest surprises during rehearsals was how quickly trust formed within the cast. “I thought intimacy and emotional connection might be a struggle,” he said. “But with a smaller cast, people felt comfortable very quickly. Everyone was open to whatever the story called for.”

The cast and production team represent a wide range of identities and backgrounds, straight, bi, gay, and even come from all over the country, including California, Florida, and New York.

“That diversity builds a stronger community,” Nicholas shared. “It gives people a chance to work with artists they’ve never worked with before and to bring their own lived experiences into the room.”

As a director, his approach was simple but powerful: don’t shy away.

“The humor is built into the show. But the emotional stakes have to be real. Sometimes that means asking actors to tap into moments in their own lives where they’ve felt those things and bring them forward.”

Meet Steve: Awkward, Earnest, and Easy to Root For

Actor Justin Hanks, who plays Steve, joined the show almost by accident.

“My fiancé was auditioning, and I thought, why not turn rehearsals into a regular date night?” he laughed. “But once I really dove into Zanna, Don’t!, I completely fell for it. Its heart, its humor, its message...it hit me right where it counts.”

Steve, he explains, is an outsider in every sense. “He’s awkward, earnest, maybe a little air-headed, and trying to navigate a world where the rules

are completely upside down,” Justin said. “He’s doing his best to fit in, but some things are just out of his control. That makes him easy to relate to—and root for.”

One moment in the show, however, goes far beyond performance.

“There’s a speech where Steve has to face what makes him different and decide if he can accept himself,” Justin shared. “Emotionally, it mirrors the conversation I had with myself when I was coming out. Performing it feels less like acting and more like revisiting a pivotal moment in my own life.”

Yes, It’s Deep, But It’s Also Very Funny

Before you worry this is a heavy night at the theatre, don’t. Zanna, Don’t! is joyful, playful, and laugh-out-loud funny.

Justin is quick to point out that not everything is emotional revelation.

“I ride a mechanical bull in the show,” he said. “It’s terrifying. Every night, I pee a little.” (You are welcome for the visual, dear reader) The cast also embraces chaos in rehearsals, sometimes literally.

“Once a scene partner completely blanked on her line and just started clapping and pointing at me in panic,” Justin recalled. “Without missing a beat, I clapped and pointed back. We laughed so hard it became an inside joke, and now it’s part of the choreography.”

That seems to be the joy of the process. All the hard work that goes into creating a show, that might pass by in a moment on the stage but takes months to create with others.

Why You Should Go, even If You’re on the Fence

Nicholas has a message for anyone unsure about seeing a show they don’t recognize.

“Give it a chance,” he said. “Any show you don’t know give it a chance. You won’t know if you like it until you experience it. Step out of your comfort zone. You might walk away enjoying it, or at least getting something meaningful from it.”

Justin hopes audiences leave feeling one thing above all else.

“Seen,” he said. “Everyone feels like an outsider at some point and whether it’s sexuality, race, beliefs, or something totally random, like eating pizza with a fork. I hope people leave knowing they’re not alone, and that everyone deserves to be loved.”

When I asked Justin to sum up the heart of the show in a few words he replied:

“Glittery, magical love.”

Art and Story are in our Backyard!

A show at Loveland Stage Company is never just a show, it’s an experience. How wonderful it is that we live in a place with a selection of restaurants, a nature trail, boutique stores and an award-winning theatre so close by! You can make an easy trip by snagging a ticket at the door or online and enjoy a story performed right before your eyes. Or you can make a magical night of it by

visiting a local spot for dinner and drinks. And speaking of...

We’re thrilled that the charming Rose Boutique and Wine Bar will be offering a special Zanna, Don’t! themed drink to enjoy before, during, or after the show.

So plan the date night. Grab dinner downtown. Try the themed cocktail. Then settle into a seat at a theatre that believes in big stories, bold choices, and the power of community.

Tickets are available now at lovelandstagecompany.org/tickets.

Take a chance on something unexpected.

We promise - it just might sparkle its way into your heart.