"Rent" Auditions in June

As mentioned here the other day, the Charleston Light Opera Guild will be presenting the musical Rent this summer, and auditions are coming up in a couple of weeks.

Here's the information about those auditions:

They'll be held June 7 and 9, 2009 - please arrive at 7:30 p.m. sharp for all auditions!

Be prepared with a musical selection that demonstrates your vocal range and ability (preferably from the show or in the style of 90's music or rock, pop, or gospel). Please bring appropriate sheet music for the accompanist if your selection is not from this production and wear appropriate shoes and clothing suitable for movement.

All auditioners should be in age range 18 to 40. All auditions are held at the Guild Theatre. Call 304-342-9312 or 304-343-6015 for more information.

Rent will be presented at the Civic Center Little Theater on July 31 and August 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9, 2009.

On Stage This Weekend - "South Pacific"

This weekend is your last chance to catch the hit musical South Pacific!

It's being presented by the Charleston Light Opera Guild Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater. Tickets are $20.

It's getting rave reviews, so don't miss it!

One Theatre Season Winds Down, Another Gears Up

For the most part, there are two kinds of community theatre seasons: the ones that run in the fall and spring (mirroring the school year), and the ones that run in the summer.

With the end of school, there are just a couple of shows left before it all gets turned over to the summer season.

In Charleston, South Pacific wraps up its three-week run Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater.

The last of the spring shows (that I'm aware of) is WV: Words and Music, which takes the stage at the Clay Center May 21 - 23 and 28 - 30 at 8 p.m.

Then we depend on the summer theatre groups for our entertainment. Most are outdoor theatre groups, although Charleston theatre groups will stage indoor productions of Rent and High School Musical 2 - and possibly others.

Here's the summer list I have so far:

- Huntington Outdoor Theatre will present The Wedding Singer in July.

- Theatre West Virginia will present Honey in the Rock, Seussical, High School Musical and Hatfield and McCoys starting in June.

- Chief Logan State Park will host Willy Wonka and The Aracoma Story starting in June.

- Jenny Wiley will present Smoke on the Mountain, All Shook Up and The Legend of Jenny Wiley starting in June.

- Red Lion Theatre Company will present The Wiz and The Odd Couple at Greenbo State Park starting in June. (Thanks to my pal Levi for the info!)

That's the great thing about community theatre - there's always something cooking!

"The Wedding Singer" Cast List

Huntington Outdoor Theatre has posted the cast list for its summer show, The Wedding Singer - lots of great talent in there!

Here's the list, in alphabetical order:

Tammy Barrett - Ensemble
Kenny Bass - Sammy
Megan Boggs - Ensemble
Shaina Carter - Ensemble
Kristin Caviani - Donatella/Ensemble
Chris Craven - Groom 1/Ensemble
Christopher Crawford - Pee Wee Herman Impersonator/Ensemble
Philip Cron - Mookie/Ensemble
Nathan Cron - Ricky/Ensemble
Zach Davis - Agent/Ensemble
Chloe Donohoe - Ensemble
Courtney Dugan - Wedding Clerk/Ensemble
Kenny Duthie - Waiter/Ensemble
Kerri Easter - Holly
Julia Freitag - Ensemble
Julia Galloway - Bride 1/Ensemble
Christina Gayheart - Crystal/Ensemble
Todd Green - Priest/Ensemble
Ryan Hardiman - Robbie Hart
Casey Homonai - Ensemble
Melanie Hughes - Rosie
Angela Hunt - Tiffany/Ensemble
Ryan Jackson - David/Ensemble
Jacob Jarvis - Bad Hair Cut Guy/Ensemble
Sarena Johnson - Ensemble
Marina Jurica - Julia Sulivan
Amy Kenell - Angie/Ensemble
Greg Kiser - Donnie/Ensemble
Alaina Krantz - Ensemble
Jessica Maier - Linda
Kinsey Mason - Ensemble
Kelsey McCallister - Ensemble
Morgan McMicken - Ensemble
Jesse Patterson - Ensemble
Sarah Pauley - Ensemble
Todd Preston - Glen
Mark Radford - George
Candiace Radford - Tina Turner Impersonator/Ensemble
Alyssa Ramey - Ensemble
Brea Ross - Ensemble
Hilary Roush - Waitress/Ensemble
Felicia Sargent - Cyndi Lauper Impersonator/Ensemble
Jynnea Shropshire - Ensemble
Angela Skidmore - Ensemble
Megan Smith - Ensemble
Miranda Swanson - Ensemble
Rachel Tadlock - Ensemble
Sherri Tadlock - Ensemble
Josh Taylor - Bum/Ensemble
Cadyn Turley - Imelda Marcos Impersonator/Ensemble
Stephen Vance - Shane/Regan Impersonator/Ensemble
Cody Verbage - Billy Idol Impersonator/Ensemble
Brittany Woods - Ensemble
Brian Zepp - Ensemble


Pre-Show Cast

Chad Arthur
Emily Bolt
Leslie Collins
Jade Daniels
Emma Dolin
Shelby Easter
Ruth Finley
Joanna Finley
Ally Fletcher
Olivia Fosson
Audrey Fosson
Katie Fulks
Helen Heffner
Majesty Hill
Maddie Johnson
Sarena Johnson
Allahandra Mallory
Macie McCallister
Megan McCallister
Josh Mitts
Taylor Perdue
Mariah Speas
Hannah Spurlock
Hayley Spurlock
Kobe Stephens
Ibri Trammell
Annie Wolfe
Emma Wolfe

No Pants Players Take the Stage

The improv comedy group (who are apparently missing a key item of clothing) is back again, according to this message from my pal Tony Slack:

The No Pants Players will be performing this Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. at the Labelle Theater, located at 311 D St in S. Charleston.

Come out for a great night of improv comedy. As always, tickets are only $6. Concessions and NPP merchandise will also be available.

For more info, visit our website at www.nopantsplayers.com or call 1-877-IMPROV9.

"The Addams Family" on Broadway

It's true - the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky family that started as a cartoon and became famous on television and the movies is making its way to Broadway, with some top names playing the leads.

Here's the story from the Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) - The Addams Family has found its merry macabre menagerie for Broadway.

The show's producers say Nathan Lane will play Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth will be Morticia in the musical based on the popular ghoulish cartoons in The New Yorker.

The Addams Family will open April 8 at a theater to be announced. Previews begin March 4 after a pre-Broadway engagement in Chicago. Also in the cast are Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Fester, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma and Zachary James as Lurch.

The show features music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, while Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, who wrote Jersey Boys, will provide the book.

I was always a fan of the TV show, so it'll be interesting to see how this goes.

Happy Mother's Day!

Lots of love goes out to all the Moms out there - without them, where would we all be?

So, on a personal note, Happy Mother's Day to:

My Mom, Lucille, who is, without a doubt, the most wonderful, thoughtful, caring, patient, supportive and loving Mom that any kid could ever ask for! My family and my brother Eric's family took her to dinner today and had a great visit.

My Mother-in-Law, Linda, who has always been wonderful, loving and supportive ever since I sneaked into her family via marriage. (She was nice before that, too.) We had dinner with her yesterday and had a nice visit.

And my wife, Jeanette, who has been a terrific Mom to our two sons and a wonderful wife, all at the same time!

What a lucky man I am, to have three terrific women like this in my life - I hit the jackpot!

I love you all!

"Star Trek" - A Review

While I've never thought of myself as a Trekkie or even a Trekker, I will admit to being a fan of Star Trek.

When the show first went on the air in the late '60s, I remember having to ask my parents for permission to stay up late and watch it. After three years the show was canceled, and I figured that was the last I'd see of it.

However, it found new life in syndication, and viewers could enjoy those original episodes over and over again. Eventually, a series of movies followed (with various degrees of success - you can see the ratings of those movies by my pal Jim Ross right here in his Hot Topics blog, and my own rankings are in the comments section).

That led to a series of TV shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, which eventually was spun off into more feature films.

Now the original crew of the Enterprise is back in a new Star Trek movie that brings the concept back to the original series. The crew, pictured above, includes (from left) Chekov, Kirk, Scotty, Bones, Sulu and Uhura.

I went to see the movie hoping for the best, and I'm glad to say that I really enjoyed it. The good news is, you don't need to be a fan of the original, or know much of anything about Star Trek to enjoy this film. Since it tells the story about how the crew members first met, you get all the information you need as the story rolls along.

The story sets up a menace from the future - a monstrous ship that's out for revenge on the Federation of Planets. The story moves along briskly, all the cast members have memorable on-screen moments, and they capture the original characters without being outright imitations of the original actors.

The film sets up something of a clean slate for future films, and judging by the success of this one, there should be many more in the years ahead.

(And yes, I know this post didn't really have anything to do with theatre - but it's so nice to have a good Star Trek film to write about, I couldn't help myself!)

One Last Chance to Audition for "The Wedding Singer"

You have one last chance to audition for this summer's Huntington Outdoor Theatre show, The Wedding Singer.

The auditions will be held at Trinity Episcopal at 520 11th Street in Huntington. Enter from the 11th Street side.

The auditions will take place Saturday, May 9 from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

For more information call (304) 523-8080 or (304) 412-3393.

There are roles for individuals ages 7 and up.

Break a leg!

On Stage This Weekend - "South Pacific"

The show stars some of the area's best talent, including WSAZ's meteorologist, Marina Jurica - and it takes the stage this weekend.

I'm talking about South Pacific, which will be presented by the Charleston Light Opera Guild May 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m., and May 10 at 3 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater. Tickets are $20.

It's a great show - highly recommended!

Local Actors on Prime Time

Hey, it was a great week for local actors on prime time television!

Huntington's Michael Cerveris continued his stint on Fox's science fiction show Fringe, showing up for a crucial scene in this week's episode, and my spies tell me he has a big role in next week's season finale on Tuesday night!

Portmouth's Macy Idzakovich (who appeared locally in Cats and Thoroughly Modern Millie, among other shows) made an appearance in this week's Law & Order SVU, and will be showing up in future episodes.

And of course Marshall grad Conchata Ferrell continues to star every week in the top-rated CBS comedy, Two and a Half Men.

Is that cool or what?

Old Friends perform the music of the Four Freshman May 16

Hey, here's a terrific show and dinner you should check out - and you'll get to help a worthy cause:

Take a musical romp down memory lane as Old Friends performs favorite songs of the Four Freshmen.

If songs like “Route 66,” “Candy” and “The Nearness of You” conjure memories of a simpler time in life, you’ll enjoy hearing “Old Friends” perform music made famous by the Four Freshman. Old Friends is a vocal band that sings 4-part harmony while members accompany themselves on keyboard, bass, drums, trumpets and saxes.

According to Bruce Rous, promoter of the evening’s concert, “these guys are really good. Their sound is slick, their harmonies are smooth. I’ve not heard anything like them around the Tri-State. It’s no wonder they have a huge following.”

The “one-night only” show is Saturday, May 16, 2009 at Highlawn Presbyterian Church, 2814 Collis Avenue, Huntington WV, next to St. Mary’s Hospital.

A “scrumptious,” home-cooked dinner is served prior to the show at 6:00. The cost is $25 for Dinner and Show, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Habitat for Humanity House being built to honor the memory of Rev. Mark McCalla, who was minister at the church.

Reservations required by May 14 and can be made by calling (304) 634-4126. Discount rates are available for groups of 10 or more.

Tony Nominees Announced

The nominations for the 2009 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards were announced today, and it looks like Billy Elliot, The Musical is the early favorite, since it received 15 nominations. The most surprising is the one for the three young actors who play the title role (they rotate the part, since young actors can't work every night). Will they have to share a single statue?

Ah well - we'll gear up our "choose the winners" competition soon, and unless I'm stricken by sanity, I'll once again live blog the show.

In the meantime, here are the nominees:

BEST PLAY: Dividing the Estate, God of Carnage, reasons to be pretty, 33 Variations.

BEST MUSICAL: Billy Elliot, The Musical, Next to Normal, Rock of Ages, Shrek The Musical.

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL: Billy Elliot, The Musical, Next to Normal, Shrek The Musical, (Title of Show).

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE: Billy Elliot, The Musical, Next to Normal, 9 to 5: The Musical, Shrek The Musical.

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY: Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Mary Stuart, The Norman Conquests, Waiting for Godot.

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: Guys and Dolls, Hair, Pal Joey, West Side Story.

BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT: Liza's at The Palace, Slava's Snowshow, Soul of Shaolin, You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage; Raul Esparza, Speed-the-Plow; James Gandolfini, God of Carnage; Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King; Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Hope Davis, God of Carnage; Jane Fonda, 33 Variations; Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage; Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart; Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Gavin Creel, Hair; Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek The Musical; Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages; J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Stockard Channing, Pal Joey; Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical; Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical; Alice Ripley, Next to Normal; Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: John Glover, Waiting for Godot; Zach Grenier, 33 Variations; Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests; Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests; Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate; Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests; Marin Ireland, reasons to be pretty; Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit; Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical; Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical; Will Swenson, Hair.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal; Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Karen Olivo, West Side Story; Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey; Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY: Dale Ferguson, Exit the King; Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests; Derek McLane, 33 Variations; Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls; Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Scott Pask, Pal Joey; Mark Wendland, Next to Normal.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY: Dale Ferguson, Exit the King; Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot; Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit; Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages; Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical; Michael McDonald, Hair.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY: David Hersey, Equus; David Lander, 33 Variations; Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner's Come and Gone; Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Kevin Adams, Hair; Kevin Adams, Next to Normal; Howell Binkley, West Side Story; Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical.

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY: Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart; Gregory Clarke, Equus; Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King; Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Acme Sound Partners, Hair; Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages; Brian Ronan, Next to Normal.

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY: Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart; Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone; Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage; Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests.

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Michael Greif, Next to Normal; Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages; Diane Paulus, Hair.

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Karole Armitage, Hair; Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical; Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas.

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS: Larry Blank, Irving Berlin's White Christmas; Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical; Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical.

Dom DeLuise Passes Away

Very sad news today, as we learn of the passing of actor and comedian Dom DeLuise, who starred in so many movies and TV shows, and was hilarious is every one of them (well, not the dramatic ones).

My favorite is probably the one few people have ever seen - The End, in which he played a crazy guy who befriends Burt Reynolds. The final scene absolutely put me on the floor.

But it's difficult to pick a favorite - he was wonderful in a number of Mel Brooks movies, in appearances on TV - heck, wherever he was, it was a fun place to be.

Here's the write-up from the Associated Press:

Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has died. He was 75.

DeLuise died Monday night, Michael DeLuise told radio station KNX on Tuesday. The comedian died in his sleep after a long illness. Calls to Dom Deluise's agent and his son were not immediately returned Tuesday.

The actor, who loved to cook and eat almost as much as he enjoyed acting, also carved out a formidable second career later in life as a chef of fine cuisine. He authored two cookbooks and would appear often on morning TV shows to whip up his favorite recipes.

As an actor, he was incredibly prolific, appearing in scores of movies and TV shows, in Broadway plays and voicing characters for numerous cartoon shows.

Writer-director-actor Mel Brooks particularly admired DeLuise's talent for offbeat comedy and cast him in several of his films, including The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World Part I and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. DeLuise was also the voice of Pizza the Hutt in Brooks' Star Wars parody, Spaceballs.

The actor also appeared frequently in films opposite his friend Burt Reynolds. Among them, The End, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Smokey and the Bandit II, The Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II.

Reynolds fondly recalled DeLuise in a statement issued by his publicist.

"I was thinking about this the other day," Reynolds said. "As you get older and start to lose people you love, you think about it more and I was dreading this moment. Dom always made you feel better when he was around and there will never be another like him. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss him very much."

Another actor-friend, Dean Martin, admired his comic abilities so much that he cast DeLuise as a regular on his 1960s comedy-variety show. In 1973, he starred in a situation comedy, Lotsa Luck, but it proved to be short-lived.

"To know Dom was to love him and I knew him very well. Not only was he talented and extremely funny, but he was a very special human being," said actress Carol Burnett, who starred with DeLuise on TV show The Entertainers in the '60s. DeLuise also appeared on The Carol Burnett Show in the '70s.

On Broadway, DeLuise appeared in Neil Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers and other plays.

Because of his passion for food, the actor battled obesity throughout much of his life, his weight reaching as much as 325 pounds at one point. For years he resisted the efforts of family members and doctors who tried to put him on various diets. He finally agreed in 1993 when he needed hip replacement surgery and his doctor refused to perform it until he lost 100 pounds.

DeLuise was appearing on Broadway in Here's Love in the early 1960s when Garry Moore saw him and hired him to play the magician "Dominick the Great" on The Garry Moore Show. His appearances on the hit comedy-variety program brought offers from Hollywood, and DeLuise first came to the attention of movie goers in Fail Safe, a drama starring Henry Fonda. He followed with a comedy, The Glass Bottom Boat, starring Doris Day, and from then on he alternated between films and television.

"I was making $7,000 a week—a lot of money back then—but I didn't even know I was rich," he recalled in 1994. "I was just having such a great time."

Day remembered him Tuesday as "such a sweet man."

"I met Dom when we were filming The Glass Bottom Boat, and I loved him from the moment we met," she said from Carmel, Calif. "Not only did we have the greatest time working together, but I never laughed so hard in my life as when we were together."

He was born Dominick DeLuise in New York City on Aug. 1, 1933, to Italian immigrants. His father, who spoke only Italian, was a garbage collector, and those humble beginnings stayed with him throughout his life.

DeLuise's introduction to acting came at age 8 when he played the title role of Peter Rabbit in a school play. He went on to graduate from New York City's famed School of Performing Arts in Manhattan.

For five years, he sought work in theater or television with little luck. He finally decided to enroll at Tufts College and study biology, with the aim of becoming a teacher.

Acting called him back, however, and he found work at the Cleveland Playhouse, appearing in stage productions that ranged from comedies like Kiss Me Kate to Shakespeare's Hamlet.

"I worked two years solidly on plays and moving furniture and painting scenery and playing parts," he remarked in a 2006 interview. "It was quite an amazing learning place for me."

While working in summer stock in Provincetown, Mass., he met a beautiful young actress, Carol Arthur, and they were soon married.

The couple's three sons, Peter, Michael and David, all became actors and all appeared with their father in the 1990s TV series SeaQuestDSV, in which Peter and Michael were regulars. David was one of the co-stars of the hit children's series Wizards of Waverly Place.

Four Tonys Already Awarded

Hey, four Tony Award winners have already been announced, as you'll see in this story from the Associated Press:

Jerry Herman is set for a special Tony Award.

The Tony administration committee says the composer of Hello, Dolly! and Mame will receive a special lifetime-achievement prize during the awards ceremony June 7 at Radio City Music Hall. Nominations will be announced Tuesday.

The 2009 regional-theater Tony will go to the Signature Theatre of Arlington, Va. Other special prizes will go to veteran press agent Shirley Herz and to Phyllis Newman who founded the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative of The Actors Fund.

Herman already has won Tonys for Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles.

EDIT: I corrected the title of this post, where I had inadvertently written "One Tony Already Awarded." Math is hard!

Tomorrow: The Tonys!

Hey, we're back just in time for this year's Tony announcements! Here's the latest from the Associated Press:

Busy spring means a crowded Tony nomination field

By Michael Kuchwara
AP Drama Writer

Broadway is getting ready to honor the best of the New York theater season.

Nominations for the 2009 Tony Awards will be announced Tuesday.

Among the likely candidates for best musical are Billy Elliot, Next to Normal, Shrek and 9 to 5. West Side Story and Hair are expected to be nominated for the musical-revival crown.

Best-play nominees could include reasons to be pretty and Dividing the Estate.

Winners will be announced June 7 during a three-hour CBS telecast from Radio City Music Hall.

Back on Track

Sorry for the lack of posts for the past few days, gentle readers - we had some computer issues that were jamming things up here at Tri-State Theatre Land!

My pal Andrea (who's also the World's Finest Editor) managed to clear up our technical difficulties, so (hopefully) we're back in business and we can get back to our daily posts.

Did you miss me?

Shows On Stage in May

As we approach the end of Spring, the community theatre shows become fewer and further between.

For May, one show is taking up the slack by covering three weekends! There are four different shows on stage this month, and three are in Charleston (not that there's anything wrong with that). The other is in Portsmouth. Here's the list:

- South Pacific will be presented by the Charleston Light Opera Guild May 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m., and May 10 at 3 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater. Tickets are $20.

- 42nd Street will be presented by West Portsmouth High School Drama and Music Dept. this weekend at Shawnee State University. Shows are Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon (May 1, 2 and 3). Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and at the box office.

- The Rat Pack is Back in a special show celebrating that group's amazing music. The show runs May 5 at the Clay Center, and tickets are $50 and $32.

- WV: Words and Music will take the stage at the Clay Center May 21 - 23 and 28 - 30 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and $15.

So get out there and support your local theatre!

On Stage - "South Pacific"

There's a must-see show taking the stage this weekend!

South Pacific will be presented by the Charleston Light Opera Guild May 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m., and May 10 at 3 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater. Tickets are $20.

The Broadway musical is a classic, and well worth the drive to the capitol city! (Uh, unless you already live nearby, of course - then it's an easy drive.)

"Spelling Bee" Gallery

Hey, you can catch some photos from last night's performance of the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Herald-Dispatch photo gallery.

The show took the stage last night at the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center. The gallery includes this shot of my pal Clint McElroy, who apparently once again demonstrated his amazing skill at spelling - though he ended up with just a juice box for his troubles.

If you missed it this time around, watch for it in the future - it's a very funny show!

By the way, the photos were taken by Taylor Kuykendall, who also writes a music blog for the H-D, which you can read right here.

On Stage This Week - "Cinderella"

Hey, here's a theatre story in today's Herald-Dispatch about a fun show coming up this week:

Lincoln County High School will present its spring show, Cinderella, on Thursday-Friday, April 30- May 1.

Showtimes are 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30, and 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, May 1.

Admission is $3 for children and $6 for adults. Performances are in the Lincoln County High School Performing Arts Center. Proceeds will benefit the theatre and choral music program.

The cast includes Ariel King, Cinderella; Cody Cremeans, Prince Charming; Troy Adkins, King; Julia Clevenger, Queen; Haleigh Cooper, stepmother; Molly Hoke, stepsister; Sarahy Hoke, stepsister; Marycait Hoke, Fairy Godmother; Clay McCallister, Herald; Kyle Garret, steward; Elizabeth Taylor, court tailor; Susie Slone, chef/mother/woman; Steven Hoffman, townsman, footman, jester; Jen Gagnon, guard; Emery Adkins, minister; Neal Smith, clumsy man/man at ball; Jordan Walls, woman at ball; Zoe Murray, woman at ball; Heather Young, sloppy girl; Bonnie King, girl at ball; Lydia Roberts, horse; Emily Cadd, girl/horse; Luke Roberts, boy/horse; Caleb Cook, man; Farrah Chojnacki, girl/horse; Chris Malone, father/man at ball; and Debra Hager, girl at ball.

Children from Hamlin Community School also have parts in the show.

The show is directed by Paula Nelson and choreographed by Travis Edwards with music by David Cook.

Lights and sound are by Andrew Elkins and Kasandra Spalding; stage manager, Teryn Hall; lighting design, Tyler Nelson; stage hands are Adam McCallister, Cheyanne Tomblin, Jacob Lucas, Cody Lambert, Hannah Matthews and Thomas Roberts.

The school is located at 81 Panther Way, Hamlin, W.Va.

On Stage This Week - "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"

Saving the best for last, on Tuesday that Marshall Artists Series presents as its final show of the season the hilarious Broadway comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Oh, and it has nothing to do with West Virginia's Putnam County.

My pal Dave Lavender turns in a great story previewing the show, including a terrific story from another pal o' mine, Clint McElroy, who relates his hilarious experience when he saw the show on Broadway.

You can read the story right here. Here's an excerpt:

How does the Marshall Artists Series spell hilarious?

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E.

The Marshall Artists Series will be closing out its 72nd season with some song and dance, and some snorts and chuckles.

It's the nerd-and-word filled fun of the Tony Award-winning musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, to be performed live at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $55, $50 and $45. Youth tickets are $27.50, $25 and $22.50.

To clear the confusion early on, let it be known that this musical is based in Putnam County, N.Y., and is not employing kid spellers from Cabell County's neighboring county of Putnam County, W.Va.

Run on Broadway from April 2005 to Jan. 20 2008, the musical captures the journey of six young spellers in the throes of puberty and overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves.

Along the way, the oft-quirky and heart-warming show teaches that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser.

You can read my review of the show I saw back in 2006 right here.

Oh, and I should mention that, despite appearances, it's not necessarily a show for kids - there are a few bad words in there. But if that doesn't bother you, it's a very funny show!

Highly recommended!

Auditions for "The Wedding Singer"

Auditions are coming up next week for this summer's Huntington Outdoor Theatre show, The Wedding Singer.

The auditions will take place at Held at Trinity Episcopal at 520 11th Street in Huntington. Enter from the 11th Street side.

The auditions will be held at these times:

May 2 - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

May 3 - 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

May 9 - 10:00 a.m. to noon

For more information call (304) 523-8080 or (304) 412-3393.

There are roles for individuals ages 7 and up.

Good luck!

"Epic Proportions" - A Review

Last night I finally got a chance to see the show Epic Proportions at Marshall University, so let me just caution you - tonight's your last chance to catch it, and if you miss it, you're missing out on a lot of laughs.

The show takes the stage at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center, and it tells the "story behind the story" of the filming of a Biblical epic. It follows the story of two brothers who get swept up in the production.

The audience becomes part of the show in a clever way, as you play the part of the thousands of extras who fill out the classic film (don't worry, there's no heavy lifting required).

The most vital ingredient in any stage comedy is to have actors with great comedic skills, and this show has that in abundance. Playing the lead, Benny, is Chuck Herndon, and I've watched him grow from being a talented child actor in Huntington's community theatre into being an incredibly gifted adult actor. His comic timing is absolutely perfect, and he's terrific in the lead.

That's not to slight the rest of the cast:

- Emily Chapman is stunning and very funny as Louise, the sexy assistant director who aspires to greater things, and has the impossible job of keeping the extras under control.

- Chris Ferris plays Benny's ambitious brother Phil and does a great job at both comedy and the action scenes (you don't see too many sword fights in comedies).

- Jeremy Plyburn absolutely kills as D. W. DeWitt, the mastermind behind the film. His delivery is worthy of any Mel Brooks film.

- the supporting actors also turn in terrific work, including the radiant Alyssa Jimenez as the Queen of the Nile, the talented and funny Dylan Clark as Jack and Brady, Christian Whitt, who gets several great death scenes as Octavian, Nathan Mohebbi, who gets great laughs as the Slave Master and Cochette's Assistant, Scott Burner, one of the comical conspirators, along with Erik Woods and Rocky Scarbro, who take part in a very funny and laughably inept assassination scene, Caitlin Haught is a hoot as Cochette, the fashion designer, and Alisha Woodall has fun as a Dancing Girl.

- I should also mention the "best supporting voiceover" performance by my pal Clint McElroy - if you're doing a comedy, it's always a good idea to get him involved, since he has the sharpest comedic mind around.

As always with Marshall's productions, the set design, costumes and tech work is exceptional - the best in the business. Kudos as always to my pal Jack Cirillo, who directed this madness and turned it into a finely crafted comic masterpiece.

Honest to Pete, you're going to enjoy this show - but if you plan to go, I advise calling ahead to reserve tickets. Friday's show was a near sellout, and this is a show you don't want to miss. Just be ready to laugh. A lot!

On Stage This Weekend - Three Shows

You have three great shows to choose from this weekend!

- The comedy Epic Proportions (pictured here) will be presented at Marshall's Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. Tickets are $14 for Adults, $12 for Seniors, MU Faculty & Staff, $7 for ages 17 and under, and $5 for School groups of 20 or more.

- A Little Night Music will be presented by ACTC (Ashland Community and Technical College) tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

- Norman Rockwell’s American Paradise will be presented by CYAC tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at WVSU Capitol Center Theater at 123 Summers Street in Charleston. Tickets are $9.50 for Adults and $5.50 for Student/Seniors.

On Stage Tonight: "Epic Proportions"

The comedy Epic Proportions takes the stage tonight and runs through Saturday at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.

In case you haven't heard of it, here's a description of the show:

Epic Proportions by Larry Coen and David Crane

April 22-25, 2009
8:00 p.m. nightly

Set in the 1930s, Epic Proportions tells the story of two brothers, Benny and Phil, who go to the Arizona desert to be extras in the huge Biblical epic Exeunt Omnes.

Things move very quickly in this riotous comedy and before you know it, Phil is directing the movie, and Benny is starring in it. To complicate matters further they both fall in love with Louise, the assistant director in charge of the extras.

Along the way there are gladiator battles, the Ten Plagues and a cast of thousands portrayed by four other actors.

Tickets are:
$14 - Adults
$12 - Seniors, MU Faculty & Staff
$7 - 17 and under
$5 - School groups of 20 or more.

Call 304-696-2787 for more information.

"The 5 Browns" Take the Stage

You can see some great photos from tonight's performance by The 5 Browns right here at the Herald-Dispatch photo gallery.

The photos by Toril Lavender show the piano virtuosos in concert as part of the Marshall Artists Series at The Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center.

I wish I could have seen it - but from what I hear, it was a great performance!

On Stage - "The 5 Browns"

Coming up on Wednesday is an outstanding show by the group known as The 5 Browns (pictured here).

Our man Dave Lavender filed this story for The Herald-Dispatch. Here's an excerpt:

Everybody is going green on Wednesday in honor of Earth Day.

Well, not everybody, the Marshall Artists Series is going Brown, and in a big way.

At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Artists Series will host The 5 Browns, a full house of Utah-raised piano virtuosos, siblings Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra and Desirae.

As seen on TV on Oprah, 60 Minutes, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The View and The Martha Stewart Show, the rightfully titled "Fab Five" will be live in concert at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center in downtown Huntington.

Tickets are $45, $40 & $35 and youth tickets (age 17 and under) are priced $22.50, $20 and $17.50.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.marshallartistsseries.org or www.ticketmaster.com.

The twentysomethings, home-schooled kids that all began playing piano at about age 3 burst onto the scene when the oldest Brown, Desirae, began to plan for college and her year-younger sister Deondra decided to accelerate her education to be in school at the same time.

They got accepted into New York's prestigious School. A year later, they were joined at the school by Gregory, Melody, and Ryan, making the Browns the first family of five siblings ever accepted simultaneously.

While they were all trained as soloists, about five years ago they started playing together.

Signed to Sony BMG Masterworks, The 5 Browns have become one of the top classical groups, racking up three No. 1 Billboard classical charting CDs, "The Five Browns" in 2005; "No Boundaries" in 2006 and "Browns in Blue" in 2007.

With their fingers blazing on their Steinways, The 5 Browns are winning over a new generation to classical music.

I've heard great things about this group, and this show is highly recommended!

All The News You Can Use

Wow, we're overflowing with stories today! Check it out:

- You can get a peek at Marshall Department of Theatre's production of Epic Proportions (which starts Wednesday) in this gallery of photos shot by Lori Wolfe for the Herald-Dispatch.

Here's a brief description of that comedy:

Think Mel Brooks meets Monty Python for the latest offering from the Marshall University Theater Department. Epic Proportions, a show its director, Jack Cirillo called a "farce in the Brooks-Python tradition" hits the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse in 8 p.m. shows nightly Wednesday through Saturday, April 22-25.

- You can read a story right here about a Marshall graduate who's presenting a final performance before he heads off to Broadway. Here's an excerpt from the story by Bill Rosenberger:

Sean Watkins leaves April 30 to start a three-week Broadway workshop for Bruce Lee: Journey to the West, a show that is scheduled to debut in 2010. Before he leaves, though, Watkins will perform a self-directed, one-man show called Broadway and Beyond at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, at the Jeslyn Performing Arts Center, 1040 4th Ave., Huntington. Donations are being accepted for a local charity and for travel and living expenses for Watkins while he is in New York. "I wanted to do something as a final farewell and a thank-you," he said, adding that accompianist Bruce Rous will play for him.

- Tomorrow night you can catch the classic sound of The Temptations in Ashland. You can read more about it in this story by Beth Hendricks:

Celebrating five decades this calendar year, Motown made greats such as The Temptations a household name. On Tuesday, April 21, the group made famous thanks to songs like "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" visits the Paramount Arts Center. Showtime is 7 p.m. "I think there are a lot of different reasons why The Temptations are still around - being part of Motown, being part of so many wonderful hit records," said Otis Williams, the only surviving member of the original group. He is joined onstage by Terry Weeks, G. C. Cameron, Ron Tyson and Joe Herndon.

- On Wednesday, the Marshall Artists Series will present The 5 Browns at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. April 22. The group is classical music's first family of piano virtuosos. Tickets are $35; $40; $45 - for more information, call 304-696-3326.

- Huntington Outdoor Theatre (HOT) has announced that its summer show will be The Wedding Singer, a Broadway musical based on an Adam Sandler movie. Auditions are coming up early next month - I'll have more on this in the near future.

Whew! That should do for now. More community theatre news as it develops!

Thoughts on "A Little Night Music"

My pal Zach Davis is starring in the ACTC production of A Little Night Music, and he sent along some comments about the show, which continues next weekend in Ashland, Ky.

He wrote:

Here are just a few reflective thoughts about A Little Night Music in Ashland that I would like to express to your faithful readers.

...Instruments warming up, soft crowd murmurs, and over a dozen actors and actresses anxiously awaiting the call for "places." These are just typical feelings and sounds your have when a musical hits a stage on opening night.

However, Friday night was slightly different. As many have heard, Ashland Community and Technical College has sadly been dark until recently. Last night marked the first adult show back on the stage since this past summer.

Ashland Theatre has been under tough watch by the school administration since the accident (a set piece collapsed during Sweeney Todd rehearsal, injuring several actors).

But as a group the theatre prevailed and once again the curtain raised. It was a proud moment for me last night. I was very overwhelmed and I admit I even had a few tears.

The interesting thing about this, though, is how fitting things came into play. For example, the last show other than the children's fantastic show of Alice in Wonderland was Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondhiem. I also had the honor of being the opening solo of that production. Well, what's more fitting than starting back up with yet another Sondhiem, and once again the first voice you hear opening the show is me.

Another thing that many don't realize was that Sweeney Todd was the last show for Musical Director Daniel Hartley and we welcomed a new musical Director Kirk Saltsman for A Little Night Music.

I have never seen so much heart from a cast go into a show such as this one has. The show is very cute and fun and I encourage all to come see it. Our costumer Paula Krepsik has truly outdone herself. I like to think of ACTC as the little theatre who can.

Chuck says this blog is to discuss theatre and behind-the-scenes things that not everyone knows, and I enjoy that.

I want people to know that sometimes we have to fight to get what we have and it's well worth it.

Thanks for the thoughts, Zach - I look forward to future essays from you!

The Challenges of Putting on a Show

This email arrived from my pal Paul Neace, who heads up the 5th Avenue Theatre Company. He points out one of the biggest problems in trying to stage a community theatre show.

He writes:

Here’s the problem we’re having at 5th Avenue right now – a lack of directors.

In my opinion and my opinion alone, there are only a handful of qualified directors for lavish musicals in this immediate area. Of those people, many of them also direct for other groups (such as yourself) and those groups take priority, which is fine.

I’ve been trying to plan a benefit show that will help the Police Dept., Fire Dept., and us at the Huntington Foundation for well over a year now and can find no one that will direct that for us. (And, believe me, I’ve asked 5-10 different people.)

In addition we’re trying to plan the rest of our year and are faced with very limited funds – the benefit would go a long way in helping us finalize those plans. But, we need that ever-evasive director to actually orchestrate this benefit show before we can continue a discussion about the rest of our season.

And then we’re faced with finding a director or two for the aforementioned musicals or even a non-musical (of which the pool of directors is a bit larger).

If you know of someone that hasn’t already turned me down, please let me know… I don’t know how the Charleston groups manage, but that’s the problem(s) that we face.

It's always a challenge to find directors and producers for shows, because it's a heck of a lot of work (though obviously it's also very rewarding creatively and a lot of fun).

If anyone would like to contact Paul to talk about directing a show (or shows) for 5th Avenue, feel free to send me an email at TheMinskers@aol.com and I'll pass it along.

Chris Sizemore On Stage in DC

There's a great story in today's Herald-Dispatch about Chris Sizemore, a terrific actor, singer and a heck of a nice guy.

Written by Beth Hendricks, the story offers a great overview of his career since moving to Washington, DC:

Barboursville native Chris Sizemore found his acting career in the place most people find their political career.

With an obligatory pass through the theater capital of the world - New York City - Sizemore found success on stage in our nation's capital and said, "This year has definitely been my year." Sizemore garnered a Helen Hayes Award nomination for his role in Les Miserables at Signature Theatre.

The award went to fellow Les Miserables actor Christopher Bloch.

"Just to be recognized in the same group with those other nominees is, wow. It's a great feeling," said Sizemore of the awards he likened to Washington, D.C.'s version of the Tony Awards. "I don't do this for recognition, though. I just love it. I love what I do."

Sizemore was raised in Barboursville by parents Roger and Rickie Sizemore. He graduated from Cabell Midland High School in 1997 and earned a degree in marketing from Marshall University in 2001. The now 30-year-old did no on-campus acting during his college days, but was heavily involved in Huntington Outdoor Theatre.

"I've been in theater since I was 8 years old, and after I graduated from Marshall, I decided if I was ever going to try to break into theater in New York, that then was as good a time as any. My parents have always been behind me, supporting every move," he said.

Getting roles in New York proved to be quite a challenge for the "small fish in the big pond," Sizemore explained.

"You're always at the bottom of the totem pole when you're in these big cities. With this business, you have to be persistent, but you endure a ton of rejection. You have to be able to pick up and go on. Those are the people who succeed," he said.

Sizemore made the move to Washington, D.C. six years ago and said the move is when acting really became a career for him.

"I got here and started to be able to make a name for myself. There are so many of us trying to do the same thing, and I can say I'm blessed to be one of the few who can say they're making a living doing theater," he said. "I'm now getting to the point where I'm getting calls from theaters asking me in, although I did have my first audition in about a year this past week."

Sizemore said one of his coolest acting moments came even before his stint in Washington, D.C., when he performed with a national tour of Willy Wonka. He was with the tour when it passed through Huntington and made a stop at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center.

"That was very cool. That was probably one of the best experiences I've had so far in theater," he said.

Sizemore's Les Miserables cast members and crew joined together to garner the most-ever Helen Hayes nominations for a single show. These days, Sizemore is performing in The Civil War at Ford's Theatre in D.C. It is scheduled to run through the end of May. Being on stage in eight shows a week does not lend itself to many trips home to the Mountain State, though, a fact Sizemore is pained about.

"That part kills me. I've very family-oriented, and I love getting to go back home, but the theater doesn't shut down. It's hard to get back," said Sizemore, who has been working to plan out the remainder of his calendar year with shows and a few much-needed rest breaks.

"I'm going to stay in D.C. and work as much as I can. I'm having fun, doing well, making a living. I'm going to ride this wave as long as I can," he said.

On Stage This Weekend - Three Shows

You have three shows to choose from this weekend, including a concert and two musicals.

- Starry, Starry Night will be presented by ARTS April 17 and 18 at Renaissance Center (the old Huntington High School). Dinner and Show is $30 each, Show Tickets only are $15. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m.. the show begins at 8:00. Reservations are required for dinner and show combo. Call 304-733-ARTS for reservations. The concert features a variety of music from well known Broadway shows and features Ryan Hardiman, Marina Jurica, Melanie Shafer, Dave Benton and other special guests.

- A Little Night Music will be presented by ACTC (Ashland Community and Technical College) April 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26.

- Norman Rockwell’s American Paradise will be presented by CYAC April 16-18 and 23-25 at 8 p.m., with a Sunday matinee April 19 at 2 p.m. at WVSU Capitol Center Theater at 123 Summers Street in Charleston. Tickets are $9.50 for Adults and $5.50 for Student/Seniors.

Coming up - "The First Day of Summer"

My pal Jonathan Joy sends along this note - be sure to order your tickets for this performance soon!

He writes:

I have a piece in this upcoming Charleston Stage Company production. A monologue from my 2005 play The First Day of Summer will be featured. Rehearsals began last week and tickets are now on sale.

WV: Words and Music

An original play with music - May 21-23, 28-30, 2009 at the Walker Theatre, Clay Center for Arts and Sciences, 8 p.m.

Monologues written by West Virginia writers intermingled with music of the Mountain State - some originally written for the production and others that are West Virginia standards. Some of the monologues will be dramatic; some funny. Some of the stories will challenge perceptions and stereotypes; others will be commentaries on life in the mountain state: past, present and future.

To order tickets for West Virginia: Words and Music, call the Clay Center Box Office at 304-561-3570 or buy tickets online at https://tickets.theclaycenter.org/public/show.asp

Those interested should get tickets soon. The opening night performance is already sold out.

"Norman Rockwell’s American Paradise" - On Stage This Weekend

My pal Melanie sends along news about a show that runs this weekend. I saw this one a few years ago and loved it!

CYAC PRESENTS NORMAN ROCKWELL'S AMERICAN PARADISE

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to have enough?"

The only musical fully sanctioned by the Norman Rockwell Foundation, brings to life 27 works by the famed artist and cover
illustrator for the Saturday Evening Post.

Spanning five decades of America with poignant moments of pure Americana, Rockwell portrayed the nation with hope, joy and self-effacing dignity. With music deftly created in the styles of the past, Mark Scarpelli and Dan Kehde honor the American icon with humor, pathos, and a deep respect for the pure genius of the artist.

Featuring a cast of more than 30 talented singers and actors, Norman Rockwell’s American Paradise showcases such famous paintings as The Plumbers, The Tatooist, Right To Know, Girl In the Mirror,
The Prom Dress and many, many more.

April 16-18, 23-25 at 8 p.m.
Sunday matinee April 19 at 2 p.m.
WVSU Capitol Center Theater
123 Summers Street, Charleston
Tickets $9.50 Adults, $5.50 Student/Seniors

The show cleverly brings to life a number of Rockwell's famous paintings. The songs are a lot of fun, the staging is clever, and if you're a fan of the painter, you'll want to see this show.

And if you're not a fan of Rockwell - what the heck is your problem?

The Controversy Over Local Theatre

Hey, there's an interesting story in today's Herald-Dispatch that brings up some interesting points:

The Tri-State will experience a couple of starry nights this week.

A Starry, Starry Night cabaret fundraiser will take place Friday and Saturday, April 17-18, at the Renaissance Center, 900 8th St., Huntington. Proceeds from the event will benefit the local organization Arts Resources for the Tri-State.

Dinner will begin each night at 6:30 p.m. with the show following at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for dinner and show and $15 for the show only.

For reservations, call 304-733-2787.

The cabaret show was in part organized by WSAZ meteorologist Marina Jurica, who is a veteran performer and a proponent of performing arts in the community.

“We just wanted to raise money for ARTS,” Jurica said. “I think any musical theatre is important. The problem with H.O.T. (Huntington Outdoor Theatre) is that it’s only in the summer. And the problem with 5th Avenue Theatre Company is that they only do one or two shows a year. ARTS is trying to do four or five musical productions a year. Huntington doesn’t seem to have a lot of arts like Lexington, even Ashland or Charleston. I’m playing the lead in South Pacific for the Charleston Light Opera Guild now, and it’s incredible how much money and interest they have. It’s just a good thing for the community to build up the arts.”

Jurica said the funds from this particular show will go towards helping ARTS fund a fall musical.

This cabaret show will feature a dozen performers, including Jurica, Melanie Shafer, Dave Benton and Ryan Hardiman along with some of Jurica’s friends from Lexington, Ky., and the University of Kentucky Opera.

“Melanie is a church singer who wanted to help,” Jurica said. “Dave worked with H.O.T. some, but has taken a couple of years off. I just asked him for this favor. It was the same with Ryan and my friends from Lexington. They were all willing to help.”

The show will include a wide range of songs from Broadway musicals. It will feature solos, duets and group numbers with choreography.

The show’s opening number will be “Masquerade” from Phantom of the Opera.

“It’s basically all Broadway songs that will span a lot,” Jurica said. “We’ll go from the classic Phantom of the Opera to the more popular and contemporary like Rent. We’re going to span the spectrum of Broadway.”

For more information about ARTS, visit the Web site at www.733arts.org.

This article makes some interesting points about community theatre in Huntington. It's true, for example, that community theatre in Charleston is more active than what you'll find in Huntington (although it tends to fluctuate here - some years have seen as many as seven community theatre groups putting on shows, while other years there have been as few as three).

Of course, I'd also argue that Charleston has been at it longer, and has better funding. Where Huntington's groups tend to make their own way, Charleston's theatre groups banded together years ago and made their way through the funding maze to acquire the kind of grants and facilities to make regular theatre possible.

It's a puzzle Huntington's theatre groups have, with some exceptions, not been able to solve. Most groups live on "the gate" (ticket sales), and that's not always a reliable way to build a successful organization.

When you get down to it, the two cities are very different. Charleston has several active (and excellent) community theatre groups, but it lacks the kind of professional-level productions Marshall University presents, and it doesn't have a summer outdoor theatre group.

What Marina Jurica is pointing out (quite correctly) is the shortage of productions for and by adults, since most of Huntington's shows are focused on young performers - Marshall's student actors, First Stage's young performers, and even HOT has relied on (mostly) young casts for the past few years.

It would be great to see a group presenting "grown-up" shows to challenge our many talented adult performers in the community - but someone has to make it happen.

Shows in Your Future

My pal Stephen Vance sends along this message about shows coming up - so mark those calendars!

He writes:

MAG (Musical Arts Guild) is having a show, don't know any of the details except it is free on April 25 and 26.

ACTC (Ashland Community and Technical College) is doing A Little Night Music April 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 with our own Bil Neal.

ARTS is doing a cabaret called Starry Starry Night April 17 & 18.

Marshall Dept. of Theatre is doing Epic Proportions April 22-25.

CLOG (Charleston Light Opera Guild) is doing South Pacific May 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 at the Civic Center Little Theatre.

Marshall Artist Series is having The 5 Browns on April 23 and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on April 28.

Portsmouth West is doing 42nd Street on May 1, 2, 3. Ravan Idzakovich is playing Peggy.

Lots of great shows coming up - thanks for the reminder, Stephen!

Two Shows This Summer at Greenbo Lake

Here's the story from today's Herald-Dispatch about two shows hitting the stage this summer:

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park will present two classics - a comedy and a musical - at its amphitheater in June.

Both productions will be produced by the Red Lion Theatre Company, a community theater group.

The Odd Couple will be presented June 4-7. The show will begin at 8:30 p.m. each evening.

The play that spawned two successful movies and an ever-popular television comedy begins with a group of guys assembled for cards in the apartment of divorced, Oscar Madison. Late to arrive is Felix Unger, who has just been separated from his wife. Felix seems a bit unstable, Oscar decides to be generous and as the action unfolds, the clean-freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together with hilarious results.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. General admission is $10, senior citizens/students $8, lodge guests/campers $7.50.

The musical The Wiz will be presented June 25-28. The show will also begin at 8:30 p.m. each evening.

The Wiz is a boisterous, exuberant musical, re-imagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz are set to a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul music that is a feast for the eyes, ears, and heart.

General admission is $12, senior citizens/students $10, lodge guests/campers $9.

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park is on KY 1, 18 miles north of I-64 from Grayson exit or 8 miles south of U.S. 23.

For more information, call the park at 1-800-325-0083.

On Stage This Weekend - "Beauty" and "Tom"

There are two community theatre shows this weekend you should check out - one in Ashland and one in Charleston:

- Disney's Beauty and the Beast will be presented by the Backstage Players tonight and Saturday at 7 p.m. at the historic Paramount Arts Center. Tickets for the show are $10 for students and seniors and $12 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at the Paramount Arts Center in advance or at the door.

- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer will be presented by the Kanawha Players tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater. The story is based on the classic book by Mark Twain. Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children.

On Stage This Weekend - "Beauty and the Beast"

The Disney version of the classic story takes the stage in Ashland this weekend. Here's the story from today's edition of the Herald-Dispatch:

You might say it's a tale as old as time.

It's Disney's Beauty and the Beast presented by Backstage Players. The musical will take place at 7 p.m. April 9-11, at the historic Paramount Arts Center.

The family-friendly musical stars Tri-State youths ranging in age from 11 to 20.

Tickets for the show are $10 for students and seniors and $12 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at the Paramount Arts Center in advance or at the door.

Step into the enchanted world of Broadway's modern classic, Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Based on the Academy Award winning animated feature, the stage version includes all of the popular songs from the film, written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, plus new songs written especially for the Broadway version by Menken and Tim Rice.

Audiences will be transported to a lovely French provincial town where the beautiful Belle lives with her father -- a dotty inventor. When her father doesn't return from a trip to the local fair, Belle rushes off to find him. To her dismay, she discovers he is being held captive in an old castle by a horrible beast. She trades her freedom for his and the tale as old as time begins.

Michael Cerveris on "Fringe"

Huntington's own Michael Cerveris is famous for his work on Broadway, but you can see him regularly on the Fox science fiction / detective drama Fringe - but you usually have to look very carefully to spot him.

He plays a character called "The Observer," and whenever something unusual appears (which happens at least once per show), he's always nearby to witness it. Sometimes you have to look closely to spot him - for instance, in a recent episode a man ran down the street and raced past The Observer.

It's become an interesting game with the show, to spot him in the scene - and I'm told there are websites out there tracking his character's appearances, though I must admit I haven't visited one yet.

He was easy to spot in last night's episode, though - at the end of the show (don't worry, I won't give away what happens) he has a nice moment on camera - and you don't have to worry about freezing the image to catch him! And the episode offers some possible insight into his character. Maybe.

Elmo's Here!

When my sons were young I had a good excuse to go to the Sesame Street stage shows - but these days, I just get to read about them.

Here's a story about the show visiting Huntington tonight and tomorrow, as written by my pal Beth Hendricks:

Everybody's favorite "street" is just a little closer to home this week.

Sesame Street Live hits the Big Sandy Superstore Arena to present the stage production, When Elmo Grows Up, today, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8. Showtime is 7 p.m. each evening, with a matinee performance at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

"This is a pretty interactive show, with the kids in the audience singing and dancing a lot. It's like their version of a rock concert. They see these characters and their jaws drop," said Chris Urban, who portrays "Count." "In fact, we just had a kid who was so excited he managed to get past the ushers and security and snuck on-stage during the performance. It was hilarious and adorable."

This stage production introduces Abby Cadabby as the newest Muppet on Sesame Street, joining Elmo, Zoe and all the other favorites as they talk about what they want to be when they grow up and prepare for a Sesame Street pageant.

"We've got all the characters everybody loves and all the songs that the kids love and the parents will remember," Urban said. Songs include "Home on the Range," "Down on the Corner," and classics such as "I Love Trash" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider."

The lesson on the "street" is all about patience, acceptance and teamwork.

"The show teaches kids that there's no rush or assertiveness to trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up," said Urban, a former employee at Sesame Place in Pennsylvania before joining up with 'Sesame Street Live' three years ago. "You're only a kid, and it's OK to be just a kid. Don't worry about being so grown up."

Ticket prices to get to Sesame Street range from $12 to $22 and can be obtained through Ticketmaster or at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena Box Office.

Any Dream Will Do

So I was surfing around the TV on Sunday and I fell across a show on BBCAmerica I'd heard nothing about.

It's called Any Dream Will Do, and it's another version of last year's reality show Grease: You're the One That I Want. (To be fair, the BBC started the whole thing by doing a reality show to cast the lead in The Sound of Music - so it's not that they're copying us. Quite the other way around.)

On this show, the contestants are competing to see who is going to win the lead role in the upcoming production in London of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor™ Dreamcoat.

Since I'm involved in community theatre, you'd think this kind of show would be my cup o' tea - but I really had to fight to make myself watch it. I think I struggle with it because it turns the whole concept of theatre on its ear - instead of focusing on the creative process, it turns auditioning into a cutthroat competition, with each performer trying to out-cheese the other.

It's a shame, because I love the musical "Joseph" - I directed it years ago for First Stage Theatre and had a great time. But this show leaves me cold.

As a guy I know used to say, if you like this sort of thing, here it is.

Here's the description from the website:

BBC America shines the spotlight on the world of musical theater in Any Dream Will Do where judges and viewers search for a new West End star that has the charisma and star quality to take on the lead role in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor™ Dreamcoat.

Hosted by presenter Graham Norton, Any Dream Will Do features world-renowned musical composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber as the head judge. Also lending their expertise at the judges' table are Torchwood star John Barrowman, Broadway and West End leading lady Denise Van Outen (Chicago), acclaimed theatre producer Bill Kenwright, and opinionated voice coach Zoe Tyler.

Thousands of hopefuls auditioned across the UK with only 100 boys making it to the London callbacks. The Joseph wannabes have to prove their worth in front of the judges who test the boys on both their musical theater and pop ability before deciding the lucky 50 who will move onto Joseph School.

Only 12 boys will 'graduate' from Joseph School, and it's then up to the viewers to decide who will become the West End's newest Joseph.

Elmo Rolls Into Town This Week

Everyone's favorite resident of Sesame Street, Elmo, will be paying a visit this week, as my pal Dave Lavender wrote this week:

'When Elmo Grows Up'

Sesame Street Live, which has been putting on furry, friend-filled musicals since Cookie Monster was in diapers, is at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena for VEE Entertainment's latest show, When Elmo Grows Up, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7 and at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 8.

Abby Cadabby, the newest Muppet on Sesame Street, joins Elmo, Zoe, Rosita and all of her furry and feathered friends in asking, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' Get ready to sing cowboy songs, ride the rails and more when Sesame Street Live When Elmo Grows Up takes the stage.

Tickets are $12 and $15. A limited number of $18 premium seats and $22 Gold Circle seats are also available. A facility fee of $1 will be added to all ticket prices. Additional fees and discounts may apply. For more information, call 304-696-4400.

To charge tickets by phone, please call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets also may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For information online, please visit www.sesamestreetlive.com.

On Stage Tonight - "Tom Sawyer"

There's only one show on stage tonight, but it's a good one. But you'll have to drive to Charleston to see it.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer will be presented by the Kanawha Players tonight at 8 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater. The show will also be offered next Friday and Saturday night.

The story, of course, is based on the classic book by Mark Twain.

Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children.

Highly recommended!

In Memory

Sometimes words fail me. I've been trying to come up with the right words to explain how I feel about the passing of three bright lights in our community.

Thursday morning I heard sirens as I got ready for work - lots of sirens. Not until later did I find out about the terrible car accident that claimed the lives of Carole and Meaghan Crawford and Kelsey Kuhn.

It's a terrible loss for their families, and for their extended families, including the students and faculty at St. Joe, co-workers at Marshall's Newman Center, and all of us in the theatre community who had worked with them over the years.

Carole was always a fun person to be around - quick to volunteer, always laughing, always positive and upbeat, ready to tackle any job. She had been so active is so many shows, creating costumes for "Seussical" and "Les Miz" and many, many more.

The stage, and our lives, will be a little darker without her.

My thoughts and prayers are with her son Chris and husband Jeff.

Coming Soon: "Starry Starry Night"

My pal Amy Knell sends along this information about a great event coming up soon, loaded with terrific singers:

STARRY STARRY NIGHT

A Musical Cabaret to Benefit ARTS

April 17 and 18 at Renaissance Center (old HHS building)

Dinner and Show Tickets are $30

Show Tickets only $15

6:30 dinner, 8:00 show

Reservations are required for dinner and show combo. Call 304-733-ARTS for reservations.

Cabaret features a variety of music from well known Broadway shows and features Ryan Hardiman, Marina Jurica, Melanie Shafer, Dave Benton and other special guests.

All proceeds benefit ARTS.

Thespian Festival

Hey, there's a thespian festival going on in town, and it starts today! My pal Stephen Vance sends along this info:

The WV Thespian Festival is the annual theatre event for high schools around the state.

It runs April 2 - 4. This year's festival is being held at Marshall University. There will be workshops for the students as well as competitions for plays, scenes, monologues, and technical projects.

Here are some of the workshops the students will be allowed to participate in: Resumes, Dialects, Sensory Recall, Elizabethan Movement, Victorian Movement, Improv, Masks, Injuries and Effects, Lighting, Scene Painting, and more. These workshops will be taught by Jack Cirillo, Gene Anthony, Mike Murphy, Joan St. Germain and Deborah Carder-Deem.

The schools competing in the one act play competition are: Musselman High, Huntington High, Musselman Middle, Magnolia High, Princeton High, Parkersburg High, Parkersburg South, Capital High, Oak Glen High, Fairmont Senior, Webster County, Martinsburg High and Wyoming East.

Throughout the festival there will be tons of other events. It's a wonderful festival that is a great experience for all involved.

Shows On Stage in April

There are several great shows coming up this month you'll want to watch for - including:

- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer will be presented by the Kanawha Players April 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theater. Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children.

- To Kill a Mockingbird will be presented at the Clay Center April 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35, $25 and $15.

- Beauty and the Beast will be presented by the Backstage Players at the Paramount Arts Center April 9, 10 and 11 at 7 p.m.

- Epic Proportions will be presented by the Marshall University Department of Theatre at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center April 22 - 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for students. Group rates are also available.

- The 5 Browns will be presented by the Marshall Artists Series at the Keith Albee Theater April 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $46, $41 and $36 for adults, Youth tickets are half-price.

- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will also be presented by the Marshall Artists Series at the Keith Albee Theater April 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $56, $51 and $46 for adults, Youth tickets are half-price.

- Ain't Misbehavin' will be presented at the Paramount Arts Center April 28 at 7 p.m.

So start marking those calendars! As always, if I've overlooked a show, let me know and I'll add it to the list!