Cabell-Midland High School's music department is presenting their annual spring band concert on Thursday, May 13 at 7 p.m. in the school's auditorium.
Come hear the award-winning bands including the Concert band directed by Ron Caviani, the Sax Ensemble directed by Chris Shew, and the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band directed by Rhonda Smalley.
Doors open at 6:30 and the show is open and free to the public.
This may just look like another photo from the St. Joe's Prom, but I find it touching, because the two stunning young people in the photo - Mary Kate Young and Eric Newfeld - performed together in a song in the second show I directed for First Stage Theatre Company - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
You only have one more chance to see the original drama The First Day of Summer! The final performance is Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Huntington Museum of Art.
I've been talking it up (because it's a show all ages will enjoy), but today's edition of the Herald-Dispatch has a lovely story by my pal Dave Lavender about The First Day of Summer you should read (the show starts Friday at the Huntington Museum of Art and runs this weekend only). You can find it right here... and right here: The First Day of Summer starts now.
OK, so the official first day of summer isn't for another month, but the new original play, The First Day of Summer, by prolific, award-winning playwright Jon Joy will be presented this weekend by the First Stage Theatre Company in the auditorium at the Huntington Museum of Art.
The show runs at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 7-8, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 9.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children.
This will be the first full-length premiere of the play, which was first written as a 30-minute, one act play in Summer 2004, and premiered to a sold out crowd at Shawnee State University in 2005. Since then, Joy has been workshopping the play, expanding it into an hour long full length with a larger cast.
Joy, who has written nearly 20 plays and has had one printed in The New York Times, performed at Columbus' Fringe Festival, FestivALL Charleston and Marshall University's New Works Festival, said the credit for inspiring this play goes to Marshall University professor John Van Kirk, who teaches a week-long class every May when students hike, write and stay at Twin Falls State Resort Park.
"It really is a neat class of just writing and hiking all day," Joy said. "I came up with the idea then and wrote it a 30-minute version and it has just grown over the years. It's about an hour-long now and is more developed with more characters, and this group has helped a lot. The kids are very honest when it comes to workshopping which has been nice. They have given me some good ideas and that's made me feel better about the play."The play follows a boy named Ron and girl named Laney, who are now 18, but who met at age 12 while on summer vacation. Though they clashed at first, they grow close and begin a life-long friendship. They spend their days playing games, talking about hopes and dreams and sharing stories of fellow classmates from their two different hometowns. When they are split apart at the end of summer they make a pact. They agree to meet back at their favorite spot in the woods on the first day of summer following high school graduation.
"It is kind of about those people that stick with you throughout your whole life," Joy said. "It's that age when you are starting to meet people and meet friends that you have for a long time, so it's kind of that coming-of-age story at the same time."
Joy, who graduated from Marshall University in 2004 with a master's in English, said they've been utilizing a minimalist set at the museum, relying on the writing and the acting of the 14 students in the play from grades third to 11th to propel the story.
Although Joy has been on the board at First Stage for about a year and a half, this is the first production he has done with the children's theater company since he was in high school and did Alice in Wonderland in 1992.
Joy said they've all been enveloped in this rare chance for a children's theater group to get to mold and then premiere a play.
"It is so different than doing a scripted play because we can play around with it, and this is the first cast to play the roles and so they have a big impact on who these characters are," Joy said. "There have been a few line changes and some dialogue that works better, but mostly they have given me confidence in the story and the characters because the play is so different from anything I have written before. That had me worried going into it, but they gave me confidence and showed me the worth in it. I really like the play a lot more now seeing it on its feet."
The play will be presented Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 9 at 2:30 p.m. at the Huntington Museum of Art.Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing’s 64th Annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards® were announced today by Tony Award nominated actor Jeff Daniels and actress Lea Michele.Here's the rundown of nominees:The nominees were selected by an independent committee of 27 theatre professionals appointed by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The 2010 Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
Marking 64 years of excellence on Broadway, The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on CBS, Sunday, June 13 at 8:00 p.m.
Best Musical
American Idiot
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet
Best Play
In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play
Next Fall
Red
Time Stands Still
Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family - Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
Enron - Music: Adam Cork, Lyrics: Lucy Prebble
Fences - Music: Branford Marsalis
Memphis - Music: David Bryan, Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan
Best Revival of a Play
Fences
Lend Me a Tenor
The Royal Family
A View from the Bridge
Best Revival of a Musical
Finian's Rainbow
La Cage aux Folles
A Little Night Music
Ragtime
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law, Hamlet
Alfred Molina, Red
Liev Schreiber, A View from the Bridge
Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane
Denzel Washington, Fences
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Viola Davis, Fences
Valerie Harper, Looped
Linda Lavin, Collected Stories
Laura Linney, Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles
Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball, Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow
Montego Glover, Memphis
Christiane Noll, Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
David Alan Grier, Race
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences
Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts
Stephen Kunken, Enron
Eddie Redmayne, Red
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Maria Dizzia, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play
Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family
Jessica Hecht, A View from the Bridge
Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
Robin De Jesús, La Cage aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow
Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim
Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away
Lillias White, Fela!
Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, The Royal Family
Alexander Dodge, Present Laughter
Santo Loquasto, Fences
Christopher Oram, Red
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, Fela!
Christine Jones, American Idiot
Derek McLane, Ragtime
Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles
Best Costume Design of a Play
Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me a Tenor
Constanza Romero, Fences
David Zinn, In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play
Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, Fela!
Santo Loquasto, Ragtime
Paul Tazewell, Memphis
Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Neil Austin, Hamlet
Neil Austin, Red
Mark Henderson, Enron
Brian MacDevitt, Fences
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, American Idiot
Donald Holder, Ragtime
Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Wierzel, Fela!
Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners, Fences
Adam Cork, Enron
Adam Cork, Red
Scott Lehrer, A View from the Bridge
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music
Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim
Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Red
Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall
Kenny Leon, Fences
Gregory Mosher, A View from the Bridge
Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Memphis
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles
Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away
Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles
Aaron Johnson, Fela!
Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises
Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis
First Stage Theatre Company Presents
The First Day of Summer
Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 9 at 2:30 p.m.
Jonathan Joy, a local playwright and director has been workshopping with the cast to expand the play into an hour-long full-length play. It offered unique acting challenges that included approaching and developing a new text. The cast was an integral part of the further development of this play. The full-length version will make its premiere with First Stage Theatre in May 2010.
The First Day of Summer is a story of two young people, a boy named Ron and a girl named Laney, who meet at age 12 one year while on summer vacation. The two clash at first, but eventually grow close and begin a lifelong friendship. They spend their days playing games, talking about hopes and dreams and sharing stories of fellow classmates from their two different hometowns. When they are split apart at the end of summer, they make a pact. They agree to meet back at their favorite spot in the woods on the first day of summer following high school graduation. Four actors portray Ron and Laney at age 12 and at age 18.
Tickets $10.00 for Adults, $8.00 Kids 12 and under. Tickets may be purchased at the door or reserved by calling 304-416-5437.
I've included some photos by the Mark Webb as proof that I'm actually in the show - that's me on the left as Sir Lionel (I think the insignia on my costume is supposed to be a phoenix, but I prefer to think of it as an angry chicken). Standing next to me are my pals Ron Short (Sir Dinadan) and Merlyn Marten (Merlyn). 
Of course, it takes a team to make a show work, and everyone in the cast and crew has worked long hours (over weeks and weeks) to make the show a real success!Thanks for the nod to A Chorus Line!
I wanted to say that I think a great part of community/college theatre around here (and I'm sure you'll agree) is that it prepares young people to work professionally. I thought you might be interested in the students that I know of who will be getting paid to work in theatres this summer.
As for me, I will be working at the Independent Theatre Collective in Wheeling, WV opening Jeremy Richter's new musical [best imitation] that appeared at the New Works Fetstival at Marshall last year.
This production will have a four-week run in Wheeling starting June 4, and will tour to FestivALL in Charleston on June 21 and 22. After that, the production will head up to Washington, DC, to do a five-performance run at the Capitol Fringe Festival! It's going to be a new, exciting experience! Also working at ITC this summer are Liz Pollack and Ethan Treutle, both from Marshall as well.
Nathan Mohebbi and Scott Burner will be working at Jenny Wiley Theatre all summer long in their season, which includes Cinderella and Joseph and the Amazing, Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Lots of exciting things happening for the students at Marshall! Those are the only ones I know, but I'm sure there may be a few others!
The MU Theatre Workshop Class of the Marshall University Theatre Department will present the staged concert version of A Chorus Line Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1 at 7 p.m. in the Francis Booth Black Box Theatre at the Joan C. Edward Performing Arts Center.
Under the direction of Bruce Rous, these theatre students have workshopped the concert version of the musical with staging since January. This performance will mark the end of their class. Among those performing: Josh Meredith, Nathan Mohebbi, Scott Burner, Mary Kate Young and Maggie Saunders.
For more information, please call 304-696-6395.
It's been a heck of a lot of fun and a real learning experience for me - after all, this is just the second show I've been involved with as an actor - and I've only stabbed myself with my dagger once so far, so I consider that a success (it was merely a scratch). The Huntington High School Theater Department is inviting the community to its upcoming performances of Footloose.
Performance dates are April 29, 30 and May 1 at 7:30 p.m. There will be a Sunday matinee performance May 2 at 3 p.m.
Ticket prices are:
Adults- $7.00
Students - $5.00
Age 3 & Younger - Free
The high-energy musical is being directed by Helen Freeman and is based on the 1984 film of the same name. It is the story of a big city kid who moves to a small town and shakes up the status quo with his love of music and dance.
For more information contact Helen Freeman by calling 304-528–6435.
Over at Huntington City Hall, they've gone ahead and crowned themselves king.(The lovely photo of Marina is by Mark Webb.)
Blow out the torches anti-government grumblers, the royal party is happening on stage upstairs at the stately Jean C. Carlo Stephenson Auditorium where Fifth Avenue Theatre Company presents its version of the classic 1960 musical, Camelot.Director Eddie Harbert has turned back the clock to the original flavor of the 1960 musical that shows bursts of magic and fun before the storyline slips into sadness.
Directed by Harbert, with music by Mike Campbell, choreography by Coni Anthony and set design by Todd Preston, Camelot opens this weekend with shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 23-24; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 25. The show also runs next weekend.
Tickets are $12 and $10 for children 12 and under.
Harbert, who is now working on his sixth show with Anthony, said that while today's versions of Camelot have been seen through a glass darkly, he's brought back more of the light-hearted fun of the original 1960 Broadway production that became associated with the ideals of the Kennedy administration.
Armed with a cast of 35, and such veterans as Mark Baker (Arthur), Marina Jurica (Guinevere), Danny Ray (Pellinore), Nancy Jackson (Morgan Le Fey) and Chuck Minsker (Sir Lionel), Camelot recaptures some of that vocal magic that helped the original show run for 873 performances on Broadway, win the show four Tony Awards and hold the No. 1 spot on the U.S. album charts for 60 weeks.
"Lately Camelot has been done darkly and very depressing," Harbert said. "It isn't supposed to become tragic until the end. It's really very light-hearted and fun. Marina as Guinevere is full of fun and life, which is the way that Julie Andrews portrayed her in the 1960s version. I felt that Camelot should be a magical, fun place, and so we put an emphasis on the comedy and a put a lot of the magic back into the show."
Harbert said in addition to adding more of the magic, which has been cut from many modern productions of the show, they also added some of the original tunes such as "Take Me to the Fair," because it is so funny.
In addition to comic relief of a dancing Chuck Minsker (as Sir Lionel), Harbert said veteran stage personality Danny Ray, who is usually directing productions these days, is on stage as King Pellinore.
"It's kind of a cameo role because he isn't on stage the whole time but once he comes out it is pretty regularly, and he is the comedy of Camelot," Harbert said.
Based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from T.H. White's novel The Once and Future King, Camelot follows the legend of King Arthur and his perfect kingdom that was shattered because of the tragic passion between Queen Guinevere and the Round Table's bravest knight Lancelot.
That story will unfold in costumes handmade by cast member Jennifer Scott, and on a stage set designed and built by Todd Preston, who is also in the production.
"Half the set is the castle and the other half is the forest with the forest going into the castle with a path going down from a cliff to the ground and another path that leads from the other side," Harbert said. "We have trees that people can climb in and so it is very magical, mystical and regal looking at the same time."
Harbert said it should be a lot of fun revisiting Camelot, which hasn't been done in Huntington since Marshall University performed it about 30 years ago.
"It's very fun and it is a kind of different Camelot," Harbert said. "I think it is the Camelot that many people, and many older people will remember -- that is why I brought it back."
The Cabell-Midland jazz band - the Jazz Knights - will be sponsoring Chocolate Jazz. It's melding smooth sounds and scrumptious desserts in an evening of smooth jazz featuring top-of-the-charts artists David Wells.
Enjoy a variety of chocolate while listening to the smooth jazz sounds of trumpeter David Wells on Friday, April 23, 2010, in the Cabell-Midland Auditorium. David Wells has performed many times in the Huntington area, especially at community events and area churches.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 each and are available in advance by calling 304-634-2797 or 304-419-4524. For more information call Rhonda Smalley at 304-743-7426.
Today let me give a quick tip o' the hat to the 30 (or so) members of the supporting cast. Local dancers are invited to take part in a master’s class taught by the company of dancers from Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.The master class is $20 and scheduled for 3:30-4:15 p.m. Thursday, April 22, in room 224 of the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center. Space is limited, and reservations are being taken by calling 304-696-3326.
Following the master class, Michael Flatley’s dancers will perform his newest masterpiece, Lord of the Dance, based on Irish folklore, at 7:30 p.m., at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are available at the Marshall Artists Series Box Office located in the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center. Ticket are $45, $50 and $55 for adults. Youth, ages 17 and under receive a 20 percent discount. For more information, call 304-696-6656 or visit online at www.marshallartistsseries.org.
The third show out this week starts on Wednesday. Our Country's Good wraps up the latest season for Marshall University's Department of Theatre. The show will be presented April 21 - 24 at 8 p.m. at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.The power of creativity to help find the humanity in the most inhuman of conditions is the powerful theme with which the Marshall University Theatre will close its 2009-2010 season.
Our Country's Good, the Tony Award-winning play by Timberlake Wertenbaker will be performed at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, April 21-24 at The Playhouse at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and Marshall faculty. Admission is free to full-time MU students with a valid ID. The play contains strong language and adult themes.
"Good" is a piece of historical fiction based on the journals of Lt. Ralph Clark, a British military officer. Clark was part of a group sent to New South Wales (now Australia) in 1787 to form a new penal colony. To find a suitable diversion for the prisoners and to improve morale in the colony, Clark decides to stage a play with the prisoners as the cast.
Director Jack Cirillo said the play has been challenging for the students participating.
"As is always the case, I'm very proud of our students. They give 110 percent all the time. The subject matter of the play is very challenging as it sometimes reflects man's inhumanity," he said. "There is a hodgepodge of dialect work being done as many of the characters come from a variety of areas of the British Isles. So coupled with the acting work comes a fair amount of dialect work as well."
One of the themes of the play is that theater is a humanizing experience -- an idea with which Cirillo completely agrees.
"Live theatre is communal," he said. "When we watch live theatre there is an interaction between performer and audience member. That interaction is multiplied by how many actors there are on stage and how many people are sitting in the audience. It is a shared experience that is organic. It happens in a moment in time and changes constantly. The entire theatre experience is a magnificent collaborative dance. I can't imagine a more humanizing art form."
Before the play each night at 7 p.m. will be "Coffee and Conversation," with complimentary coffee and chocolate and a presentation by a member of the production's creative team. The event is free to anyone with a ticket to the show.
(I hear you saying, "Hey, Chuck, didn't you post a while back that First Stage Theatre Company would be doing Annie next year?" Yes, I did - but plans have changed. I'll have more on that in an upcoming post.)So here's the deal. First Stage Theatre Company (on whose advisory board I serve) chooses its shows well in advance.
Some of your preschoolers' favorite television characters will take the stage at the Paramount Arts Center in two shows Tuesday, April 13.
Nickelodeon presents Storytime Live, the latest musical adventure featuring four of its top-rated shows - Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, Ni Hao, Kai-lan and Wonder Pets! in shows at 4 and 7 p.m.
Some of your preschoolers' favorite television characters will take the stage at the Paramount Arts Center in two shows Tuesday, April 13.Hosts Moose and Zee will take audiences through four musical adventures.
In Ni Hao, Kai-lan, Kai-lan and her friends meet their favorite superhero, the Monkey King, and agree to help bring all the pandas to his Panda Party.
In The Backyardigans, Mayor Stinkypants (Austin) has forced the dirty townspeople (Tasha, Tyrone and Uniqua) to take part in the annual Festival of Dirt. Journey through Purewood Forest as Robin Hood the Clean (Pablo) helps clean up the village of Filthingham.
In Wonder Pets!, teamwork works. The Wonder Pets gather Ollie, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts for a special celebration.
In Dora the Explorer, a witch has placed Boots under a sleeping spell that can only be broken by a true princess. Dora magically turns into a princess and saves Boots from the sleeping spell.
The show, which will feature well-known songs from the shows as well as new songs produced exclusively for the stage show, is 1 hour and 30 minutes and includes a 15-minute intermission.
Tickets are $10, $20, $25 and $30. Tickets can be purchased at the Paramount Arts Center box office, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling the box office at 606-324-3175.
Blazer Theatre Arts Society presents Allocating Annie, a comedy by Rick Abbot.
Performances are Thursday-Saturday, April 15-16-17, 2010
The Millennium Center
Paul Blazer High School
Ashland, KY
(606) 327-6040 ext. 3326
Tickets: $5.00/adults and $3.00 students/seniors
Cast:
Tracy Tucker - Abbey Craig
Cliff Tucker - Corey Vasvary
Jake Putnam - Haven Martin
Bobbi Ralston - Heather McDowell
Langdon Barnett - Shane York
Annabel Fesco - Sarah Stephens
Rebecca Ralston - Ashley Baldwin
When Cliff Tucker inherits an orphan on the eve of his wedding to wealthy Bobbi Ralston, he figures he can handle matters until the foundling turns out to be full grown and gorgeous with an infant in her arms. While Cliff is fielding this disaster, his lawyer, who is in love with Bobbi, plots to scuttle the wedding. Plans backfire when a struggling actor arrives and Cliff's housekeeper/sister lets him move into the apartment Cliff is vacating. Three convoluted romances culminate in a climactic engagement party in the final act, which includes a dress that looks like a Christmas tree, a stuffed monkey subbing for the baby, a telltale birthmark and a startling dinner entree called "Penguin Wellington."
Hope you can join us for a really fun evening of theatre!
Move it on over Jamie Oliver, there's a new cook in town and he's on a mission to create the world's best meatball.
Chef Pisghetti gets a little help in the kitchen as Curious George tries to help him save his restaurant by winning, the Golden Meatball Contest, a world-famous meatball contest in Rome.
The food and the fun will be flying Tuesday and Wednesday, April 6-7, as the inaugural tour of Curious George Live! swings on the stage at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena.
Tickets are $12 and $18. A limited number of $25 premium seats and $32 gold circle seats are also available. For more information, call 304-696-4400.The Broadway-style musical that features multiple color-splashed sets and a non-stop flow of 16 songs, lands at the Arena right in the middle of a super-busy April.
Danny Moser, a California native who got his musical and theater training at the California Institute of the Arts and at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland, said it has been amazing to be out on the road with this brand new show that is a VEE Corporation Production in association with Universal Pictures Stage Productions and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Moser, who has been in dozens of musicals, is the Man in the Yellow Hat.
No, really, he is the Man in the Yellow Hat.
The night before the audition Moser was putting up glow-in-the-dark stars in his room, and guess who loves glow-in-the-dark stars also?
"Yeah, that was weird when I found out he loved glow-in-the-dark stars," Moser said laughing. "... Well, it's all been kind of funny because I was like let's see, they're looking for a man, over 25 years old, at least 6-foot or taller, lanky and somewhat goofy, and I read that and said, 'Oh, no,' out loud. That's like my resume."
Tall and skinny at 6-3, Moser said the rest of the cast is equally suited for bringing alive one of the most beloved children's book series.
"I think everyone in the cast is so amazing," Moser said. "So many times when people hear our show they think we are lip-synching. We're not. We sound very much like our characters, and it is funny to see pictures because we do really look like cartoon characters. Everyone really puts a lot of energy into the characters and making them come to life."
Moser said he loves the show, which he tabs as a great family Broadway-style musical -- and not just a kids show.
"For age-wise the show's creators originally thought the shows would be for kids 3 to 5 but it's really like 3 to 10 because there is a lot of color and characters that the young kids will have fun with," Moser said. "But there is enough plot and story and enough details that older kids and parents can enjoy when they follow along. We get school groups of older kids and they will have a whole sheet to fill out about going to Rome, and about how to make meatballs. So it is really educational in that sense."
The hour and 40-minute show (which has a 15-minute intermission), is, of course, based on the timeless book series created in 1941 by Margret and H.A. Rey. It has provided the inspiration for books, a television series and most recently a 2006 animation feature starring Will Ferrell as the Man in the Yellow Hat.
Moser said not unlike the best animated features out today, the show also is sprinkled with lots of humor for all ages.
"There's a lot of humor that the adults will appreciate, and so because of that I wouldn't say it is just a kids show but truly a great family show," Moser said. "It is a brand new show and that's been really exciting to be on board with something just being written and produced and worked."
Produced by VEE, creators of Sesame Street Live, the impressive stage and lighting are trucked cross-country in three tractor-trailers.
"The show by its very nature is very colorful. From the moment you walk in there is a giant Curious George Live! backdrop with a big sky and surrounded by a rainbow and George lit up in the corner. That gets kids excited just coming into the show," Moser said. "Then all the characters come out and there are construction workers with red and blue and yellow shoes, and then I come out and I look like a 7-foot tall banana walking on stage. There's so many colors and everyone is talking and singing and all the pieces roll around. We have a giant yellow scaffolding that George and the actors climb around on."
Moser said the energy in the show is amazing. He loves the opening when he is off-stage and can hear the kids' reaction to Curious George.
"One of my favorite parts of the show is in the very beginning and I can just hear all the kids reacting to what they are seeing immediately," Moser said. "When I come on stage they're like, 'There he is,' and the moment George comes out on stage, it turns into a rock concert, and it is just fun to hear and to see that."
If you go:
WHAT: Curious George Live! produced in association with Universal Pictures Stage Productions and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
WHERE: Big Sandy Superstore Arena
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 6 and 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 7.
HOW MUCH: $12 and $18. A limited number of $25 premium seats and $32 gold circle seats are also available. There's a facility fee of $2.
GET TIX: To charge tickets by phone, call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
ON THE WEB: Go online at www.bigsandyarena.com. Go online at www.curiousgeorgelive.com.
ABOUT THE SHOW: This brand new, original live stage musical visits 40 cities throughout the U.S. during its 2009-2010 inaugural touring season. Curious George, the world's favorite mischievous monkey, comes to life on stage in a 90-minute dazzling production filled with 16 original songs, dancing and good wholesome fun. The storyline features lessons of friendship, loyalty and helping each other.
2010-11 BROADWAY SEASON ANNOUNCED
The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and Broadway Across America (BAA) today announced an eight-show, 14-week Broadway season for 2010-11. This is the first full season under the new partnership agreement between the two organizations, and is the first time a Columbus Broadway season has offered two multi-week engagements — Mary Poppins and Jersey Boys.
“Broadway Across America has a long history in Columbus and we welcome our new partnership with CAPA,” stated Broadway Across America CEO Miles Wilkin. “The 2010-11 season lineup is a strong start for that new relationship, and we look forward to many more successful years of bringing the best of Broadway to Columbus.”
The 2010-11 Fifth Third Bank Broadway Series combined with the upcoming August engagement of WICKED has a gross potential of more than $21 million in ticket sales and more than $65 million in economic impact for Columbus.
“We applaud the new partnership between CAPA and Broadway Across America,” stated Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer. “The positive economic impact Broadway has on Columbus is significant, and this season will more than double the number of visitors to our downtown.”
Visiting cast and crews will generate in excess of 6,500 nights of room rental for downtown hotels, and receive more than $400,000 in per diem funds.
“Broadway will have an important impact on the city’s economy both because of the huge amount of spending by cast and crew on everything from hotel rooms, food and beverage, transportation, retail, attractions, and entertainment during their stays in Columbus. Add to that the thousands of people attracted to downtown for the shows, and you can see why we’re so excited to have these events in our city,” said Paul Astleford, President and CEO of Experience Columbus. “CAPA is an important part of the Experience Columbus family.”
The season will also create $1.2 million in local employment revenue for stagehands, musicians, and front of house personnel.
“CAPA has been a wonderful partner to the City of Columbus, stepping up to oversee the funding, renovation, and management of the Lincoln Theatre, produce Festival Latino, and now design and operate the new Columbus Commons’ band shell,” said Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “Partnering with Broadway Across America is further evidence of CAPA’s dedication to this city and its service to the people of this community.”
The 2010-11 Fifth Third Bank Broadway Series subscription is a 5-show package which includes:
Legally Blonde the Musical
September 28–October 3, 2010
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
It's here, and it's "AN ELLE OF A SHOW" (TIME Magazine). The hilarious MGM film
is Broadway's new smash hit musical, and now Legally Blonde the Musical is coming to Columbus. Legally Blonde follows sorority star Elle Woods, an underestimated blonde who doesn't take "no" for an answer. When her boyfriend dumps her for someone more "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before—Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style. After turning Broadway and MTV hot pink, this “Feel-Good Song and Dance Juggernaut” (New York Magazine) is “The Best New Musical Around!” (WOR).
Rock of Ages
December 7-12, 2010
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker in LA’s most famous rock club, and they fell in love to the greatest songs of the ‘80s. It’s the five-time 2009 Tony® Award nominee Rock of Ages, an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Night Ranger, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake, and many more. Don’t miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud, and partying on! (Will your kids love Rock of Ages as much as you will? We think they’ll have a great time, but you should know that some of the costumes, dancing, and language may not be appropriate for kids under the age of 14.)
Les Misérables
March 15-20, 2011
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, Les Misérables, with glorious new staging and spectacular, reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has already been acclaimed by critics, fans, and new audiences, and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. The London Times hails the new show, “a five star hit, astonishingly powerful and as good as the original.” The Western Mail says, “an outstanding success – the best version yet.”
Mary Poppins
April 20–May 8, 2011
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Combining the best of the original stories by P. L. Travers and the beloved Walt Disney film, the Tony® Award-winning Mary Poppins is everything you’d hope for in a Broadway musical and more. Produced by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, the show includes such wonderful songs as “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” and of course, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” The NY Daily News hails Mary Poppins as “a roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza!” Let your imagination take flight at this perfectly magical musical!
Jersey Boys
August 17–September 4, 2011
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
“Too good to be true!” raves the New York Post) for Jersey Boys, the 2006 Tony® Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons — Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds, and sold 175 million records worldwide—all before they were 30! Jersey Boys, winner of the 2006 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, and most recently, the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh, What a Night,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” “It will run for centuries!” proclaims Time Magazine.
Special add-ons for the 2010-11 season include:
CATS
November 19-21, 2010
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
There's no better way to introduce your family to the wonders of live theater than with the magic, the mystery, the memory of CATS. What began as a musical about cats after Andrew Lloyd Webber picked up a book of poems in an airport bookshop has become one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, CATS features 20 of Webber's timeless melodies, including the hit song, "Memory."
STOMP
January 14-16, 2011
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
STOMP is explosive, provocative, sophisticated, sexy, utterly unique, and appeals to audiences of all ages. The international percussion sensation has garnered an armful of awards and rave reviews, and has appeared on numerous national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments – matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, lighters, hubcaps – to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms.
Riverdance
February 18-20, 2011
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
Riverdance, the thunderous celebration of Irish music, song, and dance that has tapped its way onto the world stage thrilling millions of people around the globe, will play five farewell performances in Columbus. “A Phenomenon of Historic Proportions!” raves The Washington Post. “An explosion of sight and sound that simply takes your breath away,” cheers The Chicago Tribune. “A family
evening unlike anything else!” exclaims The London Times. Discover why nothing in the world compares to The Original International Phenomenon! Whether it’s your first time or your fifth, you won’t want to miss these farewell performances of Riverdance!
Tickets for CATS, STOMP and Riverdance will be sold individually, with season subscribers being given the opportunity to purchase tickets prior to the general public.
Additionally, new subscribers who purchase before April 23 will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to WICKED prior to the general public.
WICKED
July 28-August 29, 2010
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One—born with emerald green skin—is smart, fiery, and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious, and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
Subscriptions range from $128-$501 per person and are now on sale. They can be purchased by phone at (800) 294-1892 or at www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.
Speaking of sending out the word, don't forget the last three performances of CYAC's Romeo & Juliet!I hear great things about the show - check it out!
They're tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday (4/1 - 4/3) at the WVSU Capitol Center Theatre in Charleston. Curtain time is 8 p.m.
