Entertainment News

There's a great story in today's Herald-Dispatch about this week's offering from the Marshall Artists Series - STOMP!

But it's not available online - you'll have to pick up a copy of Sunday's paper to read it.

But you will find online a story about some shows coming soon to the Paramount Arts Center:

The classic board game Clue will take on a new life in Clue the Musical for a night of dinner theatre at the Paramount.

The murder mystery features a cast of characters brought together for a dinner party at the mansion of their millionaire host. When the host turns up dead, the guests become suspects.

This is the Paramount's first musical dinner theatre. Tickets are $23 per person. Shows are at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, and Saturday, Jan. 22. A few seats are still available.

Another upcoming special event is a "Shakepearience." During the Friday, Feb. 11, performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream guests will be allowed to turn their cell phones on. Guests will get tweeted fun, informative facts and trivia about the show.

This production of one of Shakespeare's most revered comedies will feature a fresh technology twist on both the setting (glow in the dark woods) and the audience interaction (tweets). Guests are encouraged to sign up for a free Twitter account prior to the performance. For information on how to sign up, become a follower of Paramount Joe and get push notifications to your cell phone, e-mail Jenny@paramountartscenter.com.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children.

STOMP!

Coming up next week is the first show of the season - the touring version of STOMP!

It should be a lot of fun!

The video link in the poster above doesn't work, but you can see it (and get a preview of the show) by going to this site.

Stuff and Nunsense

My pal Jerry Morse sends along this note about this year's dinner theatre presentation from Huntington's First United Methodist Church:

First Church Dinner Theater is sad to announce that there will not be a new adventure for Bitsy and Boots this February. Bitsy, Boots, and Ida decided that Kat and Tommy needed help with the twins on their Valentine’s getaway to St. Croix.

But DON'T DESPAIR.

Bitsy and Boots contacted their cousin Loretta, the black sheep of the family. Loretta deserted the Methodist flock to become a NUN! She is a member of the Little Sisters of Hoboken and she will be bringing her fellow sisters to Huntington to perform. Rumor has it that it is not holy hymns, but a Hollywood review called Nunset Boulevard!?

First Church Dinner Theater presents the Tri-State premiere of Nunset Boulevard

The Nunsense Hollywood Bowl Show

First United Methodist Church is excited to be the first in the Tri-State area to present this brand-new musical comedy in the Nunsense series, by Dan Goggin, for your Valentine’s entertainment.

In Nunset Boulevard, the Little Sisters of Hoboken head to Hollywood to perform in the fabled Hollywood Bowl. Or so they think.

The Dinner Theater has been a winter highlight in Huntington since 1991. Begun as a part of First Night, the Dinner Theater has been an integral part of First Church’s Mission program, raising more than $35,000 for Mission projects through 18 productions.

Huntington’s First United Methodist is a church in Mission, supporting community projects, Mission projects across West Virginia, and national and international relief efforts. Members volunteer throughout the community, and participate in mission work teams in West Virginia, Alaska, and Nicaragua.

First United Methodist Church, 1124 5th Ave., Huntington

The performances will be on Friday, Feb. 11, 2001; Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011; and Monday, Feb. 14, 2011.

Dinner served at 6:30 p.m. Show at 8 p.m.
Choice of entrees: Prime Rib au Jus or Glazed Cornish hen, with
Tossed Salad Baked Potato
Green peas and Pearl Onions
Dilly Rolls
Assorted Valentine Desserts

Dinner plus Show: Adult - $22.00 Child under 12 - $8.00
Show only (as space permits) - $5.00

Babysitting available on request for all shows (advance notice required)

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED FOR ALL SHOWS
For Reservations, call 304-522-0357 or 740-867-8576

All profits benefit the Missions of First United Methodist

So, plan on joining us Feb, 11, 12, and 14 for some rollicking fun as only nuns can deliver. The cast includes:

Sister Mary Hubert - Loretta Hetzer
Sister Mary Leo - Jane Modlin
Sister Mary Paul - Sara Tschop
Sister Robert Ann - Leann Haines
Reverend Mother - Jane Morse
Announcer, Ursuldeen Snedeker - Stacy Morgan
Musical Director - Eddie Harbert
Director - Jerry Morse

Getting Ready...

This is the time of year when theatre groups start gearing up their rehearsals - for instance, the young stars of the upcoming show Rugrats started working on their show this week.

We'll try to take a look at some of those rehearsals in the weeks ahead. We'll also talk about the shows coming up this Spring - there are some great ones in the works - and I hear rumors that a couple of community theatre groups have big news on the way...

More news as it develops!

Lots of Shows Shut Down on Broadway

As my pal Zach Davis pointed out, quite a few shows shut down this week on Broadway - ironically, the same week that The Lion King passed Beauty and the Beast to take seventh place on the all-time list, and in three weeks The Phantom of the Opera celebrates its astonishing 23rd year on Broadway, setting a new all-time record every time the curtain goes up!

As for the shows closing this week, they include: Promises, Promises, Elf - the Musical, The Pee-wee Herman Show, West Side Story, Brief Encounters, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Bloody Andrew Jackson and Fela! (Hey, Zach - did I miss any?)

Don't worry, theatre fans - lots of new shows will soon take their place!

Shows On Stage in January

Happy New Year!

January's typically a slow month for shows - most groups are in rehearsal for their Spring shows - but here are three to look for:

- Stomp - the Marshall Artists Series presents the show Jan. 11 and 12 at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.

- Clue The Musical - the Paramount Players presents the show Jan. 21 and 22 at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Ky.

- Shipwrecked (An Entertainment) The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) by Donald Marguiles - the Charleston Stage Company presents the show Jan. 27 - 30 at the Walker Theater at the Clay Center.

Chuck's "Best of 2010" List

In looking back at 2010 I'm amazed at how many shows I didn't get to see. I only made it to 10 shows this year - about half my normal number.

So I don't feel I have any right to hand out awards for the "Best of the Year" performances or shows. But I will talk about what I did see - in order of appearance.

The first show I saw this year was the delightful Bitsy, Boots and Friends in February. It's the third in the series of plays starring the cantankerous sisters as written by Jonathan Joy. It's become an annual Valentine's production for First United Methodist Church. ("Come for the dinner, stay for the great show.") The shows are hilarious, the actors are wonderful - it's become a tradition in our household, and I'm looking forward to their 2011 offering!

March brought with it two wonderful shows, as First Stage Theatre Company celebrated its 20th Anniversary by bringing back its first show - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - and adding the sequel, Snoopy! The Musical, just for good measure. Both shows were terrific, with amazing casts. The young actors in those shows are loaded with talent, and did a wonderful job of bringing those shows to life. I wish I could buy the soundtrack to their version!

In April things were a little different, as (for the first time in 10 years) I was part of a show on stage. I had a small role in 5th Avenue's production of Camelot, and while I admit to being prejudiced, I think it was a terrific show - and most of the credit goes to the lead actors: Mark Baker as King Arthur, Marina Jurica as Queen Guenevere, Todd Preston as Sir Lancelot, and Danny Ray as Pellinor. The show had a great supporting cast, too, and it was a heck of a lot of fun to be part of the show. I highly recommend getting involved in local theatre!

In May I actually saw two shows. First Stage tackled its first original play with Jonathan Joy's The First Day of Summer, a touching story about two young people who meet in the woods and find their lives are changed forever.

The other show I saw in May was the only show I saw in Charleston this year: Courting Disaster, an original musical comedy set in a courtroom. It was a lot of fun and clever as can be, and it was great to see my pal Mel Larch having so much fun playing the conniving Judge.

September brought another terrific show - First Stage's James and the Giant Peach, as directed by Jonathan Joy (he's everywhere)! A fantastic cast, a great story and a fun show - I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

ARTS brought a show to life in August that I hadn't seen before - Will Rogers Follies - and they did an amazing job with it. The cast was terrific - special kudos to Stephen Vance for being able to do all those lines while twirling a rope, to Jane Modlin, who sang so beautifully (without falling down all those stairs), and to Jim Lamp, for stealing every scene he was in. A great show - if I were naming a "Best Show of the Year," this would be in the running.

So would The Good Doctor, presented by Marshall University in November. Apparently when you combine Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov you get an amazingly funny show. It doesn't hurt that the cast was terrific, with Chuck Heardon absolutely killing as a ladies' man.

I enjoyed all the shows on the list, but the last show I saw for the year was probably my favorite (though it was a close call with so many outstanding shows on the list). First Stage's Once Upon a Mattress featured a terrific cast, great costumes and set, wonderful songs, and a very funny show. The young actors were amazing! The directing team (led by Amy Browning) had to overcome some major hurdles to get this show done, and the final product was a real delight!

(And yes, I admit to being prejudiced, since I'm on the First Stage board - all I can say is, feel free to make your own list and I'll print it here!)

There are lots of shows I regret missing - Pirates of Penzance, Jack Cirillo's performance of A Christmas Carol, Barnum, Mary, White Christmas, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Dreamgirls - it was a season filled with great shows! Hopefully next year will be likewise, and time will permit me to see more of them.

As always, send along your list of favorites from the part year - send the to me at TheMinskers@aol.com and I'll post it here.

Oh, one more thing: Happy New Year, everyone!

Zach Davis' "Best of 2010"

Here's my pal Zach Davis with his contribution to our "Best of the Year" feature.

He writes:

Well, first off this year has been a rather interesting one to say the least. Theatre-wise I did catch a few great shows and, well, Aiden decided when I saw too many (LOL) but I have a few highlights from the year I would like to mention.

Last Spring I landed my second lead in a row over at ACTC in Copacabana. It also was the largest singing lead I have ever had and I was truly thankful for the opportunity. I also won an award for that performance but most importantly I learned the news that Allison and I were going to have a baby!

Now who can forget the great Liza Minelli performance! We had such a blast at her concert.

I along with Allison also had the chance to see the tour of Best Imitation in the Charleston Festiv-all line-up. Although it was short and ended, well, suddenly, it was a nice piece. The local author did a very good job and several great performers were in it.

I had the honor to be the technical director for I Love you, You"re Perfect, Now Change! I was the lucky one who got to actually put a functioning set in the ballroom of the ARTS building. So I was the guinea pig as one may say who paved the way and made it easier for those after me. I basically showed them what didn't work (LOL). However I loved every minute of it and loved touring to the Alban Theatre in St. Albans.

This year I made my directorial debut with Steel Magnolias! I feel that I along with my team at 5th Avenue Theatre Company had a great success on our hands and man, did that cast rock! The cast was so supportive in my family's time of need when our son Aiden came six weeks early into this world and later got sick and was transferred to Cincinnati, making me miss the final weekend and close of my first show. Aiden had surgery the morning of the final performance. I can't stress enough how much that cast and crew meant to us. That show also introduced some new talent, brought back some former Marshall actors and showed some more talent of veterans. May I also add that I brought some new faces to work behind the scenes from Ashland who built my set and I was super thankful and blessed to have them.

Allison and I were planning on attending Baby at ARTS but after we saw half the show during tech week so I could learn the plot our Son felt he needed to be born the next day! Kind of ironic really.

While in Cincinnati we did have a few chances in the evening to get out and clear our heads a little. We won tickests to see Disney on Ice Princesses! We even had box suite seats. The show was a great spectacle and very entertaining for all the families in attendance. The special effects were awesome. Also we got to see Evil Dead the Musical at the Falcon Theatre in Newport. It was so amazing and funny. We really needed to laugh that hard after what all we went through. The actors were outstanding and the producer sat right behind us. We were told that every show sold out at least a day before each performance and therefore they extended the run for an extra week. The show also featured a splash zone for those who wished to be sprayed with the fake blood. Allison wouldn't let me (LOL). It was a great way to spend Halloween night.

Finally I must add that being able to perform in White Christmas was an honor considering we spent 90 percent of the rehearsal period in Cincinnati. The show was so good and everyone was again so supportive and it was awesome to Have Allison carry our son Aiden in a few scenes! That marked his stage debut at only three months old. This year has just been a roller coaster for me and my family. Hopefully next year we will be able to get out to see more shows and from what I know, there sounds like some great plays coming up!

Bil Neal's "Best of 2010"

My pal Bil Neal is the latest to send in his comments about the "Best Community Theatre for 2010."

He writes:

In looking through my Franklin this past year, I noticed that there was a lot of theatre in our area that my schedule didn't allow me to see. Since that's the case, I find myself unable to post a "Best of " list this year - I feel like I missed too much.

Among the shows I somehow didn't get to see, I can say that lots of folks were talking about the following, and I feel bad that I didn't get to...

First Day of Summer (by Jonathon Joy), Annie (at HOT), Pippen: His life and times (gonna try to get out to that theatre in 2011), Barnum (CLOG - heard a lot of great stuff about that one and missed Kris Corbet), Steel Magnolias (Fifth Avenue), 25th Annual Spelling Bee (Pullman Hotel), Dreamgirls (CLOG - saw some of the costumes, missed the play).

Also missed a lot of the Benefits this year, but heard a lot about the one for Hospice (No Place Like Home) and the ones that Marina Jurica organized. Hope the MU Theatre Guild will do another, there's just so many causes I'd like to support.

There were several things I was able to get in town at the last minute to see at least one act. In this way I was able to enjoy Peanuts (First Stage - That role was written for Levi Kelly), Baby (ARTS - really good work, especially George Snider III and Jane Modlin), Once Upon a Mattress (First Stage - Costumes, Cast, Set - lovely), Little Shop of Horrors (Andrew Surber had me laughing out loud), and White Christmas (Fifth Avenue - good to see tap onstage, and who doesn't love Josh Janotta's voice?).

Of the plays and musicals I got to enjoy from curtain to curtain, most noteworthy were I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (ARTS - Dave Benton was a blast!), the Concert Version of A Chorus Line (MU - did anyone else cry over Nathan Mohebbi?), Harvey (ARTS - Dylan Clark's dialect, and Kenny Harbolt's physical comedy was wonderful), Always, Patsy Cline (Logan State Park - always wanted to see this show, the ladies who pulled it off were brilliant), It's a Wonderful Life (Portsmouth Little Theatre - Mark Near had me from the beginning), and (naturally) Will Rogers Follies (ARTS, but I've said enough about that).

Looking forward to so many things in 2011.

Jon Joy's "Best of 2010" List!

My pal Jonathan Joy is next to weigh in on our end-of-the-year tradition, as he sends along his "Best of 2010" list.

He writes:

I'm not going to break down the "best of" the way I did last year, because I did not see as many shows as usual. In 2009, I was able to take in 13 different plays, compared to only a handful in 2010. Having a newborn son meant we were much more likely to stay home or enjoy outdoor activites such as the pool or a variety of fairs and festivals. Fortunately, I was able to be involved in a bunch of shows and I have highlighted my best theatre experiences/memories/thoughts/people of the year here.

10) Dr. David Wohl: After a quarter century of guiding theatre artists at West Virginia State, Charleston Stage Company and Festiv-all, Dr. Wohl retired his WVSU position and moved south. Like many in the area, he helped open many doors of opportunity for me. The theatre community will miss him.

9) Amy Browning: She's a terrific director and I could not have asked for a better assistant director for my First Stage show The First Day of Summer. My son was born midway through the rehearsal process and I had to miss a few rehearsals. Amy steered the ship in my absence and helped me to craft a terrific show. Kudos to Jeanette Bills for an awesome producing job, as well.

8) Clown Jubilee: Levi Tobin Joy made his unofficial stage debut at this event at Charleston's Labelle Theatre in May. Clown Jubilee was organized by Tom King and featured an interactive approach to performing and all things clowning related. We had a great time.

7) David Johnston: The NYC based playwright visited MU's fourth annual New Works Festival in June. His play Coney was terrific and this festival may just be my favorite theatre event in Huntington.

6) The River Play: My MCTC Intro to Theatre students and I took a stab at the annual Festiv-all playwriting contest this year. The result was a funny 10-minute play about young love, pirates and redemption. We didn't win, but I was proud of their creative and entertaining ideas.

5) Theatre Camp! For the ninth straight summer, I conducted theatre camps at the Huntington Museum of Art. They have a great summer program that includes exposure to all of the arts. I had a blast with the theatre kids as they wrote their own scripts and performed them for friends, family. Jessica Fox also invited me back for a third straight year of camp at the Jeslyn.

4) Dubai: My plays were performed in North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Iowa and (of course) West Virginia this year. I was most excited, however, when a theatre from Dubai contacted me requesting rights for my 2002 political comedy American Standard. The result was my first ever overseas production.

3) WV Writers: T.W. McNemar invited me to take part in the WV Writers annual conference in Ripley. I taught three playwriting workshops in less than 24 hours and met some great fellow WV writers. There is a lot of talent in this state.

2) James (and Levi) and the Giant Peach: I had a terrific cast, crew and production team for this awesome First Stage production. I don't think I've ever had so much fun leading a young group through the rehearsal process. The result was a fun and imaginative play. It was also Levi's first full production. He was in attendance twice and he was a very good audience member - he didn't make a sound at either performance.

1) Bitsy and Boots and Friends: The good folks with the First United Methodist Church (Jane and Jerry Morse) were kind enough to stage my third helping of Bitsy and Boots fun for their annual dinner theatre. The crowds were terrific and seemed to enjoy it. I'm writing a fourth Bitsy and Boots play, though it may be a while before it hits the stage.

Of course, there are others. ACTC's festive opening night atmosphere for A Christmas Carol, Marshall University Theatre's extended use of the black box for student productions and this theatre blog should all make the list. I'm sure I'll remember others after I finish writing this. I'm just glad I live in an area with such an active and supportive theatre base. Keep up the awesome work, everybody!

Stephen's "Best of 2010" List

First up with his "Best of 2010" list is my pal Stephen Vance.

He writes:

I'm not going to do a full out best of list but here are some of the shows and performances I really enjoyed simply as an audience member (that doesn't get to happen much these days).

I had a blast at I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. It was a ton of fun and a great show for the ballroom space at ARTS.

I loved Pirates of Penzance by the Charleston Light Opera Guild. I love Gilbert and Sullivan, and that genre seems to fit what they do up there so well.

My favorite of the Artist Series of last year was Lucille Ball: "Thank You For Asking" and the Mark McVey and Marvin Hamlisch show.

I won't pick a favorite performer of the year per se, but in my opinion there has been no one that has shown more variety or growth as a performer than my friend Dylan Clark. I only got to see him in three shows, but he was brilliant in each. Born Yesterday, Harvey and The Good Doctor. He definitely deserves mentioned for his work.

There was tons of other great theatre in the area but at the chance of forgetting to mention anyone or anything, I will stop here.

The Best Of 2010 in Local Theatre

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

The end of the year is rushing up fast, so it's time (as my pal Bil reminded me) to put together a "Best of the Year" list - and as always, you're invited to send along your list of favorites, too!

The idea isn't to slight anyone, but just to mention some of the best performances in community theatre from the past year - best shows, best actors, actresses - that sort of thing.

Feel free to email those to me at TheMinskers@aol.com and I'll include them here. I'm still working on my list, and I'll post it before the 31st, but feel free to send yours along - it's fun to look back at the year in review.

If you need reminders about the shows from 2010, the first day of each month I tried to list the shows taking the stage (and I mostly succeeded) - feel free to look those over to jog your memory (the archives are over there in the right-hand column).

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Here's an all-time favorite bit of animation for the season (and a great performance, too)! Have a great holiday, and we'll see you back here on Monday:

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

Here's a great song from one of my favorite Christmas TV Specials - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Let's turn it over to snowman Burl Ives:

"Must Be Santa Claus"

Here's one of my favorite holiday videos - Bob Dylan (honest) singing a great version of "Must Be Santa Claus."

The video makes little sense, but that's part of the fun:

Christmas Light Display - "Amazing Grace"

Here's an terrific light display at The Amazing Grace Christmas House which was designed and programmed by Richard Holdman in Pleasant Grove, Utah. (I should admit that I love these displays, but they always make me feel like the laziest guy in the world - we just put our tree up yesterday!)

The display has 50,000 lights and is computer controlled. The song is Amazing Grace by Yule. I'm not sure how I feel about this version of that wonderful song, but it makes for a great display. Enjoy!

Christmas with the Muppets

For the first of our holiday videos, here's an odd one: it features Andrea Bocelli singing a classic holiday song with the Muppets.

There's an announcer who pops in at the beginning to intro the segment for an audience overseas, but it's a fun video:

The December Chill Sets In...

We're at the point in our community theatre season where all the groups turn out the lights and enjoy their holiday break - but they'll be back at it in January, producing shows or rehearsing for the next performance.

Of course, that doesn't mean we'll be shutting down here completely - I'll be posting some Christmas videos in the days ahead to keep you entertained, and I'll probably slide some news in there from time to time - and then we'll get back in gear as the New Year gets going.

In case I don't see you before then, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a great New Year!

Youth Orchestra Concert Rescheduled for Sunday

The event was snowed out last week, but they'll take another run at it on Sunday.

The Tri-State Youth Orchestra will present their annual Christmas Concert on Sunday Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. in the Ballroom of ARTS Renaissance Center on 8th Street and 10th Avenue in Huntington.

The doors open at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $5, children under 12 free.

Come hear the orchestral sounds of the season performed by the best music students in the Tri-state area.

The Top 10 Shows Presented by Schools

The Playbill website has an interesting feature about the top 10 most-produced musicals and plays in high schools in North America.

The annual list was put together by Dramatics Magazine. Here are the top five musicals:

1. Disney's Beauty and the Beast
2. Seussical the Musical
3. Grease
4. Into the Woods
5. Footloose

The top (non-musical) play was Almost, Maine, followed by A Midsummer Night's Dream
.

Good to know we're up with the times locally - every one of those shows has been produced locally at some time in the past six or seven years.

You can read the complete list at this link.