On Stage This Weekend - "Camelot," "A Chorus Line" and "Footloose"

You have three shows to choose from this weekend:

- Camelot - The beloved musical will be presented by 5th Avenue Theatre Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Huntington City Hall auditorium. It stars Marina Jurica, Mark Baker and Todd Preston in the story of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere and Sir Lancelot.

- A concert version of A Chorus Line will be presented by the MU Theatre Workshop Class of the Marshall University Theatre Department today and Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Francis Booth Black Box Theatre at the Joan C. Edward Performing Arts Center. For more information, please call 304-696-6395.

- Footloose will be presented by the Huntington High School Theater Department tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Check 'em out - you'll see a great show and provide support for your community theatre!

Local Actors and Their Summer Jobs

This comment came from Josh Meredith, who's a theatre student at Marshall University who starred in dozens of community theatre shows locally, and I wanted to post it out here for everyone to see:

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!

This Weekend - "A Chorus Line" Concert

My pal Elaine (via another pal, Sam) sends along this info about a free concert this weekend at Marshall University:

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.

Coming Soon - the Busy Month of May

I'm working on the list of community theatre shows for May (I try to post a list of each month's shows on the first day of each month), and I'm surprised by how many there are.

Usually, May is a slow month, as most theatre groups wind down their Spring season and get ready to turn the summer over to the outdoor theatre groups. But there are some interesting shows coming up next month.

One that I'll talk more about next week is The First Day of Summer, which takes the stage at the Huntington Museum of Art the second weekend in May.

It's an original show written by local playwright Jonathan Joy, and he's directing it for the First Stage Theatre Company.

It's the final show in the 20th season celebration for the children's theatre, and it's exciting to wrap up the occasion with the group's first original show.

I've talked to some of the young actors involved and they've been having a terrific time working on this new show and helping to fine-tune it, as rehearsals take the shape of an actor's workshop.

The show is about two young people who become friends one summer, and vow to meet again when they're older. It's funny, it's touching and well worth checking out. It'll only run one weekend, so watch out for it!

Enjoying Some "Down Time" in "Camelot"

The cast of Camelot has been enjoying a couple of days off - always welcome after the hectic tech week, which leads up to the dress rehearsal, which leads up to the actual performances. Last weekend the first three performances were presented, so we're at the halfway mark.

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).

Joking aside, it's been a breeze, thanks to an outstanding team effort by the cast and crew, and terrific performances by the actors, including Marina Jurica (Queen Guenevere) and Mark Baker (King Arthur), pictured here.

If you haven't caught it yet, you have three more chances. Camelot is being presented by 5th Avenue Theatre Company at Huntington's City Hall auditorium at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with the final performance being a matinee at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $12 and $10 for children 12 and under.

I'm obviously prejudiced, but it's a great show - hope to see you there!

On Stage This Weekend - "Footloose"

From my pal Lisa Williams:

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.

On Stage Today - "Camelot"

There's only one show to catch today: Camelot is being presented by 5th Avenue Theatre Company at Huntington's City Hall auditorium at 2:30 p.m.

It is, of course, the classic musical about King Arthur and the creation of Camelot. It's loaded with great songs and terrific performances.

If you can't see it today, there are three more shows next weekend: at 8 p.m. Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 2.

Tickets are $12 and $10 for children 12 and under.

On Stage This Weekend - "Camelot," "Our Country" and "Purple Sage"

You have three great shows to choose from this weekend:

- Camelot - The beloved musical will be presented by 5th Avenue Theatre Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Huntington City Hall auditorium.

- Our Country's Good - Marshall's Theatre Alliance presents this outstanding drama Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.

- Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage - The comic horror/western will be presented by the Charleston Stage Company Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center Theatre in Charleston.

So get out there and support your community theatre!

All About "Camelot"

Hey, my pal Dave Lavender has a great write-up in today's Herald-Dispatch about this weekend's production of Camelot, which takes the stage for its first show tonight at 8 p.m.

You can read the story right here - or right here:

Over at Huntington City Hall, they've gone ahead and crowned themselves king.

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 lovely photo of Marina is by Mark Webb.)

I started to protest the line in the story about my dacing being 'comic relief,' but not because I disagree - it's because equal credit should go to my fellow knights Ron Short and Erik Weingardt - we're a team, after all!

The Stars of "Camelot"

While it takes a big cast to create a show like Camelot, it's a show that really revolves around four stars. Yesterday I promised to talk about the stars of the show, which "include an old pal, a veteran of the stage, a well-known TV anchor, and one of my co-workers in the real world."

So let's identify those mysterious figures. The veteran of the stage I referred to is Mark Baker, who plays the part of King Arthur. It's a demanding role that calls for equal skill with comedy, drama and music, and Mark manages it all with great talent and authority. It doesn't hurt that he has a wonderful singing voice and commands the stage. It's been almost a decade since I first saw Mark in a local production of Into the Woods - he was great then and he just keeps getting better and better.

The well-known anchor is, of course, Marina Jurica, one of the meteorologists for WSAZ-TV. She's also a terrific actress and an amazing singer, and this is a show that puts her to the test. Playing the part of Queen Guenevere, she sings (I think) eight songs and is on stage almost constantly, running offstage a few times just long enough to make a quick costume change. Her character is at the heart of the show's love triangle, and she turns in an amazing performance.

The 'co-worker in the real world' is Todd Preston, who works in the same building as yours truly (although in a different department - he's a Structural Engineer). He's a triple-threat in any production - he not only designed and built the set, but he also plays the part of Sir Lancelot, the third corner of the love triangle. He's perfect for the part, with a terrific bass singing voice and great stage presence. Of course, his love scenes with Guenevere are easy for him, since he's actually married to Marina.

The 'old pal' is actually younger then me - I mean 'old' in the sense that I've known him a long time. Danny Ray is a native son and theatre pro who plays the part of Pellinor, and provides the vital comic relief the musical needs. He absolutely kills in this show, and the audience will be howling every time he's on stage - especially when he has his "assistant" with him. Danny's a terrific talent and I'm thrilled to get to work with him again - he also had a starring role in the only other show I've done, 1776.

So there are the stars of the show, and four good reasons to check out Camelot when it takes the stage Friday night at 8 p.m. at Huntington's City Hall auditorium. The show also runs Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., and then does it all over again April 30, May 1 and 2.

Friday Night, It's "Chocolate Jazz!"

Here's an event that serves up some tasty sounds:

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.

Getting Closer to "Camelot"

So yesterday I talked about the set construction for Camelot, the show that starts Friday at 8 p.m. at the Huntington City Hall auditorium (it's the classic musical based on the story of King Arthur).

Today let me give a quick tip o' the hat to the 30 (or so) members of the supporting cast.

Acting is as much a team activity as any sport - it takes everyone doing their job well to make a show possible. Each show has its stars (the featured performers - I'll talk more about them soon) but it also needs supporting players, all doing their job and making the show possible.

It's like a football team - the quarterback is the star, but he can't win the game on his own. And the team only succeeds when everyone does their job.

Luckily, Camelot has a terrific supporting cast. Some of them are longtime theatre veterans, and for some it's their first show ever. But they all pitch in, learn their part and make the finished show the spectacle it is (and I mean that in a good way, of course).

There's a lot to be said for being in a supporting role - there are far fewer lines to memorize and a lot less pressure on your performance - but that doesn't make it any less vital to the goal, which is putting on a great show!

I'm proud to be part of this cast - they're a dedicated, talented crew, and lots of fun to hang around (and work) with.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about the stars of the show - which include an old pal, a veteran of the stage, a well-known TV anchor, and one of my co-workers in the real world.

Taking Lessons from "The Lord of the Dance"

Some amazingly talented dancers will take the stage tomorrow night in Huntington as part of The Lord of the Dance - and local dancers will get a chance to learn from the pros. Here's the story:

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.

"Camelot" Rehearsals Continue

It's been a busy couple of weeks as the final preparations are made for this weekend's performance of Camelot at Huntington's City Hall Auditorium.

It takes a lot of work to put on a show like this - weeks of rehearsing lines, learning songs and dances, making costumes and other preparations.

But I wanted to pay special tribute to one of the unsung heroes of any production - the set design and construction team.

Camelot's set is big and involved, placing the castle of King Arthur alongside an enchanted forest. The job of designing the set fell to Todd Preston, who also plays the part of Sir Lancelot.

He's done an amazing job not only in planning the set but also in building it. Lots of people have helped out (including Arthur himself, Mark Baker), but the two who have worked the hardest are Todd and his co-star (and wife), Marina Jurica, who spent countless hours building and painting the walls of the castle, the covering for the trees and the rocks - they even built chairs and created decorations for the castle.

My hat's off to both of them - they've worked tirelessly on this show. I hope, gentle reader, you'll see the show and appreciate all the hard work they and the rest of the cast have put into the performance!

This Week - "Camelot," "Purple Sage" and "Our Country's Good"

This week there are three shows taking the stage - all well worth your time!

Opening Friday is Camelot, the beloved musical about King Arthur, Genevere, Sir Lancelot and the knights of the Round Table. This one's of special interest because it stars Mark Baker as Arthur, WSAZ-TV meteorologist Marina Jurica as Genevere, and her husband Todd Preston as Lancelot. Oh, and, uh, I'm in the cast, too (in a thankfully small role), along with about 30 other wonderful and talented performers.

So drop by and see the show - it will be presented by 5th Avenue Theatre April 23, 24, 30 and May 1 at 8 p.m., and April 25 and May 2 at 2:30 p.m. at the Huntington City Hall auditorium.

Also on stage this week is Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, a comic horror set in the wild west. It will be presented by the Charleston Stage Company April 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center Theatre.

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.

From today's paper, here's a story written by my pal Angela Henderson:

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.

What's Up With "Annie?"

On the notice last week that Huntington Outdoor Theatre was holding auditions for Annie, I added this note:

(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.

We do this for several reasons: it makes it easier to plan the year ahead; it allows us to find theatre space for our shows; and it notifies other theatre groups about our plans.

Apparently at the same time First Stage decided to do Annie, HOT decided to do the same show. It happens quite often in community theatre - great minds tend to think alike.

None of us on the board of First Stage were aware of this, although we heard some rumors to that effect a few weeks after we had announced our season.

The fact is, any group can decide to do any show - if your group has the funding to pay for the rights to the show, and if the show is available to be rented, then your group can do that show.

First Stage intended to do the show in the Spring of 2011, but since HOT is staging it in the Summer of 2010, First Stage has dropped Annie from its schedule for next season.

In its place we have a show that's going to be very exciting. In fact, the only show comparable to it is High School Musical, which was a huge event for First Stage two years ago.

I can't tell you what that show is yet - we still have a few details to work out - but the members of the board are excited about it, and we think it's going to be huge.

More importantly, the young actors are going to love it. More on that show... soon!

On Stage - "Copacabana"

Hey, there's only one show to see this afternoon - Copacabana, which is being presented by ACTC.

The musical is based on songs by Barry Manilow, and the final show is Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in the J. B. Sowards Theatre.

Check it out!

On Stage This Weekend - Four Shows!

You have four great shows to choose from this weekend, with two in Charleston and two in Ashland. Here's the rundown:

- Copacabana - ACTC presents the musical based on songs by Barry Manilow April 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. and April 18 at 2:30 p.m. in the J. B. Sowards Theatre.

- A Raisin in the Sun - the Kanawha Players present this classic April 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. at the Civic Center Little Theatre.

- Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage - A western / comedy / horror, it will be presented by the Charleston Stage Company April 15-17, 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center Theatre in Charleston.

- Allocating Annie - Presented by the Blazer Theatre Arts Society April 15, 16 and 17 at The Millennium Center, Paul Blazer High School in Ashland, Ky.

So get out there and support your local community theatre!

An Interview About "Copacabana"

Time for an e-interview with my pal Zach Davis, who happens to be one of the stars of Copacabana, which runs this weekend at Ashland Community and Technical College.

Here's what he had to say:

Q: For those who haven't seen it, what is the musical Copacabana about?

Zach: Copacabana is a musical based on the famous song by Barry Manilow. The story is about a young song writer named Stephen who tells the a love story of a young couple to his wife Samantha. The story dates back to 1947 in the glorious Technicolor world of the famous Copacabana Night Club. Stephen tells the story of Lola La Mar and Tony Forte.

Q: Why did you want to be part of this production?

Zach: I wanted to take part in this production because it isn't a typical musical and it has never been performed in the Tri-state area by any community theate group. It did come through several years ago on a national tour at the Paramount. I saw an opportunity for growth as an actor in the production as well. I also took part as a tribute to my late Nanny who loved Barry Manilow's music. She lost the fight to Lung Cancer in June.

Q: What part do you play in the show?

Zach: I play the male lead - Stephen / Tony Forte, a young struggling songwriter.

Q: Why would you recommend this show to our readers?

Zach: I recommend the show because: 1) It's a high energy show that is new to the area; 2) the orchestra is dressed and on stage and they are the best sounding band I have heard in a play in years; 3) the costumer has created such amazing masterpieces for the actors.; 4) it is a musical comedy and those just simply need an audience; 5) how can one go wrong with music by Barry Manilow! His work is incredible; and well, last but not least, I have to say 5) IT'S ME! I MEAN I HAVE TONS OF COSTUMES AND DANCE! Seriously though everyone needs to just help support the local Arts!

Q: Tell us the facts about the show - when and where it's staged, etc.

Zach: Copacabana the Musical by Barry Manilow has one weekend left. Runs Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 18 at 2:30 p.m. at Ashland Community and Technical College, J.B. Sowards Theatre. Tickets are $6 for Adults, $4 for kids and Seniors, and $2 for ACTC and Morehead Students.

HOT Announces Auditions for "Annie"

The Huntington Outdoor Theatre is getting geared up for its summer production of Annie.

Auditions will be held Saturday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, April 18 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Callbacks will be held May 8 and 9.

Auditions will be at Trinity Episcopal Church on 5th Ave and 11th Street in Huntington. Enter through the 11th Street side.

All auditioners must prepare a 30-second selection of music and be prepared to dance. Actors are needed from age 7 through adult.

Shows will begin July 2 and run each Friday, Saturday and Sunday through July 25.

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(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.)