Don't Miss The Gaelic Park Players Production of The Patrick Pearse Motel by Irish playwright Hugh Leonard: April 9 - 11, 16 - 18, 23 - 25, 2010
There are few South Side actors whose work I recommend unreservedly, but this production includes one of them in the likes of Marty Donovan who I have had the pleasure of working with onstage myself and witnessing his raw talent, attention to his craft, his ready wit, his incredible imagination, humor and all around ability to move an audience to laugh, cry and cheer.
In the context of a Hugh Leonard play, his efforts are not to be missed. While you may be more familiar with Leonard's Da or A Life, I urge you to take a chance to see this production of The Patrick Pearse Motel while you can, and to get seats while you can. Opening night offers two for one tickets a rare theater buy.
Here's what the company says about the play and the production:
The Patrick Pearse Motel by Hugh Leonard
An upwardly mobile couple living in an upscale Dublin suburb, and their business partners are showing what real patriotism is all about-selling it in the form of hotels. Each room in the Patrick Pearse Motel is decorated with a portrait of a national hero. Unbeknown to her doting husband, the lady of the house is plotting a tryst with an old flame, a television commentator famed for his rudeness. Soon the stage is filled with mistaken identities, dropped trousers, a flimsy negligee and false accusations. On a rainy night at The Patrick Pearse Motel, the characters crisscross paths, threaten one another with a shillelagh and hide in convenient closets. An hysterical bedroom farce that will have you wondering how will all of this turn out and who will get out alive?
The Patrick Pearse Motel
Director-Tom Kearney
Assistant Director-Georgina Chapman
Cast:
Dermod -Marty Donovan
Grainne-Kathy Holahan
Fintan-Stephen Heffernan
Niamh-Mary Kate Brophy
Miss Manning-Taryn Mckenna
James Usheen-Mick Kenna
Hoolihan-Barney Farrelly
Show Dates are:
Fridays April 9th, 16th and 23rd at 8:00pm
Saturdays April 10th, 17th and 24th at 8:00pm
Sundays April 11th, 18th and 25 at 3:00pm
Tickets:
PLEASE NOTE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE GAELIC PARK OFFICE
$12.00 Theater Performance only
$25.00 Dinner & Theater (Sundays Only)
Opening Night - Buy 1 Get 1 Free!!
Reservations are a must for Dinner & Theater
Tickets are non-refundable
Hi there! Wondering where we've been? Sorry for the long absence.
I don't usually talk a lot about myself in this blog, sticking with humor, but this once, I should try to explain where I've been.
One of the things you never see behind a blog like this is the life of the person behind the blog. I've kept that quiet for a number or reasons, spousal request, a desire for privacy, the freedom to make fun of whomever I wanted, but the slow down in posting has gotten so bad compared to early years that it deserves an explanation I think, to those of you who have followed this blog since the beginning.
Sadly, the truth is that this blog started because I became disabled and unable to work at a real job. I'm a chronic pain patient, serious pain, and that does some things that slow my progress here.
The first is that such pain comes with depression and disorganization as a matter of course and that is especially true in my case. So the blog has been helpful to me in chasing those naughty blues away that come with the lifestyle of being in pain constantly.
The second is that the struggle to do even the minimum needed to get through life is draining enough that I don't have the energy I need to get through the normal tasks of life.
In addition, this type of experience tends to be incredibly isolating, and this blog HAS helped to work on that. Some of the comments I have gotten from friends and contributors over time have been quite nice. Thank you all. But, its the nature of this type of blog to get fewer comments than I might get elsewhere. Some of that by choice, because of the psuedo-anonymity I write with. Most of my friends have identified myself pretty easily with the clues I have left for them here.
But the biggest factor, honestly, is that like much of the inter-verse, the universe of the internet, I've been sucked into the world of social networking through Facebook.com at a key time when people my age are the largest joining group of the service.
That's been good for me personally. I am very grateful to Facebook for helping me reconnect with, and improve my connection with almost two hundred people right now that I hold in high esteem and who have been close friends or associates in humor and life over the years. For someone like me, this has been a huge deal. I'm a very social being and in my previous career I worked closely with a couple of dozen people on a weekly basis, but over the course of a year, dealt with several hundred people who I liked, respected, esteemed, and in some cases, held among my closest friends.
My work life was incredibly busy. I had invested most of my being in it with the exception of family life, which got shorter shrift than it should have.
Like many freshly disabled people, it comes as a shock, a great shock, and one that you have to work through. For a long time I let myself believe that I would feel better next week. Surely things would improve, and I would spring back into shape and resume my work and life style. I was deluding myself and it was in the interest of myself to do that because it kept me focused on trying to find a way out of my predicament. Had I had another problem than the one I do, it just might have worked to. Sadly, such did not prove to be the case.
I've learned a lot about pain in the past five years. How much can be endured. What a struggle life is for some, many of whom have it worse than I do. I have a modicum of mobility, I can type and walk or example, where others cannot. One of my cousin's cousin became paraplegic and lost nearly all motor functions.
Another close friend, one of my very best friends in fact, died three years ago in an MS related accident. No warning. Horribly shocking. Then two and a half months later, my mom died, cancer, 10 days from diagnosis to death. The two together were as or more emotionally painful as what I was going through as a result of the injuries I received six and a half years ago. Time flies.
So, this blog has been a great way to chase those naughty blues away, but did not get at my real needs, other than the need to feel productive at something useful to others. Perhaps some day, I could make a career out of it and provide an income stream of sorts.
Well, let me tell you, those ads I put up, don't help much. I still have yet to get a check from Google, though one day I may get enough page views and clicks to generate that first one. Some day. I predict that it will come before 2014 at this rate. Not that I am complaining. I'll take my wife out to dinner on that. Or buy something to keep this computer going. Or just pay my internet bill. (If you really want to help the blog, do your amazon shopping starting here. That is the single thing that could help me do better, just click on the Amazon link first here before you go over.)
Only one of my sisters has used the paypal donate link. I've left it up there though in case there is a foundation that wants to fund my comedy the cheap and easy way.
So, back to where I've been. Well other than sicker. This was a bad winter and in the fall late fall I slipped on the ice behind my car, making my injuries worse and added some new pain. Just great. Wish I had a video of it though. I sure it looked funny as hell making that pratfall YouTube.com worthy had only someone seen it and filmed it.
But the biggest factor has been Facebook, long the bastion only of high school and college students, Facebook has become in the last year flooded with people my age or thereabouts who have discovered that they can post pictures that they can control the privacy of, and create and maintain links with people they care for from far away.
The key element is privacy. If I put up family photos or the like, I can specify that only my family and friends, those I name as "Facebook friends" can see it if I so choose. Each display element has its own setting. I can even have things that only 1 or two people can see if I choose.
What has this meant for me? Connecting with more than a century and a half of old friends, keeping up with some family better, and once in awhile, making new friends. This has had a huge impact on my sense of isolation, for the better. It's been helped by the fact that quite a few old friends have started to catch on and join too.
Last week a friend joined who I used to sit at lunch with and gab through most of high school. We'd drifted apart and I missed him, but as time went on was too lazy or insecure to try to hook up again. Then, joy of joys there was a friend request from him. Amazing. Turns out he's still in town.
Each old connection that I make has helped to heal some of the wounds of lost friends to death of which I have more than I'd like to have had. It took a little prodding and begging, but I got some of my family members to join, giving us a chance to keep up better with what has been going on in their lives and to share the good things that do happen in mine. And that's an important thing. Despite all that I have gone through, life has had some real pleasant moments. Not the kind that you regularly crow at, but, the status messages that say how you are that you can set at will, make those little things news. The system prompts you to update your status with a "Peter is" statement (though you can delete the "is" if you want to.
"I've got a headache but am going to try to sleep it off."
Name "is making his fourth trip to Home (expletive deleted by him) Depot! This is it and he will have new plumbing, trap and faucet for his house."
Name "hopes someone knows a mechanic with a fix-wish to buy my Jeep..."
Name "is midterming. Wonder what the young people have learned thus far."
Name "Coffee..."
Name "is helping save the rainforest on (Lil) Green Patch! (http://apps.facebook.com/greentrees/d.php) -- Join us to help the cause! 2 hours ago - via (Lil) Green Patch"
Name "is ready for today to be over." Better write her a note and see what's up.
Name " is on the way to SNNOOWWBAAALLL!!(:. Updated via Facebook Mobile"
Name "is in Day 2 of the No Negativity in Lent experiment. Serenity now!"
Name "was thinking that he should take up hunting like Jed Clampet."
Name "is watching Man on a Wire re: wire walking between Twin Towers, great documentary."
Name ""We can make it there slow just like a circus" Britney Spears baby ♥."
Name "is celebrating Losar....(Tibetan new year)...its the year 2135, so remember to date your checks accordingly."
Name "is impressed her son is attempting to speak French."
Name "Now that Mardi Gras has come to an end, it's time to reflect, and to decide that which I must give up for lent? Perhaps scotch? Or tequila? Updated via Facebook Mobile on Tuesday"
Name "welcomes all former COMIC ASYLUM customers to ALTERNATE REALITY. 111th & Kedzie is not so far from 86th & Cicero!"
Name "is i love you."
Name "hates when he eats Cap'n Crunchberries, the roof of his mouth feels scraped lol." For the record I like Crunchberries, will have to tell my friend to let them soak a little more for softness. LOL
Name "is not able to read your post right now. However, your post is important to him. Please stay online, and he will read it in the order in which it is perceived." Good one!
Name "is hanging w/my sister & niece after seeing Junie B. I'm also geared up & excited to start audtions for "Don't Drink the Water"!!!"
Name "is wondering what Roland Burris' next story will be. last Friday"
Name " is ready to be at the beach already!" That's one thing about Facebook, you can make friends everywhere through their applications. Sometimes somewhere it is warmer, colder whatever, than you are. That can be good for perspective.
The Facebook privacy issue that hit the news last week has been settled. They announced a return to the original terms of service and promised that they would not make a change like that again and formed a standards committee of members. Good strategy. Because without that reassurance that your messages and data are private as you decide to make them, most of my friends would have left the service.
What Facebook is providing more than anything else is a PRIVATE space to share things, particularly photos. Yes, someone hacking is and sharing things is a small risk, but so far, they seem to be the best there is.
So, that's where I've been. Not just gabbing, but healing as well. And I have to say to my Facebook friends, you have no idea what good you have done for me over the past months. (They will see this if they choose because my blog posts go into my notes section automatically).
That part of me that felt like my past was disintegrating and leaving me in a "Jud-like" lonely room, is gone or at least a lot better, and if I am still not healthy enough to follow up on many of the invitations I have gotten, especially when they are to see plays (I have some great actor friends) that I may or may not have the energy for at the last minute (usually not, sadly), I appreciate them like nothing you have ever seen.
I feel much less isolated. For someone in my position, that is a tremendous thing. Reconnecting with some of the people who I care about is a wonderful, wonderful thing. And through their genealogy application I have been getting to know a lot of cousins I don't know well, (2nd cousins mostly, but still relations I wish I had known years ago.)
This is a great thing. But it has been time consuming and I have left the blog to spin in the wind a little. So, I am going to make an effort to try to post something here at least twice a week. Maybe a little more. Now that the election is past, my need to rant has quelled, and so other than a few irresistibly pokes at some of my local Chicago political players that are in the media now, I will try to lay off the political ranting for awhile. If I can stand to, I am from Illinois after all. But then Blago and company are such easy targets, it hardly seems worth the effort.
Finally, I will be trying in fits and starts to revamp the look of this blog. If you come here and things look strange, don't worry, they will look better soon. I just need to get converted to the new system and I have done so much customizing of my blog that it is hard to do that easily.
So, that's my view on the state of Facebook. I like it. I am using it. I feel good about it.
I think if you have a lot of distant connections you'd like to keep up with, or are nearly house-bound, you will love it too.
And for those who have kept checking back the last few months. Thank you ever so much! Even those who found themselves here by accident had lots of things to read in the archives. Try them, you'll like them!
Oh, better late than never.
The last night for AUDITIONS for S.T.A.R. Productions'The Makeover is tonight.
Here's the rest of the info, and apoligies to Laurie that this is so late. But at least this is advance notice of what I am sure will be a great show.
Audition Information Auditions for our next production, The Makeover (a comedy/drama published by Samuel French just six months ago), will be held at Home Auditorium (address above) on the following night:
Thursday Feb 26, 2009 7 - 9:30 PM
I assume the auditions are in their performance space, but you might want to call Laurie to find out.
PERFORMANCE SPACE: Home Auditorium 4400 S Home Ave (7000 west, a few blocks east of Harlem) Stickney, Illinois
MAILING ADDRESS: S.T.A.R. 3637 W 51st St Chicago IL 60632
(312) 802-8020
Auditionees are welcome at any time during advertised hours on either or both days. Please arrive no later than 8:30 pm to allow time to read with other actors. Most people tend to come on one of the scheduled days and stay until auditions are over. There will be cold readings from the script; monologues are not required. This play was just published, so it's not yet available online or from the library. It will be directed by Leo Rokicki and Laurie Reyna. For more information, call Laurie at (773) 585-5852.
Performance Dates Saturday, May 2, 2009 Sunday, May 3 (matinee) Friday, May 8 Saturday, May 9
The Makeover By Patsy Hester Daussat
It's a typical Saturday evening as Mike and Melanie play games with their best friends, Victor and Paula. They have been neighbors for years, and their sons, who are friends, are both home from college for the summer. Little does Melanie know that her happy, comfortable world will soon be thrown into turmoil. Mike has sent a letter to Facing Facts, Melanie and Paula's favorite reality TV show. He believes Melanie, who has gained weight over the years, would be thrilled to have a makeover at Facing Facts' fabulous spa. After all, she and Paula rave about it. Unfortunately, every Monday night when Melanie and Paula watch the show, their husbands leave to play baseball. Poor Mike is clueless about the show's cruel, ratings-hungry host, Frances Montgomery, who thrives on humiliating those who are ambushed on the show. When the Facing Facts crew descends at her door, Melanie endures a disastrous ambush. Afterwards, she cannot understand why Mike would subject her to national humiliation. Melanie tells him to be out of the house when she returns from the spa. Mike is hopeful that she will change her mind, but things only get worse the evening Melanie returns. Frances not only belittles Melanie again, she sets her sights on an oblivious Mike. Melanie finally explodes, throwing the Facing Facts crew out of her house, along with Mike. Events in the days that follow bring Melanie to realizations about herself and the important things in life.
Character Descriptions (Age ranges listed refer to what the actor should portray, not the actor's actual age.)
Roles for Women
Melanie Barnsworth, 40s-50s, an attractive, middle-class, happily married "domestic engineer" who is padded to look heavier in the first act. She is fun-loving, but has not completely come to terms with her weight issue.
Paula Giacobi, 40s-50s, Melanie's best friend and neighbor, who is a thin, attractive "domestic engineer." She is no-nonsense, but has a nurturing, comforting side.
Frances Montgomery, 30s-50s, the haughty, snobby, attractive (surgically enhanced), thin, flamboyant host of Facing Facts, an ambush reality TV show. She has a patronizing, friendly attitude on the air, but is rude and selfish off the air (except to Mike).
Monica, college-age, Frances' cute assistant and Keith's love interest. She is energetic, a bit eccentric, and very patient (she has to be to work with Frances). She will speak her mind, though.
Roles for Men
Mike Barnsworth, 40s-50s, Melanie's handsome, fit husband, who works in an office. He loves his wife and is understanding, but he's sometimes oblivious and doesn't always listen.
Victor Giacobi, 40s-50s, Paula's husband and Mike's best friend, who owns a small construction company. Despite a bit of a paunch, he is fairly attractive. He is comical, but is sometimes overly flirtatious and can be abrasive.
Keith Barnsworth, Melanie and Mike's son who is home from college for the summer. He is studying to be an architect. He's the boy-next-door type, but he is not perfect. He has a loving and caring relationship with his parents.
Ricky Giacobi, Paula and Victor's college-age son and Keith's best friend. He is more of a free spirit than Keith, and he's unconventional. He is studying psychology. He and his mother are very close. He cares about his father, but they are not as close.
Role for Either Gender
Boz, 18-65, the camera-operator. This is an average-size role with specific actions, but few lines.
Again, the last night of auditions is TONIGHT Thursday 2/26/09, 7-9:30pm. See http://ChicagoSTAR.org/audition for details...
I got an audition notice for the Opening Night Art Group summer camp program that is auditioning Annie Jr. this Monday and Tuesday, January 8th and 9th for those between 4th and 8th grade. Sorry for the late notice, but I just saw it myself.
There is a fee for taking part in this program, and if you are cast you will be assigned to one of two casts, as described below. I assume the fees go to costumes, make-up, sets, and training fees for the instructors.
This may be the equivalent of a paid day camp but with a play production at the end. While payment is due on January 1st, they seem to have a refund policy. You may want to ask others at the auditions about their experiences at the group.
As a former Daddy Warbucks, I can say that Annie is a GREAT show. Don't think that the only good parts are for girls too.
But I don't think I know this group so I can't endorse them. I can only pass along their information. Don't hold that against them though, just check them out when you get there. I don't think they could ask for money if they were not doing something good. The show is also a fundraiser for St. Jude's you could give them a call and see how much they got last year.
Their website looks pretty professional though - check it out. The links below to other parts of their website worked when I tested them.
Auditions for Opening Night Youth Productions' Presentation of
Under the direction of Ms. Dee Hamilton
Opening Night Arts Group will be holding auditions for our Opening Night Youth Productions' presentation of Annie Jr. on December 8 and 9, 2008. These auditions are for a spot in the theatre program which will present Annie, Jr. during summer 2009. These auditions are not for specific roles at this time but are for a spot in the program. Specific roles will be cast next summer during the first few days of the program. This program is primarily intended for children with some prior acting, singing, and/or dancing experience. If you love to perform come on out and audtion - we want to see you!
Proceeds from these performances of Annie, Jr. will benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
Auditions will take place as follows:
You must register for an audition date. We have a limit of 60 children per audition day. Auditions are for children who are entering the 5th grade through entering 9th grade in the summer of 2009.
Auditions are on the following days:
Monday, December 8, 2008: 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008: 5 p.m.-8 p.m.
Trinity Christian College Ozinga Chapel Building Choir Room and Recital Hall
When you register you will pick your preferred date for the audition. We will make every effort to accomodate your choice, however since there are only 60 slots per day you may need to audition on the other day. You will be notified via email of your audition date. Please be sure to provide a valid email address that you check regularly. You may register for an audition time here.
Please be prepared to perform as follows:
DANCE AUDITION:
Come prepared in comfortable clothes. You will learn a routine at the audition.
SINGING AUDITION:
Girls: Come prepared to sing “Tomorrow”.
Please click this link for music: http://www.broadwayjr.com/audition/auditionlist.asp?ID=1Choose “Score” under “Annie” and scroll down. Accompaniment will be provided at the audition. Boys: Come prepared to sing “Easy Street”
ACTING AUDITION: Come prepared with an age appropriate 1 minute monologue. The selection may or may not be memorized, actor’s choice. Monologues may be checked out at the library or found online.
AUDITION RESULTS:
Once auditions are complete, the director and producer will choose the program participants. You will be notified via email as to whether or not you have been accepted into the program. Please note that the director and staff will make the decisions they feel will be best for the production and their decisions are final.
We are looking forward to seeing the many talented children we have in our area. The Opening Night Youth Production's Summer Theatre Program promises to be an exciting and rewarding experience for all involved.
PROGRAM FEES:
There is no cost to audition. Once a child has been notified that they will be in the Opening Night Youth Production's program, fees will be as follows:
$300 for Opening Night Arts Group Members $325 for Non-members
Fee payment will be due in full by January 1, 2009. Payment plans are available.
The refund policy for this program is as follows: Registration cancelled by March 31, 2009 - Receive a full refund of registration fees Registration cancelled by June 29, 2009 - Receive a 50 percent refund of registration fees After June 29, 2009 - No refund will be given
June 29-July 23, 2009 Mondays-Thursdays 9 a.m.-noon Trinity Christian College Ozinga Chapel building Choir room and Recital Hall
Monday, July 27 - Monday, August 3, 2009 Weekdays 9 a.m.-noon (including Friday) Trinity Christian College Communications Building Marg Kallemeyn Theatre
PERFORMANCES: Trinity Christian College Communications Building Marg Kallemeyn Theatre
WHITE CAST:Tuesday, August 4, 2009 7:30 p.m. Thursday, August 6, 2009 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 8, 2009 7:30 p.m. RED CAST: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 7, 2009 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 8, 2009 3:00 p.m.
More information will be provided during auditions and in future emails. If you need assistance now, you may contact us here.
So that's the story. Since there are quite a few parts for boys, especially 7th and 8th grade boys, so don't feel that boys would not have a chance here. In fact, I think you would be at an advantage percentage wise in getting a good part. Since many of the "Adult" roles in Annie are men's roles. FDR, etc. However, this is Annie, Jr. and I don't know how it is different.
A Night of Variety I just noticed that the group is going to do "A Night of Variety" on January 23rd and 24th
Join us for a night of singing, dancing, and comedy as members of the Opening Night Performance Group and Take A Bow Performers entertain you!
Andy Avalos of WMAQ-TV Channel 5 is the Master of Ceremonies
This performance will assist Opening Night Arts Group in continuing our mission to provide contributions to charities throughout the year.
Two Nights Only!
January 23rd and 24th at 8 p.m.
Marg Kallemeyn Theater Trinity Christian College 6601 W. College Drive Palos Heights, Illinois
Tickets $17 for members / $20 for non-members Tickets purchased online will be available at will call at the theatre on the evening of the performance.
Split-the-Pot Raffle! Entertainment galore! Refreshments!
This is a family friendly show so bring the kids along for a great night of entertainment.
We are asking that everyone who attends bring at least one item to be donated to Operation Support Our Troops. These items will be delivered in care packages to the men and women on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is a great way to show your support to the troops and provide them with much needed and appreciated supplies. The organization has requested the following supplies:
Wheaton Drama, Inc. (WDI), located at Playhouse 111, 111 N. Hale Street in downtown Wheaton, prepares to open its second show of the 2008-2009 season, with the Tony Award-nominated family musical, A Year With Frog and Toad. (Map Link)
Steve Schroeder (left) as Frog and Chris Bruzzini as Toad in A Year With Frog and Toad.
Photo courtesy of Jo-Ann Ledger
A Year With Frog and Toad will be performed from November 21 – December 14. Shows are Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 7pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $21 each, or a Family Four Pack is available for $76. Visit www.wheatondrama.org for more information. The cast includes: Chris Bruzzini (Toad), Geri Larson (Bird, et al), Carrie Pyykkonen (Squirrel, et al), Margo Raube (Squirrel, et al), Amy Royle (Bird, et al), Steve Schroeder (Frog), Lori Skubich (Snail, et al), and Stuart Vance (Bird, et al).
The show is directed by Carla Mutone, assisted by Tony Farruggio. Production management is by Mary Beth deBolt and Dawn Herbst. Ginger Stephens Terlep is the music director. Choreography is by Carla Mutone and Tracy Adams, and Becky Poole will stage manage.
Director: Carla Mutone Publicity: Polly Ludena at publicity@wheatondrama.org Tickets: www.wheatondrama.org or call 630-260-1820
Other shows in WDI’s exciting 2008-2009 season include;Deathtrapby Ira Levin,A Streetcar Named Desireby Tennessee Williams, and the season finale, City of Angels*, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by David Zippel, and book by Larry Gelbart.
*Note: I've been inCity of Angelsand it is an amazing film noir musical and not to be missed when done well. Come to think of it, the only play in Wheaton Drama's season I've not been in is Frog and Toad and if it matches up to the likes of the others, it should be a no-miss for any potential theater goers. Deathtrap is a spine-tingling murder thriller that is the definitive word on the murder thriller, while A Streetcar Named Desire remains Tennessee Williams greatest work on man's heated passions, anger, regret and madness all rolled up in the faded hopes and dreams of New Orleans misty past where it might only take a bit or red paper to create a bit of magic, and an old record to create the romance of the past.
So while I am not familiar with the group, per say, I think it's worth a look-see. Their play reading and selection committee has certainly done an admirable job in picking shows that are entertaining and worth the trek. That is usually the sign of a group worth patronizing. If you do go, let me know what you thought, in case I don't get to go and review it myself.
See "Bah Humbug" an Original Musical Version of "A Christmas Carol" Nov 29th and 30th Only two performances!
Since I won't be able to see Bah Humbug, I got a chance to see one of its tech rehearsals this week instead. From what I saw, the show looks to be an exciting and fun musical rendition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol that will be fun for adults and children alike.
Staying very close to the text of the original novel, Playwright Susan Pagel's script provides an entertaining holiday trip through the trials of Miser Ebenezer Scrooge as he is confronted with his dislike of Christmas by Ghosts and Spirits of the Past, Present and Future.
I have often avoided productions of this show because I have never seen one that was not to me a re-hash of the same old story. But this production is enhanced by singing, dancing, and on-stage fiddling that makes it what could be a family favorite if discovered by a larger producer.
This is a last minute post, but if you want a fun thing to do Thanksgiving weekend, this benefit for Theater on the Move, is just what Santa ordered.
I won't try to Boss you around by saying who, it's tacky to review a show that isn't up, but this Scrooge goes through a transcendent change you won't soon forget.
Sunday, November 29, 2008 at 8:00pm Sunday, November 30, 2008 at 3:00pm
Location: Morgan Park Academy Arts Center Street: 2153 W 111th Street Chicago, IL 60643
CTA Bus: CTA Route 112 CTA Rail: Red Line to Bus 112 or Orange line to 49, 49a, and 112 EB Metra: A few blocks west of the Metra Rock Island Beverly Branch
Reservations for open seating: 773-239-2399
Here is some more information about the show and the history of the group producing it. Thanks to the Theater on the Move publicity people for providing it:
Theater On The Move, a subsidiary of Better Entertainment Enterprises, (BEE) will be celebrating it’s 25th anniversary providing entertainment in the Southwest area with it’s musical production of “Bah Humbug!, Dickens’ Christmas Carol with Song & Prose,” at the Morgan Park Academy on November 29th and 30th. The musical tells the story of Scrooge and the four spirits who visit him on Christmas Eve, forcing him to become a more kind and charitable person, keeping the spirit of Christmas in his heart throughout the calendar year. Cast members ranging in age from 2 to 97 will present this family entertainment which was written an adapted from Dickens story by Artistic Director, Susan Pagels ( West Beverly) with musical direction by Catherine Kogut-Simon (Matteson).
Better Entertainment Enterprises (BEE) was founded in 1977 and incorporated not-for-profit in 1978. BEE operated as a touring company until 1984 when a performance and training center (Bethel Performing Art Center) was established in Evergreen Park. The space was a derelict four room parochial school building, about to be demolished, when BEE took it over. Untold hours of volunteer labor and contributions brought it up to fire code and made it a cozy black box theater. After 10 years of continuous productions, BEE found it was bursting at the seams and with the kind support from its members and numerous area businesses moved to a much larger space in Merrionette Park.
The ink was not dry on the lease when pipes bursts in the building, flooding the basement and causing several weeks delay in construction. Despite this obstacle, volunteers worked day and night to create a 300 seat dinner-theater with food services provided by their top supporter, Papa Joe’s restaurant in Oak Lawn. BEE, operated successfully for several years as Struggles Dinner Playhouse until once again, BEE incurred a name change, and became, “Theater On The Move”, traveling to spaces in Crestwood, Alsip, Blue Island and for the past few years Morgan Park Academy’s stage. Since its inception, BEE has provided an opportunity for people in the Chicago metropolitan area to partake in live theater programs.
The Company has produced over two hundred full-scale comedies, dramas and musicals. Two original education children’s productions were performed for over six hundred Chicago and suburban public schools and the theater also sponsored two citywide talent competitions and workshops in the theater arts to local Girl Scout Troops. During it’s twenty-five years of operation, it has trained over 1000 area children with varying abilities and diverse backgrounds, many of whom have gone on to perform professionally and even on Broadway stages.
In addition to seeking the truly talented artist, youths that are emotionally, physically and socially disadvantaged have been given the opportunity to work in a theater environment by BEE. Students from the Pride Alternative School in Oak Lawn and Aunt Martha’s in Chicago are among the groups that have been targeted in the past. Senior citizens have also been welcomed members of many casts and stage crews. Through their training with BEE, these members gained a sense of fulfillment and the confidence to perform in other theaters in the Chicago area.
BEE’s current production “Bah Humbug” has been performed for more than 15 of its 25 years and features veteran performer John B. Boss (Oak Lawn) as the miserly old Scrooge. Playing the spirits are Jack Simon (Matteson) as Marley, Becca Thoss (Orland Pk) and Kaitlyn Frieling (Palos Heights) as Christmas Past, Peter James Foote (Beverly) as Christmas Present and Simon doubling as the Ghost of Christmas Future. Scrooge’s clerk Bob Cratchit is played by Ron Buscemi (Evergreen Park) with Kathy Murzyn (Marquette Manor ) as Mrs. Cratchit and Olivia Aleman (Oak Lawn) and Adrian Arriaga (Chicago) sharing the role of Tiny Tim. Also featured in the cast are Leo Fagan (Chicago Lawn) and Patricia Henaghan (Olympia Fields) as Mr. & Mrs. Fezziwig. The story line is narrated by Susan Pagels (West Beverly ).
Other members of the 57 person cast include: Ashley Mannion, Rachel Olson, Meghan Cronin, Meghan Hurkes, Jenna Hurkes,Callie Pieczara, Emily Killeen, Jackie Haas, (Oak Lawn): Danielle Hamzik (Bridgeview),Alice & Randy Trull (Hickory Hills), Abbey Norton ( Tinley Park), Sarah Conway, Peter Donald Foote (Scrooge as a boy) (Beverly), Nancy Balouris, Ray & Mary Anne Zygmuntovic, John Marozas, Mary Kenealy, Cathy Earle, (Chicago Ridge), Destiny Frejek, Charles Jackson, Gabrielle Berrien, Yvonne & Shesheta McNutt, Brett Arceneaux, Alexander Arnold, Daphne Ziqui, Vanessa Brown, (Chicago) : Christina Jesik, Erin Kelly, Lauren Luchsinger, Scott Sowinski (Mount Greenwood) and Mary , Lauren & Jimmy O’Neal, Jennifer, Jessica, & Michelle Spreadbury, Lauren Merriweather, Katie Scheidt (Oak Forest).
Show times are 8:00PM on Saturday , November 29th and 3:00PM on Sunday November 30th at the Morgan Park Academy, 2153 W 111th Street.
Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $13 for Senior and children 12 and under. Tickets can be reserved by calling 773-239-2399. Kick off your Holiday Season with this much loved classic and help BEE celebrate their 25th Anniversary.
As my regular readers know, in order to support the art, every so often I will promote the arts by running ads for Chicago Area Productions, and when I can, and a show runs long enough to merit it, or I can see it before it opens in a short run, I write a review. I attended the performance of Up and Coming Theater's The Producers on Saturday, October 11. 2008.
Short Review: This production of The Producers is a triumph of comedy, satire, song and dance that will leave you longing for more as you laugh and sing your way home.
Change your plans for this weekend and see Up & Coming Theatre’s The Producers on October 16, 17, 18 and 19th or you’ll regret it and your smarter friends will make fun of you. I am tempted to come a second and or third time, myself.
Forest View Theater 2121 S. Goebbert Rd Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Remaining Performances: • Thursday, October 16 - 7:30 pm • Friday, October 17 - 7:30 pm • Saturday, October 18 - 7:30 pm • Sunday, October 19 - 2:30 pm
Tickets: • Call 847-718-7702 Mon - Fri 9 am to 4 pm • Advance - $15 ($12 with Gold Card) • Door - $18
Up & Coming Theatre’s current production of The Producers is nothing less than a triumph and I don’t use that term lightly. This production is a hysterical romp, a madcap express train riot and one of the most fun and exciting shows I’ve seen in a long, long time. The cast, full orchestra and crew provided a synthesis of acting, singing, dancing, directing, choreography, orchestra, crew, sets, lighting, and fantastic costuming that left me longing for more.
Director Susan Hamel kept this rollicking farce moving at lightning speed and seemed to never leave an opportunity for an actor or dancer to let a laugh pass by while somehow increasing the pace as the number onstage grew. Choreographer Jennifer Cupani’s marvelous work was not only breathlessly pleasing, but breathtakingly funny as well, and provided everyone in the show, from walker tapping grannies, to Max. Leo, Ulla and the “Springtime” water ballet dancers, a chance to shine as they danced, rolled, shaked, shimmied, Ullalated, Scotterized, or DeBris’d the audience into ecstascy, laughter, or hysteria, whatever the case may have been.
The Music Direction by Thomas Stirling was masterful. The Producers, Jorge Bermudez, Rich McMillan and Mario Manno are to be praised for allowing Stirling the resources to put together a 16-piece orchestra, and what an orchestra, not overpowering, note perfect, and perfectly nuanced, the orchestra provided the track on which this express hurtled so directly towards our hearts. His work with the singers and dancers was superb. While you can never tell what part of a performance’s success is due to the Director and Musical Director, when this many people get so much so perfectly right, you know that their hands must have been strong at the helm of this titan of a musical. I’d call it a Titanic success but this ship did not flounder!
The lighting and scenery by Chelsea Lynn and Robert Hamel respectively added to the fun. While Max’s office seems unremarkable, it is in other areas that the true creativity comes out, and boy does it come out! That’s all I can really say, some things have to be seen in person to be appreciated.
Getting back to Director Susan Hamel, her major triumph was in creating a cohesive whole out of what could have been an unconnected morass of individual bits and “here I am” performances, focusing them, drawing the best out of each performer, until the show had assumed a life of its own, a synergistic cohesion of magic, where a miracle has occurred beyond your wildest expectations. That’s The Producers I saw this weekend. More than worth the 35-mile round-trip I took (twice, I got lost the first time) to get there. It was worth the trip, and more.
This seemingly effortless cohesion of talent ran through the whole show, this cast knew what they could do, and they did it. They knocked the audiences socks off one toe at a time, and then slipped the socks back on so they could do it again.
Now I have to try to write about nearly 30 performers, each of whom in other shows I would probably single out. Oh the tragedy of it, oh the horror! I’m going to leave someone out! And that will be a tragedy, for The Producers, like many shows of its kind, depends upon the company as a whole to keep the show going in so many places, and in this production in particular, it is the company that is the star, from It’s Opening Night, through Along Came Bially, the mammoth, eye-bending, Springtime for Hitler, Prisoners of Love, and Goodbye, the company showcases the stars, but is itself the star, as each member is given their own moments to shine, time after time, after time, after time.
Certainly it helps that the singers can dance and the dancers can sing, the tappers can count, and sing, and dance all at the same time, and all can be funny when they are supposed to be too.
There is a lot of physical comedy in this show and something you just can’t get from a concert, though the music was certainly top quality. From Spidale’s death grip on his blankey, Hamel’s entreaty’s to God, Ulla’s well, Ullaating, Anthony Berg’s incredible antics as the crazed Franz Liebkind, John Boss’s continual antics from the first seconds of his entrance as DeBris to his last moments on stage, and most especially, Dan Naylor’s counter to type dramatic, flouncing, prancing, saucy, bouncy, leaping entrance as DeBris’ Choreographer Scott, complete with saucy belly moves that had young girls there to see him swooning (I saw them Dan, don’t let them deny it, there was swooning); the show’s physical comedy was brilliantly done and helped make the show such a smash hit.
I guess the lead actors helped too. What? Them too?
When meek and mild Leo Bloom (Bob Spidale) mentions off-handedly that a crooked Broadway producer could make more money from a flop than a hit; cynical has-been Max Bialystock (Nicholas Hamel) jumps on the idea – and Bloom – like a crazed mountain lion, starting the two on an misbegotten search for a play “so bad it has to fail”, that has a brilliance, talent and fervor that is a delight for the heart and ears.
Essential to the success of the show is that Hamel and Spidale gel nearly perfectly as comic foils and masters of physical comedy with their own unique talents having many surprises to give. Though both bear some resemblance to the originals, especially Spidale, you soon forget that and get lost in this company’s magical trek towards disaster.
Hamel is nothing less than fantastic as Bialystock, less knowing and cynical than Nathan Lane’s version of the role, his Max sings richer, dances with more grace and with moves that Mr. Lane could only fondly remember. Hamel’s Betrayed, the test of tests for any to attempt this role, is superbly and artfully performed with a deftness and mimicry of the others in the cast that brought roars from the audience. His comic timing and sense of the absurd delight the audience as he pushes Bloom along in Der Gutan Tag Hop-Clop and Keep it Gay. It seems clear that one day, you will remember that you saw Nicholas Hamel in person in a break-through performance for only $18, fondly, if you are clever enough to come.
Bob Spidale is also someone you may well remember seeing first here. His Max Bloom has a golden voice that makes all his songs a delight, but his emotive skills shine though especially in That Face, I Wanna Be A Producer, and that homage to friendship, ‘Til Him. I’d compare him too, but who care about "that guy" when you can see Spidale this weekend?
Like Hamel, Spidale is a great physical comic. Spidale’s sense of the vaudevillian hilarity is never so spot on as when he dives for his “blanky” or fights with Bialystock after the first night of their show. Spidale makes the audience laugh, roar and sigh, as he, Hamel and Malloy triangulate the movements of the audience’s funny bones all night long.
Sarah Malloy’s Ulla literally leaves male audience member’s jaws dropping* when “Ulla dance” and “Ulla dance again”. I turned around to look when I finally was able to wrench my eyes away; the things a critic must do for the art. My eyes are still annoyed at me for taking them off Ms. Malloy. Her husband is not.
Yet, Malloy’s acting and singing chops go far beyond Ulla’s bewitching belly blenderizing as she brings a joyous esprit to Ulla that makes her a joy to watch throughout the show.
Sarah Malloy’s voice as “Ulla Sings” is also quite splendiciously fine, and if her belting is not as loud as Ethel Merman’s, quite frankly, nobody minded, the sound was beautiful and so was she. Malloy’s singing in That Face is particularly beautiful and her performance in the last quarter of the show, as “Ulla acts” brings an almost insane excitement to the part. More importantly, Malloy played a funny, determined, intelligent Ulla, and I continually wondered who was pulling the strings as soon as she entered the story. This was a plot element missing from the modern version, and I liked it.
Well, you’ll have to see the show to see what else she delivered. It was a joy to watch her magnificent performance as Ulla the dancer. Here Malloy, surrounded by all the other dancers in the company not only held her own, but shone showing just how talented Malloy is, and how much more of her than “Ulla” we may see of her some day.*(I am told that the murmurs during intermission that photos N____e and S______a took of husbands with their jaws gaping open were available for sale at a small fee, is just a rumor. Surely participation in theatre could not lead our young youths astray?)
I am afraid it will be difficult to talk about John B. Boss’ performance as the untalented director DeBris with a straight face, he was so outrageously funny, it was only the cast’s rehearsal schedule that saved them from Tim Conway-it is, if you get it? Got it? Good.
John Boss’ DeBris goes beyond staggering in this unforgettably flamboyant performance that had the audience rolling each and every time he made his unique way onto the stage.
Boss’ acting, singing and dancing would have completely stolen any other show had not this cast; from curly tops and producer hats to baby blue tap dancing bottoms and storm trooper boots, not been so finely polished. Boss is a consummate actor, and in what could have been a two-note character part, he produces a symphony, with all the trills and flourishes that his comic imagination could provide, each moment building on the one before it, until that glorious moment when all is revealed and he tops himself once again. And amazingly, the company marches right along with him to glory.
I’ve seen Boss in any number of productions over the years; he’s entertained audiences in all kinds of roles from romantic but unmarried Bobby in Company to geriatric curmudgeon Scrooge in The Christmas Carol, but in this performance, he has outdone himself, going beyond all expectations, superceding all imagination and anything the movie has to offer. If for no other reason, you should see this production just to see John Boss’ DeBris. You will never, ever see anything like it again.
DeBris is the perfect vehicle for Boss who is a magnificent performer in his own right. Tall and bald, his DeBris is a queenly force to be reckoned with, yet played with all the fawning insecurity the part requires. His, um, how should I put it in a family blog, posse, I’ll use that spelling, Will Loftus as Carmen Ghia, Barry Blodgett as Brian, Michael DeFrang as Kevin (and the Soloist Storm Trooper in Springtime for Hitler), Dan Naylor as Scott, and Katy Smith as Shirley, were perfectly cast and perfectly funny. Frankly, I enjoyed this scene far more than I enjoyed it in the movie due to the combined efforts of the cast. Granted, the tension brought to the scene by Spidale and Hamel pushed the laugh index through the roof and Boss’s take no prisoners physical comedy approach made the audience scream. That was before Gary Peterson’s memorable entrance.
Later in the show, DeFrang’s solo in Springtime for Hitler was a showstopper. Superb. No other word for it. Then of course, John Boss entered as “you know who”. From that point on the laughter never seemed to end.
The most difficult part of this review is that there is so much to praise in this production and so little to criticize. I found nothing of note to criticize, and worse, there was something wonderful to point out about every actor on stage. In a cast this large, this makes the review start to take on the length of War and Peace, yet in this case, it might be worth it.
For example, while Will Loftus was amazingly funny and sincerely pathetic as Carmen Ghia, providing Boss a perfect counter-point all the way through the show, yet his deep bass solo near the top of the show in I Wanna Be A Producer is so rich and beautiful that it, in and of itself is worthy of a mention.
Anthony Berg’s startlingly amazing performance and dancing as Fritz Liebkind (and his birds) caught me completely by surprise. Berg brought just the right amount of madness and camp to his portrayal, yet when the time called for tension and drama, he was able to bring it within the lines of the character he had drawn. I doubt anyone who saw his hilarious singing and dancing performance as Fritz, will ever be able to forget it. He should go far.
So who do I leave out?
How about the beautiful and beautifully choreographed tap girls who steal the audiences hearts in I Wanna Be A Producer: it’s easy to single out the tall and beautiful Laura Berger and not-as-tall but beautiful Samantha Giovannetti, since they double as usherettes. At the same time, the gorgeous Nicole Giannelli, Erika Bradbury, Jodi Buczek and Katy Smith, blended perfectly with the others, making the tap girls a unified, funny and sexy unit throughout the show.
Or should I forget to mention the comic genius of “Not her!” Elaine Castor whose frenetic and persistent antics reminded me of the Ingénue in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “The Critic” from the Chicago International Theatre Festival of the 1980’s? Both women decades apart gave me belly laughs and a near coronary. This company can’t be faulted for not swinging Castro in on a wire, it’s not in the script, but she tries to get back in the chorus line nearly every other way with fierce aplomb, yet in her other dancing characters, could not be a more graceful beauty or refined, if called for.
Speaking of costumes, follies girls Shannon Langland, Erika Bradbury, Mia Hirschel, and Toni Higgins-Thrash deserve special marks for bravery for wearing their staggeringly skimpy and ludicrously perfect costumes during Springtime for Hitler. Come to think of it, I really should have worked tech on this show. It’s only 70 miles round trip, quite reasonable really…
Don’t let me let this tiny bit of wit give the chorus girls short shrift. Their voices were heavenly and did much to make the Busby Berkeley meets Esther Williams choreography near the end of the show work its magic and their voices were as gracefully heavenly as they were. Yep, I really blew it on this one. I bet I could have been the pigeon wrangler…
Double casting was well hidden. There sure were a lot of Bialy girls. Who would suspect that Mr. Marks, The Indian, Donald Dinsmore, and a variety of walk-on storm troopers, theatergoers and prisoners were all played by the excellent, quick changing character actor Gary Peterson? Or that Barry Blodgett covered Bryan, Jason and Cop O’Brien? So, I’m not even going to go there.
Which brings us to the music overall. Stunning, enchanting, surprising, thrilling, powerful, balanced, audible, even, all parts heard, in short everything you want and expect from a show of this caliber. I heard every note and every note seemed to be wonderfully sung from virtually every cast member with a surprising virtuosity of singing from the dancers and dancing from the singers.
The full orchestra was a wonderful surprise, they were an asset to the show, never overpowering, and the actors never struggled to be heard over them, their voices floating easily above them. Tempo was never an issue as the show sailed along in perfect time.
Had this been merely a concert of the show, I doubt that the music could have been better, but it was so much more than that, with a richness of humor and surprises at every turn that made this Mel Brooks comedy, written in the old style of theatrical comedy fly by.
This is perhaps an excellent moment to talk about the virtually perfect tech and the amusing and clever scene changes all guided under the magnificent prowess of Stage Manager Dani Klosowskiwho kept the show running like a fine tuned Swiss watch. Since the back stage area of the show was undoubtedly busier than O'Hare at Thanksgiving, Klosowski and her crew deserve immense credit for brining off the amazing number of cast movements, sound and lighting cues, scene changes, prop and actor maneuverings and the thousands of little backstage details and riots that happen backstage, that must happen every night, so that what we saw on stage happens without a flaw.
The dance sequence after DeBris is signed up may be in the script, or it may have been improvised as a nod to the Mambo scene in Guys and Dolls, in any case it was a howl and covered effortlessly a scene change between DeBris' house and Bialystocks’ office with fun and esprit. Moments like this made the show fly by with fun and imagination. Keep your eye on who pulls those curtains though, I promise, it will be worth it. The sets and lighting were magnificent with too many touches to go on without spoiling the effect. But the big numbers were big and beautiful because of them. Robert Hamel’s sets deserve all the kudos they got after the show.
Other unsung Tech and Production Staff Heroes?
• Technical Director - Vlad Novikov • Master Carpenter - Grant Wenger • Scenic Designer - Bob Hamel • Lighting Designer - Chelsea Lynn • Sound Designer - Tom Scanlon • Accompanist - Kelli Shibuya • Props Coordinator - Michelle McDonagh • Publicity - Phaedra Wells • Production Assistant - Lindsey Weiss
(Anyone willing to type in the orchestra into a comment, please let me know!)
So, now you have a decision to make. Do you say to yourself, wow, what a review! Too bad I can’t go? Or do you pick up the phone and make a reservation? I can only urge you to go. It’s on your conscious now, but I’ll leave you with this thought.
I've been less consistent about writing this blog lately because of a massive back injury that has me in constant pain. I don’t usually mention it because while in comedy pain is funny, listening to whining about it is pathetic and boring. But I’ll tell you this, after 4 years of constant merciless pain ranging from 3-9 on a 10 point scale, I’m always in some level of discomfort. Always. So I was expecting to see this show after such a long ride through a wall full of misery and have to upgrade my opinion to compensate for the agony.
I'm not sure when the laughter became so overwhelming that I forgot my misery and just enjoyed the show, then became overwhelmed with laughter and was anesthetized by it completely, but the effects of the joy and laughter lasted through two acts, some talking with the cast, crew and audience after, the whole 35 mile trip home, and for several hours later, a painless interlude for which the cast and crew have now earned my undying friendship. It's literally been years since I've felt this good. Thank you for that. It might not be a miracle, but the laughs you gave me were the best over the stage medicine I’ve had in a long time.
Thank you to all concerned. If I left you out of this review, my profound apologies, just leave me a note and I will correct it. I hope to add the names of the musicians at a later date for the record.
Correction 10/15/08 Jodi Buczek tells me that I accidentally omitted the awesome Samantha Giovannetti. Probably not the first time someone has made the Giannelli/Giovannetti mistake during this production. I have still to clear up whether "Sam" was also one of the Usherettes. Nicole who I first gave that credit to is a brunette where as Sam is a blonde. I distinctly remember a blonde Usherette. But, was that a wig? So many mysteries. Guess I will just have to go back and see the show again. Corrections like this are most gratefully received.
Correction 10/16/08 Stage Manager and Technical Staff accidentally omitted were re-added to the review. Also on the cutting room floor. My sister had a baby this week, what can I say?
In keeping with the Peter Files Comedy Blog's effort's to support area theatre, here is some information on a great production. Based on the cased and crew in this production it should be a laugh riot. Don't miss one of the funniest plays now off-Broadway.
Up & Coming Theatre
in Partnership with
Community Education District 214
Proudly Presents our Fall 2008 Show
Showtimes:
• Friday, October 10 - 7:30 pm • Saturday, October 11 - 7:30 pm • Sunday, October 12 - 2:30 pm
• Thursday, October 16 - 7:30 pm • Friday, October 17 - 7:30 pm
• Saturday, October 18 - 7:30 pm • Sunday, October 19 - 2:30 pm
Theater:
Forest View Theater (Map) 2121 S. Goebbert Rd Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Tickets: • Call 847-718-7702 Monday - Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. • Advance - $15 ($12 with Gold Card) • Door - $18
Cast:
• Anthony Berg - Franz Liebkind
• Laura Berger - Usherette
• Barry Blodgett - Various
• John B. Boss - Roger De Bris
• Erika Bradbury - Tap Dancer
• Jodi Buczek - Tap Dancer
• Elaine Castro - Ensemble Dancer
• Michael DeFrang - Stormtrooper/Set Designer
• Nicole Giannelli - Tap Dancer
• Samantha Giovannetti - Tap Dancer
• Nicholas Hamel - Max Bialystock
• Toni Higgins - Hold Me Touch Me
• Mia Hirschel - Lick Me Bite Me
• Shannon Langland - Follies Girl
• Will Loftus - Carmen Ghia
• Sara Malloy - Ulla
• Peter Masterton - Jack/Accountant
• Dan Naylor - Choreographer
• Gary Peterson - Mr. Marx/Indian
• Katy Smith - Shirley Markowitz
• Bob Spidale - Leo Bloom Staff (Not on Poster):
• Technical Director - Vlad Novikov
• Stage Manager - Dani Klosowski
• Scenic Designer - Bob Hamel
• Lighting Designer - Chelsea Lynn
• Sound Designer - Tom Scanlon
• Accompanist - Kelli Shibuya
• Production Assistant - Lindsey Weiss
Up & Coming Theater has available staff positions some which have pay and all of which gives practical and educational experience:
Please send resume or letter of interest indicating position desired to UACTheatre@aol.com or to P.O. Box 473, Arlington Heights, IL 60006.
And for those of you who know John Boss, who plays Roger De Bries, one of the more flamboyant characters in the show, he has supplied this photo!
You can tell from this costume of Roger De Bris, that this will be a lavish production!
Looks like I am finally back to regular posting. Sorry for the delay, my health has been off. Hope you have been using the time to explore the archives.
P.S. The Producers of the Producers should contact me with errors or omissions, requests for a review of the show or offers of comps at thepeterfilesblog at gmail dot com Thanks!
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