Summer, 2004

The end of spring generally marks the close of the current Old Town Playhouse season. This year, however, saw the final mainstage production, ART playing in late May, followed immediately by a postponed Studio production, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN in early June, enjoying an abbreviated run just before the Gala. Both shows experienced abrupt cast changes during rehearsal, yet both were very effective productions with fine performances from cast members, old and new. MAIDEN brought to us an up and coming backstage/onstage participant, Sherry Burford, whose hard work and agreeable nature have already earned her a turn next season as a mainstage stage manager. Although the Studio show got her attention first, its postponement found her working crew on DAMN YANKEES, so it's hard to say which production qualifies as her official "first show". She is taking a double turn as actress in 2 upcoming plays: Riverside Shakespeare's MACBETH and the Playhouse musical, ASSASSINS. The end of spring also means another generation of younger Playhouse performers don cap and gown and receive their high school diplomas. The graduating class of 2004 includes the last holdouts from the memorable 2000 production of WEST SIDE STORY: Kristie George, Leigh Scheffler, Ally McLeod, Jacob Norton, and Claire Posner, as well as Elise Curtis (Kelly's daughter), Amy Bauman, Elissa Preseau, Linday Gonda, Carina Saxon, Harry (Einstein) Gillen, and Kendra (Ariel) Wright. Many of these young people will be leaving this community for college elsewhere, and their talent and camaraderie will be missed. Some adults are also departing for opportunities elsewhere, and I will say goodbye to Guy Molnar and Matt McCormick and Melissa O'Keefe and wish them Godspeed. Leaving for summer jobs at Disney World but expected back in the fall are Heidi Kelsey and eager Interlochen student, Shelby Lewis. Sarah Hampton has a lot to be excited about these days. Not only is she getting married on July 31, but she and Leigh Scheffler are performing 4 nights a week as part of the Williamsburg Dinner Theater in a review created by local performer, Dominic Fortuna called MY GENERATION, which is hoped to become a year round entertainment option for the area (Leigh and DAMN YANKEES alumnus, James Hickey expect to leave the show in the fall). Leigh and her sister, Kenna are both putting in time this summer, working downtown at BRAVO!, the gift shop managed by their mother, Kim, which is a joint enterprise of Interlochen and the State Theater project. One very important part of life which is best learned at an early age is the importance of sharing. The theater community here has been experiencing a lot of this of late as different shows and theater groups find they must share onstage talent. DAMN YANKEES found Micha Thomas stepping into roles played by all 3 teenagers in the show, while they appeared in school shows. The TCCT and Riverside Shakespeare this summer are likewise sharing younger performers, while Riverside and ASSASSINS are likewise sharing the older ones. Phil Murphy has been wearing many hats lately as Gala revue performer, MACBETH director. and actor/singer in ASSASSINS, but, as the Bay Area Times stated in a wonderful article about the delayed DEATH AND THE MAIDEN opening, there's "No Rest for the Talented". Playhouse veterans, Fred Szepanski, Ashley Moeggenberg, and Micha Thomas will be performing in GUYS AND DOLLS for the community theater group in Northport. Old friends Fred and Ashley will play Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown; Ashley stepped into the latter part after someone else dropped out, just as she did with Dainty June in GYPSY. I suppose one can develop quite a resume' this way, but it's also nice to be the first choice (of course, big stars like Meryl Streep went through this early on, landing the lead in KRAMER VS KRAMER only when CHARLIE'S ANGEL Kate Jackson couldn't get time off from the TV show to do the film). Jan Dalton, who played Peter O'Toole's role in THE LION IN WINTER, similarly found himself stepping into two memorable roles this season, even as O'Toole stepped into LAWRENCE OF ARABIA after Marlon Brando dropped out of it for another (far lesser) film. Next season Jan will wear his director's hat again for a Moliere one act.
Friends of Ashley frost can see her be one of the Young Americans in an extended run at the Milliken Auditorium of the Dennos Museum this summer. When she auditioned for WEST SIDE STORY 4 years ago, she was cast against type as "Anybody's", a non-singing and very unfeminine role. Our version of that character did sing, and beautifully; costuming did the rest. Ashley follows in the footsteps of Michelle Perez as a Young American.

Hedges Macdonald

hedges@chartermi.net