Summer, 2005

With the year 2005 at the midway point, it's time to reflect on the last six months.  There were 2 back to back Studio shows  - WIVES OF AN AMERICAN KING and 3 CLASSIC ONE ACTS - that struggled with their awkward scheduling, making rehearsals widely scattered as to location and seeing several actors leave and their roles recast.  Debuting director, Stephanie Leach lost both her leads and had to step into one role herself.  The other 2 one act directors, Wayne Errecca and Jan Dalton also wound up playing parts in their own shows (Wayne is the nephew of famous Hollywood character actor, Victor Buono of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? and BATMAN (King Tut) fame).  Since finishing the one acts, all 3 have taken on other directing projects, with Jan tackling MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING for Riverside Shakespeare and the others doing full length projects in the Studio.  Wayne's project is his own original script.   ****** CAROUSEL, directed by Don Kuehlhorn, saw several participants from TCCT children's theater program make mainstage debuts, as well as some familiar faces being given larger than usual parts.  Lead Alyssa Rademacher was making her community theater debut opposite Mike Axford (no longer "Mr. Cellophane", as in his CHICAGO days), who had always dreamed of playing Billy Bigelow (I would opt more towards CABARET's Herr Schultz, but that's another story).   ******  LEND ME A TENOR, which closed out the season, was easily the best of the bunch, with every role flawlessly cast, and the handling of the fast moving show by director Gary Bolton a textbook example of how to do this type of play.  Christy Anderson is developing into a marvelous dumb but sexy comedienne, and Phil Murphy's Italian tenor, Tito was classic; the other roles were also excellent.     Ed Mulcahy was assistant director, preparing for directing his first mainstage effort, the marvelous straight (no songs) comedy, MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940 (not to be confused with THE 1940'S RADIO HOUR, done by Mike Kelly's Theater North company at the Trillium last winter).  Stephanie's Studio Theater opener, DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER, while less familiar locally than TENOR, is in that same comedic vein, and was done very successfully in Midland's community theater a year ago; actors and playgoers who like that type of show should put this DINNER on their menu.  ****** With the ending of another school year, some high school students familiar in the local performing scene are leaving us for other opportunities.  Shelby Lewis, who began with us in summer productions (LEADER OF THE PACK and CINDERELLA), then playing major roles in mainstage productions (ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (title role) and PETER PAN (Wendy), before choosing to finish her schooling at Interlochen Arts Academy; she now will attend  Carnegie Mellon.  Maggie Racich, who divided her spring between playing Dorothy in WIZARD OF OZ (at Northport High School) and Kim Mac Afee in BYE, BYE, BIRDIE (at Northwestern Michigan College, thanks to her dual enrollment at the 2 schools) is now headed for college in Boston.  BIRDIE was NMC's first ever musical, and boasted many familiar faces from recent Playhouse shows and the DISTURBING THE PIECE improv group at Holiday Inn.  Ashleigh Hanchett from the latter group did the part where, back in 1990,  Amy Horn, one of our former dancer extraordinaires, proved she was also a pretty good actress, in our production; Ashleigh feels ready to tackle our auditions.   Esme' Bloomquist, one of our PRETENTIOUS YOUNG LADIES from last spring and the upcoming Margot Frank (sister of Anne, in DIARY OF) had a role in the NMC BIRDIE, and is currently rehearsing   the role of Hero in MUCH ADO; her leading man in this play, Riley Leiter, did a part in the Elk Rapids high school production  of the same musical, which played a week earlier and was directed by Rob Stow.  ****** Other summertime performing projects involving Playhouse people include GODSPELL at the Milliken Auditorium, in which Central and West High school choreographer,  Pat Gallagher has recruited 10 of her best former dancers, including Amy Baumann (Peter Pan), Jay Schumacher (CRAZY FOR YOU), and Khaki Pixley (this year's Playhouse Gala) for a fast paced, delightful rendition of this show; THE BOY FRIEND at the Northport auditorium, where Karen Cross, who directed GUYS AND DOLLS last year and is going to direct a Thornton Wilder classic one act at OTP next winter, is directing Maggie Racich's local farewell appearance, with choreography by fellow cast member, Micah Thomas, and Jamie Moyers (our other PRETENTIOUS YOUNG LADY) in a major role; AARON'S CROSSING, a musical adaptation of the book, with the Goodearls (Dan and Barbara, who are also involved in DIARY OF ANNE FRANK) and Al Lien - a play currently at the staged reading level;  a film being shot in Kingsley and Marquette by Jeff Morgan of Promethius Productions with Stacy Griffith, Al Lien (the head druid), me (a nine inch fairy, filmed entirely in front of a green screen) and the Goodearls.      Performers at this year's Cherry Festival included Chelsee Oaks and Miriam Pico, both of whom have their own CD's and tee shirts for sale.  Miriam has her own group, performs with Chris Cook's band, East Bay Blues  and will be singing at the Friday night cafe at Just Imagine on 14th Street, where Tanya Donahue of last fall's OUR TOWN (which Brian Dungjen directed) and sometime TCCT insructor, has been given the full time position of talent coordinator.        ***** And let us not forget the very talented, award  winning singer Sara Baty (of A CHORUS LINE), who left us years ago to go away to college.  She has finished her undergraduate work and is back in town, where this fall she will be a teaching assistant at Central Grade school.  She is looking forward to auditioning again at OTP.   

Hedges Macdonald

hedges@chartermi.net