 |
Winter,
2002 |
I'll begin my winter musings with a look back at summer. A month
before
the tragic events of September 11 I stayed at the Marriott Hotel in the world
trade center for the Dark Shadows fan convention. Lara Parker, whom many
remember from that show, was there, looking much as she did 3 decades ago
(accomplished, no doubt, with secrets only her hair dresser, personal
trainer, and ---maybe--- plastic surgeon know for sure). But the
real
pleasure was visiting H. T. and Lauren Snowday in their modest but pricey
downtown apartment. She had just played an extra role of a pregnant
airline
passenger in an airport scene on the soap, GUIDING LIGHT, getting her
very
pretty mug in full frontal view as the character Michelle argued with the
ticket seller. I had a dental appointment on the day it aired and
missed
it, but Lauren showed me a tape she made. The apartment looked ok
for
two,
but maybe a little crowded for three (She gave birth the Friday before
the calamity). They were thinking of some day moving back to Traverse,
but
the World Trade Center disaster sped up things. Forced to temporarily
relocate to New Jersey, they made the decision to return and are now back in their
old place on Elmwood. Joining them in migration back here this fall
were Brad Boese , who was cast in SUMMER AND SMOKE, Jennifer Cronin, who was
in PETER PAN, Kevin Tomaszewski, who joined Margaret Schaal at Horizon
Books, and (temporarily) Guy Molnar, who is directing the Traverse City players
(including Brad and Shelby Lewis, Larry Hains, and Brett Nichols)
appearing with some New Yorkers in Kris Hains's Stage Door Productions presentation
of BABES IN ARMS as a benefit for the State Theater. Welcome home, one
and all.
I, also, had the pleasure last
summer of appearing, along with Brian Dungjen and Kathy Kocevar, in a show I had done before, A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S DREAM. Jeanette Mason directed this time, and we all had different
parts
in our second coming. One cast member from each group of characters
(Brett Nichols from the nobility/lovers, Niky Girard from the fairies, and David
Graves from the rustics) would appear in the fall Studio Theater
production of Terry Lawrence's THE MUMMY (her fourth in that space). Other OTP
veterans in MIDSUMMER included Robert Roush, Scott Bufe', Margaret Anne Slawson, Jill Beauchamp,
Bryon Q. Kuhlman, Cara McDonald, T.J. Berden,
Jan Dalton, Steve Morse, Denni Don Hunting, Ty Curtis, and Margaret Parsons
(who also did a reprise of her old part of Woodstock in Stage Door
productions's revival of SNOOPY at the Milliken Auditorium at NMC, which accompanied
their NUNSENSE II, featuring Monica Servant (City of Angels) and Psaira Baty (A
Chorus Line) among other familiar faces.). Next summer's Riverside Shakespeare play will be AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Phil Murphy.
TWO BY TWO, directed by Fred Czepanski, was a likeable (and often overlooked) musical that offered Miriam Pico and Brandon McQueen larger parts than they had previously played, gave Don
Kuehlhorn a well earned
lead role, and welcomed Billie Thompson back to the mainstage. The next show, PETER PAN, saw Kristie George playing one part, understudying another,
and helping with choreography (it is always a delight watching her work with children). Ashley Frost also doubled up,
understudying lead Leigh Scheffler and playing Peter Pan two times, as did Kristie as Tiger Lily. Kathy Kocevar had a wonderfully designed colorful costume as the ostrich
and acquitted herself well in 3 parts, including Tinkerbell, which got a
Record Eagle mention in a Loraine Anderson column. Phil Callighan was fine
as Captin Hook, and Melissa O'Keefe McLennon gave a great OTP debut as Smee.
Two
former TC dancers and one current
performer won dance scholarships this fall. Cat Widdifield (A CHORUS LINE and
last year's Gala) received the Studio 101 Pat Easterday Sholarship,
and Holly Provenzano (AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS and A CHORUS LINE) and Leigh
Scheffler (THE NUTCRACKER, CINDERELLA, ANNIE, WEST SIDE STORY, and PETER
> PAN) took home NMDC Ballet Scholarships.
Alicia Benghauser (MY FAIR LADY and WEST SIDE STORY ) played the mother
in the Northwestern Michigan Ballet Theatre production of HANSEL AND GRETEL
in the Central High auditorium in December. Happy 19th birthday wishes may
be extended to her on Saturday February 2 and to me (turning 58) on February
5.
Some OTP stars keep popping up the same time each year.
Last winter Michelle Perez played Lizzie in THE RAINMAKER, and this
winter she is Alma in SUMMER AND SMOKE. Brian Dungjen likes spring musicals:
Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN (1998), Judas in JESUS CHRIST, SUPERSTAR (2000 -
his second time in the part), Stone in CITY OF ANGELS, (2001), and John
Adams in 1776 this coming spring. In 1999 he did a switch and played the
male lead in PHILADELPHIA STORY. The coming musical will not feature
brother Bill or his wife, Susan. Like the Snowdays, they have discovered
the joys of parenting. But they'll be back.
A special welcome back to Florina Kapitzka, who returns to OTP in the
title role in Anne Marie Oomen's new play, BARTA'S PATH. Her last
appearance
was in THIRD AND OAK in 1996. Joining her this time are Jan
Dalton, Nan Worthington, Tom Bohnhorst, and Ron Stevens. A previous Oomen play,
originally done at the Opera House years ago, was revived last fall as a radio broadcast, taped in the Milliken Auditorium with Kathy
Kocevar, Jeanette Mason, Diane Hubert, Sarah Hampton, and Nan Worthington, among others. Sarah, Ed Mulcahy, and I are the 3 directors of the
upcoming
Studio
heater presentation, DEATH DEFYING ACTS, featuring original works by
Woody Allen, David Mamet, and Elaine May. Nichols and May live again!
(You
have to be over 50 to remember the legendary Mike Nichols and Elaine May
comedy team of the 50's and 60's, but we'll do our best to revive what they originated in HOTLINE).
> Hedges Macdonald <