Sunday, September 21, 2008 and Monday, September 22, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Auditions will be held at:
The Grand Theatre
405 South Main Street
Williamstown, New Jersey
Auditions consist of cold readings from the script. Those auditioning for Max, Tito, and the Bellhop please have a portion of an operatic-type song prepared that you can sing acapella. These characters do not require trained singing voices, but the actors should be able to carry a tune and sing loudly. Show dates are November 28, 29, 30 (2pm matinee), December 5 and 6.Synopsis: This night in September of 1934 is the biggest in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. World famous tenor Tito Morelli is to perform Othello, his greatest role, at the gala season opener. Saunders, the General Manager, hopes this will put Cleveland on the operatic map. Morelli is late; when he finally sweeps in it is too late to rehearse with the company. Through a hilarious series of mishaps, Il Stupendo is given a double dose of tranquilizers which mix with the booze he has consumed and he passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he is dead. What to do? Max is an aspiring singer and Saunders persuades him to get into Morelli's Othello costume and try to fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume. Now two Othello’s are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo! A sensation on Broadway and in London's West End, Lend Me a Tenor is guaranteed to leave your audiences teary eyed with laughter.
Character Descriptions:
Max*-Assistant to Saunders. Late twenties-mid thirties. Max is earnest and hard-working, and is in love with Maggie.Maggie- Max’s girlfriend & Saunders’ daughter. Mid twenties-early thirties. Maggie is smart & practical, but yearns for something “wonderful and romantic” before she settles down with Max.Saunders-General Manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. Late forties-mid sixties. Saunders is brusque and authoritarian with a short fuse.Tito Merelli*-A world-famous tenor, also known to his fans as “Il Stupendo.” Early forties-mid sixties. Tito is larger than life; full of grand gestures and grand appetites. He has an Italian accent.Maria-Tito’s wife. Mid thirties-late forties. Maria is proud, excitable, and emotional. She speaks with an Italian accent.Bellhop*-A bellhop. Early twenties-mid thirties. The bellhop is shrewd, opportunistic, and determined to audition for Tito.Diana-The Cleveland Grand Opera’s lead soprano. Early thirties-late forties. Diana is sexy and forceful; she knows what she wants and how to get it.Julia-Chairperson of the Opera Guild. Mid forties-early seventies. Julia is vivacious and charming and passionate about opera.*These characters sing “opera.” The actors need only be able to sing loudly and carry a tune; operatic training is not required.For more information call (856) 728-2120 or contact the director, John Blackwell, at johnnyblack4@comcast.net
Interested in Reviewing for StageMagazineOnline.com? Contact Maribeth@StageMagazineOnline.com and she'll tell you how to get started!
Parts of this article apply to:
Philadelphia Theater, Lancaster Theater, Wilmington Theater, Cape May Theater, New Jersey Theater, Delaware Theater, Professional Theater, University Theater, Community Theater, Summer Theater, Theater for Youth, Childrens Theater, High School Theater, Theater Reviews, Theater Auditions, Theater Tickets, Theater Openings, Theater Job Openings, Musical Theater, Philadelphia Auditions, Cappies, Group Rates for Theater Tickets, Actors, Actresses, Theater Directors, MySpace, Facebook, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking
Interested in Reviewing for StageMagazineOnline.com? Contact Maribeth@StageMagazineOnline.com and she'll tell you how to get started!
Parts of this article apply to:
Philadelphia Theater, Lancaster Theater, Wilmington Theater, Cape May Theater, New Jersey Theater, Delaware Theater, Professional Theater, University Theater, Community Theater, Summer Theater, Theater for Youth, Childrens Theater, High School Theater, Theater Reviews, Theater Auditions, Theater Tickets, Theater Openings, Theater Job Openings, Musical Theater, Philadelphia Auditions, Cappies, Group Rates for Theater Tickets, Actors, Actresses, Theater Directors, MySpace, Facebook, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking
South Jersey's most daring theatre company is casting! The Collaborative Act Studio announces the audition for the role of Dr. John Buchanan, Jr. in Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke.
This is the lead male role, and we are looking for an experienced actor who can play 18-25. The play tells the story of a lonely, unmarried minister's daughter (Alma Winemiller) who is courted by her childhood love, a wild, live on the edge, undisciplined doctor (Dr. John Buchanan, Jr.).
Auditions will be held Saturday July 12 at 2pm. For more information, please contact Ted Wioncek III at Collaborative_Act_Studio@comcast.net.
Interested in Reviewing for StageMagazineOnline.com? Contact Maribeth@StageMagazineOnline.com and she'll tell you how to get started!
Parts of this article apply to:
Philadelphia Theater, Lancaster Theater, Wilmington Theater, Cape May Theater, New Jersey Theater, Delaware Theater, Professional Theater, University Theater, Community Theater, Summer Theater, Theater for Youth, Childrens Theater, High School Theater, Theater Reviews, Theater Auditions, Theater Tickets, Theater Openings, Theater Job Openings, Musical Theater, Philadelphia Auditions, Cappies, Group Rates for Theater Tickets, Actors, Actresses, Theater Directors, MySpace, Facebook, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking
Recently I received a fundraising letter. The organization wanted me to donate to its gala/auction but look at the mistakes they made in the letter (to see if YOU make these mistakes too!):
The letter was addressed to Charles Seymour Jr (no problem there!). Then the salutation said, "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Jr." Now seriously, WHO uses the "Jr" when being addressed as Mr. and Mrs.? And on top of that, the "Dear" was in ONE font size and the "Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Jr" was in a SMALLER font size. Do you think I felt it was a personal letter?
The introductory paragraphs were written as if I had NEVER set foot in the theater before (and believe me I've been there for years), even though it acknowledged that I had donated my photography services to them before. Do you see how language targeted specifically for the recipient is vital? ESPECIALLY when you're asking for money or services to be donated!
When the author finally mentioned that I had donated some photography before, a paragraph later it said something about "we hope you'll donate your photography services and your restaurant services again." WHAT? Can this be SO unimportant to this organization that they can't even properly remove parts of the Form Letter that don't apply to me?
The letter was signed by someone who identified herself as the "Secretary to the Development Committee." Oh, come on! I know 90% of the people in this organization and the letter is signed by someone's assistant because the person in charge of this couldn't be bothered to look over a letter to me? Even if she had signed the top person's name and put her initials under it (totally wrong for this type of letter) it would have been better than this.
Why do so many theaters make life so tough for themselves? Why can't simple arts administration etiquette be used? Why are so many mistakes allowed to happen and then theaters wonders why they continue to fall behind more and more each year?
It's not rocket science. But it could be the death knell for theaters who don't pay attention to the small but VERY important details.
Do YOU make these mistakes?
=================================== Productions Opening This Week:
===================================
Hedgerow Theatre presents Broadway and Beyond opening Friday June 27th.
The Marple Newtown Players will be holding auditions for Sherlock Holmes on June 23rd.
Langhorne Players will be holding auditions for Dinner With Friends on June 23rd.
Please remember: Theaters publish their own information on our site, so if any are missing, please be sure your person in charge of your StageMagazineOnline.com membership updates everything right away. And these can appear for up to 60 days BEFORE an audition, so check the site often!
NB: Always be sure to check with the theater AFTER their auditions if you REALLY want to be in that show. Who knows… maybe they didn't cast the very part that you want!
Act II Playhouse has an opening for a Part Time House Manager.
Haddonfield Plays and Players is looking for a Part TIme Lighting Designer, along with part time Production help.
Langhorne Players is looking for a Part Time Director.
Rose Valley Chorus & Orchestra has Part Time Technical positions available.
Sketch Club Players has positions open for Part Time Director, Lighting Techs, and Sound Techs.
Village Producitons has Part Time Administrative, Instructor, Intern, Production, and Technical positions available.
Willow Manor Players is looking for a Part Time Set Designer and Technical Director.
=================================== Read A Good Review Lately?:
===================================
We're gearing up for the summer and next season (assuming theaters feel that what we're doing is good for them and want us to continue running StageMagazineOnline.com), so if YOU want to join our Reviewers, get in touch with Maribeth! Join us now while we still have openings.
Interest is building for Reviewers and if YOU have ever wanted to tell people why they should see a production you loved, please consider reviewing with us.
Interested in Reviewing for StageMagazineOnline.com? Contact Maribeth@StageMagazineOnline.com and she'll tell you how to get started!
Parts of this article apply to:
Philadelphia Theater, Lancaster Theater, Wilmington Theater, Cape May Theater, New Jersey Theater, Delaware Theater, Professional Theater, University Theater, Community Theater, Summer Theater, Theater for Youth, Childrens Theater, High School Theater, Theater Reviews, Theater Auditions, Theater Tickets, Theater Openings, Theater Job Openings, Musical Theater, Philadelphia Auditions, Cappies, Group Rates for Theater Tickets, Actors, Actresses, Theater Directors, MySpace, Facebook, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking
Major holidays are times that focus me and have me stop to think.
Fathers Day, spent with my family in my niece's and nephew's new home, was just such a day. Much of our family gathered to celebrate my father as well as celebrate those of us in my generation who are fathers.
Being a father is very important to me. Very. I see no higher calling for me in life (I'm blessed with TWO magnificent daughters!). If fact, my most recent project is all about being a father and I'll share with the world stories about fathers and the daughters they love.
Stories about special fathers (like policemen, veterans, athletes, performers, and so many more) and also stories about "ordinary" fathers and their special daughters (like cancer-survivors, scientists, adopted, straight-A-blue-eyed-ballerina daughters). And it will all be focused on my site which isn't even created yet, Fathers And The Daughters They Love!
But isn't that what we do in theater too? Don't we find stories that grab us, and then we want to share them with the world? And just as I will have books, CDs, DVDs, interviews, transcripts and more to sell, theaters have seats to sell. But unlike my newest project, if I don't sell a book today, it's there for me to sell tomorrow: THEATERs that don't sell a seat today have LOST it FOREVER.
Big difference.
Marketing is key to both, but it's very UNforgiving to theaters - you only have TODAY to sell today's seats… and you have NO margin for error.
So… continue to search for your heart-grabbing stories - but make sure your marketing is razor-sharp-focused!
=================================== Productions Opening This Week:
===================================
Plays and Players Theatre presents By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea opening Friday June 20th.
People's Light & Theatre presents Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of the Jersey Lily, opening Wednesday June 18th.
Willow Manor Players will be holding auditions for The Music Man on June 22nd.
The Marple Newtown Players will be holding auditions for Sherlock Holmes on June 23rd.
Langhorne Players will be holding auditions for Dinner With Friends on June 23rd.
Please remember: Theaters publish their own information on our site, so if any are missing, please be sure your person in charge of your StageMagazineOnline.com membership updates everything right away. And these can appear for up to 60 days BEFORE an audition, so check the site often!
NB: Always be sure to check with the theater AFTER their auditions if you REALLY want to be in that show. Who knows… maybe they didn't cast the very part that you want!
Act II Playhouse has an opening for a Part Time House Manager.
Haddonfield Plays and Players is looking for a Part TIme Lighting Designer, along with part time Production help.
Langhorne Players is looking for a Part Time Director.
Rose Valley Chorus & Orchestra has Part Time Technical positions available.
Sketch Club Players has positions open for Part Time Director, Lighting Techs, and Sound Techs.
Village Producitons has Part Time Administrative, Instructor, Intern, Production, and Technical positions available.
Willow Manor Players is looking for a Part Time Set Designer and Technical Director.
=================================== Read A Good Review Lately?:
===================================
We're gearing up for the summer and next season (assuming theaters feel that what we're doing is good for them), so if YOU want to join our Reviewers, get in touch with Maribeth! Join us now while we still have openings.
Interest is building for Reviewers and if YOU have ever wanted to tell people why they should see a production you loved, please consider reviewing with us.
Interested in Reviewing for StageMagazineOnline.com? Contact Maribeth@StageMagazineOnline.com and she'll tell you how to get started!
Parts of this article apply to:
Philadelphia Theater, Lancaster Theater, Wilmington Theater, Cape May Theater, New Jersey Theater, Delaware Theater, Professional Theater, University Theater, Community Theater, Summer Theater, Theater for Youth, Childrens Theater, High School Theater, Theater Reviews, Theater Auditions, Theater Tickets, Theater Openings, Theater Job Openings, Musical Theater, Philadelphia Auditions, Cappies, Group Rates for Theater Tickets, Actors, Actresses, Theater Directors, MySpace, Facebook, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking
The final production of this season at The Stagecrafters theater, which will open on Friday, June 13th, is Neil Simon?s "Plaza Suite", which was written in 1967 and has become an enduring hit with audiences over the past four decades. In each of its three acts, comedic calamity prevails as three stories of love, lovers, laughter, crying, and frustrations, play out in the posh digs of Manhattan's famed Plaza Hotel. This hilarious romp of simmering angst and out-of-bounds anguish tells the tale of three momentous happenings: (1) a wedding anniversary getting derailed; (2) a Hollywood producer's attempts to reconnect with his college sweetheart; (3) a bride-to-be driving her parents (literally!) over the edge.
Each of these stories treats the theme of love, in all of its complicated and poignant manifestations, and is right on target to make you smirk, giggle, sigh, cry, and … laugh out loud! "Plaza Suite" is an especially tasty treat from the great humorist's grab bag. The original New York production opened on Broadway in 1968 and ran for nearly two years. Simon adapted the play for a popular film, released in 1970, starring Walter Matthau in three roles. The playwright once commented on his comedic work, "The way I see it, life is both sad and funny…. I used to ask myself: What is a [funny] story? Now I ask: What is a sad story and how can I tell it [funnily]?" Plaza Suite is an especially tasty treat from the great humorist's grab bag.
Performance dates are June 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 at 8 p.m., June 15 and 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets are priced at $15.00. (Thu. eve performances "2 for $20"). Students with valid ID get $2.00 off general admission. Groups of 15 or more are offered a reduced rate of $12.00 a ticket. The box office opens 45 minutes before each performance. For reservations call 215-247-8881. The theater is located in the heart of Chestnut Hill at 8130 Germantown Ave. Visit website at: www.thestagecrafters.org
Interested in Reviewing for StageMagazineOnline.com? Contact Maribeth@StageMagazineOnline.com and she'll tell you how to get started!
Parts of this article apply to:
Philadelphia Theater, Lancaster Theater, Wilmington Theater, Cape May Theater, New Jersey Theater, Delaware Theater, Professional Theater, University Theater, Community Theater, Summer Theater, Theater for Youth, Childrens Theater, High School Theater, Theater Reviews, Theater Auditions, Theater Tickets, Theater Openings, Theater Job Openings, Musical Theater, Philadelphia Auditions, Cappies, Group Rates for Theater Tickets, Actors, Actresses, Theater Directors, MySpace, Facebook, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking
Do you let your goals slip for the sake of expediency?
Have you forgotten what you're all about when it comes time to setting marketing standards to sell your empty seats?
At times, we all do, and that's why we need a good consultant/adviser or Mastermind Group to keep us honest with ourselves.
My Trip To NYC As An Example Of Thinking Too Small
Yesterday I was in NYC, walking from Penn Station to 50th and Park in all the heat and humidity, seeing the Puerto Rican Day Parade crowd assembling. I met one good friend from our days at Tufts University at Penn Station and we walked and talked to meet two more.
Little could I imagine what was in store for me at the meeting we set up to discuss an idea I have for creating a book, interview recordings, transcripts, photographs, and so much more for the people who were early-supporters of a musical theater group I founded 37 years ago at Tufts called Torn Ticket.
We had come from Chicago, Cleveland, Northern NJ, and Philadelphia to talk about this project. Though good friends back in school, we had only stayed in touch periodically over the past 35+ years, but my friends felt the project was important enough that they took time from their busy schedules to meet with me to chat about it.
A Quick Project Overview
The idea had been floating around my head for about two years, and after a reunion of Torn Ticket people just over a year ago (we gathered on the campus to reminisce, see each other, and attend a performance by present students who are carrying on where we left off), the idea kept screaming at me.
What was it about the people in this group that had them come together all those years ago from so many different backgrounds, majors, and interests?
Why did these mostly non-theater folks invest SO much time pulling together these student-run musicals on campus when they could have been studying or applying to grad schools or work?
How had they achieved in life after leaving campus and what skills had they learned while on The Hill that they now use in their careers and family life?
And finally, where are they going: what is next for them to achieve - where are they applying their energies (as they did in Torn Ticket) in their lives?
Could there be some information coming out of surveying this group that would speak about this baby-boomer, Vietnam-War-Era generation?
You're Thinking Too Small, Charlie!
But my friends really let me have it.
"You've waited 35 years to ask for my help and this is as big a project as you can come up with?"
They really (pardon my French) kicked my butt!
"Don't insult me with a project like this."
They were honing in to let me know that something worthy of our time needed to be much bigger in scope and provide a much wider appeal to the outside world.
"Who will care about this other than a few of us who were involved?"
They pulled no punches and though the agenda I had planned for the rest of the meeting stayed in my bag, what they were saying resonated deeply with me.
"Why are you wasting your time with a project with so little payback?"
I wasn't hurt nor upset nor wanting to fight back - I knew their love and support were in the "right place" and so what they wanted me to hear, they said openly, plainly, and very very directly. Very…
Message delivered. Message received.
Do You Have A Mastermind Group Which Talks So Plainly OR Are You Just Getting It Done?!
Think about your own situation… your life in the theater and your life outside.
Do you have a group that will speak so plainly to you?
Do you present your ideas and only have people say "yes, that's terrific" because they stopped seeing the possibilities around you?
Do your advisers and board not see additional ways to get you to higher goals?
Are you just treading water, not seeing new possibilities, and wondering why you still have so many empty seats at your theater?
It's time to wake up and take the harsh truth: you are exactly where you decide to be, and if you think small, you'll only get small results. Is that what is happening to you?
Heck, I'm usually the guy to make others think bigger. I'm usually the consultant/adviser to open people's eyes to help them see the possibilities in front of them. I'm usually the one to say, "stop… think about this… you can do so much better."
When I saw the advice coming back the other direction, I recognized it for what it was and now have some thinking to do to recreate the project - keep the good parts and throw away the parts that I was doing just to "get it done."
And I need to look at my other projects to be sure I'm not falling into the same trap with any of them.
The Choice Is Yours - And Your Theater Needs Your Best Work
So… YOU decide:
are you getting the most out of everything you do, or just getting by?
Is your marketing going for sellouts with EVERY production, or are you just doing the same old same old?
Do you have people who will challenge your thinking, or are you sleepwalking?
Oh - One More Thing About Thinking Small
By now every theater we work with has received both an EMAIL and USPS version of Kate's two most recent newsletters and her note about StageMagazineOnline.com and whether or not you want us to continue to help you sell your empty seats.
Enough time has been spent thinking small: we'll either make this site HUGE for theater in our area, or we'll spend time elsewhere making other things HUGE - we certainly don't lack for projects.
Our staff has worked hard for theaters - even theaters who haven't cooperated by supplying all of their information in a timely way.
So… if we can help make YOU HUGE, we'll continue. If you don't see the possibilities and aren't able to let us help you the way we know we should, then it's time to move on. For each of us.
Village Productions will be holding auditions for Miracle on 34th Street on Tuesday June 10th.
The Players Club of Swarthmore will be holding auditions for A Few Good Men on Monday June 16th
Please remember: Theaters publish their own information on our site, so if any are missing, please be sure your person in charge of your StageMagazineOnline.com membership updates everything right away. And these can appear for up to 60 days BEFORE an audition, so check the site often!
NB: Always be sure to check with the theater AFTER their auditions if you REALLY want to be in that show. Who knows… maybe they didn't cast the very part that you want!
We're gearing up for the summer and next season (assuming theaters feel that what we're doing is good for them), so if YOU want to join our Reviewers, get in touch with Maribeth! Join us now while we still have openings. Interest is building for Reviewers and if YOU have ever wanted to tell people why they should see a production you loved, please consider reviewing with us.
Interested in Reviewing for StageMagazineOnline.com? Contact Maribeth@StageMagazineOnline.com and she'll tell you how to get started!
Parts of this article apply to:
Philadelphia Theater, Lancaster Theater, Wilmington Theater, Cape May Theater, New Jersey Theater, Delaware Theater, Professional Theater, University Theater, Community Theater, Summer Theater, Theater for Youth, Childrens Theater, High School Theater, Theater Reviews, Theater Auditions, Theater Tickets, Theater Openings, Theater Job Openings, Musical Theater, Philadelphia Auditions, Cappies, Group Rates for Theater Tickets, Actors, Actresses, Theater Directors, MySpace, Facebook, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking
The Economy Has Slowed… How To Recession-Proof Your Theater!
If you read BottomLine Personal, you may have seen this information in their June 15, 2008 issue, but did you pay enough attention to apply it to your Theater?
Here's what their headlines say, and my take on it from a theater's viewpoint:
1) Be Nimble!
Stay lean and mean and keep an eye on your cash flow (and monitor receivables closely). If you have slow-playing subscribers, they maybe be suffering with this $4 a gallon economy. And if you need help, perhaps some temporary help or independent contractors can get the job done for now.
2) Cut Costs
Sometimes you just need to look at your theater as if it were a boat - and jettison everything that isn't essential so you can stay afloat. And watch your energy costs - heat, a/c, lighting, and driving your car. I can hardly tell you how many people have told me that they're "mapping" their travel routes MUCH more carefully so that errands can be done to and from their major destinations rather than a special trip by itself. (And if you expect gasoline to come down, did you notice the other day when it was reported how high prices are in Europe - the equivalent of $10 - 11 a gallon! Ouch!!)
3) Keep Marketing
Well… you've certainly hear THIS one from me over and over again. If your present customer base isn't bringing in enough income for you, expand your horizons. "Find out what your customers want and help them get it," I've said many times. If your houses haven't been full, maybe it's time to look in the mirror for two reasons: a) your marketing just isn't up to snuff and you have to stop doing the same old things while expecting different results (that's the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result!) and b) you're not listening to your audience and not giving them what they want. People do what they WANT… you just need to find out what it is and give it to them. When's the last time you surveyed the audience you have… what do they want? And if you can't live with the results, go out and get a NEW audience… but don't keep doing the same old advertising that got you into this dilemma.
4) Cater to customers
Whoops… looks like I jumped the gun in #3 by touching on this too… but it is SO important. Listen to what your customers tell you and most importantly: watch their behavior. They are telling you loud and clear what they want, but are you paying close enough attention? One theater I know had a smashingly successful final production this season and drew larger than normal crowds, but they fell into the same pattern of sending out information about next season several weeks later. Why wasn't that material sitting there waiting for their best supporters when they came home all excited about the show they just saw? The season was announced from the stage, but then they waited to "take the order." (Sound like your theater?)
5) Use technology
Are you tracking the results of your marketing? Do you get EVERYONE who purchase a ticket to sign up for your (at least) monthly newsletter and enewsletter (or are you still using the excuse: it's too hard to get that information, Charlie… or That would hold up our lines at the box office if we did that). Listen: you can be good at marketing or good at making excuses. It pains me to see so many theaters continue to use what I call Not Knowing MarketingTM - people see your shows, they leave, and you have NO idea who they were or how to ask them to come back. Seriously - does that make any sense to you? But YOU can change that. You can improve your marketing 37% just by capturing names and email addresses. And it's soooo easy to do!
=================================== Productions Opening This Week:
===================================
Old Academy Players presents A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, opening Friday June 6th.
The Centre Theater presents Footloose, opening Friday June 6th.
Village Productions presents Almost, Maine, opening Thursday June 5th.
Village Productions will be holding auditions for Miracle on 34th Street on Tuesday June 10th.
Please remember: Theaters publish their own information on our site, so if any are missing, please be sure your person in charge of your StageMagazineOnline.com membership updates everything right away. And these can appear for up to 60 days BEFORE an audition, so check the site often!
NB: Always be sure to check with the theater AFTER their auditions if you REALLY want to be in that show. Who knows… maybe they didn't cast the very part that you want!
We're gearing up for the summer and next season (assuming theaters feel that what we're doing is good for them: they should watch their USPS mail in early June for a VERY important note from Kate), so if YOU want to join our Reviewers, get in touch with Maribeth! Join us now while we still have openings. Interest is building for Reviewers and if YOU have ever wanted to tell people why they should see a production you loved, please consider reviewing with us.
Interested in Reviewing for StageMagazineOnline.com? Contact Maribeth@StageMagazineOnline.com and she'll tell you how to get started!
Parts of this article apply to:
Philadelphia Theater, Lancaster Theater, Wilmington Theater, Cape May Theater, New Jersey Theater, Delaware Theater, Professional Theater, University Theater, Community Theater, Summer Theater, Theater for Youth, Childrens Theater, High School Theater, Theater Reviews, Theater Auditions, Theater Tickets, Theater Openings, Theater Job Openings, Musical Theater, Philadelphia Auditions, Cappies, Group Rates for Theater Tickets, Actors, Actresses, Theater Directors, MySpace, Facebook, Social Networking, Social Bookmarking
Please join us Wenesday May 28th at the Rittenhouse Square Barnes and Noble for this fun-filled trip through the history of Theatre at the Walnut!
Who: Walnut Street Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director, Bernard Havard
Walnut Street Theatre’s Managing Director, Mark D. Sylvester
Co-Authors of the new Arcadia Publication, Walnut Street Theatre
What: A Q & A/Book signing with the Authors of Walnut Street Theatre
When: Wednesday, May 28, 2008
7PM-9PM
Where: Barnes and Noble Booksellers
Rittenhouse Square: Corner of 18th and Walnut Streets
Why: On the eve of its bicentennial, the Walnut Street Theatre takes time to reminisce about its past. As the oldest continually operating theatre in the English speaking world, the theatre is a National Historic Landmark and the official State Theatre of Pennsylvania.
Bernard Havard, WST’s Producing Artistic Director, and Mark D. Sylvester, WST’s Managing Director, have compiled this photographic history of the Walnut Street Theatre’s dynamic past.
Highlights of Walnut Street Theatre include:
*Numerous previously unpublished and unseen vintage photographs from the Walnut Street Theatre archives and other public and private collections.
*Numerous celebrity images, including The Marx Brothers, Katherine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Will Rogers, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, and more.
*Includes shots of the theatre as a “tryout” to famous plays including A Raisin in the Sun, Mr. Roberts and many more.
For more information contact Tom Miller at 215-574-3555.
Here is a review of the book, from the May 9th issue of the Philadelphia Bulletin:
Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre is blowing its own horn in a large-format paperback photo history, Images of America: Walnut Street Theatre (Arcadia Publishing. 128 pages, illustrated. $19.99), but it has every right to do so.
Not only did Neil Simon's first full-length play, Come Blow Your Horn, premiere at 9th and Walnut Street in 1960, but in February 2009, the oldest, and arguably most successful continually operating theater in the English-speaking world (a few playhouses in London are older, but they were closed during World War II) will be 200 years old.
How does the Walnut, which was originally constructed in 1809 as a circus for trick riding, define success? Like a professional sports team: not in games won but in season ticket sales. The authors say that, "with over 56,000 subscribers annually," the Walnut is the "most subscribed theater company in the world."
That means that Walnut's main stage slate of mostly revived musicals, comedies and dramas, with the edgier, more intimate offerings inside its two, smaller black box theaters, are critic proof. In New York, a discouraging word from any of a handful of theater critics can doom a Broadway show to an early death. In Philadelphia, enough people know and respect the Walnut to trust the quality of its productions far in advance.
The authors could have tooted their horn even louder, but did not. What isn't mentioned in this book is that the Walnut was just about bankrupt in 1982. In that year, Bernard Havard came to the theater and turned it around. It remains to be told how a combination of broadly appealing productions, aggressive marketing, philanthropic contributions and corporate sponsors have made the Walnut's box office numbers the envy of regional theaters throughout the country.
Instead, this book offers glimpses of a building whose facade still resembles what the Marquis de Lafayette saw in 1812 when Thomas Jefferson took him to see the opening night performance of Sheridan's The Rivals, and many photos of the famous, curious or merely talented people who strutted and fretted their hour under the Walnut's roof.
First, some fun facts. We learn in the book that an imponderably huge statue of actor Edwin Forrest as Shakespeare's Coriolanus in the Walnut's lobby used to stand in Forrest's Philadelphia home (it came to the Walnut after it was donated to the Pennsylvania Historical Society); that a stagehand willed his skull to the theater to be used as a prop in performances of Hamlet's gravedigger scene; and that the curtain call, a ritual that seems as timeless as theater itself, originated at the Walnut in 1821, when cheering audiences demanded that the English Shakespearean actor Edmund Kean step in front of the curtain to take additional bows.
Now, the fun folks: Among the theater's owners have been the legendary Hollywood mogul Louis Mayer, the actor Edwin Booth (who closed the theater for a day of mourning after his brother, John Wilkes, assassinated President Lincoln) and the New York Schubert Organization, which booked touring shows featuring the Marx Brothers, Katharine Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Gloria Swanson, Lauren Bacall, George C. Scott, Helen Hayes, Mainline tennis bum Bill Tilden, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne and numerous Philadelphia Barrymores.
As a try-out theater for Broadway-bound productions, the Walnut's curtain rose on Rodgers and Hart's first musical, Peggy Ann, which flopped. Rodgers and Hart returned with A Connecticut Yankee, which ran over a year on Broadway.
The Walnut's audiences got the first glimpses of Arthur Miller's first, third and fifth plays. The Man Who Had All the Luck went on to New York, where it was infamously unlucky, closing after eight performances. Death of a Salesman, Mr. Miller's third, left its opening night audiences speechless, won the Tony and Pulitzer prizes and is considered one of the finest American dramas ever written. His fifth play, The Price, was revived earlier this year at the Walnut, starring Manayunk-born Robert Prosky, and his sons Andrew and John.
Other famous firsts: Henry Fonda wore his original Navy uniform when he starred at the Walnut in the world premiere of Mister Roberts. Sidney Poiter and Ruby Dee opened A Raisin in the Sun. Audrey Hepburn took a bow during the Walnut premiere of Gigi, as did Ethel Waters in A Member of the Wedding with a very young Julie Harris, who would later return to star in A Shot in the Dark, with Walter Matthau and a pre-"Star Trek" William Shatner. Jessica Tandy originated the role of Blanche DuBois in A Street Car Named Desire, with the then-unknown Marlon Brando, who was given the role of Stanley Kowalski when John Garfield turned it down.
Among other notables and curious characters who passed through is William Claude Dukenfield, who did his tramp juggling act as W.C. Fields at the Walnut after he was fired as a sales clerk from Wanamakers Department Store. The Police played a concert here, though not on the same bill with the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra who, as the Concerto Soloists, played at the Walnut before moving to the Kimmel Center. Lily Tomlin starred as herself in her one woman show, Appearing Nightly, as did Buffalo Bill Cody in The Knight of the Plains, or, Buffalo Bill's Best Trail. In 1843, Charlotte Cushman, the Boston-born actress, became the Walnut's first female stage manager before acquiring fame for playing Romeo, in drag, opposite lesser known female Juliets.
Impresario P.T. Barnum escorted the diminutive Charles Stratton, an 11-year-old pretending to be the 18-year-old "General Tom Thumb" to the Walnut's gas-lit footlights, the first gas footlights installed in any American theater. George M. Cohan did his vaudeville act here in in 1901, the same year local girl Ethel Barrymore debuted in Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines. Cohan would return to the Walnut in 1904 to sing "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Give My Regards to Broadway" in his musical, Little Johnny Jones.
Let's not forget Orson Welles, who demanded that programs be withheld until the second act of his Walnut Street Theatre adaption of Richard Wright's Native Son, so that the audience wouldn't be distracted by rustling pages.
Authors Mr. Havard and Mr. Sylvester (who is also the theater's managing director) include photos of more recent productions featuring local actors Jeff Coon and Scott Greer. I wish they would have added a picture of Laurie Beechman, the beloved, Philadelphia-born, South Jersey-raised actress who starred at the Walnut in 1988 in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and went on to star in Broadway and touring productions of Cats and Les Miserables. Ms. Beecham died of ovarian cancer in 1998.
The authors aren't afraid to mention some embarrassing moments, such as the televised debate between President Gerald Ford and then-Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, when the sound died for nearly a half an hour.
This said, the historical glance backward the authors provide is more than just a trip down memory lane. Philadelphia is currenly enjoying an incredible resurgence in theater, with well over 100 companies performing in numerous venues throughout the region. The consistency and quality of the Walnut's productions is a major reason that the audience for theater in Philadelphia remains so dedicated, varied, generous and strong.
For that alone, the authors deserve a curtain call.
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Bristol Riverside Theatre will kick off its 2008 Summer Season and its 12th summer of "Musicales" with This is the Moment, running June 12 through June 22. The all-male cast will feature long-time BRT favorites Keith Spencer, Bill Gross, and Stephen Stein-Grainger, as well as internationally acclaimed recording artist and actor John D. Smitherman, in a production that celebrates the great heroes and villains of Broadway. These unforgettable characters will be featured in songs from Jekyll and Hyde, Oklahoma, Man of La Mancha, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables, and many more classic Broadway shows.
The Summer Musicales series will also celebrate songs of the 1930s and 1940s in Come Rain or Come Shine from July 10 through 20, and the leading ladies of Broadway in Broadway Baby from August 7 through 17. "Musicale" is a French term meaning a social affair featuring a musical program.
Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at 120 Radcliffe Street. Summer Season subscriptions and individual tickets are available by calling the BRT Box Office at (215) 785-0100 or online at www.BRTstage.org. Summer subscriptions range from $63 - $79 for adults and $30 - $40 for students. Individual tickets for all Musicales are $29 for adults, $25 for BRT members, and $10 for students.
This is the Moment Performance Schedule
Thursday, June 12, 8pm
Friday, June 13, 8pm
Saturday, June 14, 8pm
Sunday, June 15, 3pm
Wednesday, June 18, 2pm
Friday, June 20, 8pm
Saturday, June 21, 8pm
Sunday, June 22, 3pm
About Bristol Riverside Theatre
Since 1986, BRT has brought consistently acclaimed professional theatre to Bucks County and maintained a long-term commitment to finding and developing new plays. The theatre is the recipient of over 50 Barrymore Award nominations for Excellence in Theatre, given annually by the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. In addition to its mainstage productions, the theatre serves as a cultural hub for the community, with such programs as children's theatre, community concerts and exhibitions of local visual arts.
