Kim McMurtrey is a senior at Peninsula High School whose life is centered around the theater. She began as an actress and she's no novice, but found her real passion in the technical side of the stage and she is kicking it as a high school Master Technician.
Theatrical Resume
A Midsummer Nights Dream: Ensemble Sleeping Beauty: Evilina
American Idle: Nikki Stikki You Can't Take It With You: Essie Carmichael
Grease: Ms. Lynch Legally Blonde: Head Microphone Technician
Footloose: Ensemble Snow White: Sound+Light Designer/Operator
Wizard of Oz: Ensemble Wizard of Oz(2): Ensemble
Comedy of Errors: Dromio of Syracuse Juno and the Paycock: Mary Boyle
Drowsy Chaperone: Ensemble Born Yesterday: Stage Manager + Head Technician
A Fairy Tale Christmas: Snow White Park Mime
Angry Housewives: Sound Designer Treasure Island: Sound Designer
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Business Manager + Master Technician
Shrek the Musical: Ugly Duckling
Theatrical Resume
A Midsummer Nights Dream: Ensemble Sleeping Beauty: Evilina
American Idle: Nikki Stikki You Can't Take It With You: Essie Carmichael
Grease: Ms. Lynch Legally Blonde: Head Microphone Technician
Footloose: Ensemble Snow White: Sound+Light Designer/Operator
Wizard of Oz: Ensemble Wizard of Oz(2): Ensemble
Comedy of Errors: Dromio of Syracuse Juno and the Paycock: Mary Boyle
Drowsy Chaperone: Ensemble Born Yesterday: Stage Manager + Head Technician
A Fairy Tale Christmas: Snow White Park Mime
Angry Housewives: Sound Designer Treasure Island: Sound Designer
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Business Manager + Master Technician
Shrek the Musical: Ugly Duckling
Peninsula High School stages an “Amazing Technicolor” Musical
Seeming to be a “cast of thousands,” as the movies used to proclaim, the cast and pit band of PHS’ production of Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dream Coat practice the production’s impressive finale.HUGH MCMILLAN/SPECIAL TO THE GATEWAY
When Peninsula sophomore Ally Brown was first cast in the ensemble of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” she almost dropped out of the musical.
“Two songs and four sweaty dance numbers later,” she said, “I wouldn’t want to be any other part. It is an amazing power behind this beautiful production. The sound, the color and energy on stage is nothing short of the name.”
Peninsula High School will present the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical in the school’s Milt Boyd theater May 15-17 and May 23-24 at 7 p.m. There will also be 3 p.m. matinees on May 18 and May 25.
Based on the story of Joseph and his “coat of many colors” from the Book of Genesis, the musical is a fun-filled, family-friendly journey of Joseph and his struggles to live out his dreams and find peace with his 11 brothers. It first opened in 1968, made its way to Broadway in full musical format in 1982, and since has frequently been revived. Full of catchy, upbeat music, by 2008 it had been produced by more than 20,000 schools and amateur theatre groups.
This is the first musical production at PHS for theater director Kara Beloate. “I am so thrilled to have such a wonderful cast and crew,” she said, “and so fortunate to have our community volunteers who have worked tireless hours in costume, set, and light designs. This is a huge production.”
True. It involves 90 students; 69 PHS cast and crew members joined by a children’s chorus made up of students from local elementary schools.
“In this production there are no small parts,” said freshman Jacob Huffer. “Everyone is important and needed. All ensemble members have stage time to be seen and heard.”
Many of the PHS cast members said being in the musical was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Being part of this production and theatre has been life changing,” said senior Ayrlee Rogers, lead dancer and one of the many “wives” who figure in the show. “The wonderful people and everyone’s passion to make something so huge possible is inspiring. I regret not participating in it every year of high school.”
Said lead dancer Samantha Richards, “In such a short time we have all become family. Our group is so cohesive and there is so much talent it’s kind of unbelievable. I’ve never been so proud or felt so accomplished being part of something and couldn’t think of a better way to end my senior year.”
The lead role of Joseph is played by Tanner Peavey, a sophomore.
“I love this show!” he declared. “Being part of this cast has meant the world to me. We are truly a team.”
That’s important, agreed junior Anthony Easley. “I’ve learned how to be a team member more than anything,” Easley said. “Getting close with other cast members has been amazing. I’ve built so many friendships. The confidence I’ve gotten the past few months has been better than ever. I honestly thank Mrs. B for that.”
Dylan Biewald, production manager and head sound technician, said “doing tech” for the last two years was “great experience. I’ve learned a lot about leading others and taking direction.”
Agreed Madeline Breland, a junior, “Being costumes and properties manager has been a big accomplishment for me. Participating in plays and musicals has made my high school experience full and memorable.”
For sophomore Cat Tyler, “This musical is full of color, fun and amazing music! It is so much fun to be a part of and has given me a great opportunity to expand my theatre experience.”
“This experience has been really great, not only in the learning aspects, but in getting to spend time with so many amazing kids,” said freshman Anna Marshall. “There is so much talent here. I am lucky to be a part of this amazing production.”
Said Beloate, “We would like to thank all parents, volunteers, administrators, and classified staff who have helped in every way from ticket sales to student supervision, make-up, and bookkeeping. You help us make magic!”
Non-reserved open seating pre-sale tickets are available at the PHS main office for three hours in advance of each show or through the theatre box office Saturdays, May 2 and 9, from 9 to 11 a.m. Tickets are $9 for students and seniors and $12 for adults.
A sellout crowd is expected for all performances. Better get tickets early.
We will!
Hugh McMillan is a longtime freelance writer for The Peninsula Gateway. He can be reached at 253-884-3319 or by email at hmcmnp1000@centurytel.net
“Two songs and four sweaty dance numbers later,” she said, “I wouldn’t want to be any other part. It is an amazing power behind this beautiful production. The sound, the color and energy on stage is nothing short of the name.”
Peninsula High School will present the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical in the school’s Milt Boyd theater May 15-17 and May 23-24 at 7 p.m. There will also be 3 p.m. matinees on May 18 and May 25.
Based on the story of Joseph and his “coat of many colors” from the Book of Genesis, the musical is a fun-filled, family-friendly journey of Joseph and his struggles to live out his dreams and find peace with his 11 brothers. It first opened in 1968, made its way to Broadway in full musical format in 1982, and since has frequently been revived. Full of catchy, upbeat music, by 2008 it had been produced by more than 20,000 schools and amateur theatre groups.
This is the first musical production at PHS for theater director Kara Beloate. “I am so thrilled to have such a wonderful cast and crew,” she said, “and so fortunate to have our community volunteers who have worked tireless hours in costume, set, and light designs. This is a huge production.”
True. It involves 90 students; 69 PHS cast and crew members joined by a children’s chorus made up of students from local elementary schools.
“In this production there are no small parts,” said freshman Jacob Huffer. “Everyone is important and needed. All ensemble members have stage time to be seen and heard.”
Many of the PHS cast members said being in the musical was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Being part of this production and theatre has been life changing,” said senior Ayrlee Rogers, lead dancer and one of the many “wives” who figure in the show. “The wonderful people and everyone’s passion to make something so huge possible is inspiring. I regret not participating in it every year of high school.”
Said lead dancer Samantha Richards, “In such a short time we have all become family. Our group is so cohesive and there is so much talent it’s kind of unbelievable. I’ve never been so proud or felt so accomplished being part of something and couldn’t think of a better way to end my senior year.”
The lead role of Joseph is played by Tanner Peavey, a sophomore.
“I love this show!” he declared. “Being part of this cast has meant the world to me. We are truly a team.”
That’s important, agreed junior Anthony Easley. “I’ve learned how to be a team member more than anything,” Easley said. “Getting close with other cast members has been amazing. I’ve built so many friendships. The confidence I’ve gotten the past few months has been better than ever. I honestly thank Mrs. B for that.”
Dylan Biewald, production manager and head sound technician, said “doing tech” for the last two years was “great experience. I’ve learned a lot about leading others and taking direction.”
Agreed Madeline Breland, a junior, “Being costumes and properties manager has been a big accomplishment for me. Participating in plays and musicals has made my high school experience full and memorable.”
For sophomore Cat Tyler, “This musical is full of color, fun and amazing music! It is so much fun to be a part of and has given me a great opportunity to expand my theatre experience.”
“This experience has been really great, not only in the learning aspects, but in getting to spend time with so many amazing kids,” said freshman Anna Marshall. “There is so much talent here. I am lucky to be a part of this amazing production.”
Said Beloate, “We would like to thank all parents, volunteers, administrators, and classified staff who have helped in every way from ticket sales to student supervision, make-up, and bookkeeping. You help us make magic!”
Non-reserved open seating pre-sale tickets are available at the PHS main office for three hours in advance of each show or through the theatre box office Saturdays, May 2 and 9, from 9 to 11 a.m. Tickets are $9 for students and seniors and $12 for adults.
A sellout crowd is expected for all performances. Better get tickets early.
We will!
Hugh McMillan is a longtime freelance writer for The Peninsula Gateway. He can be reached at 253-884-3319 or by email at hmcmnp1000@centurytel.net
‘Treasure Island’ takes stage at Gig Harbor’s Paradise Theatre
The Robert Louis Stevenson classic features an experienced cast and a few swashbuckling surprises
Staff writerApril 23, 2014
The Robert Louis Stevenson classic features an experienced cast and a few swashbuckling surprises
Staff writerApril 23, 2014
Robyn McGilvrey, playing Jim Hawkins, battles with Sam Elston, as Israel Hans, in Paradise Theatre’s production of ‘Treasure Island.’ The show is an adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic.
PARADISE THEATRE/COURTESY PHOTO
PARADISE THEATRE/COURTESY PHOTO
Buccaneers, Black Spots and buried gold have come to the stage at Gig Harbor’s Paradise Theatre.
Starting last weekend, the featured show is “Treasure Island,” sporting a cast of experienced actors and actresses. Set in 1775 and stretching from the Devon coast in England to the West Indies, it tells the tale of adventures on the high seas, blurring the line between hero and villain.
At the heart of the tale is young Jim Hawkins, played by Robyn McGilvrey. She is the narrative peg for the audience to follow. McGilvery has starred in previous Paradise productions, and she said she likes this staging because it’s fun to be a little bit wild.
“Pirates are rowdy,” she said. “It’s a rowdy show.”
Those rowdy pirates are available after the show to toss children and children-at-heart off the Hispaniola, the ship in “Treasure Island.” A big splash comes over the speakers as the willing victims land on a mattress pad.
One of “Treasure Island’s” most memorable players is the pirate Long John Silver. He’s at the heart of Stevenson’s coming-of-age tale. He’s played by Ian Lamberton, who most recently performed in Paradise Theatre’s “Dracula.”
Lamberton has been acting since 2008. He caught the bug after telling his children they should get involved in the theater. They flipped the tables on their father and told him to get involved.
“They said ‘live through yourself,’ ” he recalled.
At Paradise, Lamberton found like-minded people eager to perform. He’s enjoying “Treasure Island’s” run.
“It’s been, in some respects, the most together play I’ve been in,” he said. “There’s no dull moments.”
McGilvrey said that what makes Paradise, and this production, special is the cast.
“We all have different day jobs and get to come here and be crazy together,” she said. “You’ve got people that want to be in (the play).”
Troy Turnley stars as Squire Trelawney. For those whose exposure to the tale is the popular Muppets version, Turnley is Fozzie Bear, he said.
Turnley majored in vocal music in college. Performing at Paradise keeps him sharp.
“It’s a way for me to use what I learned in college,” he said.
Gary Fetterplace pulls double-duty as Captain Flint and Dr. Livesay. Fetterplace has a distinction in the performance: He’s British. His accent is authentic.
He isn’t on stage long as the rugged and dangerous pirate Captain Flint, but that character sets the story in motion. If it weren’t for his buried treasure, Fetterplace said, none of it would happen.
The version of “Treasure Island” the group is performing is about eight years old. It is an adaptation by playwright Ken Ludwig.
Jeff Richards, director, praised the script.
“This version is a lot of fun, it’s a great adaptation of the story,” Richards said.
The show runs through April 27. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $20 for adults; $7 for seniors and military; and $10 for students on the main floor. Mezzanine seats are $2 extra.
A special dinner theater show, featuring a three-course meal, will be Saturday. Tickets are $40 for adults; $34 for seniors and military; and $25 for students.
Raffle tickets are available, too. At stake is a handmade cedar box filled with Pirate booty, including a copy of “Treasure Island.”
Paradise Theater, 9911 Burnham Drive, will next stage “Shrek the Musical” from June 20 to July 6.
For ticket information, call 253-851-PLAY or go to paradisetheatre.org.
Karen Miller: 253-358-4155 [email protected] Twitter: @gateway_karen
Starting last weekend, the featured show is “Treasure Island,” sporting a cast of experienced actors and actresses. Set in 1775 and stretching from the Devon coast in England to the West Indies, it tells the tale of adventures on the high seas, blurring the line between hero and villain.
At the heart of the tale is young Jim Hawkins, played by Robyn McGilvrey. She is the narrative peg for the audience to follow. McGilvery has starred in previous Paradise productions, and she said she likes this staging because it’s fun to be a little bit wild.
“Pirates are rowdy,” she said. “It’s a rowdy show.”
Those rowdy pirates are available after the show to toss children and children-at-heart off the Hispaniola, the ship in “Treasure Island.” A big splash comes over the speakers as the willing victims land on a mattress pad.
One of “Treasure Island’s” most memorable players is the pirate Long John Silver. He’s at the heart of Stevenson’s coming-of-age tale. He’s played by Ian Lamberton, who most recently performed in Paradise Theatre’s “Dracula.”
Lamberton has been acting since 2008. He caught the bug after telling his children they should get involved in the theater. They flipped the tables on their father and told him to get involved.
“They said ‘live through yourself,’ ” he recalled.
At Paradise, Lamberton found like-minded people eager to perform. He’s enjoying “Treasure Island’s” run.
“It’s been, in some respects, the most together play I’ve been in,” he said. “There’s no dull moments.”
McGilvrey said that what makes Paradise, and this production, special is the cast.
“We all have different day jobs and get to come here and be crazy together,” she said. “You’ve got people that want to be in (the play).”
Troy Turnley stars as Squire Trelawney. For those whose exposure to the tale is the popular Muppets version, Turnley is Fozzie Bear, he said.
Turnley majored in vocal music in college. Performing at Paradise keeps him sharp.
“It’s a way for me to use what I learned in college,” he said.
Gary Fetterplace pulls double-duty as Captain Flint and Dr. Livesay. Fetterplace has a distinction in the performance: He’s British. His accent is authentic.
He isn’t on stage long as the rugged and dangerous pirate Captain Flint, but that character sets the story in motion. If it weren’t for his buried treasure, Fetterplace said, none of it would happen.
The version of “Treasure Island” the group is performing is about eight years old. It is an adaptation by playwright Ken Ludwig.
Jeff Richards, director, praised the script.
“This version is a lot of fun, it’s a great adaptation of the story,” Richards said.
The show runs through April 27. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $20 for adults; $7 for seniors and military; and $10 for students on the main floor. Mezzanine seats are $2 extra.
A special dinner theater show, featuring a three-course meal, will be Saturday. Tickets are $40 for adults; $34 for seniors and military; and $25 for students.
Raffle tickets are available, too. At stake is a handmade cedar box filled with Pirate booty, including a copy of “Treasure Island.”
Paradise Theater, 9911 Burnham Drive, will next stage “Shrek the Musical” from June 20 to July 6.
For ticket information, call 253-851-PLAY or go to paradisetheatre.org.
Karen Miller: 253-358-4155 [email protected] Twitter: @gateway_karen
Paradise's 'Angry Housewives' makes you
laugh, and care
The punk musical has its opening-night foibles, but its cast pulls it through
laugh, and care
The punk musical has its opening-night foibles, but its cast pulls it through
- By Michael C. Moore
- Posted March 8, 2014 at 10:07 a.m.
ERIN LUND | BERRY LANE PHOTOGRAPHY
Jetta (Wendy Jelinek, second from right) ponders the idea of being in a punk rock group with her friends (from left) Bev (Stacee Villa), Carol (Vicki Richards) and Wendy (Robyn McGilvrey).
Paradise’s ‘Angry Housewives’ makes you laugh, and care
GIG HARBOR — I don’t think I’ve ever seen a musical as dependent on its cast for its success as “Angry Housewives.”
So it’s a good thing that Paradise Theatre and director Sharon Gregory were able to round up such a winning bunch of folks to people the 1986 A.M. Collins-Chad Henry farce about domestic goddesses driven by their mundane home lives to — of all things — punk rock. Gregory’s cast of eight, which includes Paradise’s executive artistic director, Vicki Richards, do an admirable job of putting some meat on what is really, on paper, a pretty anorexic little exercise.
The show, conceived and written in Seattle in the pre-Grunge days of the mid-1980s, when punk had pushed disco and prog onto the shoulder of the region’s musical zeitgeist, is not a very weighty affair. Its songs — save for the two raucous punk production numbers which drove its early notoriety and continue to be its centerpieces — are mostly light as feathers, its characters and conflicts straightforward and simply drawn and its environs easy to replicate. Perhaps owing to its Skid Row Theater origins, it doesn’t need much more than a black box to be quite effective.
What it does require are people you can believe, even though they’re in a pretty unbelievable situation. I mean, of all the things that gal pals Bev, Wendy, Carol and Jetta could contrive to break out of their individual and collective ruts — and pay a few bills in the bargain — forming a punk unit and chasing the cash prize from a battle-of-the-bands at the local all-ages club wouldn’t be high on anyone’s list of real-world solutions.
It’s a funny idea. Just not a very plausible one. And that’s where the cast come in — the Housewives, and the men who love them (however ineptly) have to be believable enough to make audiences care, despite the essential dreck of the situation.
Paradise’s cast made the most of the show’s comedic possibilities, at times eliciting so much noise from the well-oiled (due to the opening-night wine-and-cheese spread) March 7 crowd that subsequent lines were drowned out. They also showcased the best songs, never moreso than when mousy Jetta (a comically wigged and goggled Wendy Jelinek) opened up on the show’s best song, the emotional “Not At Home.”
Things are set in motion as the four women, all broke and frustrated, meet in the drab living room of Bev (Stacee Villa), mostly to commiserate, and come across a battle-of-the-bands entry form conveniently left there by Bev’s son, Tim (Jake Atwood, laying on the teen angst as thick as the mousse in his hair). Wendy (Robyn McGilvrey, who matches Jelinek’s vocal chops note for note) hatches the rock-band idea, and the Angry Housewives are born.
This is where suspension of belief is at its highest premium: Buying into the idea that these four could go, in a few days, from “Kumbaya” (and a particularly horrid “Kumbaya” at that) to contest ready is a tall order of Manute Bol proportions.
If the Spandex-and frightwig-bedecked cast can pull it off, though, it comes off very funny, and the Fishermen’s Hall gallery rocked with laughter throughout (how much credit for that goes to the free-flowing pre-show grape juice is impossible to determine; like Kevin McStay, as the affably foul-mouthed Lewd Fingers, said at one point, “The more you drink, the better we do.”).
Paradise’s production has its foibles. Music director Howard Knickerbocker’s four-piece band is well-rehearsed, but not loud enough for either the musical-theater or rock songs, and never “nasty” enough for the show’s punk aesthetic. The sound in general was uneven (Jelinek’s voice bouncing back and forth across the stage during “Not At Home” was a particular distraction), and the two big production numbers, “Eat Your (doggone) Cornflakes” and “Man From Glad,” didn’t have the sonic impact they should’ve.
It’s a show that contains lots of short “snippet” scenes, and that made it seem choppy, especially in its second act. Other times it felt rushed, or like it was trying to do too much at once. The important detail of Jetta finding in a bottle the courage to front the Housewives’ debut was covered only by some largely unintelligible offstage dialogue, and was probably lost to most anyone who didn’t already know it was coming.
Overall, though, Paradise’s “Angry Housewives” is successful; at making you laugh, and at making you feel a little something for these four women who find a way out of their comfort and misery zones and into the most unlikely of spotlights.
A note: The show, while pretty harmless, is liberally seasoned with strong language, and I noticed a couple of cars leaving the lot at intermission (maybe for a completely different reason). Be forewarned, and then go and be entertained.
© 2014 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2014/mar/08/theater-paradises-angry-housewives-makes-you-and/#ixzz2zuYvJpvU
Follow us: @KitsapSun on Twitter | KitsapNews on Facebook
GIG HARBOR — I don’t think I’ve ever seen a musical as dependent on its cast for its success as “Angry Housewives.”
So it’s a good thing that Paradise Theatre and director Sharon Gregory were able to round up such a winning bunch of folks to people the 1986 A.M. Collins-Chad Henry farce about domestic goddesses driven by their mundane home lives to — of all things — punk rock. Gregory’s cast of eight, which includes Paradise’s executive artistic director, Vicki Richards, do an admirable job of putting some meat on what is really, on paper, a pretty anorexic little exercise.
The show, conceived and written in Seattle in the pre-Grunge days of the mid-1980s, when punk had pushed disco and prog onto the shoulder of the region’s musical zeitgeist, is not a very weighty affair. Its songs — save for the two raucous punk production numbers which drove its early notoriety and continue to be its centerpieces — are mostly light as feathers, its characters and conflicts straightforward and simply drawn and its environs easy to replicate. Perhaps owing to its Skid Row Theater origins, it doesn’t need much more than a black box to be quite effective.
What it does require are people you can believe, even though they’re in a pretty unbelievable situation. I mean, of all the things that gal pals Bev, Wendy, Carol and Jetta could contrive to break out of their individual and collective ruts — and pay a few bills in the bargain — forming a punk unit and chasing the cash prize from a battle-of-the-bands at the local all-ages club wouldn’t be high on anyone’s list of real-world solutions.
It’s a funny idea. Just not a very plausible one. And that’s where the cast come in — the Housewives, and the men who love them (however ineptly) have to be believable enough to make audiences care, despite the essential dreck of the situation.
Paradise’s cast made the most of the show’s comedic possibilities, at times eliciting so much noise from the well-oiled (due to the opening-night wine-and-cheese spread) March 7 crowd that subsequent lines were drowned out. They also showcased the best songs, never moreso than when mousy Jetta (a comically wigged and goggled Wendy Jelinek) opened up on the show’s best song, the emotional “Not At Home.”
Things are set in motion as the four women, all broke and frustrated, meet in the drab living room of Bev (Stacee Villa), mostly to commiserate, and come across a battle-of-the-bands entry form conveniently left there by Bev’s son, Tim (Jake Atwood, laying on the teen angst as thick as the mousse in his hair). Wendy (Robyn McGilvrey, who matches Jelinek’s vocal chops note for note) hatches the rock-band idea, and the Angry Housewives are born.
This is where suspension of belief is at its highest premium: Buying into the idea that these four could go, in a few days, from “Kumbaya” (and a particularly horrid “Kumbaya” at that) to contest ready is a tall order of Manute Bol proportions.
If the Spandex-and frightwig-bedecked cast can pull it off, though, it comes off very funny, and the Fishermen’s Hall gallery rocked with laughter throughout (how much credit for that goes to the free-flowing pre-show grape juice is impossible to determine; like Kevin McStay, as the affably foul-mouthed Lewd Fingers, said at one point, “The more you drink, the better we do.”).
Paradise’s production has its foibles. Music director Howard Knickerbocker’s four-piece band is well-rehearsed, but not loud enough for either the musical-theater or rock songs, and never “nasty” enough for the show’s punk aesthetic. The sound in general was uneven (Jelinek’s voice bouncing back and forth across the stage during “Not At Home” was a particular distraction), and the two big production numbers, “Eat Your (doggone) Cornflakes” and “Man From Glad,” didn’t have the sonic impact they should’ve.
It’s a show that contains lots of short “snippet” scenes, and that made it seem choppy, especially in its second act. Other times it felt rushed, or like it was trying to do too much at once. The important detail of Jetta finding in a bottle the courage to front the Housewives’ debut was covered only by some largely unintelligible offstage dialogue, and was probably lost to most anyone who didn’t already know it was coming.
Overall, though, Paradise’s “Angry Housewives” is successful; at making you laugh, and at making you feel a little something for these four women who find a way out of their comfort and misery zones and into the most unlikely of spotlights.
A note: The show, while pretty harmless, is liberally seasoned with strong language, and I noticed a couple of cars leaving the lot at intermission (maybe for a completely different reason). Be forewarned, and then go and be entertained.
© 2014 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2014/mar/08/theater-paradises-angry-housewives-makes-you-and/#ixzz2zuYvJpvU
Follow us: @KitsapSun on Twitter | KitsapNews on Facebook
‘Snow White’ production;a family affair inside and out。
-Rick Hallock,Gig Harbor Life
- Posted August 1,2013
-Rick Hallock,Gig Harbor Life
- Posted August 1,2013
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
Haley Hauser, 12, of Gig Harbor, plays the title role in the Pen Met Family Theater production of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” At the start of a recent dress rehearsal, she gets some makeup applied by her mother, Starla, who also is in the production, playing the Queen.
Haley Hauser, 12, of Gig Harbor, plays the title role in the Pen Met Family Theater production of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” At the start of a recent dress rehearsal, she gets some makeup applied by her mother, Starla, who also is in the production, playing the Queen.
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
As other actors take their turn on stage, Starla Hauser, who plays the Queen, goes over lines with the Enchanted Fox, played by Sam Ford, 9, of Gig Harbor.
As other actors take their turn on stage, Starla Hauser, who plays the Queen, goes over lines with the Enchanted Fox, played by Sam Ford, 9, of Gig Harbor.
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
Director Kathy McGilliard, foreground, gets Gig Harbor resident Leah Gary-Corcuera, 12, to project her voice from the stage during a dress rehearsal.
Director Kathy McGilliard, foreground, gets Gig Harbor resident Leah Gary-Corcuera, 12, to project her voice from the stage during a dress rehearsal.
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
From left, Gig Harbor residents Sam Ford, 9, Mark Zenobio and Isabelle Dotson, 6 get direction from “Snow White” director Kathy McGilliard.
From left, Gig Harbor residents Sam Ford, 9, Mark Zenobio and Isabelle Dotson, 6 get direction from “Snow White” director Kathy McGilliard.
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
Kim McMurtrey and Anthony Bessex, who also work as technical crew for plays at Peninsula High School, have their hands full trying to untangle a nest of electrical cables while setting up the sound system for the play at the amphitheater at Sehmel Homestead Park.
Kim McMurtrey and Anthony Bessex, who also work as technical crew for plays at Peninsula High School, have their hands full trying to untangle a nest of electrical cables while setting up the sound system for the play at the amphitheater at Sehmel Homestead Park.
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
Haley Hauser, 12, and Leah Gary-Corcuera, 12, go over lines with two of the seven dwarfs during a break in rehearsal.
Haley Hauser, 12, and Leah Gary-Corcuera, 12, go over lines with two of the seven dwarfs during a break in rehearsal.
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
Kathy McGilliard, left, goes over the curtain call with Gig Harbor actors Isabelle Dotson, 6, as the cat, and Mark Zenobio, as the Huntsman.
Kathy McGilliard, left, goes over the curtain call with Gig Harbor actors Isabelle Dotson, 6, as the cat, and Mark Zenobio, as the Huntsman.
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
The Walking Talking Mirror, played by Braxton Zenobio, 12, of Gig Harbor and Esmerelda, played by Gig Harbor resident Leah Gary-Corcuera, 12, hit their marks for the curtain call.
The Walking Talking Mirror, played by Braxton Zenobio, 12, of Gig Harbor and Esmerelda, played by Gig Harbor resident Leah Gary-Corcuera, 12, hit their marks for the curtain call.
Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life
Gig Harbor resident Sandra Scott adds some detail work to a flat during a dress rehearsal. She has been with Pen Met Family Theater for two years and enjoys the close-knit atmosphere.
Gig Harbor resident Sandra Scott adds some detail work to a flat during a dress rehearsal. She has been with Pen Met Family Theater for two years and enjoys the close-knit atmosphere.
Want to Go?
Pen Met Family Theater presents “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” directed by Kathy McGilliard, at the Sehmel Homestead Park outdoor amphitheater, 10123 78th Ave. NW. Show times and dates are 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Aug. 2-18. Tickets are $5 and will be sold one-hour prior to each show. Bring a blanket or chairs and it is suggested to have a jacket for after the sun sets. Picnic and snacks are welcome and concessions will be sold at the show.
Children and adults alike are well versed in the lore and legend of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” But how about when the Queen just happens to be the real-life mother of Snow White?
Now there’s a twist even Hollywood hasn’t touched.
Pen Met Parks Family Theater, in its third year, is presenting the classic fairy tale in it’s more traditional setting, with a show run from Saturday through Aug. 18, at the open-air amphitheater at Sehmel Homestead Park.
The actresses playing the Queen and Snow White are in reality the Gig Harbor mother-daughter duo of Starla and Haley Hauser, respectively.
For Starla Hauser, the play represents her acting debut — at least in current times. The last time she was on stage was when she was in middle school.
“It’s so much fun being in a play with my daughter,” she said during a rehearsal last week. “It’s too bad I don’t like her in the play. I try to kill her.” But the duality of roles they play in real life and on stage isn’t the biggest challenge for her — it’s the fact that she has a song solo.
“I don’t sing,” she admitted. But she has been practicing — a lot. Starla said she sings her song in the shower and “every night when I’m cooking dinner.” In fact, her three teen-age boys have heard it so often they know it by heart and now sing it as well.
But her biggest challenge by far — one that dwarfs any challenges of the stage — is she also is a stage 4 breast cancer patient.
“I’m really tired,” Starla said. “The play is wiping me out.” To ease the strain, she takes breaks when not on stage, and she focuses on the task at hand when she’s in the spotlight. To help herself get through her song, she said, Starla imagines herself as the Queen. “She’s conceited, so she wouldn’t care how she sounds,” she said.
Staying true to the “family” part of the name Pen Met Family Theater, the Hausers aren’t the only families with multiple participants in the production.
Back for their third production in as many years, the family of Blair and Cathy McMurtrey of Gig Harbor also fills numerous roles, both on stage and backstage. Two years ago, Cathy played the Wicked Witch, then took a hiatus from an “evil” role to play the Queen of Nevernod, who was Sleeping Beauty’s mother, last year. This year, she said, she’s back to her no good ways playing the Old Crone who gives Snow White the poisoned apple.
A veteran of theater from her high school and college days, Cathy stepped away from community theater when she had a family until her family happened upon the Pen Met group, headed up by Gig Harbor resident Kathy McGilliard. “I could do a show with my family,” she said.
Last year, all five of her children, her husband and herself were involved with the Pen Met show. This year, they scaled back just a bit. Her husband, Blair, worked on set construction, while two of her daughters — Susie and Julie — are playing two of the seven dwarfs. Julie, the youngest in the family, makes certain to point out that she is the head dwarf. Her daughter, Kim, another veteran of the stage, is working backstage as the sound tech for “Snow White.”
Cathy laughed that McGilliard has a way of roping family members in. She said they showed up at the “Wizard of Oz” auditions two years ago for their kids and McGilliard turned to Cathy during the auditions and said, “OK, mom, now it’s your turn.” She did the same thing to Blair, Cathy said, and when he said he couldn’t sing, their daughter, Julie piped up, “Yes you do, dad. You sing the Grinch song.” Blair got cast as the Wizard.
Yet another father-son duo in the cast are Gig Harbor residents Braxton Zenobio, 12, as the Walking, Talking Mirror, and his dad, Mark, who is debuting his acting chops as the Huntsman.
McGilliard who operated Encore Theatre in Gig Harbor since 1973, teamed up with Pen Met Parks after Encore shut down due to the sluggish economy. She had provided some fundraising efforts for the organization when the park was being built so a working relationship was already forged when the idea of a theater group was put forth.
The first outdoor production took place in the meadow near the ballfields, but subsequent productions — including “Snow White — make use of the natural setting of the outdoor amphitheater just left of the park entrance.
“This is a perfect setting,” McGilliard said, noting the audience is in shade and the actors aren’t staring into the sun. “It’s a perfect venue.”
To help the Hausers with Starla’s ongoing medical costs, the theater group is donating one night’s receipt as a fundraiser and is performing Saturday, Aug. 17, in dedication to Starla.
© 2013 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Pen Met Family Theater presents “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” directed by Kathy McGilliard, at the Sehmel Homestead Park outdoor amphitheater, 10123 78th Ave. NW. Show times and dates are 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Aug. 2-18. Tickets are $5 and will be sold one-hour prior to each show. Bring a blanket or chairs and it is suggested to have a jacket for after the sun sets. Picnic and snacks are welcome and concessions will be sold at the show.
Children and adults alike are well versed in the lore and legend of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” But how about when the Queen just happens to be the real-life mother of Snow White?
Now there’s a twist even Hollywood hasn’t touched.
Pen Met Parks Family Theater, in its third year, is presenting the classic fairy tale in it’s more traditional setting, with a show run from Saturday through Aug. 18, at the open-air amphitheater at Sehmel Homestead Park.
The actresses playing the Queen and Snow White are in reality the Gig Harbor mother-daughter duo of Starla and Haley Hauser, respectively.
For Starla Hauser, the play represents her acting debut — at least in current times. The last time she was on stage was when she was in middle school.
“It’s so much fun being in a play with my daughter,” she said during a rehearsal last week. “It’s too bad I don’t like her in the play. I try to kill her.” But the duality of roles they play in real life and on stage isn’t the biggest challenge for her — it’s the fact that she has a song solo.
“I don’t sing,” she admitted. But she has been practicing — a lot. Starla said she sings her song in the shower and “every night when I’m cooking dinner.” In fact, her three teen-age boys have heard it so often they know it by heart and now sing it as well.
But her biggest challenge by far — one that dwarfs any challenges of the stage — is she also is a stage 4 breast cancer patient.
“I’m really tired,” Starla said. “The play is wiping me out.” To ease the strain, she takes breaks when not on stage, and she focuses on the task at hand when she’s in the spotlight. To help herself get through her song, she said, Starla imagines herself as the Queen. “She’s conceited, so she wouldn’t care how she sounds,” she said.
Staying true to the “family” part of the name Pen Met Family Theater, the Hausers aren’t the only families with multiple participants in the production.
Back for their third production in as many years, the family of Blair and Cathy McMurtrey of Gig Harbor also fills numerous roles, both on stage and backstage. Two years ago, Cathy played the Wicked Witch, then took a hiatus from an “evil” role to play the Queen of Nevernod, who was Sleeping Beauty’s mother, last year. This year, she said, she’s back to her no good ways playing the Old Crone who gives Snow White the poisoned apple.
A veteran of theater from her high school and college days, Cathy stepped away from community theater when she had a family until her family happened upon the Pen Met group, headed up by Gig Harbor resident Kathy McGilliard. “I could do a show with my family,” she said.
Last year, all five of her children, her husband and herself were involved with the Pen Met show. This year, they scaled back just a bit. Her husband, Blair, worked on set construction, while two of her daughters — Susie and Julie — are playing two of the seven dwarfs. Julie, the youngest in the family, makes certain to point out that she is the head dwarf. Her daughter, Kim, another veteran of the stage, is working backstage as the sound tech for “Snow White.”
Cathy laughed that McGilliard has a way of roping family members in. She said they showed up at the “Wizard of Oz” auditions two years ago for their kids and McGilliard turned to Cathy during the auditions and said, “OK, mom, now it’s your turn.” She did the same thing to Blair, Cathy said, and when he said he couldn’t sing, their daughter, Julie piped up, “Yes you do, dad. You sing the Grinch song.” Blair got cast as the Wizard.
Yet another father-son duo in the cast are Gig Harbor residents Braxton Zenobio, 12, as the Walking, Talking Mirror, and his dad, Mark, who is debuting his acting chops as the Huntsman.
McGilliard who operated Encore Theatre in Gig Harbor since 1973, teamed up with Pen Met Parks after Encore shut down due to the sluggish economy. She had provided some fundraising efforts for the organization when the park was being built so a working relationship was already forged when the idea of a theater group was put forth.
The first outdoor production took place in the meadow near the ballfields, but subsequent productions — including “Snow White — make use of the natural setting of the outdoor amphitheater just left of the park entrance.
“This is a perfect setting,” McGilliard said, noting the audience is in shade and the actors aren’t staring into the sun. “It’s a perfect venue.”
To help the Hausers with Starla’s ongoing medical costs, the theater group is donating one night’s receipt as a fundraiser and is performing Saturday, Aug. 17, in dedication to Starla.
© 2013 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
THEATER: Paradise comedy as fresh as if it was 'Born Yesterday'
Kanin's post-World War II romance-commentary has a lot to say about modern politics, too
By Michael C. Moore
Posted January 18, 2014 at 1:13 p.m.
Kanin's post-World War II romance-commentary has a lot to say about modern politics, too
By Michael C. Moore
Posted January 18, 2014 at 1:13 p.m.
VICKI RICHARDS | PARADISE THEATRE,
Billie Dawn (Kristen Blegen Bouyer) schools Harry Brock (Jeff Richards) in a game of gin.
Paradise comedy as fresh as it it was ‘Born Yesterday’
GIG HARBOR — I remember seeing a production of “Born Yesterday” in 1989 at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre. It was the first and only time I’d been exposed to Garson Kanin’s combination of romantic comedy and sociopolitical commentary ... up until the Jan. 17 (opening night) performance of Paradise Theatre’s production.
It wouldn’t be fair to compare the two. The 1989 experience was Intiman, after all, at the height of its potency, directed by Elizabeth Huddle and boasting a cast that included Suzanne Bouchard as Billie Dawn and Julian Gamble as Harry Brock.
So, no, the productions don’t compare. But Paradise’s mounting, with Jeff Richards doing double duty as both director and in the Brock role, is quite good — well-acted, well-upholstered, consistently representative of Kanin’s source material and surprisingly timely for its 68 years).
Even though my experiences with the play went from national-class to community theater, I couldn’t help thinking that “Born Yesterday” — the script itself — might actually be a better play now than it was then.
It certainly is just as relevant, if not moreso, than it was in 1989, or even when it debuted on Broadway in 1946. The political waters of 2014 — intrigues, misdeeds and Tea Party dirty pool — seem every bit as treacherous as they must’ve been in the post-World War II era, when profiteering was rampant and Joe McCarthy was witch-hunting his way to power.
Sure, Billie Dawn (played at Paradise with equal parts ditz and schmartz by Kristen Blegen Bouyer in an excellent performance) undergoes a romantic transition, graduating from her convenient attachment to sugar-daddy Brock to a fascination for the idealistic brainiac, Paul Verrall.
But Kanin has another, bigger transition in mind for the former showgirl, who’s sold herself to Brock in exchange for a vapid, mink-lined lifestyle that she thinks suits her just fine — mostly because she hasn’t given anything else much thought at all. When Brock hires Verrall to “smooth her rough edges,” her world capsizes, and she’s suddenly reading, learning ... and questioning. (“How come he’s got so much to say?”, she asks at one point, pondering Brock’s bought-and-paid-for political clout. “Who voted for him?”) She considers herself and her place in a whole new way, not to mention the place of Brock, his flunkies and their money-is-power modus operandi.
She’s been kept, employed really, to pay attention to nothing but Brock. A few weeks with the willing Verrall — in Brock’s glitzy hotel suite and out sight-seeing and book-buying around Washington D.C., where Brock has come to grease some key politicians — opens her eyes to everything else.
Bouyer’s Billie seems informed by, without being a rip-off of, Judy Holliday’s original, with plenty of subtle comic business to go with an adorable quavering, crackling vocal delivery — like she’s constantly in mid-hiccup — that owes less to Holliday than it does to teenaged Ainsley Bailey (of the Disney Channel’s now-defunct series “Shake It Up;” how’s that for an obscure reference?) Check out the long, luxuriously played and thoroughly charming card game between Billie and Brock that brings the curtain down on Act 1 for some especially fine acting and teamwork.
Bouyer steals just about every scene she’s in, except for those already locked up by Richards — who’s rude, crude and durn-near perfect as self-made scrap-metal baron Brock. Whether he’s affably throwing money at whatever it is he desires. threateningly exposing a dark side that is responsible for the ill-gotten portion of his gains, or hilariously expressing his frustration over his love for and increasing lack of control over Billie, he’s consistently funny, convincing and often even sympathetic.
After all, there are no real “bad guys” in Kanin’s story — just people doin’ what they have to do.
After Richards and Bouyer, the rest of the cast is competent or better. Jake Atwood offers opulent amounts of earnestness and righteousness, but not quite enough rings around his trunk, to be a totally convincing Verrall. Jon Elston hints at, but never really expands on ,the moral conflicts that drive his character, fallen lawyer Ed Devery, to lots and lots of drink. Cathy McMurtrey, as the wife of one of the senators in Brock’s pocket, contributes some priceless sideways glances during her one encounter with the uncouth Billie.
The set is attractive and sturdy — especially when you consider all the slamming to which the suite’s four doors are subjected — and the lighting bright and consistent all over the multileveled, pigeon-toed stage — which isn’t always the case at Paradise.
No, it’s not Intiman, circa 1989. But Paradise, with Richards filling two key roles and Bouyer conjuring up an endearing Billie Dawn, steps up with a production that’s both laugh-inducing and thought-provoking, and almost always at the appropriate times.
Just like the play itself, from the mid-’40s, seems so appropriate for this winter of our political discontent.
© 2014 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2014/jan/18/theater-paradise-comedy-as-fresh-as-it-it-was/#ixzz2sw6LpcGr
Follow us: @KitsapSun on Twitter | KitsapNews on Facebook
GIG HARBOR — I remember seeing a production of “Born Yesterday” in 1989 at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre. It was the first and only time I’d been exposed to Garson Kanin’s combination of romantic comedy and sociopolitical commentary ... up until the Jan. 17 (opening night) performance of Paradise Theatre’s production.
It wouldn’t be fair to compare the two. The 1989 experience was Intiman, after all, at the height of its potency, directed by Elizabeth Huddle and boasting a cast that included Suzanne Bouchard as Billie Dawn and Julian Gamble as Harry Brock.
So, no, the productions don’t compare. But Paradise’s mounting, with Jeff Richards doing double duty as both director and in the Brock role, is quite good — well-acted, well-upholstered, consistently representative of Kanin’s source material and surprisingly timely for its 68 years).
Even though my experiences with the play went from national-class to community theater, I couldn’t help thinking that “Born Yesterday” — the script itself — might actually be a better play now than it was then.
It certainly is just as relevant, if not moreso, than it was in 1989, or even when it debuted on Broadway in 1946. The political waters of 2014 — intrigues, misdeeds and Tea Party dirty pool — seem every bit as treacherous as they must’ve been in the post-World War II era, when profiteering was rampant and Joe McCarthy was witch-hunting his way to power.
Sure, Billie Dawn (played at Paradise with equal parts ditz and schmartz by Kristen Blegen Bouyer in an excellent performance) undergoes a romantic transition, graduating from her convenient attachment to sugar-daddy Brock to a fascination for the idealistic brainiac, Paul Verrall.
But Kanin has another, bigger transition in mind for the former showgirl, who’s sold herself to Brock in exchange for a vapid, mink-lined lifestyle that she thinks suits her just fine — mostly because she hasn’t given anything else much thought at all. When Brock hires Verrall to “smooth her rough edges,” her world capsizes, and she’s suddenly reading, learning ... and questioning. (“How come he’s got so much to say?”, she asks at one point, pondering Brock’s bought-and-paid-for political clout. “Who voted for him?”) She considers herself and her place in a whole new way, not to mention the place of Brock, his flunkies and their money-is-power modus operandi.
She’s been kept, employed really, to pay attention to nothing but Brock. A few weeks with the willing Verrall — in Brock’s glitzy hotel suite and out sight-seeing and book-buying around Washington D.C., where Brock has come to grease some key politicians — opens her eyes to everything else.
Bouyer’s Billie seems informed by, without being a rip-off of, Judy Holliday’s original, with plenty of subtle comic business to go with an adorable quavering, crackling vocal delivery — like she’s constantly in mid-hiccup — that owes less to Holliday than it does to teenaged Ainsley Bailey (of the Disney Channel’s now-defunct series “Shake It Up;” how’s that for an obscure reference?) Check out the long, luxuriously played and thoroughly charming card game between Billie and Brock that brings the curtain down on Act 1 for some especially fine acting and teamwork.
Bouyer steals just about every scene she’s in, except for those already locked up by Richards — who’s rude, crude and durn-near perfect as self-made scrap-metal baron Brock. Whether he’s affably throwing money at whatever it is he desires. threateningly exposing a dark side that is responsible for the ill-gotten portion of his gains, or hilariously expressing his frustration over his love for and increasing lack of control over Billie, he’s consistently funny, convincing and often even sympathetic.
After all, there are no real “bad guys” in Kanin’s story — just people doin’ what they have to do.
After Richards and Bouyer, the rest of the cast is competent or better. Jake Atwood offers opulent amounts of earnestness and righteousness, but not quite enough rings around his trunk, to be a totally convincing Verrall. Jon Elston hints at, but never really expands on ,the moral conflicts that drive his character, fallen lawyer Ed Devery, to lots and lots of drink. Cathy McMurtrey, as the wife of one of the senators in Brock’s pocket, contributes some priceless sideways glances during her one encounter with the uncouth Billie.
The set is attractive and sturdy — especially when you consider all the slamming to which the suite’s four doors are subjected — and the lighting bright and consistent all over the multileveled, pigeon-toed stage — which isn’t always the case at Paradise.
No, it’s not Intiman, circa 1989. But Paradise, with Richards filling two key roles and Bouyer conjuring up an endearing Billie Dawn, steps up with a production that’s both laugh-inducing and thought-provoking, and almost always at the appropriate times.
Just like the play itself, from the mid-’40s, seems so appropriate for this winter of our political discontent.
© 2014 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2014/jan/18/theater-paradise-comedy-as-fresh-as-it-it-was/#ixzz2sw6LpcGr
Follow us: @KitsapSun on Twitter | KitsapNews on Facebook
THEATER: Paradise's 'Oz' just short of the rainbow
Opening-night foibles should give way to a solid run of the revered musical
By Michael C. Moore
Posted November 23, 2013 at 4:08 p.m.
Opening-night foibles should give way to a solid run of the revered musical
By Michael C. Moore
Posted November 23, 2013 at 4:08 p.m.
ERIN LUND, BERRYLANE PHOTOGRAPHY | PARADISE THEATRE
Glinda, the good witch (Wendy Jelinek, right) tells Dorothy (Sydney Safford) and Toto (Alia) how to get back to Kansas.
Paradise’s ‘Oz’ just short of the rainbow
GIG HARBOR — Just once, I’d like to be able to see a Paradise Theatre musical on the final weekend of its run, instead of the first. In some cases, and currently in the case of “The Wizard of Oz,” a few performances might make all the difference.
From just about any viewpoint — costumes, choreography, cast size, music — “Oz” is a huge undertaking. And after seeing the opening-night performance (Nov. 22), in front of a nearly full house, I’m betting director Jeff Richards might’ve liked enough time to click his heels together a few more times to help everything come together.
It was fun. How could Dorothy Gale’s underdog-befriending, Munchkin-endearing, wicked witch-murdering visit Over the Rainbow be anything but?
But it was also really loose; line-dropping, lyric-forgetting, costume-malfunctioning loose.
Those things will get better as the show gets a few reps under its belt. You’d like to think that by the time Dorothy and Casa Gale touch down back on terra firma for the final time (on Dec. 15), Richards’ company will be a lean, mean performing machine.
On opening night, though, they had a way to go.
And I still had a good time. The story and the characters and the simple wisdom in the script are so timeless and beloved and sturdy, and the Paradise production is generally pretty representative of the original in both look and sound (the version Richards chose hugs pretty closely to the 1939 film script, albeit with some largely unnecessary embellishments) that all but the most stodgy of Oz purists are liable to come away happy.
The show is well cast, although Jonathan Bill (Tin Man) was obviously under the weather and not at full vocal potency (although a weakened Bill is still probably better than anyone else Richards could have put in the role). As the other two escorts Dorothy picks up on her trek along the Yellow Brick road — the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion — Jake Atwood and Howard Knickerbocker, respectively, are both fine, although both might’ve been trying just a bit too hard on opening night. Shannon Burch is more silly than scary as the Wicked Witch of the West, maybe because she was weighed down with several coats of green makeup, when one probably would’ve been sufficient.
The cast of 34 (give or take a flyin’ monkey) is heavy on youngsters, which makes for some darling Munchkins. Indeed, the “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” number was not only the evening’s most cohesive and energetic set piece, but was easily the cutest.
Richards gets two of his stronger performances from a mother-daughter entry, young Sydney Safford providing a plucky presence and mature vocal work as Dorothy and mom Wendy Jelinek bringing the show’s best set of pipes to the role of Glinda. I almost liked the often-left-out (with good reason) song-and-dance number “The Jitterbug” after Safford’s performance of it.
Alia the dog was rock-solid as Toto, although she required a stunt-pooch for many sequences.
Richards did come up with several ingenious contrivances to satisfy the audience’s expectations, including projected images of snowfall (to rescue the Dorothy Gang from their poppy-induced slumber) and the bulbous head of the Wizard (an appropriately bumbly Troy Turnley). He also employed dark-costumed dancers to represent the swirls of the twister.
Costumes (co-chaired by Vicki Richards and Courtney Turnley) were more than adequate, and in the case of Dorothy’s checked frocks actually changed with the show’s several major venue’s — brown for Kansas, blue for Munchkinland, green for the Emerald City. The live orchestra led by Vicki Knickerbocker had some of the same opening-night foibles as the rest of the company, but generally provided solid accompaniment for the show’s list of lovely, funny Harold Arlen-E.Y. Harburg songs.
So, opening night was loose. Chances are it’ll tighten up quite a bit in the coming weeks.
If I only had a ... ’nother opportunity to see it.
© 2013 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Readre: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/nov/23/theater-paradises-oz-just-short-of-the-rainbow/#ixzz2sw95P2dp
Follow us: @KitsapSun on Twitter | KitsapNews on Facebook
GIG HARBOR — Just once, I’d like to be able to see a Paradise Theatre musical on the final weekend of its run, instead of the first. In some cases, and currently in the case of “The Wizard of Oz,” a few performances might make all the difference.
From just about any viewpoint — costumes, choreography, cast size, music — “Oz” is a huge undertaking. And after seeing the opening-night performance (Nov. 22), in front of a nearly full house, I’m betting director Jeff Richards might’ve liked enough time to click his heels together a few more times to help everything come together.
It was fun. How could Dorothy Gale’s underdog-befriending, Munchkin-endearing, wicked witch-murdering visit Over the Rainbow be anything but?
But it was also really loose; line-dropping, lyric-forgetting, costume-malfunctioning loose.
Those things will get better as the show gets a few reps under its belt. You’d like to think that by the time Dorothy and Casa Gale touch down back on terra firma for the final time (on Dec. 15), Richards’ company will be a lean, mean performing machine.
On opening night, though, they had a way to go.
And I still had a good time. The story and the characters and the simple wisdom in the script are so timeless and beloved and sturdy, and the Paradise production is generally pretty representative of the original in both look and sound (the version Richards chose hugs pretty closely to the 1939 film script, albeit with some largely unnecessary embellishments) that all but the most stodgy of Oz purists are liable to come away happy.
The show is well cast, although Jonathan Bill (Tin Man) was obviously under the weather and not at full vocal potency (although a weakened Bill is still probably better than anyone else Richards could have put in the role). As the other two escorts Dorothy picks up on her trek along the Yellow Brick road — the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion — Jake Atwood and Howard Knickerbocker, respectively, are both fine, although both might’ve been trying just a bit too hard on opening night. Shannon Burch is more silly than scary as the Wicked Witch of the West, maybe because she was weighed down with several coats of green makeup, when one probably would’ve been sufficient.
The cast of 34 (give or take a flyin’ monkey) is heavy on youngsters, which makes for some darling Munchkins. Indeed, the “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” number was not only the evening’s most cohesive and energetic set piece, but was easily the cutest.
Richards gets two of his stronger performances from a mother-daughter entry, young Sydney Safford providing a plucky presence and mature vocal work as Dorothy and mom Wendy Jelinek bringing the show’s best set of pipes to the role of Glinda. I almost liked the often-left-out (with good reason) song-and-dance number “The Jitterbug” after Safford’s performance of it.
Alia the dog was rock-solid as Toto, although she required a stunt-pooch for many sequences.
Richards did come up with several ingenious contrivances to satisfy the audience’s expectations, including projected images of snowfall (to rescue the Dorothy Gang from their poppy-induced slumber) and the bulbous head of the Wizard (an appropriately bumbly Troy Turnley). He also employed dark-costumed dancers to represent the swirls of the twister.
Costumes (co-chaired by Vicki Richards and Courtney Turnley) were more than adequate, and in the case of Dorothy’s checked frocks actually changed with the show’s several major venue’s — brown for Kansas, blue for Munchkinland, green for the Emerald City. The live orchestra led by Vicki Knickerbocker had some of the same opening-night foibles as the rest of the company, but generally provided solid accompaniment for the show’s list of lovely, funny Harold Arlen-E.Y. Harburg songs.
So, opening night was loose. Chances are it’ll tighten up quite a bit in the coming weeks.
If I only had a ... ’nother opportunity to see it.
© 2013 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Readre: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/nov/23/theater-paradises-oz-just-short-of-the-rainbow/#ixzz2sw95P2dp
Follow us: @KitsapSun on Twitter | KitsapNews on Facebook