Theatre Charlotte

Father Flynn's Opening Sermon

2012-01-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you’re not sure? That’s the topic of my sermon today. You look for God’s direction and can’t find it. Last year when President Kennedy was assassinated, who among us did not experience the most profound disorientation. Despair. “What now? Which way? What do I say to my kids? What do I tell myself?” It was a time of people sitting together, bound together by a common feeling of hopelessness. But think of that! Your bond with your fellow beings was your despair. It was a public experience, shared by everyone in our society. It was awful, but we were in it together!

How much worse is it then for the lone man, the lone woman, stricken by a private calamity? “No one knows I’m sick. No one knows I’ve lost my last real friend. No one knows I’ve done something wrong.” Imagine the isolation. You see the world as through a window. On the one side of the glass: happy, untroubled people. On the other side: you. Something has happened, you have to carry it, and it’s incommunicable. For those so afflicted, only God knows their pain. Their secret. The secret of their alienating sorrow. And when such a person, as they must, howls to the sky, to God: “Help me!” What if no answer comes? Silence.

I want to tell you a story. A cargo ship sank and all her crew was drowned. Only this one sailor survived. He made a raft of some spars and, being of a nautical discipline, turned his eyes to the Heavens and read the stars. He set a course for his home, and, exhausted, fell asleep. Clouds rolled in and blanketed the sky. For the next twenty nights, as he floated on the vast ocean, he could no longer see the stars. He thought he was on course by there was no way to be certain. As the days rolled on, and he wasted away with fevers, thirst and starvation, he began to have doubts. Had he set his course right? Was he still going on towards his home? Or was he horribly lost and doomed to a terrible death? No way to know. The message of the constellations—had he imagined it because of his desperate circumstance? Or had he seen Truth once, and now had to hold on to it without further reassurance? This was his dilemma on a voyage without apparent end.

There are those of you in church today who know exactly the crisis of faith I describe. I want to say to you: Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Copyright © by John Patrick Shanley.

Theatre Charlotte's production of DOUBT, A PARABLE promises to be a highlight of the theatre season. The show runs through February 5. Tickets are available now through CarolinaTix at (704) 372-1000 or http://www.carolinatix.org/default.asp?tix=59&objId=2568

Playwright's Preface for DOUBT, A PARABLE

2012-01-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

What’s under a play? What holds it up? You might as well ask what’s under me? On what am I built? There’s something silent under every person and under every play. There is something unsaid under any given society as well.

There’s a symptom apparent in America right now. It’s evident in political talk shows, in entertainment coverage, in artistic criticism of every kind, in religious discussion. We are living in a courtroom culture. We were living in a celebrity culture, but that’s dead. Now we’re only interested in celebrities if they’re in court. We are living in a culture of extreme advocacy, of confrontation, of judgment, and of verdict. Discussion has given way to debate. Communication has become a contest of wills. Public talking has become obnoxious and insincere. Why? Maybe it’s because deep down under the chatter we have come to a place where we know that we don’t know…anything. But nobody’s willing to say that.

Let me ask you. Have you ever held a position in an argument past the point of comfort? Have you ever defended a way of life you were on the verge of exhausting? Have you ever given service to a creed you no longer utterly believed? Have you ever told a girl you loved her and felt the faint nausea of eroding conviction? I have. That’s an interesting moment. For a playwright, it’s the beginning of an idea. I saw a piece of real estate on which I might build a play, a play that sat on something silent in my life and in my time. I started with a title: Doubt.

What is Doubt? Each of us is like a planet. There’s the crust, which seems eternal. We are confident about who we are. If you ask, we can readily describe our current state. I know my answers to so many questions, as do you. What was your father like? Do you believe in God? Who’s your best friend? What do you want? Your answers are your current topography, seemingly permanent, but deceptively so. Because under that face of easy response, there is another You. And this wordless Being moves just as the instant moves; it presses upward without explanation, fluid and wordless, until the resisting consciousness has no choice but to give way.

It is Doubt (so often experienced initially as weakness) that changes things. When a man feels unsteady, when he falters, when hard-won knowledge evaporates before his eyes, he’s on the verge of growth. The subtle or violent reconciliation of the outer person and the inner core often seems at first like a mistake, like you’ve gone the wrong way and you’re lost. But this is just emotion longing for the familiar. Life happens when the tectonic power of your speechless soul breaks through the dead habits of the mind. Doubt is nothing less than an opportunity to reenter the Present.

The play. I’ve set my story in 1964, when not just me, but the whole world seemed to be going through some kind of vast puberty. The old ways were still dominant in behavior, dress, morality, world view, but what had been organic expression had become a dead mask. I was in Catholic church school in the Bronx, run by the Sisters of Charity. These women dressed in black, believed in Hell, obeyed their male counterparts, and educated us. The faith, which held us together, went beyond the precincts of religion. It was a shared dream we agreed to call Reality. We didn’t know it, but we had a deal, a social contract. We should all believe the same thing. We would all believe.

Looking back, it seems to me, in those schools at that time, we were an ageless unity. We were all adults and we were all children. We had, like many animals, flocked together for warmth and safety. As a result, we were terribly vulnerable to anyone who chose to hunt us. When trust is the order of the day, predators are free to plunder. And plunder they did. As the ever widening Church scandals reveal, the hunters had a field day. And the shepherds, so invested in the surface, sacrificed actual good for perceived virtue.

I have never forgotten the lessons of that era, nor learned them well enough. I still long for shared certainty, an assumption of safety, the reassurance of believing that others know better than me what’s for the best. But I have been led by the bitter necessities of an interesting life to value that age-old practice of the wise: Doubt.

There is an uneasy time when belief has begun to slip, but hypocrisy has yet to take hold, when the consciousness is disturbed but not yet altered. It is the most
dangerous, important, and ongoing experience of life. The beginning of change is the moment of Doubt. It is that crucial moment when I renew my humanity or become a lie.

Doubt requires more courage than conviction does, and more energy; because conviction is a resting place and doubt is infinite—it is a passionate exercise. You may come out of my play uncertain. You may want to be sure. Look down on that feeling. We’ve got to learn to live with a full measure of uncertainty. There is no last word. That’s the silence under the chatter of our time.

-John Patrick Shanley
Playwright, DOUBT, A PARABLE

Theatre Charlotte's production of DOUBT, A PARABLE promises to be a highlight of the theatre season. The show runs January 20 through February 5. Tickets are available now through CarolinaTix at (704) 372-1000 or http://www.carolinatix.org/default.asp?tix=59&objId=2568

An Introduction to DOUBT, A PARABLE

2012-01-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

Set at the fictional Bronx-area St. Nicholas Catholic school in the fall of 1964 on the cusp of the Second Vatican Council, DOUBT, A PARABLE, written by John Patrick Shanley, involves a conservative older nun, Sister Aloysius (Katherine Goforth), who does not approve of teachers who offer friendship and compassion instead of the discipline she feels students need in order to face a harsh world. When she suspects a priest, Father Flynn (Dave Blamy), of an unspeakable crime against one of the students under her charge, she is faced with the prospect of charging him with unproven allegations and possibly destroying his position as well as her own.

To help build her case, she asks for help from an idealistic young nun, Sister James (Emily Rast), who finds her compassion and love of teaching challenged by the strict codes of the older woman. Sister Aloysius also turns to the student’s mother (Iesha Hoffman). The focus of the play is a small group of individuals in a small school, but the huge issues raised will resonate with the audience long after the lights come down. Much of the play's quick-fire dialogue tackles themes of religion, morality, authority and certainty.

DOUBT, directed at Theatre Charlotte by Gina Stewart, is about how we arrive at certainty and how we deal with uncertainty. Though couched in the issues of morality and authority, this play is about the whole of idea of certainty or lack thereof and that having a lack of certainty and living in doubt can be a passionate exercise rather than something that cuts you off at the knees and makes you weak. In fact, it can make you strong. To live in a state of doubt is to live in a dynamic present tense way rather than sit back on the couch of convictions.

DOUBT has garnered critical acclaim and awards since its debut in 2005. The play was heralded as "Best Play of the Year" by over 10 newspapers and magazines, including Time, Entertainment Weekly, and The Wall Street Journal. The Broadway performances of DOUBT have received numerous awards. It assembled 8 nominations for the 2005 Tony Awards and won 4 Tonys, including Best Play. For DOUBT, Shanley was awarded the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, an award he could put on the mantle next to his Academy Award for Best Screenplay for the 1987 film, Moonstruck, starring Cher, Nicolas Cage and Olympia Dukakis.

Shanley wrote and directed a film adaptation of DOUBT in 2008 starring Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Father Flynn, Amy Adams as Sister James and Viola Davis as Mrs. Muller. Released to great fanfare, the film received 5 Academy Award nominations, including a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay, among its acclaim.

Theatre Charlotte's production promises to be a highlight of the theatre season. The show runs January 20 through February 5. Tickets are available now through CarolinaTix at (704) 372-1000 or http://www.carolinatix.org/default.asp?tix=59&objId=2568

Director's Note: A Christmas Carol

2011-12-12T06:09:00.000-08:00

"A Christmas Carol" is a ghost story. It is a ghost story that reminds us all of the magic of Christmas…but a ghost story, nonetheless.

When I was approached about directing this year's production, I knew I wanted to honor the Christmas tradition Theatre Charlotte has established, which has become a part of so many lives over the past 5 years. At the same time, however, I also wanted to give the audience something a little different. To keep the production fresh and exciting, I wanted to meld tradition and invention… and remind us all that this is a Christmas ghost story.

The invention comes in the form of many new costumes and sounds, and an entirely new set and light design. Chris Timmons' new set plot has allowed for more magic on stage. Our dark moments are darker. Our scary moments are scarier. Hopefully, our happy moments are even happier!

On the first day of rehearsal I asked our cast about their favorite holiday traditions (an idea stolen from previous director, Vito Abate). The answers ranged from the traditional (presents and time with family), to the more unique (Belkie Bears and 104.7). Kevin Campbell, our Scrooge since the first "Christmas Carol" in 2007, proclaimed that his favorite tradition was spending his holiday season at Theatre Charlotte in his favorite role!

As we present our 5th anniversary production of "A Christmas Carol," we hope that spending part of your holidays with Theatre Charlotte has become one of your favorite traditions!

-Stuart Spencer
Director, A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Theatre Charlotte

Adding More Magic to "A Christmas Carol"

2011-12-01T01:05:00.000-08:00

The other day our intern asked me what was different with “A Christmas Carol” this year and apparently word travels because she isn’t the first to ask that question. In a nutshell, the answer is... “much.”

I think the more appropriate question is, “why?” With the same script as last year, why not pull out the set pieces, dust them off and take it easy for a change. Well, I think I have finally found ways to solve some of the problems that have plagued the show in the past. Funny what you can do when you can spend the appropriate amount of time devoted to one production (never mind that this case study was stretched out over three seasons).

At the start of this process, I referred to the previous year’s design which in turn had some modifications from the first year when I was sort of backed into a corner to design the show at the last minute, with no money, the need for levels and little time to develop a clear picture of the show. In trying to modify that design, I soon found that I was complicating the process even further, so the best thing to do was to scrap everything and get back to the basics. What were the most important elements in each scene and how could I make this show transition more smoothly? How can we do a better job of establishing the mood of this play? That isn’t to say that this year’s production will look like a poor man’s “A Christmas Carol,” on the contrary, I think this year will be much more successful artistically and technically.

I don’t want to give a lot away, but let me say a few things about this year technically. At times, there will be more magic in transitioning from one place to another and hopefully more seamless scene changes. There is more attention to detail this year, so while there are a few pieces that will be returning, they have been dressed up a little. With the help of lighting, we will reinforce the mood of the story to create a darker and happier Christmas Carol than we have seen in past productions, maybe dating back to the first year we did “A Christmas Carol” with a different script. However, I would venture to say it was the most successful of the four productions we have done. And did I mention that we hope to showcase our new LED lighting fixtures (thanks to all who donated through Power2Give, you know who you are!)

If you still think you have seen it all in this production, let me conclude by saying that there will be more magic this year. Theatre Charlotte certainly can’t afford to play on the same level as others around here, but we make the most of what we have and you can still create magic by being resourceful and with a little trial and error. Look for a few more “effects” this year that will hopefully leave you wondering about the magic of live theatre, all the while filled with the spirit of the Holiday season.

-Chris Timmons
Set Designer/Lighting Designer, "A Christmas Carol" at Theatre Charlotte

Theatre Thoughts: The Wells Fargo Wagon is a Comin’

2011-11-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

THEATRE THOUGHTS: Notes From the Executive Director

On Saturday, October 29, the cast of Theatre Charlotte’s production of The Music Man reunited to perform 6 songs from the show as the kick off to the Wells Fargo Community Celebration at the ribbon cutting ceremony opening the Wells Fargo Museum. It was remarkable that we were able to bring together 35 of the 41 cast members over a month after the show closed to do this performance. But, it was a tight cast and they were proud of the work they had done and wanted to share it once more.

I had been working with Wells Fargo and Arts and Science Council officials for several months leading up to this, as it was just too perfect for us to lead off the festivities with the song “Wells Fargo Wagon” and the Wells Fargo wagon riding up the street. Originally, the Wells Fargo Community Celebration Day was scheduled for a Saturday in September, smack in the middle of our run of the show. That would have been a great marketing tool for the show as well as for our overall brand. However, Wells Fargo pushed the date back to the end of October. This created some doubt as to whether we’d be able to participate or not. The Wells Fargo team reiterated that they would really like us to perform. So, at the beginning of rehearsals the first week of August, I started getting cast members to commit to the appearance on October 29 and to put it on their calendars then.

The production turned out to be quite good with the members of the cast enjoying the work they were doing together. This made it all the easier for them to keep their early commitment. I made arrangements with the costumer, Jamey Varnadore, to have the costumes cleaned and ready to go for October 29. Ryan Deal, our fabulous music director, and Mike Charlton, the drummer from the show, were also lined up for that day.

We had a scheduled rehearsal for Saturday morning, October 22 with members of the Wells Fargo team on hand to approve the numbers we were going to perform and to time them (these folks were very precise). Only half of those committed to performing could attend this rehearsal. Ryan and I had six songs picked out to rehearse and we would let the Wells Fargo people tell us which they wanted. In addition to “Wells Fargo Wagon,” we sang “Iowa Stubborn,” “Ya Got Trouble,” “Till There Was You,” “Gary Indiana” and “76 Trombones.” The cast members that were there sang beautifully and the Wells Fargo team was so impressed they asked us to do all 6 songs! They said they would work out the timing of the speeches to accommodate the musical numbers.

When I awoke at 5:15 am on October 29, it was pouring rain and was extremely cold and quite windy. I was anxious about whether we would be able to perform outside on Tryon Street. By the time I left at 6:45 am, the rain had stopped, but the wind had picked up and the temperature was in the low 30s (and the cast would be in costumes designed for July 4, 1912 and not two days before Halloween!)

Everyone showed up, got in costume and prepared to rehearse at 8:30. Wells Fargo had a wireless body microphone for all cast members. There were a number of technical glitches, so we never really had a sound check or rehearsal, but the performers were on top of their game. At 9:30 am, my six year old, Chloe, her first time with a body mike—and boy was she excited about that—kicked off the ceremonies with her line, “Papa! The Wells Fargo Wagon is just comin’ up from the depot!” Then the cast began to sing “Wells Fargo Wagon” and as the song neared the end, up galloped the real Wells Fargo Wagon. The cast waved and sang as it approached. The song ended and Mayor Foxx, Kendall Alley and other Wells Fargo officials disembarked and made their way to the podium.

The Mayor welcomed everyone in a short speech and Jay Everette, a Wells Fargo official, began to announce the recipient organizations of $100,000 in grants Wells Fargo customers and employees had voted to receive. As I conferred with Ryan about the upcoming numbers, I heard something to the effect of “and we would like to award $10,000 to Theatre Charlotte.” Well, that was one of the most surprising moments in my tenure as Executive Director! We had not been told ahead of time that we were going to receive this and it came as a complete surprise. And there I was, dressed like a stage hand complete with walkie talkie. Stunned, I made my way to the podium and mumbled to Jay Everette that had I known, I would have dressed differently. He laughed and said it was just fine. We posed for pictures and I floated back to the side of the stage with The Music Man cast. The cast then flawlessly performed the other five songs and the performance was over.

We were treated to a thawing out with hot chocolate and hot cider before we were guided a couple of blocks away to get a group photo taken in front of the Wells Fargo Wagon. And that completed this really rewarding morning and brought The Music Man to a joyous ending!
-Ron Law
Executive Director, Theatre Charlotte

Director's Note: Cuckoo's Nest

2011-11-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

Many of us have very fond memories of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST. My first introduction was the now-classic film, which I saw the day it opened, without much advanced hype. I was immediately enthralled with its story and acting. Since that time, I was given the chance to direct two productions—both more than twenty years ago. On both those occasions, I steadfastly refused to read the novel, because I reasoned that most of my audience would not have read the book.

This time I have rethought my approach to the material and have returned to Ken Kesey’s masterful novel as my primary source. We have tried with this production to be as faithful to Mr. Kesey’s vision as possible within the confined of the two-act version of the adaptation by Dale Wasserman. The cast has been encouraged to read the novel and have found depth and insight into their characters through the words of the late Mr. Kesey. When possible, we have staged iconic moments, not as they were in the movie, the three-act Broadway original, or the two-act revision, but as they are described in the novel.

We as a cast and production team have enjoyed the journey with Mr. Kesey as our guide. We hope you will also.

-Charles LaBorde
Director, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST at Theatre Charlotte

Theatre Thoughts: MTA Awards

2011-11-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

THEATRE THOUGHTS: Notes From the Executive Director

Awards. Awards for theatre excellence. Competing with other theatres and theatre artists. The Metrolina Theatre Association (MTA) Awards. So easy to dismiss them—until you actually win. Then suddenly you feel a bit like a hypocrite. That was the position I found myself in on Sunday, October 9 at the Metrolina Theatre Awards banquet at the Omni Hotel.

First, some background info for those who are unfamiliar with MTA. MTA represents more than 60 theatre organizations, along with hundreds of theatre artists, directors and producers in the Charlotte region. MTA was established on April 1, 1984. Its mission is to advance member participation through technological innovation, strengthen arts awareness in the community by creating new ways to engage the public and be a strong advocate of the performing arts. Whew. Anyway, one of the ways of helping create arts awareness is the awards process and ceremony. But, I always thought, “Awards? Who’s going to care the day after the ceremony? And competing with one’s peers? Not such a good thing.”

Anyway, The Metrolina Theatre Awards recognize outstanding performances and creative elements in 8 categories - Drama, Comedy, Musical, Regional–North, Regional–South, College/University, and Special Event. The Metrolina Theatre Association organizes more than 80 peer nominators; for the 2010-2011 season, MTA nominators attended 105 adjudicated shows, submitting thousands of nominations. They then completed a preliminary ballot to select the award nominees. The final vote was certified by an independent accountant.

The 2010-2011 Theatre Charlotte season was outstanding, both in terms of revenue and artistic quality. It was the finest in my six years as Executive Director and most likely one of the most successful in Theatre Charlotte’s 83 years. It included ANNIE, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, THE GRADUATE, THE GLASS MENAGERIE and RENT, with bonus productions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL and SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR. There was excellent work done by many actors, directors, designers and stage managers. For this work we received over 40 nominations in various categories, including about 10 for our outstanding production of RENT.

In spite of my outward cavalier attitude about awards, I went to the ceremony baffled about certain nominations and the lack thereof, but feeling excited about the chances of some of our nominees. The event itself proved to be a lot of fun. I enjoyed the ambience of the hotel ballroom. I liked being able to socialize with so many area theatre people. Then the awards ceremony began. As the final awards—the MTA Exceptional Awards for Technical Excellence, Emerging Artist of the Year, Theatre Person of the Year and Theatre Company of the Year—approached, I was actually excited about what Theatre Charlotte’s participants had won. Chaz Pofahl, Outstanding Actor in a musical for RENT, Billy Ensley for his direction of RENT, John Hartness for his lighting design of RENT and Ryan Deal for musical direction of RENT, were deserving of the awards, as were Laura Moore, Vito Abate and Marla Brown for their original writing for special events and Ann Israel and Laura Moore for performances in special events. Then the announcement of Outstanding Musical. I expected it to be RENT and it wasn’t. I was surprised at how badly I felt at that moment, considering how much I tried to convince myself awards didn’t really matter. I was not unhappy for the winners, but felt badly for all those connected with our excellent production of RENT.

The presentation of the Exceptional Awards began. It was now time for the Theatre Company of the Year Award and Theatre Charlotte was a nominee (as we had been a handful of other times during my tenure as Executive Director and had never been selected.) After the disappointment of RENT not getting the award, I was not feeling positive about being selected as Theatre Company of the Year. The nominees were announced and the envelope opened and… Theatre Company of the Year…Theatre Charlotte! I have to admit, a jolt of adrenaline surged through me and I bolted from my chair. I don’t remember what I said exactly. I thanked all the appropriate people. And then Michelle Gutt, the Theatre Charlotte Board President and I posed for pictures with the Theatre Charlotte award.

To sum it all up, I am still not totally sold on this awards business, but, I do have to admit, when you win one, it is pretty damn exciting.

-Ron Law Executive Director, Theatre Charlotte

Theatre Thoughts: Play Selection

2011-10-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

THEATRE THOUGHTS: Notes From the Executive Director

Play selection. One of the most important things a theatre does. It is an incredibly time-consuming, yet incredibly engrossing process. At Theatre Charlotte, we pick plays to meet the following criteria: fulfill the theatre’s mission and vision; attract not only audiences, but talented performers, as well; to physically fit our facility; meet budgetary requirements; and not be a recent duplication. Oh, and something else that has become increasingly challenging—being able to secure the rights to produce the show.

At Theatre Charlotte, I am responsible for the selection of plays and musicals to present to the Board of Directors for final approval. Each summer I recruit an advisory committee made up of theatre practitioners, theatre-goers and several board members. In the spring, we survey our patrons and ask them for show preferences. We pay close attention to the opinions of our audience members. After analyzing the survey results, checking the Theatre Charlotte list of productions over the past ten years and checking to see if other theatres have done any of the shows recently, I prepare a list of some 75 musicals, comedies and dramas and send it to the advisory committee for their initial feedback. This feedback usually reduces the list to around 50.

I prepare copies of these scripts for members of the advisory committee to read upon request. I also gather CDs of the musicals for distribution. I begin checking with other theatres in the area to see what might be on their lists. And I receive more feedback from the advisors. By now, the list is down to around 30. This is when I begin to put combinations of possible seasons together. Should this be an opening musical or one that closes the season? Should this be in the traditionally tough October slot or perhaps in March? Is there enough visual diversity in this grouping? How many male actors are in this combination, how many females? What strong roles for men are there? For women? Racial and ethnic diversity? This process reduces the total to around 15 to 20.

Then I begin to see if the rights can be obtained to produce these shows. This has become a very complicated process over the past couple of years—for several reasons. First of all, there are so many revivals on Broadway—and revivals of shows that are traditionally the mainstays of community theatres.
When these shows go on tour, it becomes quite difficult to get the tour producers to release the performing rights. And to top it off, Charlotte has become an “A” list city for these tours. We totally applaud the NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Broadway Lights Series for their success over the past few years—it enables all of us to see high quality productions without having to wait for several years for a tour to come through—but, it does make it difficult to secure the performance rights for some shows.

So far, in putting together FY13 (2012-2013 season), we have been denied the rights to CHICAGO, HAIR, DRIVING MISS DAISY, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. We were denied the first three because of tours and the latter due to a Broadway revival and probable tour. We produced ANNIE this past season after trying for two years to get the rights. After being denied this season, it is therefore imperative that we have a list of back-ups for each slot in the coming season.

We now have put together quite a strong season for 2012-2013 to present to the Theatre Charlotte Board of Directors. Stay tuned for a future announcement of the next season!

-Ron Law, Executive Director of Theatre Charlotte

Cuckoo's Nest: A Set Design

2011-10-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to think of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and not think of a sterile, white hospital setting with patients dressed in white uniforms roaming about the premises. There is a certain comfort in reproducing what people “remember” from a movie or a previous production of the same play, but what is the fun in that?

When Cuckoo’s Nest was officially on the schedule, I knew that we could do something a little more visually interesting with this show. It wasn’t until reading the novel that the first real sparks, so to speak, began. To be honest, I struggled at times to get through the book and wasn’t very fond of it. However, what struck me was one of the hospital’s patients’ descriptions of this machine that was holding him and others captive, while molding them into what society has accepted as normal. His senses overcome by the sound of electricity surging through the walls and the cog wheels grinding and turning. The idea of this giant machine is what I was looking for.

I will have more about the design and also examples of research in the lobby during the run of the show, so I won’t go into details here. I will say that it has been fascinating to research the early years of these giant hospitals and the treatments for the mentally ill (and sometimes not so mentally ill). One doctor took felt that the buildings themselves played a key role in the treatment of patients. Dr. Thomas Kirkbridge documented in great detail how hospitals for the mentally ill should be designed and constructed, from choosing the right spot of land, to the exact dimensions of the windows and doors. Some hospitals built in the Kirkbridge style still stand today, although many have been destroyed or become the subject of ghost hunters and photographers of the macabre.

My assistant, Emily Mazelin, and I have talked extensively about incorporating into the set design, the machine that the patient refers to and elements of these Kirkbridge buildings. The challenge is not only space, time and money, but also staying true to the integrity of the script and subject matter. If we have done our job, the scenery will play together with the lights and the sound, supporting the action on stage while giving the audience a little more to digest beyond white, sterile hospital walls.

-Chris Timmons
Set Designer, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST at Theatre Charlotte

Final 'Music Man' Musings

2011-09-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

I found the entire process of pre-production, casting, rehearsing and performing THE MUSIC MAN to be incredibly rewarding, satisfying and just plain fun. I entered the process somewhat dubiously. I was to be working with a set designer that I had never worked with before (and one who was relatively inexperienced), I had a “minor” heart attack two weeks before auditions, we were going to be delayed in getting on stage to rehearse and to build the set due to the installation of a new rigging system, and suddenly the task of mounting the show seemed huge and daunting. I started worrying (even thought I assured my doctor that I could easily manage my stress level) that we wouldn’t have enough people audition and certainly no one to play the leads. The choreographer, Lisa Blanton, costumer, Jamey Varnadore and music director, Ryan Deal, all worked hard to keep me calm and assured me that we would be able to put together a talented cast.

Well, it turns out they were correct. We had 109 people audition for the show and were able to assemble an outstanding cast (see previous blogs). Not only were the people we cast talented, they turned out to be wonderful, disciplined, dedicated and hard-working. And man, could they sing! And dance (and those that weren’t dancers could move well and worked hard enough so that we didn’t have to eliminate dance sequences from the production numbers)! This tremendous group of folks made my 75^th production as director an exhilarating experience.

Rebecca Primm, the previously mentioned set designer, was also terrific to work with—after some minor communication “burps.” She fully bought into my deconstruction concept and designed a wonderful sparse set that nicely outlined the necessary parts of River City, Iowa called for in the script. We decided that we would focus on the people of the town that Meredith Willson patterned after real people from his life in Iowa. With 41 people in the cast and very little backstage space, we didn’t have room for a lot of scenery anyway. I found it amusing that one local reviewer has several times referred to the “budget strapped” set! Ha! Not even the case. It was a conceptual choice and one that is utilized even on Broadway these days. And it is a concept that truly worked for this production in many ways, including fast and efficient scene changes. This put a lot of pressure on the costumer, as the pop of color had to come from the costumes. But, Jamey Varnadore rose to the occasion, providing brilliant, colorful 1912 costumes—for the cast of 41, many of whom had multiple costume changes!

Some thoughts about Lisa Blanton and Ryan Deal. This was the 4^th show that Lisa and I have collaborated on. We are now like an old married couple who can finish each other’s sentences. We have no turf issues—if she sees something in the staging or acting, she is comfortable in commenting and likewise, I comment about the dancing! As for Ryan Deal, he is the best music director/vocal coach in this area. He can work magic with the vocal dynamics of an ensemble. They are both fabulous talents and nice people.

The performances were quite consistent in quality, particularly with the addition of audience feedback to the equation. The timing and precision of line-delivery, the energy and vitality of the performers and commitment to the material were solid for every single performance. We did have one interesting performance on the Friday of the closing weekend. The dimmer pack fueling the lighting for the show became temperamental and the lights began to go off and on and off and on with the blackouts happening faster and faster and the blackouts lasting longer. Stagehands had an electric fan blowing on it, cast members flapped their skirts at it and I waved a production photo at it—all in vain attempts to cool it down. Finally, I stopped the show, explained the situation to the audience, asked their indulgence and we continued the show with the work lights. And that night, at the conclusion of the curtain call (and following a standing ovation), Bobby Mauney (Harold Hill) had the audience sit down for an “important announcement.” The boyfriend of Kristin Graf (Ethel Toffelmeier) came onstage, took her out of the ensemble, got down on bended knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes and the audience again stood and cheered. The magic of the theatre experience!

I loved the whole damn process! (Plus, ticket revenue put the show in the top 4 highest grossing Theatre Charlotte shows—bonus!!!!)

-Ron Law
Director, The Music Man

The Rest of the Folks in River City

2011-09-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

I will continue bragging about the cast of THE MUSIC MAN at Theatre Charlotte. I will go in alphabetical order. Andrea Cameron (ensemble) has returned to TC after a ten-year absence and we welcome her abundant talent with open arms. She has a BFA in music theatre from Elon University. Bobby Faucette (Conductor/Constable) is new to TC. This is his first time on stage after a long hiatus. By day, he is a child clinical psychologist. Joan Gaston (Maude) has had roles at CPCC, Opera Carolina and SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ at TC. Kristin Graf (Ethel Toffelmier) was introduced to her fiancé by a fellow cast member in TC’s production of ANNIE last season. At TC, she has also appeared in GODSPELL.

Anna Hertel (Amaryllis) is a 6th grader at J.M. Robinson MS. Shehas performed at CPCC Summer Theatre and takes dance at Sullivan Dance Centre. This is her first show at TC. Evan Hyser (ensemble) is a recent graduate of the UNCC Department of Theatre. This is his first non-college production. He would like to specialize in voice acting. After performing in a number of church musicals, Cassidy Kirkwood (youth ensemble) is making her main stage debut. She is enjoying working in the show with her Dad, William. William Kirkwood (Olin Britt) is returning to the stage after a 17-year absence. This is the second time his played Olin—the first time being when he was a sophomore in high school.

Isabel Kissel (youth ensemble) is 9 years old and making her TC debut. She has appeared in productions in Huntsville, Alabama, Rock Hill, SC and FT. Mill, SC. Chase Law (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn) is appearing in her 4th TC production, the others being SEUSSICAL (Gertrude McFuzz), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Belle and Raucous Lady) and ANNIE (Miss Hannigan). She is my lovely and talented wife. Samantha Lasch (Marian Paroo) is making her TC debut. She has previously appeared as Maria in a national tour of WEST SIDE STORY, as well as a European tour of the same show and SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER in Las Vegas. Bobby Mauney (the ebullient Harold Hill) in his first production at TC, is an insurance agent by day. Favorite roles include Sancho in MAN OF LA MANCHA, Sparky in FOREVER PLAID, and Riff in WEST SIDE STORY. Jerilyn McDonald plays Mrs. Paroo in her first TC production. She has also performed at CPCC and Matthews Playhouse. Jonathan McDonald (Ewart Dunlop) has recently been seen in RAGTIME at Davidson Community Players and at TC in ANNIE, SEUSSICAL and THE FULL MONTY. Eli Newman (youth ensemble) is in his 4rd TC show, the others being SEUSSICAL (JoJo) and A CHRISTMAS CAROL (twice). He has aspirations to be an actor in movies. Will O’Donoghue (youth ensemble) makes his main stage and TC debut after performing in shows at Sharon Elementary where he is in the 4th grade. He enjoys singing, dancing and playing the flute. Meredith Westbrooks Owen (Alma Hix) returns to TC for the 4th time. She has been seen at TC in RENT, ANNIE and SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN. Laura-Nelle Parnell (ensemble) is performing in her first show at TC. She is a native of Charlotte and appeared in shows at NC State, including INTO THE WOODS and GODSPELL.

Avery Primis (youth ensemble) is a 6th-grader at Carmel MS. She enjoys singing and dancing and has appeared as orphan Kate in the TC production of ANNIE and as Cindy Lou Who IN TC’s SEUSSICAL. Jennifer Reid (ensemble) is also in her first production at TC. She has appeared in productions with Matthews Playhouse, the JCC and Opera Carolina. Winston Sims (Oliver Hix) is in his 4th production at TC, the others being SEUSSICAL, SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN and ANNIE. He teaches theatre at Marvin Ridge HS. Camella Snouse (ensemble) has worked with various artists, including the great Loonis McGlohon. She is entering her 9th season with Opera Carolina, with her next performance being EUGENE ONEGIN next spring.

Stuart Spencer (Mayor Shinn) returns to the TC stage after a two-year absence. He has appeared here in THE FULL MONTY and SEUSSICAL and will direct the 5th annual production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL for TC. Vivian Tong (ensemble) was last seen in THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at the Edge Theatre Company. She has appeared in the TC productions of RENT and ANNIE. Christopher Tyler (Jacey Squires) is new to Charlotte. Previous credits include THE PRODUCERS, RENT, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, THE WIZ and WEST SIDE STORY. John West (Marcellus Washburn) returns to TC after last appearing in THE FULL MONTY. He is recreating a role he played 28 years ago. He has also performed at CPCC, Matthews Playhouse and The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem. Sloane Wood (Mrs. Squires) returns to TC after playing Vera in SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN. She teaches music at Cox Mill Elementary. Jim Yost (Charlie Cowell) worked at TC last season as the director of THE GRADUATE. He has also directed SHAKESPEARE IN HOLLYWOOD and I’M NOT RAPPAPORT at TC.

Whew—two blogs to brag about this amazing cast—41 individuals coming together to form an ensemble, to become the folks of River City, Iowa.

-Ron Law
Director, THE MUSIC MAN at Theatre Charlotte
9/15/11

THE MUSIC MAN runs September 9th through 25th at Theatre Charlotte. Tickets can be purchased through CarolinaTix at (704) 372-1000 or online at http://www.carolinatix.org/default.asp?tix=59&objId=2565

Deconstructing The Music Man

2011-09-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

For those unfamiliar with Theatre Charlotte, it is a small, 70 year-old building, originally built to stage single set interiors—drawing room comedies, dramas and mysteries. As time marched on, musicals were added to the season mix. Now, Theatre Charlotte mounts 2 main stage musicals per season, as well as a Student Theatre Guild summer musical. With our small stage and little wing space (the area on both sides of the stage, unseen by the audience), doing a large musical becomes a daunting challenge. In addition to space issues, there are certain budget constraints, as well. So, when taking on task of staging a huge show like THE MUSIC MAN, a lot of thought must go into how to present it in our facility and with our budget and do so while maintaining the integrity of the script.
One of the definitions of what is called deconstruction would be the effort to take the limitless context into account, to pay the sharpest and broadest attention possible to context, and thus to an incessant movement of recontextualization. This is a fancy way of explaining the study of the script in order to laser-beam onto the essential elements and eliminating all that is unnecessary. This process has been done with varying degrees of success for recent Broadway revivals of SWEENEY TODD, COMPANY and to an extent, CHICAGO.

To deconstruct THE MUSIC MAN, I studied the script for focus and through-line. I researched other productions of the show and read all that Meredith Willson wrote about the creation of THE MUSIC MAN. I decided that the focus really could be on the people of River City, Iowa and their life being changed from “Iowa Stubborn” to one filled with hope and inspiration. The first step with the set designer was to compress the 16 different locations into as few as possible. We decided on 9 different locations. We then discussed the essential elements of each of these locations and what we could minimally present and still maintain an understanding of place in the imaginations of audience members. I wanted to put the focus on the people of River City (and their colorful 1912 clothing) and the effect of the Pied Piper of boys’ bands, Harold Hill.

Set designer, Rebecca Primm, and I decided that what we wanted were merely outlines of buildings—nothing “filled in”—no walls and no doors (except for the one into Mayor Shinn’s house)—with the skyline of important buildings hung from stage pipes. The selected colors are muted, Victorian era pastels with the pop of color coming from the costumes—or clothing—worn by the people of River City.

This reliance and focus on the people and the script could only be truly successful if the cast was strong—energetic and diverse, with unique personalities. We were fortunate in being able to assemble such a cast. They are amazing actors and singers who move really well with each projecting an individual and interesting personality—no mean feat with a cast of 41!

I think the set is functional and has just enough to suggest time and place, the lighting to assist with time and place, as well as mood and atmosphere and the costumes providing color and defining personalities and relationships.

It has been a challenging, yet rewarding experience! In my next posting, I will return to bragging about the members of the amazing cast.

-Ron Law
Director, THE MUSIC MAN at Theatre Charlotte
9/8/11

THE MUSIC MAN runs September 9th through 25th at Theatre Charlotte. Tickets can be purchased through CarolinaTix at (704) 372-1000 or online at http://www.carolinatix.org/default.asp?tix=59&objId=2565

The Talented Cast of The Music Man

2011-09-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

I began last week’s blog by saying, “After casting 43 men, women….” Well, that number is now 41. This often happens with a big cast over the course of a rehearsal period. I must say that the 41 cast members we have are incredibly talented. In fact, this is one of the best singing ensembles I have seen since coming to Charlotte 8 years ago. So, this week and next, I decided to brag about these hard-working and incredibly dedicated folks.

I have to begin with our “teen” ensemble and the actors portraying the teen characters Zaneeta Shinn and Tommy Djilis, as well as the two youngsters who play Gracie Shinn and Winthrop Paroo. Tanner Bass is a senior at South Mecklenburg High School. THE MUSIC MAN is the third production he has appeared in. He made his theatrical debut last year in South Meck’s production of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. This summer he performed in the Theatre Charlotte Student Theatre Guild production of CABARET. For Michael Jemison, THE MUSIC MAN, is his third production at Theatre Charlotte, having appeared in the Student Theatre Guild productions of CABARET and SWEENY TODD. He has also played JoJo in South Mecklenburg High School’s SEUSSICAL. John Pope is a junior at Marvin Ridge High School. THE MUSIC MAN also marks his third show at Theatre Charlotte. He has performed in the Student Theatre Guild’s CABARET and SWEENEY TODD. Other recent roles include Jesus in GODSPELL at Marvin Ridge High School. Nicholas Sidoran, a senior at Ardrey Kell High School, has been involved in the Charlotte theatre community for three years and hopes to pursue theatre as a career.

Patricia Phelan is a junior at UNCC where she is studying child psychology. She has appeared in such shows as THE WIZARD OF OZ (Dorothy), GREASE (Sandy), BAT BOY (Shelly Parker), among others. This is her first show at Theatre Charlotte. Lauren Thompson was recently seen in Davidson Community Players production of RAGTIME. She is a graduate of Northwest School of the Arts where she appeared in THE WEDDING SINGER (Linda), HAIR (tribe) and JOSEPH…DREAMCOAT (ensemble). This is her Theatre Charlotte debut. Liza Veilleux is a senior at South Mecklenburg High School and is appearing in her second show at Theatre Charlotte. She participated in the Student Theatre Guild production of CABARET this past summer. Sierra Key is 15 years old and attends Mooresville High School. She enjoys theatre, dance and singing. She recently performed in ONCE ON THIS ISLAND with Davidson Community Players Connie Company and in DCP’s production of RAGTIME.

As Tommy Djilis, Chase Jones, is making his debut at Theatre Charlotte. He holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition from the University of New Hampshire and works in cancer research at Carolinas Medical Center. Previous roles include FOOTLOOSE (Ren), LES MISERABLES (Jean Valjean) and WEST SIDE STORY (Shark). He is an alum of Charlotte Christian School. Hannah Day, Zaneeta Shinn, is appearing in her second production at Theatre Charlotte, having previously appeared in the Student Theatre Guild’s production of SWEENEY TODD. Other credits include HELLO DOLLY, BYE BYE BIRDIE and A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD, all at CPCC.

I have a particularly fondness for the youngster playing Gracie Shinn, the Mayor’s youngest daughter, as she is my daughter in real life. Chloe Law is 6 years old and a first grader at Trinity Episcopal School. THE MUSIC MAN is her fourth Theatre Charlotte production, including SEUSSICAL (Elephant Bird and in which she received a Metrolina Theatre Association nomination), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Belle’s daughter) and ANNIE (orphan). As Winthrop Paroo, Noah Carroll is playing his “dream role.” This is Noah’s 4^th production at Theatre Charlotte and the 9^th in his fledgling 4-year theatre career. He is 10 years old and a fifth grade student at Trinity Episcopal School. He enjoys dancing and playing the piano, cello and guitar.

My next blog will feature more members of this incredible cast.

-Ron Law
Director, THE MUSIC MAN at Theatre Charlotte
9/1/11

Rehearsing The Music Man

2011-08-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

After casting 43 men, women, teenagers and children, Lisa Blanton (choreographer), Ryan Deal (music director) and I decided on a priority order of musical numbers to be rehearsed—starting with the most difficult. We then made a spreadsheet of all the existing conflicts of cast members. Then we began to create a rehearsal schedule to minimize the effects of absences, while taking into account our musical priority list. The typical rehearsal week at Theatre Charlotte is Sunday night through Thursday night.

There was another obstacle in the crafting of the rehearsal schedule. For the first week of a 5 week rehearsal period, we were not going to be able to use the stage, as an entire new rigging system was being installed. So, we scheduled vocal rehearsals the entire first week, with the cast members learning all the songs, harmonies and dynamics.

In the second week we began staging musical numbers, beginning with the most difficult movement—“Shipoopi.” Ryan Deal also doubles as rehearsal pianist. While Lisa was choreographing and didn’t need the piano, Ryan would dash to the green room and work vocals with the actors playing Ewart, Oliver, Jacey and Olin—the barbershop quartet.

Also, during the second week, I worked on character development with Harold Hill, Marian the Librarian, Winthrop Paroo, Mrs. Paroo, Mayor Shinn, Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn, Alma Hix, Maud Dunlop, Mrs. Squires and others. I also began blocking the scenes that lead into and out of songs, as well as a small number of solo or small, non-dance numbers.

The installation of the new rigging system not only delayed the start of blocking and staging rehearsals, it also delayed the start of set construction. Chris Timmons, our technical director, began building the various components of the set during the second week of the rehearsal process. THE MUSIC MAN is quite a large production for our relatively small stage area.

This is a very dedicated, committed, energetic cast that can truly sing! And when not on stage rehearsing something, they are in the lobby working on sharpening dance numbers or in the green room working on vocals. I believe the fun part of theatre is in the process and the cast is having fun working and creating together. In a very short time, we have created a wonderful ensemble of very diverse people. In essence, we have created our perception of the townspeople of River City, iowa and that slick traveling salesman/pied piper, Harold Hill.

Check out the short “Shipoopi” rehearsal video on the Theatre Charlotte Facebook page. Watch and enjoy this talented cast work on this big production number. It should make you smile! And the woman who falls at the end of the number—well, that’s my wife and she’s supposed to do that. She suffers this indignity with grace and humor!
-Ron Law
Director, THE MUSIC MAN at Theatre Charlotte
8/25/11

Preparing For The Music Man

2011-08-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

THE MUSIC MAN is the 75^th production I have directed in professional theatre, college/university theatre, community theatre and children’s theatre. The first step in directing a play involves deciding whether you are passionate about the work. As director, you will be “married” to the piece for many months of pre-production and rehearsal work. Once I’ve decided to direct a show, I read it straight through without stopping, just as an audience member might experience it. If there are places that confuse me, make me laugh, cry or bore me, I mark them. Then I go back and read again for an understanding as to why the script worked that way for me.
I read a script many, many times before casting it and beginning rehearsals. I study the script for characterizations, motivations, through-line and conceptual ideas. While doing this, I research the author, composer and lyricist (if it’s a musical). For THE MUSIC MAN, I read Meredith Willson’s autobiography, “He Doesn’t Know the Territory: the Making of The Music Man.” I researched the time period (1912) and location (Iowa), including socio-economics, morals and attitudes, clothing, architecture, lifestyles, politics, music, and literature. I read about major influences on Willson, including John Phillip Sousa (the composer/conductor known particularly for his patriotic marches.)
Then it was time to meet separately with the production team: set designer Rebecca Primm, costume designer Jamey Varnadore, lighting designer Trista Rothe Bremer, choreographer Lisa Blanton and music director Ryan Deal. The set designer and I talked about style, space, line, color, concept and we went over the show, scene by scene. We discussed entrances, exits and major highlights of each scene. Finally, a set of drawings and a model were completed and approved by me and the technical director of Theatre Charlotte, Chris Timmons. The same process basically took place with each of the designers.
Lisa Blanton and I discussed style, movement and placement of every musical number in the show. Ryan Deal and I discussed the score, vocal needs and interpretation. Lisa, Ryan and I together discussed the dynamics of each number. We also discussed casting needs, such as which characters really need to dance, age and vocal ranges of each. We discussed character types, how many children, how many teens, how many males and how many females. Finally, we were prepared for auditions.
Heading into the audition process is very nerve-wracking for me. The day of the first auditions, I am quite anxious, wondering who will show up, if we’ll have enough of the right types, if we’ll have people that can dance and sing and what new talent will we discover. We held two nights of auditions at the end of July that were attended by 109 people of all ages! We heard each of them sing 16 bars of a song and Lisa put them through a short dance routine, ten at a time. Each night, we sorted through the audition forms and decided who would be called back and who would be cut. Callbacks were held on a third night and included reading from the script, learning and singing from THE MUSIC MAN score and pairing for size, look and age. From the 109 that auditioned we decided on a cast of 43, including 9 children ages 6 to 11, and 9 teens. We got their acceptances, contacted those who were not selected and then quickly worked through everyone’s prior commitments to craft a rehearsal schedule.
The rehearsal process, which began on Monday, August 1, will be the subject of my next blog.
-Ron Law
Director, THE MUSIC MAN at Theatre Charlotte
8/18/11

The Music Man: An Unlikely Broadway Smash Hit

2011-08-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

The first five decades of Meredith Willson’s life formed the foundation for his best-known work, THE MUSIC MAN. During his career prior to writing the music, lyrics and book of THE MUSIC MAN, Willson played with John Philip Sousa and Arturo Toscanini, conducted the New York Philharmonic, achieved great fame in radio and television, musically scored successful motion pictures and composed pop hits of his day, as well as full symphonies.
The official impetus to write THE MUSIC MAN came when his good friend and fellow composer Frank Loesser suggested he adapt his stories of growing up in Mason City, Iowa into a full-length musical. Willson had for years entertained friends like Loesser with these stories.

THE MUSIC MAN evolved over a six year period in the early to mid-1950s. The story was based on real people from Mason City, as well as actual occurrences that Willson witnessed and experienced growing up.
Initially 3 hours and 45 minutes long, Willson continuously re-worked the script and score of THE MUSIC MAN, cutting songs, changing characters, writing new songs and changing lyrics. During this time, while concentrating on cutting the score, Willson added a new song to the show—“Seventy Six Trombones” and it became the show-stopper. Many re-writes, and cutting continued. Some 45 songs were written, with many discarded, ending up with about 18 in the final version.
Kermit Bloomgarden, noteworthy for producing Broadway hits like DEATH OF A SALESMAN and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK was an unlikely candidate to produce THE MUSIC MAN. After hearing Meredith Willson and his wife Rini perform the show for him, Bloomgarden called Willson into his office and said, “May I have the privilege of producing your play?” One year later, to the day, THE MUSIC MAN debuted on Broadway—six years and several producers after Willson started working on it.

The casting search was the next phase. Many notable musical comedy performers were considered and offered the lead role of Harold Hill and turned it down: Danny Kaye, Dan Dailey, Gene Kelly, Ray Bolger, Jackie Gleason, Milton Berle, Jason Robards, Art Carney, Andy Griffith and Bert Parks. Meredith Willson was finally asked to view an audition by Robert Preston, known mostly for dramatic Hollywood movie roles. Preston performed “Ya Got Trouble” and was chosen on the spot to play the slick salesman, Harold Hill.
An interesting casting note: ten year old Eddie Hodges was spotted by Willson’s wife Rini while he was appearing as a contestant on a TV quiz show, NAME THAT TUNE, where he had been wowing viewers with his knowledge of music. Rini told Meredith, “There’s Winthrop.” Several weeks later he was a member of the cast.
THE MUSIC MAN opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre on December 19, 1957. The show that some people thought might be too folksy for the sophisticated Broadway audiences became an instant hit and played for 1,375 performances. It won the Tony Award as the Best Broadway musical of that season, beating out WEST SIDE STORY for this honor. THE MUSIC MAN endures as a salute to a by-gone era—as a Valentine to a more innocent America—and is one of the most popular and most-produced musicals throughout the United States.
I have been a fan of this show since I was a boy and am really excited to finally be able to direct it!
-Ron Law
Director, THE MUSIC MAN at Theatre Charlotte
8/11/11

Busy Month Ahead at Theatre Charlotte

2010-04-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Looking ahead into the month of April, it seems that the Theatre Charlotte calendar is basically littered with special events. As a staff member, it’s a little scary to see something different going on pretty much every Friday and Saturday for an entire month, but it’s also exciting and definitely gives us a lot to look forward to (including, but not limited to, the month of May which will mostly be taken up by our final production of the season, Smoke on the Mountain).

Here’s a rundown of what’s going on in April:
This weekend – April 9-10 – 24 Hour Theatre Project
Next weekend – Friday, April 16th – just do it “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word”
Saturday, April 17th – Junior Cabaret
The following weekend – Friday, April 23rd – Helen Kearney Konen’s Actor’s Studio Showcase
Saturday, April 24th – Volunteer Work Day for Smoke on the Mountain (10am – 1pm)
Saturday, April 24th – Charlotte Film Society “Nothing but the Truth” (7:30pm)

So, we’re got a pretty busy month ahead. In order to keep everyone filled in on every event we have this month, I’ll try to post a blog to tell you more about each of these events. For now, here’s more information about this weekend’s event, the 24 Hour Theatre Project, and a personal story about my participation in this crazy day at the theatre!
The 24 Hour Theatre Project is a really fun, unpredictable, and slightly off-the-wall event. Once a standard event for BareBones Theatre Group, this project now finds a new home at Theatre Charlotte with the help and expertise of Jim Yost, one of BareBones founders. Here’s how the event works: At 8:00pm on Friday night, April 9, 6 playwrights - Vito Abate, Matt Cosper, Bryce Cyrier, Kirk Dickens, Emma Gutt, Peter Smeal – will get a theme or some sort of starting point that they will then use to each write a 10 minute play in less than 12 hours. Then, Saturday morning, 6 directors - Jillian Claire, Robert Haulbrook, Parker Horn, Ben McCarthy, Julie Strassel, and Greta Zandstra – will receive copies of those plays, audition actors, rehearse the plays, and then present them at 8:00pm on Saturday, April 10.

A few years ago, my husband and I took on the task of writing one of the plays for the 24 Hour Theatre Project. This made for one of the longest nights of my life! Our “theme” was to choose one of two pre-selected Shakespearean sonnets (neither of which we really understood). We spent the first few hours just trying to come up with an idea of what the play could be about. When we finally settled on something - a play written in reverse, starting at the end and then ending at the beginning – we spent the rest of the night frantically writing, writing too much, adding too many characters, and then trying to cut back to stay within the time and character limits. Finally, we just had to cross our fingers, press print, and turn in our play. I spent the next 12 hours stressed out that our jumbled mess of a play wouldn’t make any sense and would turn out terribly. I desperately wanted to go talk to the director and explain the script to him, but playwrights were not allowed in the rehearsal space. So we waited. Finally, it was showtime. Our play actually turned out MUCH better than we expected, making the whole nerve-wracking experience totally worth it! Hopefully this year’s writers, directors, actors, and audience members will have just as much fun as we did a few years ago!

Want to be a part of the 24 Hour Theatre Project? Come to auditions at 9:00am this Saturday, April 10th.
Want to come to the 24 Hour Theatre Project? Tickets are $10 and are available at the door starting at 7:00pm on Saturday.

More info: http://www.theatrecharlotte.org/24hour.htm

Meet Ellis - our new Marketing intern

2010-04-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, I would like to start by saying Theatre Charlotte is the “bomb.com.” Next, I would like to introduce myself. My names Ellis Lloyd and I am a senior at Johnson & Wales, with an Associates degree in Business Administration studying to get my Bachelors degree in Marketing. I am currently interning in the marketing department of Theatre Charlotte and having a lot of fun working with such a wonderful staff. I also feel privileged to promote such high quality and downright good plays. I work behind the scenes with Mrs. Jackie Timmons to spread the word of these phenomenal experiences that they provide the community. I really do not have any previous Theatre experience but I do enjoy the experience as well as the atmosphere. So come on down, purchase a ticket bring the family and join us here at Theatre Charlotte and become part of the family.

Actor-Proofing?

2010-03-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

When searching for a nice rain jacket or hiking shoes, you might look for something that is water proof. The same goes for fabrics and building materials, only there the term you are looking for is fire-proof. Well, in theatre we have what is called actor proofing.

Actor proofing refers to the act of making the set, costumes or props safe and durable for actors to handle and use time and time again throughout the run of a show. Sounds boring, but is certainly a challenge that those in technical theatre deal with time and time again. When it works, it is a thing of beauty and believe me, no one notices. When it doesn't work, it often leaves audiences gasping and chatting about it well after they should have reinvested their time into what is happening on stage. Actor proofing is time consuming and expensive and definitely has an impact on how things are made or used.

So how about some examples so this makes a little more sense. An actor slams a door shut and the next thing you know, a statue falls off the shelf in the next room. Or perhaps when that door is slammed, the walls on the set begin to sway back and forth for what seems like and eternity. In both instances, I promise you that members of the audience will suddenly turn their attention to the walls moving and the statue, now in a hundred pieces on the floor, instead of focusing on what the actors are now doing or saying. Inevitably, the talk at intermission isn't about how good the show is, it is about whether or not that statue was supposed to break. A few folks will be a nervous wreck thinking about the walls "coming down" and whether something will give the next time the door is shut.

Actor proofing can go a long way, but with limited resources, money, time and by nature of theatre being a temporary art form, it isn't always perfect or fool proof. We aren't setting walls in concrete, so there is always a chance of them moving when a door is slammed. By the way, it is possible to make a door look like it is being slammed without actually slamming it, it is called acting. Just because something like this happens, doesn't mean that someone didn't do his/her homework. If you can think of a way for something to go wrong, there is a good chance that someone, at some point in the run of a show can make you look the fool. It doesn't matter how many times that door has been slammed, in the heat of the moment under stage lights with the audience in the palm of his hand, that actor will take it upon himself to step it up a notch. As frustrating as it can be for the designer, TD, or technician who has spent countless hours trying to make something work consistently time and time again, at the end of the day...it's live theatre. Deep down I think people look forward to those moments when something goes wrong just to see how people will handle it. Not to mention it makes for a great story!

I hope this provides you with a little more insight into the backstage world of theatre. More glimpses to come down the road.

Introducing: Jessica the Intern

2010-03-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hey, folks! I hope everyone is coming to see A Streetcar Named Desire. My name is Jessica Burroughs, and I'm an intern here at Theatre Charlotte. I'm also a Theatre minor at Queens University of Charlotte where I've worked both onstage and backstage. Mostly I've done props, costumes, and stage management, but I'm currently directing my senior project. My first time on stage was in kindergarten as the Narrator in “The Little Gingerbread Boy” (because I was the best reader in the class!). At Theatre Charlotte, I've been helping with some set construction, running lights at special events, and coordinating props for A Streetcar Named Desire. If I've played my cards right, I'll be graduating in May and on my way out into the real world. Since I love Charlotte, though, I'll be staying right here and taking whatever life tosses at me!

Charles LaBorde on A Streetcar Named Desire

2010-03-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

A Streetcar Named Desire opens tonight at Theatre Charlotte!! To get everyone ready for the opening, here is the Director's Note from Charles LaBorde, the Director of this production, as well as some photos from the dress rehearsals! Hope to see you at the show!

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

Tennessee Williams was a gifted and tormented man who exorcised his demons through his writing. Never did he better explore the anguish that is life in a troubled soul than in this, his masterpiece. The lifelong quest for love and the striving to assuage the feelings of desire that accompany it have never been more hauntingly and painfully explored than in his portrait of the collapse of the great heroine of the American stage, Blanche Dubois. To help her on her fateful journey, he created three other characters — Stanley, Stella, and Mitch — who stand atop the pantheon of great roles in theatre. That he gave us all four characters in a single drama is an accomplishment that has awed and humbled all of us working to bring this play to you this evening. During the rehearsal period I told the cast that we should thank the genius that was Tennessee Williams for creating this work and thus, allowing us to share its beautiful perfection with you this evening. We are also grateful to Ron Law and Theatre Charlotte for having the courage to produce such a challenging and rewarding script. And we thank everyone of you for taking this difficult journey with us.

— Charles LaBorde

A Streetcar Named Desire

March 18-21; 24-28, 2010

http://www.theatrecharlotte.org/STREETCAR.htm

tickets: 704-372-1000 or http://www.carolinatix.org/default.asp?tix=59&objId=1301

Introducing: Lisa the Intern

2010-03-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone my name is Lisa Shirley, I'm a drama major at Queens University of Charlotte and I am doing an internship with Theater of Charlotte. I have been into theater for about 7 years and love every minute of it! At Theater of Charlotte I help build sets for upcoming shows, I help with publicity for events, and any other little odds and ends that are asked of me. I have been in many shows including, "A Midsummer Nights Dream", "The Music Man", and most recently Alan Ball's " Five Women Wearing the Same Dress." I have also done children s theater with my favorite being the "Meet the Nicktoons" show I hosted at Carowinds for two summers. My favorite time on stage would have to be the summer of 2008 when Bryan Adams picked me out of the crowd to sing a song with him on stage, it was awesome! As for now I am working on graduating from Queens in December and plan on moving to Wilmington to try and break into the film industry.

Tis' the Season

2009-12-17T08:57:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again, a time for reflecting, a time for giving and a time for looking ahead. Bear with me as I touch on subjects that aren't specifically "Tech Talk" but do impact what I do and will serve as a platform for future segments.

As I reflect on the past year, the first thing that comes to mind is how difficult a time it was for Theatre Charlotte, as well as many other arts organizations and non-profits. In the past year, we saw a significant drop in contributions to the ASC fund drive which in turn impacted nearly every group that the ASC supports. Theatre Charlotte, already dealing with financial challenges and bare bone production costs, had to yet again slash its meager budget. The challenge has been to continue to meet and surpass audience expectations without letting them know that you are working with every scrap of wood that can be found and that every cent spent from the budget could be the last one. As a former boss said to me,"It's like making chicken salad." On the plus side, I still have a job, my wife still has a job and we both have a place that allows us to do what we are passionate about.

Also looking back, I see the dream of moving this great organization to a better place all but come to an end. Upon taking this position, the staff and board of directors were a buzz with ideas and expectations of moving into a new facility that would take this 82 year old organization into a new age of community theatre and ensure its longevity and stature in the community. Exciting for me, a chance to be a part of something special and put my name in the history book of this organization. A real boost for my career...not so fast. I remain optimistic that we can turn the corner and establish longevity for this theatre, perhaps right where this building currently sits. I also think about the new faces I have seen on this stage over the past year, all of the volunteers that I have worked with and the patrons I have met and I am glad that we have a place to call home. More on that in a minute.

Finally, I look back and think about the past year on stage. While the building continues to fall to pieces around us, we have managed to produce some outstanding theatre. One highlight that comes to mind is The Full Monty, a monstrous undertaking technically, a risky show for this community theatre but a hit with audiences and it set a new level for what we can do here. While not as much of a financial success, I also have to rank Woman in Black up there as a highlight of what I have been able to do here. This past year has also brought us a fantastic partnership with the Charlotte Film Society and introduced our community to some great events at Theatre Charlotte, like our Wine, Chocolate and Murder Mystery on Valentine's Day, our Junior Cabaret event that showcases some of the best young talent from near and far, New Year's Eve Celebration and our musical movie series highlighted by The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

So now is also a time for giving. By this time, I think most people are probably sick of being asked to give, give, give, so I won't dwell on this too long. This past year, and I can probably speak for the entire staff when I say that, we have made a lot of sacrifices to get us to this point. We have given up benefits, pay and days off to make sure that we and people in this community have a place to do theatre. In return, I have been given friendships, too many laughs to count and moments that have brought tears to my eyes. This truly is the gift of theatre and the arts and if you don't think that your donation (no matter how big or small) counts, you are mistaken. The gift of theatre provides our children, grand children, friends and neighbors a chance to express themselves, a chance to try something new, and an opportunity to make friendships that last a lifetime. For two hours, actors, technicians, volunteers and patrons come together as one to create a once in a lifetime experience that will never be duplicated, no matter how many times a show is performed. That is the beauty of live theatre!

Now, as I look ahead into the unknown, we will continue to face tough decisions and challenges in the upcoming year. My hope, my goal, is to inspire and challenge myself and others to not let the economy be an excuse any more. To take the bull by the horn and make something happen. There is tremendous opportunity out there and we need to embrace it. If you are reading this, then you probably already support Theatre Charlotte and what we do, so to you my challenge is to introduce new people to the experience here. Convince your friends, family, councilman, teachers, financial advisor, whoever it is you come in contact with, convince them to invest in theatre. Turn them onto the experience of live theatre and let them know how important it is to have a community theatre, such as ours, in this city you call home. Have a safe Holiday season and see you in 2010.

Thrills and Chills

2009-10-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

There's a chill in the air, leaves are falling, fields of orange pumpkins along the road. It's that time of year again...Halloween. For anyone that knows me, you already know that this is my favorite time of year. The idea of dressing as a ghoul or goblin has always been fascinating to me and the art of creating monsters and effects is what got me involved in theatre. Because our current show is a good old fashioned ghost story, I decided to share some of the strange and interesting occurrences that happened during the last few weeks as we got ready to open, The Woman in Black.

Now it is no secret that our building is old and has seen better days (more about that in a different segment). It is also no secret that this theatre was built on what used to be a slave cemetery. Rumor has it that all but one body was found when the cemetery was relocated to another neighborhood close by. I can't say that this is true or not, but it has been said on more than one occasion. Let me also say at this point that I have never seen nor heard evidence that makes me a believer of the paranormal. I find the ideas and stories interesting and entertaining but I guess for the time being you can classify me as a skeptic. I can also say that in the three years I have been working here, I have never seen or heard anything that I would classify as unexplainable. Again, this is an old building with a lot of history and stories.

All of that being said, here are some events that have been reported and experienced over the past few weeks. The odd creak and bump has been reported by no less than three people during rehearsals at night and by a staff member during the day. One person described noises "like footsteps" walking across the stage. At the time, there was no one else in the building.

Having been here for three years, there are noises and subtleties of the building that you learn along the way. I know that there is a light switch backstage that upon turning on, makes a loud buzzing sound that can be heard on the other side of the stage. Somehow it is connected to some sort of panel downstairs in the basement causing it to make noise, don't ask me why it's that way. I can't explain what would make the noise quieter one day. Whatever the reason, I appreciate the quiet now.

For those who are superstitious and familiar with theatre lore, you know about the "ghost light." Every night at the end of rehearsal, a light is plugged in on stage for practical safety reasons, but also because it is considered bad luck for a theatre to "go dark." Some may say it is also a courtesy to the spirits in the building. One night last week as we wrapped up our dress rehearsal, our crew head, John, plugged in the light as usual and we locked up and went about what was left of our evening. The next morning when I came in, the ghost light was off and it was still plugged in. I checked the bulb, thinking it had burned out but that wasn't the case. It has since worked fine and I can only recall this happening one time in my tenure.

Speaking of lights, our stage manager has had two light bulbs blow up at her station backstage. Two bulbs, two different fixtures. We also had a headset stop working suddenly, one minute it was fine, the next it wasn't.

Finally, on Monday morning of this week, I arrived and started going through my list of "to dos" from the previous night's rehearsal. I was onstage and Nancy and Jackie were in the front office. Suddenly, there was a loud crash followed by some sounds I can only describe as "rustling." Nancy was quick to come into the auditorium, thinking I had fallen off a ladder. She said it sounded like it came from on stage and from where I was at, I said that it sounded like it came from the light booth. I figured that because of all the rain the night before, part of the roof had collapsed or something fell on it. As it turned out, a stack of soda and water in our storage room had fallen over on the floor. A stack of soda that no one was near and had been that way for several days.

There you have it. Chalk it up to an old building, everyday stuff or maybe The Woman in Black.

Hats Off...and a Glimpse of whats next!

2009-09-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

One of the comments that I get rather often is something to the effect of "I would love to help but I don't know how to..." For those of you who have said this or thought this, I'm about to give you six reasons why that isn't a good enough excuse around here.

There are a number of things that make community theatre special, one of those is opportunity.
In seeking crew for Seussical, I had a response from a new volunteer who said I don't know the first things about theatre. But she was eager to help and willing to learn. When Meghan came into the theatre for the first day of tech, she didn't know upstage from downstage and by opening night she was moving scenery around with the best of them. Many theatres, even in this small community, would turn up their nose at someone who doesn't know their Stage Left from their Stage Right. Here we offer opportunity and the chance to learn from people who have been around the block a few times.

Of the crew on this show, only three have worked a mainstage production here, the rest are rookies! You have to start somewhere and for many people in this town, it has started at 501 Queens Road.

Having a great crew starts at the top with our Stage Manager and works its way down. With Sabrina at the helm, I knew that we would be okay with a young crew that could learn from her experience and learn how to do things right. Throw in John Spinoso(Run Crew Head), who has a knack for moving around heavy objects such as toilets, urinals, couches and people, all without being seen, and I knew we were in good shape. In the absence of our sound designer, I turned to another Theatre Charlotte vet, Jonathan Rast, to cover for him. Jonathan has been a staple behind the sound board for us and does what it takes to achieve excellence.

So now we come to our rookies. Meghan, whom I mentioned earlier, has come along way in a short time on this show and is a perfect example of the volunteer experience here. Come and you will learn.

The Winn sisters, Abby and Emily. Both have helped on previous Theatre Charlotte events, but never a mainstage production. Emily was quick to volunteer to help backstage on this show and has done an outstanding job. Her dedication is second to none and her enthusiasm is what makes this job so rewarding. Maybe it was Emily's excitement that gave Abby the bug, I'm not sure, but she jumped on board as well...literally. With loads of new state of the art lighting equipment brought in for this show (thanks to our Lighting Designer, John Hartness), Abby runs all the lights with the push of a button. Sounds easy, but it takes concentration and good communication skills. I confess...I don't even know how to run this light board. It doesn't stop there, because you can also find Abby backstage during Intermission and after the show helping the rest of the crew clean up and set up for the next performance. I've also noticed the sisters singing and doing some of the choreography in the show. Might we see them on stage in the future?

Speaking of newcomers, how can you get any newer than Charlotte who moved here just a few weeks before the show opened. She didn't know anyone, didn't know how to operate lighting equipment and anyone who has moved to a new city and new school knows it can be overwhelming. I think it is safe to say that she has made new friends and found a home here. That is the "community" in community theatre. Welcome to Charlotte, Charlotte and welcome to Theatre Charlotte, Charlotte.

Community theatre is also a family affair. We were fortunate to have the support of the parents of our Jo-Jo to run follow spot on this production. The Newmans gave up the best seats in the house night after night to sit in the light booth and see the show and their son from the peanut gallery. Again, no experience prior to Theatre Charlotte.

There you have it. Six reasons why you can volunteer at Theatre Charlotte without prior experience: Meghan, Charlotte, Abby, Emily, Mr. Newman and Mrs. Newman. My hat is off to all of you, you have each done an outstanding job on Seussical (no small feat considering the complexity of this show) and I hope that you will share this experience with others.

Next up, The Woman in Black. Enjoy a glimpse of what's to come...

Volunteer Blog by Courtney Johnson

2009-09-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hello, I’m Courtney. Three years ago, I auditioned for my very first stage production ever…A Chorus Line, which was being done by Theatre Charlotte. I was so honored to be a part of such a fabulous show and to be able to perform in not only one of my favorite musicals of all times but to be able to perform it on Theatre Charlotte’s stage. I’m currently in my 5th production with Theatre Charlotte. You might have seen me in Smokey Joe’s Café, The Full Monty (Vicki) and I’m currently a Bird Girl in Seussical!

My experience volunteering at Theatre Charlotte has been nothing but glorious! From my first audition to performing on stage…it’s become a home away from home. There’s such a talented and passionate group of people involved with Theatre Charlotte. These people pour their hearts and souls into each and every production and put in hundreds of hours of hard labor.

Performing is only one way that I volunteer at TC. I have also helped with the painting of the sets and striking the sets. I’ve become pretty good with a power drill thanks to theatre. In fact, after The Full Monty, Emily Hunter and I had the job of holding onto the urinals used in the bathroom scene while Chris Timmons unscrewed them from the wall…I have photos of this magical moment and it is hilarious!

It’s truly like working with family when you do a show here. Speaking of family, one of my most favorite things to come out of my volunteer experience with Theatre Charlotte is definitely the life long friendships that I have made. I moved to Charlotte from Orlando 11 years ago and was miserable here until discovering theatre. I am very blessed to have found my new ‘family’ and to be able to share my passion with such incredible people. It’s a wonderful feeling to see so many people give their time to the theatre to bring Art to Life!

2009-09-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Special Events at Theatre Charlotte

2009-09-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

Special events at Theatre Charlotte have changed a lot over the past year. One year ago (way back in 2008), we had one major fundraising Gala. It was a black tie event with a live band, catered meal, and silent and live auctions. I served on the committee for this event in April of 2008 and when I started my job as Director of Development we planned to move the event to October. Unfortunately, October of 2008 was when the city of Charlotte was turned upside down and it was not at all the time to hold a $75 per person black-tie-optional Gala. Fortunately, out of this turmoil and panic came a whole new set of special events and opportunities!

We kicked off this plan with a New Year's Eve Celebration. A $35 per person event which featured Theatre Charlotte entertainers, Vito Abate as the emcee, tons of delicious food provided by Board members headed up by Michelle Gutt and Scott Miller, a silent auction, a live feed from Times Square, an open bar with beer, wine, and wassail, and a balloon drop and champagne toast at midnight! This was an incredible event and we absolutely plan to do it again so be on the look-out cause tickets are limited and, if last year was any indication, they'll go fast!

Next, we held a Valentine's Day Murder Mystery Dinner Party called "Wine, Chocolate, and Murder." We weren't sure what to expect from this - we had never done a murder mystery and we weren't sure if people would come to Theatre Charlotte on Valentine's Day. But, they did! We crammed 134 people into our little lobby! The event was a ton of fun and something that we plan to do again on Saturday, February 13, 2010!

A few weeks ago we held our first Junior Cabaret. We had 20 kids ranging in age from 9 to 17 perform on stage. Some sang, others danced, some played instruments. We had a few cabaret tables on stage and held a colorful, sugar-filled candy reception afterwards. The kids seemed to have fun and they were all incredibally talented! This is one that we are looking to do again (possibly as early as Spring 2010!)

Events coming up include:
Lunch with The Cat in the Hat next Saturday, September 19th, and a Sing Along version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show movie after the October 16th just do it.

What was once one big Gala is now lots of smaller events - something for everyone, every budget, and every interest.

Directing Seussical by Ron Law

2009-09-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I wasn't expecting to direct "Seussical." Then the rights to the show I was supposed to direct were withdrawn. So, the search was on for another family musical. I stumbled across the CD to Seussical and gave it a listen. I was instantly hooked. The Theatre Charlotte set designer/technical director, Chris Timmons, and I read the script and our journey into the wonderfully bizarre world of Dr. Seuss began.

The research for this show was the most fun I have had as a director (and this is my 72nd production). Chris and I read the 20 or so Dr. Seuss books that are incorporated into the show. We researched the production history of "Seussical" and the life and times of Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss. We wanted to make certain that when the curtain opened, the stage would resemble a page of one of his books.

The show was not particularly successful on Broadway and after it closed, the authors, composer and lyricist massively re-wrote it--cutting songs, adding songs, changing lyrics and changing the focus of the show. It is now so much better.

It is a deceptively hard show to mount. About 98% of the script is music--either songs or dialogue underscored by music. And the dialogue and lyrics (much of them right from Dr. Seuss) are mostly underscored. This is not a collection of Dr. Seuss stories set to music, but rather a brand new story, mainly combining "Horton Hears a Who" and "Horton Hatches the Egg" into one through-line, with a element of many other Seuss books.

The production team--Lisa Blanton as choreographer, Ellen Robison as music director, Chris Timmons as set designer, Jamey Varnadore as costumer, John Hartness as lighting designer and Steph Johnson on props--began to work on the show back in June. And what a terrific team this has turned out to be! All the elements have blended together to re-create the magical world of Dr. Seuss on the Theatre Charlotte stage.

We have selected an energetic, talented cast from the 84 people that auditioned and they have worked long and hard, learning the choreography, the songs and staging. I am so proud of everyone connected with this show.

"Seussical" is a show for everyone--folks of all ages--for all who have loved Dr. Seuss.

This Month in Theatre Charlotte History

2009-09-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

September

September usually marks the beginning of a new season here at Theatre Charlotte. Its generally a month full of excitement, anticipation, and sometimes even panic!

Here are a few of the shows we have opened the season with in the past...
20 years ago - Follies
15 years ago - Assassins
10 years ago - The Boyfriend
5 years ago - Cabaret

All the excitement that surrounds the opening of the theatre season usually results in a few great stories. Stories that are still being told at Theatre Charlotte include the tale of a "wardrobe malfunction" in Cabaret, the panic of a missing actor that almost resulted in a stage manager having to play the part in drag (also during Cabaret), and the horror story of scenery for Act Two being painted during Act One of Barnum!

Take a moment to share your favorite opening night story below...

Tech Talk

2009-08-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

I think I have the coolest job in the world. Sure there are things about it that suck, that's true with any job. The hours are sometimes very long and it's a full time job just keeping this building in one piece...together is probably a more accurate phrase. But the rewards are so much greater, the sense of accomplishment, the closing of one chapter and opening of another. I work with an incredible staff, I have the privilege of collaborating with and learning from other directors, designers, actors and technicians. I can't help but smile when I see the look of excitement on the face of a new volunteer who is swept up in what we do here and is eager to be a part of it. I have the freedom to experiment and try new ideas, but most importantly I have the freedom to dream and create!

I get to see my ideas, my dreams become reality. What starts as words or sketches takes on life here. These dreams become pieces that can be seen, touched and shared with others. Four weeks ago, my dream was in the shape of a small scale model, and now it is full size. In two weeks, the dream will be complete and the show will open (Seussical: September 10 for those keeping score). I often don't sleep at night just thinking about the final product.

Yes, it is a lot of work. Often back breaking and exhausting and although the dream lives only for a brief moment in time, it is worth it. Long ago I accepted as part of what I do, that it only lasts for a short time before it becomes a picture or a memory. What a privilege to make it there!

So much will happen between now and the next time I write here. In that time, one set will have been completed and another started, auditions will have come and gone, rehearsals will have begun for The Woman in Black, collaboration on A Christmas Carol will be under way, the roof will have leaked in some new places and old ones, hundreds of volunteer hours will have been logged, many new faces will have walked through the doors for the first time (hopefully the first of many times). Throw in a few special events, Charlotte Film Society movies and many sleepless nights laying awake...dreaming.

We Are Here!

2009-08-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hello. I'm Nancy. Welcome to my blog. When Jackie first proposed that the staff take turns blogging for Theatre Charlotte, she sent out a schedule of who would post when. My contribution was described as "Nancy's Office Rantings." Rant? Moi? I simply could not imagine what I would "rant" about, as I am a person of refined and gentle good humor who does not have a discouraging word for another soul. Even-tempered and sweet as I am, I'll admit that from time to time things happen around here that could be described as "inexplicable" or even "irksome."

For instance, the other day a lady called in and yelled at me -- hollered! -- that she "HAD ABSOLUTELY NO WAY OF GETTING IN TOUCH WITH US!"

"Why, whatever do you mean?", I said, sweetly.

She asked when the theatre had moved. I told her that we hadn't and that Theatre Charlotte had in fact been here at 501 Queens Road since the Mayflower, more or less. "WELL, WHEN DID YOU CHANGE YOUR PHONE NUMBER??" I assured her that our phone number had not changed. It is true that about a year ago we dropped a secondary line in an effort to cut costs, but the main office number has always been 704-376-3777. I believe this number was issued to us by Alexander Graham Bell himself.

I think it is important to note that we can also be found online at our website, theatrecharlotte.org, and the websites of carolinatix, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, and the Arts & Science Council. A quick check will most likely show our presence on Facebook, MySpace, FacePlace, Twitter, Chatter, Yammer, Blather, Google and Bing. Also the phone book, pages both yellow and white.

In the words of Dr. Seuss's Whos on their clover, "We are here, we are here, we are here!" Right where we've always been. So call us. Come on in. Come see our shows! You know where to find us!

Volunteeronomics: Fun With Numbers!

2009-08-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hi. I’m Stuart! I moved to Charlotte a little over 5 years ago, and I am entering my 6^th season as a TC volunteer. I have worked backstage or in the booth for 12 shows… and you may have seen me onstage in Walking Across Egypt (Dodson Clark), Little Shop of Horrors (Mushnik), A Christmas Carol (Fezziwig and others) and The Full Monty (Dave); and I will soon be seen as Horton the Elephant in Seussical!

A lot has been said and written recently about the state of our economy and its effects on the arts. It’s no big surprise that arts organizations in Charlotte and the surrounding communities (Theatre Charlotte included) have taken a big hit as people’s discretionary income has decreased and other funding sources have dried up. The funding by the ASC, corporations, patrons, and the theatre-going public is of vital importance… but I want to take some time to stress the importance of the volunteer to the success of Theatre Charlotte.

I have a degree in statistics, so when asked to guest blog, I knew immediately that I wanted to put my day job to use! So, let’s crunch some numbers, shall we?

The 6 shows this year will require, at a minimum, 83 actors, 18 techies, 360 ushers, and 180 concessions people. Let’s look at a breakdown of the hours to cover these volunteer positions…

· 83 actors * 12 hours a week * 6 weeks = 5,976 hours (not an exact science :) )

· 3 techies per production * 6 shows * 12 hours a week* 3 weeks = 648 hours

· 6 ushers * 60 performances * 2 hours per performance = 720 hours

· 3 concessions people * 60 performances * 2 hours per performance = 360 hours

· Other misc. hours – 5 hour work day per production * 15 volunteers * 6 shows = 450 hours

· GRAND TOTAL = 8,154 hours (and counting)!

Over 8,000 hours at the bare minimum! And that’s not even considering the countless other hours put in by the board of directors and volunteers to plan and coordinate other events throughout the year.

Needless to say, if TC paid for these hours it would be crippling to the budget. Just paying the minimum wage alone would cost the theatre over $59K!

Theatre Charlotte is “Charlotte’s Community Theatre”. It is “for the community… by the community”. While the organization relies on the monetary contributions of many… it cannot exist without its community of volunteers. The importance of the volunteer can never be understated or exaggerated. So, if you’re interested in helping out your community theatre but may not have the means to contribute financially … please remember that your time and effort is just as important (and as appreciated)!

So, come. Entertain. Build. Paint. Pour. Guide. Organize. Have fun. “Charlotte’s Community Theatre” needs you…

Ramblings of the Executive Director

2009-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Checking Roget's Thesaurus regarding rambling: disjointed & long-winded. Hmmm. Two words I am used to hearing, particularly from one Mr. Richard Thurmond, former TC Board President. But, hang with me, as this is my first time blogging. So, I may be disjointed, but hopefully not long-winded.

I was thinking what I should write about in my first blog ever: how bad the economy is, how challenging fund raising is, budget cuts, reduced salaries and on and on. But, I thought, who doesn't know the economy is in pitiful shape and thus fund raising is hard, forcing budget cuts, etc.? So, I decided to push through the dark clouds for the silver lining. Hmmm. Silver lining....hmmm. Oh, I know--Theatre Charlotte is still here! We are here and we are about to embark on our 82nd season! Pretty good. Our tiny, but mighty, four-person staff is intact--poorer, but still working hard and still dedicated to creating those outstanding theatre opportunities that are mentioned in our mission.

We have close to 550 active volunteers. Now, there's a silver lining! As a community theatre, our reason for being is for volunteers. And we have some good ones--performers, set builders, props people, crew members and ushers. And our volunteer pool continues to expand. We had 84 people audition for our opening production of "Seussical" and we have a cast of 35--all volunteers, with close to three-fourths of them new to TC (including my 4-year old daughter who will be playing the elephant-bird hatched by Horton the elephant at the end of the play.)

It took us awhile to put it together, what with performance rights for a couple of shows being withdrawn, but we have a great Main Stage season: "Seussical," "The Woman in Black," "Biloxi Blues," "A Streetcar Named Desire," and "Smoke on the Mountain." "The Woman in Black" is the most recent addition to the season. The North American rights to the other play we had selected and advertised were withdrawn and we were told we had to pick a different play. We wanted something scary because that slot opens Halloween weekend. I read "The Woman in Black" and it is really scary--far scarier than what we had initially chosen. So, still silver lining stuff.

No offense to other set designers and tech directors in the area, but we feel we have the best one in Chris Timmons. Talk about silver lining--not only is he a terrific designer and very cool to collaborate with, but he can put great stuff on the stage for very little money. Now that's what I'm talking about--silver lining! I have directed 72 plays and have worked with some good designers, but Chris is at the top of the list and, by far, the most fun to work with.

I am not slighting the rest of our brave little staff. I will praise them in future blogs. So, there you go--silver linings. Oh, and our season ticket sales are really good (putting on my ED hat--of course they could always be better) and the donations from our loyal patrons are strong and we have every reason to believe they will continue that way.

We at Theatre Charlotte have much to be thankful for in the midst of all this economic and political turmoil. This mess has made us more creative, more innovative and even better at borrowing good ideas from theatres around the country. So, my ramblings for this week have come to an end. I hope to hear from you and remember--theatre entertains, engages, inspires and unites community. Support all your local theatres!

Theatre Charlotte's New Blog!

2009-08-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Theatre Charlotte's official blog! It was only a few years ago when Theatre Charlotte really jumped on the internet bandwagon with our new website and online ticket sales. Then last year we made our first dive into "social media" with our Facebook page. Now, here we are, about to launch our 82nd season and our very first Blog!

So, what can you expect to find on the Theatre Charlotte blog? Is this just another attempt to get you to buy tickets and donate money? Well, yeah, but the real goal, the true mission, of this blog and of Theatre Charlotte as a whole is to engage, inspire and educate our community through theatre. So, we've put together a "blog series" that we hope will be engaging, inspiring and educational.

We'll have monthly posts from each of Theatre Charlotte's staff members - Executive Director, Ron Law; Technical Director, Chris Timmons; Executive Assistant, Nancy Wilson, and me, the Director of Development. These posts will give you a little more insight into the day to day operations of TC, the production process, and all the weird and fascinating things that happen when you spend your days at Theatre Charlotte.

Other regular contributors to this blog include Theatre Charlotte history buffs, including Pat Heiss and Bill Brown, will take you back in time with "This Month in Theatre Charlotte History." Also, Vito Abate will ask you to just do it with his monthly posting about his monthly themed reading and performance series.

Finally, the blog will feature special guest bloggers including the director of each TC production who will fill you in on what's happening with each upcoming show and a different TC volunteer each month who will tell you about their TC experience.

Our blog will also feature regular surveys, photos, and other fun extras!

So...Subscribe! Follow us! Share your comments! Enjoy!

Jackie Timmons