And now for something completely different: Santaland Diaries at The Showroom

This is our fourth year of our partnership with Hub-bub and The Showroom and an encore performance of last year’s The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris, featuring, at least according to the poster, me.  Oh and I bought fresh tights for this one, so you better come.

SLT’s NextStages program is intended to provide a lower-cost edgier alternative to our mainstage season fare.  And The Santaland Diaries provides just that little bit of snarky edge we’re all feeling during the holidays, but that we hesitate to explore for fear of being seen as “unholiday-like”.  It does have some rough language, although it’s nowhere near as racy as The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, that we did a few years ago.  Just in case, leave the kids at home.  Well unless you don’t care of your kids hear the f-word.  Most do.

Here’s the official press release on the show.  Oh yeah and it runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm at The Showroom at Hub-bub and tickets are $10.

Okay, official stuff:

The Santaland Diaries
Thursday-Saturday, December 10th -12th  at 8pm   
Tickets: $10 advance/door
For Mature Audiences Only
For those who like a little spice with their Christmas sugar, this hilarious one-person play chronicles a man's experience working as an elf in Macy's Santaland. David Sedaris is a genuine American voice--witty, sardonic and unpredictable, mercilessly cutting through the Christmas spirit to point out what crazy things we do as human beings during the holidays.
NPR humorist and best-selling author David Sedaris made his comic debut reading his "Santaland Diaries" on National Public Radio's Morning Edition. Sedaris' sardonic humor and incisive social critique have since made him one of NPR's most popular and humorous commentators. He is the author of the bestsellers Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day. Sedaris and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have written several plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City. In 2001, David Sedaris became the third recipient of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and was named by Time magazine as "Humorist of the Year."
Actor Jay Coffman stars as Crumpet, the wickedly funny Macy's Elf. Coffman is a fixture on the Upstate theatre circuit working both in the spotlight and behind the scenes. He has performed in many plays in the Spartanburg area and is currently the Interim Executive Artistic Director for the Spartanburg Little Theatre. He is no stranger to the stage at The Showroom, this is an encore performance of the Santaland Diaries and Jay also performed in the role of Cupid in sold out performances of The Reindeer Monologues for two years.
“A delightfully thorny account of working as a Yuletide elf at Macy’s. Priceless observations, both outrageous and subtle. Destined to hold a place in the annals of American humor writing.” -New York Times

Who could resist these faces?: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever kicks off the holiday season

(photos courtesy of Alex Hicks at the Spartanburg Herald Journal)

I’m not sure I’m what most people think of as a “kid person”. In my 37 years, I really haven’t had that much interaction with children at all, although I haven’t really avoided it as a rule. The opportunity just hasn’t presented itself. In fact, people are often surprised after seeing me interact with children and I get these strange backhanded compliments like “You’re really good with kids. I didn’t expect that.” Uh, yeah, usually I eat them for breakfast, but your kid’s special and well, I had already eaten.

So when the opportunity presented itself to get involved in the Spartanburg Youth! Theatre’s production (and collaboration with SLT) of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, I thought it would be a excellent opportunity to get a first hand look into how this rather unique organization operates. After all, I am kind of the boss. Well Matt Giles is their boss. Praise the lord.

The thing about SYT is that it may be the only youth theatre of its kind in the entire United States. It’s a “by youth, for youth” youth theatre, meaning every aspect of production (except for the direction of the show) is done by kids in the 3rd through the 12th grade. They build the sets, run the sound board, run the light board, stage manage, act, raise and lower the curtains, help with the costumes, and act as backstage crew. What makes this unique is the almost complete absence of any adults in the production process. While most other youth theatres include adult actors, adults running sound and lights and building and stage managing, this youth theatre puts the whole production in the hands of the kids. (Now The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, being a collaboration with SLT, does include a handful of adult actors).

But it is truly inspiring to watch these 50+ kids take care of aspects of production that adults normally take care of. In fact, the kids often put the adults to shame when it comes to knowing your lines, or being in the right place at the right time. One time I arrived at rehearsal a few minutes after we had begun because I had a meeting. I walked backstage and a 10 year old girl looked up at me and said, completely without irony…”You’re late”.

She was right of course, and while I might have wanted to step on her just a little bit, I preferred to think of it as a good example of with the Spartanburg Youth! Theatre has been doing since 1971, preparing Spartanburg’s youth for adulthood, instilling responsibility, fostering creativity, taking a ragtag group of individuals and making them a well oiled working machine.

Playing the father in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is probably the closest I’ll ever get to fatherhood in the real sense, but watching these children create and flourish and respond to pressure and come through, makes me just as proud as an real father could be.

Come see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, presented by The Spartanburg Youth! Theatre at the Chapman Cultural Center on December 4th at 4:30 and 7:00 and on December 5th at 2:00 and 7:00. Tickets available at 542-ARTS and at http://www.chapmanculturalcenter.org/. Both shows on December 4th are almost sold out, and December 5th shows are not far behind. Reserve now!

TAKE A LOOK: “The Hound of the Baskervilles”—Running one more weekend!

If you haven’t had a chance to see The Spartanburg Little Theatre’s exciting production of “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, you have three more chances—this Friday Nov. 6 and Saturday Nov. 7 at 8:00 pm and Sunday Nov. 8 at 3:00 pm.

SLT’s Tech Director Darryl Willard and Sound Designer Trey Hendon have pulled out all the stops in one of our most technically masterful productions ever. Fog, surround sound, descending stages, gothic windows that descend into Baskerville Hall and a 16 foot raked circular stage all combine to bring an excitement and sense of wonder to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes mystery. Audiences at last Sunday’s performance even applauded one of the scene changes—when does that ever happen???

Add to that a truly talented cast of veterans and newcomers to the SLT stage and a kickin’ support team working backstage under the helm of stage manager Jennifer Nockels and you have the play that Spartanburg’s talking about right now. A perfect follow up to our previous season success “My Fair Lady”.

So check out the slide show below (photos by Melissa Ragan) and buy your tickets. I guarantee you don’t want to miss this one.

Tickets available at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org or at (864) 542-ARTS.

Cast:

Sherlock Holmes—Christopher T. Wilkerson

Dr. John H. Watson—Jay E. Coffman

Sir Henry Baskerville—Paul Board

Dr. James Mortimer—Robert Searle

Mr. Barrymore—Patrick Elliott

Mrs. Barrymore—Pam Broome

John Stapleton—Joshua Phillips

Beryle Stapleton—Alaina Steadings

Laura Lyon—Sarah Swofford

DON’T MISS IT!

“HOUND” is here!: Sherlock’s greatest case Live on Stage for Halloween weekend

You know, it’s so rare that Sherlock Holmes novels get produced on stage.  Even stranger is that even though “The Hound of the Baskervilles” is arguably Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most well known Sherlock novel and the most filmed, I rarely hear of any theatre mounting any kind of production of it.

Until now.  The Spartanburg Little Theatre has pulled out all the stops with this lush, mysterious, exciting, intriguing and inventive production.  We’re talking scenes that disappear into the floor, a 16 foot raised stage that rakes backwards, gothic windows that fly in and out, fog that seems to rise out of the ground and envelope the characters on the moor, and of course an extremely talented group of very excited actors who have worked tirelessly to bring the characters you know so well to life.

Dr. Mortimer, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson on the moor

Barrymore welcomes the men to Baskerville Hall

Sir Henry receives an anonymous note warning him not to return to Baskerville Hall

Beryle Stapleton tells Dr. Watson about the legend of the Hound

The moor at night and Merripit House

Toasting the conclusion of the case

Tix are available at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org or by calling (864) 542-ARTS. 

Spartanburg Youth Theatre gets PEACHY

The Spartanburg Youth Theatre, the 2nd oldest Youth Theatre in the state of South Carolina, opens their season today with the Roald Dahl classic “James and the Giant Peach”. 

The Spartanburg Youth Theatre is also the only “by youth, for youth” Youth Theatre in the entire state and perhaps the entire country.  SYT is unique in that the children do all the work….no adults appear on stage, and only children run the light board, the soundboard, stage manage and work backstage. 

The shows are only an hour long, so it’s perfect for the “young attention span”, and the 1000+ school children who viewed the show over the past few days during the school hours love it.

And at $9 per child and $12 per adult, it’s the best entertainment deal in town!  3 performances only.  Friday, October 9 at 4:30 and 7:00 pm (the 4:30 performance is almost SOLD OUT) and Saturday, October 10 at 10:30 am.  Tickets are available at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org or at (864) 542-ARTS.

Check out some pics, courtesy of Alex Hicks at The Spartanburg Herald Journal:

James, Spider, Earthworm, Glow-worm, Grasshopper, Ladybugs and Caterpillar on top of the Giant Peach

Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge

Grasshopper, ladybugs and caterpillar in the peach.

For more information on The Spartanburg Youth Theatre, go to www.SpartanburgLittleTheatre.org

 

This…is how….we do it. It’s Friday night and I feel alright.

The Spartanburg Little Theatre’s Friday September 18 performance of “My Fair Lady” is SOLD OUT. Limited tickets available for Saturday and Sunday. Better snap ‘em up! www.chapmanculturalcenter.org. Or call 542-ARTS.

MY FAIR LADY Opens Tonight!

Special thanks to Alex Hicks at The Spartanburg Herald-Journal for these photographs.  Go to this page to view the rest!

 

And 542-ARTS or www.chapmanculturalcenter.org to buy tix.

Guess What Opens Tonight????

 

Tickets going fast!  Call (864) 542-ARTS or go to www.chapmanculturalcenter.org

MY FAIR LADY in Rehearsal

Not often enough does the public get a glimpse into what the rehearsal process for a Spartanburg Little Theatre production looks like.  Below are some fantastic pictures take by our very own Melissa Ragan (nee Pesaro) of our upcoming production of My Fair Lady in rehearsal:

Mark Ferguson as Alfred Doolittle

Caroline Ritchie as Eliza Doolittle

Peter Haloulas and Mark Byrnes as Pickering and Higgins

And finally a slideshow of all the pics:

My Fair Lady opens September 11th and runs through September 20th.  You can get tickets if they’re still available at (864) 542-ARTS.  Or go to www.chapmanculturalcenter.org.

Gearing up for 2009/2010: SLT Summer Social Style!

It’s hard for anyone to understand how crazy our Spartanburg Little Theatre/Spartanburg Youth Theatre production season can be.  With 5 Mainstage productions involving anywhere from 10-60 people, a full production season for the Spartanburg Youth Theatre, school time performances, public performances, benefits, Youth Education classes, Imagine That performances and day to day life at the Chapman Center, life over here can get pretty hectic.

That’s why we take a few months in the summer to regroup, (I wish I could say relax) and to get ready for the next 9 month long juggernaut that is the 2009-2010 season.  We do it happily of course.  I mean, that’s why we’re here after all.

A few weeks ago, the SLT and SYT family came together at the “HOMESTEAD”, the old David Reid Playhouse out at Camp Croft, lawn chairs, covered dishes, coolers and blankets in hand to enjoy each others’ company before the craziness of the season ensues. 

And the SLT spirit lives on…

Next up……”My Fair Lady” hits the CCC!  Ticket available now.

RIDICULOUSLY RIDICULOUS: BEEHIVE opens tonight!

I’ve been growing out my hair. What do you think?

I’m not even kidding you when I say that this hair-do took me hours to create.  You don’t even want to know what’s inside.

But even more important is that a ridiculously talented cast of 11 of Spartanburg’s best singers are putting on a ridiculously entertaining revue of the best hits of the 60’s called “Beehive:  The 60’s Musical”.  And while they can sing ridiculously well, I just look well……ridiculously ridiculous.

The song list for Beehive:

Let's Rock"

"The Name Game"

"My Boyfriend's Back"

"Sweet Talkin' Guy"

"One Fine Day"

"Junkman"

"Academy Award"

"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"

"Give Him A Great Big Kiss"

"Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)"

"I Can Never Go Home Again"

"Where Did Our Love Go?"

"Come See About Me"

"I Hear A Symphony"

"It's My Party"

"I'm Sorry"

"Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"

"I Dream About Frankie"

"She's A Fool"

"You Don't Own Me"

"Judy's Turn To Cry"

"Where The Boys Are"

"The Beehive Dance"

"The Beat Goes On"

"Downtown"

"To Sir With Love"

"Wishin' and Hopin'"

"Don't Sleep In The Subway"

"You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"

"A Fool In Love"

"River Deep, Mountain High"

"Proud Mary"

"White Rabbit"

"Respect"

"Natural Woman"

"Do Right Woman"

“Try”

“Piece of My Heart”

“Me and Bobby McGee”

“Cry Baby”

"Make Your Own Kind of Music"

 

 

Ridiculous, right?  Call 542-ARTS for tix or visit www.chapmanculturalcenter.org.  And if you don’t go….you’re ridiculous.

And for our final bow of 2008-2009!

 

Join The Spartanburg Little Theatre for a trip back in time celebrating the hottest girl groups and top women singers of the 1960’s, with such hits as “My Boyfriend’s Back”, “Where Did Our Love Go?”, “Proud Mary”, and “The Beat Goes On”.  They’ll all be there:  The Chiffons, The Supremes, Dusty, Aretha, Tina, and even Janis!  Show some R-E-S-P-E-C-T and get out to the last SLT production of the season!

Buy tickets on line HERE or call (864) 542-ARTS.

Murder, Mother, Mousetrap

This is the last weekend to see the classic Agatha Christie murder mystery “The Mousetrap” at The Spartanburg Little Theatre.  In honor of mom, we are offering a MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL.  Bring mom on Sunday, May 10th (Mother’s Day) and her ticket is FREE with your purchase. 

Sergeant Trotter interrogates the residents of Monkswell Manor.  L to R:  Marcia Griffin Murff, Marshall Jordan, Katy Purgason, Matt Giles, Dennis Shreefer

Katy Purgason as Mollie Ralston and Harmonie Skipper as Miss Casewell.

Major Metcalf (Richard Beveridge) accuses Mrs. Boyle (Marcia Griffin Murff) while Mr. Paravacini (Dennis Shreefer) seems to be listening in.

Adam Brownlee as the eccentric (and perhaps schizophrenic) Christopher Wren.

Giles Ralson (Marshall Jordan) comforts his wife Mollie (Katy Purgason) as Major Metcalf (Richard Beveridge) looks on.

Come see us this weekend.  It’s a whole lot cheaper than flying to London.  Call 542-ARTS for tickets or reserve online at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org.

Dorothy Zbornak loves "The Mousetrap" and so will you!

Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" opens this weekend at SLT! Get your tickets at 542-ARTS or www.chapmanculturalcenter.org. And well when Dorothy Zbornak says go....YOU GO!

TOP 10 REASONS TO COME SEE AGATHA CHRISTIE'S "THE MOUSETRAP"

10. Susan Boyle will be dropping her hot new dance single "I Dreamed a Dream: Timbaland Remix"

9. Octomom and family are only taking up the first 4 rows.

8. Bruno Tonioli gave it a "Hot and Spicy" 10!

7. If you come, Gov. Sanford has promised to accept the stimulus package.

6. SLT will be launching "Wii Mousetrap".

5. Because the thought of going to Spring Fling, is much better than the actual reality.

4. All of the fake food that you never see cooked at Monkswell Manor is organic and hormone free.

3. North Korea promised to hold off their nuclear missile test until final curtain.

2. The Chapman Cultural Center is a Swine-Flu Free Zone.

1. It was Bea Arthur's dying wish!

Tickets still available! Starring Matt Giles, Katy Purgason, Marshall Jordan, Harmonie Skipper, Dennis Shreefer, Adam Brownlee, Richard Beveridge and Marcia Murff Miller. Call (864) 542-ARTS or go online at http://www.chapmanculturalcenter.org/.

Less than Two Weeks Away: The Mousetrap!

 

The longest running play in theatre history, with over 23,000 performances since 1952 on London’s West End, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap comes to the Spartanburg Little Theatre for a 6 performance engagement May 1-3 and May 8-10. 

SYNOPSIS:

A winter storm snows in the guests at Giles and Mollie Ralston’s guest house, Monkswell Manor, when Detective Sergeant Trotter arrives with news of a horrific murder that has just taken place in London.  The killer left a note with two addresses on it, the London address and Monkswell Manor.  After one of the guests is brutally murdered, it is clear that one of the surviving guests is also the murderer.  Could it be the theatrical Mr. Paravicini, the mysterious Miss Casewell, the seemingly schizophrenic Christopher Wren, the enigmatic Major Metcalf, the cantankerous Giles Ralston or his wife Mollie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.  Help Detective Sergeant Trotter find the evil-doer in their midst buy buying tickets at 542-ARTS or at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org.

Last Chance!: Thoroughly Modern Millie

 

If you don’t want to miss something special, you’ll be at the Chapman Cultural Center this weekend (March 13-15) for the final 3 performances of Thoroughly Modern Millie.  Based on the 1967 Oscar-nominated film of the same name starring Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore and Carol Channing, TMM won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Musical. 

We are also proud to be presenting the Upstate premiere of TMM.  Not many people know this, but The Spartanburg Little Theatre was the very first non-professional theatre to be granted the rights to perform a Rogers and Hammerstein show (1954’s Carousel), so we do have a long and proud history of Upstate firsts.  Not to mention, that the song “Jimmy” from TMM was written by Spartanburg native and Converse College graduate Jay Thompson Jr. (his father was mayor of Spartanburg from 1941-45).  Jay Thompson Jr. also co-wrote the little known perennial stage favorite Once Upon a Mattress.

Millie tells the story of Kansas girl Millie Dillmount who moves to New York in 1922 searching for a new life for herself.  Determined to join the “Moderns”, Millie bobs her hair and goes in search of a boss she can marry.  Along the way she meets Mrs. Meers, proprietor of her boarding hotel and leader of a white slavery ring (with help from her cohorts Bun Foo and Ching Ho—whose lines and songs are entirely in Mandarin Chinese and subtitled!).  Add in rich girl gone poor Miss Dorothy, the cheeky Jimmy Smith and the fabulous Muzzy Van Hossmere AND an incomparable group of chorus boys and girls Charlestoning their faces off (you also don’t want to miss the angry tap stomp “Forget About the Boy”), and you have one of the most endearingly ridiculous love stories ever seen on the SLT stage.

Don’t miss Thoroughly Modern Millie March 13 and 14 at 8:00 pm and March 15 at 3:00 pm.  Call (864) 542-ARTS or go to www.chapmanculturalcenter.org for tickets.  For more information see our website at www.spartanburglittletheatre.org.

SLT PROFILE: Janet Allison

Sometimes it just takes the right person in the right part to turn a show into a showcase for its star.  Such is the case with Janet Allison who plays Millie Dillmount in SLT’s blockbuster production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie”.  And Julie Andrews’, Sutton Foster’s, Susan Egan’s shoes aint easy to fill folks.  But watching “TMM” last weekend (I saw it all three nights), I found myself sneaking back into the theatre to watch Janet fully embrace what it is to grab a role by the horns and kick it through the ceiling.  Whether it’s the heartfelt “Jimmy”, the desperate “Gimme Gimme” or the out and out fun “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, Janet has done just what I was rooting for her to do:  she’s given her fans something to cheer about and her naysayers something to be jealous about, and I applaude her for both.  So here’s a little interview I did with Janet…and if you miss her this weekend, you are truly missing out on something special.

Name: Janet Allison

Age: 23

Occupation: 3rd grade Teacher

Jay Coffman (JC):  What role are you playing in Thoroughly Modern Millie? Tell us a little about the role. 

Janet Allison (JA): I am playing Millie Dillmount.  She is a small town girl with big dreams of re-inventing herself in New Your City.  Although her dreams are immediately and consistently challenged she refuses to give up.  Millie is a determined, go-getter, who always manages to make lemons into lemonade.

JC:  What do you think will be your biggest challenge in this role?

JA:   My biggest challenge will be finding and defining my character.  I'm still working on that part of my acting. 

JC:  How like or unlike your character are you?

JA:   Just like Millie, I tend to go after what I want.  It isn't easy to stop me when I set my mind to something.  I have big dreams and sometimes it takes a lot to bring me back down to reality.  Unlike Millie, however, I'm not as blind to my surroundings and naïve.  I'm also not awkward and clumsy.

JC:  Have SLT audiences seen you in any previous productions? 

JA:  I was recently in this season's Peter Pan, and I've appeared in The Wizard of Oz, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Footloose, State Fair, and others.

JC:  Any dream roles you have not yet played? 

JA:  Eva Peron from Evita, Kathy from The Last 5 Years, Penny from Hairspray, Maria from Sound of Music, Marion from The Music Man, Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady.

JC:  What was your worst/funniest/most uncomfortable stage experience? 

JA:  This is a hard question!  My worst stage experience was probably during Urinetown at USC Upstate.  I had lost my voice and could hardly speak or sing for the entire run of the show. 

JC:  What was your best stage experience?  (I have a feeling she’ll be updating this one!)

JA:  My best experience was getting to take my final bow in The Wizard of Oz.  There is nothing like it.

JC:  When did you get your start acting/singing/dancing? 

JA:  My senior year of high school.

JC: Do you have any preshow rituals/superstitions?

JA:   I take about 2 hours to do my hair and make-up.  I get to the theater before anyone else does, put on some loud music, and have fun getting myself ready.  Once everyone arrives I like to talk and fool around so I need to get ready before they get there.

JC Any role usually played by the opposite gender that you'd like to do?   

JA:  I would love to play Coalhouse Walker from Ragtime because his story is so moving and heartbreaking.  He sings a fantastic song at the end of the Musical that I would love to just belt out!  I would also like to play either Franz Liebkind or Roger De Bris from The Producers.  Both parts are absolutely hysterical!

Come see Janet as Mille Dillmount in The Spartanburg Little Theatre’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” on March 6-8 and 13-15 at the Chapman Cultural Center in Downtown Spartanburg. Tickets available at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org. More information is available at www.spartanburglittletheatre.org.

SLT PROFILE: Matt Giles

I used to think Matt Giles was all shtick. But then I realized that there are people who think I’m all shtick and so I started to sympathize. And at least when he does shtick, it’s really really good shtick. I first met Matt when I appeared in my very first SLT production as Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls”. Matt may have still been in high school then. But as Benny Southstreet in “Guys and Dolls” he turned in a performance far beyond his years and one that any adult actor would be hard pressed to duplicate. Matt and I were the also the only crapshooters in the show who didn’t have to strap on these hideous shiny technicolor spandex pants with flared legs for the Havana scene (NOTE: dance belt was required). Seriously though, those things were humiliating. But Matt is truly an SLT success story, having grown up in the Spartanburg Youth Theatre, graduating to Spartanburg Little Theatre productions, and eventually graduating with a degree in Theatre from Wofford College. Strangely enough, Matt is now Artistic Director of The Spartanburg Youth Theatre and doing an amazing job I might add. He’s now starring as Trevor Graydon in the upcoming “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and the guy who I used to think didn’t want to hold notes more than a 1/4 count is now doing some amazing singing (I heard him yesterday, and no offense Matt, but I was shocked at how strong a singer you’ve become). So here’s your intro to my friend and fellow theatre bum, Matt Giles.

Name: Matt Giles

Age: 24

Occupation: Artistic Director, Spartanburg Youth Theatre

JC (Jay Coffman): So what part are you playing in Thoroughly Modern Millie?
MG (Matt Giles): I play Trevor Graydon, III. Trevor is Millie's boss at the Sincere Trust Company. Millie, in her determination to marry for money and not for love, sets her eyes on Trevor, set on making him her husband. Trevor, while on the surface dedicated the specifics of running a profitable banking business, is a hopeless romantic...quite unlike Millie. He wants a romantic love...something you'd expect to see in the movies.

JC: What do you think your biggest challenge will be bringing Trevor Graydon to life?
MG: My biggest challenge...hmmm...Trevor is a bit over the top, but you can't take it too far. I don't want him to become a caricature, and it's easy to do just that with the role. His bombastic and over-hyped proclamations of love are ridiculous, but more than anything they're so grandiose because he is forced to hide them behind his hard-working, detail-oriented facade. It's a difficult balance to achieve...

JC: Do you find anything in this character you personally can relate to?
MG: Well, like most theatre people, I'm a bit over the top sometimes. Okay, most of the time. So Trevor and I share that in common. And I'm also a bit of a romantic, wanting that old Hollywood, romantic movie type love.

JC: So in what shows have SLT audiences seen you?
MG: It's been a while, but SLT audiences may remember my face from State Fair (2005), Into the Woods (2004), Guys and Dolls (2003), and several others.

JC: Do you have any dream roles?
MG: Anyone who knows me knows the answer to this question...I have two BIG dream roles: Harold Hill (The Music Man) & Henry Higgins (My Fair Lady). Don't know why they both have double "h's." I suppose it's a little coincidence. I could play those two roles continuously for the rest of my life and be completely happy. There are a couple others, but the likelihood of my ever playing them is slim: Tevye (Fiddler)...unfortunately, I'm blonde and blue-eyed...not the most Jewish looking guy you'll meet; Sweeney Todd...enough said.

JC: So since you escaped the “Havana pant” episode, any other embarassing stage moments?
MG: So I was in The Wiz here at SLT when I was a junior in high school. During the song "Brand New Day," I had to strip out of a prison-type costume, revealing a bright red women's tank-top and yellow windsuit pants underneath...while singing a solo...and dancing. I dreaded that moment during every performance.

JC: What were your best on stage experiences?
MG: I have two...both during my time at Wofford. The first is playing Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. One of the best (and most under-appreciated) musical comedies of all-time. It's hilarious. And I loved every second of that role. I would play it again in a heart beat. Pure side-splitting comedy, start to finish. The other is my experience as Father in Sarah Ruhl's play, Eurydice. The final onstage appearance of my Wofford theatre career, and the first time I ever worked with Sully White. This was (and still is) hands down the most difficult role of my young career. But it was also the most rewarding.

JC: When did you get your start?
MG: Aside from acting and singing at home and for my cousin Jessica's video camera, I didn't start doing this onstage until my sophomore year of high school. I had been in chorus since elementary school, started taking piano lessons in 3rd grade, and I had done numerous church plays and musicals, but not until 10th grade did I start doing theatre.

JC: So let us in on your pre-show rituals?
MG: I oddly enough have no pre-show rituals or superstitions. Some nights I'll feel like eating before a show, some nights I won't. If the curtain is closed before the performance begins, I do like to walk around the space before the show starts...I open every door, and basically walk/run through every corner of the stage. But since some shows start with the curtain open, that's not always possible.

JC: Okay, so if you could play any “women’s” role, which would it be?
MG: My answer is a little like cheating, because this role is occasionally played by men: Lady Bracknell in Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. I would LOVE that role. In large part due to the fact that the play is my all-time favorite comedy. I also think it'd be fun to do some Shakespeare...which again is cheating since originally, the casts were all men. But maybe Beatrice in Much Ado...or Viola in Twelfth Night (even though she spends a good portion of the show disguised as a young man).

Come see Matt as Trevor Graydon in The Spartanburg Little Theatre’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” on March 6-8 and 13-15 at the Chapman Cultural Center in Downtown Spartanburg. Tickets available at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org. More information is available at www.spartanburglittletheatre.org.

SLT Profile: Meg Foster

I once had a friend tell me that she’d love Julia Roberts FOREVER just because she was in “Notting Hill”.  Julia Roberts could probably slash her tires and fill her gas tank with sugar, and she’d still love her (I mean, if “Mary Reilly” isn’t enough to put out the flame, then what is?)  Sometimes we respond so viscerally and emotionally to an actor’s or singer’s or dancer’s performance, that we are immediately and irrevocably a fan forever.  Meg Foster is one of those people for me.  In the very first show I ever directed, SLT’s “State Fair”, Meg came through gangbusters for me with her charming interpretation of the spunky lead female Margie Frake.  “It Might as Well Be Spring” is still one of my all time favorite Broadway standards because of Meg.  And when some naysayers said she was a one-trick operatic pony, Meg stuck “The Next Time it Happens” right in their pinched faces and blew the roof off of the Playhouse.  Because of this, Meg could burn down my house and empty my retirement account and I’d still always love and respect her.  Needless to say, I’ll never forget that performance and I’m as thrilled as anyone that we’ll be seeing her again in SLT’s upcoming “Thoroughly Modern Millie”.  I recently sat down with Meg (um..me at my computer and her at hers but not at the same time…) and asked her the same questions I asked Brady Smith.  So everything you always wanted to know about Meg, but were afraid to ask….

Name:  Meg Foster

Age:  25

Occupation:  Co-Director First Baptist Weekday Preschool

JC (Jay Coffman):  So tell us a little bit about the role you’re playing in Millie!

MF (Meg Foster): I am playing Miss Dorothy Brown, an "orphan" from California and a wannabe actress. Dorothy is Millie's best friend and essentially her polar opposite...she is old fashioned and naive, very much a romantic... determined to marry for love. Dorothy obviously comes from a life of privilege but she is not at all stuck up...rather she is excited about seeing this whole new, big world for the first time.

JC:  Do you foresee any challenges in bringing this character to life?

MF:  The biggest challenge for me with Dorothy is going to be making her a "real" person ... it would be very easy to play her as a caricature but I think there is a lot more to her than that.

JC:  How different are you from Dorothy?  Or do you find Dorothy to be similar to you?

MF:  I think Dorothy and I are fairly similar. I tend to be fairly old fashioned and I'm definitely a hopeless romantic...I wear my heart on my sleeve. I can also tend to be a little naive...more so than I'd care to admit. I also find that a lot of my friends tend to be Millies...people who will tell me exactly how it is.

JC:  This isn’t your first time at SLT.  What other shows have we seen you in?

MF:  My last appearance with SLT was “State Fair” in 2005. You may also remember me from 2004's “Crimes of the Heart“ or “Two by Two”, among many others.

JC:  Any “dream” roles?

MF:  Christine in “Phantom of the Opera”! Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” (Julie Andrews is my hero), and Anna in “The King and I”.

JC:  So I know we’ve all had embarrassing stage moments.  Can you remember any of yours or have you blocked them all out?

MF:  One would be “Cinderella” (2006). My skirt was a little big and it started to fall while I was in the middle of singing the song “Lovely Night”. I kept trying to fix it all the while singing...finally the stepmother who is supposed to hate Cinderella had to retie it in the middle of the scene. There was no hiding it from the audience, which of course consisted of most of my friends and family that night. The other would be performing Lily in the “Secret Garden” while I had mono. Not fun.

JC:  If you could pick a favorite role or stage experience, what would it be?
MF:  I'm going to pick “Crimes of the Heart” because of the close knit cast...we really became sisters...and because the role of Babe was one of the more challenging of my career...I'd also say playing Maria in “The Sound of Music” my senior year of high school for sentimental reasons.

JC:  When did you get your start performing?

MF:  I've been singing and acting my entire life. I was the kid that was always making her parents and siblings sit through nonsense plays. I started doing school and church plays early...my first community theatre role was in SYT's little women when I was in seventh grade...I started voice lessons the same year.

JC:  Do you have any pre-show rituals or superstitions?

MF:  Not really, but I HATE rushing to get ready. I like to get there early and take my time getting ready...I need a few minutes to center myself before I perform...whether it’s a quick prayer or standing in the wings by myself for a few minutes before I go onstage...I need chill time.

JC:  So let’s gender-bend.  Any traditionally male roles you’d like to play?

MF:  Never really thought about it to be honest but i did see a production of “Hamlet” in which the title character was portrayed by a girl and i thought that was pretty cool, so I'll go with that.

Come see Meg as Dorothy in The Spartanburg Little Theatre’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” on March 6-8 and 13-15 at the Chapman Cultural Center in Downtown Spartanburg.  Tickets available at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org.  More information is available at www.spartanburglittletheatre.org.

SLT PROFILE: Brady Smith

Usually at least once after every production, an audience member will excitedly approach me in the lobby and ask “Where did you find all of these performers?  Do you hire them in?”.  And more often than not, they’re shocked to find out that all of our actors, dancers, singers, production crew, directors, choreographers, musicians and designers come from right here in the Upstate.  After all, community theatre should be about providing the “community” with not only opportunities to see quality theatrical productions, but should also provide local talent the opportunity to express that talent and have fun while they’re doing it. 

So here it is: 1) the first in a series of profiles, highlighting some of the people that make the Spartanburg Little Theatre work and  2) a spotlight on the cast of our upcoming production “Thoroughly Modern Millie”.

I first saw Brady Smith in SLT’s Spring 2008 production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s CATS.  My first thought was “Where is he finding all of this energy?” and my second thought was “Is he going to be able to keep this up for 2+ hours”.  Well the answers, as it is, happened to turn out to be “I have no earthly idea”  and “Yes!”.  With boundless energy, an excellent voice and a spirit that reaches even the last row in the balcony, Brady has been a welcome addition to the Spartanburg Theatre scene:

NAME:  Brady Smith

AGE:  24

OCCUPATION:  Elementary school music teacher

JC (Jay Coffman):  What other roles have Spartanburg audiences seen you in?

BS (Brady Smith):  I played Mungojerrie (of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer) in last season’s production of CATS.

JC:  What role are you playing in “Thoroughly Modern Millie”?

BS:  I’m playing the role of Jimmy, a cocky, spoiled young man who is thrust into the world to find the real meaning of “happiness”.

JC:  What do you think your biggest challenges will be in portraying this character?

BS:  Getting the cocky swagger and attitude that Jimmy puts on.   I’m different from jimmy because I appreciate things and am very humble, hate praise and recognition, and am not as "forward" as Jimmy is.

JC:  When did you get your start acting, singing, dancing?

BS:  I started singing at the age of 4 and acting at the age of 9.

JC:  Well since then, have you had any stage experiences that you would quantify as your “best” or “favorite”?

BS:  CATS!

JC:  I know every actor has a “dream” part that they’d like to play one day (I’m still holding onto Rolf in Sound of Music at age 36).  What are your dream roles?

BS:  Paul in “A Chorus Line”.  The Emcee in “Cabaret” and anything in “42nd Street”!

JC:  Now, I sometimes think all the best Broadway songs were written for women.  Let’s imagine a world of genderless casting.  What role would you die to play?

BS:  Elphaba in “Wicked”.  Need I say more????

Come see Brady as Jimmy in The Spartanburg Little Theatre’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” on March 6-8 and 13-15 at the Chapman Cultural Center in Downtown Spartanburg.  Tickets available at www.chapmanculturalcenter.org.  More information is available at www.spartanburglittletheatre.org.

A few of my favorite things…..

About a week ago I sat down to watch “Mamma Mia"!”, the recently adapted movie musical starring MERYL and featuring music by the God’s of perfectly crafted pop:  Bjorn and Benny of ABBA fame.  I mean, this movie is the top DVD seller of the year even surpassing “The Dark Knight” and hosts of well meaning friends and acquaintances said it was a must see.  Couldn’t be all bad, right?  Meryl, Pierce, Stellan, Christine, Julie, Colin, Amanda, add sparkly jumpsuits, a chorus of men in wet suits and flippers, and a sunny Mediterranean village perched on a rocky hillside and you’ve got movie magic, right?

Oh Lord, was I wrong.  By the end of it, if I had seen Meryl writhe on some rooftop or listen to Christine Baranski and Julie Walters cackle over their martini glasses or see another group of hot teenage stars cavort across a ridge or jump down a ladder or leap down a hillside, I would have screamed.  In fact the more I think about this movie, the more it infuriates me.  Don’t get me wrong, towards the end I started to have a little bit of fun, I mean I’m not that hopelessly jaded, but seriously, the whole thing added up to one big sunny and happy atrocity.

Now I feel somewhat guilty for not enjoying “Mamma Mia!”.  Whenever someone eagerly asks me how I liked it, I almost hate to let them down.  They just seem so invested in me having enjoyed it.  And I certainly don’t want to throw a wet blanket on their enthusiasm for the film, so I kind of stumble around a bit, complimenting individual actors on their performances, saying things like “Actually I kind of liked Pierce Brosnan’s performance.  The fact he couldn’t really sing, made it ever so charming”.

So in order to prove that I do, in fact, appreciate the genre of the movie musical (in fact, when done right, I down right LOVE it), I’ve compiled my own top 10 list of “My Favorite Movie Musicals”.  Notice I didn’t say “The 10 Best Movie Musicals”.  I’ll leave that to our very own cultural imperialists:  AFI.  These are simply 10 movie musicals that for various reasons I have come to adore.  So here goes:

10.  WEST SIDE STORY

From the opening whistles to the final gongs, this film is just what I like in a movie musical:  real drama, high energy dance numbers, athleticism, a pair of lovers you NEED to end up together and some of the most beautiful music ever written for a musical (Thanks Leonard and Stephen!).  And I’m a sucker for a musical with a tragic ending.  Hmm, now if Meryl had fallen off a craggy peak into the Mediterranean, we could talk.

9.  EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU

Woody Allen’s musical send up of the romantic dalliances of the upper crust Manhattan set came at a time when the movie musical was all but dead.  It made me believe in the genre again, simply because Allen turned the genre on its head.  It’s always hard for some people to see actors suddenly break into song, and then on top of that, to buy into the illusion that they have perfect voices.  Not the cast of “Everyone Says I Love You”.  The “Making Whoopee” number is side splitting.  But when Goldie Hawn dances into the air and over Woody Allen’s head on the banks of the Seine, I’m spellbound by the beauty of what it all means:  that  only in movie musicals are such things possible.

8.  SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS

Julie Newmar? Check.  A character named Dorcas?  Check.  Birds flying into the cheesy painted backdrops?  Check.  One of the most stunning dance sequences to ever hit the big screen?  Check.  Kicking the big budgeted and studio-favored “Briagdoon”’s butt at the box office?  BINGO!

7.  SINGING IN THE RAIN

Every time this one comes on television, I cannot help but sit and watch it.  And Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly hoofing it in the wee hours of the morning in perfect precision during “Good Mornin’” is movie musical perfection.  Oh, and you gotta love Lena.

6.  EVITA

I love an underdog.  So imagine my glee when I found myself cheering on an underdog (Madonna) playing an underdog (Eva Peron).  Her perfomance in this film is completely underrated, and Antonia Banderas kills it as Che.  Stunning filmmaking.  Oh and another tragic ending.  I’m starting to see a disturbing pattern.  In myself.

5.  DANCER IN THE DARK

Musical or anti-musical?  Who knows?  And I don’t even really care.  While this is not for everyone, Lars Von Trier’s Dogma 95 inflected musical starring my girl Bjork as the nearly blind Selma affected me so deeply that I almost embarrassed myself in a public movie theater.  I cried so hard for the last hour of the film that I was literally internally begging the movie to stop.  Musical numbers grow out of the clickety clack of a passing train or the sounds of a metal press or the scratching of a record.    Such a beautiful movie, but sad sad sad.  Forget the swan dress folks, in this film, Bjork is the real deal.  Oh yeah, and Joel Grey tap dances in a court room. Nuff said.

4.  THE MUSIC MAN

 

I can’t think of a bad number in this big bright happy romantic gem of a movie.  I mean, the minute Harold Hill gets off the train in River City and everyone starts singing at him, I totally wanted to move there.  Plus, the women had unbearably large hats, and the men wore lots of stripes.  Mostly I love this film because we used to gather on my parents’ bed in our pajamas and watch it every time it was on.  Usually during a PBS fund drive.  Oh, and I almost forgot, Opie Taylor sings “Wells Fargo Wagon” with the most unpolitically-correct lisp in this history of film.  “Amaryllitttthhhhhh!”

3.  SOUTH PARK:  BIGGER LONGER & UNCUT

The funniest first 45 minutes in film……EVER.  And probably the filthiest.  But what many people just don’t get, is that “South Park:  Bigger Longer & Uncut” is a near perfect send-up of the musical genre.   “La Resistance”, a montage of a song, screams “Les Miz”.  “Up There” is Satan’s tribute to “The Little Mermaid”.   Trey Parker and Matt Stone get it, and if you’re a musical theatre fan, you get it too.

2.  HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH

Okay, before I continue, if you are sensitive to language, sexuality, whatever, do NOT see Hedwig.  One time my mother called to say she was embarrassed because she had told all of her ladies who lunch to see this movie that I had said was fantastic, and they were horrified.  The movie was “Boogie Nights”.  Mind you, I never told her to recommend it to her friends, I just said that I liked it.

John Cameron Mitchell’s “Hedwig And the Angry Inch” is more rock opera than traditional musical.  The music is absolutely incredible, the script is hilarious, poignant, heartbreaking, uplifting all at the same time.  I never ever ever ever get tired of some Hedwig.  And what we learn from Hedwig is important:  that the search for your other half, the one who completes you, must begin inside.

1.  THE SOUND OF MUSIC

I know…how anticlimactic.  I can hear the groans already.  I mean, I might as well have chosen “The Wizard of Oz” and gotten it all over with.  But look at them, aren’t they just too darn cute?  Who didn’t want to be in a pre-Adolf equivalent of the Patridge family?  Who didn’t want to wear lederhosen made out of curtains?  Who didn’t want to kick it with a bunch of saucy nuns? Who didn’t want to do leaps around the interior benches of a gazebo?  Who didn’t want to wear a gauzy light blue dress and rock an orangish page boy?  Uh, maybe I should have stopped while I was ahead.  It’s still as close to movie musical perfection as you’ll get.

HONORABLE MENTION:  WIZARD OF OZ, MARY POPPINS, CHICAGO, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, BYE BYE BIRDIE, GREASE

ANY THOUGHTS?  AGREE? DISAGREE?