This past weekend was the opening weekend of the Twilight Theaters Production Irving Berlins Annie Get Your Gun. Ok  would like to say I applaude Twiligh Theatre for doing a work of Irving Berlin hard music I know i was in the show for about a month of musical rehearsals before i had to drop out.

I’d like say again this is a production review not a cast review!

Yes, I am keeping in mind that this is a community theater production so nothing perfect is expected .

Here we go, The show which took the stage at the Fred Amplitheatre in Peachtree City was good, there were parts i enjoyed and parts i wasnt to hot about. Lets start at the Overture, we all know that for most old musicals its common that the Overture is really long! Annie get your gun is no exception. Played amazingly by the very gifted Peachtree Wind Ensemble. But the only thing that threw me off was the cast coming out within 30 seconds of the 5 minute overture and freezing in the the table section of the theater with the lead male in the audience. Ok really cool everyone knows i love shows that the audience gets to be apart of and interacted with but for 4 minutes i the rain waiting to see if something was going to happen a trick or two. But i will say very clever on the directors behalf just wish they didn’t stand there for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

Throughout the rest of the show I will say this is the first time since the Les Mis weeding dance that the choreography was really fun to watch and the cast was having fun doing it 2 thumbs up to Kathy Senger of the PTC school of Dance!

Lets talk costumes: Clever, you must do what you can with a modest budget, I will say i loved the costume one cowboy was wearing it looked real and he was pulling it off. But there were other costumes when i said umm okay again money is tight take what you can. The only costumes i didn’t like were the can can girls i thought there Skirts were awesome but they just wore black tank tops for a top and i was like um ok a skirt with color and a top that says blank tank top? But wow can those girls dance!

the singing was very good parts of the shows like every community theater show including shows i’ve been in there are those songs that are just like so evil to the cast that you really wish that you had more time with the real life band

the only thing missing from community theater shows is a Sitzprobe (german for sitting rehearsal) I’ve only done 2 in my life one wit hthe Les mis Henry Players production and Grease with SMHS, i’ll tell you what wow do they help, its when the cast gets with the band and mikes are set up and they SING  through the whole show, no acting no costumes just bodys and music. Its helps you to learn how it sounds within a week or 2 of the show and it helps the Band director to figure out parts that the  cast and band arn’t blending well together on.

Overall annie get your gun was a ok show with a good cast and interesting set and ok costumes and a good dances (good work cast i enjoyed the dancing)

p.s anyone else catch that using playbill on the cover of the program is a violation of Copyright law for Playbill? I would change it for the next show, playbill ain’t a company to mess with

Thank you for reading and i say if you want to go see the show and see what you think. remember a OPINION IS A OPINION

At the time of closing the show will have played 3 broadway theaters, The American Airlines Theater, The Cort Theate, and now finally the Helen Hayes Theater (Xandu fans will regonzie that theater) it will have played 771 performances making it the longest running play in the past 7 years. Nominated for 6 2008 Tony awards winning none its kinda funny that this happens alot that shows the didn’t get the award are lasting longer than the ones who did win. Most recently the 2004 best musical Avenue Q closed BUT YAY ITS OFF BROADWAY STILL, were are WICKED a nominee for the award is still running. BUT Avenue Q deserved it more they talked about stuff that you don’t see on stage and they did it with PUPPETS. Wicked is AWESOME but all it really did was usher in a new age of make up, costumes and technology onto broadway, The german musical Elisabeth could do the same thing and a musical like Avenue Q could beat it

But back to the show at hand, it will be missed goodbye in January 39 STEPS

CAST – in order of appearance – PLEASE initial by your name to indicate that you accept the role.

NICELY NICELY JOHNSON                                 DILLON ROSEEN

Nicely understudy                                                      AUSTIN SOPER

BENNY SOUTHWEST                                             AUSTIN SOPER

Benny understudy                                                      CHASE THOMSASTON

RUSTY CHARLIE                                                    AUSTIN CHARDAC

SARAH BROWN                                                      KARI LIEN

ARVIDE ABERNATHY                                          ZACH STUTTS (SMHS ’02)

Members of the Mission Band

AGATHA                                                                   CAROLYN BALKOVETZ

CALVIN                                                                    JOHNMARK CONKLIN

MARTHA                                                                   ANNEKE DOEVE

BETTY                                                                       ANNA MARIE SMITH

HARRY THE HORSE                                              TREVOR COMEAU

LT. BRANNINGAN                                                 TBA

NATHAN DETROIT                                                 RYAN TURK (SMHS ’05)

Crap Shooters:

ANGIE THE OX                                                       DEANGELO MILLER

SOCIETY MAX                                                        JACOB MCCARTHY

LIVER LIPS LOUIE                                                 BUZZ MOBLEY      

PLAYER 1                                                                 THOMAS OLESKO                                                 

PLAYER 2                                                                 JAKE MILLSPAUGH                                                          

PLAYER 3                                                                 CHASE THOMASTON

PLAYER 4                                                                 JUSTIN GILBERT

PLAYER 5                                                                 JONATHAN BURNS                       

MISS ADELAIDE                                                     ASHLEY BERRY

SKY MASTERSON                                                  ROSS WILCOX

JOEY BILTMORE                                                    TBA

GENERAL MATILDA B CARTWRIGHT             CHELSEA BARKER

BIG JULE                                                                  NICHOLAS COLLINS

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

HOT BOX GIRLS:

1                                                                                  CHELSEA BARKER

2                                                                                  LINDSAY QUANDT

3                                                                                  SARAH BURNEY

4                                                                                  LIZ BUCKALEW

5                                                                                  AMY DOCALAVICH

6                                                                                  MICOLE MAYFIELD

WAITER                                                                    TBA

TWO COPS                                                                TBA

Its almost been a year since the hit broadway production closed and almost a year since I saw it on Broadway TWO  WEEKEND BEFORE CLOSING. In march it will have been a year since i saw the tour in Durham, North Carolina I MET ADAM

Complete casting for the fall portion of the tour has not been annouced, but currently the tour boasts many of its final cast members including. The final COLLINS, ANGEL, and members of the 15 cast ensemble and original seasons of love soloist and final broadway soloist Gwen Stewart has rejoined the tour after a brief break

“NO DAY BUT TODAY” thank you Jonathan Larson

I was looking into buying the Lord Of The Rings extended editions so i put in www.lotr.com (the lord of the rings offical musical website) thinking that it was the website for the movie woops i was wrong. But this is one of those screw ups that you go “wow thank you to myself for messing up*

The first thing you see is the actors in costume in poses and i was like WOW WHAT! SPERCTACULAR! and awesome enough at the bottom of the screen you could listen to one of the songs from the original london cast album and being the always curious tall boy was like ok i’ll give it a go and see what this sounds like. IT WAS FANTASTIC I was blown away, most of you know if i dont like something i don;t even look it up on youtube or anything. This ONE song made me go look up the soundtrack and videos on youtube and THE MUSIC VIDEO MADE IT LOVE IT EVEN MORE heres a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbF88CUeyYQ 

The cast featured alot of different actors not many known to americans but a one person in the cast lovers of sweeney todd the tim burton movie version will regconize. Laura Michelle Kelly played Galadriel the lady of lorien, and while in rehearsals for the show she was also filming the Sweeney Todd movie which she appeared as The Begger woman/sweeneys Wife.

The show which performed for over a year, was hit hard by critics but guys who are you trying to make happy the audience or the pricks in the audience who are they’re because they have to write a column on you. i don;t know you but I like the review but i care more about what my audience thinks not what some mean-butt critic thinks because the audience members are the people coming back each night.

Performed at Theater Royal Drury Lane (The theater Andrew Lloyd Webber Owns) on a massive revocing and lifting stage one of the first of its kind,  you can see this technological stage in shrek the musical.

Set to music by Aacadmy Award Winner A.R. Rahman and Varttina in correspondance with Chris Nightingale and directed by Mathew Warchus (2009 TONY AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY) and choreographed by Peter Darling (2009 TONY AWARD FOR BEST CHOREOGRAPHY BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL) the show boasted a total number of 65 actors and crew of many and musicians (17 in the bit listen to samples on amazon and u’ll go how did 17 musicians do that) http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Original-London-Recording/dp/B0010Y3C4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250647954&sr=8-1

The Original London Cast

Frodo: James Loye (original toronto and london)

Sam:  Peter Howe (original torono, london and final london)

Gandalf: Malcolm Storry

Aragon: Jerome Pradon

Arwen: Rosalie Craig (Original and Final London)

Galadriel: Laura Michelle Kelly

Legolas: Michael Rouse (original London and final london)

Gimli: Sevan Stephan

Gollum: Michael Therriault (Original Toronto, London, and Final London)

Don’t feel like listing the 65 others haha But i seriously wish it would come to America it would be AWESOME

Shrek is Ben Crawfords second broadway show, making he debut in Revival of Les Miserables covering the roles of Valjean and Javert (some may remember he was let go from his contract).

John Tartaglia who plays the Magic Mirror and Pinnocio is also leaving but he leaves this week for reasons unannouced, he is set to return in December. But in the meantime Robb Sapp will be covering the role he is a Bog alum of Wicked.

Thomas Schumacher the president of Disney Theatrical productions and producer of The Little Mermaid gives this for the reason of closing, “We are tremendously proud of the show and are confident we’ll have an excellent summer but it would be fiscally irresponsible to our shareholders to risk operating losses with such a big show in the historically challenging fall months, We are closing the Broadway production to concentrate on the long future life of this title—beginning with next year’s national tour and upcoming international productions”

Funny because they havn’t used that excuse for any of there other shows, The Lunt Fontanne Theatre has served as the theater for Beauty and the Beast and now the Little Mermaid, I think they may also be closing Mermaid to being in a new disney production.

At the time of closing The Little Mermaid will have played 50 previews (wow why so long disney) and 685 performances.  Out of the 5 of disney musicals it is the 4th longest running just above Tarzan and just below the current running production of Mary Poppins

For all of you who are unfamilar with The NSMT its a theater in the round that was first opened in 1955, it is massachusetts most popular regional theater, many of broadways great started there INCLUDING: Kristen Chenoweth she played Christine in Ken Hills Phantom at NSMT before she did broadway (my parents saw her)

For 54 years the NSMT has been dedicated to bringing the North shore the best regional theater experience, as a theater in the round they have to thing of how to stage big broadway musicals on a circular stage with minimal sets and what sets they have, make sure they don’t block the audiences view.  Using a turntable stage that makes it so much easier. I myself have shared many expereinces there seeing the annual Christmas Carol, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor dreamcoat etc etc.

In 2007 They where one of the few regional theaters across the country given the rights to perform Les Miserables the full production they were only 1 of 2 theaters in the round allowed, but i believe they performed the show first.

A fire that destroyed the stage a couple years back was the start of the end, the theater is now 10 million in debt hoping to sell to potential buyers that may help remake the theater in the future so that the next generation doesn;t loose the gem known as theater in the round.

A year round nonprofit theater and I believe they won the Tony Award for Regional theater of the year award a few years back

The 2009 season had already been annouced been sadly the season won;t happen

John Cudia has been with Phantom for almost 10 years joining the national tour as a swing, u/s Raoul in 1999 then taking over Raoul 8 months later meeting his future wife. Then he joined the Broadway production for 2 and a half years as Raoul, took over for Gary Mauer (long time tour and short stint phantom) in the 2006 national tour. In the fall of 2008 he rejoined the tour as the Phantom where he will play his final performance May 24.

Cudia has been seen on Broadway and regional theater in Les Miserables as Jean Valjean (and i believe he was a broadway enjolras for a while), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Music of Andrew Llyodd Webber

Cudia will be the 12 actor to permantly take over the Role of the Phantom, a total of 16 actors have played the role on the great white way but 4 of the 16 were only temporary fill ins including Gary Mauer.

side note: many of the lead performers of Phantom where in Les Miserables before Phantom, Gary Mauer (Enjolras). Colm Wilkinson “toronto phantom” (Original Jean Valjean) John Cudia (Jean Valjean) Simon Bailey “current london Raoul (les mis 21st anniversary Enjolras), John Owen Jones “Longest running west end Phantom” (Long running Valjean, not even in the show for a year in 1999 before he was given Valjean), Rebecca Caine “toronto Christine” (Original London Cosette)