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The Cast List for "The First Day of Summer"

My pal Jonathan Joy sends along the cast list for his upcoming show, The First Day of Summer, which will be presented by First Stage Theatre Company at the Huntington Museum of Art in May.

Meet the actors:

Cast

(in order of appearance)

PROLOGUE 1 - Cody Verbage
PROLOGUE 2 - Sarah Bryan
OLDER RON - Eric Newfeld
OLDER LANEY - Cassi Bowen
YOUNGER RON - Jonathan Ross
YOUNGER LANEY - Ayla Edwards
ABBY - Madylen Hill
APRIL ADKINS - Rachel Likens
KYLE - Thomas Armstrong
CARRIE - Elizabeth Schmitz
JULIE BARNETT - Emily Underwood
JENNY BARNETT - Leslie Collins
TRACY - Katie Fulks
MARY - Katlin A. Stricklin
JERRY - Teddy Haddox
JENNY - Delaney Waugh

It's going to be a great show - I can't wait to see it!

EDIT: Whoops! The character of ABBY will be played by Madylen Hill, not Madylen Smith as originally posted (and now corrected). Sorry about that!

Marshall Theatre To Host Fundraiser March 11

Here's an event coming up that was dreamed up by students, put together by students, and starring (who else?) students at Marshall. They're a talented group, and this should be a lot of fun!

Here's the press release:

A special fundraiser for students in Marshall University’s Department of Theatre will take the stage March 11, 2010 at 8 p.m. at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.

Cabaret 2010 will be staged to raise funds to send Marshall theatre students to auditions and special events, including the Southeastern Theatre Conference.

More than a dozen students will present an evening of Broadway songs. acting, and dancing. The event is free to the public, but donations are welcome (and encouraged).

Bruce Rous, adjunct professor, is assisting the students and Tawny Burdine will be playing keyboard.

For those who cannot attend the event, checks can be made payable to the MU Theatre Guild (memo- CABARET) can be sent to: MU Dept of Theatre, 1 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, W.Va. 25755.

A great event and a great cause - don't miss it!

One More Show for March - "Romeo and Juliet"

Argh! It never fails - there's always a show (or two) that I miss when I do my monthly "Here's what's coming up" post.

My pal Mel sends along this reminder of a classic I'd missed:

Romeo and Juliet - Charleston's Contemporary Youth Arts Company presents Dan Kehde and Mark Scarpelli's musical adaptation of Shakespeare's timeless story.

Performances are March 25, 26, 27, April 1, 2, and 3rd at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 28 at 2 p.m. All performances will be at the WVSU Capitol Center Theatre in Charleston. Will send you a cast list soon.

Thanks!

Shows for March 2010

There are some awesome shows you’ll want to see coming up this month. Here’s the rundown:

- Annie - Paramount Arts Center - the Broadway touring show visits Ashland tomorrow, March 2 at 7 p.m.

- Peanutsapalooza - Presented by First Stage Theatre Company, it teams up the two classic musicals based on the Peanuts comic strip - You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Snoopy! The Musical. The shows will be presented on alternate nights at the Huntington City Hall Auditorium. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown: March 18, 20, 26 and 28, and Snoopy! The Musical on March 19, 21, 25 and 27.

- Connecticut Yankee, The Musical - Presented by the Children’s Theatre of Charleston, the play is based on the Mark Twain classic. It takes the audience on a tuneful journey to Camelot. Experience the thrilling days of King Arthur, and the Knights and Ladies of the Round Table with Hank Morgan, a modern-day teenager from Hartford, Connecticut who is knocked out where working on his school’s stage crew. Finding himself in Camelot, England, he is quickly hailed as a great wizard. The show will be presented at the Charleston Civic Center - Little Theatre March 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. and March 13 and 14 at 2 p.m.

- Mozart's Don Giovanni - Marshall Artist Series presents one of the greatest of all operas. Don Giovanni is based on the true-life escapades of Don Juan of Seville, an aristocratic Lothario who lived during the 1600s. The full-scale production features beautiful sets and costumes and a cast of soloists who are excellent actors as well as first class singers. The opera will be presented March 15 at 8 p.m. at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center.

As always, gentle readers, if I've overlooked a show, please let me know. You can send in a comment by clicking on the link below, or you can send us an email at TheMinskers@aol.com.

Letter to the Editor - Say What?

So this was a letter to the editor in yesterday's paper:

Area needs more theater performances

My friend Katrina and I saw the touring production of Cats that was part of the Marshall Artists Series. I thought it was fantastic! My friend and I loved it.

It reminded me of when my brother Lynn P. Howard performed in a theater production called Laugh In, Laugh Out in 1969 with co-host actor Mark Withers while both were trying to pursue an acting career and attending the drama school Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, Calif., in the 1960s.

We need more Broadway-style theater like when the Musical Arts Guild put on some of the greatest productions. There also used to be a theater group called Community Players.

I really wish someone or a group of people would work out with the Musical Arts Guild to put on yearly spring Broadway-style musicals again and someone or a group of people would try to revive the Community Players.

Huntington needs two kinds of theater groups again. It helps build acting skills for all ages if anyone wants to try to pursue a theater or movie/TV career locally and then maybe in California or New York.

Thanks again for bringing great theater to Huntington.

Teresa K. Howard
Huntington

Here's my response to that letter:

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Teresa, I appreciate your sentiments - but you're kidding, right?

Huntington is loaded with theatre groups and talent (which is not to say that there isn't room for more groups or more volunteers with each group).

In this city alone we have the Marshall University Department of Theatre, First Stage Theatre Company, the 5th Avenue Theatre Company, ARTS and Huntington Outdoor Theatre (among others). In other words, we have groups presenting plays and musicals of all shapes and sizes, and for all ages!

Those groups produce everything from Broadway blockbusters (Into the Woods, Man of La Mancha, Peter Pan, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and even Cats) to smaller shows (Charlotte's Web, I Love You... You're Perfect... Now Change, A Christmas Carol).

And there are lots of great shows on the horizon - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Camelot, Once Upon a Mattress, Annie and White Christmas, for example.

We're also lucky to have the Marshall Artists series bringing in professional touring shows of Broadway hits, such as Avenue Q and Cats!

Of course, most community theatre groups have little money for advertising, so you have to be on the lookout to know when the shows are being staged. The Herald-Dispatch does a great job covering those shows, and then there's (ahem) the Tri-State Theatre blog, which you can link to from the H-D's home page on the Internet. The blog covers all the newest shows along with assorted theatre news and stuff like that (end of free plug).

And believe me, with the economy struggling, community theatre needs your support - so get out there and see the shows being presented. I'm sure you'll find they live up to the legacy of the first theatre groups in the area.

I share your enthusiasm for local theatre and I agree that it's a terrific tool for learning and growing. Taking part in a play teaches many things - confidence, improved speaking skills, teamwork - and it's a lot of fun, too.

So thanks for being an advocate for community theatre, and spread the word - there's a lot of great work being done in this community right now, and for it to continue, those shows need your support!

Your pal,

Chuck Minsker
Tri-State Theatre blog

Auditions, News and... Weddings!

Several things to talk about today:

- First, congratulations to my pals Autumn Seavey and Matt "Slice" Hicks, who just got married yesterday!

They both graduated from Marshall's Theatre Department and are enjoying great success in the real world in and around Washington, DC (after the wedding ceremony Autumn was back on stage in Rent). They're wonderful people - much happiness to them both!

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- I spent the afternoon helping out with auditions for Jonathan Joy's upcoming show, The First Day of Summer, which looks like it's going to be a lot of fun (and a darn good opportunity for young actors).

As always, though, the show needs more guys! (This is true for theatre everywhere and at all ages.) If you're a kid and you want to try out, your last chance is tomorrow (Sunday) from 2 to 4 p.m. at Pea Ridge United Methodist Church.

There are roles available for five to seven boys and five to seven girls. No experience is necessary.

The First Day of Summer is a story of two young people, a boy named Ron and a girl named Laney, who meet at age 12 one year while on summer vacation. The two clash at first, but eventually grow close and begin a lifelong friendship. Four actors portray Ron and Laney at age 12 and at age 18.

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- Finally, a couple of reminders: there's still time to enter our "Pick the Osacar Winners" contest - you can read all the details right here (click on the highlighted words, that is).

Also, if you follow Twitter, feel free to follow us at www.twitter.com/ChuckMinsker. I send out Twitters (Tweeties? Whatever.) when I put up new posts on the Tri-State Theatre blog, so you can be the first to get the latest news.

As always, we love getting comments, suggestions and stuff like that. You can comment by clicking the "Post Comments" link below, or you can send us an email at TheMinskers@aol.com.

A Review of "Born Yesterday"

My pal Stephen Vance kindly sends along this review of Marshall's production Born Yesterday:

I saw the show tonight. Another great production from Marshall University. It's shows like this that make you hate to hear that Gene Anthony is retiring. It was a great evening despite the fact that lighting board was on the blink.

Mike Murphy's set was breath taking and the costumes were both appropriate and beautiful. Both elements took you right to the '50s.

I've made positive comments about the cast and students at Marshall before but this one just clicked. Jeremy Plyburn was both hilarious and terrifying, a nice combination for him. Chuck Herndon was as a good as ever, and has some of the best punch lines in the show. Christian Whitt did a very nice job playing the very proper yet manipulated senator. Dylan Clark, who is typically a staple as a character actor, was a very nice selection for the romantic lead. His performance was both understated and believable. Finally, Chelsea Sanders was terrific. Her character is so far out there that it would be possible to annoy the audience, but just the opposite can be said. She was a joy to watch, nailing both the comedic and tender aspects of her character. The rest of the cast fit in really well supporting these great performances.

Do yourself a favor, go see this show!

Thanks, Stephen!

And let me offer a proud salute to Gene Anthony, the MU professor who's retiring. He's not only an amazing director and talented actor and performer in his own right - he's also a great guy and a treasure! Hopefully he'll continue to share his talents with the area through community theatre. He will be missed!

On Stage This Weekend - "Born Yesterday" and "Cell Phone"

You have two shows to choose from this weekend - one in Huntington and one in Charleston - and these are your last chances to catch 'em:

- Born Yesterday - the Marshall Theatre Alliance will present the drama tonight and Saturday at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.

- Dead Man's Cell Phone - The Charleston Stage Company presents the drama tonight and tomorrow.

Check 'em out!