Players Guild of Dearborn to hold auditions for "The Producers"

By SUE SUCHYTA

            The Players Guild of Dearborn will hold auditions for the Mel Brooks musical comedy, “The Producers” March 5 and 6 at the Players Guild of Dearborn, 21730 Madison in Dearborn. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m., with auditions beginning at 7:30 p.m.

            Those auditioning should be prepared to sing, dance, and read from the script. They should also be prepared to list all potential rehearsal conflicts on the audition form.

            Valerie Haas of Inkster will direct the show, which will run for four weekends, April 27 to 29, May 4 to 6, May 11 to 13, and May 18 to 20, with 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday shows and 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinees. For more information, call (313) 561-TKTS or go to www.playersguildofdearborn.org.        

Stars to light up the stage in Guild’s “Almost Maine”

Kirk Haas (left) of Inkster plays Chad and Chris Boudreau of Dearborn plays Randy in“They Fell,” a scene from the John Cariani romantic comedy, “Almost Maine.”

Meredith Ferry (left) of Allen Park plays Marci and James Kirwan of Dearborn plays Phil in “Where It Went,” a scene from the John Cariani romantic comedy, “Almost Maine.”

Linda Barsamian (left) of Novi plays the Woman and John Sczomak of Dearborn plays the Man in “The Story of Hope,” a scene from the John Cariani romantic comedy,“Almost Maine.” Also shown is director Paul Bruce (right) at the piano. Bruce composed original music for the interludes between scenes.

Margaret Kinnell (left) of Wayne plays Rhonda and Kenyada Davis of Detroit plays Dave in“Seeing the Thing,” a scene from the John Cariani romantic comedy, “Almost Maine.”

Photos by:  Sue Suchyta

By SUE SUCHYTA

             Two types of stars will light up the Guild stage in March as the human hams share the spotlight with a back drop of celestial orbs shining brightly as northern lights in The Players Guild of Dearborn production of John Cariani’s “Almost Maine.”

AN ALTERNATIVE MARCH MADNESS

            The show runs for three weekends, March 2 to 18, with 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday shows and 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinees. For more information call (313) 561-TKTS or go to www.playersguildofdearborn.org.

THE BRUCE BRAND

            Director Paul Bruce of Dearborn describes the show as a charming romantic comedy.

            “It’s very brilliantly constructed,” Bruce said. “The author who put this together created a show that has 19 characters in it, and they all, with the exception of one scene, occur with only two people in each scene. Those two characters are then never seen for the rest of the evening.”

A TIME WARP

            Bruce further explained that all of the scenes take place at the exact same time in the fictional small town.

            He said that in every scene someone is either falling in or out of love or realizing they are right for each other, and that there are some clever things happening with the lighting and scenery that give the audience clues about what is occurring.

NORTHERN LIGHTS

            Bruce said the northern lights are part of the show’s magic, and credited the technical crew with creating some of the magic.

            “We have some really wonderful tech people that are working on this show,” Bruce said. “I don’t want to give too much away, but the aurora borealis is integral to the plot.”

19 AND COUNTING

            He added that the show was originally written for four people to play all 19 roles, but the author has noted in the script that he has no problem with each role being played by a different actor.

            Bruce added that the large number of roles has made the play very popular with high schools and community theatres.

ALL STARS

            “We have like the all star cast for this show,” Bruce said. “We really lucked out. We actually had 46 people audition for this show and there are only 19 roles. We had people that were so wonderful and had to turn them down because there just weren’t any more parts to go around and we have 19 of your Players Guild favorites, people that you see in a lot of shows here who are doing a fabulous job with this show.”

            He added that while the show would likely have a PG-rating, he would encourage people to allow their teens to see the show.

ORIGINAL MUSIC BY PAUL BRUCE

            Bruce added that he composed some original piano music for the show himself to save the Guild the expense of renting the music already available for the show, adding that while some of the music is used in the scenes, most is used between scenes.

“THEMES AND VARIATIONS ON A FROZEN NIGHT”

            “I wrote a piece that’s just ‘Themes and Variations on a Frozen Night,’” Bruce said. “And that’s the music that we use to change our sets around.”

            He said he wrote five different themes that audiences will hear multiple times during the run of the show.

 

CASTING FOR PRAISE

            “We have a fabulous cast – they’re just incredible people (who have) done a magnificent job,” Bruce said. “A director couldn’t ask for better than what I’ve had here – a wonderful cast, wonderful crew (and) wonderful tech people.”

THE MAN --  AND THE STORY OF HOPE

            John Sczomak of Dearborn, who plays a man who is surprised by a late night visitor on his doorstep in “The Story of Hope,” said he’s had a lot of fun rehearsing the scene.

THE WOMAN –  HOPE

            Linda Barsamian of Novi plays the woman who shows up on his doorstep late at night.

            “My character is lacking things in life and she realizes that she missed the boat and so she comes back to Almost, Maine to look for the person that she could have spent her life with,” Barsamian said.

            She added that her character was immature early in their relationship, and has “grown up” by the time this scene occurs.

            Barsamian added that’s she’s happy to be on the Guild stage again, having last performed in “Bye. Bye, Birdie” about ten years ago.

THIS HURTS

            Juliette Delabbio-Abbott of Allen Park, who last appeared on the Guild stage in “The Drowsey Chaperone” last spring, plays Marvalyn in the scene, “This Hurts.”

            Her character is doing laundry when she meets Steve, who can’t feel pain.

            “Throughout the course of the scene they discover things about each other and love and it’s very nice,” Delabbio-Abbott said.

            She said that people will enjoy the show overall because it covers all aspects of love.

            “There’s people falling in love, people breaking up, people discovering love that they never thought they’d ever feel,” Delabbio-Abbott said.

            She added that she loves being part of such a unique and diverse cast.

WHERE IT WENT

            The one scene that features a relationship on the rocks, “Where It Went,” has given Meredith Ferry of Allen Park a chance to play a less romantic character, Marci, who is filled with an inner turmoil about her relationship with her husband Phil. She said there is a lot of pent up frustrations toward each other that come out in the scene.

            “It’s one of the few sad endings in this show,” Ferry said. “I think it’s the only break-up.”

            She said that married people will see something to relate to in their characters.

            “One thing I love about the whole show, this scene in particular is the realness of it,” Ferry said. “It’s so real – it’s almost too real.”

            She hopes people take with them the same sense of realness after the final curtain.

            “It’s so true to life,” Ferry said. “It’s just so exposing of all different types of relationships and it’s just real.”

            She said the rehearsals have been fun, and she has wanted to work with director Paul Bruce for a while.

            “It’s great to be back on the Guild stage, great to be working with Paul Bruce (and) great to be doing a show unlike any I’ve seen,” Ferry said.

Sunday is last chance to see Bonstelle’s “Intimate Apparel”

Fred Florkowski's scenic design, with Derell Jones (left) as George and Indigo Colbert as Esther.



Derell Jones (left) as George and Indigo Colbert as Esther, with the quilt.

Indigo Colbert (left) as Esther and Bridgette Jordan as Mayme.

George Abud (left) as Mr. Marks, and Indigo Colbert as Esther.

(Photos by Alex Goodman)

By SUE SUCHYTA

            Wayne State’s undergraduate theatre company will close out its two week run of Lynn Nottage’s award-winning play “Intimate Apparel” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb.19 at the Bonstelle Theatre, 3424 Woodward in Detroit.

AWARD-WINNING SHOW

            The show, which won the 2004 New York Drama Critics’ Circle and the Outer Critics Circle awards for Best Play and Best Off-Broadway Play, respectively, tells the story of a turn-of-the-century African-American 35-year-old virginal seamstress, Esther, who is torn between a Caribbean stranger – an acceptable choice – and a Jewish shopkeeper, a kindred spirit who has a passion for fine fabric – and her.

TURN OF THE CENTURY STORY

            The cast is wonderful and believable.  Set in 1905 New York City, Indigo Colbert, who plays Esther, an African-American seamstress, is steadfast and strong in her role. She walks a tenuous line as she supplies lingerie for rich white women and black prostitutes, some of whom have become friends.

STITCHING A DREAM

            Esther is saving money inside hidden pockets of her colorful quilt in the hope of opening a beauty salon for African-American women. When she answers a letter from a man working on the Panama Canal, her hopes for marriage are reawakened.

CURIOUS GEORGE

            However, all is not as it seems, as neither Esther nor her suitor, George, played by Derell Jones, can read, and others have influenced the tone of their correspondence.

THE FABRIC OF THEIR LIVES

            George Abud is very likable and believable as the quiet and restrained Mr. Marks, the Hasidic Jewish cloth merchant who has a minefield of cultural taboos separating him from Esther. However, the way both caress of treasured piece of embroidered Asian silk held between them is both reverent and passionate.

CROSSING THE COLOR LINE

            Mackenzie Conn shines as Mrs. Van Buren, a lonely, childless white socialite who shares a tenuous friendship with Esther, her seamstress, one that even hints at a forbidden attraction.

SENSUAL FABRIC

            Likewise, Esther shares an unusual friendship with Mayme, an African-American prostitute, for whom she creates lush lingerie. Bridgette Jordan portrays Mayme with appealing combination of spirit and earthiness.

  

A MAN, A PLAN, A CANAL -- PANAMA

            Derell Jones plays George, Esther’s pen pal, a laborer on the Panama canal, who travels to New York to become her husband. George, however, is not as sophisticated as his letters imply. He made the most of the least developed character, one who uses Esther for his own means.

SUPERB SET

            Fred Florkowski designed the wonderful multi-level set, which is practical and beautiful with a random symmetry that balances symbolism and practicality. It incorporates four main areas: Mr. Marks' cloth shop, and Esther, Mayme and Mrs. Van Buren’s rooms. Elevated curtained archways rise above the set, with the central one being George’s far-away perch during his correspondence courtship with Esther from half a world away.

QUITE A QUILT

            Lisa Charlotte Berg, assistant scenic designer and properties mistress, created Esther’s bright and beautiful quilt, which plays a pivotal role in the plot as the “secret keeper.”

A FOCUS ON FABRIC

            Clare Hungate-Hawk oversaw the critical turn-of-the-century costume design and creation, so crucial to a plot about a seamstress for whom fine fabric is something treasured. The embroidered blue silk smoking jacket is the show’s piece-de-resistance. The ladies’ corsets are also both symbolically repressive yet at the same time erotic.

SEAMLESS TECH

            Anthony Karpinski, a junior BFA design tech student, served ably in his first technical director position with a Wayne State University show.

LIGHTS AND SOUND

            Jon Weaver, the lighting designer, and Michael Thomas, the sound designer, also enhanced the production with both street sounds and mood-enhancing lighting. The shadowed silhouettes of Mrs. Van Buren are a very visually pleasing element, and sensual in of themselves. They also capture her life in the symbolic shadow of her husband’s wealth.

CLOSING SUNDAY

            The closing performance is at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19 at the Bonstelle Theatre. For more information, call the box office at (313) 577-2960.

JET BRINGS “MEAN GIRLS” TO DEARBORN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Photo by: Sue Suchyta

Courtney Zimmer (left) as Jill, Katie Terpstra as Megan, Lisa Lauren Smith as Haley and Lulu Dahl as Cheryl presented Maddee Sommers’ “Mean Girls” at Stout Middle School Feb. 3 to share its anti-bullying message along with coping strategies. The program is sponsored by the Jewish Ensemble Theatre’s Youth Education Services.

 

            The Jewish Ensemble Theatre’s Youth Education Services brought Maddie Sommers’ one-act play “Mean Girls” and its anti-bullying message to Stout Middle School on Feb. 3, capturing the attention of its middle school female audience. The play is both different and unrelated to the popular movie by the same name.

BULLIES BEGONE

            The male middle school students say a performance of “Word” with a similar bullying theme in the school gym.

            Dearborn’s Bryant Middle School is scheduled for performances in early April.

CYBER-BULLYING A THREAT TO GIRLS

            Director Harold Jurkiewicz said that today cyber bullying is an even bigger threat than physical bullying for girls. He explained that a talk-back session after the show with the students and the staff help middle school students identify manipulative and hurtful behavior and how to cope with it and stop it.

ACTRESS CAPTURE TEEN IMPATIENCE AND PRESSURE

            The talented cast includes Katie Terpstra of Zeeland as Megan, a queen bee, Courtney Zimmer of Orchard Lake as Jill and Lulu Dahl of Detroit as Cheryl, who both play bystanders and a victims, and Lisa Lauren Smith of Detroit as Haley, who plays the banker or secret-keeper.

            The four talented young women in the ensemble, who are all in their early- to mid-twenties, convincingly portray teen girls with their physical energy, strong grasp of teen idiom and inflection, and their personification of teen impatience, insecurity and the pressure to please one’s peers.

AUDIENCES CAUGHT UP IN THE DRAMA

            Jurkiewicz said that in the past some audience members found the cast so believable they had difficulty recognizing that the women were really actors play roles.

COPING STRATEGIES SHARED

            He added that the feedback session after the one-act performance of “Mean Girls” not only identifies the bully-behaviors for its middle school audiences, it gives the students recognition tools and verbal coping mechanisms.

TO BOOK A SCHOOL VISIT:

            For more information about the JET’s youth education services, contact outreach coordinator Mary Davis at (248) 788-2900 or at outreach@jettheatre.org, or go to www.jettheatre.org.

SEEING RED: DEARBORN ACTRESS at the ABREACT

 

Photo by: Angie Kane Ferrante

Kirsten Knisely (left) of Dearborn is part of the talented ensemble in “Raise the Red Banner: Or, Let the Rebels Have Their Fun” at the Abreact Performance Space in Detroit. Steve Xander Carson (second from left) of Detroit and Jonathan Davidson (right) of Ferndale are also in the cast. For more information call (313) 454-1542 or go to www.theabreact.com.

By SUE SUCHYTA

           

            Dearborn actress Kirsten Knisely shines in the side-splitting satirical comedy “Burn the Red Banner: Or, Let the Rebels Have Their Fun” by Michigan playwright Franco Vitella at the Abreact Performance Space at 1301 W. Lafayette in Detroit.

FAST COMEDY WITH A COLD WAR TWIST

            The show is a rapid-paced, physical comedy with a Cold War twist that also features the talents of Steve Xander Carson of Detroit, Jonathan Davidson of Ferndale and Keith Kalinowski of Ann Arbor.

SNL MEETS THE IRON CURTAIN

            The show is directed by the talented Frannie Shepherd-Bates, who is also the artistic director of the Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company. The performance runs without intermission and contains about 45 fast-paced scenes, which mix the physical and satirical comedy of shows like “Saturday Night Live” with Soviet bloc cold war fatalistic satirical humor.

COMRADE COMEDY

            The talented ensemble brings the show to life, and will have you grinning and laughing throughout the show.  It’s one of those things that you just have to experience to appreciate, because you are up close to the actors in the small performance space where much of the laughter is generated by their physical antics, expressiveness and company chemistry.

PERSISTENT PLUMBER, COSMONAUT

            Imagine a suicidal man interrupted by a persistent plumber, or a comrade bartering for toilet paper in a dry goods store. Another scene features a stubborn man trying to stare down a cat, followed shortly by a pair of cosmonauts mimicking the G-forces of a space launch. The humor is visual and dark, but not too serious – the Soviets are fatalists but not to the point of extinction.

MASHA, MASHA, MASHA

            Chekhov is an odd but endearing reoccurring theme – substitute Masha for the Brady Bunch’s Marcia and you get the idea of just one of the many threads they tug to tickle your funny bone.

CUBISM

            The cast uses flexible wooden cubes (like giant building blocks) and a side table of props to move rapidly from one scene to another, adding hats and scarves and the occasional odd items, noises and lighting.

NOW HEAR THIS

            Clever sound efforts add to the imagination the actors so ably employ.

            The comedy is both sophisticated and down-to-earth; it moves quickly, and relies on wit as much as physicality. It is very funny, and it is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

CAST CATS

            Two cast cats also move randomly throughout the audience, oblivious to the noise on stage and amenable to petting, so if you are allergic to cats be forewarned. They are friendly, though: one rubbed up against my pant legs enough to make my own cat smell enough of a foreign feline on me to make her act as though I had been cheating on her.

RAISE THE RED BANNER…

            The remaining performances of “Raise the Red Banner” are at 8 p.m. on Feb. 17, 18, 24 and 25, with a 4 p.m. Feb. 19 matinee.

… OR LET THE REBELS HAVE THEIR FUN

            The Abreact Performance Space’s mission is to be a platform for up and coming Detroit area actors, directors and designers, and offers “an off-Broadway approach to contemporary theater.”

            For more information, call (313) 454-1542 or visit www.theabreact.com.

Dearborn talent in "Joseph" at U of D Jesuit

Dearborn residents Michael Suchyta (left) as Pharaoh and Falon Simpson (right) as Mrs. Potiphar will perform with Isaac Piepszowski (second from left) of Detroit as Joseph in the University of Detroit Jesuit High School’s production of the Webber and Rice musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 23, 24 and 25, with a 2 p.m. Feb. 26 matinee at the Thurston High School Auditorium, 26255 Schoolcraft Rd. in Redford Township. Tickets are $13 if ordered by Feb. 21, and $15 at the door.  For general information, call (313) 862-5400, ext. 2673 during business hours. To order tickets online, go to www.ufdjesuit.org.

By SUE SUCHYTA

            Dearborn youth will take center stage in the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy’s presentation of the Webber and Rice musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

            The musical, which runs Feb. 23 to 26, features Dearborn residents Falon Simpson of Ladywood High School as Mrs. Pontiphar, Michael Suchyta of U of D Jesuit as Pharaoh and Natalie Diehl of Mercy High School as one of the wives.  Zachary Barnes of U of D Jesuit, a resident of the west side Warrendale neighborhood of Detroit, plays Gad, one of Joseph’s brothers.

            The youth chorus features Dearborn residents Amy Golembiewski, Maddie Kaplan and Jack Lopez.

            The show is directed by Divine Child High School alumna and active Players Guild of Dearborn member Nancy Donovan Valentini, a Livonia resident.

            The musical will be performed at the Thurston High School Auditorium, 26255 Schoolcraft Rd. in Redford.

            Tickets are $13 if ordered in advance, and $15 at the door. The Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee.

            To order tickets, call (313) 862-5400, ext. 2673, or go to www.uofdjesuit.org.

Heights hopes Peanuts popularity will fill theatre

The Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre held their first read-through for the musical, “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” on Sunday, Jan. 29 at the Berwyn Center. The cast includes Redford Township resident Sara Mayne (left) as Sally, Dearborn resident Emily Gedert as Lucy, and Redford Township residents James Mayne and Ron Williams as Linus and Charlie Brown respectively. The show runs April 13, 14, 20, 21 and 22 at the Berwyn Center, 26155 Richardson in Dearborn Heights.

 Photo by: Sue Suchyta

By SUE SUCHYTA

            Like many people, director Marc Walentowicz has been a Peanuts fan since he was a kid, which led his to choose “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” as the Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre spring musical.

PEANUTS IN THE ROUND

            They will be performing the show in the round April 13, 14, 20, 21 and 22 at the Berwyn Center at 26155 Richardson in Dearborn Heights.

            “When I was trying to think of a show to do, I kept coming back to this one,” Walentowicz said. “A lot of people I know had done it or directed it and they all highly recommended it, so I thought I would give it a shot – and I really, really like it.”

            With the audience seated on three sides he feels there is better interaction between the actors and the audience as well as more flexibility of movement for the cast.

            Technically, though, it presents other challenges.

GO FLY A KITE

            “We have to get together and figure out how we’re going to do a kite flying scene in the round in the Berwyn Center,” Walentowicz said with a laugh.

DANCING IN CHARACTER

            Doing dance numbers with the audience on three sides presents a unique challenge for choreographer Laura Tyler.

            “You’re always challenged to keep all the audience involved all the time,” Tyler said.

            She said she’s explained to the cast that the choreography is not technically difficult for the show, but the challenge lies in them making the dance reflect their characters.

MAKING IT “COME ALIVE”

            “It’s not “42^nd Street,” it’s not “West Side Story,” but the actors have to take the choreography and make it come alive,” Tyler said. “Make it Charlie Brown, make it Lucy, make it Linus. So technically it’s not really that difficult; it’s getting them to take it and make it their own and bring the characters out.”

BRINGING LUCY TO LIFE

            Emily Gedert said that being an older sister has prepared her to bring the part of Lucy to life.

            “I kind of grew up as Lucy as soon as my little brother Greg was born,” Gedert said. “I kind of took on the role of protective older sister, tried to show him the ropes but at the same time I had to teach him that I was in charge; whether that was a good thing or a bad thing you’d have to ask him.”

            She said she’s trying to play Lucy sophisticated and charming, but with a strong stage presence.

            As she grew up her mother introduced her to the Charlie Brown television specials, and she played the part of Lucy for drama teacher Greg Viscomi while a student at Dearborn High School. She said her life experiences since then will allow her to more fully develop her character.

MAYNE ROLE

            James Mayne, who plays Linus, said that even though he’s the oldest of three siblings, he’s always been a little kid at heart. His younger sister Sara has been cast as Sally, also a younger sister, in the production.

FROM SOCK MONKEY TO BLANKET

            Like Linus’ blanket, Mayne said he had a special comfort object growing up: Pippo, a sock monkey which his mother made by hand. Pippo is still around, and Mayne said Pippo took on the role of an unofficial good luck prop in “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “On Golden Pond” at the Players Guild of Dearborn.

            This is the largest role Mayne has played to date, and he said is a bit nervous.

WHAT’S MY LINE?

            “Once I found out I got the part I was really excited,” Mayne said. “But then I did have a couple brief minutes there of ‘Oh my God what did I just do?’ as I started flipping through (and) looking at the number of lines as I started highlighting and highlighting and highlighting.”

            He’s also excited to be stepping outside his comfort zone and trying a show outside of the Players Guild, where he has worked exclusively to date.

SARA AS SALLY

            His younger sister Sara Mayne, who plays Charlie Brown’s younger sister Sally, is also excited to be able to play a role in a new venue.

            She played the part of Sally at Redford Union High School in “Snoopy – the Musical,” which she said was different from “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” because she didn’t have any solos in that production.

JUST KIDDING AROUND

            While she successfully played a kid in “The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Players Guild of Dearborn last year, she said she doesn’t see herself becoming typecast.

            “I don’t like to fall into too many parts of the same type, but it is fun to act like a little kid, so that never really gets old,” she said. “You don’t get to do that every day.”

FROM BEARD TO BALD?

            Ron Williams, who had to shave off his beard to impersonate a woman in  the comedy “’Til Beth Do Us Part,” which closed Jan. 29 at the Players Guild of Dearborn, is now contemplating whether to shave his head, which currently sports a crew cut, for the part of Charlie Brown.

A 6-YEAR-OLD IN A MAN’S BODY?

            He said he’s still a kid at heart, and sometimes feels like a 6-year-old trapped in a 30-year-old man’s body.

KICKING AROUND IDEAS AND FOOTBALLS

            He also believes that Charlie Brown’s gullibility allows him to keep trying to kick the football that Lucy inevitably yanks out from under him.

            “I think Charlie Brown really wants to think that everybody’s great, and they’re not,” Williams said. “It’s kind of sad actually.”

SNOOPY OUT-OF-THE-BOX

            Brian Welch is reprising the role of Snoopy, having played the character two years ago with a community theatre in Grosse Pointe. He said he finds the part of Snoopy to be fun and quirky.

            “He gets to do these ‘out-of-the-box’ type things,” Welch said. “You get to represent a dog… when I did it before I tried to put dog-like actions to actually being human.”

            He added that he finds it fun trying to create the character of an animal when you’re a person.

FILLING THE HOUSE

            Producer Jerry Kondraciuk said the biggest challenge he faces as the show’s producer is not technical – it’s getting people to come see their shows.

TRADE WORRIES FOR LAUGHTER

            “It’s more of a challenge nowadays with the economy the way it is to get people to want to come out and see a show,” Konraciuk said. “This time we’re hoping the comic aspects of the show will harken back to people’s childhood and they’ll decide that they want to come and have a good time.  There’s a lot of singing, a lot of dancing. We’ve got a great cast, so we’re hoping this will be the show to finally get our group out of the funk that we’ve been in.”          

CAST CORNER

            Others in the cast include Corey Chambliss as Schroeder, Sean Randolph as Pig-Pen, Dustin Hanson as Roy, Clara Albright as Peppermint Patty, Marissa Campitelle as Marcie and Allison Shenk as Violet.

            For more information see their Facebook page or go to www.dhctstage.org.

Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre fundraiser sets the stage for romance

DHCT's Romantical Musical Revue performers from Dearborn High School include: Westley Montgomery (left), Camille Charara, Miranda Fothergill, Vicky Johnson, Bella Fothergill, Katie Polidori, Mary Charara, and Yu Chi.

PHOTOS by: Cynthia Frabutt

Joe Gaber, Kira Frabotta, and Dylan Frabutt smile for the camera after the show.

A Very Romantical Musical Revue Emcees and performers: Leah Paige Cooley and Phil Booth.


By Sue Suchyta

            The Dearborn Heights Civic Theatre will continue to set the stage for romance Saturday, Feb. 18, the second day of its musical fundraiser “A Romantical Musical Revue.”

BROADWAY BOUND?

            The love song show, which opened Friday, features both high school and adult performers singing romantic ballads from Broadway musicals.

BERWYN BALLADS

            The show is staged at the Berwyn Center, 26155 Richardson in Dearborn Heights. Admission is $10, with cabaret-style seating.

BOOTH AND COOLEY SET THE PACE

            Phil Booth and Leah Paige Cooley share the emcee duties and their musical talents as well.

PLAY “WHAT’S MY SONG?”

            Part of the fun is listening to the beginning of a song and recognizing the musical it’s from.

FALZON, FOTHERFILL AND CHARARA         

            The show begins with Michael Falzon singing “She Loves Me” followed by Miranda Fothergill and Mary Charara singing “You’re Just in Love.”

RIPPER FLIRTS AND WORKS THE HOUSE

            Annette Ripper sings “Embraceable You” while flirting with some of the men seated at the cabaret style tables, which livens things up a bit.

DEARBORN DEBS

            The young ladies from the Dearborn High School drama department then lent their energy and enthusiasm to familiar show tune favorites.

WICKED, GOOD, LES MIZ AND PRETTY

            Katie Pollidori and Victoria Johnson sing “For Good” from “Wicked;” sisters Miranda and Bella Fothergill sing “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miz,” and the Mary Charara leads a group of the teen girls in “I Feel Pretty” from “West Side Story.”

A MUSICAL TRAILER

            Leah Cooley then raised the bar with her wonderful belting voice and commanding performance of “Make like a Nail” from “The Great American Trailer Park Musical.”  Her costume – a colorful kimono, fuzzy slippers, and her props – a dangling cigarette, a swaddled baby and a lawn chair with a beer bottle in the cup holder – set the scene with self-deprecating humor.

FRABOTTA TOPS THE KING

            Kira Frabotta follows with a version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love with You” that is so different from the iconic Elvis Presley tune that one doesn’t even bother with mental comparisons – it’s much more pleasant to just let her mellow voice float in the air and wrap itself around your conscious mind. She is an incredible singer, and listening to her perform is worth the price of admission alone.

GREEN WITH ENVY

            Annette Ripper follows with a sweet and sentimental version of “Somewhere That’s Green” from “Little Shop of Horrors.” The song is Audrey’s wistful dream of everything that Madison Avenue tried to force feed to post-war Americans during the fifties, from tract homes in the suburbs to TV dinners in front of an enormous 12-inch screen.

SONGBIRD

            Leah Paige Cooley closes the act with the little known but beautifully sung “Meadowlark” from the seldom performed show “The Baker’s Wife.” Her beautiful voice brings the first act to a classy close.

GIMME MORE, MAMA

            The second act opens with Cayla Kolbusz singing “Gimme Gimme” (that thing called love), followed by an audience-pleasing rendition of  “When You’re Good to Mama” from “Chicago,” sung by Camille Charara, whose belting voice sold the number. The usual racy aspects of the song are toned down significantly.

ON MY OWN ‘TIL THERE WAS YOU

            Michael Falzon leads with “Not a Day Goes By,” followed by Cayla Kolbusz’s rendition of “On My Own” from “Les Miz,” which showcases her beautiful voice.

            Dearborn High School’s two “Marian the librarians” – Camille Charara and Katie Polidori – in the school’s upcoming production of “Music Man” then sang the hauntingly beautiful ballad, “Til There Was You.”

GABER GROOVES

            Joe Gaber then picks up the pace of the show as he delivers a fast moving, high energy rendition of, “Messy Bessy.” The song showcased his both his talent and his fancy footwork and he captured the attention of everyone in the house.

BACK TO MELLOW

            Frabotta changed the pace to mellow once more with her ukelele and bluesy voice, singing “Comes Love.”

LIGHTING UP WITH LAUGHTER

            Co-emcee Phil Booth then gathered random words from the house for a musical mad-lib duet with Leah Cooley set to the song, “You Light Up My Life.”

BOOTH AS LOUNGE SINGER

            Booth then performs “Night and Day” in a style reminiscent of Dean Martin playing the house at a Vegas Casino, while Camille Charara and Katie Pollidori danced in unison on the runway as what Booth jokingly dubbed “The Phil Booth Dancers.”

SIBLING RIVALRY?

            Dylan Frabutt then sang “So in Love,” followed by Kira Frabotta’s audience sing-a-long "Tonight, you Belong to Me" accompanied by her ukulele.

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

            Westley Montgomery then sang a hauntingly beautiful version of “Johanna” from “Sweeney Todd.”

THE STARS COME OUT

            Leah Cooley treated us to her beautiful voice one more time in “Stars and Moon.” The space theme closed out the evening with an audience sing-a-long to “Fly me to the Moon.”