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The Oldest Profession Review Opening Night Jan 5, 2008
By LeeAnn Sharpe
The Algonquin Theater Company presents “The Oldest Profession”, Paula Vogel’s pert and passionate play, directed by Robert Harper at Phoenix Theatre’s Little Theatre, January 4-20, 2008, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday matinees.
First, I must be honest and qualify myself as a lifetime fan of Ms.Gaston. So know I will be biased about anything she does. But from what I hear and see, I’m not the only one. A lifetime of acting, directing and teaching reveal a professional performance, second only to her charisma and beauty, now more pronounced than ever.
Pulitzer Prize winning Playwright Vogel describes “The Oldest Profession” as her only pattern play. She is successful in the overlay of painful experiences with humor. Five acts set in a New York City park in the early 1980’s follows the lives of five over-the-hill hookers sitting on a bench near the Broadway and 72nd Street subway station. Their enterprise not only continues to lose customers, but its own members. And so, the five “blackbirds” become four, then three, then two until only one is left, and the park bench scenes end with a song from the last departed, reminiscent of their New Orleans bordello days long past. Costumes slip back to cinched up bordello bustiers and sexy stockings, a wardrobe that took guts for these actresses to wear, especially in such and intimate theatre setting.
The award winning cast of five thoroughly professional actresses, who manage to be funny and emerge as real people who tug at our heartstrings, include Mae (Sharon Collar), Edna (Jacqueline Gaston), Ursula (Barbara McGrath), Lillian (Judy Rollings), Vera (Jo Ann Yeoman) and Piano Man (Toby Yatso). Director is Robert Kolby Harper.
Scene One: A sunny day in October, one week before the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 features “Love for Sale” by Cole Porter sung by Lillian (Judy Rollings). Scene Two: A week later, a day with a hint of winter and “I Am Built for Comfort, I Am Not Built for Speed” by Chester Burnett sung by Mae (Sharon Collar). After Intermission, Scene Three: Three months later, a chilly winter’s day “If I Can’t Sell It, I’ll Sit on it, ‘Cause I’m not Going to Give it Away” by Hill/Razaf sung by Ursula (Barbara McGrath). Scene Four: A crisp day in summer, several months later. And last Scene Five: Many months later with “Come Up and See Me Sometime” by Johnny Mercer and Robert Emmett Dolan sung by Edna (Jacqueline Gaston). And the finale is “On the Sunny Side of the Street” by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields sung by Vera (Jo Ann Yeoman).
Sharon Collar (Mae) has a long and varied career in theatre, film and television. Her professionalism served her well when opening night flubs, she confessed, resulted in “minor on the fly rewrites to the script.” This reviewer never noticed, and the mark of a great actress was it never showed in the performance and her fellow actresses never revealed the rewrites either. Mae is the Madam at the start of the show and manages the finances of all the ladies, who plied their trade above Zabar’s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Collar portrays her as a caring madam concerned for her ladies long term safety and well being. They live pretty well under her wing, but regret their diminishing clientele, as the old gents die or move to Florida. They consider advertising in The Village Voice or getting the AARP Mailing List. In the end, Mae must cope with Alzheimer’s.
Judy Rollings (Lillian) Judy is a founding member of Actors Theatre of Phoenix and served as its Artistic Director for nine years. She is presently Director of the Lunch Time Theatre at the Herberger Theater Center. Lillian an aspiring actress, is the first to die, surprising the other ladies as they never expected her to be the first to go. She reappears in spirit as the others follow. Rollings has a great voice and kicks off the first musical number in the show “Love for Sale”.
Barbara McGrath (Ursula) first acting at age nine, has been acting, teaching, and directing in the Valley for over thirty years, and has received four ariZoni awards. Her character Ursula is Mae’s antagonist, and is thrilled to take over when Mae departs. Her investment scheme has Edna and Vera irate, knowing their retirement is lost. McGrath portrays Ursula’s all business know it all ambition well.
Jacqueline Gaston (Edna) an actress since age three with over 200 shows in the Valley, a Charter Member of the Algonquin Company. She says, “I thought I was auditioning for a different part. When I learned I would be singing and dancing at my age… well I figured it’s my last shot.” Gaston’s portrayal of Edna brought balance and stability to the production. Edna played off each character, especially when the cast had been whittled down to just Edna and Vera. Their interaction was truly sad and bittersweet; seeing even McDonald’s had no place for an old hooker when the manager finds her “May I help you?” too seductive.
JoAnn Yeoman (Vera) Yeoman is a Professor of Practice and Musical Theater Specialist at ASU and also works with the Arizona AGMA ensemble, the Sonoran Desert Chorale. and can be heard as co-host of KBAQ’s ASU in Concert. Vera is the slower quiet one of the group, but the last to go. Her life reaches the depths of poverty and brings to light the plight of the homeless and unappreciated in society. Yeoman brings a deep and beautiful tenderness to a woman whose life had been hard and desperate in the end. She had chances for stability when she gets a proposal, but makes the mistake of inviting the man’s daughters to the ceremony. They quickly whisk him into a retirement home. Yeoman’s beautiful powerful and sensitive voice was the perfect finale.
Toby Yatso (Piano Man) recently finished graduate work in musical theatre, music theory and bassoon performance at ASU. His piano and few lines carried the production well from scene to scene.
Vogel uses the characters to send a message of elderly prostitutes as a way to talk of the economic situation of women in a male society, the need for security in old age, the fears of death and change, and the age-old notion that a woman’s best, and sometimes only, bargaining chip is her body. The characters reminisce about their past in New Orleans’ famed red-light district, Storyville, when courtesy and elegant houses with piano players were the order of the day. They lived well and cared for one another. But now they needed to be responsible for themselves and the result of not doing so was the sad desperation of an elderly homeless woman.
I very much enjoyed this production of The Algonquin Theater Company’s “The Oldest Profession” and encourage all to attend. Rated for “adults” subject matter.
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Review of COYOTE DREAMS: A VERY ARIZONA CHRISTMAS
By LeeAnn Sharpe
It’s amazing how much laughter 6 actors can bring into a room. That’s just what happens when Darknight Productions “Coyote Dreams: A VERY Arizona Christmas” is performed at Grimaldi’s Pizzaria in Scottsdale or Arizona Broadway Theatre in Peoria. Attendance has been so good, the show has been extended until January 5th at the Encore Room at Arizona Broadway Theatre.
Husband and wife team of playwright Alexx Stuart and director Diedre Kaye relaunch their successful holiday show, “Coyote Dreams: A VERY Arizona Christmas” about a Minnesota couple who contemplate a move to Arizona. Alexx and Diedre are both from Minnesota, so Alexx wrote 20 song parodies of popular carols to tell humorous stories about Arizona from the perspective of newcomers.
The laughs are non-stop with every aspect of Arizona covered. The six actors take on various roles and take us on a journey around the state. Stuart wrote some very creative lyrics to traditional holiday tunes including, “Have Yourself a Tacky Tombstone Christmas”, “Oh Little Town Built by Del Webb”, “Santa Baby” sung by a jail bird inviting Sheriff Joe Arpaio to “come on down to my cell tonight”. And Sun City seniors would enjoy “Silver Hairs,” to the tune of Silver Bells. Arizona students can appreciate “All I Want for Christmas is No AIMS Testing.” He takes plenty of swings at Arizona sports as well.
The intimate setting and abundant food and drink put the audience into a jovial frame of mind and the laughter is so infectious outsiders might think the room was tipsy. Not a dry eye is simply the result of hilarious puns and cracks at familiar institutions and personalities. Kaye and Stuart have this dinner show routine fine tuned to a smooth running machine with every moment falling perfectly into place. Music, dialogue, and food all choreographed perfectly. They are more than writer and director. They are the perfect hosts for a lovely evening.
Cast include Barbara McGrath (Ahwatukee), Dan Stroud (Phoenix), Barb Ellis (Tempe), Fernando Duran (Mesa), Denise Kelleher (Fountain Hills), Wade Moran (Tempe).
Coyote Dreams East – Grimaldi’s in Old Town 4000 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale doors open at 6:30 PM December 8th, 22nd, 23rd & 27th West-Encore Room at Arizona Broadway Theatre at 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria December 2nd, 9th and 30th For details, visit http://www.darknightproductions.us or call 480-595-7346. Tickets for dinner, show and gratuity are $41.25 plus tax. Reservations are required.
Movin’ Out
By LeeAnn Sharpe
First you take the music of Billy Joel, which is so woven into the American landscape it’s imbedded deep into your memory, as a fan or not. Then you take the talent of Twyla Tharp who conceived, directed, and choreographed “Movin’ Out”, for which she won the 2003 Tony Award. Next a voice that takes Joel’s lyrics and music into a storyline with emotion. Finally, add the energy of a troupe of young dancers who seem to float and fly across the stage, using their bodies to tell the story. It’s a magical combination that had the audience captivated and cheering super human feats of endurance on Opening Night of “Movin’ Out” at Sun City’s Maricopa County Event Center.
“Movin’ Out” isn’t a musical in the sense that there are not actors speaking roles, but dancers, dancing to the music telling the story. There are characters and a story line which tells the story of five friends coming of age over three decades from the 60’s to the 80’s. And there’s live music with an incredible band singing about 30 Billy Joel songs. “Movin’ Out” is more a ballet, an extraordinary dance, rock, theatre infusion, thoroughly entertaining.
The dancing is non-stop and amazingly energetic for nearly two hours. The incredible energy, especially Eddie (Drew Heflin) and Tony (John Corsa), are like the energizer bunnies doing unbelievable feats of gymnastics, jumps, spins and lifts. These are superhuman dancers! “Movin’ Out” has definitely been well cast with incredible talent.
Given an amazing catalog of music from Joel, the band took it to new heights with an inspired sax and the fabulous voice of Kyle Martin.
The only fault I can find is in the lighting throwing maximum wattage into the eyes of the audience, blinding this recent cataract removed reviewer into painful squinting to see several times, especially in the opening scene. My companion also commented he wished the lighting hadn’t been so extreme. The theatre also seemed to echo and on more than one occasion I turned around to see who was singing in the back of the theatre a step behind.
The storyline follows five characters from their 1960’s high school graduation, love found and lost, becoming soldiers, off the Vietnam where James dies in battle, the sadness of a soldiers funeral and the girlfriend left to mourn, the pain of vets readjusting to life at home, the nightmare of war haunting them, a drunken brawl, and finally their reunion years later. Read the plot synopsis in the Playbill, as there’s almost no spoken dialogue to help you follow the story and characters.
The long legs of Tony (John Corsa) in Scene 2: Tony Move Out, caught my attention and his legs and leaps kept me captivated throughout. Especially in Scene 10, when he danced to “Shameless” with Brenda (Amanda Kay). The sweetly sentimental pair of James (Eric Bourne) and Judy (Karolina Blonski) were delightful as the danced Scene 3: James and Judy are Forever to “Just the Way Your Are.” It wasn’t until Act II that Eddie (Drew Heflin) came to the forefront with his amazing gymnastic feats at an unbelievable pace that had the audience applauding during several numbers. How does he keep it up night after night? Actually there are 4 dancers in the program who take turns on different nights as Eddie (played by one of four dancers: Brett Emmons, Drew Heflin, Nicholas McGough, or Andrew Pirozzi).
The real star is the Piano Man Lead Vocalist Kyle Martin who gave voice to every scene almost non-stop. What stamina to sing at such a level emoting feeling and enthusiasm to propel the dancers and storyline forward for almost two hours. His voice is comfortable and embracing, with full definition of every word as it must to make the story understood. He has a beautiful voice that brings everything required to make this show a great success.
The rest of the band is excellent with kudos to the sax men Tim McNamara and John Isley.
“Movin’ Out” is entertaining and musically satisfying leaving the audience uplifted and wishing they could bottle some of that energy!
Movin’ Out ran for 1331 performances on Broadway.
Movin’ Out ran two days at the Maricopa County Events Center, one night at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix and has shows scheduled for Oct 30th & 31st at the Mesa Arts Center.
Midlife Madness Review
By Lee Sharpe
You may have missed the last chance for “Midlife Madness” a play by Jennifer Kirkeby that closed Sunday, May 20th at Peoria Center for the Performing Arts. And if you did, it’s too bad. It’s a delightful little company in an intimate new venue. It delivers just what’s expected and more on the topic of midlife madness. The “more” is the relationships with good friends and the hilarity they can bring to life.
When invited by Director, Diedre Kaye, who selected the play to co-produce with her husband and Darknight Productions partner, Alexx Stuart, to see the production on Friday night, the first thought on my mind was where to park. Having never been to the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, but I drive by there frequently on my way to the 101 I didn’t remember seeing any parking. When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of parking around the city park area to the south, adjacent to the theatre. As I parked, a courtesy shuttle arrived to deliver me to the theatre curb. What a nice treat.
Peoria Center for the Performing Arts brand new multi-theater performing arts building is a delightful design by Westlake Reed Leskosky with a “craggy copper clad roof hovering above a base of masonry which evokes the color and forms of the desert basin and distant mountains” or so says their website. The complex features 250 seat and 80 seat theaters with support spaces as well as exhibition and educational spaces. The design and experience was very pleasant.
Inside the brand new facility was a crisp clean cool functional design. It’s a blank pallet for artist to create their art. I stood on line at will call to learn there were actually four productions going on in the same facility that evening. Darknight Productions performance of “Midlife Madness” was in a small theatre on the south side of the larger theatre where another company, Theatre Works, was performing “The Miracle Worker”. The snack bar, although limited in selections, was very economically priced.
“Midlife Madness” author Jennifer Kirkeby of Minnesota attended the production opening, but was not at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts as the production finished it’s run. Diedre Kaye says, “Jennifer and I have been friends for years and used to perform together in Minneapolis. When I read the script, I knew I wanted to be the first to produce and direct it. The relationships in this play are so special and so reminiscent of the times we had together in theater in Minneapolis. I was thrilled when Jen gave us permission to do the world premiere.”
The playwright admits the play is somewhat autobiographical when she responded to audience questions following the opening night performance. “Yes, many of the stories are true – except I never had an affair with a Mime.” And now, according to Kaye, she can claim another piece of the story is true. The lead character and playwright in the story, Susan, (played by Jenny Mulcahy) gets a review of her new play “Midlife” that says, “The audience loved it. They laughed, they cried, they bought the t-shirt.” Except for buying the t-shirt (there were none), the same was true for the audiences of Kirkeby’s newest play which premiered May 11th.
At the center of this production is Susan, played by Jenny Mulcahy, the midlife single woman always on the prowl for men. Her apartment is the primary set where the stories unfold. Susan has the beautiful sun tanned glow, and low cut breast accentuating wardrobe of the looking for love, but not so much commitment women you can find in any bar or gym in town. Mulcahy plays the role well in a happy, almost giddy light hearted style that makes us warm to her even in her most obviously self-centered moments. Like the wine Susan drinks constantly, her dry wit flows through the script arousing everything from snickers and mild chuckles to belly laughs, and “oh my god I’m gonna pee my pants!” from the audience. The only criticism I can lay on Mulcahy’s feet, or actually on her breasts, is the makeup line fell far short in the final scene gown, creating a very distracting glow under the bright lights. The secret is out, you’re not really that tan! Not to worry, the performance was wonderfully entertaining.
Trish, played by Alaina Beauloye, and Susan are best friends who find their way through new and old relationships as they reconfirm their unconditional love for each other. Trish is the straight man to Susan’s delivery of hilarious lines. It’s hard being the straight man and getting the timing and tone just right and Beaulove has a great sense and connection for delivery with Mulcahy. As the married and unappreciated wife and mother, she hits midlife looking for more and finds it in a fling with a mime from her daughter’s birthday party who showers her with passion and admiration. A gorgeous blonde, Beaulove plays Trish as vulnerable and easy prey for a conman. Betrayed when her best friend writes about her secret extramarital affair, she quickly overcomes the hurt to engage in the infectious laughter they generate as they retell their stories of performing together blended with the trials of growing older that keeps the audience laughing with them.
Especially enjoyable was Rick played by Tom Koelbel. Rick’s recent breakup with his lover Mark caused him to search for emotional support through Performance Art (his warm ups are precious!) and his friends Susan and Trish. It’s as much fun watching the girls watch Rick perform as it is to watch him. Koelbel’s stage presence is so strong from the first moment he appeared it seemed he might overwhelm the rest of the cast, but he tones his character to “play well with others”. An amusing unsolicited review came in the restroom during intermission when a woman told me, “You know he’s not really gay!” I responded, “Oh really?” And she said, “He just plays it so well!” There you have it! Koelbel has talent and I’m sure he could play most any role well. He is exceptionally entertaining and enjoyable in this production.
The fine troupe of actors is rounded out by Rolando Zee’s ability to create two distinctly different characters as Ross, the personal trainer at the girl’s gym, and Milton, who has the steamy affair with Trish. Zee’s stage, film and modeling credits are impressive as is his incredible physique. For much of the production his character is little more than eye candy. But the few lines and two characters he portrays demonstrate he has acting talent as well. The gym scene was great. How to be a crazed hold up man while two women are doing a hysterical comedy act is tough. But Zee pulled it off and took the fall as well as any professional stunt man. He will certainly have a long and successful career in acting.
Music was from Lisa Koch CD’s “Tall Cool Drink and Both of Me” available online at www.heylisa.com. Director Deidre Kaye says, “Her music fit perfectly into the storyline.” Menopausal women will love her lyrics.
So if you missed this delightful production you will want to mark you calendar for the next show by Darknight Productions to be held in old town Scottsdale beginning next October. You can see a preview on June 14th – Murder at Savings & Loan Ballpark (s.lo.b.)by Alexx Stuart. It’s a parody of the Diamondbacks and baseball in general. The location is Grimaldi’s Pizzeria at 4000 Scottsdale Road (southwest corner of First Avenue and Scottsdale Rd.) It promises to be great food and a very funny show! Tickets are $40 and include play, dinner (4 courses) tax and gratuity. Grimaldi’s was just voted “Best pizza in the valley that isn’t Bianco”
For more information or tickets see http://darknightproductions.tripod.com/ or call 480-595-7346.
‘Shall We Dance’ or shall we sing?
Desert Foothills Theater presents “A Grand Night for Singing”
by LeeAnn Sharpe
An enchanting night of song and dance is in store for Desert Foothills Theater‑goers Nov. 2 as “A Grand Night for Singing” makes its premiere.
This exciting Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein revue features some of the best‑loved songs from “The Sound of Music,” “South Pacific,” “Carousel,” “Oklahoma,” “Cinderella,” “The King and I,” all presented in a new storyline. With orchestrations by Michael Gibson and Jonathan Tunick, Director DeeDee Wood and Musical Director Flore Mogerman are bringing marquee talent to the Desert Foothills Theater production.
Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center will be the venue for “A Grand Night for Singing,” which took Broadway by storm when it made its debut in 1994, receiving two Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical.
Musical Director Flore Mogerman, (nominated for 7 Musical Direction ariZoni Awards and won 3), says, “Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center is an incredible state‑of‑the‑art theatre with wonderful acoustics. It’s just beautiful. I think audiences will have a wonderful night out. Lovely songs and beautiful voices, the singers are all pros.
“We have five powerhouse lead singers in the revue. Tenor Chris Fidler, baritone Brian Sweis, soprano Janine Smith, soprano Amy Powers, and alto Elizabeth Reeves. I’ve worked with all of them and they are fantastic. ‘A Grand Night for Singing’ updates classic versions of the songs with a swinging jazz ‘Honeybun’ and an Andrews Sisters‑esque ‘I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair.’ It’s all so much fun.”
Conceived by Walter Robbie with musical arrangements by Fred Wells, the revue showcases well‑loved songs through the eyes of a lovelorn lad. Taking the audience members into a new story is tricky because when they hear the music of “Shall We Dance,” they expect to see the King and Anna dancing. Instead, the songs are woven into a new emotional journey through the various stages of love. “Shall We Dance” plays into a ballroom dancing lesson with a self‑conscious young man with a comic twist.
Desert Foothills Theater’s production, under the direction of Emmy Award‑winning choreographer and director DeeDee Wood, has the ingredients any musical theatre aficionado loves–great talent and impeccable direction. Wood is intimately familiar with the work of Rodgers & Hammerstein as she choreographed “The Sound of Music” movie.
Wood’s impressive resume includes choreographer of movies and television including “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Beaches,” “Cher,” “The Andy Williams Show” among a lengthy list of credits.
“She has been an avid supporter of DFT through the years and the shows she has directed have been hits with our audiences,” says Sue Kern‑Fleischer with DFT.
The Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center is located at 33606 N. 60th St. in Cave Creek. “A Grand Night for Singing” runs Nov. 2‑5, 10‑12, and 17‑19. All shows except for Sunday dates begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m. To order tickets by phone, call (480) 488‑1981, or purchase at the Center’s box office. For more information or to become a member of the Desert Foothills Theater, visit http://www.desertfoothillstheater.com.
If you believe, then you’ll be there’
Starlight Community Youth Theater brings ‘The Wiz’ out from behind curtain
by LeeAnn Sharpe
“Believe that you can go home, believe you can float on air, then click your heels three times, if you believe, then you’ll be there,” says Glinda the Good Witch.
Ease on down the road to the Starlight Community Youth Theater’s “The Wiz,” when believing is seeing at performances Nov. 3‑4 and Nov. 9‑11 at Boulder Creek Performing Arts Center.
Based on the ever popular L. Frank Baum book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” published in 1900, “The Wiz” first hit the Broadway stage in 1975 and ran for four years, winning seven Tony awards. A subsequent Hollywood movie starring Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor and Diana Ross received limited acclaim in 1978. But none ever received the attention of the 1939 classic Judy Garland “Wizard of Oz” movie, a traditional holiday favorite.
Oz characters Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, the Wizard, Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wicked Witch of the West are so entrenched in the American lexicon that quotes like “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” and “There’s no place like home,” have become cliches.
So how will “The Wiz” Director Mark Oesterle, a local assistant school principal, bring this production to life in Anthem? The script, an updated, urban, version of “The Wizard of Oz” has Dorothy whisked from her inner‑city neighborhood to the mystical land of Oz. All the characters from “The Wizard of Oz” are in this production, but with a modern urban flavor. And where the Broadway show and film version were primarily African American, this show takes on a lighter hue as a result of the suburban demographics of the North Valley.
One way this production will bring its own flavor is through Anthem resident Sherry Henderson, who is choreographing her 5th show with Starlight. Henderson has performed on Broadway and currently teaches dance at Dynamic Motion Dance Academy, and her experience will accent the production.
The show’s Musical Director Mark Foreman (AriZoni 2006 Award winner for Best Music Director in “The Who’s Tommy”) with his bRocktasmic! Orchestra Foreman will instill interesting sound in songs from “The Wiz,” including “Ease on Down the Road” sung by the characters as they dance down the Yellow Brick Road.
Foreman’s, or 4man’s, as he writes his name, bROCKtasmic! Orchestra consists of Assistant Music Director Steve McCarvel, Drums Nick Seagull, Bass Chris Pernice, Guitar Cody Carter, and a 13 piece bROCKtasmic! Orchestra. It’s a brilliant blend of rock and orchestra with a modern, edgier feel, plus lush orchestrations of yesteryear.
Foreman says, “[I’m] Very excited about working on ‘The Wiz’, and looking forward to working with an orchestra this size. In a show of this nature it’s important to have as many of the little details as possible. Things like the trumpet hits and string lines ala Shaft, native to 70s black music were needed to make this show authentic.”
Dorothy’s role in this production will be shared by Abby Belliston and Allysa Luders, and the Scarecrow role will be shared by Carissa Marston and Channing Pickett, who is also the Dance Captain, working under the direction of choreographer Henderson.
The finale brings the entire cast together to sing, “Everybody look around…’Cause there’s a reason to rejoice you see. Everybody come out. And let’s commence to singing joyfully. Everybody look up. And feel the hope that we’ve been waiting for. Everybody’s glad. Because our silent fear and dread is gone. Freedom, you see, has got our hearts singing so joyfully. Just look about. You owe it to yourself to check it out. Can’t you feel a brand new day?”
You owe it to yourself to check out “The Wiz” a joyful production with plenty of talent and enthusiasm. It’s just what Anthem resident Pat Bennett believed the youth in the North Valley needed, a theatrical home, when she, along with Oesterle, Henderson, Paul and Betty Towne and a dedicated crew of volunteers created the nonprofit community theater corporation, Starlight Theater in 2005. A steady stream of community theatre proves Starlight has been successful. As with all community theater, they look forward to seeing you at the theater.
“The Wiz” will play Nov. 3‑4 and 9‑11 at the Boulder Creek Performing Arts Center, 40401 North Gavilan Peak Parkway, in Anthem. The shows start at 7 p.m. For more information, call (623) 566‑7991 or visit http://www.starlightcommunitytheater.org.
A Crazy Cowgirl PR 