Light Opera Works

The Secret Garden in Rehearsal

2011-12-02T10:39:00.008-06:00

Hello All,
Usually we do rehearsal pictures on the blog for our shows. This show we get to show you some puppet pictures! The artistic team has been hard at work for The Secret Garden creating an amazingly stunning concept for the show. This shadow puppet show is just one of the many beautifully artistic moments in the production. In the song, "Race You to the Top of the Morning" Archibald sings while reading a storybook to his handicapped son, Colin, who is asleep in bed. This promises to be one of the many moving moments in the show. Check out the pictures below!

Kyle Dougan
Light Opera Works Production Associate

Here are the lyrics to Archibald's touching and heartfelt song:

When we left off last night
The hideous dragon
Had carried the maid to his cave by moonlight
He gnashed his teeth, and breathed his fire
The heath quaked, and we trembled in fear.

I said someone must save this sweet raven-haired maiden,
Though surely the cost will be steep.
So we lads all drew lots,
Our insides tied in knots,
And I won, and the rest went to sleep.

So, I picked up my staff,
And I followed the trail Of his smoke
To the mouth of the cave,
And I bid him come out,
Yea, forsooth, I did shout,
Ye fool dragon be gone or behave!

And then under my breath,
I uttered a charm said
To make the worst fiends become kind.
Knaves and knights of dire plights,
Now diminish his sights!
And it worked and the dragon went blind.

And he charged off the cliff
Howling mad and he died,
And the maiden accepted my ring.
And then you came along,
And were brave, bold, and strong,
And in thanks, every night now I sing:

Race you to the top of the morning!
Come, sit on my shoulders and ride!
Run and hide, I'll come and find you,
Climb hills to remind you,
I love you, my boy at my side!

Now, another foul dragon's appeared,
I must leave you.
He's scorching our land with his breath.
From his lair this one taunts me,
He dares me, he haunts me.
Once again, we must fight to the death!

Would to God I could stay and instead slay your dragon,
This beast who sits hunched on your back.
Would God I could wrench him away from your bed,
Or cut off or tear off his terrible head,
Could breathe out my fire on him
'Till he was dead,
Or beg him to spare you and take me instead!

As it is I must leave you in care of my brother,
The wizard, who lives on the hill,
Who has promised his art,
Will soon pierce through the heart
Of this dragon that's keeping you ill.

And I know that your mother, God bless her,
Would want you to do as he says and grow strong.
And you know that as soon as I can I'll return,
So be brave, son and know that I long
To race you to the top of the morning!
Come, sit on my shoulders and ride.
Run and hide, I'll come and find you,
Climb hills to remind you
I love you!
I love you, my boy at my side!

Tickets for The Secret Garden Click HERE

The Visit

2011-11-30T11:35:00.002-06:00

Light Opera Works favorite James Harms will perform in a one-night benefit presentation of John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Terrence McNally's new musical "The Visit" starring Chita Rivera tonight in New York.

Read this article for more information. Don't miss the behind-the-scenes video at the end!

Words and Music

2011-11-17T14:16:00.005-06:00

Midwest New Musicals will kick off Words and Music, a series of concert readings of original musicals this coming Monday, November 21, 2011 at 8pm with Table Turns by Sheilah Rae and Michele Brourman. The performance will be held at Light Opera Works Second Stage at 1420 Maple (at Lake) in Evanston. Tickets are $15 at the door or by calling LOW's box office (847-920-5360).

Table Turns is a musical evening of five shorts, each with a surprising turn of events in contemporary love and life. The piece was a finalist for the Heideman Award given by the Actors’ Theatre of Louisville. Table Turns features Kelli Harrington, Jasmine Ryan, David Skvarla and Greg Tate. The musical is directed by Jeff Dumas and music directed by Jessica Hunt. The casting director is Allan Chambers. Midwest New Musicals is lead by workshop director John Sparks.

Sheilah Rae, the co-bookwriter and lyricist, co-wrote Funny, You Don’t Look Like A Grandmother. She has written songs for Time, People, Doritos, Beechnut Baby Food and Ben Gay. As a performer she has appeared in Fiddler On the Roof, Applause, The Rothschilds and Company. She has served as past-council for the Songwriters Guild of America, past-president of the League of Professional Theatre Women and is currently the board president of the New York Theatre Barn and a member of the Dramatists Guild. She was born and raised in Chicago and is a New Trier graduate.

Michele Brourman, the composer, is a Johnny Mercer Songwriter Award winner. She is the composer of the new musical Dangerous Beauty. Michele composed the dance and incidental music for the original Broadway production of Working. Her songs have been featured in movies (The Little Engine that Could, Shiloh and Shiloh Season) and television (Land Before Time, Designing Women, Cagney and Lacey). She is a graduate of Northwestern University.

The Midwest New Musicals writers workshop and the new Words and Music series are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, The ASCAP Foundation, and The Dramatist Guild Fund. Most of the new musicals in the Words and Music series are written by members of the Midwest New Musicals writers workshop and have been developed in the workshop Core Curriculum and development process.

Midwest New Musicals

2011-08-26T15:17:00.011-05:00

Are you a composer, lyricist, or playwright interested in learning more about musical theatre structure? Consider taking part in this year’s Midwest New Musicals workshop. Midwest New Musicals is a writers workshop and development program conducted by John Sparks, the Artistic Director for the Academy of New Musical Theatre in Los Angeles, in association with Light Opera Works.

The Midwest New Musicals Core Curriculum is an intensive program that assists writers through the process of creating a new musical. Writers explore the use of music, lyrics, and dialogue through hands-on assignments that introduce them to musical theatre forms and collaborative techniques.

Writers study the structure of the full musical book and score. The study and writing process leads to a mini-musical project where participants create short musicals for a pre-selected ensemble and production team. This project culminates in a formal public presentation and an evaluation.

Upon completion, writers may be invited to an ongoing forum of writing peers to participate in reading intensives, workshops, and to meet with theatre companies and producers locally and across the country.

Midwest New Musicals Core Curriculum program meets monthly on Chicago's North Shore in two four-hour sessions on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am to 1:30pm.

Fall Term: September 24&25 2011, October 22&23, November 19&20, December 17&18, January 21&22 2012

Winter/Spring Term: February 18&19 2012, March 17&18, April 21&22, May 19&20, June 23&24

The Mini-Musical writing, revisions, rehearsals, and performances take place from April through June 2012 on a schedule determined by the writers, actors, and directors involved.

Enrollment Form and Fees Information:

Enrollment forms are available here or at Light Opera Works’ offices at 927 Noyes in Evanston. Along with the enrollment form, applicants must include:

For Bookwriters: Include resume, two short contrasting scenes (or 4-5 pages of prose if you have not written plays/screenplays/musicals) and a brief statement that defines your interest in writing the book of a musical.

For Composers: Include resume, a recording and piano-vocal score of 2 contrasting songs (or instrumental music, including 3-4 pages of piano score or orchestration) and a brief statement that defines your interest in writing music for the theater.

For Lyricists: Include resume, a lyric sheet, and a recording (if possible) for 2 contrasting songs, and a brief statement that defines you interest in writing lyrics for the theater.

Fees: $645 per term or $1,200 if enrolling in two terms in advance. The fall term is the pre-requisite for the winter/spring term. Application fee (non-refundable): $25

For more information on the Workshop curriculum or to discuss your experience level, contact John Sparks at 323-371-8205 or jsparks@light-opera-works.org. For more information on the Workshop fees/payment contact Light Opera Works Box Office at 847-869-6300 or visit our website.

Old costumes never die, they just fray away

2011-08-17T11:21:00.004-05:00

Five hundred Heidelberg student uniforms? Reading this in our recent newsletter made me wonder, well, where are they now? Where do all these old costumes end up?

Many of them, sadly, in dumpsters, but many more in private collections, and costume rental houses. Light Opera Works used some original costumes for My Fair Lady, and had vintage Broadway ones for Gigi. Others land in museums, including the Smithsonian. The National Museum of American History has costumes from The Lion King, Hello, Dolly!, Cats, Rent, and The King and I in the museum’s permanent entertainment collections.

Chicago designers have recently come into their own, with amazing award-winning costumes from Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare and other innovative houses; these have not found their way into collections or museums yet, but you may be sure they will. Our own designers strive to recreate the authentic look of classic productions, both by using actual vintage costumes from famous productions, and by recreating the look by building new costumes.

Some memorable Light Opera Works costumes include A Little Night Music in 2009 and The Merry Widow from 2005. We built (theater parlance for "made") a lot of the costumes for Carousel.

All of the student's costumes for the current production of The Student Prince were made for us. See what we've done to add to those 500 student uniforms in The Student Prince, opening this week, by purchasing tickets here!

What were your favorite Light Opera Works costumes?

Opening Night

2011-08-15T11:33:00.001-05:00

Back in the day, Opening Night meant staying up until the early editions came out, so you could read your reviews. Well, at least in every theater movie I ever saw.

At Light Opera Works Opening Night is a chance to give our wonderful donors, cast and orchestra a great party.

Opening Night for The Student Prince will be after the show on Saturday, August 20 at Campagnola at 815 Chicago Avenue (just south of Main Street) in Evanston, one of our longest and most loyal supporters. If you're a donor at the $250 level, you can join us for great food, drink, and to meet the cast.

Hope to see you there!

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works: Q&A with Danielle M. Knox

2011-08-04T13:01:00.014-05:00

Hello blog buddies! Kyle here. We just began tech rehearsals for THE STUDENT PRINCE, and we're gearing up for opening night on Saturday, August 20th.

We have another exciting cast interview for you, this time with the lovely Danielle M. Knox, who will be appearing as Kathie in our upcoming production of THE STUDENT PRINCE. Seeing a rollerskating musical, a nude Jude Law, and having to kiss your best friend's boyfriend on stage would be enough to turn any young actor away from the theatre, but not so for Danielle.

Full Name: Danielle M. Knox

Hometown: Massapequa, New York on the south shore of Long Island.

Special Skills: I make a good meatball thanks to my grandma.

Skill/talent you wish you had or were better at: Telling jokes. I either mess up the punch line, get lost in the middle, or start laughing at myself. Sad... I know.

First musical you ever saw: Because I lived so close to New York City, I was lucky to see a lot of musicals on Broadway. I think the first was STARLIGHT EXPRESS. There's just something about singers on roller skates.

Current Chicago show you have been recommending to friends: Come see THE STUDENT PRINCE!

Three favorite musicals: Wow, hard to narrow down, but here it goes:

1. WEST SIDE STORY
2. SHE LOVES ME
3. THE MUSIC MAN

Favorite show tune of all time: This always depends on my mood.. "Somewhere" from WEST SIDE STORY.. Beautiful words... Beautiful music.

The one performance you've attended that you will never forget: When I was 13, my whole family went to see a play called INDISCRETIONS. We had no idea what it was about but my mom had heard that it received good reviews. We were seated second row center, and Act 2 begins with a 30-minute nude scene by Jude Law (before he became crazy famous). I will never forget the looks on my parents' faces when he stepped out of the bath tub. Priceless!

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage? When I was in THE SORCERER, I came out to do a dialogue scene with Alexis, and the train of my dress got caught underneath the house set piece. We did the whole dialogue with me gracefully trying to pull my skirt free. Finally, I heard a lady in the audience say "Oh no, she's stuck." So, I wadded the back of my dress in my fist and gave it a huge tug. I freed myself just in time for my exit with a little less dress as a result.

Most played song on your iPod: Right now, it's a toss up between Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" and Train's "Hey, Soul Sister." Adele's "Someone Like You" sneaks on as well!

Performer you would drop everything to go see: My sister. She is also a performer, and it would be a great excuse to hang out with her in France.

Tell me the story of your first stage kiss: I was a sophomore in high school playing the role of Laurie in OKLAHOMA! I had to plant a big one on Curly, my friend's boyfriend at the time. She was Ado Annie. Awkward!

Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: I was 9 when I did my first show. I was in a community theater show for children called "Annabelle Broom." I remember coming home from school, and my mom kept calling me Judy. I thought she had lost her mind! Really, she was trying to tell me I got the part. I was beyond excited!

Worst job you ever had: One summer I worked at an ice-cream shop that never had any business. I read a lot of books that summer.

Who would play you in a movie? Hmm.... People say I look like Rose McGowan, but she seems way too scary to play me in a movie. Let's go with Anne Hathaway.

Three things you can't live without: My hubby, my dog, and HBO

Finish this sentence: "I'll never understand why...": I'll never understand why (SPOILER ALERT) the Prince doesn't choose Kathie.

Keep an eye out for more cast interviews next week and be sure to get your tickets for THE STUDENT PRINCE!

A commitment to the next generation

2011-08-01T11:28:00.001-05:00

With the curtain closed on the 2011 Musical Theater Summer Workshop, we just wanted to take a moment to thank the wonderful people who keep this program open for everyone, and not just those lucky kids with the family resources to guarantee they can pay the tuition.

This year, the Workshop was able to support 11 full scholarships to eight families through the generous gifts of the Richard and Margaret Romano Charitable Trust , the North Suburban Youth Foundation, the City of Evanston Community Service Program, The Ted Fund, A.R.T. League, and the Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation.

Children receiving scholarships participated in Annie, Disney's High School Musical, and H.M.S. Pinafore.

Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?

2011-07-27T11:10:00.001-05:00

It's been another great summer with the kids! Just one more workshop performance this Saturday at 4, of Willy Wonka. It's free, so join us for a great show at our Second Stage, 1420 Maple in Evanston, IL.

One of the things we do every week is to ask our young actors a question relating to the Musical they have been working on. For "Annie," the question was "Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?" Check out their answers here:

Katherine: The Weasley’s house
Jensen: Costa Rica
Elana: Somewhere far, far away!
Katerina: The Bahamas to catch lizards
Juliana: Jamaica
Delaney: Jamaica
Lily: Maine
Eva: Washington, D.C. to meet the President
Rileigh: Poland
A. Odeline: The best place in the world
Brianna: To Hawaii
Remy: 6 Flags and Hurricane Harbor
Sofia: Around the world
Corbin: Around the world in every transportation
Isabelle: Boston
Meg: Around the world in a private jet and submarine
Jane: Sanibel Island
Lucy: Germany, Poland, Ireland, Scotland, all around the world in modern times in Disney World
Alexa: Greece
Lillie: Hogwarts
Lily: Cruise around the world
Firouz: Bora Bora, French Polynesia, a 5 ... no, a 10 star hotel
Laurel: Around the world, including 6 Flags and climbing the Eiffel Tower
Aurora: Middle Earth or Candyland
Julia: A beautiful, mystical, relaxing private wonderland island
Katy: Katyland!
Sophie: Hawaii
Madeline: Cape Canaveral
Eileen: Hawaii
Erin: Ireland or the North Pole
Lindsay: Narnia
Gabriel: Camp Echo
Olivia: Africa
Kinsey: Candyland
Olivia: The beach in Cuba
Talia: Every amusement park in the world
Quinn: Rainforest to swing w/ howler monkeys
Katherine: Hawaii
Isabelle: India and the Netherlands
Maya: To take a few friends on a cruise
Claire: To Australia

Gifts from Little Buttercup- HMS Pinafore

2011-07-21T12:00:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, our Summer Musical Theatre Workshop students performed their version of Gilbert and Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore." In this operetta, there is a "plump and pleasing" dock vendor named Little Buttercup who comes onto the British warship HMS Pinafore to sell her gifts to the crew. We asked our students what they would buy from Buttercup... and who they would give their gift to!

Ben: Tea for my mom
Kamari: Houses for people in Africa
Claire: Wrigley Field for my brother
Asia: A mansion for my best friend
Abigail: A lifetime supply of KMR (milk substitute) for my best friend
Ben: $$$ for the country
Raina: A million necklaces for people who are worthy
Danny: 2 money making machines (1 for Haiti and 1 for Japan)
Lillian: A rainbow for my family
Molly: A bag of money (never ending supply) for my family
Abigail: A new speedboat for Dad
Quavan: Money for my family
Kayla: A star for my best friends
Erin: A piece of the moon for my cousin
Olivia: A trampoline for my family
Aurora: A unicorn for my science teacher
Katy: A mushroom that keeps growing for my sister
Sophie: Wings for my sister
Raven: A cloud-pillow so my mom could sleep better
Jack: A new surfboard for Dad
William: A pretty dress for my mom
Charlie: A new DS for my brother
Anna: A cloud to give to my entire family

What activity would you like to do.. but are nervous to try?

2011-07-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

This past weekend our Summer Musical Theatre Workshop performed Disney's "High School Musical" at the McGaw YMCA's Children's Center Auditorium. We asked the our students " What activity would you like to do... but you are nervous to try?"

Their answers included:
Alice: Waterskiing
Audrey: Flipping around on a trampoline or going on a hot-air balloon
Sydney: Playing on Team Evanston
Sophia: Skydiving
Annika: Catching a giant spider or swimming with sharks
Anja: Going to Cedar Point
Eva: Playing lacrosse
Claire: Riding an ostrich or white water rafting
Madeline: Going on a scary rollercoaster
Annie: Wakeboarding
Mackenzie: Snowboarding on black diamond slopes
Maggie: Playing lacrosse
Lillian: Skydiving
Emma: Zip lining or skydiving or walking a tight-rope
Leila: Surfboarding
Leigh: Playing baseball
Molly: Going out into a blizzard with only a bathing suit on
Isabel: Dancing
Francesca: Flipping or a banana boat or zip lining
Elizabeth: Skydiving
Ele: Playing lacrosse
Elina: Trying new seafood
P.K.: Bungee jumping
Rachel: Singing a solo
Astrid: Swimming with sharks
Kyle: Skiing into an avalanche
Lila: Skydiving or going to the top of the Willis Tower
Katy: Trying to eat an oyster
Zinzi: Singing a solo
Gabriel: Going on a scary rollercoaster
Kinsey: Singing a solo
Talia: Singing in front of my parents
Lily: Playing football
Anika: Flipping off a banana boat
Emily: Horseback riding
Arielle: Parachuting out of a plane
Maddie: Singing a solo

I don't think any of us here at Light Opera Works will be "going out into a blizzard with only a bathing suit on" anytime soon. Maybe it's okay to be nervous about that one.

Many of our Summer Musical Theatre Workshop students conquered their nerves and sang solos in "High School Musical," just as the characters in the show did!

Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?

2011-07-06T11:56:00.003-05:00

Every week at our Summer Musical Theatre Workshop, we ask our young students a question relating to the Musical they are working on. For "Annie," the question was "Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?"

Katherine: The Weasley's house
Jensen: Costa Rica
Elana: Somewhere far, far away!
Katerina: The Bahamas to catch lizards
Juliana: Jamaica
Delaney: Jamaica
Lily: Maine
Eva: Washington D.C. to meet the President
Rileigh: Poland
A. Odeline: The best place in the world
Brianna: Hawaii
Remy: 6 Flags and Hurricane Harbor
Sofia: Around the world
Corbin: Around the world in every transportation
Isabelle: Boston
Meg: Around the world in a private jet and submarine
Jane: Sanibel Island
Lucy: Germany, Poland, Ireland, Scotland, all around the world in modern times in Disney World
Alexa: Greece
Lillie: Hogwarts
Lily: Cruise around the world
Firouz: Bora Bora, French Polynesia, a 5... no a 10 star hotel
Laurel: Around the world, including 6 Flags and climbing the Eiffel Tower
Aurora: Middle Earth or Candyland
Julia: A beautiful, mystical, relaxing private wonderland island
Katy: Katyland
Sophie: Hawaii
Madeline: Cape Canaveral
Eileen: Hawaii
Erin: Ireland or the North Pole
Lindsay: Narnia
Gabriel: Camp Echo
Olivia: Africa
Kinsey: Candyland
Olivia: The beach in Cuba
Talia: Every amusement park in the world
Quinn: Rainforest to swing with howler monkeys
Katherine: Hawaii
Isabelle: India and the Netherlands
Maya: To take a few friends on a cruise
Claire: Australia

I think I'd like to join them on a few of these trips!

Flowers for your favorite star

2011-06-29T09:05:00.001-05:00

An (almost) wordless Wednesday big thank you to Ron Lopez of Sun Garden flowers for providing flowers at all the performances of our Musical Theater Summer Workshop.

If you'd like Ron to provide flowers for your event, give him a call at 773-875-2679.

What happens between the shows?

2011-06-27T11:04:00.009-05:00

Well, getting ready for the next show, of course, which is The Student Prince, opening on Saturday August 18.

But we're not just getting ready for the next show; we're getting ready for the next generation, with the Musical Theater Summer Workshop.

Last Saturday we had our first performance, of the every popular Annie, and as always, it was a sell out, with parents, friends, grandparents and fellow travelers filling the auditorium at the Second Stage to watch an amazing group of 40 kids perform the Broadway Junior® version of the show.

The Musical Theater Summer Workshop is a full time theater camp held in 5 one-week sessions every summer. Children ages eight to fifteen learn, rehearse and perform an entire show in a single week, with a final public performance at the end of six intense days.

There are still spots for H.M.S. Pinafore, the week of July 11. There are no auditions. To sign up your young thespian just call our box office at 847-869-6300.

Wordless Wednesday: Brigadoon Opening Night

2011-06-08T09:05:00.002-05:00

McBing

I think the heat was getting to the interns

Reception at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, sponsored by Whole Foods Evanston.

General Manager Bridget McDonough with Musical Theater Summer Workshop director Anya Plotkin and sound board operator David Bradke.

There are still tickets available for the last three performances of Brigadoon at LightOperaWorks.com or through the box office at 847-869-6300 (Box office hours 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

The reviews are out!

2011-06-07T13:00:00.001-05:00

Here are some highlights:

From Chicago Tribune theater critic Chris Jones (who wanted a wee dram to add to the authenticity. Alas for the remnants of dry Evanston): "...this entire 1947 musical is treated with a great deal of respect by director Rudy Hogenmiller — whose production goes further than most .... in offering an impressively substantial choreographic experience." (full review)

"The plaid kilts are in full swirl, the tamoshanters twirling, the “rs” rolling, and the heather in full bloom in Rudy Hogenmiller’s ravishing revival of Lerner and Loewe’s early and evergreen hit." Chicago Theatre Beat (full review)

"The Light Opera Works production is wonderfully directed and choreographed..." nwi.com (full review).

"Under the direction of Roger L. Bingaman (conductor) and Rudy Hogenmiller (choreographer and stage director), this cast sings and dances with vibrant festivity. ChicagoNow.com (full review).

"Those who have only the truncated Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse film treatment from MGM as a reference or who may never have encountered Brigadoon at all are in for the biggest treat. Fans of the musical likewise will rejoice in the exceptionally high caliber of production it has been given by Light Opera Works." Chicago Stage Style (full review).

Where to eat before our shows

2011-06-02T13:00:00.001-05:00

Well, that's easy! Several Evanston restaurants are Light Opera Works Dining Partners through their support of our programs.

And some of them offer discounts for theater goers. On show days, show your ticket or ticket stub to the following Evanston restaurants for a discount on your dining!

at 1502 Sherman (south of Grove)
-------------------------------------

804 Davis (at Sherman)
---------------------------------------------

1571 Sherman Avenue

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505 Main Street (between Chicago and Hinman)

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works:Q&A with Jennie Sophia

2011-05-27T16:11:00.009-05:00

Hello once again Blog Buddies! Kyle here again. Last week I chatted with the beautiful Emily Rogers who is playing Jane in our upcoming production of Brigadoon. The show is now in its fifth week of rehearsals. We have now officially moved into Cahn Auditorium! One more week until the show! If you don't have tickets now get them while you can! For our last week of rehearsals before our opening night on June 4th, I have our amazing leading lady, Jennie Sophia. Don't forget to check back next week for another Q and A!

Full given name:Jennie Sophia Grunseth

Hometown: Goshen, IN. Go Hoosiers!

Current audition song:" If I tell you then I will have to kill all the sopranos in Chicagoland."

Special skills: Falling on my face.

Skill/talent you wish you had or were better at: I have always wanted to be a Prima Ballerina so I would need to have greater flexibility, smaller feet, and years of training.

First musical you ever saw: When I was a wee little one, my Grandpa and Grandma Hepler took me to the Wagon Wheel Theatre to see my first production of Annie. I remember saying to myself, "One day, I want to be on that stage!" And guess what? For about 4 magical "summerstock" summers I was.

Current Chicago show you have been recommending to friends: Duh! Brigadoon at Light Opera Works. Oh, and any show or cabaret that has Doug Peck's name attached to it!

Three favorite musicals: Les Miserable, Ragtime, and Man of La Mancha,

Favorite showtune of all time: The Impossible Dream

The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: The one? There are so many!!!!!! Okay, it would probably be my first trip to New York as a teenager and I had front row tickets to Les Miserable. The story, the music, the marching, the flag, the voies, and the passion rendered me speechless, tearful, and outrageously inspired.

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage? Fell flat on my face in a wedding gown during my final bow as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at the Wagon Wheel Theatre. Yes, as I gracefully lilted down the "dog" aisle at the Wagon Wheel (theatre in the round), I somehow missed the step and ended up sprawled upon center stage with every cast member's arm extended to me! LOSER! After a moment on the floor and a million gasps, I gathered up my gown and me and humbly stood to take my final bow. You can only imagine what was said to me in the meet-and-greet (zoo) line afterwards.

Most played song on your iPod: Well my ipod says Viva La Vida by Coldplay and my only explanation for this is that it is the first song on my "workout playlist". I would say Jane Monheit's rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is one of my absolute favorites. Can you tell I'm a dreamer?

Last book you read: Intent To Live by Larry Moss

Last good movie you saw: The King's Speech

Must-see TV show: I don't watch much TV, but I will watch anything that makes me laugh or cry.

Three greatest TV shows of all time: As a kid, it was the Cosby Show.

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Jesse Mueller

Tell me the story of your First stage kiss: Well lets see who was my first? Hmm.... I believe it was Ryan Caldwell in Arsenic and Old Lace at Goshen High School. I remember being very worried about which way to tilt, to the right or the left? Well we both tilted to the right and noses crashed, kids laughed, and to this day I get a little nervous about which way to tilt.

Worst job you ever had: Buffet attendant at Ponde"gross"a

Who would play you in the movie?Oh let's see.....the young Julie Andrews, Shirley Jones, Natalie Wood, or Audrey Hepburn? :) I would like to see Kate Winslet's interpretation of my life. Oh, and a recent reviewer said I looked like Barbara Parkins from A Valley Of Dolls.

Three things you can't live without: My dog, my Dan, and music.

Finish this sentence: "I'll never understand why... Eve ate the apple."

Step back in time

2011-05-23T09:05:00.000-05:00

You've wanted to do it-- to step out of modern life into the simpler, forthright past, just like Tommy Albright in Brigadoon. To a time when men were men and women were women and toilets were outdoors.

Okay, maybe not so much.

But you can step into the past, not only with Light Opera Works' upcoming production of Brigadoon, opening on June 4, but also at numerous living history museums scattered throughout the 5-county area.

If Brigadoon gives you an urge to step into the past yourself, try these wonderful local museums:

Graue Mill, Oak Brook, an operating waterwheel grist mill and homestead, is "dedicated to maintaining a bridge between past and present generations in the belief that understanding our history is vital to our future. The Museum provides programs -- for school children and others -- that include milling, spinning and weaving and living history presentations, as well as artifacts which illustrate the way of life of area residents between 1850 and 1890 and the impact mills such as Graue Mill had on our culture."

Kline Creek Farm, DuPage Forest Preserve, where you can back in time and experience what life was like on a DuPage County Farm in the 1890s. You can visit restored farmstead structures and meet the historically-costumed interpreters operating this living-history farm using the tools and techniques of the past. Activities and events at the farm re-create the seasonal rhythms that have governed farm life for centuries.

Perhaps the best known local living history museum, Naper Settlement in Naperville portrays f 19th century community life based on the history of Naperville, Illinois.

Deerfield Historic Village in Deerfield has several buildings including the oldest house in Lake County, a mid-19th century farmhouse, and a one-room schoolhouse as well as antique carriages and farm equipment.

All of Illinois' history museums can be found on this Historic Museum Guide for Illinois.

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works:Q&A with Emily Rogers

2011-05-20T11:00:00.001-05:00

Hello once again Blog Buddies! Kyle here again. Last week I chatted with the beautiful Emilie Lynn who is playing Jane in our upcoming production of Brigadoon. The show is now in its fourth week of rehearsals. On Tuesday we had a designer run thru. So... that means we are getting close to getting into costumes and on a set at Cahn Auditorium! This week, I have interviewed one of the most beautiful dancers I have seen in a while, Emily Rogers, who is playing Jean( I am already humming "Go Home with Bonnie Jean") Well enough humming here is what Emily had to say! Don't forget to check back next Thursday for another Q and A!

Full given name:

Emily Ariel Kass DiVries Rogers

Hometown:

Evanston, IL

Current audition song:

The Lady is a Tramp

Special skills:

Putting babies to sleep, making cappuccinos, playing the piano

Skill/talent you wish you had or were better at:

Remembering things, break-dancing, and sign language

First musical you ever saw:

Anything Goes

Three favorite musicals:

The Last 5 Years, Cabaret, My Fair Lady

Favorite showtune of all time:

Maybe This Time, Cabaret

The one performance – attended - that you will never forget:

Fuerza Bruta

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage?

While singing the most exciting part of Cabaret, I fell, face first, off of the bench I was standing on. I had to continue the song while swallowing tears, and bleeding from both shins.

Last book you read:

Overcoming Math Anxiety

Last good movie you saw:

Get Him To The Greek

Must-see TV show:

Downtown Abbey, PBS Mini-series

Three greatest TV shows of all time:

Jeeves and Wooster, The Office, Poirot-- A Mobile Masterpiece Mystery

Tell me the story of your First stage kiss:

Junior year of highschool, The Foreigner. I had just broken up with Reverend David Marshall Lee and was also an ex-girlfriend to Froggy LeSeur. The kiss was awkward for the both of us, and my ex-boyfriend watching. It's a fantastic memory to look back on.

Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager:

Margot in Stuart Little. The boy who played Stuart was so little, and I was so tall, that he had to climb on my back as I "flew" around the stage. Priceless.

Worst job you ever had:

I was a night nurse for two years, and had to work 11p-7a Monday through Thursday!

Who would play you in the movie?

Shirley Temple

Three things you can't live without:

Liverwurst, sparkling water, and my partner in crime/fiance.

Finish this sentence: "I'll never understand why…"

...people shorten the word 'probably' to 'prolly'. It isn't cute...at all.

Click HERE for tickets to Brigadoon

Another Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T14:59:00.013-05:00

In Rehearsal with the Brigadoon Cast and Staff!
Click HERE for tickets to Brigadoon

No new stories

2011-05-18T12:38:00.000-05:00

The things you find on line. Seems there's an older version of the story of a cursed (or blessed) village that appears only once in a century, and the modern traveler who stumbles upon it at just the right (wrong?) moment.

Alan Jay Lerner denies that he based Brigadoon on this story, but here it is. Judge for yourself.

Germelshausen
by Friedrich Gerstäcker

For tickets to Light Opera Works' production of Brigadoon, opening on June 4, visit us at www.LightOperaWorks.com

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works:Q&A with Emilie Lynn

2011-05-12T23:00:00.007-05:00

Hello once again Blog Buddies! Kyle here again. Last week I chatted with the hilarious Maggie Portman who is playing Meg in our upcoming production of Brigadoon. The show is now in its third week of rehearsals and is looking great. This week I have an interview with the beautiful, and extremely talented performer Emilie Lynn who is playing Jane, Tommy's sophisticated New York fiancee. Don't forget to check back next Thursday for another Q and A!

Full given name: Emilie Rose Frake (now Lynn)

Hometown: Vernon Hills, IL

Current audition song: Just one? “Let Me Be Your Wings” by Barry Manilow

Special skills: I can burp on command.

First musical you ever saw: The Sound of Music…my grandmother was Mother Abbess in the production!

Three favorite musicals: Spring Awakening, Into the Woods, Les Misérables

The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: Spring Awakening in St. Louis. First time I saw it…it just blew my mind. I had never seen something like it…it really opened up a new world of musical theater to me.

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage? West Side Story in college…I was Maria and it was the last scene right after Tony dies. I screamed “Don’t you touch him” so loud that it “woke up” the dead Tony (he jumped) and everyone on stage started laughing.

MAC or PC? PC

Most played song on your iPod: I don’t own an iPod…wah waaaaaah

Last book you read: Ugh oh, you caught me! I don’t even remember!

Last good movie you saw: "Beauty and the Beast" Yes, that one. ;-)

Must-see TV show: Parenthood!

Three greatest TV shows of all time: "Rugrats", "Friends", "Parenthood"

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Martina McBride. LOVE. HER.

Tell me the story of your First stage kiss: BAHAHAHA. Um, totally awkward. Again, West Side Story…my Tony and I were so awkward kissing that our director instructed me to practice with him off-stage. SO WEIRD.

Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: It has to be playing Maureen in Rent. That cast became family and that role changed me as a performer. I was forced out of my box and had to stretch myself completely. It was so rewarding!

Worst job you ever had: Fitting room attendant at Target.

Who would play you in the movie? Rachel McAdams

Three things you can't live without: My husband, hard candy, red wine

Finish this sentence: "I'll never understand why…" my cats lick plastic.

Click here for tickets to Brigadoon

What pays for a theater?

2011-05-09T12:37:00.007-05:00

Not to put too fine a point on it, you do.

Primarily through ticket and subscription purchases, it's the individual patrons who keep a theater alive. The best "fundraising" program in the world is no substitute for loyal ticket buyers who come year after year, and bring their friends and their families.

But as the trope from every fund appeal you've ever gotten says "your ticket purchase does not cover the full cost of our programs."

If they did, every theater would have "downtown" prices, not just for the best orchestra seats, but also for those seats up in the corner of the balcony. The half price tickets for kids, and the subsidized ones for low income and special populations would be a distant memory.

To support these seats, and to keep other prices down, we rely on a long list of sponsors. These include the individual patrons who give us gifts from $10 on up to ones with lots and lots of zeros (wow, thank you!), the retailers and restaurants that help with promotional sponsors and patron discounts, the foundations who support the arts, and our corporate sponsors, who offer cash support in exchange for promotion.

With the new season just weeks from Opening Night, we want to take a moment to thank our sponsors, and to urge you to patronize these businesses first when making your purchasing decisions! A complete list of our sponsors and Dining Partners is on our website. You'll also find them all listed in the program booklet for every show.

Next time you're at one of these wonderful businesses, tell them thank you!

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works:Q&A with Maggie Portman

2011-05-05T11:00:00.003-05:00

Hello once again Blog Buddies! Kyle here again. Last week we gave you a peek at Rob Hunt who is playing Tommy in our upcoming production of Brigadoon. During this week of rehearsals, I have an interview with the funny, and extremely talented actor,singer, and dancer Maggie Portman who is playing Meg! Once we get to the interview you can tell why she was cast so brilliantly as the comic relief of Brigadoon!

Full given name: Maggie Anne Portman

Hometown: Marietta, Georgia

Special skills: I’m a mean roller skater and a great multi tasker!

Skill/talent you wish you had or were better at: Computer skills! I’m like a grandma on those things!

First musical you ever saw: Cinderella was first one I ever saw I was 6 and it was a Cobb County Choral Youth production of it. Stellar!

Current Chicago show you have been recommending to friends: Rodgers and Hammerstein Revue at the No Exit Café with Theo Ubique

Three favorite musicals: Sweet Charity, Hair, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (cheesy I know but come on that show is fun!)

Favorite showtune of all time: "Oom Pah Pah!" from Oliver or "Master of the House" from Les Misérables. I love a great drinkin' song and a dance number full of bar wenches! Ha ha ha!

The one live performance that you will never forget: Seeing Les Misérables with that revolving stage and that huge barricade! Oh and the voices and the show were so emotional, I cried my eyes out! Breathtaking!

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage? Hello Dolly National Tour, I’m wearing a big pink strawberry shortcake poofy dress and it’s the courtroom scene. Suddenly, and most embarrassing, I need to go to the bathroom so bad I didn't know what to do. I had to try to sneak offstage without being noticed in the middle of a very quiet moment in a big pink poofy dress and bright red wig! and then I had to explain it to our company manager and stage manager and the cast after the show. Aaaaaaahhh!

Most played song on your iPod: Fiona Apple Extraordinary machine “I had to break the window”

Last book you read: Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Last good movie you saw: 9-5 on rerun TV the other night was most recent! That copy machine scene is my life!

Must-see TV show: Americas Next Top Model

Three greatest TV shows of all time: all time ? really? Uh……. Cosby Show, Golden Girls, Lost

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Patti Lupone

Tell me the story of your First stage kiss: EW! He slipped me the tongue. It was the biggest soap opera drama moment ever! I had all the kids talking about it in our theatre company. I was dating a guy in the cast and I guess this other guy kinda had a crush and decided to take his moment. Unfortunately it was my first stage kiss so I was traumatized for quite a while after that. Took me years to build up trust again. He licked almost my whole face poor guy. He recently contacted me on facebook to apologize for that kiss that happened 20 years ago, literally!! Couldn’t believe he was still thinking about it!

Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: Dorothy in The Wiz

Worst job you ever had: Street surveying. People actually punched me. I have never felt so low in my life. I got screamed at, pushed, punched, and shunned. I don’t envy those people with the clipboards in the street! I called my temp agent and quit on the job!!

Who would play you in the movie? If she was younger than me I’d say Sissy Spacek, now it would probably be Natalie Portman just to piss me off. She stole my last name, it’s a silly petty thing but I’ve never liked her because of that and with my luck that’s what would happen. The universe is a comedian!

Three things you can't live without: Pepsi, Chocolate, my kitty cat Akasha Lily. Just try to take one of these my pretty….just try!

Finish this sentence: "I'll never understand why…" people walk around so unaware of their personal space and surroundings. I’m always shouting like a crazy bag lady about how everyone should be required to take drama classes to learn how to get around without bumping into people or how to weave through people to move through streets faster. And don’t just stop suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk! Look around you. Patience is not one of my virtues!

For tickets for Brigadoon go to www.lightoperaworks.com.

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works: Q&A with Rob Hunt

2011-04-28T10:00:00.010-05:00

Hello Blog Buddies! Kyle here, Production Associate here at Light Opera Works. I'll be interviewing our performers all season throughout each rehearsal period and give you a peek into who the performers are!
This first week of Brigadoon rehearsals, we have Rob Hunt who is playing Tommy Albright in our June production. Rob, who is right off the national tour of South Pacific, sent me a lot of great stuff about his interests and background. Here are the highlights:

Hometown: Ogden, Utah. Spent 13 years in New York City. But I now consider Chicago my hometown.

Current audition song:“If I Can’t Love Her” from Beauty and the Beast and “Wake Up and Dream” by Cole Porter.

Special skills: I play the piano (thanks Mom!), I do basic juggling and I can eat fire! It’s amazing what skills you have to learn in this business.

First musical you ever saw: Oklahoma! It was a production being “put on” by my church when I was a kid. I was amazed sitting there watching the dream ballet and seeing Jud killed right before me on stage. I knew that night this was what I wanted to do.

Current Chicago show you have been recommending to friends: My favorite Chicago theatre experience over and over again is Barrel of Monkeys! If you haven’t seen them, then you must! (NB/Kyle-- what about Light Opera Works! Helloooo)

Three favorite musicals: Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd and Spring Awakening

Favorite showtune of all time: “Move On” from Sunday in the Park With George

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage? I did an Off-Broadway show several years ago called Boobs! The Musical. In the opening number I wore jazz shoes, a purple sparkly vest (no shirt) and purple stretch velvet bell-bottomed pants. During one scene in the show I played a mad scientist who created a Bride of Frankenstein who had singing breasts. Also, at two different points in the show I was in drag, chest hair and all. I don’t remember any specifically embarrassing moment but I’m sure it must have come during my run in this show.

MAC or PC? MAC all the way.

Most played song on your iPod: OK….I think my iPod is a liar. It says my most played song is “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay. I do admit to going through a phase when I loved this song and played it often, but I don’t think it’s my most played song. I would guess it’s probably “French Café” by Marc Broussard.

Last book you read: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.

Must-see TV show: Right now it’s “Parks and Recreation”. I really never miss an episode and I fill up my DVR with back episodes so I can re-watch them – which I often do.

Three greatest TV shows of all time: I would answer this question but I’m afraid it would really date me. Next! (NB/Kyle-- we'll just tell everyone you found it on Netflix.)

Performer you would drop everything to go see: Marc Broussard. I discovered his music several years ago. I’ve seen him in concert three times (and I don’t go to a lot of concerts so three is a lot for me). I love his voice and his song writing.

Worst job you ever had: I take the 5^th to protect the innocent.

Who would play you in the movie? I’m told it would be Timothy Olyphant. But, he’d have to gain at least 30 pounds.

Tell me the story of your First stage kiss: Oh boy! My high school did a production of a holocaust play called I Remember Mama. I was a sophomore and the girl I was playing opposite was a senior. Not only was this my first stage kiss it was also my first real kiss beyond the kissing games played at recess. I remember not being able to sleep the night before we were to rehearse the scene with the kiss. I was so nervous. Where do the noses go? Are there secrets about kissing I couldn’t figure out? Would she (my co-star) be able to tell it was my first kiss ever? The next day I was a wreck, but I kept my calm on the outside, did the kiss, no one knew what had just happened, and rehearsal went on without a stop. Easy!

Three things you can't live without:My dog, My computer, Pretzel M&Ms.

Finish this sentence: "I'll never understand why…" hate and fear seem to win so often.

See ya next week for another Q and A with the actress playing Meg, the wonderful Maggie Portman!

All Jerry Herman, all the time

2010-12-20T18:49:00.006-06:00

It seems to be Jerry Herman week! Our own Hello, Dolly! of course, opens on Boxing Day (that's December 26) but you can learn more about this wonderful composer and lyricist in the comfort of your home, with two television specials.

First, on Christmas Day at 5 p.m., see Words and Music by Jerry Herman (link opens with music) on WTTW Channel 11. This new documentary by award-winning filmmaker Amber Edwards takes you backstage through insightful on-camera interviews, behind-the-scenes rehearsal sessions, rare photographs, and never-before-seen archival footage of original Broadway performances.

Next, watch the award ceremony for the Kennedy Center Honors on CBS at 8 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday December 28 (unless of course, you’re watching Hello, Dolly! at Light Opera Works!) when Mr. Herman will be honored along with Merle Haggard, Paul McCartney, Oprah, and Bill T. Jones.

Read about Mr. Herman's road to the musical theater stratosphere in Mike Kotze's terrific article (scroll down to "More about the show") about this composer of Mack and Mabel, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-18T10:05:00.008-06:00

Hats from Hello, Dolly!

Meet Reeny

2010-11-08T16:41:00.003-06:00

Our fall 2010 intern is Reeny Hofrichter, master of accents, deviser of stories, and savior of the unavoidable busy work of a theatrical office (stored in the file we call “Intern Exploitation”.)

Reeny’s an actor (hence the accents, and trust me, she really can do pretty much any accent you throw at her), but likes just “being in the theater world.” Her ambition is on stage, but while she works towards that she says she “wants to do something artistic with my time. It’s so great to be in Chicago for theater, and there’s so much to do here. I want to learn all the different parts that make a theater work.”

We were all impressed with Reeny’s very comprehensive resume (listen up, job seekers, this woman knows how to write a resume that makes you sit up and read), full of intriguing insights like her ability to do accents, and a stint as a “story deviser,” which involves um,

What does it involve, again?

“It’s an aspect of ‘physical theater’,” says Reeny. “Theater involves language, emotion, and movement. Story devising is coming up with ways to move in a theatrical idiom—coming up with ensemble ideas and then getting the story across through movement.”

Still in the wings as an actor, Reeny regrettably does not know any famous people whom we could stalk, um, that is we mean, whose autograph she could get for us, but “My cousin’s ex-roommate dated Megan from Rock of Love just before she started dating Brett Michaels.” (If that means anything to you, you watch too much reality tv.)

She can also wiggle her ears.

She sings, she writes, what can't she do?

2010-11-01T18:12:00.006-05:00

Turns out our "Yeomen" star Alicia Berneche is quite a poet as well. Alicia was a winner of the City of Evanston's recent poetry competition. Original poems by five Evanston residents were installed in concrete on the sidewalk ramp in front of the Evanston Public Library in downtown Evanston.

Alicia played leading lady Elsie in last June's The Yeomen of the Guard, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance in 2009, as well as Marian in The Music Man and Phyllis in Iolanthe, both in 2008.

Here's Alicia's poem "The Poetic Foot"

Your feet scan these words
And feel the vibration of meaning
through their soles.
Poetry is motion
And the rhythm of bodies
That pound their stories
Into the earth.

You can see the inscription of her words at the Evanston Public Library at Church and Orrington in downtown Evanston

Sandwich Wednesday

2010-09-02T11:33:00.011-05:00

Sandwich Wednesday is a longstanding tradition in the Light Opera Works administrative offices. Its origins (sometime last summer) are lost in the mists of time, but basically it involves food, as do all good traditions.

Fortunately for Sandwich Wednesday, we have a fantastic sandwich shop right across the street (in fact, a couple of them, but this one is also a sponsor, so they get the mention!) R ollin' to Go (on Noyes across the street from the L station) has great sandwiches, as well as personal-sized pizzas, made fresh while you wait, a couple of different soups or chilis every day, and the best potato soup in Chicago, but only from November to March.

If you came to one of this summer's Musical Theater Summer Workshop performances, you probably ate one of the delicious cookies that owner Tim Camastro donated for our weekly "bake sales" that help support the Workshop's scholarship program.

Next time you're dropping in on us at Noyes Center, drop in on Rollin' To Go, too, or have a sandwich at one of our other delicious restaurant sponsors, like Prairie Moon, Lulu's, Trattoria DOC, Whole Foods, Dixie Kitchen, or the Globe Cafe, all in Evanston.

Even if it isn't Wednesday!

And thanks Business Manager Mike Kotze, Box Office Manager Christopher Riley and Production Manager Paige Keedy for joining the Sandwich Wednesday silliness!)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: "Carousel" rehearsals

2010-07-21T12:23:00.010-05:00

Katie Beeks, Stage Manager and Rose Streit, Production Intern (Assistant Stage Manager).

Jeremy Trager as Jigger (on box) and Cooper David Grodin as Billy rehearse "Blow High, Blow Low" for the upcoming Light Opera Works production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.

Ensemble members Chris Carter and Bobby Johnson (foreground) with Christian Ketter(ensemble and Enoch Snow, Jr.)

See the show, opening August 14!

The kids are "OK!"

2010-07-09T10:08:00.009-05:00

Counselor Dyan Flores is having a great summer teaching at the Musical Theater Summer Workshop. Each week, 40 kids memorize and then perform an entire Broadway Junior musical, choreography and all. Here’s Dyan's take on it:

The Light Opera Works Musical Theater Summer Workshop is a great program for both staff and students. The six staff members get exposed to five different musicals! And the campers learn all about different styles of musicals, some history, and lots of theater techniques, as well as learning to work as an ensemble. The campers who do more than one week learn even more!

Oklahoma! has grown on me. Before, I thought the musical was too light-hearted. Now I've discovered that it has serious themes while still having a pleasant, delightful score. And if Curly were a person in real life, I'd marry him!

The forty kids this week are real pros. They are managing to show off their acting, singing, and dancing skills despite the heat! They have had some challenging songs and dances thrown at them and they are handling it like pros! We're having a great time and it's going to be a wonderful show!

The kids were “OK” Saturday the 10th of July, at our Second Stage, 1420 Maple Street in Evanston (at The McGaw Children’s Center). There's a show every Saturday in July starting at 4 and running about half an hour—absolutely free. Afterwards, enjoy the bake sale provided to us by our friends at Rollin’ to Go and Whole Foods Evanston and drop into Prairie Moon, just one block over, for dinner.

What Would You Ask Your Fairy Godmother For?

2010-06-30T08:00:00.003-05:00

We asked the kids in our Musical Theater Summer Workshop production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella what their Fairy Godmother should bring them.

Tina: Win 1st Place in a book contest
Shannon: Unlimited super powers
Delaney: A horse and stable
Kaitlin: Power to travel into books & change them
Sophia: A time machine
Kyle: Million dollars, house w/ pool, hot tub, trampoline, and R.V.
Lauren: Infinite fat pigs, wishes, and money
Anja: For the whole world to be peaceful
Liz: Peace, love, happiness, & power of invisibility
Natalia: Million dollars and a mansion
Raina: Everything I’ve ever wanted
Elizabeth: Make summer longer
Mabel: A hug from Jack White
Lillian: Place for all homeless animals & people
Kayla: To see my grandmother again
Mae: More wishes
Olivia: Have a bunch of different personalities
Brooke: Invisibility, be super-fast, and shape-shift
Caroline: To get a dollar every step I take
Mia: To never have a cavity
Lola: A store where people can adopt dogs
Olivia: $1,000,000
Lauren: To time travel and have world peace
Meredith: Flying, invisibility, & super-fast powers
Lanie: Ability to control weather & an iPod Touch
Christina: To live in a mansion w/ a dog, a horse, and a google dollars.
Kate: Nintendo DS-I
Lily: To live w/ my family in Iselburo, Maine
Hannah: My very own pasta factory
Lucy: World peace
Emma: No school
Sarah: $1,000,000 every day & to never die
Katie Jane: Fly & have other super powers
Liana: Get the oil out of the Gulf & save the animals
Isabelle: iPod, laptop, iPad, desktop, & iPhone
Maya: Google dollars & nice homes for all pets
Cameron: A dog

I like the girl who wants "peace, love, happiness and the power of invisibility." (An awful lot of these kids want to be invisible. Just exactly what are they planning?) Which is your favorite?

Meet our Summer Workshop counselors

2010-06-07T15:01:00.015-05:00

We're gearing up for another summer of the Musical Theater Summer Workshop, our 10th! Program manager Anya Plotkin is back with a great team of counselors. They'll start planning and training next week, and then on with the show on the 21st.

Counselor Will Allan's favorite things to do (besides theater) are play baseball, read, go to the movies, and play with his stellar rock band. He could not be more pumped to be a part of this year's workshop. In addition to his excitement about teaching, Will has an impressive theatrical background. His recent acting credits include A Separate Peace at Steppenwolf Theatre, The History Boys at TimeLine Theatre, The Hundred Dresses at Chicago Children's Theatre, and The Good Soul of Szechuan at Strawdog Theatre. Look for him this summer in Strawdog Theatre's remount of Red Noses. As an actor, he can't think of a more fun and awesome way to spend the summer than teaching kids and performing.

Dyan Flores was born and raised in the Chicago area, then moved out to study theater at New York University. While in New York, Dyan studied musical theater at Musical Theatre Works, the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop, and NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. She also studied improv and sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and The PIT. Since returning to Chicago, Dyan has acted and performed comedy at various theaters around the city. This summer she will be a contestant in Impress These Apes starting June 7th at ComedySportz.

Briana Bower will be a senior in theater at Northwestern University this fall. During her time at Northwestern, she has performed in several musicals, including A New Brain, The Wizard of Oz, and Side Show and has also enjoyed teaching at Haven Middle School , helping with their most recent fall musical Fiddler on the Roof. She hopes to pursue a career in theater for young audiences after graduation, and is thrilled to be teaching alongside and working with the Light Opera Works team this summer!

There are still spaces for kids ages 8 to 15 for Cinderella (June 21-26), The Pirates of Penzance (July 12-17) and Once Upon a Mattress (July 26-31). Check out the website or call Monday through Friday 10-5 for info, 847-869-6300.

Wordless Wednesday- annual staff retreat

2010-06-02T08:59:00.004-05:00

Well, almost wordless. Special thanks to Hilton Garden Inn of Evanston for the generous donation of the conference room, wireless, and a very delicious breakfast!

I Do I Do love to meet a Fantastick musical theater legend

2010-05-19T11:49:00.006-05:00

The legendary playwright Tom Jones receives our annual award from critic and singer Paul Thompson of Broadway World.com

There are many connections between Light Opera Works and the collaborators who gave the world The Fantasticks, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. The most obvious ones spring from their works’ central place in the American musical theater canon, but there is an interesting personal link as well.

Light Opera Works inaugurated its Second Stage in 1998 with a production of The Fantasticks. "When the company was choosing the first show to present on the Second Stage, we determined that it just had to be The Fantasticks says Light Opera Works' General Manager, Bridget McDonough. "It is a show that everybody loves, was the perfect scale for the small space, and had great music and a great story – Light Opera Works' calling card."

Artistic Director Rudy Hogenmiller has an even stronger connection, having toured Japan with the authors in a highly successful production of The Fantasticks, with Tom Jones as the Old Actor, and Harvey Schmidt himself at the piano. And in 2006, when Light Opera Works presented 110 in the Shade on the mainstage at Cahn Auditorium, Rudy's friendship with the authors made for a wonderful preproduction collaboration, enabling Light Opera Works to present the show with newly revised musical numbers by the authors.

On March 21, at our annual spring Gala, we were proud to present our Artistic Excellence Award to Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. And though Mr. Schmidt's health did not allow him to travel to Chicago, we were privileged to host Mr. Jones and his wife, choreographer Susan Watson.

Using Mr. Jones' appearance and The Fantasticks as a theme, the 2010 Gala was styled “A Fantastick Celebration.” Guests who purchased VIP tickets mingled with Tom Jones at a private Champagne Reception hosted by Robert Douglas Sphatt and James Schneider of Chicago, prior to the main event.

The ever-charming Mike Kotze, Light Opera Works’ business manager, acted as the evening’s master of ceremonies and Paul Giddings led the live auction bidding. Artistic Director Rudy Hogenmiller introduced the musical program “The Leading Ladies of Light Opera Works” with performers Alicia Berneche, Natalie Ford, and Mary Robin Roth, with Linda Slein on piano. During the musical program the singers performed songs highlighting the upcoming 2010 season and concluded with the entire room joining in a verse of “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks.

We look forward to continued exploration of the Jones and Schmidt canon this fall when Rudy Hogenmiller directs Light Opera Works favorites Larry Adams and Catherine Lord in I Do!, I Do! at the Light Opera Works Second Stage with company music director Roger Bingaman joined by Linda Slein on the duo pianos.

Flowers were provided by Carl Davenport of Davenport Designs and photography by Jennifer Schuman of Horizon Photography. Other sponsors included Binny’s Beverage Depot, Susan Kozak Charitable Fund, On Track Fulfillment, Viking Printing and Marcus Promotions, Inc., and the Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago.

Evanston Chamber Legislative Breakfast

2010-02-12T12:53:00.011-06:00

On February 5 Grants Manager Alexandra (Xan) Nelson attended the Evanston Chamber of Commerce Annual Regional Legislative Outlook Breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn. The event allows Chamber members and guests to listen to and meet with Evanston's county, state and federal legislative team.

This year in addition to frequent panelists Julie Hamos (IL 18th House, pictured, © 2010 Genie Lemieux-Jordan), Larry Suffredin (Cook County Commissioner), and Jan Schakowsky (IL 9th US House of Representatives), Senator Dick Durbin was in attendance. (Probably thrilled to be here instead of Washington, which was getting about 50 inches of snow that day!) Following a panel discussion on federal health care legislation now about to emerge from the U.S. Congress, attendees got the inside scoop on what to expect this year in Springfield and Washington, D.C. and a wrap up of the results of the Illinois primary election.

Mr. Durbin also related his rather chilling first-person account of the initial meeting, in 2008, between congressional leadership and the chairman of the Federal Reserve, regarding the impending financial crisis. These sorts of intimate glimpses into the workings of the government make the legislative breakfast one of the most popular on the Chamber's calendar. (The food's pretty good, too.)

Xan (pictured, far right) attended breakout sessions with Larry Suffredin and Julie Hamos. The session with Mr. Suffredin was also attended by Evanston fourth ward alderman Mark Tendam, with discussions on the difficulties the budget crisis has forced on Evanston residents and not-for-profit organizations. In the session with Representative Hamos, Xan was able to engage Ms. Hamos in a discussion about how the State can help local not-for-profits given the current state of the budget. Light Opera Works volunteer Dana Pearl (center) facilitated the Hamos session.

© 2010 Genie Lemieux-Jordan

Meet Lauren

2010-01-28T13:58:00.010-06:00

Next time you call the box office at Light Opera Works you might hear a new voice. This one belongs to Lauren Robertson, our winter 2010 intern. Light Opera Works hires as many as 8 interns each year, in the office and in production. Like many of them Lauren is an actress who is also interested in the administrative side of theater.

A senior at DePaul (public relations/advertising major, theatre studies minor) , Lauren is also finishing up the conservatory program at Second City, and is currently performing there Monday nights at 8pm in the ETC Theatre.

She’s also worked as an administrative intern at the Goodman Theatre, and in a casting office, where she learned a lot about the business side of acting. Lauren says, “It was disillusioning at first, because I thought it was all about looks, and not about talent. But after a while I really learned that to be a successful actor, especially a commercial actor, you can’t take this to heart. There are a lot of talented people out there, and you have to have luck, connections, and the right look. And that’s okay.”

One piece of luck came after taking a commercial acting class. One of the clinicians for the course was casting agency owner Shirley Hamilton (that's Lauren in the link, top row), who asked Lauren if she could represent her. Through the agency, Lauren has worked in commercials, a “scary film that I won’t tell you the name of,” and in the film Public Enemies, where apparently it was difficult to take one’s eyes off star Johnny Depp, who is just as good looking in person as on the screen.

Five years from now, Lauren just wants to be working in theater. “I like being an actor, but I also love working behind the scenes. I want to be in a big city, and so far Chicago has been great.”

We’ll see how she feels after her first trip to New York, coming up in a couple of weeks. But until we lose her to the bright lights of the big city, say hi if you happen to catch her on the phone.

If you or someone you know is interested in an internship at Light Opera Works, visit our website.

Theater Trek-The Next Generation

2010-01-17T10:25:00.011-06:00

Light Opera Works was proud to play host to a group of high school students at our recent preview performance of The Pirates of Penzance. Music teacher Jim Yarborough brought the cast of Naperville North’s production of the show (to be presented February 23-28). As Jim told us,

"It’s important to me to have the opportunity for students to be exposed to quality music and quality performances, and to work alongside professional performing artists. We've toured to both coasts and abroad, rather extensively for a public school music program, and we’ve been able to work in great venues and with great composers and conductors."

Here are some of the comments from the students about Light Opera Works’ The Pirates of Penzance:

Seeing the show a second time helped me see all of the hard work these actors and crew members and musicians have put into this. It was hilarious! I appreciated the music and the stage placement even more than before. However, even though other students may not have the chance to see the final performance, it always helps to see an example of what to aspire to. How music is played or how a character is portrayed (I seriously did not mean to make that rhyme!), it makes a great difference to have a visual of where to start. I thought it was nothing but beneficial for us to see such a talented group of people show us how it's done! I hope that the Light Opera Works will continue to do this for future high school thespians.
-Katie, cellist (who also came back and watched an actual performance)

(Katie also wondered why the orchestra members left precipitously right after the performance instead of hanging around to answer questions. We had to douse this enthusiastic young musician with a dose of cold water—the musicians are paid up to the last note; if we keep them around we have to pay them overtime! Sorry Katie, hope this doesn’t disillision you too much!)

I really enjoyed this performance of Pirates of Penzance. Seeing it performed really started my learning in the right direction. It helped me find exactly what I need to do with my character. Thank you so much for inviting us, and I hope we can come see another magnificent performance sometime soon.
-Peter, “Pirate King”

Thank you all so very much for allowing us to witness something so spectacular. I studied everything very carefully, and the show really put into perspective what I need to do to prepare for our production. The cast was phenomenal, everyone really clicked with their character, the voices were amazing, and I could definitely tell that everyone worked hard on their roles. All in all, the show is a complete success and really enjoyable!-
-Devontae, “Frederic”

It was a really great experience to see the final rehearsal of Pirates. It gave me a much better idea of what exactly we should be doing when we put on our production and it gave me a good feel of what the show should be like. I was able to watch my character and take note of what the actress from Light Opera Works did that I liked and didn't like. Seeing the rehearsal was extremely helpful for me in fully understanding where to go now, how to develop my character, and how to work with the rest of the people and things on stage.
-Rabeya, “Isabel”

Thank you, Light Opera Works, for letting the NNHS cast to come view your final dress rehearsal of Pirates of Penzance. Not only was the production extremely well done and entertaining, but it helped me start to develop different ideas of how to portray my specific character (Edith). I think what makes this show a success is the comedic timing and emphasis at the correct moments, especially when it comes to the supporting roles, such as Edith and other chorus members. Through seeing your show, I see where all the characters fit in within the spectrum of eacb scene, and the various directions a character can be taken!
-Melanie, “Edith”

If you have a high school group who would like to see an upcoming show, contact box office manager Christopher Riley during box office hours, (weekdays 10-5), 847-869-6300.

An interview with Gregg Opelka

2009-10-21T12:45:00.012-05:00

In October and November 2009, Light Opera Works ran C'est la vie, local composer Gregg Opelka's "refreshingly new, witty, funny and slickly sophisticated musical" (Chicagocritic.com) about two fading chanteuses who take over the cabaret one night to give the show of their lives, with their own droll and lively songs! Photo credit: Chris Ocken, Ocken Photography ©2009 Pictured l. to r. Jeremy Ramey, Jennifer Chada, Gregg Opelka, Kelly Anne Clark. Set by Courtney O'Neill.

We sat down with Gregg recently to ask him about the show and about being a playwright.

LIGHT OPERA WORKS: What had you been working on prior to C’est la vie?
GREGG OPELKA I began work on C’est la vie in 2001 and it premiered in 2002 at Theatre Building Chicago. Prior to that, in 2000 I was working in collaboration with Todd Mueller and Hank Boland on a big Wild West shoot-em-up musical called The Singin' Cowboy, very different in both storyline and idiom from C’est la vie. This was the same team that created Soup du Jour which Light Opera Works produced in 2002 on its Second Stage. After C’est la vie I wrote a show called Jingle Man about an ad jingles writer who gets a little surprise help from Tchaikovsky’s ghost; it’s the only show I’ve written that has never been produced. But I’ll get back to polishing it and peddling it soon.

LIGHT OPERA WORKS How does a new musical get produced? Do you “workshop” your shows? What is that like?
GREGG In general when you’re creating a new work, you go through a series of readings or “workshops.” The readings can be casual private affairs or open to the public. I used to go all out with elaborately staged public readings, but later found that you really just need the actors standing at music stands. A good actor can pull off a reading with a minimum of movement really well. So I’ve done that with my plays, and we did it with C’est la vie, of course. The public reading gives you valuable instant feedback from the audience.

C’est la vie actually had two “out-of-town” try-outs before being produced in Chicago, the first time at The Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph Michigan, and at Footlights Players in Michigan City Indiana. At the Box Factory we were able to set the audience up at cabaret seating, tables with candles, small sofas, all of which gave it a really authentic feel.

I wrote my first show when I was 21 or 22, and it wasn’t a very good show, but it really taught me how to write a show—the variety of song needed in the score. One important trick I discovered back then is that it pays to reward the audience early on with a real toe-tapper of a song. The audience is usually interested in the opening number automatically, but a really fun, hummable second or third song renews your bargain with them and makes them want to stay on the train. You need to grab the audience with a catchy, memorable song, right up front, and get them in your camp. You also have to balance the type of songs you write. I was good at writing ballads but you can’t have an entire show full of ballads. Most stories depict a variety of moods and emotions and the songs should reflect that variety. The songs exist to tell the story in sound.

While in college, I fell in love with Cole Porter, along with Irving Berlin, Frank Loesser, Lerner and Loewe. I realized that I wanted to do that kind of writing, musicals—to make people tap their feet and smile. My song in this show, It’s a Crazy World N’est ce pas? , I hope captures the tone of the whole show; it’s a little piece of ear candy that I want the audience to be humming as they leave.

I’ve written 10 musicals—with a number of collaborators—and nine of them have been produced. Writing a musical is a lot like golf—you’re always trying to improve your game.

LIGHT OPERA WORKS Is play writing a solo or collaborative exercise for you?
GREGG I’ve written both solo and collaborative shows, and it really depends on the story. I couldn’t really have written C’est la vie with any of my prior co-writers (NB: Jane Boyd, Jack Helbig, Todd Mueller, Hank Boland), because they just weren’t as obsessed as I was by the idioms and style of 1950s Parisian cabaret. I, on the other hand, fell in love with that music and that era while in college. But I didn’t want to write strictly an Edith Piaf bio-musical; bio-musicals are very hard to pull off. And, I would naturally have had to use her music, so then I wouldn’t get the opportunity to write in that wonderful French cabaret style. And that was just too much fun to pass up.

LIGHT OPERA WORKS What are you working on now?
GREGG I’m trying my hand at a film. Because, well, why not?, it’s something I’ve never done.

LIGHT OPERA WORKS Do you do this for a living, or do you have a day job?
GREGG Well, actually a night job. About three-fourths of my income comes from royalties and the other quarter from playing piano. I am the piano player at Tommy Gun's Garage, a roaring-20s gangster dinner theater and Chicago’s longest running-show. Like all authors, I still do some self-promotion and networking, but at this point in my career all my plays are handled by Dramatic Publishing and they do a fine job of promoting my works and getting my plays produced.

LIGHT OPERA WORKS Do you feel like growing up in the Chicago suburbs has informed your work?
GREGG Well, in fact, I grew up first on the south side of Chicago until I was seven—and still remember the old neighborhood with nostalgia. Then my parents moved to Glenview—taking me with them, fortunately—where I spent the rest of my childhood and adolescence. This is something people always ask: do you write about yourself? And actually, no, I don’t like to write about myself. I really don’t think I’m very interesting. Playwrights don’t fight wars, or jump out of airplanes or climb mountains, but we like to write about people who do.

LIGHT OPERA WORKS Do you love theater? Or hate it? In other words, has theater that you’ve loved inspired you to create, or has there been so much bad theater that you wanted to try to “fix it?”
GREGG Oh I love it. I love the theater. If you’re going to work in theater you have to love it, because it’s too hard to do if you don’t. And you have to have rhinoceros skin because you’re going to get beaten up from time to time. Not everyone will like what you write, and that’s all right. As long as enough people do—as long as you find that unique audience your voice speaks to—that’s what matters.

LIGHT OPERA WORKS Light Opera Works is known mostly for doing classic musicals and operetta and our audiences really love it when we do the familiar works. So what should our patrons be thinking when they walk into a musical they’ve never seen before?
GREGG That’s a great question. Audiences should just remember that once, no one had heard The Sound of Music or Kiss Me, Kate. We just want you to walk into the theater with that same openness and air of expectation that audiences had when they walked into those classic shows for the first time 50 years ago. Musical writers today are only trying to do exactly what Rodgers and Hammerstein or Cole Porter and others of that golden era were trying to do—delight your senses.

The playwright with Kelly Anne Clark (right) as Dominique Jolie, the sexy songbird who puts the ooze in chanteuse and Jennifer Chada as Fatiguée Fourbue, the woman who's seen it all, done most of it, and now just sings about it. Costumes by Darcy Elora Hofer, Hair and make up by Marvin Riebe. Photo credit: Chris Ocken © 2009

Can you hear me now?

2009-10-20T14:41:00.010-05:00

Sound engineer Daniel Black gets ready for C'est la vie.

Thank you to our generous donors for the brand new sound system that is making our current show on the Second Stage, C'est la vie, merveilleux.

The system, designed by TC Furlong, features an Allen & Heath ZED-428 24 channel mixer, K12 mains and a snake by Whirlwind (don't be alarmed, herpetophobes--it's a kind of bundled audio cable). Individual donors sponsored various components, including the channel mixer at $1,438.33, 8 acoustical panels, lengths of cable (a bargain at $39.86!), and speakers.

General Manager Bridget McDonough "auctioned" the system, one component at a time, at our recent Wine, Chocolate, & Song benefit at the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian. Each donor gets our eternal thanks (and our patrons' eternal thanks for the great sound upgrade at the Second Stage), and a full tax deduction for making a charitable gift to the company.

If you'd like to help with a few components that haven't found a donor yet, go to Make a Donation on our web page, or call us at 847-869-6300. Everyone who makes a donation for the sound system will be invited to a special event featuring a tour of the system.

2009 Joseph Jefferson Nominations

2009-09-02T12:30:00.011-05:00

The Jeff Awards have announced the 2008-2009 nominations for Chicago Equity productions, and Light Opera Works is proud to be on the list as a multiple nominee. George Andrew Wolff received a nomination for Best Actor in a Revue and Anne Gunn one for Best Actress in a Revue for Side by Side by Sondheim on the Second Stage in October/November 2008 (pictured. photos copyright 2008 Chris Ocken).

Scenic designer Courtney O'Neill, who designed our Iolanthe set in 2008, also received a nomination for her design for "Talk Radio" at The Gift Theatre Company. Courtney will be the scenic designer for our 2009 Second Stage show, C'est la vie, by local composer Gregg Opelka, which opens on October 9, 2009 at the Light Opera Works Second Stage, 1420 North Maple Street in Evanston.

Due to Jefferson Committee Award rules, our Main Stage shows are not eligible for the Jeff Awards.

The Jeff Awards sent judges to 141 productions offered by 57 producing organizations resulting in 179 nominations for the 2008-09 season. Committed to celebrating Chicago theater, the Jeff Awards has been honoring outstanding theater artists annually since it was established in 1968.

Congratulations Anne, George and Courtney!

Iconic costumes

2009-08-24T13:52:00.023-05:00

A delightful find from last year's production of Gigi was the name "Karin Wolfe" stitched into the bathing costume. Who was Karin Wolfe? She was Broadway's first "Gigi" and the first person to wear that very costume.

Our My Fair Lady costumes have an equally good pedigree. Leased from Costume World in Deerfield Beach, Florida, they are primarily originals and exact reproductions of Cecil Beaton's designs from the original Broadway production and the 1964 movie staring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Beaton’s designs won the Tony Award for Best Costume Design (1956) and the Academy Award for Costume Design (1964). Costumer for our production is Jill Van Brussel.

Natalie Ford, who plays Eliza Doolittle in the Light Opera Works production, also portrayed our Gigi last season, and has gotten the opportunity to wear these iconic costumes for two of our productions.

For more information about the show or to purchase tickets visit www.LightOperaWorks.com or call (847) 869-6300.

photos: copyright 2009 Chris Ocken, photos feature Nick Sandys as Henry Higgins, Natalie Ford as Eliza Doolittle, and Jo Ann Minds as Mrs. Higgins

Congratulations, Joe!

2009-06-25T15:12:00.004-05:00

Joseph Krzysiak (center), bassist with the Light Opera Works Orchestra, played his 50th show with the company at the opening production of our 29th season, Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. Pictured with Joe are Conductor and Music Director RogerBingaman (left), and concertmaster Harvey Lobstein, (right). Members of the Light Opera Works are represented by the Chicago Federation of Musicians.

Waltz Time!

2009-06-08T14:34:00.005-05:00

Here's Light Opera Works Music Director Roger Bingaman discussing the use of the waltz in Sondheim's A Little Night Music, playing through June 14 at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston. Roger spoke at our recent "At Home" event. For more about the waltz and A Little Night Music, come hear Mike Kotze's "Balcony Talk" on Sunday, June 14 at 12:45 in the upstairs Balcony of Cahn.

At Home with Light Opera Works

2009-06-08T12:29:00.007-05:00

Last month we had our annual Season Opening Party for donors, generously hosted by board member Cathy Westphal and her husband Gary Raphael at their beautiful North Shore home.

Forty Light Opera Works supporters (including our Gala committee and Events staff, picture right) enjoyed wine, Sangria and a light buffet, and enjoyed meeting each other and several cast members from A Little Night Music.

I always enjoy speaking directly with our patrons, and it was great to introduce the season to such an intimate and enthusiastic crowd . The event is part of our At Home series, where patrons who make direct donations of at least $100 are invited to meet our actors and designers in homes and boutiques around Chicago and the North Shore.

Artistic Director Rudy Hogenmiller also spoke, telling us about Sondheim’s wonderful dancing script, and showing guests the designer’s model of the set. Said Rudy, “the show never stops moving, with scenes dancing in and out, so we’ve tried to make the set dance as well.” It was delightful watching Rudy, with his dancer’s background, practically start to dance himself as he enthusiastically described the show. You’ll get to see it all for yourself June 5 through 14 at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston.

Find out more about our production and buy tickets by visiting us at www.LightOperaWorks.com.

Great Music, Great Stories, Great Shows and a Great Party!

2009-05-01T05:21:00.012-05:00

It’s not all work here at Light Opera Works. Sometimes we get to cut a rug and bring our friends together for fun and fundraising. The stars and the checkbooks came out to support 2009 YouthReach and SeniorReach, with 150 people coming together to raise more than $45,000 for these great community engagement programs.

This year’s spring benefit was themed “A Devil-May-Care Affair,” chaired by Diane Blake and Lori Twombly and hosted by Jim and Rosemary Hughes in the beautiful terrace level at the North Shore Country Club in Glenview.

John and Lori Twombly (pictured, far left) also hosted a special V.I.P. reception, where guests at the Premium level met opera great Samuel Ramey and the Hon. Judy Baar Topinka (photo, center) at a private Champagne Reception. Later, following dinner, Light Opera Works presented Ms. Topinka with the Arts Advocacy Award while Mr. Ramey received the Artistic Excellence Award. Also pictured is event co-chair Diane Blake with Tom Blake (far right)

Charming as ever, star of Light Opera Works and Chicago theater James Harms acted as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, with Artistic director Rudy Hogenmiller hosting a star-studded musical program. Featuring More great Light Opera Works favorites including Larry Adams , Natalie Ford, Jessye Wright, Catherine Lord and Jim Harms, with Linda Slein on piano, performed songs from the upcoming 2009 season. For a finale, they surprised honoree Samuel Ramey by leading the crowd in “Happy Birthday.” You’ll be able to see all of these critically acclaimed and award winning actors in our upcoming season.

I’m so grateful to everyone who came and to our wonderful sponsors. Flowers were provided by Carl Davenport of Davenport Designs and photography by Jennifer Schumann of Horizon Photography. Other sponsors were Abt Electronics, LaserStar Productions and Marcus Productions.

We have lots more events planned for the season, and of course our wonderful shows. Check out our website for details, and subscribe to this blog to get the latest updates and offers!
(photo credits: Jennifer Schumann, © 2009)

Yekatrinburg, Russia

2009-04-08T15:22:00.005-05:00

This is the third in a series of three blogs about my autumn trip to Vienna, Budapest and Yekatrinburg, Russia.

This was my fourth time to the city of Yekatrinburg and has it changed! I have not been to Russia in eight years, and seeing it again was an experience in itself. It would take many pages to describe the changes. I will just say it is now much like any other place in Europe in regards to technology, but still retains its Russian soul (for better and worse). But this is about my experiences at the Svedlovsk State Academic Theater of Musical Comedy, a major state theater in the third largest city in the Russian Republic.

I was one of 10 international judges at the Second Vladimir Kurochkin International Competition of Young Artists of Operetta and Musicals. The other judges were from Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.

The competitors, age 21 to 35, were professional performers from theaters all over Russia. They entered in one of three categories: Musical Theater, Operetta, Musical Theater Dance.

It was our job, as judges, to watch a first round of competition, where each of the contestants performed two pieces. Operetta was performed with live piano; musical theater with recorded accompaniment and dance with recorded music. We were asked to rate the performances on a scale of 0 to 25, and to judge overall performances; not just voices. Everything counted - presentation, choice of material, dancing, acting, singing etc.

We then had to eliminate about one-third of the contestants. Those remaining moved to a second round, where they again performed two pieces. Some had one new piece and repeated one from the first round; others had two new pieces. In this round the operetta contestants performed their selections with full orchestra. (Ah -- the glories of state funded theaters!)

The entire contest took place in the theater, with full tech -- lighting, sound, costumes (which the performers brought with them), etc. Each contestant received one rehearsal of each piece.

After this round we again rated the performers on the scale of 0 to 25. Following the tabulation, we discussed who should receive the grand prize; plus first, second and third prizes in each category, as well as honorable mentions.

Then all performers were invited to perform in the final Gala Concert. The judging was completed on Monday evening and the concert was on Wednesday evening.

The prizewinners knew they would receive a prize, but did not know what it would be -- maybe honorable mention, maybe grand prize. At the Gala Concert, members of the theater also performed, as well as several of the judges. There were other prizes awarded that did not come from the judges. The audience got to vote for an "Audience Favorite" and the family of Vladimir Kurochkin, the actor and director for whom the contest is named, was awarded a prize.

The entrance fee was 500 rubles. The prizes were pretty substantial -- $5,000 (yes, dollars) for the grand prize, $1,500 for each first prize, $1,000 for each second prize and $500 for each third prize. Honorable mentions received certificates. The special prizes got trophies.

In addition to the contest, the theater held a concurrent meeting of musical theater professors from 15 universities, who shared workshops and master classes on the teaching of musical theater. They also attended some of the competition rounds and the final Gala Concert.

I was able to attend several master classes in addition to the judging. The theater was not running their season yet; it started on October 3. It would have been interesting to see their new musical based on the life of Catherine the Great, but I had to get back for the opening of Side by Side by Sondheim at my theater, Light Opera Works.

I have never served on a jury before and it was a great experience. It was fascinating to hear the judges' widely divergent opinions of the performers, and wonderful to meet musical theater professionals from other nations. I have many fond memories of my week in Yekatrinburg.

Budapest

2009-04-08T15:21:00.000-05:00

I was honored to be invited by one of Hungary's premiere actors and filmmakers, Robert Koltai, to attend a special invited performance of the musical “Sose halunk meg” which translates to " We Never Die".

The musical, which plays in the repertory of Jozsef Attila Szinhaz (Attila Jozsef Theatre) is based on Robert Koltai's 1994 hit film of the same name. Here is a link to the review of the movie: www.koltairobert.hu/sose.html

This musical is a current favorite in Budapest with more than 50 performances last season and many more performances scheduled for the coming year.

The story, also written by Koltai, is based on the life of his own real Uncle Gyuszi, a small time salesman, hustler, gambler and womanizer who leads his teenage nephew on a coming-of-age adventure in communist Hungary in the 1960's.

Mr. Koltai worked with composer Dés László and lyricist Nemes István to turn this popular movie into a stage musical with Koltai himself as Uncle Gyuszi.

I found the show to be delightful and moving. A true love story between a nephew and his uncle and between the uncle and life. Of course, the performance was in Hungarian, but the humanity of the story transcended the language barrier. The music is catchy - ranging from 1960's pop, to gypsy folk, to contemporary jazz and more. I find myself popping the CD in my car player as I drive around Chicago -caught up in its infectious good feeling - even though I do not know a word of Hungarian.

The production's scenery is a minimal unit set that functions for many locations. The 1960's are evoked with the period costumes. An added bonus is the parade of Hungarian stage legends playing a number of compelling characters that the pair encounter on their journey.

The only drawback to the production was the use of recorded music. The theater in which it is performed is traditionally a drama theater and does not usually produce musicals - so there is no place for live musicians. But that aside, if you are traveling to Budapest - Check out “Sose halunk meg”

Vienna, Budapest and Yekatrinburg, Russia

2009-04-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

This past summer I was invited to be an International Judge at the Second Vladimir Kurochkin International Competition of Young Artists of Operetta and Musicals in Yetatrinburg, Russia. The contest took place from September 25^th to October 1, 2008.

When I learned that I could fly direct from Vienna to Yekatrinburg, I decided to finally visit Vienna. I have been involved with Light Opera Works for almost 30 years and had never been to Vienna. It was time.

In Vienna I was able to stay with my friend Suzanne Kerry and her family. She is an American who has made her living as an actress and singer in Vienna for many years. Through her contacts she was able to get me tickets to The Merry Widow at the Volksoper and to “Rebecca”, a new musical by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay that is literally “burning up” Vienna. (You may remember the Hitchcock film based on the same novel.)

After seeing The Merry Widow performed at the most famous venue for operetta in the world, I believe that Light Opera Works can hold its head high and take great pride in the quality of our work here in Chicago. It is true that the musicians and vocalists at the Volkoper have a special affinity for the works of the composers that brought Vienna such renown in the 19^th and early 20^th century. But in many aspects of the production of operetta, including: scenery, costumes, staging, choreography, and the work of our singing actors and orchestra, I can honestly say that Chicago artists are as good as, if not better than their Viennese counterparts.

We cannot match a state supported operation like the Volksoper in terms of facilities, rehearsal space, number of performances etc. But in terms of what the audience sees on the stage when they attend a performance, Chicago can hold its head high.

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In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works: Q&A with Danielle M. Knox

A commitment to the next generation

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Gifts from Little Buttercup- HMS Pinafore

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Where would you want Daddy Warbucks to take YOU?

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Wordless Wednesday: Brigadoon Opening Night

The reviews are out!

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Step back in time

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Another Wordless Wednesday

No new stories

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works:Q&A with Emilie Lynn

What pays for a theater?

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works:Q&A with Maggie Portman

In Rehearsal with Light Opera Works: Q&A with Rob Hunt

All Jerry Herman, all the time

Wordless Wednesday

Meet Reeny

She sings, she writes, what *can't* she do?

Sandwich Wednesday

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: "Carousel" rehearsals

The kids are "OK!"

What Would You Ask Your Fairy Godmother For?

Meet our Summer Workshop counselors

Wordless Wednesday- annual staff retreat

I Do I Do love to meet a Fantastick musical theater legend

Evanston Chamber Legislative Breakfast

Meet Lauren

Theater Trek-The Next Generation

An interview with Gregg Opelka

Can you hear me now?

2009 Joseph Jefferson Nominations

Iconic costumes

Congratulations, Joe!

Waltz Time!

At Home with Light Opera Works

More than just Great Music Great Stories and Great Shows

Great Music, Great Stories, Great Shows and a Great Party!

Yekatrinburg, Russia

Budapest

Vienna, Budapest and Yekatrinburg, Russia

She sings, she writes, what can't she do?