Today marks the end of our 2012 summer season here at Tibbits. As I look at all the shows we've done this summer, I think, wow, time has flown and we have done some great work. I have enjoyed writing the blog for Tibbits this summer and thank all of you who have so generously given your time, lunch and dinner hours to be interviewed for the good of the blog, much appreciated!
A face you may recently be recognizing in the pit for Nymph Errant is our music director Steven Zumbrun. A fantastic pianist, whom I already knew from the touring show of A Christmas Carol. Steven has music directed and played this tour many times. Steven has brought great enthusiasm to our production at Tibbits. He is always excited about the music and that excitement is contagious. He has added fun harmony to songs in Nymph Errant where the songs may have only had unison parts written in the score, adding audible interest and proper endings to songs.
Steven travels the country for a living now, like many of us, but works often for another opera house called Springer Opera House in Columbus, GA. Originally from Hamprad, Maryland right outside Baltimore, Steven holds a BA in English and Theatre with a Minor in Music from Western Maryland University. This is Steven's first summer at Tibbits and loves the way an old opera house can make you feel like you have stepped back in time.
Steven started music directing in '93 by accident. He fell into the position when a music director dropped out of a production of Merrily We Roll Along, and Steven stepped in. Steven says the work snowballed from there and has enjoyed the amount of work music directing has gotten him over the years. He realizes now that the prolific work in music directing made him find his niche in theatre. Steven loves traveling, and since on tour, he has traveled through every state in the US and parts of Canada. Steven has worked on the national tour of A Christmas Carol, theatres such as Springer Opera House, Totempole Playhouse and a few of his favorite theatres he has played on tour include: the Smoot Theatre and Newberry Opera House.
Steven's dream shows to music direct are Follies and Little Night Music. He advises young hopefuls to not be snobbish when it comes to taking jobs. "Go where you are needed." He says you will see amazing things and meet people you never thought you would by traveling.
To wrap up this summer, one person I didn't get a chance to interview while he was in town as an actor in Pinocchio and Chicago is Jimmy Wencel. I believe Jimmy was an important part of our cast this summer so I interviewed him by email and wanted to share his answers with you. Jimmy is originally from Bad Axe, MI and holds a BA in Theatre and Interpretation from Central Michigan University with a Minor in Dance and Voice. When asked what he likes most about Tibbits and Coldwater he stated, "I love the people at Tibbits so much! We all work so well together and are dedicated to putting together the best shows that we can for this community, which has been so welcoming to us this summer. My host family, Douglas and Sharon Bloom, were especially welcoming. I felt like I had a "mom and dad" to come home to all summer! Our Artistic Director, Charles Burr, and our Executive Director, Christine Delaney, are so very supportive of us and I thank them for all of their hard work here at Tibbits Opera House!"Jimmy's began in theatre pretty young he says, " My first play was a Thanksgiving class play in the 3rd grade, but my first real play was The Diary of Anne Frank when I was in Eighth grade. I knew I wanted to be a performing artist around that time, but at first I thought that would be as an instrumentalist. I decided on theatre as a career my senior year in high school."
Jimmy's mother was very inspirational to him and his decision to go into theatre, " My mom was a theatre major in college, so I was always exposed to the performing arts. My mom and I have even done a couple of Community Theatre productions together." Since graduating from college Jimmy has worked for many theatres. Some include, a national tour of A Christmas Carol for NTC Productions, based in Omaha, NE, various productions at The Lost Colony in Manteo, NC, and a few productions with La Comedia Dinner Theatre in Springboro, OH. Jimmy has also done Children's Theatre tours through The National Theatre for Children and Bridgework Theatre. Jimmy's dream roles include Will Parker in Oklahoma, Jack in Into The Woods, and Jimmy in Thouroughly Modern Millie. Jimmy advises young hopefuls to, "keep working hard and follow your dreams. Don't give up or let the difficulties of the profession hold you back. Always be appreciative of your fellow castmates and the artistic and technical staff. Savor every moment you have onstage. Each performance is truly a gift."
"Goodnight and Good luck!"
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