Funny Money is up and running with one more week of performances including Wed. matinee Aug. 1st and evening performances Thursday Aug. 2nd thru Saturday Aug. 4th.  Our set designer, Brittany Elias, has been creating the worlds in which you have enjoyed the shows this summer.

Funny Money, shown above, takes place in the 70's with mustard yellow walls, a pea green dining room, plus many furnishings, all transporting our audiences back to the 70's.  Brittany is originally from Palm Harbor, FL.  She holds a BFA in Theatre Design from University of Central Florida, but also attended the University of Cincinnati for 2 years as well.  This is Brittany's first summer here at Tibbits and loves designing in this space, especially with the historical aspect of Tibbits.

Brittany started performing at age 2, when she began ballet as well, but started competing in scenic design competitions in FL at age 16.  She won several state competitions and then went on to attend Carnegie Mellon's pre college program to see if she wanted to do this for real.  Brittany said she grew up wanting to be an architect and loved legos, so designing sets wasn't too far off from her childhood dream.  Brittany has extremely supportive parents who wanted her to follow her dreams of scenic design, she also had great inspiration from judges at those design competitions, who kept urging her to go to college for scenic design.

Last summer Brittany designed 2 shows at Weathervane Playhouse in Newark, OH along with being the prop master for all 8 shows that summer.  She has worked as a painter for Utah Festival Opera and a carpenter/painter for American Stage Theatre.  Brittany's dream show to design is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and advises young hopefuls to take lots of art classes.  She said her most challenging set of the season will be Nymph Errant.  It is a big show with a lot of locations.  Brittany said she had the most fun designing the On Broadway 1956 set.  She loved the inspiration behind it and it's free form style. 

Sound designing for us this summer is Shaun Reis.  Originally from Johnsburg, IL, he just graduated from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO with a BA in Theatre.  This is Shaun's 3rd summer here at Tibbits.  He is a carpenter as well as our sound designer.  He returned stating he loves the area and the theatre.  It helps in his position knowing the theatre as well as he does.  By knowing how Tibbits works, he can think outside the problem and come up with a creative solution.

Shaun is responsible for the amplified sound you hear onstage (our monitors) and out in the house as well.  You may have noticed the 1920's microphone used by many on the top platform of Chicago.  Shaun rigged that piece to a modern usable microphone for speech to be heard better.  Shaun ran the show backstage, pulling up the mic when needed throughout our run of the show.  As you sit back and listen to the morning farm noise in Charlotte's Web, it is Shaun who has found that sound effect and made it happen.  Also he found, and is responsible, for the BBC music before, during and after Funny Money.

Shaun started performing in 7th grade, his older brother was a jack of all trades in theatre and by high school, Shaun had entered the technical side and had a hand in all sort of backstage work.  While in college, Shaun worked for a local sound company, an after school theatre program and often for a production and AV company.  These gigs often came through connections with his college and allowed Shaun more hands on training.

Eventually Shaun wants to be a stage hand that tours for a couple of years.  He likes the idea of the venue changing and traveling, which he thinks is a good lifestyle challenge.  He advises young technical people to "put your heart into it and never let it go, theatre takes all of you."  Well said Shaun.

See you at the show!!!

Meet Wilbur and Charlotte! Charlotte's Web will open this Friday July 20th and Saturday July 21st at 10am and will also play the following week July 27th and 28th. Paul Warren Smith and Altamiece Ballard-Cooper play Wilbur and Charlotte. Both of these cast members are in our main stage production of Chicago as well. Paul plays several roles, my personal favorite being the defunct bailiff, and Altamiece stars as Mama Morton.

This is Paul Warren Smith's first summer at Tibbits. Paul is another student from SUNY Cortland University joining us this summer, entering his Junior year as a BFA Musical Theatre major. Originally from Albany NY, Paul began performing in elementary school, but began in professional theatre his senior year in high school.  During his senior year, he interned at an equity theatre called NY State Theatre. While there, he worked all different jobs from on stage to tech work learning the craft. He explained to me that this was an incredible experience for a kid his age. His grandfather was a musician and always loved hearing him and his sister sing, which led him to musical theatre in the first place. Paul has worked at other summer stocks such as Fort Salem Theatre and Park Playhouse, all near his hometown of Albany. Paul mentioned how gorgeous he thinks Tibbits theatre is, and his dream role to play one day is Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. Paul advises acting hopefuls that "dreams exist for a reason, go out and do it, pursue your dreams." He hopes young hopefuls have as much support as he has received from family and friends as well.

This is Altamiece Ballard-Cooper's fourth summer at Tibbits.  She is from Battle Creek, MI. She loves returning to Tibbits, partly because it is in her backyard, and stated that she is treated so well at Tibbits, you just want to return.  Altamiece played Charlotte in Charlotte's Web here at Tibbits in the summer of '05 and is happy to give the part another whirl. Altamiece started performing at age 3 in the play "Amen Corner."  Her father is a performer as well, and said that she grew up watching him and was inspired by him to do theatre.  She attended Western Michigan University for Musical Theatre Performance, and since then has worked for Derby Dinner Playhouse, Music Theatre of Wichita, and was on the National Tour of Rent.  One of Altamiece's dream roles is being checked off her list this summer, Mama Morton in Chicago.  Another dream role of hers is to play one of the Church Ladies in The Color Purple.  Her advice to people wanting to enter the theatre profession is "if there is anything else you think you might want to do, do that.  You have to be thick skinned in this profession."  It is not for the faint of heart.

The director of Charlotte's Web is also our Master Electrician and Light Board operator Dan Janes. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, he designs the lights for the Popcorn shows and has to rewrite cues each week, as the new Mainstage show changes, and Dan has to figure out what he has to left to use. He describes lighting design here at Tibbits similar to figuring out a puzzle.  He has directed one acts and full plays in college, but this will be his first professional directing piece.

Jeff has just graduated from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, IL with a BA in Theatre and Dance with a Design Technical Concentration. In 2009, he was here at Tibbits as our ME and Light Board Operator position. He returned stating he likes working here with the supportive community at Tibbits.

Dan, originally from Crystal Lake, IL, began in sound work his freshman year of high school and broadened his focus to lighting in college. His older brother was an actor, and his ride home, so when he stuck around at rehearsals, he got sucked into the theatre world. Dan has worked for Circus Flora and many other freelance gigs around the St. Louis area. His dream show to light is We Will Rock You but also loves to direct farce comedies. His advice to upcoming people on technical theatre is to do your best and learn how to get along with people, "it makes life easier."

Costume Pieces for Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web is a classic tale, which most of us remember from our childhood.  Bringing a child to a live version of the tale creates memories you can share for a lifetime.  We hope to help make those memories for your family. 

See you at the Show!!!

How fast time flies, our first week of Chicago has already whizzed by.  Chicago will be running one more week with a Wednesday matinee July 18th, and evening performances on the 19th, 20th and closing the 21st. 

One of our cast members is Coldwater born and raised, Jessica Bracy.  Jessica studied dance at The Academy of Dance here in town from age six, the same studio her mother also took ballet from as a child. Jessica remembers performing her recitals on the Tibbits stage as a child, and also appeared in The Snow Girl  here at Tibbits. 

Jessica attended Indiana University on an academic full ride scholarship, she graduated with a BA in Political Science and Anthropology, all while continuing to dance at IU.  After graduating, she spent the next year dancing for the Fort Wayne Ballet.  Then she set her sights on NYC.  Jessica has been living in NYC for the last two years.  She began in NYC by dancing for the Eidolon Ballet Company and now currently is a cast member of "The Ride," an interactive Musical Theatre Tour of the City.  Jessica dances both the tap and the ballerina tracks on "The Ride," but also teaches at Ballet Academy East on the Upper East Side.  When Jessica leaves Tibbits after Chicago closes she will be returning to NYC and will be seen in the new musical KRiEp premiering in August at the NYC Fringe Festival. 

Jessica began her summer at Tibbits choreographing our On Broadway 1956 show.  While she has choreographed ballets before, this was her first full musical theatre show to choreograph.  Jessica said she enjoyed pulling from lots of different dance styles for the show.  For example, "Steam Heat," is the original Fosse choreography, "Jubilation T. Cornpone" was based on country dancing, she used 1920's dance steps for "Won't You Charleston With Me,"  she used ballet and court dancing for the My Fair Lady medley and based "Lola" on Spanish dancing styles.

Jessica's dream roles are Meg in Phantom and Victoria in Cats.  Jessica's advice to young people is to keep your determination, you create your own path.  "When a door shuts, open a window."  She said you hear no so many times in this business, you just have to search for a yes.

Now for all of our Mainstage shows, lighting designer Jeff Hannah, is creating the different worlds of Tibbits.  This is Jeff's 3rd summer at Tibbits, he is from Troy, MI and now lives in Champaign-Urbana, IL.  Jeff keeps busy working for several different companies throughout the year.  Specifically he mentioned Champaign-Urbana Ballet Company, Krannert Center for Performing Arts and Celebration Company.  Jeff holds a BA in Theatre Performance from Oakland University and an MFA in Lighting Design from University of Illinois.

Jeff tells me that Chicago and Nymph Errant will be his most difficult shows of the season, based on the limited resources he has to use and the time frame.  For instance, most theatres have 98-120 dimmers to use, Tibbits has 55.  Another challenge is the batons on which we hang lights from, on stage in our fly rail with its limited capacity.  Jeff returned to Tibbits because he likes the people he works with here, especially Artistic Director Charles Burr.  He says working with this kind of quick time frame, it is always interesting to see what he can design in the 2 days allotted for tech.  He says designing at Tibbits is like figuring out a puzzle and really likes the side boom lights Tibbits has to use.  This year they do have a new lighting toy, an I-Que, it is a rotating mirror, attached to a light fixture that can rotate and move the focus of light, much like an intelligent light does.

Jeff's dream show to lighting design is Midsummer Night's Dream.  He always seems to show up at theatres that have just done the show before he arrived.  Jeff fell into lighting by working crew during his undergrad years.  His advice to people interested in the lighting field is to volunteer, take classes, work electric crews as much as possible, help hang lights and get light focus experience.  Jeff also mentioned that his Master Electrician for the summer Dan Janes, has it really tough.  Dan designs for the Popcorn shows, but since the Popcorn shows straddle two different Mainstage shows, Dan basically has to redo all his cues and certain designs based on what the new Mainstage show is using.  Jeff said that he and Dan try to chat about what each of them need in their shows, so as to not make any one's job harder than it needs to be. 

Summer stock is always tough on the Tech crew, they pull the longest and strangest hours, many times working through the night to make a show run more smoothly the next day.  I know we all thank you for your hard work Tech crew.  Chicago looks fantastic, don't miss this one folks!

See you at the show!!!

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Opening Thursday July 12th, with a matinee and evening performance, Chicago, has been the long awaited show of the Tibbits season. Back to direct, is Kevin Halpin, who directed Fully Monty last summer, and has been returning on a regular basis to direct the big musical of the summer since 2005. 

Two summers ago, Kevin's daughter, Aisling Halpin, joined us as a performer here at Tibbits.  Since then, she has graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Musical Theatre and is now living in NYC.  She worked last summer at Merry Go Round Playhouse in Auburn, NY, but is back to join us this summer at Tibbits as Roxie Hart in Chicago.  Aisling will also be in Funny Money this summer at Tibbits, on top of that, she is choreographing Nymph Errant, her first professional choreography credit, and will also being in the show as well.

As a father and daughter team, Kevin told me he couldn't be more proud of the person and performer Aisling is, "she isn't just a beautiful, very talented girl, but a real team player as well."  He is excited to return to Tibbits at the end of the season to see Aisling's first professional choreographed show. 

Kevin and Aisling went to the same undergraduate school for their BFA's in Musical Theatre, Syracuse University.  Kevin then attended Brooklyn College for his MFA degree in Directing.  His first professional directing job was here at Tibbits as well, The Music Man, in 1991, where my husband, Paul Kerr, played the music man himself, Harold Hill. 

After grad school, Kevin taught at Millikin University for 3 years, and then created the musical theatre program at SUNY Cortland, where he continues to lead the program today.  His wife Cindy also teaches at the college, but after they outgrew the dance facilities at their university, they opened a Performing Arts Institute, with two studio spaces in downtown Cortland, NY. 

Kevin's connection to Tibbits goes back even further than directing.  He and his wife were performers here in the summer of 1985, and Aisling grew up hearing of this magic place called Tibbits.  She visited Tibbits the summer of 2007 while touring colleges, while her dad was directing us in Sweet Charity.  Fast forward three more years, Aisling was now an acting company member of Tibbits, and this summer is a returning company member.

Kevin began performing in 8th grade, as Charlie Brown in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.  He began dance training in college, performed and choreographed at many theatres before returning to grad school for his MFA in Directing. 

Aisling has been dancing all her life, her first performance was at 3 years old in her mother's ballet based off the movie "Hook's" soundtrack, she was baby Michael.  This was just the beginning for Aisling.  She performed many roles throughout her childhood for surrounding theatres like Gateway Playhouse and Cortland Rep.  She even played "Dainty June," at SUNY Cortland in her father's production of Gypsy.

Kevin states that his dream shows to direct are West Side Story and A Chorus Line.  Aisling's dream roles to perform are Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Natalie in Next to Normal, and Sherrie in Rock of Ages.  While Roxie Hart is one of Aisling's dream roles as well, she gets to fulfill that dream this summer, along side of her very proud father/director.

Aisling, when asked why she wanted to return to Tibbits, she said she loves Tibbits for the quality of shows that we do, and that everyone who works here loves what they are doing. Kevin's advice for young people wanting to direct is to study at a good program and build your skills such as play analysis, technical theatre, movement, and communication skills with actors. Aisling advises young actors, "if you love what you do and are willing to work hard, you can do it."

Kevin has many of his students or former students from SUNY Cortland here this summer.  He has included auditioning for Tibbits, by video reel, a part of his curriculum for his upper level musical theatre class.  However, he does offer this audition opportunity to all his students.  The final casting decision is up to Tibbits Artistic Director, Charles Burr, but Kevin has always stressed to his students the value in pursuing professional connections.

One such student, who did just that, is first year Tibbits company member Catherine Skojec.  She has just finished her freshman year at SUNY Cortland, pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre.  Catherine has been seen highlighted in our On Broadway 1956 review and will appear as Go-To-Hell Kitty in Chicago.  Catherine is originally from Binghamton, NY.  She began dancing at age 4, but continued to alternate dance with sports until high school, when she began doing shows.  Catherine is delighted to be spending the summer here in Coldwater and we are delighted to have her.

Come see Chicago opening July 12th and playing until July 21st. 

See you at the show!!!

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"Roxie Rocks the Tibbits"

Chicago, the musical opens this week.  It is the most requested production in the history of Summer Theatre.  It has a long history on stage and screen.  Former Chicago Tribune reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins (left) took a play-writing course and decided to base her play on two real life murderesses in Chicago who she had reported on.  Both women had gotten off with a false pregnancy defense.  Her play, Chicago, opened on December 30, 1926 with the famed director George Abbott at the helm.  The play ran 172 performances, a very respectable run in the 1920's.  





Roxie Hart, as Watkins named the anti-heroine, was played by Francine Larrimore  (right).  These pictures are from a few years earlier, a play called Nobody's Business.  She appeared in more than 20 Broadway productions, including plays by Noel Coward and S.N. Berhrman.



The play was immediately purchased by Cecil B. de Mille's production company.
The movie, a silent, came out in
1927.  Directing credit is given to Frank Urson, but many believe de Mille himself directed the picture.  Here Roxie is played by Phyllis Haver (left and right).  While a slightly more moral tale than the play, it is not as sanitized as the next time Hollywood used the play....




It took almost twenty years for Hollywood to get back to Chicago.  This time they called it Roxie Hart and she was played by Ginger Rogers.  Here are two posters for the film:

The story is basically the same but the production code was in full effect and it is at times barely recognizable as the same story-- it's worked around to prove Roxie is truly innocent of the murder....









John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse bought the play for a musical and started to refashion the story to give equal weight to the other murderess, Velma.  She is a minor character in all the other versions.  Here are the original "merry murderesses"  Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon as Velma and Roxie (left).  It opened on June 3, 1975 and ran for 936 performances.  The original poster art is on the right.

Chicago, was revived in 1996.  It is still running on Broadway.  It has racked up 6496 performances.  

 So far.

The very successful movie version was released in 2002.

Don't miss Chicago at the Tibbits--July 12 through July 21, 2012.

                                                                                                                                  Charles Burr

                                                                                                                                  Artistic Director

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Angelica Golden and Samantha Rey are both very busy girls here at Tibbits this summer. This week they have closed their On Broadway 1956 review on Saturday, they have rehearsed and opened The Frog Prince, for Popcorn Theatre, and all the while been rehearsing to open Chicago soon. Whew! Like I said, busy gals.

Sam and Angel both just graduated from SUNY Cortland with BFA degrees in Musical Theatre.  Angel is originally from Albany and Sam is from Syracuse, NY.  They even travelled here together, from NY to Tibbits, via Sam's car.

This is both of the girls' first summer here at Tibbits. It is Angel's first summer stock experience, but Sam spent last summer at Northern Lights Playhouse in Hazelhurst, WI.  Angel, however, has worked for Auburn Public Theatre with an original children's theatre show, "The Littlest Witch."

Angel said she most likes how welcoming people are here in Coldwater. For example, employees at Northwoods know the cast members by name.  Sam said she really enjoys working with new directors and actors, learning new things outside of college by working with new people.

Angel began in theatre when she was in 6th grade, she played Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. Angel is a triplet, with two brothers. She remembers her mother always singing to them and says her mother inspired her love for music and then the theatre.

Sam was a jock all her life. Her uncle is in the theatre business, so she grew up seeing shows he was involved with often. Then in 9th grade she joined friends doing musicals and got cast in Beauty and the Beast. Sam said she was hooked, she quit sports and now, here she is.

Angel tells me her dream role to play is Kathy in The Last Five Years, and Sam tells me her top three dream roles would be Fantine or Eponine in Les Miserables, and Charlotte in Little Night Music.

Both of these girls have good advice for young people seeking a life in the theatre.  Angel said, "Never stop trying, even when it is hard.  Stay faithful to yourself and you will have the strength to make it.  It's hard to be real in a phony world."  Sam definitely added to this wisdom by stating, "in theatre, with all its drama, baggage and pressure to be something cookie cutter, just stay true to yourself."

These girls have done just that.  Make sure to catch them in The Frog Prince next Friday and Saturday at 10am, July 13th and 14th, and soon in Chicago opening July 12th, playing thru July 21st.

In preparation for Chicago, our costume designer Theresa Hartman, is hard at work as well.  This is Theresa's 3rd year returning to Tibbits, this year she will design Chicago and Nymph Errant.  Theresa is originally from Milan, MI, she holds an undergraduate degree from Wayne State and an MFA in costume design from Virginia Tech. 

Theresa began in fashion design which then led her to Theatre Costume Design at Wayne State.  She interned at Seattle Children's Theatre and says that children's theatre and musicals are her favorite to design for, because of the heightened reality and the freedom of design within those styles of theatre.

The challenges Theresa faces this summer, with the two shows she is designing, is that there is limited time to build and lots of people in Chicago, each playing several parts in the show as well.  In Nymph Errant, one person has to change into another character in the matter of seconds or a few lines. 

Theresa's advice to young people interested in costume design is to learn about as many different time periods, cultures and styles of theatre as possible.  She believes acting experience is a plus in order to understand what works for actors.  Theresa stated that good costume design, "is not just about pretty drawings, but the right designs for the the show." 

You will see the fabulous designs by Theresa next week as we open Chicago and then again during our last show of the season, Nymph Errant.

See you at the show!!!