Friday, December 14, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Lauren Wilkinson

Lauren Wilkinson is one of the young actresses playing the general's granddaughter, Susan Waverly, in "White Christmas"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
LW: I play Susan Waverly. She is very smart and then turns into a wannabe Martha.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
LW: This is my first show at GCP, but I have done school plays and summer camps for drama with GACA.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"?
LW: I felt like if I want to do this for a living I need to perform in a real theater.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
LW: "White Christmas," the finale, because its the song that really gets you into that holiday spirit.

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."?
LW: All my friends are with me, it's cold outside, and there's happiness in the air.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition?
LW: Opening 1 present on Christmas Eve.

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"?
LW: The looks of happiness and cheer on the audience members' faces.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
LW: "Smokey Joe's Cafe" and "Wicked."

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
LW: This is my life and this is what I want to do, and I'm just so happy that I get a chance to share it with the world. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Thanks, Lauren! Break a leg!

xo xo GCP Girl

Thursday, December 13, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Claudia Garcia

Claudia Garcia returns to the Vam York stage in the ensemble of "White Christmas"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
CG: I am in the chorus of "White Christmas." :)

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
CG: My very first show ever was "Les Miserables" at P.K. Yonge. I was also in "42nd Street," "Phantom," and "Ragtime." "White Christmas" is my second GCP show; "Singin' in the Rain" was my first.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"?
CG: I was really missing being on stage, just one of those things you can't take a really long break from, and I needed some "me" time.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
CG: "I Love a Piano." It's really cute and fun, and who doesn't love a tap dance?

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."?
CG: You go to the stores in September and see Christmas stuff out.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition?
CG: THE FOOD!!!!!

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"?
CG: The great cast I get to work with and be a part of.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
CG: "A Chorus Line" or "42nd Street" -- a big dance show!

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
CG: I'm Cuban!! Born in Cuba and I speak Spanish and a great Spanglish.

Thanks, Claudia! "White Christmas" is still running at the GCP, but not for long, so get your tickets!

xo xo GCP Girl

Friday, December 7, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Stephen Griffin

Stephen Griffin lives the dream by stepping into Bing Crosby's shoes in "White Christmas"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character. 
SG: I play the role of Bob Wallace. Bob is the better-looking half of the Bob Wallace-Phil Davis duo. He is a kindhearted, ex-Army Captain that teams up with Phil after the war to form a world famous song and dance team. While Bob may be a star onstage, he has a few social problems when it comes to the ladies. He's often found putting his foot in his mouth.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows. 
SG: This is my fourth show at the GCP, after "Rent," "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Hairspray." The GCP has taught me everything I know about performing and much more beyond that.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"? 
SG: When I was in high school, I would often jokingly tell my friends that I was going to be in a musical, and if I had to choose a show and character to play, it would be Bob Wallace in "White Christmas." I've grown up watching the movie at least once every year. This is truly a dream come true.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show? 
SG: My favorite numbers would have to be "Count Your Blessings" and "Blue Skies." "Count Your Blessings" because it's been one of my favorite songs to sing long before this show. "Blue Skies" is also an awesome song to sing, and although I haven't seen it yet, I'm sure it looks really awesome with the cast dancing behind me. That is also another dream come true. This show has been full of them for me.

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..." 
SG: My mom starts decorating. She has 13 trees up this year, and every room has its own theme. I just love taking down and putting up all the boxes every year.... my fingers are crossed.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition? 
SG: Along with watching "White Christmas," I also really enjoy hanging ornaments on the tree, especially this year with the addition of a very special lady! Also Christmas lunch, we do it big and have a whole melting pot of family and friends over to join us. If you need a place to spend Christmas day, let me know, all are welcome.

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"? 
SG: The thing I look forward to every night is blessing everyone in the audience. Whether it be a song that touches them or just being at the theater with their loved ones, I hope everyone leaves the show with a warm heart and a little Christmas spirit. 

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
SG: I would love to see "Chicago" and "Into the Woods" come to the GCP.  I know we have the talent to do so both on stage and behind the scenes. I think we also need a "Rent" reunion!  

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know! 
SG: If you have ever thought about doing theater, in any fashion, don't hesitate any longer. Find an upcoming show that you have time for and audition. My good friend challenged me to "Live the Dream" and that gave me the motivation to audition for "Rent." It's one of the best things that has happened to me over the last year. I've learned things I never expected, and met some of the most important people in my life right now through the GCP, including my beautiful girlfriend, for those singles out there that want to meet some talented co-eds. I was a total novice when I first came in; the theater is full of extremely genuine and talented people that will help open doors you never thought possible.
Thank you, GCP family. I am, truly, Living The Dream.

Thanks, Stephen! We love you, too! (sniffle)

xo xo GCP Girl

Thursday, December 6, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Kelly Belanger

Miss Florida Sr. Sweetheart Kelly Belanger struts her stuff in the ensemble of "White Christmas"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character. 
KB: I play Tessie, Bob’s secretary. I also act in the ensemble.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows. 
KB: I played Esther Jane in "A Christmas Story" last year, and I’ve been heavily involved in GHS drama with Susan Christophy. This semester, I also joined the Santa Fe dance team, and I’ve been in a performance with them as well.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"? 
KB: I auditioned for "White Christmas" because I’ve always wanted to be in a GCP musical, and I figured this would be a great theatre experience for me.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show? 
KB: Oh goodness. I’d have to say that my favorite number in the show is “White Christmas” in the very end, because everyone is singing together, and when the audience sings along, I feel like the cast really comes together and has that bonding moment with the audience.

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..." 
KB: I know it’s the holiday season when my friends and I start up our secret Santa, and the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon candles fill my house.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition? 
KB: I’ve always enjoyed putting the tree up with my family, because that’s something we’ve always done, and it gives us a time to set aside all of the other things going on in our lives and just be together.

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"? 
KB: Honestly, during the run of the show is when the cast bonds the most, so I’m really looking forward to getting closer with my fellow castmates, as well as performing on the GCP stage for the second time.
 
GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season? 
KB: I’d really like to see GCP do “Next to Normal” in the upcoming season.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know! 
KB: I am currently serving my reign as Miss Florida Sr. Sweetheart 2012 and will be soon receiving my crown for Miss Florida National Teenager 2013. :-) Merry Christmas!

Thanks, Kelly! Break a leg tonight!

xo xo GCP Girl

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Aubrianna Lee Spurgin-Kabinu

Meet Aubrianna Lee Spurgin-Kabinu, who makes her GCP debut in the ensemble of "White Christmas"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
ALSK: I am in the ensemble, but at one point I do have a character named Ethel, who is a young adult who works at "The Ed Sullivan Show" as a secretary and works under Mr. Sheldrake, who she thinks is very sweet and funny, and she absolutely loves her job.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
ALSK: I just started doing shows halfway through the school year last year. My first show was "Cinderella," then at the beginning of this year I was in "The Three Musketeers" as d'Artagnan's mother, a wench, an old woman and, when needed, I was Adele and a sister. Now I am in "White Christmas," and I love it!

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"?
ALSK: I auditioned for "White Christmas" in order to get as much theater experience I could before the end my senior year, because it is just so much fun being a part of shows and I will probably be doing musical theater in college. I also auditioned for "White Christmas" because it is a feel-good and comforting show and I really love entertaining people and making them smile.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
ALSK: I would have to say my favorite musical number in the show is "Snow" because it's so energized, intricate and full of happy thoughts of snow, which as a Floridian I don't get to see, and the song is full of lyrics about how I think it would be like to have snow every winter. A very close second to "Snow" is "Count Your Blessings;" it is such a beautiful song that teaches those who hear it to always stay positive!

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."?
ALSK: I know it's the holiday season when my mom, brothers, and I finally go pick out a nice Christmas tree all together and I smell that magnificent evergreen pine scent. When we strap that Christmas tree to the top of the car, carefully drive home, get it inside and decorate it, I know it's that magical time of year.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition?
ALSK: My favorite winter holiday tradition is waking up super early in the morning, crawling out of bed and going to find presents under the Christmas tree I decorated and finding my mom sitting there on the couch nearby waiting for me! After I come down, my mom goes through all the presents and tells me which ones are mine and which are my brothers', and I show her which ones are hers. After that we sit on the couch in our pajamas in the dark watching a Christmas movie waiting for my brothers to wake up to finally open presents.

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"?
ALSK: What I am looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas" is being able to perform with all these amazing and talented people like the handsome Thomas Sanders (Phil), the beautiful Victoria Sexton (Judy), the loud Kelley Addis (Martha), the sweet Giovanni Barrio (General Waverley), the awesome Stephen Griffin (Bob), the fantastic Susan Christophy (Betty), and of course everyone else who is handsome, beautiful, maybe not as loud as Kelley but sweet, awesome and fantastic cast members that make me smile every time I see them! I just want to start naming everybody off and saying what it is I love about each and every one of them and why they make me look forward to performing in the show every night but I would go on forever I did that, haha.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
ALSK: It would be so cool to see "Jekyll and Hyde" be done at GCP, because I totally love that show, but it does gets pretty intense. Other than "Jekyll and Hyde," I'd love to see "Ragtime," "Pal Joey," or "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," which has been my favorite musical since I was little.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
ALSK: I would like everyone to know that this cast is marvelous and this show has been a blast so far and I will be very sad to see it be over; I love you all!

Thank you, Aubrianna! "White Christmas" begins its third week tonight at the Vam York!

xo xo GCP Girl

Friday, November 30, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Thomas Sanders

Thomas Sanders is full of holiday spirit - and mischief - as entertainer Phil Davis in "White Christmas"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
TS: My character is Phil Davis. He’s the fun-loving, skirt-chasing half of the famous performing duo, Wallace & Davis! He usually tries to get his buddy Bob to go out and start having fun, which leads them into some interesting situations!

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
TS: I’m wrapping up my sixth year at the GCP! I started here at the beginning of my college career in "Beauty and the Beast." Since then, I’ve played roles such as Leo Bloom in “The Producers,” Cornelius Hackl in “Hello, Dolly!,” Ko-Ko in “Hot Mikado,” Billy Crocker in “Anything Goes” and Don Lockwood in “Singin’ in the Rain.” All of these shows have acted as my training in theatre, acting- and dancing-wise!

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"?
TS: Not only was I familiar with many of the talented people I knew were auditioning and was excited to work with, I also loved the message and the holiday spirit that the movie leaves you with each time you watch it. It’s one of those classics that never gets old around Christmastime. I knew how much people loved our last Christmas musical, "GI Holiday Jukebox," and I wanted to be a part of that special experience again!

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
TS: That is a tough one. I really enjoy performing “I Love a Piano”, because I feel it to be one of the more impressive numbers that we pull off and tap dancing is just fun. But, I also would say that the song “Snow” has to be one of the more fun songs we perform, simply because, as a Floridian, it encapsulates all the fun I believe having snow for the holidays would be! Sure, your car might be frozen, and the storms are lame, but hey, you get to have snowball fights, skiing, and sledding!

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."?
TS: Well, I definitely know when Fall is here when you start seeing pumpkin being put into every beverage and pastry! But I would say I know when the holiday season is here when I start smelling mulled cider in the air. That aroma just does it for me. It’s not the holiday season until I start smelling cider, no matter how many Christmas songs I may hear, haha.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
TS: I would absolutely LOVE to see "Into the Woods" be produced at the GCP again! I feel a big cast show like that, coupled with a more contemporary musical such as "Next to Normal," would allow for a pretty awesome season! Bring in a kids’ musical, like "Annie," and that should round out the year perfectly!

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition?
TS: Actually, one of my favorite traditions started only a few years ago, at the Christophys’ "White Christmas" party! The Christophys, who are all in this show, throw a party where we all come over and watch "White Christmas." Now, I can’t imagine the holidays without it. It makes doing this show even more special.

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"?
TS: I am most looking forward to now getting to enjoy doing the show and working with this wonderfully talented and friendly cast. Everyone has been so amazing to work with in this show, and we were really blessed to have everyone cooperate and meld as a team. I get to work alongside Stephen Griffin, who has worked his butt off for his starring role of Bob Wallace, and is amazing. Also, I get to fall in love with Victoria Sexton, our Judy Haynes, who has come from Ocala to share her simply outstanding talents with all of us. I guarantee the audience will also fall in love with her. Add in the constantly astounding talents of Susan Christophy, who is our Betty Haynes, and Kelley Addis, our Martha Watson, and you could see why I’m excited, haha.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
TS: Tap dancing is my absolute favorite! :-)

Thanks, Thomas! Celebrate the weekend by coming to see this holiday classic!

xo xo GCP Girl

Thursday, November 29, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Kelley Addis

Kelley Addis keeps General Waverly (and everyone else) in line as Martha Watson in "White Christmas"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
KA: I'm playing Martha Watson. Martha is a no-nonsense type of gal. She helps to run the inn with General Waverly. She is also an ex-Broadway star...although in her head she's always the star no matter what. She is sassy, charismatic and, most importantly, LOUD!

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
KA: I was last seen at GCP playing Joanne in "Rent." I was also in "Anything Goes," "The Wiz," "The Producers" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." I also was an actor professionally in Chicago appearing in "Tony N' Tina's Wedding," "Jackie: An American Life," "Dimly Perceived Threats to the System," multiple improv shows, murder mysteries, children's shows with Chicago Kids Company, extra gigs in "Spiderman II," "The Company," and "The Break Up." I even appeared in a re-enactment show on "Animal Planet." So...I have a little experience.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"?
KA: It had been about a year since my last show and that was enough of a hiatus for me.

GCP Girl:  What is your favorite musical number in the show, and why?
KA: "I Love a Piano" is catchy and gets stuck in my head frequently. Plus everyone has worked REALLY hard on that number and it shows. Helps to appreciate it that much more knowing that. 

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."?
KA: ...it's August...because that's when Christmas decorations go up now. Sheesh. 

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition?
KA: Going to see my nephews and watching them open Christmas presents. They're so cute and fun to be around. 

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"?
KA: My diva moment!!! You'll know it when you see it. Also seeing kids all dressed up for the holidays to go to a show. Reminds me of when I was young and my mom would take my sister and me to shows around the holidays and how magical the whole experience was. I hope we can give that same magical moment to kids and adults alike. 

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
KA: "Legally Blonde" would be fun. "Avenue Q" would be amazing...hey, we did "Rent." We can do anything now! 

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
KA: I would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa. Here's to getting past the Mayan apocalypse.

Thanks, Kelley! Find out about her diva moment when you see "White Christmas" at the GCP!

xo xo GCP Girl

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Molly Ellis

Molly Ellis is one of the two young actresses playing Susan Waverly in "White Christmas"! The show begins its second week tonight.

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character. 
ME: My character in "White Christmas" is Susan Waverly. Susan is a very peppy, energetic girl who looks up to her grandfather General Waverly and his "concierge" Martha Watson.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
ME: I have performed in my schools plays every year since first grade.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
ME: My favorite music number in the show is when Bob and Phil perform "Sisters." It is my favorite because it is very funny and makes everyone laugh.

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."? 
ME: If I were to finish the sentence "I know it is the holiday season when..." it would say "I know it is the holiday season when it has begun to get a bit nippy outside and I see sales going up prior to Black Friday."

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition? 
ME: My favorite holiday tradition is placing the ornaments on the Christmas tree.

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"? 
ME: The thing I am looking forward to most about performing "White Christmas" is just to perform and to give something for families to come and enjoy together.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
ME: One of the musicals I think the GCP should produce in an upcoming season is "Les Miserables." 

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
ME: I would want everyone to know that in 2012 I competed to receive an award as a Florida State storyteller and won.

Thanks, Molly! Get your tickets now, everyone - shows are filling up fast!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Chasing Manet" cast announcement!

Congrats to the new cast of "Chasing Manet"! Looks like an awesome group!

Catherine - Carolyn Caracausa
Rennie - Pat Thomson
Royal/Captain - Andrew Gordon
Charles - TBA
Rita - Beverly Turner
Henry/Marvin - Ed Hunter
Gabe/Steward - Doug Clifford
Angelica/Marie Claire - Sue Addis
Iris - Dorothy Field
Esperanza/Saviana - Laura D'Anieri
Maurice/Sherwood - Malcolm Sanford

Saturday, November 24, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Brianna Cullinan

Brianna Cullinan makes her GCP debut in the ensemble of "White Christmas"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character. 
BC: I’m in the ensemble. I am one of the dancers.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows. 
BC: This is my first show out of high school and first at GCP. I did a few shows at Buchholz.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"? 
BC: I auditioned because I just wanted to get back into theatre and I knew some people working with this show, so I thought it would be fun.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show? 
BC: My favorite is “I Love A Piano.” I dance in it and it’s just so much fun! I’m learning how to tap dance for it, which I’ve always wanted to do.

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."? 
BC: I know it’s the holiday season when I see Christmas trees being sold at every corner in town.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition? 
BC: My favorite tradition is decorating the Christmas tree with my family. We blast Christmas music and pick the best ornaments to go on it.

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"? 
BC: I’m looking forward to just being on stage, in front of an audience. I love it.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know! 
BC: I will be Tinkerbell at Disney!!

Thanks, Brianna! The show starts at 8 p.m. - see you there!

xo xo GCP Girl

Friday, November 23, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Giovanni Barrio

Giovanni Barrio plays gruff General Waverly, whose Vermont inn needs a dose of holiday magic, in "White Christmas," opening tonight at the Vam York!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
GB: My character is General Henry Waverly. He's a retired WWII general who owns the fledgling Columbia Inn up in Vermont, but has never really let go of his old army ways. He's very gruff, stern and tends to be impatient, especially when things are not running according to his strict regulations, but underneath all that he is fiercely loyal and protective of anyone under his leadership or in his care.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
GB: I've done "Rent" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" with GCP, and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," "It's a Wonderful Life" and "1776" with the High Springs Community Theater.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"?
GB: It's been over a year since my last show and I was missing it. I also wanted to try a different kind of show than I normally do, and WC was very different.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
GB: My favorite musical number is Martha's song, "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy." It pretty much summarizes why I love musical theater so much. If anything I perform touches someone in the audience, I'm happy. That, and Kelley sounds awesome singing it.

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."?
GB: Starbucks busts out the Gingerbread Latte.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition?
GB: Singing Christmas carols. I especially like the older ones like "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"?
GB: SNOW! I can't wait to see the audience's reaction. Oh wait, was that supposed to be a secret?

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
GB: "Next to Normal"! Or anything by Stephen Sondheim, and I mean anything!

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
GB: I'm singing in the show, I swear! You can't see me, because I'm backstage, but believe me I'm singing!

Thanks, Gio! Break a leg tonight!

xo xo GCP Girl

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

"White Christmas" cast profile: Susan Christophy

Susan Christophy fulfills a lifelong holiday wish as Betty Haynes in "White Christmas," which previews tonight at the Vam York!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
SC: I am playing Betty Haynes. Betty is the older sister, mother-hen type. Where her sister Judy is impulsive, Betty is cautious and careful, especially in matters of the heart.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
SC: I'm a regular at the GCP. I've been a board member at GCP for the past 8 years and have recently joined the Executive Board, so I'm around a lot. I was last seen in the Apple Award-winning musical "Thouroghly Modern Millie" as Muzzy. Other shows include: "Daddy's Dying, Who's Got the Will" (Lorraine), "Hello, Dolly!," (Dolly), "Oliver!" (Nancy), "The Hot Mikado" (Katisha), and many others. I'm often either choreographing ("Rent," "The Producers," "Disney's Beauty and the Beast") or directing ("Anything Goes," also choreographed, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "Ain't Misbehavin'")....I am also the Performing Arts Director at Gainesville High, so I pretty much never stop!

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "White Christmas"?
SC: "White Christmas" is my favorite movie-musical of all time. I grew up on it!! Bing Crosby looks and sings like my Daddy, so it was always like I was watching him perform. I feel like my family may have disowned me if I hadn't taken a shot at playing Betty.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show?
SC: "Count Your Blessings." It is the most sincere and heartwarming moment for Bob and Betty.

GCP Girl: Finish this sentence: "I know it's the holiday season when..."?
SC: I personally put Christmas music on in the car.... it's not real until that happens.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite winter holiday tradition?
SC: Every year I have a "White Christmas" party where all my friends and family come over in their pajamas; I cook chili, everybody brings desserts and we all watch the movie-musical "White Christmas." It inevitably turns into a sing-a-long. My favorite part of the night is watching the "newbies," those who have never watched the movie, fall in love with it. I guess this year the party may feel a little different.....

GCP Girl: What are you looking forward to the most about performing in "White Christmas"?
SC: Bringing to life the musical that everyone loves. Also, I love falling in love with Bob Wallace every night beacause Stephen Griffin is so lovable and he brings such a tenderness to the character. The audience is going to be falling in love with him just as I do.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
SC: I am very eclectic in tastes, so while I love the new musicals that are out, I also love some of the classics. I would love for our theatre to bring the musical "Ragtime" to life, or the gut-wrenching musical "Next to Normal," but I would also love to "kick it old school" with the musical "A Chorus Line" or even "South Pacific."

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
SC: I can't wait for everyone to meet Victoria Sexton, the little fireball who plays my sister Judy. She is an amazing addition to the GCP family!! Also, you might have a new favorite leading man once you meet Stephen Griffin on stage. This isn't completely the same old "White Christmas" -- be ready for some new song and dance numbers -- but the favorites are there too!!

Thanks, Susan! You can see Susan and the rest of the cast make some holiday magic when "White Christmas" opens this weekend! The box office opens for the preview performance tonight at 7 p.m. Preview tickets are $5 for general admission.

xo xo GCP Girl

Monday, November 19, 2012

"Chasing Manet" auditions are this weekend!

Wow, it's a big week around here! Thanksgiving, the preview and opening of "White Christmas," and to round off the festivities, an opportunity to audition for our next show, "Chasing Manet"!

Director Jan Cohen gave me the lowdown on the show and what to expect at auditions, which are Sunday, November 25, and Monday, November 26, at 7 p.m. at the Vam York Theater.

GCP Girl: Why did you want to direct "Chasing Manet"?
JC: I was attracted to "Chasing Manet" because it seemed so true to me.  We tend to warehouse older people, without recognizing that, just because they use a wheelchair or can't see as well as they used to, they are still the same human beings they always were.  With flaws, yes--that does not "go away" with age.  But also with desires and likes and dislikes, all of which need to be respected.  I liked the fact that this script showed both the gloomy truth of a nursing home situation, but also the indomitable spirit of its residents as they outsmart the 'young' folks. It also happens to be a comedy--good for January viewing!

GCP Girl: What is your vision for this show?
JC: I hope that we can make the audience laugh and cry along with our leading ladies, cheer for them and take away a respect for others, no matter what their ages. I, for one, am now of the age myself that I occasionally get called "dear" in the supermarket--when this happens, I want to put on my best British accent and quote Lettice Douffet from "Lettice and Lovage," viz--"I am not 'dear' to you.  I am not dear at all."  I hope the story also offers some food for thought, but with really good lighting!

GCP Girl: What are you looking for in those who audition?
JC: I need strong character actors for all of the parts--the worst thing that could happen with this play would be to present caricatures instead of real people, the whole point being that old people are still REAL people, just with more years behind them.  It will also be helpful if everyone is really good at memorizing lines.

GCP Girl: Why should people audition for "Chasing Manet"?
JC: This is a chance for actors of a certain age to play characters of probably an even older age!  And only one person sings...and nobody dances.  Not that that is not fun, but not everyone has the ability to play in musicals.  I also guarantee--we will laugh, and we will have off during Christmas week.

Thanks, Jan! For a description of the show and characters, see our Facebook event page. Hope to see everyone there!

Friday, September 28, 2012

"All My Sons" cast profile: Randy Milliner


Randy Milliner plays neighborhood doctor Jim Bayliss in "All My Sons," closing this weekend at the Vam York!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
RM: I play Dr. Jim Bayliss. Jim, by nature, is a dreamer, but circumstance and situation have given him a rude awakening and forced him to deal with life’s mundane matters, such as money. While he is a devoted husband, he’s more of a thinker than a “doer,” and this causes a great deal of friction in his marriage to his much more pragmatic wife, Sue.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows, either at GCP or another theater.
RM: I’ve only done one other show at GCP, as Sheriff Heck Tate in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I’ve done several shows at the High Springs Community Theater, including “The Odd Couple,” where I was cast as the fastidious, hypochondriac Felix Unger; “Moon Over Buffalo” (which was a great deal of fun); “Hound of the Baskervilles,” where I was Sir Henry Baskerville; and “Butterflies are Free,” in which I played a blind man. “Butterflies” was probably my most challenging role to date, not because of the blind thing, but because I had to play the guitar and sing at the same time…in my skivvies. Also, I’m rehearsing for “Dracula” there, which opens on October 6th.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "All My Sons"?
RM: I really enjoyed my experience as part of the “Mockingbird” cast. Everyone does such a good job and the theater is a really nice space in which to work. I’m looking forward to more auditions here at GCP.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show, and why?
RM: I like the scene in Act 3 between Jim and Kate. In it, Jim describes how everyone, at some point, must decide either follow their “star of Honesty” or sacrifice it, through compromise, in order to follow a more comfortable path. We are told, often flippantly, to “be true to ourselves,” but the reality is that doing so is not always easy. Most everything in life is a trade-off. You give up one thing to have another, and I think this scene really brings that message home.

GCP Girl: What about this show has challenged or inspired you, as an actor and as a person?
RM: Arthur Miller’s characters are very complex; there’s a lot of subtext for each of them, and it’s challenging to show that to the audience. Also, the overall tone of the show is very somber, and bringing out the moments of levity written for my character has been difficult.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "All My Sons"?
RM: “All My Sons” is an excellent exploration of the often tragic effects of lying. Just about every one of the characters in the show had, at some point, been presented with an opportunity to deal honestly with a crisis, and nearly every one of them chose to seek shelter from the painful consequences by rebuilding their lives on a foundation of lies – told to each other and to themselves. For a while, things returned to almost to normal, but as it is wont to do, the harsh light of Truth eventually shone down and burned away the darkness of mendacity, causing their false lives to come crashing down around the characters.
The propensity of dishonesty is not unique to the Kellers and their neighbors – it is something everyone must take care to avoid on a daily basis. So “All My Sons” serves as a reminder that honesty, no matter how uncomfortable, really is the best policy.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
RM: I would like to see some Shakespeare done at the theater. I know it’s difficult to do well, but I’m sure there are people in the community who have the ability and inclination to take on such an endeavor. Also, as preview of the next question: “Waiting for Godot.”

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
RM: I don’t know that I have a dream role yet – I’m a theatre noob. However, the first monologue I ever studied in an acting class was from “Waiting for Godot.” I was very intrigued by the lack of structure and would very much like the part of Vladimir.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
RM: I love rollercoasters! One year, maybe next, I’d really like to go on a U.S. Rollercoaster Tour and ride all of America’s finest coasters. The Millennium Force at Cedar Point in Ohio is the one I’m most looking forward to right now.

Thanks, Randy! This is the final weekend for "All My Sons" - see it tonight, Saturday or Sunday!

xo xo GCP Girl

Thursday, September 27, 2012

"All My Sons" cast profile: Jolene Sayers

Jolene Sayers makes her GCP debut as Anne, the girl next door, in "All My Sons"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
JS: I play Anne. She is the type of girl that goes with the flow and tries to make everyone happy. She's strong and, when it comes down to it, she won't be pushed around.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
JS: It's my first show at GCP, but I've done a lot of shows back in Utah. I played Lina LaMont in "Singin' in the Rain," Lady Caroline in "Enchanted April," Margot Frank in "Diary of Anne Frank," Tansy in "The Nerd," and many more.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "All My Sons"?
JS: I read the synopsis of the play and thought it would be a good show to get involved with. Also, it's been 6 years since I've done a show. I wanted to get back into it and see if I could still act.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show, and why?
JS: When I get to argue a bit with Chris. It's the first time you see Anne get mad and I like the whole pacing of the scene.

GCP Girl: What about this show has challenged or inspired you, as an actor and as a person?
JS: The challenge has been to show different sides of Anne. She can't be just a "pretty face," but to show she's sweet but strong and intelligent, very much aware of what's going on around her.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "All My Sons"?
JS: This show makes you think. You leave wondering what you would have done in the situation and maybe leave feeling like you yourself could be a better person in this world.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
JS: "Chicago," "Jekyll & Hyde," "The Nerd," "Guys and Dolls," "Noises Off."

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
JS: Lucy in "Jekyll & Hyde."

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
JS: I'm Canadian with dual citizenship.


Thanks, Jolene! Only four more chances to see this show!



xo xo GCP Girl

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

"All My Sons" cast profile: Michael Martinez-Hamilton

Michael Martinez-Hamilton brings a wealth of experience (and a bit of the Bard) to the character of Joe Keller in "All My Sons"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
MMH: I am playing Joe, patriarch of the Keller family. The two most important things in Joe's life are family and money. He is a person who was living on the streets at the age of ten. He had to use whatever wit he had to survive. He is not an educated man, but he is street-smart and he knows people. He knows how to manipulate them and how to get what he needs from them. He is willing to go to any length to protect his family and his business. The loss of his business is a major threat to a self-made man like Joe. His lack of education would make it very difficult, nearly impossible, for him to start over and build a new business to pass on to his son, Chris. To Joe, nothing is bigger or more important than the relationship between a father and his son; God, nor the universe, are bigger than this.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows, either at GCP or another theater.
MMH: I worked with a Shakespeare in the Park company in California for about 6 seasons. I was one their principal actors and was blessed with the opportunity to play many great roles during my time with them. I was in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" (Oberon), "Romeo and Juliet" (Friar Laurence), "Twelfth Night" (Malvolio), "Much Ado About Nothing" (Don Pedro), "The Tempest" (King Alonso), and "The Taming of The Shrew" (Baptista).
My initial training as an actor was at the Los Angeles Theatre Academy. I still regard the time I spent there as one of the best in my life so far. I am still very close with the theatre family I made there and still receive a great deal of encouragement and artistic support from them.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "All My Sons"?
MMH: I love this story and have wanted to be part of telling it for a long time. I read it so long ago and it seemed like I would never be old enough to play Joe. Well, I don't know if it's good or bad, but someone thought I was finally old enough!
I love Joe and have a great deal of empathy for him. I did not think I would get the role and auditioned for the experience and also to put myself out in front of the greater theatre community of Gainesville. As a graduate student in the MFA Acting program at UF, it is so challenging to expand the microcosm you find yourself in as you work and and train and study. I was hoping I would get an opportunity to do that with this production. I am glad to say I have met some great people and have made good friends during this production.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show, and why?
MMH: I really like the one-on-one scenes Joe has with Chris and Kate. You get to see his weaknesses and his vulnerability in those scenes. You also get to see his loyalty, love, passion, and tenderness in the scene where Chris tells him he is going to ask Annie to marry him. I think this is my favorite scene.

GCP Girl: What about this show has challenged or inspired you, as an actor and as a person?
MMH: This is a very hard role to play! Joe's thought process is so unlike my own. He may not be book-smart, but he is people-smart. He stays two steps ahead of everyone the majority of the time he is on stage. Joe doesn't always live in the moment. He thinks ahead. It took me a while to get this and to find his thought-rhythm. Once I figured that out, other things, like his physical life and physical vocabulary, began to fall in place. Every night, as I wind down after a performance, I can think of all kinds of new things I have figured out about him. He has big shoes to fill and I am still growing into them!

GCP Girl: Why should people see "All My Sons"?
MMH: "All My Sons" is such a uniquely American story. What are parents willing to sacrifice in order to create a better life for their children? What lengths is a parent willing to go to in order to give their children more than they had? As children, do we have the right to condemn our parents for the choices they made while trying to build a better life for us when we realize their choices violate our own personal values? If you can relate to those questions, see this play!

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
MMH: I would like to see them take more risks. Produce plays that challenge us to break out of our comfort zones.

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
MMH: Willie Loman in "Death of a Salesman."

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
MMH: I am grateful for this moment!!! Thank you!!!

Thanks, Michael! This is the last week to see this American classic, so get your tickets today!

xo xo GCP Girl

Friday, September 21, 2012

"All My Sons" cast profile: Patricia Kee

Patricia Kee swaps her dancing shoes for drama as the sharp-tongued Sue Bayliss in "All My Sons"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
PK: I play Sue Bayliss, a nurse who is a little weathered and worn by life; she's also got a mean streak in her that comes out a bit during the show. I'm a full-time student majoring in theater, and I work full-time, too. This is my first dramatic role ever -- I normally do musicals.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
PK: I did theatre in high school, then ventured away from it, and I'm so glad to be doing it again. I was in the ensemble in "Thoroughly Modern Millie," and I just got cast as Rita in "White Christmas."

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "All My Sons"?
PK: Honestly, I went to the audition to support a friend who wanted to be in the show. I just went up there and winged it and I guess they liked what they saw.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show, and why?
PK: My favorite scene is the very beginning, because it's so lighthearted and fun compared to the majority of the show.

GCP Girl: What about this show has challenged or inspired you, as an actor and as a person?
PK: My character has greatly challenged me because she's nasty most of the time, which is the exact opposite of my personality.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "All My Sons"?
PK: "All My Sons" is a great American play and it is very relatable to how things are in the world today. Self preservation and family are large undertones in the play.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
PK: I would love to see GCP do "The Drowsy Chaperone," "A Chorus Line," or if we could get puppeteers, "Avenue Q" would be amazing!!

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
PK: I'm very green when it comes to theatre; it took me 6 years to figure out this is what I should be doing. Although there are many amazing lead roles I would love to play, just being cast in any show is a dream for me because I get to be on stage.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
PK: Here are two mottoes that help me keep my head on straight when it comes to theatre: "fake it till you make it," and "there will always be someone better than you." I'm also very partial to Cheez Whiz and Ritz crackers.

Thanks, Patty! There are only eight more shows, so get your tickets now!

xo xo GCP Girl

Thursday, September 20, 2012

"All My Sons" cast profile: Josh Ludlam

Josh Ludlam lends his dramatic talent to the complex character of Chris Keller in "All My Sons"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
JL: I play Chris Keller, an idealist who sees the best in others. As one character puts it, "He makes people want to be better than it's possible to be." After seeing the atrocities of war, he realizes that life is more than material possessions. It's about giving yourself to something bigger than yourself and finding happiness in the people that surround you.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
JL: I've played a wide range of characters, from silly ones like Dromio of Ephesus in "The Comedy of Errors" (where I was beaten on stage with ropes) and slapsticks, to serious characters like Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird." But by far my favorite performance was my master's performance, which was a one-man show telling the story of "The Count of Monte Cristo." I played 11 characters in that one show alone! Loads of fun!

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "All My Sons"?
JL: I have been in Gainesville for about a year now and have wanted to get involved in the local theatre scene, but it's difficult sometimes to convince playhouses to take a risk on new talent. I read the physical description of Chris and I felt I fit the physical description, so they'd at least give me a chance! After reading the story line and the play itself, I was more convinced I wanted to be a part of telling this story because it has such power and meaning: live your life for something bigger than yourself!

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show, and why?
JL: My favorite scene is when Chris and Anne get engaged. It's such a sweet moment in a play that is not known for many sweet moments. There are many powerful and beautiful moments!! But not many sweet ones!

GCP Girl: What about this show has challenged or inspired you, as an actor and as a person?
JL: This character is by far the most "dramatic" I have played. There is such a range in Chris, from a playful, boyish love interest, to a killer during war times, to a loving and devoted son. All of these things (and more) have to be visible to the audience. It's certainly not a flat character.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "All My Sons"?
JL: Because it's awesome!!! Because when people leave this play they will "know there is a universe of people out there" and they're responsible to it!

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
JL: "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Willams. Another very powerful play!

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
JL: Cyrano de Bergerac. I understudied in college but never got to play him!

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
JL: I'm single!

Thanks, Josh!  You can see Josh and the rest of the cast all weekend at the Vam York!

xo xo GCP Girl 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

"All My Sons" cast profile: Jim Cooney

Jim Cooney plays the game-changing George Deever in "All My Sons," his first production at the GCP!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
JC: I am playing the character of George Deever in "All My Sons," brother of the character Ann Deever and son to Steve Deever, Joe Keller's imprisoned business partner (who throughout the play remains unseen). To me, George is something of a game changer -- he only appears once, for about 20 minutes, in Act II, but he's integral to advancing the action and tension. George represents the Past, the joyous past but also the darker past that must be reconciled, and this is embodied in George's ambivalence. He returns to his hometown after many years on a mission to protect his family by destroying another, but when he gets there, he's so swept up in nostalgic longing that he nearly lets this mission go.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
JC: I've discovered a passion for acting just this past year, having taken a few acting classes, but this will be my first production (if we don't count a sixth grade play).

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "All My Sons"?
JC: I auditioned for "All My Sons" because there were several parts I thought I could play -- three young adult males, each with great depth. I'd have been happy with any of them, but I'm pretty sure George is who I'm meant to play.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show, and why?
JC: There is one scene in which it appears the status quo for these characters may be salvaged after all, despite some shake-ups from me (George) and other forces. But then one little slip is made (I won't say what) -- it's so small, and yet the dramatic course of events that unfold afterward will seem inevitable in retrospect. You can almost imagine things going differently, if not for this little hiccup.

GCP Girl: What about this show has challenged or inspired you, as an actor and as a person?
JC: For me, a new actor, the most challenging parts of this play were simply learning to move around on stage in a way that his planned yet natural-seeming, dynamic, and in harmony with the other actors. It's also very hard to learn lines and cues when there are more than three characters on stage --- often there's no connection between one line and the next. My acting classes couldn't have prepared me for either of those challenges --- I had to be in a real production to get better at it.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "All My Sons"?
JC: People should see "All My Sons" because, while it merely takes place in a Midwestern backyard, over the course of a single day, it's a tension roller-coaster. For me, the play almost seems to have three climaxes, or even four, each successively increasing in tension though it seems impossible. Our director, Margery Pierson, feels this is Arthur Miller's greatest talent --- reaching an apex of tension and then drawing down, leaving room to rise and go just a little higher then next time. I've come to agree with her!

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season? What is your dream role?
JC: At the moment I'm more interested in straight plays, but my dream role would be to play the Emcee in the musical Cabaret, so I'd love it if GCP did a production of that some day.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
JC: When I'm not at the theater, I'm a student and graduate instructor at the University of Florida, pursing my MFA in fiction writing. I love how well these two creative pursuits --- acting and fiction writing --- complement each other. My right-brain is getting a lot of exercise these days.

Thanks, Jim! Week 2 of "All My Sons" starts tonight!

xo xo GCP Girl

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

"White Christmas" cast announcement!

Congrats to the new cast of "White Christmas"!

Bob - Stephen Griffin
Phil - Thomas Sanders
Betty - Susan Christophy
Judy - Victoria Sexton
Martha - Kelley Addis
Susan - Molly Ellis/Lauren Wilkinson
General Waverly - Giovanni Barrio
Rita - Patricia Kee
Rhoda - Mia Frattino
Sheldrake - Blake Matchett
Mike - Mike Tremaine
Ezekiel - Alex Polefko
Ensemble
Brianna Gardner
Dan Christophy
Brianna Cullinan
Emily Garcia
Claudia Garcia
Rachel Frangie
Alex Sherman
Victoria Cobb
Beverley Turner
Kennedi Traynor
Ariana Ferguson
Samuel John
Kelly Belanger
Aubrianna Spurgin
Angela Schulz
Katherine Ward

Friday, September 14, 2012

"All My Sons" cast profile: Erin Silverman

Erin Silverman tackles the dramatic role of devoted mother Kate Keller in "All My Sons," opening tonight at the Vam York!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
ES: I play Kate, or "Mother" as she's known in the script. Kate is married to the main character, Joe, and they have two sons, one of whom is missing following the end of fighting in WWII, and one of whom has returned home and is resuming civilian life. Kate has a fierce love for what remains of her family and will go to any length to preserve the idea that they can all be together again. Her inability or unwillingness to transform in the face of a post-war reality is what makes her such a compelling character. The other characters feel a fierce loyalty toward Kate and try and protect her.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows, either at GCP or another theater.
ES: This is my eleventh show at the GCP, but my first ever non-musical. I was previously Hope Harcourt in "Anything Goes," Eve in "Children of Eden," Sister Mary Amnesia in "Nunsense," Dolly Tate in "Annie Get Your Gun," Jenny Lind in "Barnum," and Mary Jane Wilkes in "Big River," among others.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "All My Sons"?
ES: "All My Sons" was never anything I could have pictured myself doing. As I said, my theatrical experience is almost exclusively musicals. I'm a single mom now and doing shows is more difficult than it ever has been at any point in my life. When I'm not involved in a production, I miss it. In late June of this year one of my closest friends and fellow GCP actor, Keith Walters, passed away suddenly. I was asked to deliver a eulogy at his memorial service, and throughout the writing and delivery of the speech I kept coming back to this idea of stepping outside of your comfort zone. It was something Keith was passionate about throughout his too short life. And it's something I've never had the courage to do. A few weeks later I got a call from Leannis Maxwell asking me to audition for "All My Sons." The conversation almost immediately drifted back to Keith and this idea of stepping outside the comfort zone. I was scared, but my family and partner Chris encouraged me and I tried out. No one was more surprised that I could get cast in a non-musical than me.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite scene in the show, and why?
ES: I love watching Chris confront Joe in the middle of Act 2. I think a big part of this is I love watching Josh Ludlam on stage. His acting has this intensity and freedom to it that is almost hypnotic to watch. He's deeply believable and it inspires me to try harder and be better in my scenes.

GCP Girl:
What about this show has challenged or inspired you, as an actor and as a person?
ES: Everything. The amount of lines to memorize. But above and beyond that, the emotional state of my character has been really challenging to dive into night after night. I'm a mom now. I don't think I could have understood the all-consuming love, and potential for both pain and joy that accompanies that love, before I had my girls Molly and Maddie. I've also been through a divorce and numerous personal challenges over the last year and a half. Everything I've experienced thus far gives me a reservoir of pain that I access frequently when I'm on stage. I also have much joy in my life now, so I understand the aspiration toward hope and happiness.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "All My Sons"?
ES: Well, first and foremost, I think it's important to continue to support the arts, especially locally. Beyond that, the themes that play out throughout the show - themes such as individual gain versus societal responsibility - are as important now as they ever were. It has been decades since I've read any of Arthur Miller's work, but I'm struck by the naturalness of his dialogue. It's just a really great play, even without special effects or elements added for shock value. Hopefully we'll do justice to his writing.

GCP Girl:
What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
ES: I'm so old-fashioned when it comes to theater, I should probably get more familiar with what's "hot" now. I would love to see the GCP do "Company," "Ragtime," or "Assassins." In terms of straight plays, I've enjoyed "Black Comedy," "Noises Off," and "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man In The Moon Marigolds."

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
ES: Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls" or Abigail Adams in "1776."

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
ES: I do an amazing impersonation of a monkey. And although it may come as a surprise to anyone who's witnessed me try and complete simple mathematical calculations, I have a Ph.D.

Thanks, Erin! Tonight is opening night! Do you have your tickets yet?

xo xo GCP Girl

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Spotlight on Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller is remembered as one of the greatest playwrights in American theatre. His classic drama, “All My Sons,” opens this weekend at the Vam York Theater.

Miller was born in 1915 in New York City to Polish-Jewish immigrant parents. His family was well off, but lost everything in the stock market crash in 1929; he saved for college by working in an auto parts factory. He began writing plays while a student at the University of Michigan, winning enough money through awards to finish his degree. After graduation, he married his college sweetheart and worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard while writing radio scripts (some of which were produced by CBS) and a play he felt would make or break his career: “All My Sons.”

“All My Sons” displays many of the recurring themes in Miller’s work: the influence of playwright Henrik Ibsen is seen in the relationship of the two business partners and the question of responsibility, while Miller’s own criticism of the American Dream shines through the outward normalcy of the Kellers’ lives.

The play premiered on Broadway in January 1947. It was directed by Elia Kazan and starred Ed Begley and Karl Malden. New York Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson called it "an honest, forceful drama about a group of people caught up in a monstrous swindle that has caused the death of 21 Army pilots because of defectively manufactured cylinder heads." The show won Tony Awards for best author and best direction, and won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award over Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh."

The rest of Miller’s story is the stuff of legends: the success of “Death of a Salesman,” written in 1948; his fallout with Kazan over the director’s compliance with the House Un-American Activities Committee; his stab at the committee with his most-produced play, “The Crucible”; his troubled second marriage to Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe and her death, 19 months after their divorce. In his lifetime, he wrote more than 35 stage plays, more than 20 radio and movie scripts, and six nonfiction books. Miller was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the National Medal of Arts, several Tony Awards, the Dorothy and Lillian Gish prize, and the Jerusalem Prize. He died in 2005 at the age of 89. His daughter, Rebecca Miller, is married to actor Daniel Day-Lewis. For a more in-depth portrait, check out the New York Times obituary.

“All My Sons,” directed by Margery Pierson, previews on Thursday, September 13 and opens Friday, September 14. See you there!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

"White Christmas" auditions are this weekend!

Auditions for the classic holiday musical "White Christmas" are coming up this weekend! Director Bob Garrigues gives some advice for potential cast members.

GCP Girl: Why did you want to direct "White Christmas"?
BG: "White Christmas" is a show I have known for a long time. It is a lovely presentation with great themes, and is just perfect for the Christmas holidays. I love to work with Ted Lewis and look forward to mounting this show. We did “Singing in the Rain” together and had a glorious time.

GCP Girl: What is your vision for this show?
BG: My vision is to tell the story of comradeship, love and Christmas in all its wonderment. We want to present all the ingredients of stage craft that make a show visually appealing. With the help of the talented Carol McCoy, we will bring great music and performance to the Vam York stage.

GCP Girl: Why should people audition for this show?
BG: You will be treated in a professional fashion, be a part of a great show, and have a wonderful experience.

GCP Girl: Is there anything specific you are looking for in the actors who audition? If someone wants to impress you, what should she or he do?
BG: Talent, natural, willingness to work and be a team player. Just be yourself -- no pretenses and false airs.

GCP Girl: Any songs you do NOT want to hear?
BG: Sing what you would like and that demonstrates best your talent and skills. I hate “Tits and Ass” from "A Chorus Line."

GCP Girl: Anything you'd like to add?
BG: Please come and let us get to see and hear you. Everyone will have an equal opportunity.

Thanks, Bob! Auditions are Sunday, September 16 and Monday, September 17 at 7 p.m. at the Vam York Theater.  For more general audition tips, check out this post.  See you there!

Monday, August 13, 2012

2012 Golden Apples Awards Honorees!

Congrats to everyone who received a Golden Apple Award this weekend! All the nominees worked hard to make last season memorable.

Actor in a Minor Role - Henry Wihnyk, "Hairspray"
Actress in a Minor Role - Carolyn Caracausa, "Hairspray"
Choreography - Matthew Teoli, Leannis Maxwell and Hannah Stahmer, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Supporting Actor in a Play - Nicholas May, "Intimate Apparel"
Supporting Actress in a Play - Jan Cohen, "Agnes of God"
Sound - Kristin Paulson, "A Christmas Story"
Properties - Erin Kleim, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Supporting Actor in a Musical - Steven Butler, "Rent"
Supporting Actress in a Musical - Kathy L. Williams, "Hairspray"
Lighting - Michael Thomson, "Hairspray"
Best Actor in a Play - Adam Lishawa, "A Christmas Story"
Best Actress in a Play - Amanda Edwards, "Intimate Apparel"
GCP Scholarship - Kevin Anderson and Olivia Turpening
Costumes - Rhonda Wilson, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Set Design - Ed McKay and Thomas Muhn, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Best Actor in a Musical - Esteban Alvarez, "Hairspray"
Best Actress in a Musical - Sissy Bell, "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
STAR Award - Caitlin Hunter and Stephen Griffin
Excellence in Technical Execution - "Rent"
Excellence in Artistic Design - "A Christmas Story"
The President's Cup - The Christophy Family
Best Play - "Agnes of God"
Best Musical - "Thoroughly Modern Millie"

Friday, August 3, 2012

"Hairspray" cast profile: Esteban Alvarez III

Esteban Alvarez III is big, blond(ish) and beautiful as Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
EA: I play Edna Turnblad. Edna is Tracy's mother and is both strong and insecure at the same time. The outside world scares her. She's afraid of being hurt and Tracy getting hurt. Yet, by the end of the show she is stronger, braver, and proud of her daughter and of herself.  

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
EA: My last show was "The Murder Room," and before that I was Max Bialystock opposite Thomas Sanders in "The Producers"...which we are both waiting and willing to start performing the show again.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "Hairspray"?
EA: I auditioned for "Hairspray" because I wanted to play Edna. I've done a lot of things on stage but I have never had to convincingly play a woman. I love the character, the music, and the show in general. Plus, I knew some friends were going to audition for the show.
 
GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show, and why?
EA: I really like "Big, Blond, and Beautiful." Not only does Kathy do an amazing job with it, but I get to make faces at her while she sings. And it is a pivotal point for Edna's character...so, it's a win-win situation.
 
GCP Girl: Why should people see "Hairspray"?
EA: Because the cast is great, the music is fun, and the show is really really funny.
 
GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
EA: "Noises Off," "Sweeney Todd," and "Company."
 
GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
EA: I once said Max Bialystock, Cogsworth, and Edna Turnblad. I need to branch out and think of more dream roles!
 
GCP Girl: What does community theatre mean to you?
EA: Community theatre means ... community. A place where people from different aspects of life can come together and work towards a common goal.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
EA: A) Being a woman is tough.  B) I still have never seen the Godfather movies.

Thanks, Esteban! The countdown continues...only three more shows!

xo xo GCP Girl

Thursday, August 2, 2012

"Hairspray" cast profile: Brittney Kelly

Brittney Kelly is positively, permanently perfect as Penny Pingleton in "Hairspray"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
BK: I play Penny Pingleton, Tracy's best friend. My character is spastic and slow... at the same time. She has good intentions, though. :)

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
BK: The first show I ever did at GCP was "Annie Warbucks" (thanks to Rhonda Wilson!), and many more after that, including "Anne of Green Gables," "George M!," "Fiddler on the Roof"...

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "Hairspray"?
BK: I kept having this thing called musical theatre withdrawals.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show, and why?
BK: "It Takes Two"!... Somehow it always gets stuck in my head.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "Hairspray"?
BK: Because it's a fun show with a great message!

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
BK: I would literally love if they did "Beehive"!

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
BK: May sound cheesy but... Belle in "Beauty & the Beast." I just love Disney. And her!

GCP Girl: What does community theatre mean to you?
BK: I've met so many children who saw their first show and instantly fell in love with music, dancing and acting. It's not something you do for money, it's something you do for the love of it! And that's something everyone needs in life.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
BK: At the time of this interview, it's 43 days until football season. GO GATORS!

Thanks, Brittney! Only  four more chances to see "Hairspray"!

xo xo GCP Girl

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

"Hairspray" cast profile: Kacey Musson

Kacey Musson makes her GCP debut as Lou Anne in "Hairspray"!

GCP Girl: Tell me a bit about your character.
KM: I play Lou Anne, and she’s sort of the outcast of the Corny Collins show members. She’s always had the itch to break free of the pettiness of being a council member, and finally finds the chance to get that acceptance.

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
KM: Well, this is my first at GCP, but I’ve done just about every show at my high school since my enrollment, and small other side shows at various little theaters. Some shows include "Cinderella" (Evil Stepsister), "Robin Hood" (Maid Marian), "Willy Wonka" (Violet), "Shout!" (Green Girl), etc.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for "Hairspray"?
KM: Why not? It was an opportunity to work with new people, and the show itself is uplifting, and an all-around good time. I heard a lot of great things about the theater, and it seemed like a great chance to get on stage for the summer.

GCP Girl: What is your favorite musical number in the show, and why?
KM: “I Know Where I’ve Been” is hands-down my favorite song. It really brings home the whole show. "Hairspray" is such a cheesy, campy show, and to have such a powerful and soulful song in the middle of it, you can’t help but to be sucked into the real message of the show.

GCP Girl: Why should people see "Hairspray"?
KM: I’m in it, that’s why. Just kidding. The talent in this show is fantastic, and the cast is so energetic that pulls the whole audience in for the roller coaster that it is. There’s a lot to learn from the show, but it plays up one of America’s darkest issues in a timeless upbeat manner that is easy to understand and gives you a new perspective on the '60s. You're guaranteed to go home with a tapping foot, and singing a catchy melody.

GCP Girl: What plays or musicals would you like to see GCP produce in an upcoming season?
KM: If the rights to the show were ever released, after this show I think GCP has the capability of pulling another campy show like "Mamma Mia," or something just as groovy. I’m a big fan of comedy, so I’d love to see more comedic endeavors in the theater.

GCP Girl: What is your dream role?
KM: There are too many to count. To name a few: Elphaba in "Wicked," Girl in "Once," Mrs. Lovett in "Sweeney Todd," Jack Kelley in "Newsies," Finch from "How to Succeed" -- need I go on? I think that’s where the thrill of it lives. When you're on stage you get to live someone else’s life, even if only just for 2 hours a night, and being all these characters would just mean you get to experience such a span of characters!

GCP Girl: What does community theatre mean to you?
KM: It means people from all different backgrounds coming together to put on a great show, and who do it for the love of it. It’s an experience I wish everyone would get to have at some point in their lives, because there just nothing quite like making cast bonds. You learn so much, and all the hard work really does pay off. You get to entertain and have a great time while doing it all.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
KM: “Don't ever let someone tell you you can't do something. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.” – Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) Come see "Hairspray"!

Thanks, Kacey!  The last week of "Hairspray" starts tonight and shows have been selling out -- do you have tickets yet?

xo xo GCP Girl