"45 Seconds" Set Photos!

Well, well, well...looks like the "45 Seconds" set designer has thrown down the challenge for this season! The race for the Apple is on, folks!

"The Wiz" cast list!

Congrats to the cast of "The Wiz"!

Dorothy - Nona Jones
Aunt Em - Ryoanne McKnight
Uncle Henry/Messenger/Ensemble - Bryan Faux
Addaperle/Ensemble - Amei Soleyn
Tin Man - Howard Anderson
Lion - Kirk Scott
Scarecrow - Kevin Anderson
The Wiz - Adrian James
Evillene - Kelley Addis
Royal Gatekeeper/Ensemble - Malik Grady
Glinda/Dancer/Ensemble - Anquetta Carr
Lord High Underling/Dancer - Demario Major
First Winkie/Ensemble - Antwan Richardson
Winged Monkey/Dancer - Odoris Hines
First Mouse - Alex Christophy
Second Mouse - Joey McGinn
Crows - Antwan Richardson, Thomas Sanders, Madeleine Escarne, Andrew McNally, Demario Major
Munchkins - Ariel Dykes, C'Javia Jones, Jack Pelefko, Kamauri Jenkins, Molly Washington, Brandon Hall, Rakira Clark, Jordan Williams, Asha James, Tova Blasberg, Ikiah Young, Thomas Sanders, Demario Major
First Citizen/Ensemble - Madeleine Escarne
Second Citizen/Ensemble - Ikiah Young
Third Citizen - Eric Ramos
Fourth Citizen - Jordan Williams
Monkeys - Nathan Blakeslee, Alex Christophy, Joey McGinn, Brandon Hall, Jack Pelefko
Ensemble - Madeleine Escarne, Jordan Williams, Ikiah Young, Asha James, Eric Ramos, Nathan Blakeslee, Rakira Clark
Featured Dancers - Tinesha Carr, Stephanie Johnson, Desiree Salter
Dance Team - Tova Blasberg, Thomas Sanders, Andrew McNally, Odoris Hines, Demario Major

GCP Girl: Poet's Corner edition

I don't know if the Polish Tea Room has poetry readings or open mike nights, but Bernie and Zelda should consider it. Here's a little something to brighten your Friday!

There once was a deli in New York
With food you could spear with a fork
Chopped liver and knishes
Were put upon dishes
But never an order of pork!

xo xo GCP Girl

"45 Seconds" Cast Profile: Jan Cohen

Jan Cohen runs the show at the Polish Tea Room as Zelda in "45 Seconds"!

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
JC: Other "ladies of a certain age" roles include Willie Mae in "The Sugar Bean Sisters," Mama Wheelis in "Daddy's Dying," Rebecca Nurse in "The Crucible," and Hecuba in "Trojan Women."

GCP Girl: What is your actual "day job"?
JC: I am currently the volunteer box office manager at GCP.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?
JC: I love Jennie Stringfellow and Consuelo Dodge.

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
JC: Really running the restaurant in the background of scenes.

GCP Girl: "45 Seconds" has a lot of characters with different backgrounds and personalities. If you could play any other character in the show, which one would you choose and why?
JC: Charles--very few lines and great facial expressions!

GCP Girl: What would you order at the Polish Tea Room?
JC: New York cheesecake.

GCP Girl: What would you tell someone who is considering auditioning for a GCP show?
JC: Read the play if you can before you go. Arrive for auditions early and don't mess the director around beforehand--viz asking to borrow a script and then not showing up or not returning it on time.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
JC: If anyone gets a chance to see some real South African plays (no offense, Solomon!), do it. There are some real masterpieces that have come out of there in the last 30-40 years, particularly from The Market Theatre.

Thanks, Jan! Save me a piece of cheesecake for after the show!

xo xo GCP Girl

Auditions for "The Wiz"!

Don't forget, auditions for "The Wiz" are Sunday, September 12 and Monday, September 13. I hear director Rhonda Wilson is looking to make this a multicultural cast, so take a look at the list of roles below and head to the GCP to audition! More general audition tips are available in the January 2009 post.

Dorothy - mezzo
Scarecrow - tenor
Tin Man - baritone
Lion - baritone
Addaperle - mezzo
Evillene - alto
Glinda - alto
Wizard - tenor
Aunt Em - mezzo
Yellow Brick Road/Wiz entourage (females)
Tornado Dancers (females)
Royal Gate Keeper - spoken
Uncle Henry - spoken
Head Monkey - spoken
High Lord Underling -
Messenger -
Crows
Ensemble

Break a leg!

xo xo GCP Girl

"45 Seconds" Cast Profile: Henry Wihnyk

GCP's resident funnyman Henry Wihnyk, fresh off his Golden Apple win for Best Actor in a Play, hams it up as Broadway funnyman Mickey Fox in Neil Simon's "45 Seconds from Broadway," opening tonight at the Vam York!

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
HW: I had a great time performing in "Funny Money," a fabulous, silly farce.

GCP Girl: What is your actual "day job"?
HW: I am a law faculty member at UF.

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?
HW: I liked the character, and I love working on shows with Jennie.

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
HW: Eating the food! Also, “talking” with Andrew Duncan (Jeff) at Mickey’s table during the first scene of Act One.

GCP Girl: "45 Seconds" has a lot of characters with different backgrounds and personalities. If you could play any other character in the show, which one would you choose and why?
HW: Rayleen. Her character steals the show!

GCP Girl: What would you order at the Polish Tea Room?
HW: The roast turkey and chicken liver sandwich – my favorite – I order it at Toojays all the time!

GCP Girl: What would you tell someone who is considering auditioning for a GCP show?
HW: Do it!

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
HW: The rain is Spain, is, in fact, better than a sunboin in Toikey!

Thanks, Henry – we'll keep that in mind! Break a leg this weekend! Don't forget, you can now get your tickets at the box office in the Vam York lobby!

xo xo GCP Girl

Spotlight on Neil Simon

Three-time Tony Award winner Neil Simon is the author of "45 Seconds from Broadway," which premieres this week at the Vam York Theater.

Simon was born July 4, 1927 in The Bronx, and grew up in Washington Heights. Before turning his attention to the stage, he wrote for hit television shows, including "The Phil Silvers Show," "Your Show of Shows" and "Sergeant Bilko."

His first Broadway play, "Come Blow Your Horn," premiered in 1961 and ran for 678 performances. He went on to write other hits, including "Sweet Charity," "The Star-Spangled Girl," "The Odd Couple," "Barefoot in the Park," Brighton Beach Memoirs," and "Lost in Yonkers." Simon received Tony Awards for "The Odd Couple," "Biloxi Blues" and "Lost in Yonkers," and also received a Pulitzer Prize for "Lost in Yonkers."

The restaurant in "45 Seconds" is based on a coffee shop adjacent to Manhattan's Hotel Edison, a hot spot for Broadway hopefuls located just off Broadway. The play is a slice-of-life look at the action in the cafe through the seasons, and events in the lives of those who frequent the Polish Tea Room.

Golden Apples Recap!

Congrats to the Golden Apple award recipients for the 2009-10 season! In case you missed it, here is a list of the winners:

Actor in a Minor Role: Alan Medrano, "The Producers"
Actress in a Minor Role: Pat Thomson, "Funny Money"
Choreography: Susan Christophy and Hannah Stahmer, "The Producers"
Supporting Actor in a Play: Adam Lishawa, "Funny Money"
Supporting Actress in a Play: Lola Hassan-Adams, "Funny Money"
Sound: Kristin Paulson, "The Producers"
Properties: Erin Kleim, "The Producers"
Supporting Actor in a Musical: Jonathan Gravely, "The Producers"
Supporting Actress in a Musical: Sarah Egar-Nesselroade, "Singin' in the Rain"
Lighting: Thomas Muhn, "The Producers"
Actor in a Play: Henry Wihnyk, "Funny Money"
Actress in a Play: Leannis Maxwell, "Funny Money"
GCP Scholarship Recipient: Caitlin Hunter, Gainesville High School
Costumes: Pat Thomson, Marihelen Wheeler and Rhonda Wilson, "The Producers"
Set Design: Thomas Muhn, "The Producers"
Actor in a Musical: Thomas Sanders, "The Producers"
Actress in a Musical: Leannis Maxwell, "The Producers"
STAR Award: Teddy Rancourt
Excellence in Technical Execution: "The Producers"
Excellence in Artistic Design: "To Kill a Mockingbird"
President's Cup: Dr. Ken Pierson
Best Play: "Funny Money"
Best Musical: "The Producers"

Thanks to the Golden Apples Chorus for a look at the past 10 years of Apples winners, and a special thanks to guest performers John Carmean, Frank Edmonson and Hannah Peterson! Here's to another 10 years of great memories!

I'm going to take a short break, but we'll be back before "45 Seconds From Broadway" gets cranked up. Enjoy what's left of the summer!

xo xo GCP Girl

"The Producers" guest blog: Nicholas May

GCP newbie Nick May tells us about his experience in "The Producers"!

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" was my first musical, and I had such a great time with it I wanted to give it another go. That, and it was the perfect opportunity to not only work with old friends (from the last show), but to make new ones as well. "The Producers" has a much larger cast, and these days I'm all about new experiences. In the past it seemed that the more people you throw into a project, the larger margin of error. That's why it was such a pleasant surprise to discover how well this cast and crew united together to produce such a wonderful show.
What's there not to like about "The Producers"? Each and every show has been amazing! When the day job ends and the lights go up on stage, everyone is transported to another place, our own private universe. Each role made me a part of a new and exciting group. The troupe that goosesteps together stays together! And come on, it's Mel Brooks! Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

Thanks, Nick! Today is the last chance to see "The Producers" before it closes!

xo xo GCP Girl

"The Producers" cast profile: Thomas Sanders

Thomas Sanders just wants to be a producer...

GCP Girl: Tell me about some of your previous shows.
TS: I was most recently seen in “A Funny Thing…” as Hysterium and “Singin’ in the Rain” as Don Lockwood. I’ve also played Slightly Soiled in “Peter Pan,” Ko-Ko in “Hot Mikado,” and Cornelius Hackl in “Hello Dolly!”. I can’t get enough of the GCP stage, ha ha.

GCP Girl: What is your actual "day job"?
TS: Well, I’m a chemical engineering student at UF, and I’m also a sales associate at Gator Mania in the mall. Come visit me there when you get the chance!

GCP Girl: Why did you audition for this show?
TS: I was last in an Erin Kleim show last summer for “Peter Pan” and she does a really thorough job for shows in order to make it an amazing spectacle. I wanted to be a part of that again this year, and the experience is once again the same! Mel Brooks is also an awesome comedic genius who has always had a passion for Broadway, which you can find in almost all of his movies, and this is not demonstrated any better than his show “The Producers.” I definitely hoped to make his vision come true.

GCP Girl: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far?
TS: Definitely working with such an awesome and talented cast! I mean, I can’t say enough about Bryan, Esteban, Leannis, Jonathan, and Alan. They ALL bring so much to the table! Not to mention the amazing skills from each and every person in the ensemble, tech, and production crew! Every night in the dressing room, the guys always have me cracking up, which has been the icing on the cake! I’ve made so many new friends and Erin has been such an awesome director. I can’t thank her enough for the opportunity!

GCP Girl: What is your favorite number in the show, and why?
TS: Wow, that one is tough…“Der Guten Tag Hop Clop” is definitely up there, along with “Keep it Gay” and “When You Got It, Flaunt It”! But every song in this show is done so well, I couldn’t pick a least favorite number even if I tried!

GCP Girl: What is your favorite Mel Brooks movie?
TS: That would have to be "Robin Hood: Men in Tights"! There’s still parts of that movie that I laugh at just thinking about it!

GCP Girl: What would you tell someone who is considering auditioning for a GCP show?
TS: Please, please, please just come out and show them what you have! There is absolutely NO reason for anyone to feel intimidated or less talented, and you could have exactly what the director is looking for. The GCP is constantly dedicated to casting at least one new person each and every show. The opportunity for making new friends is always here, so please, it is definitely worth a try!

GCP Girl: What does community theatre mean to you?
TS: For me, it is one of the best demonstrations of community in general. This entire production has been made possible by normal Gainesville citizens, whether workers or students, who have dedicated their nights, weekends, and even weekdays to making the production as perfect as they can. These normal people work together to provide a night of entertainment for the public, simply because of their united love of theatre. It is just so cool to be a part of that.

GCP Girl: Tell me something you'd like everyone to know!
TS: Although my degree is in chemical engineering, I would really like to continue to pursue acting for a very long time. It hasn’t hindered me so far!

Thanks, Thomas! Only two more chances to see "The Producers" – don't miss it!

xo xo GCP Girl