Laura Carmichael Award winners

Congrats to Carolyn Lloyd, Emily Hart, Daniel Liezert, Tomm Lovett and Jessica Blackband, who are the first recipients of the GCP's Laura Carmichael Award! The award was presented last month to these high school seniors before a performance of "45 Seconds From Broadway."

Each student received a plaque and a set of GCP flex tickets for themselves and a guest. The award was formerly bestowed by the Hippodrome Theatre as the Malcolm Gets Award.

Congratulations, everyone! More gossip to come – "The Wiz" is gearing up!

xo xo GCP Girl

"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