Danbury, Conn. – Musicals at Richter (MAR), celebrating its gala 25th season as the longest-running outdoor theater in Connecticut, opens the 2009 season with Jule Styne and Bob Merrill’s classic musical comedy hit “Funny Girl,” running June 19 - July 4. Staged on the grounds of the Richter Arts Center in Danbury, performances take place outdoors under the stars Friday through Sunday evenings through Saturday, July 4 at 8:30 p.m.
With a book by Isobel Lennart and a score by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, “Funny Girl” is the semi-biographical story of Broadway singer and comedienne Fanny Brice. The musical chronicles her fortunes as she rises from humble Lower East Side beginnings to the heights of stardom in vaudeville and the Ziegfeld Follies during World War I. As Fanny finds success in show business, her personal life is complicated by a stormy relationship with debonair con artist and inveterate gambler Nicky Arnstein. Punctuating a journey that is both comic and poignant, the tuneful score includes the iconic standards “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” along with “I Am the Greatest Star,” “Sadie, Sadie,” and “His Love Makes Me Beautiful.”
The Tony Award-nominated Broadway production opened on March 26, 1964 at the Winter Garden Theatre and ran for 1,348 performances. The original cast featured Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice, with Sydney Chaplin as Nicky, Kay Medford as Mrs. Brice, Danny Meehan as Eddie Ryan and Jean Stapleton as Mrs. Strakosh. Streisand reprised her role in the 1968 movie version opposite Omar Sharif, winning a Best Actress Oscar (an honor she shared with Katharine Hepburn for “The Lion in Winter”), and played Fanny again in the 1975 film sequel, “Funny Lady.”
Directed by MAR founding artistic director Bradford Blake of New Milford, the Richter production features MAR veterans Shannon-Courtney Porper of Ridgefield as Fanny Brice and Carl LePere of Carmel, NY as Nicky Arnstein. Ms. Porper has many leading roles to her credit, including Amnesia in “Nunsense” and “Nunsense 2,” Columbia in “Rocky Horror Show,” Nellie in “South Pacific” and Tess in “Crazy for You.” She teaches dance and voice at Westport Dance Center and is a professional choreographer.
Mr. LePere last appeared on the MAR stage as the befuddled Mayor Shinn in “The Music Man” and as the lecherous Chick Clark in “Wonderful Town.” Other area appearances include Felix in “The Odd Couple,” George Hay in “Moon Over Buffalo,” Col. Nathan Jessup in “A Few Good Men,” Dick Christie in “Play it Again Sam,” and Sherriff Ed Earl Dodd in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”
Ridgefield resident Brad Kimmelman makes his MAR debut as Fanny’s friend and dance instructor Eddie Ryan. Among his past roles are El Gallo in “The Fantasticks,” Billy Jester in “Little Mary Sunshine,” Giovanelli in “Daisy Miller” at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA, and Joel in “Is There Life after High School” at Ridgefield Theater Barn. A graduate of Boston University Film School, Kimmelman produced television commercials for Grey Advertising in New York and is currently a Realtor with Keller Williams in Ridgefield.
Veteran MAR performers Barbara Kessler of Danbury and Cat Heidel of Southbury play Fanny’s mother, Mrs. Brice and the opinionated neighbor Mrs. Strakosh, respectively. A high school science teacher and a veterinarian by training, Dr. Kessler has previously appeared at MAR as Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof,” Dr. Johnson in “On the Twentieth Century,” Frau Schmidt in “The Sound of Music,” and in the ensembles of “State Fair” and “Annie.” An accomplished character actress, Ms. Heidel counts among her recent MAR roles Eulalie McKecknie Shinn in “The Music Man” and Yente in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
William Lamoureux of New Milford plays impresario Florenz Ziegfeld. Lamoureux’s past MAR credits include Gerard Carriere in “Phantom,” Constable in “The Music Man,” and ensemble roles in “The King and I” and “The Music Man.” A past president of Troupers Light Opera Company, he has performed in numerous Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. His other local appearances include Mr. Laurence in “Little Women” at Brookfield Theatre for the Arts and “A Night at the Oscars,” a musical revue for Stage Door Productions in Danbury.
The balance of the 26-member cast is featured in a variety of roles. The ensemble includes Matthew Grasso and Isabelle Miner of Bethel; Dolly Conner, Mark Fanning, Ashley Gentile and Lauren Romeo of Danbury; Kelly Reagan of Fairfield; Kevin Downing and Emma Downing of Hamden; Jessica Smith of New Fairfield; Trisha Carr of Orange; Chris DeMarchis of Ridgefield; Jen Morrison of Sandy Hook; Ron Blois and Stephen Papallo of Sherman; Kimberly Sanders of Waterbury; and Ruth-Anne Ring of Westport. Ensemble members from New York include Adrian Appelman and Courtney LePere of Brewster and Gary McNerney of Wingdale.
Stephanie Gaumer-Klein of Norwalk serves as musical director for the production. Choreography is by Jen Turey of Dance Etc. in Newtown. Scenic design is by Andy Salom of Danbury, with costumes by Aurora Montenero and the Warner Theatre. Brewster resident Janice Gabriel is stage manager and Marie Ricci Gelston of Pawling, NY is producer.
Musicals at Richter’s 2009 main stage musical season continues with “A Chorus Line” (July 9 -25), Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban’s groundbreaking musical about dancers auditioning for a Broadway show, directed by Gene Bayliss of Weston; and “Children of Eden” (July 30 – August 15), Stephen Schwartz’s inspired musical based on familiar Old Testament stories, directed by E. Kyle Minor of Danbury.
For the younger set, the popular children’s theater series “Fairy Tale Theater” celebrates its eleventh season of Saturday morning offerings July 4 through 25 at Wooster School in Danbury. Longtime Danbury area performer and educator Elyse Jasensky directs a 20-member ensemble of young performers in hour-long versions of classic tales such as “Sleeping Beauty” (July 4), “The Ugly Duckling” and “Stone Soup”(July 11), “Johnny Appleseed” and “Paul Bunyan” (July 18) and “Peter Pan” (July 25). All Fairy Tale Theater tickets are $5.
Main stage performances are Friday through Sunday evenings at the Richter Arts Center (next to the Richter Park Golf Course, I-84, Exit 2), 100 Aunt Hack Road, in Danbury. Tickets for the main stage productions are $21 for adults, $16 for seniors, and $13 for students and children, which includes $1 for the Richter House Restoration Fund. Preview performances (July 9 and July 30) are $10 for all tickets. Ticket reservations are available by phone and through the Musicals at Richter website. Grounds open at 7:15 p.m. for picnicking, with curtain at 8:30 p.m. Group rates are available with advance reservation; chair rentals and soft drink/snack concessions are available on-site.
Now in its 25th season, Musicals at Richter is Connecticut’s longest-running outdoor theater. Performances are given on weekends at the Richter Arts Center (next to the Richter Park Golf Course), 100 Aunt Hack Road, in Danbury. Nestled in the hills of Western Connecticut, the Arts Center stage has served as the scenic backdrop for almost 70 musicals produced by Musicals at Richter, as well as a professional springboard for hundreds of up-and-coming performers. Musicals at Richter is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. For further information, visit the website at www.musicalsatrichter.org, leave a message at 203-748-6873 or e-mail info@musicalsatrichter.org.
Danbury’s Musicals at Richter Announces Auditions for 25th Season under the Stars March 26-29; Call for Performers and Other Volunteers
Danbury, Conn. -- Musicals at Richter (MAR), celebrating its 25th season as the longest-running outdoor theater in Connecticut, will hold 2009 season auditions for high school, college and adult performers March 26-29 at The Wooster School, 91 Miry Brook Road, in Danbury, just a few minutes from the Danbury Fair Mall. (Please note new audition location.) A separate children’s audition will be held for young performers ages 7-15 on Saturday, March 28, also at The Wooster School.
The main stage musical season features three outstanding shows from the American musical theater repertoire: Jule Styne and Bob Merrill’s Tony-nominated “Funny Girl” (June 18-July 4) directed by founding MAR artistic director Bradford Blake of New Milford; Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban’s groundbreaking "A Chorus Line" (July 9-25) directed by Broadway veteran Gene Bayliss of Weston; and Stephen Schwartz’s Old Testament-inspired “Children of Eden” (July 30 – August 15) directed by MAR veteran E. Kyle Minor of Danbury .
For younger audiences, the popular Fairy Tale Theater series features hour-long daytime shows directed and adapted by Elyse Jasensky of Danbury and performed by a youth ensemble.
As a kick-off and special thank you to the theater’s many alumni, Thursday, March 26 is designated for returning MAR performers (age 16 through adult) to audition by appointment only. Appointments for alumni night may be made by e-mailing mikelozier@earthlink.net or calling (860) 354-7335 evenings or weekends.
Open auditions for high school (16 and up), college and adult performers will be held Friday March 27 from 7 – 10 p.m.; Saturday March 28 from 2 – 6 p.m.; and Sunday March 29 from 1 – 5 p.m.
Those auditioning for main stage shows should prepare two Broadway show tunes (up-tempo and ballad) that show their range, bring sheet music in their key, and be ready to sing only their best 16 measures if necessary. An accompanist will be provided. Auditionees should bring a picture and resume (stapled) if they have them, and be prepared to learn a short dance combination and read from the script if asked. All roles are open; please note that positions are unpaid and housing is not available. Show descriptions and cast breakdowns can be found on the theater website, www.musicalsatrichter.org.
In addition to principal and ensemble roles, Musicals at Richter is especially seeking male and female performers with strong dance training or experience for featured choreography in all three shows.
Separate auditions for children and young performers age 15 and under are slated for Saturday, March 28 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. At that time, casting will be considered for featured roles and youth ensemble members in “Children of Eden.” Young performers must attend this Saturday call if they wish to be considered. Those auditioning will be taught a song from the show at the audition and be seen in groups. Auditionees may be asked to read from the script.
Additional company members for Fairy Tale Theater are not being sought at this time.
In addition to performers, Musicals at Richter welcomes applications from experienced stage managers and seeks volunteers from the area for backstage duties such as set construction, properties, costume coordination, and running crew; and front-of-house operations such as house management, ushering, and concessions. Interested individuals are invited to call or e-mail the theater.
Now in its 25th season, Musicals at Richter is Connecticut ’s longest-running outdoor theater. Performances are given on weekends at the Richter Arts Center (next to the Richter Park Golf Course), 100 Aunt Hack Road , in Danbury . Nestled in the hills of Western Connecticut, the Arts Center stage has served as the scenic backdrop for over 70 musicals produced by Musicals at Richter, as well as a professional springboard for hundreds of up-and-coming performers. Musicals at Richter is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. For further information, visit the website at www.musicalsatrichter.org, leave a message at 203-748-6873 or e-mail info@musicalsatrichter.org.
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