General Meeting

The General Meeting this month will be on Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 8:00 PM at the theater, Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

Hospitality

Tom and Barbara Brophey will be doing hospitality this month. Always a great spread! Thank you very much.

Workshop

Our January Workshop will be a Shakespeare Performance Workshop, directed by Virginia Mekkelson. According to the Director, the workshop will be a reading of three scenes from AS YOU LIKE IT, by William Shakespeare, with Carol Becker, Nikki Corson, Russell Ham and Virginia Mekkelson reading. Stick around after the meeting and check it out!

Upcoming Workshops

February Workshop

1776—Our Founding Fathers voices will be heard in song and dance at the February 21 Workshop following the General Meeting. 1776 the Musical tells the story of our brave founding fathers and the difficulties of getting all the colonies to agree to fight for independence as they dealt with issues of freedom, war, and slavery. It’s an inspiring, witty and fascinating look into the characters of Adams, Franklin, Jefferson and more.

There is a fantastic cast—

John Adams – Ben Lupejkis
Abigail Adams – Catherine Rahm
Benjamin Franklin – Ed Cotter
Thomas Jefferson – TL Kolman
Edward Rutledge – August Bibirito
John Hancock – Drew Fitzsimmons

The accompanist is Caroline Benzon and the workshop is directed by Susan Weisbarth. Mark your Calendars and plan on attending this exciting performance!

To direct a workshop at Kentwood, contact Workshop Chairperson Gert Nord.

Steve Allen’s The Wake

January/February Production
Playing dates: January 12, 2007 through February 18, 2007.

Our January/February Production for 2007 is STEVE ALLEN’S THE WAKE, directed by Sheldon Metz and produced by Calia Mintzer. The show opened this past Friday. I Hope everyone had a chance to make it to a show this weekend!

Congratulations to Director, Producer, Cast and Crew!

Josephine Scanlon By Valerie Ruel
Margaret Scanlon By Susie McCarthy
John O ' Toole By Tim Forsyth
Tommy Monaghan By Jeffrey Culp
David Considine.. By Elliot Kang
Mike Scanlon By Ted Pitsis
Mary McCaffrey By Christy Engels
Sarah McCaffrey By Barbara Haberman
Rose Scanlon Obrien By Maria Pavone
Father Morrisey By Daniel Farber
Jack Scanlon By Joseph Buttler
Belle Scanlon Considine By Davina Turnbull
Nellie Riley By Jenny Boone
Frank Riley
David Considine By
Theresa Riley By Ritsa Gountoumas

PRODUCTION STAFF

Director Sheldon Metz
Assistant Director Jen Fox
Producer Calia Mintzer
Stage Manager Shari Barrett
Script Supervisor Hilary Fitzsimmons
Light Design Tom Brophey
Set Design Sheldon Metz
Sound Design Susan Stangl
Costume Design Barbara Haberman
Set Decoration Scot Renfro
Master Builder Frank Olivadoti
Properties Judy Polak
Publicity Photos Hal Fisher
Graphics and Lobby Design Sheldon Metz
Light Booth Paul Croft, Daniel Bergher, Russell Ham

Work Sunday

Thanks to the following great members for showing up and working hard at Work Sunday for Steve Allen’s The Wake on December 17, 2006!
Franczeska Angel, Shari Barrett, Jenny Boone, Tom Brophey, Maria Cohen, Jack Coppock, Daniel Farber, Hilary Fitzsimmons, Tim Forsyth, J. M. Green, Barbara Haberman, Gene Haberman, Russell Ham, Julia Maggs, Lori Marple-Pereslete, Susie McCarthy, Virginia Meckelson, Treva Merritt, Sheldon Metz, Melvin Miller, Calia Mintzer, Barry Nackos, Frank J. Olivadoti, Maria Pavone, Tony Pereslete, Judy Polak, Lee Polak, Valerie Ruel, Charlotte Lee Schildkret, Bob Schnauss, Adina Silo, Davina Turnbull, Fred Wolf, Barbara Brophey, Grant Francis and Ted Pitsis. Thanks to Everyone!

March/April Production

Our March/April Production will be Neil Simon’s BILOXI BLUES, directed by Larry Jones and produced by Jim Crawford. Director Larry Jones held auditions and hopefully got a cast this past weekend. The show opens March 9, 2007 and closes April 14, 2007.

Come to the General Meeting to meet and greet our Cast!

The Crew gathered to date includes the fabulous:

Producer – Jim Crawford
Stage Manager – Trenekia Danielle
Set Design – Sheldon Metz
Lighting Design – Tom Brophey
Sound Design – Richard Potthoff
Costumes – Sheridan Cole
Properties – Russell Ham
Script – Charlotte Schildkret
Accent Coach – Gail Bernardi
Graphic & Lobby Design – DJ Carlile

Anyone with a larger size 48 star American Flay, please contact us. We need two of them, 2’ x 3’ maybe? Maybe smaller…

Follies, Book by James Goldman, Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

May/June Production

Our May/June Production will be FOLLIES, to be directed by Ed Cotter and produced by De Cotter. Director Ed Cotter has posted a request for Evening Gowns for Follies and asks anyone, with a gown to lend, contact Costumer Maria Cohen.

Ed Cotter will be casting FOLLIES by Stephen Sondheim on Saturday, March 10, 2007 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The production will be produced by De Cotter. Per Ed: This is one of, if not THE, most accessible musicals that Sondheim has ever written.

Maria Cohen, our costume designer has already gathered some knockout, dazzling, glittering gowns for the production.

Come out, come out, whoever your are and audition for this magical, musical feast. Young, older, gals, guys. Come, hear the call.

I’m talking Girls and gals in their twenties, in their 70’s, in their EIGHTIES. You know who you are and you and the audience will have the time of their lives guaranteed. I’m talking guys and older guys in their 20’s and on UP. I have parts for singers, dancers, actors.

Please don’t come unprepared to audition. Be prepared to KNOCK ME OUT! Sing a song from FOLLIES. You can find the concert version DVD on Amazon.com for $14.99. Get it and find out what part you’re suited for. There’s going to be a party on the “Weisman Theater” stage where many old timers have been invited to a grand party before the theater is torn down to make room for a parking lot. Where do the young people come in? They are the young memories of the older people. WHAT A SHOW!

Roscoe, 50 plus, sings “Beautiful Girls.” A socko tenor needed. Solange, a real French lady sings “Ah, Paris.” Hattie has been around, maybe seventies or eighties. She sings “Broadway Baby,” sell it Hattie, sell it. Carlotta, a genuine movie star, now in her fifties, but still glamorous, sings, “I’m Still Here.” She sings about Herbert and J. Edgar Hoover and the Depression. The “Mirror Number” has six old timers tapping with six of their younger selves. This is a show stopper.

It goes on and on, so Come out and Read. Come out and Sing. Come out and Dance. I look forward to seeing you. I will also need three statuesque FOLLIES girls to wear three foot headdresses.

Do I sound excited? You bet! Why Wouldn’t I be excited with Victoria Miller as Choreographer and Bill Wolfe as Music Director, who will also play the show. We are looking for a Drummer, call me!

2007 is the Hundredth Anniversary of the first Zigfeld Follies, and Kentwood is celebrating it with this production.

Characters: Weissman, the Follies Entrepreneur to play 70’s. The main characters are Ben, early 50’s, sings several songs; Phyllis, mid fifties, also sings several songs; Buddy, mid fifties, sings many songs and Sally, mid fifties and sings many songs. AND their younger selves, in their early twenties.

I need a man and woman dance team, fifty and up to do the Bolero number. I need guests, waiters, waitresses, magicians, jugglers, and other FOLLIE’S acts. “Waiting Around for the Girls Upstairs” sticks in your head long after the final curtain. Have I left anything out? Well, maybe a couple of surprises! See you at the auditions!

Director Ed Cotter

The Constant Wife, by Somerset Maugham

July/August Production

The Kentwood Board has approved THE CONSTANT WIFE, by Somerset Maugham, for the July/August 2007 time slot, to be directed by Gail Bernardi. The show was moved from the March/April slot due to problems with getting the Rights.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood, by Rupert Holmes

September/October Production

The Board has approved THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, by Rupert Homes, to be our September/October 2007 Production. The show will be directed by Cathrine Rahm.

Past Presidents & Lifetime Members Photo Session

Hal Fisher has requested as many Past Kentwood Presidents and lifetime members as possible to attend the January 2007 General Meeting to pose for Photo Portraits. According to Hal he will photo any Past Kentwood Presidents and any lifetime members who show up at the January meeting, and he will then blend the photos with his December photos to create the final photos. See you at the meeting!

Theater Parties

Calia Mintzer, Theater Parties Chairperson, would like to remind all members to please refer Kentwood Players and our fund raising theater parties to all the organizations you belong to. Theater Parties are a great way for your organizations to raise funds, see friends, have a good time and see a GREAT show!

Ten Year Pin

Congratulations to Jim Crawford on Ten Years of Membership. Thanks to you for all you do at Kentwood. Really, ALL you do!

Points

Please recall it is important to your membership status, as in continuing your membership, to obtain 6 points throughout the year and Hospitality Chairperson Vada Foster would like to remind everyone those all important points are available to members who sign up for and do hospitality. Come on down, pour some coffee and get points!!

Announcements

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS

To Jim Crawford and Sheridan (Cole) Crawford on their December 27, 2006 WEDDING!! Let them know! Congratulations Guys!

Lifetime Member Klair N. Bybee plays the National Football League (NFL) marketing meeting CEO in the National Commercial called The Pitch, currently running. When his committee does not have an idea, he says to the fans, “We need help.”

Michele Rosen wrote to let us know about her current production of Boxcar and Eugenia: Fire Rose Productions and The Secret Rose Theater present BOXCAR AND EUGENIA, a drunk Santa shows up on the porch of a feisty Jewish widow. Written and directed by Art Shulman with Ester Michelle Rosen, Mike Rademaekers, Lana Ford and Josh Polizzi. December 8, 2006 through January 21, 2007, Fridays and Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 2 PM. Reservations? Call Art at 818 782 4252. Tickets $20, (Mention Kentwood, maybe a discount!) Online tix at www.BoxcarandEngenia.com. Secret Rose Theater, 11246 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601.

Richard Potthoff sent the following tidbit for the bulletin:

Newport Theatre Arts Center is looking for a Stage Manager, Light Board Operator, and crew person for a show running January 26 - February 25th.

There MAY be pay.
Contact is
Rae A. Cohen 2501 Cliff Drive Newport Beach, California 92663
949-631-0288

January Birthdays

Gert Nord 1/10, Lauren Jarvis 1/13, Dee Turquand 1/13, Jack Weintraub 1/16, Virginia Renfro 1/21 and Michael Murphy 1/26. Happy Birthday Everyone!

New Members

Membership Chairperson and Vice President Gail Bernardi forwarded the following New Member info:

Joni Sampson and Raymond & Patricia Lynch

Larry Jones