2011-2012 Viewing Schedule

2012 Viewing Schedule

Listed by venue then by month, Shows that are bolded are definites all others are subject to change due to schedule or budget.

Actorsinge

May- Chicago

November- Annie

Lyric Stage Portland Maine

Blithe Spirit

Milford Area Players

March Night of One Acts

July Shakespeare In Hollywood

October The 39 Steps

Palace Theatre

Royalty of Rock and Pop

Peacock Players

Beauty and The Beast

Riverbend School Of Theatre

Anne Of Green Gables

Riverbend Youth Company

April Clue The Musical

August Damn Yankees

November Oliver

In keeping with my ongoing goal of seeing a show at new theatres here are the theatres I am hoping to add to my ever growing scedule

1. CommunityPlayers of Concord
2. Capitol Center For The Arts
3. Manchester Community Theatre Players
4. New Thalian Players
5. Not Your Mom's Musical Theatre
6. Peterborough Players

This list will be updated once I get the schedules for the theatres and determine what shows I want to see there.

National Tours

June 3rd Beauty and The Beast Very excited to see this!! Beauty and The Beast was my first Broadway show and I look forward to seeing the touring producion of it and seeing Caroline Kittrell again since I haven't seen her since we left NLBP. :)
Suessical The Musicrrial TBA Still waiting to find out info from Maggie Politi about when it is coming to Boston.
Billy Elliot is coming to the Boston Opera House in August. I am hoping to go to see this with my family for my birthday. I don't know what day we will go see it yet.

High School Shows

Souhegan Anything Goes

Pentucket Regional High School Wizard of Oz

College Shows

4-21 A Midsummer Night's Dream UMASS Amherst

Summer

Listed by Venue

(Some shows subject to change based on schedule and budget)
If bold it means it's a definite

Arundel Barn Playhouse Arundel Maine

Aug 26th Beyond The Rainbow

Hackamatack Playhouse Berwick Maine
Boeing Boeing

Interlakes Summer Theatre Meredith NH
All Shook Up &Singin In The Rain

Back up choice Annie

Maine State Music Theatre Brunswick Maine

42nd Street

Back Up Choice Sunset BLVD

New London Barn Playhouse New London NH)

Legally Blonde The Musical or HAIR

Back Up Choices Oklahoma or Our Town
Winnipasaukee Playhouse Laconia NH
The Last Night of Ballyho

The schedule for Andy's Summer Playhouse has not been announced yet.

Summer Viewing Schedule will hopefully be finalized by Memorial Day Weekend or the beginning of June!

My main theatre related goal for 2012

Happy 2012 followers!

My main theatre goal for 2012 is to PROMOTE PROMOTE PORMOTE

Promote what you may ask?

Why Princess Ki.I.M. The Musical of course!!

I am so happy to be part of such a wonderful creative team. What we have come up with is an amazing play based on my mom's children's books Princess KIM and The Lie That Grew and Princes KIM and Too Much Truth and it's JR versiom counterpart. It's been quite a busy 18 months but I am so proud of what we have accomplished and so EXCITED for what's to come. Our first single will be relesed in March and I am stoked for that.

Now as I said my main goal of this year is to promote Princess KIM The Musical. We are hoping to build up a following of local theatres to come to ou premiere and also theatres from around this beautiful country. I have already put the twitter page up and the facebook fan page will be up in 3 weeks (Feb 8th is the day)

What I am hoping is that my theatre friends will help to spread the word about this amazing project I am working on and also that they will spread the word to theatre companies they have worked at that we already have on our ever growing mailing list :)

Winds of Change

So the use of this blog may end up changing slightly. Here are the reasonss

The primary focus of this blog was to post my Milford Cabinet Articles. It has grown in leaps and bounds since it's inception in the fall of 2008. However. the primary use of this blog has never been lost. The reason why this might be changing is because the Telegraph and the Cabinet are going through a lot of personell changes in terms of their freelancers. Budget cuts have hit both papers hard and have caused freelancer budgets to be cur in half. Due to this the amount of stories I am able to write will be very minimal. It will largely depend on what is not already being covered by other people at the paper. I am trying to stay positive about this but we'll see how long that positivity stays afloat. I had started a seperate blog for my fanfiction but eventually realized it made more sesne to combine both blogs together. Lately my life has been cosumed with work, Princess KIm stuff and rehearsals for Oklahoma (and practicing at home) so I haven't had much time to myself to write. Once I compete all the fanfictions that are in progress I will go on a much needed hiatus from writing fan fiction to get my priorties straight. My main theatre related priority is Princess Kim folllowed close behing by Oklahoma. Rehearsing at home and rehearsals take a lot of time. On that note Oklahoma is very well. This week we are working on learning the dance to the Farmer and The Cowman which is fun. I haven't done square dancing since I used to g to my mom's illustrartor parties at Boyd's Mills Press in Honesdale PA.. it's taking a bit of time to get used to that dynamic of dance again. tis fun nonetheless :)

I will still be reviewing shows that I see on this blog but I am getting an indication that I may get more of a following on Tumblr so I may eventually end up moving this blog over in that direction by March. We'll see what happens. I am not sure how much of a follwing this blog is still getting here on Blogger to be honest. If have you are a follower in this blog and still read these entries please leave a comment letting me know you still read these entries Ifenough people respond back then I will keep this blog on blogger.. if not then as of March 1st this blog will be making the move to Tumblr and if you choose to make the move with me you can do so.

Thoughts- On Where I Began and Where I am Now

So I was just looking over some old NLBP pictures on facebook. It made me look back on numerous things. Not just season itself the issues that unfolded after I left that led to my depression. I reflect on that summer the amazing time I had and realize that I am a stronger actor for having worked there because it was a step to every aspect of my career in theatre... it was a stepping stone for everyone in my group in a way i suppose. I don't like to touch on the depression so much but more so what the process of it taught me. I have spent a lot of time since leaving New London trying to carve out my niche in theatre. My main goal in the theatre is to eventually work for a theatre in the public relations office and then do acting on the side. Since leaving the Barn Playhouse I have definitley built upon technical, pr and acting experiences and I must admit I'm pretty happy with where I have found myself. In 2008 after I graduted from NEC I did some PR work for Peacock Players for a month (the very same theatre co I did theatre camp with in high school) and landed a job for the Milford Cabinet , a local newspaper where I have been writing freelance for four years. Sadly, due to budget cuts that job may be ending soon but I sure have built up quite the portfolio over the past for years. I then got involved in heping out backstage with Riverbend Youth Co and Milford Area Players shows. At the Barn Playhouse I mostly did props work for tech work since leaving I have had my hand at sound desigm and spotlight operator. Quite a great experience. Running the sound and the spotlight certainly gave me a different vantage point for viewing the show from. I kind of came full circle last summer doing PR for Nancy Barry ar Interlakes Summer Theatre in Meredith. It was a great experience and I am thankful to Nancy for the opportunity to work for her again. :) I also had my first article published in a NH travel magazine called NH To Do in Summer 2010 that highlighted summer theatre all around NH. Quite an accomplishment.

As far as acting goes I am still trying to build up my resume. Last year after a four year hiatus *Yes the last show I did previously was Annie Get Your Gun at the Barn. I was cast in the PTA Poduction of The Music Man as a member of the Ensemble. I must admit comparing my performances in Annie Get Your Gun and Music Man helped me to realize how far I have really come as an actor. I have to admit in Annie Get Your Gun I was awkward some of the time because that really my first role in a musical either and I don't think I really grew into my character until the end of the 2 week run. Music Man was vastly different. I found myself much more easily adjusted to my character in the ensemble which made it much simpler for me to interact with other people in the scenes I was in. Both shows were great experiences. With Oklahoma rehearsals underway I am excited about what's to come and am so blessed to be part of another AWESOME PTA cast.. a great mix of familiar faces from last year and new ones. It's going to be a wonderful four months.


I have an equal amount of emotions for the place that started it all. The skills I gained at the Barn Playhouse really helped shape who I am as a theatre artist. I am blessed to know all the people I worked with that summer and am so happy to hear of where their paths away from New London have led them all. They have all gone of to do such amazing things and I am happy to call all of them my friends and have them as part as my ever growing theatre family.

Snow's on the mind but my mind is thinking SUMMER

So I have my viewing schdule pretty much solidified till the end of May. It's the summer where things get difficult. So many shows to see at so many different theatres. Due to family vacations time will be short and some shows may not even be options especially since a few of them over lap with their schedules.

Definites: Singin In The Rain and All Shook Up (Interlakes Summer Theatre) Blithe Spirit (Lyric Stage Portland Maine), Beyond The Rainbow (Arundel Barn Playhoue)

Other theatres on the docket

New London Barn Playhouse: Thier summer season looks to be good this year. It includes Ragtime Oklahoma, Legally Blonde The Musical, Our Town, A Legendary Romance and the Straw Hat Revue

Top Choices: Hair or Legally Blonde The Musical

Back Ups: Oklahoma or Our Town

Hackamatack Playhouse Berwick Maine

Thier season includes Burt and Me , Oklahoma Boeing Boieng and Harispray

Top Choices: Boeing Boieng and Oklahoma

Back Up Hairspray

Ogunquit Playhouse Ogunquit Maine  This theatre may not be in our budget but  I am hoping we can make  it fit somehow. .  I haven't been there since 2005 when I saw CATS so  I look forward to the possibility of going back there again.

Their season  includes  9 To 5   Always Patsy Cline  Buddy The Buddy Holly Story, Damn Yankess 

They still have one show they have yet to announce.

Top Choices: Always Patsy Cline, Damn Yankees

Back  Ups  Buddy The Buddy Holly Story   9 To 5
Maine State  Music Theatre Brunswick ME
Thier season includes  A Chorus  Line, Legally Blonde The Musical  Sunselt BLVD and 42nd St
Top  Choice  42nd St
Back  Ups   A Chorus Line, Legally Blonde

I am also hoping to go see the Billy Elliot National Tour for my bday in August,  We will see how that will fit in  the schedule.  I am also stil awaiting the release of schedules  for  summmer shows for Wellsely and BU.

Final Preparations for One Act Play Festival
Underway

By Janine Leffler

As performances for the Riverbend School of Theatre approach excitement is
mounting. Be sure not to miss these wonderful student written and directed
performances. The talented student playwrights are Devon Labonte age 16, a sophomore at Alvirne High School in Hudson, playwright and director of Just Wait, Renee Reeves of Merrimack, a 17 year old home schooled student,
playwright and director of A Ghara and Sarah Gill age 16 of Gilford, playwright and director of The Wednesday Man.
Devon Labonte said the inspiration behind Just Wait came from a recent trip to
the dentist and the atmosphere of thewaiting room. She explained that
sometimes people can be nervous or uncomfortable in that
situation and strangers striking up conversations. She
feels her plays ties in very well to the setting. She has been impressed by the progress of her production.“So far we've gone through the play quite a few times, but we are at the point
that we need to focus on the little details and humor of the play.“
Just Wait stars Jonathan Edelblut, Emma Ayotte, Kat Feraco and Jessica Harper.
For JonathanEdelblut, a 17 year old homeschooler from Wilton a challenge he had to overcome
was to find a balance when it comes to his character’s personality and how he
relates to the other characters on stage. When it came to character development
he stated ““I think that breaking the "fourth wall" between the
actors and the audience is always present if the actors can bring the audience
into the scene with their characters.”

Sarah Gill is new to the Riverbend School Of Theatre Arts One Act play festival and will
hold this experience close to her for a long time. Her play The
Wednesday Man is a fictional piece that was inspired by her fascination with the job of every English teacher she has ever had. A character that stands out to her is D.B.
who is played by Alec Paulson of Hollis. This character is constantly challenging the way of thought of the main character that is played by Lucas Nevrlaof Amherst. She finds this character
very easy to relate to. Gill is looking forward to the performances “The theatre is beautiful and being given this opportunity is fantastic. I can't wait to see the show all done and in action.”
The Wednesday Man stars Lucas Nevrla,
Alec Paulson and John Sheridan.

Renee Reeves of Merrimack, playwright and director of A Ghara has enjoyed her first directing experience with the one act play festival
“This has been an entirely new experience from the beginning. I'd never watched
auditions before, never cast a play, never hosted a read-through, and never
done music direction. The cast has been energetic and creative, though, and
Toby and Lucas have been dependable support.” Along
her writing process Reeves researched St Bridget’s Complaint which is said to be
a tradition which dates back to 5th century Ireland. The idea behind St Bridget’s Complaint is
that St Patrick said that women could propose to
men on a February day during the leap year. One question Reeves considered in her research was “What If?” Shestated in a recent interview "What if, instead of viewing this as a
special opportunity, a young woman decided to exploit this tradition?"
"What if" is the question writers thrive on, and once you ask it doors
open everywhere.”
A Ghara stars Lily Ayotte, Elizabeth Long, Max Barnaby, Elizabeth Elkin, Haley Brannelly, Connor McDonald and Matt
Campbell.
Elizabeth Elkin, a sixteen year old sophomore at Hollis Brookline High School makes her
debut performance in the one act play festival as Noamh in A Ghara. She has enjoyed
getting to know and working with such a great cast. Her role is the most dramatic one she played
up to this point and she looks forward to the performances. She describes her character in the following
way “A lot of what she does isn't verbal, so playing her is more than just
saying lines. I've had to learn to show
rather than tell.”
Raven
Bartlett, a thirteen year old homeschooled eighth grader from Wilton is the
stage manager for the one act play festival.
Up to this point she has enjoyed her experience and is impressed by how
well written and well-cast the one act plays are. What stands out to her most
about the productions is the way the
characters interact with each other on stage.
She took notice of Jon Edelblut’s character Ben in Just Wait “Dr. Carter’s character is hysterical and it shows to me
that Jon is not afraid to put himself out there.”

The Seventh Annual Riverbend School of Theatre Arts One Act Play Festival has two
evening performances at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30pm on January 27th and 28th. Tickets are $5.00 at the door.

Part 2 of a two part series
Part one was publlished today
Part 2 will be published next week.


Due to budget cuts the Cabinet and Telegraph are cutting their freelancer budget in half. I am hoping that this will not be the last article that I write for them. In the event that it is I will be exteremly disheartened. Through my time is a freelancer I have wrtiten many articles and learned so much about the process of putting a play together through my writing process. I have nuilt up quite the portfolio over time and it will definitley benefit me when I apply for other freelance jobs.

Disheartening News

So on Wednesday I found out the Cabinet/Telegraph are going through company wide layoffs that affect freelancers. Basiscally the budget is being cut in half. I am hoping that my job at the Cabinet will last at least until May. My job at the Telegraph was a very limited engagement.

We''ll have to see what happens.

2011 Theatre Viewing inHik Review

The 2011 In Review Theatre Post

Movies and Plays

It has been a busy year for me in both seeing movies and plays. Here's the run down

I made my return to the stage in 2011 after a four year hiatus landing an ensemble role in the Amherst PTA Producation of The Music Man. What a great experienee! It was such a great show to work on and so great to work with people I had seen in other PTA shows over the years. I am looking forward to auditioning for Oklahoma on Wednesday and hope that if I get cast the experience will be just as amazing as being in Music Man was. During January I was quite busy running back & forth between Music Man rehearsals and rehearsal for Guys and Dolls JR with Riverbennd Youth Company where I ran the spotlight. I think I found my technical niche finally which makes me quite happy. In March I tried something new and saw the annual Irish Music Show at the Amato Center around St Patrick's Day weekend. It was very cool to introduce myself to a new genre of music and I think Matt and I are likely to make this an annual tradition. At the end of April we went to NEC to see Hotel Laputts the annual spring mainstage production which was directed my former theatre professor Wally Pineault. Prior to the show we went to a reception for Wally's retirement at Country Spriit resturant which was quite lovely. I then had a whirlwind month between the end of April & middle of May where I saw 5 shows in the course of four weeks. A very interesting musical interpertation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sesibility at Wellsely College, NEC Movement Concert, Les Mis with Riverbend Yout Company (One of the best shows Riverbend has dne IMHO) Guys and Dolls at Actorsingers and Suessical The Musical at Peacock Players. All five shows were amazing. To read the full review see my entry The Killer Viewing Update. Suessical is nominated for several NH Theatre awards and I think that all nominess will be well deserving of the wins. Over the summer I had season passes to Summer Theatre in Meredith Village and the season was thier best season yet. Out of all the shows they did I'd have to saw my favorites were Buddy Holly Story and Hairspray. Looking very foward to their 2012 season, Though the schedule has not been finalized yet the show I am very excited about seeing Little Shop of Horrors. In August I saw The Producers for Riverbend Youth Company. I thoight the Riverbend crew did that show incredible justice. It is easily in top 5 list of favorite muscals. In September I saw I Love You You're Perfect Now Change at the Palace Theatre . Matt and I got our seats upgraded from aisle seats to onstage seating which was quite amazing. It was a whole new way to see a play.. which has be laughing the whole time In October I was blown awaya by amazing performances at the Milford Pumpkin Festival talent show espeically that of the winner 11 year old Caroline Burns of Hollis who did an amazing rendition of Adele's Rollin In The Deep. On October 23rd I saw And Then There Were None , Milford Area Players fall show and it definitely kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. On November 6th I saw A Chorus Line at Stagecoach Producitions (Another show up for numerous NH Theatre Awards) which was quite impressive. Chorus Line is one of my top favorite musicals and I feel that Stagecoach did it wonderful justice. I also saw a benefit concert for the Motivating Miles Foundation the week before Halloween which was quite lovely. My 2011 theatre viewing schedule wrapped up with the Riverbend Youth Company/Milford Area Players joint Holiday production The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. This was Sonya's acting debut and I was very excited for her I thoight this was lovely interperation of one of my favorite holiday books growing up. Great job to everyone in the cast.

As for movies here is my top 10 list

Top 10 Movies of 2011

*Home Viewing ** Theatre Viewing @Remake

1. @* True Grit Rating A

2 **@ Footloose Rating A-

3 * The Departed A-

4 ** Harry Potter and The Dealthly Hallows Part IIRating A-The overall rating for all the Harry Potter movies is A.

5. ** The HelpRating A

6 * Country StrongRating

A7 ** Sherlock Holmes II Game of ShadowsRating A-

8. ** Twilight Breaking Dawn Part I Rating B

Ratings of past Twilight Movies Twilight B New Moon B- Eclipse C+Overall Rating of Series up to this point C+

9. ** MoneyballRating A-

**10. Green LanternRating B-

Movies that did not make the top 10 but are still worth seeking out: Burlusque, The King’s Speech, Enchanted. Mildred Pierce, Sherlock Holmes,Horrible Bosses

If you have seen any of these weigh in with your view points. It will merit fine discussion.