Row L Seat 1 2014 Highlights

Wow - what a year it's been! With the end of 2014 just hours away, it's hard to believe that Row L Seat 1 is almost a year old! In some ways it feels like I just started blogging about theatre last week, while in other ways it seems like I've been doing it forever.

From Central PA to Broadway, my year was full of theatre adventures. Here are a few Row L Seat 1 highlights from 2014...

January brought my first post! In February I jumped on the online quiz bandwagon by creating the "Which Broadway Musical Are You?" quiz. In March, who could forget about Adela Dazeem? (John Travolta hopes everyone has forgotten about that by now.) April brought one of my favorite topics, Introducing Kids to Theatre.

Most of May I spent trying to win that insane contest to win tickets to the Tony Awards dress rehearsal. I still have nightmares about it! While I ultimately came in fourth place (which I didn't find to be too shabby out of thousands of people), I sure learned a lot from the experience!

The Tony Awards were in June. I made my first attempt at predictions, and I have to admit I did better than I thought I would do, ultimately correctly guessing 12 out of 26. Also in June, my family went to see Aladdin on Broadway. This was the first time in New York City for my youngest son, and he even helped me review the production!

My youngest son enjoyed his first trip to New York City, complete with tickets to see Aladdin.

In July, I shared a few items on my Broadway bucket list. And in August I debuted a series of posts with ideas I have that I think would sell more tickets on Broadway.

In September, my Theatre Review page went live, followed by the arrival of my business cards in October. (It only took me nine months to get them, but it was worth the wait. Even though it's just a little card, it makes me feel "official!")

Getting business cards was an exciting accomplishment for me!

To end the year, December brought the inaugural issue of "Intermission," the Row L Seat 1 Central PA Newsletter!

I feel like I've come so far since that very first post almost a year ago. And I know 2015 is going to be even more exciting (I have some big plans, which will be revealed in the next week or two!).

Thank you to everyone who continues to read my blog, like and share my posts on social media, and support Row L Seat 1. I truly appreciate it, and I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2015 filled with lots of theatre!

PRiMA Theatre to Open 2015 Season with Anniversary Cabaret

PRiMA Theatre will open its 2015 season on January 31 with FIVE, a special fifth anniversary cabaret featuring PRiMA’s finest talent and the unforgettable show-stopping tunes from the past five seasons.

Professional performers include Kristen Brewer, Michael Fisher, Randy Jeter, Josh Keefer, Erin McCullough, Sarah Timm, Reji Woods, and a rare performance by PRiMA’s Mitch Nugent. The singers will be accompanied by Music Director and acclaimed regional pianist Andy Roberts. Past shows represented by song include PRiMA’s Glee, The Music of West Side Story, Chess, Guilty Pleasures, Rockin Rodgers & Hammerstein, Songs For A New World, Monster Music, 80’s Re-Lived! and Oz in Concert.

FIVE will play on January 31 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The performances are hosted by the Lancaster Office of Promotion and will be held in the masonic room, upstairs at the City Visitors Center, 38 Penn Square, Lancaster, PA 17603. Tickets start at $22 and are available at primatheatre.org or 717.327.5124.

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT coming to Hershey Theatre

Broadway’s new musical comedy, Nice Work If You Can Get It, will visit Hershey Theatre Friday, January 16 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 17 at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Tickets for this show are $30.00, $50.00, $60.00 and $70.00 (tax and applicable fees apply) and are available at Hershey Theatre Box Office. They can be charged by phone at 717-534-3405 and online at www.HersheyEntertainment.com or www.TicketMaster.com.

Alex Enterline and Mariah MacFarlane will star as wealthy playboy Jimmy Winter and feisty bootlegger Billie Bendix, respectively. The tour will also feature Reed Campbell as Cookie McGee, Aaron Fried as Duke Mahoney, Stephanie Gandolfo as Jeannie Muldoon, Stephanie Harter Gilmore as Duchess Estonia Dulworth, Benjamin Perez as Senator Max Evergreen, Rachael Scarr as Eileen Evergreen, Thomas Schario as Chief Berry and Barbara Weetman as Millicent Winter.

Rounding out the company are Jessica Bare, Kayla Starr Bryan, Christian Bufford, Elyse Collier, Carl DeForrest Hendin, Nick Jones, Kristina King, Alison Morooney, Sarah Primmer, Kevin Michael Raponey, Justin Schuman, Heather Stinson and Chris Woods.

The musical comedy features music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro (Memphis) inspired by material by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse. The production features direction and choreography by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes), recreated by David Eggers.

Nice Work If You Can Get It, which played a total of 478 performances during its 2012-2013 Broadway run, is filled to the brim with classic Gershwin songs, including “But Not For Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” This sparkling, madcap tale combines laughter, romance and high-stepping Broadway magic for an evening bursting with girls, glamour and the glorious songs of Gershwin. For more information, please visit www.NiceWorkOnTour.com.

MID-LIFE 2! (THE CRISIS CONTINUES) Makes its Regional Debut at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre

A production that has not been seen before in the state of Pennsylvania, Mid-Life 2! (The Crisis Continues), will be playing at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre from December 30th through February 14th.

Mid-Life 2! is a musical revue that takes a look at the aches, pains and even joys of getting older, featuring songs like "Zumba Warriors," "A Trip To The Drugstore," "Where’d I Put My Glasses?" and "The Senior Discount."

The small cast consists of three men and three women, and they are all Dutch Apple alums. Luther Chakurian, playing Man 1, was just seen as Tom Bailey in A Wonderful Life. The Houston native was a company member with The Masquerade Theatre for 15 years and was voted “Best Actor” by the Houston Press in 2007 for the title role in Sweeny Todd. Christopher Tefft, playing Man 2, was recently seen as Mr. Martini in A Wonderful Life and is a professional church singer who has appeared with St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Park Avenue Christian Church and St. Joseph’s in the West Village. Man 3 will be portrayed by Kirk Lawrence, who is no stranger to the Dutch Apple stage. Kirk recently appeared as the cold Mr. Potter in A Wonderful Life and was also seen in Hairspray playing “everybody else of the male persuasion.” Kirk, as Jane Street, is co-host of the monthly Berks Community Television talk show “That’s What She Said!” 

Dianne Stone Fussaro, playing Woman 1, actually got her start in professional theatre on the Dutch Apple stage the day that their doors opened. Since then Dianne has been in several productions, and she is the founding company member/producer for Theatre America, New York City. Woman 2 will be portrayed by Jennifer Hope. Recently seen as Mrs. Martini in A Wonderful Life, Jennifer has taken her career to five continents and 43 states, performing at The Kennedy Center, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Trump Taj Mahal. Lisa Coday will be performing as Woman 3. Lisa was recently seen as Milly Bailey in A Wonderful Life, and this will be her fourth show at Dutch Apple. During her 20 plus years as a performer, she has had the honor of performing with great artists such as Andy Williams, Glen Campbell and Bobby Vinton.

This production will be directed and choreographed by brothers Jim Walton and Bob Walton (who also wrote the script, music and lyrics). Jim and Bob wrote the hilarious predecessor Mid-Life! (The Crisis Musical), which was enjoyed by all at the Dutch Apple in 2008. Both Bob and Jim have appeared in productions on Broadway as well as off Broadway. In 1997 their musical My Brother’s Keeper won “Best New Musical” in the Backstage Bistro Awards.

Mid-Life 2! (The Crisis Continues) will be at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre December 30th through February 14th. It’s a hilarious comedy that will have you turning to your friends saying “That’s us!” However, you might want to leave the kids at home. Ticket prices range from $49 to $56 for meal and show. A limited number of show-only seats are available for $34. Call (717) 898-1900 to make a reservation, or order your tickets online at www.DutchApple.com.

Strand-Capitol Names Jody Keller Interim CEO

The Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in York, PA, has hired Jody Keller to serve as an interim CEO. Keller brings over 30 years of consulting experience in the areas of management, organizational development and human resources management to this position.

Keller will be responsible for supporting staff and executing work plans as well as serving as a main Strand-Capitol representative. She will also assist in the search process for the next CEO and prepare a report to be shared with that person regarding the current state of operations.

“Jody has been a highly respected leader in our community for a long time,” said Loren Kroh, chairman, 2014-2015 Strand-Capitol board of directors. “Her skill set and experience are a great fit for our needs during this period of transition.”

Prior to joining the Strand-Capitol, Keller was a partner and chief administrative officer at ParenteBeard LLC, the 20th largest accounting firm in the U.S. She was a member of the executive management team and oversaw human resources, partner relations and the marketing and communications functions. Keller holds a bachelor’s of science degree in education from The Pennsylvania State University and a master of arts in human resources management and labor relations from St. Francis University. She is certified as a senior professional in human resources (SPHR) from the HR Certification Institute.

Keller is an active leader in the York community. She currently serves as chairman of the board for Turning Point Women’s Counseling Center and as a board member of the York County Library System and the advisory committee of the Byrnes Health Education Center. Additionally, she is a member of the Rotary Club of York where she has served as president, a member of the Penn State-York Campus Advisory Board and past chairman of the board of the York County Chamber of Commerce.

Elf The Musical at Hershey Theatre is a Recipe for Holiday Fun

I love to bake cookies at Christmastime. I don't know if it's the way it makes the house smell, the joy on my kids faces when they dump a year's supply of sprinkles on a sugar cookie, or the way the cookies look when they're all done and assembled on a platter on Christmas day. Probably it's all of those reasons.

Another thing I love about this time of year is the abundance of holiday plays and musicals that are playing at local theatres. Come to think of it, holiday shows are actually pretty similar to Christmas cookies. For example, take the chocolate chip cookie. A Christmas Story is kind of like the chocolate chip cookie of holiday shows. It's reliable, good, and you can be sure someone you know will make it every year. Then you have the sugar cookies, which are shows like It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. They're nice, sweet, and go back years and years. And finally there are the special cookies. They're the cookies that not everyone makes, but when you find someone that makes a good special cookie you want to make sure you get your hands on one before they're gone. Elf the Musical at Hershey Theatre is just this kind of cookie...I mean show.

Elf tells the story of Buddy the Elf, who's not really an elf but thinks he's an elf. You see, Buddy was orphaned as a child and accidentally crawled into Santa's sack, ending up at the North Pole where he was raised with all the other elves. Upon learning he's actually human, Buddy sets off on an adventure to New York City to find his true dad.

I make a special cookie at Christmas that I like to think is pretty darn good. It's a chocolate mint cookie, and as with most cookies, it starts with flour. The flour in Elf is Santa. You pretty much can't make a cookie without flour, and well, it just wouldn't be Christmas without Santa. Santa is played by Mark Fishback, and other than the fake beard, Fishback is a pretty convincing Saint Nick.

After the flour comes the sugar. The sugar is the sweetest part of the cookie and what makes the cookie taste so delicious. Of course this is Buddy, who is basically a kid in an adults body. He's almost always happy, and he has such a youthful innocence about him. What's not to love about a guy who thinks nothing of dressing in striped green tights and eats spaghetti covered in maple syrup for breakfast? At the performance I attended, Buddy, typically played by Daniel Patrick Smith, was played by understudy David J. Wiens. Wiens stepped up to the plate and didn't miss a beat. While I wouldn't say he had an outstanding voice, when combined with natural acting talent it was good enough to pull off the role.

Next it's time to mix in some butter, the indulgent part of the cookie that you cringe when you add. This is Buddy's real dad, Walter Hobbs. Walter, played by D. Scott Withers, is a workaholic that puts his job before everything, including family. Withers does a fantastic job playing the guy you love to hate (though by the end of the show you might not hate him so much).

Then come the eggs, not the key ingredient but very important nonetheless. Emily (Walter's wife and Buddy's stepmother) and Jovie (a Macy's North Pole employee and quickly Buddy's love interest) are the eggs in Elf. Emily is played by Allison Mickelson, and Jovie is played by Daryn Harrell. Both Mickelson and Harrell have pleasant voices and shine in their respective roles.

Then it's time for the surprise in the cookie... the mint chips. They're just little, but they add so much to the cookie. This ingredient in Elf is Michael, Buddy's younger stepbrother. At the performance I saw, Michael was played by Benjamin Elias Harding, and boy was he a treat. He's one of the best child performers I've seen, and honestly I feel that he is one of the most talented cast members. This 7th grader can act, dance, and sing, and he looks so natural doing all of it. Harding's voice blends perfectly with Mickelson's, making for an absolutely beautiful duet in "I'll Believe in You." Not to mention his pitch-perfect voice singing the phrase "It's the story of...Buddy the Elf," which is guaranteed to get stuck in your head (don't say I didn't warn you).

After the mint chips come the chocolate chips. These chips are the other minor roles and ensemble members, each adding a nice touch to the show. From tap dancing elves in the North Pole to singing fake Santas in a Chinese restaurant, the talented ensemble members make sure that everyone leaves the theatre in full-blown holiday spirit.

Finally there are the ingredients like salt and baking powder, which are the necessary ingredients that ensure that a cookie turns out perfectly. These ingredients are the orchestra, choreography, sets, and costumes. The orchestra provides a solid and powerful presence, and the choreography is high energy and top notch. Much of the set and scenery is comprised of a stacking of intricately decorated curtains, which works well for easily transitioning between the North Pole and NYC. And the costumes are about as colorful, Christmas-y, and elf-y as they can get.

Oh, and I can't forget about the secret ingredient... (You didn't think I would give away my entire recipe, did you?) We'll just call the secret ingredient "Santa's magic."

And of course, what Christmas cookie would be complete without the help of children. I'm lucky to have two young boys who like to help me make my cookies, and they came along with me to see Elf as well. My 4-year-old told me that he liked the part when Buddy took the paper and put it in the "machine thing" (his words - not mine) and turned it into snow and yelled "Snooow!" He also liked when Buddy fixed Michael's toy. And my almost-7-year-old was quick to point out that his favorite parts were the ones in the North Pole. Despite his two trips to NYC, he still said that "I like the parts in the North Pole better than the parts in New York." I guess in a kid's world, the Big Apple just can't compete with the the Big Guy in the Red Suit! He also said he liked the part when Santa had Candy Crush on his iPad.

My boys (ages 6 and 4) loved Elf the Muiscal and sat with complete interest the whole time.

I'm not even going to delve into the realm of the musical versus the movie. First of all, I haven't seen the movie in years so I wouldn't consider myself qualified to make accurate comparisons. Secondly, I've found that you should never go into a musical expecting it to be the same as the movie. I mean, you would never expect my chocolate mint cookies to taste exactly like someone else's, right?

When you mix all the ingredients together, Elf the Musical is a special holiday treat that the whole family can enjoy. Filled with plenty of laugh-out-loud humor, a little bit of love, and a good holiday message, this is one show you should catch before it flies back to the North Pole. In other words, make sure to get your hands on this cookie before it's all gone!

Overall I give this production 6 out of 10 standing ovations.

Elf the Musical is playing at Hershey Theatre December 9-14. More details and ticket information can be found at www.HersheyTheatre.com. (A quick note for parents... Minor language is occasionally used, and a recurring theme in the show is the idea of some people not believing in Santa, although most of this will likely go right over the heads of younger children.)

It's Time for Intermission

A year or two ago, one of my favorite musicals was playing at a local theatre. My calendar was open, the ticket prices were very affordable, I was feeling great, and the weather was perfect. Yet I didn't go. But the reason I didn't go had nothing to do with my schedule, ticket prices, my health, or the weather. In fact, the one and only reason that I didn't go to this particular show was that I didn't even know it was playing until after it was over! Needless to say, I was devastated to learn that I had missed out on an opportunity to see one of my favorites and support the local theatre scene (I still have nightmares about it).

One of the main reasons I started the Row L Seat 1 theatre blog (and more specifically the Central PA page of the blog) was to spread the word about local theatre. After all, if a hardcore theatre fan like myself managed to miss a production of one of my favorite musicals when it was playing right down the road, how many other people in Central PA are missing the exact same opportunities and not even aware of it?

Well, I'm happy to say that there is now a way to make sure this doesn't happen! I am pleased to announce the creation of "Intermission," Row L Seat 1's monthly e-newsletter dedicated to theatre in Central PA.

Each month, "Intermission" will deliver information on what's happening in theatres across Central Pennsylvania. Signing up is easy! Just go to the end of this post, where it says "Subscribe to Intermission now!" and you'll see a place to enter your email address to subscribe. You can also subscribe any time by by visiting the Row L Seat 1 blog or by clicking the "RLS1 Newsletter" tab on the Row L Seat 1 Facebook page (though these methods might not work if you're on a phone).

Whether you're a serious theatre fan like myself or you just enjoy an occasional performance, don't let what happened to me happen to you! Subscribe today to make sure you never miss out on your favorite show when it's in town.

To view the inaugural December newsletter and see what's playing this month, just click here!

As always, I welcome any and all feedback on ways to improve Row L Seat 1. If you have an idea for the newsletter or any comments in general, feel free to email me any time at kim@rowLseat1.com.

Subscribe to Intermission now!