1997-03 1940S Radio Hour.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
West Valley Light Opera ASSfl. Presents OUR 32ndSEASON 1996 -1997 Performing at the SARATOGA CIVIC THEATER 13777 FRUITVALE AVE., SARATOGA March-April1997 Special Insert in This Program WVLOAAnnounces Next Season's Shows! Subscribe NOW to avoid any future increase in price. Great prices on jewelry repair Custom jeweler on premises Expert watch repair Remember these days: • Graduation Day • Mother's Day • Father's Day "Boogie Woogie" on down! Downtown Willow Glen (408) 293-8538 Why pay retail? Call for estimates West Valley Light Opera Presents Written by WALTON JONES Based on an idea by Walton Jones and Carol Lees, as originally produced by the Ensemble Company and Yale RepertoryTheater, and further developed by the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. Broadway production presented by Jujamcyn Productions, Joseph P.Harris, Ira Bernstein and Roger Berlind. Featuring (Alphabetically) FRANCO M. BERNARDI • ROBERT P. BERGMAN GORDON P. BOWMAN • DREW CAMPBELL • JOE COLLETTI BEN KANTER • HEIDI KOBARA • IAN LEONARD DAN MEAGHER • DIANE MILO • RON PACKARD DESI THOMPSON • CAROLYN TIDWELL Director: KEVIN CORMIER Music Director: JASON SHERBUNDY Choreographer: BRAD HANDSHY Producer: JANET MILLER Gala Opening: Saturday, March 22 8:00 PM Friday: March 28, April 4, 11, 18, 25 8:00 PM Saturday: April 5 2:30 PM Saturday: March 29, April 5, 12, 19, 26 8:00PM Sunday: March 23, April 6, 13, 20 2:30 PM Thursday: April 24 8:00 PM "The 1940's Radio Hour" is produced through special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., 45 West 25th St. New York, NY 10010 Visit us @our website: www.wvlo.org email: [email protected] Ifl(rll(OtfJ ••• a tfJO~rIfolf( OaJ€'!}Iie-eeto~ Dear Audience Members, Thank you for attending this performance of "1940's Radio Hour". I wasn't born anywhere near the 1940's-neither were most of the cast members. Yet in spite of having no living experience with that era, I found myself feeling that I was in quite familiar territory. The period references, the slang (both p.c. and not), the characters-everything in the show is so evocative of the times that it is hard not to feel as though one had experienced it all first hand. And of course the music. The glorious, sing-able, recognizable, wonderful music. I think we on this production have developed a kind of nostalgia for a time we never lived. And we have the luxury of selective nostalgia: since we were never there, we don't remember any of the hardship. Many of you do remember the times from first hand and the related sacrifices you made to see us win an unprecedented war against tyranny. Let's hope that tonight brings back only fond memories for you youngsters who made the '40s happen, and that our show happily transports everyone to one of the most complex simpler times in recent history. For me, it is appropriate to do a show which looks at the past as this year marks my twentieth as a musical theatre director. I'm happy to be working with some folks in this cast who have known me for many of those years. While 20 years of community theatre may be some kind of minor accomplishment, knowing some one in community theatre that long is a major one. My thanks to all the actors, producers, staff members, musicians, and techies with whom I have worked who have devoted so many hours of talent to make the magic. I couldn't-a done it wid outcha. Please enjoy our show and thanks again. Kevin Cormier, Director CAST OF CHARACTERS (in order of appearance) Pops Bailey, the stage doorman Ben Kanter Stanley, the radio station "gofer" Drew Campbell Clifton A. Feddington, coproducer announcer, & general manager Dan Meagher Zoot Doubleman, the bandleader Jason Sherbundy Wally Fergusson, the drug store delivery boy Ian Leonard Lou Cohn, the stage manager Joe Colletti Johnny Cantone, the featured vocalist...........................Robe. rt P.Bergman Ginger Brooks, the bubble-headed waitress-turned-star .....Heidi Kobara Connie Miller, the bobbysoxer from Ogden, Utah Desi Thompson B.]. Gibson,preppy student from Yale Franco M. Berardi Neal Tilden, the comic who drives a cab Ron Packard Ann Collier, their main female vocalist since 1936 Diane Milo Geneva Lee Browne, the songwriter and jazz & blues singer Carolyn Tidwell Biff Baker, the band member who goes overseas tomorrow Gordon P.Bowman THE MUSICIANS Band Leader (Zoot Doubleman),Jason Sherbundy -Reeds-- Mark Byer Art Dias Steve Fernbach Steve Holmes Bobby Howe Arlene Jacobs Mike Maida Marty McHan Mike Potel Jordon Selburn Claudia Zornow -Trombones-- Gordon P.Bowman Garo Gagliano Grant Hill Wally Wells Craig Whitwell -Trumpets-- Shawn Collins Dan Coyle Clay Foster Bill Hunsicker Larry McGowan John Morillas Jim Rollins -Bass-- Steve Adkins Linda Jansen Jim Willoughby -Drums-- Tom Eschenfelder Jim Hurt -Piano-- Jason Sherbundy (Not all musicians will play each performance.) THE MUSICAL NUMBERS PLACE: The seedy studios ofWOY, a S,OOO-watt local New York City radio station, about an hour before a Monday night broadcast of a weekly variety show, "The Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade." TIME: December 21,1942 THE BROADCAST ACT ONE "Kalamazoo" The Company "Pepsi Cola" .]ohnny,Wally, B.]., Connie, Ginger "Daddy" Connie & Men "WOV" Ann, Ginger, Neal, Wally "Our Love is HereTo Stay" Johnny "That Old Black Magic" Ann "Ain't She Sweet" Anne, Geneva, Lou,Wally, & B.]. SKIT: Diction Coaching Clifton, Neal "How About You" B.]. & Connie "Blue Moon" Neal & Company Dance Neal & Ginger - -15-Minute Intermission-- ACT TWO "Chiquita Banana" Women "Rose Of The Rio Grande" Geneva & Men "I'll Never Smile Again" Johnny & Company "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" B.]., Connie & Ginger "Blues In The Night" Ginger & Men "Jingle Bells" Company "I Got It Bad" Geneva "You Go To My Head" : B.]. "Five O'Clock Whistle" Connie & Men SKIT: Mysterious Curtains .. Geneva, B.]., Clifton, Connie, Neal & Johnny "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Ann "Strike Up The Band" Company "I'll Be Seeing You" Company PRODUCTION STAFF Producer Janet Miller Stage & Choral Director Kevin Cormier Musical Director Jason Sherbundy Choreographer Brad Handshy Set Designer Gary Mitchell Technical Director/Master Carpenter Ed Hand Assistant Bill Shepard Lighting Designer Dina Myers Costumer Debbie Owens Sound Designer Jon Wenger Stage Manager Elaine Anderson Mathews Assistant Stage Manager/Light Operator Larissa North Properties Kris Dudley Special Sound Props Les Dale, RayVargus, & Bill Shepard House Manager Phyllis Chrisman Program & Publicity Marge Hand Rehearsal Pianist Jason Sherbundy Promotional Designs Gene Pincus Lighting Operator Jennifer Roderick Spotlight Operator Bobby Giraudo Hair & Make-up Becky Ropa Stage Crew Becky Ropa "WOV"-ly Set Construction & Painting Crew Gene Collinge, Drew Campbell, Les Dale, Ed Hand, Ben Kanter, Heidi Kobara ,Hugh Mecum, Ron Packard, Gene Pincus, Bill Shepard, Ray Vargus & Cast Members Reservations & Box Office Marge & Ed Hand, Liz Dale Opening Night Refreshments Dawn Meidinger &Angels Unlimited Lobby Refreshments Angels Unlimited Photography Carl Ballou Lobby Design & Display Dawn Meidinger Poster/Flyer Design Nuberry Advertising Poster/Flyer/Program Printing Simpson Printers Grateful Acknowledgements: Coming Soon ABRAHAM LINCOLN SCHOOL to this Theater SARATOGA DRAMA GROUP Saratoga Drama Group THEATREWORKS "Hello, Dolly" SUNNYVALE COMMUNITY THEATER May/June 1997 GENE PINCUS • WVLOA SALLY HOWE "Me & My Girl" & JASON WINTERS June/Aug 1997 BEN KANTER ("Pops" Bailey). Ben is a real veteran of WVLOA. Regular subscribers will remember him as Herbie in last season's production of "Gypsy" and as Gladhands in "West Side Story" as well as his direc- tion of" Show Boat" ,"Anything Goes" and" Girl Crazy" . Ben holds a Master of Fine Arts in stage directing from FSU as well as 3 other college degrees in theater. He served his internships in professional regional the- aters atArena Stage in Washington, DC, Seattle Rep in Seattle, and Old Globe in San Diego. Ben is currently a college professor of speech communication and theatre at De Anza Col- lege. His long list of theatrical credits began at the age of 7 on radio and the next year in elementary school. He has performed in over 60 produc- tions as an actor and over 50 as a director, his most recent being "Little Mary Sunshine" for SCP last year.Through the years, Ben has had the privi- lege of working with some of the "giants" in this business, including Mae West, Caesar Romero, Martha Ray, LilyTomlin and even feasted on fried chicken with Helen Hayes. But the highlight of his career has been work- ing with daughter,]ulie, now 14 in three productions.Always glad to have you on our stage, Ben! JOE CqLLETTI (Lou Cohn). Joe returns to our stage for his second appearance and his second show of our season, having just performed the role of Hysteriurn in "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum". Previously he had been seen in the role of Nicely Nicely Johnson in SDG's production of "Guys & Dolls". His impressive list of theatrical cred- its include leading and supporting roles in FMT's pro- ductions of "The Music Man", "The Three Penny Op- era", "ALittle Night Music", "Fiorello", "The Boys From Syracuse", and "Carousel" .Ioe graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BAin Theatre/Film and has worked on several student films as well as Apply Industrial Videos. He has also performed with Mystery By Design. In his spare time.Joe likes to play racquetball, date, go web surfing or cycling, and maybe even read a good book, not necessarily in that order! Some of his ambitions are to do more Shakespeare, opera and more film work. When we hoped he would perform with us again in the near future, we had not idea it would be so soon. But Joe's timing and comedic talent are always welcome on our stage.