SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE Presents A Christmas Memory Book by Music by Lyrics by Duane Poole Larry Grossman Carole Hall Based on the story by Truman Capote Directed by Alison Eliel Kalmus Music Directed by Emily Cohn Presented by special arrangement with Jayson Raitt and Brannon Wiles. A CHRISTMAS MEMORY was originally produced byTheaterWorks in Palo Alto, CA. Robert Kelley, Artistic Director and Phil Santora, Managing Director Any taping, filming, recording or broadcast of this play (musical or otherwise) is strictly prohibited. No food or beverages (other than water) are permitted in the seating areas. Please turn off all electronic devices. FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR When we adopted our mission of celebrating the American experience in plays by American authors it forced me to find new holiday shows since our perennial production of A Christmas Carol was no longer possible. Last year, I was lucky to have found A Little House Christmas, based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which proved to be enormously popular with our audiences (we plan to produce it again next year!) And this year, I was thrilled to find A Christmas Memory adapted from the story by Truman Capote and making its Los Angeles premiere with this production. Set in rural Alabama, it is a play that celebrates all that is good about the holidays – family, food, and festivities, but also examines the special relationship between a young boy and his eccentric older cousin that speaks to those special bonds we form with the unlikeliest of people. It has been beautifully adapted by Duane Poole, Larry Grossman, and Carole Hall and I’m so happy to make it SMP’s holiday gift to you. When I approached Alison Eliel Kalmus to direct this play, I didn’t know that Capote’s story is one of her favorites. It has been a fortuitous pairing! Alison has a long history with the Playhouse, but this was the first time we have worked together and it has been a joy. She and Emily Cohn, our Music Director, and this wonderful group of designers and actors have brought this lovely play to such vibrant life that I’m sure it will become another audience favorite. A special thank you to John Sparks who produced the show for us, he showed up at just the right moment. We have had a banner year at the Playhouse – our shows were critical and popular successes (Always…Patsy Cline was the biggest smash in our history), we received our first ever Ovation nominations, we were discovered by many new patrons, we launched our Advisory Council which will work with our Board to help us achieve so many of our goals, we have had great support from local businesses, and support from our donors has risen dramatically. We have so many wonderful plans for 2016 – terrific shows, of course, but many other new initiatives and surprises for you, as well. From all of us here at the Playhouse, we wish you the happiest of Holidays and the best of everything in the New Year! I hope the Playhouse will continue to be your second living room – filled with memories of good times spent with family and friends – and one to which you return often. Christian Lebano CAST (in order of appearance) Anna Stabler ......................... Charlotte Crossley* Theresa Ford u/s Adult Buddy ............................... Jeff Scot Carey* Jennie ......................................... Jean Kaufman* Sook .............................................. Diane Kelber* Young Buddy ...................................... Ian Branch Patrick Geringer Seabon ............................. Kevin Michael Moran* Farley / Mr. HaHa ........ Christopher Showerman* Nelle .............................................. Lucy Ferrante Samantha Salamoff Queenie .................................................. Sheldon *Member Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Actors and Stage Managers in the United States Setting: Rural Alabama, 1933 and 1955 Songs ACT ONE Prologue ........................................................................... Orchestra Imagine a Morning ............................................................ Ensemble Alabama Fruitcake ...................................................... Sook, Buddy What's Next ................................................................. Adult Buddy This and That .............................................................. Nelle, Buddy Alabama Fruitcake (Reprise) ....................................... Sook, Buddy Mighty Sweet Music.......................................................... Ensemble Detour ..................................................................................... Anna One Small Seed .......................................................... Sook, Buddy Paper And Cotton ......................................................... Adult Buddy ACT TWO Thirty-one Cakes ......................................................... Sook, Buddy No Tellin' ..................................................................... Sook, Buddy Nothing More Than Stars ................... Seabon, Adult Buddy, Buddy Buddy's Midnight Adventure ....................... Buddy, Sook, Ensemble You Don't Know It .................................................................. Jennie The Kite Song.......................................................................... Sook Finale .......................................................... Adult Buddy, Ensemble A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR When I first listened to A Christmas Memory, I was struck with how masterfully it evoked the poignancy of a personally beloved story. Every year, I introduce the Truman Capote classic to my high-school English students observing the lessons they learn from the brilliance of its deceptively simple writing, anthems of tolerance, and the truth of authentic-self. The lyrical beauty of the story’s prose made it a natural for musical theater, and the adaptors have served the story beautifully. In the play, fruitcake serves as a means for a sensitive boy and intellectually-disabled woman to transcend the insistent “normalcy” of their relatives, community and circumstances. Though they are marginalized, Sook and Buddy are able to explore vistas far beyond the limited world of their biased family and neighbors. Through their adventures in the acquisition of ingredients, the pleasures of baking, and the decision as to who will be an honorary recipient - their fruitcakes become emissaries that “make us feel connected to eventful worlds beyond the kitchen.” Their special “Cake List” is for “Friends.” Not neighbor friends, but those persons with whom Buddy and Sook have developed a special bond or interest (Baptist missionaries to Borneo, the bus driver from Mobile - who always waves to them, the young couple driving from California who snap a photo of them). Then there are those who intrigue and inspire but whom they’ve never met (FDR and Jean Harlow!). Forging a bridge of connections outside their restricted environment, they are able to escape the tyranny of closeted expectations and parochial stricture. Many thanks to Christian Lebano for the opportunity to direct, John Sparks our wise Producer, Kelsey O’Keeffe (a most organized SM), Emily Cohn (a wonderful MD and Coach), Dorothy Nichols, Estelle Campbell, Diane Siegel, David Goldstein, Vicki Conrad, Michael Kozachenko, an amazing Cast and Crew, our virtuoso Band, SMP Board, Staff, and Volunteers. A special shout-out to the devoted parents of our child actors, who ran lines, drove hundreds of miles, waited patiently and dealt with the nerves and fatigue. “Oh, what an adventure awaits us today..!” Alison Eliel Kalmus PRODUCTION TEAM Director / Choreographer .....................................................Alison Eliel Kalmus Music Director .................................................................................. Emily Cohn Producers ............................ John Sparks, Estelle Campbell, Christian Lebano Production Stage Manager / Dance Captain ........................... Kelsey O’Keeffe Stage Manager (Dec. 22 & 23) ................................................... Kristin Bolinski Assistant Stage Manager ........................................................... Emily Hopfauf Stage Crew ................................................................................ Victoria Aguilar Dog Wranglers ...................................................... Elizabeth & Susan Solebello Set Designer ............................................................................. David Goldstein Costume Designer ......................................................................... Vicki Conrad Lighting Designer.............................................................. Michael Kozachenko Sound Effects Designer .............................................................. Barry Schwam Set Dresser / Properties Designer ................................................... Erin Walley Ukelele Coach .......................................................................... Michael Gregan Additional Choreography .......................................................... Dorothy Nichols Dialect Coach ............................................................... Deborah Ross Sullivan Lobby Curator ................................................................................ Diane Siegel Set Builder ........................................................................................... Jeff Ditto Carpenters ................................... Matt John, Zach LaLiberte, Borja Rodriguez Scenic Painter .....................................................................