Photo by Tracy Arcari.

Rocky Horror rocked the Playhouse once again! The show closed last night and it really went out with a bang – great performance by the cast, band, and crew, and a great big audience who had a great time. There couldn’t have been a better note to leave the Playhouse on, and I am very satisfied and content with that.

Thank you everyone who worked on the show from front-of-house to back stage to wardrobe to designers and everyone in between. Thanks especially to Steven Smeltzer, Tim Heavner, Shannon Porper, and Jim DeVivo; it couldn’t have been done without you!

See lots more photos here.

I’m so excited that starting next week I will be back working in NYC! Although I’m glad to have had the learning experience of the past year and a half, I’ve felt a little like I’ve been “in exile”, and I’m really looking forward to re-connecting with so many people, the theater scene, and NYC in general. More on this soon.

In the meantime, if you have a chance, come check out The Rocky Horror Show, my last production at Playhouse on the Green in Bridgeport, CT. It opens tomorrow night Friday 10/23 and runs through 11/4. It’s REALLY fun and we’ve made some changes from last year: we have a bigger cast; Steven Smeltzer is back as director/choreographer; Melanie Swersey, who I did Side Show with back in Brooklyn, did the costume honors this time around; Christine Peterson has provided a more polished set than we were able to accomplish last year; and T. Paul Lowry of New Haven Theatre Company has added all kinds of fun projections into the mix. Greasewheazer is back as the band, and 10 of the 16 actors are returning from last year’s production.

The cast of The Rocky Horror Show 2009 at Playhouse on the Green. Photo by Christine Peterson.

Photos of The Rocky Horror Show by Tracy Arcari.

I am in love with Geoffrey Holder. Dancer, actor, painter, director, designer…he is an unbelievable renaissance man. Always classy, always curious, always sexy. Check out the documentary Carmen and Geoffrey and these clips of Geoffrey sharing his thoughts with the National Visionary Leadership Project:

http://www.visionaryproject.com/holdergeoffrey/

Geoffrey Holder and his wife, dancer Carmen de Lavallade.

My Mom and Dad came out east to visit in late July and we had a great time doing some “touristy” things that Brian and I hadn’t yet gotten around to.

First off was Gillette Castle in East Haddam, CT, near Goodspeed Opera House. William Gillette (1853-1957) was an actor famous for the first stage portrayal of Sherlock Holmes (no relation to the Gillette family of shaving products fame), and the 1919 Castle, with its medieval vibe and look, betrays his eccentric personality. The surroundings are even more impressive than the Castle, which is set on a cliff above the enormous Connecticut River. According to Wikipedia: “After Gillette died, with no wife or children, his will precluded the possession of his castle by any ‘blithering sap-head who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded’. In 1943, Connecticut’s government took the property, re-baptizing it Gillette’s Castle and Gillette Castle State Park.”

These pics are by my Dad:

Approaching Gillette Castle.

Brian and I in front of Gillette Castle.

Mom and Dad and the CT River.

Gardens at the Castle.

Interior of the Castle.

Another view of the main room.

A nice shot of the CT River through a window in the Castle.

The CT River.

Brian and I at Gillette Castle.

Next Mom and Dad and I went to the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport. It’s a very nice zoo and Dad got some great pics along the way!

Mom and I check out a SmartCar at the Zoo.

Mom and I get up close and personal with some prairie dogs!

These funny pigs fulfilled every stereotype…

Slippery otters.

Crocodile or alligator? I can never get it straight…

Some nice shots of flowers in the Zoo’s greenhouse.

We also headed down to Norwalk to visit the Aquarium there. Among the highlights were a huge turtle swimming in a tank and a beautiful undersea IMAX movie.

Norwalk Aquarium.

Some pretty tropical fish.

An albino frog.

Jellyfish are so weird and so beautiful.

The main attraction. He was big!

We had a great July 4 weekend in PA with “Da Boiz”. The whole gang was there and we alternated between Mark & Paul’s place and Matt & Patrick’s. Chickens were roasted on a spit, ribs were devoured, margaritas were guzzled, hot tubs were enjoyed, and the weekend ended with a great afternoon at the new pool courtesy of Matt & Patrick’s homeowners association.

Some pics I stole from Matt’s Facebook page!

Da Boiz: (l to r) Jim, Chip, Mark, Brian, Paul, Bill, Patrick, and me.

We sneakily gathered around a sleeping Ray to take this pic, but Ray opened his eyes a second before this was shot!

Our good friends (and gracious hosts) Paul and Mark.

With Mark and Paul.

Patrick and Matt.

Melissa and Nate.

Chip.

Bill and Jim.

A Sleeping Ray.

Brian and I chilling.

Those crazy boys bought animal hats!

This afternoon I was lucky enough to join the Bridgeport Historical Society for an exploration of the two mammoth old theaters on Main Street that have been deteriorating for decades. The Poli Palace and Majestic Theaters apparently were built in the 1920s, started with live stage shows and then in the ’30s transitioned to movies. By the late ’60s it seems things came to an end, except for a period in the ’70s when the son of the then owner attempted a revival, showing movies again. I’ve heard many people who saw movies in these buildings say that they were really something else, and I think you’ll be able to tell from these photos which I took.

It’s sad that the buildings have been left to rot, but they really are a thing of the past. I can’t imagine what the use for the buildings could be – certainly not live performance – except maybe a church like we have in Brooklyn. For something like this you could preserve the wonderful architecture and have a regular use for the venue. Seems unlikely to happen in Bridgeport, though…

Here’s what I saw when I first entered the Poli Palace (3000+ seats) through tarp at the back of the orchestra level.

Organ pipes.

View of the stage from the balcony.

Chandelier and dome above the balcony in the Poli Palace.

Above the proscenium is a mural depicting Marie Antoinette.

The balcony in the Poli Palace is massive! This photo only shows up to a railing, but there’s a whole other section beyond. I haven’t been in a lot of these kinds of theaters, but I remember The 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle is huge like this. The air was thick with dust so photos taken with a flash (which you had to use because there were only a couple generator-powered lights in the place) mostly show light reflecting off all the dust in the air.

Here’s another mural; this one is in the balcony.

Yikes! Everything is rotting.

Side balconies or box seats.

Detail from the plaster work on the front of the side balconies.

Heading back up to the lobby of the Poli Palace.

Check out that ceiling, the mirrored walls, and the marble staircases in the lobby!…

…and the chandelier!…

This door goes from the inner lobby to the ornate passage that goes out to Main Street.

Looking back into the inner lobby.

Wow…this place is something else…

SO…as if the Poli Palace wasn’t enough of an experience for one day, right next door is the Majestic Theater:

Slightly smaller than the Palace, but just as ornate, the Majestic has a fancy drop flown in that makes the place feel even more antique than it actually is…

Closer look at the incredible painted drop at the Majestic.

This is the real thing!

Interesting backstage signage…

In the lobby of the Majestic.

The upstairs lobby of the Majestic.

After an hour-and-a-half of inhaling god knows what in these old buildings, I was ready to make use of this decrepit exit!!!

Touring these old buildings was very interesting and fun. I remember before they demolished all the old Vaudeville/Broadway theaters turned movie theaters on 42nd Street to make way for all the Disney development that Fiona Shaw gave a dramatic reading of T.S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland” in one of the soon-to-be-torn-down theaters. It made a big impression on me. It would be so cool to give a performance of some sort in one of these old theaters…what I wouldn’t give for a production of Follies or Terrence McNally’s Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams in there… Can you imagine???!!!

Here is a link to The New York Times‘ announcement of the Off-Broadway production of Yank! A New Musical at The York Theatre Company in February/March 2010:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/theater/18arts-INTHEWINGS_BRF.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1242604814-vxAbHl0Efqqesdt2IfZM4g

I am very excited! Working with The York on the production are Producers Pamela Koslow, Stuart Wilk, and Maren Berthelsen, with whom I am working as Associate Producer. Stay tuned for news of the creative team, casting, tickets, etc.!

Edit 5/18: Here are links to the Playbill.com, TheaterMania.com, Broadwayworld.com, and AM New York announcements of Yank! at The York:

Playbill
TheaterMania
BroadwayWorld
AM New York

Things have been so crazy busy the past month and a half that I haven’t had a chance to post anything. But this afternoon The Wiz closed after its run of 13 performances, so I’m going to get everything updated!

The cast of The Wiz at Playhouse on the Green. Photo by Michael Daly.

The Wiz is one of the most popular shows of all time, and our Bridgeport-themed production at Playhouse on the Green was no exception. Our sales and attendance for this show surpassed even last fall’s The Rocky Horror Show! Of course, having a cast of 31 didn’t hurt

LaWanda Black and Rajane Brown as Aunt Em and Dorothy in The Wiz. Photo by Michael Daly.

Kevin Thompson as Tin Man and Jessica Rahrig as a Winkie in The Wiz. Photo by Michael Daly.

Sampson Denny (right) as The Wiz in The Wiz. Photo by Michael Daly.

Jessica Ferraday as Evillene in The Wiz. Photo by Michael Daly.

Rajane Brown as Dorothy in The Wiz. Photo by Michael Daly.

A sold out audience at The Wiz. Photo by me.

Me interviewing William F. Brown, author of The Wiz following a performance.

I haven’t posted in a while, but that’s because I’ve been busy putting together a really big show: The Wiz. We started rehearsals last week (show opens April 24) and we have a cast of…32! Everyone is great and I think it’s going to be a really exciting show. The design team is terrific; David Withrow’s costumes in particular are going to be really fun and interesting. Beth Fauerbach, co-director and choreographer, has great experience with kids and large groups, which definitely helps since we will have both filling our little Playhouse stage.

The cast of The Wiz. Photo by Mark Graham.

Our Dorothy, Rajane’ Brown, is the real thing: a great singer and charismatic actor/dancer who is the right age, 13. Kevin Thompson from Rocky Horror is back as the Tin Man, and Rocky alums Jessica Ferraday and Brian Riley are back as Evillene and Lord High Underling. Going all the way back to my first show here, Six Degrees, Kitty Robertson is back as Addaperle.

Rajane’ Katurah Brown as Dorothy surrounded by (l to r) Kevin Thompson as Tin Man, Andy Kepka as Lion, and Cameron Phillips as Scarecrow. Photo by Mark Graham.

We already are selling very well, so if you can come check it out, get your tickets sooner than later!

It’s been amazing working on this great play a second time. Once again, talented actors have come up with colorful, interesting characters, and once again Reginald Rose and Sherman Sergel’s dynamite drama works like gangbusters. We had a preview audience this evening, and the comments to me following the show were very encouraging.

Carl Tallent did a spectacular job on the set! Working with a shoestring budget, he completely realized the original design he had for our production one year ago, and it is very impressive. Meredith Neal again has made everyone look terrific and she has made significant contributions to telling the story of these characters. Don Rowe has come up with a subtle lighting design that is exactly right.

Come check it out!