My review of “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” is in today’s Eight Days a Week by the Morning News! You can read the article here.

Squee!

Auditions for Big River
Wednesday, July 14th @ 7pm for ages 14 and up
Sunday, July 18th @ 7pm for ages 14 and up

Production Dates:
September 17-25, 2010

Directed by Robin Thompson
Underwriten by Wachovia

Twain’s timeless classic sweeps us down the mighty
Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his
friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom at the mouth
of the Ohio River. Their adventures along the way are
hilarious, suspenseful and heartwarming.
They bring to life your favorite characters from the
novel: the Widow Douglas and her stern sister, Miss
Watson; the uproarious King and Duke, who may not
be as harmless as they seem; Huck’s partner in crime,
Tom Sawyer, and their rowdy gang of pals; Huck’s
drunken father, the sinister Pap Finn; the lovely Mary
Jane Wilkes and her trusting family.
With an award winning score from the king of
country music, Roger Miller, this cheerful journey
provides a brilliantly theatrical celebration of pure
Americana.

I just got a very pretty pamphlet that lists the plays for this season.

The Summer Production will be Alice in Wonderland (Jr.) and will be July 16-18 and July 23-25 2010. ($15.00 Adults and $10.00 Students)

Big River will be September 17-25, 2010. Auditions are SOON so stay tuned for more information.

Crossing Delancey will be October 22-30, 2010. (The lead character works in a book shop. Hmm.)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (HEY! UNTO YOU A CHILD IS BORN!) will be December 3-11, 2010.

Moon Over Buffalo is February 18-26, 2011.

Into The Woods is April 29-May 7, 2011.

I enjoyed this show so much the other night. I intended to post this on Friday, but my real job had to take precedence.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect… a medley of patriotic songs? I have never heard the FLT singers before, so I definitely wanted to go. I bought a ticket at the door.

It was that and so much more. Shaw Thompson does a perfect job with the program, there are patriotic songs interspersed with songs from the movies that we all know and love. (There is even a rousing rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame) for the “seventh inning stretch”. I wish I could praise each and every song, but this post would take up more than you would be interested to read. Robin Thompson, looking very Kennedyesque, did a fantastic job on the piano.

There were several times I got chill bumps from head to toe. The first was in the very beginning when they sang the songs associated with each branch of the Armed Forces.
“The Caisson Song” Army
“The Marine’s Hymn” Marines
“Anchors Aweigh” Navy
“Semper Paratus” US Coast Guard
“The U.S. Airforce” Air Force

What was wonderful was that they asked any service members to stand during the playing of their song. Seeing all the heroes standing was truly awe inspiring. If there was a recruiter outside at intermission I think he would be in luck.

Michael Lindley sang “On This Day” and I was floored. It was absolutely beautiful and everyone around me was grabbing for tissues. Rebecca and Shaw Thompson sang “The Red, White, & Blue.” I don’t know them personally but I envision that their house is absolutely full of music. It was fun to see them sing together and they did an amazing job.

Courtney Dease performed “Tell My Father” from “The Civil War.” I loved him in “The Fantasticks” and he did a great job with this song. I also enjoyed the performance by Kevin Carter (Anthem from Chess). It was good to see him back on the stage after last seeing him in Guys and Dolls.

Cole Davis and Megerlyn Davis performed “Wheels of a Dream” from Ragtime. Y’all. They were amazing. I don’t believe I have seen them in anything before, but I hope they will return.

I enjoyed Arlene Boyd’s solo “Over the Rainbow.” I have seen her in the chorus but loved hearing her solo. I’m pretty sure she could record that and sell the CD pretty easily. Ben Hankinson did a great job tap dancing and “Singing in the Rain.” Chrissy Fennell sang “Part of your World” from the Little Mermaid. If you have a little girl that you think can sit through the performance, she will love this! Frankie Sullivan’s “Under the Sea” was a hoot! Watch out though– during the performance he selected one lucky audience volunteer that got to dance on stage with him.

Mr. Thompson then brought things back to America at its Best. The women of the FLT Singers did a superb job with “I Dream A World.” The show concludes with “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

The show moves along quickly and I enjoyed every minute. I do hope that there a lot of people there on closing night, so I definitely recommend you checking it out. The number for the box office is 662-3731. It is well worth the $15.00. Also, if you have any family members (especially older family members) that were in the service? You should take them. It is quite a tribute.

(As a side note, I thought the lighting was perfect. I sometimes don’t feel like it is dark enough and last night it was exactly the way I like it.)

Judging by all of the talented people in this performance I deem this a “Can’t miss experience”! (ALSO!! JP’s is offering 10% off your meal when you purchase a ticket to “America Onstage” A patriotic concert by the FLT Singers at the Florence Little Theatre this weekend.)

Florence Little Theatre presents
America On Stage
featuring the FLT Singers

Directed by Shaw Thompson
Music Direction by Robin Thompson

This concert will feature the FLT Singers with patriotic and military service music. This music will be from the period of the Revolutionary War to present. So join us in a celebration of music honoring the spirit of America.

Performance Dates:
Thursday, June 17 at 7:30pm
Friday, June 18 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 19 at 7:30pm

Tickets are $15 per person and the Box Office will be open from June 14-19.
Please get your tickets by calling 843-662-3731.

**The Florence Little Theatre will be collecting items for the 1st Battalion, 178th Field Artillery Regiment with its Headquarters in Georgetown, SC. There are also soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 118th Infantry Brigade and from the South Carolina Joint Force Headquarters. There is also folks from the National Guards of Pennsylvania and Guam to make up the total force package.

Items will be collected from now through June 19. Personal items are in high demand and hard to find. We ask that you donate:
Baby wipes
Hand sanitizer
Foot powder
Chapstick
Band-Aids
Moleskin
Toothbrushes
Dental floss or floss picks
Q-tips
Mouthwash
Coffee
Coffee creamers (non-dairy, any flavor)
Crystal Light to flavor the bottled water (any flavor but Lemonade is most popular)
Beef jerky
Any kind of nuts
Trail mix
Microwave popcorn
Hard candy like Jolly ranchers – stuff that won’t melt
Gum
Mints or breath mint strips
Tootsie rolls, Reese’s Pieces, and M & M’s will make it, but bigger chocolate items will melt big time

*It takes about 2 weeks for items to ship.

Please do not donate:
Liquids
Chocolate (or anything that can melt)
Anything fragile or in a glass container
Food that is not in a can or vacuum pack

I had an email asking for thoughts on future plays for the Florence Little Theater.

Here are some parameters:

Send me a list of all the shows you would like to see performed on the FLT stage – musical, drama, comedy, dramedy…you name it. Your vote counts!

The shows that were suggested last year are part of the upcoming season – BIG RIVER, CROSSING DELANCY, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, MOON OVER BUFFALO and INTO THE WOODS were all shows that YOU suggested last year.

BUT…please do not send me a list of shows that do not exist in stage form. For example, THE BREAKFAST CLUB is only a movie. It is not a play…yet.

Also, please do not suggest shows such as WICKED, MAMMA MIA, STEELE MAGNOLIAS, LES MISERABLE and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA since the production rights for these shows are not available at this time.

Another thing to take into consideration is that if the show is on Broadway or touring currently the rights may not be available or the rights may be limited. I know that means very little to most of you but we cannot produce it if the legal rights are unavailable. You can go tohttp://www.mtishowspace.com/pg/show to check current availability.

Some other websites for ideas:

http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/15.html
http://www.rnh.com/show_home.asp
http://www.rnh.com/show_home.asp
http://www.dramatists.com/
http://www.tams-witmark.com/musical.html

So send me your suggestions and we will do our BEST to put together a season that will be exciting for us ALL!!

Congratulations to all of the winners at the recent Florence Little Theater Awards night.

Aladdin – Joey Webster
The Producers - Shaw Thompson
The Glass Menagerie – Joey Webster (Two awards, double congrats!)
The Fantasticks – Matthew Jeffords
Don’t Cry for Me, Margaret Mitchell – Lloyd Willcox
Guys and Dolls – Rebecca Thompson
The President’s Award (Volunteer of the Year) – Dan Abernathy

When I was doing a google search about the theater I found this article about the start of the theater and the families that were involved and have a legacy there today.  Very good reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Florence Little Theater’s production of Guys and Dolls. Seated on Row E in the middle*, I had a perfect view of the stage. Hats off to Director Jan Lingle for a great show that was wonderfully cast. With names like David Hamilton, Rebecca Thompson, Kevin Carter, Kristen Owen, Shaw Thompson, Keith Best… (to name a few) I knew the show was bound to be good. Guys and Dolls has a large ensemble cast, and you will see many FLT veterans in the play.

Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Premiering on Broadway in 1950, it ran for 1,200 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical, and has had several Broadway revivals as well as West End productions. (Wikipedia) In Guys and Dolls, Nathan Detroit, the organizer of the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York, bets fellow gambler Sky Masterson that he can’t make the next girl he sees fall in love with him. The next girl he sees happens to be Miss Sarah Brown, a pure-at-heart Salvation Army-type reformer. Sky has his work cut out for him. (Source)

Nathan Detroit (David Hamilton) is a “schemer and planner” but never one to get his own hands dirty– or actually follow through with marrying his fiancee of fourteen years, Adelaide (Rebecca Thompson). Hamilton’s experience and charisma bring a nice strength and smoothness to Nathan Detroit. Adelaide, starting to see that a fourteen year engagement is quite a problem, begins to push Detroit to follow through with his promise. Thompson’s performance brought images of Marisa Tomei in “My Cousin Vinny” to mind. She is outwardly tough and full of Jersey accent and big talk, but still a woman of vulnerability and insecurity. Her comedic timing is impeccable.

We see Sky (Kevin Carter), a smooth-talking gambler, take the biggest gamble of all when he falls in love with Sarah Brown (Kristen Owen). Sky is obviously a master at his own game, he exudes confidence and dignity even as he sins. There is no doubt about it– Owen is dazzling even in her slightly frumpy and austere suit as the prissy Ms. Sarah. Her transformation from Ula in “The Producers” to Ms. Sarah is profound and shows true talent that Florence is lucky to have.

My favorite scene is Act 2, Scene III “Crap Game in the Sewer.’ The guys absolutely NAIL this piece, and it is amazing. The choreography is top notch and I am pretty sure that I saw Walton Sprawls do a back flip at one point. (I wonder if thats how Creel Tire manages to work so fast?)
Ms. Adelaide and Ms. Sarah have a scene together that is so poignant that I would be remiss if I did not mention it. Everything about the two women is a study in contrasts. From their backgrounds to their hair color to their voices, it is clear that they are not alike. And yet, women know when it comes to matters of the heart we are all alike. Thompson and Owen do a magnificent duet that both displays the contrasts and the similarities of the two characters.

Speaking of the Thompson’s, Nicely Nicely played by Shaw Thompson, does a rousing version of “Rocking the Boat.” I actually have been singing it over and over since Friday night. I perused you tube videos of other performances of this song, and I contend that his is the best around.

I am always looking for an actor that is a “scene stealer”. Ashley Costas was the scene stealer in “The Producers”. The scene stealer in “Guys and Dolls” had to be Jumana Swindler as Agatha. When Agatha ran out of the mission during the raid with a card dealer visor on, I almost fell out of my seat laughing. Her expressions throughout the play are priceless, I loved her in this play.

I wish I could break down every song and every scene for you, I loved them all. From Frankie Sullivan’s pinkalicious shirt and tie to the scene between Ms. Sarah and Arvide it was a delight. I also loved the New York backdrop– I want a print of that for my office The crew did an excellent job as well. Florence is so fortunate to have the amount of talented people that we do– and that they are so generous with their time. Please support the arts and treat yourself to a great night out! Here is the information about show times and reservations.

This is the closing play for the season, but there is plenty to look forward to in the summer. Check out all of the information in the “Curtain Call” that you receive at the theater. I can’t wait to see the lineup of plays for the fall.

*Not my real seat in case you start researching.

Here is my post from last year’s Taste of the Symphony.

The Taste of the Symphony is Thursday night. This event raises money for the Florence Symphony Orchestra, the Florence Darlington String Association, and the Florence Youth Orchestra.

On April 26, 2010 the The Florence Symphony Orchestra concludes its season with Film and Show music featuring the dreams found on stage. These selections are:
Man of La Mancha
Brigadoon
Sound of Music
Gladiator
Tribute to John Williams
and others

Never been to the Symphony? There is a first timers guide here.
The performance is at 7:30 at the Florence Civic Center. The symphony has opened an accessible office at the FDDC Art Trail Gallery (the old Kimbrell bldg) at 135 S Dargan St. The office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 4 PM.

With the beauty of dance, the magic of dreams and the sounds of music, the South Carolina Dance Theater presents “Dances, Dreams and Music” at the Florence Little Theatre on March 12th, 13th and 14th. Featuring live orchestral accompanient by the Florence Symphony Orchestra, the program brings the emotions of all dreams to the stage with “Night of Dreams,” ” Parade of Dreams,” ” Shattered Dreams,” “Carnival of Dreams,” and “Dreams of Light.” The full Company will be featured in “The Gift of Dances and Dreams.”

Performances are Friday, March 12th, at 7:30 pm, Saturday, March 13th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 14th, at 3:00 pm. Online reservations will open to our Season Membership Subscribers on Monday, February 22nd, and to the general public on Monday, March 1st, by visting our website. For those patrons who wish to purchase tickets in the more traditional method, the Florence Little Theatre Box Office (843-662-3713) will open on Monday, March 8th, from 10:00 to 5:00 daily. Tickets are $20.00 for adults and $10.00 for students/children.

“Gypsy Carnival,” a special outreach for our younger audience, will be presented on Satuday, March 13th, at 2:00. This abbreviated ballet will present the story of village life though dance and will be followed by a “Village Tea” with refreshments and an opportunity to meet the dancers. This performance is not a part of the Company’s regular season offering and Season Membership Subscribers may not use their membership tickets for this performance .Ticket prices are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students/childern.

For additional information about the performances, call the SCDT at 843-669-3991 or contact us via email at scdancetheatre@gmail.com.

(In accordance with FTC guidelines, the Flossip discloses that this post is made in connection with a paid advertisement by SC Dance Theater. We thank them for their support in keeping the Flossip in business.)