REV9 TONIGHT AND TOMORROW AT EPAC

TWO MORE CHANCES TO SEE REV9 DANCE CO!!

If you thrill to the sights and sounds of risk-taking modern dance that makes your heart thump in your chest; if you adore the varied music of the 1970s; if you’re crazy about The Beatles and Andy Warhol, disco, early rap or punk … then you CANNOT MISS one of the final two performances of the Rev9 Dance Company at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

Kristin Pontz and Heather Bare, the directors of Rev9, who also teach at the Susquehanna Dance Center, have created an exciting evening of dance – along with the other choreographers, Jameson Kilburn, Daniel McGee, Mike Nguyen, Kyle Schwandt and Cody Smith.

The year 1977 was a wild one in New York City. Disco was king, but punk and rap were also bubbling up in the streets and in the clubs. The .44-caliber killer (“Son of Sam”) was on the prowl and Studio 54 was the place to be seen. Those are the cultural guideposts for Rev9’s new production, “ ’77,” of which you’ll see a part during this show at EPAC.

Rev9 is also showcasing parts of two of its previous shows – the Warhol-themed “Factory” and the “White Album”-based “Revolution 9.”

You have two chances left to see the show – tonight and tomorrow night (Thursday and Friday, Aug. 11 and 12) at 8 p.m.

The soundtrack for the evening ranges from the Beatles’ “White Album,” to the music of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, the Talking Heads, Blondie and the Sex Pistols.

The dances in the two-act show are, by turns, seductive and joyous, aggressive and sly, athletic and graceful – and sometimes all of those things rolled into one. Gorgeous young men and women are climbing on chairs and platforms, hanging from silks, leaping, gyrating, break-dancing, clinging to one another and tossing each other around.

One moment, you’ll be watching a gorgeous pas de duex. Then, suddenly, the stage will be filled with undulating forms, capturing the spirit of the intense beats of the 1970s. The costumes, sets and video pieces are wonderful enhancements.

I saw the show on Sunday afternoon, and was, quite simply, blown away by the whole thing. I can’t count the number of times I said, “WOW!”

Tickets are $15. Do not miss this show!

For more information on the show, click here.

For more information on Rev9 and its future performances, click here.

-- Merv Wright

MURDER, CELEBRITY AND ALL THAT JAZZ!

The cast of "Chicago," which runs from July 7-23 at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre, will razzle-dazzle you with song, dance and a taler of some jazz babies who are real killer dillers!

When crime and showbiz intersect, it's murder!

There’s nothing new under the sun!

With the media frenzy over the Casey Anthony murder trial still at full throttle, you can experience the live-theater, high-energy, murder-trial-as-public-entertainment musical that John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse created for Broadway way back in 1975. Ephrata Performing Arts Center’s new production of “Chicago” runs from this Thursday (July 7) through July 23^rd at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre in Ephrata Community Park.

BTW: There are still tickets available for Wednesday night’s preview performance (that’s tonight … July 6!), which benefits Lancaster PA Pride. Tickets are $30, which includes a reception at 6:30 p.m. and the show at 7:30 p.m. Click here for information and tickets.

While the public’s fascination with murderers like killer-dillers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly – and their theatrical lawyers – is nothing new, each production of “Chicago” EPAC presents has plenty of new tricks up its sleeve.

I sat in on a rehearsal last week, and saw an extremely entertaining show unfold. The talented cast is filled with high-kicking, youthful energy, and the leads and featured performers really hit it out of the park!

Chicago, of course, is a real “5-6-7-8 …” kind of musical, filled with memorable showtunes and splashy dance numbers. Director Ed Fernandez and musical director J.P. Meyer – also the audience’s emcee for the evening – have molded this production into a fun and flashy piece of theater. The cast does choreographer Kristen Pontz proud. It’s great to see choreography that gives a nod to the Fosse vocabulary but is, at the same time, very much an original.

The Fosse-Kander-Ebb musical “Chicago” is based, in turn, on a 1926 Broadway play written by Chicago journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins. Watkins had covered the 1924 trials of two “jazz babies,” Belva Gaertner and Beulah Sheriff Annan, and based her “Chicago” characters on them, their lawyers and Beulah’s husband.

Come to see EPAC’s “Chicago,” and you’ll see lots of new touches on the show you may know so well.The “Hungarian rope trick,” a.k.a. the execution of one of the Merry Murdesses of the Cook County Jail, is an eyepopping stunt that will make you gasp. Tim Spiese will “razzle-dazzle” you as lawyer-to-the-notorious, Billy Flynn, and his two most spectacularly amoral clients – Roxie Hart (played by Kristie Ohlinger) and Velma Kelly (portrayed by Elizabeth Frank) – will crack you up with their line readings and delight you with their muscular dance numbers.

The guys and gals of the ensemble are a real treat to watch; and oh, those Merry Murderesses of the Cook County Jail! You won’t know whether to be tickled or appalled!

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen the show on stage, or if you’ve only seen the 2002 film version, don’t feel as if you’ve had the complete “Chicago” experience. The theater version is much grittier than the movie; futher, plenty of additional songs (in the stage show but cut from the movie) await you: “Me and My Baby” (wait until you see the dancing “babies”!), “When Velma Takes the Stand” and “My Own Best Friend,” for example. And, of course, the hilarious “Class,” sung by the classless-and-clueless Velma and Mama Morton (Cynthia Charles) was relegated to the “extras” on the “Chicago” film DVD. Big mistake, there. But you’ll love seeing it in the show at EPAC.

Don’t just stay home watching warmed-over murder-trial coverage! You won’t want to miss this wonderful, rollicking show. For tickets, call the box office at (717) 733-7966, ext. 1, or visit the website.

-- Mary Ellen ("Merv") Wright

MEET THE "LOST IN YONKERS" FAMILY!

From left, Lynn Demers-Hunt, Barbara Strong Ellis, Brian Soutner and Bret Sassaman star in EPAC’s “Lost in Yonkers” June 2-11 at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

GET “LOST IN YONKERS,” AND BRING YOUR KLEENEX

If you or your family members have ever pondered why you’re all the way you are – and how your family dynamic, your upbringing and your past experiences have formed you – you’ll warmly embrace Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Lost in Yonkers.” The show, which opens tonight (Thursday, June 2), is both funny and heart-warming, and it will make you think empathetically about the pain some people experience just underneath their rough exteriors.

Simon also won the Tony and the Drama Desk awards for his 1991 play, which concerns the dysfunctional Kurnitz family of Yonkers, NY, in the 1940s. As the play unfolds, some of the reasons for the family’s interpersonal problems and quirky personalities reveal themselves as this group is thrown together under difficult circumstances. Eddie Kurnitz’s wife has died, and Eddie work out of town for several months to make money and satisfy a shady loan that paid for her treatment. He needs to entrust the temporary care of his two adolescent sons, Jay and Arty, to his tough-as-nails, immigrant mother, Grandma Kurnitz, and to his sweet but childlike sister, Bella. The action of the play takes place in tight living quarters above the Kurnitz family’s candy shop.

We also meet Eddie’s brother, Uncle Louie, a shady, small-time criminal who teaches his nephews plenty of life lessons despite himself, and Aunt Gert, who suffers from a breathing ailment that seems more psychological than physical.

You’ll love watching this Kurnitz family tapestry unravel through the eyes of its youngest members, Jay (played by Bret Sassaman) and Arty (Brain Soutner). These two young actors will delight you with their humorous take on the lessons they learn amid the crazy situation into which they’ve been thrown.

Barbara Strong Ellis thoroughly inhabits the role of Grandma Kurnitz. Her stern, Germanic presence may frighten you the way it chills her children and grandchildren. But look beneath the unlikeable exterior and listen to a bit of her life story as the play progresses; you’ll come to a kinder understanding of this formidable woman. Lynn Demers-Hunt plays Bella beautifully, revealing a childlike confusion and a deep need to give and receive love. Watching these two women gradually try to come to a mutual understanding in their complicated relationship will absolutely break your heart.

Bob Checcia is clearly having a great time sinking his teeth into the role of the hilarious, swaggering Louie – who is a real character, and who has some of the funniest lines in the play. You’ll swear he and Bruce Weaver, who plays Eddie, are really brothers! Weaver brings out a more sentimental side of the Kurnitz family – cultivated, no doubt, through the outside ministrations of Eddie’s late wife. And though Sharon Mellinger’s role is relatively small, she makes a big impression as the stylish but damaged Gert – who tries to help everyone in the family get along.

Kudos to everyone involved in the production, from director Rich Repkoe and stage manager Terry Kreider to costume designer Veronica Craig, propmistress Fran Hill, set designer Matt McCormick and lighting designer Richard Wolf-Spencer. And thanks to light-board operator Kate Morgan, technical director/master electrician Stephanie Witman and master carpenter Steve Schelling.

Open your heart to the Kurnitz family, now through June 11 at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre. And bring your Kleenex.

WATCH THE VIDEO, THANK OUR SPONSORS

You can see Blue Ridge Communication’s wonderful video preview of “Lost in Yonkers,” which features scenes from the show and interviews with the actors and the director, here.

Thanks to Blue Ridge Communications, as always, for the great video promos, and for being EPAC's season media sponsor. Thanks, also, to Terry Bigler, Terry Kurtz and Zeller Travel, the 2011 season sponsors, and to H&R Block and the Ray H. Good Business Center, 114 E. Main St., Suite B, Ephrata, for sponsoring "Lost in Yonkers."

The theater also extends its appreciation to the Olde Lincoln House for being the venue for the opening-night celebration on June 2, and to Green Mountain Cyclery for sponsoring the shindig. That post-show celebration is included in the price of your opening-night ticket.

When you see representatives of these businesses at the theater or around town, PLEASE thank them for all they do for EPAC. We owe them so much!

And, when you're at the theater seeing "Lost in Yonkers," please come say hi to your humble EPAC blogger; I'll be wearing a different hat during the run of this show, that of temporary house manager (filling in for Terry Kreider, who is house-managing "Yonkers.") I love to meet members of the EPAC family!

# Mary Ellen (“Merv”) Wright

New beginnings & a night on the town

Laura McClune, Jordan Lausch are among the young performers who will present the "New Beginnings" cabaret at 2 p.m. Sunday at EPAC.

A cabaret, old chum

If you’re interested in supporting EPAC and in hearing some wonderful, contemporary musical theater/cabaret tunes you may have never heard before – performed by young, talented singers from the EPAC family – you’ll be in luck Sunday afternoon.

Check out the “New Beginnings” cabaret at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 15, at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

You’ll recognize the talented young EPAC performers who are presenting this program of new music; they’ve starred in EPAC productions from “High School Musical” to “Rent,” and from “Altar Boyz” to “Into the Woods.” Performing will be: Laura McClune, Jordan Lausch, Devin Lewis, Nando Lucena, Jil Wiley, Donovan Hoffer, Katelyn Candiello, Emily Addis and James Wolpert.

Their set list will include songs by hot young composers on the musical theater/cabaret scene: Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk (the team behind such original musicals as “The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown”); Ryan Scott Oliver (composer-lyricist of the musical “Mrs. Sharp”), and selections from Jon Hartmere Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo's pop opera, "Bare."

General-admission tickets are $5, with proceeds benefiting EPAC. Visit the website or call (717) 733-7966 for tickets.

On the town with an EPAC alum

This weekend, EPAC's New Year's Eve gala raffle winner Alixe Ingoglia will claim her prize. Alixe, who just finished doing props for EPAC's "Into the Woods," will be dining with EPAC alum, area native and Broadway/film/TV star Jonathan Groff.

Alixe and her mother will be picked up by Expressions Limousine of Lancaster and will be taken to Lily's on Main for dinner with Jonathan. They will also spend an evening at the Historic Smithton Inn. The event will be photographed by I ♥ PhotOlé.

EPAC thanks all of these companies for their services, sponsorship and support of the theater, and for helping make this a memorable weekend for our lucky raffle winner!

*** Also, check out Jonathan Groff's appearance on the MTV show "The Seven" at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 17. For more information on the show, visit the website.

--- Mary Ellen "Merv" Wright

EPAC on the Edge: Playwright gets Tony nod

Above: The cast of EPAC's "The Little Dog Laughed." From left: Gabrielle Lewis, Corey Buller, Christopher Michael and Sharon Mellinger. Photo courtesy of EPAC.

Below: Photo of “The Little Dog Laughed” playwright Douglas Carter Beane (taken at the 2008 Tony Awards). Photo courtesy of Broadwayworld.com

EPAC presents staged reading by Tony nominee

The nominations for the 65^th annual Tony Awards were announced Tuesday morning. One of the writers nominated for Best Book of a Musical is Douglas Carter Beane, for the Whoopi Goldberg-produced musical "Sister Act."

You may recognize Beane as the Tony-nominated playwright of "The Little Dog Laughed," which EPAC will present as a staged reading this coming Monday night, May 9, at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

The New York Times recently ran an article about script doctors and show doctors – the folks who rewrite existing scripts or rework whole productions that need help. Beane rewrote the book of “Sister Act,” originally penned by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner (former executive producers of the TV show “Cheers.”)

You can read the New York Times story here.

“The Little Dog Laughed” earned Beane 2007 Tony and Olivier Award nominations, and his book for the musical “Xanadu” earned him a 2008 Tony nod and a Drama Desk award.

So don’t forget to order your tickets for “The Little Dog Laughed." Order in advance and you'll save $2! Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. A wine-and-cheese reception starts at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, and the show starts at 8. This show features adult themes and language … therefore, it is for ADULTS ONLY!!

Call the EPAC box office at (717) 733-7966, ext. 1, for tickets.

And while you're at it ... don't miss EPAC's current mainstage production, the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical "Into the Woods." You'll love it!

BTW: The Tonys will be broadcast live on Sunday, June 12, from 8-11 p.m. on CBS.

# --- --- Mary Ellen “Merv” Wright

'Into the Woods' and EPAC on the Edge

Come “Into the Woods” with EPAC

“Into the woods / Without delay,
But careful not / To lose the way.
Into the woods, / Who knows what may
Be lurking on the journey?
Into the woods / To get the thing
That makes it worth / The journeying. …”

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“Prologue” (Sondheim)

Want to find out what “thing” each of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy-tale characters is journeying “into the woods” to find? Then don’t miss the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical “Into the Woods,” which opens at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre Thursday night (April 28) and runs until May 14.

From a fertility-challenged couple to a spell-casting witch, from a cape-clad girl to a couple of princes in “agony” over their life choices, these characters will get you quickly involved in their sylvan journey.

I sat in on a rehearsal of the show last week, and loved it! Don’t miss the chance to see a great production of an interesting piece of theater. The production is well cast, well acted and well sung … and generally funny, entertaining and touching. Cast members really sink their teeth into that challenging Sondheim score, and travel sure-footedly over some formidable stage geography. This intricate show depends on a large group of actors having great timing – and great traffic control – and EPAC’s production has both in spades!

One of the things I look forward to in each new production of “Into the Woods” is seeing how certain bits of stage business will be handled. How will Little Red be rescued from the Wolf’s stomach? In what form will the birds appear, to speak to Cinderella? What will Milky White (the cow) look like? I can guarantee you’ll be entertained by how cleverly this production deals with it all.

When I start wiping away tears during a rehearsal, I can be confident that the finished show will really get to me. I had remembered the tragedies that befall the fairy-tale characters in Act II. What I didn’t recall until I watched the rehearsal is how touching the songs are in the second act, as sung by a small group of the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions. Watching them bond over their plight – and work together to survive – is a delight.

Finally, every time I see “Into the Woods,” another layer of meaning opens up for me as a viewer. The show touches on the characters’ quests and personal choices, and the consequences of those choices. The show imagines the alternative endings that well-known fairy tales might have in the real world. It’s about the importance of stories and storytellers in our lives. It’s about how we pass life lessons on to children; about the power of community, and about getting on with life after you’ve been dealt a terrible hand.

Be sure to listen carefully to the Baker’s Wife’s song, “Moments in the Woods,” in Act II. Hearing those lyrics during EPAC’s 1995 production of “Into the Woods” helped open up even more layers in the piece for me. We need our quotidian lives in order to appreciate those special moments in the woods, and we need the woods to appreciate what’s special about our everyday lives.

“Oh, if life were made of moments, /
Even now and then a bad one-! /
But if life were only moments, /
Then you'd never know you had one. …”

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"Moments in the Woods" (Sondheim)

To help you get into the mood for the show, check out the promotional video on the EPAC website (click on the "Into the Woods" icon). Check out the EPAC cast of “Into the Woods” here.

Call the EPAC box office at 733-7966, ext. 1, for tickets, or visit the website.

Getting Edgy with EPAC

A Tony-nominated play is the next offering in the “EPAC on the Edge” series of staged readings for adult audiences.

Douglas Carter Beane’s witty, topical comedy “The Little Dog Laughed,” which was nominated for the Best Play Tony in 2007, will be presented at 8 p.m. Monday, May 9. Your ticket includes a 7:30 p.m. wine-and-cheese reception before the show.

The show concerns Mitchell, an actor on the verge of Hollywood stardom; Diane, his sarcastic lesbian agent, and Alex and Ellen, a male hustler and his girlfriend. Diane is worried that Mitchell’s physical relationship with Alex will torpedo his burgeoning career.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Call the box office at 733-7966. NOTE: This show is for ADULTS ONLY; it contains nudity and adult language.

Fascinating fact from this week’s New York Times: Douglas Carter Beane was the script doctor for the new “Sister Act” musical on Broadway. See the Times story here.

Saturday with Suzanne

Columbia-born comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer blew into EPAC Saturday, April 16, amid some hair-raising, stormy weather. But she didn’t let the heavy rain beating down on the theater’s roof stop her from delivering a virtuoso comedy performance that had the audience howling with laughter for close to an hour and a half. The sold-out show was a fundraiser for the theater.

EPAC thanks everyone who came out in the storm to enjoy Suzanne’s unique take on everything from her very religious sister to her recent breakup to the way different generations approach Gay Pride events. We thank Suzanne for graciously posing for photos, signing autographs and chatting with her fans in the lobby for such a long time after the show ended.

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# Mary Ellen “Merv” Wright

"13" IS A LUCKY NUMBER FOR EPAC

Robert Horn, writer of the book for the musical "13," will do a talk-back at EPAC after Friday night's performance.

The energetic cast of EPAC's "13."

TEEN ANGELS

If you want to see a group of really talented teenagers, performing in a smart, funny show with wonderful music, do yourself a favor and come see the musical “13” at EPAC (it opens tonight!) Or, if you’re a teenager who wants to see your story brought to musical life on the stage (or an adult who can look back on his/her teen years with humor, horror and nostalgia) … you’ll love “13”! It’s opening tonight at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre at EPAC, and runs through April 2. The show was written by Robert Horn (keep reading to find out how to see him in person on Friday at EPAC!) and Dan Elish, with music by Jason Robert Brown (whose music you may remember from EPAC’s “The Last Five Years.”)

I saw “13” at the preview performance last night, and loved every minute of it. The music is great, and the book of the musical is hilarious (I laughed a LOT!). Director/choreographer Cody Smith has done a fantastic job of bringing this musical to the stage (and the young people in the cast bring humor and heart to the script; lovely voices to the songs, and all that wonderful, youthful energy to Cody’s clever choreography).

The show centers around the character of nearly-13-year-old Evan Goldman, whose parents’ separation has caused his sudden move from New York City to a small town in Indiana. There, Evan feels compelled to make friends with the “cool kids” and get them to come to his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. In the course of a musical evening, you'll hear about raging hormones; bullies; living with illness (with dignity and humor); friendships broken and mended; who's hot; who's a geek, and how to navigate all of these choppy teenage waters.

Kudos to Cody, the cast (see them here) and the wonderful pit orchestra (under the direction of JP Meyer). If you want to experience a delightful night (or afternoon) at the theater (and enjoy watching talented kids express their creativity on stage), don’t miss this show!

Keep in mind that the show has some PG-13 humor; while you won’t hear cursing, you’ll hear the teens discuss what teens talk about – finding someone “hot,” wanting to get a French kiss from someone, and so forth. But that’s what makes the show so real. The show is recommended for audiences ages 12 and up.

EPAC is very grateful to the sponsors for "13": Terry Bigler & Terry Kurtz; Zeller Travel; Blue Ridge Communications, the Ephrata Public Library, and the Ephrata Recreation Center.

“13” WRITER -- IN PERSON, AT EPAC!!

You’ll have an extra-special treat if you buy your tickets for this Friday night’s performance of “13” (March 25). The writer of the book for the musical, Robert Horn, will be at EPAC for a meet-and-greet reception and talk-back right after the show. Robert’s impressive resume’ also includes screenwriting (the upcoming Disney movies “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure” (the next in the “High School Musical series) and “The Suite Life Movie” (as in Zack & Cody), and writing/producing for such TV series as “Designing Women” and “Living Single.”

Robert and EPAC’s own Ed Fernandez met in high school, when both were trying out for a production of “Peter Pan.” (Hey … maybe we can get Robert to tell us what Ed was like in high school!) Later, Ed and Robert lived in Greenwich Village, where they evolved as artists (and performed plays in friends’ apartments!). They’ve been friends for decades, but, before their reunion Wednesday night, Ed and Robert hadn’t seen each other in person in about 30 years.

I met Robert Wednesday night at EPAC as he and Ed were (hilariously) reminiscing about their halcyon days in New York. Robert is charming and funny; you’ll see for yourself if you come to Friday’s performance.

Thanks to Expressions Limousine of Lancaster, both for picking Robert Horn up at the airport and bringing him to Ephrata and for promoting EPAC so often (especially in its Facebook postings!).

OPENING NIGHT

If you come to tonight's opening-night performance of "13" (March 24), your ticket includes the opening-night reception following the show. The party will be at the Ephrata Main Theatre, 124 E. Main St., Ephrata, where there will be a cash bar for the adults, snacks for the teens and a free showing of the movie "Rango." Thanks to Green Mountain Cyclery (and an anonymous donor) for sponsoring the opening-night festivities. For tickets, call 733-7966 or visit EPAC's website.

“TEENIE” TICKETS

For theatergoers ages 13-19, EPAC is offering a special “TEENie” ticket price – just $13 -- for the Sunday, March 27, matinee of “13.” The show is at 2 p.m.; call the EPAC box office at 733-7966 for tickets (or visit the website).

# Mary Ellen ("Merv") Wright