Category: Follies

What is your role in this production? I play Theodore Whitman who is an ex-vaudeville performer, and owns an Arthur Murray dance studio with his wife Emily (also an ex-vaudeville performer) where they teach dance. I am also part of the men’s dance ensemble.

What is your background in theatre? I was involved with theatre throughout elementary and junior high, and then got back into as an adult with my first production being at Walterdale – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. I have since done productions with Festival Players, Two ONE-WAY Tickets to Broadway, Foote in the Door, and of course Walterdale.

What brought you out for this production? Why did you want to be involved in this show? I love Sondheim, and I love working with Barb. Follies is also one of my bucket list musicals to do.

This show is about theatre and nostalgia – got any good theatre stories? The only good theatre story I have is having complete strangers come up to me and saying how much they enjoyed my performance in a particular show – sometimes months after the show.

What has been the most challenging part of doing the show? The choreography sessions in the “sauna” of a community hall.

What has been the best thing about doing the show? Singing (and hearing) the lovely Sondheim music, and being part of an amazing and talented team.

Follies runs July 5-15, 2017! Call 780.420.1757 or go to www.tixonthesquare.ca for tickets today!

What is your role in this production? I play Stella Deems, one of the former Weisman girls. She’s really excited to be back for the reunion and relive the best times of her life.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I graduated with a BA (Hons.) Degree in Drama from the U of A and also have my ARCT Diploma in Speech Arts and Drama from the Royal Conservatory of Music. I’ve performed mostly musical theatre in Edmonton and Ottawa, but this is my first time performing at the Walterdale.

What brought you out for this production? I just moved back from Ottawa in September and have been itching to get reacquainted with the theatre community in Edmonton. The timing with Follies just worked out perfectly with work. Plus, it’s Sondheim.

This show is about theatre and nostalgia – got any good theatre stories? One of my best theatre stories is from the first show I ever did: Oliver! at Festival Place when I was 14. I missed the auditions but when my mom called, the lady told me to come to callbacks (I didn’t know what that meant at that time). I walked into the room with all the other children and youth, and was then told, “Alright, so everyone who’s here is in the show.” I was so confused. We did some group singing and dancing, I gave my info to the director and just like that I was part of Fagan’s Gang! Easiest audition process, ever!

What has been the most challenging part of doing the show? The most challenging part of the show is my feature song, which also happens to be a huge dance number. I’ve got to sing a solo line while everyone else is singing something else and dance while doing it!

What has been the best thing about doing the show? It’s been great getting back into the musical theatre community in Edmonton. I definitely missed it while I was away and am glad I’m back and working with a bunch of wonderfully talented performers and production personnel!

What is your role on this production? I am the stage manager for this production. There are multiple tasks associated with this role, but there are 2 main ones that I’ll touch on here. The first is to call all the sound and light cues associated with helping to make the show the spectacle that it will be. The second is to ensure that everyone onstage (and backstage) is accounted for prior to the start of the show.

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have been involved with theatre since 2000, when my son (who was acting regularly at the time) dared me to perform. Since then, I’ve primarily done sound design (almost 80 shows and counting so far), but I’ve also written plays, directed, stage managed, and occasionally acted as well. My involvement at Walterdale started in 2004, and is an ongoing adventure.

What brought you out for this production? Why did you want to be involved in this show? I was approached by both the director and production manager to stage manage this show. Barb and I go way back (12 years), and while I’d never stage-managed for her before, I do love musicals, so I thought it would be fun to do.

This show is about theatre and nostalgia – got any good theatre stories? I have tons of theatre stories, as each show has its own funny moments or quirks, which is one of the great joys I love about doing theatre. One of the great theatre stories I have is associated with Walterdale’s production of Sweet Charity back in 2005. I thought that it would be a good visual joke for Gerald Mason’s character (as a dirty old man) to open up a Playboy centerfold during the subway scene in the show, whereby one of the female actors would get offended and hit him over the head with her purse. I ended up changing the centerfold every night, so Gerald would always be surprised when he did the gag. The centerfolds were primarily weird pictures of cast members (usually the men in drag). We did 12 shows, hence a year’s worth of centerfolds, which I later turned into a souvenir calendar.

What has been the most challenging part of doing the show? It’s coming up, when I’ll be calling the show. It’s live theatre, so anything unexpected can happen, so I may have to get creative in a hurry. More importantly, a pleasurable challenge is to ensure that everyone involved is both being professional as well as having a good time being part of the show.

What has been the best thing about doing the show? Two things actually: First, having the privilege to watch the wonderful cast performing during every rehearsal (and of course, nightly once the show is officially mounted). Second: renewing old friendships as well as establishing new ones through the evolution of the show. If one can’t have a good time doing the show (including all the prep work), what’s the point of being there (but that’s just my opinion).

What is your role on this production? I am the director/co-choreographer. 

What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I have directed, acted and choreographed for a number of community theatres in Edmonton. For Walterdale, I have directed Sweet Charity and Anything Goes. I have choreographed numbers for Blood Brothers, A Day In Hollywood, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Boyfriend (and I can’t think of anymore). I’ve had a play produced for the play development program (as it was then called) where I was mentored by Vern Thiessen. 

Why did you choose this play to direct? I love Sondheim’s work. I’m drawn to complex characters and situations. There’s nothing like middle aged angst to provide a backdrop for drama. The show is also funny in many place. Also: tap dance. I cannot resist tap dance.

This show is about theatre and nostalgia – got any good theatre stories? Talk about nostalgia – I was involved in a workshop production of this show almost 30 years ago. Talk about full circle. As for good theatre stories, catch me for a coffee sometime – I have many that are unprintable.

What has been the most challenging part of doing the show? Although the show is quite firmly grounded in “reality”, there is a large fantasy element. It is a challenge to tie the two together so that it makes sense to an audience.

What has been the best thing about doing the show? Meeting new people. The sense of camaraderie that is created when a cast works together

Follies runs from July 5-15th, 2017. Call 780.420.1757 or go to www.tixonthesquare.ca for tickets today!