Our 2011 Winter Event is about to start rehearsals and we're proud to announce the cast for this 1940's-style radio play version of the beloved classic.
In alphabetic order:
Brian Bara Matty Daley Damian Gaeta Kathy Garofano Michael Lovett Sean McGrath Maddie Patrick Janet Quartarone*
The production will have four performances; December 2nd though December 3rd at the Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, NJ. For information, please visit the Kelsey Website. Partial proceeds from this event benefit The Trevor Project.
This spiffy-looking group is the complete cast and Foley crew of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Once more, down the line from left to right: John Maurer; Diana Maurer; Judi Parrish; Jennifer Barron; Shelly Snyder; Damian Gaeta; Sarah Stryker; Sean McGrath and Glen Calhoun. They are quite simply, amazing and I love them, even when they whine or make fun of me.
I think we all assumed that this would be an easy-to-produce show. While it certainly is less work and time than our full June Gala could ever hope to be, we were all taken by surprise by more than one thing or another. And my music cues are somehow off... Still, all that whining aside (though I must admit that actors whine way more than directors), the show is going to be really something special. If our audiences have half the fun as we are having, then we have done our jobs well. And of course, I'll say it until it's no longer true: There is no cast like a JTMF cast. As our family of regular performers grows, so does the depth of extraordinary talent available to us, and the more we all work together, the stronger an ensemble company we become. I've been dong theatre for longer than any one thing in my life. I've done very good theatre and very bad theatre. I've been quite proud of most of my body of work. But I am never prouder than when part of a JTMF show.
The folks in that picture at the top of this post have the goods and they deliver. And nothing makes a director happier than an ensemble that delivers.
If you're still a bit a skeptical about the whole 'Radio Play' thing, you can listen to the cast and crew of It's a Wonderful Life (and yours truly) in a special podcast here at MPOnline. It's like radio on the web... Please feel free to share the link: http://www.mponstage.com/podcasts/35_IAWL/index.php.
Good seats are still available for all four performances. Call 609-570-3333 or visit www.kelseyatmercer. org; www.jtmf.org or click the link to the Kelsey Theater at the top right of this blog. Tickets may also be purchased at the Kelsey Box Office, 1 hour before curtain.
Don't miss this unusual and entertaining version of a Family Holiday Favorite! It's a nostalgic glimpse into the history of Entertainment and suitable for the entire family. I can't think of a better way to get into the Holiday mood...
A portion of the proceeds from this production will be donated to JTMF's newest beneficiary, The Trevor Project. It Gets Better.
Tickets are still available for our first winter event, featuring Joe Landry's It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play this coming weekend at the Kelsey Theatre on the campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor, NJ.
Tonight was our first technical rehearsal, using mikes and even a few new sound effects for the first time. The cast was a bit taken aback by some of what they were hearing (or not hearing).
It's really starting to take shape now, and the actors are having even more fun with the script (though one or two still forget who they're supposed be at any given moment, but that will stop well before we open -- I hope). In all seriousness, there is no cast like a JTMF cast, and they're with us not just because they want to be onstage, but because they want to make a difference, which means egos go out the door and performance becomes the priority. This is my ninth JTMF show (and seventh time directing) and I can attest to the consistent quality of talent and dedication in our 'family.' That's our cast in the new banner photo and the photo to your right. From left to right in the banner, they are: Sean McGrath; Glen Calhoun; Damian Gaeta (who is setting a JTMF performance record with this, his sixth show with us); Foley Captain, Judi Parrish; Jennifer Barron; Sarah Stryker and John Maurer.
And speaking of making a difference, the JTMF is proud to announce our new beneficiary, The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a 24 hour suicide-prevention hot line for LGBT and questioning youth. They provide confidential and anonymous ears, while offering counsel to any young person with questions, problems or thoughts of suicide. The Trevor Lifeline's toll-free number is 866-4-U-Trevor (866-488-7386).
LGBT youth are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than straight kids, and it's on the rise. Thankfully, so is awareness of the problem. A portion of the proceeds from It's a Wonderful Life: A live Radio Play will be donated to The Trevor Project. And watch for the JTMF's own "It Gets Better" video, coming in late January.
For Tickets to It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, please call 609-570-3333 or visit www.kelseyatmccc.org. Tickets are also available for purchase at the Kelsey Theatre box office, one hour before curtain.
