Tag Archives: Mason Street Warehouse

You’re invited to an Unforgettable Wedding in ‘It Shoulda Been You’

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By Angela Peavey

Saguatuck Center for the Arts

 

It’s like “Modern Family” meets wedding party drama when Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ Mason Street Warehouse (MSW) theatre company presents “It Shoulda Been You,” a musical comedy about an unforgettable wedding day with a game-changing plot twist. The final production of MSW’s 15th season runs from Aug. 18 – Sept. 3. Tickets are available online at sc4a.org, by phone at 269-857-2399, or at the box office.

 

“It Shoulda Been You” invites you to a wedding day you’ll never forget, where anything that can go wrong does, and love pops up in mysterious places. The bride is Jewish. The groom is Catholic. Her mother is a force of nature; his mother is a tempest in a cocktail shaker. And when the bride’s ex-boyfriend shows up, the perfect wedding starts to unravel faster than you can whistle “Here Comes the Bride.” Plots are hatched, pacts are made, secrets are exposed – and the sister of the bride is left to turn a tangled mess into happily ever after.

 

“This new musical, this Broadway season’s freshest and funniest to date, defies skepticism, both in its wacky humor and its big, buoyant heart,” said USA Today of ‘It Shoulda Been You.’ The Dallas News called the musical comedy a “frothy escape into a world of unexpected happy endings.”

 

Directed and choreographed by Saugatuck Center for the Arts (SCA) Artistic Director Kurt Stamm, “It Shoulda Been You” welcomes back several MSW alumni actors, including David R. Gordon who starred as Huey Calhoun in the SCA’s first production of the summer, “Memphis: the Musical.”

 

“I’m very excited about our upcoming production of ‘It Shoulda Been You’ because we have so many MSW alumni coming back to work with us,” said Stamm. “Of the 13 cast members, seven of them have worked at Mason Street before, so it will be like a family reunion… a good family reunion! I also really love this show. It’s incredibly charming and funny, and has one of the best plot twists you’ll find in a musical.”

 

In addition to his lead role as Huey Calhoun in “Memphis: the Musical,” David R. Gordon has also performed in the international tour of Grease and the first national tour of “Flashdance the Musical.” “It Shoulda Been You” also features Beth Glover, who performed in MSW’s very first season in “Dirty Blonde,” and most recently in “Death Trap,” as well as the Broadway national tour of “Cinderella,” as the Wicked Step Mother and in the film “The Awakening.”

 

Also returning from “Memphis: the Musical” is David Spencer, who won a Wilde Award for Best Supporting Actor in MSW’s 2011 production of The 39 Steps. “It Shoulda Been You” also features Michael Iannucci, who last appeared at MSW in “Chicago the Musical” and has performed in the national tours of “Annie” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”

 

Returning actress Ellie Francis performed in last summer’s production of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” and before that in “Evita.” Also returning is Natalie Renee who was last seen at MSW in “Avenue Q.” Casey Prins, who was originally a backstage intern for “Xanadu” in 2013 and has since gone on to perform in the national tour of “Annie” and the regional tour of “Mary Poppins,” will be playing the role of Rebecca.

 

“It Shoulda Been You” also features Broadway talent Susan Cella, who has performed in “The Babylon Line” at Lincoln Center and in the national tours of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Hairspray.” Cella has been featured on “The Sopranos” and “All My Children.” “It Shoulda Been You” also features Mark Epperson, whose theatre credits include the international tour of “Mamma Mia!” and “Chicago the Musical,” as well as the national tour of “Elf the Musical.”

 

Rounding out the rest of the cast are Katie Finan, David Duiven, Michael Glavan, and Jeff Meyer. Get ready to make a toast to the funniest wedding you’ve ever attended!

Experience theatre life with Emmy and Telly Award-winner Patrick W. Ziegler

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By Angela Peavey

Saugatuck Center for the Arts

 

Emmy & Telly Award-winner Patrick W. Ziegler leads “Theatre Camp: Life On, Off, and Behind the Stage” for children ages 6-9 and 10-14 years at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (400 Culver Street). The camp runs from Aug. 7-11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To register visit sc4a.org or call 269-857-2399.

 

Ziegler will guide campers through songs and scenes during the week-long Theatre Camp, culminating in a variety show performance on Friday evening. Campers will experience acting, music, improv, dance, choreography, and will even dabble in makeup and costuming. Additionally, Ziegler will improve upon campers’ critical lifelong communication skills, such as listening and speaking, problem-solving, motivation and teamwork.

 

Theatre Camp will also give campers the opportunity to have exclusive backstage experiences, interact with special guests from Mason Street Warehouse, and learn from theater professionals.

 

“We’re fortunate to have Patrick’s caliber of talent, years of experience and passion for teaching youth here with us this summer,” said Education and Exhibitions Manager Whitney Valentine.

 

After studying Theatre and Communications at Western Michigan University, Ziegler trained at the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York City. Ziegler ended up working extensively in theatre in various roles and capacities, only to go on to become a producer for Emmy Award-winning production house Wunderfilm Design and for several televisions shows and movies, such as “The Jamie Foxx Show” and “Cable Guy” starring Jim Carrey.

 

Ziegler is now the co-founder and managing partner of Fubble Entertainment – a production company that provides services in writing, producing, directing, creative consulting, and many more. Ziegler is an Emmy and Telly Award-winning producer for his work on children’s show “Come on Over!” and dramedy web series “Backstage Drama.”

 

Along with the camp, tuition includes a camp t-shirt and two discounted tickets to the Mason Street Warehouse production of “It Shoulda Been You.” Campers should bring a lunch for the week-long camp.

Schemes, antics and shenanigans are ‘fully committed’ at Mason Street Warehouse

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By Angela Peavey

Saugatuck Center for the Arts

 

Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ Mason Street Warehouse presents “Fully Committed,” a smart comedy about the behind-the-scenes going-ons in a trendy five-star restaurant.  The production runs from July 21- August 6. Tickets are available at sc4a.org, by calling 269-857-2399, or at the box office.

 

“Fully Committed” features Sam, a struggling actor who works the red-hot reservation line at one of Manhattan’s hottest restaurants. A cast of desperate callers will stop at nothing to get a reservation from him. From bribing socialites, to crazy waiters and fickle celebrities, Sam juggles a host of demanding, eccentric characters while desperately trying to keep his personal life and acting career afloat.

 

The New York Times called “Fully Committed,” “immensely entertaining! A richly comic affirmation of everything you’ve ever heard, or suspected, about the bad behavior that good food can inspire.”  Variety says not to miss this “tasty concoction of a play.”

 

Written by Becky Mode and directed by David Alpert, “Fully Committed” serves up a delicious helping of juicy schemes and hilarious characters that will have you laughing out loud.

 

Mason Street Warehouse alumnus Francis Kelly returns in the lead role of Sam.  Kelly previously appeared as Nicky/Trekkie Monster in Mason Street Warehouse’s production of “Avenue Q.”  He has appeared in New York as Burrs in Michael John LaChiusa’s “The Wild Party” at Columbia Stages, in the NYMF Audience Award-winning production of “Smoking Bloomberg,” and in the Drama Desk nominated “Animal Farm.”

 

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts welcomes guest Director David Alpert, from Muskegon, for the production. Alpert has worked on the Broadway productions of “If/Then” and “The Trip to Bountiful,” as well as on the first national tour of “Flashdance.” He was also nominated for Best Director (NYMF) for his work on “A Scythe of Time.”

 

Saugatuck Center for the Arts Artistic Director Kurt Stamm notes that Alpert himself is a Mason Street Warehouse alumnus, having been a Center Stage intern in 2006. “David was already very talented and focused as a student at Western Michigan University. It has been exciting to watch his star rise in the New York theatre world, and we’re thrilled to welcome him ‘back home’ to Mason Street for this terrific piece.”

 

Following the run of “Fully Committed,” Mason Street Warehouse wraps up its 15th Anniversary season with the musical comedy “It Shoulda Been You” which runs from August 18 – September 3.

SCA kicks off 15th theatre season with ‘Memphis: The Musical’

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By Angela Peavey, Saugatuck Center for the Arts

Celebrate 15 years of theatre with Mason Street Warehouse at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (400 Culver St., Saugatuck). The Tony Award-winning Memphis: the Musical opens the season and runs June 23–July 9. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at sc4a.org, by calling 269.857.2399, or at the box office.

Memphis: the Musical bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs, and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, Memphis is set in the places where rock and roll was born — underground nightclubs, radio stations, and recording studios of the 1950s. Romance sparks between a white radio DJ who wants to change the world, and a black club singer who is ready for her big break.

“We’re very excited to celebrate our 15th Anniversary season with the largest production in Mason Street’s history,” said SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong. “Memphis has a cast of nineteen, and we’ve brought incredible professional talent from New York City, Chicago, and across the country home to West Michigan for the production.”

Lindsay Roberts plays the lead role of Felicia for Memphis: the Musical. She made her Broadway National Tour debut starring as Felicia, and reprises the role for Mason Street Warehouse. Roberts’ Broadway credits include the role of Creole Love Call in After Midnight.

David R. Gordon plays the other lead: Huey Calhoun. The actor, who hails from Los Angeles, played the role of Roger in Flashdance the Musical during its first national tour.

Mason Street Artistic Director Kurt Stamm says that while the show is set in the 1950s, the story’s themes are fresh and relevant. The lead character Huey Calhoun is loosely based on the late Memphis DJ “Daddy-O” Dewey Phillips — who gained a devoted multi-racial following by boldly spinning a mix of country, rhythm and blues, and the new rock ‘n’ roll on his Red,
Hot & Blue radio show through most of the 1950s. And the message of Memphis, The Musical is the power music has to unite people across seemingly unbridgeable divisions.”

Mason Street Warehouse’s 15th anniversary season continues with:

Fully Committed (July 21 – August 6). You think you’re having a bad day? Meet Sam. He works the red‐hot reservation line at one of New York’s trendiest restaurants, where the best food inspires the worst behavior. Coercion, petty threats, bribes, histrionics—a cast of desperate callers will stop at nothing to land a prime reservation, or the right table. Amid the barrage, Sam has his own problems to deal with. While juggling scheming socialites, name‐dropping wannabes, fickle celebrities and egomaniacal bosses, can he still manage to look out for himself? Fully Committed serves up a delicious helping of juicy schemes and hilarious characters that will have you laughing out loud.

It Shoulda Been You (Aug 18– Sept 3). It Shoulda Been You invites you to a wedding day you’ll never forget, where anything that can go wrong does, and love pops up in mysterious places. The bride is Jewish. The groom is Catholic. Her mother is a force of nature, his mother is a tempest in a cocktail shaker. And when the bride’s ex-boyfriend shows up, the perfect wedding starts to unravel faster than you can whistle Here Comes the Bride. Plots are hatched, pacts are made, secrets exposed – and the sister of the bride is left to turn a tangled mess into happily ever after. Get ready to make a toast to the funniest wedding you’ve ever attended!

 

The Great American Trailer Park Musical returns to Mason Street Warehouse

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , , ,
The Great American
What’s a girl to do? “The Great American Trail Park Musical” returns to Mason Street Warehouse Aug. 12 – 28.

“The Great American Trailer Park Musical” is returning to Mason Street Warehouse (MSW) Equity Theatre from Aug. 12 – 28.  Back by popular demand, “Trailer Park” debuted on the MSW stage 10 years ago and is the most requested musical in Mason Street’s history. Tickets ($29 – $46) are available online at sc4a.org or by phone at 269-857.2399.

Called “…one of the most laugh-out-load shows in town!” by Broadway.com, the musical takes place in Armadillo Acres, the most exclusive mobile home community in Stark, Florida, where mullets, spray cheese, road kill, hysterical pregnancies and mud flaps reign supreme.

This hilarious comedy follows Pippi, a stripper on the run, who comes between the Dr. Phil-loving, agoraphobic Jeannie and her toll-collector husband, Norbert. Featuring tastefully distasteful songs, witty dialogue, and far-out situations, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” “is more fun than a chair throwing episode of Jerry Springer set to music!”

Broadway talent is coming to the stage along with MSW “alumni.” Chris Blisset, playing Norbert, comes from New York City and was on the national tour for “Stand by Your Man” twice and was the musical director for this summer’s production of “Million Dollar Quartet.” Alyssa Malger is playing Pickles, and is making her Mason Street Warehouse debut. She performed in the national tour of “Hairspray.” Mary Mossberg, who is playing Betty, was awarded an “Outstanding Individual Performance” award for her role in the musical “What Do Critics Know?” in the New York Musical Theatre Festival and is a proud member of the Actors Equity Association.

“Both Broadway Equity talent and familiar faces are coming back to our stage, and we couldn’t be more excited,” said Executive Director Kristin Armstrong.

The Great American Trailer Park Musical will be at Mason Street Warehouse from Aug. 12 – 28. Tickets are available online, at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts box office, and by phone at 269 857 – 2399.

Mason Street Warehouse is located in the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver St., Saugatuck.

Mason Street Warehouse Finds Itself in the Middle of the Hilarious Whodunit that is Murder for Two

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Saugatuck Center for the Arts presents "Murder for Two" starting July 22.
Saugatuck Center for the Arts presents “Murder for Two” starting July 22.

Mason Street Warehouse continues its 2016 season at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (400 Culver Street, Saugatuck) with the hilarious whodunit musical Murder for Two. The show opens Friday, July 22 and runs through August 7. Tickets for adults, seniors, and students are available online at sc4a.org, at the SCA box office, or at 269-857-2399.

 

New York Times calls the show, “Ingenious! A snazzy double-act that spins out a comic mystery animated by funny, deftly turned songs.”

 

Murder for Two is the perfect blend of musical comedy and madcap mystery.  Every character is a suspect in this witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries.  90 minutes, 13 characters, 4 hands and 1 piano make Murder for Two “a giddy romp” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).  Don’t miss this killer musical that puts the laughter in manslaughter!

 

Mason Street Warehouse brings Actors Equity Union talent to West Michigan every summer, and Equity actors Tom Vendafreddo and Brian Walters bring the double-act of Murder for Two to life.

 

“I saw the show 2 years ago Off Broadway in New York and knew immediately that it would be a great show for Mason Street,” said Artistic Director Kurt Stamm.  “It’s the perfect family evening out because the show is appropriate for ages 8 to 80!”

 

“We’re thrilled to bring Tom and Brian to West Michigan for this wonderful Off-Broadway hit,” said SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong. “Murder for Two is terrific summer entertainment with these two very talented professionals.”

 

The acclaimed The Great American Trailer Park Musical wraps up MSW’s sizzling summer lineup. For more information and tickets visit sc4a.org or call 269-857-2399. Tickets are selling as fast as the cast is able to find new suspects – grab yours before they’re gone.

 

MSW’s summer season is sponsored by Premiere Sponsor G. Thomas Boylan, plus Great Lakes Manor & Cottages, Edward Jones / George Stoutin, Coldwell Banker / Gregg Smith, Shoreline Realtors / Dan & Sandy Shanahan, Mill Pond Realty / Laura Durham, Holland Doctors of Audiology, Hilliard Lyons / Stephen Kiss, Cunningham Dalman, Coldwell Banker / Mike Bojko, Shoreline Realtors / Jim Sellman, Miller Johnson, Lakeshore Allergy / Julie Hutson, Frattallone Wealth Management Group / Carlton Technologies, and the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs.

 

About the Saugatuck Center for the Arts

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts, located at 400 Culver Street, Saugatuck, is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a more vibrant lakeshore community in West Michigan and beyond. For more information about the SCA and upcoming events, visit www.sc4a.orgor call 269.857.2399.