Tag Archives: Marisa Kirby

Ark Rep’s Young Artists go “Singin’ on a Star” this week

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This past summer, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s Summer Musical Theatre Intensive (SMTI) presented workshops of Singin’ on a Star.  This week, the final version of Singin’ on a Star opens for a two week run on the Rep’s stage.

The show is all about the actor’s journey from stardust to stardom, set to a toe-tapping soundtrack of modern song selections from the top pop charts and the Great White Way.

The production is directed by Nicole Capri, who is the Rep’s Resident Director and Director of Education.  Karen Q. Clark serves as Music Director.  Choreography is provided by Capri, Stacy Hawking, Marisa Kirby and Stephen K. Stone.  The design team includes Mike Nichols (sets), Shelly Hall (costumes), Dan Kimble (lighting), Lynda J. Kwallek (props) and Allan Branson (sound).

The cast is composed of of over 50 junior high and high school students who will literally fill the stage with their acting, singing and dancing.

There is a preview performance on Wednesday the 24th with opening night on Friday, October 26.  Performances will continue with evening performances at 7 on Saturday, October 27 as well as November 1 – 3.  There will be 2pm matinees on October 27 and 28 as well as November 3.

For some observations from one of the summer performances of this production, click here.

 

Start Celebrating with CABARET

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Argenta Community Theater's CabaretThe Argenta Community Theatre is inaugurating producing its own productions with the Tony winning Cabaret.  Unfortunately, if you don’t already have a ticket, you won’t be able to “come to the Cabaret” because this production has been sold out for over a week.

Cabaret, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1967, is a musical adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Stories” and John van Druten’s I Am a Camera.  It features a book by Joe Masteroff and score by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Producer Vince Insalaco and director Robert Hupp have assembled a cast and creative team to transform the Argenta Community Theatre into the Kit Kat Klub.  The choreographers are Marisa Kirby and Christen Burke Pitts with Kurt Kennedy serving as musical director.

Kirby leads the cast as tragic heroine Sally Bowles. Cipher-like scribe Cliff Bradshaw is played by Michael Klucher.  Brandon Higdem is the leering MC of the Kit Kat Klub.  Also starring are Tricia Spione and Alan Rackley as a mismatched pair of older Germans struggling with their relationship in the midst of the onset of the Third Reich.

Others in the cast are David Weatherly, Jessica Smith, Carl Carter, Matt Morley, Kris Waltermire, Dylan Dugger, Sydney Ippolito, Emily Karnes, Bailey Lamb, RaeLeigh Narisi, Rachel Powell and Brittany “Sparkles” Rorie.

Insalaco hopes to produce a musical and a play at the Argenta Community Theatre each year.

On stage at the Rep: Christmas Spirit(s)

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The Christmas Spirit is alive and well on stage of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  Actually three Christmas Spirits (past, present, and yet-to-be) are on stage as the Rep presents the Menken-Ahrens-Ockrent version of A Christmas Carol.

Alan Souza, director of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat returns to helm this production.  He and Bob Hupp, the Rep’s producing artistic director, have assembled a top notch creative team. Mike Nichols (scenery), Michael Bottari & Ronald Case (costumes), M. Jason Pruzin (sound), Lynda J. Kwallek (props) and Cory Pattak (lighting) are the design team.  Helen Gregory returns as music director while Marcos Santana provides choreography.

David Benoit returns to the Rep to play the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. The ghostly quartet is played by Ryan G. Dunkin (Marley), Shua Potter (Christmas Past), Dennis Stowe (Christmas Present) and Marisa Kirby (Christmas Future).  Other leading roles include Kirt Thomas (Young Scrooge), Laura Medford (Emily), Adam Hose (Bob Cratchit), Lacy J. Dunn (Mrs. Cratchit), Katie Emerson (Sally), Drew Clark (Young Ebenezer) and Johnny Stellard (Fred).  And what would A Christmas Carol be without a Tiny Tim – Price Clark essays the role here.

The production opened last Friday.  Performances resume tonight and continue through Christmas Day.  If you don’t know that date, you are even more heartless than Scrooge.