HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO OUR THEATRE FRIENDS!

Get Reservations for Little Women Online!

Center Stage Jackson has a new web site with the capability of taking reservations for shows online! Because Little Women is being performed in the Ruth Day Theatre in the Potter Center at Jackson Community College, seating is limited so make your reservations now by either calling (517) 745-2835 or visiting the CSJ website by clicking here.

THE CAST

ANNE FLEMING - Jo March
TIMM RICHARDSON - Professor Bhaer
MARY KRZESICKI - Amy March & Troll
TIFFANY DOAN - Meg March & Clarissa
FRANCESCA VITALI - Beth March & Rodrigo 2
JOANN RAUBACK DRAYTON - Marmee March & Hag
RANDY GUERNSEY - Mr. Laurence & Knight
CHRISTOPHER FULTZ - Laurie Laurence & Rodrigo
KAREN S. KIDDER BARRETT - Aunt March
JANICE DUSZYNSKI -Mrs. Kirk
ANDREW THOMSON - Mr. John Brooke & Braxton

THE CREW

KEN SCHLUCKEBIER - Producer
ANN HOLT - Director
CHARLES THOR - Assistant Director/Stage Manager
KAREN WILSON - Assistant to the Director
DR. STEPHEN MURPHY - Musical Director
KEITH DRAYTON - Vocal Director
DR. STEPHEN MURPHY - Production Pianist
JOANN RAUBACK DRAYTON - Choreographer/Musical Staging
JACK ANDREWS - Assistant Stage Manager
ALEXANDRIA FLYNN - Technical Director
CHRISTOPHER FULTZ - Set Designer
KJ ROWAN - Set Designer
AMANDA MAHONEY - Lighting Designer/Lighting Operator
ELLEN YOAKAM - Costume Designer

Little Women the Broadway Musical will be presented November 9, 10, 11 and 16, 17, 18 in the Ruth Day Theatre, Potter Center, Jackson Community College. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 pm and Sunday performances are at 3:00 pm.

In the News

Dalpre Grayer, a 2006 graduate of Jackson High School, moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of acting. Read the article about him online at the Jackson Citizen Patriot. Dalpre has a role in an upcoming episode of ABC's Boston Legal. You can find out more about Dalpre at his MySpace.

Sunday's paper also celebrated Dave Mulholland, one of four people, who set the standard for community volunteerism. Dave has worked with youth mentoring programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters for a number of years when he's not trodding the community theatre boards.

A Holiday Treat for Jackson

Cit Pat Hires New Entertainment Reporter

Bill Chapin, a reporter for the Port Huron Times Herald, will become the new Entertainment Reporter for the Jackson Citizen Patriot on November 3rd.

Originally from Plymouth, Michigan, Bill graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism. His band, which plays all acoustic, alternative folk music, is called the Juxtaposers. There's a great website and a CD coming out. Any CD with songs that are described as "tend[ing] to fall into the opposing extremes of extremely serious songs about heartbreak and death ... or extremely goofy songs about beer and shoes" is something worth checking out.

You can listen to tunes from the album at the Juxtaposer's mySpace as well.

In the News

The Jackson Citizen Patriot recently had a story about Steve Johnson (Arsenic & Old Lace), his wife Carol and their Hanover Orchard fall apple season. You can see an audio slide show online. Click here.

Remember Jim & Parri Sontag?

When Jacobson's Store closed, the Sontag family (Jim, Parri and daughter Danielle) moved to New Jersey after Jim accepted a position with Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC. It was a huge loss for the Jackson theater community. Who else but Parri and Jim could reimagine The Sound of Music to make Maria a side note to the raging romance of a nun and a butler?

This week the Tampa newspaper had a paragraph about Jim Sontag's new store called Zoey Bloom, a new women's accessories store for the sophisticated lady. Co-owner is JoAnne Rosenfeld. The two met in Michigan when Jim worked as a buyer for Jacobson's and Rosenfeld's husband was chief executive of the company. Read the article in the South Tampa News & Tribune. Another article referring to the opening of the store is at Tampa.com.

Columbia High School Presents. . .

The CPAC (Columbia Performing Arts Club) will present their Fall stage production:
"CLIQUES AND CLONES" in the Columbia Performing Arts Center:

FRI/NOV 16 and SAT/NOV 17 (7 p.m.), SUN/NOV 18 (3 p.m.) All Admissions: $5.

Note: THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL "FREE" PREVIEW PERFORMANCE AT 7.P.M. FOR AREA DRAMA STUDENTS, THEIR RIDES AND INSTRUCTORS/ADVISORS on THURS/NOV 15 (7p.m.)

Written by CCHS student cast members and advisor/artistic director, Bill Bivins, the play is about the realities associated with making good and bad choices at Anywhere High School, U.S.A.

Grass Lake Presents. . .

Grass Lake High School will present Gorillas in our Midst, a murder/ mystery dinner theater experience, on November 10th and 11th in the new George Long Elementary School cafeteria. (Park and enter on the west side of the building). This is an audience participation production, with the audience casting ballots on "who-dun-it"! Tickets are $10.

Appetizers at 6:00, dinner at 6:30 PM on Saturday, November 10th.
Appetizers at 5:30 dinner at 6:00 PM on Sunday, November 11th.

517-522-5695 (Reservations recommended)

Little Women Cast Rehearse Operatic Tragedy

Anne Mathias as Jo March tells her sisters how they will make Christmas exceed their finest dreams. Meg is played by Tiffany Doan; Beth by Francesca Vitali; and Amy by Mary Krzesicki.

CSJ Presents Youth Theater

The three one act plays the Youth Theater Committee have been working on will be presented on November 2 at 7pm and on November 3 at 10am at the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, 743 W. Michigan Avenue.

Everyone is invited to attend.

Admission is 1 can or box of non-perishable food which will be given to the Salvation Army. Parking in the rear of the church. Please use the rear entrance of the church.

East Jackson High School presents. . .

Oliver will be presented on November 17 at 7:00 p.m. and November 18 at 2:00 p.m. in the Bruce E. Van Eyck Auditorium at East Jackson High School. Tickets are $6 at the door.

Just in Time for Halloween!

Your choice of Draculas!

Dracula at Croswell Opera House!

Croswell Opera House will present the 1927 classic play Dracula, by Hamilton Deane and John Balderson, adapted from Bram Stoker's novel. Jackson's Gerry Blanchard is directing.

The dates are October 19 - 21 and 26-28. Curtain times are 8:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 on Sundays. For more information, contact the boxoffice at 517-264-7469 Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm or visit the website at www.croswell.org. The theatre is located at 129 E. Maumee in Adrian.

Dracula at Spring Arbor University!

Robert Smyth's adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, opens at Spring Arbor University's White Auditorium on Wednesday, October 24th through Saturday, October 27th. Curtain is 7:30 p.m. with an additional showing on Saturdayat 11 p.m. General admission is $8, students $5. Call 517.750.6500 or e-mail ppatton@arbor.edu.

Jackson High School Presents. . .

Jackson High School presents The Mouse That Roared by Christopher Sergel on November 15, 16, and 17 at 7:30p.m. in the JHS auditorium. Tickets are $5.

CSJ members Stephanie Pierce, Lucas Meyers and T.R. Krupa all have roles in this show!

WHEN YOU COMIN' BACK, RED RYDER?

Opening this weekend in the Ruth Day Theatre at Potter Center, Jackson Community College, is a student production of When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? Mark Medoff. He won the Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Playwriting Award (1975); the Drama Desk Award Outstanding New Playwright (1974); and the OBIE Award Distinguished Play (1973 - 74) for Red Ryder. The story is timeless in its exploration of fear and repression that is still relevant in this day and age of corporate theft and world terrorism.

The play will be presented at 8:00 pm on October 19, 20, 26, and 27 and at 3:00 pm on October 21 and 28.

Cast members include: Chelsea Lameira, Luke Stanaway-Neblo, Dan LaFollette, Stephen Kamke, Tyler Crawford, Ali Flynn, Austin Greca, and Samantha Rand.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Potter Center box office at 517-796-8600.

Christmas Present for Young Theatre Lovers?

Although it won't be available from Amazon.com until December 18th, Thomas Schumacher's book How Does The Show Go On?, explores the production of a Broadway musical aimed at young theatre lovers. One of the things that the Tony-winning producer of Disney's The Lion King, Aida, Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid wanted to do was to give a picture of everything that goes in to a production.

The 125-page hardcover will be available from Disney Publishing World Wide. Visit www.howdoestheshowgoon.com for further information.

Western and Concord High Schools Present. . .

Concord Community Schools are performing Jury Room by C.B. Gilford (Baker's Plays) on October 26th at 8:00 p.m. and on October 27th at 6:00 p.m. The cost is $4 and the performances are at Concord Middle School.

Western High School will perform Becoming Juliet, by Dean L. Dyer, on November 8th, 9th, 10th, 7:00 p.m. plus a 2:00 matinee on the 10th. Tickets at the door are $6 adults, $4 students. Western Community Arts Center, 1400 S. Dearing, Parma.

New Musical Development

Last week Andrew Gans wrote for the Playbill site that Pittsburgh's CLO (Civic Light Opera), Carnegie Mellon University, CMU graduate/composer Stephen Schwartz, and ASCAP would join together to develop new musicals. The New Works Program has chosen Alive at Ten, by Ryan Scott Oliver and Kirsten A. Guenther, as the first musical for further development. Click here to read more.

Reserve Your Tickets Now!

Little Women – the Broadway Musical

Music by Jason Howland, Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and Book by Allan Knee.

Based on Louisa May Alcott's own family experiences (and novel), Little Women follows the adventures of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March as they grow up in Civil War America. The beloved story of the March sisters is timeless and deals with issues as relevant today as when they were written.

Staff of Little Women – the Broadway Musical includes Ann Holt-Artistic Director; Keith Drayton -Vocal Director; Joanne Drayton-Musical Staging/Choreography; and Dr. Stephen Murphy-Music Director. Show dates are November 9, 10, 11 and 16, 17, 18, 2007 at Jackson Community College’s Potter Center in the Ruth Day Theatre.

The reservation line is now open. Call 517-745-2835.

THE CAST

ANNE FLEMING - Jo March
TIMM RICHARDSON - Professor Bhaer
MARY KRZESICKI - Amy March & Troll
TIFFANY DOAN - Meg March & Clarissa
FRANCESCA VITALI - Beth March & Rodrigo 2
JOANN DRAYTON - Marmee March & Hag
RANDY GUERNSEY - Mr. Laurence & Knight
CHRISTOPHER FULTZ - Laurie Laurence & Rodrigo
KAREN S. KIDDER BARRETT - Aunt March
JANICE DUSZYNSKI - Mrs. Kirk
ANDREW THOMSON - Mr. John Brooke & Braxton

THE CREW

KEN SCHLUCKEBIER - Producer
ANN HOLT - Director
CHUCK THOR - Assistant Director/Stage Manager
KAREN WILSON - Assistant to the Director
DR. STEPHEN MURPHY - Musical Director
KEITH DRAYTON - Vocal Director
DR. STEPHEN MURPHY - Production Pianist
JOANN DRAYTON - Choreographer/Musical Staging
JACK ANDREWS - Assistant Stage Manager
TBD - Technical Director
CHRISTOPHER FULTZ - Set Designer
KJ ROWAN - Set Designer
AMANDA MAHONEY - Lighting Designer/Lighting Operator
ELLEN YOAKUM, COSTUME GALLERY - Costume Designer

Center Stage Jackson is Jackson’s community theatre group. Formed in 2001 when Jackson Civic Theatre and Clark Lake Players merged, Center Stage Jackson is a non-profit production company dedicated to presenting quality theatrical productions in the Greater Jackson, Michigan area, performing at Jackson Community College, a proud sponsor of CSJ, located at 2111 Emmons Road, Jackson, Michigan, and other venues in the Jackson area. Please visit Center Stage’s website at www.centerstagejackson.org.

The Runner Stumbles

In 2002 Jackson Civic Theatre mounted a production of The Runner Stumbles written by Milan Stitt and directed by Ann Holt. In the cast were Erin Wetzel-Righettini, Diego Febres-Cordero, Denise Weber, Jason Bilaski, Paul Chamberlain, Lisa Noel Howe, Michael Somers, Sara Christine Stevens, and Max Waagner.

The Actors Company Theatre in New York City will present Milan Stitt's rarely produced drama The Runner Stumbles beginning Oct. 28. Read about it at Playbill by clicking here.

Cheaper By the Dozen Reviewed!

This is the final weekend for the family comedy Cheaper By the Dozen presented by Center Stage Jackson. You can read the Jackson Citizen Patriot review here.

Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 pm and Sunday matinee at 3:00 pm at the Grass Lake Center for the Performing Arts.

Bring the whole family along! Call 517-745-2835 for reservations or purchase tickets ($10) at the door.