Ellen Yoakam Wins Nike Award

The Chamber of Commerce Economic Club and Jackson Business and Professional Women (BPW) honored recipients of awards earned in 2007 on Monday, February 25th.

Jackson BPW present the Nike Award to a woman who exemplifies qualities the award represents: strength, freedom, and triumphs.

Nike Award recipient, Ellen Yoakam, owner of the Costume Gallery, 4114 Page Avenue in Michigan Center, explains what it was like receiving the award. You can hear Ellen's comments by clicking here.

Photo: Ellen measures Mary Krzesicki (Amy March) for Little Women.

Cabaret at All Play and No Work

Seasons of Love will be presented this Friday, February 29, and Saturday, March 1 at 8:00 pm in the Bon Ton Room at All Play & No Work, 3017 Wildwood Ave. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 787-6733. All of the performers have worked with Center Stage in the past. Come out and support the great singing talent we have here in Jackson! Cost is $15 a ticket.

Performers:
Timm Richardson ~ Brett Parker ~ Christopher Fultz ~ Shawn Harmon
Dusty Salyer ~ Karen Kidder ~ Mahalia Gibson ~ Francesca Vitale
Alexandria Flynn ~ Julie Klee ~ Antoinette LaCinski

Photo: Karen Kidder and Julie Klee

Auditions for CSJ Youth Theatre

Students in the third through eighth grade are invited to audition for Big Bad by Alec Stum. The play is about the trial of the Big Bad Wolf. There are 14 speaking parts.

Auditions will be at 4:30 until 6:00 at Jackson's First Presbyterian Church (745 W Michigan Ave) on Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14. Auditions will be cold readings from the script.

Even if students are not cast in the play, everyone will have a chance to be involved in the production. Rehearsals will be in the after school time slot at the church.

Currently plans call for the show to be presented on Friday, May 9 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, May 10 (time to be decided).

Raisin in the Sun on ABC Monday Night

When Raisin in the Sun was presented in 1959 it was an historic event - the first drama by a black woman produced on Broadway.

In 2004, the Broadway revival won Tony Awards for both Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald although a lot of the excitment was generated by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs in the role of Walter.

Whether you have seen a production of Raisin or not, Monday night's version on ABC at 8:00 PM is an historic event as well.

The Youngers may be African-Americans but the message about the importance of families is universal.

Lumen Christi Theatre Company presents

Directed by Sandy Sykes with Musical Direction by Roxanne Bruner and Choreography by Cortney Shepherd on March 13 – 15, 2008 with a 7:30pm curtain at Lumen Christi Catholic High School Cafetorium, 3483 Spring Arbor Rd.

Adults $7, Students and Seniors $5
Director’s Circle Seats (first come, first serve) $10

Remember Tom & Janet Holliday?

Back in March of 1984 Jackson Civic Theatre presented Neil Simon's Star Spangled Girl starring Kathy Shaw, Tim Fowler, and newcomer Tom Holliday. The review in the Jackson Citizen Patriot was enthusiastic about the entire production but saved the highest compliments for Tom. "He's absolutely the best thing to happen to comedy theater in Jackson in a long time."

Unfortuately Tom and his wife Janet got lured away to Ohio shortly after that and have been in Columbus ever since. Although there hasn't always been time for theater in their lives, both have been active over the years appearing together in the female version of The Odd Couple and Love, Sex and the IRS, I Hate Hamlet, Rumors, and Chapter Two (Tom claims they are working their way through the entire Neil Simon canon). Janet also appeared in the musical Chicago, Lend Me at Tenor and Talking With. . .

After taking some acting classes through Columbus' professional theater group -- Contemporary American Theater Company (CATCo) -- Tom was invited to audition for one of their productions which started a relationship with our professional theater that's still going strong. He has appeared in their productions of Marvin's Room, All in the Timing, Table Manners and Mere Mortals in the late '90s. Mostly recently Tom again has worked with CATCo appearing in a play featuring six new original short pieces written by Ohioans. It's part of a Shorts Festival they do every couple of years or so. Tom was in both the 2004 and 2006 Festivals and managed to sneak in a bit part in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof in 2006 as well.

In 1995 Janet won a special award for "Most Outstanding Performance" during the '95 Ohio AACT Fest competition! It was especially meaningful for her because she was performing a piece written by an old college friend that had won a national playwriting award for new authors.

News from the Michigan Shakespeare Festival

The Michigan Shakespeare Festival will be a little different this year. Besides performances of Julius Caesar and All's Well That Ends Well, which will run from July 15 - 27, the 2008 festival will team up with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra and the University of Michigan's Gilbert and Sullivan Society to present Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta The Mikado.

The Michigan Shakespeare Festival performs in the Baughman Theatre at Potter Center on the Jackson Community College Campus.

Another interesting twist is that the two Shakespeare productions will travel to Grand Rapids the first week of August.

Auditions for the festival will be in late February and early March.

Cast & Crew for Seussical Announced

Seussical The Musical

Directed by: K.J. Rowan

Performances will be April 25, 26, 27 and May 2, 3, 4 in the Baughman Theatre, Potter Center on the Jackson Community College Campus. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 pm and Sunday performances are at 3:00 pm. More information is available on the Center Stage Website.

Produced by: Christine Gorton and Steve Hug

Scenic and Costume Designer: Christopher Fultz
Tech Directer: Andrew Varial
Vocal Direction: Antoinette LaCinski

Choreography and Sound Engineer: Julie Klee
Music Direction: TBA
Lighting Design: Amanda Mahoney

Cast List:

Jojo: Connor Pierce

The Cat: Adam Woolsey

Horton: Christopher Fultz

Gertrude McFuzz: Lisa Yikimoff

Mayzie LaBird: Mahalia Gibson

Bird Girl 1: Jennifer Meusling

Bird Girl 2: Caryn Showerman

Bird Girl 3: Greta Lorr

Bird Girl 4: Tiffany Doan

Bird Girl 5: Alexandria Flynn

Sour Kangaroo: Karen Kidder

Wickersham 1: Andrew Thompson

Wickersham 2: Shane Stephens

Wickersham 3: Don LaFollette

Mr. Mayor: Steve Hug

Mrs. Mayor: Christine Gorton

General: John McKim

The Grinch: Michael Cicirelli

Vlad Valadikof: TBA

Ensemble:

Jen Roedema ~ Megan Edwards ~ Aimee McKim ~ Chris Harmon

Christina McKim ~ Jean McKim ~ Christine Rebescher ~ Talon Wilson

Alaina Kerr ~ Britney Honeycutt ~ Chuck Minder ~ Ainsley Herrick
Drew Doman ~ Becca Gergel ~ Rachel Tenison ~ Cara Guernsey
Courtney Collis ~ Sarah Brausch ~ Andrea Wynn ~ Amanda Marzano

Anthony Hodshire ~ Jackie McCarthy ~ Cheyenne Swarthout

Hannah Baryo ~ Maddison Post ~ Tia Wilson ~ Jacob Meyers

John Baker-Streevy

How to Find Stuff on This Blog

If you are looking for a cast list for Miracle Worker, type 'miracle worker' into the search box in the upper left hand corner. Or you can click on previous December entries on the right hand side and find the December 27th posting. As for Suessical, the show was to be finished being cast by tomorrow. As soon as the cast and crew list is received, it will be posted here. Hope this helps.

Croswell Opera House Presents. . .

Love Letters by A.R. Gurney and directed by Jackson's own Gerry Blanchard is a Valentine Day's gift to theatre goers. There will be four performances from February 14 - 17th and each features different actors. Julie Dolan (Marvin's Room, Arsenic and Old Lace for CSJ) performs with Terry Hissong on the evening of the 15th.

Curtain times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Call the box office at 1-517-264-7469. The theatre is located at 129 E. Maumee in Adrian.

More details are available at the Croswell website.