tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-941947366371481152024-03-05T00:57:17.908-08:00The HJT BlogHJT - 61 Years | Cape Cod's Premier Family Theatre "Spanning the Generations"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759048683138243932noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-89851107954801519442014-07-02T11:00:00.001-07:002014-07-02T11:00:52.126-07:00Hello! My name is Karen, and I'm an intern at HJT for the summer. I've been basically living here at the theater for the past seven years- ever since my family moved back to Cape Cod. My mother grew up acting at HJT and my dad and brother are also performers. The only thing that's changed is the fact that I now have an official job, which I've been enjoying immensely so far.<br />
<br />
I'll be writing here a lot to let you all know what's coming up, how you can get involved, and why this theater is so important. Especially that last part. Without HJT I would not be the person I am today, and I know I speak for many others like me when I say that coming to the theater is like coming home.<br />
<br />
Keep checking for a new video of the current mainstage production, A Wrinkle in Time, and come check us out if you haven't yet! You won't be disappointed.<br />
<br />
<br />
~ KJUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-26746848921669977702013-03-27T13:44:00.000-07:002013-03-27T13:44:01.516-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLQy3j70nVsl_9NNShnMCxmMTG27rP0-Qp_QDv1rX7YK8Dt7vs5V64ZNctJESKV4YjPa8yDyk1i3R7TonRutqvsvnzvSmGEfGNOxIvkyMVqXYQnVFH8vVThf3Cb81faJ9XpkWYjOOg54/s1600/feb+vac+class.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLQy3j70nVsl_9NNShnMCxmMTG27rP0-Qp_QDv1rX7YK8Dt7vs5V64ZNctJESKV4YjPa8yDyk1i3R7TonRutqvsvnzvSmGEfGNOxIvkyMVqXYQnVFH8vVThf3Cb81faJ9XpkWYjOOg54/s320/feb+vac+class.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759048683138243932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-20857937462370163762013-03-27T13:41:00.001-07:002013-03-27T13:41:54.610-07:00April Vacation Fun at HJT!HJT's April Vacation Week Workshop runs April 15-19 from 9:00am -1:00pm! Here's a picture from the February workshop. Fun for all! Call Tammy to register at 508-432-2002 ext 17.<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759048683138243932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-54291862076774587792013-03-25T09:30:00.001-07:002013-03-25T09:31:51.813-07:00WIN A BIKE at FRECKLEFACE STRAWBERRY!<strong><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">HJT RAFFFLE! WIN FRECKFACE STRAWBERRY'S BICYCLE!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: red; color: white;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">FRECKLEFACE STRAWBERRY THE MUSICAL</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, based on the beloved <i>New York Times</i> Best Selling book by celebrated actress <a href="http://www.mtishows.com/biography.asp?writerid=3759"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Julianne Moore</span></a>, is a brand new family musical. You and your family can step inside the book's pages with Freckleface and friends as they learn to love the skin they're in. With soaring live music, awesome dancing, and a freckleface full of laughs, your whole family will love this brand new musical for all ages...freckles or not!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> April 5 -28, 2013<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Friday evenings at 7:30 PM Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 PM<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Vacation week matinees on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday April 16, 17
and 18 at 2PM<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Based on the Books Written by <a href="http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000401##"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Julianne
Moore</span></a> ; Directed and Choreographed by Terry Norgeot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Musical Direction by Robert Wilder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 11.25pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Tickets Adult $22.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Youth under 21 $15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please call the BOX OFFICE at
508-432-2002<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or on-line <a href="http://www.hjtcapecod.org/"><span style="color: blue;">www.</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">hjtcapecod.org</span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> HJT 105 Division St. West Harwich,
MA 0267</span></a>1<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUxGfP5fmvWxp8gkf6AligV4LMs_18fSdeadmotUUWnCge9K23vpWJP1FUoFSmNtcH_rvetmUO_2obSDWB7H_sdimvKHe1gOYkXvinbYcGNAY45MOuFjpvBGrOVahB-p9JeZaBU8Wz-k/s1600/FS+w+Bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUxGfP5fmvWxp8gkf6AligV4LMs_18fSdeadmotUUWnCge9K23vpWJP1FUoFSmNtcH_rvetmUO_2obSDWB7H_sdimvKHe1gOYkXvinbYcGNAY45MOuFjpvBGrOVahB-p9JeZaBU8Wz-k/s320/FS+w+Bike.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02759048683138243932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-79503747669309478662011-02-16T13:33:00.000-08:002011-02-16T13:41:18.306-08:00'Oh Boy', Buddy Holly Rocks At HJT<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTr0zdcL_cOs5yKIzn5rhZalKiafT25nXipc1LT9NlF9mIpItaj14kvtt5YzbYNUzdqRCjnn2005ujXe-AcxsXUP9cLzB1povNDd8YwAA0qKcF2mKSCzLDPag7ZdpRpT3TNLJsCDQcwwB7/s1600/DownloadedFile-1.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTr0zdcL_cOs5yKIzn5rhZalKiafT25nXipc1LT9NlF9mIpItaj14kvtt5YzbYNUzdqRCjnn2005ujXe-AcxsXUP9cLzB1povNDd8YwAA0qKcF2mKSCzLDPag7ZdpRpT3TNLJsCDQcwwB7/s400/DownloadedFile-1.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574405478384181282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrjKMZGDFtDPFEdlMU2IM0GATmuQTEbm5U22F8o93XoHphyphenhyphenErN6En4fazsPg-VKbXqcFbttDvmeLVpwxwgCjdX_DZIoliCstdbN3jzOL6bzUjGob_l7zllVWc7xlb0aQcQg5RdUiX00HG/s1600/Buddy-Holly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrjKMZGDFtDPFEdlMU2IM0GATmuQTEbm5U22F8o93XoHphyphenhyphenErN6En4fazsPg-VKbXqcFbttDvmeLVpwxwgCjdX_DZIoliCstdbN3jzOL6bzUjGob_l7zllVWc7xlb0aQcQg5RdUiX00HG/s400/Buddy-Holly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574404900697230690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >‘Oh Boy,’ Buddy Holly Rocks At HJT </span></span><br />The Cape Cod Chronicle Feb. 17, 2011<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">by Jennifer Sexton </span><br /><br />Let’s talk about the glasses.<br /><br />Black, heavy-rimmed and square, the iconic eyewear has come to be known in popular culture shorthand as, simply, Buddy Holly glasses. But don’t forget—in 1959, they were just called “glasses.”<br /><br />This is a great place to start when contemplating the blistering talent, meteoric rise and early flame-out of one of America’s truly staggering talents—one that we lost so quickly we almost didn’t know what we had.<br /><br />“Peggy Sue.” “That’ll Be the Day.” “Oh Boy.” “Everyday.” “Maybe Baby.” The hits are so familiar, so iconic, so much a part of the fabric of American music and so numerous that it’s nearly beyond imagining that Buddy Holly’s career spanned a mere 18 months before it was cut short, along with singers Richie Valens, J.P “The Big Bopper” Richardson and their pilot, Roger Peterson, as their plane crashed in a snowy Iowa field in February 1959. Holly was only 22 years old.<br /><br />Before researching Buddy Holly, the image that sprang to mind was a still frame of a skinny, clean cut, geeky looking nerd in a suit and tie, sporting the aforementioned heavy-rimmed glasses. My surprise was genuine when I spent some time on YouTube watching footage of Buddy and his band, The Crickets, performing on early television’s Arthur Murray Party in 1957. Introduced by a stately Kathryn Murray who encouraged viewers to “keep an open mind” and surrounded by seemingly stunned and motionless teens in formal dance attire, Holly and the Crickets absolutely tore up the place. With a slight sneer and startling energy in an under two-minute whirl through “Peggy Sue,” Holly brought to mind nothing so much as a punk band in the 1970s or a 1990s garage band. Fairly vibrating with barely contained energy, Holly was unforgettable, the three-piece band tight as can be.<br /><br />This was no nerd.<br /><br /><br /><br />“He towers in the music world,” says Mary Arnault, director of “Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story” at Harwich Junior Theatre. “The talent, the vision at such a young age and then to die so young. He gave us so much in an incredibly small amount of time. It almost hurts to think of what might have been.”<br /><br />There’s no almost about it. At the time of his death, with a catalogue of hits under his belt, Holly had entered the New York recording and producing scene. He had relocated to Greenwich Village, hoped to work with Gospel greats like Ray Charles and Mahalia Jackson, and had registered for acting classes at Lee Strasburg’s acting studio, which produced such icons as James Dean and Marlon Brando. The sky was the limit for Holly. Tragically we will never know what his future might have held.<br /><br />Nevertheless, despite the inevitable ending, Arnault points out that the show is a celebration of the man and the music, not a tragic tale.<br /><br />“Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story” ran successfully in London’s West End for over 12 years, becoming a successful Broadway production with numerous subsequent tours and productions around the world. Chicago actor Eric Labanauskas has played the role before, and is described by HJT’s producing artistic director Nina Schuessler as “channeling Buddy Holly.”<br /><br />“It’s a fun show to do, and we are thrilled that Eric will to do it again for us, in his East Coast debut,” says Arnault. A devout Buddy Holly fan, Labanauskas has twice visited the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa where Holly played his last concert and the memorial site in Mason City, Iowa. In his role as Buddy Holly, Labanauskas is supported by Crickets Trevor Pearson, Vincent Pirruccio and Samuel Dxiobek and a cast including Todd Moos as The Big Bopper, Brendan Cloney as Richie Valens, Cara Gerardi as Holly’s bride Maria Elena, Warren Harrington and Karen Dash as the Apollo Singers, and Doug Sivco, Stella Wolf, Emily Blodgett and Emily Hamilton.<br /><br />As Holly, Labanauskas plays guitar and sings Holly’s hits, backed up by the talented musicians cast as The Crickets. During a few set changes and at different times in the production, recordings of the real Buddy Holly and The Crickets will also be heard.<br /><br />“We started out with separate music rehearsals and stage rehearsals,” explains Arnault. “When we started to put them together, everything became energized and the cast was literally jumping up and down. This music absolutely energizes everybody, and I would like to thank musical director Bob Wilder in capital letters with lights all around it. Bob is doing a fantastic job, and choreographer Suzette Hutchinson has been very busy. It’s a great team. The set by Andrew Arnault is really cool, and J Hagenbuckle’s sound is inspired, with live mics all over the place. And the great Robin McLaughlin is doing costumes.”<br /><br />Buddy Holly wasn’t simply present at the beginning of rock and roll. He arguably was the beginning of rock and roll.<br /><br />“Absolutely the most important thing I have taken out of this experience is the realization that he was so innovative, so ahead of his time,” says Arnault. “At the time, even the fact that they were a self-contained three-piece band writing their own music seemed very dangerous to parents. This was very sexy, very dangerous. I mean, you look at Buddy Holly and he looks like such a nerd, but he was an enormous influence. The name The Beatles was in deference to The Crickets, and John Lennon was quoted as saying that Buddy Holly’s image as much as gave him permission to wear his glasses.”<br /><br />“Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story” celebrates and brings to life the young man widely described as the single-most influential creative force in rock and roll history, who in his handful of years created a legacy that towers to this day.<br /><br />Details:<br /><br />“Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story”<br />Feb. 18 through March 20<br />Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.<br />Sundays at 2 p.m.<br /><br />By Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson<br />Directed by Mary Arnault • Musical Director Bob Wilder<br />Box Office 508-432-2002 www.hjtcapecod.netUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-17021442924864501112011-02-16T13:19:00.001-08:002011-02-16T13:46:29.557-08:00It's Alive... ALIVE!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxTPqeRTNF5ulolkoNtrjDRce3Yrp4wxhORPfLqiRBoCGi5eraBzycIEbNrWOAP94__F6o7Vdm611hUxgU1EGqpf632qSvdUO0yZLRDPQLBWyR2ULmVVRxoMQfxtImhbvz3fFOnGisU8A/s1600/092609_its_alive.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxTPqeRTNF5ulolkoNtrjDRce3Yrp4wxhORPfLqiRBoCGi5eraBzycIEbNrWOAP94__F6o7Vdm611hUxgU1EGqpf632qSvdUO0yZLRDPQLBWyR2ULmVVRxoMQfxtImhbvz3fFOnGisU8A/s320/092609_its_alive.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574407054116242466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">That's right, everyone. The Harwich Junior Theatre blog </span>is once again alive and kicking, thanks to a few long-overdue jolts of lightning and strategically placed electrodes. (Youch!) Get ready for a revisiting of the shows we've loved and neglected to blog about, from last year's <span style="font-weight: bold;">"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"</span> to the present, along with photos, videos, cast and crew interviews, news, board meeting inside scoops, volunteer praise, parent input, comments, questions, answers, a suggestion box, and anything and everything else <span style="font-weight: bold;">HJT. </span><br /><br />And if you happen to notice me slacking off again, please. Please. Not the electrodes again. Those things smart. Just call me out on it and rough me up a little, and I'll be right back on track. I swear.<br /><br />Let's start things off with a preview of <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Buddy--- The Buddy Holly Story," </span>directed by the lovely <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary Arnault.</span> It opens this Friday, and I will be there with Ava and Amy Tag, who will be reviewing for <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Cape Cod Chronicle.<br /><br /></span><span>I remain your humble blogslave,<br />Jen Sexton</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-77180478443401531742010-03-30T13:47:00.001-07:002010-03-30T13:47:49.304-07:00'Spelling Bee' wins praise | CapeCodOnline.com<a href=http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100321/LIFE/3210324>'Spelling Bee' wins praise | CapeCodOnline.com</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-61853157329616668372010-03-30T13:16:00.000-07:002010-03-30T13:43:11.768-07:00Latest HJT Show Spells 'Entertainment'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45NZl4Pnt9QF__K8RwPXW5Kw5LtBr58tbDriA1T1qd_XwC2OqKlL8svQaK61250uZgG2R-0A26EdpWE_tFJQ0dVOiMulq8Z5SkFGXPhkfQXP4b6zmn3wNS-soJ4g4ms635t_lGIccZN3_/s1600/Picture+002.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454524399907132066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45NZl4Pnt9QF__K8RwPXW5Kw5LtBr58tbDriA1T1qd_XwC2OqKlL8svQaK61250uZgG2R-0A26EdpWE_tFJQ0dVOiMulq8Z5SkFGXPhkfQXP4b6zmn3wNS-soJ4g4ms635t_lGIccZN3_/s320/Picture+002.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong>by Amy Tagliaferri</strong></div><div>Wouldn't it be fun to not only see a great show, but be in the show? Have you often wondered what it feels like to have those lights in your eyes, and hear an audience's appreciative response? This spring the Harwich Junior Theatre is giving you that chance. And HJT is also providing Cape audiences with a stellar night of entertainment too. "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is side-splitting, pure joyful fun! Opening night the laughter resounded throughout the intimate building.</div><div> </div><div>Each performance is guaranteed to be a different show with the setuo conceived by Rebecca Feldman and Jay Reiss from Rachel Scheinkin's book, with music and lyrics by William Finn. The arrangement offers you (and maybe your co-workers) a chance to be a part of the action in the first act by volunteering to be a speller with this motley crew from Putnam County. Four volunteers are prepped before each performance and then called from the audience by name. Think of the potential scenarios as a family member or friend leaps to stardom, before your very eyes! </div><div> </div><div>Director Terry Norgeot knew she needed to find an exemplary cast to hadle the impromptu and inknown in every single show. Actors are always applauded for carrying on without a misstep by adlibbing and covering up a missed cue; imagine being on your toes for any possibility every night. On opening night for example, one volunteer missed an easy word and another spelled a difficult one correctly, two of the many possible developments Norgeot has to prepare her actors for. No one missed a beat. </div><div> </div><div>The show's concept is centered around six quirky adolescents with three equally quirky adult moderators in a fictional spelling bee in Putnam Valley Middle School, Anytown, USA. Eileen Fisher and Michael Ernst as the moderators of the bee are spot-on and hilarious. Each definition, and "Could you please use the word in a sentence?" is very funny. (For "phylactery"--- either of a pair of square lether boxes containing Jewish religious texts--- they came up with: "Billy, put down that phylactery--- we're Episcopalians.") Kudos to Robin McLaughlin the costume designer for nailing their outfits and each of the students too. The costumes speak volumes as to character and give the audience a sense of who each person is. </div><div> </div><div>Sophie Moeller playes Logainne Schwartzand grubenniere; Logainne has two dads and her last name is an interesting variation in lieu of hyphenation. Moeller is very expressive. Daniel Greenwood is a standout as Leaf Coneybear; he lives up to his funny name with pratfalls and childlike behavior. Ben Griessmeyer as William Barfee and his "magic foot" made the audience giggle every time his turn was up. The only real student in the group, Teresa Willander, was a hoot as Marcy Park. Caitlin Mills conveys the poignant Olive Ostrousky skillfully, bringing tears and then joy with a clear, lucid voice and knockout performance. Mark Vagenas as Chip Tolentino nails the lovesick look as his character pines for Coneybear's sister. Jarde Hagen as Mitch Mahoney never disappoints. It's Mitch's role to escort each losing speller off, and he creates drama with each exit. All sing and dance wonderfully. Norgeot's consummate choreography has never been better, especially on the standout "Pandemonium." </div><div> </div><div>Musical director Robert Wilder and his band are hidden backstage but boy, can you hear them! This show is he complete package. James P. Byrne's set design leaves no doubt that you are on a school gymnasium stage, and all is embellished by Gregory Norgeot's lighting design and J Hagenbuckle's sound. Erin Mahoney is the sound board operator and stage manager Martha Paquin is the light bard operator. </div><div> </div><div>Go and see this show! It's F-U-N and F-U-N-N-Y!</div><div> </div><div>Details:</div><div>"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"</div><div>At Harwich Junior Theatre through April 18</div><div>For information and reservations call 508-432-2002 or visit <a href="http://www.capetix.com/">www.capetix.com</a>. </div><div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-18982264812534671272010-02-26T06:20:00.001-08:002010-02-26T06:24:01.737-08:00Peter Pan soars with perfect casting | CapeCodOnline.com<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;">Click The Link Below To Read Another Rave Review Of 'Peter Pan And Wendy' At Harwich Junior Theatre! </span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100214/LIFE/2140327/-1/ENTERTAIN13">Peter Pan soars with perfect casting | CapeCodOnline.com</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com/">ShareThis</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-70865946184993592132010-02-16T12:00:00.000-08:002010-02-16T13:06:55.624-08:00Clap If You Believe: 'Peter Pan And Wendy' Alight And Delight At HJT<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcHa0Nl5GA0eVJVhB5GsI5O_nSa5ECvBDWcak84pqiU8mSWVRim1KzL29Dy1sn-FWhRXmFghb728xzTpn4qqtZBMoPnCP6IjK6EhGjFxmN8zQ1_MMUHM4pOGJIkAebPLFdu9R-eFpODLi/s1600-h/peterpan5.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438946045173851778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcHa0Nl5GA0eVJVhB5GsI5O_nSa5ECvBDWcak84pqiU8mSWVRim1KzL29Dy1sn-FWhRXmFghb728xzTpn4qqtZBMoPnCP6IjK6EhGjFxmN8zQ1_MMUHM4pOGJIkAebPLFdu9R-eFpODLi/s320/peterpan5.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1bcQtPU0vMI7JP1gWPqI_lRUU6AQFpBFttIC1rR9htZakhdwZjs2neZLg6TOzmWC_IQ_JesIilqzaprEunpiiyOu-l6AXWAKJfOsvEBTFHTddw08rJuAdh4Ya85GrtTrnujrhJWI6EU7/s1600-h/peterpan1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438945873651938866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1bcQtPU0vMI7JP1gWPqI_lRUU6AQFpBFttIC1rR9htZakhdwZjs2neZLg6TOzmWC_IQ_JesIilqzaprEunpiiyOu-l6AXWAKJfOsvEBTFHTddw08rJuAdh4Ya85GrtTrnujrhJWI6EU7/s320/peterpan1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><strong>The Cape Cod Chronicle, Feb. 18, 2010</strong></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div>by Jennifer Sexton</div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"><em><span style="font-size:100%;">Photos courtesy of Heather Lannen</span></em><br /></span><br /></div><div>"Who am I? I am youth! I am joy! I am freedom!"</div><div><br />So says Peter Pan to Captain Hook as he matches the pirate's cutlass strike for strike with his boy's sword fashioned from sticks. Such is the magic of Peter Pan, magic that overflows in HJT's production of "Peter Pan and Wendy," directed by Maura Hanlon.</div><div><br />First of all, banish from your mind all images of green leotard- clad actresses with pixie haircuts soaring on wires above the stage. HJT's production bypasses the popular culture image of the eternal-boy-played-by-a-woman in favor of a decidedly masculine, athletic Peter Pan dressed in the colors of flames.</div><div><br />Troy Armand Barboza as Peter Pan doesn't need wires to fly. Without benefit of a concealed harness, he spends roughly as much time leaping, climbing, swooping, upsidedown and otherwise airborne as he does on the stage. He is as irrepressible as we expect Peter to be, and he also surprises by perfectly capturing the lighthearted crulety of childhood fantasy play, delivering lines about killing pirates with a delighted grin. These are the parts of J.M. Barrie's book that surprise us when we reread it to our own children, and they make the story.</div><div><br />As Tinker Bell, Caroline Clancy manages to pull off some real-life magic. Emily Blodgett, the actress cast as Tink, suffered a serious ankle injury requiring surgery shortly before the show opened. Clancy, cast as Tink's understudy, rehearsed the role for the first time the day before opening night. Despite the short notice, she does a wonderful job as the devilish imp whose love for Peter moves her to swallow poison for him one minute, ands arrange an unpleasant demise for Wendy the next. So expressive are Clancy's enormous eyes, her gesture language and her single arching eyebrow that it is easy to forget that Tink's is a non-speaking role. </div><div><br />Rose Cronin-Jackman is perfectly cast as the ever-maternal little girl Wendy, who begins her relationship with Peter Pan by stitching his shadow back to his heels in the Darling family's nursery. She does a fantastic job, exhibiting just the right mix of childhood courage and grown-up responsibility, balancing on the border between girl and woman even as she and her brothers are tempted to the Neverland with tales of mermaids and pirates. Matthew Gubbins and Michael Couto are very good as her younger brothers, John and Michael, who would rather die "like Englishmen" than join Hook's crew of pirates, no matter how cool their pirate names might have been. </div><div><br />Jade Schuyler is the loving Mrs. Darling, whose grief for her lost children is heartbreaking as she insists that the third story window be left open in case they return. She doubles as Starkey, the pirate who would sooner jump ship than face Peter Pan, the fearsome pirate-killing "doodle-doo." Art Devine is hysterical as both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook, playing the father as a fun-loving goofball who waits out his children's return by sleeping in the doghouse and Hook as a flamboyant, sashaying bully who collapses into shivers at the mention of the dreaded crocodile who took his right hand. Julie Allen Hamilton is a hoot as Nana the canine nanny, expressing her concern for the children with doggy sounds but speaking her thoughts aloud when no humans are nearby to hear them. Hamilton is also hilarious as pirate Mr. Smee, Hook's right-hand, er, right-hook man.</div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>As the Lost Boys, Charlie Powicki, Graham Smith, Nick Stewart, Jack McMurrer, Ian Kerig Hamilton and Lian Phelan are an adorable, shaggy-haired bunch who mix innocence and Neverland forgetfulness with bravery, loyalty and desperate yearning for a mother. McMurrer is funny when he tried to shake off the cobwebs of the Neverland and remember things from his former life, without quite getting it right. "I remember spinsters. My aunt used to shake them out of her boots." Cara Gerardi mimics Peter's wild movements as his shadow--- no easy task--- and is suitably solemn as the captured Princess Tiger Lily. The shadow ensemble, made up of Elizabeth Bent, Miriah Burns, Paddo Devine, Seamus Devine, Nick Matsik, Meredith Sullivan and last minute addition Karen Stewart, who took the place of pinch-hitting Tinker Bell Clancy, create marvelous effects onstage with their dark-clad presence. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>A great contribution to the magic and movement of this production is the brilliant set, created by James P. Byrne, which must be seen in action to be believed. Not only do the Darling children's beds transform effortlessly into Hook's ship the Jolly Roger, but the entire structure of the multi-level set pivots and spins on a central axis, creating flight sequences that soar and unforgettable battle scenes with the characters seeming to move freely in three dimensions above the stage.</div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>The experience of listening to the novel read aloud runs through the entire production, carried along in between the action sequences by a quintet of motherly narrators, Tesia Brown, Pat Ellis, Kristin Stewart, Jessalyn Peters and Elizabeth Liuzzi, who take turns doing the storytelling. Behind the scenes, they transform into Captain Hook's colorful crew of hilarious pirates, Jukes, Cecco, Mullins, Noodler and Cookson. Hanlon does a marvelous job, working with the actors to create pirates who are at least as funny as they are scary, with extra "arrh." J Hagenbuckle's sound deisgn completes the atmosphere of the Neverland, giving weightless life to the flying scenes and reminding us of Tinker Bell's occupation as a fairy who mends pots and pans with the gentle sound of tinkling metal. Robin McLaughlin's costumes are as gorgeous as always, from the ragtag Lost Boys to the wildly colorful pirates, the fiery Peter Pan and the demure Wendy in white and summery green. </div><div><br />"Peter Pan and Wendy" is a trip to the Neverland full of swashbuckling adventure, swordfights, flying, and one more chance for grownups and kids alike to clap together if you believe in fairies. My six-year-old theater companion hasn't stopped begging me, "When can we go again?" Don't miss it. </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94194736637148115.post-28018393251003810082010-02-16T11:35:00.000-08:002010-02-16T11:59:30.052-08:002010 Winter/Spring Open House A Smashing SuccessNew students, the interested and the curious gathered at HJT on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for snacks, tours of HJT, and a chance to meet and rub elbows with HJT teachers and students.<br /><br />"It was fabulous!" says Tamara Harper, HJT's director of education and community outreach. "We had potential students here from as far away as Falmouth and Provincetown, of ages ranging from three to 16. Our amazing students Jacob, Emma, Michael, Charlie, Elizabeth and Abbe gave tours to the kids and parents who had never been here before with great enthusiasm and knowledge.<br /><br />We have amazing kids here. So many of the adults on the tours commented on the HJT kids, how professional they were and that they had so much confidence. I was so proud of them and grateful for the time they volunteered to come in and be cheerleaders for a place they have come to love. Thank you also to our wonderful teachers, Kathleen, Bob, Suzette, Heather and Zach for their help!"<br /><br />Classes began the week of Jan. 25 in Creative Movement, Creative Drama, Teen Acting, Musical Theatre, Basic Acting, Technical Theatre, Comedy Improv, Playwriting, Film Acting, New Workshops and more, more, MORE! For more information and a free brochure, call 508-432-2002, ext. 11.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0