12 November 2022

Another Guilty Christmas 2022

Since we had only gotten to do two shows in two runs last winter, Valhalla was willing to produce another run for the Fall of 2022. This time we went a little earlier in hopes that we could keep the weather at bay. Liz Tonkinson came back to do Summer. Also I ended up filling in as Dillan this time as we had lost a cast member.

We also got the poster updated. I had already framed the first one.

Paula Peterson at SouthTahoeNow posted a nice feature.

Michelle Morton from Valhalla also posted a few photos and a short video clip of "Powder Day."

Nice cast shot.

27 January 2022

Guilty Christmas Reprise 2022

After getting snowed out in at the Valhalla Grand Hall before Christmas, we tried to reschedule some performances at the Lake Tahoe Golf Course. With Liz Tonkinson so close to her due date, we asked Darby Beckwith to understudy the part of Summer. The Sunday before we opened, Liz decided it would be better if she bowed out and just let Darby do the performances. On January 5 we got to do one performance before a cast member got Covid-19 and we had to cancel the rest of the run.

From left: Pam Taylor as Linda, Chris Taylor as Chad, Sharon Kerrigan as Deanne, Tom Callahan as Bob, Darby Beckwith as Summer, Jeff Whitt as Dylan, and Joanie San Agustin as Pamela.




26 January 2022

Guilty Christmas 2021

Dave Hamilton and I had had discussions about doing a Guilty Pleasures sequel. Since there had been talk of how cool it would be to resurrect Ebeneezer Scrooge, I suggested what if the cast enjoyed doing their show so much they wanted to do Scrooge and got Wacker to direct? Eventually that evolved into Guilty Christmas.

We worked on it during the Covid-19 pandemic and thought we might get to produce it in 2020. When it was obvious that was not going to happen, we decided to shoot for the holiday season of 2021. We offered the parts to those that had done Guilty Pleasures. And other than Tom Callahan, everyone else returned.

From left: Sharon Kerrigan as Deanne, Pam Taylor as Linda, Liz Tonkinson as Summer, Joanie San Agustin as Pamela, Anita Kelley as Judge Kerry Bings, Chris Taylor as Chad, Tom Callahan as Bob, Jeff Whitt as Dylan, and Kurt Munger as Dick Wacker.

We worked with Michelle Morton at Valhalla Tahoe to present it in the Grand Hall which was a beautiful setting and perfect for the show.

Ginger Janssen designed our poster in the style of previous Guilty Pleasure posters with hilarious "fake quotes" (See below).

We started rehearsals in October and even though we had difficulties getting all of the cast at rehearsals at the same time, and... I and a couple other cast members got Covid over Thanksgiving we were able to open on December 10 for a special fundraiser. And then, the snow hit....

We ended up having to cancel all of our shows planned for the following week. Bummer.



24 January 2022

Matilda 2019

In August of 2019, Rozz and I auditioned for Western Nevada Musical Theatre's production of Matilda and were fortunate enought to get the parts of Matilda's understudy and Harry Wormwood (Matilda's Dad). This may be the only time we got to perform on stage as father and daughter. Rozz was guaranteed two performances and also played the part of Hortensia. The show ran for three weekends in November from the 8th to the 24th. The program had some great pictures.

Below are some other publicity shots and a cast photo with Rozz as Matilda.

Matilda Cast 2019.

There are even more photos available on WNMTC's website.

23 January 2022

Love @ the Lake 2019

Love @ the Lake was a musical review I directed during the Summer of 2019 for Valhalla Tahoe's Broadway series. Andrea Rogers, who I had met during Superstar, was Assistant Director, and we featured a small cast of our Tahoe regulars.

Meg Peart designed the graphics for the program and poster.

Vahalla Tahoe presented me with the lovely photo compilation below (Photos by Larry Sabo.)

22 January 2022

Jesus Christ Superstar 2018

Dave Hamilton came and talked to me in early 2018 about doing a new version of Superstar more as a rock concert with a live band onstage and wondered if I would be interested. The college was looking for groups to partner with as they had cut the Theatre program back to a few courses and one production a year. Dave persuaded Tahoe Arts Alliance to partner with LTCC. I said I'd do it if the college would let me use it as a sabbatical project which they did.

It had been 20 years since we had done the last production. We barely got enough people to cast it. I ended up playing Jesus this time which was fun, and we got Saundra Witt and Sharon Kerrigan as Mary and Judas which was a little bit of a different take. Dave went with a cross between post-apocalyptic and steampunk for the concept. Meg Peart designed an awesome logo that we used for the poster and programs.

Larry Sabo took some fabulous pictures one night, and Tim Parsons gave us a nice feature in Tahoe Onstage.

21 January 2022

Beauty and the Beast 2017

Roslyn and I auditioned for WNMTC's production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. She had gotten to play the part of Chip for the Wild Horse Children's Theatre production, but for this show she got the part of a Cake. I was cast as Crazy Ol' Maurice, Belle's father.

20 January 2022

Cabaret 2016

The last show I did at LTCC with Susan Boulanger was Cabaret. I had needed a break since when Susan had joined the faculty at LTCC and since enrollments had started to fall, I was doing the music direction for the shows as overtime at adjunct pay. I did the music direction and conducted the band. Couldn't seem to find a program for this one, but the poster is below.

Larry Sabo took some great pics including this one of the band.

19 January 2022

Mary Poppins 2015

I had heard WNMTC was planning to do Mary Poppins in the fall of 2015, and thinking it would be fun to have an opportunity to do a show with Roslyn, we both auditioned. I got cast as George Banks, and she was a Broken Toy and a Kite Flier. Super fun to have that experience with her.

18 January 2022

Pippin 2015

Susan Boulanger and I decided to do Pippin in the Spring of 2015 for the LTCC musical. I did the music direction and conducted the band this time. I can't seem to find a program for this show, but the poster is below.