The last show for the SMT season was Oklahoma! Again I was fortunate enough to get cast in the lead role of Curly, my second time playing the character. Amy had mentioned that some of the other actors were a little miffed I was getting the lead roles. Here is a page from the program and another ticket. I remember the girl that played Laurey opposite of me, Michelle Sarkesian, had a beautiful soprano voice.
The second show we did for SMT was Once Upon a Mattress. I auditioned and got the part of Sir Harry and played opposite Jane Petrongelli as Lady Larkin. Interestingly there was a ticket I had forgot about stuck inside the program. I'm sure my parents came down from Iowa City for the show.
Below is a cute photo of Jane and I as the lovebirds.
Meanwhile I had met this girl named Amy Farwell who had done SMT the last summer and knew several of the cast members who either went to school at WIU or had also done it before. One thing led to another and pretty soon we were an item.
In the Spring of 1982 I auditioned for a summer stock company called Summer Music Theatre based out of Macomb, Illinois and associated with Western Illinois University. I was fortunate enough to get hired and I accepted a position in the company without really even knowing what roles I would play. The first show they were doing was West Side Story and apparently because I wasn't a good enough dancer I got the part of Tony (at least according the choreographer).
The following photos are of Kate Gengo (Maria) and me first in the balcony scene and then the "One Hand, One Heart" duet.
I was fortunate enough to get a nice review from a writer for the WIU paper.
