The NOLA AEA Showcase production of "Shine! The Horatio Alger Musical" starring Hal Linden is a one night only benefit performance event at the WWII Museum, November 17th. Here's some info on how it all came to be, as well as our wonderful cast and production staff. Mainstreet Musicals is a non-profit that was formed by a group of Broadway Lumineries in order to further the art of Musical Theater. They felt that it was becoming a New York City centered art form, and that new musicals were not being seen anywhere else. They wanted to try to build a ...Read More
The NOLA AEA Showcase production of "Shine! The Horatio Alger Musical" starring Hal Linden is a one night only benefit performance event at the WWII Museum, November 17th. Here's some info on how it all came to be, as well as our wonderful cast and production staff. Mainstreet Musicals is a non-profit that was formed by a group of Broadway Lumineries in order to further the art of Musical Theater. They felt that it was becoming a New York City centered art form, and that new musicals were not being seen anywhere else. They wanted to try to build a network of cities where they could debut new musicals and have more than just revivals of MAME in the provinces. So, some of the group that was behind the founding of the New York Musical Theater Festival, formed an advisory board made up of people like Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Susan Stroman, Flaherty and Ahrens, Graciela Daniele, John Lithgow and many others to organize this idea. When John Bostic was in NYC for the AEA Plenary conference, he was approached by this group. They were interested in the possibility of New Orleans becoming a city for this National Network of New Musicals. John decided that it would be a good fit for New Orleans and agreed to help explore the possibilities here. The first step is to do a benefit for a local group and see if there is an audience for new musicals. NOLA AEA's benefit is SHINE! with Hal Linden as headliner to get us more press across the country. The idea here is for the NYC Producers to come in and see what wonderful talent and excitement there is in this city. Then they would like to help us establish a link in this network where three award winning new musicals would be presented in New Orleans each year as part of a musical theater festival. This would bring writers, composers, stars, producers, casting agents and other theater people from across the U.S. to NOLA to see NOLA talent and to work with us. They would be doing workshops, interviews, casting, etc and be in the school systems during the fest. This is a great way for NOLA talent to get a national spotlight, both union and non-union through the NOLA AEA's efforts, for the entire NOLA theatrical community. It would also give our local directors, choreographers and music directors as well as our performers a chance to be seen nationally and hopefully, bring a much needed spotlight to our citie's theater community. We are the 4th city to accomplish this performance out of 27 target cities. We are ahead of Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Seattle, San Diego, etc. of the 6 cities that started working on this over the summer, we are one of two that completed it. We have producers coming in for this show which has been optioned for Broadway. It's also a focus of the Horatio Alger Society which is made up of Billionaires who came from nothing like Bill Gates and Leonardo Di Caprio. They want to push this to further their message that you can go from nothing to super rich and successful. Everyone involved in this exciting production, including Mr Linden, are volunteering a lot of time to make this event happen in our fair city, so please, help spread the word on it, let's sell some tickets and see a lot of muscial theater lovers in the house for this unique event! Our Wonderful Cast & Production Staff: (AEA/EMC Noted in Bold.) SILAS SNOBDEN/Narrator: Hal Linden AEA His employees: GIDEON CHAPIN- John Bostic AEA HERBERT HIGGINS- Vatican Lokey EMC RICHARD HUNTER-Scott Sauber Richard's sidekicks: HENRY FOSWELL-Jermaine Keelen MICKEY MAGUIRE-Garrett Smith Richard's stepfather: LUKE GERRISH (Our villian)- Drew Battles AEA Luke's Girlfriend: STACIA-JANE HAUSER (Our heroine) : Amy Alvarez (16th) AEA Jessie Terrebonne (17th) AEA The Banker: ALAN CARLISLE (Our Romantic Lead)-Richard Arnold AEA His Son: ROB CARLISLE-Sawyer Nunes The Rich Snob: MRS HALLIWELL-Cathie Choppin AEA Stacia's Landlady: MARY MCHUGH-Janet Shea AEA Richard's Landlady: FINOLA MAY MOONEY-Meredith Long AEA Their Poker Buddies: MRS CASSIDY-Diana Boylston AEA MRS O'LEARY-Becki Davis AEA MRS O'MALLEY-Victoria Reed AEA The Irish Cop:OFFICER FOY-Carl Palmer AEA The Wall Street Financiers: (Our Show Stoppers!!) Edward R Cox AEA, Chris Bentivegna, Joel Rainey The Vendor: Trina Beck EMC The Customer: Allison Kate Barron EMC The Waitress: Heather Leonard EMC and Mary Vigueira as the mysterious singing woman with no distinct name. Director, Deborah Mogford AEA Producer, Tim Jerome AEA PSM, Tom Capps AEA SM, Kate Bartels EMC Piano 1- Dr. Margaret Campo Piano 2- Leslie Loyacano HOSTS: The National World War II Museum and Slidell High School (St Tammany Talented Arts) For tickets and more information, please visit the link below, and see you at the theater! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/205408
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