theatre guild of rockingham county

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Okay, that’s it.  I give up.  I didn’t know how having a Christmas this year was going to be at all possible.  In light of everything that’s happened in the past nearly two months, yuletide joy was something that seemed way past feasibility.  Although, I haven’t begrudged anyone from having that.  Just feels like I’m on the outside looking in this year, is all.

But then before tonight’s performance of It’s A Wonderful Life: The Musical two young ladies who I’ve been working backstage with surprised me with a little something.  And as I told Joy and Makia, this has to be the sweetest thing that has happened to me since Lord knows when.

Look!  Dalek action figures from Doctor Who!

Joy and Makia spotted these in a nearby store and… well, words cannot possibly convey how touched I am to be given these by two such wonderful people.  ...

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Last night the Rockingham Community College Foundation held its annual fundraising dinner at Reidsville Country Club. Every year it’s a different theme and this time it was the television series M*A*S*H. It also serves as an acronym for More Academic and Scholarship Help. Anyway, they went totally all-out in doing a M*A*S*H theme: right down to having a real jeep, the signpost, Klinger’s female wardrobe, the Swamp (complete with still) and “Rosie’s Bar” (serving real booze!)…

To add further atmosphere, several members of the Theatre Guild of Rockingham County volunteered to be in costume as various characters from the show. We had Mike Davis as Hawkeye and Eric Smith as Trapper (each carrying around a martini glass), Tyler Walker as Klinger (who went through three costume changes including a wedding dress), and Tanya Rimmer Willis as Hotlips.

And as Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly, it’s Yours Truly!...

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For those who are wondering: I am not involved in this production. Between last April (when we did The King and I) and this past month (when we wrapped Gypsy) I was doing community theatre non-stop across four productions. Just needed a bit of a respite from the stage 🙂

That said, I am exceedingly stoked about Theatre Guild of Rockingham County‘s production of Charlotte’s Web, which kicks off a six-performance run this Friday night!

Based on E.B. White’s classic novel, Charlotte’s Web is the timeless tale of Wilbur: a succulent little pig who should have been destined to become ham and bacon… until an unusually eloquent spider named Charlotte comes to his rescue. It’s a great cast, and I’ve seen some photos of the sets and they look terrific! I’m hoping to catch this on opening night. Maybe even a few more times this weekend, ...

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One of the audience members was overheard today saying that this production of Gypsy by Theatre Guild of Rockingham County is one of the best musicals she has ever seen around here. And apparently she wasn’t alone.

Last night’s performance played to an almost solidly sold-out house! And normally there’s a much smaller crowd for Sunday. Well, considering that this is a Super Bowl Sunday at that, I’d say it was about three-quarters full… which was impressive business.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Gypsy sold out for this coming Friday and Saturday. And who knows: maybe even the final performance next Sunday. ‘Twould be sweet!

So if this might be your first time enjoying the tale of the legendary Gypsy Rose Lee and her outrageous mother, or if you’ve seen the show many times (I met a lady today who saw the original Broadway run with Ethel Merman) you are ...

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Just got back from Opening Night of Theatre Guild of Rockingham County‘s production of Gypsy and it was a scream! The house had a good crowd and everyone was laughing harder than I’ve seen in this county in a way long time!

I must admit: I wasn’t sure about being in this show at first. But now I’m glad that I’m doing it. This has been some of the most fun that I’ve had in quite awhile.

Well, can ya blame me?

Cigar (played by Yours Truly) and the talent of the Wichita House of Burlesque!
Left to Right: Tessie Tura (Ashley Pearson), Electra (Beverly Burke), and Mazeppa (Anne-Marie Castillo)

And here’s me in my Cigar getup holding the real star of the show: Tebow Wasmund!

Now, I can’t post any video from the show itself, ‘cuz that would be some bigtime copyright violation (and in spite of ...

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He’s cheap! He’s sleazy! He’s loud!

He’s… Cigar!

Just got back from another technical rehearsal for Theatre Guild of Rockingham County‘s production of Gypsy. This was my first in costume as Cigar: the owner of the burlesque joint that Louise and her crazy mother (and Herbie, can’t forget poor Herbie) wind up at. And I am having a fantabulously great time in the role! Cigar is one of the most fun characters that I’ve played yet!

By the way, that entire costume is something that I put together. The fedora is one I’ve had for a few years now. And that bow-tie: I remembered that bow-tie very well ‘cuz for this fourth grade program we did at Community Baptist School many years ago, Dad for whatever reason thought it would be classy if I wore a bow-tie. That thing was positively humungous when I was nine years old! ...

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Y’know, it’s incorrect to refer to this ethnic group as “Gypsy”. The real term is “Romani”. The reason they got tagged with the name “Gypsy” is ‘cuz as they spread into Europe from their original home in the Indian subcontinent, the locals thought wrongly that they were Egyptian.

So don’t you think that “Roma Rose Lee” has a better ring to it? Or is that just me?

Well anyhoo…

Next Friday night, February 4th, is Opening Night for Theatre Guild of Rockingham County’s production of Gypsy! Rehearsals have been going great. Everyone was roaring with laughter last night during the run-through of “You Gotta Get A Gimmick”. And I am having an absolute blast playing Cigar. He is completely sleazy and, well I just can’t help but have fun with this character: he is the manager of a burlesque house, after all. Expect lots of yelling ...

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Tonight we had the first “stumble-through” of Theatre Guild of Rockingham County‘s production of Gypsy. A stumble-through, I learned tonight, is an extreme “rough cut” of the show. Which I assume is like what the preview performances of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark have been about so far… but without all the injuries.

So since getting involved with community theatre three years ago I have been, in chronological order: a biblical patriarch, an undertaker, a pirate, a firefighter, a Siamese court eunuch, a plainclothes detective, a firefighter again (both times for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever)…

…but only tonight did I discover that of the two roles that I’m playing in Gypsy, that the part of Cigar is, for all intents and purposes, the manager of a strip club.

(Somebody tell me HOW is it that we can do a show like this but we ...

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Last night was the second performance of The King and I and by all accounts it was the best yet of the series! And I’m happy to report that there were no costume mishaps this time. Not even my ninja pants for the ballet scene, which I went in extra early to work on. If they can stay that way for today’s show, I will leave this production a happy actor 🙂

Final performance is this afternoon at 2:30, at Rockingham County High School. What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than with a performance of The King and I? So bring dear ol’ Dad along too! Click here for more information....

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In spite of the technical gaffes, strange occurrences and – dare we say it? – “wardrobe malfunctions” that manifested both off stage and on it, the first night of Theatre Guild of Rockingham County‘s production of The King and I was a smashing success that wowed a nearly sold-out house!

(By the way, if you were at last night’s show, I was not supposed to have banged my forehead that hard into the stage when I came running on in Act II, Scene 1. But if the real-life Phra Alack had to demonstrate such fealty on a routine basis then it was probably something he had to regularly endure… and hey the audience thought it was funny 🙂

Second performance is tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Rockingham County High School in Wentworth, North Carolina. Third and final show is tomorrow afternoon, same place at 2:30 p.m. Mash here ...

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