As we say farewell to the Winter and welcome the Spring, the LDTC is already gearing up for a summer season bigger and better than any season that’s come before. If you’ve been a long time LDTC patron you may be wondering how could this be possible? Well even after 25 years we’ve still got some tricks up our sleeves to keep bringing you high-quality entertainment right here in Summit County.
We’ve Closed The Cake, Now What?
You read that right we’ve already opened and closed our first show of the season. Thank you to all who attended The Cake by Bekah Brunstetter. We truly enjoyed producing it. But what’s next? Well, we’ve got just the thing to soothe your LDTC itch before the summer season begins. Join us for a two night only Signature Cabaret May 4 & 5! Stay tuned for more details. This will be a night to remember!
Youth Camps are Open!
Our Summer Youth Programs are open for enrollment! Do you have a little dancer, singer, storyteller, or a little one who is just curious? We’ve expanded our summer youth programs to include camps and classes for a variety of skill sets and ages. Check out our entire list of offerings and enroll your child today!
Travel to NYC with the LDTC!
That’s right our annual New York City Theatre Trip will take place October 15-18 and October 22-25, and you can Enroll today! The trip includes
Four divers NYC theatre performances curated by the LDTC staff
Plenty of time to see the sights and take in the Big Apple
For more info and to register, please call Colt Neidhardt, Director of Education and Community Outreach at 970.513.1151 ext. 106
Purchase a Summer Season Subscription and Flex Pass
Season passes will no longer be on sale after June 23. That gives you plenty of time to purchase a flex pass or summer pass before they are gone! Have questions? Call the Box Office at 970.513.9386 or email Nina Waters, Patron Services Manager at Nina@LakeDillonTheatre.org.
Purchase Single Tickets to our Summer Shows
Season pass not your thing? That’s ok! We still encourage you to purchase your tickets now! Tickets for our entire season are on sale now. Get them before they’re gone!
We are so excited to continue our 25th Anniversary Season with long time and new patrons alike. We’ll see you at the Theatre!
Have you ever been curious about how we put up a show? Or what things are important for actors and directors in a rehearsal process? Want to learn more about theatre in general? Introducing the Lake Dillon Theatre Company Mini-Series, where we take you behind the curtain to learn more about what we do and why.
In episode 1, we explore the rehearsal process. Stay tuned throughout our entire theatre season for 5 more episodes.
Well, not only the producers have left but so has Kevin Carson our Production/Company Manager. He left on Saturday morning to get back to snowy Summit County for the arrival of the cast and crew of The Cake(by Bekah Brunstetter), our first show of the 2019 Theatre Season. So, it was just Josh and I in the room.
We woke up to a little bit of snow – nothing like what Summit County received but…….snow in NYC is different. Wet and slushy.
Today was solely dedicated to callbacks for Tiny Beautiful Things – which will be our final show of the 2019 season. It was a busy morning but we saw some really touching and hilarious auditions. The cast needs to be a diverse representation of the world around us….it was great to see such variety in performances and people. We should have a great group to choose from.
The rest of the weekend was dedicated to seeing more theatre – most Off Broadway. This was a chance to really see where the pulse of theatre is in NYC. We started with The Roundabout Theatre and Fiasco Theatre’s revival of the Stephen Sondheim classic flop – Merrily We Roll Along. The show was cut and reduced to a cast of 6 performers. (The original cast had 26 performers). I thought the show worked with 6 – it certainly makes the show more producible……
That evening we saw Be More Chill at the Lyceum Theatre. This off-Broadway smash hit with a huge internet cult following is still in previews. The audience was made up of both young and old. The young enjoyed it more, I would say, and certainly appeals to a niche audience.
The next day we walked a couple of blocks to 2nd Stage Theatre to see the world premiere of Superhero the new musical by John Logan (Red) and Tom Kitt (Next To Normal). I enjoyed this touching tale of a single mother and son as they maneuver through life without their husband/father. I also love the superheroes genre- so it was up my alley.
Our final show of the week was the new musical Alice By Heart at MCC Theatre in there new space in midtown. The complex is nice (although the lobby is a bit awkward and cramped) with three performance spaces. Alice By Heart is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland tale…..this time told “from memory” by a character named Alice during what appeared to be WWII. The music by Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening) and book by Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson. It was beautifully staged with the ensemble of 12 portraying a myriad of characters and objects. The music was very Duncan Sheik.
And that was the end of that……flew back the next morning and now are ready to start putting the summer casting and crew together and try to put on the best summer productions we can……
Well, the producers have made their way back to Colorado. We continued to audition today with callbacks but the room was lonely not having Peg, Lee, and Jon with us.
We started with callbacks for Sophie and Sky in Mamma Mia! We had the men sing “Lay Your Love On Me” and the women sang “Honey Honey” and “Thank You for the Music”. They also read sides from a couple of short scenes from the show.
Next were the Ali’s and Lisa’s – who are Sophie’s best friends. This was a really fun callback as they read one of the first scenes fro meh show but also sang “Honey Honey” as a trio. It was a really fun vibe in the room with lots of energy.
After that, we had some men in for Pepper and Eddie. It was a short scene and more “Lay Your Love on Me”. They were a lot of fun.
We then switched to Tell Me on a Sunday with about 8 women in for the role of Emma. They sang a couple of songs from the show and were given some direction from Josh Blanchard – the director of the show. We narrowed them down to 4 and are sending them some “homework” to record themselves playing an instrument and singing from the show. We can’t wait to see what they put together.
Then it was full on to Barefoot in the Park callbacks. This was for the entire afternoon. We called back 4 Corries and about 15 Pauls. It was fun to see the variety we had in the room. I tell you, those four Corries were working reading about 5 times each. It was so great to see their character choices vary and grow.
Finally, it was reading for the Velascos – with the same Corries. Again, a really fun time in the room with some great takes on the quirkish Velasco.
WHEW….what a long day of callbacks. A couple of things to take from this…..1) we saw some great talent today and look forward to putting the casting puzzle together, 2) Josh Blanchard was our reader today…..if we ever need a Tanya, Donna or Sophie…..Josh did a great job…..look out, ladies. 🙂
After a long day, we decided to end with a long show…..a three hour and 45-minute version of King Lear starring Glenda Jackson. Not being a huge Shakespeare fan….I was…..well….let’s just say not a huge fan. The performances were good and the director had a clear vision…..but if you really want to learn more about the show – stop Josh Blanchard in the theatre sometime and let him give you his thesis of the production. He will happily bore you with it. 🙂
Today was a long day….but a pretty productive one. We started bright and early at 8:30 am. It was an open call – meaning actors came in to sign up for a slot and we saw as many people as we could – which amounted to about 170 more people. Afterward, we had yet another dance callback for the actors from today and a number of actors from Monday and Tuesday.
It was a great dance call back. We also had a first callback for the role of Emma in Tell Me On A Sunday. Our idea for this show is pretty interesting and it was fun explaining it to the auditionees and seeing their excitement. You’ll have to see the show to know more. 🙂
Afterward was a quick walk to the restaurant – Butter on 45th Street. This restaurant is owned by Food Network Chef – Alex Guarnaschelli. The food and atmosphere were both great. No dessert, though. 🙁
We headed back across 45th for the first Preview performance of Ain’t Too Proud…which is the music and story of The Temptations. First Preview means that this was the first time that an audience saw a performance. It was a really great show with the performers working harder than most any other show I have ever seen. Great music, great dancing, and great direction. Highly recommended.
After the show, we were all tired. But, Lee Henry talked is into heading over to Juinor’s for some delicious cheesecake. Jon Kirkpatrick didn’t order any cheesecake but did have a glass of wine.
This was the last night for the producers. They will all head back to Colorado (and the SNOW) on Friday. We’ll miss them. It was a fantastic week of sharing the experiences of auditions and NYC theatre with them.
Day Three of auditions consisted of our ECC’s (Equity Chorus Call). This was the day to see as many Equity chorus members (those not looking to be in the chorus of the show) as we could. It consisted of a “Male Dance Call”, “Female Dance Call”, “Male Vocal Call” and a “Female vocal call”. This was followed by a dance callback. It was a pretty busy day and was a bit different than the previous days. We saw people a little out of order than we normally do BUT it was productive.
At the end of the day, we then headed up to 52nd Street to Victor’s Cafe – one of our favorite places to grab a bite to eat. Delicious Cuban food.
After a very filling dinner – we headed to 48th to see the hit musical The Prom. I had seen this show in the fall in previews and thought the group would like to see it. It was a really funny show with some really cool choreography – not to mention some hilarious performances by Beth Leavel and Brookes Ashmanskas.
Afterward, Jon K, Peg, Kevin and I had a drink at Bourbon Street Grille.
Day two of auditions was much of the same but oh so exciting. It was the second day of EPAs. Early start and pushed right through. I was incorrect with our count yesterday….we actually so a bit more than 100 and today was about 130 or so. There were some really interesting and entertaining auditions…..actors are getting “creative” with their selections.
No dance callback today – as we pushed everyone to Wednesday and Thursday. The most popular songs of the day were:
Men:
* Shut Up and Dance With Me by Walk the Moon
* Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga
Women:
* Call Me by Blonde
* Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
For our evening we had a family style Italian Dinner at Carmine’s. We had to wait 30 minutes for our reservations but finally made it to the table and had our food within 15 minutes. And it was A LOT OF FOOD…..lasagna, penne with broccoli, cheese bread, salad, calamari, and spaghetti with bolognese…..we were all in a carb comma….until we walked out into the cold weather (about 15 degrees and WINDY) – which snapped us back awake.
We crossed the street to see one of the most incredible adaptations with Aaron Sorkin’s (West Wing, A Few Good Men) To Kill a Mockingbird. There was not one component of the craftily staged production that could be improved. Jeff Daniels performance was exquisite….along with a cast or extraordinarily talented group. We all left mouths agape at the performance we saw.
We had a great talk-back walking back to the hotel and then decided to continue with drinks and desserts at Becco’s located across the street…..where we ran into a former actor waiting tables at the restaurant.
6 hours of sleep and on to day three of auditions….
Monday, we hit the ground running. Up at 7 am, auditions started at 9 am. We arrived at Pearl Studios to find the nicest of young men from Actor’s Equity helping us out. George was great. We saw about 10 people every 20 minutes…..for a total of just over 100 people on day one of EPA’s (Equity Principle Actors for those who might not know). We saw actors for all our remaining 2019 season shows (Tell Me on a Sunday, Mamma Mia!, Barefoot in the Park, Tiny Beautiful Things).
With the initial auditions wrapping at 5 pm – former LDTC performer Jessica Ice (2016’s Cabaret), took over for our dance call. She put the group through a rigorous callback with a song from Mamma Mia!. Man was that room sweaty after she was done….but everyone had a great time and we all saw some really great movement.
At 5:45 we were a wrap for Day One (of auditions, that is). Off to Dinner with the Producers…..a nice quiet dinner at The Striphouse on 44th street.
We caught the 8 pm showing of the 2013 Tony Award Winning Best Musical – Kinky Boots. Josh and I had been avoiding this show for a few years – not for any specific reason – other than it just wasn’t ever a priority for us. The cast was stellar – Callum Francis was astonishing (not to mention BEAUTIFUL) as Lola. The group had a really great time. Despite the title, Kinky Boots is a great family show with a wonderful message!
We wrapped at 11:15 pm with drinks at Bourbon Street and decompressing about the day.
Today was another day of catching some theatre, greeting Producer arrivals and checking out what one of the premiere performing arts schools puts on their stage.
Josh Blanchard, started the day with a half marathon race in Central Park. Top 5% finish.
Let’s start with Choir Boy playing at the Friedman Theatre – home to the Manhattan Theatre Club. This piece was written by Tarell Alvin McCraney (Oscar Winner for Moonlight). Wow! What an engaging, beautiful, touching, and technically masterfully directed, performed, and produced piece of theatre. From the opening moments of the show, one was leaning in. It was nuanced, fluid, and spectacularly executed.
After the show, we met up with the Producers at Joe Allen’s. It was great to sit and prepare everyone for the busy week that is about to follow. We even got a visit from Brittany Jeffery and Lincoln.
Tonight Josh and I saw Red Speedo by Lucas Hnath at The Juilliard School. This was an opportunity for us to see “what is all the fuss” about Juilliard. :-). A pretty fascinating facility with lots of activity going on in and around the building. They did a nice job.
Each year (a couple times, actually), the LDTC heads to NYC with a couple of goals. Casting, development, and industry knowledge…..meaning, we come to the Big Apple to cast most of our shows, we provide an educational experience for Patrons wanting to experience shows in The City, and staff attends conferences for professional development and sees shows to help “stay up” on the business of theatre in the country.
And, here we are again. Josh Blanchard (Executive Director), Kevin Carson (Production/Company Manager) and myself (Artistic Director – Chris Alleman) have begun arriving. This trip we also have joining us – three Producers. What is a producer for the LDTC, you ask? Well, for the past few years, a certain select number of patrons have joined us (for a certain sized contribution to the LDTC) for our auditions in NYC. Meaning, they are with the staff in the audition room and witness the “ins and outs” of the LDTC auditions – including initial audition call, dance callbacks and show specific callbacks. We also take the producers to 4 significant shows in the city (Broadway or Off-Broadway) plus have intimate conversations about the casting process. Dinners, too.
The producers this year are Peg and Lee Henry and Jon Kirkpatrick….but more on them later – when they arrive on Sunday.
Josh and I will be seeing a total of 12 shows while we are here. During the next week, follow the experiences of the staff, producers, and auditionees as we share the journeys of all involved.
Day 1 – Saturday, February 23, 2019.
Arrival in the city and the hotel. We won’t bore you with that. Travel is travel. However, we are staying at a really great boutique Hotel on Restaurant Row – The French Quarters – we’ve stayed there numerous times and their team is amazing.
The first show we attended was Seawall/A Life at The Public Theatre on Lafayette street. The Public is one of the more distinguished regional theatres in the City (and country). They produce new works and many go on to a life far beyond their walls….think Hamilton.
Seawall/A Life is two one-act monologues dealing with life and death. Performed wonderfully by Tom Sturridge (Seawall) and Jake Gyllenhaal (As Life). The house was full and so were the performances.
Another cool thing we saw was this (see below) selfie station in the lobby. Tons of people used it. Who’d like to see something like this at the LDTC?
