Christopher KingActor/Composer/Music Director

Just checking in and letting everyone know I’m going to be Music Directing a cute musical called “A Year with Frog and Toad”  In Chilliwack BC.  It’s with a lovely fine arts program out there called CSOPA (Chilliwack School of Performing Arts)  The artistic director is a friend of mine Andrew Smith, who is the husband of Sarah Rogers, who was the director of Anything Goes I did at TUTS this summer.  It’s going up in January and currently I’m in rehearsals with the kids on Monday Nights.  I’ll let you know how it’s going as I go.  Cute kids and lots of talent.  Come out and see it at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre.  A beautiful theatre, new and up to date.

LA Stage Times Logo

After one of my posts about a “Theatre Code of Ethics” that I wrote a while back, I was contacted by a writer from the blog LAStagetimes.com asking for a follow-up comment.  I wrote him back and he has published an article of his own about the subject and the “Code” Please have a read of it.  Here is the direct link.  I think it’s a great article and bring up some great points.  Hope you all have a read.  Let me know what you think.

Here is a promo video for Anything Goes at TUTS this summer.  I make a small contribution talking about Cole Porter.  Take a look and come and see Theatre Under the Stars in Vancouver, BC this summer.

Last night I had the first orchestra rehearsals for Theatre Under the Stars production of Anything Goes.  Fantastic group of people, I’m looking forward to working with all of them.  This show we are using a smaller arrangement of the orchestration so I only have 13 people in the pit this year.  I am recording some of the rehearsals I’ll post some of the good ones soon.

Get your tickets!

www.tuts.ca

Here is a great video of the Beaumont cast of “Anything Goes” from the 1987 Tony awards. The fabulous Patti Lupone playing Reno. Just to give you a taste of the show.

Started Choreography for Anything Goes at Theatre Under the Stars this week. So fantastically excited for this show. Though it’s my 3rd time doing this piece it always makes me happy. Make sure to get your tickets. I will be front and centre swinging my arms away in the pit. More updates to come from rehearsals. www.tuts.ca

Fantastic Poster from Smithfield Little Theatre's Production of Anything Goes

Done with 42nd Street and the Wiz. Both very successful for me! I am very proud to have been involved in both those shows. I have one week left of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Magee Highschool. And we had our first TUTS rehearsal for Anything Goes! More info and tech blog posts to come.

Wiz opening was great last night! Check out our first review!

Fighting Chance Productions
The Wiz

Date and Venue 21-30 April @ 8pm | Performance Works, Granville Island, Vancouver

Reviewer Ed Farolan

Give Ryan Mooney any musical and he converts it to magic. That’s what he did on opening night of this hit Broadway musical which made a hit again here in Vancouver with a brand-new take, a hip hop version of the classicThe Wizard of Oz.

Originally titled The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown, its original context was African American, and it opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1978, it was later made into a film starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as Scarecrow.

In the Vancouver production, the musical is updated to make it more 21st centuryish. Veteran actress and singer, Jennifer Suratos, playing “The Wiz” like “magical” Oprah Winfrey, was a fantastic lookalike and mimicked OW to the T, while Jenny Moase as Evilline, is the despot Sarah Palin, the evil witch from Ozlaska. Moase, in my opinion, was the show stealer.

I enjoyed the energy, the gusto, the love of theatre that these young thespians displayed: the acrobatics of Lucas Blaney (Scarecrow), the transvestite transformation of Sean Parsons (Lion), the soulful singing of Nick Fontaine (Tin Man), and the childlike innocence of Arielle Tuliao (Dorothy). I was also delighted by the Lady Gaga imitation of Brittany Scott (Addaperle) and the lovely voice and sexy features of Emily Canavan (Glinda).

I remember many of the ensemble dancers/singers from last season’s Hair, and they were all fabulous and full of elan. Choreographer Dawn Ewen did a fantastic job with the dance numbers, and Musical Director Christopher King did a superb job with the songs and music.

Mooney, who was dressed in a red tie and red basketball runners, encouraged the opening night audience to help out by buying raffle tickets, saying the company lives off box office receipts, and a few sponsors here and there, donations, and occasional grants. This has, and always has been, the plight of community theatres here in Vancouver.

FCP promised that The Wiz was going to be successful, and it did in fact deliver as promised. I won’t be surprised if this musical sells out just as Sweeney Todd sold out last year. So be sure you don’t miss your chance to catch this show.

© 2011 Ed Farolan

Come See "The Wiz"

Last night we had “The Wiz” Dress rehearsal!  I’m super thrilled with the music and sound.  I think it’s going to be great.  Make sure to get tickets to the fantastic production.  It’s at Performance Works, on Granville Is.

Crazy days for me.  Had Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Band rehearsals at Magee High School.  Fantastic group of kids and pro players.  The school will be blown away.  The Wiz also had the tech/move in day!  Excited for Dress rehearsal tomorrow night!