Hairspray Cast Spotlight: Kirby Gibson

The luminous Kirby!

Kirby Gibson is a fresh college graduate from UNC Asheville's Drama Department who loves musical theatre! ACT audiences have seen Kirby on the Mainstage a time or two before, first appearing in the Ensemble in RENT and then singing back-up for Ty Shelton in Diva*licious. But she wasn't a big fan of Hairspray - that is, before the rehearsals started!  "This process has really made me come to appreciate what Hairspray has to offer," Kirby says. "I felt that this particular musical could benefit from the diversity and talent combination I have to offer. Given some of the subject matter of the show (integration, racism, bullying) and myself being a bi-racial individual, it seemed like a great fit for me to try and be a part of."

What are some of those moments from rehearsal that changed you into a Hairspray fan?
I loved the moments in music rehearsals where everyone would sing and all the parts were there, and it just sounded great. It's just so satisfying. Same goes for learning choreography. You have to get through learning it all, but once you have it down, it's so satisfying to just pull it out and do it!  However, I have a feeling my favorite moment has yet to come. I always get very excited when we do our first run-through with all the lights! I am stoked!

Which number in the show are you most excited about performing?
"Welcome to the 60's" is exciting because it is the first appearance of The Dynamites in our full-on costumes and wigs. We also get to shine a little with a couple of brief solos. But we are going to look and sound amazing, and the number in general is big and impressive, so it should be great. "Run and Tell That" has always been a favorite of mine, even before I knew much about the musical. It's just great fun to sing and dance to. The energy is high, the song is fun, it's just a good time all around. Wes as Seaweed does a great job and I love the choreography. By the end of the number I am good and out of breath!

Now there are also numbers that I'm not in, that I'm just excited about the audience seeing! "Nicest Kids in Town" is a great number and one of the first in the show. It might be my favorite choreography in the show, and everyone in it worked incredibly hard. It just looks great, and the song is one of the catchiest for me and one of the most fun to sing. Another high energy number."It Takes Two" is brilliantly performed by our leads, Brad and Elizabeth. It makes for one of the funniest moments in the whole show. I can't stop laughing every time I get to see it.

What else should we know?

The Dynamites' wigs! Incredible!

The wigs all look stunning and wonderfully styled - they're my favorite costume piece! I'm also a big fan of my Dynamite dress, shiny and purple!

And, whether you know someone in the cast or not, this show is going to be the definition of a good time. There are 48 very talented performers of all ages, and even more folks behind the scenes who have worked so hard to make this show what it is. The set, costumes, and lights are all incredibly impressive. Everything put together makes a fun, energetic, musical comedy.

Come see Kirby!

Hairspray Cast Spotlight: Leslie Lang

Leslie and her handsome husband, James

Leslie Lang is back on the ACT stage after starring in last spring's Chicago as "Liz" and "Go To Hell Kitty."  What made her come back? Leslie says, "I had such a good time doing Chicago I was anxious to try and get back up on that stage.  ACT is by far the best Community Theatre I have ever worked with.  It is definitely a "Community."

In between the evening and weekend rehearsals, Leslie can be seen on Sundays singing on the praise and worship team at Skyland United Methodist Church. 

What's it like to be a working mom and wife by day and a star of the the stage by night?  Leslie lets us behind the scenes:

"My typical day begins with my spoiled rotten toy poodle "Sammy" grunting for me to turn off the alarm because he is too comfortable cuddled up on the other half of the bed. My fabulous, handsome, fun husband James is most likely making our coffee so we can go outside on the back porch before we start our day.  My gorgeous, mature, smart, reliable daughter is running out the door to enjoy breakfast at Asheville School and catching one of her teachers for clarification before classes begin.  (Note - Sammy and I are probably still in the bed while everybody is going full throttle and my coffee is getting cold on the back porch.)  So.... I will finally get up and convince Sammy to move and then I have to pick up our shitzu off of her Princess Zoey bed and head out to the back porch with James. 

Mother and daughter or sisters?

Shortly after, James will head off to his job at Asheville School where he works in the IT department.  He loves what he does and he really loves being able to see Elise thrive at the school. I leave and go to Givens Estates where I thank the Lord daily for my job as the Marketing Representative.  I meet with a huge variety of people who inquire and move into Givens Estates.  I get to hear peoples stories everyday.  I get hugs and smiles everyday!!!  After work, I stop by the house to see the two most spoiled dogs in the world, kiss my husband and take off for the theatre for "HAIRSPRAY!!"  I get even MORE hugs and smiles there!  (Not a bad day huh???)

Once rehearsals are done, I call James to let him know I am on the way. He will greet me with a glass of wine, candles lit and a huge hug. (Seriously... are you jealous?) (Editor's note: Yes!) We will sit down at the TV to decide what to watch on our DVR. I will send my daughter a text (because that is by far the best form of communication with your children these days....) to let her know that I am home and downstairs.  We all discuss our day, most likely have some laughs, love on the spoiled doggies some more and head to bed."

How does she do it?  Fortunately, being a member of the cast of Hairspray is a lot of fun!  "You can't help but make lots of new friends.  We usually go out afterwards once a week. (Thank you Pack's Tavern...)"  

Leslie Lang in full Velma Von Tussle mode! 

 

Leslie could not be more different from the character she plays in Hairspray, Velma Von Tussle.  Velma is a conniving and closed-minded former beauty queen - she was crowned "Miss Baltimore Crabs" in her heyday.  And the audience will really get to know the inner workings of Velma in a number by the same name!  Leslie says, "It is such a funny number.  Poor Velma just does not get it.  She is stuck in the past and can't seem to change with the times."  What else? Leslie practically screams, "My WIGS!!!! They are sooo fun.  Stephen Veltman has done an incredible job with so many wigs." 

Don't miss the lovely Leslie Lang as the venomous Velma in Hairspray - the show opens Friday, September 21 and runs for four weekends through Sunday, October 14. Need tickets? Get them here!  

Hairspray: First Look at the Set

Can you believe this space housed Felix Ungar's Manhattan apartment just three weeks ago?

The set for Hairspray is designed by none other than our fabulous Technical Director, Jill Summers.

So cool.

So's the set!

Jeff Catanese's Other "Bio"

Jeff Catanese (Oscar Madison) – Since the unfortunate incident at the arachnid circus, Jeff has spent most of his time scouring antique shops for misidentified Picassos.  In the past he has played such diverse characters as Man in Shop, Guy in Store, and Fellow in Retail Establishment.  Jeff recently attained absolute enlightenment, but lost it on a three-day cheese-bender.  Jeff credits his longevity in the theater to not dying.  In the future, he hopes to be a gelatinous blob that rules quadrant AE-6. 

Yes, that was the bio actually submitted by Odd Couple star Jeff Catanese. We didn't print it in the playbill - we chose to use his directing bio from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee instead - and now are hearing clucks of disapproval.  Well, maybe just one cluck.  Maybe just from Jeff.  

We love you, Jeff!

Costume Sale This Saturday!

Bradshaw Call shows off matching gold lame' jumpsuits
from the last ACT Costume Sale - they sold like hotcakes!

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes! We're having another costume sale, and it's this Saturday (August 18, 2012) from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Though we'll have the groovy vintage dresses and the table of completely kooky hats, Saturday's sale will also feature items that don't show up as often.

We cleaned out the wig room, and thus will have a big box full of fun wigs. Who doesn't need a blond blowout for their next karaoke foray? Or a short bob with teeny tiny fluorescent snakes woven through it?

There's a rumor that there's a full-on Braveheart costume as well, which might be perfect for someone's Halloween party. Or bachelorette party.  This being Asheville...

We accept cash, checks, and credit cards.  All proceeds support programming at ACT - aka the classes and the shows!

Hope we'll see you on Saturday!

Opening Night: The Odd Couple



Adam Arthur as Felix and Jeff Catanese as Oscar

Photo by Ewa Skowska

Tonight's the big night!  The champagne is chilling, the phones are ringing, and the set is completely trashed (on purpose!)


One of my favorite moments on Opening is ripping off the tape that seals the box of playbills, which are delivered straight from the printer's (thanks, Daniels!). I like reading the bios, examining the headshots, looking for names on the donor list.  But mostly, I love the smell of the ink - it's so certain and steadfast. Is that weird?


Betsy Puckett as Gwendolyn and Sara Fields as Cecily

Photo by Ewa Skowska



Later in the day, the flowers start to arrive. Deliveries come to the box office, and one of us wanders backstage, cool vase in hand, through the darkened theatre towards the dressing rooms. The stage is dimly lit with one bare bulb, and it seems to be humming, almost drumming its fingers in anticipation for the seats to be filled and the lights to come up and the actors to burst through the doors.

The flowers go to the hair and makeup station of the recipient. The costumes are neatly hung, steamed and pressed for the show later on.  Wigs are on Styrofoam head forms, which over the years have been colored with markers to resemble femme fatales, clowns, or Paul Stanley from KISS (and therefore they're pretty creepy in the dark dressing room).

Around 6:00 pm, cast members enter through the stage door. After signing in on the stage manager's chart, they climb the back stairs and are in the Green Room, where we've left candy and cards and playbills. This is when the entire building really starts humming. The ushers are here, the corks are popped, champagne bubbles into the cups -

And then the play begins. It's Opening Night!

Why don't you come?

Unbelievable Variety in the Variety Show!

DramaRama ends tonight with The Good Old Fashioned Variety Show!  One of the acts pictured will walk away with $500!

And you'll walk away with a lot of show for your money! Asheville's top stand-up comedian, Greg Brown, is in the show.  The choreographer from Chicago and Guys and Dolls, Tina Pisano-Foor, is in the show. Some of ACT's favorite performers from the past year (Bradshaw Call, Matt Harper, Nana Hosmer, Jeff Thompson, Emma Stoneberg - we're looking at you!) are competing tonight. Clarke Spencer will drop your jaw with his singing and guitar playing.  Regina Loveday mixes gospel with classic jazz. And Lisa Ross is singing her heart out (and celebrating her son's second birthday) at tonight's show!  

We have blues guitar by Harold Robeson, original folk music by Sea Guisando, a gospel number from Total Praise, and a hip hop/Bhangra dance by Christine Garvin & Diana McCall.

Plus an artistic rollerskating routine from Jessica Adams.

Plus a number by the unstoppable Shirley Cohen.

Emcee-ing tonight are the fabulous Betsy Puckett and the debonaire Scottie McCall.  The luminous 2011 Diva*licious winner Sara Fields returns to the stage for a number.  We're welcoming three celebrity judges - Matt Lutz who just debuted on Broadway, Charlie Flynn-McIver who produces tremendous professional theatre in Asheville, and the honorable Mayor Terry Bellamy!  And our incredible band is fronted by the always awesome Aaron Price.

This is the show not to miss!

All week, people have been buzzing about how much fun they've been having at DramaRama events. Well, this is the last one for this year - you're going to want to be one of those buzzing tomorrow! 

You're the One that LaNita Wants!

If you know LaNita Cloninger, you know that she LOVES the movie Grease.  Loves it with a white hot passion.  So when we thought about DramaRama and about showing the Sing-A-Long Version of Grease, we called two people - Neal Reed at the Fine Arts Theatre and LaNita.  And of course, LaNita is coming with her Pink Lady BFF, Jane Malec!

The Sing-a-Long version of Grease is going to be a lot of fun for two reasons:

Number One - LaNita and Jane will be there

Number Two - You will be there

(And if you don't know LaNita Cloninger and Jane Malec, you are missing out!)