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!)

Cast List for "Hairspray"

After the incredible turnout for auditions and the exciting round of callbacks, the cast for Hairspray has been chosen!

Hairspray will open our 2012-13 season.  It's directed by Jerry Crouch with musical direction by Ron Whittemore and choreography by Tina Pisano-Foor. With that team and this cast, it is virtually assured that you can't stop this beat!

Congratulations to ALL who auditioned - just because you're not on this list doesn't mean you won't be on the next one!

TRACY - Elizabeth Sheppard
EDNA - Richard Blue
AMBER - Sydney Troxler
VELMA - Leslie Lang
PENNY - Gracie Turner
LINK - Brad Mercier
MAYBELLE - Keturah Dickerson
SEAWEED - Wes McCleary-Small
WILBUR - Pat LaCorte
CORNY COLLINS - Mark Jones
LITTLE IKE - Jalen Blair
THE DYNAMITES - Kirby Gibson, Kimberly Brown, Lauren Russell
PRUDY - Melinda Soosaar
MR. PINKY - Lupe Perez
SPRITZER - Tim Geib
GYM TEACHER - Cassidy Robbins
PRISON MATRON - Rain Alexander
PRISON GUARD - Scott Cameron
BEATNIK CHICK - Liz Kerbs
HOOKER 1 - Megan McDonald
HOOKER 2 - Jessica Savitt

CORNY COLLINS TEEN CHORUS:
Maggie Conner, Carson Fox, Rachel Gordon, Mary Chamberlain Harlan, Luke Haynes, Katharine Izard, Wolfe Lanier, Tess Miller, Lindsay Salvati, Kyle Smith, Kristian Wilken, Phaidra Foor, Lexie Moore, Adam Marszalek, Genevieve Wiedeman, Imanol Yepez-Frias

BALTIMORE STREET CHORUS
Damian Davis, Tim Geib, Liz Kerbs, Scottie McCall, Megan McDonald, Jessica Savitt, Echo Parry, Zina Featherstone, Danielle Gonzalez, Maria Perez, Beth Norris

Cast List for "The Odd Couple"

We are auditioning and casting and auditioning and casting in June (want to be on the next cast list? Audition for Hairspray next week!)  Here's who'll be starring in The Odd Couple, the buddy comedy that launched a thousand Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly movies:

OSCAR - Jeff Catanese
FELIX - Adam Arthur
ROY - Walter Goodrich
MURRAY - Walt Heinrich
VINNIE - Craig Justus
SPEED - Ben Puckett
GWENDOLYN - Betsy Puckett
CECILY - Kelly Christianson

Start laughing now so that your abdominal muscles will be in shape for August!

Cast Announced for "Last Stop, Old"

Here's the cast list for Last Stop, Old by Patsy Clarke & Ellen Landau and directed by Arnold Wengrow.  This staged reading will be a part of DramaRama's Kick-Off Celebration on Saturday, July 7 at 2:30 pm!

TED - Gary L. Gaines
DARRELL - Ben Oliver
MIKE - Rob Storrs
BELLA - Martha Hogenboom
RUBY - Janell McLeod
HOPE - Hazel Robinson
PATTY - Maria Thomas
LENA - Ellen D. Dennis
VIOLA - Eileen Walkenstein
SHARON - Carol M. Anders
TYRONE - Will Storrs

Congratulations to this excellent cast!  Come out and see them, meet the playwrights, and celebrate ACT with cake and champagne!