'Annie' affirms Baldwinsville Theatre Guild future   Stage-savvy kids assure BTG success for years to come By Russ Tarby Having first staged "Tish" in 1943, the Baldwinsville Theatre Guild is the longest-running community theater group in Central New York, and it keeps that torch burning by passing it on to young entertainers. Judging from the talent and teamwork displayed by the two dozen precocious performers in this summer's "Annie," BTG enjoys a deep pool of experienced players from which to draw for years to come. "Annie" opened on Broadway in 1977, ran for nearly six years and, with countless tours and amateur mountings, has evolved one of the evergreens of American musical theater. Just as "Annie" pleased moviegoers with screen versions in 1982 and 1999, it pleased the SRO audience that turned out for last Saturday night's show at the Presbyterian Education Center. And, why not? The songs by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin are short and catchy, the simple plot – book by Thomas Meehan based on Harold Gray's "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip – unfolds rapidly and is resolved satisfactorily. On top of all that, the BTG production boasts a surefire mix of confidence and exuberance demonstrated by this cast of kids. They sing, they dance and they deliver their lines like troupers! With her big green eyes complementing her character's trademark red hair, Gwen Mercer played the title role Saturday evening (she alternates with the equally talented Shannon Beel). Mercer exudes a self-assurance beyond her years that serves her well both in dialogue and singing. Her full-bodied voice ably articulated every syllable of every line and lyric. Plus she's cute as heck, as expected. Two of Mercer's sisters are also in the show. Appearing as Duffy, one of the orphans, older sister Eve Mercer was the answer to choreographer Marjorie Taylor's prayers. Eve's a sure-footed dancer, who not only knows how to hoof it, but also handled a repeated comic shtick in which she stomps on somebody's toe. Younger sibling Rose Mercer filled out the ensemble. Marissa Pizzuto portrayed orphanage operator Miss Hannigan while Lucas Greer played her brother, a fast-talking con man. Their big number, along with the licentious Lily St. Regis played by the versatile Katie Grabowski, is a jumpin,' jivin' tune in which they sing the praises of "Easy Street." Yes, Pizzuto, Katie G. and Greer play grifters on the make, but they play bad so well and with such enthusiasm that you can't help but giggle. Other notable performances are turned in by Matt Noll as Daddy Warbucks, Julianna Grabowski as an officious yet amicable Warbucks assistant, and Andrew Cuccaro as the butler. The singing Boylan Sisters – played by Molly Macowiec, Margie Rossler, Shannon Quinn and Emily Denniston – actually steal a scene from Annie on a tune titled "Fully Dressed." Stage Manager Mark Rossler appears in a wheelchair as President Franklin Roosevelt, and the diminutive Campbell Loi as Molly, the littlest orphan, even trumped Annie on the cuteness meter. Directed by Mary Tall and Barb Schmid and produced by Rebecca Croucher, Katy Rossler and Kate Hoy,"Annie" continues at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11 to 13, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, at the Presbyterian Education Center, 64 Oswego St., in Baldwinsville. Admission costs $15, or $10 for students, and $10 for seniors at the Aug. 14 matinee only. Proceeds from the show benefit the McMahon-Ryan Advocacy Site; 877-4183.
Pictured are Sam Barbuto (L) Technical Director and Gregg Bilyeu (R) both members of the Baldwinsville Theatre Guild. They are at the controls of the newly-acquired lighting console that was purchased with funds from the Ryan Bilyeu Memorial fund. Donations have been collected over the past several years from patrons and friends of the Guild. A golf tournament was held in Ryan’s name, in the spring of 2004, which added more than five thousand dollars to the fund. With the addition of the new 48-channel mixer and computer software, Baldwinsville Theatre Guild is now able to present shows with more sophisticated lighting designs. Also recently purchased was a new sound mixer. This was made possible due to generous donations to the LYNN WILDER COONEY MEMORIAL FUND. A local dance teacher, Lynn was responsible for choreographing many of the Guild's most successful musicals, including THE MUSIC MAN, PAJAMA GAME and OKLAHOMA! She starred onstage in various roles, among them the Scarecrow in THE WIZARD OF OZ and Aunt Eller in OKLAHOMA! Lynn was also always very willing to help backstage wherever she was needed, often running a spotlight or helping with properties. Her family's generous gift will be used lovingly in her honor for many years to come.	Scholarship winner makes it on Broadway! Rick Edinger, a former Baldwinsville Theatre Guild scholarship winner, opened November 13, 2004 in his first Broadway musical PACIFIC OVERTURES by Stephen Sondheim. Rick - a swing for five cast members - found himself onstage opening night due to an injury to one of the lead players. Proud parents Maggie and Len (shown here with Rick) made the trek down to NYC for their show of support. Rick can also be heard on the newly recorded cast album! Rick appeared for BTG in the role of Lun Tha in THE KING & I, and as the lead, Albert Peterson, in BYE BYE BIRDIE. He was also instrumental in bringing Baldwinsville the benefit performance GROWING WITH THE GUILD in 2002, showcasing our area's most talented young adults. While at B'ville's Baker High, Rick appeared in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, CRAZY FOR YOU, INTO THE WOODS and THE SECRET GARDEN. He has also studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, as well as presenting operatic performances at the Operafestival di Roma in Rome, Italy. BTG is very proud to have been a part of Rick's development as a performer and wishes him well in his every endeavor!	Below is a review of REHEARSAL FOR MURDER, written by Jon Wright,from CNYTheater.com. It ain't over till.... Just like election night you have to wait until the end to know who did what in good murder mysteries. Just like this past election's exit polls at mystery theater you often find yourself believing things, putting clues together, spotting inconsistencies only to find out you were led down the wrong path. The best murder mystery’s are the one’s where you drive home from the theater remembering that the butler said he was out walking the dog at 6:00PM but the gardener said he saw him laughing and having a beer with the blonde haired maid on the veranda. Driving home from Rehearsal for Murder, presented by Baldwinsville Theater Guild neither myself nor my theater going partner had very many of these epiphanies. The ending was a surprise, a surprise that never led to any “oh yeah’s.” Now, having said that there is very much to like about Rehearsal for Murder. Bryan Allen Jones as Alex Dennison is superb, portraying a playwright who is obviously more comfortable behind a typewriter; he none the less is compelled in his quest. I enjoyed the way his character builds through the show. Subtle changes are sometimes lost in flashbacks, not so in Rehearsal for Murder. JoAnne Simiele deftly plays Monica Welles a movie star who is a bit nervously stepping on stage for the first time in a play written by her fiancé Alex. Every murder mystery needs a cast of potential suspects and Lisa Calder (Bella Lamb) the driven producer of the show along with Doug Rougeux (Lloyd Andrews) the untested director add logical depth in the cadre’ of potential suspects. Rachael Maurer (Karen Daniels) is the struggling starlet who as the understudy to doomed Monica has just the right attitude to be a wonderful suspect herself. Bob Fullenbaum (David Matthews) as the shows leading man and David Hughes (Leo Gibbs) the comic relief round out the potential villains bringing with them ego and one liners. Veteran John LaCasse shuffles in as the union shop keeper shoo’d away as the rehearsal begins. The show ran about 2 hours 10 minutes with a 15 minute dessert intermission. Ahhhh Chocolate cake….. Go see Rehearsal for Murder, a tight, brisk, very well performed if slightly confusing mystery.
Some of our cast members performing in 2001's YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN	The cast and crew of 2003's PAL JOEY	ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. REVIEW by John LaCasse “Cuckoo’s Nest” is filled with talent and effects “Three geese were flying south, One flew east and one flew west, One flew over the cuckoo’s nest.” Anonymous Ken Kesey, it is rumored, wrote “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” while under the influence of experimental, hallucinogenic drugs. Toward the end of his experiments, we worked the night shift at a mental ward. In America of the early ‘60s, “Cuckoo’s Nest” was seen as radical, but also as one of the most influential books of the era. Kirk Douglas purchased the stage and movie rights in 1963. He starred in the stage show that bombed and quickly closed. William Devane starred in a 1971 revival and Gary Sinise was successful in a 2001 remake. Kirk’s son, Michael produced the movie that starred Jack Nicholson. It is still considered one of the top 20 movies of all time, winning Academy Awards in all five major categories. Community theaters don’t often venture into the Kesey classic. Baldwinsville Theatre Guild not only ventured; they also succeeded at “Cuckoo’s Nest.” Randle McMurphy, the Nicholson role, becomes the guise of Josh Taylor. He is part con man, part crusader and part anti-hero. McMurphy’s antagonist is the sadistic Nurse Ratched, who towers over the mental patients in the ward. Louise Fletcher won the award in ’75 for this vital role. Susie Blumer does a credible job of ruling the roost. She has that look that makes grown men cringe and the physical height to make even McMurphy think twice. She rules by intimidation and does it very well. The “head looney” is Dale Harding, who is voluntarily in the mental ward because of sexual inadequacies. Bryan Allen Jones is brilliant in his conflicts with McMurphy. The veins protruding from his neck exemplify the intensity in his performance. Chief Bromden is supposedly deaf and dumb. The audience gets into his mind at various times throughout the show. He speaks to his father and his fellow tribesmen. Here, the special lighting effects help Bob Fullenbaum in his accurate portrayal. His anger is real as he bonds with McMurphy. Each of the patients is individual in his idiosyncrasy. Each twitch or movement is repeated throughout the production. Garrett Heater as Billy Bibbit must stutter throughout. John Keating IV as Scanlon is building a bomb. Randy Boivin (Cheswick) cringes at key moments in the play. Martini (Gabriel Infantino in the role Danny DeVito made famous) hallucinates enough to create an extra card player at the table. The real star of this production is the special lighting effects and background music. The realistic equipment lends to the effects of McMurphy’s shock treatments. Lighting takes us to Chief Bromden’s Pacific Northwest to understand the plight of his people. The dramatic ending is a triumph of character development and special effects. Once again, director Bil Hughes has taken a chance with “Cuckoo’s Nest.” His use of the new Baldwinsville facility is exemplary. By adding an apron to the front of the stage, the guild has created wing space for the many entrances and exits. The sad part is that this may be the best show of the year that nobody knows about. The Syracuse newspapers decline to review this group that has been doing theater for 62 years. Of course, the Syracuse New Times will follow suit and choose to ignore the Baldwinsville Theatre Guild.
The cast and crew of 2003'S THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST	LaCasse Links - A review “Grease” takes a trip back to the ‘50s Dig out your poodle skirts and slick back your hair! Baldwinsville Theatre Guild is returning us to a simpler time in its rollicking musical, “Grease.” Director John Keating IV has assembled a talented cast while choreographer Brandi Christiansen has injected the show with enthusiasm in every dance number. Doe-eyed Sarah Harrington gives an innocent image to Rydell High newcomer Sandy Dumbrowski. Her duet with Danny Zuko (Garrett Heater) is as strong in “Summer Nights” as her plaintive lament “It’s Raining on Prom Night.” Harrington’s transition from wholesome to sexy is well-developed in the second act solo, “All Choked Up.” Heater creates a musically strong Zuko but his stage presence isn’t as forceful as it could be. His duet and ensemble work is well done and his solo on “Alone at a Drive-In Movie” is excellent. He is the leader of the Burger Palace Boys and yet he is physically the smallest of the group. Betty Rizzo leads the Pink Ladies. Kelley Moriarty is as physically imposing as her voice is commanding. Whether it is the mocking “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” or the torch song, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” Rizzo is tough, yet troubled. Her interactions with Kenicke (S. Joshua Taylor) are hilarious, if not somewhat risqué. Taylor's thin frame works alongside Moriarty and the results are the comic relief of the show. His thinning hair makes him look a bit too sinister for a high school student. Overall, the Pink Ladies are stronger musically than their male counterparts. Jan (Justine Parmele), Marty (Amanda Kneeskern), Frenchy (Nikki DeMarco) and Patty Simcox (Elizabeth Morrison) are as strong in their solo work as they are in the ensemble selections. These actresses are veterans of other musicals and it shows. The male ensemble, besides Heater and Taylor, are weaker and less experienced. Doody (Dave Rotchford) and Roger (Josh James) are strong in “Rock ‘N’ Roll Party Queen,” but overall they are weak in acting and vocal ability. Jason Palladino turns in a fine cameo performance as Johnny Casino/Teen Angel. His soaring tenor voice is well trained and his guitar work is exemplary. Miss Lynch (Diane Lochner Bilecki) and Eugene Florczyk (David Hughes) turn in fine comic turns in this fast-paced musical. Kevin Surrette makes a great sleazy disc jockey, Vince Fontaine, while Christiansen exhibits her dancing talents as Cha-Cha DiGregorio. Music director Colin Keating has assembled a strong 6-piece orchestra that does not overwhelm the vocal talent. The sets are simple on the smallish stage but they help the audience take the trip back to the ‘50s. There is a lot of talent on the Presbyterian Education Center stage. Lighting and sound issues have to be overcome but they don’t take away from the performance. This show promises to be another solid outing from this, the oldest continuous-running community theater company in the state.	Home Show and Audition Info Production Archive Photos Featured local attraction Email us!
The Medea chorus of 2005's IMPROPER TABLE MANNERS	‘Cabaret’ sparkles B’ville director Colin Keating vividly revives the difficult, dark-hued musical by Russ Tarby Few community theater groups dare produce “Cabaret.” The jazzy score is difficult as are the show’s themes of decadence, racism, bisexuality and political apathy in 1929 Berlin. Having earned his master’s degree in music education from Syracuse University, Baldwinsville’s Colin Keating rose to the occasion, however, and gathered a capable cast, a clever choreographer and a rock-solid sextet to meet the challenges posed by the John Kander/Fred Ebb musical. The production now staged by Baldwinsville Theatre Guild isn’t perfect, but its many strengths far outweigh its few weaknesses. Keating’s “Cabaret” sparkles while refusing to shy away from its dark themes. It entertains even as it disturbs. The show stands on the foundation of a ménage a trios: an alluring orchestra, eye-popping choreography and memorable performances in its four leads roles. EXCELLENT EMCEE This is the fourth time Michael Spinoso Jr. has played the Kit Kat Klub emcee, the face-painted role made famous by Joel Grey in the 1972 film. Spinoso’s experience shows. From the opening strains of “Willkommen” to the frightening finale, Spinoso has total command of the emcee’s subtle sarcasm, lascivious cackling and satiric shtick. Whether dancing, singing or delivering a line, Spinoso punches the punchline right on the nose, often with gestures as minute as a quick wink or a leering grin. On signature song-and-dance numbers such as “Two Ladies,” “If You Could See Her Through My Eyes” and “Money,” Spinoso has made the emcee his own! BAWDY BOWLES Lisa Pastella may be the most zaftig Sally Bowles you’ve ever seen, but the actress’ fleshiness aptly emphasizes Sally’s inexhaustible sexuality. Effectively employing a subtle English accent, Pastella fully inhabits this roles: the brassy, bossy, bawdy Bowles With her shiny green nail polish and fur-lined robes, Pastella’s Bowles bowls over everyone in her little world of nightclubs and bedrooms. During the Aug. 4 dress rehearsal, Pastella’s performance was marred only by a rather stiff rendition of the title tune, as she faced the microphone alone before finally tugging off arm-length gloves. The vocal performance was fine and full of dynamics as she tells the sad tale of Elsie from Chelsea and invites everyone to “Come to the cabaret!” But Pastella should toy with the mic stand, toy with her audience, slink about the stage a bit to breathe more life into this important number. Fully supported by Bridget Moriarty’s especially sensitive solo-piano accompaniment, Pastella’s best moment comes on the pensive ballad, “Maybe This Time.” STANDING TALL As Bowles’ love interest, aspiring American writer Cliff Bradshaw, Charles Rooker displayed a superlative singing voice and an understated acting style that fits his somewhat cerebral character. Though Bradshaw stands in Bowles’ shadow, Rooker manages to shine on his lone solo, a heartfelt “Don’t Go Sally.” Most people know “Cabaret” the film, and a wondrous movie it is, but the stage show is different. On stage, Bradshaw’s landlady, Fraulein Schneider, emerges as an important character played here by BTG’s co-president, Mary Tall. The veteran actress takes the lead on three songs in Act I, the buoyant “So What,” the hopeful “It Couldn’t Please Me More” and the ballad, “Married.” Whether singing or speaking lines, Tall brings the wisdom of experience to her role, and BTG’s younger performers can learn much by her example. On “Married,” Tall’s plaintive vocal receives impetus from Melissa Long’s beautifully muted trumpet. In fact, Long and her band mates deserve a standing ovation for their approach to this daunting score. The sextet features Long, Moriarty, drummer Dan Gleason and reed players Corinne Waite and Amy Schumacher. Bravo! (Editor’s Note: Mr. Tarby neglected to mention the wonderfully talented Kate Goloski on bass. Kudos, Kate!!!) NAZIS AND JEWS Three other well-experienced BTG actors – Susan Blumer, John LaCasse and Harlow Kisselstein – all turn in fine performances, Blumer as a happy hooker, LaCasse as a businessman-turned-Nazi officer and Kisselstein as a Jewish shopkeeper. While those actors move the story along, the hottest action takes place at the Kit Kat Klub where the emcee rules and the boy and girl dancers catch everyone’s eye. Choreographer Brandi Lee Doyle took the nine disparate hoofers and turned them into a well-lubricated machine, especially on numbers such as “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Money,” although the clunky cardboard “keys” threaten to ruin that dance. Elizabeth Morrison as Rosie gamely performs in a gorilla costume on “If You Could See Her,” while Jessica Cohen as Texas climaxes “Two Ladies” with a sprightly somersault. PERIOD PROPS The Aug. 4 tune-up suffered its share of microphone glitches and prop and costume misfires (i.e. an earring bouncing across the stage), but all minor distractions from what was otherwise a successful staging of this often problematic musical. Capturing the styles from 75 years ago is a major challenge, of course, very much hit or miss. BTG’s hits included Fraulein Schneider’s perfectly tailored dresses, the heavy black telephone on Bradshaw’s table, and the orchestra’s attire including Long’s truncated top hat and Moriarty’s red and black feather boa. The misses include the hair styles sported by the lady dancers, whose long tresses recalled the 1970s more than the 1920s. Only the bewigged Pastella wore a Clara Bow-style bob. Some of the girls tied their hair back and during “Don’t Tell Mama” the lengthy locks were covered with newsboy caps, later replaced by Nazi helmets. A couple props also missed the mark: including Bradshaw’s mid-1940s model typewriter and an Edison cylinder machine circa 1910 (78 rpm records had become the rage by 1929). These trivial concerns merely point to room for improvement. When the crew and the performers bring such passion to such a show, prop problems become quickly forgotten. BTG’s marvelous and moving “Cabaret” is a winner by any measure. It also announces the arrival of a homegrown artist reaching maturity in our midst, as Colin Keating will take over as vocal music director at Baker High School this fall. “Cabaret” runs through Sunday Aug. 14, at the air-conditioned Baldwinsville Presbyterian Education Center, 64 Oswego St. $15 for adults, $12 for students, $12 for seniors at the matinees only. “Right this way, your table’s waiting...”