by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice July, 2008
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The Company |
Jesse Markowitz as Joseph |
Caroline Hatch, Codie Higer & Sarah DiFiore |
Emily Grodzik, Courtney Nelson, Dylan White, Leah Gillespie, Meghan Grover and Leah Janson |
Jesse Markowitz as Joseph & Ensemble |
Director – Fred Sternfeld |
Nikki Leavitt, Tia Karaplis, Jesse Markowitz & Caroline Hatch |
Cast of Characters
The Narrator –
A.J. Abelman [7/11, 7/12 (2)], Emily Grodzik [7/13 (2), 7/17], Carly Gordon [7/19 (2), 7/20 (2)] Children’s Choir – Becca Dennis, Brianna Schonhiutt, Callie Sullivan, Courtney Nelson, Emily Zart, Ethan Newburger, Leah Gillespie, Leah Janson, Mariah Cotton, Natalie Welch, Sarah DiFiore, Sophia Dennis Jacob – Bob Abelman Joseph – Jesse Markowitz Reuben – Nick Hyland Simeon – Jacob Oet Levi – Dylan White Naphtali – Alex Mayes Issachar – Mark Oet Asher – Li Stebner Dan – Tia Karaplis Zebulon – Justin Peck Gad – Miles J. Sternfeld Benjamin – Sam Welch Judah – Shea Lee Israelite Wives and Children, Pharoah’s Adoring Girls – Anne Jordan, Bobbie Szabo, Carly Gordon, Caroline Hatch, Codie Higer, Eliza Sindelar, Emily Grodzik, Hannah Watson, Jenn Seaman, Katie Wilkinson, Kelsey Hackett, Leah Paige Kubaitis, Lillian Sindelar, Meghan Grover, Nikki Leavitt, Shelby Berger, Sidney Perelman, Siobhan Carroll Pharoah – Nick Hyland Potiphar – Austin Murray Potiphar’s Wife – Emily Grodzik [7/11, 7/12 (2), 7/19 (2), 7/20 (2)], Baker – Caroline Hatch (7/11 – 7/19), Codie Higer (7/20) Butler – Tia Karaplis Singing Camel – Jacob Oet Singing Billboard, Mary & Joseph – Codie Higer, Nick Hyland Singing Billboard, Sphinx – Miles J. Sternfeld Ishmaelites – Shelby Berger, Leah Paige Kubaitis, Meghan Grover, Katie Wilkinson, Nikki Leavitt Potiphar’s Girls – Sidney Perelman/Carly Gordon, Caroline Hatch, Codie Higer, Bobbie Szabo, Anne Jordan, Jenn Seaman UnderstudiesJoseph – Miles J. Sternfeld |
Alex Mayes, Sam Welch and Natalie Welch |
Bob Abelman as Jacob, Jesse Markowitz as Joseph and Ensemble |
Sam Welch, Jacob Oet, Nick Hyland, Justin Peck and Tia Karaplis as Brothers |
Bob Abelman and Dylan White |
Meet the company…
AJ Abelman (Narrator) A 17-year-old almost-senior at Chagrin Falls High School, AJ is thrilled to be in another show with Fred, to be back at FPAC after a 3 year break, and to get to be on stage with her dad once again after last winter’s Beauty and the Beast at the Beck Center where he, as usual, was playing someone else’s father. AJ was most recently seen as Becky in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? at University School and as Essie Carmichael in You Can’t Take It With You at CFHS. Thank you to Fred and Megan for this amazing opportunity, to Nick, to Sarah and Bill. Big Love and thank yous to the cast, to Leslie, and to her wonderful family and friends for always putting up with her. For Oma, Opa, and MMS. Alex Mayes (Naphtali / Ensemble) is an 8th grade student at Orange. A few of Alex’s appearances: Scut Farcus in the ’05 & ’06 productions of A Christmas Story at the Cleveland Play House, Stanislas in Damien Gray’s Lost Prospect for the Cleveland Ingenuity Festival, The Full Monty at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre and a messenger boy in The Messenger, directed by Quincy Perkins. Anne Jordan (Dinah / Ensemble) is an upcoming sophomore at Laurel School and is so excited to be performing in her first production with the Fairmount Performing Arts Conservatory. Previous roles include Golde in Fiddler on the Roof, Featured Dancer in The Wizard of Oz, Lead Pickpocket in Oliver!, Dan in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, and Mrs. Fields in Grease. Many thanks to her friends, family, and the amazing cast and crew of Joseph!Austin Murray (Potiphar / Ensemble) has been performing since he was 10 years old. He will be a sophomore at Shaker Heights High School in the 2008-2009 school year. He has participated in Shaker Theatre, Playmakers Youth Theatre, Heights Youth Theatre and Stagecrafters Youth Theatre. Some recent roles include Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof and Rolf in The Sound of Music. He is very excited to be performing in the first FPAC PRESENTS production and hopes that you enjoy the show! Ben Needham (Scenic & Lighting Designer / Technical Director) is excited to be working on his first production with FPAC. He is the founder of Digital Squirrel Studio (www.digitalsquirrel.net) and animation, design & architectural illustration studio. Ben has designed over 140 productions for a number of theaters including Geauga Lake, Virginia Musical Theatre, Signstage on Tour, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, Porthouse Theatre, LaGrange Opera, Augusta Players, Knoxville Opera, Lyric Opera of Cleveland, Beck Center for the Arts, the Fine Arts Association and Circle Theatre Orlando. Ben would like to thank Christie, Helen & Aaron for all their support. Bill Gordon (Stage Manager) is currently obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at the Ohio State University with a focus in acting. He has recently appeared as Tom Patrick and Conrad Swibble in Working: A Musical, Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing and Jason in Medea. He is also working at the FPAC Creative Arts Workshop at Chagrin Falls Middle School and loves every second he spends in the theatre and with the kids. He hopes to become a cartoon voice over artist in the future. Bob Abelman (Jacob) feels like Gulliver in this all-kid’s production, but would never pass up an opportunity to ride the boards with his daughter A.J. and the many talented young performers in this FPAC production. He was last seen as Leo Silver in My Favorite Year and Maurice in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Beck Center as well as Mr. Sowerberry in Oliver at Cain Park. Bobbie Szabo (Leah / Ensemble) is overjoyed to be in this show! She has done many shows, but her favorite’s include Aunt Eller in Oklahoma and Mama Euralie in Once on This Island. Bobbie enjoys reading, listening to her i-pod, and hanging out with her friends. She would like to thank everyone who supports her! Brianna Schonhiutt (Children’s Choir) is currently entering 4th grade at Parkside School in Solon. She has appeared in several productions including A Midsummer Nights Dream at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, Fiddler On the Roof at the JCC and Bones at Parkside School. Brianna loves singing, dancing, acting and meeting new people. She will be participating in the professional workshop with FPAC this summer and is very excited about it. Callie Shea Sullivan (Children’ Choir) is thrilled to join the talented FPAC Team. Her favorite past experiences are performing in: GLTF’s A Christmas Carol, OPA’s High School Musical, and Beck Center’s School House Rock Live! She has performed with Jon Anderson, Pat Benetar and STYX. Callie is active in three choirs and one rock band. She would like to thank Fred and her family for this wonderful opportunity. Caroline Hatch (Devorah / Baker / Ensemble) is in her 4th summer at FPAC and she has worked with Fred in Beauty and the Beast at the Beck Center. A few of her other appearances: Ariel in Footloose, Lily St. Regis in Annie, Susan in High School Musical, Smee in Peter Pan and Oliver in Oliver. She has performed at Heights Youth Theatre, Mercury Summer Stock, on Adelphia Cable TV and in The Nutcracker with both the Ohio and Pennsylvania Ballets. She will be a freshman at Shaker High School in the fall and thanks Fred for this opportunity and Joan Ellison for her fantastic voice coaching. Carly Gordon (Narrator / Ensemble) Carly is thrilled to be a part of her first FPAC production! Carly just recently graduated from Solon High School and will continue her education at Marymount Manhattan College with a major in Theatre. Carly recently appeared as Madame de la Grande Bouche in Beauty and the Beast at Solon High School. Carly would like to thank Fred and Megan for this opportunity of a lifetime and for inspiring her to tell the story of a boy with big dreams, her parents for their support, and her brilliant friends for their love and witty jokes Cherie Stebner (Costume Designer) has portrayed Eleanor Widener in Titanic, and Alice in Secret Garden at the Youngstown Playhouse; Mrs. Greer and a Boylan Sister in Annie for Salem Community Theatre; and one of the wives in The King and I for Move Over Broadway Productions. In addition, she has worked backstage in various capacities from lights and sound to stage-managing. She has helped costume over 14 shows in the last 3 years: Titanic, The Mikado, Les Miserables, Annie, Big River, Grease, Mulanand Pocahontas. She works as a librarian and substitute teacher for Willow Creek Learning Center in Youngstown, Ohio. Christianne Beffel (Asst. Choreographer / Dance Captain / Asst. Costumer / Makeup) is currently working on her BFA at The Ohio State University, pursuing a major in dance and a minor in theatre. Her focuses in her dance major are choreography and labanotation, and she has a particular interest in stage makeup design within her theatre minor. Some of Christianne’s choreography credits include the musicals Carousel, Footloose, and Fiddler on the Roof as well as many contemporary dance pieces that range from solos to large groups. Some of her stage performances include roles in The Magic Flute, Fiddler on the Roof, The Crucible and The Night of January 16th. Codie Higer (Mary / Baker / Ensemble) is thrilled to appear in her first Fred Sternfeld production. Her favorite roles include Veruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sour Kangaroo in Seussical, and Jasmine in Aladdin. She performed at the State Theatre as a semi-finalist in the Rising Star Talent Competition. Codie credits her voice instructor, Cynthia O’Connell, and thanks her family and friends for their support. Dan Sternfeld (Sound Technician) is an eighteen year old student. This upcoming fall he will be starting his freshmen year at the Rochester institute of Technology where he will be majoring in information technology. He also works at FPAC as an administrative assistant. Deanna R. Caudill (Properties) is excited to work in the new home of FPAC theatre! She holds her BFA in theatre from Lake Erie College and specializes in stage management, properties and image projection design. Deanna is currently the office manager for National City Insurance Group, an insurance brokerage specializing in employee benefits. Dylan White (Levi) is a 14 year old eighth grader from Columbiana. Ohio. He has performed in over 25 shows. He was recently seen as the Bellboy in Titanic, toured with Canton Players Guild as Stuart in Stuart Little, and was a host of Smarts for Time Warner Cable. His credits include TV, film, modeling and an audio book. In 2007 he won a Marquee award and two Arthur awards. Emily Zart (Children’s Choir) has appeared in Flying Colors and The Highschool That Screamed Gooseflesh at Rabbit Run Theatre. She has also played in the Willoughby Fine Arts productions of Roger & Hammerstein, School House Rock and Movie Musicals. During the 06-07 school year Emily played Annie in the Phillips-Osborne production of Annie. Emily is also a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Choir. Ethan Newburger (Children’s Choir) is an eleven year old from Solon, Ohio. This is his first show with FPAC, but he has performed in many other productions. He played Schroeder in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Thor in The Nerd, Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a Lost Boy in Peter Pan, and many more! Eliza Sindelar (Esther / Ensemble) is thrilled to be a part of the debut FPAC summer production of Joseph. In the fall she will be in the 7th grade at Gesu. She has appeared in several Heights Youth Theatre productions. Some of her favorites have been; Annie, Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz, Children of Eden and Footloose. Eliza loves performing with her cousin Lillian Sindelar. Emily Grodzik (Narrator / Potiphar’s Wife) is thrilled to be back at FPAC! She will be entering her senior year at Interlochen Arts Academy, where she has performed in many shows: Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Francisca / Escala / us in Measure for Measure. Emily has previously worked with Fred in Beauty and the Beast and On The Town at Beck Center and Ragtime at the JCC. She would like to thank Fred and George for giving her this opportunity, Sarah for all of the rides, and to the wonderful casts for making this summer so much fun. Enjoy the show! Fred Sternfeld (Director – Joseph & FPAC) is pleased to be working with the outstanding young people of Fairmount Performing Arts Conservatory on the inaugural production at Mayfield Village Performing Arts Center! Fred is widely represented on Northeast Ohio stages through diverse projects, garnering numerous honors and awards. Recently he directed the award-winning productions of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Beck Center and Ragtime, the musical at the JCC. He previously served as Artistic Director at Lakewood Little Theatre – Beck Center for the Arts and the Seattle, Dallas and Cleveland Jewish Community Centers. Other selected credits: Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver! & The Sound of Music at Cain Park; The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife & The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek at Dobama Theatre; A Shayna Maidel, Jolson and Company, Man of La Mancha, Modern Orthodox, Rags, From Door to Door, South Pacific, The God of Isaac, Beau Jest, Crossing Delancey, The Twilight of the Golds, The Immigrant & Conversations With My Father for the Cleveland JCC; Bad Seed at Ensemble Theatre; Amadeus at Willoughby Fine Arts; Table Settings, Isn’t It Romantic, The Diary of Anne Frank & Broadway Bound at JCC Center Stage in Seattle; On the Town, Of Mice and Men, La Cage aux Folles, Saturday Night, Foxfire, Noises Off, Children of a Lesser God & The Importance of Being Earnest at Beck Center; Proof at GLTG and All My Sons & Enter Laughing at the Dallas JCC. His next directing project is Peter Pan for Beck Center for the Arts in December of 2008. For more information about Fred you can visit his website at www.fredsternfeld.com. Hannah Watson (Tamar / Ensemble) is excited to make her FPAC debut & to work with Fred & George! She’s currently playing Jade in GI Jukebox at Workshop Players in Amherst. Hannah’s favorites include: Julia Prescott, Lady Pirates of Captain Bree; Louise Mayfield, Nuncrackers & Noelle, Noelle The First. Hannah sings with the Oberlin Choristers & performed in the Sydney Opera House last summer. Jacob Oet (Simeon / Ensemble) is 14 years old and lives in Solon. Besides acting, Jacob enjoys fencing, computer games, reading and playing chess. He is a 2-time Ohio state chess champion. Jacob was most recently seen as Motel in Fiddler on the Roof at JCC Playmakers Youth Theatre. His favorite parts include Nathan in The Full Monty and Issachar in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Jesse Markowitz (Joseph) is thrilled to be under the direction of Fred Sternfeld for the first time. His recent credits include Pat Denning in 42nd Street and Eddie Ryan in Funny Girl. Jesse has also played Joseph once before with Playmakers Youth Theater. Jesse also has done some local television and independent films. Jesse would like to thank Fred, Megan, Nick, Sarah and all of his friends and family for all the support that they continue to give day after day. Enjoy! Justin Peck (Zebulon / Ensemble) is a ten year old from Olmsted Township, Ohio. Recent roles include the Lion in The Wizard of Oz at Cassidy Theatre, Schwartz in A Christmas Story at The Cleveland Play House and Noah in Underrated Understudies through Time Warner Cable. He is very excited to attend FPAC for his first year this summer and to be part of Joseph. He is very thankful to Fred for this opportunity and for his family! Katie Wilkinson (Eve / Ensemble) is thrilled to be at FPAC for her second year. Katie is no stranger to the stage! At age 11 she has participated in 12 different shows. Her most recent appearances were as Ensemble in Footloose, Ozian in The Wizard of Oz and Child Storyteller in Children of Eden at Heights Youth Theatre. Katie attends Laurel School in Shaker Heights and will be entering 6th grade next year. Katie would like to thank everyone who drove her to rehearsal. Kelsey Hackett (Shoshana / Ensemble) is 13 years old and lives in Solon. Kelsey is so excited for her first play with Fred! Kelsey has been in several Orange Stagecrafters Productions and Camps. Most recently Kelsey played Anastasia, a Stepsister in Cinderella. This year she was also in Footloose at Heights Youth Theater and played a Narrator in Joseph at Orange Stagecrafters. Enjoy! Kevin Greene (Drummer / Percussionist) is going to be a Senior at Solon High school this come Fall. He has been playing percussion at school since he was in the 5th grade. Kevin recently played drums in the pit orchestra of Solon HS’s Beauty & the Beast. He actively participates in Jazz band, marching band, concert band, orchestra, show choir band, and other ensembles. He also teaches drum lessons to several students from the middle school to the high school. Leah Gillespie (Children’s Choir) is thrilled to be in her first FPAC production. Leah will be in the 4th grade at Chagrin Intermediate School this fall. She enjoys reading, gymnastics, horseback riding, swimming and tennis. She plays the violin and enjoys singing in the children’s choir at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. Leah Janson (Children’s Choir) is going into 7th grade at CFMS and is so glad to be in her first play with Fred. Last summer she attended her uncle’s camp (2 Weeks Of Broadway) and attended her first year at FPAC. Other training: piano – 7 months; violin – 3 years; Highland dancing – 6 years; Select choir – 2 years. A special thanks to her uncle Patrick Janson, Fred Sternfeld, Megan Consolo and her parents. Leah Paige Kubaitis (Sarah / Ensemble) is delighted to return to FPAC and work under the direction of Fred Sternfeld. Leah’s most recent performances have been at Chagrin Valley Little Theater and Kenston Center Stage as Polly in Charleston (CVLT), Alice in Up the Down Staircase (KCS), Petra in Tales of the Brothers Grimm (CVLT) and as a featured dancer in 42nd Street (KCS). Lisandra Stebner (Asher / Ensemble) was the female swing/understudy in A Christmas Story at the Cleveland Play House; Little Cosette in Les Miserable; Molly in Annie; Mushu in Mulan; and Gloria in Wait Until Dark, at Salem Community Theatre. Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden and Gladys in Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the Youngstown Playhouse as well as Child Peggy Lee in Reflections at the Beck Center. She has been awarded a “Marquee” for best juvenile in a musical, Secret Garden; best juvenile in a play, Wait Until Dark; and best supporting actress for Christmas Pageant. Lillian Sindelar (Hadassah / Ensemble) is very happy to be a part of FPAC and the production of Joseph this summer. She has performed with Heights Youth Theatre, Stagecrafters, The Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus, The Contemporary Youth Orchestra Choir and St. Christopher’s church choir. She has also studied voice and dance for several years. Next fall, Lillian will be a 7th grader at Gesu School along with her cousin Eliza. Mark Oet (Issachar / Ensemble, Pharaoh understudy) is pleased to be working with Fred for the first time, and this wonderful cast! Mark is in 6th grade at Orchard Middle school in Solon, Ohio. Mark would like to thank his parents, his friends, and most of all his brother Jacob for telling him about Fred Sternfeld. Mark’s favorite roles include Jeremy in Griller, Young Patrick in Mame, and Schroeder in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Mark can’t wait until show time! Megan Consolo (Music Director) is pleased to be working with such talented people. Music directing includes Honk Jr., Dear Edwina Jr., Pirates of Penzance Jr., Little Shop of Horrors, Into the Woods, Lucky Stiff at Solon Center for the Arts and Once Upon a Mattress at First Unitarian Church of Cleveland; Assistant Director Oklahoma! at Chagrin Falls High School; Assistant to the Music Director, Footloose, The Wizard of Oz and Brigadoon at Solon High School. She graduated in 2004 from the Capital University Conservatory of Music on a full tuition scholarship with a degree in Music Industry and Media. She has served as Community Relations Coordinator at Solon Center for the Arts and has held internships with Telarc Records, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Arts Group and Sugar Hill Records. Megan went back to Capital in 2005 to earn her licensure in Music Education. She is currently working on her Master of Education in Administration at Ashland University. Megan teaches 7th Grade Choir and General Music in Solon. Mariah Cotton (Children’s Choir) is going to be a 6th grader at Amherst Nord Middle School. This is only her second production. She had her first experience last summer as Tina Tuna in a local production of No Strings Attached. She is very excited to attendFPAC this summer. Thanks to family and to Tia Karaplis for encouraging her to become more involved in the amazing world of theatre! Meghan Grover (Delilah / Ensemble) is going to be a freshman at West Geauga High School. Most recent performances include Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Storyteller in Children of Eden, Ensemble in Oliver!, and posh girl / party guest in Scrooge. She is very excited to attend FPAC for her fifth year this summer. Thanks to family! Miles Sternfeld (Gad / Ensemble) is ecstatic to play Gad in Joseph. For the past three years, Miles has played Chip in Disney’sBeauty and the Beast at the Beck Center for the Arts. Miles played Jojo in Seussical and Young Patrick / Peter in Mame at Mercury Summer Stock and a Fagin’s boy in Oliver! at Cain Park. He also got the chance to play Duke in Tall Tale, an educational video by the Cleveland Clinic Theatre Company. Miles has attended FPAC all five summers, training under the tutelage of his uncle, Fred Sternfeld, acclaimed director of Joseph. Natalie Welch (Children’s Choir) is thrilled to work with Fred again after performing in the Beck Center’s Beauty and the Beast. Previous productions: Workhouse Boy in Oliver!, and Michael in Peter Pan. Numerous other performances at Stagecrafters, CVLT and FCYT. Natalie has studied dance since age three, plays the piano, and sings in Select Choir at Chagrin Falls Intermediate School where she is in fifth grade. Nicholas Hyland (Reuben, Pharoah) is so excited to be part of two shows that involve so many talented people. This is his first time being part of FPAC, and he loves the knowledge it has been bringing to him. Nick was most recently seen as Ren in HYT’s Footloose and is part of the wonderfully honest Chanticleers at Shaker Heights High School. He thanks his family and friends for all their support, and hopes you enjoy the show!! in the great words of Elvis Thank you, thank you very much. Nick Klein (Assistant Music Director), a recent graduate of Solon High School, is elated to serve as assistant musical director for his first show at FPAC. Nick has previously served as assistant musical director for Lucky Stiff and Merrily We Roll Along at the Solon Center for the Arts. In the fall Nick will be headed to the Capital University Conservatory of Music to double major in Vocal Music Education and Vocal Performance. Nick would like to thank his family and friends for being so supportive of all of his endeavors. Nick would also like to whole-heartedly thank Megan Consolo, his voice teacher and Musical Director for all of her guidance and help throughout the years. Nikki Leavitt (Yonah / Ensemble) is proud to make her FPAC debut in Joseph! Her favorite roles include Frenchie in Grease and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. She’s also student directed shows such as Fame and Footloose at Orange High School, where she enters her senior year. Nikki is humbled to be a part of this talented cast and would like to thank them and the entire crew! Rebecca Dennis (Children’s Choir) is excited to perform in her first FPAC production. Becca has enjoyed acting for several years in youth theater plays in the area. She returns to the FPAC’s Creative Arts Workshop this summer and will be entering 6th grade this fall in Kenston. Becca also enjoys creative writing, playing the piano, the clarinet, and loves the play Joseph! Sam Welch (Benjamin / Ensemble) was last seen in Oklahoma! at CF High School. Favorite past roles include: Fagin’s Boy in Oliver!, Slightly Soiled in Peter Pan, Fluff in Honk! and Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. Other credits: Ohio Children’s Honor Choir – June 2008. Sam plays the clarinet, oboe, and sings in Chagrin Falls Intermediate School Select Choir where he is in sixth grade. Shea Lee (Judah / Ensemble) is in seventh grade at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Akron, where she has performed in numerous plays and is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. Her favorite credits include Marta in The Sound of Music and The Little Girl in Ragtime at Weathervane Playhouse, and co-hosting smARTS, a Time Warner TV show. She would like to thank her family and friends for their support, especially Dad for all the long car rides! Shelby Berger (Mara / Ensemble) is happy to appear in her first performance with Fred Sternfeld. She has recently played Laurey Williams in Oklahoma and played Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. In her spare time she likes to read, dance and ride horses. Thanks to her parents. Good Luck everyone! Sidney Perelman (Rebecca / Mrs. Potiphar / Ensemble) is thrilled to be part of this great cast. Sidney has performed frequently at Heights Youth Theater, most recently appearing as Wendy Jo in Footloose. She has sung with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra chorus in performances with Styx, Pat Benatar, and Jon Anderson of Yes. As a viola player, Sidney has attended Interlochen Arts Camp. Siobhan Carroll (Zilpah / Ensemble) is delighted to be a part of Joseph with Fred Sternfeld as director. She will be starting ninth grade in the fall at the Montessori High School at University Circle. She has taken many classes at the Beck Center for the Arts and has played the parts of Margarine in A Hillbilly Holiday, and Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Sophia Dennis (Children’s Choir) is entering 4th grade in Kenston. She is thrilled to be performing in her first FPAC show. Sophia started acting in local youth theater at the age of 6. She loves acting and playing the piano and is most passionate about singing. Sophia first saw Joseph when she was 2 years old! Tia Karaplis (Dan / Butler / Ensemble) is 10 years old and lives in Amherst with her parents, 3 brothers, 2 dogs, a hamster and a snake. She has been in theatre since she was seven when she played Snakebite Sally in Katastrophe Kate. She has been in many Beck Center shows, the most recent being The Wizard of Oz where she played Dorothy. She was also Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitors at Tri C. Her favorite role so far has been Ida in Beck’s Honk. “Thanks Fred for letting me be part of this amazing production.”
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The Christine Howey review …The Smothers Brothers weren’t the first people to muse on the topic of fraternal rivalry, summed up in Tom’s pouty catch phrase, “Mom always liked you best.” But when one son is apparently favored over 11 others, it can cause conflict of biblical proportions.
And so it did, in the Genesis story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. This was translated into one of the first shows penned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which is receiving a spirited young people’s production at the Fairmount Performing Arts Camp. In this inaugural season for FPAC, director Fred Sternfeld utilizes all the kids who participated in the Fairmount Camp this summer, and the results range from gratifyingly competent to simply dazzling. Moving his enormous cast around the ample stage at the Fairmount Center, Sternfeld takes full advantage of Webber’s catchy, almost Sunday School-simple rhythms. And the actors, to a person, are so damn energetic you almost want to join in the fun. For the bible-challenged, Joseph is the preferred son of his pop Jacob, and is given that treasured rainbow robe (which would have pegged Joe as gay rights sympathizer these days and changed the plot direction significantly). Anyhow, this favoritism doesn’t sit too well with the other bro’s, so they sell Joseph off as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites. And later the brothers claim Joseph has died. But that, as they say, is just the beginning. As Joseph, Jesse Markowitz has the good looks and commanding stage presence to be the center of attention. He also handles his singing duties with skill, whether he’s happy (“Joseph’s Dream”) or sad (“Poor Joseph”). His story is narrated by a schoolteacher who is instructing her charges on this story of dreams. Carly Gordon brings an air of authority to the role and sings well, although the demanding score slipped slightly out of her range at times. As Joseph is sold to one moneybags Egyptian after another, the massive chorus is almost always on stage. And kudos to each of them for focusing on the action and feeding off each other, instead of drifting off into their own worlds and just “marking time” on stage. Even adult professionals in ensemble parts often exhibit less concentration than is shown on this stage. Choreographer and assistant director Sarah Clare no doubt deserves a nod as well for this attention to detail. In a featured role, Nick Hyland is amusing as a Pharaoh with an Elvis complex, rendering his songs with pelvic thrusts that turn the women of Cairo to jelly. And in perhaps the best number, Joseph’s beret-bedecked brothers lament their past rash actions, in a Parisian café of all places, in the sorrowful “Those Canaan Days.” Soloist Mark Oet nails this number so well, you don’t know whether to keep laughing or start weeping. Of course, it all turns out well and it ends with a stage full of amped kids who are clearly learning what it takes to put on a show of quality. And thank God for that. |