Like Vivienne, Jamee Perryman Stands Up For Herself

Jamee Perryman plays the multifaceted Vivienne

Legally Blonde, the Musical, has the high-octane energy of a cheerleading competition, but while many characters fit sorority girl stereotypes, there’s more depth to some than meets the eye.  Other than Elle Woods, the character that changes the most during the play is Vivienne Kensington, who starts out as Elle’s rival for Warner’s attentions.

Jamee Perryman plays Vivienne, who she describes as “one of the strongest, most independent women I have ever had the privilege of playing.  She knows what she wants and goes for it, never giving thought to who she is stepping on in the process.  I really enjoy playing a strong woman, especially because she goes on a journey to discover her more sensitive side.”   While Jamee also loves Vivienne’s cynicism, she finds it a challenge to “keep a straight face during her sarcastic moments, which happen quite often.  I am sarcastic naturally, so that helps, but it will definitely be a struggle to stay in character, especially with this hilarious cast!”  (One of my favorite zingers is when Vivienne asks Elle, “Aren’t there girls going wild somewhere without you?”)

On a more personal note, Jamee can really relate to the play’s lessons about first impressions and female empowerment:  “My entire life I was judged on how I look.  I wasn't blonde, just big.  I got looked over for parts, jobs, even dates because of my size.  Elle's journey in this show should be a real empowering thing for many women.  I have since developed a healthier style, but the way I felt back then has stuck with me, and has made me a much better person.  I also think that the idea of getting backbone applies to my life.  Paulette spends the whole show gaining confidence and finally stands up to the person that has been walking all over her.  I was a lot like that when I was younger.  If you ask my friends and family now, I am the exact opposite.”

Jamee has wanted to do Legally Blonde for years, and although it has some “intense, emotional moments, as a whole, the show is pure fun.  If you don't leave dancing out of the theatre, we are doing something wrong.”  Jamee works as a middle school choir teacher in St. Clair Shores and lives in Clawson with her husband Scott.  Some of her favorite roles include Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rusty in Footloose, and Golde in Fiddler on the Roof. 

The Farmington Players' production of Legally Blonde, the Musical is sponsored by TruVista Wealth Advisors.  The show opens April 26 and runs through May 18. Tickets can be purchased online at www.farmingtonplayers.org or by calling the box office at 248-553-2955.

Roy Sexton Plays a Shark in Prof’s Clothing in Legally Blonde

Roy Sexton as the morally dubious Professor Callahan

Back when I was a law student, I had a few professors that took particular glee in inflicting their own sadistic version of the Socratic method on their students.  They would answer every question with another question and try to get the student to paint herself into an intellectual corner, just to watch her squirm.  But none of them were quite as evil as Professor Callahan, the pompous, scheming villain in Legally Blonde, the Musical, who encourages his students to acquire a taste for “Blood in the Water” if they want to become successful lawyers.

In our production, Roy Sexton, a theater veteran making his Farmington Players’ debut, plays Callahan.  Roy describes his character as follows: “Callahan is technically the villain of the piece I suppose, but not in a malevolent, Snidely Whiplash way, but more of a postmodern, stealth villain. He is the preening, self-important teacher or boss many have had the misfortune of experiencing once or twice in their lives…but here’s the thing: he actually thinks he is making his students better.”  While Roy enjoys playing the bad guy, he says it is challenging to find that “balance between loathing and admiration, repulsion and likeability. I haven’t played too many ‘bad guys’ to this point, so I am really thrilled at trying to figure out the right chord to strike.” 

Roy loves the “rampant silliness” of Legally Blonde, but was drawn to the show more for its underdog story.  As he says, “An underdog who doesn’t know he or she is an underdog always really appeals to me. Elle Woods is a character who has connected all the dots in her life as she thought they were laid out before her … and has come up empty handed. She bought into this cruddy ‘princess’ culture stuff and finds out there is no prince charming, no reward … and then she doubles down and STILL tries to make the fantasy work. She is rejected by the supposed nerds that she would have stomped her Jimmy Choos [designer shoes] on in Cali, and then sees that there is all this untapped intellectual potential in herself. I adore that. At some level, I have been both the underdog and the insider at different times in my life, and I think I like being the underdog more … it motivates you, it connects you, it gives you empathy.”

Although he is new to the Barn, Roy enjoys the “wonderful sense of collaboration and camaraderie here that is rare and special.” Roy co-founded his own theatre company in Ann Arbor – The Penny Seats (www.pennyseats.org) – and had the lead role Georg Nowack in last summer's production of She Loves Me.  When not on stage, Roy works as vice president of marketing and planning for Trott & Trott, PC, a real estate law firm in Metro Detroit.

The Farmington Players' production of Legally Blonde, the Musical is sponsored by TruVista Wealth Advisors.  The show opens April 26 and runs through May 18. Tickets can be purchased online at www.farmingtonplayers.org or by calling the box office at 248-553-2955.

Do You Hear the People Sing? Membership Meeting Features Musical Workshop

Farmington Players’ members are in for a real treat on Saturday, March 16^th.  After the membership business meeting that evening ends around 8:30, a musical workshop extravaganza will take center stage at the Barn, featuring songs from Les Mis, West Side Story, Wicked, Cabaret and other classics performed by fellow Barn members, including workshop co-directors Taylor Alfano and Rachael Rose.   

Several months in preparation, the workshop is Rachael’s brainchild: “The dream for me for doing this workshop was to basically say to the membership of The Farmington Players: if you've ever been too afraid to do anything like a musical; or if you've just been out of the saddle for too long; or if you're just a performance junkie ... come join us as we put together a performance that will teach the basics of how to read music, how to prepare and audition for a musical, and be inclusive of all elements of performing a musical. I wanted to keep the membership engaged and really teach them the skills and build their confidence for auditioning for musicals, especially at the Barn.  I think we've met this goal for sure because of the 11 people out of the workshop that auditioned for Legally Blonde, eight were cast, so that's really huge!”

Long-time member Karen Southworth talks about the evolution of musicals at the Barn: “Back in the 90's, the Farmington Players began doing musicals again. If you wanted to be in the chorus, you just had to sing in a small group. Now, we are doing musicals every year and even ensemble parts are more competitive. Through the workshop, I have learned to sight read music, sing harmony, learned about my own vocal range, and gained confidence! I wanted to be able to have the courage to sing a solo for an audition, and I did that for Legally Blonde ... And was cast! It has been a lot of fun, and I have so many new friends. Rachael and Taylor have given us so much encouragement, and the workshop members have also been very supportive!

New member Barb Bruno echoes this sentiment: “I joined the workshop when I joined the Farmington Players.  I hadn't done any singing in over fifteen years so it seemed like a great way not only to get to know Barn members, but also to get back into music.  This interlude of getting my feet wet has developed into more than I could have imagined!”  In fact, Barb recently showed off her vocal talents in Ruthless!, the Barn’s entry at Michigan AACTFest.

Similarly, Dave Reinke said, “the workshop has helped me better understand my vocal range and give me more confidence as a performer.  In the past I would never bother auditioning for a musical cause I never felt confident in my ability as a singer.  Working with Rachael and Taylor has given me that confidence.”

Jill Heffron had the best analogy: “Singing is sort of like golf ... a whole bunch of bad shots, then a moment of brilliance that makes you know you are capable (and keeps you coming back)! I have hit notes that I never thought could come out of my body. It doesn’t happen every time, but just knowing I am capable some of the time is a huge achievement for me!”   Jill credits Rachael and Taylor with instilling the “power of positive thinking into all of us. I've learned to open my mouth and let the power of the breath sing the notes.  Taylor and Rachael are two of the most professional and positive people I have ever met. Their words of encouragement and continual belief in the whole group have made this journey so much fun.”

In summary, Rachael said, “I can't wait for the membership to see just how hard everyone's been working and truly how much talent we have at the Barn!  We have really become a family... much closer than I would ever have imagined from my initial thoughts of putting something like this together.”

Farmington Players’ members, friends and family are all welcome to enjoy the free musical workshop performance, which starts at approximately 8:30pm, right after the business meeting.

Cynthia Tupper Returns to Barn Stage in Unique Role

Cynthia Tupper (seated) plays Nat, mother to Laurel Stroud's Becca

It’s been almost four years since she’s been onstage, but Cynthia Tupper is certainly no stranger to the Barn. In addition to directing a dozen shows (starting with Pajama Game in 1984, and most recently The Producers in 2011), Cynthia has designed and created costumes for 59 shows, has been a cast member in 28 shows, produced 7 shows, and was a long-time Board member and former President of the Farmington Players.   Despite all that experience, Cynthia says that her role in Rabbit Hole – as Nat, the grandmother – is “very different than anything else I have done.  I always love the challenge to transform physically and emotionally into another character who is nothing like me.”  What’s not different is the chance to work with her husband Brian, who is directing this show.  Cynthia says, “Brian and I enjoy a history of collaborating together when we each direct.   I may be biased but he is one of our best directors and I also love creating a character with him. When either one of us is directing, we never stop talking about the show during the process!”

Cynthia’s role as Nat is complex in that both Nat and her daughter Becca had sons that died unexpectedly.  As Cynthia says, “Nat feels great sympathy for her daughter, but her attempts to comfort her daughter fall short and seem to make things worse most of the time.  Nat is also very outspoken and blunt and her opinions and suggestions always seem to hit a nerve with her daughter, even though there is a deep love between them and they are very different on the surface.”  Cynthia does a great job of making Nat real, and not a caricature.  As she says, “the beauty of Nat is that she does provide some of the comic relief, but she is counter balanced with sensitivity and pathos even when you don’t expect it with her brash personality.  It’s a fine line to balance, but like most people she has good qualities and bad qualities, but the positive outweighs the negative and she is mostly likeable.  Although you can understand why she drives her daughters crazy!”

While Rabbit Hole is a poignant drama, Cynthia thinks “people will be surprised that the show is uplifting and funny and reflects a part of life that we all can relate to. At many points in our lives, we all deal with loss and grieving.  There is no right way to grieve.  All five characters deal with it differently – it changes them – but they learn to go on and not judge each other.  Life goes on as it should.”

Rabbit Hole runs from February 15th to March 2nd at the Barn Theater, 32332 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills.  Reserved seats for this drama sponsored by the Center for Financial Planning, Inc. are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.

Joel Hunter Fits Right In Outside His Comfort Zone

Joel Hunter plays high-school senior Jason Willette

If the audience feels uncomfortable whenever Joel Hunter appears onstage, he’s doing a great job. In Rabbit Hole, Joel plays Jason Willette, who Joel describes as “a quiet, under-the-radar senior in high school. He's not super athletic or incredibly popular. He doesn't do much that would get him in trouble, or do anything really unusual. He's down-to-earth, well meaning, and honest. He's a good egg.”  Despite being such a nice, normal guy, Jason is also the cause of a family’s misery, as the driver in the accident that killed Danny, a four year-old boy.  Some of the tensest moments in the play include Jason’s interactions with Danny’s parents.  As Joel says, “Despite the fact that Danny's death was an accident, it weighs on Jason. It's difficult for him to accept that what happened is no one's fault.”

Joel’s natural reticence comes in handy when playing Jason: “I can relate to Jason a bit. I may seem like a goofball to those who know me now, but whenever I am meeting new people or putting myself out of my comfort zone I become very much like Jason when he does that: nervous, unsure of what to say to avoid awkwardness, and hoping I don't make a fool of myself. I fit into Jason pretty well, actually. We do share a lot of similarities [such as a love of sci-fi], but I often find myself being a bit quieter when I play Jason and my articulation suffers. So that's something I've had to work on.”

Joel auditioned for Rabbit Hole based on a teacher’s recommendation without really knowing much about the show.   He’s also never suffered the deep personal loss of a close loved one, saying “I’ve known kids my own age die, and two years ago, my aunt passed, but it has always been something surreal for me.”  But this sense of freshness, of experiencing something new and surreal, keeps Joel’s performance authentically uncomfortable, which is a natural fit for the role of Jason.

Joel is a student at OCC and plans to transfer next year to a four-year university to major in theatre. This is his second show with the Farmington Players, having recently debuted as B.J. Gibson in the 1940s Radio Hour. Some of his favorite roles are Georg in Spring Awakening, Pony in Suburbia, and Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Rabbit Hole runs from February 15th to March 2nd at the Barn Theater, 32332 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills.  Reserved seats for this drama sponsored by the Center for Financial Planning, Inc. are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.

Laurel Stroud Takes on Her Toughest Role in Rabbit Hole

Laurel Stroud (standing) as Becca and Cynthia Tupper as Nat: Each deals with loss in her own way.

Why do bad things happen to good people?  If God is merciful and omnipotent, how does He let them happen?  And how can such tragedies be part of “God’s plan”?  These are some of the hard questions that Laurel Stroud’s character Becca must deal with in Rabbit Hole.  Becca lost her son in a car accident she is trying to figure out how to put her life back together.  As Laurel says, “It was an accident, so she has no clear place to put her anger and grief.  She is angry at God and snips at the people closest to her.  I think she is someone who had been used to carefully planning life and successfully working out the plan.  This was obviously not part of the plan, and there's nothing she can do to change it, so she doesn't know quite how to deal with it.  But she hasn't given up, and I think the audience will see she is still hopeful for the future.”

Laurel enjoys playing Becca because she is “smart and talented.  She likes to bake and have things in order, like I do.  Family is important to her.  She perseveres, even when it's hard.  She is a normal person, doing the best she can in a tough situation.”  But when Becca lashes out at her family to diffuse her anger, it is a fine line for Laurel to “show that Becca still loves her family, and really wouldn't have gotten through this without them.”  If you know Laurel, you know how hard it is for her to say an unkind word about anyone.  But as Becca, she must not only be blunt, but also swear.  Laurel admits, “At first, it was tough saying the words.  That sounds silly, but it's true.  Becca also lashes out when she's angry and I tend to get quieter the angrier I get.   She and I have different views on how God figures in to the ‘why bad things happen to good people’ issue.  I had to come to terms with playing a character like that.”

How did Laurel’s own life experience help her prepare for playing Becca?  As she says, “I did lose my dad a few years ago, and that was a big loss for me.  But in terms of identifying with Becca, and for me, the whole "why God?" thing, I think realizing that a dream I'd had most of life wouldn't materialize comes closer.  It's not going to happen, I can't do anything about it, I just have to deal and figure out what life is like in the new paradigm.” 

Laurel has been a member at the Barn for almost 10 years and is currently on the Board as Director of Communications.  Some of her favorite roles include, Jennie in Chapter Two, Mom in Leaving Iowa, Essie in You Can't Take It With You and Laura in Whose Wives are they Anyway?  Laurel’s day job is to edit the clipsheet for Ford Motor Company. 

Rabbit Hole runs from February 15th to March 2nd at the Barn Theater, 32332 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills.  Reserved seats for this drama sponsored by the Center for Financial Planning, Inc. are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.

Jay McNeill Keeps It Real as Howie in Rabbit Hole

Jay McNeill as Howie and Laurel Stroud as Becca try to reconnect as a couple

A rabbit warren is a series of connected tunnels that rabbit communities live in for shelter from the outside world.  In Rabbit Hole, a family bound together by tragedy struggles to reconnect and to find emotional shelter.  The depths of each person’s own sorrow makes it hard for them to comfort one another.  But while no one lives “happily ever after” in Rabbit Hole, ultimately, it is these family ties that enable life to go on.

Jay McNeill plays Howie, a New York City banker whose four-year old son Danny was killed in an accident eight months earlier.  Jay sees Howie as “the most level-headed person in the family after the accident, while everyone else is seemingly going off the rails. I find strength in a local support group for grieving parents and try to keep the memories of my son as fresh as possible.”  His wife Becca, played by Laurel Stroud, grieves very differently from Howie by trying to repress some of the daily reminders of their son, and this creates conflict between the couple.   

While the play is generally restrained, Jay says that Howie and Becca have one “extremely emotional scene that is gut-wrenching. It's difficult to rehearse and play out again and again and keep the emotion fresh and real.”  Unfortunately, Jay has had a recent loss that he can draw on as an actor: “My life up until last year was remarkably untouched by death. But in the spring we lost my brother at a young age and that experience certainly helps me relate to the characters in this play. There's one scene where my mother-in-law Nat is explaining how the death of a loved one never really goes away and she's exactly right. Even in life's most joyous moments thoughts of my brother are never really far from my mind.”

Jay also relate to his character’s personality, saying, “Howie and I are remarkably similar. He tends to be a little more on the flip and sarcastic side of things, which I like because I'm that way much of the time with my friends and the people I'm most comfortable with. Also, I am an accountant and have spent most of my career in finance-related activities. I lived in New York and worked on Wall Street for eight years so playing this character is certainly not a stretch for me.”

While Howie’s character comes naturally to Jay, this is his first show as an actor since high school almost 25 years ago. He says, “It's been a lot of fun to get back into the swing of things. My fellow cast mates have been great, and our director Brian Tupper has been fantastic with his suggestions to fill out our characters and maximize our performances. It should be a great show.” 

Rabbit Hole runs from February 15th to March 2nd at the Barn Theater, 32332 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills.  Reserved seats for this drama sponsored by the Center for Financial Planning, Inc. are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.