Newcomer Jeffrey Nelson Has the Chops to Play “Pops”

Jeffrey Nelson is stogie-smoking "Pops" -- shown (L to R) with Dave Reinke (Lou), 
Joel Mapes (Stanley), and Michael Rose (Wally).

 Jeffrey Nelson may be a newcomer to community theater, but he already has the acting chops to play “Pops” Bailey, an old hand behind the scenes at The 1940s Radio Hour.   Jeffrey describes Pops as “complicated, complex, and complacent.  He is extremely agitated by the other characters because he feels that they don’t exemplify what it takes to do good radio.  He only has respect for one person -- Ann Collier -- whom he is enamored with.  Pops is homeless, but only shares this information with Ann, and the others appear to be oblivious to his circumstances.”   

Despite his character’s hard luck life, Jeffrey enjoys playing Pops because he is “genuine and what you see is what you get; there’s no gray area with him.  He is old enough to put others in their place.  I like that he gets to yell at everybody but they don’t get offended.  I like that at the end of the show, someone in the cast showed him kindness and love and he received it rather than allow his bitterness to reject it.”  Jeffrey sees Pops as a “tortured soul who is trapped in a situation that many people will identify with – unfulfilled dreams.  I believe Pops would have been a real radio star if things in his life turned out differently.  I want to go for my dreams and not look back when I’m Pops age with regrets.”

While 1940s is his first role on stage, Jeffrey has enthusiastically jumped into theater with both feet:  “Community theater is all new to me.  I am enjoying getting to know how it works and what it takes to put on a production.  It has been an amazing journey getting to know the other cast members and learning how amazingly talented they are.  I admit I was very guarded and quiet during rehearsals at first but I have come to respect them as artists and fellow lovers of quality theater.  I really want to step into directing more than be on the stage because then you can bring your own vision to life rather than the vision of someone else.”  Jeffrey has over twenty years of experience directing and producing shows with students during his stint as a teacher and administrator with Detroit Public Schools.   He will soon follow up his Barn debut with a company role in Curtains at Stagecrafters early next year.

The 1940s Radio Hour opens November 30th and runs through December 22nd.  Reserved seats for this musical comedy sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.  

Taylor Alfano is “Putting On the Ditz” as Smart and Sassy Ginger Brooks

Taylor Alfano is Smartly Ditzy as Ginger Brooks

It’s hard playing opposites, especially when they are two sides of the same coin.  This is the challenge facing Taylor Alfano, who plays Ginger Brooks in The 1940s Radio Hour.  Taylor describes her character Ginger as “a waitress who always wanted to be more. She is a very clever girl, even though she acts dumber than she is when they are on the air.  It is not easy to play smart and ditzy at the same time. You have to have a lot more focus than you would expect, and when you add the dancing, singing and the rest of the show in, it does get a little overwhelming.”

Taylor loves being Ginger because of the relationships she shares with other characters: “Ginger and Clifton have a love/hate relationship that makes them more like family than they would like to admit. She plays tricks on him constantly and loves being late, just to make him insane. Ginger absolutely despises Johnny because of the way he treats women, and no matter how many times he tries, he will never win over Ginger. She does not fall for his charms or any of the games he plays with the other girls in the show.”  While Ginger loves the men’s attention, she also has “a huge heart. She took Connie under her wing when she first started in the show, and ever since then, they have been like sisters.”

Taylor wanted to audition for 1940's mainly to work with director Rachael Rose again:  “Rachael has become one of my best friends between 1940s and Little Shop of Horrors, and I couldn't be happier to be working with her again. She is so supportive and really puts her heart and soul into every aspect of the show she is directing.”  Taylor also expressed a love for Forties music, which has “stunning jazz harmonies that are pretty difficult, but when done right, they sound great. I have always wanted to sing ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ so that definitely drove me to audition. The Forties style is one of my favorites, and the actresses from those days were so wonderful.”

Taylor made her Barn debut this year as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.  Taylor graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree of fine Arts in 2011.  While there, she portrayed Cecile in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, the wicked stepmother in Into The Woods, and Sally in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown!

The 1940s Radio Hour opens November 30th and runs through December 22nd.  Reserved seats for this musical comedy sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.  

Now, Steve King Gets His Kicks Behind the Mike

Steve King as Sinatra wanna-be Johnny Cantone

"For everything we gain in life, there is something we leave behind."  This line from the Summer of '42 has special meaning to Steve King, who plays Johnny Cantone in The 1940s Radio Hour.  Steve regards the 1940s as “a simpler time that sadly we will never see again. All of my mom's brothers served in WWII and couldn't wait to go off and fight for our country. We are here because they were there sacrificing.”  That sense of loss, of something or someone left behind, also shapes Steve’s character.  He describes Johnny Cantone as “the featured vocalist and Frank Sinatra wanna-be. A former welterweight boxer past his prime, he’s very conflicted over whether or not he should stay with a show that he could do in his sleep (or in his case, drunk out of his mind) or to move on to something bigger.”  Similarly, Cantone is torn between two women: “Will he try to go back to his wife Angel who left him years ago or stay with Ann whom he has a strong history with?”

Steve enjoys playing this conflicted character, as Johnny is someone who “gets away with being full of himself because he is suave, cool and talented. I only wish I was that cool in real life. I have been known to trip over my own feet and tongue.”  He credits director Rachael Rose for her patience and for being a great teacher, as singing is a new challenge for Steve: “All my cast members are so talented with so many gifts I just feel lucky to be on the same stage with them.  Singing in this show is so important to me because I want be great at something different. I've been in martial arts my whole life, I'd like to succeed at something that does not involve kicking someone in the head.”  Steve is an accomplished martial artist with over 30 years experience, and he earned his 6th Degree Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do in 2010. Steve has also studied fight choreography at The Action Film Academy.  Steve made his Barn debut last year in A Christmas Carol after a ten-year absence from the stage. He studied acting at Washtenaw Community College and played the role of Gary in I Hate Hamlet at The State Wayne Theater.

The 1940s Radio Hour opens November 30th and runs through December 22nd.  Reserved seats for this musical comedy sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.  

Dave Reinke Finds His 1940s Alter Ego in Stage Manager Lou Cohn

Dave Reinke IS the Stage Manager, Lou Cohn

Sometimes it’s hard to play yourself on stage, but sometimes the shoe fits so well, it’s hard not to.  When Dave Reinke first heard that the Farmington Players were performing The 1940’s Radio Hour, he approached director Rachael Rose about being the stage manager.  In the past 25 years, Dave has stage managed over 30 productions including 12 at the Barn.  As Dave recalls, “Stage managing is one of my favorite jobs backstage.  In speaking to Rachael she instead encouraged me to audition for the part of Lou Cohn, the Stage Manager in the play.  In reading the script I fell in love with the character because I could relate to him.  It was basically me in the 1940s.”

Although Dave is comfortable playing a role that is so close to himself, he has developed Lou’s character and sees him as the “entrepreneur’s entrepreneur.  Big shot.  Always trying to impress Ginger, the waitress whose job here Lou is responsible for. Keeps four or five conversations going at once, and all of them straight.  The surrogate boss during rehearsals which he conducts.  Officious and obnoxious sometimes. Hardass about the seriousness of his job.”   While other characters may aspire to stardom, Dave says that “Lou has no ambitions to be anything else but stage manager. He is perfectly content with a job that has plenty of authority and no responsibility. Cues the audience, Clifton, the band, the performers, performs the sound effects, runs the lights and controls all of the stage ‘effects’.”

Like a real stage manager, Dave faces the challenge of “keeping aware of everything going on as if I was the stage manager of the show.  I also do sound effects as a stage manager for a radio show of that era would be in charge of, so I have to always be on top of things.”  The radio show setting also appealed to Dave because he studied Broadcasting at Central Michigan University and took some history of broadcasting/radio classes.  Dave loves the chance to work with this director, cast and crew, and said “It's been great working with both old and new friends.  It is such an ensemble cast.”

Dave developed his love for stage management at the Purple Rose Theatre Companies Apprenticeship program.  He has been an active member of the Barn since 2003 where he has stage managed such shows as Noises Off, The Producers, A Christmas Story and A Christmas Carol.  Dave’s acting credits include Taming of the Shrew (Barn), Moon Over Buffalo (SRO) and A Man For All Seasons (Birmingham Village Players).  He works in Customer Service for a manufacturing facility and is the proud father of Adam, Hailey, & Brianna.

The 1940s Radio Hour opens November 30th and runs through December 22nd.  Reserved seats for this musical comedy sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.  

Jim Moll Plays “Principal” Role, Onstage and Off

The show must go on! -- Jim Moll as Clifton Feddington

Jim Moll doesn’t do anything small.  From his physical presence to his booming voice, he is larger than life.  No wonder he is such a commanding authority figure, having served as an educator and high school principal for nearly 40 years in the Birmingham and Royal Oak school districts.  Jim brings this same manic energy to his role as Clifton Feddington, one of the principal characters in The 1940s Radio Hour.  Clifton is the master of ceremonies of the radio show.  He is a bundle of nervous energy before the show, but a polished performer once on the air.

As Jim describes his character, “Clifton is an old hand in show business and the driving force behind the weekly radio variety hour. He's a bit of a nudge -- gets pretty worked up before going on the air, but all things seem to settle in once the on the air lights flash. He's at home behind a microphone and, despite his overly theatric nerves, the cast does like and respect him. He cares about the performers and about the ‘boys over there.’” 

By “boys,” Jim refers to the American soldiers fighting in World War II, which is a central theme of the play.  The action takes place in New York City on December 21, 1942, and the play is reminiscent of an actual radio variety show, with songs and commercials from the World War II era, including 40’s favorites such as “Strike Up the Band” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”   The 1940s music really resonates with Jim: “I'm easily the oldest member of the cast - my dad and the rest of his family all fought in WWII.  Forties music was common in my home when I was small, and many of the folks in my generation saw this time as the last time that the country was involved in a war effort that was worth fighting.  The show is a real joy to be a part of -- the music's great, the dialog clever and funny, and my character is a wonderful guy.  I love his hammy-ness when on air and his fluidity while on microphone.  He's a good guy, basically, and he is pretty genuine.” 

While Jim seems very natural on stage as Clifton, he admits that “finding the balance between the before-air and on-air Clifton is a challenge.  He's just so nervous and reactive before he gets in front of the studio audience -- and his mania can't take over for the audience.”   Jim is certainly not shy in front of audiences, having participated for years in Farmington School community musicals.  His Farmington Players’ credits include: You Can’t Take It With You (Paul Sycamore); Leaving Iowa (Dad); The Producers  (Roger DeBris); and To Kill a Mockingbird (Walter Cunningham)

The 1940s Radio Hour opens November 30th and runs through December 22nd.  Reserved seats for this musical comedy sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.  

Dixie Actors Form Ties That Bind

Dixie Swim Club (L to R): Anne Craft is team captain “Sheree;” Erin Osgood is self-absorbed “Lexie;” Debra Rockey is the hard-luck “Vernadette;” Kandi Krumins is naïve ex-nun “Jeri Neal; and Julie Yolles is hard-boiled attorney “Dinah.”

If you are lucky, you have made some friends in this life that you know will always be there for you.  Perhaps you met in school, and maybe you don’t even see each other that often, but whenever you do you pick up right where you left off without missing a beat.  These “best friends forever” friendships are what make life precious.  You can tell your BFFs the truth, even when it hurts, and you can share in each other’s triumphs and tribulations.

The five women in the Dixie Swim Club portray characters that share such friendships.  In fact, the actors have bonded so closely that their mutual admiration makes for a richer experience onstage.  Two actors were kind enough to share some self-realizations and also some personal reflections about their fellow cast mates.  Anne Craft said, “If you know anything about me, you know I am Sheree.  She says the same things I say so I didn't have any trouble getting the tone or emphasis of her words.  I have been accused of organizing the lives of other people.  I have been guilty of making decisions for other people and deciding what was best without consulting them.  I run a tight ship in the make-up room and have firm rules about the costumes.  I have been labeled as ‘particular’ which I think is a nice way to say I'm bossy and a little mean.  Some people are scared of me.  I wish Sheree could be more sexy, or enjoy alcohol more, be a funnier character or perhaps be more naive.  But she is pretty straight and plain.  I see myself as having that same demeanor. I think Sheree is a likeable character and once you get to know her you see how genuine she is.  The same could be said for me.  It isn't necessarily easy playing a character so similar to yourself.”

   

Of her fellow actors, Anne observed that “Erin's character (Lexie) is very over the top at times, and she takes the spotlight whenever she can.  Kandi's 77-year-old Jeri Neal is fabulous.  She has the stiffness and shakiness of an elderly person.  Debra is a true storyteller.  Her tales of woe are meaningful and you can see that her character is sad about her life, but won't let that get her down.  Julie found a routine and her professionalism shines through.  She plays Dinah perfectly.  I think as a whole, I have learned that each woman is truly dedicated to the craft and to this show.  In Dixie I have learned that while my character is the least glamorous, I am a necessary character and need to be the straight gal in order for the other four to shine.”

Debra (a/k/a “Rockey”) notes that “each actor is cast perfectly to her persona.  Erin is Sexy Lexie.  Anne is extremely organized.  Julie was born with an ego and to be a diva.  Kandi is as authentic and whole as they come.  I always see the comedic side of life.”

While Rockey has befriended the entire cast, she feels that her character Vernadette connects the best “with Lexie, because I am the anti-Lexie – the total opposite of all she is and stands for. I also connect with Jeri Neal, because of her vulnerability and honesty. Combine these characters behaviors and you have Vernie - she is as comfortable in her skin as Lexie is in hers.  And Vern just tells it as it is – ‘what you see is what you get.’” Rockey is quick to note that “I also love Dinah and Sheree - as the team and the experience would not be the same without them.”

How does the real life Rockey relate to her character Vernadette?  Rockey said, “I was never the cute girl, or the popular girl, or the rich girl growing up.  I relied on my wit and boldness to get me through situations. No matter what is thrown in my path, I charge ahead.  So ... my pre-30 days were all Vernadette-building.  After 30, I figured out that this personality worked very well in the business world, so I let 'er rip!”

The Dixie Swim Club concludes October 25th – 27th.  Reserved seats for this comedy sponsored by Mall, Malisow & Cooney, P.C. are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.  

Kandi Brings Out Sweetness in her Dixie Alter Ego

Kandi Krumins is all sweetness and light
 as the fun former nun, Jeri Neal McFeeley

Kandi Krumins’ character in the Dixie Swim Club is Jeri Neal McFeeley, a former nun who has been called a “ditzy ray of sunshine.”  Kandi admits that she “struggled, at first, to find Jeri Neal.  In real life, ditzy women rather annoy me, and sometimes Jeri Neal says some things that sound ditzy. However, she's just naive.  I had to learn to give her a break, love her for who and what she is, and watch her grow into herself.”  

Kandi brings creativity and imagination to her portrayal of Jeri Neal, whose character really matures (literally and emotionally) during the course of the play.  Jeri Neal goes from pregnant nun, to unwed mother, to the bride of a younger man during the course of the play.  And with each scene, Jeri Neal grows up a little more.  As Kandi says, “Jeri Neal is the positive thinker in the group that's full of sunshiny love.  She's also the late bloomer in the group, off to a later start than her friends, but continually makes choices throughout the show that surprise them.  What I enjoy most about Jeri Neal is her ‘cup is half full’ way of looking at life.  No matter what happens, she ends up being positive; the one who reminds everyone about the good in life.”

Kandi’s own positive outlook is a great fit for Jeri Neal, and sometimes it’s hard to know who is rubbing off on whom.  Kandi “believes that if you truly ‘get into’ a character, you have the ability to take some part of that character with you and incorporate it, if you choose, into your own personality.  That said, the more I play Jeri Neal, the more I'm thrilled to have gotten her role!  I think that most of us could use a little more Jeri Neal in our lives.  I hope to keep as much of her alive as possible when the show's over.”

Kandi “wanted to be in the Dixie Swim Club because they are a diverse group that loves each other despite their differences.”  She finds it “humorous that the cast seems to be as diverse in real life as we are on stage, but that we still have a great bond.  In many ways it feels like we HAVE known each other our whole lives.  As we have spent increasingly more time together, the show has come more and more to life. Playing off my fellow cast members' emotions has become a rush.  I also find it humorous how Tim and Rick, being fine actors themselves, have become more of our ‘coach’ and ‘assistant coach’ than director and assistant director. After voluntarily directing a cast consisting of five diverse, headstrong women (and we are), they both deserve medals of their own.”

Kandi last graced the Barn stage a year ago as the adult Jean Louise Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird.

The Dixie Swim Club runs through October 27th.  Reserved seats for this comedy sponsored by Mall, Malisow & Cooney, P.C. are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955. Find us on Facebook under “Farmington Players.”