My Favorite Musicals

Watching the wonderful Willy Wonka last weekend, I began to think about how it actually ranked within the musicals that I had been in or seen over the years.

For this post, I am not considering professional productions, either stage nor screen, but instead just community theatre and school productions

PRODUCTIONS I HAVE BEEN IN

3)  The Wizard of Oz, Flying Dragon  first year edition - playing the part of the Wizard was one of the great highlights of my life, made especially joyful by my son Benjamin playing the Cowardly Lion.

2) It's Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman - done by my high school, Bridgeport High, when I was a junior. I played the Mad Scientist villain  and it's the first time I really got to chew some scenery.  Great cast, especially with the lead played by Tim Deneau, the school's only All Area football star, playing Superman.  He was a great singer and actor, a brilliant scholar and athlete  and a kind and good person.  The perfect Superman!

1)  The 1940s Radio Musical Hour  - performed by WACT (Waycross Area Community Theater), I have never been in a more perfectly cast show from the biggest part to the smallest walk on, including Gus Darden, Lindy Newton, Tanya Pratt and Tommy Cribb.  The show was brilliantly directed by John Youmans, showing his multi-talented gifts in not only directing and performing, but also in filling in in the band when needed!

PRODUCTIONS I HAVE SEEN

1) Once Upon A Mattress -  performed by my high school, Bridgeport High, this is the one that started it all.  Watching my fabulous next door neighbor, Barb Bloomfield,  perform the lead, brilliantly channeling the best of Carol Burnett with the singing strength of Barbra Streisand and the charm of Julie Andrew, I knew this was something I was going to have to do.  Also watching the great non-verbal performance of the boy who played the King showed me how much one good do onstage without saying a word.

2) Willy Wonka - (WACT) a fantastic show, both in performance and in visuals.  Great cast covering a wide range of ages, it centered on Taylor Hereford as Willy Wonka, and I'm not sure anyone could have done better.  This just finished it's run last weekend and if you were in the area and did not come to see it - shame on you, you missed the best!

1) Hairspray - (WACT) this one absolutely took my breath away.  I found it hard to believe that this was an amateur performance, and not a professional troupe that had decided to visit Waycross.  Many, many supremely cast performers, including Michelle Lagoueyte as Penny, Blake Kildow as the love interest (sorry - for got the character name), Brock Gillard as the Dad, and Scotty (I'll have to look this one up too) as the Mama.  But it was Chelsea Nelson as Tracy that took this show to a whole new level, moving from a ten to an off the scales eleven.  It was the first WACT show I saw where all the leads were miked and it made a huge difference.  All the actors were able to project naturally, allowing them to put more character into their part.


UPDATE:  I have to add Spamalot,  which I  saw performed by the Island Players November 1, 2013.  It is the most I have ever laughed in the theatre!  Awesome show, very well performed!


UPDATE UPDATE: Last year I was in my first musical since, well, Shenandoah (something like 2001?).  It was The Music Man and starred the very talented Taylor Hereford of, Willy Wonka fame.  For me, it was a cautionary tale about the dangers of con men, but I'm not sure everyone else saw it that way. It did give me an opportunity to do a musical with my son, Benjamin,  It was hard to fit in during tax season, but it was worth to be onstage with my son.

Hairspray remains my number one favorite, and now WACT is preparing to do it again!  Come see it this March!


That was fun!  In the near future, I will try to do the same thing for comedies and dramas!