CURTAIN CALL 

Stony Hill Players 

JANUARY 2011

President’s Message

Dear Members and Subscribers,

This may not be a full Newsletter but I wanted to let you know how things are going at SHP.  First of all CARMEN, CARMEN, CARMEN – we are all hard at work getting ready for this major production.  As always, we have wonderful singers - you may want to come twice in order to hear both casts!  Our conductor is Jason Tramm, one of the most respected conductors in NJ.  Rick Roberts is the director (and very talented scenery designer) and he is fast becoming an expert on the opera. Please refer to your blue brochure for dates and times—well, just in case you have misplaced it:

Feb. 5,6,11,12,13,18,19,20 – Fri. & Sat at 8PM and Sun. at 3PM

You may make a reservation by calling me at 908-665-1376.

The December production of “Bye, Bye Birdie” was not very successful money wise, mainly due to the necessity of having an expensive microphone system for the young people.  However, it was very successful artistically and audience wise.  We had large audiences and they enjoyed the show very much ( and that was not just grandparents!).  Our thanks to Jayne Myers, Randy Parker and Bill Houpt. 

Auditions for our May show, “Isn’t it Romantic” (sounds perfect for May doesn’t  it?) have started.  Naomi Yablonsky will be our director again and you all know how talented she is especially with fast moving shows of wit and wisdom.

The play-reading committee is working on the shows for next year.  If you have any suggestions, we welcome them.  Send to me at dembaugh@verizon.net  or call 908-665-1376, and I will see that they get on the agenda.  We look for a mystery, a drama or comedy and an opera or operetta type musical.

If this gets much longer, it will be a full newsletter.  Please help us make “Carmen” the success that it and Bizet deserve.  It is an opera good for first timers and, “old timers” never tire of it.  Make your reservation soon and bring a friend or three - they will thank you for it and maybe take you to dinner.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Jean Dembaugh, President

 We are also part of the Tri County Community Theatre Association.  You may check the website at www.tricountycta.org  Our partners in theatre include Summit Playhouse, Westfield Community Players, Maplewood Strollers, Cranford Dramatic Club, Florham Park Players

Nutley Little Theatre, Livingston Community Players, Chester Theatre Group and Hexagon Players (Mendham)

We strive to help each other with sharing props, furniture, costumes and even members when needed for a hard-to-fill-part. 

Notes:

We are very fortunate this year with the talent/experience we have had working with us on our productions.  And most have connections with the Summit area. 

Jayne Myers, who directed ” Bye, Bye Birdie”, teaches in the Summit School System and has directed plays within that system.  She also directed the highly successful “Annie” last year. Randy Parker, the producer lives in Summit and has produced and acted in numerous productions.  He also performs in various music - based productions throughout the area.

Bill Houpt, the ever ready accompany man, lends his talent to various community theater groups and leads his own choral group.

Jason Tramm first worked with us on some G&S productions and then expanded his education that led to numerous conducting appointments with chorus and orchestra concerts: the historic summer concerts at Ocean Grove, Coro Lirico, the Summit Music Festival and most recently, the New Jersey State Opera.      DCL

If you have information to share with us for future newsletters, please forward to dembaugh@verizon.net

AND REMEMBER, GROUPS CAN BUY OUT A PERFORMANCE FOR FUNDRAISING.