by Kim ThomasOn Sunday, two weeks before the opening of the first show of this year's SummerFest, photographer Tom Eisenhauer and I did our summer best to get ourselves to rehearsal for all three, take photos without disturbing the artistic process, talk to some of the players, and catch a glimpse to share. When you hear the expression, "there's a little of something for everyone," you may be skeptical, but rest assured, this time you will be happy to spend a small fee for this kind of quality theatre. After all, in this day and age and economy, you want to spend your entertainment dollars wisely, get the biggest ding for your dollar, funnel for your cake, so to speak!
(all photographs of SummerFest rehearsals courtesy of Thomas Eisenhauer Photography)
SummerFest President Joe Cannon Artz, anticipates a warm reception from people of all walks and ages of life with this year’s offerings of Henry IV, Part I (opens July 8) Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (July 15), and Once On This Island (July 22). SummerFesters will indeed enjoy a broad spectrum of entertainment, from the seriously funny Shakespearean drama of a king and his battles within his kingdom and his family; to the twisted humor and obvious fascination we all have with the Dr. Jekyll in us and our darker, Mr. Hyde side; then ultimately so
othed with the music messages of acceptance and reconciliation found in the musical journey Once On This Island. The need for dramatic diversion and musical healing has been apparent in this past week, as comfort has been brought to scores of fans going through the grief process of losing a beloved comedian, a cherished and courageous actress, and stunningly, one of the most popular musicians ever to live.
othed with the music messages of acceptance and reconciliation found in the musical journey Once On This Island. The need for dramatic diversion and musical healing has been apparent in this past week, as comfort has been brought to scores of fans going through the grief process of losing a beloved comedian, a cherished and courageous actress, and stunningly, one of the most popular musicians ever to live. Artz believes it's possible for everyone to experience SummerFest, in its third year at the Arboretum. Apart from providing stage entertainment for the masses, SummerFest nurtures the actors of the future by providing young performers with the experience of working with fight choreographers and drama coaches. It has been an interesting year for Lexington’s arts community.
He adds, "To say that times are tough would be an understatement. It is difficult to run an arts organization even in the best of times. The long and winding road to financial sustainability is often difficult to navigate, but how do you produce a three-show, outdoor theatre festival when everyone is dealing with one of the most terrifying financial times in recent memory? I’ll tell you what we did. We turned to our friends and neighbors. They say that your friends will stick with you no matter what. I now say the same thing with enthusiasm, vigor, and gratitude. SummerFest 2009 has been funded because of our Board’s personal friendships with best kind of people. Our friends have become our sponsors and they’ve given without question or hesitation because they believe in us and they believe that what we’re doing is important. Such a small group of people made this possible. Over 18,000 people come out to enjoy SummerFest each year. Certainly there are some new friends to be made? Certainly there are people in our community that would like to get involved? SummerFest has always been community event. Produced by the community for the community. I invite anyone to come and play a part or get involved."
“A plague of all cowards, I say, and a vengeance too! marry, and amen ! ... A plague of all cowards ! — Give me a cup of sack, rogue!” Falstaff, Henry IV, Part I – by William Shakespeare
SummerFest: Henry IV, Part I
Gates open at the Arboretum at 7:00 pm. Performances begin at 8:45 pm, Wednesday, July 8 7:00pm at The Arboretum. Gates Open Wednesday through Sunday. General Admission Tickets and Reserved Seating are available at the gate.
Phone Reservations: (859)608-3805. Price: General admission: $10 adults, $5 children 0-12. Reserved seating: $12 chair, $49 blanket area for four.
In a tough economy, it seems that we see more of the good and more of the bad in people. We can allow ourselves to be fooled for a while by people’s behavior, but William Shak
espeare provides insights that help us understand the people we are dealing with. Proof positive is SummerFest’s first offering of Henry IV, Part I. For a small price, audiences of all ages will enjoy being treated to Walter Tunis playing the role of Falstaff with comedic gusto and Henry V mischievously portrayed by Trent Fucci. Spicing up the already heavily talent-peppered play with their contributions are other area stage veterans Eric Johnson (Henry IV) and Joe Gatton (Sir Walter Blount).
Gatton is glad to be working with old friends Johnson and Ferrell again, but is quick to give credit to the entire cast. “Everybody is doing a great job, especially Walter Tunis. He is amazing as Falstaff.” Gatton laughs at the challenges of outdoor theatre. “I saw in the New York Times review of the Twelfth Night production with Anne Hathaway, etc., how they had to deal with bugs, planes, ambulances etc. I’m glad the big boys have the same issues!” He also recalls Shakespeare Festivals past, and how actors had to at times incorporate the natural ‘additions’ to the show. “Back in the good old days, at Woodland Park, we'd have a dog come up on stage once in awhile. Jeff Sherr (who is also in this show as Bardolph) and I were going to do some shtick with a Black Lab who came on stage and hung around during Taming of the Shrew once. That doesn't happen at the Arboretum.”
Joe Ferrell directs Shakespeare’s most popular play (in print as well as on stage), and when we visited rehearsal at the Arboretum on Sunday evening, he and the cast were busy re-writing a tavern scene (according to Ferrell “perhaps the longest scene Shakespeare ever wrote”). Leading up to that scene is the story of King Henry IV. In Henry IV, we find Henry Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV (played by Eric Johnson), having an unquiet reign, having gained the crown by deposing Richard II. His trouble and strife might be resolved should he advance a crusade to the Holy Land, however border battles with Scotland and Wales keep his forces embroiled in conflict and prevent him from waging his war. Adding to his predicament is the behavior of his son and heir the Prince of Wales (future Henry V). Henry V, or “Hal” has forsaken the Royal Court to fritter away his time in taverns with companions of dubious moral character. Hal’s conduct makes him an object of scorn t
o the nobles and thus, his royal worthiness is called into question. Hal's best friend and perfect foil in living the low life is Sir John Falstaff. Walter Tunis plays the part of the lovable, stout and shady Falstaff with all the charisma, charm and zest for life needed to captivate the audience, as well as any future King. It’s easy to see why Prince Hal is drawn to Falstaff. It is Falstaff’s charisma that captivates the Prince, who is weary of the grave nature of royal hypocrisy. Therefore, at the center of the play are the young Prince Hal and his companions Falstaff, Poins, Bardolph, and Peto.
These quick-witted squanderers use the colors of comedy to paint over this grim history, and it’s a treat to watch Tunis in action as his Falstaff commands his group of scoundrels. Trent Fucci’s playful Henry V teases and taunts Falstaff throughout the tavern scene, delights in the spiking of Falstaff’s ‘cup of sack’ (sherry) and provokes the gentle mock battle against Falstaff with his fellow rapscallions.
This tavern scene was perfect for observing the brilliance of Director Joe Ferrell, who often would stop an actor to help them enhance their role, asking them to laugh more, talk more, have another cup of sack at the ready for Falstaff’s drunken tirade, use the confusion of the scene to promote the mood rather than try to make it neat and tidy. Ferrell encourages each player to do so in order to “have more fun.”
Ferrell emphasizes, “We are setting the play in its true historical setting -- I much prefer this, and to do so seems to me to provide an historical setting that matches the historical context and story that Shakespeare dramatizes, although, like most good story tellers, he surely compresses time, includes only those characters who interest him and move the story along, and, yes, he even lies a little -- the prime example here being the fact that Prince Hal did not kill Hotspur and thus become a hero at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403.”
SummerFest: Henry IV, Part I
Gates open at the Arboretum at 7:00 pm. Performances begin at 8:45 pm, Wednesday, July 8 7:00pm at The Arboretum. Gates Open Wednesday through Sunday. General Admission Tickets and Reserved Seating are available at the gate.
Phone Reservations: (859)608-3805. Price: General admission: $10 adults, $5 children 0-12. Reserved seating: $12 chair, $49 blanket area for four.
In a tough economy, it seems that we see more of the good and more of the bad in people. We can allow ourselves to be fooled for a while by people’s behavior, but William Shak
espeare provides insights that help us understand the people we are dealing with. Proof positive is SummerFest’s first offering of Henry IV, Part I. For a small price, audiences of all ages will enjoy being treated to Walter Tunis playing the role of Falstaff with comedic gusto and Henry V mischievously portrayed by Trent Fucci. Spicing up the already heavily talent-peppered play with their contributions are other area stage veterans Eric Johnson (Henry IV) and Joe Gatton (Sir Walter Blount).Gatton is glad to be working with old friends Johnson and Ferrell again, but is quick to give credit to the entire cast. “Everybody is doing a great job, especially Walter Tunis. He is amazing as Falstaff.” Gatton laughs at the challenges of outdoor theatre. “I saw in the New York Times review of the Twelfth Night production with Anne Hathaway, etc., how they had to deal with bugs, planes, ambulances etc. I’m glad the big boys have the same issues!” He also recalls Shakespeare Festivals past, and how actors had to at times incorporate the natural ‘additions’ to the show. “Back in the good old days, at Woodland Park, we'd have a dog come up on stage once in awhile. Jeff Sherr (who is also in this show as Bardolph) and I were going to do some shtick with a Black Lab who came on stage and hung around during Taming of the Shrew once. That doesn't happen at the Arboretum.”
Joe Ferrell directs Shakespeare’s most popular play (in print as well as on stage), and when we visited rehearsal at the Arboretum on Sunday evening, he and the cast were busy re-writing a tavern scene (according to Ferrell “perhaps the longest scene Shakespeare ever wrote”). Leading up to that scene is the story of King Henry IV. In Henry IV, we find Henry Bolingbroke, now King Henry IV (played by Eric Johnson), having an unquiet reign, having gained the crown by deposing Richard II. His trouble and strife might be resolved should he advance a crusade to the Holy Land, however border battles with Scotland and Wales keep his forces embroiled in conflict and prevent him from waging his war. Adding to his predicament is the behavior of his son and heir the Prince of Wales (future Henry V). Henry V, or “Hal” has forsaken the Royal Court to fritter away his time in taverns with companions of dubious moral character. Hal’s conduct makes him an object of scorn t
o the nobles and thus, his royal worthiness is called into question. Hal's best friend and perfect foil in living the low life is Sir John Falstaff. Walter Tunis plays the part of the lovable, stout and shady Falstaff with all the charisma, charm and zest for life needed to captivate the audience, as well as any future King. It’s easy to see why Prince Hal is drawn to Falstaff. It is Falstaff’s charisma that captivates the Prince, who is weary of the grave nature of royal hypocrisy. Therefore, at the center of the play are the young Prince Hal and his companions Falstaff, Poins, Bardolph, and Peto.These quick-witted squanderers use the colors of comedy to paint over this grim history, and it’s a treat to watch Tunis in action as his Falstaff commands his group of scoundrels. Trent Fucci’s playful Henry V teases and taunts Falstaff throughout the tavern scene, delights in the spiking of Falstaff’s ‘cup of sack’ (sherry) and provokes the gentle mock battle against Falstaff with his fellow rapscallions.
This tavern scene was perfect for observing the brilliance of Director Joe Ferrell, who often would stop an actor to help them enhance their role, asking them to laugh more, talk more, have another cup of sack at the ready for Falstaff’s drunken tirade, use the confusion of the scene to promote the mood rather than try to make it neat and tidy. Ferrell encourages each player to do so in order to “have more fun.”
Ferrell emphasizes, “We are setting the play in its true historical setting -- I much prefer this, and to do so seems to me to provide an historical setting that matches the historical context and story that Shakespeare dramatizes, although, like most good story tellers, he surely compresses time, includes only those characters who interest him and move the story along, and, yes, he even lies a little -- the prime example here being the fact that Prince Hal did not kill Hotspur and thus become a hero at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403.”
“Messages are a function of both the plot/story of a play, and also the way in which we are shown the chief characters of a play who move the plot,” advises Ferrell. “I think that, in this the first year of a new U.S. President, one who is dealing with economic chaos, two war/conflict fronts, and is trying to push through major new legislation, Henry IV offers up a country which is also in some chaos, rebels are plotting against the King and will go to war, King Henry has not succeeded to the throne in an acceptable manner (he has deposed Richard II) and thus must prove himself a leader, and he must also bring his absent debauching son, Hal, back into the fold to support him. In 2009, therefore, we have a chance to examine with Shakespeare the characteristics of leadership -- what is good and bad -- what is needed to lead a country, AND with the very important comedic elements of the play (close to half) we also get Falstaff's everyman perspective on war, honor, country, etc.--much in the same way I suppose we could say that Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, etc. entertain us in a political nature! Hal, I think is to be seen as an amalgam of Hotspur, the hot-tempered warrior leader of the rebels -- too quick to fight --and Falstaff who wants to do anything but fight, and who sees the real futility of war, but sometimes it is necessary. Hal will become the effective leader, both attractive and cynical, pragmatic and idealistic as we move through the story of Henry IV and Henry V.”
SummerFest
SummerFest is an effort designed to keep Shakespeare and outdoor theatre alive and well in Lexington. It represents a collaboration of civic, cultural, and educational leaders. In conjunction with the University of Kentucky, SummerFest extends opportunities for young artists to study in an intensive summer immersion program with a curriculum covering the full spectrum of theatre practice and study.
SummerFest continues the tradition of outdoor theatre at the Arboretum and provides a venue for conservatory students to act alongside s
ome of Lexington's most beloved artists. Students will have opportunities to learn and coach roles from various musical theater productions and to work with talented professionals who will challenge and inspire them.
SummerFest
SummerFest is an effort designed to keep Shakespeare and outdoor theatre alive and well in Lexington. It represents a collaboration of civic, cultural, and educational leaders. In conjunction with the University of Kentucky, SummerFest extends opportunities for young artists to study in an intensive summer immersion program with a curriculum covering the full spectrum of theatre practice and study.
SummerFest continues the tradition of outdoor theatre at the Arboretum and provides a venue for conservatory students to act alongside s
ome of Lexington's most beloved artists. Students will have opportunities to learn and coach roles from various musical theater productions and to work with talented professionals who will challenge and inspire them. Joe Artz is excited about the organization’s future. “We are positioning ourselves to become a year-round producer of performance arts training and educational opportunities along with live theatre.”
With veteran directors Margo Buchanan (Once On This Island) and Patty Heying (Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde) at the helm of those two productions, Ferrell’s role as an Producing Director (in addition to directing Henry IV, Part I) for SummerFest is invaluable as he oversees each show and ensures the continuity of quality education and entertainment throughout the entire festival. This year’s compilation is sure to delight as SummerFest begins with Shakespeare’s historical exposition, followed by a relatively new (to local audiences) version of the classic Jekyll/Hyde tale, and finally in late July, SummerFest will be rounded out by an enchanting musical described by some as Romeo & Juliet meets The Little Mermaid.
“Both Lexington Shakespeare Festival and now SummerFest have done musicals, and generally have ended the season with them -- I think that this year's group of plays is unique in that all the offerings are first rate theatre, but are not the plays that are done over and over and over (this is good in my opinion), we are offering our audience three very different shows, but ones that I believe will offer everyone a chance to examine our world, both as individuals who live in it, and as people who must try to understand it -- these productions offer something for everyone -- offer food for thought, offer wonderful music and compelling performers, offer markedly diverse worlds and characters which will move jour audience's heart and soul and brain -- people, I think, will want to come back and re-experience this diversity -- with Once On This Island, we also offer a kind of diverse cast the extent of which has not been seen for quite a while!”
"'I incline to Cain's heresy,' he used to say quaintly: 'I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.' " - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Chapter 1, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dr. Jekyll & M
r. Hyde: Gates open at the Arboretum at 7:00 pm, performances begin at 8:45 pm, Wednesday, July 15 7:00pm.
Next in the SummerFest lineup is Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, familiar to audiences due to its vivid portrayal of the sense that within the same person, there is both an apparently good and an evil personality, each being quite distinct from the other. Jeffrey Hatcher adapted Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 best-selling novella to include not just one Mr. Hyde, but four…and part of that intrigue is that one of the four Hydes is a female.
“Both Lexington Shakespeare Festival and now SummerFest have done musicals, and generally have ended the season with them -- I think that this year's group of plays is unique in that all the offerings are first rate theatre, but are not the plays that are done over and over and over (this is good in my opinion), we are offering our audience three very different shows, but ones that I believe will offer everyone a chance to examine our world, both as individuals who live in it, and as people who must try to understand it -- these productions offer something for everyone -- offer food for thought, offer wonderful music and compelling performers, offer markedly diverse worlds and characters which will move jour audience's heart and soul and brain -- people, I think, will want to come back and re-experience this diversity -- with Once On This Island, we also offer a kind of diverse cast the extent of which has not been seen for quite a while!”
"'I incline to Cain's heresy,' he used to say quaintly: 'I let my brother go to the devil in his own way.' " - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Chapter 1, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dr. Jekyll & M
r. Hyde: Gates open at the Arboretum at 7:00 pm, performances begin at 8:45 pm, Wednesday, July 15 7:00pm.Next in the SummerFest lineup is Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, familiar to audiences due to its vivid portrayal of the sense that within the same person, there is both an apparently good and an evil personality, each being quite distinct from the other. Jeffrey Hatcher adapted Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 best-selling novella to include not just one Mr. Hyde, but four…and part of that intrigue is that one of the four Hydes is a female.
Patty Heying directs the cast of characters played by Bob Singleton (Jekyll) and Adam Luckey (Lanyon and Hyde 3) as well as Susan Wigglesworth, who steals the show in her myriad roles and comedic take on various moments in the play, to the point of momentarily taking Singleton and Luckey out of character and causing them to 
break out in laughter during rehearsal. With the mid-day sun beating down on them, it was not surprising to see the players take measures to protect themselves from heat exhaustion. Kim Dixon (Elizabeth) collapsed on a nearby blanket, covering her head as soon as her character exited, but cheerfully gathered up her energy to scramble back onstage for her scenes. Heying, who works for the Department of Public Advocacy in Frankfort, kept the energy level up as she helped make the scenes easier to take in by rearranging the actors, props and asking for more or less emphasis as the acts developed. Heying’s involvement in SummerFest apparently does not end with the direction of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, though, as later in the day she appeared at the Once On This Island rehearsal, sporting a fine pink sunburn that somewhat matched my own, ready to meet with Haitian dialect coaches to assist the cast of the Caribbean musical.
Bob Singleton is also no stranger to Lexington’s theatre goers. He confidently explains that he has no difficulty adjusting to the four actors playing the four different Mr. Hydes. “It’s not very tricky, in that all the actors are playing the same character. Of course, they are each putting their own stamp on their ‘version’ of Hyde, and they are emphasizing different elements of Hyde (i.e., although all are sinister, one is more playful, one is more sensual, etc.), but I haven’t really noticed a different type of challenge to working in this manner. I think it helps to be working with talented people who are relishing the opportunity to play such a character…they give me a lot to play off of and hopefully that works both ways. And maybe that’s the trick, if there is one…to not think of it as one Hyde, but to work with, use, and respond to what each individual actor brings to the different scenes and scenarios.”
break out in laughter during rehearsal. With the mid-day sun beating down on them, it was not surprising to see the players take measures to protect themselves from heat exhaustion. Kim Dixon (Elizabeth) collapsed on a nearby blanket, covering her head as soon as her character exited, but cheerfully gathered up her energy to scramble back onstage for her scenes. Heying, who works for the Department of Public Advocacy in Frankfort, kept the energy level up as she helped make the scenes easier to take in by rearranging the actors, props and asking for more or less emphasis as the acts developed. Heying’s involvement in SummerFest apparently does not end with the direction of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, though, as later in the day she appeared at the Once On This Island rehearsal, sporting a fine pink sunburn that somewhat matched my own, ready to meet with Haitian dialect coaches to assist the cast of the Caribbean musical.Bob Singleton is also no stranger to Lexington’s theatre goers. He confidently explains that he has no difficulty adjusting to the four actors playing the four different Mr. Hydes. “It’s not very tricky, in that all the actors are playing the same character. Of course, they are each putting their own stamp on their ‘version’ of Hyde, and they are emphasizing different elements of Hyde (i.e., although all are sinister, one is more playful, one is more sensual, etc.), but I haven’t really noticed a different type of challenge to working in this manner. I think it helps to be working with talented people who are relishing the opportunity to play such a character…they give me a lot to play off of and hopefully that works both ways. And maybe that’s the trick, if there is one…to not think of it as one Hyde, but to work with, use, and respond to what each individual actor brings to the different scenes and scenarios.”
This is Singleton’s first SummerFest appearance however he did perform in the AGL/Equus Run production of Love’s Labour’s Lost in 2007. “It certainly compares to the AGL/Equus Run production in terms of the performance/production style. Movements, gestures, everything has to be bigger, more broad, so that it reaches the people that are a ways back. Subtlety isn’t going to read…but at the same time, there is a fine line, in the sense that you want the characters to reverberate, to ring true.”
Singleton admits the character of Jekyll is similar to some other roles he has played that either have a double-identity, or at least a certain duality to the character. “Many well-written characters are drawn so well that there is a certain amount of dissonance to their personality traits…if not two-sided, certainly complicated and conflicting aspects. In this case, the battle between the ‘good’ side and the ‘evil’ side is certainly played out much more overtly, more literally I guess you could say. But it is also separate from most other roles I’ve performed in that Jekyll’s ‘internal’ battle is actually externalized, and that it plays out against and with another actor (or actors, in this case).”
Singleton admits the character of Jekyll is similar to some other roles he has played that either have a double-identity, or at least a certain duality to the character. “Many well-written characters are drawn so well that there is a certain amount of dissonance to their personality traits…if not two-sided, certainly complicated and conflicting aspects. In this case, the battle between the ‘good’ side and the ‘evil’ side is certainly played out much more overtly, more literally I guess you could say. But it is also separate from most other roles I’ve performed in that Jekyll’s ‘internal’ battle is actually externalized, and that it plays out against and with another actor (or actors, in this case).”
Get your Jekyll on and Hyde some wine, cheese and a blanket for this great show. With all the elements coming together, you won’t have to argue with yourself over whether to go or not. We’re all fascinated with our own dark side; this is a chance to watch it from the outside-in.
You've never been away from the sea, child; You're gonna need a helping hand;A fish has got to learn to swim on land! from “Mama Will Provide” – from Once On This Island, words by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty
Once On This Island: Gates open at the Arboretum at 7:00 pm. Performances begin at 8:45 pm, Wednesday, July 22 7:00pm at The Arboretum, Lexington, KY
Gates Open Wed
nesday through Sunday General Admission Tickets and Reserved Seating are available at the gate. Phone Reservations: (859)608-3805. Price: General admission: $10 adults, $5 children 0-12. Reserved seating: $12 chair, $49 blanket area for four.
UK Opera great Alicia McCorvey, show-stopper Peggy Stamps, triple threat Taylor Eldred and charming vocalist Manuel Castillo are all familiar names on area stages. Their voices and talents are pooled along many others in Director Margo Buchanan’s superbly selected ensemble to bring the magical musical journey of Once On This Island, a Caribbean tale of human passages. Once On This Island will serve as a marvelous grand finale and complete the SummerFest triune experience. Buchanan has an ease with such performers, has a fine voice herself, and was organizing the performers in the rehearsal hall when we arrived on Sunday afternoon into a human pyramid, a life-filled tree that supports and saves the title character from a terrible storm.
The story begins, appropriately, on a stormy night. The thunder rumbles and roars, making a small girl cry in fear. To comfort her, four storytellers tell her the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who falls in love with a grand homme, Daniel Beauxhomme. This is a story of life, pain, love, grief, and faith.
As Armand, Manuel Castillo portrays the character of the "Tale of the Beauxhomme," a high class Frenchman living (perhaps governing) in Haiti. “Armand is married to a beautiful blond woman, and has a son with a black girl. When this son grows up, they fight against e
ach other; Armand is defeated and send back to France, but before leaving, he curses his son and all the Beauxhommes in the island.”Recently seen in UK Opera’s ambitious production of Lucia di Lammermoor, Castillo has only performed once before in an outdoor venue, in the highlights of West Side Story, but realizes the outdoor arena is a test of ability. “It was fun, but the challenges of an open space are bigger since the performers have to catch-and-keep the audience's attention from ‘going out the window’ …well ... you get the idea, there are no boundaries that can separate the illusion as opposed to the Opera House, where you have a curtain to make change of stage and stuff. In this open space, many times the changes happen at the sight of the audience. That means that any movement done on the stage needs to as accurate as possible to carry-on the story without losing its meaning.”
Once On This Island: Gates open at the Arboretum at 7:00 pm. Performances begin at 8:45 pm, Wednesday, July 22 7:00pm at The Arboretum, Lexington, KY
Gates Open Wed
nesday through Sunday General Admission Tickets and Reserved Seating are available at the gate. Phone Reservations: (859)608-3805. Price: General admission: $10 adults, $5 children 0-12. Reserved seating: $12 chair, $49 blanket area for four.UK Opera great Alicia McCorvey, show-stopper Peggy Stamps, triple threat Taylor Eldred and charming vocalist Manuel Castillo are all familiar names on area stages. Their voices and talents are pooled along many others in Director Margo Buchanan’s superbly selected ensemble to bring the magical musical journey of Once On This Island, a Caribbean tale of human passages. Once On This Island will serve as a marvelous grand finale and complete the SummerFest triune experience. Buchanan has an ease with such performers, has a fine voice herself, and was organizing the performers in the rehearsal hall when we arrived on Sunday afternoon into a human pyramid, a life-filled tree that supports and saves the title character from a terrible storm.
The story begins, appropriately, on a stormy night. The thunder rumbles and roars, making a small girl cry in fear. To comfort her, four storytellers tell her the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who falls in love with a grand homme, Daniel Beauxhomme. This is a story of life, pain, love, grief, and faith.
As Armand, Manuel Castillo portrays the character of the "Tale of the Beauxhomme," a high class Frenchman living (perhaps governing) in Haiti. “Armand is married to a beautiful blond woman, and has a son with a black girl. When this son grows up, they fight against e
ach other; Armand is defeated and send back to France, but before leaving, he curses his son and all the Beauxhommes in the island.”Recently seen in UK Opera’s ambitious production of Lucia di Lammermoor, Castillo has only performed once before in an outdoor venue, in the highlights of West Side Story, but realizes the outdoor arena is a test of ability. “It was fun, but the challenges of an open space are bigger since the performers have to catch-and-keep the audience's attention from ‘going out the window’ …well ... you get the idea, there are no boundaries that can separate the illusion as opposed to the Opera House, where you have a curtain to make change of stage and stuff. In this open space, many times the changes happen at the sight of the audience. That means that any movement done on the stage needs to as accurate as possible to carry-on the story without losing its meaning.”However, Castillo finds comfort in the fact that he has worked with Tai-Kristin (Ti-moune, a peasant girl who tries to break the social barrier), Luther Lewis (Agwe, God of Water) and Taylor Eldred (Andrea, Madame Armand) before. “They all are wonderful performers...we were part of the last UKOT production of Lucia di Lammermoor in the spring. The entire cast of Once On This Island is wonderful and full of energy. It is a great mix of singers, actors and dancers, we all put our best effort and complement each other as best as we can, which results in a wonderful environment to work with and to create a better play. The whole team is wonderful and friendly, that is always a plus!”The message, according to Castillo, “is a simple one, that becomes complicated...it is about love, loving our differences, accepting them and make things work for the best. It is, in a way, a sad story since Ti-moune dies, but I am certain the show will leave the audience a good taste of human interaction: which values we think they are good, but in fact, are not…and vice versa.”
What you can do to support SummerFest:
Donations - Your donations help continue the tradition of summer theatre in Lexington. SummerFest provides a training ground for young artists across the Bluegrass as well as a community event that draws thousands of Kentuckians to the Arboretum every summer. SummerFest needs your support! Make your tax-deductible contribution today!
What you can do to support SummerFest:
Donations - Your donations help continue the tradition of summer theatre in Lexington. SummerFest provides a training ground for young artists across the Bluegrass as well as a community event that draws thousands of Kentuckians to the Arboretum every summer. SummerFest needs your support! Make your tax-deductible contribution today!
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24'+ Flatbed Truck for 3 Days in July
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