DISNEY GRANT ALLOWS ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA’S OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING CHILDREN’S THEATRE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Young People’s Theatre begins 2007-2008 registration and offers new classes and audition only performance company opportunities.

(Eustis, FL)… A recent grant from Disney’s Helping Kids Shine Grant Program allows Bay Street Players to implement some big improvements to its Young People’s Theatre.  Enhancements for the 2007-2008 Young People’s Theatre (YPT) education program include a significant increase in class offerings for young people Preschool through 12th grade. Additionally, the grant will provide an increase in the YPT production budgets and the purchase of much needed sound equipment for the outreach performance companies.   Support from Disney will bring the 32 year program to new heights, offer more participation options and broaden outreach opportunities, while keeping the tuition level.

Bay Street Players Young People’s Theatre (YPT) offers two tracks for theatrical education.  Whether you choose to dip your toes into an introductory Test the Spotlight class or commit to an in-depth experience in the YPT Academy program and TakeTheStage performance project, YPT provides a unique chance for young people to exercise their imagination and grow in wonderful and unexpected ways.  Professional teaching artists lead students through engaging, interactive sessions that provide students with a sense of community, good techniques, self-confidence, self-discipline, and magical memories to last a lifetime.

The eight week Test the Spotlight classes are offered for a variety of ages through 12th grade.  For the first time, a Preschool class is available called Treasure Trunk.  Two sessions are offered either Tuesday or Friday morning at 10:30a.m..  Each week a new story comes to life through creative drama and movement activities.  Sensory and tactile objects in each story’s “Treasure Trunk” provide students and their parent with an engaging, interactive exploration of classic and current children’s literature and nursery rhymes. 

The YPT Touring Company (grades 8-12) presents a production to the Lake County elementary schools in the Spring.  For decades, this free presentation is unique to the Central Florida area and it continues to be an important outreach program reaching more than 6,000 children annually.  For many in the underserved arts district of Lake County, the YPT tour is one of the few opportunities Lake’s elementary kids experience a live theatrical event.

Also new this year is the creation of a Junior Touring Company for grades 2-7.  This group will focus primarily on musical theatre and will present performances in a variety of venues in Central Florida throughout the year.  Placements for Touring Company and Junior Touring Company require a YPT Academy audition and enrollment in the program. 

Since 1976, YPT is devoted to improving the lives of children through the experience, educational training, and performance of theatrical arts.  Need based tuition scholarships are available for all classes through the Bay Street Players Ed Dawkins YPT Scholarship Tuition Fund.  Classes begin the week of September 10 for the YPT Academy and the Test the Spotlight eight week sessions begin the week of September 17.  For information on registration or the placement auditions call the Box Office at 352.357.7777 or visit the YPT section of the website at www.baystreetplayers.org.

The Box Office is located at the historic State Theater, 109 N. Bay Street, in Downtown Eustis and is open to the public from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Now starting its 33rd season, Bay Street Players is a non-profit organization striving to create a showcase theatre that is central to the cultural life and development of the community

BAY STREET PLAYERS ANNOUNCES AWARD RECIPIENTS AT A NIGHT OF STARS – 32ND ANNUAL DOLLY AWARDS, SATURDAY AUGUST 25th

An elegant evening of entertainment and awards celebrated the 32st Season at the State Theatre.

(Eustis, FL)…The 32nd Annual Dolly Awards event, A Night of Stars, marked the culmination of the Bay Street Players season.   The celebration began with an awards show at the State Theatre and continued with desert and a champagne toast, led by City of Eustis Mayor, Jim Rotella, at A Third Place Pub and Café located in historic downtown Eustis. 

The Dolly Awards – so named because the first show presented by Bay Street Players was Hello Dolly– enjoyed a new format this year.  Fashioned after classic award ceremonies such as Broadway’s Tony Awards, this black tie requested event was fast paced and fun.  Bay Street Players’ board President, Stephen Toth, Elizabeth Drew Scholl, Executive Director, and David Clevinger, Artistic Director were hosts of the evening which served to celebrate the accomplishments of the most successful season in the organization’s history.   

Artistic Director David Clevinger designed  A Night of Stars set for the award presentations and entertainment.  William A. Dumas designed the lighting.  The new format was championed and implemented by board members Jeff Lindberg and Glen Howard.  The entertainment led by Musical Director Timothy D. Turner featured the Dolly Singers--eight performers from the BSP 2006-2007 season-- performing contemporary Broadway musical selections including an original arrangement of Hello Dolly in eight part harmony.

Dolly Award Nominees are selected by a private jury that completes ballots throughout the season.  Bay Street Players is pleased to announce the 2006-2007 Dolly Award recipients as follows:

Dolly Award Recipients 2006-2007 Season

Volunteer of the Year
Frank Barto

Youth Volunteer of the Year
Sarah Redmond

Young People's Theatre Student of the Year
Philadelphia Shoop

Artistic Director's Award
Rick Breese

Executive Director's Award
Lila Shoop

President's Award
Paula Keenan

MUSICAL

Actress
Stephanie Adams as Becky in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Actor
Ken Rush as Cervantes in Man of La Mancha

Supporting Actress
Francie Moon as Mary in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Supporting Actor
Steve Merens as Sancho in Man of La Mancha

Featured Actress
Heather Good as the Housekeeper in Man of La Mancha

Featured Actor
Jonathan Olsen as the Padre in Man of La Mancha

Female Bit
Irene DeLorme as Prisoner with Earpiece in Man of La Mancha

Male Bit
Al Brosman as Pedro in Man of La Mancha

PLAY

Actor
James Zelley as Oscar in The Odd Couple

Supporting Actress
Deborah J. Carpenter as Demetria in On Borrowed Time

Supporting Actor
Adrian LePeltier as Dr. Evans in On Borrowed Time

Featured Actress
Sylvia Whitney as Nellie Northrup (Granny) in On Borrowed Time

Featured Actor
Ashley Richards as Vinnie in The Odd Couple

Male Bit
Ashley Richards as Mr. Grimes in On Borrowed Time

PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
Man of La Mancha

Tickets are now on sale for the 33rd Season which begins with the musical, I Do! I Do!.  For reservations or further information, call the Box Office at 352.357.7777 or visit the website at www.baystreetplayers.org.

The Box Office is located at the historic State Theater, 109 N. Bay Street, in Downtown Eustis and is open to the public from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.  All proceeds from the Dolly Awards event support Bay Street Players, a non-profit community theatre now starting its 33rd year.

BAY STREET PLAYERS ANNOUNCES 2007-2008 DOLLY AWARD NOMINEES

The Dolly Award recipients will be announced during the award ceremony beginning at 7:00 PM, August 25, 2007 at the State Theatre. The 32nd Dolly Awards event includes a cash bar prior to the show (7-8PM), Awards Ceremony and Entertainment (8 – 9:30PM), immediately followed by Champagne Toast and dessert buffet and more entertainment by featured performers from the 32nd Season at A Third Place Pub and Café. Black Tie Requested. Tickets are $25.00 and are available at the box office 109 North Bay Street, Eustis or by calling 352-357-7777.

MUSICAL

Actress
Stephanie Adams as Becky in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Kelly Fagan as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha
Elizabeth Drew Scholl as Kaye in The Taffetas
Debra Sussman as Donna in The Taffetas

Actor
Rick Breese as Eddie in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Ken Rush as Cervantes in Man of La Mancha

Supporting Actress
Joanne Marchand as Nancy  in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Francie Moon as Mary  in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Ashley Willsey as Virginia in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Supporting Actor
Glen Howard as Louie in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Steve Merens as Sancho in Man of La Mancha
Adam Pate as Felix in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Featured Actress
Jennifer Bonner as Antonia in Man of La Mancha
Heather Good as the Housekeeper in Man of La Mancha
Paula Keenan as Sister Lee in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Featured Actor
Lyle Moon as Father O'Reilly in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Jonathan Olson as the Padre in Man of La Mancha
Kent Walker as the Innkeeper in Man of La Mancha

Female Bit
Irene DeLorme as Prisoner with Earpiece
Noel Miner as Maria in Man of La Mancha
Susan Trewyn as Sister Monica Marie/Secretary in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Marnie Whitehead as Sister Melanie in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Male Bit
Al Brosman as Pedro in Man of La Mancha
Ashley Richards as the Barber in Man of La Mancha

PLAY

Actor
Ken Rush as Julian Northrup (grandpa) in On Borrowed Time
Bill Welter as Felix in The Odd Couple
James Zelley as Oscar in The Odd Couple

Supporting Actress
Gail Baumann as Vivian Trachtman in Love Sex and the IRS
Deborah J. Carpenter as Demetria Riffle in On Borrowed Time

Supporting Actor
Al Brosman as Murray in The Odd Couple
Hanri "Hank" Delorme as Floyd Spinner in Love Sex and the IRS
Adrian LePeltier as Dr. Evans in On Borrowed Time

Featured Actress
Brittany Heitling as Gwendolyn Pigeon in The Odd Couple
SaraJane Olson as Cecily Pigeon in The Odd Couple
Sylvia Whitney as Nellie Northrup (Granny) in On Borrowed Time

Featured Actor
Rick Breese as Speed in The Odd Couple
Gerald Heitling as Roy in The Odd Couple
Ashley Richards as Vinnie in The Odd Couple

Male Bit
Rick Davis as Sheriff in On Borrowed Time
Jim Mesler as Mr. Pilbeam in On Borrowed Time
Ashley Richards as Mr. Grimes in On Borrowed Time

PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR

THE TAFFETAS – A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE FABULOUS 50’S – OPENS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1ST AT BAY STREET PLAYERS.

STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE TO THE RENOVATED STATE THEATRE AND ENJOY THIS HOLIDAY TREAT!

(Eustis, FL)... THE TAFFETAS – A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE FABULOUS 50’S opens Friday, December 1st in the recently renovated State Theatre auditorium in historic downtown Eustis. The musical will run three weekends closing Sunday December 17th.

The four singing Taffeta sisters will take you on a toe-tapping, nostalgic time warp as they prepare for their national television debut. The Taffetas is a show for everyone! The production, written by Rick Lewis and Arthur Whitelaw, features iconic songs from the 1950’s such as: Sh-Boom, Mister Sandman, Johnny Angel, and Where the Boys Are. The Taffeta sisters will entertain the whole family with their tuneful innocence and pop-historical melodies.

Artistic Director David Clevinger shares directorial duties with award-winning actor and director, Ken Rush. The Taffeta sisters are played by audience favorites, Mariah Phillips (Peggy), Natalie Renick (Cheryl), Elizabeth Drew Scholl (Kaye), and Debra Sussman (Donna). The production staff includes: Designed by David W. Clevinger; Directed by Ken Rush and David W. Clevinger; Timothy D. Turner, Musical Director; William Dumas, Lighting Designer; and Karen Kline, Costume Designer.

Production dates for THE TAFFETAS – A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE FABULOUS 50’S are DECEMBER 1-3, 7-10 & 14-17, 2006. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings performances begin at 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinee performances begin at 2:30 p.m. Patrons attending the opening night production on December 1 will be treated to a wine and cheese reception with the cast held at Heim / Hays Collaborations on 113 N. Bay Street immediately following the production.

Tickets are $18.00 except on Thrifty Thursday when they are $15.00. Call the Box Office at 352.357.7777 or visit www.baystreetplayers.org to purchase tickets online. Group discounts, season tickets and gift certificates are available. The Box Office is located at the historic State Theatre, 109 N. Bay Street, in Downtown Eustis and it is open to the public from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11:00-3:00p.m. Saturday.

THE TAFFETAS – A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE FABULOUS 50’S is sponsored in part by John S. Roberts, II of Catherine Hanson Realty and United Arts of Central Florida.

BAY STREET OPENS SEASON AT REFURBISHED STATE THEATRE

A Review by Jack Petro, The Villages Daily Sun
October 6, 2006

The headline news in Eustis is not that the season opener Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple” by the Bay Street Players is a hit show. Top story in the city is the opening night celebration of the newly refurbished Historic State Theatre.

Sorely needed spanking brand new seats are now a treat rather than a torture for the patrons. All the interior walls and doors have been reworked. Add new carpeting and you have a completely new inside look that was toasted with a champagne reception after the show at the adjacent Heim/Hays Gallery. Mayor Jonnie Hale and other local government officials were on hand for the festivities.

Neil Simon’s all-time favorite “The Odd Couple” is the right choice to launch the season and mark the theatre’s restoration. The hugely popular story of the friend-foe relationship between the slovenly, casual Oscar Madison (James Zelley) and the uptight, neat-nick Felix Unger (Bill Welter) need not be repeated here.

In his first role at Bay Street, Zelley is well known in Orlando for his acting talent. In this show he is the correct pick to play the laid back Oscar. He not only looks the part, but every element of body language reinforces the image. His booming stage voice ensures that you will not miss a single word coming from him. While Zelley dominates the opening and most of the first act, Welter builds his character as the play progresses. He is more subtle in his approach to playing the fastidious and insecure Felix. Most of the audience ends up on his side at the end of the play.

Theatre critics rate “The Odd Couple” as the zenith of Neil Simon’s career. It opened on Broadway in 1965 with Art Carney in the role of Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar. In the 1968 film version Jack Lemmon played a more melancholy Felix while Matthau reprised his role. Tony Randall and Jack Klugman played Felix and Oscar during the six-year television sitcom series.

In his autobiography, Simon details the travails of “The Odd Couple” script. When the original version was released for Off Broadway previews, it fell flat. Audience feedback was that starting with the second act, the continuing harangue between neat Felix and sloppy Oscar wears thin. In the rewriting process, Simon added the Pigeon sisters and the rest is history.

The same is true today. When the Pigeon sisters (Brittany Heitling and SaraJane Olson) appear, it is like taking a breath of fresh air. The stale cigar smoke from Oscar and the fading air freshener spray from Felix vanish and comedy reigns again.

Heitling and Olson giggle in concert right on cue. Costumes and wigs are straight out of the silver screen edition. Their performance gives the play the booster-rocket shove that puts it in orbit. Supporting roles of the poker buddies are played by Rick Breese, Al Brosman, Jerry Heitling, and Ashley Richards. Director David Clevinger again has designed a solid multi-level set that allows his actors the expanse to display the full range of their talents. But in this case, Clevinger may have out foxed himself. The set is so perfect that even with debris and clothing strewn about, the set still seems neat.

A classic Neil Simon script along with some fine acting deserves a must-see recommendation. It is a definite hit and even if you have seen it before, you are sure to have an evening full of laughs. “The Odd Couple” runs Thursdays-Sundays through October 29 at the State Theatre in Eustis. Ticket prices are $18 except on Thursday when they are $15. For information and reservations call 357-7777 or visit their Web site at baystreetplayers.com for directions.

Jack Petro can be reached on the net at atheatre1@aol.com.