Tickets are now on sale for the 2012 edition of Lyric’s annual fundraiser, The Best of Broadway: The Songs You Know and Love, which runs February 5 & 12 at the Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza.

This year’s fundraiser will feature a three-course meal in the Regency Ballroom at the Hotel Saskatchewan at 12 noon, followed by the entertainment at 1 p.m.

All tickets are $45; a tax receipt issued for a portion of the ticket price. Tickets are available at Bach & Beyond, Golden Mile Centre (cash or cheque only).

This year’s show features an amazing selection of songs from a century of Broadway hits, spun out over a series of well-crafted medleys, with a plethora of solos, duets and chorus numbers. The cast features both Lyric veterans and newcomers: Stacy Allan, Deborah Amor, Andrea Armstrong, Rob Armstrong, Aiden Barker, Tyler Burton, Leah Constable, Brandee Demyen, Sharon Eisbrenner, Tajzanna Hall, Michael Hamann, David Hopkinson, John Johnston, Norma Lemmerick, Ruaridh MacDonald, Joan Miller, Dwight Muller, Carly Phillips, Elizabeth Popowich, Celia Ricker, Owen Ricker, Hayley Robinson, Jessica Scheuer, Michaela Solomon, Mason Sontag, Brittany Soriano, Linda Weir, Caitlin Bolduc Whelan, Virginia Wilkinson, Alice Willett, Edward Willett, Margaret Anne Willett and Marianne Woods.

It promises to be a wonderful show and the fabulous way to spend a winter weekend. Don’t miss it!

You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown finished a very successful run November 6 at the Shumiatcher Theatre in the MacKenzie Art Gallery, after five regular shows and two school matinees.

Featuring music by Clark Gesner, who also wrote the libretto, and lyrics by John Gordon, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown brings the beloved characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz to the stage.

The show featured Ruaridh MacDonald as Charlie Brown, Jessica Scheuer as Lucy van Pelt, Caitlin B. Whelan as Sally Brown, Deborah Amor as Peppermint Patty, John Johnson as Shermy, Taylor Bates as Snoopy, Nathan Sgrazzutti as Linus, Andrea Armstrong as Frieda, and Rob Armstrong as Schroeder.

Check out this gallery of photos from the production!

Auditions for Lyric’s fall production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown will be held Thursday, September 1 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Lakeview United Church, 3200 McCallum Ave. (Use the west front entrance.)

Director Evie Sawatzky is seeking energetic adults, 16 years of age and up, to play Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Sally and Snoopy in this funny musical adaptation of Charles M. Schultz’s classic comic strip, with book, music and lyrics by Clark Gesner.

Please prepare a musical theatre song. An accompanist will be provided; please bring sheet music. The director may ask you to read a monologue from the show and/or move while singing or speaking. Monologues are posted here. Although not required, you may wish to memorize your solo and a monologue.

To arrange an alternate audition time or  for more information, contact  Production Manager Joan Ziffle, 535-3728, joanziffle@yahoo.com.

The show runs November 2 to 6, 2011, at the Shumiatcher Theatre, Mackenzie Art Gallery.

July 11, 2011

Dear Friends:

As we conclude our 34^th Season, the Board of Regina Lyric Musical Theatre feels it is time for renewal.  We are considering making some changes, and we want to give you a chance to share your ideas with us.

We are proud of the shows we have produced, and are indebted to the many individuals who have donated their time and resources to make Lyric a success over the past three and a half decades.  As we move forward, we hope that you will help us generate ideas that will address the following challenges:

1. Our audience numbers for our major spring production have been declining;
2. We have seen fewer people at auditions; and
3. Our donations have been decreasing.  While our emergency fund is intact, our cash flow is at an all-time low.

Here are a few ideas and questions we have been considering:

• Moving our spring show earlier by a few weeks to avoid competing with the Cathedral Village Festival.

• Rather than staging a theatrical production in the spring of 2012, we may produce a more cost-effective musical revue featuring a variety of familiar songs based on a theme.  In the fall of 2010, for example, we produced a revue of folk music.  What themes interest you?

• How can we attract more performers to auditions?

• We have been pleased to give artists a chance to perform in lesser known shows, and audiences a chance to see gems like Sweeney Todd and Gypsy; however, we know that many people want to see more familiar shows.  When selecting shows, we have to consider factors such as the availability of copyright and whether we have the right people to fill all the roles.  What shows do you suggest?

• Our annual budget for 3 shows and general operating is about $90,000.  In recent years, the City of Regina has provided Lyric with a $1,000 annual grant.  We do not qualify for funding from the Saskatchewan Arts Board.  Do you know of any Regina businesses or individuals who could become a major sponsor?

The first rule of brainstorming is that “no idea is a bad idea.”  So please share your ideas with us.  If there is one thing we have learned, it is that Regina is full of amazingly talented people, including some of Canada’s most gifted artists.  We are proud of Lyric’s past and we are optimistic about our future.  We look forward to hearing from you.

You may reply by mail to me at 2808 Borden Street, S4N 2L3 or by e-mail to nandc@sasktel.net.  Or feel free to call me at 525-5342.  Alternatively, if you know one of our board members, please feel free to share your ideas with them.  We would be pleased to hear from you by the end of August.

Yours truly,

Carolyn Speirs, President

On behalf of the Board of Regina Lyric Musical Theatre

Ron Blechinger, Vice-President

Jeff Sawatsky, Treasurer

Susan Graham, Secretary

Joan Ziffle, Business Manager

Diane Stephenson, Fundraising/Membership

Owen Ricker, Member-at-large

Janet Wilson, Member-at-large

Jessica Scheuer, Member-at-large

David Hopkinson, Member-at-large

Tickets are now on sale for Regina Lyric Musical Theatre’s production of Baby, which runs May 25 to June 1 in the ShuBox Theatre, Riddell Centre, University of Regina.

With music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., and a book by Sybille Pearson, Baby tells the story of three couples on a university campus as they deal with the painful, rewarding and agonizingly funny consequences of this universal experience. There are the college students, barely at the beginning of their adult lives; the thirty-somethings, having trouble conceiving but determined to try; and the middle aged parents, looking forward to seeing their last child graduate from college when a night of unexpected passion lands them back where they started.

Directed by Robert Ursan, with Jane Ursan as musical director, Lyric’s production of Baby stars Jeff Tonita and Donna Trainor as Alan and Arlene, the older couple; Rob Armstrong and Leah Constable as Nick and Pam, the couple in their 30s, and Lucas Popowich and Jamie Lemmerick as Danny and Lizzie, the younger couple. Rounding out the cast are Bonita Dolmage, David Hopkinson, Elizabeth Popowich, Jason Fisher, John Jonhston, Kelly Sanchuk and Sophie Yannitsos.

The show runs Wednesday, May 25, through Wednesday, June 1 (except for Monday, May 30), with shows at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students, and are available at Bach & Beyond in the Golden Mile Centre (cash or cheque only) or online here (credit card or PayPal), using the form below.

Note: RUSH SEATING. Tickets purchased online will be held at the front of house for pick-up. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before curtain.

ONLINE TICKET SALES  HAVE NOW ENDED. PLEASE BUY YOUR TICKETS AT THE DOOR.

Funny, poignant and down-to-earth, Baby will appeal to anyone who has ever had, wanted to have, or been a baby!

The Kennedy Center, no doubt inspired by Lyric’s recent outstanding production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies (that’s Amanda Dancsok as the showgirl in the photo), is mounting its own version of the show, and casting has just been announced.

 T-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters will take on Diane Burrows’s role of Sally Durant Plummer, multiple Tony nominee Jan Maxwell will attempt to live up to Donna Trainor’s outstanding performance as Phyllis Rogers Stone, two-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein will do his best to outshine Edward Willett as Buddy Plummer, Ron Raines will try to fill Jeff Tonita’s shoes as Benjamin Stone, and Olivier Award winner Elaine Paige will play Norma Lemmerick’s role of Carlotta Campion. Playbill continues:

The production will also star Terrence Currier as Theodore Whitman, Christian Delcroix as Young Buddy, Rosalind Elias as Heidi Schiller, Colleen Fitzpatrick as Dee Dee West, Lora Lee Gayer as Young Sally, Michael Hayes as Roscoe, Florence Lacey as Sandra Crane, Linda Lavin as Hattie Walker, Régine as Solange LaFitte, David Sabin as Dimitri Weismann, Kirsten Scott as Young Phyllis, Frederick Strother as Max Deems, Nick Verina as Young Ben, Susan Watson as Emily Whitman and Terri White as Stella Deems.

Rounding out the ensemble will be Lawrence Alexander, Brandon Bieber, John Carroll, Sara Edwards, Leslie Flesner (Young Dee Dee), Jenifer Foote (Young Hattie), Leah Horowitz (Young Heidi), Suzanne Hylenski (Young Solange), Danielle Jordan, Joe Kolinski, Amanda Larsen, Brittany Marcin, Edrie Means, Erin Moore (Young Stella), Pamela Otterson (Young Carlotta), Clifton Samuels, Kiira Schmidt (Young Sandra), Brian Shepard, Sam Strasfeld, Amos Wolff and Ashley Yeater.

 The production will run May 7-June 19 in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.

Auditions for Regina Lyric Musical Theatre’s spring production of the funny and poignant musical Baby, about three couples anticipating/hoping for the arrival of a baby, will be held this Thursday, February 17, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Lakeview United Church, 3200 McCallum Ave. Use the west front entrance.

Bring a song that shows off your voice; an accompanist will be provided.

Auditions are open to anyone interested from older teens on up.  The production runs May 25 to June 1 in the Shu-Box Theatre, Riddell Centre, University of Regina. It’s being directed by Robert Ursan.

Here’s a brief description of the show:

Is there anything more exciting, frightening and utterly transformational than impending parenthood?

“Baby” tells the story of three couples on a university campus as they deal with the painful, rewarding and agonizingly funny consequences of this universal experience. There are the college students, barely at the beginning of their adult lives; the thirty-somethings, having trouble conceiving but determined to try; and the middle aged parents, looking forward to seeing their last child graduate from college when a night of unexpected passion lands them back where they started.

You can read more about the show, its music and the available roles here .

Hope to see you at auditions!

Lyric’s musical fundraising brunch, From Camelot to Cabaret: The 1960s Broadway Revolution, was a great success again, as always. If you missed it, you missed a great line-up of songs from the 1960s sung by a terrific cast: Andrea Armstrong, Rob Armstrong, Janelle Bennett, Norris Bjorndahl, Lyndon Bray, Patrick Cherneski, Zachary Flis, John Johnston, Norma Lemmerick, Jamie Lemmerick, Graeme Mitchell, Julie Mombourquette, Dwight Muller, Elizabeth Popowich, Celia Ricker, Owen Ricker, Emily Schaming, Jessica Scheuer, Nathan Sgrazzutti, Carolyn Speirs, Amanda Trapp, Edward Willett, Margaret Anne Hodges, Thomas Williams and Sophi Yannitsos.

The songs included “Big Spender” and “The Rhythm of Life” from Sweet Charity, “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, “Lusty Month of May” from Camelot, “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from Hello, Dolly!, “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” from the musical of the same name, “As Long as He Needs Me” from Oliver!, “Bosom Buddies” from Mame, “I Believe in You” from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” from Promises, Promises, “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha, “Is it Really Me?” from 110 in the Shade, “Make Someone Happy” from Do Re Mi, “Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof, “On a Wonderful Day Like Today” from Roar of the Greasepaint (The Smell of the Crowd), “People” from Funny Girl, “Put on a Happy Face” from Bye, Bye Birdie, “Two Ladies” from Cabaret, “What Kind of Fool Am I” from Stop the World, I Want to Get Off, “Where are the Snows?” from I Do, I Do, and a medley from Hair that includes “Good Morning, Starshine” and, of course, “Age of Aquarius.”

Jane Ursan directed and the wonderful three-piece band featured Bill Sgrazutti on piano, Mark Limerick on bass and guitar, and Ryan Bennett on percussion.

Here’s a Flickr set of photos taken at the final rehearsal, and here’s the program!

That’s what Playbill reports (drawing on an original report in the New York Post).

Apparently Streisand has the approval of Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book and has directed several productions of the show:

The Tony-winning director also said that Streisand is aware that she will need to tap into a darker side of herself to play the overbearing stage mother. “Barbra and I have had long talks on this very subject,” Laurents said. “She had a mother who she always thought was Mama Rose. I don’t want to get into the details, but the point is she knows. She’s got it in her. She’s going to be much more than people expect.”

Of course, the original Rose was Ethel Merman: other actresses who have performed the role on Broadway include Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. Rosalind Russell starred in the original film version and Bette Midler played Rose in a TV production.

Gypsy, of course, was Lyric’s most recent spring production: our Rose was played by Donna Trainor.

Wonder no more: Playbill has the run-down.

Musicals include The Book of Mormon, by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, along with Avenue Q creator Robert Lopez; The People in the Picture, the story of three generations of women headed by a former star of the Yiddish stage in Poland; Catch Me If You Can, by composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray), based on Steven Spielberg’s film about renowned con man Frank Abagnale, Jr. and his real-life Javert, FBI agent Carl Hanratty; a revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Harry Potter‘s Daniel Radcliffe; Anything Goes, last revived on Broadway 20 years ago; Sister Act, a stage adaptation of the Whoopi Goldberg film comedy; Wonderland, composer Frank Wildhorn’s modern twist on the classic Alice in Wonderland, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, based on the film of the same name about three pals on a trip in the outback.

Oh, yes, and Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark–assuming any actors survive rehearsal.