Well, I’ll let John explain it:

For both Grey Gardens and Ragtime, the orchestra has had a rather non-traditional placement in the theater. Instead of being in the orchestra pit in front of the stage, the orchestra lives on what’s called the “slab,” which is behind the stage. So, as an audience member, if you had X-ray vision and could see through the back wall of the set, you would be able to see into our space. The instrumentalists’ backs would be towards you and Rick Lewis (our conductor) would be facing you.

Rick watches what is going on onstage from a small closed-circuit television in front of him. The actors can see Rick’s conducting on a large monitor facing the stage mounted in the back of the theater (if you were watching the performance, you could turn around and see it from most seats in the house). The instrumentalists also get to see what is going on onstage via a large monitor behind Rick…

Read the rest of John’s blog post here.

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]]> http://www.pcs.org/where-on-earth-do-they-put-the-orchestra/feed/ 0 http://www.pcs.org/onstage-with-ragtime/ http://www.pcs.org/onstage-with-ragtime/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:27:45 +0000 chrisc http://www.pcs.org/?p=6556

Moved onstage this afternoon.  A slooooow first session, what with trying to equalize 22 michrophones, and adjust to the period costumes, video monitors, audio monitors, sliding panels, and the general disorientation.

But also really fun to see what it’s going to look like.  Gavin (Coalhouse, above) is getting better at playing our imaginary piano, which is no small feat – while you’re trying to sing or deliver dialogue.

The period costume seemed to suddenly transform Danny Rothman (Younger Brother) into ‘a young man in search of his destiny.’  Why did people ever stop dressing like this?

 

Lacreta, who plays Sarah’s friend, was showing off her new hair.

While Tiffany (Evelyn Nesbitt) tried to figure out how to maneuver over a mountain of chairs in her new clothes.

Todd (Henry Ford) and Tom (JP Morgan) looked quite dapper themselves.

And Gavin (Coalhouse) and Rachael (Sarah) were starting to melt into their roles.

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]]> http://www.pcs.org/onstage-with-ragtime/feed/ 4 http://www.pcs.org/julievigeland/ http://www.pcs.org/julievigeland/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:12:40 +0000 cyn http://www.pcs.org/?p=6496 Julie Vigeland, a longtime member of the Portland Center Stage board of directors who took a key role in raising money for the Gerding Theater project, has been appointed to the Oregon Arts Commission, the policy-setting and grant-making body on the Arts.

“It is more important than ever to support Oregon’s arts and culture organizations across the state, particularly as the economy rebuilds,” noted Vigeland. “Whether large or small, new or established, rural or urban, these organizations are vital to Oregon’s economic and cultural health. The work of the Arts Commission is a key component in maintaining the health of our vast array of arts and culture nonprofits.”

Julie brings extensive volunteer experience with arts and cultural nonprofits to the commission. She is a member of the Giving in Oregon Council, Oregon’s thank tank on philanthropy and giving. Since 1995, she has served on the board of Portland Center Stage, serving as chair for five years and chairing the Capital Campaign for the Gerding Theater at the Armory. Vigeland is one of three trustees of the Jackson Foundation as well as a trustee of the Wessinger Foundation. Her board service in the Portland area also includes the Regional Arts & Culture Council, Oregon Symphony Foundation, Friends of the Portland Center for Performing Arts and Oregon College of Art & Craft. She is a past president of Grantmakers of Oregon and SW Washington. She has received numerous honors for her work, including the Women of Distinction Award for the Arts presented by Marylhurst University.

The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of Business Oregon (Oregon Business Development Department) in 1993, in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. In 2003, the Oregon legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use of the Commission’s expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development.

The Arts Commission is supported with general funds appropriated by the Oregon legislature and with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust.

Current Arts Commission board
Ron Paul, Portland, chair
Jean B. Bower Cowling, Medford, vice chair
Cynthia Addams, Keizer
Bart Eberwein, Portland
Boyd Harris, Condon
Royal Nebeker, Gearhart
Henry Sayre, Bend
Julie Vigeland, Portland

]]> http://www.pcs.org/julievigeland/feed/ 0 http://www.pcs.org/an-era-exploding-a-century-spinning/ http://www.pcs.org/an-era-exploding-a-century-spinning/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:24:03 +0000 chrisc http://www.pcs.org/?p=6427

Middle of our third week of Ragtime (can that be possible) and we should finish staging this evening.  It is a MOUNTAIN.  About four times more music than the other musicals we’ve tackled.  But it is also glorious.

The work has jumped back and forth between nitty gritty sessions with Rick Lewis on the music itself (has taken us far longer just to learn the music than in years past.  It almost feels like the piece was written as a huge choral piece – which in fact it was – so it takes alot longer to work out the intricate harmonies) – to choreography.  Gavin and Lacreta are seen rehearsing the Gettin Ready Rag above.

The Opening has taken a loooonnng time to build and finesse.  Joel Ferrell, our wonderful choreographer, is (thank God) creating that piece with the actors, so I just get to watch it unfold.  And – listen to the astounding sounds coming out of this group of 21 singers.  At times, I literally get goosebumps on my arms, which is far more rare in my seat than you might imagine.

Staging the ‘performance/film’ section of Atlantic City has been particularly fun.  I start the scene with Mother and Father packing back in New Rochelle, while Harry Houdini and Evelyn Nesbitt ‘invade’ their reality – then Joel takes over when they actually hit the boardwalks – then I come back in when its revealed that we’ve been watching the filming of a movie.  After working together on  West Side Story, Cabaret and Guys and Dolls,Joel and I have developed cement toes, and have no problem stepping all over each other.

Lief Norby plays Tateh, the Latvian Jew who immigrates to America in search of a better life, and Alex Thede plays ‘Little Boy’ – the clairvoyant kid whose life in New Rochelle is rocked by the events of the era.  We’ll work through Act Two tomorrow, Act One on Friday – and try for our first run through on Saturday.  Fingers crossed.

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]]> http://www.pcs.org/an-era-exploding-a-century-spinning/feed/ 1 http://www.pcs.org/ragtime-arrives/ http://www.pcs.org/ragtime-arrives/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:40:31 +0000 chrisc http://www.pcs.org/?p=6347 So the cast of Ragtime finally arrived this past weekend, despite delays from hurricanes on the East Coast.  An enormous amount of music in the show (four times the size of the score for Guys and Dolls) so they’ve been buried wtih Rick Lewis for the first several days.

Gavin Gregory plays Coalhouse Walker, Jr. – the brilliant Ragtime pianist who stands at the center of the show.  Gavin and I actually did a show together 12 years ago in Atlanta, and hadn’t crossed paths again until the auditions in NY.

Rachael Ferrera plays Sarah, the young washer woman who falls for Coalhouse and steals his heart.

The wonderful Susannah Mars plays Mother, the housewife in New Rochelle, NY who undergoes a big emotional journey through the course of the play.  Susannah is just coming off of a successful run of Evita at Broadway Rose Theater.  And of course, you’ve seen her here in Batboy: The Musical, and Gypsy.

Robert Mammana, who played Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, is back as Father, the patriarch of the New Rochelle family, who goes off exploring toward the North Pole, and returns to find that his family has undergone a dramatic transformation.

Alex Thede, plays ‘Little Boy’ – the precocious son of Mother and Father.

Danny Rothman, plays Mother’s Younger Brother, the restless soul who fall in love with Evelyn Nesbitt, and eventually becomes a devotee of the radical anarchist, Emma Goldman.

Steven Stein-Grainger plays Grandfather (and many other roles).

Jesse Means plays Booker T. Washington, the famous African American leader who counseled patience, education and non-violence on the road to progress.

Tiffany Haas plays Evelyn Nesbitt, the beautiful and infamous young woman who really become the first media star of the twentieth century.

Alicia Irving plays Emma Goldman, the radical anarchist, who fought for the rights of the common man.

Leif Norby, who played Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls, returns as Tateh, the enterprising Latvian Jewish immigrant, who struggles to support his young daughter, and eventually strikes it rich.

Anna Bishop plays Tateh’s little girl.

Lacreta Nicole plays Sarah’s friend, a woman of Harlem and several other roles.

Todd A. Horman, Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls, returns as Henry Ford, and Willie Conklin, the racist Fireman who incites the play’s principal conflict.

Dan Maceyek plays Harry Houdini.

Marty Austin Lamar plays a man of Harlem, and an attorney.

Tom Treadwell plays JP Morgan, a policeman, a fireman, and several others.

Sara Catherine Wheatley plays an immigrant, a woman of New Rochelle, a social worker, and many others.

Christine Lyons plays a woman of Harlem, and the Baron’s assistant.

Kent Zimmerman, who played Harry the Horse in Guys and Dolls is back as a man of New rochelle, a Fireman, Policeman and multitude of others.

Lawrence Street plays a man of Harlem.

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