‘Thanks for the Memory’

Posted by Act II Marketing Director Roe DeLuca:

I still can’t believe I got on stage and sang! For those of you who attended a performance of LOOK MOM, I’M SWELL!, Tony Braithwaite’s love letter to theatre and his mother, you saw some audience members come on stage at the end of the show to perform a “swell talent”. At the very end, Tony called up a staff member to also perform, as part of our end-of-year annual giving campaign.

With a Matching Grant Challenge of $10,000 in this economy, we knew we had to be creative in the hopes that audience members would reach into their wallets to support the Playhouse. I got on stage twice during the two-week run. The first time I told a funny story about how I met Founder Steve Blumenthal. Preparing for my second trip up, I knew I had to go all out, as there would only be one performance remaining. I had already had a t-shirt made for Tony to thank him for all his help with the campaign and wanted to present it on stage. I decided that I would give it to him during a song that highlighted wonderful moments of his incredible show. Bob Hope’s “Thanks for the Memory” popped into my head, so I went online and found the original lyrics and hear Bob perform the song with Shirley Ross. I spent the afternoon of Saturday, December 13th writing away. As it came close to show time, I became more and more nervous. What was I thinking? I can’t sing! But I perservered and squeaked my way through. For those of you interested in reading the fruit of my labor:

Tony Braithwaite: “Thanks for the Memory”

 (with apologies to Bob Hope and Ralph Rainger & Leo Robin)

Thanks for the memory
Of life in Bala Cynwyd for the “whoops” of a Braithwaite kid
Georgetown fun, a Shakespeare run, the shows that St. Joe’s Prep did
How lovely it was!

Thanks for the memory
Of a Mom who was so swell, your Hollywood in hell
Jokes at New York’s Improv, and impressions done pell mell 
How lovely it was!

On many stories we guffawed / A few we shed a tear or said “aww…”
Oh, well, it was swell while it lasted / We did have fun and no harm done

So, thanks for the memory
Act II’s so grateful to you that I’m presenting this t-shirt blue
for telling us your story through a Mom you loved so true.
We thank you so much.

That night, we raised $700 for Act II Playhouse. Thanks Tony, and thanks to all of you who tossed money into the hat during the run of the show. We thank you so much.

From our Stage Manager

Posted by Act II Playhouse stage manager Margie Price:

Wednesday December 3, 2008

As I stood at the light board, looking at my script, ready to start the first performance of LOOK MOM I’M SWELL, I felt something was missing. I wasn’t wearing my headset (the tool used by stage managers to communicate with other board ops and crew) as it is just me running lights for this show. But I had a brief physical sensation on my head that I wasn’t ready to start because my headset wasn’t on!  And the same thing happened at every performance this week.

Saturday December 6, 2008

I woke up before sunrise today to drive my packed Subaru Outback to the Englishtown, NJ Flea Market to do my version of a Bake Sale to help fund the matching grant: I sold props, costumes, and donated housewares that we couldn’t use in productions.  I had signs on my table that said I was doing a fundraiser for small professional theatres, and mentioned this to each person who bought something. One man spent $40 at my table buying a range of items from office chairs to bamboo fans.  Wished I had brought more of the Harry Chapin t-shirts. Sold out of those quickly and heard one person after another talk about his music and the amazing man that he was. Around the theatre we often talk about doing THE BIG BANG again, another production of HARRY CHAPIN: REMEMBER WHEN THE MUSIC would be worth considering too.    I sold pretty much everything except two floor lamps, a set of dishes, the few costumes I had brought (though I did sell both pairs of muck boots from STONES), some party decorations and all the Bad Dates t-shirts.  Raised $176 total.  $166 for Act II Playhouse, and $10 toward Passage Theatre in Trenton (I sold a few things from home to cover the “competition”).  Then I went home and fell asleep for two hours before having to head to the theatre for the evening performance. 

~Margie Price, AEA Stage Manager

Bud Goes to Broadway

Posted by Producing Artistic Director Bud Martin:

THE STORY OF MY LIFE recently completed a four week run at Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut.  It is truly one of the most special experiences I have ever had in the theatre.  It is a play about friendship, and how sometimes people that we least expect can have a profound influence on our lives as we can on theirs.  After opening night, my wife, Kate went home and called her best friend that she hadn’t seen in years and invited her to bring her family to our home for the weekend.  The folks at Goodspeed told me that many audience members kept coming back with their friends so that they could share the experience with them.  I took my best friend from high school, Larry McKenna, to see the show, and we ended up sitting up all night talking and have made a great reconnection.  This is a wonderfully uplifting show that all of us could use right now.  We move into the Booth theatre, the gem of the Schubert Organization, in mid January and begin previews on February 3.  The official opening is on February 19. 
 
This is a show that I saw done as a reading in a play festival last year and wanted very much to do the show at Act II and then move it to New York.  While I was not able to get it to Act II first, we will be the first ones to do it after its Broadway run.  It is being directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. who has written and directed many shows, including AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’.  Act II presented Richard’s play, CLOSER THAN EVER two years ago.  I had the privilege of meeting Richard and directing the national tour of STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW, which he wrote with David Shire.  It was 30 years ago, and it is wonderful to reconnect with him again on this special new musical.  I am privileged to be a part of it.

Gearing Up for Tony Braithwaite’s Comedy Show

Act II is busy getting ready for the first of two special-event shows we are bringing in during the winter break from season shows. Tony Braithwaite brings his comedy show LOOK MOM, I’M SWELL to the stage December 3 to 14. If you haven’t received a postcard and would like one mailed to you, please call the Box Office at 215-654-0200.

Tony recently shot a promotional video for his show at Act II, which is now posted on the LOOK MOM performance information page. If you haven’t seen it, take a look:

http://act2.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=53&Itemid=61

Update from Producing Artistic Director Bud Martin

Posted by Bud Martin, Act II’s Producing Artistic Director, who directed MAGNETIC NORTH:

Bud Martin (second from right) at first rehearsal of MAGNETIC NORTH with Sarah Shahinian (Leigh in the show), Associate Artistic Director Harriet Power, Brad Heikes (James), and playwright William Donnelly.

It was great attending the show again this weekend and seeing how the actors had settled into their roles and made new wonderful discoveries about their characters.  At the talk-back on Sunday afternoon after the matinee, I was struck by how the show resonated with so many people, and how the audience members commented on how true the complicated emotions were that the characters experienced.  Many of the members of the audience had similar experiences and felt that the writer and the actors “nailed it.”  The cast members certainly appreciated both the questions and the compliments, which I imagine will inspire them during their last week of performances. Talk-backs like these are very helpful to me as a director in hearing from the audience what worked for them and what didn’t.

On another note, my first foray into producing on Broadway is unfolding positively. We just closed a fabulous seven-week run of “9 to 5” in Los Angeles to wonderful reviews and great audience response - and just launched our Broadway ad campaign with American Express in the Sunday Times.  Dolly Parton has limitless energy for publicity and is lined up to appear on ‘Oprah’, ‘Ellen’, Jay Leno and David Letterman.  Once she has made the rounds with them next Spring, then Allison Janney and other cast members will do Round 2.  The show is scheduled to open at the Marriot Marquis Theatre in Times Square on April 30. Through this venture, I have made many great connections that will benefit Act II in the long run.