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After you see Mammoth Lakes Repertory’s production of “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” which opened Thursday at the Edison Theatre, across from Cerro Coso College, thank Artistic Director Shira Dubrovner for finding this show from creator Roger Bean.

Once again looking for the right show to present at the right time, Dubrovner thought of Bean’s uplifting, kitschy, throwback comedy as a palate cleanser for some of the Town’s recent legal woes. It’s also a snappy after dinner mint to our “Best Summer Ever” and a great way to kickoff what MLRT might want to call its “Best Winter Program Ever.”

“Wonderettes” is being billed as a trip back to 1958 and the Springfield High School prom with Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts, but it’s more than that. It’s “American Bandstand” meets “American Graffiti” meets “Happy Days,” with razor sharp wit embedded everywhere, delivered with “I Love Lucy” precision.

A recent hit off-Broadway at New York’s Westside Theatre, the show uses pop songs from the ‘50s and ‘60s as a vehicle to tell its story. A crash course in the Hot 100 Billboard Pop Charts of the era, the play is mostly about relationships, and you don’t need first-hand knowledge of what it was like to grow up during that time to appreciate how little those relationship issues and how we deal with them has changed. Same goes for the instantly translatable humor.

An homage to the high school Songleader squads of the 1950s, Springfield High Songleaders Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, billing themselves as “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” rally together to entertain their classmates, in the process espousing the wonders of four-part harmony vocals.

The first act takes place in 1958 during Senior Prom Night at Springfield High School, with the Wonderettes belting out classics such as “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover” and  “Stupid Cupid” with rapid-fire accuracy. Act 2 fast-forwards to the class’ 10 year reunion in 1968, with the song list adapted accordingly by the Wonderettes, who are called upon once again to entertain. In a go-go boots and bouffant hairdos bonanza, they run down a few old numbers, as well as hits from the ‘60s such as the Dusty Springfield classic “Son of a Preacher Man” and Aretha Franklin’s signature “RESPECT.”

Apart from the inter-personal comedy, the show really depends on the individual characters of the four Wonderettes, the only characters in the show, with the exception of the school Principal, heard only in voiceover … and a cameo from an audience member or two … don’t worry, you won’t have any lines!

“We have an outstanding, talented cast for this show,” Dubrovner, the show’s director, noted. “Everyone has singing experience and brings their dedication with them every night.” And it shows. Opening with no less than “Mr. Sandman,” the girls are in sure voice, and they have to be. It might sound dorky and old school, but “Sandman” has a deceptively complicated arrangement, and the cast delivers it with skill.

Kristin Reese, a long-time local and an original founding member of Sierra Classic Theatre who has performed in numerous productions, is over-the-top on target as Missy, the group’s over-achiever. Mammoth newcomer Jacqueline Marie, who’s been singing at the Snowcreek Bistro on Tuesday nights, as well as with numerous Huntington Beach, sparks with electricity as Betty Jean, the group’s emotionally charged, prank-prone class clown. Leigh Ann Battista, a teacher at Mammoth Elementary School who often sings for her students as well as professionally with her band, the Funky Beets, is the happy-go-lucky, bubble-gum chewing ditz Suzy, whose heart is in the right place, even if her spelling and French sometimes aren’t. Amy Grahek, who sings with the Core Shots, is perfectly cast as the pretty, but boy-crazy and boyfriend-collecting ingénue Cindy Lou.

Musical direction and vocal coaching by chorale specialist Stephanie Everson comes in particularly handy with four-part arrangements. There are so many standout group and solo numbers, it’s hard to pick just four favorites! Choreography by Scott Viets gives the songs a swell visual flair to complement the vocals.

With a solid cast, top notch material and a hit parade of classic tunes, it’s no wonder that the “Wonderettes” are marvelous!

“The Marvelous Wonderettes” plays Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. through Oct. 21. Tickets are $20/adults and $18/seniors and students. Save by buying a Season Pass for $60 per person, which provides entrance to four shows of the pass holder’s choice. (“Evening with the Stars” $35 ticket counts as two shows.) Call 760.934.6592, or visit www.mammothlakesfoundation.org.

The Marvelous Wonderettes kicks off a full season of entertainment

Shira Dubrovner, Artistic Director of the Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre in cooperation with the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, announced the 2012-13 Edison Theatre theatrical season. “We are excited to be able to expand our season this year. Two projects we’ve done – Theatre for Young Audiences and Evening with the Stars, we’ve not done together in the same season due to cost and staff restraints. It’s through the generosity of our donors and sponsors, our loyal audiences, dedicated local performers, and Measure U funding that we are able to offer both this season and bring even more culture to the Mammoth Lakes community and the Eastern Sierra,” commented Dubrovner. “We have something going on every month from October through May; it’s exhausting and exhilarating at the same time!”

The season opens Oct. 4 with “The Marvelous Wonderettes” written by Roger Bean. It’s a trip back to 1958 and the Springfield High School prom with Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts. Classic songs include “Lollipop,” “Sandman,” “Stupid Cupid,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Son of a Preacher Man,” “Respect” and many more. The lively musical runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. through Oct. 21.

It’s quickly followed by a very special Theatre for Young Audiences production of “Bluenose.” This rollicking pirate story has quick and witty banter, fantastic physical comedy, and a story of tolerance and acceptance. What’s special about this production is that there is only one public performance; however elementary schools from across the Eastern Sierra will be bringing their students to performances during the week prior. Schools are provided with an Educator’s Resource Guide that ties in the educational elements within the production. “This is one way we begin to grow our audiences of the future,” stated Dubrovner. “The students not only have a great time, they also learn about theatre etiquette, the excitement of live theatre, and take away a lesson in tolerance. It exemplifies the mission of the Mammoth Lakes Foundation-supporting education and the arts, together in one event.”

December’s play this year is a hysterical farce based on a Christmas Classic. “A Dickens’ Christmas Carol: A Traveling Travesty in Two Tumultuous Acts” will have the audience rolling in the aisles. Then January sees the return of Poetry Out Loud for the third year. It’s the poetry recitation competition where Mono County high school students compete to represent the County at the State competition in Sacramento. Last year the number of schools participating doubled and a Mammoth High School student won for the second time. Who will take the title this year?

In mid-January is a very exciting Evening With the Stars staged reading of Bernard Slade’s popular romantic comedy “Same Time, Next Year” starring Linda Purl (Matlock, The Office) and Robert Picardo (China Beach, The Wonder Years, Star Trek: Voyager). The event, which also acts as a fundraiser for the theatre, is expanded this season for two evenings with special pricing allowing for twice as many opportunities to see these talented stars in action. “I’m thrilled to have Robert Picardo return to Mammoth for this event and bringing Linda Purl with him,” stated Dubrovner. “I directed him in Los Angeles; he’s very supportive of theatre in Mammoth. It’s also exciting to meet and direct Linda Purl whose work I’ve admired for a long time.”

In February “The Miracle Worker,” the story of Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan will be presented, followed by the return of Todd Offenbacher’s Tahoe Adventure Film Festival, a touring festival of extreme outdoor adventure footage. April will see a special engagement of Edward Albee’s Tony Award winning Best Play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” a play that Women’s Wear Daily called “… a scorching, scalding, revealing and completely engrossing drama.”

The season closes on Friday, May 3, 2013 with a return of the Long Beach City College Studio Singers, a group that had everyone in the palm of their hands last season.

Prices for the productions vary with most tickets costing $20 for adults and $18 for students. However, a Season Pass is available for $60 per person and provides entrance to four shows of the pass-holder’s choice. The Evening with the Stars $35 ticket counts as two shows. “Having a season pass is a fantastic way for our audience members to get the most out of this year’s season,” added Dubrovner. “We’ve been rehearsing ‘The Marvelous Wonderettes’ for weeks and you won’t want to miss the season opener.”

To purchase season passes, make reservations for a specific show, or to donate to the theatre, call 760.934.6592, or visit the website at www.mammothlakesfoundation.org/theatre.html.

Pictured: Drew Foster plays Caliban in SCT’s latest production, “The Tempest.” (Photo: Geisel)/

“Proof” lead Julia Runcie 

Three thousand miles away, a Harvard graduate is creating Linsanity in New York City. His name is Jeremy Lin, and he plays point guard for the New York Knicks.

Beginning March 29, three local Harvard grads will merely present a little Insanity as Sierra Classic Theatre stages David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Proof” at the Edison Theatre in Mammoth Lakes.

If merely was the operative word.

The four-person cast, directed by Alison McDonnell Page, was selected before Christmas to give the actors extra time to learn their lines.

Page, who originally saw the play on Broadway, describes it as “brilliant.” She said the material asks a lot of both the cast and audience. “This is about real people and serious subject matter, but there are comedic moments,” she says. “These are not one-note characters. There is conflict … and mystery.”

“Since Sierra Classic Theatre traditionally does the summer Shakespeare as well as the Murder Mystery Dinners in the fall, we wanted to do a drama … People have told me that we’re not going to sell tickets, that people don’t know this play and won’t recognize the name. But I’m hoping people will come just because they want to see something new.”

Rick Phelps will play the father, a mathematics genius gone insane.

Julia Runcie is the daughter who dropped out of school to take care of him. She doesn’t quite know how much of the genius, or insanity, she’s inherited.

Morgan Lindsay plays the older sister, an executive-type who’s been paying the bills.

Jody Ecklund, plays the love interest, a man who studied math in college who is now assigned to pore through the father’s journals to see if there are any ideas in there worth salvaging.

Page and Runcie graduated from Harvard undergrad. Phelps went to the Business School.

As Page says, “The goal is to have people leave the theater talking about it and thinking about it … We have the talent to do this type of theatre here.”

Sierra Classic Theatre is looking for volunteers (ushers, et. al.) to help out with the production. Visit www.sierraclassictheatre.com if you’re interested.

The play will run from March 29-April 14. Shows are at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. All seats $15, except for a $10 opening night special.

Edison Theatre is located off Meridian Blvd. on College Parkway on the Cerro Coso College campus.

“Wonderful Life” opens 

Perhaps the only question that patrons to Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre’s new show, a “radio” play rendition of “It’s A Wonderful Life” will have to ponder is, “Do you watch or listen to it?” The enduring Christmas tale centers on George Bailey, who spends his entire life giving up his big dreams of travel and living a larger, worldly life, for the good of his town, the fictional Bedford Falls, NY. After marrying his love, Mary, he witnesses the impact of the October 1929 stock market collapse’s impact on his town, and by Christmas Eve, he is broken and suicidal. His dad, who ran a building loan company, died earlier in the year, then he was mortified by the misplacing of an $8,000 loan and the machinations of the evil millionaire, Mr. Potter. George decides to do himself in, a controversial theme in the 1940s, but is saved at the last minute by his guardian angel, Clarence, who shows him how his town, family and friends would be had George never existed.

Director Shira Dubrovner’s version of “It’s A Wonderful Life,” which is now playing at the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, adjacent to Cerro Coso College’s Mammoth campus, is audio production veteran Tony Palermo’s faithful radio play drama adaptation of Frank Capra’s classic 1946 film about dreams, sacrifice and redemption in small-town America. (Palermo has won numerous awards for his work in radio and audio CD book production.)

The set is a 1946-era radio studio during the holiday season, and the audience is part of the production, in which most of the actors play multiple supporting roles, reading from the script into microphones, with Sound Effects artist Tim Casey performing live on stage with them.

Dennis Kostecki makes his MLRT debut as George, with his own fresh, crisp delivery, as opposed to just copying the timeless, indelible Jimmy Stewart characterization. Another newcomer, Roger Freed, plays the part of Clarence. His take on the angel trying to get his wings is as modest as Henry Travers made him in the movie version, and yet every bit as sympathetic and endearing. And Julia Runcie, who wowed audiences this summer in Sierra Classic Theatre’s “Twelfth Night,” would make Donna Reed proud with her eloquent performance of Mary Hatch.

The entire ensemble, though, deserves a lot of credit for not only delineating all the various co-lead and supporting roles with appropriate, unique characterizations, but also helping provide suitable background atmosphere in several scenes.

Rounding out the troupe are Rick Phelps, Jim Marcotte, Chuck Scatolini, Eva Poole Gilson, Noelle Deinken, Dee DiGioia, Maureen McLain Jacoby as the Stage Manager, Blair Lee, Hannah Linaweaver, terrific as Zuzu and Jimmy the Parrot, Barrett Mannetter as Young George and Petey Bailey, Lynda Roberts and Greg Young, who also serves as the show’s announcer.

“A radio play is a fun way to demonstrate a little bit of media history, while presenting family-friendly entertainment,” Dubrovner said. “Today when so many movies are about explosions and crashes, it’s nice to tell a story with basic human values that tugs at the heartstrings.”

All the actors are dressed in period costumes, and the show even comes with some very entertaining period commercials, so watch or just close your eyes and listen.

“It’s a Wonderful Life,” the live radio show, plays through Dec. 18 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 p.m., and Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. Special ticket pricing: $15, and $12 for Seniors and Students. Reservations: 760.934.6592.

Qualls and Meads

For a California high school to send an athlete to the California State Finals is truly remarkable. For Mammoth High School to send two athletes to State Finals is astronomical.

Two athletes, Mammoth Junior Toby Qualls and Freshman Jody Meads, not only made it to the State Finals, both finished near the top of their respective races.

The course is located in Woodward Park, Clovis, Calif. and is 5k, or 3.1 miles in length with rolling hills. In order to medal and be awarded “All State Champions,” a runner must finish in the top 10.

For Meads, the path to the State Championship had been a whirlwind experience. Only 10 weeks ago, Meads ran her first high school race.

Meads ran the course in a time of 19:22, finished 13th out of 175 runners, and missed being named to the “All State” team by a mere three runners.

This was Qualls’ second year in a row to go to the State Finals. His goal was to finish top ten in order to set himself up to have a chance at winning the State Championship his senior year.

On race day, Qualls met his goal and finished the race eighth out of 182 runners with a time of 15:57. He medaled and made the “All State” team, plus qualified to run on the front line of the Foot Locker, Western Regional Nationals on Dec. 3. (Qualls was entered in the “Seeded Boys Race,” and started at the front of the pack, based upon his previous qualifying times. The seeded race is reserved for only the very fastest qualifying runners. Out of the 218 top runners, Qualls finished 45th with a time of 16:33 for the 5,000 k course. Qualls’ time would have won the Senior Boys and Junior Boys races, and in fact, out of 1,016 high school boy runners for the day, Qualls would have finished 46th.)

Professional running coach, Andrew Kastor, traveled to the State Finals to watch both Qualls and Meads and was very pleased with both Toby’s and Jody’s performances.

Friday Freebie

Don’t forget that Mammoth Mountain is offering free lift tickets to the public on Friday, Dec. 9 if you simply sign up for My Mammoth. Once signed up visit any MMSA ticket window to redeem your free lift ticket, valid Dec. 9.

According to www.mammothmountain.com, Rollercoaster Express (Chair 4) is now open. Canyon and Eagle lodges are scheduled to open Wednesday, Dec. 14.

Restaurant Rapture

Local chef extraordinaire Frederic Pierrel and the Lakefront Restaurant were featured in an online Wall Street Journal article on Dec. 1. The article’s author, David Netto describes his experience at Lakefront as one of two extraordinary, mind-altering dinners he has had in unexpected settings in his lifetime.

“I arrived crunching in snow boots and left in a state of elation,” Netto describes in the article titled, “Dining in the Great Outdoors.” Find the article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204449804577068930245788796.html.

Mammoth’s annual whodunnit thriller is going on now! Sierra Classic Theatre’s 13th annual Murder Mystery Dinner kicked off on Sunday at Tamarack Lodge/Lakefront Restaurant. Nov. 15 is the final night at Tamarack and then the show moves on down the road to Tom’s Place for two nights (Nov. 16&17).

Locals will not want to miss this year’s show, titled “Out of Commission,” and all of its references to Mammoth’s small-town antics. Join the cast at a chamber mixer, hosted by a real estate company with a lot of killer competition in the town of Bloody Mountain.

Visit http://sierraclassictheatre.com/ for ticket information.

Gail Matthius and Juliana Olinka will star in an upcoming production of “Always … Patsy Cline” 

Jarrett Smith (Maria) and Chuck Scatolini (Toby Belch)

Do you enjoy watching your friends and neighbors dress up, adopt English accents and run around the forest? Then you’re sure to enjoy Sierra Classic Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night under the pines at Sam’s Wood Site beginning next Friday night.

SCT’s outdoor production of Merry Wives of Windsor last summer drew large audiences, prompting Director Allison Page to come back for more.

She describes Twelfth Night as “not quite as light” as Merry Wives, but better known, and still filled with a lot of pranks and cases of mistaken identity.

Though Shakespeare’s original story was set on an island following a shipwreck, Page has changed the setting to a small western town circa 1900. Instead of a shipwreck, there’s a wagon train caught in a desert storm.

This year, one of Page’s goals has been to upgrade the production values. To that end, Eastern Sierra Audio will provide set mikes. There will also be lights.

As opposed to Merry Wives, Page said Twelfth Night starts right away and is a clearer story. There will also be a synopsis of the story in the program for those who may miss a line or otherwise get a little lost.

All shows (July 22-24 and July 29-31) will start at 6 p.m. and are anticipated to run two-and-a-half hours (including intermission). The public is encouraged to come early, dress appropriately (jackets and blankets) and feel free to bring a picnic – and a comfy chair.

The suggested donation for the performance is $5. This year, expect the suggestion to be made more strongly. Last year, nearly 1,000 people attended one of the shows, but just a little over $1,000 was collected at the door, meaning … the wildly successful show still lost money.

“If we wish to continue to spend more money on our productions, we need public support,” said Page, who now serves as SCT’s Board Director.

When asked if she had already looked ahead to future summer productions, Page simply said that summer is for comedy. “Summer is not a time for deep drama,” she said. “We have a two-month summer here … keep it light.”

She is not, however, married to Shakespeare and is considering Moliere for next year.

A professional actress for 15 years before moving to Mammoth, Page, a realtor with the Snowcreek Property Co.,. said her return to theater “makes me happy … it’s bringing me back to what I used to do.”

The cast

Toby Belch: Chuck Scatolini

Maria: Jarrett Smith

Malvolio: Mike Dostrow

Viola: Morgan Lindsay

Olivia: Julia Runcie

Valentine: Mo Jacob

Aquecheek: Jody Ecklund

Clown/Feste: Sam Taylor

Antonio: Erica Sutch

Floria: Marlene Piper

Duke Orsino: Jim Marcotte

Sebastian: Jason Crockett

Wagon Driver: Skyler Simpkind

Officer 1: Sabrina Clevenger

Sets/ tech: Sean Burditt

Music: Jon Jacoby

Whodunit fans have a thrilling murder mystery on their hands when the Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre debuts Dial M for Murder at Edison Theatre on March 31. Written by Frederick Knott and directed by Shira Dubrovner, Dial M enjoyed a long run on Broadway before it was transformed into the infamous Hitchcock thriller released by Warner Brothers in 1954.

Mammoth’s Clay Tyson stars as Tony Wendice, a retired professional tennis player with a jealous penchant for killing his wealthy wife, Margot Wendice (Jessica Blum). Tony hires con-artist Captain Lesgate (Scottie Marzonie) to off his wife, but there’s no such thing as a perfect murder. Margot’s lover Max Halliday (Ted Carleton) and Inspector Hubbard (Grant Bentley) bring nail biting resolve.

Dial M is Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Shira Dubrovner’s most recent suspense thriller since she directed the highly reviewed Los Angeles run of Ira Levin’s Veronica’s Room in 2006.

“It’s always fun to thrill an audience,” said Dubrovner about directing Dial M. “The challenge is to help the audience predict what’s going to happen before the characters onstage know.”

Showtimes

March 31 – April 17
Thurs. – Sat. 7 p.m.
Sunday matinee 4 p.m.

Tickets

General admission: $20
Seniors and students: $18
Group rates available

For directions or more information on upcoming events at Edison Theatre visit www.MammothLakesFoundation.org or call 760.934.6592. -MLF

Tiny Tim (Indigo Winston Paine) and Scrooge (Bob Struckman) help make “A Christmas Carol” a blessing for everyone. (Photo: ML Repertory Theatre)

New beginnings. It’s one of the themes at the core of “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens’ classic tale of one man’s path to rekindling his humanity, and a fitting selection for Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre’s first show in its new home, the Edison Theatre in the Mammoth Ski Museum.

First published on Dec. 19, 1843, just in time for Christmas, Dickens’ book was an instant hit. The first printing sold out by that Christmas, and the seventh printing had been devoured by readers by the following May. The book and its messages of redemption and a return to what is truly joyful about the holiday season came at a time when England had begun to get back in touch with more simple Christmas traditions.

Interestingly, customs such as the Christmas tree and greeting cards were being introduced, though they don’t figure as prominently in the story. Never out of print since its debut, the book has generated such cultural language standards as “Scrooge” and “bah, humbug,” not to mention numerous charities named after Tiny Tim. Upon having seen a performance of the show, one large business owner was said to have been so moved that he closed his factory on Christmas day and sent all of his employees a turkey.

So says Wikipedia anyway.

Several versions have been created for the stage, but MLRT Artistic Director Shira Dubrovner chose a recent one by writer Richard Hellesen. A musical, with songs by David DeBerry, she thinks the play flows better in part because of Hellesen’s unique use of narrative delivered by various characters to help propel the plot.

Dubrovner said she became hooked on this version because of DeBerry’s songs. “It’s caroling music and just gave me a warm and nostalgic feeling when I saw it,” Dubrovner told The Sheet. Indeed, the original songs are written to sound carolesque, and now and then incorporate parts of familiar traditionals, such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” The score is very creative, however, in DeBerry’s strategic shifts from gleeful major to ghostly minor keys, particularly where Scrooge is involved. Musical Director Stephanie Everson coached the cast in their vocals.

The cast list, which is by no means complete here, includes veterans such as Bob Sruckman, wonderful as Scrooge (with a bit of Snidely Whiplash thrown in for good measure), Shanda Duro as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Chuck Scatolini as Jacob Marley and Rick Phelps as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Tim Casey as Fred, along with Indigo Winston Paine making his stage debut as Tiny Tim. Newcomers Sheryl Saari and Robin Morning in their first production join Lori Ciccarelli as Mrs. Fezziwig, and even professional snowboarder Desiree Melancon, who auditioned just for fun, was nonetheless serious about doing the show and landed a key part as the ominous Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.

A wealth of authentic-looking period costumes help create the ambiance, and the black-box setting with minimal props and set pieces lets the audience’s imagination time travel to mid-1800s London.

“I really wanted to do a piece that brings us all back to what is truly important in life: family, kindness, generosity,” Dubrovner added. “In the rehearsals I always find myself at the end of the play with a huge smile on my face. That is the Christmas gift I would like to give to the community.”

Sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Lodge and Mammoth Hospital, “A Christmas Carol” is presented by Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre in cooperation with the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, and plays Dec. 2-19 at the Mammoth Ski Museum’s new Edison Theatre, at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and Sunday at 4 p.m. only. Tickets: $20 general admission, $18 students and seniors, and $15 children. Group discounts available. For reservations/information call 760.934.6592 or email mammothlakesrep@yahoo.com.