An old Rainbow Stage performer bio from Jack Carter in 1965!

JACK CARTER “NATHAN DETROIT”

Guys & Dolls 1965

A RAINBOW STAGE PRODUCTION

Dramatic television is Jack Carter’s newest success.  He’s completed an Emmy-award role on “Dr. Kildare”, has appeared on the “Alfred Hitchcock Hour”, “Ben Casey”, “Burke’s Law”.  He’s one of Ed Sullivan’s most frequent guests and has made several appearances on “Hollywood Palace”.  Jack first attacked television with such early greats as Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, graduating to his own “Jack Carter Show”.  His recently completed “Combat” role should be seen soon on Winnipeg screens.  This coming season Jack Carter is already booked for four appearances on Dean Martin’s new show, “Dino’s Palace”, and the new “Steve Lawrence Show”.  And late in September he opens on Broadway in “Come Live With Me”.  From here Mr. Carter goes to Vancouver to star at the Vancouver Repertory Playhouse under the direction of Malcolm Black who directed at Rainbow Stage last year.

When Damon Runyon created the character of Nathan Detroit he must have had Jack Carter in mind to play the role.  Mr. Carter’s “Nathan Detroit” is earthy, hearty and thoroughly alive – like Jack Carter himself.

They say every comedian wants to play Hamlet.  Jack Carter is a talented exception.  This ham successfully made the switch from acting to comedy, to become the “comedy-actor” Winnipeg audiences are seeing as Nathan Detroit.

Jack Carter started his career as a dramatic actor.  His talent was first recognized by Christopher Morley, who gave him his acting start in the original Mill Pond Playhouse, N.Y.  His cohorts were such illustrious unknowns as Angela Lansbury, Gordon and Sheila MacRae, Jeff Chandler and Richard Brooks.  On Broadway, Mr. Carter has starred in “Call Me Mister”, “Top Banana”, and with co-star Sammy Davis Jr. in “Mr Wonderful”.

It’s fitting that Jack Carter should celebrate his 41^st birthday right here in Winnipeg.  After his smash hit at the CNE in Toronto, and the Cave in Vancouver, Jack is delighter to be spending his birthday here.  He says himself, “Canada is my second home.”  And Canadian audiences have invited Jack Carter to return over and over again.  This week Winnipeg has the honour, and according to Jack, “I have the pleasure.”

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Alexandra Frohlinger Talks West Side Story

photo from www.alexandrafrohlinger.com

By: Ashley Baylen

On May 8^th, Toronto will be welcoming Broadway’s hit revival of ‘West Side Story’. Presented by Dancap Productions, the classic musical written by theatre legends Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondeim will re-imagine our favorite tale of rival gangs, The Jets and The Sharks.

Winnipeg-born, Alexandra Frohlinger, joins the production as ‘Anybodys’- the girl who desperately wants to become the only female member of the Jets.

Shalom Life caught up with Frohlinger to discuss her love for musical theatre, West Side Story, and her preparation for ‘Anybodys’.

Ashley Baylen: Your training began at a young age in various styles of dance. Why did you decide to focus on musical theatre instead of pursuing a career in dance?

Alexandra Frohlinger: I don’t recall ever making a conscious decision, it just sort of happened. For a while I wanted to be a classical ballerina, however, I couldn’t get into the training schools for classical because of structural “problems” with my body (feet, turn out etc.) What I love about theater is there is no “right.” Classical ballet has very stringent guidelines about how a line or pose is supposed to look. In theater, if one way doesn’t work for you try another until you’ve achieved your tactic. Additionally I love music and I love to sing. It seems to me that the marriage of my passions: (singing, dancing and acting) lies in Musical theater and by “choosing” musical theater, I don’t have to choose!

Ashley Baylen: You play Anybodys in the national tour of West Side Story. How do you prepare to portray a tomboy that wants so desperately to join an all-male gang?

Alexandra Frohlinger: “Tomboy” is a general term. In order to accurately portray this character you have to delve deeper than just the surface appearance. You have to ask yourself “what does this character want?” What Anybodys wants is the protection and the belonging associated with being a member of the jets gang. In the world of West Side Story the only way that women can be in the gang is by dating one of the jets. Anybodys doesn’t want to a member by association, she wants to be a member on her own. As a result, in order to get in the gang, she must act, dress and essentially become “male.”

Ashley Baylen: Were you a fan of West Side Story before joining the cast?

Alexandra Frohlinger: West Side Story is my absolute favorite musical. I had the opportunity to play Anybodys my sophomore year at The Boston Conservatory (where I got my BFA in musical theater). To have the opportunity to re-visit the role after graduating, with better knowledge and understanding, in such a monumental production, is truly a dream come true!

Ashley Baylen: What has been your favourite role to play in your career thus far?

Alexandra Frohlinger: Anybodys has really been the highlight of my career so far. However, if I had to pick another role, the summer before starting this show, I had the opportunity to play Maureen in "Rent" at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg, which was a total blast!

Ashley Baylen: Do you have a dream role?

Alexandra Frohlinger: My experience with “West Side Story” has really been a dream come true for me. However, my “dream” is to originate something new. I would love to put my “stamp” on a role and have it become known as “mine.”

Ashley Baylen: Do you enjoy the experience of being "on the road" with a tour? How does it differ from playing a show in one location?

Alexandra Frohlinger: It is very thrilling to play different cities, regions and countries. I have learned so much about the geography of this continent first hand, whereas most people simply study and read about it in books. Every city is different and as a result, every audience is as well. When you sit down in one place with a show, the timing is often set: you know when the audience will laugh and clap and you come to expect specific reactions during certain points in the show. However, when you travel around the audience response is different. You really have to listen and focus on the feedback you are getting from the house. It makes it a lot easier to keep the show alive and “fresh” which can sometimes become a challenge with a long running show like ours.

Ashley Baylen: Can you describe the experience of being on CBC's "Triple Sensation"?

Alexandra Frohlinger: “Triple Sensation” was a unique, once in a lifetime experience that I still cant believe I was fortunate enough to partake in! I had the opportunity to study with known and accomplished teachers, and meet and work with professionals I respect and admire. I learned so much from the experience that even now, five years after the fact, I am still discovering and learning from the experience, and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Ashley Baylen: Can you share a piece of advice for other young actors and dancers?

Alexandra Frohlinger: The most useful advice that I have been given is to remember that while this business is competitive, it is not a competition. Take care of your fellow artist and while it may be hard sometimes, encourage and support your peers. Keep a positive mindset and NEVER wish for the failure of another. Positivity breeds more positivity and people want to work with and hire positive people. Each artist has something unique and special that is exclusive to him or her. If you stay confident, continue to train and better yourself and remain optimistic; your turn will come!

Originally published on April 3rd, 2012 @ www.shalomlife.com

Look how far we've come!

Rainbow Stage - 1954

Rescued concert hall going strong again

Virden Auditorium

By: Bill Redekop    02/27/2012

VIRDEN -- Thirty years ago, Gladys Carefoot asked Randy Rostecki what he thought of the town's old concert hall, the historic Virden Auditorium that was filled with bird droppings, fallen plaster, glass from broken windows and had water damage from the collapsing roof.

Rostecki was visiting on behalf of Manitoba Historical Resources but had earlier compiled an inventory of historic buildings across Western Canada for Parks Canada. Today, he is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of prairie architecture and is author of two books, including Armstrong's Point: A History.

Rostecki told Carefoot it was the finest vintage concert hall between Winnipeg and Calgary.

That stiffened the resolve of a small group of people opposed to the town council's plan to demolish the "Aud," as it's lovingly known in Western Manitoba. Carefoot and her posse started to round up support (and money) from the community to save it. Long story short: They succeeded.

This Wednesday, the Aud takes a bow, takes a curtsey, whatever, for its 100th anniversary. It was exactly a century ago, on Leap Year Day, 1912, it opened. A wonderful painting by Virden artist Terry McLean depicts that wintry day, with cutter sleighs pulling up to the Aud and theatregoers dressed in their finest.

The Aud is the pride of Western Manitoba. "Performers love it," said Carefoot. "They're very surprised when they come here. They often are performing in gymnasiums and town halls around rural Manitoba. Then they see this."

The Aud has always been as much a symbol of people who dream big as a functional theatre. The original champion was newspaper editor John "Jack" MacLachlan of the Virden Empire-Advance. People said the theatre was more than the town of 1,500 people could afford and dubbed it "Jack's Folly."

"The Aud epitomizes what the small towns were at the turn of the century and probably for the first two decades before the decline took place," said Rostecki. "They were vibrant places. They all had big-city ambitions and built accordingly."

The first performance was a local production of a forgettable farce called The Misogynist, about a man engaged to four women. The first touring performance was of Tolstoy's Resurrection on March 7, 1912.

Since then it has hosted operettas, vaudeville acts, concerts, theatre productions, weddings and other services. It became a movie theatre in the 1920s and followed the evolution from silent film to talkies. It started to die after the movie theatre closed in the 1960s and the owners invested in a drive-in theatre instead.

What makes the Aud so special? Exquisite acoustics that give it a "warm" sound; 467 red-upholstered seats set in cast iron with decorative scrollwork; two double-decker loges on each side swaddled in flowing red velvet curtains and valences; the stage's proscenium arch; the orchestra pit; graduated seating with a concave floor sunken in the middle; and marble imitation pillars.

It originally had six canvas scenery curtains that lowered onto the stage with pulley ropes. Only one remains. Its motif is imagination. It looks out from a temple onto a Mediterranean vista, where gondolas equipped with white sails skim over table-smooth water, and Middle East-style architecture in the backdrop.

In 1980, Virden mayor Al Case declared that "the old bird has to go." Jimmy Moffatt, 95, and Carefoot, 90, are the only two people left of the small group that campaigned to save the Aud. Moffatt, a Second World War D-Day vet, oversaw its restoration. A Brandon Sun story recently dubbed them "the Aud couple."

The Aud has been run successfully the last three decades, receiving only a small annual operating grant from the town, said Rick Kristjanson, a Virden Aud board member since 1986.

The Air Command Band from17 Wing in Winnipeg will perform at the anniversary show.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 27, 2012 A8

A fabulous article written this summer by local blogger Sarah Zaharia!

posted by Sarah Zaharia @ www.sarahzaharia.com

My family has been going to Rainbow Stage every year for over 35 years.  With few exceptions, we are 3 generations strong at each show and have had up to 25 in our group (my first show I was two weeks old and my mom tells me I was very well behaved).  Safeway night, a 50 year tradition has always been the night of choice for my family to see shows in Kildonan Park.

For those of you that don’t know, Safeway night is held on the night of dress rehearsal and is rush seating for the reduced rate of 17$ per ticket which makes it more affordable to go as a family.  The familiar sound of Vic Pinchin, the brainchild behind Safeway night, taking us through the pre-show housekeeping is a wonderful reminder that as much as some things change, others stay exactly as they should.

It’s worth noting, as Doug Meacham, President- Rainbow Stage Board of Directors did in the Hairspray program, they are more than a production company.  Rainbow Stage promotes musicals in high schools, awards scholarships and employs hundreds of local talent in both front and back of the house.  It has been a privilege to support them and I look forward to continuing to enjoy their productions for years to come.

This year there were two summer productions, Cats and Hairspray and both were very well done.  At both shows, I was struck by the talent of the dancers and the calibre of singing, especially since a lot of the talent is home grown.  I thought the sets for Cats were especially well done. I hope to hear that Rainbow has done well again this season, certainly when I was at both shows the house was packed.

George Wendt, otherwise known as Norm from Cheers, did an exceptional job as Mama (Edna Turnblad) mostly because he looked like he was sincerely having a great time doing it!  There was so much sincerity and joy in all the performers during Hairspray that by the end of the show the crowd was going crazy.  I’ve never seen them jump so quick to their collective feet at the end of a performance and there were hoots and hollers coming from all corners of the audience.

Thanks for another great season of summer musicals Rainbow.

Bravo!

Rainbow Stage Theatre has been nominated in the Great Places in Canada contest! CLICK HERE to vote for us. Thanks Everyone!

Altar Boyz is saving souls, one screaming fan at a time @ Prairie Theatre Exchange

By, Kayla Gordon

Hey Rainbow gang!  I was asked to blog a bit about Altar Boyz and being a former Rainbow performer I’d love to report a bit about the experience with this fresh, fun high octane musical.  When I first saw Altar Boyz in New York, I loved the reaction the musical got from the audience. They were sitting there singing along and having so much fun with the interactive part of the show, it was hilarious to watch.  You know it's magic when the audience and the performers come together and have that personal connection.  I also love the comedic aspects in the musical. The spoof on the boy bands as well as the whole genre and style of music. I also love the mix of the high power dancing and singing. To have 5 guys on stage giving off that kind of energy is electric.

The opportunity to do a show for a second time, thanks to Prairie Theatre Exchange is such a treat.  Winnipeg Studio Theatre mounted the show at the Winnipeg Fringe in 2009 and I was thrilled when Bob Metcalf said he wanted to put it into their 2011-12 season.  So what’s different.....this production will have a lot more of the 'bells and whistles'.  Better lighting, a set that doesn't take 5 minutes to put up and tear down after each performance, a 4-piece band on stage, as well as other embellishments that weren’t possible at the fringe. We have also had more time to delve into the characters and their journey as they travel on the road to save the souls of the audience. 

Altar Boyz won the Outer Critics Circle Award for best off Broadway musical which is an award given by writers. It has also been one of the longest running off Broadway musicals ever with over 2000 performances in New York.  People just love it.  It's light entertainment and we all like to have fun, have a good laugh and yet you feel something for these guys as well as you get to know them. PTE audiences will also get a kick out of the audience members who get involved in the show. It's good, clean interactive theatre in an intimate setting with just the right amount of spice.

I'm just so thrilled that Bob and Cherry have invited us back. It's my first professional opportunity to direct on the mainstage at PTE even though I've done a number of shows on the PTE stage including the recent all-Dentist musical Little Shop of Horrors.  It's a great creative team including both Brenda Gorlick and Sofia Costantini as co-choreographers and Joseph Tritt as Musical Director and we are all very excited to have another chance to mount a show that was so much fun to begin with.  The boyz are also all back – Joseph Sevillo, Marc Devigne, Jeremy Walmsley, Michael Lyons and Simon Miron. We felt the fever that summer of 2009 when people were lining up all the way out the door, past the Imax Theatre and now we're just glad to do it all over again. The Altar Boyz are back in the house!

Rainbow Stage Theater has been nominated in the Great Places in Canada contest! CLICK HERE to vote for us. Thanks Everyone!

Locals sing, dance, neigh on far-flung stages

Mairi Babb is playing part of the titular equine in War Horse, a role that's mostly puppeteer.

By: Kevin Prokosh

Mairi Babb is a leading lady of the Winnipeg stage, having starred in recent years in a dozen plays including as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Janet in The Rocky Horror Show and the title character in Educating Rita.

These days she is appearing in the highly anticipated Canadian première of War Horse, currently in previews ahead of a Feb. 28 opening at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre. Although Babb is often seen in costume dramas, frequently singing, in this case she is playing a young horse, whose only vocal requirement is the odd snort.

"I don't speak at all," says Babb, during a telephone interview. "It's all movement and puppetry.

Monica Simoes photo Jaz Sealy (second from left, with his arm around choreographer Lisa Shriver) is Broadway bound with Stratford's production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

"I also play mud. Really. We're in this burlap netting and attach to the horses's leg to slow them down."

Babb is one of several Winnipeg stage products who are making dramatic moves in their careers. Grant Park High School graduate Jaz Sealey is going to Broadway with the Stratford Festival cast of Jesus Christ Superstar, which also includes local Broadway veteran Jeremy Kushnier. Local composer and fringe festival favourite Joseph Aragon is getting his first professional production when a new high-profile Toronto theatre company debuts next October with his musical Bloodless: The Trial of Burke and Hare.

War Horse, like the Steven Spielberg Oscar-nominated film adaptation, tells the story of the First World War through the eyes of a horse, Joey, who is sold to a cavalry division and shipped off to France. The horses are portrayed with life-size puppets animated by three actors, one as the head and the others as the heart and hind.

"It's incredibly challenging," says Babb, herself an accomplished equestrian. "We have been like a foal. We couldn't walk at first but we are gamboling all over the place now.

"I told my director that when I go onstage in Pride and Prejudice (RMTC, 2008) I have over 400 lines. That's my comfort zone, and now I'm doing things I've never done before and have to use my skills in an entirely different manner."

The Mirvish Productions presentation of War Horse is an open-ended run in which the 35-member cast is contracted to the end of the year. It's Babb's first blockbuster but she's not sure what her involvement will do for her career.

"It's definitely a highlight but I don't expect anyone to watch the show and go, 'Boy, can that girl do good mud. We should use her somewhere.'"

-- -- --

Sealey is already in New York City in rehearsals for Jesus Christ Superstar, which begins previews at the Neil Simon Theatre March 1 and officially opens on March 22.

"I can't believe that is all happening, Broadway-bound!" says Sealey.

Tony Award winner Des McAnuff directed JCS, which last year was a sellout hit starring Paul Nolan as Jesus Christ. In December it transferred to the La Jolla Playhouse, where Kushnier (Footloose, Jersey Boys) joined the cast as Pontius Pilate. In New York he will play James the Lesser while Sealey continues as Thomas, as well as understudying the part of Peter.

"It was a huge shock to be added to the cast in Stratford, and then getting the news about the show going to La Jolla and Broadway... wow," says Sealey, who has appeared in five Rainbow Stage productions. "I feel like I'm just that kid from Grant Park High School, but now on an amazing adventure."

-- -- --

Aragon is well-known in Winnipeg for his many fringe festival musicals -- Lucrezia Borgia, Illuminati and Hersteria -- but no one has produced one professionally, even in his hometown. So to have a Toronto company choose to debut with Bloodless after chats with 100 Toronto composers is a feather in Aragon's hat.

"It's my big break, I guess," he says. "It's my professional debut, actually. So I'm a little overwhelmed and a little scared."

The musical, first staged here at the 2009 fringe festival, is about the 1829 West Port murders in Edinburgh, Scotland, perpetrated by William Burke and William Hare, who sold the 17 corpses to medical anatomy schools. The subject matter and body have drawn comparisons with Stephen Sondheim's 1979 thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Theatre 20 is the new, artist-driven company that will bow for the first time with Bloodless. Adam Brazier (who played opposite Babb in The Rocky Horror Show) is the artistic director and among the founding artists is Colm Wilkinson, who originated the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, and will direct Bloodless at the Panasonic Theatre from Oct. 16 to Nov. 4.

Last week the for-profit company Mirvish Production unveiled its 2012-13 season, which includes the smash hit Book of Mormon and Sister Act, while also announcing that it was offering its subscribers first dibs on tickets to Bloodless. At the launch, before 1,800 people, Wilkinson introduced the Bloodless tune The Bugger's Best Off Dead.

"People seemed to like it," says Mirvish's John Karastamatis. "There were bravos being yelled. We hope this bodes well for Theatre 20 and Bloodless."

Bloodless is also to be revived in Winnipeg to run almost simultaneously with the Toronto run.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 16, 2012 D3

Rainbow Stage Theatre has been nominated in the Great Places in Canada contest! CLICK HERE to vote for us. Thanks Everyone!