On Stage
By Staff
The following is a list of upcoming productions and auditions in the Loudoun-Fairfax area. - Productions - 'Moonlight and Magnolias': BITWC-Imagine That!! Theater announces its dinner theater production, “Moonlight and Magnolias,” at Magnolias at the Mill Restaurant, 198 N. 21 St. in Purcellville Oct. 5-8 at 6 p.m.“Moonlight and Magnolias,” written by Ron Hutchinson, is a comedy about the rewriting of the 1939 screenplay for “Gone With the Wind.” Loosely based on historical events, the play spins the farcical tale of legendary producer David O. Selznick who, dissatisfied with the screenplay, locks famed director Victor Fleming and screenwriter Ben Hecht in his office for five days to rework the script. Hilarity ensues as Selznick and Fleming act out well-known portions of the book for Hecht, who has not read the novel, while Selznick’s secretary, Miss Poppenghul, provides them with writing supplies and their only sustenance, peanuts and bananas.
The cast includes four veteran actors well-known in Loudoun County. Alice Power plays the very funny Miss Poppenghul. Power is currently artistic director of VSAarts of Loudoun County but also is a playwright, lyricist and director as well as an actor. She is working on her new original musical for VSAarts, “Jack and the Magic Rocketship,” with auditions beginning in November.
Jeff Stern, who plays David O. Selznick, has more than 30 years experience in the arts, having worked in theater, television, feature film and radio. He started his career as a child actor but in recent times, steps onstage only in his role as the manager of the Franklin Park Performing and Visual Arts Center.
Tim Jon, playing Victor Fleming, is the artistic director of Not Just Shakespeare Theater. Jon has directed more than a dozen productions over the past decade. He also has acted in numerous productions in New York City, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Minneapolis and Virginia. Not Just Shakespeare will present "Macbeth" at the Franklin Park Performing and Visual Arts Center in February 2009.
Doug Dickinson, who plays Ben Hecht, is a comedic actor who has appeared in numerous productions of the Aurora Studio Theater, Not Just Shakespeare and Middleburg Players. He currently supports BITWC-Imagine That!! and will assist in its dinner theaters.
Imagine That!! Dinner Theater is the brainchild of director/actor Marian Sweet. Sweet has performed as part of Aurora Theater and VSAarts and has directed several productions, most recently "Moon Over Buffalo" with the Middleburg Players.
BITWC is an abbreviation for “Build It They Will Come.”
The seating will accommodate 40 people per evening Oct. 6-8 in the upstairs area. They will also provide an evening downstairs on Oct. 5 for those who can’t climb stairs.
Admission is $65 and includes dinner (chicken, beef, seafood or vegetarian), tax, tip and the show. Proceeds VSAarts of Loudoun County and Not Just Shakespeare. Prepaid reservations must be made in advance by calling 540-554-8889. VISA and Mastercard are accepted.
'Tootleloo.' A new musical drama by Loudoun producer and actor Tom Sweitzer goes onstage Oct. 11-12 at the Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane in Purcellville.
"Tootleloo" was inspired by the events of Sweitzer's childhood in Altoona, Pa., as he witnessed his mother's illness and death. The production, originally staged as "Sky" at The Hill Playhouse in Middleburg, was created from Sweitzer's memory of himself as a young boy coping with the fear of losing his mother. The family members' lives were changed at the entrance of a hospice volunteer who brought love, support, hope and magic to a young child's life.
The Oct. 11 performance will be preceded by a 6 p.m. benefit reception at the Loudoun Golf & Country Club, Purcellville. A dessert reception will follow the show. Tickets are $50 per person and sponsorships are available.
A goodwill donation is requested for admission to the 3 p.m. matinee Oct. 12.
The Franklin Park Arts Center box office has opened for both performances. Seating is limited. Call 540-338-7973.
Auditions
Wakefield Chorale. The Wakefield Chorale holds open rehearsals Tuesdays, 7:30-9:30 p.m., in lecture hall B-167 of Lake Braddock Secondary School, 9200 Burke Lake Road in Burke. Call Jule at 703-451-7917.
Youth orchestra conductor. The Loudoun Symphony Association has an opening for the position of youth orchestra and string workshop conductor for the 2008-09 concert season.
The ideal candidate will have youth orchestra experience and lead both groups beginning in the fall.
The youth orchestra meets Wednesdays, 5-6:30 p.m., and the string workshop meets Wednesdays, 7-7:30 p.m.
Duties include conducting all rehearsals and concerts, acting as librarian for each group, coordinating parent volunteers and managers, holding auditions, and establishing a relationship with the music educators of the community.
The salary is $5,000.
Send resume, references, list of concerts/repertoire conducted and DVD to: Loudoun Symphony, c/o Mark Allen McCoy, P.O. Box 4478, Leesburg, VA 20177.
Master Singers. The Master Singers of Virginia, directed by Erik Reid Jones, are looking for new members.
The group is one of the premier a cappella choral ensembles in Northern Virginia, concentrating on 20th- and 21st-century choral music. The Master Singers perform three major concert programs each season, as well as other engagements throughout Northern Virginia and the greater Washington, D.C., area. This will be the Master Singers' 14th season.
The concert series scheduled for this season includes Benjamin Britten's "A Boy Was Born," Francis Poulenc's "Mass in G Major," William Byrd's "Mass for Five Voices" and Shakespeare songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Frank Martin and Jaakko Mantyjarvi.
To schedule an audition, call Mary Ellen Bufal at 703-729-5269. For more information, visit www.msva.org.