New STAGES Episode! Season Finale!!

THE SEASON FINALE....All preparations are over and it's showtime for the Class of 2010 Showcase in New York City. Go behind the scenes and see how things turn out for this amazing class of new Broadway stars. Includes insight from BW alumni currently starring in Broadway smash hits like, "Hair", "A Little Night Music" and Best Musical Tony Winner "Memphis"!

To see individual performance videos from the 2010 Showcase, check out the previous video blog entries below or visit:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...

This documentary series follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. Produced by theater artist and documentarian Geoffrey Short (www.geoffreyshort.com), STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.

New Videos! Baldwin-Wallace College 2010 Music Theater Showcase

Check out these amazing performances from the agent showcase by the Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theater Class of 2010. I shot these videos live from The York Theatre in New York City.

Danny Henning


Ryan Jagru


Maggie Roach


Emma Ruck


Jennifer Noble


Jason Slattery


Angela Johnson


Theresa Kloos


Arthur Wise


Hilaire C. Smith


Corey Mach


Devon Yates


Finale

GYPSY: PRESS PREVIEW!

More great press for our production of "Gypsy" at Brecksville Theater on the Square!


CLICK HERE for a local newspaper preview from the Sun News!

Costumer David Glowe with Jeanette Luli
who plays "Electra" in Gypsy at
Brecksville Theater on the Square

Photo by INGRID SCHAEFER SPRAGUE

LET US ENTERTAIN YOU!

As one (Blue) Door closes, another opens...and so another theater adventure begins as my next directing project begins. This time it's the musical "Gypsy" at Brecksville Theater on the Square (BTOTS). I love this historic theater because it's a smallspace which forces you to be very creative with staging. I prefer smaller casts anyhow and we will have 20 people in this cast. We've gotten through auditions and the cast is amazing, starring the only person I could envision in this role- the incomparable Monica Olejko as Rose. Meet the cast at: http://geoffreyshort.com/Geoff_Short/Gypsy_CAST.html

GYPSY
APRIL 30TH-MAY 16TH, 2010
Reserve your tickets now by calling (440) 526-6436 440•526•6436 440•526•6436

Book by Arthur Laurents Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Suggested by memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee

DIRECTED BY GEOFFREY SHORT
MUSICAL DIRECTION BY GEORGIANN BODLE
CHOREOGRAPHY BY KIM BUSH
COSTUMES BY DAVID GLOWE

STARRING MONICA OLEJKO AS ROSE

with
ROB GIBB as Herbie

BRIDGET CHEBO as Louise
KATIE O'CONNOR as June
TIA KARAPLIS as Baby Louise
EMILY TABAR as Baby June
KIM BUSH as Tessie Tura
HEATHER HERSH as Mazeppa
JEANETTE LULI as Electra
SHANE SINISCALCHI as Tulsa
LUKE SCATTERGOOD as L.A.
DEBBIE LENARZ as Angie
NICK ROYAK as Yonkers
THERESA PEDONE as Marjorie May/Miss Cratchitt
BOB KENDERES as Pop/Goldstone/Cigar
MICHAEL PITT as Jocko/Weber/Kringlein/Pastey
JOEY STEFANKO as Young Tulsa
JORDAN STEFANKO as Young Yonkers
MEGHAN JOYCE as Young Angie
CAROLINA MANFREDI as Young Yonkers

NEW "STAGES" EPISODE - PT.13: Broadway Star Comes Back Home!

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 13: Broadway star and Baldwin-Wallace Music Theater Graduate Steel Burkhardt (currently starring in "HAIR" on Broadway) comes back to campus for a visit with current MT students.

Produced by Geoff Short (www.geoffreyshort.com)

NEW "STAGES" EPISODE - PT.12: Call-Backs for "CHESS"!

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 12: A look at the Call-Backs for the Spring musical "Chess", including observations about the show from Conservatory Director Peter Landgren.

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 10 "Making a Buck"

Check out this week's new episode of STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program Pt. 10... "Making a Buck" ...Baldwin-Wallace Music Theater students have lives offstage too. This look at a not-so-typical day and working night of one of those students shows that students work just as hard outside the theater.

CHECK OUT "STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program" - PART 7!!

Enjoy Pt. 7 - The big day for nervous high school seniors auditioning to get into the exclusive BW Music Theater program plus a look at the audition day master class with Broadway Casting Director Bob Cline including performances from a few BW seniors.

This documentary series follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. Produced by theater artist and documentarian Geoffrey Short, STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 6

Hope you enjoy the latest episode of "STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program"! Pt. 6 - "The Wild Party" finally opens!

PART 5 OF MY DOCUMENTARY SERIES "STAGES- STORIES FROM THE BW MUSIC THEATER PROGRAM"

Enjoy Part 5 - In this episode we go to Music Theater Workshop class with the program's newest students as freshman tell their life stories through special exercises. Also we peek into the rehearsal process of "The Wild Party".

Click here to see all the "STAGES" episodes!

This documentary series follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. Produced by theater artist and documentarian Geoffrey Short, STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 4

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 4: "The Wild Party" auditions are over and casting deliberations begin. Be there among the students to share their reactions from the customary midnight posting of the casting results. Plus a special presidential reception for the MT students with BW President Richard Durst and his view of why the music theater program at Baldwin-Wallace is so special.

This documentary series follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. Produced by theater artist and documentarian Geoffrey Short, STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.

PART 3!! "STAGES" - Check it Out!

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program!

In this episode, auditions and call-backs wrap up for the Baldwin-Wallace College production of Andrew Lippa's "The Wild Party"

PART 2 OF "STAGES"!

Here is part 2 of "STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program"

In this episode, go behind the scenes of auditions for BW's Fall musical Andrew Lippa's "The Wild Party". In the BW Music Theater program, where every opportunity is a teaching opportunity, an audition can be so much more than just a tryout.

Welcome to my new video documentary series "STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program"!

I'm always so grateful when anyone takes the time to watch my "Call-Back" videos documenting the process of producing live theater. I'm even more grateful when someone notices and hires me to do more of it! That was the case earlier this year when Vicky Bussert, the head of the Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theater program asked me to produce a brand new series for them that we call "STAGES:Stories from the BW Music Theater Program ".

The "STAGES" series follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. Produced by theater artist and documentarian Geoffrey Short, STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.

A new episode will be posted to YouTube every Friday. I will post them here as well.

Here's episode 1. In this first episode, the MT students from freshman to seniors meet for the first time as a complete group. They learn some about some of the philosophies of the program from its teachers and they learn some interesting things about each other as well.

Great Review for City of Angels!

Congrats to City of Angels on a great review in the our local Sun Newspaper! You deserve it!

READ IT HERE

City of Angels on "Call-Back"- Episode 4

"Call-Back" continues its look behind the scenes of the Brecksville Theater on the Square Production of City of Angels with this fourth and final City of Angels episode. Enjoy!

Episode 3 of City of Angels on Call-Back

Episode 2 of City of Angels on "Call-Back"

"Call-Back" continues its look behind the scenes of the Brecksville Theater on the Square Production of City of Angels with Episode 2. Enjoy!

New Video! City of Angels on Call-Back!

You can tell I'm in the middle of directing a show because I haven't been able to blog lately. But I did want to share the latest Call-Back episode featuring City of Angels, the musical I'm currently in rehearsals for.


This has been a phenomenal cast and crew to work with. Just the nicest, most professional group in a long time. And I love the people at Brecksville Theater on the Square. Also a sweet bunch of folks who know what they're doing, know how to engage volunteers and know how to work together to put shows on the stage. Other theaters could really learn from the BTOTS model.

With a month to go until opening, this is when things really get interesting...we move from our rehearsal space into the actual theater next week and to have an entire month on stage is a luxury not commonly afforded. It has been my experience sometimes, however, that that move can also bring challenges.

All of us performers can be divas at times. After weeks of rehearsing in a certain space with a certain understanding of the specifics of the set and props, etc., it can be challenging to have to suddenly make a few adjustments around the reality of what the actual space and set are like. I'm a big believer in giving the cast as much information and ammunition about what the actual performance environment will be like from the very first read-thru. We use rehearsal props and set pieces, tape the floor with the specifications of the stage, rehearse scene changes. But it is inevitable that things always will be slightly different when the actual set is built. This is why it's so great to have a full month to adjust to the space and the set and also why it's so important to have a mature, professional and flexible cast.

Making adjustments to reality is not a problem for the aforementioned mature, professional and FLEXIBLE actor. Big problem for the diva. I've been in situations where the complaints and whining from cast members started almost immediately after stepping on the actual performance stage. I've seen the actors with the panicked look in their eye swearing none of their blocking will work because there are 4 steps instead of 3 or whatever. I've said it to casts before and I will again- don't bring me problems, bring me solutions. If you let yourself enjoy the challenge of it, finding those solutions is the fun part of producing a show. I choose to work with the people I do because they are brilliant, creative performers and yes - problem solvers. Yes, the director is the leader of the project and needs to approve changes or ideas, but we also need great problem solvers around us. Great ideas don't come from just one person and if an idea will make things smoother or better - no matter where it comes from - give it to me! I love it when someone says "I was thinking about it and I wondered if it would work better to have me come in from stage left instead of stage right because now that the actual chair is sitting there it's in the way" as opposed to "I don't know how I'm ever going to make my entrance here with this chair in the way".

Think about that in your own work environment. Isn't it true with just about any job?

Musings from My City of Angels Auditions and Call-Backs

I've just finished up auditions for my upcoming production of the musical City of Angels. As challenging as the audition process can be (and yes - for those who have never been on the other side of the audition table, if you think standing up in front of people and singing or reading is tough, try casting a whole show) it's always a fascinating process and I try to learn a little more each time.

First let me say thank you to everyone who got off the couch and showed interest in this show. I really appreciate it. This time around I saw some amazing auditions, but it still amazes me sometimes how some auditioners continue to make classic audition mistakes. I realize we're talking about community theater, but I refuse to set the bar low because the production may be a "non-professional" one. There is nothing non-professional about the people that I have been fortunate to work with in the past and in order for this art form to grow and thrive we have to continue to challenge ourselves to produce the very best shows with the very best teams we can. Especially when ticket buyers' dollars are stretched so thin. Our customers should feel like they just saw a professional quality show for an amateur price - that's value and customers like good values. And like just about everything else in theater, it all starts with the audition.

I'm not going to get into a rant about audition tips and things like that. Far smarter and more qualified people have been there and done that (i.e. see Broadway Producer Ken Davenport's recent post or visit musicaltheateraudition.com). But I do have some observations from my recent round of try-outs.

Where are the men? Not to diminish the guys that did come to my auditions - they were great, but few. I know this is a common challenge for community theaters, but seriously, why don't men come to auditions? We know they do shows and love to perform, but they don't come to auditions. Is it because we have come to learn that we are in high demand and eventually the show will come to us? I think there is a bit of that unconscious awareness (can awareness be unconscious?) that the competition is much lower for quality male performers than it is for females. Personally, I like the audition process and don't mind going to auditions. Is it the show selection? Is one show considered more "macho" than another? City of Angels has fantastic and "macho" male roles and still the audition room was filled with women. I think it comes down to simple supply and demand. At the community theater (read "non-paid") level there are exponentially more women who are available and/or willing to participate in a show. So recruitment is essential and I continue using my network and searching outside it to add more great guys to what is already a phenomenal cast.

But obviously I did have a lot of great people show up and some...well, not so great. Actually, in many cases it wasn't so much that they weren't good performers, but the presentation (the audition) was off. They were either unprepared ("I really don't have a song ready, I just listened to this in the car on the way here..."), or unorganized (please make the accompanist's already tough job easier by having sheet music neatly organized in a binder! They can be your best friend or worst enemy!), or full of attitude - and not the good kind (I can't wait to spend 8 weeks of my life with someone who rolls their eyes at the slightest direction) or just plain full of excuses ("I'm really sick right now..."). Like it or not, directors can't afford to guess how an actor might perform under more perfect conditions. There are no "perfect" conditions in live theater. The audition is often your only shot to get it right. Indeed, to me a true professional and experienced performer (one I want in my show) is the one who can overcome adversities and unexpected moments and still put on a great show. Stopping the show because you hear a weird note from the pit is not an option. But when you are thrown off and flustered when the audition accompanist plunks unexpectedly, it says volumes about how you might perform come showtime. Many unexpected things can and usually do happen in live theater and how one reacts to these little unexpected audition moments can also say a lot about how an actor might react if a flat falls down or a costume rips. You have a cold at auditions? Good! Show me how you can sing through that and make me believe you're the healthiest person in the world right now. I can hear through a stuffy nose or a dry throat to get to the talent underneath. How many of us have gone on feeling an inch away from death? There's no guarantee those nasty little germs won't find you on opening night! You would never dream of going into a job interview and leading off the discussion by saying "I'm really not qualified for this job, but I like the building and thought it would be cool to work here"!!

But I also saw some amazing auditions from people who really put a lot of thought and effort into their presentation and I am always so grateful for that. From wardrobe, to hair, to general presentation, the little things make all the difference.

And I am grateful to everyone who came to auditions. And each one will get a phone call from me thanking them for their time and hoping that I will see them again in the near future, regardless of whether or not it will be for this project.