stages - Capital Repertory Theatre

STAGES
TOGETHER AGAIN IN A MUSICAL GARDEN
Leenya Rideout, Fred Rose, Brittany Ross
photos Richard Lovrich
1998. The Broadway revival of CABARET. Sam Mendes’ re-imagining of
the show brings the English concept of the actor/muso to the American
stage in brilliant fashion, with Kit Kat Girls and Boys strutting around
in grubby Weimar satin while playing the classic Kander and Ebb score
themselves, onstage. Fred Rose and Leenya Rideout are there, in their
underwear, and in the band.
2006. John Doyle, the acknowledged master of the actor/muso (the
latter British shorthand for musician), launches another look at Stephen
Sondheim’s Company in Cincinnati, before moving it to Broadway’s Ethel
Barrymore Theatre. Rose, as David, plays cello and both alto and tenor
saxophone; Rideout, portraying his wife Jenny, plays violin, guitar and
doublebass (a skill she picked up specifically for the show).
2007. CYRANO DE BERGERAC. Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner on
Broadway, in a dramatic staging with music by David Leveaux. Rose and
Rideout, playing roles and instruments, are there again.
“The Secret Garden,” Rose, grinning, says, “breaks a chain.”
Chatting quickly before heading back into a long early November
rehearsal in the Steuben Club’s Rainbow Room, he laughs that, “We joked
for a long time that we were only going to work on Broadway in shows
directed by Brits, and known by a one-word title beginning with the
letter C.”
Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill isn’t English and THE SECRET GARDEN obviously
doesn’t begin with the letter C, but she is directing the play in an
inventive style, and pushing the actor/muso idea to the max.
“It does happen a lot now,” Rose says of the form, “and I think it’s
largely due to those two shows and those two directors, Sam Mendes
and John Doyle.”
It’s not such a new idea at theREP, which has employed the style to one
degree or another for a number of shows ranging from COWGIRLS to 33
VARIATIONS. But Mancinelli-Cahill—who says, “This is The Secret Garden
done in a way that hasn’t been seen before”—has never made the music
and the acting quite so immersive.
“Doyle, in particular, has changed the vocabulary of the stage,” Rose
says. “For him, it’s a perfectly natural way of presenting theatre. He’s
Scottish and he comes from a culture of telling stories and making music.
THE SECRET GARDEN
“It works so wonderfully in an intimate space like theREP,” Rideout
agrees. “You’re doing everything all at the same time.”
Both artists are well up to the challenge.
“I’m a singer/songwriter as well,” Rideout says, “so the idea of playing
an instrument while telling a story is second nature to me.”
Rose has actually been at theREP before, for smashing productions of
James Joyce’s THE DEAD and the fondly-remembered MY FAIR LADY,
which featured two pianos centerstage in addition to musicians on the
periphery.
This time, he helped Rideout land the gig, suggesting, as soon as he
heard she was auditioning, that Mancinelli-Cahill check out his old pal.
In the past Rose and Rideout, who live only a few blocks from each
other in Manhattan, had always found themselves in shows together by
surprise.
But their ties go back considerably further than Cabaret.
Both, it turns out, grew up not in the concrete canyons of New York, but
the high climes of Colorado—Rose in Pueblo, to the south, and Rideout
north of Denver in Fort Collins. They met in college—Rose a senior, and
Rideout a freshman—where both were majoring in voice and instrument
(Rose cello, Rideout violin, natch) and grabbing as many theatre classes
as they could.
They share similar family tales, both being the children of amateur
musicians; both discovering their own passion early in life. And both
were supported in their choice by their parents and strongly influenced
by early teachers.
Rose says the two knew they were actor/musos before the term had
even been coined, and long before the style became such a staple of
international and American theatre. Cabaret was certainly something of
a flashpoint for the form and Rose and Rideout felt right at home in the
doubly-talented cast.
They feel just as at home in The Secret Garden, too. Rose plays Dr.
Neville Craven, brother of the aptly named Archibald Craven. Neville’s
unrequited love for Archie’s widow, Lily (Mollie Vogt-Welch), adds a dark
undercurrent to the story of love’s transformative power, just as his cello
provides a warm pull to Lucy Simon’s beautiful score.
Rideout—who also starred on Broadway in the original cast of War
Horse—plays Martha, a chambermaid who, at least in MancinelliCahill’s production, just happens to play four instruments (fiddle, guitar,
pennywhistle and bodhran).
“I love working with Maggie and I love working in this theatre,” Rose
says, “and I’m so excited to have Leenya up here for this show.”
“A lot of younger people in the cast are aware of what we’ve done
together. Occasionally they’ll ask us for an opinion on something. We’re
not overtly mentors, but we’re happy to share our stories.”
NOV 21 – DEC 21
STAGES
SPECIAL EVENTS
OPENING NIGHT
TUE, NOV 25
Enjoy live music from John McIntosh before
the show and meet the cast at a post-show
champagne and dessert reception.
CHEF’S TABLE
TUE, DEC 2
Enjoy live music from John McIntosh
and light hors d’oeuvres before the show,
courtesy of The Hollow Bar + Kitchen and
The Victory Café.
DISCUSSION NIGHTS
WED, DEC 3 & WED, DEC 10
A post-show discussion with the cast.
BEHIND-THE-SCENES WITH MAGGIE
SUN, DEC 14
This series features a pre-show “behind-thescenes” discussion with Producing Artistic
Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill. A light
continental breakfast begins at 12:30pm,
discussion 1-1:30pm and a 2pm curtain.
ON-THE-GO!
THEY BUILT
AMERICA
2014-15 EDUCATION SEASON
ON-THE-GO!
MAR 2–27
they built
This March we’re excited to debut a brandnew piece called THEY BUILT AMERICA:
THE WORKERS OF THE ERIE CANAL.
Written by Producing Artistic Director
Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, this On-the-GO!
production will bring the history, music,
and people of the Erie Canal directly into
area classrooms. March 2-27. Scholarships
are available!
The Workers of the Erie Canal
To book a performance contact Katherine
Stephens, Education Program Manager.
518.382.3884 x168
[email protected].
america
BY MAGGIE MANCINELLI-CAHILL
IN-SCHOOL TOUR MARCH 9 – 27, 2015
MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS REWARDS
Benjamin Mapp, Gizel Jimenez, Correy West and Justin Scott Brown
JOIN ONLINE AT
CAPITALREP.ORG
518.462.4531 x 169
photos Richard Lovrich
NEXT ACT!
William Kennedy and Aiden Quinn photos Richard Lovrich
Thank you all for a very successful
2014 NEXT ACT! NEW PLAY SUMMIT
3. From YOUNG VOICES to the sold
out reading of William Kennedy’s
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD,
featuring ELEMENTARY‘s Aiden
Quinn, it was a great weekend
of theatre. We were happy to
welcome newcomers as well as
seasoned actors and of course
to receive your feedback. Don’t
forget – HOW WATER BEHAVES,
our upcoming production, was
chosen from the 2013 NEXT ACT!
festival. Stay tuned to see if any
of this year’s readings make it to
our stage!
See you NEXT year!
THE SECRET GARDEN
STAGES SPONSOR
GROUP SALES
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ADVANTAGE!
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colleagues or club members to form a group
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518.382.3884 capitalrep.org/groups
NOV 21 – DEC 21