Wednesday, March 19, 2008

• Snow and other goings on....

  Hello XANGA LAND!!!!
  
  Boy, life has been so crazy that I am sorely behind in updating ya'll with what has been going on lately.  I going to try to get a good update done here.  So, I'll recap a few highlights over the past month....
  
  ~ Me and my young man (Josh) at a Chris Hogan "Zero to Hero" conference
  
  

  

  
  ~ My role as "Katie" in Desoto Family Theater's production of "Meet Me in St. Louis"
  
                             (Me)
  

  

  

  
  A theater review in the Memphis Playbook about our show:
  

  Here’s what Jon Sparks of the Commercial Appeal thought of it:

  Theater review: 'Meet Me in St. Louis' at DeSoto Family Theatre

  By Jon W. Sparks
  Special to The Commercial Appeal
  Friday, February 29, 2008

  DeSoto Family Theatre's production of "Meet Me In St. Louis" celebrates the virtue of old-fashioned predictability. But you could have guessed that.

  First and foremost it is aimed squarely and wholesomely at the family. The well-scrubbed musical serves up the idealized Midwest of 1904, where life is all about the boy next door, the fabric of family and where a world's fair was the cat's pajamas.

  The musical's genesis was the 1944 movie starring Judy Garland and I'm pretty sure that Ashley Wieronski, playing the Judy role of Esther, had studied it closely. So much so that she was channeling the singer right down to intonation and tremolos.

  Wieronski, who graduates from high school in May, is supernaturally gifted and has shown that talent on stages around the region. Her big voice can carry a show, but happily, that's not necessary in "Meet Me" since there are some capable singers in the other main roles: Katelyn Nichols, Karen Kirk and Lisa Bryant are standouts in the vocal department.

  Strong performances come from Fred Harpell, the witty and solid grandpa; and Jeff Smith who, as head of the family, is rarely in the loop (although he thinks he invented it). Also notable is Emily Cohen, a remarkably poised 8-year-old who handles the substantial role of Tootie with plenty of confidence and wit.

  Director Keith Salter has a sure hand in this production as he did in past years with "The Music Man" and "My Fair Lady." A lot is going on, but it's all kept in balance.

  The sets at DFT are, as usual, ambitious. Repeatedly wrangling the front porch so that it morphs into an interior wall of the house is a chore. On the other hand, the Smith home is as warm and comforting as the imagination permits. And a big clang, clang, clang to the trolley, which deserves a credit itself.

  jon@jonwsparks.com

  Being a part of this show was one of the greatest things in my life.  My family built the set (mixed and chose all the colors for the interior and did a lot the finish detail work)  I had some great helpers!  It was also one of the biggest challenges of my life.  The director pushed me and pushed me to be the best I could in this role and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity.  It seems a silly thing...but since I was a little girl, I always wanted to be on stage.  To have my own song that I got to sing in the spot light...no one singing but me.  I had given up my dream, figuring it to be silly and self centered.  On opening night, for two seconds as I started my song...God reminded me that He was giving me my dream.  It was an awesome crowd, and just for a moment I was by myself, on stage, in front of a crowd making them smile.  God is so good to give us the small things in life as well as the big ones!
  
  ~ We got snow!!!!
  
  
  
  I promise I'll try to be more diligent to write....after all there is still a story progressing that ya'll are overdue for an update on!
  
  ~ Marvelanne
  

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