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Comtra Theatre
Moon Over Buffalo
directed by Nancy Batko and Liz Klein
November 2012
Role - George Hay
This was the second time I did Ken Ludwig's Moon Over Buffalo. The first time, I played Paul. Well, apparently I have aged beyond the romantic lead and into the comedic lead.
George is a fun character. He's over the top, melodramatic and a walking stage show. Nothing he does is without a touch of the dramatic. Inadvertently, I also got to play Cyrano (a role I would love to fill) and Elliot from Private Lives (I'm ambivalent on that one).
This was an extremely physical show with a lot of physical comedy and most of it at my expense. I think I spent more time in act 2 in my underwear than I did anything else.
My favorite moment from the run of this show happened closing night. When Howard comes in dressed as General Patton and I think he's trying to kill me, I dove for the ground like I always did. Only this time, I somehow connected with the end table holding the coffee pot and other properties. Everything went flying and the table actually broke with the leg coming off in my hand as I tried to right it. So I went with it and tried to cower behind a table leg. I'm amazed we made it through that scene while all still in character.
This is another show where I changed my facial hair to fit the character. I shaved so my mustache was no longer connected to the goatee and then grew the mustache long and waxed it into handlebars. It was impeccable in act 1 and a complete mess in act 2 (on purpose) and I'm sure I'm the only one that noticed.
Moon Over Buffalo
Known World Players - Pennsic 41
Anne of the Thousand Days
August 2012
Role - Thomas Cromwell
Shows with the Known World Players are challenging. The show is cast in August and we start phone rehearsals in the spring since the cast is spread out across the "Known World." We get together at Pennsic and rehearse every morning for a week, have one dress rehearsal and then do one performance. It's very nerve wracking for an actor like me who learns his lines using location queues since we are expected to have our lines memorized before even getting onto the stage to rehearse.
Cromwell is a deviously fun villain to play, although history paints him as less devious than the writer of this play. I used a lot of voice inflection and body language to get across the machinations of his manipulative mind.
My favorite line was "Yes, your Majesty." But it was more the way I said it than what was said.
Comtra Theatre
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
directed by Robert Hockenberry
January 2012
Role - Mitch Mahoney (The Comfort Counselor)
This was an extremely fun show to do and I got to work with a great group of talented actors. True to form, I completely changed my facial hair for the role and even shaved my head. I really did look like I had just escaped from prison.
Mitch is the ex-con with the heart of gold trying to be as comforting as possible to a bunch of kids and a couple of adults. I had a solo (Prayer of the Comfort Counselor) and a trio with Olive and Rona (The I Love You Song), a song which still gives me goosebumps when I hear it.
It was a lot of fun to sing to the audience volunteer. A lot of them just wanted to get off the stage and away from me. Which of course, made it all the funnier.
I think I was on stage for 90% of the show but only had two written lines.
Spelling Bee
The I Love You Song
Here is my favorite song from the show.
Comtra Theatre
Bye Bye Birdie
directed by Robert Hockenberry
July 2012
Role - Voice of Ed Sullivan
I actually was the Assistant Director for this show but got to do Ed Sullivan from offstage. I watched old clips of Ed introducing guests to try and sound like him. I think I got away with it only because our audiences probably don't remember what Ed sounded like, if they even knew who he was. I had to explain to several teenage cast mates who he was at one point.