North Metrolife 16-LIFE-Color
16 The Sentinel
November 14, 2013
at right, radio actors Jake Laurents (Christian Mast) and Sally applewhite (haley Johnson) portray the timeless characters of George and Mary Bailey in Miners alley Playhouse’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play.” Below, the cast of “It’s a Wonderful Life: a Live Radio Play.”Photos courtesy of Sarah Roshan
Satisfied singer in lofty crowd Ask local vocal Chris Daniels how he’s doing three years after his bone marrow transplant, and he channels legendary soul singer James Brown: “I feel good,” Daniels told me last week during an interview before his Nov. 8 induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. “Do you ever say cured? No, but I say that’s OK,” Daniels adds. Daniels was diagnosed with a fierce form of leukemia in 2010. After receiving a “perfect match” bone marrow transplant from his sister, Jane Moffett, he set his sights on getting back on stage to perform with The Kings, his band of nearly 30 years. Daniels, along with other Colorado musicians — legendary folk singer Judy Collins, the Serendipity Singers and Bob Lind — was inducted during a concert at the Paramount Theatre. “Judy was a hero to me and a lot of other musicians because she was not as operatic a singer as Joan (Baez),” Daniels said about his famous fellow inductee. “She had soul and grit in her beautiful voice and she was a great guitar and piano player. My mother’s favorite song was Judy’s version of ‘Both Sides Now’ by Joni Mitchell. It’s an amazing honor to go into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame with her.” In between writing music and performing, Daniels teaches music business at the University of Colorado-Denver as an assistant professor for the College of Arts and Media. “I really wanted to get back into teaching,” Daniels said about his post-transplant days. “It really refocused me. I was grading papers and working with substitute teachers when I was in the hospital. One time I was doing lectures by Skype. (The students) are 19- or 20-year-old wise apples ... I really have great hope and enthusiasm for this generation coming out.”
For the kidneys
Through Nov. 17, DaVita, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. and a leading provider of kidney care services, partners with three Denver-area restaurants to build awareness for kidney disease with kidney-friendly and diabetes-friendly menus in honor of November as National Diabetes Awareness Month. Each restaurant will offer at least one appetizer, entrée and dessert that are kidney- or diabetesfriendly. Participating restaurants for dinner service are: Table 6, 609 Corona St., (www. table6denver.com); beast + bottle, 719 E. 17th Ave., (www.beastandbottle.com) and YaYa’s Euro Bistro, 8310 E. Belleview Ave., Greenwood Village, (www.yayasdenver. com). Denver-area residents can assess their risk at www.davita.com/kidneyaware.
Bonanno’s bonanza
Denver restaurant mogul Frank Bonanno (Mizuna, Luca D’Italia, Bones, Vesper Lounge, Lou’s Food Bar, Green Russell, Wednesday’s Pie and Bonanno
Parker continues on Page 17
Miners Alley production goes behind the scenes on holiday classic By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com Miners Alley Playhouse is giving a timeless holiday standard a different spin this season, with its production of “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” The show takes audiences behind the scenes of a 1940s radio production of Frank Capra’s seminal film, and not only tells the story of What: “It’s A Wonderful the Baileys, but of the actors Life: A Live Radio Play” as well. WhERE: Miners Alley “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Playhouse Life Radio Play” will be at the 1224 Washington Ave., theater, 1224 Washington Ave. Golden in Golden, through Dec. 22. WhEN: Through Dec. 22. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday every Friday and Saturday and 7:30 p.m. 2 p.m. on Sunday. There will Sunday - 2 p.m. be Thursday performances at Thursdays, Dec. 5, 12 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, 12 and 19. and - 7:30 p.m. “For the show, our interCOSt: $23 adult pretation is that you really $20 senior and youth can’t tell the story and satisfy $12 children under 12 the audience because they alINFORMatION: most all know the story,” said 303-935-3044 or visit director Robert Kramer. “This www.minersalley.com version stars five fictional actors doing the radio version, and with that the audience starts watching different things.” The actors are Jake Laurents (Christian Mast), who plays George Bailey on the radio, Sally Applewhite (Haley Johnson), who plays Mary Bailey, and Freddie Filmore( David Blumenstock), Harry “Jazzbo” Heywood (Jason Maxwell), Lana Sherwood (Samara Bridwell) and The Stage Manager (Bryanna Scott) who play the rest of the characters in the story. The show made its debut at Miners Alley in 2009,
IF YOU GO
and was so popular that it brought back this year. Kramer was the director of its first production, and he brought around threefifths of the original cast back with him. Johnson is one of the returning actors, and said it’s been really fun revisiting the play. “I forget how really funny it can be,” she said. “It’s been really fun and silly getting back with everyone.” One of the new cast members is Mast, Johnson’s husband in real life. He said that while he saw the original production, actually being in the show has been quite the task. “Being in the play was something I wanted the first time, so I’m really happy to have the chance now,” he said. “It’s been a tight rehearsal schedule, and learning all the lines and the sound effects has been a really fun challenge.” Kramer said the way the play is written calls for not a lot of work from the actors, intending it to be more of a behind the scenes of a radio show story, but Kramer wanted it to have a fuller feeling. “I love the technical stuff, but it can lose its charm after a while,” he said. “It lacks something if you just do it straight like that.” Kramer said he wanted to give audiences a special holiday treat, and so starting 20 minutes before each performance members of the cast will come out and perform one of three short Christmas stories. For all involved, “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” will give audiences a story that they love, but with a different spin. “Even though people may be familiar with the movie, doing it as a radio show gives it several different layers,” Mast said. “It’s a really great story not only about the Baileys, but the people performing and how they interact.”