Destinee Rae, as Dorothy, poses with Bitty Master, as Toto, in the Tony Award®-winning family friendly musical The Wiz, onstage at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre January 13 – February 1.
Bitty appears courtesy of the Master family of Royal Palm Beach.
Photo by Alicia Donelan.
Director Matt Lenz discusses what makes The Foreigner so enduring
he moment that producing artistic director Andrew Kato approached me about directing The Foreigner at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, a fond, sly smile came to my lips – even though I’d never seen (or even read) the play. However, I’d seen bits and pieces of it performed in classrooms and auditions since the mid-80’s and found it hilarious –and had always been curious and eager to know more.
Also, I just love directing comedies. Can you blame me? First come the auditions, which consist of spending a few days sitting behind a table while really talented, funny people come in and perform their best comedy for you. Then, we get to select the specific actors that make us laugh most, put them all together in a room and tell a story – not a bad job! But I’m getting ahead of myself…
So, what is it that makes The Foreigner so enduring and such a timeless audience favorite, 30 years after its initial off-Broadway run? To have longevity, a play must be more than just zany and hilarious – it must possess some kind of a magic seed that resonates. When I sat down to read the play, I realized it has all of the ingredients for success: screamingly funny from start to finish with a sound premise, a compelling plot and characters that are welldrawn, likeable and recognizable.
However, the element I was least expecting in The Foreigner was its strong, sweet beating heart – and
it’s true humanity. Sure, as the tale gets spinning, a few of the plot elements may push the boundaries of excess (like any good farce) but the play always stays true to human nature. The characters are always firmly based in a recognizable reality, even if the setting and situation become somewhat eccentric and absurd: a Georgia fishing lodge teeming with an outrageous group of characters and situations.
The playwright, Larry Shue, manages to make the audience care because at the center of The Foreigner is the loveable character of Charlie Barker – an extreme introvert, “down on his luck” sad-sack carrying a whole cargo load of disappointments, insecurities and heartache. While not the typical engine for a comedy, your heart goes out to the guy, and you start rooting for him right away. And it suddenly doesn’t seem implausible that Charlie takes on the persona of a foreigner who doesn’t speak English, finding himself tangled in a web of shocking scandals and secrets.
To have longevity, a play must be more than just zany and hilarious – it must possess some kind of a magic seed that resonates.
– Matt Lenz, Director
As the play unfolds, what emerges is a strong thread of genuine kindness that elevates the whole enterprise. There are dark forces at work in the plot (greed, prejudice, intolerance and ignorance, to name a few) but the power and magic of genuine human kindness wins the day. And that, I believe, is one of the main reasons we all love to go to the theatre and sit in the dark: to share what makes us all human, and to laugh with each other – and hopefully, at ourselves a bit too! OCTOBER 26 – NOVEMBER 9
What inspired the set design for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s production of Fiddler on the Roof?
When Director and Choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge first approached me about this project, she told me she wanted to do a new take on Fiddler on the Roof, and told me about an artist she had loved since she was a child: Shalom of Tzfat. He was a painter of the time period, and his work was pastoral, vivid and bright. While researching the time period, I found an image of an old Jewish temple that was all frescoe work on weathered wood, which inspired me. So I started by interpreting the artwork, forming my own vision and creating a weathered, time-faded look as a texture for the piece. I’ve taken several ideas from the artwork and designed the landscape around them; the trees, tables, houses, windows and clouds are all inspired by his artwork.
How many times have you designed sets for Fiddler on the Roof?
This is only my second time working on Fiddler on the Roof, and my work for this production is completely new. The good thing is that when you know a show well, you know which moments are important to the storytelling. I always design around what needs to happen onstage. I call my approach “action-motivated” design. I stage every important moment in my storyboards [a planning tool] to make sure we have a clear plan for major moments in the script.
What are some of your central ideas for this production?
One of the central ideas to my design is how the scenes change as the plot progresses. When you first come into this world of Anatevka, it’s a happy pastoral setting. There are the normal woes of life, but it’s bustling and busy and life ‘is what it is.’ By the end of the play, there’s still a sense of hope – but also a very real fear of the Russians coming in and taking over their land and pushing them away. My idea behind the set is that it was very important to find a way for this world to slowly disintegrate and become more desolate.
What sort of research did you do for this production?
I researched shtetls [small towns with large Jewish populations that existed in Central and Eastern Europe before the Holocaust]; what they looked like and how they lived. Even though Anatevka is a small village, everyone lived very compactly and tightly, so that informs parts of the set. And of course, I researched as much as I could find on the artist, Shalom of Tzfat. There’s very little out there, but enough that helped me draw what I needed to draw. I also researched patterns and colors that were pertinent to the time period. Tzfat had this really great sense of three-dimensional space that he draws twodimensionally, which definitely inspired me.
What do you want audience members to feel when they see your designs for Fiddler?
I think the inspiration by Tzfat reads beautifully for the period and the production; it blends well with the music, and I think it’s really going to resonate with people. I hope they see the magic in this artwork and how it relates to the story.
To see more of Troy Hourie’s work, visit: www.troyhourie.com
Quiet summer at the maltz Jupiter theatre? NOT HERE!
Our COnservatOry students have been as busy as bees with numerOus Camps, Classes, perfOrmanCes, a wOrld-Class summer mentOrship prOgram and mOre
The numbeR of enRolled STudenTS haS incReaSed 45% in The laST five yeaRS.
ouR PRe-k SummeR camP PRoGRam haS
Sold ouT TWo yeaRS in a RoW.
one of ouR STudenTS haS been on bRoadWay!
PubliC student auditions for the
the Conservatory’s ballet students PartiCiPated in the annual CeCChetti exams in June in naPles, florida.
the Conservatory’s two-week danCe intensive C amP was so suCCessful last summer that two additional sessions were added this year.
more than 80 loC al students in Grades 3 – 12 Performed in the musiC al The Pa Jama Game on the theatre’s staGe in may.
Conservatory C amPs inCluded a four-day dinosaurs! CamP (for aGes 4 and 5) and a one-week suPerhero CamP (for Grades k-5).
GraduatinG Conservatory student olivia Perrin Performed a solo C abaret in the Conservatory in June.
students in Grades 3-5 Performed the musiC al SchoolhouSe Rock live! JR. in July as Part of the three-week Junior Conservatory.
the theatre’s annual first steP to stardom audition drew over 300 Children from as far as davie, sebastian and belle Glade.
ProduC tion of the musiC al The Wiz took PlaCe at the Palm beaCh imProv at CityPlaCe.
durinG the youth artists’ Chair ProGram, hiGh sChool students ProduCed a staGe show while beinG mentored by theatre staff members.
the youth tourinG ComPany ComPleted 57 PerformanCes throuGhout the Community durinG the 2013/14 season.
students in Grades 6-12 Performed the musiC al romP hoW To Succeed in buSineSS WiThouT Really TRyinG on staGe.
area students sPent their summer at the theatre PartiCiPatinG in the Play The cRucible.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ANDREW KATO EXPLAINS WHY HE CHOSE TO DIRECT THE WIZ AND THE MAGIC THAT AUDIENCES CAN EXPECT ON STAGE THIS JANUARY
A hilarious American classic!
OCTOBER 26 – NOVEMBER 9
www.jupitertheatre.org/shows/theforeigner
It’s hard not to argue that L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the most imaginative stories ever written. His book has inspired many adaptations, including cartoons, comic books, television shows and most famously, the 1939 MGM classic movie musical starring Judy Garland. The 1974 musical adaptation The Wiz once again reimagined Baum’s vision to include an African American perspective in a soul-infused Broadway blockbuster. The musical, featuring the hit “Ease On Down the Road,” swept that year’s Tony Awards®, garnering prizes for Best Score and Best Musical, among others. The success of that production launched a musical film adaptation of the same name starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
CONTEMPORARY ROCK GOSPEL AND SOUL MUSICAL
JANUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 1
www.jupitertheatre.org/shows/thewiz
Tony Award®-winning classic!
www.jupitertheatre.org/shows/fiddlerontheroof DECEMBER 2 – 21
When contemplating whether to take on the directorial reins of this production, I knew that, given our audiences’ intimate knowledge of the story, it would require creative resources to bring it to life. According to the Library of Congress, The Wizard of Oz is the most watched movie in history. Our production would require a warm familiarity with a new fresh inventive approach to a classic tale. The Wiz is rarely produced, which made the challenge of reenvisioning it so exciting. Dorothy’s journey down the yellow brick road will require special staging that equals our fantastic recollections. Jennifer Werner (the show’s choreographer) and I have assembled a creative team that includes a puppet company, a projection designer and team that has expertise in aerial “flying” of actors (in addition to a production’s expected scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers). The entire team has been working toward a unified and original vision for this musical.
Through collaborations with the “chefs” (the name given to the artists) at Puppet Kitchen, we have identified several imaginative, inventive ways to incorporate puppets into our project. To our knowledge, this is the first time anyone has used puppetry to showcase some of the characters in this show, and we are incredibly excited to be embarking on something so fresh and new.
As one would imagine, the set, lighting and costume demands for this show (Paul Tate DePoo III, Paul Black and Leon Dobkowski, respectively) are enormous. However, the visual “magic” will also fall to our projection designer, Aaron Rhyne (who recently designed the Tony Award®-winning Broadway production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder). Through this medium, Aaron will have the ability to add life and dimension to an inanimate Wizard facade, or danger and movement to a stormy sky. Utilizing a new 16,000 lumen projector underwritten by Bill Morton of Jack Morton Enterprises, Aaron can accomplish sweeping visual effects that cannot be duplicated in other mediums.
Completing our vision will be the ability to have our actors fly across our stage, with special help from the team at ZFX, Inc, a world-renowned flying effects company. This company specializes in the set-up, rigging and training to safely move actors through the air on our stage. We couldn’t be happier.
The ultimate objective of The Wiz is to activate the imagination of our audiences. We cannot compete with today’s movie tricks, nor would we want to try. But theatre is the ultimate 4-D experience. Let’s journey back to our youth where we believed there was something special at the end of the rainbow, where monkeys could fly, and where good witches used their magic power to get us home. The Wiz has all the staging sorcery to take you to that special place.
– ANDREW KATO, DIRECTOR
CSave the date for the Maltz JupiterTheatre’s Twelfth Annual Gala, The Dream Ball, taking place on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at The Breakers Palm Beach
Grand Benefactors
Roberta & Harvey Golub
Roe Green
Peggy & Rick Katz
Chris Kritikos
VIP Sponsors
The Gardens Mall
Saturday, November 15, at 8:00 p.m.
ome celebrate the one and only Chita Rivera in a unique solo concert event celebrating the Broadway legend’s 80th birthday! The two-time Tony Award® winner will recreate signature moments from her legendary career including numbers from West Side Story; Sweet Charity; Chicago; Kiss of the Spider Woman and Bye, Bye, Birdie.
In addition to a special tribute to her dear friends John Kander and Fred Ebb, the timeless music of Leonard Bernstein, Charles Strouse, Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim will also be featured.
“You leave this show walking on air!” raves the New York Times.
“Shimmering Show-biz perfection” cheers the Los Angeles Times.
“Chita Rivera is more than a musical theatre star. She’s a force of nature.” raves the Associated Press.
The event will feature a pre-show dinner and post-concert meet-and-greet dessert reception. And best of all: one hundred percent of the proceeds from the concert will benefit the Maltz Jupiter Theatre! The event is sponsored by Kretzer Piano, Chris Kritikos and Palm Beach Illustrated.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or for more information, please call (561) 972-6124 or email Pam Dyar at pdyar@jupitertheatre.org . A benefit concert for the Theatre
The Maltz Jupiter Theatre invites you to join us for our most important fundraising event of the year: our Twelfth Annual Gala, The Dream Ball planned with a theme from Les Miserables, “I Dreamed a Dream.” The celebration will honor Board Member and Endowment Chairman, Roberta & Harvey Golub on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at the legendary resort The Breakers Palm Beach.
A spectacular evening of dining, dancing and entertainment will take place in The Venetian Ballroom. The gala always sells out, so be sure to get your tickets today! Our dream of raising an all-time sponsorship record this year includes you.
Did you know? …
When Cameron Mackintosh transferred Les Miserables from Paris to London’s Royal Shakespeare Company, it received mixed reviews. But he so believed in the show he transferred it to the Palace Theatre where it ran for 18 years! After that it was on to Broadway where it has become the world’s longest running musical. Mr. Mackintosh said when he heard the French concept album, “a dream of what the show could be flashed through my mind.”
To quote Producing Artistic Director Andrew Kato, “Those who have joined us on this magical journey have witnessed the power of dreaming big and working diligently.”
“The Dream Ball will be an evening of inspiration and celebration! I encourage you to attend this notto-be-missed event and support our outstanding Theatre,” said Gala Chairman Gil Walsh.
Susan & Ross Johnson
Jane F. Napier
Diane & James E. Perrella
Platinum Sponsors
Ellen Tschappat & Roger Berk
Russell & Dorothy Di Giallorenzo
Isanne & Sandy Fisher
Wallace A. Graham
Sallie & Berton Korman
Joseph U. Horton & Michael G. McCafferty
Bebe & Joe Riccardo
Saks Fifth Avenue, Palm Beach Gardens
Gold Sponsors
Braman BMW Jupiter, Denis Doyle, Linda & Stephen Epstein, Damaris DW Ford, Marianne Glick & Mike Woods, Paul & Sandra Goldner, Eva Hoard, Priscilla Heublein, Ellen & Robert Lehrer, Carol & John Parker, Thomas & Diana Ryan, Martie & Bob Sachs, Muriel & Ralph Saltzman, Susan Namm Spencer, Dr. Richard & Jackie Steckler
based on the upcoming the production of
Please contact Pam Dyar at (561) 972-6124 or pdyar@jupitertheatre.org, for additional information.
Roberta & Harvey Golub Honorees
Gil Walsh Gala Chairman
THE MALTZ JUPITER THEATRE’S NEWEST EMPLOYEES
THE CONSERVATORY
Timothy OConnell, Director of Operations
Johanna Cohan, Production Manager
Pam Dyar, Promoted to Director of Development
John McDermott, Technical Director
Alice Bemand, Associate Director of Development
Tim Watson, Promoted to Asst. Technical Director
Janie Willison, Promoted to Marketing Assistant
Taylor Sullivan, Asst. Master Electrician/ Sound Assistant
Cheryl McDermott, Box Office
Michael Blair, Promoted to Properties Master
Kelly Morgan, Administrative Assistant
Sarah Salmasian, Administrative Assistant Shelley Keelor, Voice Teacher
