Thew Rave Review Fall 2011 by Maltz Jupiter Theatre

The R ave Review

SPY CRAFT

A journey into the tools of the trade

COME HEAR THE MUSIC PLAY

The role of music in Cabaret

THE GOOD TIMES ARE KILLING ME

The Success of the Youth Artists’ Chair

THE MAKING OF A GALA

The 9th Annual Gala, “We’ve Got Elegance”

SPYCR AF T

Prominent historian and author H. Keith Melton takes us on a journey into the spycraft used in the Alfred Hitchcock film, The39Stepsand discusses the high-tech tools of the trade used today

Originally Alfred Hitchcock’s spythriller from 1935, The 39 Steps, remains a film classic.

Originally starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll, the film ranks as one of the top 25 British movies of all time. The subsequent Broadway smash hit is an

engaging, fast-paced whodunit that tells the tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinarily entertaining adventure.

The plot loosely follows the travails of Canadian Richard Hannay, who is watching a demonstration of the superlative powers of recall of “Mr. Memory” (a man with a

photographic memory) at a London music hall theatre when shots are fired. Panic ensues, and he soon finds himself in the company of spies, assassins and a mystery. Following a thrilling cross-country chase, Hannay eventually realizes that the spies are using Mr. Memory’s photographic memory to smuggle a coveted government secret out of London.

The film – and play – belie an important truth: in the “real world” espionage isn’t about assassination or seduction, but about information and communication. Regardless of the form of the information (analog or digital), all countries employ intelligence services to obtain information useful for politicians and military leaders to make informed decisions. That information is collected in the air, on land or through water. The United States employs sophisticated satellites, high-flying surveillance aircrafts, human spies, technical collection systems and even underwater spies. Their goals, however, all remain the same: to collect the bits of data that will eventually be collated and placed into an intelligence report useful to the security of our country. If our enemies (and sometimes our friends) don’t realize their information has been compromised, it may have even greater value.

In the U.S., we have 16 different intelligence services. The most prominent are the CIA, which collects information abroad, and the FBI, which specializes in counterintelligence and defends against foreign spies working against us here at home.

The vulnerability of human spies (in the profession known as HUMINT, a shortened form of HUMan INTelligence) lies in communication. Spies only begin working because they have access to secret information, so the most dangerous part of

H. Keith Melton pictured in full disguise

their jobs occurs when they pass their stolen secrets along to “handlers,” usually intelligence officers (IOs) posing as diplomats stationed at local embassies. Because suspected IOs are under constant surveillance, the covert techniques for passing secrets (known as covert communication, or COVCOM) are the greatest challenge faced by spies, and the greatest opportunity for counterintelligence.

For example, if the FBI’s counterintelligence unit can detect or intercept the COVCOM, the spy will likely be arrested and our secrets protected. A recent and well-publicized example of a spy being arrested while passing secrets took place in February of 2001, when FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen left a stack of secret documents beneath a footbridge in a rural park in Vienna, VA., to be collected by his Russian (SVR, the official foreign-operations successor to Soviet-era intelligence) spy handler. Fortunately, the FBI caught him redhanded, resulting in a speedy confession.

And now you’re in for a special treat: the first show of the Theatre’s 2011/12 season is Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (November 1 –13). Mix the Hitchcock masterpiece with a spy novel and you have Broadway’s most intriguing, thrilling and riotous comedy smash! The mindblowing cast plays over 150 characters in this fast-paced tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinarily entertaining adventure, and the play calls for the film’s concept to be performed with a cast of only four. This often requires lightning-fast quick changes, and occasionally for the performers to play multiple characters at once. Thus, the solemn spy narrative is primarily for laughs, with a script full of allusions to Hitchcock’s work.

We promise the show will be a special evening you will not forget!

Did YOuKn o w

The 39 Steps features a cast of four actors who, against all odds, breathlessly and hilariously reenact all of the characters, locations and famous scenes in Hitchcock’s 1935 film thriller.

H. Keith Melton is an internationally recognized lecturer and author of more than eight books on espionage. He has appeared in more than 50 television documentaries and, along with Milton and Tamar Maltz, is a founding member of the team that created the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. He is currently an advisor to U.S. intelligence agencies and lectures intentionally. In 2004, former President George Bush referred to Mr. Melton’s analysis of the Hanssen spy case as the “finest counterintelligence presentation he had ever received.”

www.jupitertheatre.org/shows/the39steps

H. Keith Melton pictured with a transmitter hidden inside the sole of a shoe

Making The of a Gala

What it takes to create the most stunning evening of the year

The Theatre’s annual gala is the kind of spectacular event that people talk about.

YYou’ve probably heard about the last one. Held in January at The Breakers Palm Beach, nearly 400 supporters attended the Theatre’s eighth annual gala, raising nearly a half million for the Theatre. Inspired by the Theatre’s production of The Sound of Music, the elegant evening included entertainment, dancing, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and both live and silent auctions.

But as the largest regional theater in South Florida, expectations are high – and much planning goes into making sure the Theatre’s annual event is an exceptional success.

Planning begins a year in advance. When choosing a theme, the artistic team looks to one the Theatre’s chosen season shows for inspiration.

“We knew Hello, Dolly! would be the perfect show to inspire this year’s gala theme of ‘We’ve Got Elegance,’ because the show is reminiscent of days where elegance was synonymous with everyday dress,” said Andrew Kato, Artistic Director.

The gala’s co-chairs and committee members are then selected, along with honorees, entertainment, a date and location. Then comes the rest of the planning – everything from invitations and invite lists, sponsorship solicitation, décor, music, menu, auction items, seating reservations and more.

“It’s important to think outside the box, and to welcome help from new people who want to participate,” said Roberta Golub, co-chair of the

Her co-chair, Marcia Cohn, said that finding a balance between elegance and the cause is their top priority.

“Our greatest challenge lies in creating an entertaining experience for our guests that reflects the Theatre’s high standards as a production

We’ve Got Elegance

company – and not only creating this wonderful event, but making sure that we’re also raising as much money for the Theatre as possible,” Cohn said.

And the future is bright for the gala – both this year’s event, and in years to come.

“It’s become a tradition, and everyone loves a great party,” said Kathy Berman, development director. “As long as the gala continues to raise money for the Theatre, the event will just keep getting better.”

The Theatre’s Ninth Annual Gala, “We’ve Got Elegance,” inspired by our production of Hello, Dolly! Saturday, January 14 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

The Breakers Palm Beach

The evening includes a cocktail reception and silent auction followed by dinner, a live auction and dancing the night away.

Proceeds to benefit the Theatre’s 2011/12 season. Cost is $425 per person ($225 tax-deductible) or a table of ten is $4,250 ($2,250 tax-deductible).

For sponsorship information, to receive an invitation or to charge your reservations by phone call Kathy at (561) 972-6124 or Michelle at (561) 972-6133. Purchases can be made at the box office and online at www.jupitertheatre.org

Gala Chairmen Marcia Cohn and Roberta Golub

Photo credit: Peter Gorman

Photography

IBuilding

a show, one student at a time

This year’s Youth Artists’ Chair program was a victorious success with ‘The Good Times are Killing Me’

By

Meagan

Dobson, 16, Public Relations mentee

n September, the young actors in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s performance of the play “The Good Times are Killing Me” took bows on the Theatre’s stage to thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

The actors, ranging in age from 7-20, spent weeks rehearsing for the hit play, a comingof-age story that examined interracial conflict and the friendship between two girls during the 1960s.

The most impressive part: the show was entirely produced by high school students.

With guidance from the Theatre’s talented staff, a group of more than 40 young people (cast and production team included) spent countless hours building and preparing for the hit play.

A mentorship initiative known as the Youth Artists’ Chair, the project aligned high school students with individual Theatre staff members for one-on-one mentoring and guidance during the creation process of the show. The student team leaders went through an extensive interview process and were hand-chosen by a committee at the Theatre. They then took on specific roles that included producer, director, set designer, lighting designer, costume designer and more, and worked with their mentors to prepare to mount the show onto the professional Theatre stage.

With planning that started in July, the student team saw more than 50 young aspiring performers at August auditions and cast 22 local actors. The diverse group of actors and student team members hailed

from as far as Miami, and for many, the show was their first experience onstage or behind the scenes.

“This show was truly incredible, and we had amazing talent both on and off our stage,” said the show’s producer, Nicky Wood, 16, who drove from Port Saint Lucie each day for production meetings with the rest of the student team. “It required a lot of commitment and hard work, but it was such a joy to see a show through from start to finish. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

The project generated much media attention in local publications and on local broadcasting stations, generating more than two dozen stories about the students’ efforts and performance.

After the show’s one-night-only performance on Sept. 17, the students remained elated at the show’s success. They were able to work alongside industry professionals to produce all aspects of an intense play – and learned how rewarding it is watching their show get a standing ovation on a regional theater’s stage.

Part of the Theatre’s Emerging Artist Series, the show was sponsored in part by Betty and Rodger Hess, Tamar and Milton Maltz, Bonnie and John Osher, The Roy A. Hunt Foundation and Muriel and Ralph Saltzman.

It’sallabout fnding thedream...

An interview with Director Mark Martino

JosephandtheAmazingTechnicolor® Dreamcoat (November 29 - December 18)

Where will you draw your inspiration for this show?

My inspiration is the story of the family – a fractured family, and how that family comes back together.

I’m one of six children. So this show hits me in a very personal place, about how the love between siblings is complicated and deep, and ultimately one of the most important things we have in our life.

In this story, Joseph’s brothers are jealous of him because he is the golden child, and they do horrible things to him. But by the end of the play, he forgives and embraces them again. This inspires me because it illustrates how we travel a long distance to come back to that which is most important: home and family.

Tell us about the show’s music. It’s Andrew Lloyd Webber, but it’s not a big operatic show like Phantom of the Opera. It’s a show Webber wrote for a children’s presentation. And as a result, it’s got melodies that stay with you.

I love there’s a vast variety of music, which allows us to go

everywhere. The music is very pastiche – some of the numbers have a ‘20s feel to them, some have a ‘50s feel. There’s an Elvis number, and the song “Go Go Go Joseph” is a ‘60s disco number.

Why do you think it’s important for regional theatres like the Maltz Jupiter Theatre to include local children in its programming?

I think including children in theatre is of the utmost importance, because regional theatre is the lifeblood of the American theatre. Broadway is the end result, where tourists go – but regional theatre is where exposure to theatre occurs for most Americans. It’s essential that people get involved when they’re young so they will develop an appreciation for theater.

What makes this version unique?

This show is particularly unique because we have chosen 240 local children for the show’s children’s ensemble, cast through the Theatre’s First Step to Stardom auditions. Groups of 30 will perform on each evening, so that every night, the professional actors’ story is told fresh to a new group of kids.

To help the children learn their material prior to rehearsals, the Theatre has set up a special website with audio tracks, sheet music, teaching videos of each dance, costume requirements and more. Then, before I start rehearsal with the professional (adult) cast, I’ll have a weekend with each group to rehearse their staging, and they’ll also have music rehearsals.

What is your goal for Joseph?

My goal would be that the audience leaves feeling uplifted by a story that surprises them in its depth and delights in its simplicity. My wish would be that when you leave the Theatre, you’ll be genuinely surprised that you were moved, and you’ll be delighted at the music, color and spirit of the show. And maybe if it compels you to go home and hug your dad, that would be nice.

Did YOuKn o w

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat was a hit in London again last year, after a Europe-wide search for Joseph propelled by a TV reality show called Any Dream Will Do. The actor who got the part is Scottish.

COME HEAR THE MUSIC PLAY

B.T. McNicholl, director of the energetic and politically-charged Tony Award®winning musical Cabaret (January 10-29), discusses the role of music in the production, in which all of the show’s actors play instruments.

While many musicals today feature actors playing instruments, director Sam Mendes’ production of Cabaret was the first to do so, and the one to make the best use of the idea. In this famous production (which will be presented in all its decadent glory at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in January), the actorsas-orchestra conceit is not a gimmick: it is central to the overall concept.

From the very beginning of rehearsals for the original creation at London’s Donmar Theater in

1993, Mendes wanted the music in the production to have “an improvised quality,” as if it were an organic part of the evening’s events. Actors picking up instruments and creating the very music of the evening seemed entirely appropriate, since the entire show takes place in a cabaret.

Setting the show in a cabaret, Mendes reasoned, would accomplish two goals simultaneously.

First, it would serve as a metaphor for the show’s setting and time: Germany in the Weimar period (1919-1933), when rampant inflation, poverty and a fecund artistic scene defined

the country as a wild party teetering on the edge of an abyss. Then, as now, Berlin was the nerve center, and reputed to be the most sexually liberated metropolis in all of Europe. Thus, seated at tables with little red lamps, the audience was allowed to enter into the carefree, anything-goes, promiscuous, and excessive world that sowed the seeds of Nazism, which would succeed the Weimar Republic with Hitler’s rise to power in 1933. The audience is caught up in the mad whirl of the period, thus becoming complicit in the story’s harrowing narrative.

www.jupitertheatre.org/shows/cabaret

Second, setting the show in a cabaret liberated the material. Mendes felt Cabaret was, in many ways, a dramatic piece with a political message –but it was trapped in a typical Broadway musical. Shedding the trappings of its Broadway origins, the piece could be re-imagined and the show’s emotionally charged love stories – fractured by politics – could take center stage.

By extension, the show needed actors (as opposed to seasoned musical theatre veterans) to make it come to life, and Mendes wanted their voices to be an extension of their singing voices. Every attempt was made to bring the characters’ reality to the fore and maintain a certain intimacy. The musicians, then, became part of the fundamental concept that saw everything – from scenery to costumes to orchestra – coming from within the confines of the theatre space itself.

In terms of its impact on the actors, the additional responsibility of playing instruments creates an ensemble feeling of tremendous depth and mutual trust. Becoming an orchestra requires teamwork of the first order, and an especially attuned sense of listening to one another.

Continued on next page

Proud to support the arts in Jupiter.

Beyond that, since most actors haven’t touched their instruments since high school, they are all scared together! They tweet, bonk, honk, squeak and blast until, with coaching and a miraculous display of tenacity, they cross over the threshold to become the musical through-line of the evening. They are always busy – dancing, singing or acting onstage – and then playing their instruments on the always-visible bandstand. It makes for a thrilling never-still-for-a-moment performance every night.

Finally, at the end of the show, we hear the band playing, but they are nowhere to be seen. Their instruments sit alone in full view, lifeless, and haunting in their abandoned state.

THURSDAY, JAN. 12

For Mendes, the disappearance of the orchestra suggests a great loss: an entire society, vanished... the cost of a world spinning off its axis that is at the heart of this profoundly moving Cabaret. “In here, Life is beautiful....”

THURSDAY, FEB. 16

HELLO, DOLLY!

THURSDAY, MARCH 15

This season, the Theatre has launched a new “Did You Know?” campaign that aims to educate our audiences about the process of creating live theatre. You’ll be seeing unique facts and tidbits everywhere. We hope you find them as interesting and fun as we do!

NEW WEBSITES FOR OUR SEASON SHOWS

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre has launched ve new websites lled with exciting information about our season shows. Click on the “DID YOU KNOW” icon on our homepage to get to each page, and check back frequently for thrilling cast updates, media coverage and more.