Spring Newsletter
April 2, 2010
- Join us on May 10th for New Rep's 2010 Gala
- Broadway Talent OnStage at New Rep: Up close and personal with Lisa Yuen
- This Lady is no Tramp: Mary Callanan on being Sophie Tucker
- Supporter Spotlight: Marcy Crary and Tim Hall
- New Rep On Tour's MACBETH - One Night Only
- The Faces at New Rep: Bridget Kathleen O'Leary, Artistic and Education Associate
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Join us on May 10th for New Rep's 2010 Gala |
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Everyone at New Rep is excited to kick up their heels at New Rep's Gala on Monday, May 10th! New Rep's staff, Board of Directors, volunteer Gala Committee, and performers have been working behind-the-scenes to make this year's Gala a fabulous experience for all of our guests!
The evening will begin with a VIP Reception at 5:30 p.m. We'll be honoring Bank of America for their 10 years of program support while guests enjoy champagne, hors d'oeuvres, and live music, and, best of all, rub elbows with our surprise special guest! VIP attendees will also get to preview our amazing silent auction featuring Green Monster Seats, a week stay at any worldwide RCI resort, and a New York package with tickets and a backstage tour for A Little Night Music starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury! Tickets for the VIP Reception are still available, but numbers are limited—don't miss out, buy yours today!
Click here for tickets and more information about our biggest party and fundraiser of the year!
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Broadway Talent OnStage at New Rep: Up close and personal with Lisa Yuen |
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This May, New Rep presents Hot Mikado, the snazzy modern adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic The Mikado. And we are thrilled to be introducing Lisa Yuen, who has appeared in the Broadway productions of Miss Saigon, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Flower Drum Song to New Rep’s family. Read our interview with Lisa to learn how she feels about playing the role of Katisha in Hot Mikado and how she got into to acting.
New Rep (NR): How did you first become involved with theatre?
Lisa Yuen (LY): When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the musicals Annie and They’re Playing Our Song. When the National Tour of Annie played San Francisco, one hour from my hometown, I remember my mom reminding me at intermission (and kind of pleading with me) to please not sing along while sitting in the audience. My first show was a children’s production of The Wizard of Oz where I played Dorothy, and I’ve been hooked ever since!
NR: You have been in numerous Broadway productions, including the original The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Miss Saigon, and Flower Drum Song. Tell us about your favorite memory from Broadway.
LY: I’m not a superstitious person in any way, but in college, I was obsessed with Miss Saigon and any time I got to blow out birthday candles, break a wishbone, or hold my breath while driving through a tunnel, I would think, “Please, please, please, pleeeeeaaazzze, let me be in Miss Saigon someday!!” Miss Saigon was my Broadway debut. I still get chills remembering being on stage right and hearing the first measure of The Overture (Miss Saigon’s famous approaching helicopter) and knowing that I was about to take my first steps in a Broadway show.
Another great memory was being part of the Original Broadway Company in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I was originally cast in the Off Broadway company. I had left a long running National Tour of The King and I. It was a major salary cut to go from a National Tour to Off Broadway, and it was supposed to be an eight-week contract, much shorter than my current tour. Nonetheless, I was thrilled when I was cast in Spelling Bee, a brand new show, and was working with Tony Winners and Pultizer Prize winners James Lapine and William Finn. Life experience completely outweighed the practicality of employment. My husband still recalls my text message from my first day of rehearsal declaring, “This show is going to be a hit!” Six weeks into the Off Broadway run, the producers announced that we would be moving to Broadway, and everyone was surprised and thrilled.
NR: What made you want to be in Hot Mikado?
LY: My husband Kevin, is the Teaching Professional at The Country Club in Brookline and the coach of the Harvard Women’s Golf Team. I promised Kevin that I would move to Boston once we got married. For the 2.5 years that I was in Spelling Bee, I would do weekly trips from New York to Boston, hopping on the Boston bus after the Sunday night show and returning to New York, just in time for a Tuesday 7:00p.m. curtain. The commute was killing me.
I performed at the Wang Theatre with the national tour of The King and I, but after the two weeks, I sadly had to leave Kevin to venture to our new city. I am utterly thrilled to finally be performing in a Boston-based show. Both my husband and I are ecstatic!
NR: What is it like to play Katisha and how do you relate to her character?
LY: I am terrified to play Katisha, but I welcome this awesome challenge and embrace it completely! When Bridget O’Leary called to tell me I would be playing Katisha, I immediately googled the show. The first words I found to describe Katisha were “spurned elderly suitor.” The last couple of shows I have been in, I've played a gawky 11-year-old, a tormented lovelorn Burmese princess, and an ingénue from Ohio, so I’m going to have to channel my more authoritative and aggressive self to find Katisha. In addition, the last person I know to have played Katisha is Loretta Devine, a Tony Award winner known for her soulful, R&B sound. I don’t sing R&B, so I am really looking forward to discovering my own interpretation.
NR: In addition to theatre, you have appeared on television for All My Children, As the World Turns, and even The Martha Stewart Show, and you’re also in Oliver Stone’s film World Trade Center. How do you juggle TV, film, and the stage, and what do you enjoy most about live theatre?
LY: When I was a working actress in NYC, it was my goal to work as often as I could and really experience what the city had to offer. Being in long-running Broadway shows was really a blessing because it gives you the flexibility to do other projects like TV and film during the day, since the performances are primarily at night. There would be days when I would start at 7:00a.m. on the set of All My Children and end the day at 10:30p.m. on the stage at Spelling Bee. I would be exhausted, but so excited to be working! It’s such a competitive business, and I always feel so lucky to have any job!
Live theatre, especially musical theatre, is such a magical experience because it is such a combined effort. Everyone is needed—actors; musicians; set, costume, and lighting designer;, directors; and, of course, the audience. When everyone’s energy and talent come together at a single moment, everyone involved feels the elated synergy . . . or syzygy (a word from Spelling Bee meaning “celestial unity”).
Hot Mikado is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council.
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This Lady's No Tramp: Mary Callanan on being Sophie Tucker |
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New Rep’s summer will be hot with our upcoming show, Sophie Tucker: The Last of the Red Hot Mamas, featuring Mary Callanan. We asked Mary how she felt about playing such a legendary lady.
New Rep (NR): What is it like playing Sophie Tucker?
Mary Callanan (MC): Well, technically I haven’t played her yet, but I think I’ll find that she soooo loved performing for others, giving joy to people, and giving them a little good-natured flirting, as well as ribbing, or “giving ‘em the business,” as my Mom would say.
NR: Sophie Tucker was known for her sassy style and bold personality. As a performer also known for your powerful stage presence, what’s your secret for being confident onstage?
MC: When I am confident onstage, which I will freely admit is not all the time, it is because I fully trust the material, or the person I am performing with. I’m eager to take the audience along on the journey with me, and I’m convinced they’ll want to go, too!
NR: In what ways do you consider Sophie Tucker to be a role model?
MC: Sophie Tucker was a pioneer performer and an extremely tireless worker for a myriad of causes and benefits. She enjoyed fame and success, but also gave back to society.
NR: What is your favorite song from the show?
MC: I would have to say at this early point, it would have to be her signature song, “Some of These Days.”
NR: In addition to your stage credits, you have received critical acclaim for your cabaret performances at jazz clubs in Boston and New York. What do you love most about the cabaret style?
MC: Cabaret has afforded me the ability to share some of my personal experiences with an audience. I feel very strongly that in a cabaret, the audience should feel they have gotten to know a little bit about me as a person, not just a performer. Plus, I love to tell a good story!
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Supporter Spotlight: Marcy Crary and |
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Everyone who comes to New Repertory Theatre can see how hard our actors work. What isn’t seen by the audience is all the hard work that goes on behind-the-scenes. Even as New Rep has grown and professionalized its staff, it is still the passion and advocacy of volunteers that make New Rep flourish as a valued community resource. We’d like to take this moment to honor and speak with one of New Rep’s most loyal and tireless supporters, Marcy Crary and her husband Tim Hall.
Neighborhood friends, Marty and Peter Karoff, got Marcy and Tim involved as New Rep Board Members early on, and Marcy’s been on the Board of Directors for an amazing 22 years. She served as Board Chair from 1999 to 2006, and during her tenure, she played a major role in building a relationship between New Rep and the Watertown Arts on the Charles Committee, culminating in New Rep’s move to the Arsenal Center for the Arts. Marcy has also been instrumental in expanding and diversifying New Rep’s Board and Advisory Council leadership. Marcy and Tim are true champions of the arts and have bought many people into New Rep’s family. From Marcy’s work at Bentley University, many students have been interns and market researchers for the theatre, and many of the couple’s friends, family, and neighbors have been enticed to become supporters of New Rep themselves. New Rep would not be where it is today without Marcy and Tim, and we can’t thank enough them for their spirit, time, resources, and dedication through the years.
New Rep (NR): What hooked you on New Rep?
Marcy and Tim (Marcy): That was a long time ago! Would you believe we were hooked around 1987? It was the first time we saw a part of Peter Gurney’s The Dining Room being performed around the Karoff’s dining room table in West Newton for one of New Rep’s first friend-raisers. The allure of live theatre being experienced in an intimate setting in the midst of one’s own community is hard to match.
There was an amazing series of plays over in our old haunt in Newton Highlands that was unforgettable, and we keep getting hooked here in the Arsenal Center for the Arts as well—by the horrific, yet compelling darkness of The Pillowman, the extraordinary production of A Streetcar Named Desire, the smart sharp comedy of Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow earlier this season, and by the power of Pinter’s The Lover in the Black Box Theater. There are hooks every season!
I’ve always thought Hamlet’s line, “the play’s the thing to catch the conscience of the king” spoke to the power and magic of theatre in general. We were and are “caught” by New Rep!
NR: Of all the ways you’ve worked with New Rep, what are you most proud of?
Marcy: The quality of the team work that goes on behind-the-scenes!!! There is a very collaborative and resilient spirit in this organization that is evident in the workings of the staff and Board members. I am often in awe of the quality of problem-solving that goes on, particularly in the face of these very challenging economic times.
I also love how we keep finding and connecting with new folks who are willing to offer their expertise in strengthening the theatre. We’re always on the lookout for new ideas, connections, and resources that will help us be the best we can be.
NR: What’s next for you at New Rep?
Marcy: My husband and I are Executive Producing Partners of the current production of Opus. Putting our name on and our resources behind a particular show is a great way to support the theatre, and lets others know how important the investment of individuals can be. We saw the show opening night and loved it!
I am also stepping into the role of the Board’s Development Committee Chair. We are so grateful for the outpouring of support shown in this fall/winter’s matching challenge, raising almost $150,000, all of which was matched dollar-for-dollar, by the Board and The Boston Foundation! We are looking forward to deepening our relationships with our supporters even more in the coming season. We want to hear your thoughts about New Rep, so don’t be surprised if you get a call or e-mail from us in the next few months. Subscribers, donors, and volunteers are the backbone of New Rep, and we truly wish for a dialogue with you.
NR: What makes New Rep a worthwhile investment for you?
Marcy: Not everyone realizes that New Rep has grown to be the 3rd largest professional theatre company in Boston; the largest without the support of any larger institution. Tim and I are proud that our support over the years was some small part of getting New Rep to where it is today—a major player in the Boston arts scene whose work and artistry is respected nationwide. New Rep needs many other investors to continue to grow its aesthetics, audiences, and education programs in a sustainable way, and we’d like to encourage others to make a commitment to New Rep’s future in a way that works for them.
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New Rep On Tour's MACBETH - One Night Only |
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On Monday, April 5, 2010, New Rep brings William Shakespeare’s Macbeth to the Charles Mosesian Theater. Macbeth is transferring to the Mosesian stage for one night only in the midst of an amazingly successful educational tour. The play has been performed at 32 schools and has been seen by over 6,000 students in and around the Boston community.
We at New Rep believe that the best way of engaging students in Shakespeare is through bold, provocative, yet accessible productions. Directed by Ross MacDonald, himself British and a veteran of the Afghan War, this interpretation of Macbeth is set in the former Yugoslavia and forces us to reconsider Shakespeare’s study of greed, power, and ambition through the lens of the recent conflicts in the Balkans.
The recent Yugoslav conflict reflects the violence that runs through Scotland’s history; as in Macbeth, dismal acts of violence were being committed in order to settle ancient family feuds. This radical updating has spoken powerfully to our students as they confront not only Shakespeare’s complex play, but also the atrocities of war present in their own lives. The response from students and teachers alike has been so enthusiastic that New Rep believes this production of Macbeth will speak to you, our patrons, as forcefully as it has our 6,000+ students.
New Rep On Tour is now in its 10th Season and has performed for over 50,000 students. New Rep On Tour’s mission is to bring high quality professional productions of relevant plays from the dramatic and literary canon to area schools. We hope that you will continue to support New Rep, and New Rep On Tour, by joining us at 7:30pm on April 5th for this revelatory interpretation of Macbeth. The suggested donation is $20; all proceeds benefits New Rep On Tour. Call the Box Office at 617-923-8487 to reserve seats or for more information.
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The Faces at New Rep: Bridget Kathleen O'Leary, Artistic and Education Associate |
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In each e-newsletter, starting now, we would like to introduce you to one of the talented and hardworking staff members at New Rep. Up first is Bridget Kathleen O’Leary, the Artistic and Education Associate at New Rep and the director of boom, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and Fool For Love.
New Rep (NR): How long have you worked at New Repertory Theatre?
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary (BKO): I started as the Artistic Intern during my last semester in graduate school in 2008. Just a few weeks before I graduated, I was offered the position of Artistic Associate and was thrilled to be able to continue to work with a company that I already felt so invested in.
NR: Can you discuss your position of Artistic and Education Associate at New Rep?
BKO: It is funny because people always ask me, “What do you do as Artistic Associate?” and my standard response is, “What don’t I do?” My primary resonsibility is assisting the Artistic Director in planning and casting the season. I am also considered our Literary Manager, so I am often working directly with playwrights and planning our New Voices @ New Rep reading series. For the Education Department, I am primarily responsible for producing New Rep On Tour. This year, I am really excited to be working with Paul Stacey, one of our interns who is receiving his MFA from Harvard in Dramaturgy, on adapting The Scarlett Letter for New Rep On Tour’s 2010-2011 Season. There are a lot of other things I do, but this is what I am mainly known for.
NR: What aspect of your job do you find most rewarding?
BKO: Because I am in my third season here, I feel like our audiences have started to recognize me and are starting to approach me after shows. This really takes me out of the vacuum of the administrative office and day-to-day work and reminds me why it is that I got into theatre in the first place. I love being in the rehearsal room and working directly with actors. But at the end of the day, it is the ability to talk about the impact of the work which really makes it all worth it!
NR: What current projects are you working on?
BKO: Believe it or not, we are in full-speed casting mode for the 2010-2011 Season.
I am also really involved in promoting our Summer Studio program for teens. I am really proud of the program this year and have enjoyed visiting local schools and talking directly to the students about the program. Gosh, I’m sure there are a bunch of other things I should be doing right now.
NR: Next season, you’ll be directing the DollHouse by Theresa Rebeck. Could you tell us your thoughts on the show?
BKO: It’s funny to me that the play premiered in early 2000. It feels like it was written last year. I think people will be surprised at how close Theresa Rebeck stayed to Ibsen’s original play and how current and relevant it feels. Nora, this iconic woman in the theatrical cannon, still represents strength, status, and commitment to family. She still breaks the law. You can’t pretend that she hasn’t done something completely illegal, immoral and wrong, and yet there is still something heroic about her.
NR: What do you want to be when you "grow up"?
BKO: I think I want to be an Artistic Director of an organization that focuses on playwrights and playwrighting when I "grow up." I wouldn’t mind being reincarnated as Emily Mann, who runs the McCarter Theatre in Princeton. That would be cool.