Wonderful Juli Robbins
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Juli Robbins & Duke Lafoon as Mary & George Bailey
I grew up in Richmond VA (oddly enough, the same place that Duke Lafoon grew up but we didn’t know each other until rehearsals for A Wonderful Life!). (more…)
Archive for the ‘A Wonderful Life!’
Ryan Foy fills us in!
Ryan Foy (as Harry Bailey) & Katie Sina (as Ruth)
I was born in Dallas, TX, but I grew up in Denver, CO. I’ve been performing since I was a little kid, in many different capacities. Performing has always been a big part of my family’s history, since I am the great-grandson of famed Vaudevillian performer Eddie Foy. That’s a whole family history, I could go into… but the film version tells that story well enough. After high school, I attended the University of Michigan for my Musical Theatre degree and then moved straight here to New York. My sister helped get me into performing initially, and then after a while it didn’t make any sense to do anything else. I know that I will always be involved in this profession somehow, be it acting, directing, or even building sets backstage. I have had so many mentors over the years of my training, that it is hard to name but a few. Shirley Verrett was a great influence, as well as all of my professors at Michigan like Mark Madama and Linda Goodrich. They all taught me how to balance this career as an art and a business.
I am a big fan of the sardonic music theatre canon, especially the shows that take a big bite out of the genre. Shows like Urinetown, Bat Boy, and Reefer Madness stick out as favorites in my mind. I always like to say that my dream role hasn’t been written yet, but out of the existing great roles I would love to play Sweeney Todd. I may have to wait a few years yet, but someday.
The film version of It’s A Wonderful Life is a classic, but one I only watched a few times while growing up. Revisiting it now while prepping for this show showed me how poignant the story still is today. It’s a depressing tale, with a very happy ending. I knew about this musical a long time ago, because it actually premiered at my alma mater back in 1989. When I told my old teachers I was doing it, they were thrilled. One of my music professors even said to look for some of his signature licks in the orchestrations because much of what is published comes from his original notebooks.
Although I don’t have a family yet, I do have a few baby cousins who loved it when I was touring with Thomas the Tank Engine! When not on stage, I enjoy going on spontaneous adventures around Manhattan just as much as I do curling up at home and watching all my favorite TV shows on my DVR.
I’ve got one of the giant 160gig iPods, so I have more music and movies on there than I know what to do with. It is however an eclectic mix of indie rock, musical theatre, and mainstream pop music. You get some strange combinations when you hit shuffle.
SPECIAL CHILDREN’S PERFORMANCE
For the past 34 years, Westchester Broadway Theatre has donated a matinee performance of one of its mainstage productions each year to the children residing in the area institutions in
THIS YEAR’S INVITES INCLUDE Andrus Children’s Center, Children’s Village, St. Mary’s
The purpose for the donated performance is to give children residing in institutions a chance to see a fully staged musical show free of charge. At the intermission ice cream, cookies and sodas are provided. Each year we are gratified by seeing how involved the children become with the experience of watching live theatre. The reaction of the children and the appreciation of the staff is the reason the owners Bill Stutler and Bob Funking continue to donate this special performance, and fill the gift requests year after year.
Other contributions in 2008 included Gift Certificates totaling in the amount of $32,000 donated to local charities, schools and other deserving organizations.
2009 …Wonderful!
A wonderful New Year…A wonderful opportunity to enjoy A Wonderful Life!! Join Duke Lafoon and company for some life-affirming, feel-good entertainment! The show runs through February 8th!
The cast performing "The Charleston"
Ring In The New….Wonderfully!
A Gala celebration is in store for revelers here at WBT on the Eve of the New Year! A Sumptuous feast, The wonderfully uplifting musical, A Wonderful Life, and then dancing into the night with the Tuxedo Parc Orchestra! At the stroke of midnight, raise a glass of bubbly to the new year, full of new dreams and unexplored possibilities!
In the past 100 years, the "ball dropping" on top of One Times Square in New York City, broadcast to all of America (and rebroadcast in many other countries), is a major component of the New Year celebration. The 1,070-pound, 6-foot-diameter Waterford crystal ball located high above Times Square is lowered, starting at 11:59:00pm and reaching the bottom of its tower 60 seconds later, at the stroke of midnight. This is repeated for all four time zones in the continental US. It is sometimes referred to as "the big apple" like the city itself; the custom derives from the time signal that used to be given at noon in harbors. From 1981 to 1988, New York City dropped an enlarged apple in recognition of its nickname.. The song Auld Lang Syne has become a popular song to sing at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
If your head really hurts on New Year’s Day, you could point your finger at the Babylonians who started this new year revelry nonsense. Though the ancient Romans added the idea of alcoholic excess, or at least perfected it. Julius Caesar fixed the start of the year on Jan. 1 by letting the previous year run to 445 days rather than the traditional 365.
New Year’s is among the very oldest and most persistent of human celebrations.
The western world celebrates the new year on Jan. 1. For some thousands of years before the Romans, the new year was celebrated with the first edible crops of the season or the first new moon. The new year celebration is an observance of the earth’s ability to renew itself and sustain us for another year. In agrarian societies— foods were the most potent of all new year’s symbols.
Ancient Egyptian and Greek societies paraded a baby around to symbolize the new year, at the end of winter when the crops sprouted, not the beginning when we do it. Baby New remains a popular symbol and turns up at celebrations even today. Father Time, who symbolizes the passage of time and the death of the old year, is a kindly looking old fellow, sometimes depicted holding Baby New Year.
At the stroke of
(excerpts from an article by
Wonderful Warblings….
Enjoy these little known facts about …It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) (more…)
Impressions of A Wonderful Life!
"This show invites today’s audience to face shaky times with the hope that there can be redemption in faith and love. This is the heady stuff of which dreams are made, and at WBT, it’s perfectly packaged for the holidays!" Bill Primavera of The Examiner.
"A Wonderful Life will please fans of the movie and likely win over converts who suffer from the bah Humbug virus about this time of year. " Chesley Plemmons of The News-Times
"This is a perfect Christmas treat for a holiday night out or gift for that person who, this year, might have nothing. Check it out. You will be glad you did. We need a little ‘feel good’." Judie Phillips of The Cue
"Today’s economic climate makes the WBT production especially poignant and will make you feel all warm and mushy at the end with more hope than you had when you walked in. A Wonderful Life is Mark Twain, Normal Rockwell, Life magazine, filled with the optimism, the heartbreak, the spirit of a small town and the hope in every human being." John Bailey of The White Plains Citizen Net Reporter
"Never before has the classic story, A Wonderful Life, been more apropos than now when we are told, finally, we have been in a recession for more than a year. After watching the struggles of financial institutions, the story of George Bailey and his family’s savings and loan has special resonance." Fran Sikorski of Hersam-Acorn Newspapers
"We get a chance to see us as we’ve been longing to see us before the plague set in: good people, kind people, caring people, hopeful people. The way we want to be. And without embarrassment. No sneering at the simple, heart plucking story of George Bailey. It’s all right. In fact, it’s better than all right; A Wonderful Life is so huggable, so heartfelt, and, yes, so corny, that somehow, you feel refreshed. corny? So what? Before corn was corn, it was nourishing and it is again. Hell, it runs cars. The show is long? Again, so what, if every inch is paved with the breath of belief in the story?" Eugene Paul of Theater Scene.net
Robert Stoeckle (as Matthew) and Darin Depaul (as Clarence) Plan Clarence’s Mission which will earn him his wings!
A Wonderful Life’s Wonderful Wunder- Kids!!
We often feature talented local kids in our shows. A Wonderful Life is no exception! In fact, these kids are truly (
Clockwise l to r: Sarah Heinzman, Sharon Rosenthal, Cosmo Zappoli, Michael Herwitz, Matthew Nardozzi, Sofia Singer and Sofia Hantzaridis. (more…)
Duke Lafoon..aka George Bailey!
George Bailey is a stand up guy..and Duke is the perfect actor to portray him! Learn more….
I’m from
I spent my childhood in a fantasy world. Either I had a towel safety pinned around my neck pretending to be Batman or I was climbing a tree with one of my dad’s screwdrivers in my belt pretending I was Tarzan. I don’t know how unusual this is but I simply never grew out of it. I think my first role was as a Christmas elf in a school play. At 14 I worked at my first professional theatre and that’s all she wrote. As for mentors, I have been very lucky. A couple that stick out are my friends, Tom Width, who directed me many times in Richmond and Randy Strawderman, who I first met as a teacher and later directed me as well. They both believed in me which was invaluable. And Mom and Dad taught me over and over that you will have more success in life doing what you love rather than what is expected.
Favorite Shows? This is a tough one. So many…Sweeney Todd was a biggie, Into the Woods, Floyd Collins….and the plays! Oh boy, I really could go all day. As for dream roles, I think every actor wants the chance to create something new….To be involved in the storytelling from the very beginning. I’ve had a few opportunities to do this and there is nothing more exciting. I’m just hoping for more.
I love this movie. Always have. Always have loved James Stuart. It’s really a pretty perfect film. I knew nothing of the musical until I auditioned for it at Theatre
My wife Janet and I don’t yet have kids but we do have 14 nieces and Nephews. All in VA. All different ages. Some of the youngest haven’t seen me on stage and the older ones might be a little bored with it. But lately they have had fun with an American Express commercial I currently have running. Uncle Duke’s on TV! Now that’s something. You know you’ve made it!
I love to read most anything. I love movies. Janet and I are currently going thru the AFI top hundred movies to see anything we missed. I like to play tennis when I can. Not the easiest thing to schedule in
Darin is an Angel!
Darin Depaul is Clarence in A Wonderful Life… typecast? Read on…
I was born and raised in Palm Beach, Florida. It was a truly wonderful childhood. We would either summer in the Hamptons or go to Europe. My father was a men’s clothing designer with several shops on Worth Avenue. My parents really gave us so much. My sister and I were quite spoiled. But my parents loved doing it – so is that spoiled? We really appreciated it and the experiences made us who we are and taught us to embrace different cultures and ways of thinking.
My Parents were always taking us to shows on Broadway when we visited New York. And because of my father’s work, he knew many celebrities and artists of the day. He would have them over and I was always taken with them and how they thought. Just really fascinating and varied people – like Jose Ferrer, Liberace, Gunther Gebel-Williams from Ringling Brothers.
I did a year long apprenticeship at the Burt Reynolds Jupiter Theatre and Mr. Reynolds, Charles Nelson Reilly and Sally Field were very inspirational. Then in 1993 I saw Bill Irwin and David Shiner do "Fool Moon" on Broadway followed by my first experience with Cirque Du Soliel and I was hooked on that style of clowning. I was even lucky enough to study with Mr. Shiner. When I think of the style of performing that I love – I think about all that Mr. Shiner taught me. There’s a lot of that in how I looked at doing this role in "A Wonderful Life". I saw the film once with my wife and it is pretty darn near perfect. Exquisite Capra story-telling. I know it’s on every holiday season, but I tend to watch Cirque Du Soliel marathons and BBC America. I didn’t watch the film before doing this show because the two styles are so different and you start thinking "Hey, why did they leave out that part" and things like that. The musical version is truly it’s own animal.
I really love innovative theatre. Last year my wife and I went to Stratford-on-Avon and we saw Ian McKellan in "King Lear" and the most amazing "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" ever. Tim Supple visionary production in seven Indian languages and English. Just visually and emotionally stunning. On that trip we also saw "The 39 Steps" which is now on Broadway and a production of "A Matter of Life and Death" at the National. Just brilliant. Those are what I like to see. "Cats" and "42nd Street" … not so much. All the characters I play are unusual. Heck, I was Grandpa Who in the "Grinch". I could never do what Duke Lafoon does in our production. He is so brilliant and natural and HUMAN. I’m this odd little clown from Weirdsville. But put us together and that’s where the fun starts. To me it’s fascinating to put these two fundamently different styles together onstage and watch them meld. I love every moment I get with Duke.
No children in family. But last year doing "Grinch" on Broadway was such a great experience. Working with the young performers and meeting children after the show. For some reason they do take to me. I guess I’m just a big Muppet.
I have been doing a lot of voice-overs. Performing, writing and directing. That is my passion. I love the freedom of the voice-over booth. You can be anything!
My I Pod Currently has everything by the Celtic Band Gaelic Storm, lots of Cirque Du Soliel music and British radio comedies like Mitchell & Webb and "Chis Addison’s Civilization". I may be the only person in the world who works out to the Dickens’ parody "Bleak Expectations".
