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Archive for the ‘Interviews’

Madame (de La Grande Bouche) is that you?

June 18, 2008 By: Pia Haas Category: Beauty & The Beast, Interviews, News, Press No Comments →

Marguerite Willbanks, who captivates our audiences as the "Overstuffed Armoire" in Beauty & The Beast, said: 

I grew up in Parkville, Maryland which is right outside of Baltimore. I am the middle of three girls. My parents were both teachers and performed in community theatre. I spent lots of time in the theatre growing up-first tagging along to rehearsals with my parents and then performing. For 11 years my entire family spent every summer performing at a local summer theatre. My version of summer camp! After graduating high school I went to college for a couple of years and then headed to New York where I attended AMDA.  

 I would have to say my parents have always been my greatest influence and mentors. They showed me from a very early age how much work, discipline, and fun it is to be a part of the theatre world. Although they never worked as "professionals" I consider many of their performances the best I’ve ever seen on a stage.    

I watched the "Wonderful World of Disney" every Sunday night as a child. I think my favorite Disney film as a kid was "Bambi". I have performed this role before with the Broadway company of "Beauty". It was a wonderful advantage to work with the original creators of the show and see what their intentions were for the role. Of course as time has passed I’ve spiced  it up a little. That’s the fun of playing a role more than once-it’s great fun to find new parts to the characters personality.
I rarely think about the animated film in regards to the show. I think the book and music for the stage production stand on their own- separately from the film. One of the wonderful things about the film is that it’s brought so many people to see the stage production. The costumes are definitely helpful in creating this character. As soon as I put the "wardrobe" on I have to move in a totally different way and I immediately feel connected to "Madame".
My nieces and nephews have seen the show and love it! They can’t believe it’s their Aunt Maggie under all that furniture! When I’m not performing I enjoy spending time with my husband and dog. We love to travel- if we ever win the lottery we will be off to see the world!!

 

 

GASTON GABS!

June 06, 2008 By: Pia Haas Category: Beauty & The Beast, Interviews, News, Press No Comments →

Jonathan Burgard chatted with me about his role and more!

               Growing up was sort of a difficult task.  My father starting his basic training in the Air Force in 1971, He didn’t retire until he reached final rank of a recruiter, Chief Master Sergeant in 2001, so from my birth, relocation was inevitable.  By the time I was 18, I had lived in roughly around 25 cities, but the main locations were Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Syracuse, and Wilmington, NC.  (more…)

Mrs Potts Spills all!

May 20, 2008 By: Pia Haas Category: Beauty & The Beast, Interviews, News, Press No Comments →

Stacia Fernandez is bubbling over with  excitement as she appears nightly in Beauty & The Beast!  

I was born in Columbia Missouri, lived in Monmouth, Illinois until I was 9 and then spent the rest of my growing up years in Atlanta, Georgia.   I’m the 4th of 4 girls and we had a blast together! (more…)

A Beastly Guy!

April 18, 2008 By: Pia Haas Category: Beauty & The Beast, Interviews, News, Press 1 Comment →

Not a beast, at all…nice guy, Joseph Mahowald had this to say………

I was born and raised in Huron, SD (my baby sitter was Sheryl Stoppelmoore — can anyone tell me what her married name is???). [answer: Sheryl Ladd].  I was the youngest of seven children and the only one of us to pursue performance as a career.

When I was a sophomore in high school I saw a production of "Man of La Mancha." It was the first time I had ever seen a stage show and it was…magic!  I was in awe of the lead performer’s abilities to act and to sing.  He absolutely captivated me.  I decided then, that I was going to be a performer.  I worked very hard at music and did all the plays I could until I got into college.  When I got there the guy who had played "Quixote"  three years earlier was a graduate student and I was mentored by him for the two years I spent at that University. I transferred to the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati after that and made the Dean’s List for nearly all the semesters, finally graduating Magna Cum Laude!

 

A few years ago, I was honored to do the Disney film "Mulan."  It was such a thrill to do!  The process of making an animated film is unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of before.  We went to Sony Studios and, I must say, I was honored to be in a room with some of the most talented singers in the world!  We went into a room (a really nice room with BIG TV’s) and watched the ’scratch’ animation of the scene for which we were about to make the audio.  After that we went into the recording studio and put down the vocals. It was thrilling!  The best part has come over the last few years when my own children saw the film and kept asking "where are you, papa? I don’t recognize you!" (more…)

What a Beauty!!

April 18, 2008 By: Pia Haas Category: Beauty & The Beast, Interviews, Press No Comments →

Rena Strober..who is the lovely Belle had this to share with us….

I grew up in Goshen, NY, very close to   Westchester Bwy!  I loved being in the country and getting to drive into NYC to see shows.  My   parents put me into dance class when I  was 4   and sent me to the famous theatre camp, Stagedoor Manor from age 11-16.  Needless to say, they’ve always supported my choice to be a performer. I have 2 older brothers, one who’s a director/writer and the other is a lawyer. We’re  all  really close. I’ve always felt the most comfortable on the stage telling stories through song and dance.  I’ll always remember my first Broadway show, Peter Pan.  Ever since, I’ve always wanted to fly in a show…I"m still waiting to play Peter :)

 

I was always a big fan of Bernadette Peters, Bette Midler, I guess anyone with lots of big curly hair.  I was also greatly influenced by the greats such as Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly and Ginger Rogers. Their grace, humor and ability to do it all made me work hard and live to tell love stories.

 

I’m a GIRL!!! Of course I watched every Disney movie! I always loved Cinderella and the fat mouse, Gus.  I was never a fan of Snow White because of the dated ideas of women.  I always loved An American Tale and of course, Beauty & The Beast. One of my first crushes was Robbie Benson who voiced the Beast.  He was also in Ice Castles :) (more…)

oooh Miguel!

February 13, 2008 By: Pia Haas Category: Buddy, Interviews, Press No Comments →

I asked Miguel Romero……….(aka.. Ritchie Valens)

Miguel RomeroTell us a little about your upbringing. I was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY til I was 8.  Then moved to South Florida. . . I come from a very large, close, traditional Hispanic (Colombian) family.  A lot of my family still lives in New York, they’ll most likely ALL be here one night.  My mom used to take to me to a lot of Broadway shows when I was a child. . .

What inspired you to become a performer?  When I was a child I would always shake around to music (Ritchie Valens style), and I was always recording myself singing. . . I used to watch music videos, and musicals learn the choreography and sing along to them, to this day my Julie Andrews impression is IMPECCABLE. . . It wasn’t until I discovered pop music in the early 90’s that I decided I wanted to be a performer.  (more…)

Buddy’s Buddies!

January 28, 2008 By: Pia Haas Category: Buddy, Interviews, Press No Comments →

John Rochette and Eric Scott Anthony play Buddy’s band mates, The Crickets, in our production.  I chatted with them and they blabbed!    

JOHN:  "I just got back to the mainland..  ha, yeah, Eric and I were just on a week long Caribbean cruise together.  So, to answer that question, yeah, him and I are great friends and roommates in Manhattan.  And, we met actually in Ohio
doing our first production of BUDDY at  Carousel Dinner Theatre.  I’m also very close with Pat as well.  I think the 3 of us will have a good time rockin’ in this one."  (more…)

Stars Tell All!

January 22, 2008 By: Pia Haas Category: Buddy, Interviews, Press 2 Comments →

 

Pat  Becca

 

Pat McRoberts and Becca Lopez will play Buddy Holly and Maria Elena in BUDDY. I chatted with them recently and here’s the scoop!   (more…)

Good Listening…

December 01, 2007 By: Steve Carl Category: Interviews, News, Press No Comments →

WBT Producer Bill Stutler recently took part in a podcast named NYTheatrecast with Jack W. Batman and Bruce Harris of the White Plains Performing Arts Center.  Hosted by Leonard Jacobs, National Theatre Editor of Backstage.  From Mr. Jacob’s Blog;

“I did another podcast for Martin and Rochelle — fabulous experience as always. I guess I should also take this opportunity to reveal that as of January I will be hosting a regular monthly podcast for them. Look for more on that in the next few weeks. This latest podcast goes north — to Westchester. The panel included Jack W. Batman and Bruce Harris of the White Plains Performing Arts Center, and Bill Stutler of Westchester Broadway Theatre. Here’s a little FYI on these two groups, courtesy of nytheatrecast’s blog:   

“White Plains Perfoming Arts Center offers a diverse array of programming aimed at many age groups, tastes, and personalities. Their Broadway Classics series will kick off on November 29th with a new production of Man of la Mancha starring Robert Cuccioli.”"Westchester Broadway Theatre is a dinner theatre offering revivals (and, occasionally) new productions of classic musicals. Their current season includes the Maury Yeston Phantom, along with A Christmas Carol, Buddy, and Beauty and the Beast.”Our guests point out that Westchester’s theatre scene is booming. The theatres are within an hour of downtown Manhattan and both companies often feature Broadway-caliber talent.  Here’s a link to the podcast.

Source: http://clydefitch.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-podcast.html 

Phantom’s James Van Treuren on the show, WBT, and “coming home”

November 30, 2007 By: Steve Carl Category: Interviews, Phantom No Comments →

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The Man Behind Gerard Carriere
By Jon Chattman

James Van Treuren, who portrays Gerard Carriere in Westchester Broadway Theatre’s “Phantom,” says in many ways, playing the role in the current production is “like coming home again.” Afterall, the actor has starred in ten productions at WBT, including both previous WBT productions of the show in 1992 and 1996 has played the role of Carrier before in another theater and said he’s ecstatic to be playing the role here.

We recently spoke with the actor, whose appeared on Broadway in “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and countless regional theatre productions, and asked him all about how it’s going at the WBT. (more…)

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