A warm and commanding stage presence has earned Steve Lippia the reputation of “having the audience eating out of the palm of his hand.” His youthful, energetic talent and powerful show creates a perfect blend of “classic” with “today,” introducing a new generation to this timeless music and transporting long-time listeners back to the era of “Old Blue Eyes.”  He will appear Here at WBT on Saturday, June 18th.

Shannon O’Bryan is thrilled to be playing one of her favorite roles, (Kathy Selden) in SITR. She stopped the show every night as Peggy Sawyer in 42^ND STREET here last season!

I was a bit of a tomboy so my mom put me in dance class and I just fell in love with it.  I went to a performing arts high school and my mentor there was actually a Peggy Sawyer in the original 42^ND STREET on Broadway – she guided me into musical theatre. I continued with it in college and my first audition out of school was 42^ND STREET in Moscow – I booked the job.

As a kid I didn’t realize this was something you could do professionally. In high school it became more of a reality.  It is hard to imagine getting paid for something that you love to do so much – but of course, when you are not working, there is nothing more difficult.

My family have always been very supportive even though the arts do not run in our family. For them they use every show I am in as an opportunity to go on vacation and come to see me.

I think 42^ND STREET was my big break – it was my first audition.  On the closing night in Moscow I received a call from the director Randy Skinner who told me they were replacing Peggy on Broadway and I needed to get back into town the next day.  I went to the audition, booked the job and started working two days later. That was my first B’way job – it is amazing how big a part this show has played in my career.

I think people don’t realize how difficult the audition process is – you can go from audition to audition and constantly need to deal with rejection.  It is hard to keep from getting into your own head and doubting yourself as a performer. You have to keep yourself motivated, keep positive and keep moving forward and that is much more difficult than people realize.

I think what changes is your level of confidence and security – they get stronger over time. So the rejection doesn’t get easier, it is just that your sense of self increases with each job you get. Ironically it can be easier to perform every night in front of 1500 people in a large theatre, than it is to audition in a small room in front of 15 people.

Working on the three-quarter round stage took a little getting used to – it is an interesting way to work.  It is funny how it starts out feeling awkward but then suddenly is so much more natural way to be and is more realistic in how you would really talk with people. You move and stand normal and are less concerned about cheating out front. Now that we have been doing it I love it.

CODY WILLIAMS,who plays Cosmo Brown in Singin’ In The Rain, is a quadruple threat! He’s a masterful comedian, Dances & Sings Like a dream, and what an Actor! Where did he hail from? Read on!

I grew up in Marietta, GA.  Right outside of Atlanta.  As a kid I played a lot of soccer and did a lot of martial arts.  The only performing I did was a one week camp every Summer.  I loved performing every summer and after my last year of camp in 8th grade some friends talked me into giving the local performing arts high school a try.  As soon as I got there, it was all over.  I knew I wanted to be an actor.  

I was lucky because I have had a lot of incredible teachers.  The first thing that I remember seeing and being really inspired was the show Movin’ Out.  I saw it my freshman year of high school and remember saying to myself that I would, one day, be able to do what those guys could do.  

My first experience with Singin’ in the Rain came when I was very young from The Great Movie Ride and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  I always had known about the movie.  It wasn’t until I was 17 that I saw it however.  I was completely blown away by how incredible it was. I have never done the stage show before but I have always wanted to. It’s hard to really compare it with the movie, however. For me, the reason to make a movie is so that you can do things that you can’t do in a theatre.  For instance, the stuff Donald O’Connor does in "Make Em’ Laugh" is so physically intense and amazing.  No one could ever do that in live performance because we don’t have the luxury of dubbing our voice in a studio afterwards.  

With all that being said, I feel proud of our production, and I am so happy people seem to be really enjoying it.  It’s hard for me to pick a single favorite moment in the show.  I really love the "Moses" scene though.

I have so many favorite shows and so many dream roles I couldn’t begin to list them.  I’m so lucky to have just played Will Parker in Oklahoma!, and I’m so lucky to be playing Cosmo right now.  Within the next couple of years, I would love to play Finch in How to Succeed, Candide in Candide, and Edmund in Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

When I am not on stage, I am an avid mixed martial arts fan.  You can find me watching UFC almost day of the week.  Other than that, its pretty much just hanging with my gilly.

On my I pod? The best of classic rock, a lot of Pearl Jam, a boat load of musical theatre and a bunch of voice lessons!  

I’m originally from Nashville, TN.  I grew up surrounded by farmland and gravel roads, haha.  I was playing t-ball by age 6, and actually played baseball all the way through college.  As far as dancing, I actually thought I had invented tap dancing at around age 8 (I thought I was really clever).  I would tap around the house, driving my mother nuts, until my grandmother plopped me in front of a back to back Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire movie marathon on TV one Sunday morning.  I watched SINGIN IN THE RAIN, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, BRIGADOON, THE PIRATE… and so many more. And those were just the Gene Kelly movies!  

My grandmother would travel back and forth to NYC, buying and selling clothing for a retailer.  She would bring back playbills and stories of all the shows she had seen (Ethel Merman’s opening night of GYPSY for starters).  My grandmother, grandfather, mom, aunts and uncles all sang and played instruments on my mother’s side. I was always surrounded by music, but it was my grandmother that would steal me away and play me some of her favorites on the piano:  Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, and my favorite, Cole Porter.  

I remember really being drawn to Ray Bolger as an actor who danced.  He was such a goof-ball, but, when he danced, he had such grace.  I always pictured myself like that…  awkward and unattractive.. until I danced.

I remember the movie SINGIN IN THE RAIN from that first day my grandmother sat me in front of the Gene Kelly marathon on TV.  I absolutely loved MAKE EM LAUGH, and was obsessed with finding a headless puppet to throw around behind the couch (you can imagine the patience of my mother dealing with this child banging around the house).  I also remember how Gene Kelly looked like such a kid dancing around in that rain.  

I’ve choreographed 4 productions of the show, and also played the role of Don once before, back in 2006.  But, as we all know, each and every production is it’s own brand new "creature", which is why I love this profession.  You can do the same show several times, and experience completely different things with each one.  

I think it’s tricky to compare the stage version of this show with the movie version.  Firstly, the movie is such an American icon, the audience walks into the theatre to see the stage version with such a knowledge of everything they’re about to see.  I have a theory, that the audience enters with nostalgia for what they know is coming, but, what they don’t realize, is that they want to be surprised.  THAT is where the challenge comes in, and it’s up to the director and the actors to bring something fresh and new to the piece.  The stage script strictly follows the order and story line of the movie, and was never really "re-invented" for the stage, so the freshness is all in the tiny details that the creative team and the actors bring to the table.  

I have over 6,000 songs on my Ipod, haha!!  Everything from Rogers & Hammerstein to Stevie Ray Vahn.  I worship Pavarotti’s voice, seriously.  I think of it as the universe lining up, and speaking through a perfect instrument.  It’s sort of a religious experience for me.  My favorite artist out there now is KD Lang.  She transforms her sound for each album she puts out, and she’s such an interesting artist.  Her voice is probably one of my favorites on earth.  Don’t get me wrong, I have my share of Coldplay and Lady Gaga, too.  Like I said, over 6,000 songs!