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Cast Interview: Ralph Johnson

5/31/2016

Who's excited for another cast interview!? I introduce to you another member of our wonderful chorus - Ralph Johnson!

What's your role in H.M.S Pinafore?
Sailor

What's your favorite part of the show?
The scene where Dick Deadeye warns Captain Corcoran of the impending elopement of Josephine, Captain C's daughter.

Why is operetta important to you?
The capability to amuse and delight an audience.

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I sing in 3 choral groups and 2 barbershop quartets.
Play tennis with fellow seniors.
Volunteer with Meals on Wheels and Red Cross blood drives.
Travel frequently

Only 10 days until H.M.S. Pinafore opens at the Fitzgerald! Get your tickets today. Call the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre box office at 240-314-8690 for your tickets or go online HERE.

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Cast Interview: Victoria Boucher-Hille

5/26/2016

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You are in for a treat this afternoon. Meet Victoria Boucher-Hille another wonderful member of the H.M.S. Pinafore chorus!!

What's your role in H.M.S Pinafore?
Aunt Propriety, who hovers over Aunt Sobriety in her wheelchair.

What's your favorite part of the show?
It's hard to choose, but perhaps the place I have the hardest time keeping a straight face is the scene in which Buttercup makes her awful confession. The musical introduction, reminiscent of Schubert's dark Der Erlkonig, is so melodramatic that the mock-innocent term "baby farming" forms an irresistibly comic contrast.

Why is operetta important to you?
VLOC opened the delightful world of operetta to me. I've sung in choruses before, with an occasional selection from light opera, but knew Gilbert and Sullivan only by reputation.

When Mary Gigliotti, nee Mitchell, told me about Haddon Hall it occurred to me that a ticket to this operetta would make the perfect birthday present for my older brother, John Vernon. He had undertaken family genealogy and discovered our connection with Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall. We attended together on his birthday and were enchanted. With uncharacteristic chutzpah I managed to get backstage with him and introduced him to the cast as "the scion of the Vernon family." The interest shown in him made his birthday special. Then when I found out that Mary was to have a lead in Ruddigore I decided to return. It was such a wonderful experience that I came a second time, treating two friends with birthdays in June. I was out of town when Gypsy Baron was performed but came to Robin Hood with my younger brother as a birthday present.

So obviously VLOC has become the solution to providing birthday gifts to those who have everything else they need.

Now as part of the chorus, I've discovered a pleasure I haven't known since long-ago days of childhood make-believe--and that only playing with friends. I wasn't in any school plays, and my theatrical experience was limited to a church Christmas pageant in which I was chosen to play a candle played a candle because I had red hair.

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I belong to the Prince George's Choral Society and to the St. Jerome's Choir. I still play piano for my own amusement but have mostly given up flute and violin--I was good enough at one time to play in the George Washington University Orchestra. I'm retired from the Library of Congress and am married to another biblioholic--yes, we spend a lot of time reading to each other. Part time I work as office manager for a dentist and I also write a somewhat zany but reliably informative gardening advice column for the monthly Hyattsville Life & Times. [If you're curious, it's online at http://hyattsvillelife.com/category/columns/miss-floribunda/]

Of course I love gardening and am current president of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society. That was why, when Kate asked if I could enter onstage on my hands and knees, Mary retorted that I was an avid gardener and spent a lot of time just that way.

H.M.S. Pinafore opens in 2 weeks at the Fitzgerald! Get your tickets today. Call the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre box office at 240-314-8690 for your tickets or go online HERE.

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Cast Interview: Karen Carp

5/19/2016

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It's time for another cast interview. Meet Karen Carp....another one of our fabulous choristers!!

What's your role in H.M.S Pinafore?
Chorus (Temperance-one of the Sisters)

What's your favorite part of the show?
My favorite part of this experience is finally being IN a Gilbert & Sullivan production. My mother was in a G&S group while at Hunter College in the early 50s and I grew up with songs from Pinafore and the Pirates of Penzance, in particular.

Why is operetta important to you?
[I'd rather this question were "Why is community theatre important to you?"

Being part of live theatre is a great way to meet new people, have tons of fun, shared experiences with those people, and see some terrific performances up close and very personal. I sang in the chorus and did a couple of shows in high school, sang in a university chorus for a couple of years, and then didn't really do anything again for about 15 years. Of course, I saw tons of professional and community theatre, but I didn't realize how much I missed performing and the energy that goes with it until 1994 when I auditioned for a chorus singing Handel's "Messiah." Then a friend in that chorus told me about auditions for DTC, a group with whom she already performed. After a couple of shows with them, I met the man I married after he came to the show to see if he could borrow our sets and props for a version HIS theatre company was doing. My husband, Jerry, and I have been married for 16 years now, and we both love theatre. Sometimes we even do shows together.

Only a couple weeks until H.M.S. Pinafore opens at the Fitzgerald! Get your tickets today. Call the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre box office at 240-314-8690 for your tickets or go online HERE.

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Cast Interview: Sofia Romero

5/11/2016

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Cast interviews aren't just for the leads - Gilbert & Sullivan shows are chock full of fun (and often long) chorus numbers that showcase wonderful singers like....Sofia Romero!!

What's your role in H.M.S Pinafore?
Sir Joseph's cousin, Celerity

What's your favorite part of the show?
I adore all of it! But, if I was forced to pick one part I love the absolute most, it would have to be the "carefully on tiptoe stealing" number. Or the fact that the captain and Ralph are the same age, yet Ralph wants to marry the captain's daughter. How weird is that? He must be so much older than her!

Why is operetta important to you?
I'm not very good at dancing, so I've never really prospered in Broadway-type shows. Operetta showcases voices more than anything and there isn't very much fancy footwork, which is a welcome change. I've always loved operatic music, and operetta is nice for those of us who want to know what's going on in a show but don't speak Italian or German. Also, being around my talented castmates inspires me to work hard to improve, so I can sing like they can someday.

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I spend a lot of time with my siblings (I have six of them, so they're hard to get away from!) and I love to draw pictures. I spend all of my money on fancy markers and sketchbooks that I carry around with me everywhere I go.

Join Sofia and the rest of the H.M.S. Pinafore cast at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre next month! Call the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre box office at 240-314-8690 for your tickets or go online HERE.

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Cast Interview: Carla Rountree

5/6/2016

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The Cast Interview series returns!

Rehearsals for our June production of H.M.S. Pinafore are underway and I'm excited to introduce you to our fantastic cast.

First up...Carla Rountree

What's your role in H.M.S Pinafore?
Cousin Hebe

What's your favorite part of the show?
Pinafore is chock full of great parts, so that's a tough question. I don't want to give anything away, but my favorite parts are when Sir Joseph has, um, a little trouble with the cabin door of the Pinafore. You'll have to see the show to see what I mean.

Why is operetta important to you?
I love the comedic nature of operetta! It takes the same musical skills and hard work that any grand opera does, but I love that it couples that with a bit of silliness.

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I sing with other DC-area opera companies, and I co-direct the local chapter of Opera on Tap. I am an avid runner, which I enjoy some of the time (and hate some the time). And I work as an aviation engineer to pay for necessities like electricity, bacon, and opera scores.

Don't miss Carla and the rest of the fabulous H.M.S. Pinafore cast next month! Call the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre box office at 240-314-8690 for your tickets or go online HERE.

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Cast Interview: Ralph Johnson

Cast Interview: Victoria Boucher-Hille

Cast Interview: Karen Carp

Cast Interview: Sofia Romero

Cast Interview: Carla Rountree

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