In the News

CCT's 2007-2008 Cabaret & Cafe series opened to tremendous praise for both the musical stylings of Orgena Rose and the new venue.

A versatile singer and actress, Orgena has appeared in numerous national media and venues including television ("The Rose O'Donnell Show", "The Tony Awards Show"), Broadway (Ragtime) and Carnegie Hall (Porgy and Bess). In this offering, Orgena paid tribute to her many of her favorite singing legends, including salutes to Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn. Vocally, Orgena ran the gamut from opera to musical theater to R & B with equal aplomb. Interspersed with personal stories and links to the various artists to whom she paid tribute, audiences were energized by her repartee and mesmerized by her sensitive interpretation of many musical standards. Orgena's renditions of "At Last" and "My Funny Valentine" had people dancing in the aisles!

This was a feat that would not have been possible without the change of venue from Central United Methodist Church's Womack Center to Kendall Hall. Though a much larger space, Kendall Hall adapted to its use as a "nightclub" remarkably well and was made much more intimate by the use of lighted topiaries which defined the area and provided a romantic glow to the proceedings.

Recent review of:

The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)
Music by Eric Rockwell; Lyrics by Joanne Bogart; and Book by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart
Directed by Steve Hilderbrand

Reviewed by Mark Turvin, Goldfish Publishers,
3/9/07

Central Community Theatre has been pestering me for three seasons to give them a chance. There have been talented people working there, but I shied away, first because I thought they were associated with the monolithic church in which they perform, then because their productions only ran for two weekends, and finally because they seemed to schedule their season from the Holy Book of Well-Worn Retreads. I was assured last season that they were not associated with the church, and during the past ariZoni Awards presentation, one of their Board members cornered me to let me know because of my suggestion, they had chosen to extend their runs to three weekends to gain more legitimacy. Finally, this season, they stuck the odd choice of Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart’s 2003 Off-Broadway Musical Homage/Satire The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) between their takes on the too-oft-retold Steel Magnolias and Nunsense. They won. I went to their opening night and was glad that I did. It isn’t a polished production, but its heart and determination reminded me of the ragtag group led by Gerard Alessandrini who created Forbidden Broadway back in 1982. CCT, in their unlikely religious setting, has created one of the best cabarets in town.

Rockwell and Bogart’s creation shares a brainpan with Forbidden Broadway, offering five different takes on the old “Creepy Landlord/Cash-Strapped Damsel in Distress/Liquid-Cash Hero” story. These takes are viewed through five famous Broadway styles as established by legendary composer/lyricists. The first, Corn!, is the story as seen through the rose-tinted eyes of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The second, A Little Complex, fractures the story into the dissonant chords of Stephen Sondheim. The first act ends with Dear Abby!, a star vehicle a’la Jerry Herman. The second act takes well-deserved beneath-the-mask potshots at an Andrew Lloyd Weber version entitled Aspects of Juanita, and ends with Kander and Ebb’s Speakeasy styling, right down to the glossy Fosse choreography. It is jam-packed with references to each of their canons (Rodgers and Hammerstein’s includes a “run of DeMille” dream ballet while Weber’s touts the use of a fog machine to cover the pilfering of Puccini) and it may take even the grandest musical theatre aficionado a few visits to get every one of them.

The quartet, led by director Steve Hilderbrand in the role of the evil landlord Jitter, features B. Nicole Park as damsel June, Garrett Van Rooy as Billy the hero, and Barbara McBain as the old pro Abby, always there to offer advice, encouragement, and vitriol when needed. Each of them dives into their five separate versions of the roles with aplomb. All of them have strong voices, with Park having the power and register of a true diva. Each plays as broadly as the script allows, with Hilderbrand chomping the most scenery to hilarious effect. Van Rooy aces the hilarious Big Willy soliloquy at the beginning of the show, while McBain’s morose turn as a long-in-the-tooth hooker gives her all in a wonderfully fatalistic song at the end.

This is cabaret theatre, so the sets are implied (with the occasional hand peeking out to move the signs announcing the composer being skewered) and the costumes are garishly obvious though filled with surprises. The lighting is surprisingly strong and adds to all of the stylings. Hildebrand’s staging makes the most of the large stage, and most of the dance sequences, especially the ones associated with the Herman sequence that involve splashy numbers with the chorus dragging the star around the stage, are just as wittily considered as the music and lyrics.

This is one of those times when the elements lacking polish aid in the joie-de-satire of the evening. Talented individuals and makeshift settings with a great pianist (Michael Snyder) are the trademarks of cabaret. CCT has even set up two rows of tiny two-person tables at the front upon which to rest your snack and beverage from their makeshift café. It’s the best no-drink minimum cabaret you’ll ever find in a church. Go, listen closely, and roar accordingly. Just tell ‘em Turvin sent’cha.



Soirée Cabaret Fundraiser September, 2006

Divas of the Desert -left to right- Stephanie Likes, Diane Gardiner, Jenee Prince, Linsey Maxon , Kristen Drathman


October, 2006

Steel Magnoiias Cast -

In our first year of eligibility, Central Community Theatre has garnered five AriZoni Award nominations, including “Best Overall Production of a Non-Contracted Musical.” All five nominations were awarded to our production of Side By Side By Sondheim.

Four of the nominations honored individual excellence. They are as follows:

   Best Director of a Musical                       Sally Jo Bannow
   Best Musical Director                             Steve Hilderbrand
   Best Performance by an Actress
        In a Leading Role                             Linda Saunders
   Best Performance by an Actor
        In a Leading Role                             David McNutt

CCT congratulates each of these individuals for their tremendous efforts and we are exceptionally proud and pleased that their talents have been acknowledged by the theater community.

We strongly believe that this production was a true collaboration of many, many people. The actors, musicians, administrative and production teams, crews and volunteers behind the scenes combined to create a remarkable show, truly worthy of its selection as a nominee for Best Overall Musical Production. To everyone involved in the production, please accept the gratitude and praise of the CCT staff, Advisory Board and CUCS Board of Directors and know that each of you shares a piece of this nomination.