NEW BEDFORD FESTIVAL THEATRE CELEBRATES

“Everything’s Coming Up Roses”

As part of the celebration of New Bedford Festival Theatre’s 20th Anniversary, the organization held  a Gala at the Country Club of New Bedford on Saturday, May 22. “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” was the theme for the event, a fitting choice as Festival Theatre readies for its upcoming production of Gypsy in July.

There were food areas highlighting prior shows like chicken baked with coconut and lime served on a banana leaf for South Pacific, Austrian Weiner Schnitzel for The Sound of Music, and éclairs along with an assortment of truffles for Les Mis. In all there were six food areas, including a New York Deli with the address of 42nd Street and three dessert stations. All paired with wines and/or after-dinner drinks.

The fabulous Pat Cardeiro quartet rounded out the night with an array of great music for listening and dancing.  And to top things off, there were some surprise guests who entertained as well.  John Dias from the national tour of Jersey Boys, Kurt Sternloff from NBFT’s  Joseph…, David Weitzer from Jekyll & Hyde and Les Mis, Peter DaSilva from Beauty and the Beast, Jarrad Nunes from Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and Allison Mosier who sang from Oklahoma!

Honorary chair for the Gala was State Senator Mark Montigny and co-chairs were Kathy Castro and Sarah Lamothe.

During these past 20 years, NBFT has presented more than 30 Broadway musicals at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center and has established itself as the premier regional summer-stock company in southern New England.

Sponsors for the night were Bristol County Savings Bank, Ustinov Diamond Jewelers, and the Country Club of New Bedford.

GYPSY tells the story of the quintessential stage mother, Mama Rose, her dreams for herself and her two daughters, and the daughter who dared live her own dream.

Based on the memoirs of entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee, GYPSY tells the story of Rose who is determined to make her daughters stars of vaudeville and in doing so looses one and makes a star of the other while leaving her own ambitions and dreams unfulfilled.

Set against the the freewheeling days of and burlesque, GYPSY explores the ambition, jealousy, family relationships, and bittersweet loss of innocence.

Written by three American musical theatre icons: Arthur Laurents (Book), Jule Styne (music), and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), GYPSY features some of the greatest songs in Broadway history: “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Together, Wherever We Go,” and “You Gotta Have a Gimmick.”

GYPSY, referred to as the greatest American musical by numerous critics and writers, will be directed and choreographed by Michael Susko, musical supervision will be by Juan Rodriguez, artistic direction by George Charbonneau and produced by Armand Marchand.

Internationally renowned singer actress, Sue Mathys, will assail the role of “Mama Rose” and will offer Festival Theatre audiences the opportunity to hear one of the most acclaimed voices on the stage today.

Produced with gorgeous sets, costumes, and full orchestra, staples of all Festival Theatre productions, GYPSY will be a fitting tribute to musical theatre and the perfect celebration of Festival Theatre’s 20th anniversary.

Tickets for GYPSY will be available at the Zeiterion box office (508.994.2900)

Through Herbie’s efforts, Baby June and Her Newsboys becomes a top vaudeville act but, as the years pass, June and Louise mature, vaudeville wanes, and the troupe is found in “two plaster-cracked hotel rooms in Akron.” Rose begins Louise’s birthday celebration with a breakfast of reheated Chinese food. Herbie arrives with “Mr. Goldstone of the Orpheum Circuit,” who offers a contract to save the day. A “forgotten Louise” sits with her present, a baby lamb, and sings Little Lamb (“I wonder how old I am.”)

The next scene takes place in a Chinese restaurant in New York, where Rose and Herbie discuss the next day’s audition at Grantzinger’s Palace. Herbie begs rose to marry him and threatens, that if she does not, he may some day “walk.” Rose sings You’ll Never Get Away From Me and they end up dancing. Mr. Grantzinger does offer June a contract, but on the condition that “she go to school for a solid year and take acting lessons” and that Rose “stay away.” rose, hearing this, storms out of his office. The girls, who dream of a normal life, sing If Momma Was Married, but to no avail. The troupe, infrequently employed and restless, continues to tour.

In a theater alley in Buffalo, Tulsa, one of the “Farmboys” in the act, tells Louise his dream of forming a dance team and performs the number All I Need Is the Girl. Louise dreams of being that girl, but is again disappointed. In the final scene of Act One, Louise brings Rose a goodbye note from June, who has herself run off with Tulsa. Rose is stunned. Herbie begs her to marry him and give up show business, and Louise urges her to accept Herbie’s offer. Instead, Rose announces to a horrified Louise that she will make her a star, and then sings Everything’s Coming Up Roses to conclude the act.

> Read more about Gypsy on Wikipedia

“Step 1: We find the worst play ever written. Step 2: We hire the worst director in town. Step 3: We raise two million dollars. There’s a lot of little old ladies out there! Step 4: We hire the worst actors in New York and open on Broadway and before you can say Step 5, we close on Broadway, take our two million and go to Rio.”

However, Leo refuses to help Max with his scheme and returns to work the books at Whitehall and Marks. When he gets back to work, he daydreams of becoming a Broadway producer and “driv[ing] those chorus girls insane.” He then realizes that his job is terrible, quits his job, and returns to Max. Overnight, they look for the worst play ever written without much luck. Finally, Max finds the sure-fire flop: “Springtime for Hitler, A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva in Berchtesgaden” written by Franz Liebkind. They head down to his home in Off-Broadway to get the rights to the play. Leo and Max are only able to get them after singing Adolf Hitler’s favourite tune, “Der Guten Tag Hop Clop” and saying the Ziegfried Oath promising never to dishonour “the spirit and the memory of Adolf Elizabeth Hitler.”

Leo and Max then go down to the house of Roger De Bris, the worst director in New York and a flamboyant homosexual to boot. At first, Roger declines the offer to direct because of the serious subject matter. Finally, after much persuading, Roger agrees to do it, but only if the ending is changed so the Germans end up winning World War II. The two finally arrive home where they meet Ulla, a Swedish bombshell who wants to audition for their next play. They are very aroused by her and hire her to be their secretary/slash/receptionist. Max then goes off to raise two million dollars for “Springtime for Hitler” by calling on all the little old ladies in New York.

Leo and Ulla are left alone for a little while and she starts to seduce him. Leo, who has always decided to stay away from any relationship, breaks his own rule and starts to go out with Ulla. The auditions for finding a terrible Hitler go unsuccessfully. One actor after another is shooed away by Roger. After Franz is outraged by one auditioner’s rendition of “Haben Sie Gehort Das Deutsche Band?”, he performs his own version and he is given the part. Opening night for “Springtime for Hitler” arrives and everyone is ready, until Franz breaks his leg. Max gives Roger the part of Hitler and he rushes to dressing room to get ready. Unfortunately, Roger’s performance is so campy, the audience mistakes the show for a comedy and it becomes the talk of the town. Max and Leo wonder where they went right. Franz is horrified by Roger’s potrayal of his beloved Fuhrer and comes into Max’s office shooting at everyone. The police hear the commotion and arrive taking away Franz, Roger and Max. However, Leo hides and Ulla finds him and convinces him to take the two million dollars and run off to Rio as Max had planned.

In prison, Max receives a postcard from Leo and feels betrayed and recounts the whole play (including intermission) up to that point. At his trial Max pleads guilty, but then Leo and Ulla arrive and tell the judge that Max is a good man who would never hurt anyone. The judge is touched by this and decides not to separate the two…so he sends the two to spend time in Sing Sing prison for 5 years. In prison, they do the same thing again with a new musical entitled “Prisoners of Love,” which goes to Broadway when they are pardoned by the Governor. Leo and Max continue to produce Broadway musicals

that would seem to flop (given the various titles) but like Springtime for Hitler, they’re a hit. After the curtain call, there is one last song with the cast telling the audience to leave.

> Read more about The Producers on Wikipedia

Eight years later, Valjean, having assumed a new identity as Monsieur Madeleine, is a wealthy factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. One of his workers, Fantine, has a fight when the other workers discover she is sending money to her secret illegitimate child who is living with an innkeeper and his wife (At the End of the Day). The Mayor breaks up the conflict, but asks his factory foreman to resolve it. The other women demand Fantine’s dismissal, and because she had previously rejected his advances, the foreman agrees and throws Fantine out.

Fantine sings about her broken dreams and about the father of her daughter who abandoned her (I Dreamed a Dream). Desperate for money, she sells her locket and her hair, before becoming a prostitute (Lovely Ladies). When she fights back against an abusive customer, she is arrested by Javert, now stationed in Monreuil-sur-mer (Fantine’s Arrest). “Madeleine” soon arrives, and realising his part in the ruination of Fantine, he orders Javert to let her go and takes her to a hospital.

Soon after, when the mayor rescues Fauchelevant, who is pinned by a runaway cart (The Runaway Cart), Javert is reminded of Jean Valjean (who was abnormally strong), whom he has sought for years for breaking parole. However, Javert assures the mayor that Valjean has been recently arrested and will be in court later in the day. Unwilling to see an innocent man go to prison in his place, Valjean confesses his identity to the court—that he is the prisoner 24601—revealing the convict’s brand on his chest as proof (Who Am I? – The Trial).

Before returning to prison, Valjean visits the dying Fantine and promises to find and look after her daughter Cosette. (Come to Me / Fantine’s Death). When Javert arrives to arrest him, Valjean asks for three more days to fetch Cosette, but Javert refuses to believe his honest intentions (The Confrontation). Valjean eventually knocks Javert out and escapes.

The next scene occurs in an inn at Montfermeil run by the Thénardiers, where Cosette has been living. The Thénardiers have been abusing the little girl, while indulging their own daughter, Éponine. Cosette dreams of a better life (Castle on a Cloud) before Madame Thénardier sends her to fetch water in the dark. As the inn fills for the evening, the Thénardiers use numerous methods to cheat their customers (Master of the House). Valjean finds Cosette fetching water (The Bargain) and pays the Thénardiers 1500 Francs to let him take Cosette away (The Waltz of Treachery).

Nine years later, Paris is upheaval because General Lamarque, the only man in the government who shows mercy to the poor, is ill and may soon die. The young street urchin Gavroche mingles with the whores and beggars on the street, while students Marius Pontmercy and Enjolras discuss the likely demise of the general (Look Down).

A street gang led by the Thénardiers prepares to ambush Valjean, whom Thénardier recognizes as the man who took Cosette (The Robbery). Éponine sees Marius, whom she secretly loves, and warns him to stay away but Marius accidentally bumps into Cosette and immediately falls in love. The Thénardiers’ attempt to rob Valjean and Cosette fails, the result of Javert, who does not recognize Valjean until after he makes his escape (Javert’s Intervention). Javert gazes at the night sky, comparing his hunt of Valjean and justice to the order of the stars (Stars). Meanwhile Marius, although he does not know Cosette’s name, persuades a reluctant Éponine to help find her (Éponine’s Errand).

The scene shifts to a political meeting in a small café where a group of idealistic students led by Enjolras gather to prepare for a revolution they believe will materialze after General Lamarque’s death, (The ABC Cafe – Red and Black). Marius arrives late and when Gavroche brings the news of the General’s death, the students march out into the streets, (Do You Hear the People Sing?)

Cosette is infatuated with Marius, and although, Valjean realises his daughter has grown up, he refuses to tell her about his past or her mother. (Rue Plumet – In My Life). In spite of her own feelings, Éponine leads Marius to Cosette (A Heart Full of Love), and then prevents her father’s gang from robbing Valjean’s house (The Attack on Rue Plumet). Valjean, convinced it was Javert who was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette they must prepare to flee the country.

On the eve of the Paris Uprising, Valjean prepares to go into exile; Cosette and Marius part in despair of ever meeting again; Éponine mourns the loss of Marius; Marius decides to join the other students as they prepare for the upcoming conflict; Javert plans to spy on the students and learn their secrets; and the Thénardiers look forward to stealing from the corpses of those who will be killed during the battle to come (One Day More).

> Read more about Les Miserables on Wikipedia

In 1980, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg opened Les Miserables in Paris, a country that has relatively no tradition of musical theater. It sold out and did relatively well, but it was by chance, months after its closure that an English producer heard the French recording and from there led it to its translation into English and brought to the British stage. It opened in London in 1985, went on to Broadway and gathered 8 Tony awards, and spawned countless touring companies.

However, it was a monstrous effort, condenscing 1200 pages into three acts, entirely in music with no spoken word. They streamlined the story, giving less background information about the characters than Hugo’s gigantic work did, and in fact, less than most of the movies managed.

Despite the fact that Marius’s love for Cosette is really the main plot for the musical, little is seen of either student life or artist life. It is mentioned that it is mostly the students who lead the building of the barricades, but nothing is said about Marius’s bourgeois upbringing, or about his grand-father, the Napoloeonic General. The writers did choose to leave the ABC Café, however, though the pun is lost on most of the public especially as it is never said aloud.

However, the show’s aging leading lady, Dorothy Brock, quickly grows to dislike Peggy. On opening night, Ms. Brock falls and breaks her ankle. Panic spreads through the company, as the show is doomed for closure, until it is suggested that Peggy take the roll. In only thirty-six hours, Peggy learns twenty-five pages, six songs and ten dance numbers and becomes a star.

> Read more about 42nd Street on Wikipedia

> Read more about Cats on Wikipedia

When Oliver goes on his first pick-pocketing job, he is caught by the police. The man that Oliver thieved, Mr. Brownlow, learns of Oliver’s sad past and brings him into his own home. Meanwhile, Nancy’s husband (the villainous Bill Sikes) worries that Oliver will tell Mr. Brownlow and the police where the thieves live. He forces Nancy and Bet to snatch Oliver from Mr. Brownlow’s house and take him back to Fagin’s. Nancy does everything her husband tells her to but plans on secretly taking Oliver back to Mr. Brownlow.

Before she can do so, Bill finds out of his wife’s plans, and murders her. He then goes after Oliver, but is shot and killed. Oliver and Mr. Brownlow, who turns out to be Oliver’s grandfather, return safely home.

> Read more about Oliver on Wikipedia

Clifford ends up deciding to return to the United States but Sally, after aborting their baby, decides to remain in Berlin.

> Read more about Cabaret on Wikipedia

Meanwhile in a nearby village, a beautiful young bookworm (Belle) feels lonely and out of place. She lives with her eccentric but kind father, Maurice. Soon, Maurice goes off to compete at an inventors’ fair but gets lost in the woods and ends up a prisoner at the beast’s castle. Belle eventually finds the castle and makes a deal with the beast to let her father go in return for her staying there with the beast. As the beast’s inner kindness slowly reveals itself, Belle grows to be in love with him.

However, a jilted, self-centered and overly-masculine suitor from Belle’s village, Gaston, takes a posse to ‘save’ her from the beast. Gaston ends up stabbing the best. Luckily, when Belle rushes to the beast and expresses her love for him, he comes back to life again as a handsome prince.

> Read more about Beauty and the Beast on Wikipedia