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20--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com- ---------------------------------------------------------------August 1, 2013------- Calendar • Stage & Dance--------Now PlayingDo w n t h e Ra b b i t Ho l e — Youtheatreproduction with audience participationfeaturing the characters ofAlice in Wonderland, 12:30 p.m.Thursday, Aug. 1, ShawneeLibrary, ACPL; 10:30 a.m.Saturday, Aug. 3, Dupont Library,ACPL, Fort Wayne, free, 421-1220,www.fortwayneyoutheatre.org’m a Be l i e v e r: Th e Mu s i c o f Ne i lDi a m o nd — Cabaret show featuringhits like “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’Rosie,” “I’m a Believer” and more;choreographed musical performances,narration and commentary;dinner 6:30 p.m.; show 7:30 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 3; Monday-Wednesday, Aug. 5-7; Tuesday,Aug. 13, Huntington Supper Club,$41-$44 (includes dinner & show)thru box office 454-0603Le s Mi s ér a b l e s — Musical whichtakes place in 19th century France,presented by Fort Wayne CivicTheatre, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday,Aug. 2-3; 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug.4; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Aug.9-10; 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, ArtsUnited Center, Fort Wayne, $15-$26, 424-5220, www.fwcivic.orgJuly 27 -August 11, 2013Fort Wayne Civic TheatrepresentsA new production ofBOUBLIL AND SCHÖNBERG’SLes Misérables260.424.5220fwcivic.orgShow SponsorSponsored in part bySeason SponsorsTh e Ne r d — Comedy play set in TerreHaute in 1979, 7 p.m. Thursday,Aug. 1; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday,Aug. 2-3; 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug.4; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6; 8p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7; 2 &8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8; and 8p.m. Friday-Saturday, Aug. 9-10,Wagon Wheel Theatre, Warsaw,$15-$33, 574-267-8041Sm o k e o n t h e Mo u n ta i n — Comedicbluegrass/gospel musical featuringthe Sanders Family at the endof the Great Depression, timesvary thru Aug. 18, Beef & BoardsDinner Theatre, Indianapolis,$37.50-$62.50 (includes dinner buffet),317-872-9664To ta l ly Aw e s o m e Eighties — Cabaretshow featuring rock, pop, punk andpreppy 80s songs; choreographedmusical performances, narrationand commentary; dinner 6:30p.m.; show 7:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Aug. 29-31; Friday,Aug. 2; Wednesday-Friday, Aug.14-16, Huntington Supper Club,$41-$44 (includes dinner & show)thru box office 454-0603AsidesAUDITIONSFPT Ch r i s t m a s Re v u e (De c. 5-22) —Two adult tenors, bass, sopranosand altos needed for this brand newmusical; prepare to sing, read fromscript and do a movement audition,7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, FirstPresbyterian Theater, Fort Wayne,422-6329, firstpres-fw.orgMr s. Pa c k a r d (Oc t. 24-No v . 9) —Minimum of 5 men and 6 women toplay 30 roles, read from script forthe inspirational story of a womanvictimized by oppression, 7 p.m.Tuesday, Aug. 6, First PresbyterianTheater, Fort Wayne, 422-6329,firstpres-fw.orgDr i v i n g Mi s s Da i s y (Ja n. 9-25, 2014)— Read from script for roles for 1African-American male and 1 whitemale for this Pulitzer Prize winningplay, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7,First Presbyterian Theater, FortWayne, 422-6329, firstpres-fw.orgSt e p p i n g Ou t (Oc t. 4-19) — Rolesfor comedy about eight individualstaking tap dancing classes ina dingy North London church hall,7 p.m. Sunday-Monday, Aug.11-12, Arena Rehearsal Studio,Arena Dinner Theatre, Fort Wayne,424-5622Upcoming ProductionsAUGUSTSe e Ja n e Qu i t — Comedy about aneurotic waitress who tries to quitsmoking, rated PG13 for maturesubject matter, 7 p.m. dinner, 8p.m. curtain, Friday-Saturday,Aug. 9-10, 16-17 & 23-24, ArenaDinner Theatre, Fort Wayne, $35(includes dinner & show), 424-5622First Presbyterian Combines AuditionsFirst Presbyterian Theater director ThomHofrichter is trying something new this season. Hewill be holding auditions for three of the season’sshows during the same week in August. The firstshow of the season has started rehearsals and the lasttwo shows, Othello and Misalliance, will audition inNovember and February, respectively.Auditions for FPT’s Christmas Revue will beMonday, August 5, at 7 p.m. The revue is written byJack Cantey, Hofrichter and Jim Mergenthal, directedby Hofrichter. Music is directed by Jim Mergenthal,and choreography is by Sara Black. Auditionersshould prepare 16-32 bars of music and will readfrom the script and perform a movement audition.Rehearsals are October 6-December 4; the show runsDecember 5-22. Needed are four men (tenors andbasses) and four women (altos and sopranos) as wellas two children who can play 7 to 8 years old.Auditions for Mrs. Packard by Emily Mann willbe Tuesday, August 6 at 7 p.m. Auditioners will readfrom the script. Rehearsals will be August 19-October23 (with breaks in the schedule); the show runsOctober 24-November 9, 2013. Director Hofrichterwill need a minimum of five men and six women toplay 30 roles.Hofrichter also directs Driving Miss Daisy byAlfred Uhlry, with auditions on Wednesday, August7 at 7 p.m. The role of Daisy is cast, but the playrequires two men – one African-American and oneCaucasian. Auditioners will read from the script. Rehearsalswill be October 12-January 8 (with lots ofbreaks in the schedule) and will run January 9-25,2014.Arena Presents Annual AwardsThe Arena Dinner Theatre presented its annualawards on Sunday, July 21. Awards were given foreron Mackintosh and the RoyalShakespeare Company – iscloser to an opera than mostmusicals. This production,drawing talent from all aroundnortheast Indiana, suggests thatopera is possible here. Many ofthe voices are that good. Thecomplexities of the score includedsome lovely duets, triosand quartets, including the Finaleof Act One, all performedflawlessly. When the full ensemble delivers a song, asfor example with the stirring anthems “The People’sSong” and “One Day More,” the chills you may experienceare not from the air-conditioning.The lead actors are all excellent. Todd Frymieras Jean Valjean is sympathetic, yet strong enough tostand up to Stuart Hepler’s implacable, righteous InspectorJavert. Gary Lanier would steal the show fromany lesser cast with his tremendous “Master of theHouse” number, which he plays as a sort of Cat-inlesmisÉrablesFORT WAYNE CIVIC THEATREFriday-Saturday,Aug. 2-3 & 9-10 • 8 p.m.Sunday, Aug. 4 & 11 • 2 p.m.Arts United Center303 E. Main St. • Fort WayneTix.: $15-$26 thru box office,260-424-5220only with the movie and thetouring Broadway casts in mind,but also several well-liked localhigh school productions thathave generated passions aboutthe musical culled from VictorHugo’s massive novel of theupheavals following the FrenchRevolution. Scenes and songshave become iconic, and therewould likely be more than afew former Little Cosettes andFantines attending, as well as those longing for a morelyrical Javert.Director Gregory Stieber, music director EuniceWadewitz, assistant director Nan Durant and the hugecast and crew of about 100 successfully met the challenge.Some 45 actors were ably supported by wigmakers, seamstresses, makeup designers, dressers,fight and dance choreographers, a dramaturg, lights,sound, prop swords and guns, carpenters buildingbridges and barricades and stage crews to turn the giant,virtually invisible turntable at the center of theset. Melissa Duffer provides some very nice choreog-Les Miz Sets a New Civic StandardAmazing voices, rich live orchestration, excellentcostumes, humor, tragedy, love – Fort Wayne CivicTheatre’s current production of Les Misérables is exceptional.Another triumph for the Civic team. WhileCurtain Callwe’re opening with lines suitable for posters, add this: SUSAN BURNSAn evening you will remember and use as a yardstickfor all future shows. “Was it as good as Joseph? As raphy, subtle yet powerful, intricate and effective.Little Shop? Ah, but was it as good as Les Miz?” you The show – a sung-through musical by Alainwill ask in the future.Boublil and Claude Michel Schonberg with lyricsThe bar was set high on opening night last Saturday.The audience came notby the famed impresarioby Hebert Kretzmer, originally produced in LondonCam-Continued on page 23The Green RoomJEN POIRY-PROUGHbest costume design (Jan Klee), set design (ChristopherJ. Murphy), direction (Christopher J. Murphy),featured actors (Tom Scribner and Susan Kahn), supportingactors (Kevin Knuth and Gloria Minnich),leading actors (Jim Nelson and Suzan Moriarty)and ensemble actors in a musical (Jon Hartman andAimee Lackey).Jim Wasson was presented with the Marlene NiccumService to the Theatre Award. Darrell MonroeLifetime Achievement Awards were given to FredKrauskopf and Dave Thompson. Director’s Awardswent to Steve and Donna Frey, Clarence Tennis, JimWasson, Andy Gross, Ben Wedler, Dave Thompsonand Lauren Bachle.During the emotional ceremony, emcees BrianWagner and Larry Wardlaw, as well as other presentersand recipients, paid homage to Arena foundersWayne Schaltenbrand and Robert Behr, both ofwhom past away this past season.Bower North at PokagonThe Potawatomi Inn at Pokagon State Park, Angola,Indiana, is now taking reservations for a BowerNorth Mystery-Comedy on Friday, October 11.Their special package includes dinner for two, twotickets to a Bower North mystery, overnight accommodations,and breakfast for two, all at the specialrate of $235. Cost is based on double occupancy. Forreservations, call 877-563-4371 and mention groupcode 1011MM.jen@greenroomonline.org