2017 November PASO Magazine

will take the stage this month
By Heather Young
Told in the Park Street Ballroom,
the story of Gypsy Rose
Lee and her mother, Mama Rose,
will be told through music in
November and December.
The musical was rescheduled
from its original run in August to
Nov. 17 through Dec. 3. The story
takes place in the late 1920s when
vaudeville was dying and burlesque
was born.
“It’s considered one of the
greatest American musicals of
all time because of the story,”
Wine Country Theatre Executive
Director Cynthia Anthony
said. “It’s a fun story, but it has a
lot of gravitas. Gypsy is a crowdpleaser.”
The musical is based on Gypsy
Rose Lee, who changed her name
from Louise after her stardom
was born.
“[Mama Rose] only has her
eyes on fame — just trying to
make it,” Anthony said. “She’s so
domineering that her first daughter,
June, runs off and she focuses
on making Louise a star. They accidentally
book a show at a house
of burlesque and Anthony said
“there’s no choice, but for Louise
to go on. [From that] she becomes
Sholly Von Stein as Mama Rose and
San Luis Obispo County Superintendent
of Schools James Brescia as
Mama Rose’s boyfriend Herbie.
MUSICAL
Gypsy Rose Lee and becomes so
famous.”
Though the musical is based on
Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoirs, it is
about Mama Rose and is appropriate
for children.
“It’s not an inappropriate play,”
Anthony said. “It’s not about
stripping. It’s family-friendly. It’s
about what are the bonds that
make a family.”
The cast is also multigenerational
with young children, young
adults and mature adults.
“I think it’s important for us
to do plays with casts that are
multigenerational,” Anthony said.
“We’re not a children’s theater, but
to do plays and musicals that can
all generations is important to us.”
Sholly Von Stein will play the
role of Mama Rose, San Luis
Obispo County Superintendent
of Schools James Brescia will
play Herbie, Mama Rose’s boyfriend;
Libby Parker will play
Gypsy Rose Lee and Mackenzie
Hart will play June, Mama Rose’s
“favorite” daughter.
“This show makes the moms
on current reality series like
‘Dance Moms’ and ‘Toddlers &
Tiaras’ look tame by comparison,”
Anthony said. “It is a tremendous
role, demanding a superior actress
and singer, and we are thrilled to
welcome Sholly to our stage. She
has performed throughout the
county in countless shows and
her Mama Rose, or Momzilla, as
I call it, is entirely authentic, loveable,
irascible and entirely entertaining.”
This production is directed by
Kristen Saunders with Thomas
Grandoli as the musical director.
Shirley Kirkes Mar will return as
the choreographer; she choreographed
the company’s production
of “Guys and Dolls.”
Performances will be held on
Fridays and Saturdays between
Nov. 17 and Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
HOLLYWOOD DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER
JOINS WINE COUNTRY THEATRE FOR ‘GYPSY’
Shirley Kirkes Mar joined the Wine Country
Theatre team to choreograph “Gypsy.” The
Cambria resident teaches dance in Paso Robles
and choreographed the “Guys and Dolls” musical
three years ago.
She got into dance at 7 years old, leaving her
home in Texas at 18 to pursue a professional
career in dance. That was about 1960 and she
danced with the Rat Pack during her career.
She danced in night clubs, television, movies
and theater until she was 35 years old, which was
when she transitioned to choreographing.
“I didn’t want to be an old dancer,” Kirkes
Mar said. “I made a card one day that I was a
choreographer. I actually turned down jobs as
a dancer.”
She said it took some time, but eventually the
dance offers became offers to be a choreographer.
Over the course of her career, she’s worked with
well-known people such as the actor and musician
Steve Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Carol Burnett,
Michael J. Fox, Henry Winkler, Michael Douglas,
Christopher Walken and Gene Hackman, among
others. She worked on “American President” with
Rob Reiner, “Absolute Power” with Clint Eastwood
and “Three Amigos” with John Landis.
“I took up [visual art] when I lost my leg,”
Kirkes Mar said, adding that she studied with
George Small. She paints dancers, horses,
boats, whatever strikes her fancy.
EDUCATION & CULTURE
and on Sundays at 2 p.m. in Park
Street Ballroom, 1232 Park St. in
Paso Robles. Wine and cheese
plates and snacks will be available
for purchase before and during
the show.
To purchase tickets, go to
winecountrytheatre.com
or call 805-610-0786.
Tickets are $15 for students and
$25 for general admission.
Sholly Von Stein as Mama Rose
Shirley Kirks Mar, Sammy
Davis Jr. and Kathie King in
NBC Follies, which aired
14 episodes in 1973.
November 2017, PASO Magazine 51