The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
GLTG opens 2018 performance season
Happy New Year! Here’s hoping that 2018 is better than the last!
How are those New Year’s resolutions coming? I am a big New Year’s Eve fan — something about the historian, or the optimist, in me loves the chance to start over.
I have a number of resolutions I attempt to carry out. It’s easy to do, I just dust off the failed ones from last year.
Pooh, naysayers! Why rain on the parade of someone making an attempt at self-improvement!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
What resolutions did you make for this year? Hopefully at least one involves patronizing our young thespians by providing them with appreciative audiences all year long. Your first chance begins this weekend as those prolific folks at Geauga Lyric Theater Guild in Chardon get ready to unveil their first production of 2018.
It is the classic musical “Gypsy.”
Geauga Theater is located at 101 Water St. on the beautiful Chardon Square. Performances run from Jan. 19 to Feb. 4; 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sundays. Tickets range from $10 to $18 and are available at www. geaugatheater.org, or at the box office by calling 440-286-2255.
“Gypsy” is based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee and her years in vaudeville with a domineering stage mother. Rose is determined that her daughters — first June, then Louise — will be stars. “Gypsy” combines Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics with Jule Styne’s music and Arthur Laurents’ book.
“We have a dream cast,” says director Mark Cipra. “The role of Mama Rose is sometimes called ‘the King Lear of musical theater’ because it requires both great acting ability and a tremendous singing voice. We’re very, very lucky to have Trinidad Snider playing the role, because she has the chops, in spades.”
Snider is new to Geauga Theater. Playing her daughter Louise, who becomes Gypsy Rose Lee, is her actual daughter, Kirstin Henry. Kirstin was seen at GLTG earlier this season in “In The Heights.”
Kirstin had actually played the younger version of her character six years ago, and is happy to be continuing the journey, with her mother. Two more members of their family join them on stage, Dylan and Michaela Snider, who play in the children’s ensemble.
“Gypsy” is the story of a family drama — a mother wanting the best for her girls, and not always seeing that her goals are not necessarily theirs — so it is appropriate to have a family help tell the tale.
Never heard of the show? Well, you likely will recall songs like “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Let Me Entertain You.”
You have three weekends to check it out, so I will profile some of the young thespians from the cast in the coming weeks. If you haven’t seen this classic production, resolve to check it out during its run at Geauga Lyric.