White Plains Variety by John F. Bailey, Filed 2/28/02, 5 PM EST:The Fort Hill Players are rehearsing nightly for three and four hours at a clip, “putting the Ritz” on the debut of their second original musical revue, Harmony on the Sea: An Original Musical with Songs You Know, premiering March 8.
The extravaganza sets sail next Friday at Rochambeau School Auditorium at 8 PM for a three week run.The stage of the Rochambeau Auditorium will be transformed into a giant stern of the SS Harmony complete with ship’s funnel and promenade deck.
ORIGINAL DANCE, DIALOGUE SHOWCASE YOUR FAVORITE HITS OF ALL TIME: Director Joan Charischak (standing by piano), puts Fort Hill Dancers through their synchronized routine (choreographed by Sergei Nabatov) to “Heat wave,” one of thirty songs, integrated seamlessly into an original romantic comedy script about couples meeting on a cruise that launches Friday night, March 8. Tickets at $14, $12 for Seniors and Students, $6 for children under 12 are available by telephone, 421-0008 for pick-up at the theatre door for Friday performances on March 8, 15, and 22nd at 8 PM and Saturday performances on March 9, 16, and 23rd at 2 PM and 8 PM.
Photo by WPCNR
WPCNR interviewed Joan Charischak, who is directing her second production of this type for Fort Hill. Harmony builds on the hit format she directed in 2001, Musical Memories which she and the Fort Hill Players introduced and staged last year. MM proved very popular with the public. Memories was the first Fort Hills original musical prototype, blending the audience pleaser of a musical review of hit music standards of the past into a new libretto, which this reviewer really enjoyed.
DIRECTOR CHARISCHAK COACHES THE CAST: After a nonstop four-hour rehearsal Tuesday evening, Director Joan Charischak makes points to the players about the pulling together of the elements of the new musical romantic comedy replete with new jokes!
Photo by WPCNR
“It went over beautifully, it was a lot of fun, we had a fabulous turnout (cast).We had a sizable cast, as we do this year.” Ms. Charischak reported to CNR Tuesday evening, relaxing finally into one of the wide, nostalgic wood Rochambeau Auditorium seats.
She was eager to talk about the show, though losing her voice from four hours of instructing, blocking, critiquing, coaching, cajoling and stroking the talent through a standard four-hour nonstop rehearsal.
Lessons of Creating Original Theatre
Charischak noted lessons learned from Musical Memories,“We have about thirty people in the cast, and we wrote that musical (Musical Memories)as well. This year’s musical (Harmony on the Sea)has a lot more plot line to it. We certainly learned (from Musical Memories) to start earlier in the year. We learned we wanted to have more of a plot line than we did last year, though the plotline was quite successful. This one is much more developed. We had sort of fun writing a comedy as well. We also trimmed down the number of songs.”
Seven Months in Making.
Ms. C. described the creative process to us. She said the Fort Hill Players had been working on Harmony since last summer:
“We started with concept, you know, what did we want to do. We had about six or seven scenarios. We met with about eight or nine people,” as she related the show’s genesis. “From that we decided which scenario we liked the best. What we wanted to do with it. So we developed this, it’s sort of a ‘Love Boat’ theme.”
The original book for Harmony was developed by Anita Abrams, Jim Brownold, (who did “quite a bit of the writing, he’s quite good at that,” Charischak said), Ms. Charischak, Denise Dunn, Anthony Fabrizio, Robert Kahn, Dana Searcy, Mark Snyder, and Robyn Washington. Ms. Charischak said the libretto was developed before the songs, all standards, were weaved into the script.
BIG FINISH NOW: Director Charischak coaches a songstress to deliver the message at the close of a big number. Harmony will feature an in-house 3-piece orchestra through the run of the show, rendering 32 memorable standards including, But Not For Me, ‘S Wonderful, Whatever Lola Wants, Anything You Can Do, On a Wonderful Day Like Today, Day by Day, Girl From Ipanema many with a tropical theme.
Photo by WPCNR
Jennifer Ware, Musical Director, assisted the writers in picking the songs. Anita Abrams, Ms. Charischak, Anthony Fabrizio, Robert Kahn, Dana Searcy, Mark Snyder, who also is the show’s indefatigable piano man, and Robyn Washington selected the favorites theatergoers will be hearing next Friday evening.
Storyline—A little Cole Porter and a little ABC
Harmony on the Sea depicts in typical Cole Porter style (Anything Goes) the voyage of the SS Harmony on a voyage from New York to Rio de Janeiro. The audience meets a variety of passengers whose stories of romance, old loves and new, unfold, “love boat style” from song to song. Ms. Charischak reports the script is more detailed and intricate than Musical Memories complete with original jokes.
Cast Notes
“It’s a non-lead show, a collaboration really. There are four storylines that actually go through the show,” Charischak said. “So we have eight people who mostly have dialogue, and there is a single person who is only an actor, who plays a stowaway.”
On the Fort Hill Players website, www.forthillplayers.com, the publicity for the show, handled by Robert Kahn, invites theatre goers to “meet the inseparable lovebirds, the long-married couple about to separate!” The advance notices promise an “amusing cruise filled with discovery, conflict and resolution.” The site also provides the complete cast.
Musicals, Dramas Equally Attractive to Actors.
Charischak said thirty-two actors and actresses, including high school students appear in Harmony. “A large portion” hails from White Plains, she said and the cast includes talent from all over Westchester County, representing Yonkers, Mahopac, Peekskill, Harrison, Briarcliff Manor, and New Rochelle. They have been rehearsing since January 1, three times a week, about three hours a night.
We asked if there was more interest in performing in musicals, rather than dramas, and Charischak said, no: “Actually, I think it’s pretty well mixed. When we did the auditions for Rumors, (produced last fall), we had 72 people come to the audition. So that was a wonderful turnout. We had an absolutely wonderful turnout for this show, too. We had 50 people audition for this show.”
State-of-the-Show
Interviewed nine days before the show we asked the Director what process of production the show was in. She did not hesitate: “It’s going quite well actually. We’ve got a ways to go, but it will come together. It’s a good cast. They’re very dedicated.”
The hardest thing to get right?
“Getting all the separate pieces together,” Charischak said. “You’ve got a choreographer (Sergei Nabatov) rehearsing dancers. You have a Musical Director (Jennifer Ware) rehearsing singers. A stage director directing people entering and exiting and pulling that all together is the tough part. We started doing that two weeks ago (February 12.)”
INDEFATIGABLE PIANO MAN MARK SNYDER THROWS A MUSICAL CUE: Mr. Snyder is the swinging septuagenarian piano man who never takes a break, will direct a four-man pit orchestra consisting of himself on the ivories, bassist and two percussion sidemen, laying down the familiar musical “beds” for the classics from Getz to Porter that you’ll see and hear in Harmony on the Sea. Costumes are by Terry Hanson; Producer is Kathleen Haverlak, Robyn Washington handles Props, and Mike Lynch is the Sound Technician.
Photo by WPCNR
We asked what performers or acts were more difficult to direct, dancers or singers:
“They’re both tough. Dancers want to perform as well as singers want to sing. So it’s tough on both parts.”
Turning Rochambeau into the SS Harmony
On opening night, the Rochambeau Theatre will be transformed into a cruise ship, according to Ms. Charischak: “Anthony Fabrizio is doing the set, and he is creating a forced perspective of the stern of the boat. We have a huge smokestack in the center. It’s going to be very nice. We’re using some lighting changes, and some appropriate dimming and mood-setting.”
Tickets May be Ordered by Telephone or Website or Mail.
Tickets to Harmony on the Sea: An Original Musical with Songs You Know may be ordered through the Fort Hill Players website, (www.forthillplayers.com), or by telephoning 421-0008, reserving for pick-up at the door. Show times are Fridays, March 8, 15 and 22nd with the curtain going up at 8 PM; Saturdays March 9, 16 and 23rd with two performances at 2 PM and 8 PM.
Tickets are $14 for Regular Admission, $12 for Seniors and students, $6 for Children under 12. There is a Dinner Theater Combination Ticket at $42. Performances are presented at the Rochambeau School Auditorium, 228 Fisher Avenue White Plains.
Sixty Four Years of Productions
The Fort Hill Players, she reminded us is celebrating its sixty-fourth year: “We are the longest running community theatre in Westchester County.”
Charischak herself developed her directorial skills she says from her stage experience in college and working in non-equity summer stock productions. She also has directed Junior High School productions for ten years.
A Showcase for Talent
Typical of the persons who perform in Fort Hill Players is Patti Rome, of Silver Lake, who creates the role of Janet Krauss in Harmony.
Ms. Rome sings You Don’t Bring Me Flowers in the show. Ms. Rome can also be heard and seen in the ensemble numbers, ‘S Wonderful, But Not for Me, and the opening number, What do we do, We Sail.
Patti reports she learned to sing by taking adult education classes some eight years ago at SUNY Purchase. She also took drama classes there, too, to fulfill her love affair with the theater.
She told WPCNR the role she landed in Harmony fits in with her ambition to create a cabaret act, which she hopes to develop in the next year. She enjoys singing torch songs, and the Harmony vehicle gives her the opportunity to do just that.
“I’m just one of these people who love the theatre but have not turned professional yet,” Ms. Rome says.
She is not alone. As Ms. Charischak puts it,
“People like to do musical revues. People like to get out there and sing. We’ve given a lot of people who are of all various levels of talent the opportunity to sing. And they love that.”
