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| Presented at the Guild Theatre
on August 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9, 2003 at 8:00 PM and on August 3, 2003 at 3:00
PM. Tickets are $14 and can be purchased by visiting the Guild Theatre
box office starting on July 7, 2003 or by calling the box office at
342-9312. (Note: Box office hours are 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM Mondays
through Saturdays.) |
Overview
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Babes in Arms is one of
Rodgers and Hart’s classic musicals.
Like the Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney movie, Babes in Arms (which came after the
1937 Broadway hit musical that opened at the Schubert Theater) is an irresistible tale of kids putting on a show.
The talented group of abandoned teenagers, whose parents are out-of-work vaudevillians,
ply their show-biz aspirations in an attempt to avoid being sent to a work farm
for the summer. The first show they present is a bomb. But when a French
aviator lands nearby they are able to get enough publicity to put on a great
show and start their own youth center.
The score includes such wonderful melodies as My Funny Valentine, The Lady is a Tramp, Johnny One
Note, A Wonderful Guy, Where Or When, I Wish I
Were In Love Again, and Babes in Arms.
Special 4-Day Theater Workshop
New York actress Susan Pilar conducts a special theater workshop for the show.
Classes are held on June 23 through 26, 2003. (The Guild welcomes Susan
back to her native Charleston!)
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Characters
| Character |
Description |
Played By |
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Jennifer Owen
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A beautiful young actress, ex-child movie star. She is smothered by her mother
and fights for the time and space to be herself (preferably in male company).
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Whitney Jenkins |
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Bunny Byron
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A mousy lady who is pushed around by Fleming but is very popular with the kids
and secretly has ambitions to act and have fun.
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Brittany McComas |
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Valentine White
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A mature, responsible apprentice, to whom the others look up, and not just
because he has written and composed their revue. He is attractive to the girls
and though dazzled by Jennifer, he eventually realizes that Susie is his real
love.
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Billy Nester |
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Susie Ward
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A young apprentice who is totally devoted to Val. She idolizes him in a real
younger-sister way. She uses optimism and determination to get the revue
performed and eventually wins Val over.
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Erin Webb |
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Terry Thompson*
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Young apprentice who is sexy and tries a heavy seduction routine first on Lee
Calhoun and then on Steve, as though she were a mature woman - but she is still
a kid in her affections toward Gus.
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Toni Pilato |
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Gus Field*
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A clumsy, daffy, but endearing apprentice, who is a naive, romantic kid in
Terry's eyes.
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Michael Bresnahan |
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Lee Calhoun
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A small-town Southern playwright who has an elevated self opinion. He hams
his way through everything and alienates everybody with his conceit.
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Bob McCarty |
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Phyllis Owen
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A real "stage mom" living her life through her daughter, while totally
disregarding her. She herself is a melodramatic actress, often faking sickness
to get sympathy and her own way.
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Sallie Sheridan |
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Seymour Fleming
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A hard-hearted, penny-pinching man who makes enemies easily, while trying to
ingratiate himself with important people.
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Rick Fleenor |
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Steve Edwards
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A young producer who uses his great charm to full effect. He is Susie's
brother and has an warm heart; he is very supportive of the revue.
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Aaron Sheppard |
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The Press Agent
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Introduces us to the theater, the company, and to the revue at the close of the
show.
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Nick Ryan |
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Ensemble (Starry-eyed apprentices working in terrible conditions for the love of
the theatre) |
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Peter |
Jared James |
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Betty |
Lauren Lincoln |
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Bob |
Ben Starcher |
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Ann |
April Pack |
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Don |
Jared Brown |
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Nancy |
Mara Stewart |
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Libby |
Lindsey Duvall |
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Apprentice |
Kati Coleman |
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Apprentice |
Jack Jackson |
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Apprentice |
Kelly Underwood |
Production
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Original Broadway Production: Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by
Lorenz Hart; Book by George Oppenheimer. An MGM film version was released in
1939 and starred Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and was directed Busby
Berkeley.
For the Guild: Staging and Vocal
Direction by John Marshall; Choreography by Nina Denton Pasinetti; Additional
Choreography by Paul Shannon; Orchestral Direction by Bobby Hodges; Piano Accompaniment by Melody Rugel-Bias; Technical
Direction by Tom Pasinetti. Sarah Lewis provided assistance to the
directors.
Click here
to view
selected production photos.
We would like to extend special
thanks to Mrs. Alex Schoenbaum
for sponsoring this Guild Summer Theatre 2003 show!
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