Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1501628
FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JULY 2023 13 By Cindy Graves We've had many good in-house shows here at Four Seasons. The Performing Arts Club (PAC) has entertained us for years, but this last PAC show was, by some residents' estimation, the best show yet! I sat down with show Director, Pat Wayne, to get an insider perspective of how this amazing show came about. Evidently, after the successful show last May of 2022 (Toast to the Tonys) Pat Wayne and her PAC artistic team of Susan Youel (Musical Direction) and Anita Finkelstein (Choreography), came up with the show concept, Remember When Rock was Young (and so were we) — the 50ss and 60s Music and Comedy Show. In mid-January, auditions were called and prospective resident participants were asked to bring an appropriate piece for try-outs. There was so much talent displayed that the artistic team determined that they would include 40 residents as cast members. Nearly all of the audition songs were honored as show- worthy and became the core content of the musical. Janine Rohrbacker was then asked to join the artistic team to create the line dance choreography and the team was off and running! Thanks to Pat Wayne's incredible professionalism (having come out of a theater background) as well as her rare ability to manage large groups of people with positivity, strength, and sincere support of the individual; the cast came into their very best form. Pat wrote the narration of the show which also included a "Vitametavegamin" commercial. Oh my gosh, what a great idea that was, and what a great job Barbara Dipoma did playing Lucille Ball in that commercial — I haven't laughed that much in quite a while! The show's narrators, Tom Olsen, Lynette Smilac, and Mike Rokita, did stellar jobs with the introductions and commentary between the acts. Pat and her artistic team were right about the talent; the actors, singers, musicians, and dancers, kept the audience applauding, laughing, and singing along the whole time. How wonderful it was to have the excellent organization in the back, behind the curtain, keeping things running smoothly. Thanks go to Stage Manager Colleen Van Nordheim, Assistant Stage Manager Claudia Rozzi, and Backstage Assistant Sybil Lewis. The Technical Crew component of the show was my biggest fear after the dissolving of the longtime, hands-on HOA Techies. Miracles do happen though and it turns out I had nothing to fear. Karen Belcher was able to create the musical tracks in the right key for each performer early on. Then the ever-brilliant Colin Taylor stepped up to do sound, along with Brenda Steckler and Dave Rohrbacker who coordinated the musical tracks with the words on a video monitor. Longtime PAC member John Horning taught himself stage lights and Rick Steckler jumped in to run the stage camera (and did a great job of it!). There are so many important people that make a huge show like this a hit, like the pianists, videographer, stage and set designers, and others, including Marianne Bugni, who not only sang and acted in the show, but helped as the PAC Coordinator. Everyone of you involved created a first-class show; one that Four Seasons will remember for a long time! If participating in a theatrical production sounds like something you might like to do, keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming 2024 productions being planned now. Don't forget to come to the Performing Arts Club meetings announced both in the Breeze and the Activities Blast. This is a very warm and welcoming group and they'd love to meet you! REMEMBER WHEN ROCK WAS YOUNG? A SHOW TO REMEMBER! Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctWe4V-hrSE to see the show or click on this page online at imageup.uberflip.com