Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Final Countdown!

Hello all!

During the last couple days of rehearsal we thought it would be fun to have the cast talk about how each night is going! Check here for updates about the final days of production and to get to know some of the awesome cast!

Also, come see the show! It's this weekend Nov. 11-15th at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. All shows at 8 pm, with an additional Sunday matinee at 2:30.

See you there!

Emily Ellis,
Executive Director of Publicity




Tonight's post is brought to you by: Alex Herzing
Role: Gambler/Havana Dancer
Year: Junior

Hullo!

6:00 – Today we started off rehearsal with some re-working of the “Hotbox” numbers. One of the girls in the number, our cherished Maria Palombo, got injured yesterday and has to be careful about actions on her ankle the rest of the week. Thankfully, Maria’s still part of the show – she is also featured in the show as part of “The Mission” and hopefully she’ll be back to dancing by Friday. We’re still setting up lights, and we’re starting work with props tonight as soon as we start the cue-to-cue—that is, the plan for the lights during the show.


7:00 – Tensions are high during a last-minute substitution by Nathaniel Swofford during a complicated trick while fixing the Crapshooter’s dance. (Richard’s arm muscles are insane). The lights are hot, and any changes are welcome, but a bit stressful for each individual involved. We are finally starting cue-to-cue! This time with set pieces. The (“well-painted,” says Max) newsstand is the first to be put onstage. Exciting!


7:30 – Cue-to-cue is not only well underway, but going rather quickly! We’re about to set up the Mission. It’s actually really exciting to see the set in action for the first time, even if it is very briefly.


9:00 – As you can see, time is flying by. We’re already at the end of Act 1, and I’m a dancer in the Havana scene, so I just got to do some staging and choreography work. SPOILER ALERT: IT LOOKS HOT. Also, I just want to take this time to give a shoutout to the tech crew and our wonderful pianist, Samly Kritchevsky, who is so patient and kind.


10:00 – The lighting designer just took a picture of me without telling me she was. Not cool. We’re almost finished with cue-to-cue (last scene!) and about to run as much of Act 1 as possible before 11, which is when we end every night this week. It’s late, but we tend to need it a lot. I personally love tech week because we are here more. It’s an intense, emotionally high-strung week that brings everyone a lot closer and in the end makes them feel even more proud of the show they have just put on as a solid, together team. Also, we tend to go out to eat a lot afterwards, which is wonderful for both the friends and the food. Last night a bunch of us went through the Wendy’s drive-thru in packed cars and then ate in the parking lot until past midnight.


10:30 – Rehearsal is finished! Our director, Hayley, decided not to have us run some of Act 1 tonight and instead, we’ll start tomorrow when we get here at 6. Overall, it was a successful rehearsal, but I can’t wait to actually run the show tomorrow and start to get a concrete feel of the finished product!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

"Guys and Dolls" Cast List

To All Those Who Auditioned,

It was an absolute pleasure to get to hear and see all of you over the past three days. We were completely blown away by the amount of talent we saw throughout the audition process. It truly broke our hearts to not be able to cast each one of you who auditioned.


The cast list is as follows:

Sky: Alex Daly
Nathan: Matt Jacques
Sarah: Erin Farley
Adelaide: Emily Ellis
Nicely: Miles Herr
Benny: Cameron Nadler
Arvide: George Barrett
Rusty Charlie: Colin Proctor
Angie the Ox (added into song "Guys and Dolls") : Wesley Miller
Big Julie: Josh Peterson
Harry the Horse: Richard Mull
Lt. Brannigan: Alex Koceja
General Matilda Cartwright: Cydney Swofford
Voice of Joey Biltmore: Will Hawkins



Gamblers:

Max Bitar
Andrieu Doyle
Daniel Doyle
Will Hawkins
Alex Herzing (Dancer / Dance Captain)
Quinn Matney
Michael McWaters (Dancer)
Doug Pass
Cressler Peele
Nathaniel Swofford
Peter Vance


Hot Box Girls:

Dominique Barnes
Emily Bohbrink
Mary Stewart Evans
Elise Hopkins
Elizabeth Hylton
Maria Palombo
Maggie Poole
Allison Press
Emily Ruffin
Cydney Swofford


Havana Dancers:

Dominique Barnes (Featured)
Max Bitar
Elise Hopkins
Cressler Peele
Emily Ruffin
Nathaniel Swofford


Mission Band:

Andrieu Doyle
Mary Stewart Evans
Will Hawkins
Quinn Matney
Maria Palombo
Allison Press


Please contact Producer Jeffrey Sullivan (sullivjm@email.unc.edu) by 12:00 pm on Saturday, September 3rd to accept your role.

We will be having a read-through of the show tomorrow on Thursday, September 1st in the Student Union Room 2518 at 6:00 pm till 9:30 pm. If you will be unable to attend the read-through on the 1st, please let Jeffrey know. Also, tomorrow Thursday, September 1st please bring ALL REHEARSAL CONFLICTS with you.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding casting or the show in general, please do not hesitate to contact producer Jeffrey Sullivan at sullivjm@email.unc.edu.

Again, please e-mail Jeffrey at sullivjm@email.unc.edu by 12:00 pm on Saturday to accept or decline your role.


Thank you to all who auditioned and congratulations to all those who were cast. We hope to see you again soon!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Fall Show Announced!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The University of North Carolina Pauper Players is proud to announce the selection of our fall production, "Guys and Dolls," directed by Hayley Wright, UNC Class of 2013. This Broadway classic is sure to please all generations, with such memorable numbers as "Luck Be a Lady," "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" and "A Bushel and a Peck." Pauper Players will hold open auditions for "Guys and Dolls" early in the semester, begin rehearsals in September, and go into production in November. We encourage you to be involved in any capacity! Thank you to all who submitted a proposal! Check the blog or website later on for up-to-the-minute details on production staffs, dates and audition times. Please contact Executive Directors--Michael McWaters, Emily Ellis, or Ben Boecker--at pauperinfo@gmail.com for further comments or questions

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Summertime Letter from Emily, Exec Direc of Publicity

Hello lovely First Years!

So do you love musical theater? Do you love technical theater? Are you looking for a great group of people to hang out with? Do you want friends who aren't smelly (most of the time)?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions then you should definitely check out Pauper Players.

Here's the official dish (or the offish dish as I like to call it [we tend to abbreviate a lot in Pauper]) from the info part of our Web site:

"Founded in 1989, The objective of Pauper Players is to maintain an environment of camaraderie, learning, and collaboration through the design and rehearsal process of musical theater production. Entirely student-run, Pauper is open to anyone with a dedicated spirit and a passion for the arts, and it has been a source of entertainment, education, and friendship for over twenty years.

Pauper Players is headed by three (student) Executive Directors--for Business, Publicity, and Production--who work with an Executive Board to structure the organization while selecting and overseeing production. The Executive Board is made up of a secretary, a treasurer, designers, photographers, social and orchestral coordinators, a publicity team, property liaisons, and a front-of-house manager. The Executive Board meets weekly to discuss current projects and policies; and, three times a year, they release and review proposals for the respective fall, spring, and winter musical productions.

Any interested candidates may submit a proposal to direct or simply suggest a show for Pauper Players to perform. The Executive Board is responsible for selecting the show and approving the Director to select his or her Production Staff for the rehearsal process. The Director, Music Director, and the Production Staff select the cast and orchestra, and they set the rehearsal schedule for the weeks leading up to production. Pauper Players is normally scheduled to rehearse Sunday through Thursday from six to ten pm, but individual schedules will vary depending on one's role. All are encouraged to get involved at any level, either with any of the three musical productions a year, or with the Broadway revue performed in the winter. "Broadway Melodies" is comprised of three or four shows, written and directed by students in the style of a comedic musical revue.

Pauper Players has performed in a variety of venues on and off campus--including Historic Playmakers Theater, the Martha Nell Hardy Performance Space, the FPG Union Cabaret, and Carborro Arts Center.

Pauper is always seeking to add new members and to expand options for performance and publicity."

Now that you've read that lovely little excerpt let me tell you a little about how much fun it is to be a Pauper.

My name is Emily, and I'm the Executive Director of Publicity. I joined Pauper the first semester of my first year at UNC. I was a little anxious because I barely knew anyone when I got to campus, and went through the normal transitions of being lonely etc. But that changed pretty quickly.

I auditioned for the Fall 2009 production of Andrew Lippa's "Wild Party" and was cast in the ensemble. I almost immediately felt like I had found my family. I met lots of cool people within that cast, and my best friends are the ones that I made during that show.

That's why Pauper is so cool-- the people. Paupers are not elitist, they are open minded, and generally fun. You don't have to be outgoing or the wittiest person in the room to be loved by us! We want to get to know the real you!

So that, lovely First Years, is why I think you should check us out-- feel free to email me just to say hey or ask any questions at pauperinfo@gmail.com!

We will have a table at FallFest and hopefully *fingers crossed* will be performing!

Look for more stories and clips from other Paupers in the coming weeks!

Have a great summer!

Much love,

Emily Ellis
Executive Director of Publicity, 2011-2012

OH, also check out our YouTube channel for a video of our year in review!

AND friend us on Facebook!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

ALL SHOOK UP Tickets Onsale!!!




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pauper Players is proud to present its spring 2011 production of "All Shook Up!" directed by Nick Culp. This is Pauper's first show back in Historic Playmakers Theater since the rennovations.

Loosely based on Twelfth Night, "All Shook Up!" tells the story of how one guitar-playing roustabout transforms a conservative town into a beboppers paradise. The score is adapted from the greatest hits of the King of Ro...ck and Roll, Elvis Presley, and is sure to thrill members of every generation.

Tickets are on sale through the Memorial Hall box office and can be purchased ONLINE at http://memorialhall.unc.edu/ or by calling 919.843.3333. $5 for UNC students, faculty and staff; $10 for general public.

Show Dates and Times:
Friday, April 1 @ 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 2 @ 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 3 @ 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Monday, April 4 @ 8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 5 @ 8 p.m.


*********************
Cast and Crew:

Director: Nick Culp
Asst. Director: Hayley Wright
Music Director: Grace Lloyd
Asst. Music Director: Margaret Burrus
Choreographer: Meleah Faucette
Asst. Choreographer: Alex Herzing
Stage Manager: Liana Ventimiglia
Asst. Stage Manager: Edmund Poliks
Producers: Cierra Hinton and Elissa Rumer


Chad: Jack Utrata
Natalie/Ed: Natalie Pelletier
Dennis: Ben Muller
Sylvia: Olivia Myrick
Jim: Josh Peterson
Lorraine: Emily Ellis
Dean: Justin Cournoyer
Sandra: Cydney Swofford
Matilda: Kelsey Reinhard
Earl: George Barrett

Ensemble:
Julia Adelman
Dominique Barnes
George Barrett
Emily Bohbrink
Hunter Gray
Lauren Josey
Kayla Lively
Cameron Nadler
Josh Peterson
Jo Saberniak
Haley Scruggs
Korde Tuttle
Anna van Venrooy
Kallie Wray

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

New Executive Directors!!

We are proud to announce that our new Executive Directors for the 2011-2012 academic year will be Michael McWaters and Emily Ellis! Congratulations to both of them... We believe that they will be wonderful additions to the Executive Director team! Michael will be replacing Elissa Rumer as the Executive Business Director and Emily will be replacing Olivia Myrick as the Executive Publicity Director. They will begin shadowing and meeting with the current Executive Director team in the coming weeks. Again, congratulations to Michael and Emily!

On a similar happy note, congratulations to Cierra who is the new Union President! So proud of her for this MAJOR accomplishment!!

You are in good hands for the upcoming year!!

Friday, February 11, 2011

PAUPER PERFORMERS at the Winter Benefit Cabaret!


It's a talent showcase sponsored by Pauper Players, with all proceeds going to charity and an evening of entertainment going straight to you! :-)

The Winter Cabaret will be held on Friday February 25th at 8:00pm, in the Union Cabaret. And don’t miss your opportunity to enjoy the Pauper stage, while helping us raise money for the Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment— a local arts charity. We hope you’ll join us for this exciting new event!

Below is the tentative list of sassy performers. Cost is only $3, and it's going to be super relaxed and a ton of fun! :-)

1. “The Parody Monster” -- Gretyl Kinsey

2. “Boy vs. Ukelele” -- Cameron Nadler

3. “The Temp and the Receptionist” -- Nick Culp and Olivia Myrick

4. "Don't You Miss me Too Much" -- Ben Boecker

5. "Freedom" -- Dominique Barnes and Anna Van Venrooy

6. "This is Not Over Yet" -- Kevin Shaffer

7. "Therapy" from Tic Tic Boom -- Jack Utrata and Cydney Swofford

8. "Friends on the Other Side" -- Edmund Poliks

9. "Twenty-Something" -- Josh Peterson, Dominque, Jack, Jessica Sorgi, and Ashley Dean

10. "Power" -- Kaitlin Fague

11. "Elephant Love Medley" -- Rosalee Lewis and Quinn Matney

12. TBA -- Maria Palombo

13. "Grenade" -- Crystal Smith

14. "Popcorn" -- Jessica Sorgi and Wesley Miller

15. "A Change in Me" -- Mary Morris

16. "And They're Off" -- Ben Muller, Kelsey Reinhard, Elissa Rumer, Nick Culp, and Adam Pasour

17. "Random Black Girl" -- Taylore Woods

18. "Mama Who Bore Me" -- Dominique Barnes, Devon, Mary, Allison, Olivia, Rosalee, Ashley

19. "Left Behind" -- Dillon Rice and Adam Pasour

20. "Touch Me" -- Nick Culp

21. Swing Dance -- Cameron Nadler and Cydney Swofford


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Friday, January 28, 2011

PRESS RELEASE: Pauper Winter Benefit Cabaret!

Dear Talented Singers and Dancers,

Have you been waiting for your share of the spotlight? Well Pauper Players’ Winter Cabaret is your chance! Don’t miss your opportunity to shine on the Pauper stage, while helping us raise money for the Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment— a local arts charity.

We’re looking for song and/or dance numbers— solos, duets, and groups. Just send your name, group members’ names, and the title of your act to pauperinfo@gmail.com. Performer slots will be allotted on a first-come first-serve basis, so don’t delay!

The Winter Cabaret will be held on Friday February 25th at 8:00pm, in the Union Cabaret. All performers will need to arrange for their own accompaniment, and we will be happy to put you in touch with the accompanists we know. Karaoke tracks are also a very good option.
We hope you’ll join us for this exciting new event!


Sincerely,

The Pauper Players Executive Directors,

Elissa, Olivia, and Ben

Sassy New BROADWAY MELODIES Poster!


Don't forget to buy tickets this week for Broadway Melodies 2011, featuring Glee!: The Musical, Mean Girls: The Musical, and A Very Tarantino Musical. The shows will take place at 8PM in the FPG Student Union Cabaret, February 4th through 8th (next Friday through Tuesday). Tickets can be purchased in the Union Box office (919.962.1449) -- $5 for students and $10 general admission. See you there!


Friday, January 21, 2011

PRESS RELEASE: Broadway Melodies TICKETS Onsale!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Tickets are now on sale for Pauper Players' Broadway Melodies 2011 -- a musical revue written and directed by students. The show will feature "Mean Girls: The Musical" by Wendy Hua and Olivia Myrick, "A Very Tarantino Musical" by Alex Koceja, and "Glee!: The Musical" by Nick Culp.


The productions will take place February 4th through 8th (Friday through Tuesday) at 8 PM in the Student Union Cabaret on the bottom floor. Tickets are on sale NOW in the Union Box office -- 5$ for students and faculty, and $10 for general admission.


Please contact Executive Directors--Elissa Rumer, Olivia Myrick, or Ben Boecker--at pauperinfo@gmail.com for further comments or questions; or please feel free to peruse the Pauper Players' website for additional details (www.unc.edu/pauper). Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter (uncPauper)!

ALL SHOOK UP Cast List!!!

The cast list has been posted!!! "All Shook Up" rehearsals will begin after the close of Broadway Melodies, and the show will run from April 1st through April 5th. Mark it in your calendar! Thank you to all who auditioned and congratulations to those who were cast!!


Chad: Jack Utrata

Natalie/Ed: Natalie Pelletier

Dennis: Ben Muller

Sandra: Cydney Swofford

Dean: Justin Courmoyer

Lorraine: Emily Ellis

Sylvia: Olivia Myrick

Jim: Josh Alexander

Matilda: Kelsey Reinhard

Earl: George Barrett

Ensemble:

Julia Adelman

Dominique Barnes

George Barrett

Emily Bohbrink

McKinney Brown

Jessica Cruz

Hunter Gray

Lauren Josey

Kayla Lively

Cameron Nadler

Josh Peterson

Haley Scruggs

Korde Tuttle

Anna van Venrooy

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

BROADWAY MELODIES 2011 CAST LIST

To Everyone Who Auditioned:

Thank you so much for auditioning for UNC-CH Pauper Players' Broadway Melodies 2011. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of talent we saw over the past two nights. We saw a total of 76 auditioners (a Pauper record) for Broadway Melodies and it truly breaks our hearts that we cannot cast each and every one of you.

Before you read the remainder of this email, please mark down the dates for auditions for Pauper Players' spring production of All Shook Up, directed by Nick Culp, which we STRONGLY encourage each and every one of you to audition for. All Shook Up auditions will take place next Tuesday, January 18th and Wednesday, January 19th in Hill Hall 107, with callbacks on Thursday, January 20th in Person Choral. An audition folder will be placed in the Union Folder Hub by tomorrow evening. We encourage all of you to audition. Please do not hesitate to contact producer Elissa Rumer (erumer@email.unc.edu) with any questions regarding auditions.

IMPORTANT -- TO ACCEPT A ROLE, PLEASE E-MAIL ELISSA RUMER (PRODUCER) at erumer@email.unc.edu. Please read the cast lists carefully, as some people have been cast in multiple sets.

Please note that there will be a READ-THROUGH for all the BWM sets tomorrow night from 7:00-10:00 pm in the Student Union Room 3206. If you will be unable to make it to the read-through, please e-mail Elissa ASAP.

**Attached to your e-mail are copies of each of scripts for all three sets. You will need to print out a copy of your script(s) to bring with you to the read-through tomorrow.

Below are the cast lists:

Glee!: The Musical
  • Will: Jack Utrata
  • Rachel: Olivia Myrick
  • Finn: Wesley Miller
  • Emma: Emily Ellis
  • Sue: Rosalee Lewis
  • Kurt: Adam Pasour
  • Mercedes: Cierra Hinton
  • Artie: Ben Muller
  • Tina: Jessica Cruz
  • Quinn: Caroline Bowden
  • Puck: Jo Saberniak
  • Brittany: Kayla Lively
  • Santana: Maria Palombo
  • Mike: Brainard Burrus
  • Matt: Edmund Poliks
  • Kristin Chenoweth: Ben Phillis
A Very Tarantino Musical:
  • The Bride (Uma Thurman): Jessica Sorgi
  • Samuel L. Jackson: George Barrett
  • "Stage Manager": Melissa Parker
  • Elle Driver (Darryl Hannah): Mackenzie Webel
  • Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox): Dominique Barnes
  • Nikki Bell (Vernita's Daughter): Cierra Hinton
  • Hattori Hanzo (Sushi Chef): Andrew Isenhour
  • O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu): Ashley Dean
  • Donny Donnowitz (The Bear Jew): Ben Muller
  • Go-Go (Crazy Chick): Kelsey Reinhard
  • Vincent Vega (John Travolta): Cam Nadler
  • Budd (Michael Madsen): Alex Thompson
  • Pai Mei (played by Lt. Aldo Raine): Ben Phillis
  • Bill (played by Col. Hans Landa): Jo Saberniak
  • Bebe (The Brides Daughter): Kaitlin Baden

Mean Girls: The Musical:
  • Cady Heron: Devon Haas
  • Janice Ian: Allison Rae Stewart
  • Regina George: Mackenzie Webel
  • Gretchen Weiners: Hayley Wright
  • Karen Smith: Cydney Swofford
  • Ms. Norbury: Jessika Brust
  • Rainbow Child: Mary Morris
  • Aaron Samuels: Jack Utrata
  • Damien: Andrew Isenhour
  • Principal Duvall: Ben Phillis
  • Coach Carr: Nathaniel Linger
  • Chorus:
    • Josh Peterson
    • Hunter Grey
    • McKinney Brown
    • Turner Popalis
    • Anna van Venrooy
    • Meredith Parks
    • Dominique Barnes
    • Hayley Scruggs
    • Kallie Wray
    • Sharon Lin

Please do not forget to e-mail Elissa Rumer at erumer@email.unc.edu to accept your role, as well as to print off your scripts prior to tomorrow evening's read-through.

Congratulations to all of those who were cast, and thank you to all who auditioned. We hope to see each and every one of you next week at auditions for All Shook Up.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Auditions, Auditions, Auditions!

Check out the press release below for the Spring production of "All Shook Up!" Check out our "All Shook Up" facebook event, and don't forget to also audition for "Broadway Melodies 2011" this Monday and Tuesday!



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The University of North Carolina Pauper Players is announcing auditions for our spring production, All Shook Up, directed by Nick Culp and music directed by Grace Lloyd. Auditions will be held on Tuesday, January 18th, and Wednesday, January 19th, with callbacks on that Thursday, January 20th. Auditions on Tuesday and Wednesday will take place in Hill Hall, room 107. Callbacks on Thursday will held in Person Chorale Hall. Please note that sign-up sheets will be available in the Union Hub beginning this first week of the semester, and tentative show dates are Friday April 1st through Tuesday April 5th in the Historic Playmakers Theater.


Please note that for this specific audition, everyone should bring a 1-2 min selection of a musical theatre standard that shows off your vocal range and quality. Please bring sheet music, as an accompanist will be provided; a resume is optional. There will be no scales done prior to your audition, so please plan accordingly. In addition, please be prepared to dance, preferably on the night that you sing. The dance auditions will be held that Tuesday and Wednesday from 9PM-10PM. Everyone will be required to come to one of the dance auditions; please be dressed appropriately.

Break legs!


Please contact Executive Directors--Elissa Rumer, Olivia Myrick, or Ben Boecker--at pauperinfo@gmail.com for further comments or questions; or please feel free to peruse the Pauper Players' website for additional details (www.unc.edu/pauper).