By DEBORA SHAULIS

By DEBORA SHAULIS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
NGELA WOODHULL has made a Las Vegas-style wager on Youngstown, the city she used to call home.
Woodhull took out a mortgage on her house in Gainesville, Fla., to pay for expenses associated with "Idora -- The Musical," which she wrote about the extinct amusement park that she remembers so fondly. Between the sets, costumes, advertising and rent of Edward W. Powers Auditorium, where "Idora" will make its debut next weekend, Woodhull's tab has reached $96,000.
That's a sum she says she can't fully recoup, even if all performance are sellouts.
At this stage, "Idora" isn't a moneymaking venture for Woodhull, who's an entertainer by trade. She's offering it as "a tribute to this town, which needs a tribute," she said.
"I feel like I'm on some kind of a mission, you know."
The mission begins
That mission began to take shape about this time last year.
In early 2002, Woodhull negotiated to have her musical produced at Youngstown Playhouse. It's a multimedia show based on her experiences during the 1960s, when her parents operated a pizza stand and a basketball booth in the park.
Rehearsals were under way when issues arose between the playwright and Playhouse leadership. Woodhull wanted to be an artist-in-residence, with living accommodations provided by The Playhouse. Managing director Robert Vargo said the community theater couldn't afford that. Music director Michael Moritz offered to produce a score and audio recording of the show for a fee, which Woodhull didn't believe she should pay since she was giving the Playhouse a royalty-free license. Woodhull also objected to the way in which the Playhouse was editing and revising her show.
After Woodhull's association with the Playhouse ended, Vargo proceeded with a production called "Idora Forever," which spanned the park's 85-year history. Woodhull told a Vindicator reporter that six songs in that show bore some similarities to her own material.
Playhouse management says "Idora Forever" will be revived for a summer run.
It's still an emotional topic for Woodhull, who choked up when asked if her dispute with the Playhouse had been resolved. Still, it's clear that the conflict motivated her to follow her vision. She and her husband relocated temporarily to Youngstown to produce their own show.
About the show
This "Idora" begins with little Angela's first visit, during which she is awestruck by all the sights, sounds and people. Since Angela's parents are vendors, the others know her and treat her well. When she returns, she envisions herself as the park princess. She makes friends with adults and another young girl, Gloria, with whom she rummages for loose coins in the Penny Arcade.
By the time she's in high school, Angela has traded in the rides for sock hops in the ballroom. She works at her father's basketball stand, but Dad has to chase away the boys.
It's not entirely a coming-of-age story. Woodhull and her collaborators revisit the atmosphere of the ballroom during bingo and Big Band dances. Adult dancers from Judy Conti Dance Studios will perform in the latter segment.
The story ends with teen-age Angela and others mourning the park's closing. The park actually closed in 1984, when Woodhull was an adult.
Woodhull has gushed about a segment that will feature tap dancers from various studios who will be dressed as french fries, salt shakers and vinegar bottles in honor of Idora's famous french-fry stand. There also are songs to reflect some of the park's best-known rides, including "Rockin' on the Rockets" and "Wildcat."
A wide appreciation
It's "just a funny, comical musical," said Angie Milano of Boardman, one of the show's five directors. She works for Austintown Local Schools and directs the drama club at Four Mile Run Christian Church. "It's not an historical monologue. Even people who didn't go to Idora will laugh at the scenes."
Performers of all ages have been rehearsing their scenes for months in rooms behind Judy Conti Dance Studio in Wedgewood Plaza, Austintown.
Even Woodhull acknowledges the unusual means by which she assembled the cast, which at last count had reached 175. For three months, she passed out fliers in various locations seeking talent.
Part of the mission of her company, Celebrate Life Productions, is to introduce children -- particularly underprivileged ones -- to the arts.
"There's a part for everyone. That's the way the arts should be," Woodhull said.
Set pieces have been painstakingly designed to match the actual Idora Park stands.
Milano pointed out the bumper cars that will be worn by dancers in one scene. The car bodies are rectangular plastic storage bins without lids. The rims have been padded, just as bumper cars are around the driver's seat, and the cars have been covered in brightly-colored cloth. The headlights are battery-operated touch lights.
Milano and others are pleased with a replica of Porky the Paper Eater, which was a talking trash can. The mechanical pig's head would move when garbage was inserted into its mouth, and sound effects included messages and burping. Porky inspired one of the show's 32 musical numbers.
Milano, 32, remembers Idora. She had her first date at the park, and she attended a Boardman High School prom in the ballroom.
Choreographer's memories
"Oh, there's so many memories," said Susan Mazzucco, who with her adult daughter, Carrie, and Conti has choreographed the show. "When the curtain goes up and you see the scenery, it'll take you right back to Idora Park."
Mazzucco said she and her daughter wouldn't have gotten involved with "Idora" if they didn't like the music. It's "so fun and catchy," Mazzucco said. She hears the french fry song in her head sometimes at 3 a.m., when she's trying to sleep.
"That's how the songs got written," Woodhull interjected. "They were a gift from God. I really didn't struggle with them."
Mazzucco appreciates the opportunity to create something from scratch. The movement of rides such as the Caterpillar is reflected in the choreography, she said. That creativity can prosper only if audiences have open minds when they attend shows, she added.
For the dancers, who have also been rehearsing for recitals and competitions, it's good to learn how to follow a director's requests and develop their onstage personalities, Mazzucco said.
Some dancers are being called upon to act or sing -- skills that will come in handy if any of them aspire to auditioning for Broadway shows. "You have to be an all-around performer," Mazzucco said.
If Woodhull's gamble pays off and "Idora" receives favorable word of mouth, it could become a touring show, and she vows to "share the wealth with this community" by making donations to local causes. If the show fails, Woodhull said she'll return to Florida and pay off her debt over the next 20 years.
She simply couldn't deny her destiny.
"I think I was meant to come back here and give this talent to this town," she said.
shaulis@vindy.com