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For the love of Broadway
Youngstown Playhouse to present ‘Curtains’
By MILAN PAURICH
Since moving back to the Youngstown area in May 2009, Boardman High School/Ohio State graduate Michael Dempsey has quickly made a name for himself in community theater circles.
After directing a well- received production of “Into the Woods” at Salem Community Theater last summer, Dempsey helped create the Mahoning Valley Theater Buzz Web site (www.mvtheaterbuzz.com) with local actress Cheryl Games.
In addition to serving on the board of the Oakland Center for the Arts, Dempsey is also helming the local premiere of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s 2007 musical “Curtains,” which opens next weekend at the Youngstown Playhouse.
During a recent interview, writer-director-actor Dempsey discussed the show and why he’s so excited to be working at the Playhouse on such a challenging piece.
Q. What made you want to direct “Curtains”?
A. It’s a valentine to the great old razzmatazz shows of Broadway’s Golden Age — shows that didn’t aim to be edgy or challenging, but just want to sweep you away with great tunes and lots of big production numbers.
And after directing the brilliant but dark “Into The Woods,” it seemed like a great change of pace.
I just plain love the songs in this show — they’re fun and tuneful.
There’s also tons of comedy as well.
But the thing I like most about “Curtains” is that it’s about the theater and people who love theater.
Kander and Ebb were at the end of their lifetime collaboration (“Chicago,” “Cabaret,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” etc.), and my hunch is that they wanted to create an homage to the type of musicals they loved when they were starting out.
Anyone who loves the theater will get its many references to the process of bringing a new show to life.
Q. Despite a relatively recent 15-month run on Broadway and eight Tony nominations, “Curtains” isn’t terribly well known in these parts. Could you give us a thumbnail synopsis of the plot?
A. “Curtains” is a send-up of backstage murder mysteries.
It’s set in 1959 Boston where a new musical called “Robbin’ Hood of the Old West” is doing an out-of-town tryout on its way to Broadway.
The star of the show is an over-the-hill diva who can’t act, dance or sing, and during the opening night curtain call, she’s murdered.
The killer must be a cast member, so a local detective sequesters the entire cast in the theater while attempting to solve the murder.
Because he’s a theater aficionado, the detective becomes as determined to help fix the musical’s problems as he is to find the killer.
This show is really about love: romantic love and love for the theater, what show people endure in order to live their dreams and be a part of the magic.
Q. Who’s appearing in the show?
A. Our production boasts many theater vets from the greater Youngstown area.
Playhouse staples such as Alan McCreary, Tom O’Donnell, Bernie Appugliese, Geri DeWitt, Regina Reynolds and Glenn Stevens, as well as many of the talented folk I worked with on “Into the Woods” like Josh Lewis, Eric Kibler, Amy Russell, Sarah Durham and Lindsay Heath.
Other lead actors include Kayla Boye and Kevan Sullivan, as well as an ensemble of vibrant, talented young people, many of whom are Playhouse newcomers.
It’s also been “old home week” for a lot of people like Amy, Eric, Bernie and Geri who haven’t worked together for many years.
Another fun fact is that Amy’s entire brood of children is in this show (Lindsay, Molly and Hogan).
Q. As far as musicals go, would you describe “Curtains” as an “easy” show to direct or a “difficult” one?
A. There’s no doubt that it’s an extremely difficult show to stage, and an extremely ambitious choice for the Playhouse.
There are many sets and costumes, all in different styles.
Owing to its “show within a show” structure, we have an “Oklahoma”-style number, an “Annie Get Your Gun”-style number, a “Showboat”-style number, a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers-style number and more.
I think our cast does six costume changes apiece: We had to produce close to 200 costumes altogether.
There are also some big effects that can be extremely hard to pull off.
I really don’t think that the writers and producers cared about creating a show that could be scaled down for smaller theaters after its initial run (laughs). They just wanted the biggest, splashiest Broadway show that money could buy. It was designed to be BIG!
The Playhouse is being very ambitious in tackling this show which, I think, reflects its revived energy and aspirations to reclaim its mantle as one of the finest area theaters.
It’s no secret the Playhouse is struggling back from its near-demise last year.
They’re making incredible progress upgrading and retrofitting the space.
But despite the strong leadership skills of new executive director Mary Ruth Lynn, those things don’t happen overnight.
They’ve provided a lot of support, both financially and emotionally.
I’ve tried to pay the favor back by having some awesome backdrops custom-painted for the show, as well as bringing in an Arizona sound designer and some of the best equipment in the world to provide top-notch sound.
“Curtains” requires a lot in the way of music, both with our singers and the musicians.
This isn’t a “two-keyboard and drums” kind of show.
You’ll hear a big, brassy, full orchestra sound.
And I’m positive that we wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without the talents of our musical director, Gary Kekel.