Tag Archives: CSTOCK

Cherisse Martinelli plays ‘Evita’ in Redmond production

Silverdale’s Cherisse Martinelli will play the title role in Second Story Repertory’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Evita,” which opens with a preview performance March 3.

No straCherisse_Martinellinger to Kitsap audiences, Martinelli has been making her mark in theaters around Puget Sound, including recent shows at Stageright (“The Great American Trailer Park Musical”), Seattle Musical Theatre (“Man of La Mancha”) and Leavenworth Summer Theater (“Annie Get Your Gun”) She also appeared recently at Second Story, located in the Redmond Town Center, in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

She was a regular in shows at both CSTOCK and Klahowya  Secondary School before moving on to Central Washington University, where she earned her BFA in Musical Theater. She was also Miss West Sound for 2015.

Performances of “Evita” are on Thursdays through Sundays through April 3 at SecondStory,7325 166th Ave. NE. Ticket information is available at 425-881-6777 and secondstoryrep.org.

— MM

Abigail’s adventures in Orlando

The last time I saw Abigail Dominguiano on stage, she was playing Gabriella Montez (that’s the female lead, y’all) in “Disney’s High School Musical” and in the ensemble for “Willie Wonka” at CSTOCK.

Since thenAbigail, though, she’s been doing her thing on a different kind of stage, winning local and state titles to advance to the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2016 competition. The Central Kitsap High School student is on her way to Orlando, Fla., to compete in the junior version of the Miss America competition, July 28-Aug.1 at the Linda Chapin Theater.

Her CSTOCK experience actually goes back to 2009, and she has compiled a number of credits at the Silverdale theater ever since. Her musical-theater background shows in the scholarship competitions, too — she performs songs from that canon for the talent portions.

Her platform for the competition is “Helping Hands, Changing Lives — Getting Active in Your Community.”

— MM

 

CSTOCK’s 2015-16 season opens with ‘Godspell’

CSTOCK won’t be at the Silverdale Community Center when they start their 2015-16 season in September. But they’ll be in business nonetheless.

The company have announced and posted their season, with all shows to be performed at a new venue. The company is in negotiations with the Central Kitsap School District (for the use space in Central Kitsap Middle School (the former Central Kitsap Junior High). CSTOCK learned earlier this year that they must vacate the community center space by summer’s end. Their popular “Camp CSTOCK” summer youth workshops will go on as scheduled, with four two-week sessions through August.

The entire 2015-16 season looks like this:

Sept. 11-Oct. 4 — “Godspell”

Nov. 27-Dec. 20 — “Shrek”

Feb. 12-March 6 — “Mary Poppins”

April 15-May 8 — “Anne of Green Gables”

June 17-July 3 — “Children of Eden”

CKMS also will host a pair of CSTOCK’s talent showcases, an all-age edition on Oct. 17 and a youth version on May 21. The theater also announced that Friday and Saturday performances would continue to have 7:30 p.m. curtains, but the 4 p.m. Sunday matinees and non-reserved seating they began with the current younger-than-21 production of “The Pirates of Penzance” will carry over to the new season.

More details as they become available. You can also check for updates here: cstock.org

— MM

‘Joseph,’ CSTOCK are a perfect match

Here’s a review from the April 18 performance of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at CSTOCK:

 

SILVERDALE — With the clock ticking on CSTOCK’s tenure at the Silverdale Community Center, the theater company is actively seeking a new home.

Their current production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is Exhibit A for why this really, really needs to happen, and soon.

Perfect theater, it isn’t. But durn-near perfect family community entertainment — and an admirably solid take on the Webber-Rice musical based on the biblical parable of Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors — it certainly is. It’s a prime example of what a family-oriented, roll-up-your-sleeves little company can do with a piece that’s well suited to their talent pool and their venue, filling its niche in the Kitsap theater community and putting on a pretty solid show to boot.

Director Sherry Knox doesn’t shoot for the moon; that’s not what CSTOCK does. She does a won0417_KSFE_Joseph6derful job of using what she has, dressing it up nicely, making sure it’s well-rehearsed, and then letting the multi-generational cast get out and do their thing.

CSTOCK doesn’t always manage to hold to its family-first aesthetic, admirable as it is, and still present a representative version of whatever show they’re doing, one that’s strong enough to satisfy not only Mom, Dad and the other relatives, but the casual viewer who’s there strictly to see a show.

But they do this time. In the hands of Knox, musical director Meredith Ellringer and choreographer Ryan Posey, the show gets a staging that is brisk, joyful and, yes, worthy of the source material. And it does it in CSTOCK style, with a cast heavy on youngsters, an Everyman ensemble and a few dependable veterans sprinkled in.

Those who might be intimidated by the subject matter need not be. Yes, “Joseph” is inspired by a story from the Book of Genesis, but it’s told in a way that’s anything but “churchy.” It’s light as a feather, easily digested even by young children and the most uneasy adults, and takes a few gentle swipes at Joseph, his family and the historical figures he meets on his journeys (Pharoah, played by Wallace Ross, is in full Elvis-impersonator mode, right down to the microphone).

And those who might be intimidated by the number of cute little kids in the cast, including the adorable t-shirts-for-costumes “children’s choir,” well, there’s no hope for you. Go read the Sports.

Knox has two solid leads in local stage familiars Dan Kluth (Joseph) and Missi Patti (the Narrator). Both bring fine, natural singing voices, credible acting and understanding of the show’s subtle opportunities for humor. And both are further evidence of the company’s family values — Kluth’s mother, Margie, is “Joseph’s” producer and chief costumer; Patti’s daughter, Gabrielle, sings in the children’s choir.

The show also gives many of the younger performers a chance to shine briefly. Highlights (yours might vary) included the vocal work of Chloe VanVuren and the twirling dance contribution of Emma Kuralt. A.J. Tower does a funny, country-camp take on “One More Angel in Heaven.” Other solo bits are successful to lesser extremes, and a couple simply overdo themselves.

The ensemble singing sometimes gets a little ragged, almost expected given the size and diversity of Knox’s cast and the constant movement and energy imposed by Posey’s thoughtful and thorough choreography, which keep the “park and bark” moments to a minimum. Ellringer’s four-piece combo — herself on piano, Bruce Chollar on guitar, Nick Holt on violin and Samantha Murphy on flute — don’t always solve the playhouse’s acoustical challenges, but overall they provide some of the nicest accompaniment I’ve heard at CSTOCK in several seasons.

The set, of Knox’s own design with a lovely bright paint job by Laurel Spitzer, is attractive and unobtrusive at the same time. And pats on the hump for whoever stitched up the Pantomime Camel.

It’s a fine, fun night out — part of a night, really, as the April 18 performance I saw didn’t quite fill two hours. It amuses, touches and entertains, and it keeps all those kids off the streets. It’s what community theater is all about.

REVIEW

‘JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT’

Who: Central Stage Theatre of County Kitsap (CSTOCK)

What: Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

Where: Silverdale Community Center, 9729 Silverdale Way NW

When: Through May 10; 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays

Tickets: $15-$8

Information: 360-692-9940, cstock.org

CSTOCK’s ‘Guys and Dolls’ auditions 21-and-younger

Central Stage Theatre of County Kitsap (CSTOCK) will conduct auditions for its 21-and-younger production of the musical “Guys and Dolls” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 21 at the playhouse, located in the Silverdale Community Center, 9729 Silverdale Way NW. A required dance audition will follow at 3 p.m.

Auditions are open to ages 8 to 21. Auditioners should prepare a song that shows vocal range, and provide either sheet music or a CD accompaniment. They’ll also read cold from the script, and should come ready to dance.

Information: Sherry Knox, pmknox@aol.com, or CSTOCK, 360-392-9940, cstock.org

Kitsap well represented in 5th Avenue “Oklahoma Project”

Yours truly ran into Bremerton actress-singer Allison Verhofstadt on the Seattle ferry the morning of March 11, which reminded me that the 5th Avenue Theatre‘s continuation of the just-completed “Oklahoma” with an all-student cast is set for performances March 16 and 17.

Why did seeing Allison remind me? Because she’s in it, that’s why. The veteran of many plays at CSTOCK, Bremerton Community Theatre and Kitsap Children’s Musical Theatre is one of three Central Kitsap teens included in the cast.

Home schoolers Allison and Corbit Sampson — a veteran of eight shows at CSTOCK — both are in the chorus for the show, and Allison is also serving as dance captain. Michael Bryan, a Central Kitsap High School student with credits at both CSTOCK and BCT, earned the meatiest role of the three and will play Jud, the villain. The cast also includes Gig Harbor’s Maddie Kate Scheutzow in the ensemble and Kingston’s Evelina Svensson as a featured dancer.

The “Oklahoma Project” gives young actors from around the state a chance to follow in the carefully blocked footsteps (and sets and costumes) of the professional company that just finished their run of the show there. The youngsters rehearsed with director Mathew Wright and the same crew that was involved in putting on the mainstage production. Their three performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. March 16 and 17, plus a 2 p.m. matinee March 17.

Tickets for the “Oklahoma Project” performances start at $19, and are available by calling 206-625-1900, or online at 5thavenue.org.