Carry On, Santa Auditions a Success
Playwright/director Barbara Murphy was thrilled with the turnout for
auditions for her Christmas musical, Carry On, Santa. The cast began
rehearsing immediately and has gotten right into the spirit of the
upcoming season. She says, "it's always a gamble when you hold
auditions, and especially having written it myself, I was holding my
breath-but everyone has walked into their roles exactly as I had
pictured them."
Players' veteran Ted Davenport will play the leading role of Santa
Claus. Sue Alexander is cast as his patient and loving spouse. Tom
Hoey, who performed with the group in the 1960's and then took a 40-odd
year sabbatical, has taken on the job of Frank, the Chief Elf in
Santa's workshop.
Although Murphy originally wrote the roles of the Christmas
Association-who are forcing Santa's retirement-for three men, three
ladies showed up and were perfect for the parts. So the pronouns became
feminine, and the roles will be played by Cheryl Rowlands, Isabelle
Klima, and Patty Fisher. The Christmas Association, worried about
Santa's obvious aging, pushes Mr. and Mrs. Claus to consider adoption,
since they have been unable to produce an heir after the job of Santa
has been in his family for generations. The trio bring to the door a
parade of boys, who immediately prove themselves totally unfit for the
job. The role of Bruno, the bully, will be played by Brandon Noga. His
brother, Paul, will portray, Drew, the Goth. Nick Thurston and Joe
Woods will play Mortimer and Quentin, and Jack Corey, Christopher.
Frank's crew of hard-working elves will be played by Taylor, Maggie and
Markie Flurschutz, Nick Horner, Trinity Wolford-Frost, Erica Campbell,
and Davonte House. Jaques, the Elf from Gwelf who has a bad cold, is
played by Lillian Boberg.
The ill-fitted (thanks to Frank, who "hates the girl stuff") Barbie
dolls are played by Marissa Saurini, Melissa Bowers, Abby Miller,
Christina House, Kara Hickey, Rachael Barron and Kara Traver.
No Christmas tale would be complete without Santa's reindeer, of
course, and ours will be played by Ben and Braden York, Antonina
Tortorello, Hannah McEvers, Natalie Church, Claire Alexander, Lexi
Flurschutz, Natalie McKela, and Darien House.
Although Murphy wrote the tunes for the seven songs, her one-finger
piano playing just wouldn't do, so she turned to none other than Grace
Lentini, who has magically transformed the numbers into full
accompaniments. Doing double duty as stage manager and conductor is
Sara Fraher. Lighting will be designed by Bob Frame. Producer is Judi
Saurini, with the backstage crew made up of willing parents.
The show will be presented as always at the annual Cayuga Community
College Folk Art Festival on December 6 and 7, with a show each day at
noon and 3:00 PM. There will be a sneak preview at the Dress Rehearsal
at 7:30 on Friday, December 5, in the CCC Theatre, to which all are
invited.