Single girls guide – your guide to good theatre

STAGES
SINGLE GIRLS GUIDE Edition
MARCH 5 - 30
Single girls guide – your guide to good theatre
Good theatre is certainly a key ingredient to a successful
Downtown entertainment district. What kind of work is
involved in getting an original production organized? The
caliber of show that draws thousands into Downtown, into
restaurants and finally into the seats of the entertainment
venue. Here’s the back story of one such show, SINGLE
GIRLS GUIDE. This uplifting and original romp is part SEX
AND THE CITY, part LEGALLY BLONDE, part WOMAN OF
THE YEAR and all round musical comedy hit.
Evening of March 26, 2011
The setting, a simple New York City rehearsal space served
by a small elevator in an anonymous older office building.
Folding chairs fill the room with an aisle up the center, all
focused on a lazy arc of seats and upright piano backed into
the far window wall. The room was already quite filled with an
animated audience of actors, investors, and theater operators
and Maggie had the good fortune as proposed presenter, of
a reserved seat. Soon more viewers arrived and by the time
the 10 reading actors arrived, every inch of standing room
had also been taken for the first public reading of SINGLE
GIRLS GUIDE. The energetic and entertaining reading
ensued followed by a constructive critique by a panel of
theatre luminaries including the redoubtable Steven Schwartz
composer and lyricist of Broadway and Proctors smash,
WICKED. Gordon Greenberg, author and Tommy Newman,
lyricist were transfixed in anticipation, and the verdict?
Warmth, humor, likable characters and catchy tunes were all
there and although there was still a lot of work to be done,
SINGLE GIRLS GUIDE had what it takes. Gordon and Tommy
left, buoyed by deserved applause and motivated by sage
advice, to face the hard work ahead.
Many phone calls and emails followed as Artistic Director of
Capital Repertory Theatre, Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, aided
with her experienced hand, began to fashion this diamond in
the rough into the crown jewel of her upcoming season.
One of the great pleasures of working at Capital Repertory
Theatre is witnessing the progress of a production. In the
case of the musical Single Girls, Capital Rep has experienced
the thrill of being there from the moment of conception
and of participating as one of the midwives in attendance at
its birth. Intuition and experience are the essential skills an
artistic director must employ when choosing a production
and in the case of an unproven production still under
development, nerves of steel also come in handy. If the name
Gordon Greenberg is familiar, you might remember that he
has directed SONG OF SINGAPORE and JACQUES BREL
for Capital Rep and that he helped to bring the runaway
success, Neil Sedaka’s, BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO to
our stage. Gordon created a musical BAND GEEKS with
collaborator, Tommy Newman for the Goodspeed theater
and they got along so well that they wanted to try again, this
time by tackling a free-spirited adaptation of EMMA. Owing
to Maggie’s weakness for literature, she read Jane Austen’s
classic (not many who were interested in the show had) and after
a unanimously positive conversation, she agreed to work with them
on Single Girls’ development.
Morning of August 24, 2012
A beautiful, late summer, convertible weather day, a drive
to remarkably picturesque Chester Connecticut and another
reading, this time at the sun filled Larry McMillian rehearsal
studio of the Goodspeed Theatre. Folding tables and
chairs for the readers rimmed a ubiquitous upright and this
time, the only audience would be Maggie, Richard and a
few Goodspeed staff. A brief description of the setting by
Gordon and the story began to unfold.
In the stylish world of 1964 Manhattan, beloved newspaper
columnist Emma Woodhouse is still single and about to
turn 30. As her father urges her to marry the first available
man – and her editor Nick Knightly urges her to toe the line,
she begins to transform her household advice column into
a platform for change, encouraging her female readers to
drop their casseroles, question the nature of marriage and to
supply the ammo for a burgeoning sexual revolution. Emma
recruits her first SINGLE GIRL, dental hygienist Harriet Smith
and vows to overhaul her life, with or without her blessing.
Caught up in the social juggernaut of Mad Men era New
York with its late mid-century misogyny, both women grow in
fits and starts and learn, drawing the audience musically and
hilariously along for the ride as they do their part to transform
the American woman one scene and one song at a time.
This is the world of Capital Rep and the lengths to which
Maggie, crew and cast must go, to bring shows of the quality
the Capital Region has come to expect from them.
Please join us in welcoming SINGLE GIRLS GUIDE to
Downtown Albany. Once you have experience this memorable
world premiere, we trust that you will be back for more!
2012-2013 Marquee Sponsor:
DOWNTOWN ALBANY
STAGES
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR
SINGLE GIRLS GUIDE
Opening
Night Tuesday, March 5,
6:30PM: Patrons are invited before
the show to revel in the memories and
sounds of the 60s with Roy Fowler and
“The Protones.”
Chef’s Table Tuesday, March 12: All
SINGLE GIRLS GUIDE Edition
MARCH 5 - 30
Kate Loprest (Emma)
TV: BOARDWALK EMPIRE (Corrine), ALL MY CHILDREN.
Broadway: HAIRSPRAY (Amber Von Tussle), WONDERLAND
(Lady in Waiting, Mad Hatter u/s)
Jonathan Rayson (Knightly)
Broadway: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Off Broadway: I LOVE
YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
Nick Wyman (Henry Woodhouse)
patrons are invited before the show
to enjoy live music entertainment with
singer, Amy Shake in the lobby and free
hors d’oeuvres compliments of La Serre
and Taste. Broadway: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, Original Monsieur Firmin
in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LES MISERABLES (Thenardier).
TV: ONE LIFE TO LIVE (Peter Manning), BOARDWALK EMPIRE,
THE GOOD WIFE, LAW & ORDER (Judge Mikkelson), PETE
AND PETE (Coach Nahrens) WHO’S THE BOSS (Dr. Carter)
Post Show Discussion with cast
Gwen Hollander (Gladys/Flo/Etc)
and Artistic Director, Maggie MancinelliCahill, on Wednesday, March -13 and
Wednesday, March 20. Get The Scoop
From the Cast!
BEHIND-THE-SCENES w/ Maggie
Sunday, March 24, 12:45PM:
Complimentary continental breakfast
for all patrons. 1:10-1:30PM – Pre-show
discussion with Artistic Director, Maggie
Mancinelli-Cahill.
Broadway: LITTLE WOMEN. National Tours: LES MIS (Eponine,
Carbonell Award), 101 DALMATIONS, BEAUTY AND THE
BEAST. TV/Film: FROM EARTH TO THE MOON (HBO, Tom
Exec. Producer Tom Hanks), MYSTERY FILES OF SHELBY WOO.
Farah Alvin (Harriet)
“The best young musical-comedy singer to come along in years”
-Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal. Broadway: NINE,
GREASE!, A CHRISTMAS CAROL,
Susan Mosher (Sipkins/Copote/Etc)
Broadway: HAIRSPRAY. Off-Broadway: NEWSICAL THE
MUSICAL. TV: NURSE JACKIE, WITHOUT A TRACE, recurring
role on Showtime’s THE L WORD.
Robb Sapp (Martin)
Broadway: SHREK (Pinocchio), WICKED original Broadway
Production (Boq), Las Vegas THE LION KING (Ed)
Kelsey Kurz (T.R. Elton)
Broadway: MERCHANT OF VENICE. Julliard Graduate. Regional:
NOBODY LOVES YOU AND ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Old
Globe Theatre),
APR 19 - MAY 19
Victoria Cook (Joanne/Eunice/ Mary)
Off-Broadway: INTO THE WOODS, The Public. Regional:
URINETOWN, Edinburgh Fringe. BAT BOY, Alliance Theatre.