|
September 2006 WONG Notes
Spring 2006 WONG Notes
Hi everybody! It's been more than a year since I last put pen to paper. This past year was a very busy one for me with auditions for A Chorus Line last summer, Damn Yankees at Arena Stage, the Bombay Dreams National Tour, and another trip to South Africa. Pheww! That was a mouthful! It also didn't help that the old computer crashed and I lost all the address and contact numbers for most of you. I would like to thank webmaster Bruce Janiga and Robert Tunstall for holding down the fort and keeping our website alive and well.
In April 2005 I started with The King and I children at the Chinatown Musical Theater Workshop when the National Tour of King and I went on hiatus. The age range is from 5-10 years old. STEVEN ENG was the acting teacher, MARK YORK our vocal teacher, along with FRAN LIEBERGAL before she went off to Hawaii with ACL and DAVID CHO the dance teacher. Cousin Chester's wife Rosanna does all the work in translating and registering the students and is the real backbone of the operations. I would like to thank them all for making my dream come true. It has been so rewarding to hear the kids singing songs from Annie, Oliver, The Sound of Music and many more. Mark has composed a ballet song called “Doing Ballet” so they can learn all the positions, and Steven even had them quoting from Shakespeare.
The National Tour of The King and I closed in December 2005 at the New Jersey Performing Art Center. The Lee family bought 50 tickets and had a private tour of backstage and enjoyed meeting STEFANIE POWERS afterwards. I would like to thank them and their friends for all their support. 50 tickets!! Cousin Chester was in China and missed all the festivities.
Also, a belated Gong Hey Fat Choy, to you all. Happy Chinese New Year! During New Year’s the Lee Bunch got together and Sister Irene and Brother Henry once again topped the list of NY chefs. What a great meal they prepared. I forgot how much I missed everyone and of course the comfort food of Confucius Plaza. New Year's Day was full of surprises. Incense burning at the temple, to honor our relatives, fireworks, dim sum and lots of dragons dancing in the streets. Yes, more food. Lots of food.
Damn Yankees opened at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and once again it has been a privilege working with MOLLY SMITH and GEORGE FULGINIT-SHAKER. Molly has truly allowed me to use my imagination on this one and create, with my assistant PARKER ESSE, some rather entertaining numbers. I was happy to work with this company, with BRAD OSCAR as the Devil, MATT BOGART as young Joe Hardy, MEG GILLENTINE as Lola, and CINDY MARCHIONDA as Gloria. We closed on February 5th, 2006.
Bombay Dreams is off and running, and what an enlightening experience that was. First of all, I have to thank my team LISA STEVENS, ZOIE LAM, STEVEN ENG, KEVIN FARRELL, designer KEN FOY, JOHN McLEAN and BOB KALE - all of them my security blanket. We added writer TOM MEEHAN to the mix after getting the okay from the London-based “Really Useful Company” to go ahead with changes. SACHIN BHATT RESHMA and SANDRA ALLEN are the stars of the show, and Sachin literally went out on the stage a novice and came back almost a rock and roll superstar. I heard teenage girls scream, “Where is the backstage?!?” “I have to meet him!” “I want his autograph!” We teched the show in Tucson, Arizona, opened in Costa Mesa, CA., and they have a good run until October.
Cousin Chester's wife Rosanna and I had a great time on this last visit to South Africa. I was really proud of the 30-minute mini-musical on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Awareness. The performance was at Stellenbosch University's campus, and a written survey and a discussion followed. To see so many students attending, getting the message, and truly enjoying the performance was heart warming. Of course, I also enjoyed the ride on the elephant and lots of shopping for ostrich bags. Rosanna, from Hong Kong, really had the knack of when to haggle with those locals for a good price.
The excitement of ACL coming back to B'way in 2006 started in August 2005 with auditions. They continued through the year, and we will open in San Francisco in July, with a B'way opening in October at the Schonfeld Theatre. It has been wonderful working side by side with BOB AVIAN again after all these years, and so many of the stories we lived through in 1970's are slowly resurfacing. It's always so good to see all of you at the auditions and it is amazing to know that after 30 years we all still Love the show.
With the new revival ACL cast in place, and rehearsals underway, it feels like our website has been given a new lease on life. The new logo for the show, photographed from behind, with Mark crossing his fingers, shows such a new and inventive point of view. I've been involved with so many companies as a performer, but in this new production I am on the other side of the table. The last time I was on the line, but this time I'm choreographing. And boy am I happy - 'cuz my legs are too old to be doing that jazz combination over and over and over again!
MICHAEL GORMAN, Assistant Choreographer, Dance Captain, and Assistant Stage Manager, has moved from Denver, Colorado, with all of his earthly possessions, and I'm very happy to have him at my side. New York is foreign to him after living in Denver for 20 years, but he's getting the hang of it again. Each day he descends deeper and deeper, down into the subway, he swipes his MetroCard and gets trampled in rush hour. He's still just too polite. Going to the ballet, he held the door for 15, 20, 25 people before I even noticed, and screamed, "MICHAEL! YOU'RE NOT THE DOORMAN!"
JIM LAEV and BRIAN BRAKE have been giving us piano and drums for preproduction over at the new Chelsea Studios. Jim plays a mean piano, jammin' with "Dr. B"on the drums. After a half hour Jim usually slips in a little humor by playing excerpts from, “I Really Need This Job” or “I Hope I Get It.”
Our Lee Family meetings have been fewer and farther between since my Uncle Mon Kwon passed away, but when we do meet Cousin Henry and Irene really make it warm and special. Last week's menu was in my honor and had all my favorite dishes! Snails in black bean sauce really do the trick when you are home cooking deprived!
That's what's been happening in my neck of the woods. Let's hear from some of the people who wrote me! Here are some of people we heard from in 2005:
THOMMIE WASLH (original Bobby) after months of illness (Guillium-Barre) this summer Thommie has fully recovered and has gotten back to the real estate scene with flying colors. He also got DONNA McKECHNIE's show at Joe's Pub off to a great start.
NANCY LANE (original Bebe): we hadn't heard from her in a while and we didn't know how she and her family were doing. She writes, "Ben (oldest-17) models and did one commercial but is on the verge of becoming a Pro skateboarder. Mike (14 and gorgeous) surfs every waking minute and Jack (10+11/12ths) is developing as a comedian."
RON DENNIS (Original Richie) wanted us to know he was honored with the CARRIE HAMILTON CAST AWARD for his services to the community and cast spirit in battling the odds of illness and going on. Ron says, "This was a glorious surprise that I had no idea that was even given out yearly. I was stunned and very honored and my heart and soul appreciated this acknowledgement at this time in my life. I HAD A BLAST AND A HALF!”
ROBERT LUPONE (Zach-Original) was named along side director Arthur Penn to head the NEW SCHOOL for Drama. His title is interim director. Congratulations!!!!
DONNA DRAKE (Original Trisha) directed NEWSICAL, which is a huge success off B'way. She had a company recently in Denver; MICHAEL GORMAN assisted her. Unfortunately it closed unexpectedly. That doesn't stop Donna who has had a wonderful year directing. Her productions of Christmas with the Crawfords, I Love You, You’re Perfect, and ACL in Ohio (Drama Critics Award) are just a few. Amen girlfriend.
DONNA McKECHNIE (Original Cassie) was in a very successful production of Follies upstate New York and opened a new act at Joe's Pub celebrating 50 year of the Shakespeare Festival. We were all there to welcome her back to the New York stage. She was wonderful as usual. This time she sang songs from the shows the Public Theater produced. She was assisted by to 2 talented male singers.
KD SMITH (B'way company) writes, "I have been out doing a musical called "Mamaleh", and Mikel (her husband) is working as TD at a theatre in Miami. So we are happy as always." Love, KD
HALDEN MICHAELS (National) says hello to all and wanted us to let you know he is on tour with EVITA, the Hal Prince /Larry Fuller tour. He tells us that DENA DiDIANCINTO is fabulous when she goes on for Eva. Dena played our Bebe in Houston.
LOGAN KESLAR (Mark -Houston) writes he has moved to New York. He said his family survived Hurricane Rita and only lost electricity for a few days.
STEPHANIE ELY (National) writes: "I'm back on the stage in Philly doing Soap Star in Menopause the Musical. BIG time comedy and fun to do. I love being back performing!"
RJ PETERS (National) who lost his hip and both knees to arthritis at the age of 30 says he still works out and dances on his carpet from time to time while watching TV. He recalls that out of 638 people at a cattle call he was one out of two dancers hired for ACL.
STEPHEN NACKAMIE (Paul-Regional) is the only director I know in New York that works all the time. He went to Washington State to set Hedwig in February and than ACL at Southampton University. He says it was the only company where Judy was shorter than Connie. He also directed Miss Saigon at Main State with J ELAINE MARCOS in May, and the same month he choreographed La Cage Aux Folles. Oh yeah! He directed Full Monty at Forestburgh Playhouse in the Catskills too.
ALEX QUIROGA (Al-Houston) wanted everyone to know how much he appreciated having done ACL in Houston while he was auditioning for Wicked on B'way. He got a short replacement on B'way and will continue on to the Chicago Touring Company.
MICHELLE KLEIN COX MICHAELS (Krisitine- National) has moved back to New York from Tennessee. Her beautiful Hannah is now 12 year old and is an honor student. She is also playing Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. Michele says she has moved from dancer, teacher and lawyer and is antsy to move on to something else.
MELINDA BUCKLEY (Val- National) just wanted to say hello and tell us she is writing now. You remember when we reported she was doing her stand up comedy act.
MORIA CHAPMAN (assistant choreographer/Dance Captain International) wishes us all Happy Holidays and says she is still living in Madrid and has been resident Director for Cabaret and Mama Mia for 2 year. She went home to her native Zimbabwe in April.
TOMMIE JENKINS (Richie – Farewell Tour of America/ Italy) also known in London as TEE JAY. He writes, he is in the London production of Tick, Tick Boom directed by Scott Schwartz and loves it. He has been working around the world but will tell us know more in his next e-mail.
LOST AGAIN: RANDY CLEMENTS
FOUND: PAM PEADON living in Dallas, TX.
And now people I've heard from in 2006:
COLLEEN HAWKS (Val - Houston) She is playing Val at Arkansas Rep. in Little Rock, Arkansas. Waiting to hear how it all went.
DJ CHASE (Al 2001 Tour) He is also down at Arkansas Rep. playing Mike.
NADINE ISENEGGER (Judy Hanes in White Christmas - Boston) Judy Hanes is one of the “sisters” and the show is “stunning”. And she had a good time dancing and singing. Also, she is covering Cassie and Val in the new revival coming to Broadway, and playing Lois.
MELISSA DAVIDSON wrote us to say - “My father was one of the original trumpet players in A Chorus Line in New York. He was involved with the show until it closed. I am writing to inform you that My Dad passed away in December 2005.” We honor her wishes by posting this message in memory of AL MATTALIANO, and his name whas been added to our In Memoriam page.
ALEC TIMMERMAN (Mark - National) is excited about the revival. He hasn't performed in three years, but has pursued other interests. He worked in a carpentry shop for a year, and trained to ASM on the Broadway show Movin' Out. Over the past year he worked as a prop and set stylist for photo shoots including MAC Cosmetics and Maybelline. He wishes us all the best of luck and hopes that we have an amazing journey with the new company.
ALISON MANN (Diana - European Tour) - She and her husband Chuck (TD European Tour) send warm and wish us much success with the revival of ACL. Their twin daughters, Meagan and Michaela, are both attending SAB, and Michaela has been invited to San Francisco's Ballet School Summer Intensive, the advanced level.
LOTTA HARRYSON (Cassie in the Stockholm production in 1979) contacted us to say that JACK HANSEN, who played Paul in the Swedish production in '79, has passed away. We've added Jack's name to our In Memoriam page.
KEVIN CRAWFORT (Richie/Butch - International) assisted the choreographer at Marvin Hamlish's benefit at the Kennedy Center in May '06. He was in charge of 30 dancers in Washington D.C., and did a great job of teaching and organizing them to back up the Preservation Hall Band from New Orleans. Kevin is having success in his new career in the landscaping business in Washington D.C.
MATT BEZMAREVICH (Greg - Houston) writes that he has just finished Evita and will be coming up to San Francisco to visit all of his friends, and to see the new production of ACL. Looking forward to seeing him too!
On a last note:
Please continue to write me and let me know what you are up to!
Baayork
|
