Dexter's Encore Theatre hopes to charm audiences with 'Music Man'
While watching auditions for the Encore Musical Theatre Company ’s upcoming production of Meredith Willson ’s “The Music Man,” director Jon Huffman and his team were captivated, charmed, and utterly won over by a man none of them had ever seen or met before.Sound more than a little like “Music Man”’s lead character, Harold Hill? Perhaps that’s not surprising, since that’s the role that U-M musical theater student Zachary Barnes landed by way of his try-out.
“He just blew us away,” said Huffman. “We were tickled to death to find him, and he embodies the character very well. He’s a charismatic, smart, fun guy. Just a perfect Harold Hill.”
Hill, of course, is the charming, fast-talking con man who convinces a small Iowa town to buy musical instruments and uniforms for a boys’ marching band that he’s promised to organize. But a skeptical librarian aims to reveal the truth and thus derail Hill’s latest scheme.
Indeed, Huffman—a playwright and actor (“Designing Women,” “Quantum Leap,” “Murder, She Wrote,” etc.) who’s also a longtime friend of Encore co-founder Dan Cooney —has been involved with several previous productions of “Music Man,” as a director and an actor.“It’s set at a time when America was still kind of innocent, and it has a lead character who is both charismatic and bad,” said Huffman of the show’s enduring appeal. “He really is a con man, and kind of a bad guy, but he’s also wonderful and charismatic and joyful about what he does, and he comes to this town, and he changes people. He makes them feel good. … I tell the cast this, and I firmly believe it: if you can entertain people, especially in the time we’re in now, in this recession, … if you can take them to place like River City for a couple of hours, it’s one of noblest pursuits you can undertake.”
And while Huffman confesses that he might not have been tempted to helm another production of “Music Man” elsewhere this summer, the chance to work with choreographer Barb Cullen (with whom he wrote “Club Morocco,” staged by Encore last June) in Cooney’s unique, intimate regional theater - which combines professional performers with talented local actors/dancers/singers—proved hard to resist.
Cast Of Designing Women - News
Indeed, Huffman—a playwright and actor (“Designing Women,” “Quantum Leap,” “Murder, She Wrote,” etc.) who's also a longtime friend of Encore co-founder Dan Cooney—has been involved with several previous productions of “Music Man,” as a director and
It seems like adapting Beauty and the Beast to the horrors of high school would be a slam-dunk, but Beastly, despite decent performances from Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens (and a supporting cast
In 1990, the cast reprised their roles for the sequel, Texasville, which also starred Annie Potts (“Designing Women”). Back in the spring, I spoke with Peter, Jeff, Cloris, Ellen and Annie. I asked them to reflect back on the films, and on their time
The musical is directed by Jon Huffman, whose numerous credits include roles on Designing Women and Days of Our Lives. An affectionate paean to Smalltown, USA, of a bygone era, Meredith Willson's The Music Man follows fast-talking traveling salesman
The cast is not particularly star-studded, with the most recognizable names being Alias' Victor Garber as Prince Charles and Designing Women alum Jean Smart as his wife Camilla Parker Bowles. Jane Alexander (Queen Elizabeth), Alice St. Clair (Kate
AB Chao: Interior Design Brilliance with a Welcome Home ...
Anna Beth Chao , better known to readers by her blog name, AB Chao, has enoughSouthern charm and spunk to launch a whole new Designing Women series. By herself.She could be the entire cast.Chao is also among the elite set of design bloggers who have been able to turn theirpassion into a full-time gig. Although she has been writing on the web since 2001, Chaoturned her focus to blogging about design in 2007. Since then, she's taken readers throughthe journey of turning her Monroe, LA home into a stunning masterpiece while gainingreaders, decorating clients and tons of press. On April 1, she left her full-time job as acommunications writer to focus on her own interior design business.We see big things happening for ABC.
Cast Of Designing Women - Bookshelf
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In 1981 Linda Bloodworth Thomason cast her in the pilot for Filthy Rich, that Linda was writing and producing. In 1986 she was cast in Designing Women. ...Sitcoms, The 101 Greatest TV Comedies of All Time
Unlike the characters on other shows set in a place of business, the cast of Designing Women spent precious little time actually working. ...The New Yorker
It was Christophe, the hairdresser for the cast ... Thanks to the success of " Designing Women," they are financially secure for life ...The complete directory to prime time network and cable TV shows, 1946-present
Designing Women flourished as part of a strong CBS Monday comedy lineup. Additions to the cast were Hern ice Clifton, a lovably eccentric older woman who ...Critiquing the sitcom, a reader
With this cast, Designing Women ran through the entire spectrum of characteristic lesbian sitcom situations. Charlene's pregnancy and the birth of daughter ...Day-to-day Knowledge Directory
Designing Women - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 1934 film of this title, see Designing Women (film) ... The show was a reunion of sorts for several members of the cast and crew. Burke and Carter had both been ...
'Designing Women' Cast: Then & Now - Yahoo! TV Blog
Read about ''Designing Women' Cast: Then & Now' on the Yahoo! TV blog.
Designing Women Online
The complete web resource for the classic TV series and its cast, and host to Belled Online. ... "So many thanks for all of your hard work on behalf of Designing Women. ...
Designing Women Cast and Crew on TV.com
Cast and crew bios and info for Designing Women: Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, Meshach Taylor, Delta Burke, Jean Smart, Jean Smart, Jan Hooks, Julia Duffy, Judith Ivey,
Designing Women Cast and Details
Designing Women Cast and Details on TVGuide.com