Erin Cohenour
Erin is excited to be doing her first Christmas show with BOBDIREX. She was most recently seen as Seaweed the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid at Beef & Boards. Other credits include everything from Evil Dead: The Musical to Hello Dolly. Erin just finished choreographing “Don We Now Our Gay Apparel” currently playing at Theatre On The Square. Thanks for coming and enjoy the show!
DIANE TSAO BOEHM
Diane is happy to be performing at the Athenaeum once again. This marks her 10th theatre production on this stage, the first being back in 1995. She has also performed at the IRT, Beef and Boards, Indianapolis Civic Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre, Footlite Musicals, Theatre on the Square, The Artists’ Studio, and a few other places that no longer exist! Diane also enjoys singing with the The Jump Cats, a 9-piece dance band (www.JumpCats.com). A graduate of Purdue University, Diane lives in the Fishers area with her husband and two daughters.
Some recent snapshot from the rehearsals of the upcoming Christmas revue Silver Bells…Silver Screen. The show opens Friday, December 3rd!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Bob Harbin, 317/280 – 0825
Email, bobdirex@aol.com
Website, www.bobdirex.com
SILVER BELLS / SILVER SCREEN
Athenaeum Theatre
December 3 – 17, 2010
Indianapolis, IN – A few years back, Bob Harbin and John Austin Butsch produced original musical holiday productions that became landmarks for the Athenaeum Theatre. After a year hiatus, they are bringing back the holidays to the historic theatre in the form of “Silver Bells / Silver Screen,” a grand mixture of favorite holiday songs combined with familiar songs from the movies—including many Academy Award nominations and Oscar winners.
“By Thanksgiving, many of us feel a bit inundated with Christmas music from the radio, malls, and elevators—-and need a little break,” says Bob Harbin, director and executive producer of BOBDIREX, the show’s production company. “So we keep some December favorites and mix them with another form of vocal entertainment.” In years past the men have “mixed in” the Big Band sound, Country Western and this year it’s movie music. John Austin Butsch, Music Director, chimes in with “we love doing these special shows and the Athenaeum with its tables and chairs makes it a comfortable place to see them.”
There will be lots of singing, some dancing, some comedy and some of Indianapolis’s best vocal talents. That’s a wonderful feature of the production—-the mixture of talent. There will be Athenaeum favorites, Tim Spradlin, Karlton D. Turner, Diane Tsao Boehm and Da’Keisha Bryant, mixed with soon-to-become favorites, Erin Cohenour, Claire Cassidy, Kelsee Hankin, Tobin Strader, Bryan Padgett and Andrew Elliott. And perennial Phoenix Theatre star, Phebe Taylor, will be coming in from New York City to round out the cast.
“Silver Bells / Silver Screen” is a true family event appropriate for all ages. This show follows the first two BOBDIREX productions, “Classic Soul” and “A Funny Thing Happpened on the Way to the Forum,” both reviewed with great critical success.
The production will run for three consecutive weekends, December 3-4, December 9-12 and December 16-17. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. with December 12 being the exception—-a Sunday matinee at 3:00 p.m. All seats are reserved and a wallet friendly $20. Discounts are available for seniors and groups over 20.
Tickets are on sale now through the BOBDIREX website, www.bobdirex.com or by calling the ticket line (317) 280-0825 (no fee) or at the door an hour before performance. Tickets cannot be ordered through the Athenaeum.
Once again the Athenaeum Docent Society will help sponsor the program. The Athenaeum Theatre is located at 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Cocktails are available before and during the performance at the theatre bar. Dinner and cocktails are available before and after performances at the famous Rathskeller restaurant located in the building’s basement. Parking near the Athenaeum is free at parking meters on the street after 6pm and on weekends. There are several other parking options within one or two blocks.
What’s next for BOBDIREX? Coming next summer will be Disney’s “CAMP ROCK.” The two popular Disney television movies have been combined into one big live theatrical experience featuring the best of INDY’s local young people. Auditions will be announced soon on www.bobdirex.com. Tell all of the young people you know to start getting prepared for “CAMP ROCK”!
Silver Bells…Silver Screen is coming to Indianapolis on Dec. 3rd.
If you would like to have your business included in our performance programs, click on the link below for information about advertising with BOBDIREX.
BOBDIREX Advertisement Signup Form For Silver Bells…Silver Screen
Indianapolis, you have one week left to catch the well received ‘A Funny Things Happened On The Way To The Forum’. Be sure to check out the links below to read all reviews from the Indianapolis media.
Indianapolis Business Journal – LOU’S VIEWS: ‘A Funny Thing’ happening at Athenaeum
Nuvo – Theater review: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Here at BOBDIREX we are very excited for the upcoming show “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum”. Here is that very talented cast that is sure to be the best of the talent pool here in Indianapolis.
THE CAST OF “A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM”
The House of Senex…
Senex………………………..Paul Hansen
Domina………………………Brenda Upchurch
Hero………………………….Matt Patterson
Pseudolus…………………..Claire Wilcher
Hysterium…………………..Scot Greenwell
The House of Erronius…
Erronius……………………..Vonda Fuhrman
Philia…………………………Kate Bridal
Miles Gloriosus…………….Karlton D. Turner
The House of Lycus…
Lycus………………………..Mark Fishback
Courtesans…………………Jennifer Shoup
Jenee Michele, Kelsey Breece, Chris Lingner
The Proteans…………………
Dave Rosencrans, De’Keisha Bryant, David Terry
After the hugely successful “Classic Soul” show, Indiana audiences are already anticipating the second show of “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum”. As the cast list was posted at Indiana Auditions, Christy Walker of Indianapolis had this to say…
“I thought I was dreaming when I saw this. It’s like a bunch of people sat around, perhaps with drinks in hand, and said, “Let’s play the casting game. Forum — with the best of Indy talent. Go!” And then they started reeling off names and chortling because it could never possibly happen.
And then I pinched and slapped myself, and the post was still there. Oh happy, happy day! I can’t wait for this! What unbridled fun!”
– Christy Walker, Indianapolis, IN
Thanks Christy for your excitement about our tremendous cast. We’re certain that this show will live up to your expectations.
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
Athenaeum Theatre
July 22 – August 7, 2010
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. The musical’s original 1962 Broadway run won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book. Successful revivals of the musical were done in 1972 and in 1996 both winning additional Tonys.
“Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!” Broadway’s greatest farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. The result is a non-stop laugh-fest in which a crafty slave (Pseudolus) struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan (Philia) for his(her) young master (Hero), in exchange for freedom.
Every actor who has opened in the role of Pseudolus on Broadway (Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers and Nathan Lane) won a Best Actor Tony for his performance. The show then attempted a run with Whoopi Goldberg in the lead role. Not to put too much pressure on Claire, but that’s what excited Bob Harbin, the show’s producer/director, about trying another production of the show in Indianapolis. “How will a woman do here in a role everyone is used to seeing a man do?”
“I’ve worked with Claire before (Full Monty & Victor/Victoria)and have watched her grow into an amazing talent,“ says Bob Harbin, the show’s producer/director. “Just a month ago she was flown out to Los Angeles by Warner’s Television to test for a CBS pilot and competed eye to eye with the best in the country. What a great opportunity to see such a unique young woman in this unique role.”
John Austin Butsch and John Phillips will be doing all the vocal work with the cast. “This is truly an Indianapolis All-Star cast,” notes Butsch, “great voices everywhere.” Bernie Killian, Wendy Taylor, Donna Hutchens, Matt Cunningham and Rodney Tolliver will all be back to shore up all the technical challenges.
Casting includes Claire Wilcher, Scot Greenwell, Vonda Fuhrmann, Karlton D. Turner, Kate Bridle, Paul Hansen, Brenda Upchurch, Matt Patterson, Mark Fishback, Dave Rosencrans, Da’Keisha Bryant, David Terry, Jenny Shoup, Jenee Michele, Kelsey Breece and Chris Langler.
The production will play for three consecutive weekends, Thursdays through Saturdays, July 22-24, July 29-31 and August 5-7. All shows begin at 7:30pm. Tickets are on sale now and are wallet friendly $20 with discounts for seniors and groups over 20 people. Tickets can be purchased at the website www.bobdirex.com or by calling our ticket number 317 / 280-0825.
The location is the historic Athenaeum Theatre at 401 East Michigan Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. Dinner and cocktails are available before and after performances at the famous Rathskeller restaurant in the basement of the building. The reservation number there is 317/636-0396. Parking near the Athenaeum is free at parking meters on the street after 6pm and all day on weekends. There are several other parking opportunities within short walking distance of the theatre.
Website:
www.bobdirex.com
NEXT UP: The holidays will be back this year at the Athenaeum!!! Bobdirex will be presenting “Holiday & Movie Magic” opening Friday, December 3 for 8 performances. This show will be an all family production of Holiday tunes combined with favorites from the world of feature films. Look to the website for upcoming news about “Holiday & Movie Magic” . . . . .
NUVO says “Classic Soul Sizzles…”
