Gilligan's Island benefit for AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland
GILLIGAN’S ISLAND: THE MUSICAL
Book by SHERWOOD SCHWARTZ and LLOYD J. SCWARTZ
Music & Lyrics by LAURENCE JUBER and HOPE JUBER
Director CURT ARNOLD
Musical Director BUTCH MARSHALL
Choreographer ALLISON BUTLER
Why have you gotten involved in this benefit? How many years have you been doing it? (I know it’s several!)
The annual benefit began in 2002 when a group of friends wanted to perform the musical FALSETTOS, so they put together a concert production to benefit the AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland. Later that same year, the group was approached by Weathervane Playhouse in Akron to present the show again as a benefit for the Community AIDS Network of Summit County. I didn’t participate that year (except as an audience member) and Jenniver Sparano designed the costumes but wasn’t directly involved in producing the show itself.
During the following year, many of that original core group moved out of Cleveland, and it seemed like it was only going to be a one-time event. One evening, over a glass of wine, Jenniver and I were discussing that the project seemed to be something important and worth repeating, so we became producers and assembled a staging of the musical FOREVER PLAID with some friends, with me directing and Jenniver doing costumes. The rest is history, and we’re now working on the 9th annual benefit, GILLIGAN’S ISLAND: THE MUSICAL!
The annual benefit musicals have been:
2002 FALSETTOS
2003 FOREVER PLAID
2004 NUNSENSE A-MEN
2005 NUNSENSE 2: THE SECOND COMING
2006 PUMP BOYS & DINETTES
2007 RUTHLESS!
2008 SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE
2009 THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL
2010 GILLIGAN’S ISLAND: THE MUSICAL
As a director, how do you approach rehearsals and blocking from the standpoint of this being 1) a short run, 2) a show that will be in multiple venues?
Curt Arnold
The style of our production allows for a limited amount of rehearsals and for the show to be extremely “portable.” The performances are presented as staged readings, with costumes and a musical combo for accompaniment, but very minimal sets & props, much like a concert. We’ve modeled the productions after similar events around the country, such as the “Encores” series in New York and the “Reprise” series in Los Angeles, with the focus on the script & songs and the fantastic performances. In most cases, the actors are not required to memorize lines or songs, and usually carry their scripts onstage. (For certain musical numbers, like the extensive disco finale in last summer’s GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL, our choreographer Allison Butler might ask them to memorize the song in order to sing & dance without scripts in their hands.)
We don’t hold auditions, and generally cast performers with whom we have worked and whom we know will be comfortable and effective performing with each other and within the limitations we have. As director, I create a basic outline of staging but, because I know and trust these actors, I leave a lot of the creativity up to them and their stage partners. And, they consistently come up with hysterical bits that I would never have dreamed of, often during the actual performance!
After one brief rehearsal with this year’s musical director Butch Marshall early in the summer, we don’t meet again until a few weeks before the August performances, when we generally have 10 or so rehearsals to put everything together. We then have one technical rehearsal at each theatre on the night before the performance, during which we incorporate the band, lights, body microphones, sound system, costumes, etc. Our goal is to be just slightly under-rehearsed, which leads to a unique energy during the performances. Our audiences have come to expect those “Carol Burnett Moments,” when something doesn’t go quite right and the actors are forced to improvise, always with hilarious results.
Why “Gilligan’s Island”?!
Over the years, we’ve found that the audience response (and consequently our financial success) has been best for shows with a campy, over-the-top tone, so we try to capitalize on that. We’ve also had great luck with show titles that, by themselves, stir interest in the project. About a year ago, Jenniver and I discovered a musical version of GILLIGAN’S ISLAND, with a script by Sherwood Schwartz (the producer of the original TV series) and his son, Lloyd Schwartz. It’s not a show that’s really been done a lot and, in correspondence with the authors about securing the performance rights, we found that they were very supportive of our goal of presenting the show as a benefit.
Allison Butler
We also try to match the characters in a show that we’re considering with actors that we know and with whom we have worked. In this case, we immediately thought of local actors Nick Koesters as “Gilligan” and Kevin Joseph Kelly as “Skipper,” a pairing that promises hilarity both on and offstage! Both Nick and Kevin have been involved with previous benefits, and they work together extremely well!! For us, this seemed to “seal the deal” in our minds that this show was perfect for us. And, as we considered the other familiar characters, we were equally excited to fill the cast with more brilliant local performers: Greg Violand and Maryann Nagel as “Mr. & Mrs. Howell,” Tricia Bestic as “Ginger,” Brian Bowers as “the Professor,” and Eileen Burns as “Mary Ann,” as well as an Alien character, played by Patrick Ciamacco, which promises to bring some unique surprises to the stage!
Jenniver and I constantly marvel at how lucky we are to know so many generous artists who are willing to donate their time and talents. For example, we are thrilled each year to have Akron-based syndicated cartoonist Chuck Ayers (“Crankshaft”) design our publicity artwork. He attends the early-summer rehearsal and sketches all of the actors. Then, using information from Jenniver about how the characters will be costumed, he creates a show logo incorporating the title of the musical and caricatures of all the actors. We use this in all of our publicity, on the program, etc. We’re always incredibly impressed with how he captures the “essence” of the actors, many of whom he has only met once!
Describe the music in this show.
The music and lyrics are by Laurence Juber (an original band member of “Paul McCartney & Wings”) and his wife, Hope Juber. The score is a nice mix of traditional musical theatre style material, with comedy songs, love songs, and even a fantasy hula number for the whole cast! Each character gets a chance to shine in the spotlight. And, of course, the familiar TV show theme is included as well!
How and where will the money raised be used in regards to the AIDS cause?
Last year, we raised almost $10,000 between the two performances. All of our actors, musicians, designers and tech staff donate their time and, in many cases, their equipment so that 100% of the proceeds can go directly to the charities. In fact, because of this, the one aspect of the production that we don’t handle is the box office. In Cleveland, the ticket sales are handled by the AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland and, in Akron, this is coordinated by Weathervane Playhouse on behalf of the Community AIDS Network.
We’ve been told that one of the great things about the money we raise is that it doesn’t come with any stipulations. Like most non-profit service organizations, the AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland and the Community AIDS Network rely upon grants and other private and governmental support, but those funds are generally earmarked for a very specific purpose. Because our donation doesn’t come with these restrictions, it can be used in any way necessary, such as buying office supplies or paying the electric bill.
How can tickets be purchased?
AKRON PERFORMANCE:
Monday, August 23, 2010
Weathervane Community Playhouse, Akron
Benefits Community AIDS Network
7:30pm
Tickets $20
330-836-2626
CLEVELAND PERFORMANCE:
Monday, August 30, 2010
Paul W. Cassidy Theatre, Parma Heights
Benefits the AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland
8:00pm
Tickets $25
216-621-0766 xt. 255
Akron performance, benefitting Community AIDS Network:
Monday, August 23, 2010
Weathervane Community Playhouse, Akron
7:30pm
Tickets $20
330-836-2626
Cleveland performance, benefitting AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland:
Monday, August 30, 2010
Paul W. Cassidy Theatre, Parma Heights
8:00pm
Tickets $25
216-621-0766 xt. 255
AKRON PERFORMANCE:
Monday, August 23, 2010
Weathervane Community Playhouse, Akron
Benefits Community AIDS Network
7:30pm
Tickets $20
330-836-2626
CLEVELAND PERFORMANCE:
Monday, August 30, 2010
Paul W. Cassidy Theatre, Parma Heights
Benefits the AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland
8:00pm
Tickets $25
216-621-0766 xt. 255 AKRON PERFORMANCE:
Monday, August 23, 2010
Weathervane Community Playhouse, Akron
Benefits Community AIDS Network
7:30pm
Tickets $20
330-836-2626
CLEVELAND PERFORMANCE:
Monday, August 30, 2010
Paul W. Cassidy Theatre, Parma Heights
Benefits the AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland
8:00pm
Tickets $25
216-621-0766 xt. 255
If people want to donate time or money to this project, who do they contact and how?
At each performance, additional money is raised through a raffle held at intermission (including a walk-on role in the show!), so we’re always looking for donations of goods and services from individuals, businesses, community groups and theatres. We also began a tradition a few years ago in which an autographed costume item from one of the characters is auctioned off after the performance and this has become extremely popular! For more information about the benefit or to donate time, money or raffle items, contact me at curtarnold@sbcglobal.net or Jenniver at Jenniver_Sparano@keybank.com.
Additionally, the respective charities are always looking for financial or time donations. The AIDS TaskForce of Greater Cleveland can be reached at 216-621-0766 or online at http://www.aidstaskforce.org. Contact the Community AIDS Network in Akron at 330-252-1559 or online at http://www.communityaidsnetwork.org.
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