TIMBER LAKE PLAYHOUSE PRESS RELEASE


Mount Carroll, IL--The Board of Directors of Timber Lake Playhouse has announced that current Executive Director, James Beaudry, will be returning to the position of Artistic Director for the theatre company’s 2015 summer season. The company is beginning a search for a new Executive Director, who will work with the board of directors, overseeing all business operations of the company which just completed its 53rd summer in Mount Carroll.

Tina Stretton, Manager of Theatre Operations announced her departure following a very successful summer season that critics said “sets the bar incredibly high.” Looking at the growth of the company, a task force made of board members, audience members, regional business leaders and consultants recommended an evolution in company leadership to help keep the artistic quality high while improving audience services and the financial stability of the institution. Beaudry is pleased with the upcoming changes.

“The Company is committed to positive change to manage our growth and improve audience experience. We’ve outgrown our own operations--which is a great problem to have--but it’s still a problem until it’s solved. I’m thrilled that the Board of Directors is taking steps to see TLP grow to new heights,” Beaudry said.

“It’s been a privilege to call TLP my artistic home for almost fifteen years. I’m excited to be able to focus all of my efforts once again on the creative work of the playhouse, so we can continue to offer the spectacular work that our audiences expect--with both inventive stagecraft like our production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and by bringing in the best talent from around the country as we did with Les Miserables.”

The Board of Directors hope to fill the new position by November 1, 2014 following a national and regional search. Information about the job and the company can be found at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org.

Timber Lake Playhouse serves 20,000 patrons a year in Northwest, Illinois, and is the oldest continuously operating summer theatre in the state. The company receives support from the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the theatre building. The original building was destroyed in a fire in 1974.

TLP’s 2015 summer season includes Hairspray, The Big Meal, Peter Pan, Greater Tuna, Big Fish and Big River. Children’s shows include Pinocchio and James And The Giant Peach. Season passes for all six shows are only $119 and are available now at 815-244-2035 or at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org. Gift certificates and group sales are available year round.

TIMBER LAKE PLAYHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

‘Les Misérables’ Begins at Timber Lake Playhouse

via press release
Mount Carroll--Les Misérables, the most popular musical ever written, will be presented at Timber Lake Playhouse for the first time Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, August 10. Special guest star Jason Kraack, who has played the role of Jean Valjean on the national tour, leads the TLP production under the direction of Matthew Teague Miller.


Executive Director James Beaudry said, “We’ve been very lucky to assemble 28 of the best performers we’ve ever had at Timber Lake for this production. Our director has a long history with show having performed it around the world, and our star is giving one of the finest performances I’ve ever seen. Additionally, the orchestra is the largest we’ve had in my time here, and they are astonishing.”


Les Misérables premiered in London in 1985 (where it continues to run) and quickly grew to be a major hit in the United States and in productions around the world. Now in its third Broadway production, the musical has long been available to schools, but only recently have professional theatres been granted the rights to produce this epic and triumphant show.


The story of Les Misérables spans two decades and is one of passion, dreams and redemption set against the backdrop of a nation in the throes of rebellion. Jean Valjean is released from 19 years of unjust imprisonment, finding nothing in store but mistrust and mistreatment. He breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life, initiating a life-long struggle for redemption as he is relentlessly pursued by police inspector Javert. During the Paris student uprising of 1832, Javert must confront the truth after Valjean spares him and saves the life of Marius, a student revolutionary, who has captured the heart of Valjean's adopted daughter, Cosette.


Guest performer John B. Leen, a Jeff Award winner from Chicago, stars as Inspector Javert, with resident performers Nathan Goodrich and Caroline Murrah as Marius and Cosette, respectively. TLP favorite Erica Stephan returns to the company as Eponine, who longs for Marius. Lexie Plath plays Cosette’s ill-fated mother, Fantine. Matt Webb and Analisha Santini proved comic relief as The Thenardiers, scheming their way through Paris.


Joining the adult cast are Lily Leding of Clinton, Iowa as Young Cosette, Avery Findlay of Savanna, Illinois as Young Eponine, and Cecelia Ryan of Sterling, Illinois as Gavroche.


“We were also lucky to find three young people in the area with the talent Lily, Cecelia and Avery have,” says Beaudry. “They are a joy to work with, and the company’s faces light up every time these young ladies perform.”


“But it was the role of Jean Valjean--one of the most demanding in all musical theatre--that was the tough one. After a national search and many auditions in many cities, we found Jason Kraack. It’s been a privilege to have him at Timber Lake for Les Misérables.”


Of his experience at TLP, Kraack said, “I have been amazed by the talent here. The cast is just amazing. The band, the directors, the designers--all of it. Theaters like TLP have their pick of the best talents of the future and they certainly hired the best young talents for this show. I have very much enjoyed the chance to mentor and learn from these great performers in our cast. I can't wait for audiences to see the hard work we have been doing for the past few weeks. They are going to be blown away!”


Les Misérables performs evenings at 7:30 p.m., and there are 2:00 p.m. matinees on Sundays and Wednesday. There is also a Saturday matinee performance on the opening weekend at 3pm. Tickets are $17-$23 and may be purchased through the box office 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily at 815-244-2035 or any time at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org.


As part of the playhouse’s Do Something Spectacular: Live The Story campaign, TLP is partnering with The Table, a group that serves hot meals in Carroll County Monday through Friday at no charge. Part of Great River Outreach, The Table has served over 45,000 meals to date. A non-perishable food drive to support The Table will be held at TLP throughout the run of Les Misérables.


The Table has a specific need for cereal, rice, dry beans, peas, soda crackers, egg and elbow pasta, canned fruit, pancake mix, and pork and beans. Cash donations may be made to cover the organization’s needs for meat. Anyone able to make a donation of chickens, pigs or cows is encouraged to contact the organization directly at 815-990-6511 or greatriveroutreach@yahoo.com. All non-perishable donations may be dropped off at Timber Lake Playhouse, located at 8215 Black Oak Road in Mount Carroll, during box office hours (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) or before any performance of Les Misérables.

VIA press release

‘Young Frankenstein’ Brings Hilarity to Life at TLP

MOUNT CARROLL, IL -- Timber Lake Playhouse will present the local premiere of The New Mel Brooks MusicalYoung Frankenstein beginning Thursday, July 3. From the award-winning team that brought The Producers to international acclaim, this monster musical comedy, which runs through Saturday, June 28, is a dizzy, lavish and fast paced re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend based on Mel Brooks' classic comedy film masterpiece. Former Artistic Director Brad Lyons returns to Mount Carroll to direct the hilarity starring TLP’s professional company from all over the country.

The story follows bright, young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen), played by TLP favorite Cody Jolly, as he attempts to complete his grandfather's masterwork and bring a corpse to life. Together with his oddly shaped and endearing helper Igor (that's Eye-gor), played by Matt Webb (Patsy in last year’s Spamalot), his curvaceous lab assistant Inga (Lexie Plath), and in spite of his incredibly self-involved madcap fiancé Elizabeth (Allison Hunt), Frankenstein succeeds in creating a monster (Blake W. Price)-- but not without hilarious complications from Frau Blucher (Analisha Santini), Inspector Kemp (Grant Brown), the villagers of Transylvania Heights and, of course, Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”

Enthusiasts of the film have plenty of new surprises to look forward to in the stage adaptation. And musical comedy fans will be in heaven with the new, high-energy songs and riotous dances including “Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend,” “Roll In Ze Hay,” and “Together Again—For The First Time.” The production also features some “shocking” visual effects as well as spectacularly “monstrous” choreography by Cameron Turner (Spamalot).

There are only 11 chances to see Young Frankenstein. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. (except July 4, July 6 and July 7).Wednesday and Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. There is a 3:00 pm matinee on Saturday, July 5. Tickets are $17 for students, $21 for seniors, $23 for single seats and are available at the Timber Lake Playhouse box office, 815-244-2035, or www.timberlakeplayhouse.org.

TLP’s Do Something Spectacular: Live The Story campaign continues with Young Frankenstein through the help of Happy Tails Humane Society in Rock Falls, Illinois. Happy Tails operates Whiteside County's only animal shelter.  They are a limited-intake, no-kill facility that shelters and cares for stray and abandoned dogs and cats until they are adopted into loving, permanent homes.  They promote pet adoption and humane education in the region. At each performance of Young Frankenstein, audiences will have an opportunity to help “save the creature!”

This program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council through federal funds from the National Endowment For The Arts.


via press release

MT. CARROLL - "And now for something completely different" - "Spamalot" at Timber Lake Playhouse (TLP). This play aptly falls into that description - - in a good way. No, make that a great way.

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The company that has performed at the playhouse this summer has been first rate all season long. With "Spamalot," they utilize all their talents and explode with a hilarious romp in search of The Holy Grail. Monty Python's madness and genius is on display here and the audience exploded with laughter and applause throughout tonight's opening performance.

Even if you do not know anything about "Monty Python and The Holy Grail," their Flying Circus of a TV show, or any of the characters and other movies, this play works.

But, if you do, it works on a much higher level. This cast brings that higher level to life and helps bring back those wonderful memories To fans of the TV show, that includes the phrase "And now for something completely different," right?

Location: Timber Lake Playhouse 42.052791 ; -89.938435 Rousing applause goes to John Chase (King Arthur), Sharisse Hamilton (The Lady of The Lake), James Beaudry (Sir Robin), Jess Ford (Sir Lancelot), Matthew C. Webb (Patsy), Elliot March (Sir Belvedere) and Cody Jolly (Historian and more). Beaudry, who is also the executive director of TLP, gets back in the game with this one.

After the performance, he noted that without the work of Courtney Crouse, who is company manager this summer, that would not have happened. He quipped that he was getting too old for this but, "without Courtney being able to step in for two weeks, I would not have been able to perform."

It was nice to see him back on stage as Sir Robin and lend his talent that helped push him into the role he has at the theater. The fun of watching the characters use the word play and expressions along the way is a delight. Listen carefully for those wacky lyrics, dual roles and odd items. That includes a cow, rabbit, Trojan rabbit and the Knights Who Say Ni, just to name a few. And let's not forget those showgirls. They cheer, sing, dance and demand attention.

There is no way you will go away without remembering them. The Scene Change, just remember the Scene Change, as in Lexie Plath. She is talent that oozes sex appeal. She backs it up with stage presence and talent, as does Sarah Larson. When the knights head to Camalot (a casino), look for all of this on display. More of the eye-catching showgirls are Danille Davilla, Genna-Paige Kanago, Abby Taylor, Tayloir Pace and Hannah-Jo Weisberg.

Webb as Patsy continues to be a comic master at TLP this summer. Ford as Lancelot no doubt watched Eric Idle and Michael Palin from Monty Python for his spot on performance. Add in John Cleese, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones from that famous troupe to make it complete. March as Belvedere is solid and shows a charisma that needs to be noticed. Jolly, in a few roles, proves he can do it all.

But, the glue needs to be there and that is Chase as King Arthur. Watching his facial expressions when these encounters take place is priceless. He expressions and reactions are a hoot. Hamilton as The Lady of the Lake is a showstopper - - on purpose. That is her role and wow, what a role. The diva belts out of tune, pulls it back, and commands respect. In many shows, there is that song that packs an emotional punch. She gets it and more. The fact that she can make it emotional with those lyrics, is comedy gold.

All of this needs to come together to pull out the silliness and the company must be able to sing and dance, to boot. Note the spectacular choreography in this one. Beaudry, along with Cameron, mae their mark on this one. Rounding out the company here are Joe Capstick, Alex Johnson, Zak McMahon, Dylan Pessman,Tim Wessel and choreographer Turner.
Ultimately, there is a message here. It is all about searching for your own personal grail. How ones gets there is up to the individual. While searching for the grail, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."
But, it is, once again, the company coming together, that is a joy to watch. From the opening salvo of the "Fisch Schlapping Song" to the reprise to "The Song That Goes Like This," this one will makes the search for the Holy Grail of whole lot of fun.

"Spamalot" is such a solid, splendid musical comedy, it deserves a second look. Make those plans now. It runs through Aug. 11. Timber Lake Playhouse is located at 8215 Black Oak Road in Mt. Carroll. Call 815-244-2035.

MT. CARROLL - And now for something completely different - "Spamalot" at Timber Lake Playhouse (TLP). This play aptly falls into that description - - in a good way. No, make that a great way. The company that has performed at the playhouse this summer has been first rate all season long. With "Spamalot," they utilize all their talents and explode with a hilarious romp in search of The Holy Grail. Monty Python's madness and genius is on display here and the audience roared with laughter and applause throughout tonight's opening performance. Even if you do not know anything about "Monty Python and The Holy Grail," their TV show or any of the characters, this play works. But, if you do, it works on a much higher level. This cast brings that higher level to life and helps bring back those wonderful memories. And being a Tony Award winning play certainly helps.
  Initial kudos John Chase (King Arthur), Sharisse Hamilton (The Lady of The Lake), James Beaudry (Sir Robin), Jess Ford (Sir Lancelot), Matthew C. Webb (Patsy), Elliot March (Sir Belvedere) and Cody Jolly (Historian and more). Beaudry, who is also the executive director of TLP, gets back in the game with this one. After the performance, he noted that without the work of Courtney Crouse, who is company manager this summer, that would not have happened. He quipped that he was getting old for this but, "without Courtney being able to step in for two weeks, I would not have been able to perform."
"Spamalot" is such a solid, splendid musical comedy, it deserves a second look. Make those plans now. Call 815-244-2035. Complete review coming here and for my Examiner (Chicago) beat

FULL REVIEW: Comic caper at Timber Lake Playhouse hits the right spot

"UNNECESSARY FARCE" - DIRECTED BY CHICAGO'S LILI-ANNE BROWN OF THE BAILIWICK ....Fresh off the dynamic performance of "The Music Man," Timberlake Playhouse in Mt. Carroll (TLP) smacks the audience over the head with a comic farce. This comedy is fast-paced and fun and shows the ability of the cast to switch from a classic musical to a comedy. It is "Unnecessary Farce" and it is a delightful change of pace. There are no weaknesses in the cast which includes Alex Johnson as Eric Sheridan, Hannah-Jo Weisberg as Billie Dwyer, Sarah Larson as Karen Brown, Matthew C. Webb as Mayor Meekly, Brandon Day as Agent Frank, Cody Jolly as Todd and Erica Stephan as Mary Meekly. More later here and on Examiner.com (Chicago Celebrity)...for me this was a necessary comedy....