Dames at SeaBook & Lyrics by George Haimsohn & Robin Miller Show sponsor: Media Sponsor: Season Sponsor: Performed in the Cantey V. Sutton Theatre On this page: About the play“When their ship came in, they were wearing tap shoes!”
Dames at Sea was written in 1968 by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller with music by Jim Wise. It is loosely based on its musical forbearer, 42nd Street. Like that show, it is a musical full of comedy, tap dancing and torch songs. With an off- Broadway opening at The Bowrie Lane Theatre, the original musical starred then-newcomer Bernadette Peters. During the run of the show, she was succeeded by Pia Zadora, Bonnie Franklin, Barbara Sharma and Loni Ackerman. The rest of the cast included Tamara Long (Mona Kent); Sally Stark (Joan); Steve Elmore (Hennessey, The Captain); David Christmas (Dick); and Joseph R. Sicari (Lucky).
New York salutes Hollywood in this affectionate spoof of the Busby Berkeley/Harry Warren, Al Dubin/Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler-style film musicals of the 1930’s. As a pastiche of those 1930’s musicals, the show’s atmosphere and songs reflect a goodnatured send-up of the real thing. The New York Times’, Clive Barnes called Dames at Sea “a real winner, a little gem of a musical”. The New York Post called it, “a loving spoof…every gesture is witty; every cliché – and there are a thousand – is fine, honed and exactly chosen.” George Haimsohn and Robin Miller’s book sounds all too familiar. Ruby, a sweet young thing from Centerville, Utah, hops on a Greyhound bus with little more than her tap shoes, a few dollars pinned up under her dress and incredibly high hopes. Destination? Broadway!!! She arrives in New York City early one morning, is quickly hired as a chorus girl, meets a sailor named Dick, falls in love and does quite a bit more by the time the curtain rings down at the end of the show. Light and airy and as entertaining as any of those finely-crafted depression-era shows it winks at, Dames at Sea makes you forget your troubles and where you put that old kit bag as you smile, smile, smile all the way home.
Director's musings of RLT's productionEvery now and again it seems time to take on the rather scary proposition of that rather unique member of the musical theatre community: the "Tap Musical". I have been here before. (Anything Goes, Me and My Girl). It always seems like a good idea until auditions come around and, while we usually have a fair number of ladies who tap, it is usually a mystery as who in the male populace will show up brave enough to give it a try. Being forearmed a bit, we decided upon the lovely, small cast gem from the early '70's, Dames at Sea. While turn out for auditions was (predictably) small, we were able to field a superb cast (Susan Durham-Lozaw, Aimee Davidson, Blair Byrd, Jamie Benson, Alan Seales and Brent Wilson. The ladies were all excellent tappers; the men committed to learn….(so nu?)
Dames is a send-up of those nautical tap movies of the 30's made popular by Busby Berkely. Those spectacles had casts of thousands and huge gimmiky sets that move. It is a hilarious challenge to take a cast of six and "re-create" those huge production numbers. Choreographer, Freddie Lee Heath, together with our incomparable scenic designer, Rick Young did a great job setting it up. (Rick even took on the job, with veterans Del Flack and Leon Sabarski, of being the on-stage scene crew). "Wall Street", performed with great style and panache by newcommer Aimee Davidson on a spiraling platform (powered by Rick inside). "That Mr. Man of Mine" (again performed hilariously by Ms. Davidson) required a shadow screen for a pantomime. The screen was deftly placed by Rick and his cohorts as part of the action of the scene.
"Choo-choo Honeymoon" required a pino that moved like a locomotive; the first act finale required that the set self destrauct as the curtain fell -- No mean feat! Act two takes place on a battleship in New York Harbor. Again, Rick acquitted himself with valor producing a wonderful art deco confection of nautical architecture, complete with trap doors that opened and closed choreographically in "The Echo Waltz". The big tap finale incorporated huge reflecting mirrors (to increase the "apparent" number of dancers on stage. This show also had some of the quickest changes ever! (The kind that occur in the black-out between scenes). Ms. Vicki was eminently equal to the task.
We also broke in a new Stage Manager, Debbie Bare. (I hope we didn't break her….Debbie, come back!) In addition we had a Musical Director new to RLT, Mr. Greg Dixon---a true southern gentleman and lovely to work with. He firlded agorgeous little band that had all the right sounds.
Of course, living in North Carolina in September is always an adventure! Hurricane Isabel blew through on September 18th. Members of the cast(in order of appearance) Mona Kent: Amie Davidson
Orchestra Conductor & Piano: Gregory Dixon Production crewDirector: Haskell Fitz-Simons
Auditions Crew: Tony Landavazo, Rose Martin, Kent Parks, Donna Sullivan-Khouri Box Office Volunteers: Joe Ali, Laura Barrier, Beckie Bumgardner, Harvey Bumgardner, Cornell Chappell, Patsy Clarke, Deanna Eckert, Joyce Donaldson, Lynn Hardison, Connie McDaniel, Rose Melvin, Martha Noyes, Pats Palmer, Linda Pritchard, Linda Shore, Edythe Stanislaw, Marian Susann Costume Shop Crew: Marie Berry, Lauren Britt, Kenna Covington, Carol Hill, Emma Kimmel, Susan Kimmel, Catherine Lambe, Connie McDaniel, Wayne Olson, Yvonne Terrelongue, Claire Wagner, Lydia Wagner, Montana Wagner, Jane Williams, Jean Wilkinson Dressers Crew: Kenna Covington (Chief), Marie Berry, Meredith Budlong, Bryan Covington, Sherry Derry, Carol Dileo, Kat Henwood, Catherine Lambe, Debbi Rodi, Gail Smith House Managers: Keith Bugner, Patsy Clarke, Deanna Eckert, Cate Foltin, Carol Friedlander, Barbette Hunter, Rose Martin, Lilo Miles, Kent Parks, Margie Taylor, David Watts, Judi Wilkinson Light Crew: David Page (Chief), Lee Baker, Nick Blinn, Adam Budlong, Adam Dixon, Chris Eckert, Dan Eckert, Deanna Eckert, Jeff Eckert, Brian Hunt, David Langmyer, Brett Peterman, David Powell, Nikolai Rogers, Keith Rothschild, Billie Shannon, Cameron T. Shirley Light Hang/Focus: Amy Bartley, Pat Berry, Keith Bugner, Adam Dixon, Ruby Doll, Deanna Eckert, Aaron Jordan, Gaelen Jordan, Glenn Jordan, David Langmeyer, David Page, David Powell, Jennifer Root, Summer Williamson, David Watts, David Wilk Props Crew: Mary Ammerman (Chief), Patrick Berry, BJ Bullamore, Cameron T. Shirley, Laura Benfield Ladoski Public Relations Crew: Barbara Corbin, Ming-Wai Farrell, Karen Gillmore, Laura Benfield Ladoski, Irene Manual, Lisa Manual, Greg Moore, Kent Parks, Thomas Porter, Hope Steinman, Natasha Strawn, David Wilkinson Set Construction Crew: Amy Bartley, Deborah Bare, Jim Bates, Jamey Benson, Ed Bodell, BJ Bullamore, Lauren Bullamore, Noel Butzke, Amie Davidson, Brian Davidson, Adam Dixon, Susan Durham-Lozaw, Chris Eckert, Deanna Eckert, Jeff Eckert, Ava Ensign, Joe Kolb, Catherine Lambe, Amy Lynch, Richard Mancini, David Page, David Powell, Heather Powell, John Price, Alan Seales, Paul Seales, Dick Shirk, Darryl Staples, David Watts, Brent Wilson Sound Crew: Kristin Young (Chief), Nick Blinn, Ed Bodell, Barbara Corbin, Cameron T. Shirley Special Thanks To: Arts Access for audio description; Aaron Barrett, rehearsal tape recording engineer; Capstone Production Group for Web hosting; Luna Designs for Web site design and maintenance; PIP Printing for posters; and Henry Glasgow for piano tuning. You are here: Photo home > 2003-2004 Yearbook > Dames at Sea |
