Meet Connie of Lend Me a Tenor (Julia)

Connie Carpenter (Julia)  Connie began her acting journey in junior high school as a principle dancer in L’il Abner.  In high school she played Sarah in JB by Archibald Mac Leach.  Choosing theater over a journalism major, Connie received her B.A. in Theater Performance from UCSB.  Roses she has been fortunate to reprise include: Ibsen’s Peer Gynt where she played Peer’s mother, Penny Sycamore in You Can’t Take it With You, Ellen Turner in Thurber’s The Male Animal, The Madwoman in Madwoman of Chaillot, Miramne Estas in Winterset, Miranda in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Mary in Juno and the Paycock, Jessica in The Pleasure of His Company, Betty in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds, and Rosie in an original musical at Discovery Playhouse Hollywood and Vine, where she first met Director Jody Klemens!  At UCSB Connie performed a one woman show in the Arts & Lectures Series and was a participant in the student directors one act plays series.  Connie has had the honor to serve several years as Secretary on the Board of Directors including: Sacramento Ballet Association, Santa Paula Theater, and the Acting Company in Yuba City.  Connie was hired as Volunteer Coordinator in the Development Department of North Coast Rep Regional Theater in Solano Beach while living in San Diego.  Connie has been a licensed California attorney for 30 years and is now retired.  She wishes to thank Jody for bringing her back full circle to her theater roots.  It has been a thrilling experience for her working with this very talented cast.

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Michelle of Lend Me a Tenor (Diana)

Michelle Harwell (Diana)  Lend Me A Tenor is Michelle’s ninth show onstage at Imagination Theater.  Since 2008, she has been seen in the Ensemble of Wizard of Oz, the operatic Armoire in Beauty and the Beast, the obsessively organized Miss Bellamy in Father of the Bride, the mischievous fairy queen Morgan Le Fe in Camelot, the melodious apparition Lily Craven in The Secret Garden, the Ensemble of Les Miserables, the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and most recently as Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins.  Performing on this particular stage was a family affair as she grew up in this community (you might say it’s “in her blood.”)  Now, Michelle often shares the stage with her three children: Tristan (Tim the Enchanter in Spamalot), Trinity (Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden) and Taryn (Jane Banks in Mary Poppins), and they all consider Imagination Theater their second home.

 Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Marc of Lend Me a Tenor (Bellhop)

Marc Bonham (Bellhop)  My first experience with Imagination Theater was Lil' Abner in 2007. After a short break and reprioritizing my personal life I have been able to participate in many shows.  I have performed in The Secret Garden, Run For Your Wife, Les Misérables, Oliver and currently Lend Me A Tenor.  I am the theater’s sound technician for all shows beginning with A Little Princess and every show since.  IT! is a wonderful community of creative people and I have formed lifelong friendships with many of them. 

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Jeff of Lend Me a Tenor (Saunders)

Jeff Lathrop (Saunders) This is the first time since playing Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha in 2009 that Jeff has been a single character…no rapid, panicked costume changes!  Jeff has been very lucky to play opposite the talented Rick Gaylord in both of Lanny Langston’s productions of the two man shows from the Greater Tuna series.  Jeff lives in the Placerville area with his amazing wife, Vanessa, and three children Simon, Eve,and Isaac.  He teaches at Ponderosa High School, a career which allowed him to finish his summer project of replacing the engine in a cruiser motorcycle.  Jeff finds the role of Saunders challenging and rewarding.  He wants to thank the directors and cast for making this play such a positive, high energy and raucous experience.

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Wayne of Lend Me a Tenor (Max)

Wayne Campbell (Max) is excited to bring the frenetic Max to Imagination Theater.  Lend Me A Tenor marks Wayne’s second appearance at IT! and is one of the plays on his rather short theater bucket list.  He debuted as the coconut-banging squire Patsy in Monty Python’s Spamalot.  In his other life, he is a father to a precocious eight-year-old boy and the husband to a loving wife of ten years (who has graciously looked beyond the stage snogging and has not relegated him to the couch).  He is gainfully employed with a local collateral recovery firm and actively volunteers with his son’s Cub Scout pack and with his church.  Prior to IT!, he was last seen in 2003 at Cascades Theatrical Company in Bend, Oregon in I Hate Hamlet as Gary Peter Lefkowitz.  Other roles have included King Charlemagne in Pippin; Clive and Cathy in Cloud 9; Talthybius in The Greeks: The Wars, The Murders, The Gods; and as Officer Pudney in Rumors.  He has studied theater, theater history, film and stagecraft at Central Oregon Community College, briefly at the University of London, and through the writings of Constantin Stanislavsky, Sir Laurence Olivier and David Mamet.

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Darcy of Lend Me a Tenor (Maggie)

Darcy Hall (Maggie) is excited to help start out the 2016 season at Imagination Theater by bringing her role as Maggie to life in Lend Me A Tenor.  Her last production with IT! was in the hilarious mobster comedy Breaking Legs as Angie Graziano in the summer of 2008.  Miss Hall has taken part in many productions in her youth.  She started at the young age of 14, gracing the state at California’s historic Old Coloma Theatre (OCT) as Eliza Doolittle in Lovely Eliza or Doolittle about Nothing.  That is where she first had the pleasure of working with Becky Jo Adams, now reunited as our current Assistant Director.  Hall was raised and grew up in Placerville, eventually attending, as well as, performing for Ponderosa High School drama department.  Darcy then spent the 1999 season performing for Run Away State productions in Sacramento, doing classic shows such as Grease and Jack and the Bean Stalk.  In her early 20s she began her seasons of working with D&D productions performing live dinner theater in Folsom.  Moving back to her roots in the summer of 2014, Darcy returned to OCT to star in two original comedy melodramas.  She was awarded Best Heroine award for her performance as Dora Jarr in The Best Little Tea House in the West or When a Deed is Done.  Currently Miss Hall enjoys being a local nanny and working as a part-time server for a catering business.  She is engaged and excited to start the journey of building a family here in northern California.

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Meet Otto of Lend Me a Tenor (Tito)

Otto Coelho (Tito)

This is Otto’s first show with Imagination Theater, but it’s not the first time he’s ever heard of Lend Me a Tenor. He was supposed play Tito 20 years ago in Los Angeles, but it never came to fruition. He is very happy to be a part of this wonderful production. Otto was last seen locally as Lord Evekyn Oakleigh in Modesto Performing Arts production of Anything Goes. He spent more than 20 years as a professional actor, working in theatre companies across the country as well as in film, television, and theatre in Los Angeles. Favorite roles include Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1, Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing, Dim and the Governor in the West Coast premiere of A Clockwork Orange, and other roles too numerous to mention here. TV shows include Quantum Leap, Mad About You, Knotts Landing, and The Drew Carey Show. Film appearances include All I Want For Christmas, Some Folks Call It a Slingblade, and The Dancing Cow. He has retired from professional acting and now teaches English and Drama at Foothill High School in Sacramento. Otto owes special thanks to his lovely Christy, who showed him the audition notice and said, “You need to do something for you.”    

Tickets for this lighthearted romp can be purchased online here. 

Lend Me a Tenor Runs February 12 through March 6

"An accelerating snowball of laughter, Lend Me A Tenor has the class and charm of a Kaufman and Hart comedy plus all the door-slamming hilarity of a Marx Brothers' classic like Room Service." - Jim Helsinger, PA 

Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world famous, Tito Merelli, Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he’s dead. 

In a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Merelli's Otello costume and fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume ready to perform. Now two Otellos are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo. A sensation on Broadway and in London's West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter.  This lighthearted farce is rated PG 13.

Shows are Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.  Tickets ($13-17) are available online or by calling 1-800-838-3006.  

Meet Lori of Lend Me a Tenor (Maria)

Lori lives and teaches in Placerville. Some of her other experiences with Imagination Theater include stage managing Beauty and the Beast, acting in Deathtrap and The Diary of Anne Frank, script supervising for Dracula, directing Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood, and lighting for The Secret Garden.  Lori would like to thank Lanny Langston and Peter Wolfe for keeping Imagination Theater a community theater that gives idle hands something creative to do.  She also sends out a big “Thank you!” to Mike, Aaron, and Ashleigh for supporting her desire to play.  Tickets can be purchased online here.

Ready Player One

Courtesy listing for Ready Player One Casting

WE'RE THRILLED TO EMBARK ON AN EXCITING NEW CASTING -- Steven Spielberg's film "READY PLAYER ONE" (based on the novel by Ernest Cline). Please follow directions on how to submit or FWD! Feel free to spread the word! Another incredible opportunity!! Note: We're working in partnership w/Ellen Lewis. If you've already submitted to her or her office (or previously auditioned) - it's unnecessary to resubmit via us. We're working together!

CASTING:

• WADE WATTS: To play 18-19 (up to age 24 if able to portray 18-19) yrs old, male, clean cut w/a sense of humor. Overweight or underweight. A sincere & passionate player in the Oasis. Not the most confident guy outside the Oasis, but Wade gains boldness & nerve as his worlds collide. He uses his skills & the support of his friends to rise above each challenge.

• SHOTO: To play 10-13 yrs old, male; to play Chinese, hip & knowing for his age. He speaks MANDARIN & English FLUENTLY. Wade's friend in the Oasis who joins with him to complete the competition. Please note: Actor should be bilingual: Mandarin & English (applicants must be submitted by parent or legal guardian if applicant is under 18 yrs of age).

• DAITO: To play 20 yrs old, male: to play Japanese. He speaks JAPANESE & English fluently. One of Wade's friends in the Oasis who joins with him to complete the competition. Please note: Actor should be bilingual: Japanese & English.

To submit: Go to http://www.readyplayeronemoviecasting.com/. All instructions are on this website (Warner Brothers Pictures). Individuals (& agents/mgrs) are able to submit via the site. As word of our casting spreads, please note: There is NEVER a fee to submit. Any such claim is fraudulent & should be reported at once. Casting Directors are Ellen Lewis & Debbie DeLisi. 

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Announcing our 2016 Holiday Production

It is never too early to get ready for next year's holiday show.  

We are pleased to announce our holiday production for 2016- A CHRISTMAS STORY, The Musical. November 25-December 21, 2016

In 1940's Indiana, a bespectacled boy named Ralphie has a big imagination and one wish for Christmas--a Red Ryder BB Gun. A kooky leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a cranky department store Santa and a triple-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the obstacles that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas dream. 

Based on the classic 1983 movie, A CHRISTMAS STORY, The Musical captures holiday wonder with funny and heartfelt songs, show stopping dancing, delicious wit and a heart of gold. After triumphant sold-out seasons on Broadway this hilarious musical, directed by Brenda Lindley, makes its Placerville debut in November 2016!   Audition Dates May 14 and 15.  

Tickets Available for 101 Dalmatians

Based on the classic animated film, Disney’s 101 Dalmatians is a fur-raising adventure featuring Cruella De Vil, Disney’s most outrageous villain, and 101 of the most adorable heroes to set their paws onstage.

Artistically-inclined pet owners Robert and Anita live happily in London with Dalmatian parents Pongo and Perdita, stalwart dogs devoted to raising their puppies. Everything is quiet until the monstrous Cruella De Vil plots to steal the puppies for her new fur coat! All the dogs of London daringly rescue the puppies from Cruella and her bumbling henchmen.

Fri., April 8 at 7:00pm 
Sat., April 9 at 1:00pm and 3:00pm 
Sun., April 10 at 2:00 p.m. 

Thurs., April 14 at 7:00pm 
Fri., April 15 at 7:00pm
Sat., April 16 at 10:00am and 1:00pm
Sun., April 17 at 2:00 p.m.

Thurs., April 21 at 7:00pm
Fri., April 22 at 7:00pm
Sat., April 23 at 1:00pm and 3:00pm
Sun., April 24 at 2:00pm

Tickets are on sale now.  $12 and $10 on Thursdays and groups of ten or more.  Order early and get the seats you want!  

Imagination Theater presents Lend Me a Tenor opening February 12

You will be LOLing with the crazy, fun-loving cast of Lend Me a Tenor. 

This comedy, directed by Jody Klemens, is coming to Placerville. February 12 - March 6, 2016. 

Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world famous, Tito Morelli, Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he’s dead. 

In a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Morelli's Otello costume and fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. Max succeeds admirably, but Morelli comes to and gets into his other costume ready to perform. Now two Otellos are running around in costume and two women are running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo. A sensation on Broadway and in London's West End, this madcap, screwball comedy is guaranteed to leave audiences teary-eyed with laughter. Rated PG 13.

"An accelerating snowball of laughter, Lend Me A Tenor has the class and charm of a Kaufman and Hart comedy plus all the door-slamming hilarity of a Marx Brothers' classic like Room Service." - Jim Helsinger, PA Shakespeare Festival

Get your tickets tickets here:  http://lendme.bpt.me/ 

Mary Poppins - What a Delight!

We hope you were able to join us for this Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious show!  

Join us in the spring for Lend Me a Tenor and 101 Dalmatians.  

5th Trip to New York City and Washington DC Scheduled for 2017

An informational meeting is scheduled on November 21 at 10 a.m. at Imagination Theater for a 7 Day 6 Night trip planned for New York City and Washington DC for September 19-25, 2017.   It's never too early to plan and save.  A trip like this would make a great gift for the holidays!

This will be the theater’s fifth trip to the Big Apple with added sight seeing in Washington DC. See two Broadway shows with upgraded seating, visit Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, and much more.   The trip to Washington DC includes the Smithsonian, Mount Vernon, U.S. Capitol, Library of Congress, and guided sightseeing of the various memorials.

Contact Lanny Langston at (530) 903-6361 for further information.

IT Imagination Theater, 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville, on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, brings quality, live, local community theater to Placerville and El Dorado County.

Script Check Out for 101 Dalmatians

The 101 Dalmatians Audition is less than a month away (November 14).  Come to the box office to check out a script and get ready for some fun!   Script check out is for one week.   The box office will be open October 27 and 29, and November 3 and 5, and November 10 and 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.   Call 530-642-0404 to verify we have scripts on hand.

Audition information can be found at this blog and the theater website:  www.imaginationtheater.net

Looking for extra puppies!

Join us on November 14 for the 101 Dalmatians audition.  More information can be found on this blog or at the theater website: www.imaginationtheater.net  

The Puppy Ensemble Groups:

1. Puppy Group No. 1.

Pongo and Perdita’s Puppies with Lines.

(Penny, Pepper, Patch, Lucky)

Four Roles. Male or female. Any age. (Minimum age is 8 yrs.)


Strong movement and expression abilities.

Vocal Requirements: Strong, non-solo singing.

2. Puppy Group No. 2.


Pongo and Perdita’s Puppies without Lines.


Approximately 11 Roles. Male or female. Any age. (Minimum age is 8 yrs.)


Strong movement and expression abilities. These puppies participate in the

entire show.

Vocal Requirements: Strong, non-solo singing.

3. Puppy Group No. 3.


The Rescued Puppies. (The Extra Puppies)


83 Roles. Male or female. Any age. (Minimum age is 8 yrs.)

(“Run on roles” at the end of the show.)


These are the puppies rescued at the end of the show. The rescued puppies sing and dance in the last song and finale. (Two of the rescued puppies, Spot and Dot have one line each).

Vocal Requirements: Non-solo, ensemble singing.

Great time to buy Group Tickets for Mary Poppins

Grab a neighbor!  Grab a friend!  It's time to get a group together to see Mary Poppins this holiday season.  Group tickets are $13 and require only ten people to form one.

The show opens on November 27 and runs through December 22.  Tickets are already flying away and you don't want to miss this family favorite musical.  Most of us are familiar with the classic movie with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, but this award wining Broadway production brings a fresh, fun musical tale to the stage.  Tickets are available here and you can order group tickets online and print at home for your convenience.  If you prefer to order by phone (or change an online order), call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006.  They are available 24/7 and are very helpful!

Mary Poppins Opens Next Month - Get tickets now!

Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Olivier and seven TONY Awards, including Best Musical. 

The jack-of-all trades, Bert, introduces the audience to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family how to value each other again. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren’t the only ones she has a profound effect upon. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that “Anything can happen if you let it.”

Friday, November 27, 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 28, 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 30, 2 p.m.

Thursday, December 3, 7 p.m.
Friday, December 4, 7 p.m.
Saturday, December 5, 2 p.m.
December 6 - Come See Us at the Placerville Christmas Parade

Thursday, December 10, 7 p.m.
Friday, December 11, 7 p.m.
Saturday, December 12, 7 p.m.
Sunday, December 13 2 p.m.

Thursday, December 17, 7 p.m. (Kiwani's Night)
Friday, December 18, 7 p.m.
Saturday, December 19, 2 p.m.
Sunday, December 20, 2 p.m AND 8 p.m.
Monday, December 21, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, December 22, 7 p.m.

Tickets are $17 reserved admission and $13 Thursdays and groups. Buy now to get the seats you want for the show you want here. 

Spit, Spot! Get the word out! Advertise in the Mary Poppins Program

Imagination Theater Advertising

Imagination Theater, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (#680448569), is a great place to advertise your business.  We reach about 10,000 people a year through show audiences, workshops, and other events.  What a wonderful opportunity to show your support for Placerville’s community theater!

Name of Business:_______________________

Name__________________________________   

Address________________________________

E-mail address/Phone:____________________

Ad size:

___ Business Card – 3 ½” x 2”           $50 per show       

___ Half Page – 4 ¾” x 3 ¾”             $150 per show                        

___ Full Page – 4 ¾” x 7 ¾”              $200 per show

The sizes are approximate and may be adjusted to fit the space in the program--this primarily involves business card ads.   We are able to scan business cards if needed.

Email your ad in jpeg format to:  boxoffice@imaginationtheater.net  

We accept major credit cards and checks.  Just call the box office and we'll take care of you.   Checks should be mailed to:  

Imagination Theater

P.O. Box 3303

Diamond Springs, CA  95619

Thank you for advertising your business and supporting your local community theater!

Ads for Mary Poppins are due NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 12.

Imagination Theater

530-642-0404    boxoffice@imaginationtheater.net

Sewing and Costume Help Needed

Costuming demands of the next two plays are keeping our current wardrobe folks extremely busy.  We could use someone (or two!) with sewing experience that can get measurements, alter some existing pieces, and sew a few pieces for Lend Me a Tenor that opens in February 2016.  Please contact Becky at beckyjoadams@gmail.com if you can help.  Thank you!

Spit, Spot! Order Those Mary Poppins Tickets

Don't wait to get your tickets for Mary Poppins, opening November 27 and running through December 22.   Many of the shows, especially matinees, are filling up!  

Tickets are available  through our ticket provider (Brown Paper Tickets) online or by calling 1-800-838-3006.  Tickets can be printed at home for convenience, held at Will Call, or mailed.   

Tickets are $17, $13 for Thursday performances and groups of 10+

Imagination Theater Announces Cast for Lend Me a Tenor

Imagination Theater is pleased to announce the cast for its first production of 2016, Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor. The cast of this hysterically funny, door-slamming comedy will feature a talented newcomer to IT! along with a lineup of local favorites including: Otto Coelho (Tito), Lori Whittle (Maria), Darcy Hall (Maggie), Wayne Campbell (Max), Jeff Lathrop (Saunders), Marc Bonham (Bellhop), Michelle Harwell (Diana) and Connie Voelker (Julia). Lend Me a Tenor is directed by Jody Klemens and will run at the award-winning theater, inside the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, from February 12 through March 6, 2016.

Winner of three Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and the Olivier Award for Best Comedy of the Year, Lend Me a Tenor is a wildly entertaining farce. Set in 1934, Saunders, general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is ready to welcome renowned tenor Tito Merelli, who is scheduled to sing the lead in the opera ‘Otello,’ for one night only. The star arrives late, he’s not feeling well, and through a set of crazy circumstances, passes out after mixing wine with a huge dose of tranquilizers. Believing that ‘Il Stupendo’ is dead, the excitable opera manager convinces his hapless assistant, an aspiring singer named Max, to suit up as the Moor and replace Merelli. What follows is a laugh-out-loud chain reaction of mistaken identity, farcical plot twists, double entendres, and musical mayhem. The New York Times calls Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor “one of the two great farces by a living writer.”

Lend Me a Tenor will be performed February 12 through March 6, 2016, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets are now available at $17, and $13 for groups of 10+ and Thursday performances. Admission price on Valentine’s Day is 2 for 1. Tickets may be purchased at www.imaginationtheater.net or by calling 1-800-838-3006 or 530-642-0404.