BEST OF SHADOWBOX Promises Several Surprises This Summer

The best just got a little bit better! Of course, this is standard fair for Shadowbox's yearly summer-time show, Best of Shadowbox, opening Thursday, June 10th at the Easton Town Center.
Best of... takes all of the most popular songs and sketches from the past year of productions and puts them into one show, not only giving audiences a chance to revisit favorites and catch moments they missed, but also giving the performers and directors a chance to revisit pieces with a new perspective.

"The best part of Best Of is that we can change things that didn't quite work the first time around," says CEO and Executive Producer, Stev Guyer, "We can look at a sketch and say ‘Hey, we all thought that joke was hilarious but the audience never laughed at it so how ‘bout we turn it into something funny?'" Nearly every sketch has undergone re-writes and rearrangements to give a better and ebb and flow to the scripts.

Brand new to the show are the backstage videos. "These have been wildly successful in both Shadowbox After Dark and Spring Fling," says Guyer. The videos let the audience in on the inner-workings of Shadowbox and, although they are scripted to be comedic, they are not far from the truth. "Without a doubt the backstage videos are an example of ‘art imitating life," laughs Guyer.
The songs get a good hard look from the production team as well. "How can we make it more visually stimulating?" is one question choreographer Katy Psenicka asks when bringing a song back for a Best of show. After making any necessary changes to the official "dance" of the show, "Typical" by Mute Math (including a new member to the dance's cast, Kaleigh Lockhart), Psenicka turned her attentions to Michael Jackson's "Beat It," Motley Crue's Girls Girls Girls, and Santana's "Black Magic Woman".

"‘Beat It' is an homage to the famous video. Without replicating it, I wanted to get as many bodies on the band stage as possible to give the audience a formidable picture." Joining lead singer Noelle Grandison, back-up dancers Amy Lay and Psenicka and back-up vocalists Nikki Fagin, Jennifer Hahn and Lockhart will be four fairly new company members, Kaitlyn Descutner, Don Frye, Renee Horton and Laura Nichols.

"Girls Girls Girls" and "Black Magic Woman" have undergone changes as well. "I wanted to give ‘Girls' a more refined personality," says Psenicka. "The juxtaposition of a more Chicago-esque movement with this driving rock song is very interesting." To complete the picture, costume designers Amy Lay and Brea Badger have given the back-ups / dancers a sophisticated "cabaret" look.
For "Black Magic Woman," Psenicka hopes to surprise the audience with a production spectacle of sorts. First, the closing, instrumental section of the song will now feature ten dancers. Also thrown into the mix will be a prominent focus on the song's percussion, much to the delight of head percussionist, JT Walker.

"I took a new approach to percussion on the Shadowbox stage beginning with this song last fall," says Walker, "We purchased some congas which were far too big to put up behind the keyboards where the percussionists normally stand. So we put them and the bongos down on the singer stage next to Stev Guyer, lead vocalist for "Black Magic Woman". Now is a prominent position, the percussionists had to give additional focus to the performance side of playing. "Accuracy is, of course, the priority," comments Walker. "But style is a close second." Walker and his team have since found numerous opportunities for these beautiful instruments to truly enhance the look and sound of the songs in which they are featured.

"Black Magic Woman" will feature Walker playing bongos and shaker, Grandison playing congas and Andrew Cioffi on suspended cymbal and cowbell....at first. Once the dancers arrive, however, Grandison and Guyer will pick up the two drums and the entire crew will travel across stage to meet the whirling caravan complete with tambourines being played (and tossed) by Drew Raitch and Eric Camacho. "It's pretty ambitious," marveled Walker, "You're not going to want to miss it."

The Best of Shadowbox 2010 opens June 10th and runs every Thursday at 7:30 and Friday and Saturday 7:30 and 10:30 until August 28th. Tickets are $30 / $20 students, seniors, active military. For reservations contact the Shadowbox box office at 614-416-ROCK (7625) or go online to www.shadowboxcabaret.com.

Shadowbox is sponsored by Coca Cola, Costume Specialists, Courtyard Marriott Columbus Airport location, Crawford Communities, Cup O Joe, Genesis Audio, Outlook, The Team, WCBE.

Shadowbox is a non-profit 501C3 performance troupe that self-produces a wide range of shows, as well as runs the company on a day-to-day basis. The top managers of the company make up the Board of Trustees and operate as the primary creators, producers, and performers for the shows.
For 20 years this creative force has produced world-class productions, including original rock operas, traditional musicals, fine art exhibits, contemporary dance, and video / television. An ensemble company of dedicated performers, Shadowbox is a healthy, vibrant, self-sustaining arts organization.

Catch up on the shows you missed and revisit your favorites with The Best of Shadowbox 2010. Only the most popular-by-demand sketches and songs make it into this all-star line-up for a fast-paced, side-splitting show.

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