Theatrezone Taps Into New Year With 'No, No, Nanette'

Tap Dance into the New Year with No, No, Nanette

TheatreZone opens 2011 with refreshing, silly & uplifting Broadway gem featuring choreography by co-founder Karen Molnar

Karen Molnar embraces challenge.

In January, she will choreograph the tap-dancing musical No, No, Nanette, the Broadway treasure that won both a Tony and a Drama Desk Award for choreography. She believes it's going to be a great adventure.

A strong performer and choreographer of astounding moves, Molnar is known in theater circles as a "triple threat" - that's a dancer, singer and actor. She is also co-founder of TheatreZone with her husband, artistic director Mark Danni, and has staged and choreographed many TheatreZone productions on the intimate G&L Theatre stage.

According to Molnar, choreography begins with the music. "I listen to the music over and over again. Then I start to see the movement in my head, and then I write it down." But, it is her extensive language of movement that helps her create an intangible magical rush of an experience.
Molnar found that choreography came to her naturally. During her senior year in high school, her drama teacher requested that she create some movement for their production of The Pink Panther, so Molnar choreographed her first show. At the same time, she was studying tap dancing with David and Shirley Morgenstern in Cleveland. The Morgensterns booked her to perform in shows around town, which is where she really learned the ins and outs of show business.

"Dave was an old master and an old vaudevillian who had a very successful team with his brother. They were known as The Morgan Brothers," reminisces Molnar. "Dave worked with tap dancing greats Fred Astaire and Henry LeTang, and he really taught me how to 'perform'."
Molnar credits Smile and Exaggerate, two signs that decorated the Morgenstern's dance studio, as key motivators to her triple-threat success, but also acknowledges that "you must love what you are doing in order to share your passion with your dancers."

"Dance tells a story, so you must have a reason why you are doing every move as it coordinates with the music," Molnar explains. "Every movement must have meaning to the dancers or they cannot perform your work correctly or help to advance the story," she adds.

No, No, Nanette is a light-hearted tale of millionaires, misunderstood wives, innocent young girls, beautiful women and betrayal, with lots of tap dancing. The play is the framework for the music of Vincent Youmans. It is the story of Jimmy Smith and all the trouble he gets into, and out of, on a summer weekend. Included in the score are two of the most famous show tunes ever written: "Tea for Two" and "I Want to Be Happy."

Standard numbers like "Too Many Rings Around Rosie" and "You Can Dance with Any Girl at All" accompany many other delightful songs. The whole experience is refreshing, silly and uplifting promises artistic director Danni.

No, No, Nanette was first presented in London and played for 665 performances at the Palace Theatre. It then ran for 321 performances on Broadway at The Globe Theatre. The New York revival played for 861 performances at the Forty-Sixth Street Theatre in 1971. The cast for the revival included Ruby Keeler, Jack Gilford, Bobby Van, Helen Gallagher, Susan Watson and Patsy Kelly.

In this revamped version, billed as "The New 1925 Musical," No, No, Nanette started the nostalgia craze on Broadway. It is a show that takes the audience by the hand and leads it back to the Never-Never-Land of the 20's for some good, clean fun. Things were dearer, sweeter and sillier then, and so is No, No, Nanette now.

No, No, Nanette (critically acclaimed as "The Happiest Show In Town") will be performed January 6 through 16, 2011 and sponsored by WAVV-FM. TheatreZone's sixth season continues in March with the powerful musical Blood Brothers starring Broadway's goddaughter, Andrea McArdle (March 10 - 20); and Beehive - the 60's Musical! headlining Naples' own American Idol finalist, Paige Miles (May 5 - 15).

TheatreZone is a non-profit organization that relies upon community support. All performances take place in the G&L Theatre, located on The Community School of Naples' campus, one block north of Pine Ridge Road at 13275 Livingston Road. Individual seats $43 - $48. A mini season (three shows) and group rates are also available.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Box Office or call TheaterZone at 1-888-ZONE-FLA, 1-888-966-3352 or order online at: www.theatrezone-florida.com.

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