Interview: A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING to Open at Apollo Civic Theater

Directed and musically directed by Jeff Wine and choreographed by Ed Conn, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical revue A Grand Night for Singing will open this weekend at the Apollo Civic Theater in Martinsburg, WV. A Grand Night for Singing is an intimate musical revue featuring seven local performers and the classic songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein repertoire from many of their well known musicals, including South Pacific, Cinderella and The King and I. The revue also features lesser known Rodgers and Hammerstein songs and, in an interesting twist, places many of the classic songs in updated situations completely opposite from their context in the original shows. The cast enjoyed working on the classic music and getting to know each other in a smaller musical revue.

"Working with everyone involved was definitely enjoyable. Every cast member is superb and was incredibly fun to work with. Our director is fantastic, incredibly patient and understanding, and the crew made the show look amazing" said cast member Nick Graves

"I think the most enjoyable part for me has been getting to know all of these classic Rodgers and Hammerstein songs" said cast member Keith Shifflett. "The most enjoyable part about the rehearsal process was being able to sing around the piano with everyone. It's a lot of fun when we sing together and you can hear the beautiful music we make" said Noah Gross.

"The cast and crew were so much fun and easy to work with. Every rehearsal was not just work, because we had a lot fun doing it!" said cast member Sheree Cipicchio.

The cast had a limited rehearsal period to put the show together and quickly got to work on the well-known material.

"Memorizing the lyrics and choreography in such a short period of time was definitely challenging, but everything is coming together nicely" said Cipicchio. "We had a very short rehearsal period. We had to make every rehearsal count" added Shifflett.

"We had only four weeks to prepare the show before opening night. For the actors, this meant that blocking, choreography and lyrics had to be learned and perfected in a rather short amount of time" said Graves

The cast is ready to share their unique revue with an audience.

"There is almost no dialogue from any of the actors, which means that the story is told strictly through song and dance. Every single actor in the show has a fantastic voice and can dance their hearts out. There are also some immersive moments that can be incredibly fun for audience members to experience" said Graves. "I think if you're a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan or a fan of theatre in general, then you'd really love this show. There's a lot of talent here" said Shifflett

"It's a great mix of classic songs from well-known Rogers and Hammerstein musicals. There is a little bit of everything for people of all ages to enjoy. There is singing, dancing, humor, and romance. The style of music changes from song to song as well to keep it interesting" said Cipicchio

"This show is really one of a kind. Because there is almost no dialogue in the show, we are using song to portray our characters, which I think is pretty cool! Also, I believe audiences both young and old will love this show because it ties in almost all of the classic Rogers and Hammerstein songs" said Gross

A Grand Night for Singing also features Caitlin Cutright, Chaste Martin and Emily Santy. A Grand Night for Singing runs September 17 at 7:30 PM, 18 and 19 at 8:00 PM and 20 at 2:30 PM. Tickets are $15 for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening shows and $12 for Sunday matinees. Student tickets are $7 for all performances. The Apollo Civic Theater is located at 128 East Martin Street, Martinsburg, WV, 25402. For more information about upcoming performances, please visit www.apollo-theatre.org

Photo Credit: Apollo Civic Theater

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