[NEohioPAL]Weathervane annouces cast for Northeast Ohio Premiere of My Way...

Tue Aug 26 10:12:59 PDT 2003

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WEATHERVANE PLAYHOUSE presents
Northeast Ohio Premiere of
My Way, A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra

Weathervane Playhouse opens its 2003-2004 Season with My Way, A Musical=20
Tribute to Frank Sinatra.  This collection of nearly 60 songs that Sinatra m=
ade=20
famous through recordings was conceived by David Grapes and Todd Olson based=
 on=20
the book by Todd Olson.  The music is arranged in medleys including Favorite=
s,=20
Broadway, Cities, Young Love, Summer, Love and Marriage, Losers, Big Flirt,=20
Moon and Songs for Survivors.

Weathervane's ensemble is comprised of Rob Dougherty, Phil Hoffman, Meg Hopp=
=20
and Ikeya Morning.  The production is directed and choreographed by Mart=EDn=
=20
C=E9spedes and Margaret Knepper is Musical Director.  WRMR serves as Radio S=
ponsor.

    Director/Choreographer, Mart=EDn C=E9spedes, making his Weathervane=20
directorial debut, most recently directed and choreographed Smokey Joe's Caf=
=E9 at Beck=20
Center.  He last appeared in the national tours of Man of La Mancha with Jac=
k=20
Jones and Ron Holgate where he completed over 300 performances in the role o=
f=20
Pedro; "Lun Tha" in The King and I with Hailey Mills, Marie Osmond and Faith=
=20
Prince; South Pacific with Robert Goulet, and West Side Story with Bebe=20
Neuwirth.  Martin directed and staged the off-Broadway production of Scrooge=
 and=20
Marley and restaged Israel Horovitz's long-running production of Line at the=
 13th=20
Street Repertory Company in New York City.  He has danced in the nationally=20
renowned Denver Dance Theater, performed in night clubs, and appeared on TV'=
s=20
Dance Fever.  His most recent opera credit was the lavish PBS production of=20=
El=20
Cid with Placido Domingo and the Washington Opera, where he served as dance=20=
and=20
fight captain.  He has also taught theater dance for the School of Cleveland=
=20
Ballet.  He has recently completed the independent film Edition Project and=20=
the=20
untitled documentary on the life of Benjamin Matthews.  His=20
next theater projects include Five Guys Named Moe and Joseph and the Amazing=
=20
Technicolor Dreamcoat "para mi papa Gabriel C=E9spedes, Sr.

Margaret Knepper is an accomplished actress, singer, musician, director and=20
costume designer.  She has directed at least ten musical productions at=20
Weathervane including the highly successful Joseph and the Technicolor Dream=
coat. =20
She has also played on stage in Sweeney Todd and Fiddler on the Roof.  She i=
s=20
voice and flute instructor at Medina High School where she has directed its=20=
last=20
five musicals as well as the school's show choir, The Encore Entertainment=20
Company.  Margaret was a music performance major at Baldwin-Wallace Conserva=
tory=20
of Music with additional studies at The University of Akron and The=20
University of Michigan.  She has performed with the Cleveland Opera, Berea S=
ummer=20
Theatre, Goodyear Community Theatre, Greenbrier and First Night Akron.

Ensemble:
Rob Dougherty   Man #2  Doylestown
Rob was seen at Weathervane in Cabaret and Cinderella.  He played John Adams=
=20
in 1776 at Brunswick ACT and was the Baker in Into the Woods for Medina=20
Community Theater in 2002.  He recently toured with Cleveland Signstage in i=
ts=20
production of Into the Woods.  He was also seen in the Stow Players producti=
on of=20
Forever Plaid.

Paul Hoffman    Man #1  Cleveland
Paul spent two years touring with Winged Victory Singers performing nightly=20
in showrooms in the Catskills, Atlantic City and Miami Beach.  He was recent=
ly=20
seen in Cain Park's production of Fiddler on the Roof and Beck Center's La=20
Cage Aux Folles.  A Youngstown native, he graduated from Cuyahoga Falls High=
=20
School and studied theater at Chapman University in Orange, CA.

Meg Hopp    Woman #1    Arkon
Meg played Martha Brewster in Weathervane's Arsenic and Old Lace this past=20
season and in The Odd Couple, Female Version several seasons ago.  She has b=
een=20
seen as Miss Hannigan in Annie at Brecksville Theatre in the Square.  She ha=
s=20
a B.A. Degree from St. Norbert College in DePere, WI.

Ikeya Morning   Woman #2    Cleveland Heights
Ikeya is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of New York=
=20
City.  She has been involved in numerous musicals including Godspell, Lucky=20
Stiff and Ain't Misbehavin' for which she completed the national tour this p=
ast=20
December.

David Grapes is currently the Executive Producing Director of the Tennessee=20
Repertory Theatre.  Previously, David worked for three years as the Executiv=
e=20
Director and Producing Artistic Director for Artpark and Artpark at the Chur=
ch,=20
a large Equity theatre company located in upstate New York where he produced=
=20
a number of regional premieres.  A classically trained actor, he also has=20
extensive experience in academic theatre, having served as the Department Ch=
air=20
and Master Acting Teacher at West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WV),Ta=
rkio=20
College (MO) and Moorhead State University (MN).

Todd Olson is the Artistic Director for American Stage Company in St.=20
Petersburg, FL.  Prior to that he spent three seasons as the Associate Artis=
tic=20
Director at Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville.  While there he direct=
ed=20
critically-acclaimed productions of Wit, Cyrano de Bergerac, An Ideal Husban=
d, How=20
I Learned to Drive and others.  He received his MFA from The University of=20
North Carolina and is a graduate from the Institute for Advanced Theatre=20
Training at Harvard.  He resides in Seminole, FL with his wife and children.

My Way, a Tribute to Frank Sinatra captures the wit and charm of "Ol' Blue=20
Eyes," contains a dash of humor, a pinch of tap dancing and a touch of elega=
nce.=20
 At Weathervane Playhouse September 10 through October 5, 2003. Low-cost=20
preview performances on Wednesday and Thursday, September 10 and 11 at 7:30=20=
p.m.=20
with official opening on Friday, September 12 at 8:00 p.m.  Other performanc=
es=20
are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at=20
2:30 p.m. Charge by phone at Weathervane's Ticket Office at 330-836-2626.  C=
all=20
between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.  Tickets: $18 ($2=20
discount on Thursdays and Sundays for Senior Citizens & Students).  (NOTE: T=
HE 7:30=20
CURTAIN ON PREVIEW WEDNESDAY AND ALL THURSDAY PERFORMANCES IS NEW THIS SEASO=
N.)

Special luncheon performance Saturday, September 20, lunch at 12:45,=20
performance at 2:30 p.m. Combination ticket $30.

The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to=20
encourage economic growth, education excellence and cultural enrichment for=20=
all=20
Ohioans.
Additional Season Sponsors: WKSU, PAX-TV

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<HTML>WEATHER=
VANE PLAYHOUSE presents
 Northeast Ohio Premiere of
 My Way, A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra
 
 Weathervane Playhouse opens its 2003-2004 Season with My Way, A Musical=20=
Tribute to Frank Sinatra.  This collection of nearly 60 songs that Sina=
tra made famous through recordings was conceived by David Grapes and Todd Ol=
son based on the book by Todd Olson.  The music is arranged in medleys=20=
including Favorites, Broadway, Cities, Young Love, Summer, Love and Marriage=
, Losers, Big Flirt, Moon and Songs for Survivors.
 
 Weathervane's ensemble is comprised of Rob Dougherty, Phil Hoffman, Meg=20=
Hopp and Ikeya Morning.  The production is directed and choreographed b=
y Mart=EDn C=E9spedes and Margaret Knepper is Musical Director.  WRMR s=
erves as Radio Sponsor.
 
 Director/Choreographer, Mart=EDn C=E9spedes, making his Weathervane=20=
directorial debut, most recently directed and choreographed Smokey Joe's Caf=
=E9 at Beck Center.  He last appeared in the national tours of Man of L=
a Mancha with Jack Jones and Ron Holgate where he completed over 300 perform=
ances in the role of Pedro; "Lun Tha" in The King and I with Hailey Mills, M=
arie Osmond and Faith Prince; South Pacific with Robert Goulet, and West Sid=
e Story with Bebe Neuwirth.  Martin directed and staged the off-Broadwa=
y production of Scrooge and Marley and restaged Israel Horovitz's long-runni=
ng production of Line at the 13th Street Repertory Company in New York City.=
  He has danced in the nationally renowned Denver Dance Theater, perfor=
med in night clubs, and appeared on TV's Dance Fever.  His most recent=20=
opera credit was the lavish PBS production of El Cid with Placido Domingo an=
d the Washington Opera, where he served as dance and fight captain.  He=
 has also taught theater dance for the School of Cleveland Ballet.  He=20=
has recently completed the independent film Edition Project and the untitled=
 documentary on the life of Benjamin Matthews.  His=20
 next theater projects include Five Guys Named Moe and Joseph and the Ama=
zing Technicolor Dreamcoat "para mi papa Gabriel C=E9spedes, Sr.
 
 Margaret Knepper is an accomplished actress, singer, musician, director=20=
and costume designer.  She has directed at least ten musical production=
s at Weathervane including the highly successful Joseph and the Technicolor=20=
Dreamcoat.  She has also played on stage in Sweeney Todd and Fiddler on=
 the Roof.  She is voice and flute instructor at Medina High School whe=
re she has directed its last five musicals as well as the school's show choi=
r, The Encore Entertainment Company.  Margaret was a music performance=20=
major at Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music with additional studies at Th=
e University of Akron and The University of Michigan.  She has performe=
d with the Cleveland Opera, Berea Summer Theatre, Goodyear Community Theatre=
, Greenbrier and First Night Akron.
 
 Ensemble:
 Rob Dougherty Man #2 Doylestown
 Rob was seen at Weathervane in Cabaret and Cinderella.  He played J=
ohn Adams in 1776 at Brunswick ACT and was the Baker in Into the Woods for M=
edina Community Theater in 2002.  He recently toured with Cleveland Sig=
nstage in its production of Into the Woods.  He was also seen in the St=
ow Players production of Forever Plaid.
 
 Paul Hoffman Man #1 Cleveland
 Paul spent two years touring with Winged Victory Singers performing nigh=
tly in showrooms in the Catskills, Atlantic City and Miami Beach.  He w=
as recently seen in Cain Park's production of Fiddler on the Roof and Beck C=
enter's La Cage Aux Folles.  A Youngstown native, he graduated from Cuy=
ahoga Falls High School and studied theater at Chapman University in Orange,=
 CA.
 
 Meg Hopp Woman #1 Arkon
 Meg played Martha Brewster in Weathervane's Arsenic and Old Lace this pa=
st season and in The Odd Couple, Female Version several seasons ago.  S=
he has been seen as Miss Hannigan in Annie at Brecksville Theatre in the Squ=
are.  She has a B.A. Degree from St. Norbert College in DePere, WI.
 
 Ikeya Morning Woman #2 Cleveland Heights
 Ikeya is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of New=20=
York City.  She has been involved in numerous musicals including Godspe=
ll, Lucky Stiff and Ain't Misbehavin' for which she completed the national t=
our this past December.
 
 David Grapes is currently the Executive Producing Director of the Tennes=
see Repertory Theatre.  Previously, David worked for three years as the=
 Executive Director and Producing Artistic Director for Artpark and Artpark=20=
at the Church, a large Equity theatre company located in upstate New York wh=
ere he produced a number of regional premieres.  A classically trained=20=
actor, he also has extensive experience in academic theatre, having served a=
s the Department Chair and Master Acting Teacher at West Virginia University=
 at Parkersburg (WV),Tarkio College (MO) and Moorhead State University (MN).
 
 Todd Olson is the Artistic Director for American Stage Company in St. Pe=
tersburg, FL.  Prior to that he spent three seasons as the Associate Ar=
tistic Director at Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville.  While the=
re he directed critically-acclaimed productions of Wit, Cyrano de Bergerac,=20=
An Ideal Husband, How I Learned to Drive and others.  He received his M=
FA from The University of North Carolina and is a graduate from the Institut=
e for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard.  He resides in Seminole, FL=
 with his wife and children.
 
 My Way, a Tribute to Frank Sinatra captures the wit and charm of "Ol' Bl=
ue Eyes," contains a dash of humor, a pinch of tap dancing and a touch of el=
egance.  At Weathervane Playhouse September 10 through October 5, 2003.=
 Low-cost preview performances on Wednesday and Thursday, September 10 and 1=
1 at 7:30 p.m. with official opening on Friday, September 12 at 8:00 p.m. &n=
bsp;Other performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at=20=
8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Charge by phone at Weathervane's Ticket Offi=
ce at 330-836-2626.  Call between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through=
 Friday.  Tickets: $18 ($2 discount on Thursdays and Sundays for Senior=
 Citizens & Students).  (NOTE: THE 7:30 CURTAIN ON PREVIEW WEDNESDA=
Y AND ALL THURSDAY PERFORMANCES IS NEW THIS SEASON.)
 
 Special luncheon performance Saturday, September 20, lunch at 12:45, per=
formance at 2:30 p.m. Combination ticket $30.
 
 The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with st=
ate tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence and cultu=
ral enrichment for all Ohioans.
 Additional Season Sponsors: WKSU, PAX-TV</HTML>

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