Kaleidoscope kicks off the second half of the summer with BEAUTY & the BEAST!!

On August 4, 2009 at Robert’s Hall Auditorium on the Rhode Island College Campus, Providence, RI, Kaleidoscope Theatre will perform the musical production BEAUTY AND THE BEAST! Showtime is 11:00am and admission is $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the performance. For tickets and more information, please call the RIC Box Office (Open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm) at (401) 456-8144. This presentation of the French fairytale is an original musical adaptation by David G. Payton of Cranston, RI, and is filled with all the wonderful characters audiences have come to know and love. For further information, please contact Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637.

Kaleidoscope Theatre's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is an original musical written by David G. Payton of Cranston, RI, the Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Theatre. When Beauty’s father steals a rose from the powerful Beast’s garden, he is plagued to serve the beast for the rest of his life. But his wonderfully kind daughter Beauty goes in his place. The Beast soon falls in love with Beauty. Meanwhile, Beauty’s two greedy sisters delight in her absence, plotting on how to become richer and more beautiful. Everything comes together to make a delightful adaptation of the famous fairytale with a little something for everyone: music, dance, magic and merriment! A show the whole family won't want to miss!

Kaleidoscope is very excited to start the second half of our summer season! “Our thirty-second summer is turning out to be one of our best,” says Executive Director David Payton, “Our revived production of Aladdin sold very close to Kaleidoscope’s record ticket sales at RIC and we have stayed extremely strong since. We are very excited to begin the second half of this year’s season with a beautiful and successful production like Beauty and the Beast.”

Cast members are Beauty (Meg Lowey of Foxboro, MA), the Beast (Brendan Macera of Cranston, RI), Beauty's sisters Flora (Jillian Rivers-Keegan of Burriville, RI) and Dora (Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA) and Beauty's father (David Payton of Cranston RI).

Director is Nicole Frechette of Lincoln, RI; Costume and Scenic Design by Robert Zannini of Cranston, RI; Stage Manager is Christine Redihan of Providence, RI; and Sound Engineer is Sam Hood of Providence, RI.

2009 Summer Photos online!

For anyone who'd like to see our 2009 summer photos, without signing into Myspace, check out Kaleidoscope Theatre's Enchanted Forest!!

This site, which was done as part of web graduate class, features show synopsis, photos, video clips, and each show's performance schedule for the 2009 summer season!

Check it out!
:)

This Week - Snow White!!

On July 21, 2009 at Robert’s Hall Auditorium on the Rhode Island College Campus, Providence, RI, Kaleidoscope Theatre will perform the musical production SNOW WHITE!

Showtime is 11:00am and admission is $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the performance. For tickets and more information, please call the RIC Box Office (Open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm) at (401) 456-8144. This presentation of one of the famous fairy tale is an original musical adaptation by David G. Payton of Cranston, RI, and is filled with all the wonderful characters audiences have come to know and love. For further information, please contact Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637.

Snow White is such a popular show that it demands performance every year. Fans of the show last year will be glad to see the entire principal cast back in the show. This year, however, there is a new set of dwarves. “In our version of the story, old men don’t play the dwarves, but small children do instead,” explains director David Payton, “we are so proud that we can give so many children an opportunity to perform. Kaleidoscope truly serves as an educational tool for the children who work with us. They develop valuable acting skills while helping us create an entertaining theatre experience.” Donnie-Ray Brearton, a four year veteran of the show who is playing Doc this year, explains how glad he is to be back this summer, “I have so much fun because we get new cast members every year and I get to meet new friends. It’s a blast!”

Cast members are: Snow White (Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA), the Handsome Prince (Daniel Larson of Smithfield, RI), the Huntsman (Ryan Hanley of Cranston, RI) and the Evil Queen (Debbie Gower of Burriville, RI). The seven dwarves are: Doc (Olivia Gesualdi of Cranston, RI); Grumpy (Donnie-Ray Brearton of Seekonk, MA), Happy (Simon Silvia of Burriville, RI), Sneezy (Tim Ferron of Smithfield, RI), Bashful (Olivia O’Connor of Cranston, RI), Sleepy (Ricky Silvia of Burriville, RI), and Friendly (Breanna Lemoine of Coventry, RI).

Director is David G. Payton of Cranston, RI; Costume and Scenic Design are by Robert Zannini of Cranston, RI; Stage Manager is Christine Redihan of Providence, RI; Assistant Stage Manager is Megan Gonsalves of Smithfield, RI; and Sound Engineer is Cameron Marcotte of Scituate, RI.

Looking Through The Kaleidoscope #10: That Time Of Year Again

It's the tenth addition of Looking Through The Kaleidoscope! I'd be more pleased about that if I hadn't only done nine entries since August of 2008. But hey, how much do you expect out of a one-year old?

Summer is here after a spring of school touring and some fairy tales. We've gotten through the B.U.L.L.Y.ing and trips to New Jersey as best as we could, and if I may say so, we did a pretty good job. But now it's July, which means Kaleidoscope is doing what it does best, which are fairy tale musicals. It's only unfortunate that the bulk of our work went on an "economic diet".

There are certainly some up-sides to this summer for both the company and myself personally. This summer marked the return of Aladdin after years off the road. The show went through a rather big overhaul, which ranged from three brand-new drops and a "change of location". I was very eager to try and get on board for this occasion and was lucky enough to be a part of it. Of course, this means something that I've done so many times in the past: audition for David.

This audition almost didn't happen, however. I had come down to the company audition, which was held during late spring, and noted that I was interested in auditioning for Aladdin. My first choice for who to audition for was the Genie. I knew it was a smaller part compared to the others, however my initial thoughts were that I could have some fun with it. However, David was interested in finding someone imposing, where as his description for me was, and I quote..."scarecrow". Apparently he wanted people to be able to see the Genie if he or she was ever in profile (nyuck nyuck). I should have told him that good actors seldom stand in profile, but I am sure he would have then made a crack at my acting. Those who know me in the company best know that I am much, much to sensitive for that kind of (as William "Father Mulcahy" Christopher would say) jocularity. That's me...Mister Sensitive. No joking here.

With this in mind, it had appeared that the only part I could possibly fit was the Vizier, however there wasn't ample time to go over it and actually audition for it. We were going to try and set something up for another day, however before that could happen our good friend Chris Schultz, who played the Vizier before, was available for the part. At that point, I figured that perhaps I would tag along one show and take pictures or help with sound.

Some days later Nikki asked if I would be interested in auditioning for the Sultan, to which I jumped at the chance. David didn't jump so much, however, as he wasn't sure if I could play someone significantly older. Ironically, the first character I ever played in the company was an old man! Still, circumstances were a bit different and it was going to take a good audition. Besides the potential age problem, also working against me was the fact that the Sultan was always played by someone bigger than me. He was never the Skinny Sultan. The best I could do was find my own spin on the character and at the time I had about three minutes to accomplish this. I guess it was a good three minutes because I got the part.

Aladdin has since opened and the response has been positive, which is extremely gratifying seeing that the show is extremely big. Big cast, big music numbers, big everything. Another words, a big job to tackle. But tackle it we did for audiences at RIC and Chevy, and soon we will be doing one more show in Saugus.

And then there is that "diet" I was talking about. There is no doubt that times are tough for everyone. The economy is in very rough shape and everyone in the country has collectively tightened their belts. One big swoop to the next notch. It's good to see that Kaleidoscope is trying to keep the belt where it was last summer, though. We haven't raised ticket prices in hopes that folks will still spare the extra cash to come and see us. But while the company has bit the theatrical bullet, other places haven't been so lucky. Regular venues such as Melody Tent and South Shore were unable to take full seasons. We did get some new venues, however they are only taking between one and three shows each.

And then...there's Chevy. Oh, Chevy...you're a special one, so you get your own entry. Probably sooner rather than later. So soon the draft might be already started by the time this is up.

Until then, in the words of Garrison Keillor, "be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

Sleeping Beauty this Tuesday at RIC!!

On July 14, 2009 at Robert’s Hall Auditorium on the Rhode Island College Campus, Providence, RI, Kaleidoscope Theatre will perform the musical production SLEEPING BEAUTY!

Showtime is 11:00am and admission is $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the performance. For tickets and more information, please call the RIC Box Office (Open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm) at (401) 456-8144. This presentation of the famous fairytale is an original musical adaptation by David G. Payton of Cranston, RI, and is filled with all the wonderful characters audiences have come to know and love. For further information, please contact Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637.

Kaleidoscope Theatre’s musical adaptation of SLEEPING BEAUTY promises to be an unforgettable production! A king who snores, a dragon who roars, and a prince whom love misses until a princess he kisses. When all is said and done, SLEEPING BEAUTY is a whole lot of family fun! The show is filled with magnificent songs, magical spells, evil witches, handsome knights, and the most beautiful princess in the land! Audience involvement makes this show one which the whole family will enjoy!

Sleeping Beauty features many performers who are regulars on the Kaleidoscope Theatre stage. When asked to describe why he loves working with Kaleidoscope Theatre, Dan Walsh of Burriville, RI (who plays Young Stefan) says, “it’s really a big family, not just a theatre company.” Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA (who plays Charlotte, one of the good fairies) is returning to Kaleidoscope after a year of performing in New York. She says her return “is like coming home.” Come see this theatrical family perform onstage!

The cast consists of Princess Arielle (Cassandra Pacheco of Johnston, RI); her mother, Queen Isabel (Merdedyth Waterman of Cranston, RI); her father, King Harold (Jonathan Safford of Cranston, RI); Prince Stefan and his father King Frederick (Sam Hood of Providence, RI); the young Prince Stefan (Dan Walsh of Burriville, RI); the prince’s squire, Domenic the Brave (Bob Macaux of East Greenwich, RI); the three good fairies, Faith (Amy McGuirk of Providence, RI), Hope (Sarah Cohen of West Warwick, RI) and Charlotte (Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA); and the wicked fairy, Uglicia (Jasmine Ready of South Yarmouth, MA).

Director is David G. Payton of Cranston, RI; Costume and Scenic Design is by Robert Zannini of Cranston, RI; Stage Manager is Nicole Frechette of Lincoln, RI; Assistant Stage Manager is Cameron Marcotte of Scituate, RI; and Sound Engineer is Jillian Rivers-Keegan of Burriville, RI.

Summer Series - Chevrolet Theatre

Kaleidoscope is very sad to announce that the Chevrolet Theatre has cancelled the remaining performances scheduled for this summer.

With the economic recession, tickets were not selling well enough for the Chevrolet theater to be able to produce the series this summer. We enjoy the fans and the wonderful crew of people at the Chevrolet Theatre very much and hope to return there for Cinderella's Christmas in December.

We don't want to disappoint any more children than necessary, so we hope Connecticut fans can join us at our venue in Rhode Island! The shows happen in Roberts Hall Auditorium on the Rhode Island College campus in Providence. The exact same series of shows (that was scheduled at the Chevrolet Theatre) will be offered on Tuesday mornings at 11:00am! This Tuesday we will be performing Sleeping Beauty.

Ironically, our season opener in Rhode Island on Tuesday almost sold out, so if you plan to make the trip up here, it would be a good idea to contact us by email (kaleidoscope@kaleidoscopetheatre.com) or at (401) 942-3637 to reserve tickets in advance. We'd hate to have anyone drive up from Connecticut only to be disappointed again!

Let us know if you have any questions!

Thanks,
~The Kaleido-Staff

Newsletter Addendum!

Addition to the "Supporting Our Members" section of the July newsletter....

Meg Lowey (Beauty in Beauty & the Beast) will be playing Alice in You Can't Take It With You produced by Steps Off Broadway Theater (799 South Main Street in Bellingham MA.) This show runs July 17, 18, 24, & 25 @ 8:00pm and July 19 & 26 @ 2:00pm. All tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling (508) 876-9797 or emailing: tickets@stepsoffbroadway.com

Photo: Meg as Beauty in this summer's Beauty & the Beast!

ALADDIN Preview!!

Here is a Video Preview of our season opener, ALADDIN!!

Come see it live onstage!

* July 7th at Rhode Island College, 11am

* July 8th at Chevrolet Theatre, 11am

* July 19th at Saugus Senior Center, 2pm

JULY NEWSLETTER!!

Although we’ve been sending out newsletters at the end of the month, we’re going to release them at the beginning of the month for the summer! This way, we can preview each month of our Summer Series as it happens!

In this issue you can read about...

Season Tickets at RIC!

A season ticket for all eight shows can be purchased for only $50! Tickets are normally $8 in advance and $10 at the door... this season ticket saves you almost $20 and will allow you to see eight wonderful fairytales come to life onstage!

Aladdin

Our season opener this year is Aladdin and the show promises to be an unforgettable production! A silly sultan, an evil vizier, a beautiful princess, a powerful genie, and an incredible lad named Aladdin all come together for an exhilarating ride through bazaars, caves of jewels, and palaces beyond description.

Sleeping Beauty

Kaleidoscope’s second show of the summer is Sleeping Beauty! This production features: a king who snores, a dragon who roars, and a prince whom love misses until a princess he kisses! When all is said and done, it’s a whole lot of family fun! Make sure you go to this wonderful show! (photo: Cassandra Pacheco as Sleeping Beauty)

Snow White

Kaleidoscope Theatre's Snow White is the third show of the summer and is an enchanting musical that adheres very closely to the original storyline of the fairytale. Beautiful costumes, lots of song and dance, plus the opportunity for several youngsters to directly participate in the show, make this an event the whole family will not want to miss!

The Frog Prince

To wrap up July, Kaleidoscope will be performing The Frog Prince. We hope you’ll all join Prince Noble on his quest to find a beautiful princess. *Splash!* Oh no! Young Prince Noble seems to be having a really bad day - a smelly Gypsy woman is in love with him, he got pushed down a well, and then he was transformed into an icky green frog! Now instead of traveling the land looking for a beautiful wife, he's short, green, and hoping to catch a fly for dinner!

Cinderella at Hampton Beach

Although, Cinderella will be touring our normal summer circuit in August, we will be doing a special performance of the show in July! Kaleidoscope will be at the Hampton Beach Casino on Saturday, July 11th at 11:00am!

Cinderella’s Musical Storybook

For fans of Kaleidoscope Theatre, this read-along, sing-a-long, magical, musical, storybook, which normally retails for $14.95, will be available at our concession stands for a special introductory summer price of only $10.00!

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