HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

We'll see you in 2010!

Look for our upcoming January Newsletter for a 2010 preview!

For those looking for theatre classes...

SUMMER INSTITUTE SET TO ENROLL AT TRINITY REP


Young actors take center stage in summer session; ENROLLMENT BEGINS JAN. 4th

For the sixth summer, Trinity Rep will open its doors for boys and girls in grades 5-12 to explore a world of creativity and theater under the instruction of Rhode Island’s most knowledgeable theater professionals with the Young Actors Summer Institute. The Summer Institute offers students a challenging five weeks of study in the fields of studying acting, playwriting, dance and much more. The Summer Institute runs from June 30 to July 31, with a middle and high school optional extension week from August 2-7 (students participating in the extension week will be working to put on a Shakespeare production, and any student entering 8th-12th grade is welcome to enroll). Students will work in the Pell Chafee Performance Center (home to the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs), located at 87 Empire St., Providence as well as Trinity Rep’s Lederer Theater Center at 201 Washington St. in Providence. Call (401) 521-1100 x114 for registration information, or visit Trinity Rep’s Education department online at www.trinityrep.com.

The Magic of Story Time

New This Year, Kaleidoscope is offering an hour presentation entitled The Magic of Story Time.

With this presentation, both Snow White and Cinderella will appear at your school and read musical versions of their stories. Stories and songs are taken directly from Kaleidoscope Theatre’s Fairytale Musical Series and include material from Snow White, Cinderella, Cinderella’s Wedding and Jack and the Beanstalk. Perfect as a special treat for students or as a tie in to your reading curriculum. Also a perfect activity for Reading Week!!

This new program is being offered for $250.00 (A shorter half hour version with one princess is available for $150!) and can be performed in virtually any space. Please call (401) 942-3637 for more information or to book a show!

Suggested for Grades PreK-3.

Little Red's Christmas on Sunday!

Little Red's Christmas tour will conclude this Sunday at the North Shore Children Theatre in Saugus, MA! Show time is 2:00pm and the $12 admission price includes a free ice cream. Come join us and celebrate the holidays with Little Red and her friends!


 We hope you enjoyed this preview clip of Little Red's Christmas! For more information about this production, click here!

Cinderella's Christmas tomorrow!!

Kaleidoscope's holiday favorite Cinderella's Christmas wraps up its 2009 tour tomorrow at Rhode Island College. The performance is at Roberts Hall Auditorium on the RIC Campus in Providence, RI and will begin at 2:00pm. Tickets are only $12 at the door. Hope you can join us to celebrate the holiday season!

Little Red's Christmas this Thursday!

Little Red will begin her tour around New England and New Jersey this Thursday! The first show will be December 10th at 10:00am at the Scottish Rites Auditorium in Cranston, RI. Tickets are still available, so call (401) 942-3637 to reserve your seats! For only $5.50 a ticket, you and your family can come see Little Red this Thursday AND Rapunzel on May 13, 2010.

Hope to see you then!

Cinderella's Christmas this weekend!

Cinderella’s Christmas will begin touring this weekend!

On Saturday, December 5th, Kaleidoscope will be at the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford, CT for an 11:00am show. Tickets are available online!

Then on Sunday, December 6th, Kaleidoscope will be presenting the show at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston! This performance of the holiday classic will begin at 2:00pm and tickets can also be purchased online at thewilburtheatre.com! We are very excited to bring our holiday tradition to the city of Boston and hope you can join us on Sunday for the premiere!

Tickets for Kaleidoscope’s presentation of Cinderella’s Christmas at Rhode Island College are also on sale! The RI performance will be Sunday, December 13th at 2:00pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 day of show. To purchase tickets, please call the RIC Box Office at (401) 456-8144. The Box Office is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.

Snow White and Cinderella appear with Santa this Saturday!

Santa Claus will be arriving at the Roger Williams Park Zoo on Saturday and Snow White and Cinderella will be there to greet him! This event will be happening on Saturday, November 28th and our characters will be at the zoo from 10:15am to 12:15pm. For more details on the event, check out the Zoo's website!

Hope you can join us to start off the holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Press Release - Cinderella's Christmas

CINDERELLA’S CHRISTMAS

What happens when you cross the most wonderful time of the year with the most wonderful fairytale of all time? You have the Kaleidoscope Theatre’s musical production, Cinderella’s Christmas, which will be performed on Sunday, December 13th, 2009 at Roberts Hall Auditorium, Rhode Island College. Showtime is 2:00 pm and admission is $10.00/person in advance and $12.00/person the day of the performance. This musical adaptation of the famous fairytale is loaded with beautiful songs, gorgeous costumes, exciting magic, lots of audience participation, and a Christmas twist that makes this production tons of fun for everyone! For tickets and further information, please contact the Rhode Island College Box Office at (401) 456-8144. For more information about Kaleidoscope Theatre, please call our office at (401) 942-3637 or check out our website at www.kaleidoscopetheatre.com!

Kaleidoscope Theatre's Cinderella's Christmas is an original musical written by David G. Payton of Cranston, RI, the Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Theatre. Cast members are Cinderella (Jillian Rivers-Keegan of Pascoag, RI); Prince Charming (Brendan Macera of Cranston, RI); the Stepmother (Debbie Gower of Cumberland, RI); the two stepsisters Disgustia (Meredyth Waterman of Cranston, RI) and Putricia (Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA); the Fairy Godmother (Marianne Douglas of Barrington, RI); the King (Christopher Schultz of South Yarmouth, MA); the Minister (Mike Daniels of North Providence, RI); and the mice: Willy (Donnie-Ray Brearton of Warwick, RI), Wendy (Olivia O’Connor of East Greenwich, RI) and Millie (Eloise Yagnesak of Franklin, MA).

Director is David Payton of Cranston, RI; Choreographers are Kim Frenze of Providence, RI and Tommy Iafrate of Cranston, RI; Costume Design by Marcia Zammarelli of Cranston, RI; Set Design by Robert Zannini of Cranston, RI; Stage Manager is Nicole Frechette of Lincoln, RI; Assistant Stage Manager is Megan Gonsalves of Smithfield, RI; and Sound Engineer is Adam Ramsey of Cranston, RI.

Book Santa or a Winter Princess for your holiday event!

Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and all of our beautiful princesses are available for holiday parties and appearances! All characters will read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas or another holiday story of your choice, as well as sing two songs from Kaleidoscope Theatre's holiday productions.  Santa is available to hear children's Christmas wishes and all characters are available to lead a holiday sing-along and pose for photos. 

If you're interested in booking a character for an upcoming event, please call Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637.

High School BULLY preview

Kaleidoscope Theatre recently performed BULLY at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC). This performance featured the original BULLY script, but also the debut of some of the orchestrations for the upcoming High School Bully show. We thought this combination of original script and updated music would be perfect for the middle school aged audience!

Here is a video clip of the updated version of "Under the Sea" as performed at PPAC!




Stay tuned for more updates on High School BULLY! If you’re interested in bringing our very successful anti-bullying program to your school, please call Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637.

Jack & the Beanstalk Preview!

Come see Jeffrey bring down the house this Sunday at Jack & the Beanstalk!

Call 1-781-230-EXPO for more information!

November Newsletter

Kaleidoscope Theatre's November Newsletter has been released to our mailing list. If you'd like to sign up to receive monthly updates, please email kaleidoscope@kaleidoscopetheatre.com!

In this issue you can read about:

1. This month – Jack & the Beanstalk
2. BULLY at PPAC
3. High School BULLY update
4. Cinderella’s Christmas tickets on sale!
5. Little Red Riding Hood’s Christmas
6. The Magic of Storytime
7. Supporting Our Members

BULLY at PPAC!

Kaleidoscope has a wonderful opportunity to perform at the Providence Performing Arts Center as part of this year’s Bank of America Arts Showcase. The performance will be Thursday, November 5th at 9:30am. Over 1500 students, from grades 5-8, will be attending the performance!

This performance will feature the original BULLY script, but we will also be debuting some of the orchestrations for the upcoming “High School Bully” show. We hope this combination of original script and updated music will be perfect for the middle school aged audience.

If you’re interested in bring our very successful anti-bullying program to your school, please call Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637!

Jack & the Beanstalk

Kaleidoscope will continue their monthly series in Saugus, MA with Jack & the Beanstalk on Sunday, November 8th. The show will be at 2:00pm and features several local performers from Massachusetts. The role of Jack will be played by Jeffrey Sewell of Weymouth, MA, the giant will be played by Chris Schultz of Winchendon, MA, and Jack’s mother will be played by Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA. Tickets can be reserved by calling (780) 230-EXPO! Tickets can now also be purchased online through Paypal!

Encore - The Three Pigs

Come see The Three Pigs again this weekend!

On Saturday, October 17th, Kaleidoscope will be traveling to the Kelsey Theatre in New Jersey for performances at 2:00pm and 4:00pm! To purchase tickets, please call the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at (609) 570-3333!

On Sunday, October 18th, Kaleidoscope will be back in New England for a fundraiser performance for the Concord Children's Center. The performance will be at 4:00pm at the Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts! Tickets can be purchased at the door or by contacting the Concord Children's Center.

See you there!

Fairytales at the Zoo!

Kaleidoscope Theatre characters will be on hand to meet and greet people at the Roger Williams Park Zoo's Jack-o-Lantern spectacular! Check out the link for more information! This event runs October 8th through November first and tickets are $12.

Kaleidoscope characters will be appearing on the following nights:

* Thursday, October 8th - Snow White, Cinderella, and The Mad Hatter

* Saturday, October 10th - Snow White, Prince Charming, and Mother Goose

* Friday, October 16th - Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and The Fairy Godmother

* Thursday, October 22nd - The Fairy Godmother, Pocahontas, The Mad Hatter

* Friday, October 23rd - Snow White, Mad Hatter, and Mother Goose

* Sunday, October 25th - The Queen of Hearts, Alice in Wonderland, and The Mad Hatter

Hope to see you there!

:)

Kaleidoscope wins Parents Pick 2009!

Kaleidoscope Theatre is... "the troupe that gives the liveliest performance, keeping even the squirmiest kids entertained" and the

Best Theater or Theatre Group for Kids!

...according to a recent award given out by Parents Connect. Thanks you so much for the honor!

For Best Theatre Group for Kids
in Providence

This Weekend - The Three Pigs!

Kaleidoscope Theatre will be presenting their original fairytale musical, The Three Pigs, twice this weekend!

The three pigs are trying to make it onto America’s Barnyard Idol, but that big, bad Elvis-loving wolf has stolen their ticket to the big audition! Can they get their ticket back in time? Can Mama Pig save them from the Wolf? Will the Pigs make it big in show business? Join us this weekend to find out!

On Sunday, October 11th, join us at the North Shore Saugus Childrens Theatre in Saugus, MA for a performance at 2:00pm. (466 Central St.)

On Monday, October 12th, the Pigs can be seen at Autumnfest in Woonsocket, RI. The Kidsfest stage is located on Veterans Way and the performance will begin at 1:00pm (following the parade).

We hope you can join us!

RIC TIX ON SALE!!

Tickets for Kaleidoscope Theatre's production of Cinderella's Christmas at Rhode Island College are now on sale!

The performance is Sunday, December 13th at 2:00pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 day of show. To purchase tickets, please call the RIC Box Office at (401) 456-8144.

Christmas is coming... the washing and waxing and scrubbing have been finished, but Cinderella's ball gown is ruined and her Stepmother and stepsisters have already left for the ball! Will the Fairy Godmother arrive in time to get Cinderella to the Christmas Ball? The mice seem to think so... join us December 13th at Rhode Island College to find out!

Fairytales in the Park - This Saturday!!

We invite you all to our FREE Fairytales in the Park performance this Saturday! The festivities begin at 2:00pm! Just to clarify, this event is at the Roger Williams National Memorial at 282 North Main St. in downtown Providence, not the Park in Cranston!!

Hope to see you all there!

:)

(photo: Roger Williams National Memorial)

Fairytales in the Park!

On Saturday, September 19, 2009 at Roger Williams National Park in Providence, RI, Kaleidoscope Theatre will perform the musical production GOLDILOCKS & THE THREE BEARS! Showtime is 3:00pm and the performance will be preceded by character appearances by SNOW WHITE at 2:00pm and CINDERELLA at 2:30pm! For more information, please call Kaleidoscope Theatre at (401) 942-3637. Roger Williams National Park is located in downtown Providence on North Main Street near Waterplace Park.

THIS EVENT IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC!

To begin the festivities, fan-favorite characters SNOW WHITE and CINDERELLA will be making appearances at the Park! Both princesses will be reading their stories, singing songs, greeting audience members, and posing for photographs. Snow White will arrive to tell her story at 2:00pm and Cinderella will follow at 2:30pm.

Kaleidoscope Theatre's GOLDILOCKS & THE THREE BEARS is an original musical adaptation that has been performed for over twenty-five years. Come with us on a delightful romp through the traditional tale of Goldilocks, but be prepared for a new twist at the end. Did you ever wonder what happened after Goldilocks ran all the way home? Join us on September 19th to find out!

SNOW WHITE - This Sunday!

Kaleidoscope Theatre will be performing fan favorite Snow White on Sunday, September 13th at 2:00pm. The performance will be at the Saugus Senior Center in Saugus, MA.

For more information, please contact Paul Ryan by emailing Grouptixne@aol.com or by calling 1-781-230-EXPO.

The Saugus Senior Center is located at:

466 Central St.

Saugus, MA 01906

Tickets - $12 each includes free ice cream!!

Hope you can join us!

September Newsletter

Welcome to the first fall edition of 2009!! We have a lot of exciting projects happening here at Kaleidoscope and we’re very excited to announce them to you!

Kaleidoscope would also like to thank all our summer patrons for making this season a wonderful success! We’re looking forward to seeing all our fans again soon at one of our upcoming shows!

For a complete list of our upcoming performances, check out our website at:
http://www.kaleidoscopechildrenstheatre.com/!

In this month's issue you can read about...
1. Fairytales in the Park
On Saturday, September 19, 2009 at Roger Williams National Park in Providence, RI, Kaleidoscope Theatre will perform the musical production “Goldilocks & the Three Bears!” Showtime is 3:00pm and the performance will be preceded by character appearances bySnow White at 2:00pm and Cinderella at 2:30pm!

2. Monthly Fairytale Series Continues!
Although the summer series is over for this year, Kaleidoscope will continue to present a new fairytale each month at theSaugus Senior Center!

3. B.U.L.L.Y. – The High School Musical
This fall, Kaleidoscope Theatre will be collaborating with P.A.V.E. (Partnership to Address Violence through Education), Youth Pride RI, and the Silver Lake Community Center to help raise anti-bullying awareness in local high schools. This collaboration was awarded the Hope 2 Grant, which will help bring Kaleidoscope Theatre's brand-new “B.U.L.L.Y. - The High School Musical” to ten local high schools in the 2009-2010 touring season.

4. Looking for gymnasts!

5. Reminder - $100 off coupons

6. Supporting Our Members

For more details on each of these news items, subscribe to our newsletter!

Help Stop Bullying!

Kaleidoscope Theatre will be collaborating with P.A.V.E., Youth Pride, and the Silver Lake Community Center to help raise anti-bullying awareness in local high schools. This collaboration was awarded the Hope 2 Grant, which will help bring Kaleidoscope Theatre's brand-new B.U.L.L.Y. - The High School Musical to ten local high schools in the 2009-2010 touring season.

The Hope 2 Grant is aimed at supporting victims of hate crimes based sexual orientation or the perception of sexual orientation. The grant was meant to develop mentoring programs; awareness through and development of a public service announcement; and, finally the performances of B.U.L.L.Y. at the following schools:

LaSalle Academy
Veterans High School
Pilgrim High School
Tollgate High School
Tolman High School
East Providence High School
Barrington High School
William M. Davies Technical High School
Shea High School
Lincoln High School

For more information, check out the wonderful article at FoxProvidence.com or visit Youth Pride's website.

Saugus Senior Center

Kaleidoscope Theatre will be continuing our monthly series of fairytales at Saugus Senior Center this fall!

Productions include: Snow White on September 13th, Three Pigs on October 11th, Jack & the Beanstalk on November 8th, and Little Red's Christmas on December 20th.

We hope you can join us!

Last chance ~ $100 off coupons!

Remember that $100-off scool-touring coupons can only be picked up at our summer concession stand! We have only two summer performances left!

* Goldilocks at South Shore Music Circus, 8/20 at 10:30am

* Goldilocks at Rhode Island College, 8/25 at 11:00am

These coupons are good for $100 off any of our school-touring productions. Simply pick up a coupon and give it to your child's principal or PTO president so they can book a show for the 2009-2010 school year for a $100 discount! (Show dates must be reserved by October 15th.) If you have any questions, please call our office at (401) 942-3637.

Shows available to tour to schools include:

* BULLY

* I’m Special, You’re Special

* Goldilocks & the Three Bears

* Little Red Riding Hood

Pick up your coupon today!!

Cinderella - Tuesday at RIC, 11:00am!

Join us for our fan-favorite production of Cinderella on Tuesday, August 18th at 11:00am!! Call (401) 456-8144 for tickets!

Pawtucket Arts Festival

Kaleidoscope Theatre will be at the YMCA Family Fun Day on August 28th from 6-8pm! This event is part of the Pawtucket Arts Festival and Kaleidoscope Theatre will have a table set up with information about our award-winning school-touring programs and our upcoming public performances! Snow White and Cinderella will also be appearing and will be happy to sign autographs and take photos with the kids!

We hope you can join us for such a fun event!

This Week at RIC - Little Red!

On August 11th, 2009 at Robert’s Hall Auditorium on the Rhode Island College Campus, Providence, RI, Kaleidoscope Theatre will perform the musical production LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD! 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 LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD is an original musical written by David G. Payton of Cranston, RI, the Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Theatre. Little Red Riding Hood and her Mother live a quiet life together in the woods, but unfortunately for them, the devious Big Bad Wolf is about to disrupt their cozy lifestyle. The handsome, conniving, and hungry Wolf sets out to eat Little Red, her sick Granny, and all of Little Red’s goodies. Unfortunately for the Wolf, Little Red’s cold-stricken Granny is more interested in marrying the wolf than running away from him. In Kaleidoscope’s adaptation of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, you’ll find that Granny’s a dilly, Wolfy’s quite silly, Red’s mother who shares, a Huntsman who cares, and a little girl all dressed in red come to life from the book you once read. It is full of songs, dance and loads of laughs for everyone plus audience participation and involvement which make this a show the whole family won't want to miss! So come along with Little Red as she tries to get to Granny's before the Big Bad Wolf.

Cast members are Little Red (Rebekah Philip of Rehoboth, MA), her Mother and Granny (Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA), the Huntsman (Cameron Marcotte of Scituate, RI) and The Big Bad Wolf (Ryan Hanley of Cranston, RI). Director is David Payton of Cranston, RI; Costume and Scenic Design are by Robert Zannini of Cranston, RI; Stage Manager is Christine Redihan of Providence, RI; and Sound Engineer is Nicole Frechette of Lincoln, RI.

Looking Through The Kaleidoscope #11: What Did You Expect? They're Owned By GM...

Sorry it took so long between this post and the last one. Once again, time got away from me, as it does with many of us.

As I mentioned last time, this blog would be about the Chevrolet Center in CT. First, a little background. So as they say in Lee Falk's The Phantom, "for those who came in late..."

Kaleidoscope has been bringing their summer series to the Chevrolet Center since it was known as Oakdale Theatre. I've only known it as the Chevrolet Center in the three years I've been with the company (you can check out a previous blog about the the Chevrolet Center here).

If you haven't been to the Chevy, it's huge. The theater itself seats somewhere in the realm of 6,000, and in addition there are two room used for our "character lunches", where all of the actors meet with the audience and sign posters as they have lunch. In most cases, it's a bigger than any other performance we do. That is, it was.

This summer, we only did one show at the Chevy. The economy has hit the place hard, as it has other venues, and the theater cancelled the rest of our season. Just like that, we were gone. There are two main reasons for this, which go hand in hand:

Chevy is a union theater, meaning that they have a lot of people they have to make sure get paid no matter what. From an actor's point of view, it means that someone else will put your costumes in place, install the drops, and put the set in place. Spill something and you are likely to hear "DON'T TOUCH THAT!"

Here's where the other hand comes in. Being so huge, Chevy has to fill as much of the theater as they can in order to make a profit. So while 2,000 people in the audience is great for a performer, it's not so great for a venue like Chevy. Because of the economy, it's harder to fill seats. Not to mention that most of Kaleidoscope's audience was comprised of summer camps, which were extremely beneficial for everyone. We got our audience and Chevy got its profit. But there are less camps this year because of (DA-DADA-DA!) the economy.

There is a little more to this that I hesitate to go into...

But I will!

Many people were upset by this. Kaleidoscope had received many calls from people hoping to see our shows at Chevy, none of them good. They have ranged from "we were looking forward to this" to "well, if you cancel there, who is to say you won't cancel with us?" Let me assure you all that we did not cancel the season. We, in fact, were willing to do just about anything to at least save part of the season. Yet people were under the impression that we were the ones that pulled the plug, when in fact it was another party I am not sure I should mention (hint: vroom vroom).

Now, this experience got me wondering: how would the fairy tale worlds that we portray handle such a situation? With that, I present:

Kiss it, Obama!

So what would the fairy tales of this summer's season do in such an economic crisis? Here are my theories (for your consideration, additional references have been added thanks to Wikipedia):

Snow White - This is an easy one: layoffs. That way when I ask if everyone is ready for "Snow White and the Three Dwarfs", I'm not lying.

Cinderella - The Fairy Godmother can only afford to give Cinderella a fiberglass slipper.

Beauty & the Beast - These people are already down on their luck...but things get worse when the Beast cannot let Belle live in luxury and wear fine clothes. All he can offer is a "My Dad Stole a Flower, Made Me Live With This Furball, and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" shirt.

The Frog Prince - You think we can afford to give such nobility to a frog?!? Bring on "The Frog Duke".

Aladdin - I know what you are thinking: there's a Genie that can fix it all. Right? WRONG! With everyone cutting corners, there is now a 10 rupee surcharge with every wish.

Goldilocks & the Three Bears - If no one can afford a house lately, bears certainly can't.

"I'm so tired. Oh, what a cute little...cave?"

Little Red Riding Hood - We've already got one sponsor plug ("Oooh, Neiman Marcus"), so let's get in some more.

"Now, go straight to Granny's house to give her the Pepto-Bismol, for her nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, and diarrhea."

"I will, mother. And if I get tired, I can snack on these Honey Nut Cheerios, which can help lower my cholesterol. Honey Nut Cheerios: be happy, be healthy."

And finally...

Sleeping Beauty - Naturally, the spinning wheel will be made by IKEA. And what is this Party of the Year business? You think that we can put together a celebration so great that it will be better than anything else that year? We can't afford such gusto. Music, please!

"The Party of the Month!
The Party of the Month!
The costs are low, I guess we'll go,
to the Party of the Month!
My goodness what will I wear?
My goodness what will we wear?
Dress casual, it's acceptable,
at the Party of the Month!
And bring drinks for you see, it is BYOB,
at the Par-ty, of, the, Month!"

Those shows should do just fine, right?

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

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!

To read the complete newsletter, become a subscriber!!

Summer Series in the Valley Breeze

Our summer series has been announced in the Valley Breeze!
http://www.valleybreeze.com/Free/ENT-kaleidoscope-theatre-6-7

ALADDIN Press Release!

On July 7, 2009 at Robert’s Hall Auditorium on the Rhode Island College Campus, Providence, RI, Kaleidoscope Theatre will perform the musical production ALADDIN!

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 stories from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights 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 production of ALADDIN 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. Three brand-new beautiful backdrops were recently painted for this production by local artist Laura McPherson thanks to grant money provided by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA). These new scenic elements truly transport audiences to the mystical land of Bazrad, where the story takes place. The show is filled with magnificent songs, magical spells, beautiful harem girls, and even a dancing camel. Audience involvement makes this show one which the whole family will enjoy!

Director and writer David Payton knows audiences of all ages will enjoy this show. “What we do at Kaleidoscope is truly magic. Here we have a classic story that all children (and adults) know and love. The classic story elements are there, but we add surprises here and there to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.” Ryan Hanley, who plays the Silly Sultan of Bazrad, knows why everybody enjoys Kaleidoscope’s performances so much. Ryan says, “We don’t play down to the kids. We play to everyone, every member in the audience.”

Cast members are Aladdin (Joe Catanzaro of Johnston, RI); Princess Jasmine (Amber Johnson of Providence, RI); the Sultan (Ryan Hanley of Cranston, RI); the Evil Vizier (Christopher Schultz of South Yarmouth, MA); the Genie (Sam Hood of Providence, RI); Aladdin's Mother (Jasmine Ready of South Yarmouth, MA); Aladdin's friends (Kelsey Massaro of Smithfield, RI and Santana Roberts of West Greenwich, RI); the Guards (Cameron Marcotte of Scituate, RI and Dan Walsh of Burriville, RI); and the beautiful veil dancers (Jamie Dellorco of Franklin, MA; Megan Gonsalves of Smithfield, RI; Cassandra Pacheco of Johnston, RI; Jillian Rivers-Keegan of Burriville, RI; and Audrey Thompson of Cumberland, RI).

Director is David G. Payton of Cranston, RI; Costume Design is by Robert Zannini of Cranston, RI and Scenic Design is by Laura MacPherson of Providence, RI with Robert Zannini of Cranston, RI; Choreography is by Cassandra Pacheco of Johnston, RI; Stage Manager is Nicole Frechette of Lincoln, RI; Assistant Stage Manager is Christine Redihan of Providence, RI; and Sound Engineer is Adam Ramsey of Cranston, RI.

June Newsletter!!

The first summer edition of our newsletter has been released! Kaleidoscope Theatre is ready to begin our wonderful Summer 2009 Tour and we’re looking forward to seeing you all in person instead of just communicating via email!

In this issue, you can read about...

Season Tickets!

A season ticket for all eight shows at RIC can be purchased for only $50! This ticket saves you almost $20 and enables you to sit in a special reserved section!

Sleeping Beauty this Sunday!

Last call - Sleeping Beauty kicks off our summer season this Sunday at 2:00pm!

Summer Preview video now online!

To help promote this summer’s series, Kaleidoscope Theatre put together an online video with photos and music from our upcoming shows!

$100 off coupon

Our $100-off coupons will be available at our concession stands again this year! These coupons are good for $100 off any of our school-touring productions.

** Date change - Since the distribution of the June newsletter, the Black Box Theatre has rescheduled their production! Bob Macaux (Henry in the Frog Prince and Domenic in “Sleeping Beauty”) will now be reciting Shakespearean Sonnets at the Artist's Exchange on July 10, 11 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for this wonderful night are $10.00. For more information, please call (401) 490-9475.

Sleeping Beauty - June 21st!

You can preview one of our summer shows, by visiting The Saugus Senior Center on Sunday, June 21st! Sleeping Beauty will begin at 2:00pm and the $12 admission includes a free ice cream!

For reservations, please email Grouptixne@aol.com or call (781) 230-EXPO!

New photos for this production have been added to our website featuring the actors who will perform on stage this summer! Check them out!

Summer 2009 Preview!

May Newsletter!!

Hi everyone! We hope you’re all enjoying the wonderful New England weather! Here at Kaleidoscope, we’re using the sun and the warmth to start cleaning and organizing our outside prop storage shed and we’ve begun making repairs and upgrades to our props and costumes! We’ve also already begun rehearsing for Sleeping Beauty and we start Aladdin this week!

In this issue:
RIC Tickets Now On Sale
Tickets are now officially on sale for our RI performances at Rhode Island College. This eight week series will run from July 7th – August 25th. With times being as difficult as they are, Kaleidoscope is offering the best “staycation” in town! Without buying expensive travel tickets, you can excite your child’s imagination by bringing them to see their favorite fairytale come to life on stage!

Sleeping Beauty
You can preview one of our summer shows, by visiting The Saugus Senior Center on Sunday, June 21st! “Sleeping Beauty” will begin at 2:00pm and the $12 admission includes a free ice cream!

New Summer Venue!
Kaleidoscope Theatre is proud to add the Hampton Beach Casino to our venue list this summer! We will be debuting “Cinderella” there on July 11th at 11:00am.

Strategies of Success contest!
Marianne Douglas (Fairy Godmother in “Cinderella”) is in the process of updating her successful high school curriculum “Strategies of Success” with the most current information prior to donating it to 300 high schools in North America this summer! With towns being strapped for money, Marianne thought that this was the ideal time to have a contest where schools can apply to win the program that has won so many awards and has changed thelives of so many teens! High schools can apply to win the program at www.strategiesofsuccess.com until July 2.

Congratulations, Rebekah!
At the recent Motif Magazine Awards, one of Kaleidoscope’s talented performers received an award! Rebekah Philip won for “Best Child Performance” for her portrayal of Little Red in our Little Red Riding Hood.

To read the complete newsletter, become a subscriber!

Congratulations, Rebekah!

Kaleidoscope would like to congratulate Rebekah Philip, who recently won a Motif Award for Best Child Performance for her portrayal of Little Red in Kaleidoscope's Little Red Riding Hood!

You can see Rebekah in that role on stage again this summer in August! 

* Tuesday, August 11th at Rhode Island College, 11am

* Wednesday, August 12th at The Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford, CT, 11am

Kaleidoscope is also proud of their other Motif nominees: Tommy Iafrate, Jeffrey Sewell, Nikki Speciale, and the cast and crew of Cinderella's Christmas. It was Kaleidoscope's first year being nominated and it's a testament to the talent of all those individuals that we received so many nominations this year. 

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!

(Photo: Presenters from Trinity and Perishable give Rebekah and Marisa (who was nominated for Encore's Grease) their awards!)

AAA Discount available for RIC shows!

Frog Prince this Sunday!!

Kaleidoscope will be presenting The Frog Prince at the Saugus Senior Center on Sunday, May 10th! The show will begin at 2:00pm and the $12 admission includes an ice cream!

Moms get in FREE, so it is a wonderful Mother's Day activity for the whole family!

SYNOPSIS:
Splash! Young Prince Noble is having a really bad day - a smelly Gypsy woman is in love with him, he gets pushed down a well, and then he’s 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!

Will Prince Noble learn a lesson in humility and win the lovely Princess Cassandra’s heart? Watch as plots twist, stories intertwine, and all the characters discover that Happy Endings can happen when you least expect them!

For more information on how to get tickets, check out our website!

(Photo: the cast of The Frog Prince from a recent performance.)

2009 Summer Series!!!

Kaleidoscope announces its 2009 Summer Series!!!

Roberts Hall Auditorium, Rhode Island College

Tuesdays at 11:00am

Tickets on sale next week!

Box Office: (401) 456-8144

July 7th - Aladdin

July 14th - Sleeping Beauty

July 21st - Snow White

July 28th - The Frog Prince

August 4th - Beauty & the Beast

August 11th - Little Red Riding Hood

August 18th - Cinderella

August 25th - Goldilocks & the Three Bears

The Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford, CT

Wednesdays at 11:00am

Tickets on sale May 8th!
Box Office: (203) 265-1501

http://www.livenation.com/venue/chevrolet-theatre-tickets

July 8th - Aladdin
July 15th - Sleeping Beauty
July 22nd - Snow White
July 29th - The Frog Prince
August 6th - Beauty & the Beast (special Thursday performance)
August 12th - Little Red Riding Hood
August 19th - Cinderella
August 26th - Goldilocks & the Three Bears

The Cape Cod Melody Tent

Wednesdays at 11:00am

Tickets now on sale!!
Box Office: (508) 775-5630

http://www.melodytent.org/

July 29th - Snow White

August 12th - Cinderella

August 19th - Goldilocks & the Three Bears

The South Shore Music Circus

Thursdays at 10:30am

Tickets now on sale!

Box Office: (781) 383-9850

http://www.themusiccircus.org/

July 16th - Sleeping Beauty

July 23rd - Frog Prince

July 30th - Snow White

August 13th - Cinderella

August 20th - Goldilocks & the Three Bears

The Saugus Senior Center in Saugus, MA

One Sunday a month at 2:00pm!

Box Office: (781)230-EXPO

June 21st - Sleeping Beauty

July 19th - Aladdin

August 16th - Beauty & the Beast

Drop Painting - Part two!

The drop painting project went even better than expected!! We finished painting the Oasis drop and even started the palace drop! Laura will finish the third drop over the weekend and we will have three brand new drops for Aladdin!! The week was a wonderful experience for everyone involved and we hope to collaborate again in the future.

Here is a photo of the new completed Oasis drop! More photos of the painting process (and a sneak peak at the third palace drop) are available on Myspace!!

Drop painting!

All this week, volunteers from Kaleidoscope will be joining local Scenic Artist Laura McPherson to create a new drop for Aladdin! Laura is painting a total of three new drops for the production, which will open Kaleidoscope's 2009 Summer Series at Rhode Island College on July 7th!

All this week, we will be posting pictures of the drop as it progresses!

On DAY ONE, we stretched out the drop and stapled it to the deck. Then, we sprayed several layers of paint onto the drop to help it square up and settle. While waiting for our first layers to dry, we also did prep work in terms of the color pallete and the scale gridlines that will help us transfer the image Laura designed onto the drop. Finally, we continued to add layers of paint to begin the background color. The photo is how the drop looked at the end of Day One! For more photos, check out Kaleidoscope's page on Myspace.com!

Tomorrow, we will begin drawing the cartoon (outline) of the image!! Stay Tuned!