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ZION OPERA WORKSHOP PRESENTS:

 "Crazy for You"

 

ZION OPERA WORKSHOP PRESS RELEASE:

Smith Auditorium in Zion United Church of Christ, 2nd and Iron Sts. in Lehighton is a hub of activity right now but it’s not just during Sunday morning worship services. Zion Opera workshop, which has been a mainstay at Zion UCC for the last forty three years, is in full swing once again. Zion Opera Workshop will be presenting Crazy For You which is a romantic comedy musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Released in 1992 it was billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy”. It is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but incorporates songs from several other productions as well. Crazy for You won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical.

The show tells the story of Bobby Child, played by ZOW veteran, Brent Harris who is a well-to-do 1930′s banker, whose dream in life is to escape banking and dance on Broadway. His Mother, Lottie (Michelle Stoudt) and his fiancée, Irene (Tina Becker) don’t want to hear of his dancing dreams! Sent instead to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on the mortgage of the failing Gaiety Theatre, Bobby falls for the theater owner Everett Baker’s daughter, Polly (played by “real life” father and daughter, Tim and Becky Herd). He creates a tangled ruse in an attempt to impress her. Posing as New York theatre producer "Zangler," he puts on a show to save the theatre and invites the real "Zangler's Follies" showgirls to come out west and assist him with the matter. The follies girls include the Girls’ leader, Tess played by Jessica Schaffer, Patsy, her not so bright best friend (Elyse Kistler), Mitzi (Dance Captain, Laura Cressley), Elaine (Alexis Young), Louise (Alyssa Huntington), Susie (Evy Heckman), Betsy (Tara Crowe), Margie (Casi Reichard), Sheila (Kaitlyn Piekarski) and Vera (Mikayla Blakeslee). But turning the local cowboys into dancers is the least of his problems when the real Zangler (Doug Rau) shows up in Deadrock. Our singing and dancing cowboys include the Trio of Sam (Adam Reichard), Moose (Matt Poirer) and Mingo (Josiah Behrens) who are surrounded by their friends Custus (Nicolai Kabana), Billy (Dave Krum), Wyatt (Jim Blakeslee), Pete (Thomas Phelan), Harry (Nathan Kroboth), Jimmy (Darrin Wagner) and Junior (Kane Zerbe).

To add to the mayhem, Bobby’s Mother and fiancé also show up in Deadrock. A saloon which is located next door to the theater serves as the gathering place for the cowboys, Follies Girls and friends from New York. The owner of the saloon, Lank Hawkins (Noah Smith) wants to buy the theater and feels Polly (who by the way is the ONLY woman in Deadrock) is “his” woman. In the midst of the confusion, dancing and singing, British tourists Eugene (Brandon Cressley) and Patricia (April Boyett) show up to review Lank’s saloon.

Rounding out the cast is Mother’s Chauffeur (Martha Cox) and chorus members Schyler Cordova, Lexi Pfeifer, Bridget McFadden, April Walker, Aleigh Smith, Kristin Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ZION OPERA WORKSHOP

In 1970 Paul R. Smith, the director of music at Zion UCC in Lehighton created Zion Opera Workshop. The groups first presentation was the Musical "Amahl and the Night Visitors" for Christmas. The show was a great success and Zion Opera Workshop was off and running to the successful group that it is today.

Each year since then, Zion Opera Workshop has presented a Broadway style musical every spring. Shows have ranged from "Fiddler on the Roof" to "Bye Bye Birdie" and have been accompanied by a full orchestra. It was Paul Smith's dream to offer Lehighton and the surrounding areas a great quality musical for a price that is basically unheard of anywhere. The goal of the group was not to make money. In fact, the group has been non-profit since its inception and has become one of the most popular and successful evangelisms at Zion United Church of Christ.

Each spring, Zion Opera Workshop opens Smith Auditorium in Derr Hall for its annual production and warmly welcomes nearly 1,000 people to see the production. For 38 years, Paul Smith, with his wife Linn constantly by his side continued this tradition of quality musicals. They retired after their 38th year but the group lives on through many of the people that the Smith' s have worked with for many years.

 


Zion Opera Workshop History

1970 Amahl and the Night Visitors 1983 The Music Man 1996 Guys and Dolls
1971 Oklahoma! 1984 Hello, Dolly! 1997 Hello, Dolly!
1972 Fiddler on the Roof 1985 Bring Back Birdie 1998 Brigadoon
1973 Carousel 1986 Carousel 1999 State Fair
1974 The Music Man 1987 My Fair Lady 2000 Once Upon a Mattress
1975 Annie Get Your Gun 1988 Annie Get Your Gun 2001 Damn Yankees
1976 The Most Happy Fella 1989 The Sound of Music 2002 Li'l Abner
1977 Fiddler on the Roof 1990 Damn Yankees 2003 Bye, Bye Birdie
1978 South Pacific 1991 South Pacific 2004 Crazy for You
1979 Bye, Bye Birdie 1992 Here's Love 2005 My Fair Lady
1980 Oklahoma! 1993 The Most Happy Fella 2006    State Fair
1981 Brigadoon 1994 Cinderella 2007 Oklahoma!
1982 The King and I 1995 The King and I 2008 Anything Goes

                                                  
2009 South Pacific                    2010 Once Upon a Mattress

                  2011 The Music Man                 2012 Guys and Dolls
                                                   2013  Crazy for You
 

 

Question about this site?  Please contact ccmusic@ptd.net
Copyright © 2002-2010 Zion United Church of Christ, Lehighton, PA. All rights reserved.

This page was last edited 02/13/2013

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