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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 2015)
Thirty-wonderful years of ‘Shanghaied’ ocal thespians are ham- ming it up again. The original, infamous, his- torical, hysterical melo- dramatic musical hilarity of “Shanghaied in Asto- ria” — in its 31st year — opens Thursday, July 9 and runs through Sept. 12 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Astor Street Opry Company Playhouse. “We like to say, this is our Thirty-Wonder- ful time to produce this show,” said director Nate Bucholz from the rehearsal stage last week. “And this year we’ve had 45 come out for auditions. It’s an amazing turnout!” How do they do it, year after year? Ac- cording to Bucholz, “It’s because we have so much fun — everybody wants to be a part of that.” Part vaudeville, part soap opera, and part 1950s-style Hollywood musical, “Shang- haied in Astoria” has a little something for the ZKROHIDPLO\7KHVKRZUH¿QHGDQGSHUIHFW- ed over the decades, is the longest-running local theater production west of the Rocky Mountains. It incorporates local legend and tom-foolery with a dedicated and talented cast of both fresh faces and old-hands. L Bill Carr kisses the arm of ChrisLynn Taylor during a rehearsal of “Shanghaied in Astoria.” From left: Ashley Kacate, Angela Lister, Jaime Baird and Jessica Villiard, give their best Uff Daa on stage. Jones, Jessica Villiard, Ashley Cate, Aliyah Craig, Darlene Van Auken and Playhouse band members Phil Morrill, David Bennett and Bill Brookes. The show runs every weekend all sum- mer, and that’s a bit hard for folks, so the large cast means that actors swap parts during the run. “We do a lot of rehearsing,” Bucholz continues. “We’ll run a scene, and then we’ll switch it out and do the same scene with a different set of actors. It’s a little time consuming, but everyone gets a chance to rehearse their parts. “I can hear them on stage right now — they’re warming up their voices.” Fresh faces ³,¶PMXVWWU\LQJWR¿JXUHRXWZKHUHWRSXW all the women!” Bucholz says with a laugh. When asked what’s new this year, what exactly has been tweaked for public con- sumption, he is coy. “Well, we’ve got four Virginias this year, every one of them great. There are two new ones — Ashley Rowles, a total newbie to our stage and Lexi Black- sten, a veteran of three years but new to the 9LUJLQLDUROH$QG-RUGDQ*ULI¿QLVSOD\LQJ (ULF IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH WKLV \HDU 7KHQ ZH have Kimberly Waltemate from the Long A cast of thousands %HDFK3HQLQVXOD²LW¶VWKH¿UVWWLPHVKH¶V Included in the lineup this summer are acted with us. Bill Carr, Jason Hippert, Marcus Brown, “Everybody is enthusiastic about this Mark Galbraith, Dave Bergquist, LaMar year’s show — we’re going to have a really Blackner, Deac Guidi, Oscar Morales de good time,” Bucholz says. “But I can’t tell Leon, ChrisLynn Taylor, Lexi Blacksten, you everything, you know; we have a keep a Makayla Mestrich, Dena Tuveng, Ashley few secrets. You’ll just have to come out and Mundel, Josh Mendenhall, Tim Murphy, see for yourselves what’s new this year.” Jon Osborn, Elsa Nethercot, Zack Sandoval, If you are one of the unlucky people Stephanie Osborn, Eric Bredleau, Ron Wolt- who have not yet seen this example of com- jer, Timothy Mendenhall, Charlotte Men- munity-building creativity, this may be the GHQKDOO-RUGDQ*ULI¿Q+DOH\:HVW$VKOH\ year you just give in and hoof it over to the Rowles, Austin Brown, Ellen Kachel-Bew- ASOC Playhouse, 129 W. Bond St., for a ley, Kimberly Waltemate, Arlene Holmes, North Coast phenomenon. Rosalina Fallin, Crystal Neher, Sara Berner, Be ready to laugh, cry, cheer for the he- Jamie Baird, Ali Craig, Josiah Haynes, Cal- roes and heroines, and boo the baddies. A vin Roy, Mae Loya, Christena Jones, Kylie good time is guaranteed for all. The cast of “Shanghaied in Astoria” lets out a cheer on stage. ‘Shanghaied in Astoria’ 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 9 to Sept. 12 Box office opens at 6 p.m.; doors open at 6:30 p.m. 2 p.m. Sunday, July 19, Aug. 16 and Sept. 6 Tickets are $17 to $21 and can be purchased online at www.astorstreetoprycompnay.com or by calling 503-325-6104 the arts Seats can also be purchased at the door one hour before each show, but reservations are recommended VISUAL ARTS • LITERATURE • THEATER • MUSIC & MORE Be sure to ask about group and family rates and senior and child discounts Story by CATE GABLE • Photos by JOSHUA BESSEX July 9, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 9