Saturday, February 17, 2018
ENTERTAINMENT
East Oregonian
Page 3C
PENDLETON
Forget the sun, stars shine in local ‘Annie’ production
College Community Theatre
stages popular musical
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
America’s favorite orphan will
be portrayed by two talented young
ladies as College Community
Theatre presents the Broadway
musical “Annie.”
Ashlee Zaugg and Jenna Welch
will share the lead role, taking the
stage in alternating performances.
The two Pendleton High School
students aren’t strangers to
performing. While attending Wash-
ington Elementary School, they
were cast in the 2010 PHS produc-
tion of “Les Miserables.” Doreen
Matteson, who directs “Annie” with
Margaret Mayer, sings their praises.
“These girls are absolutely
amazing,” Matteson said. “They
sing, they dance, they act and they
are just remarkable people.”
In addition, the orphans
ensemble features 20 children
ranging in age from 6-16. With
nearly 70 little girls vying for roles,
Mayer said casting the orphans was
an extremely difficult task.
Photo contributed by Brenna Saldana
Jenna Welch and Ashlee Zaugg are sharing the role of the title char-
acter during College Community Theatre performances of “Annie.”
The musical opens with a pay-what-you-can preview night Feb. 22
at Bob Clapp Theatre at BMCC in Pendleton.
“There is so much talent in this
town,” she said.
Other cast members include
Rick Pullen in the role of Daddy
Warbucks, Sarah Pilch as Grace
Farrell, Lezlee Flagg as Miss
Hannigan, Robert Crane as Rooster
Hannigan and Samantha Mahaffey
as his dingy girlfriend, Lily St.
Regis. Also part of the ensemble
cast is Jonathan Wolotira, a 2017
PHS graduate, who played the title
role in CCT’s 2017 production of
“Joseph and the Amazing Techni-
color Dreamcoat.”
The show’s choreography
includes the combined efforts of
Debbie Kishpaugh, Samanatha
Annie gets a two-week reprieve
with a billionaire. After endearing
herself to him, he offers to pony up
some cash in an effort to help her
find her parents.
The heart-warming story is
nearly derailed due to greed. But
true to the musical’s most recogniz-
able song, “The sun will come out
tomorrow.”
The musical opens with a
pay-what-you-can preview night
Thursday, Feb. 22 at Bob Clapp
Theatre at Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College, 2411 N.W. Carden
Ave. Regular performances are
Feb. 23-24 and March 1-3 at 7:30
p.m. and matinée shows Feb. 25
and March 4 at 2 p.m.
Tickets, which are $20 for adults
and $10 for students, are now on
sale. CCT artistic director Craig
McIntosh anticipates brisk ticket
sales and encourages people to make
early reservations. The Pioneer Hall
box office is open Monday-Fridays
from noon to 2 p.m. In addition,
people can call 541-278-5953.
———
Contact Community Editor
Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@
eastoregonian.com or 541-564-
4539
WHAT TO DO
Pendleton librarian
pens young adult novel
Festivals
T
Red to Red XC MTB Race
he setting: early 2000s
northwestern Colorado suburbs.
Very All-American. The plot,
worthy of John Hughes: Recently
dumped homecoming court nominee
Erin hatches a revenge plot against her
ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend that
involves using Peter, the nerdy theater
kid. Everything is
going according to
plan until they start
to fall for each other.
That briefly
summarized “Stage
Kiss,” the most
recent young adult
(YA) fiction novel
by Pendleton based
J.D.
author M.F. Lorson.
Kindle
Lorson is the nom
Comment
de plume of Jennifer
Costley, assistant
director for the Pendleton Public
Library. Under the Lorson moniker
she has previously written two YA
novels, “Delinquent” and “The
Hunter’s Daughter,” which takes place
in contemporary Pendleton.
Costley’s path to being a YA author
was circuitous. She went to college
pursuing a creative writing major with
a goal of working in the publishing
industry.
She had a internship lined up with
a publisher following graduation that
was scuttled due to an administrative
mishap. Discouraged, Costley turned
to nannying before finally landing a
publishing internship in Colorado.
While there she learned that the
publishing industry was in rapid
decline — she was one of seven
interns at a publisher that had only one
paid employee.
Determined to stake out a career
in the world of literature, Costley
returned to school to obtain a degree in
library science.
While in library school Costley was
required to read some YA fiction and
instantly fell in love with it. Now it is
all that she reads (aside from what she
is assigned to read at work). As she
puts it: “For the most part if I got to
choose I would only read teen fiction.”
As a genre, YA is relatively ...
young. Although there have been
proto-YA novels for close to a century
(“The Outsiders” being a standout),
publishers and retailers didn’t feel
to need to delineate a new market
segment until the “Twilight” series
became a megahit. The genre typically
revolves around characters in the
age range of high school (13-18) and
their coming-of-age travails. Popular
sub-genres include contemporary
romance, dystopian future (i.e.
“Hunger Games”), and paranormal
romance (“Twilight”).
Most interesting is the fact that a
large portion of YA’s readership are
older than the characters it portrays.
From what Costley has gathered, the
majority of her audience falls between
25 and 45. As both a producer and
consumer of YA fiction, Costley totally
understands. “I just love reading
about that age group,” says Costley. “I
especially like anything in a boarding
school setting because I didn’t get
to go to one. There’s something fun
about first love and that’s always
featured in YA books. I could read that
over and over again.”
Beyond focusing on young love,
the early 2000s retro-ism of “Stage
Kiss” adds another layer of nostalgia
to the mix. (We’re about on schedule
for the obligatory two-decade retro-
mania to fall on the 2000s, right?)
“When I was a teenager books like
this didn’t exist set in my time period.
They didn’t get to read about being a
teenager as a teenager. I read a ton as a
Mahaffey, Colin Taber and Zaugg.
Providing accompaniment is a
large pit orchestra. Mayer is giddy
with excitement and is especially
impressed with the cast’s commit-
ment.
“It really speaks not only to the
talent in our community, but to the
interest on the part of many, many
young people,” she said. “Our
rehearsals are full of enthusiasm
and life.”
It’s been a decade since Mayer
and Matteson worked together on
“Bye Bye, Birdie.” Also, Mayer
is taking on a dual role as a stage
mom — her pooch, Polly, was cast
as Sandy the dog.
The production, Matteson said,
is laced with endearing tunes,
wonderful dancing, adorable chil-
dren, more than a few laughs and
characters that you’ll love — and
some that you’ll love to hate.
Set during the Great Depression
in New York City, it chronicles
the life of Annie, who was left on
the steps of the municipal shelter
for orphans. To escape the angry
spinster who owns the orphanage,
Annie runs away — only to be
returned in handcuffs.
The tale takes a twist when
A Wee Bit O’Ireland
•March 16-18
•Heppner
No cover. The celebration includes
lots of food, fun events, great entertain-
ment and a chance to win a pot o’gold.
•Saturday, March 17; noon-3 p.m.
•Sno Road Winery, 111 W. Main
St., Echo
No cover. Downtown vendors, food
and fun for the whole family. Race in-
formation to be announced.
Prestige Wrestling 4: Do or Die
• Friday, March 30; 7-11 p.m.
www.ticketfly.com
•Eastern Oregon Trade and Event
Center, 1705 Airport Road, Hermiston
$20-$50. Features the best inde-
pendent talent in the Pacific Northwest
as well as former WWE superstars.
Matches include Filthy Tom Lawlor vs
MV Young, Mike Santiago vs Julian
Whyt, Sonico vs Kaine Jaiden, Guer-
rero De Neón vs León Negro and more
matches to be announced.
Art, Museums &
Authors
teenager but not about my age group.
There were a lot of teen romcom
movies instead.” Those romcom
movies figure prominently in “Stage
Kiss,” where references to late-’90s/
early-’00s heartthrob Freddie Prinze
Jr. abound.
“Stage Kiss” is the first installment
of a six-book series titled Mountain
Creek Drive, with said eponymous
thoroughfare being the neighborhood
that six semi-connected protagonists
live in. The series is a collaboration
between Costley and two other YA
authors — Daphne James Huff and
Kayla Tirrell — whom she met
through the online forum Young Adult
Authors Alliance.
The three held a series of
meetings to outline the world that their
characters inhabit, the general arc of
the series, and divided up who was
responsible for writing each entry.
Costley was tasked with penning the
first and fourth books.
Part of the motivation for
collaborating is business strategy. In
the world of self-publishing there is
the common practice of rapid release,
whereupon finishing an e-book readers
are presented with the option of
pre-ordering the next book in a series.
Spreading the load of writing each
entry ensures that there will always
be a new work in the pipeline for
voracious readers. In a world with an
overabundance of content vying for
our attention, the rapid release model
helps to ensure that an author will stay
on readers’ radars consistently.
Aside from the fourth entry in
the Mountain Creek Drive series,
which is to be published in June,
Costley is working on another series
to be released in January 2019. In the
meantime she is stealthily observing
reception to her work at the Pendleton
Library.
“I love it when a patron checks out
one of my books without realizing I
wrote it. When someone checks out
my books at the library I hope that
their other checkouts are authors I
consider my work comparable to. If
I were to notice a pattern where my
book was always checked out with
mysteries, I would be wary that I had
chosen the wrong cover. The other
day a girl checked out ‘The Hunter’s
Daughter’ and then the next week she
came back and checked out ‘Delin-
quent.’ That was pretty exciting.”
M.F. Lorson reads at the Pendleton
Public Library on February 22 and
at the Hermiston Public Library on
March 7.
■
James Dean Kindle is a Pendleton
musician and executive director of the
Oregon East Symphony. Contact him
at jamesdeankindle@gmail.com.
Wilderness & Sublimity: Pho-
tography and the Conservation
of Hells Canyon
•Tuesday-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.;
Saturdays, noon-4 p.m.
•Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214
N. Main St.
www.pendletonarts.org
Free. Photographer Kendrick Mo-
holt organized two collections of pho-
tos (late 1960s-early 1970s and 2016)
for a the exhibit that showcases the
beauty of Hells Canyon. Runs through
Feb. 24.
2018 ArtWORKz Junior Art
Show & Competition
•Jan. 27-March 17; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
•Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, near
Wildhorse Resort & Casino.
www.tamastslikt.org
$10/adults, $9/senior citizens, $6/
youths. View exhibit featuring youth
artists from the region. Runs through
March 17.
Photography Club Exhibit
•Monday-Thursdays; 11 a.m-7
p.m.,
•Friday-Saturdays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
•Hermiston Public Library, 235 E.
Gladys Ave.
www.hermistonlibrary.us
Free. The work of Photography
Club members is on display. Runs
through Feb. 28.
Sweet Exhibit
•Tuesday-Sundays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
•Peterson’s Gallery and Chocolati-
er, 1925 Main St., Baker City
www.petersonsgallery.net
Free. Features the work of region-
al artists. Also, check out the artisan
chocolates just in time for Valentine’s
Day. Runs through Feb. 28.
Watercolor Society of Oregon
•Monday-Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-
1:30 p.m.
•Betty Feves Memorial Gallery,
Blue Mountain Community College,
2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton.
Free. The traveling show features
20 award-winning paintings from the
society’s bi-annual juried exhibition by
noted artist/juror Paul Jackson. Gallery
also open by appointment by calling
541-278-5952. Runs through Feb. 15.
Kids + Art = Fun!
•Saturday, Feb. 24; 1-4 p.m.
•Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, near
Wildhorse Resort & Casino.
www.tamastslikt.org
Free. Pepsi Primetime @ the Mu-
seum offers a family art project. The
event is held in conjunction with the
current exhibit, 2018 ArtWORKz Junior
Art Show & Competition.
Music
Groove City
•Saturday, Feb. 17; 8 p.m. No cover
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse
Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mis-
sion.
Cory Peterson Band
•Saturday, Feb. 17; 9 p.m.
•The Pheasant Blue Collar Bar &
Grill, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston
No cover. The CPB returns to help
people party away the post-Valentine’s
Day blues with country and rock tunes.
Stompin’ Ground
•Saturday, Feb. 17, 9 p.m. No cover
•Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth
St., Umatilla
Tylor & the Train Robbers
•Monday, Feb. 19; 7-9 p.m.
•Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co.,
403 S. Main St., Pendleton
No cover. All ages. Former He-
lix resident Tylor Bushman Ketchum
hardly needs an introduction. He’s
Contributed photo
With a theme of Global Celebrations, Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity students will perform during the International Dinner
and Show. The 31st annual event is Feb. 23 at school’s La
Grande campus.
Dinner event features international flavor
LA GRANDE — People attending the International Dinner and
Show will be treated to a virtual trip around the world highlighting a
variety of holidays and special events celebrated in different countries.
Eastern Oregon University students representing more than a
dozen countries will share dances, songs and performances during the
31st annual event. The public is invited to Global Celebrations, which
is Friday, Feb. 23 at the university’s La Grande campus. Authentic
dishes will be served at 5:30 p.m. in Hoke Union Building, followed
by an evening of international entertainment starting at 7 p.m. in Loso
Hall. General admission tickets are $12 or $10 for students. Tickets
are available at the EOU Bookstore or Multicultural Center, and
Looking Glass Books, 1118 Adams Ave., La Grande.
Members of EOU’s International Student Association collaborate
on the event, which features clothing, music and recipes from a
variety of cultures. The on-campus cultural club also hosts events
during International Education Week and Homecoming.
“We are honored to share our different cultures and
experiences to bring unique diversity here to Eastern Oregon
University and La Grande,” said Jorge Chavez Vazquez, the
club’s president from Mexico.
For more information, contact Janet Camp at 541-805-5874 or
jcamp@eou.edu or visit www.eou.edu/csi/international-student-
association.
bringing his Boise-based band to town
to perform their unique blend of outlaw
honky tonk.
Tylor Brooks
•Thursday, Feb. 22; 7 p.m.
•40 Taps, 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave.,
Pendleton
No cover during Live Music Thurs-
day.
24/7
•Friday, Feb. 23; Saturday, Feb. 24;
8 p.m. No cover
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse
Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mis-
sion.
“Carnival of the Animals’”
•Saturday, Feb. 24; 4 p.m.
• Columbia Basin College, 2600 N.
20th Ave., Pasco
www.inlandnorthwestmusicians.
com
Free, donations accepted. The In-
land Northwest Orchestra, an ensem-
ble of the Inland Northwest Musicians,
performs Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carni-
val of the Animals” and “Grand Canyon
Suite” by Ferde Grofe.
rights. (541-612-8559).
Theater, stage, film &
lectures
“Peter Rabbit”
•Saturday, Feb. 17; 10:30 a.m.
•Hermiston Stadium 8 Cinema,
355 W. Theater Lane
www.www.facebook.com/arcofu-
matillacounty
$5. In conjunction with The Arc
Umatilla County, sensory-friendly
screenings with lights up a little and
volume down. Doors open at 10 a.m.
“Seussical the Musical”
•Saturday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m.; Sun-
day, Feb. 18, 2 p.m.
•Hermiston High School auditori-
um, 600 S. First St.
$10/adults, $8/senior citizens, $5/
students. Hermiston High School dra-
ma and music students present the Dr.
Seuss musical.
“The Fantasticks”
•Feb. 17 & 22-24; 7:30 p.m.
•Saturday, Feb. 17 & 24; 2:30 p.m.
•Elgin Opera House, 104 N. Eighth
Acousta Noir
•Saturday, Feb. 24; 9 p.m.
•Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon, 8
S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton
No cover. Features Joshua Ester-
line with his unique brand of folk, Amer-
icana and stomp rock music
St.
Yaquina Bay
“Annie”
•Friday, March 2; 8-10 p.m.
•Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co.,
403 S. Main St., Pendleton
No cover. All ages. Features the
country music warrior who carries his
guitar like a sword.
Night life
Zwickelmania
•Saturday, Feb. 24.; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
•Ordnance Brewing, 405 N. Olson
Road, Boardman
No cover. Beer tours, tastings and
meet brewer and team. Also, 250 spe-
cial collectors pint glasses available.
Trivia 80s
•Wednesday, Feb. 21 8 p.m. No
cover
•40 Taps, 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave.,
Pendleton
No cover. Don your neon clothes
and brush up on ’80s trivia for a
chance to win drinks and bragging
www.elginoperahouse.com
Reserved $17/$8. The long-run-
ning Off-Broadway musical shares a
fable of love that grows with the sea-
sons.
•Feb. 22-24 & March 1-3; 7:30 p.m.
•Feb. 25 & March 4; 2 p.m.
•BMCC Bob Clapp Theatre, 2411
N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton
Feb. 22 is pay-what-you-can pre-
view night; other performances, $20/
adults, $10/students. College Com-
munity Theatre presents the popular
musical. Early reservations are en-
couraged as ticket sales are expected
to be high. (541-278-5953).
International Dinner and Show
•Friday, Feb. 23 5:30 p.m.
•Hoke Student Building & Loso
Hall
•Eastern Oregon University, La
Grande
www.eou.edu/csi/international-stu-
dent-association
$12/adults, $10/students. Present-
ed by the International Student Asso-
ciation, event features an authentic
dinner and entertainment featuring
different cultures and countries from
around the world.