An Audience Favorite: “Gypsy” Opens On Stage

Exploring ambition, jealousy, family relationships, and the bittersweet loss of innocence, the musical favorite “Gypsy” will be playing on the G. B. Community Theatre stage at the Ashtabula Arts Center beginning Friday, February 29. Performances will also be held on March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14 and 15. Friday and Saturday shows will begin at 8 p.m. Sunday matinees begins at 3:00 p.m.

“Gypsy” tells the story of an overbearing stage mother, Rose, who strives to make her daughters vaudeville headliners. After her favored daughter, June, achieves fame, her other daughter, Louise, discovers her own talent, becoming one of the biggest names in show business. Set against the freewheeling days of vaudeville and burlesque, “Gypsy” goes behind the curtain to explore the reality of the grueling life in show business.

“Gypsy” was written by three virtuosos in American musical theater, namely Arthur Laurents (book), Jule Styne (music), and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics). The score of this production is one of the most distinguished in Broadway history. It includes the songs everyone loves to sing along to, like "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "You Gotta Get a Gimmick," "Some People," and "Let me Entertain You."

Included in the G. B. Community Theatre cast will be Jordan Malin as “Gypsy Rose Lee,” Linda Fundis as “Mama Rose,” Douglas Anderson as “Herbie,” Julia Hines as “Dainty June,” “Caitlyn Dubeansky as “Baby June,” and Julia Mollick as “Young Louise.” Others included in the cast will Ryan Smith, Emmy Stowell, Bill Baker, Marti Dixon, Dennis Dixon, Phil Mullet, Larry Gasch, David Ungrady, Connor Bacon, Nick Cusano, Terrence Bradley, Paige Beach, Amanda Lewis, Maureen Tanner, Bev Schumann and Ellie Portman.

The show is being directed by Joshua Twining.

Dinner will be available before the show on March 15. Dinner reservations are required. Cost of dinner is $14 plus the cost of your theater ticket. Angie Gasch of Conneaut will be serving up a menu that will include Won Ton Soup, Egg Roll, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Fried/Steamed Rice and Vanilla Ice Cream with an Almond Cookie.

Show tickets are on sale for $10 adults, $9 seniors and $8 students and can be purchased by calling the Arts Center at (440) 964-3396.

March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

March 29 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

and March 30 at 2 p.m.
Based on the book by E.B. White

Music and lyrics by Charles Strouse

Book by Joseph Robinette

Directed by Linda Fundis
This exciting, new musical version of Charlotte's Web brings a new dimension to E.B. White's beloved classic. Songs include "Eating," Wilbur the pig's humorous yet poignant song about growing up; "Who Says We Can't Be Friends," an enchanting duet between Wilbur and his new-found companion Charlotte; "Welcome to the Zuckerman Barn," featuring all the story's unforgettable animals in a hand-clapping, toe-tapping hoe-down; and "Summer," a haunting, nostalgic chorus number which evokes a time and place from everyone's childhood. Order your tickets now for this joyous musical brought to you by the children of our Theater Production Class! Tickets are $9 adults, $8 seniors and $7 students/ children. 964-3396.

At the local courthouse, 12 men have retired to a room to decide the guilt or innocence of a 19-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his stepfather after a late night argument. A woman who lives across the way testified she saw the murder take place. An old man who lives downstairs claims to have seen the boy fleeing the scene of the crime.

It looks like an open-and-shut case--until a lone juror #8 becomes the sole holdout in an 11-1 guilty vote. “Eight” isn’t sure that he is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. He wants to talk. And he becomes the riveting voice who forces the group to question both the evidence and themselves.

On the hottest day of the year,testimonies are re-examined and the murder is re-enacted. The temperature rises, tempers flare, alliances are drawn and angry words fly as a man's life hangs in the balance.

Reginald Rose’s great American drama was originally written as a teleplay and adapted for the stage by Sherman Sergel. It holds at its core a deeply patriotic belief in the U.S. legal system. Rose deliberately and carefully peels away the layers of artifice from the men and allows a fuller picture of America to form--America at its best and worst.

Directed by Steve Rhodes, the G.B. Community Theatre production will be held on April 11, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19. Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m. The Sunday matinee begins at 3 p.m. For reservations call 964-3396. Tickets are $10 adults, $9 seniors and $8 students/children. Don’t miss this exciting and intense courtroom drama!