Meet the new Executive Director Jeff Bachar

(pronounced ba-HAR)

You may have already had a chance to meet Jeff at a Parkway Playhouse event, but in case you haven’t… here’s a first introduction to him and his new role.

PP:  What role do you believe theatre plays in a community?

Jeff: A theatre should bring people together; people from all parts of the community. Its a place where people, young and old, can safely challenge themselves to learn new skills and build self-confidence. A theatre welcomes people from all walks of life and has a way of helping people who are feeling a little lost to find their way.  A good theatre will have a mix of plays and musicals: some that just make you laugh out loud, others that challenge the way we see the world, and some that make us cry and there are those plays that do all of that at once.  Experiencing those moments together, as an audience, is important for a community. That actually builds community.

For Parkway Playhouse the role of the junior program, the conservatory, is very powerful and exceptional for a community this size.  Whether a young person dreams of performing on Broadway or their parents want them to gain confidence for a job interview, or they just want to have fun singing and dancing, the junior program provides that opportunity.  Lifelong, positive memories are created there.

PP: Your last job was working for another non-profit in Asheville (Western NC AIDS Project) What was it that appealed to you about a theatre job?

Jeff: It feels like I’m going back to my roots.   I’ve always been a part of a theatre, at least since high school.  My undergraduate degree is in theatre and I’ve worked professionally as a director and an actor.  I’ve built scenery, run lights and sound, designed sets (not very well), been a stage manager.   This is a dream job for me that combines my theatre knowledge with extensive management experience.

PP: What is your primary role at Parkway Playhouse as Executive Director? 

Jeff: As Executive Director I have a wide range of duties.   One of the most important roles is to represent the organization in the community, with local government officials, tourism and development offices, other non-profits.   To do this well, I need to be able to share our vision for the future as an organization so the board and staff will be creating a strategic plan that looks ahead.  We will spend some time listening to community members regarding how they see Parkway Playhouse growing over time.  I will be facilitating this process.  By mid-December we want to be done and have the finished product.  That may seem like a long way off but since the process requires in-person meetings and conversations with very busy people its going to take some time. And of course we have all of our daily work to do in addition to the strategic planning work.  But its very exciting and will be worth the effort. The plan will guide our work for some years to come.  I don’t see myself acting or directing here anytime soon; there just isn’t time right now.

PP: What excites you the most about your new position?

Jeff: I’ve been welcomed by and am getting a huge amount of support from community members and staff here.  That’s a great feeling. Its thrilling to join a group of people who are creative, energetic and passionate about teaching, learning and entertaining.

PP:  What’s the Holiday show this year?

Jeff: Stay tuned to our Facebook page.  We will be announcing that in the coming weeks.

PP: When will we find out what the 2018 shows are?  

Jeff: You’ll have to come the end of the year party on October 21st to find that out!

PP: What do you envision for Parkway Playhouse in five years?

Jeff: Even sooner than five years I’d like Parkway Playhouse to host more bluegrass concerts, show some movies now and then, and do other things beyond traditional main stage productions.  We’ll keep those going strong of course; just add a few new things.  Who knows what will happen, but maybe we will develop a larger rehearsal space and office space. Why not throw in a cafe while we are at it?!   I’m just dreaming now.  If we have the space I’d love to have visiting playwrights work on developing new works with local and national actors during the summer.

 

So, be on the lookout for Jeff at the next show (opening this weekend) and be sure to give him a warm welcome.

For tickets call 828.682.4285 or purchase them online.

Spotlight on Jeff Messer as Bingham

Jeff Messer is a well-rounded talent: he directed the opening show of the season On Golden Pond which our audiences loved, he’s acted in musicals at Parkway Playhouse, and several plays he’s written have been performed on the Parkway Playhouse stage (Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, and Dracula).  With such a breadth of theatre ability, it’s always worth our time to check in with Jeff and see what’s special about his latest show.

PP:  Why did you audition for The Fox on the Fairway?

Jeff:  My real life wife, Kelli Mullinix, and I did the show two years ago at HART in Waynesville. A few weeks before we started rehearsals, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and went into treatments at roughly the same time as the rehearsals started. Stubbornly, she refused to let cancer rob her of doing our first show together onstage. There was an understudy, but she played Pamela for most of the run, scheduling her treatments early in the week so she would have the strength to perform on weekends. When we had the chance to do the roles again, a year out from the last surgeries and being cancer free, we jumped at it. The show two years ago was under such a cloud of anxiety, we wanted to get another crack at it, without all that hanging over us.

Bingham (center played by Jeff Messer) is decidedly not keen on the sweater. Also pictured are Graham Livengood playing Dickie, and Kelli Mullinix playing Pamela.

PP:  Tell us a little bit about the character you’re playing. And which love-triangle is he in?

Bingham is a middle-aged, unhappy man who let life pass him by. He’s successful, but always the underdog. He is unhappily married to Muriel, but longs to be with Pamela, who he has had crush on since they were young. I liken Henry Bingham to the character Henry Blake from MASH. He’s a good guy, but just a bit of a screw up, and is not all that bright about many things. There’s a point near the end of Act One, where he has to play-act in order to calm things down, and it is tremendous fun to intentionally show him as being a horrible liar and an even worse actor.

PP:  So, what’s it like acting with Graham Livengood?

I worked with Graham when he was 17, directing him in a show. He and I worked on many shows together in the years that followed, helped run a small theatre company in Asheville, and worked in Improv together. Not to mention spending huge amounts of time for a couple of years watching football together when we both first moved to Asheville. To say that there’s a natural and fun chemistry with Graham is an understatement. At one point a few years ago, our wives were talking seriously about arranging playdates for us. 

Pun absolutely intended—>  You are all encouraged to arrange a play-date at our place!  We’ll even provide snacks on opening night.

For tickets call 828.682.4285 or purchase them online.

Spotlight on Kelli Mullinix as Pamela

This cast. These characters. You just have to see them for yourself in The Fox on the Fairway. We’ll begin with Kelli.

photo credit Lupe Perez

PP:  So, what’s it like acting with this ensemble of characters?

Kelli:  This is a very funny cast.  I have enjoyed learning things about my fellow cast mates – like Jered’s Machine Gun Buttocks’ Zumba Move.  And the fact that Myra can do at least 75 different voices.  It’s quite entertaining.

PP:  Tell us a little bit about Pamela, the character you’re playing. Is she in some sort of love triangle?

Kelli:  Pamela has been around the block – she likes men and money, she likes to drink and she knows what she wants.  She has been married to Dickie, and likes Bingham and Justin.

 

PP:  Without spoiling any surprises, do you have a particular scene that’s your favorite? 

Kelli:  My favorite scene is the one with the vase.  You’ll know why when you see it.

PP: Just out of curiosity, do you actually play golf in real life?

Kelli:  I do play golf, but the last time I played, I had just had my first child so I pushed him in a stroller on the course and carried my clubs.  The next time I play will be when I retire.

Once, though, my ex-husband signed up to play in a golf tournament when we first got married.  (He’d never played golf before.)  He was teeing off and it was drizzling a bit and as he pulled his club back to swing – it slipped out of his hands and went swirling around into the woods.  This really happened.

We know the suspense is killing you… but fastest way know “the scene with the vase” and see Jered’s “Machine Gun Buttocks’ Zumba Move” is to join us opening night! How about we throw you a party for coming? Done. Meet in the lobby after the show — the snacks are on us. 

For tickets call 828.682.4285 or purchase them online.

from the director, Kristen Livengood

Managing Director Kristen Livengood knows one of the keys to a great season is selecting plays that directors are passionate about bringing to life on stage. A case in point, Dwight Chiles had been wanting to direct Bonnie & Clyde at Parkway Playhouse for years… and what a fantastic result! So, with the ability to select the plays herself, she naturally chose one she was excited about directing.

PP:  So, Kristen, why did you select The Fox on the Fairway for this season?

Kristen:  I am a HUGE fan of Ken Ludwig shows.  When I was reading plays, I found this one in Parkway Playhouse’s library and found myself laughing out loud.  Ken is really great at developing characters and my favorite part of directing is focusing on bringing characters to life, so it was one that I immediately fell in love with.  This show is an homage to the classic English farces, but with a modern twist, so I really feel this show is accessible for any audience.

PP:  What’s it like directing your husband, Graham, in a play?

Kristen: This is actually my first time directing Graham in a scripted show.  We’ve worked together before – acting in shows, performing improv, performing in murder mysteries, and he’s participated in a few of my improv workshops – but this was the first time I’ve really been his “boss.”  It’s been a really great experience.  He’s just as eager as the rest of the cast to give me exactly what I want, and I think I’ll be looking back on this experience and laughing about the rehearsals where I’m standing two feet away from him and Jenny while I choreograph their slobbery, over-the-top kiss.

*wink*wink*  Jenny Martin and Kristen’s husband, Graham Livengood

PP:  What do you think audiences will like about The Fox on the Fairway?

Kristen: I think the audiences will love the performances that the actors are giving.  I have been so inspired and excited by watching the actors bring their characters to life.  Since it’s a farce, the energy has to be incredibly high and boy, are the actors sweating through these rehearsals.  They’re giving me 110% and I leave rehearsals with my cheeks and abs hurting from laughing so much.

We all need a good laugh by the weekend, so let Parkway Playhouse give you a dose of the best medicine: laughter!

For tickets call 828.682.4285 or purchase them online.

Spotlight on Dakota Whitehead

Dakota Whitehead has been in several shows this season already, not big parts, no… so only if you read the program closely might you have realized what a large contribution he makes in many performances at Parkway Playhouse. Yes, Parkway gives young performers a chance to act on stage, but it’s also giving Dakota a chance to gain valuable experience as a costumer.

Dakota (left) and Hunter Taylor wait patiently during photo call for the rest of the actors to change costumes.

PP:  Do you have a favorite scene or song in this show? Why is it your favorite?

Dakota:  By far my favorite has to be the opening number: Footloose/On Any Sunday. Obviously this show is very dance heavy, and this number is definitely one of the biggest. It’s a great a way to start the show and to get the audience going. Also, as the costume designer, I had my work cut out for me making the cast go from crazy 80s to simple church clothes within the middle of the song in about 30 seconds.

PP:  What do you think audiences will enjoy about the musical?

Dakota:  I think audience will be surprised by how deep this show actually is. I think Footloose is one of those titles that people hear and they think it’s going to be big hair, shoulder pads, and dancing with a little bit of fluff for a plot line, but that’s really not the case. Every single character has a moment that deals with really personal issues that most people can relate to. The show is not only fun, but it gets really emotional. Every night I cry in the wings during a song that Vi (Roberta Whiteside) sings.

Dakota gets a cup of coffee in the 2017 production of Bonnie & Clyde.

 

PP:  So you’ve done a lot of costuming at Parkway Playhouse last season and this one… What shows have you costumed?

In addition to Footloose, I have done costume work for Bonnie & Clyde, The 39 Steps, On Golden Pond, The Great Gatsby, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, The Ballad of Frankie Silver, Steel Magnolias, The Glass Menagerie, and RED. As well as multiple Parkway Playhouse Junior productions.

PP:  Which were you the most pleased with? 

I used to always say The Great Gatsby was my best work, and nothing would ever top it, but honestly, Footloose has been my baby. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve been obsessed with the 80s; the music, the dancing, the clothes, the hair and makeup, everything. So naturally I went into this show guns ablaze! I spent countless hours altering almost every single costume piece on stage by hand. I also started research for the exact year the show is set all the way back in January. Every costume in this show down to the hair and makeup is 100% accurate for 1984.

So come to one of the last two performances of Footloose with a greater appreciation for the attention to detail in the costumes. And be sure to congratulate Dakota after the show for all his work.

Tickets are available by calling (828) 682-4285 or purchasing them online HERE.

Actor Spotlight: Rachel Haimowitz

Need a little extra push, like Rachel? Well, consider yourself invited to one of the last two shows of Footloose!

Rachel as Betty Blast (photo credit Chanse Simpson)

PP:  This is your first time on stage here… What prompted you to audition for Footloose?

I grew up to multiple songs in the movie soundtrack hitting the Billboard Top 100, so I adore this music–I feel it down to my soul. Plus I loved the movie. So when I heard Parkway Playhouse was doing Footloose, I was simultaneously thrilled and disappointed–thrilled because I literally cannot think of a single show I wanted to do more, and disappointed because I’m not a great dancer so I was pretty sure I wouldn’t get in. Lucky for me, there are non-dancing roles!

PP:  Do you have a favorite scene or song in this show? 

Rachel:  I love the humor, and this is an especially funny show so I can’t narrow it down to one, but I’ll give you two: Holding Out for a Hero, about halfway through, becomes so funny (thanks in very large part to Julie’s amazing choreography) that even after having seen it over a dozen times I still laugh until I cry. And the song Mama Says, sung by the incomparable Hunter Taylor; the lyrics are pretty funny on their own but Hunter hands-down steals the show every time he’s on the stage and this song is his big solo, so he really shines. I literally cannot stop laughing at it, which means I can’t watch it from the wings anymore or the audience would hear me giggling back there.

Rachel’s favorite part of the show…

PP:  What do you like about acting at Parkway Playhouse?

Rachel: So many things. For one, the atmosphere is the most congenial, laid-back, yet down-to-business environment I’ve ever had the pleasure of working in. That comes from the top down–our director, music director, and choreographer are all amazing, creative, energized people who are also exceptionally kind and open to your vision as well as theirs. But it also comes from the cast–we all get along quite well, which is less common than you might think, especially in a semi-professional environment like Parkway. In addition to that, we’ve got a great rehearsal space in the Heritage Center, and an amazing performance space in the Parkway Playhouse itself. I come from community theater, so this is my first experience working at a house with a real budget, and that’s been a delight too–seeing how costumes in particular can come together when the actors don’t have to scrape them up from the depths of their closet.

Rachel in her other role as Lulu Warnicker. 

PP:  What do you think audiences will enjoy about the musical?

Rachel:  Firstly, the music. I’m an 80s kid, so I grew up blasting this music on my stereo–and I still love the soundtrack to this day. The talent we have performing that music is astounding; everyone’s so good! The choreography’s energetic and fun, the live band rocks, the humor’s unexpected and absolutely everywhere . . . there’s so much to enjoy about this show I could go on forever about it.

PP:  So, how’d you find Parkway Playhouse? 

Rachel:  I moved here just over two years ago from central New Jersey, and–small world–our music director for this show also did community theater in Jersey and we’d run into each other before! I’m not an actor by trade (I’m a writer and editor, and I run an LGBTQ fiction press called Riptide Publishing), but I’m passionate about musical theater and have done a lot of it on the community level over the years. I was beyond thrilled to discover, after moving to Burnsville, that we have such an amazing theater right here in town!

 

And we’re beyond thrilled about more people passionate about musical theatre! Come see Rachel and the rest of this amazing cast in their final weekend.

Tickets are available by calling (828) 682-4285 or purchasing them online HERE.

 

Actor Spotlight: Mike Yow as Reverend Shaw Moore

Reverand Shaw Moore, though he may be easily pegged as the antagonist, is played by a favorite on the Parkway Playhouse stage: Mike Yow.

PP: What do you think audiences will most like about this production of Footloose?

Mike:  In general, I expect that all audiences will love the choreography, the high energy, and even the heartfelt story behind the production. However, to those audience members who remembers the 80s in their roaring youth (like Yours Truly), this show will be a fun little trip down memory lane.

PP:  What do you relate to in your character?

Mike:  As someone who was very much like Ren in the 80s – I went dancing at least three nights a week for about four to five hours at a time – I can relate to Reverend Shaw Moore as the antagonist of what I once, more or less, stood for: freedom and artistic expression. Fortunately, as an actor, I’m truly blessed to be able to do that quite often. More on point, Reverend Shaw has some of my own beliefs and qualities, including the occasional desire to direct and help people, even if that might sometimes be unnecessary or unfounded. And I had some practice at being a preacher during Bonnie & Clyde too.

Reverend Shaw (Mike Yow) and Vi (Roberta Whiteside) share a touching moment of forgiveness  in Footloose. 

PP:  You’re a professional actor, so do this all the time…. but did you learn anything about yourself as a performer during the rehearsal process?

Mike: I’ve learned more about my own methodology and techniques when preparing for a role, especially when going from the zany, quick-change farce that is The 39 Steps, then onto the soulfulness of a musical role in Bonnie & Clyde, and now with a deeper, more iconic role as Reverend Shaw in Footloose. I’ve made a semi-living off of having wide range as a thespian, but this summer has certainly furthered that notion for me. As such, I’m extremely grateful to Parkway Playhouse and my awesome cast-mates from these amazing productions.

And what an amazing production it is! You don’t want to miss it.

Tickets are available by calling (828) 682-4285 or purchasing them online HERE.