FLEMING FIELDS HIS ‘PREEM TEAM’
Idol’s Constantine Maroulis, L&O’s Milena Govich, and Tony winner Debbie Shapiro — all people who’ve been featured in a production by Lincroft’s Premier Theatre Company.
As Premier Theatre Company producer Mark Fleming recalls it, “last year right about this time we had Constantine Maroulis rehearsing with us…and this year we watched him on the Tony awards, nominated for Rock of Ages.”
The Season Four American Idol finalist — who last year co-starred as Judas in the Premier production of Jesus Christ Superstar — might not have actually gotten his start with the Lincroft-based community stage troupe, but he’s hardly the only well-known performer to have passed through the ranks of Fleming’s long-running enterprise.
There’s Milena Govich, ex of TV’s Law & Order flagship, and an “quintuple threat” (actress, singer, ballerina, violinist and medical student) who went from Premier’s production of Carousel to the national touring company of Cabaret. Broadway veterans (Tony winner Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Steve Geyer), soap stars (James DePaiva) and sitcom veterans (Maude daughter Adrienne Barbeau, Kotter classmate Ron Palillo) have also found their way into the casts of Fleming’s productions, and young performers with very short résumés have gone on to the leads in Vegas shows and Disney theme park presentations.
“It’s about spawning, mixing, creating opportunities,” says Fleming. “It’s amazing the amount of performers we mix in with local talent — and it’s amazing when you consider the amount of talent that’s evolved from our shows.”
Fleming, who was also instrumental in the establishment of the Spring Lake Theatre Company and Red Bank’s Phoenix Productions, opens his 24th season of Premier entertainments on Friday, when a revival of Godspell goes up inside the Henderson Theatre (on the grounds of Christian Brothers Academy) off Newman Springs Road in Lincroft.
Playing Friday and Saturday nights plus Sunday afternoons through June 28, Godspell is followed on the schedule by Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which runs from July 10 through July 26. And, just in case you’re thinking that’s an awful lot of robes and sandals, the company is also close to announcing auditions for what would be the first production of RENT to appear in Monmouth County.
“We’re presenting a family atmosphere, with a professional edge,” says Fleming of his shows at the Henderson, Premier’s summer headquarters for their entire history and a big 1300-seat room that’s complemented such past venues as Asbury’s Paramount and the Algonquin in Manasquan.
“We’re not just doing shows for us…we want the audience to be into it, and we want the cast to enjoy this experience.”
One way to friendly-up the experience for the audience is to give them more value for the buck here in money-minded 2009.
“We’re all going through trying times, and with the economy the way it’s been, we’re looking to give people something upbeat; something to sing on their way out of the theater.
“We’ve also rolled back our ticket prices — and charities can purchase tickets for half price, and sell them for whatever they want.”
Beyond the general state of the economy, Fleming perceives basic geography as both a blessing — in that the troupe’s Newman Springs Road base is “just one turn from the Parkway, from Route 18, Route 35 and Route 9″ — and a curse, given the proximity to Manhattan.
“We’re in a tough situation, because of where we’re located, in that we have to work hard to get people to come out and see our shows when they can head into the city and see pretty much anything.”
One way to do it is to get local audiences involved in more ways than one.
“We have a loyal, multi-generational group here,” says Fleming. “Almost three generations getting involved, whether as performers, tech people, whatever.
“If you have an interest or a hobby — marketing, business, technical skills, costumes — come on over! We’ll work hard, and we’ll have fun.”
Tickets ($20 adult general admission; down from $26 last year) can be reserved right here.
Posted
June 10, 2009
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