OPENED: JOHNNY APPLESEED!
(Part of me feels foolish to be telling you this after the fact, but I’ve been busy and haven’t had a lot of time to sit and write about what’s up…)
APPLE-A-DAY
You may not have known this about me, but a couple of days a week I’m “Johnny Appleseed” and I LOVE it!
It’s the truth! I’m playin’ “Johnny Appleseed” in “Johnny Appleseed.” It’s not the true story about Johnny Appleseed (which is probably good, because the true story is certainly not rated-G), but there are stories about Johnny Appleseed being “Johnny Appleseed.”
The show opened late last week at the Old Gem Theater in New Richmond, Wisconsin, in front of an appreciative group of first graders that love apples, dancing, and learning about “Johnny!” And it’s a hoot!
Seeing the name “Johnny” all these times is making me curious… Tomorrow during the matinee I’ll count how many times the cast mentions the man…
During the show there’s quite a lot of audience interaction with the youngsters. The cast does a wonderful job with the kids — especially Tom Monn, he’s hilarious on all sorts of levels — but I can’t shake the part of me that always feels like I’m watching an episode of Kids Say The Darndest Things. It’s certainly not a bad thing, but it does make me aware of how important it is to be an honest, kind, empathetic and caring individual.
Kids are great, but they are also sneaky. They may appear like they don’t know what they’re talking about, but they do. They’re smart like secret agents and wise beyond their years.
(That clip serves a dual purpose: 1) the whole “darndest things” aspect and 2) I had a voiceover audition for a medical clinic today and tomorrow a commercial audition for another medical clinic — with any hope, that clip will only help.)
This post feels like it lacks purpose or focus, so instead of editing it down to nothing and posting an ad for a show, I’m gonna just close and say goodnight.
Good night!
Michael
PS… The show is not open to the public. However, if you’re a member of a school group, we’d love to see you in the audience! The show is perfect for Pre-K to 3rd grade!
[...] “Johnny Appleseed.” Getting to play Johnny in Old Gem Theater’s annual production was such an amazing experience! This show reintroduced me to singing and dancing, but more importantly I learned how much I love performing in children’s theater! Hence why the last few shows I’ve done are for kids. (Side note: if I weren’t touring with NTC, I’d LOVE to play Johnny again!) [...]
[...] is a toss up between two roles on opposites of the spectrum: playing folk hero Johnny Appleseed at the Old Gem or any role with the Barbara Schneider [...]