It was a Sunday afternoon and we were on our way to Logansport High School where Ben was to perform that night at McHale Auditorium.  The “we” was me, Ben Vereen and his accompanist Bob.  We had gotten up early that morning, at Ben’s request, and gone “Churchin’”.  When Ben was younger, his aunt would take him to various churches where they would worship and, as he says, eat all day long.  We had gone to a few church services that morning and ended our religious pilgrimage by popping in on a Pentecostal service in the middle of an Indiana cornfield.  That was an eye-opening experience for a Catholic boy!

Over the previous couple of days, we had conversations in the car about spirituality and Ben’s views.  He never really declared a denomination. He just said, “There’s one top to the mountain with several ways to get there.”   During one of the conversations, Ben had mentioned that he hadn’t seen a rainbow in quite a while – especially living in New York City.

As we drove toward Logansport on a very sunny afternoon, we could see a wall of thunder clouds rolling in, in the distance.  I commented that this was typical in Indiana.  But even for an Indiana native, it was an ominous site and I knew a big storm was brewing.

We made it to the high school and got Ben settled into the dressing room.  Ben and Bob went on stage to do a sound check and run through a couple of numbers.  I went into the green room to make sure there was food and drinks.  I looked out the window to check on the storm.  It was getting darker, but the sun was still shining brightly.  As I looked up, I saw a rainbow forming.  Remembering our conversation about rainbows, I ran to the stage and excitedly said, “Mr. Vereen, come here. You’ve got to see this.”  He followed.  When he got to the window, there was the brightest rainbow that any of us had ever seen.  Ben said, “Let’s go outside.” So, Bob and I followed.  What happened in the next few minutes was incredible.

As we were outside looking up at that rainbow, Ben stood between me and Bob and grabbed our hands and started praying.  As we looked up with the rain starting to pelt us in the face… a second rainbow appeared. It was just as bright as the first. A double rainbow!

It started to rain harder but we couldn’t move.  We just stood there staring at this glorious marvel and getting wet.  I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Thank you God for this incredible moment.” And to share it with Ben Vereen was even more special.

And just when you think the story should end there… it doesn’t. No, there wasn’t a third rainbow – but something even more unexplainable.

You see, Ben does a tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. in his show.  And by pure coincidence, the technical director had put on a CD of Sammy Davis, Jr. on the auditorium sound system.  When we decided it was time to get out of the rain, we entered back into the auditorium doors.  And guess what the first thing we heard was?  …Sammy Davis, Jr. singing these exact words from the song Candy Man… “Who can take a rainbow…?”

I will never be able to explain what that exact moment was like for me, for Bob, or for Ben Vereen.

That night, during the performance, Ben started to sing “Candy Man” during his Sammy Davis, Jr. segment. He stopped when he got to the “rainbow” phrase and started laughing.  He told the audience what had happened earlier that day. Most of the audience had seen the rainbows, as well. 

When I’ve had the opportunity to see Ben over the years, we talk about “the rainbows”. It’s something that connected us.  And I still have the video tape of that performance as proof that it actually happened.

A couple of years ago, our family flew to New York City to see Ben during his last weekend performing as the “Wizard” in Wicked. We met Ben before the show and then visited him in his dressing room afterwards.  I gave him a gift, a book about rainbows. He had it displayed in his dressing room.

Wouldn’t it be great if a rainbow appears on Sunday, March 7th when he comes back to Indiana to appear at Carmel High School?  I know I’ll be looking toward the sky.

Our family backstage with Ben Vereen after Wicked

How many of us over the age of 40 were actually conceived during a Frank Sinatra song? Actors Theater of Indiana rolled out that fact and others during their wildly fun and entertaining performance of “My Way, a Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” at the Carmel Community Playhouse at Clay Terrace during their delayed “opening night” on Friday evening.

After postponing their opening by two days due to a cast member illness, the ensemble brought their ‘A’ game as they crooned, danced and cavorted through nearly 60 favorites, mixed with a few lesser-known songs, by the “Chairman of the Board”.  Cynthia Collins, Judy Fitzgerald, John Lambert and Don Farrell sang and danced their way through Sinatra’s repertoire with both grace and wit – entertaining and educating a respectable opening night crowd during the 100-minute journey through Frank’s life.

Aside from a few minor technical glitches in the first act, the show was what you’d expect from Carmel’s only professional theater troupe.  These four talented performers, along with their trio of musicians (piano, bass and drums), used every bit of the stage at the new Carmel Community Playhouse.  They worked the cocktail bar, singing while pouring libations that were part of Frank’s and his Rat Pack friend’s lives.  Center stage, complete with a vintage Shure microphone, transported the audience into Sinatra’s big band show.  And more intimate exchanges occurred stage left where you felt like you were sitting right there in a small cabaret.  The art deco set mixed with the lighting design allowed the audience to move seamlessly in an out of these venues, adding variety to what could easily be just another standard musical revue if presented by any other theater group. But ATI brings the show and Sinatra to life.

Vocally, each performer belted when they needed to belt, crooned when they needed to croon, and even took some songs over the top when appropriate.  And the excellent acoustics in the Playhouse helped when a wireless microphone failed during the first act, allowing John Lambert’s voice to project and resonate throughout the venue.  And if Fitzgerald was working through vocal issues, it was not apparent as she delivered strong vocals, even through featured solos like “My Funny Valentine”.  Collins, Lambert and Farrell were also solid on their delivery, equally sharing songs that were appropriate for their voices and personalities.  The group’s harmonies and jazzy blend was spot on.

And the mark of a professional group is its ability to work through adversity just as ATI did with its choreography, making necessary adjustments and working into the script the fact that Don Farrell is still healing from a broken foot and an operation to piece it back together.  Farrell, who is sporting a “patent leather” boot after having his foot crushed by a stack of sheet rock just a few weeks ago, moved as gracefully across the stage as anyone could do with a clunky boot on their foot.  If the group had not drawn attention to the matter during a fun little comedy bit, anyone beyond the first row may not have known.  Overall, the show was well-choreographed and it was fun to watch Collins carry the bulk of the dancing as she reminded me of a young Shirley MacLaine.

When the show was over, I felt that I had gotten to know Frank… and the talented cast of ATI just a little better.  Frank Sinatra left the world a better place with his music.  But ATI is making Carmel, Indiana a better place with its talent and knack for presenting fun and entertaining shows.

As one patron put it as I showed him and his wife out of the Playhouse last night and wished them a nice evening, he said, “We already have.”  There’s no better testimonial than that.

Sure, there were several times over the past few months that I sat and cursed at Sue Smith for dragging me back into CCP during auditions for Little Women.  I had pretty much stayed away from CCP for various reasons. But my daughter, Karli, wanted to audition for Little Women and so I took her, vowing to my wife as I walked out the door, “I am not going to audition.” She smiled because she knew I would. I did. 

But it wasn’t until Sue called to offer me the part of “Boss Troll” that I learned that a split had taken place and that CCP had lost it’s funding from the City of Carmel…and was losing it’s home at Studio 15.  I didn’t know anything about the struggles that CCP had gone through at the end of 2008 into 2009. 

I am one of those people who believe things happen for a reason.  So, I took on the challenge of helping CCP find a new home and a new, energetic will to survive.  As a marketing & PR professional,I saw this as a great opportunity to lend my talents to help a first-class organization get back on its feet.  And yes, it’s been a challenge.  I will admit that I almost gave up somewhere in the middle of everything . Fortunately, members of the Board talked me down off of the ledge.  This has not been easy for me… or for anyone involved. We even had a few casualties along the way; but you’ll have that when people don’t adapt well to change.  You can’t even imagine what our little community theater has gone through since receiving the keys to our new space on August 15th, 2009.  But, I wouldn’t change this experience for the world.

In just 60 days, we built a theater – and a damned nice one at that.  One of our reviewers commented that our theater will be a challenging space to work in.  Maybe, maybe not. But outstanding directors like Ken Klingenmeier will find a way.  It’s intimate. But it’s a hell of a lot better than that little cracker box called Studio 15.  Our stage at the Playhouse is actually 4 feet wider than the old building.  The Carmel Community Playhouse is functional and classy. It is what it is and you work with it.

Once opening night came, we could do no more.  Up until then, we marketed the snot out of the Playhouse at Clay Terrace. We lined up sponsors and advertisers. We built. We painted. We cleaned. And we let the director and actors work their magic with a wonderful script.  Then… we just sat back and watched.

I attended opening night and the Friday night show before leaving for week-long fishing trip to Kentucky Lake. I vowed to leave CCP and the Playhouse back in Carmel.  I told my wife, “I am not even thinking about CCP while I’m gone.”  Again…she smiled because she knew I couldn’t resist the temptation.  I didn’t. While fishing for largemouth bass, I frequently monitored ticket sales on my crackberry, called and texted for updates, and even did an interview with an Indy Star reporter from my boat.  So much for leaving it all behind.

But the one thing I didn’t do while I was gone was read the comments and reviews.  So, over the past couple of day’s I’ve taken the opportunity to read the reviews on Indiana Auditions, Facebook and emails from some friends that attended the show.  All I can say is that all of us at CCP are flattered and humbled by the support and kind words.  It’s nice to know that the hard work (more than 2,000 volunteer hours) put in by so many people did not go unnoticed.

Thank you to those of you who came to see “Rabbit Hole”.  For those of you who didn’t, we  hope you will support ATI’s “My Way, a Music Tribute to Frank Sinatra“, opening November 4th at the Playhouse.  CCP’s next show for the 2009-10 Pulitzer Prize-winning season is “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof”, directed by Brian Noffke in February. 

Indianapolis has a vibrant theater community and CCP is proud to be a part of it.  Again, thank you for your support.

Yesterday, I was feeling a little down as I left the Carmel Community Playhouse because we only had a few volunteers show up.  It was a Saturday.  After all, I gave up my Purdue football tickets  and missed Homecoming to be there.

But as I drove home, I began to think about all of the volunteers that HAVE helped over the past couple of months.  They are the unsung heroes.  They are the ones that don’t need to be in the spotlight, have their names in the program, or expect a big fanfare every single time they show up.

Some were working. Others were visiting family out-of-town or catching up on yardwork.  Everyone has lives outside of Carmel Community Players – at least that’s what we hear!  And, no, the world doesn’t revolve around CCP.

In this amazing journey to transform a 4,500 sq. ft. retail space into a 130-seat black box-style theater over the past 10 weeks, volunteers have logged well over 1,000 hours and possibly more like 2,000.  Some putting in a 40+ hour week in addition to their real jobs and family obligations. Others have squeezed in an hour here or there. And that’s okay.  As Ken Klingenmeier, the director of our first show “Rabbit Hole” said to me, “That’s why they are called ‘volunteers’.”  And, yes, every minute of time they give is precious and greatly appreciated.

The Monumental Task

Maybe even more important than building out a new performance space was completing the monumental task of moving the Carmel Community Players warehouse space. Volunteers worked tirelessly day and night sorting through 16 years worth of C-R-A-P.  There were costumes, flats, furniture, props, tools, lights, pianos, and stuff we had absolutely no idea what it was or why it was there.  It came down to something like choosing teams in grade school for kickball – what did you want on your team and what could you throw/give away?  So a couple of industrial dumpsters, sore backs, and hundreds of volunteer hours later, CCP did what some people said couldn’t (or shouldn’t) be done.  It cut its space and warehouse cost in half.  That volunteer effort will save CCP $36,000 over the next three years.  Everyone deserves a standing ovation for a job well-done.

Preparing a New Space

Then, we get to the new Carmel Community Playhouse at Clay Terrace.  It’s like watching an ant farm at times.  Volunteers are building a stage, making curtains, painting walls, washing windows, organizing new offices, re-wiring the circuits, hanging lights, painting sets, and rehearsing for the first show.  Then there is the marketing and promotion with poster designs, graphics, photographs, media interviews, a new online ticketing system, new websites, cleaning up the database, writing checks, managing finances and anything else that’s needed.  All volunteer hours.  And lots of them.

So, in the five minutes it took me to drive home, I began feeling better.  So what, if just a handful of people showed up to volunteer.  Today, there may be more or there may be less.  Many of them will be the workhorses that have the passion and time to help.  Others will just find an hour or so.  And that’s okay.  Because it IS a volunteer effort.

We Welcome and Appreciate You

If you have an hour to spare or want to jump into CCP with both feet, we welcome you. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.  And that’s what makes Carmel Community Players a class act in my book.

Actors Theater of Indiana is bringing its production of My Way, a Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra to the Carmel Community Playhouse at Clay Terrace for a two-week run beginning Wednesday, November 4th.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with a great group of professional actors to bring some pizzazz along with the music of a legend to our new theater,” says Brian Koning, marketing director for the new playhouse.

About the Show

This elegant and sassy musical revue pays tribute to one of America’s most beloved performers. A talented cast of two men and two women will take you on a musical journey, spanning almost 50 years, that captures the essence of The Chairman of the Board – Frank Sinatra. Featuring all your favorites: “Strangers in the Night”, “The Lady is a Tramp”, “New York, New York”, “That’s Life”, and of course “My Way”, this Indianapolis area premier production is sure to be a real crowd-pleaser. Starring New York City talents Cynthia Collins, Don Farrell, Judy Fitzgerald, and local Indy favorite Jon Lambert.

More Opportunities for Local Theaters

Koning adds, “We’re hoping that more local theater groups (professional and community) take advantage of this intimate space.  It’s such a great location in the middle of shopping, great restaurants, and ample parking.  We’ve  had two local community theaters look at the space in hopes of bringing one of their productions to Clay Terrace as a fundraiser. 

Opening October 15th

The Carmel Community Playhouse at Clay Terrace opens October 15th with CCP‘s production of Rabbit Hole, directed by Ken Klingenmeier. Show dates for Rabbit Hole are October 15-18 and 22-25. Tickets are $15 and $12.

• We have a new show going up beginning on October 15th in our beautiful new space in Carmel’s Clay Terrace. 
• We have just signed a contract with Actors Theater of Indiana to present a two-week run of “My Way” in our new space.
• We have business booked to host a seminar.
• We have two other theaters considering using “The House”
• We are on the verge of announcing a major season sponsor.
• We have a national one-man touring show considering our Playhouse for a 4-week run.
• We are in negotiations with a national film/broadway star to host a fundraiser for us.

So, when you put your minds to it and work your asses off… you can move mountains!  Or, as my friend Ben Vereen says… “There’s only one top to the mountain, but there are a lot of ways to get to the top!”  Right you are, my friend…right you are!  ; )

If you want to jump on this bandwagon…c’mon up…everyone is welcome!

I gave my pat answer.  A community theater is traditionally run by and open to all members of the community for the benefit of the community.  A true repertory theater usually consists of the same acting company doing a specific repertoire of a particular style or playwright.  She bought it and we moved on to other topics.  But, as I was driving home I wondered how accurate my answer really was.  This was a job for Wikipedia!

Here’s some of what Wikipedia says about a repertory theater.

A repertory theatre, (or stock) can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. In the British system, however, it used to be that even quite small towns would support a rep, and the resident company would present a different play every week, either a revival from the full range of classics or, if given the chance, a new play, once the rights had been released after a West End or Broadway run. The companies were not known for trying out untried new work, however.   

Among the benefits of such a system are increased variety and better quality, due to fresh actors and shopped in directors. The theatre can afford to take risks, and a show that is likely to attract a large audience will effectively subsidize a show that is less likely, especially if season tickets are sold.

Drawbacks to the repertoire system are increased production costs as each show will need separate sets, props, costumes and actors, (although sometimes an actor will be engaged to play in more than one production). Many such companies are large, and are able to have a smaller space available to workshopan experimental production or present playreadings. But the standard should be higher than under the old-time repertory system, because there will be more time for rehearsal. Also many repertoire companies today have non-profit status, so that budgets and income should be higher because they will not just depend upon ticket sales. However, the downside is that promotional costs will also be much higher due to having to employ a separate staff.

Community Theater is a bit different. It refers to theatrical perfomance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to theatre that is made entirely by a community with no outside help, or to a collaboration between community members and professional theatre artists, or to performance made entirely by professionals that is addressed to a particular community. Community theatres range in size from small groups led by single individuals that perform in borrowed spaces to large permanent companies with well-equipped facilities of their own. Many community theatres are successful, non-profit businesses with a large active membership and, often, a full-time professional staff. Community theatre is often devised and may draw on popular theatrical forms, such as carnival, circus, and parades, as well as performance modes from commercial theatre. Community theatre is understood to contribute to the social capital of a community, insofar as it develops the skills, community spirit, and artistic sensibilities of those who participate, whether as producers or audience-members.

So, I wasn’t too far off.  Many “repertory” theaters are really just community theaters. And, community theaters can often be classified as “repertory” is the present the same material and cast their shows from within.  Is there really any difference?  In Carmel, Indiana…no.  It’s still theater by the people, for the people and for the benefit of the communties social and financial benefit.

And as the late Paul Harvey would say… “And now you know…the rest of the story.”

As CCP plans to move into it’s new home in Clay Terrace and open our first production in mid-October, we are constantly adding to our task list.  One of the more critical tasks right now is finding volunteers to help do things that are needed.

We are basically taking a raw (but nicely finished) space and turning a former scrapbooking store into a playhouse.  We have a stage to build. Then, we need to build out a box office and some walls along the wings.  We have to furnish the Green Room and make the 15′ x 18′ dressing room functional for actors.  There are lights to be hung and sound to install which will require a licensed electrician.  Two offices need to be set up, one for CCP and the other for The Playhouse – this will require phone lines and a secured wireless internet.  Kitchenette, storage, bathrooms, signage…the list just keeps building.

But when it’s all finished, it will be a beautiful and very functional space for a community theater.  In just under two months, we’ll be able to look back and marvel at the hard work, talents and dedication of an army of volunteers.

If you’d like to help, we welcome any and all friends…even if it’s just for one hour or 100 hours.  If you can clean, decorate, paint, hammer, use a cordless screwdriver, dry wall… or just stand around and give moral support – we need you.  Shoot us an email at info@carmelplayhouse.comand we’ll be in touch.  Or post a response here on this blog.

Sunday, August 30th at 6:00 p.m.
Monday, August 31st at 7:00 p.m.

Carmel Community Playhouse
14299 Clay Terrace Blvd.
3 Men, 2 Women

THE STORY: Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until a life-shattering accident turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting apart. RABBIT HOLE charts the bittersweet search for comfort in the darkest of places and for a path that will lead them back into the light of day. For more information visit http://www.carmelplayers.org

One of the ways to do this is through our CarmelPlayhouse blog on WordPress.  If you have something you’d like us to add, please let us know.  You can email a press release or send us a message at info@carmelplayhouse.com.  Be sure to include dates and times of auditions, performances, castings, and other pertinent information.  We’ll try to post it in a timely manner.