Coshocton Footlight Players to host musical showcase
Annie Bosson and Heath Chaney perform the title song from “The Phantom of the Opera” during a rehearsal for the Coshocton Footlight Player’s upcoming musical showcase.
COSHOCTON – The Coshocton Footlight Players will be closing their 69th season with a musical showcase which will open on Thursday, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.
“Our theme is through the decades, so we tried to hit on different musicals throughout the decades of Broadway,” said director Nathan Mayse.
The show will continue Friday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 17 and Saturday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m., and will close Sunday, Aug. 19 at 2 p.m.
There are 17 performers in the showcase this year and they range from veterans of the stage to newcomers at the Triple Locks Theatre. In addition, there will be an emcee and people who make the show happen from behind the scenes including a stage manager, lighting operator, and sound operator.
“There are a lot of new and young singers to our Triple Locks stage,” said Mayse. “It’s been really nice. We’ve also been very lucky because we have been able to work around people’s schedules.”
Many songs will be familiar to Broadway enthusiasts and will feature songs from “Rent”, “Hairspray”, “Cinderella”, “Les Miserable”, and “The Phantom of the Opera”.
Kayla Wyers has been in two previous productions at the Triple Locks including last year’s musical showcase and “Bridges of Madison County”. She will be singing “Not a Love Story” from “Tales from the Bad Years” and a duet with Heath Chaney from “Parade” entitled “All the Wasted Time”.
“I love music,” said Wyers. “I like having something to work on and study and put effort into it and see it culminate on stage. I also get to meet people with the same passion that I have. With the showcase, you have a wide-range of music and styles.”
Angie Pyle has performed in eight productions at the Triple Locks. She has been in the regular season, the actor’s choice, and the musical showcase.
“The first time I came here was in 2001 and we did ‘The Wizard of Oz’,” said Pyle. “I auditioned for Dorothy. I met my husband on the set. He proposed to me on the set where we met. We’ve been married for eight years.”
She will be performing “Kindergarten Boyfriend” from “Heathers”. Her daughter, Sophia Dotson who is 14 years old, will be performing her first solo on the Triple Locks stage. She will sing “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from “Cinderella”.
Dotson grew up in the theatre and this will be her eighth time on stage.
“It’s amazing because my dad, Shane Pyle, has always been the director and I got to watch behind the scenes,” said Dotson. “It was so cool to watch all the people on stage and be themselves and express themselves. I loved it so much.”
Dotson said she is looking forward to wearing her Cinderella dress on stage. It’s a strapless, soft pink puffy dress.
“My dress is so huge and I feel like it will catch a lot of eyes,” she said. “It completes the song.”
Heather Oswald is a first-time performer at the Triple Locks and will be performing “Someone Like You” from “Jekyll and Hyde” and “You’re Daddy’s Son” from “Ragtime”.
“I think the best part is being able to tell a story and get behind each of the characters and what they’re living with in the play and get to do that with other people on stage,” said Oswald. “It’s energizing for me to be with other people. I love singing.”
This is also Daniel Scott’s first time performing at the Triple Locks.
“I just really love making people laugh and enjoy being around people,” said Scott. “Hopefully, we’ll give everyone a nice show and learn and bond with all these other singers and continue at the Triple Locks.”
Producer Shelia Mayse said that the musical showcase is a fundraiser for the theatre.
“It helps us keep the lights on and take care of the needs at the theatre,” said Shelia. “I feel very passionate about this program. We have some very dedicated singers here and this gives them an opportunity to act and be on stage.”
Tickets are $12 and can be purchased on the Coshocton Footlight Players’ website, footlightplayers.com or call the box office at 740-622-2959. Leave a message and someone will call you back.
Category: Arts & Entertainment
