Center for the Arts presents ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

By Kristin Barking

Middle Stew Reporter

            MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- “You never know the impact you have until you’re gone.” That is only one out of many little lessons the Center for the Arts in Murfreesboro offered in its production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Dec. 1. 

            “It’s a Wonderful Life” is directed by Renee Robinson and runs through Dec. 16 with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and matinees on Sundays at 2 p.m.                            

            This classic retraces the decisive moments in the ultimately uplifting story of George Bailey, who is saved from his suicide plans by his guardian angel Clarence Odbody on Christmas Eve to rediscover meaning and joy in his life.                                           

            Auditions for the show were held the first week of November, and the cast talked about all the scenes individually before they began rehearsing run-throughs of the entire show two weeks before opening night.                                                                                       

            “For me, the biggest challenge is the quick costume changes, because I usually only have a few seconds,” Michael Adock, who plays George Bailey, said after the performance. 
            Middle Tennessee State University theatre major Josh Ball took on the role of Clarence, and he found the most difficulty in making the obvious age difference between the movie version’s “72-year-old grandpa” and himself feel fresh yet convincing.                          

            According to Ball, community spirit and appreciation transcended the limits of the play’s world.
            “My favorite part about the show is the cast," Ball said. "Everybody is really professional, and I feel that when all the cast is out on stage together, those are the most powerful moments.”

            In addition to the play, some of the performers gave a harmonious rendition of “O Holy Night” in the gallery during the break, further instilling the season’s spirit in their spectators. The audience then returned to their seats in the festively decorated auditorium for the second half, only to rise to their feet again an hour later for a standing ovation.                       

            In the play, George Bailey gets a chance to see what the world would look like if he had never been born. Adock considers taking such a step back to look at things from a different perspective in order to become aware of your own importance as a valuable lesson in the show.
            “You never know the impact you have until you’re gone,” Adock added. 
             Ball puts his expectations for what the audience will take away from the performance in more general terms, saying, “I hope people go home with some holiday happiness.”                                               

            Tickets are available online at http://www.boroarts.org , by phone at (615) 904-2787, or in person at the Center for the Arts at 110 W. College St. in Murfreesboro. 

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Audience embraces 'A Chorus Line'

By Kristin Barking

Middle Stew Reporter

            MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- The cast of “A Chorus Line” gave their final performance of the musical at the Murfreesboro Center for the Arts on Nov. 18 in front of an enthused audience of roughly 150 people.  

            The performance at 2 p.m. completed the show’s 17-day run, and the audience bestowed lots of cheers and applause on the cast, rewarding them with a standing ovation when all the performers came dancing on stage in sparkling golden costumes for the big finale.

            After the cast was announced in August, the group rehearsed six days a week for four months under the instruction of co-directors Jeff Stateler, Tim Smith and Julie Wilcox.

            For Stateler, who considers working with such a big group as “challenging, but also rewarding”, the biggest challenge was to find people who could master singing and dancing as well as acting. He believes the show’s appeal stems from its overlying theme of searching for approval and the possibility to identify with at least one out of the various characters.

            “A Chorus Line” is set in 1975 in New York and tells the story of a group of dancers competing for parts in a Broadway show, with a director forcing them to reveal their life stories as part of the audition process.

            Wilcox choreographed the numbers, keeping in mind that the dances had to be very elaborate to live up to Broadway standards.

            “She was amazing, and she made us amazing,” cast member and Middle Tennessee State University musical theatre graduate Sherman Sutton said.

            Competing for roles was not only an important issue within the show. Sutton, who quickly turned into an audience favorite with his portrayal of a passionate, hip-swaying Richie, fought for his role with the same fervor he displayed on stage when he was up against 32 competitors in the castings: “This is my role, and no one is going to take that away from me,” he told himself.

            Once all members were assembled, Sutton found himself in a different atmosphere: “I love the pep talks we give each other, and bonding with the cast. After rehearsal, we would all go out for drinks together.”

            A background wall of mirrors and colorful outfits in the style of the ´70s helped to create the setting. The cast did not have to rely on props to fill the stage, for all it took to fill the entire auditorium were their voices.

             The audience had a chance to talk to the performers after the show. The glittering golden costumes they were still wearing had been sent from New York just for the musical, carrying the showbiz flair of the Big Apple into the halls of the Center for the Arts.

            Stateler’s favorite part of the show remains the looks on the faces of the eight hopefuls who make it the moment they get the news. Although this revelation concludes the show, for the dancers that were chosen, “It’s not the end, it’s just the beginning.”  As for the cast’s carriers, the audience seemed to agree on that statement, reasoning that none of them needed a golden suit to shine.

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