[ad_1]
Talk about anticipation. As well as some amazing singing, acting and high-kicking moves.
It’s finally coming together after a two-year delay because of the pandemic as determined Detroit executive-turned-thespian David Carroll opens the curtains July 22 on “Pippin,” the Tony Award-winning musical he is staging at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield.
Carroll was deciding what to do next when he retired as a Rocket Mortgage executive in 2016. A lifelong fan of Broadway (thanks to his late father, Ford executive Bill Carroll, who took him to New York’s theater district growing up), Carroll achieved his dream of appearing onstage, performing in a local production of “Guys and Dolls” at the Village Players in Birmingham after he retired. It was then when Carroll realized just how much talent there is in metro Detroit.
Dan Gilbert, Carroll’s childhood pal who had come to see him perform, was impressed and suggested he combine his love of theaterand Detroit. Carroll started the Nicely Theatre Group, a nonprofit, in 2020.
“After my experience being in ‘Guys and Dolls’ at Village Players, I realized two things,” he said. “There is a lot of talent in our area and I wanted to provide more opportunity for them to perform and get paid, and the majority of people in our area very rarely (if ever) go to see live theater. I wanted to provide fun, accessible entertainment in an effort to grow the theater-going public.”
He planned to have “Pippin” — one of his favorite musicals — as his inaugural production. But the pandemic kicked in and in-person shows came to a halt. He switched gears as he provided free virtual one-act shows (you can see them on nicelytheatregroup.org). He also staged an outdoor version of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” last summer on the Berman Center lawn and, in March of this year, presented the group’s first live indoor production of Cole Porter’s classic “Anything Goes,” also at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts.
“Pippin” is the story of a young prince’s search for the secret to true happiness. The music and lyrics are by musical theater giant Stephen Schwartz and choreography from the legendary Bob Fosse. “Pippin” originally appeared on Broadway in 1972 and won five Tony Awards.
“I’m very much looking forward to opening night,” Carroll said. “I’ve seen the show grow from the actors wearing sweatpants and reading from scripts on a blank stage to the point where we have costumes, a full set, a full orchestra, sound, lighting and an excellent polished performance. It has been fun but the best is when we actually get to present it to a live audience and hear their laughter and applause.”
Also looking forward to opening night are the 18 cast members and the 20-person backstage team (led by director Mitch Master), who have been rehearsing on the Berman Center’s stage for the past two months. All are local.
More:Women execs lead Huntington Place as Detroit’s convention season ramps up
Terri Manning, 43, a third-grade schoolteacher in the Birmingham school district and also an actress, is starring as “The Leading Player” — one of the central figures in “Pippin.” She sings and dances up a storm.
She’s come a long way from the shy child growing up in Bloomfield Hills who took tap dancing lessons after encouragement from her mother, Lorraine, a retired schoolteacher in Pontiac.
“I told my mother I wanted to be Shirley Temple,” Manning said of the iconic child star who appeared in feel good movies from the 1930s and 1940s they would watch together.
Manning, who grew up admiring performers like Debbie Allen, Janet Jackson, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, first appeared onstage while a student at Marian High School in the chorus but was soon starring in lead roles of productions staged by the Bloomfield Township school, including “Fame.”
Manning’s appeared in other community theater productions and choreographed some, too. She worked as a cheerleader for the Detroit Pistons in 2003-06.
“I came in really not knowing much about this show,” Manning said of “Pippin.” “I watched the original 1970s production with Ben Vereen and then the revival with Patina Miller and became obsessed.”
Manning knows how important the arts is for children as she has incorporated it into her classroom at West Maple Elementary. No doubt some of her students will be among those in the audience.
More:The advice women business leaders in metro Detroit would give their younger selves
“I was a shy kid so I know what it’s like,” Manning said. “I try my best to make my classroom comfortable for all kids. I like to give them a space where they can laugh, be silly, perhaps come out of their shell a bit. I make up songs and dances constantly and encourage my kids to get silly and join. I give them permission to act like me and that usually makes it a little bit easier. By the end of the year, they usually all participate!”
She’s looking with excitement to opening night.
“I always get nervous,” she said. “But it is a nervous excitement. I think that just comes with wanting to do my best and put on a great show for the audience.”
Manning met Carroll years earlier when she taught his daughter, Lauren, in her third grade class. She’s now in high school.
Carroll talked to various leaders of community theaters in metro Detroit before he decided to launch his production company. They were supportive of his endeavor.
More:It’s this CEO’s job to bring people to Michigan for work, fun
“As I see it, we’re not doing any fundraising (ticket sales help cover costs and Carroll bankrolls the rest), there is plenty of talent available in the area, and if we present high-quality theater, we can collectively grow the size of the local theater audience, and not simply compete for a static, fixed-size audience,” he added.
There will be five performances of “Pippin” on July 22-24 and July 29-30.
“The show is very family friendly,” said Carroll, adding he recommends it for children over the age of 10.
It’s being held at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield, which can hold up to 300 people, he says, adding there isn’t a bad seat in the house.
“There’s nothing like an evening of live musical theatre,” he said. “’Pippin’ has something for everyone— it’s a lot of fun!”
For tickets: www.nicelytheatregroup.org or 248-406-6677.
Contact Carol Cain: 313-222-6732 or clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs 8 a.m. Sundays on CBS 62. See Ric DeVore, of Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Beth Stewart of Michigan Philharmonic, David Carroll and Terri Manning on this Sunday’s show.
[ad_2]
Source link
