WPAC OPEN MEETING – JANUARY 25, 2010

WPAC ‘MASQUERADES’ for Mercy

Westside Performing Arts Company "Masquerade"

In November 2009, the Westside Performing Arts Company Players provided music and mirth for the gala fundraising affair for the Mercy Guild at the Holiday Inn in Redding.

Musical numbers performed were:

“All I Ask of You” by Jason Day and Trish Spinner

“Think of Me” by Allison Dibella

“Whatever Happened to My Part” by Lisa Redden

“Masquerade” by the entire ensemble.

Franky Roberts, Dean Williams, Lisa Redden

Raoul (Jason Day) & Christine (Trish Spinner) "All I Ask Of You"

The part of The Phantom was played by Dean Williams, who performed scenes with the other ‘Phantom’ characters played by Franky Roberts, Simon Knoff, Elizabeth Johnson, Bob Koroluck, and Mark Amacker.

Diva Carlotta and her entougage

The WPAC Players are grateful to “A Planned Affair” event coordinators for the opportunity to participate in this worthy cause.  WPAC “Theater For Hire” is  available for private and corporate events throughout Northern California.

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Molly Brown and The Boys

The next public WPAC event will be the 2nd Annual WPAC Wild West Fundraiser on April 23rd and 24th 2010 at the Old Shasta School House.

WPAC instructors are excited to announce the  launch of a new partnership with the Redding School District’s After School Theater Education Program this winter/spring.  Students  learn singing, acting, dancing, and auditioning.  Classes start Monday Jan 11th. Instructors are Bill Collins (acting),  Trish Spinner (singing),  Lisa Redden and Kim Norden  (intro to theater)  and Kristi Sarcinella (dance).

“Masquerade” photos courtesy of Deven Carter Photography

Westside Performing Arts Company is located at:

1666 East Cypress Ave., #8

Redding, CA 96002

Phone:

(530) 515-7151

or

(530) 243-7849

Mailing address is:

PO Box 990911

Redding, CA 96099

Here We Come A Caroling!

‘Tis the season for the Westside Performing Arts Company to be caroling up a storm.  Here’s a photo of the carolers having a ‘Dickens’ of a time one recent evening at the Vintner’s Cellar – an uber fun wine-destination and huge supporter of arts in our area.  Happy Holidays to all from WPAC – see you in 2010!

Westside Performing Arts Company is located at:

1666 East Cypress Ave., #8

Redding, CA 96002

Phone:

(530) 515-7151

or

(530) 243-7849

Artistic Director, Trish Spinner

trish.spinner@sbcglobal.net

WPAC PRESS

The upcoming production of “Grand Night For Singing” is getting lots of great press!  See the below links to read the article at ANewsCafe.com by the one and only James Santos, and the story from the Record Searchlight:

ANewsCafe

Record Searchlight

Grand Night For Singing Almost Ready For Opening Night!

That’s right – just a week and a half until this musical treat opens – and closes!  There are only a few performances (OCTOBER 22nd, 23rd, 24th at 7pm, also a matinee on the 24th at 2pm) so make sure you don’t miss it – these extremely gifted and skilled singers/performers are going to transport you to a magical musical night!  Speaking of the talented cast – here’s an inside look at who they are:

TRISH SPINNER

TRISH SPINNER:  WESTSIDE PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY Artistic Director Trish Spinner is proud to say she is a Redding native. She graduated from Shasta High School and Shasta College before going to the HARTT School of Music in Hartford Connecticut to pursue her studies as a Vocal Performance Major.  Trish is currently the President, Artistic Director, and Music Director of WPAC, Music Director for THE DANCE PROJECT’s A Cascade Christmas, a full time private voice instructor, a professional theater performer, and performing arts advocate.    Her dream is to continue building the performing arts in Redding by providing theater education classes, performance opportunities, and professional entertainment to our community.  She is thrilled to be a part of this talented cast, and feels blessed to perform such beautiful and powerful music, written by the legendary Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

JOANNA FINCHUM

JOANNA FINCHUM:  is a northern California native and has been singing since she could speak. As a voice teacher of students from around the world, including South Africa, Singapore, Brazil, and Europe, she is the only Certified Speech Level Singing Instructor in California north of Sacramento. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Industry Studies with a vocal emphasis from California State University, Northridge. Joanna is also a graduate of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry and she is the voice teacher for Bethel’s School of Worship. She has performed as a vocalist in many different genres including musical theater, jazz, pop, classical, and worship.

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KIM NORDEN

KIM NORDEN: Kim has  been involved in music/singing since she was five years old.  She started working on her voice more seriously later on in life while attending Shasta College under the instruction of Dr. Elizabeth Waterbury.  She continued classical vocal training under the instruction of Daun Hayes-Weiss while attending Simpson University and graduated in 2006 with a BA in Music(Voice)/Liberal Arts. She has been involved in numerous shows such as The Sound of Music, The Tempest, various Summer Opera Institutes/Musical Theater Academies, Inherit the Wind, and many various art/performing gatherings throughout the Redding area.  She currently sings on the worship team at her church and leads children’s music there. Kim currently serves as an active Board and Company Member with Westside Performing Arts Company.

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JASON DAY

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JASON DAY:  Jason is originally from Dallas, Texas. In high school he was cast as “Daniel” in, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”  After high school, he minored in music at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There he excelled in vocal music performance from chorus to chamber groups. He also enjoyed performing accompanying background vocals for such such musicians as Ralph Carmichael and Sandi Patti. Since then he has spent the last ten years as a remodel contractor and a chef. In July of 2007 he moved to Redding, California to attend Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. The last two summers he has spent working as a chef at two different fishing resorts in Alaska. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with family and friends.

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MATTHEW GOODMAN

MATTHEW GOODMAN:  Matthew’s first memory of singing is matching pitch with his mother in the car when he was 4 years old and he’s been singing ever since.  From church choir at the age of 10, to high school performances, and concert choir, chamber choir and jazz choir at Shasta College under the direction of Dr. Liz Waterbury.  Matthew sang in the Chamber choir at Sac State under the direction of Dr. Robert Kendell, the Acapella and chamber choir at Chico state under the direction of Dr. Jeff Gemmell, and he studied opera at Chico state under Dr. Ying Yea.  In the past three years he has performed in many community theatre shows in the Chico area among them:  “The Boyfriend”, “Guys and Dolls”, “Ug: A Caveman Musical”, “Shakespere in Hollywood”, “Jesus Christ Superstar”, and “Rocky Horror Picture Show Live!”.  “Grand Night” marks Matthew’s first community theatre show in the Redding area – and we hope there will be many more

PRIVATE PERFORMANCE OF BROADWAY PROPORTIONS!

You may already be aware, but besides the incredible public performances and classes that are presented by the Westside Performing Arts Company, their extremely talented performers are also available for private parties and events.  With the Holiday Season just around the corner, you might consider hiring the group to Christmas Carol at your office party – these folks will knock the stocking caps off your guests!

Here’s a photo of the cast of a recent performance of a review of Broadway songs performed for a local corporation client-appreciation night – held in the outdoor amphitheater at the base of the Sundial Bridge!  Songs from many well-loved Broadway shows were performed by Artistic Director Trish Spinner’s cast of accomplished singers and performers -

Front row, left to right
Mike Powell, Bill Collins, Schyler Rice, Victoria Graham, Kim Norden, TrishSpinner, Dean Williams, Barbara Wilbur
2nd row
Jason Day, Patti Huber, Lisa Redden, Alison Dibella
Back Row
Bob Koroluck

Westside Performing Arts Company is located at:

1666 East Cypress Ave., #8

Redding, CA 96002

Phone:

(530) 515-7151

or

(530) 243-7849

Mailing address is:

PO Box 990911

Redding, CA 96099

Grand Night For Singing – Cast, and in Rehearsal!

Matt, Jason, Johanna, Kim, Trish

The Rodgers and Hammerstein revue/extravaganza that Westside Performing Arts Company Artistic Director Trish Spinner has undertaken has been cast and rehearsals are under way!  Trish seems quite pleased with the cast, judging by her comment ” . . . and wait till you hear these singers- holy cow! We have such a strong cast! I’m so excited about the production. It’s going to be absolutely stellar!”

The cast is:

Leading Man, Baritone-

Matt Goodman

Leading Lady, Soprano-

Trish Spinner

Comic Ingenue, Second Soprano-

Kim Norden

Comic Juvenile, Tenor-

Jason Day

Soubrette, Alto-

Johanna Finchum

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I had the privilege of sitting in on a recent rehearsal, and have to concur with Trish – these guys can sing!  My preconception of this show was that we’d just hear one R&H song after another – which is not exactly onerous, considering they’ve written some of the biggest and best musical theater numbers of all time (Okalahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Cinderella, The Sound of Music, to name a few) – but this production is so much more interesting than I expected!  Using songs from many of R&H musicals, well known and obscure, a new story is actually created, which revolves around the singers themselves.  The performers play characters, but the characters they play are their own true identities (very scary to those of us who need a wig and an accent to feel comfortable onstage, but that’s another story.)  According to the play-write/director’s notes, ” . . . this is a musical revue that explores the broad spectrum of romantic relationships by way of more than thirty Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, classics and lesser-known discoveries alike.”

Thirty songs!  Did I read that right?  Yes, I did.  And judging by what I heard at rehearsal, there are actually additional arrangements that help the numbers segue from one to another – all very clever, and this cast of seasoned singers is clearly well-equipped to deliver a great show.  Let’s face it, even if you LOVE musical theater, you’ve got to have some darned good talent onstage to get you through 30 musical numbers – and WPAC has it in this one – I promise!

Trish has spent so much time coaching other singers, that we have not gotten to see her onstage as much as we would like recently, so it is fabulous that she allowed herself to participate in this one as the “Leading Lady Soprano”.    The “Leading Man Baritone” Matt Goodman, I have to say, just does not look like a guy you would expect to be singing, well, anything other than “I’m a Lumberjack and I’m Okay!”  But he grew up on Rodgers and Hammerstein, and seemed surprised that I didn’t think he looked like the typical musical theater dude.  Jason, the “Comic Juvenile Tenor” has just arrived from Alaska, where he was a chef this summer.  Buds with  Soubrette, Alto, Johanna Finchum (who appeared in “Once On This Island” with Trish – they were “Goddesses” together) he found himself rehearsing “Grand Night” just two days after arriving back from Alaska.

But it was Comic Ingenue, Second Soprano Kim Norden who gave the most poignant description of what this show means to the players, pointing out that this show is actually “very personal” as the singers really are playing themselves, and traveling the progression of love that most of us do during the course of our lives.

Ken Westrick directing Trish and Kim

To allow Trish the room to immerse herself in her part, she handed off the Musical Director duties to Shasta County’s own Ken Westrick, who recently gained local fame by winning the summer’s “Senior Idol” contest at the Cascade Theater, and then being a guest artist at Linda Regan’s fabulous August show at the Cascade Theater “Martinis With Santa” (which was a live Christmas album recording for deployed North State troops) where he got a standing ovation for his flawless “Music of the Night”.

The production will be presented at the nearby Riverfront Playhouse (the old venue, not the new one – yet) on October 22nd, 23rd, and 24th at 7:00pm, with a matinee on October 24th at 2:00pm – and I guarantee it is going to be some of the best musical theater you’ve ever seen in Redding (which is a tall bill, remembering Shasta High’s 2008 production of Les Miserables!)  It is a definite must-see!

Tickets are $15.00 and are available at Graphic Emporium or at the door (subject to availability of course!)

Questions, please call: Trish Spinner at (530) 515-7151

Fantastic Summer Academy Performance!

I knew Trish Spinner, her students, staff, and the players of the Westside Performing Arts Company would definitely put on an entertaining show, but I was not prepared for the incredible production that was presented on August 1, 2009 at the McLaughlin Auditorium in Redding.  The two performances – a 2pm matinee and a 7pm evening show, were the culmination of the company’s second annual summer academy.  Participants began in July with a week-long workshop brushing up on their singing, acting, dancing and auditioning techniques.  Then, an audition was held to determine which parts the different cast-members would play, followed by, what artistic director Trish describes as “four weeks of rehearsing like rabid monkeys”.   Well, let me tell you, what these rabid monkeys accomplished in four weeks was absolutely brilliant!

Anna Maich - Roxie Hartt

They performed 26 musical numbers from six different broadway shows: Lion King, Chicago, Music Man, Rent, Gypsy and Grease.  Every number had it’s own set and scenery artfully designed by David Fraser.  There must have been 500 costumes all told, and each one seemed like it was right off a Broadway stage!  I have no idea how costumer, Chris Yost, put these all together in four weeks.  Not only were there regular period costumes for the Music Man and Grease numbers, but the entire cast appeared in the Lion King segment outfitted with head-pieces and dressed like jungle animals – not far off from the Broadway production itself!

Announcing Summer Academy Production-Saturday, August 1st

Spread the word!  Grab some friends!  And come enjoy an incredible show this Saturday!

WESTSIDE PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY
Summer Theater Academy 2009
PRESENTS:

SEASONS OF LOVE

Scenes and Songs from:

GREASE MUSIC MAN GYPSY

RENT CHICAGO   LION KING

AUDITIONS: IT’S A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING!

Westside Performing Arts Company is holding AUDITIONS for the beloved Rogers and Hammerstein show “A Grand Night For Singing”!

AUDITION DATES:

August 11th, 12th  6:00pm

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LOCATION:  WPAC

1666 E. Cypress, #8 Redding

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AGES:  18 and up

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CALL BACKS:

August 15th, 2:00pm

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CAST:

2 Men, 3 Women

(Possible double casting)

REHEARSALS: 3 Nights per week (TBA), 6-8pm

Aug 24th – Oct 8th

SHOW DATES: October 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th, Redding

(Possible tour to Mt. Shasta and Weaverville)

Please come prepared with:

Resume

Headshot

Two musical theater pieces of your choice to perform.

(A pianist will be provided.)

For more information call 515-7151

(WPAC is an auxiliary of the Shasta County Arts Council)

A Grand Night for Singing- Song list

Act I

* Carousel Waltz
* So Far
* It’s a Grand Night for Singing
* The Surrey with the Fringe on Top
* Stepsisters’ Lament
* We Kiss in a Shadow
* Hello, Young Lovers
* A Wonderful Guy
* I Cain’t Say No
* Maria
* Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?
* The Gentleman is a Dope
* Don’t Marry Me
* I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair
* If I Loved You
* Shall We Dance?
* That’s The Way It Happens
* All at Once You Love Her
* Some Enchanted Evening

Act II

* Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’
* Wish Them Well
* The Man I Used To Be
* It Might as Well Be Spring
* When The Children Are Asleep
* I Know It Can Happen Again
* My Little Girl
* It’s Me
* Love, Look Away
* When You’re Driving Through the Moonlight
* A Lovely Night
* Something Wonderful
* This Nearly Was Mine
* Impossible
* I Have Dreamed

Westside Performing Arts Company is proud to be an auxiliary of the Shasta County Arts Council

For more information call 515-7151