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Show I Times OUTDOOR & Thavel GuidiT g Thursday, May 30 Page 23 n.nnn j J 5 0 urn ST. GEORGE, UTAH - Pinal casting negotiations have been completed for the 1996 production produc-tion of UTAH!, according to artistic ar-tistic director David Grapes. Grapes auditioned over 1,200 individuals in-dividuals in Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Memphis, New York, and Los Angeles in a search to fill the 80 roles required for the spectacular spec-tacular outdoor musical. "In addition to the wonderful talent I found on the road, we also had an excellent local audition audi-tion with 27 local children and ten adults being cast," Grapes said. "I am delighted with the quality of this year's company. This year's principal actors will have more than 20 Broadway shows to their credit and many additional credits in film and television." Returning for a second season of. UTAH! will be audience favorites Leonard John Crofoot, who nearly stole the show last year as the henpecked hen-pecked Chester Reilly; Robert Lauder, Jr., who enchanted audiences with his incredible vocal talent as Isaac Wells; Jose Andrews as the fierce warrior Chief Agarapoots, all of Los Angeles; An-geles; and Nicole Fenstad of North Dakota, who touched audience hearts as Maria Haskell. Has-kell. Returning company members mem-bers also include Troy Bowles, JefTCartwright, Patti Diamond, Wendy Hall, Brook Jones, Laura Martinez, Johann . Matute, Michael Morales, Ryan Norton, Shaun R Parry, Joe Heninger- ' Potter, Angus Anthony Snow, Amanda Snow, Joseph Eddy, Brandi Hassleman, and Scott Watts. ' Joining the UTAH! alumni in leading roles will be newcomers new-comers Christian Whelan and Jane Claire Walsh from Los Angeles An-geles as Jacob and Rachel Hamblin, Roger Eaves from Arkansas as George A. Smith, Diana Rogers of Cincinnati as Minerva Reilly, Stuart Bird from Philadelphia as Paiute Chief Tutsegavits, and Peter Fitzkee from New York City as the young Paiute, Panimento. UTAH! debuted last year in the splendor of red rock country at the Tuacahn Amphitheater near St. George, Utah. The outdoor out-door musical tells the story oT Jacob Hamblin, an early Indian scout and settler of southwest Utah,' and trusted friend of Mormon Mor-mon leader Brigham Young. The show, tagged as "Broadway in . the Desert", highlights historic events and the people that . shaped this rugged and desolate yet pristine land into one of the state's most thriving areas, while entertaining audiences through song, dance, and spectacular spec-tacular special effects. "UTAH! is a work in-progress," in-progress," says Grapes. "We are excited about the new special effects ef-fects being added for the second " season and some script changes which will spark the humorous side of the human spirit." Tickets for UTAH's second season, expanded to 100 shows beginning June 14 through October Oc-tober 5, are on sale now at the Tuacahn box office or by calling 1-800-SHOW UTAH. The show plays nightly, except Sundays. UTAH! is an official centennial centen-nial event in celebration of the state's inauguration as America's 45th state in 1896. Tuacahn will be celebrating the event with two free pre-shows before UTAH!. A hearty Dutch oven dinner is served nightly from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Although new to the show, Christian Whelan is no newcomer new-comer to acting. The 6-foot 3-inch 3-inch blonde and blue-eyed Whelan has co-starred in a Blake Edwards movie and played J. Kramer in ABC's General Hospital. He has countless count-less commercials and theatre performances under his belt, including in-cluding roles in "Biloxi Blues", "Weird Romance", "Grease", "Guys and Dolls", and "That's the Way It Is". Whelan, who will star as Jacob Hamblin, resides in Los Angeles where he has performed per-formed the national anthem for Lakers, Kings, and Rams games. Jane Claire Walsh has appeared ap-peared on stage in numerous leading and supporting roles, including in-cluding "Pirates of Penzance", "Gift of the Magi", "A Christmas Carol", "Light Up the Sky", in the U.S. and Canadian National Tour of "Singing in the Rain". Television work includes Young and the Restless, The Bold and ' Beautiful, In the Heat of the Night, and as a co-star of Unsolved Un-solved Mysteries. Walsh, who portrays Rachel Hamblin, enjoys en-joys active outdoor sports. UTAHl's Isaac Wells is Bob Lauder, Jr., an award-winning stage performer and singer who has appeared in over 100 musicals musi-cals portraying such characters as Hajj the King in "Kismet", Harold Hill in "The Music Man",. Curly in "Oklahoma!", the Pirate King in "The Pirates of Penzance", Juan Peron in ' "Evita", and Mr. Lindquist in "A Little Night Music", starring Glynis Johns. On the operatic stage he has starred as Marcello in "La Boheme", Escamillo in "Carmen", Horace Tabor in "The Ballad of Baby Doe", and the title role in Verdi's "Falstaff ' (at the tender age of 33). The past few years have found Lauder and his talented wife, Patti Diamond, co-starring in their . own two-person show with various cruise lines and hotels. A veteran of the Broadway stage, film, and television, Leonard John Crofoot is back for his second season as Minerva's better half, Chester Reilly. Leonard received kudos for originating the role of Tom Thumb in Barnum and other original Broadway shows, including in-cluding "Gigi", "Grind", "Come Summer", and "The Happy Time". He was featured in the film "Echoes" and on television co-starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Crofoot is a versatile ver-satile performer who has worked with such notable names as Agnes de Mille, Gower Champion, Lerner and Lowe, Kander and Ebb, and Cy Coleman. In 1994, he portrayed Vaslav Nyinsky at a gala performance perfor-mance honoring Nijinsky's daughter, Tamara. Recently, he recreated Donald O'Connor's wall-walking sequence from "Singing in the Rain" for the 67th annual Academy Awards telecast. Jose R. Andres III, an Aquin-nah Aquin-nah Wampannoag Indian from Dartmouth, Massachusetts, has A beautiful Fountain Welcomes you as you approach the Tuacahn Theater appeared off-Broadway in "Deadwood Dick" and Gashiram Kotwal and An-galak". An-galak". Back for a second season as the fierce warrior, Agarapoots, Andrews has extensive exten-sive outdoor drama credits, including in-cluding leading roles in "Tecum-seh", "Tecum-seh", "Blue Jacket", and "Beyond the Sun Down". He portrayed Sitting Bull in the world premiere of "Honor Song for Crazy Horse". Television work includes The Equalizer, One Life to Live, Another World, otiAR.F.K. and His rimes. Film credits include Crocodile Dundee Dun-dee II, To Sleep with a Vampire, and Pride Cycle. Andrews is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors. Philadelphia son Stuart Bird, a veteran actor of television, stage, and screen, co-starred co-starred in "Maid for Each Other", with Dinah Manoff and Nell Carter, "Gabriel's Fire", with James Earl Jones; "The Gypsy" with David Soul and "In the Cold of the Night" with Stuart Whitman. His stage performances per-formances include "Inter-Tribal", "Inter-Tribal", "Black Elk Speaks", and the world premiere of "Honor Song for Crazy Horse". Bird is excited to be cast as Tusegavits SHOPS. NATIONAL PARKS S 280 W. State Hurricane, Utah Stay With Someone Who Cares At Our "Let Cut HMARIN on ii 1 1 lie it V it V '' '' 5 at' i r- ' I x MP"' for UTAHl's Centennial second season. Peter Fitzkee, a veteran of the New York Renaissance Festival, Fes-tival, has appeared in numerous stage performances, including "As You Like It", 'Much Ado About Nothing", and the lead role in "Romeo and Juliet". Fitzkee, who will portray Ranimento, holds a MFA in acting ac-ting from Ohio University and is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors. Ohio native Diana Rogers has been cast as the overbearing, overbear-ing, yet lovable Minerva Reilly. Her acting experience includes portraying Madam Thenardier with the third National Company Com-pany and Broadway productions of "Les Miserables". A natural comic, Roger M. Eaves' humor won him the role of George A. Smith in the spectacular spec-tacular outdoor musical UTAH!. Eaves, a seasoned stage actor from Arkansas, has an impressive impres-sive list of credits, including "West Side Story", "Barefoot in the Park", "South Pacific", "The Tempest", "Damn Yankees", 'My Fair Lady", "Of Mice and Men", "Pirates of Penzance", "Annie", "You Can't Take it With Other Locations: Richfield C Vernal UT. Page Experts tel? Ycu 8$ z 1 ... t, You", "Godspell", "Abies Irish Horse", "Harvey", and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", to name but a few. UTAH! audience members will see Eave's amusing side as the story unfolds against the magnificently mag-nificently breathtaking red rock walls of Snow Canyon. Nicole Fenstad, originally from Fargo, North Dakota, is a 1994 graduate of the B.A. . Theatre Program at Moorhead' State University in Moorhead, Minnesota. She is a veteran of four years of summer stock with the Straw Hat Players and The Northern Lights Playhouse and recently completed a national tour of "A Christmas Carol". Fenstad, who is returning to once again portray Maria Haskell Has-kell in UTAH!, says her favorite roles include Christine in "Phantom", "Phan-tom", Eva Peron in "Evita", Sister Mary Amnesia in "Nun-flense", "Nun-flense", Carrie in "Carousel", Roxie in "Chicago", Lydia in "Children of a Lesser God", a daughter in "Quilters", Judy Turner in "A Chorus Line", and Sarah in "Guys and Dolls". 63 Luxurious Rooms Senior & Group Discounts Off Street Parking For Trucks Remote Cable TV FREE Local Calls ConnectingNon-Smoking Rooms Heated Outside Pool & Jacuzzi MicrowaveRefrigerator Units Available 3 DIAMOND RATING BY AAA ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED Reservations: 1 -800-528-1 234 At. Twin Falls ID. Evanslon & Rawlins WY Mon-Thurs, 9:30am - 8:00pm Fri-Sat, 9:30am - 9:00pm 468 W. 145 North . (Corner Of St. George Blvd. i Bluff St.) G73-S242 316 N Red Cliff Dr. (This Location Only: Open Sunday 1 1am 5pm) |