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The Beat Goes On

  • Leah Hocking (WV ’88), who created the role of Mum in the Tony-winning Billy Elliot, returned to the show at the Imperial Theatre Sept. 15.
  • In the latest James Bond thriller, Quantum of Solace, Anatole Taubman (WV ’92) plays Elvis, the sidekick to the Bond adversary.
  • Charlie Alterman (WV ’95) continues as the Music Director for Broadway’s Next to Normal, which won 2 Tony awards in 2009!
  • Scott McGowan will be performing in "The Pursuit of Happiness" with the Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre in South Orange Oct. 31-Nov. 15
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The Drummer Boy Online
Weathervane Alumnus Attends Alumni Weekend for First Time PDF Print E-mail
Written by Geoff Tarson   

Geoff Tarson and Nanette DeWester
FLOUR’S FOR YOU Geoff Tarson offers Nanette DeWester some baked goods during a rehearsal of the 9th annual alumni show, Mambo Italiano: A Roman Holiday.
Photo: J. Simon
My first reaction when I saw the rehearsal schedule for the alumni show was, “Don’t give me a big role.”  Actually, my first reaction was, “I need to back out of this.”  But Rhonda and Rick talked me back off the ledge.  They said I could be involved as much or as little as I could handle.  I said I could handle just a minor role.  But I agreed to return for the 2009 alumni show.  This would be the first one for me.  After working at Weathervane as an actor and director (and one year in a backstage capacity even I can’t define) in the 80’s and 90’s, I would be heading back to Whitefield. 

On Saturday, I drove five hours north and made my way to the new rehearsal space.  Well, not that new anymore.  But I hadn’t been there in a while.  I found a large group of performers—most of whom I knew.  And all of whom were friendly, supportive, funny, and only a little grayer than I remembered.  (Who am I to talk about graying anyway?)
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Music Director Charlie Alterman Revisits Weathervane Days PDF Print E-mail
Written by Mary Whithed   
Charlie Alterman and Nicole Lewis
WHERE’S CHRLIE? Charlie Alterman and Nicole Lewis at the Tony Awards.
Photo: C. Alterman
Charlie Alterman was the W’vane’s Assistant Music Director in 1995 and Music Director in 1996.  He is now the Music Director of the TONY Award-winning Next to Normal at the Booth Theatre.  Here is his conversation with Mary Whithed.

How did you end up at the Weathervane? They hired me very last minute.  Most of the big breaks in my career have been at the last minute.  It was through the NETCs.  I didn’t actually meet with anyone from the Weathervane there, but they had my form and realized they needed someone.  They saw that I’d been at Brown with Heather Cousens, and they called her to get the scoop.  She said something really flattering, along the lines of, “Anything that went right in those shows was because of Charlie.”  And then they called me.
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And The Beat Goes On . . . by Sammy Dazzle PDF Print E-mail
Written by Sammy Dazzle   
Sammy Dazzle
The Man, The Myth, The Legend Sammy Dazzle is the new voice of And The Beat Goes On. This is not a photo of him.
Charlie Alterman (WV ’95) continues as the Music Director for Broadway’s Next to Normal, which won the 2009 Tony awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations.

 In the latest James Bond thriller, Quantum of Solace, Anatole Taubman (WV ’92) plays Elvis, the sidekick to the Bond adversary, sporting a monkish fringe, and Tarantino bad looks.

 Leah Hocking (WV ’88), who created the role of Mum in the Tony-winning Billy Elliot, returned to the acclaimed musical at the Imperial Theatre Sept. 15.

 Tally Sessions (WV ’03) is in the cast of the Lincoln Center Theater production of South Pacific which launched a nationwide tour Sept. 18 in San Francisco. Mary Rodgers and Alice Hammerstein were among those in attendance at the first rehearsal, held Aug. 24 in New York.

 Scott McGowan (WV ’01), currently in rehearsal for The Pursuit of Happiness by Richard Dresser with Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre in South Orange, NJ, can also be seen in the production of Ebenezer at Surflight Theatre this holiday season.

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Drum Roll, Please! by the Editor PDF Print E-mail
Written by Rhonda Picou   
Seasons_of_GreetingsIf you joined us this summer for the 9th annual alumni weekend, you know what a dizzyingly happy time it was.  A multitude of alumni returned to perform former W’vane music director Tom Barthel’s Mambo Italiano:  A Roman Holiday, and several made the weekend a family vacation.  If you weren’t there, I hope the photos herein will inspire you to join us sometime soon.  Geoff Tarson attended for the first time and writes about the experience.
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