| The sequel to the sold-out hit show Unexpected Songs, DreamBoys features five talented men singing Broadway songs made famous by the bawdy women of the boards. Popular Twin Cities stage personalities Doug Anderson, Tim Kuehl, Bart Ruf, Ryan Shipley, and Paul Whittemore bring a little something extra to timeless classics, diva favorites, and rare gems of the theater. The show is set in a theater lobby moments before an audition, where each man steadies his nerves and wonders…what if I could audition for Eliza instead of Henry Higgins? Featuring songs from such hit shows as Wicked, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Shop of Horrors, A Chorus Line, and contemporary classics The Wild Party, The Last Five Years, and The Light in the Piazza. Expect powerful belting, thoughtful ballads, and a generous dose of gender-bending fun. |
| Choreographed by Greg A. Joelson |
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| Paul Whittemore is a founding member of Blue Umbrella Productions, and he appeared in their inaugural revue, Jungle Mary Bang Bang: The Music of the Sherman Brothers. He also co-created, produced, and appeared in the critically acclaimed musical revue Unexpected Songs, parts one and two—both sell-out productions at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater. His other stage credits include The Robber Bridegroom, Summer of '42 (Pete), Jerry Springer: The Opera (Steve Wilkos), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Applause (Danny), Candide (Maximilian), When Pigs Fly, and The Rocky Horror Show (Rocky) with Minneapolis Musical Theatre; Cabaret (Cliff) with Paul Bunyan Playhouse; Side Show (Roustabout, Terry u/s) with Park Square Theatre; La Belle Helene (Achilles) with North Star Opera; Working (Mike) at St. Paul's Landmark Center; A Chorus Line (Zach), Broadway My Way, And the World Goes 'Round with Bloomington Civic Theatre; Man of La Mancha with Theatre in the Round; Two by Two (Japheth) with Heritage Theatre; and many others. Recordings: Suzanna Winter, Souvenirs. Film: The Like Girl. |
| The Cast |
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| Director Suzanna Winter most recently produced her original musical, Where the Girls Are: A Musical Celebration of American Women in spring of 2007. The world premiere played to sold-out houses at the Lowry Lab Theater in downtown St. Paul. Previous original projects include Part of the Human Heart: The Music of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater, described by the Star Tribune as “a winning little gem” and “a fun and funny piece of musical theater.” Suzanna also co-created and produced This Moment at the Central City Theatre and No More Mister Nice Girl at Patrick’s Cabaret, and she produced the Midwest premiere of Little by Little at the Phoenix Playhouse, described as an “intimate and engaging little musical” and “a charming, heartfelt romp through the vagaries of modern love and friendship” by the Star Tribune. Suzanna also directed Studs Terkel’s Working at the Weyerhauser Auditorium in the Landmark Center, and choreographed Oliver! at the Heritage Theater. She trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and also studied at the Playwright’s Center in Minneapolis. |
| The Production Team |
| Jay Schueller (Technical Director) first worked with Blue Umbrella as Technical Director for Where the Girls Are. He has served as the Technical Director, Lighting Designer and Scenic Designer at Totino Grace High School since 2001, and he has also worked extensively with Minneapolis Music Theater over the last five years. Outside the Twin Cities, he has designed countless productions with professional and community theaters including Boarshead Theater, Mummaw Creative, Southern Ohio Light Opera, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, and The Barn Theater. Jay holds a BA in Theater from Southwest State University. |
| House Manager Kathy Schneider’s first experience with Blue Umbrella Productions came in 2007, when she was the House Manager for the production of Where The Girls Are: A Musical Celebration of American Women. Kathy has worked in different aspects of the media since 2002, and holds a B.A. in English from St. Cloud State University. |
| Music Director Emily Hanson is absolutely thrilled to be part of DreamBoys and to have the opportunity to work with such incredibly talented people! Emily is currently the accompanist for Minneapolis Musical Theater, having played for all of their shows since 2005. She has also served as either musical director and/or accompanist for numerous theater companies including Nautilus Music Theater, Ashland Theater Company, Sabes JCC, Totino Grace High School, Bethel Summer Theater and Theater Latte Da's "City Stock." Emily is on the faculty of Bethel University as a staff accompanist where she plays for choirs, theater productions, lots of voice lessons and recitals. During her 8 years on the East Coast, she earned her BFA in Musical Theater Performance form Syracuse University and worked extensively in NYC as an accompanist and vocal coach. |
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| DreamBoys is Greg A. Joelson's (Choreographer) second show with Blue Umbrella Productions, having served as director and choreographer for Where the Girls Are in 2007. A native of Minneapolis, Greg has been involved with the theatre in this community in some shape or form for over 21 years. Previous directing and choreographing credits include: Oklahoma!, High School Musical, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, West Side Story, Steel Magnolias, Les Miserables: school edition, The Wiz, HMS Pinafore, Singin’ in the Rain, Pirates of Penzance, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Godspell!, Once On This Island, Fiddler on the Roof, Music Man, Guys and Dolls, Once Upon A Mattress, Narnia!, Midas and the Golden Touch, Joseph and the Amazing…, and Quilters. A long time ago Greg worked as an actor/dancer in the Twin Cities; his most notable stage appearances include The Animal Fables of Aesop (Bus and Truck Tour), Linnea in Monet’s Garden, The Adventures of Babar, and Cinderella with Children’s Theatre Company, and The History Plays at the Guthrie Theatre. Other favorite performance credits include The Fantasticks, Rough Crossings, The Boyfriend, Big River, Damn Yankees, Will Parker understudy in Oklahoma! (one performance), and Sebastian/Sebastiane with The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus. Greg has taught for Youth Performance Company and StageCoach Theatre Arts. Currently he works with the students of South View Middle School in Edina. |
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| Music Direction by Emily Hanson |
| Doug Anderson is one of the original producers and perfomers of Unexpected Songs.
Recently seen at the Guthrie's Joe Dowling Theatre in The Flying Foot Forum's French Twist, he has also performed at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre in Singin' in The Rain, West Side Story,
My Fair Lady and Oklahoma! Favorite roles include CMRL in Pageant, Ruby in Dames at Sea, Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense A-Men, and Knute
Gunderson in Don't Hug Me and Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol. You can see him reprise his role as Knute Gunderson in Don't Hug Me, County Fair at the Pioneer Place on 5th in St. Cloud, MN this late spring. |
| Tim Kuehl has done a number of productions in the Twin Cities most notably with Minneapolis Musical Theatre, where he has appeared in The Who's Tommy (Captain Walker), Kiss of The Spider Woman (Valentin), and Jerry Springer: The Opera (Chucky / Adam). Other local productions include A New Brain (Gordon), Assassins (The Balladeer), Anything Goes (Moonface Martin) and You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Snoopy). He has also been a sound designer for Sexual Perversity in Chicago and Death and the Maiden with The Chameleon Theatre Circle. His favorite production is the musical comedy that plays out daily with his wife and daughter. |
| Bart Ruf is a founding member of Blue Umbrella Productions and cast member of Jungle Mary Bang Bang: The Music of the Sherman Brothers. He’s most recently appeared in a number of productions with Minneapolis Musical Theatre, including the Twin Cities premiere of Jerry Springer: The Opera (Tremont), Kiss of the Spiderwoman (dance captain), La Cage aux Folles (Dominatrix), and The Who’s Tommy. Other credits include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying(Jenkins / dance captain), Gypsy (Tulsa), Pippin, John Command’s Broadway, My Way, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Aggie), Carousel, Cinderella, and Carnival Cruise Line (singer / dancer). |
| C. Ryan Shipley most recently appeared as Goat in The Robber Bridegroom and as Benjie in Summer of '42 for Minneapolis Musical Theatre. Other theatre credits include The Santaland Diaries at the Bryant Lake Bowl, Urinetown and Funny Girl at Bloomington Civic Theatre and director of Blur for Theatre Limina. Ryan served as the 2005 directing intern for A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater, and was also chosen as Best Director for Theatre Limina's 2006 Summer Shorts play festival. Ryan is a 2005 theatre graduate of St. Olaf College where he directed the Minnesota premiere of Melanie Marnich's Quake, and was in several productions including Wintertime, Assassins and Into The Woods. Ryan is also an acting coach and choreographer for Playshop – a musical theatre summer camp for young adults. |
| Alison Rouzer (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working with Blue Umbrella Productions for a second time. She was the projection designer for Where the Girls Are. She is a graduate of the University of MN Duluth’s Stage Management and Design Tech program. Alison has worked professionally for the Sieur DuLuth Summer Arts Festival, The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre (Chicago) the Mixed Blood Theatre, Lyric Arts Mainstreet Stage, CLIMB Theatre and Stages Theatre. Alison’s credits include Crazy for You, Pajama Game, and Urinetown (BCT), Sound of Music, Copacabana (Lyric Arts), A Christmas Carol (ASM), Rigoletto (ASM), Godspell and La Boheme. When not stage managing, Alison is most likely found working in the theatre in some other capacity, or at her other job as a lifeguard at the Shoreview Community Center. She would like to thank her family for their support as she pursues a career in theatre. |
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| Carolann Winter (Costume Designer) is the resident designer and costume shop manager for the College of St. Catherine where she also teaches Makeup and Costume for the Stage. She is a member of the Technical Advisory Board at Theatre in the Round, and her design credits there include Uncle Vanya, You Never Can Tell, Ghosts, The Mikado, and She Loves Me. Other recent credits include Blue Umbrella Productions: Where the Girls Are and Girl Friday Productions: Our Town. Her current interests include supporting new and innovative theatre companies in the area. Carolann is grateful for the opportunity to return to Blue Umbrella Productions and work with this very talented group of artists, including her daughter, Suzy, the director! |
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| Watch a video of the Boys in rehearsal! |
| "Starting with the rather beguiling concept of having men sing Broadway tunes written for women, Dreamboys built on that with a quintet of talented singers who easily glided from tune to tune through the sharp 90-minute program. ..The compilation -- solidly directed by Suzanna Winter -- also dug deep into the songbook, pulling out songs that were familiar (pieces from South Pacific and Company) to downright obscure (the jolly 'Mr. Hop-a-long Heartbreak' from Urban Cowboy... The five performers blended well in their group numbers and all had moments to really strut their vocal stuff in solo numbers. The highlight came with Tim Keuhl, who not only belted out the above Urban Cowboy number, but also a |
| Directed by Suzanna Winter |
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| gorgeous ballad, 'Lying There.' ... Dreamboys provided what my soul needed Friday night." --MinnPost.com |
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| DreamBoys was named Outstanding Music Revue of 2009 by Lavender Magazine! |