BLT Announces ‘Marvelous Wonderettes’ Cast
The musical kicks off the BLT season with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 25-27 and a matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28. All performances will be held at the First Presbyterian Church hall on East Corydon Street.
Created and written by Roger Bean, the two-act musical shows the girl quartet entertaining at their 1958 senior prom and again ten years later at their class reunion. More than two dozen songs from those years will be in the show, including "Son of a Preacher Man" "Secret Love," "Lipstick on Your Collar" and "Rescue Me."
Director Cindy Graham said that while three of the singers are new to the BLT stage, all four of them are experienced performers.
DeFrank won “Fretzican Idol” while a student at Fretz Middle School. She has also taken part in productions at Bradford Area High School, the Intermediate Unit 9 Song Fest and ten productions of Kiwanis Kapers. Also a dance student, the Bradford area resident will play Cindy Lou, who knows she is the prettiest girl at Springfield High and acts out against her best friend, Betty Jean, when things don’t go her way.
Tomboy and class clown Betty Jean will be portrayed by Lori Johnson of Bradford who sings with the Grace Lutheran Church Praise Team and has sung elsewhere, including with a women’s barbershop group.
Playing the role of overachiever Missy will be Melanie Bizzarro. Also a BAHS student, she held major roles in BAHS musicals, including Eve in “The Apple Tree” and Connie in “Good News.” She has taken vocal lessons from Kathy Black and acting lessons from Denise Simons in New York City, where she has also performed.
Returning to BLT, Andee Cole of Cuba, N.Y., will take on the role of happy-go-lucky Suzie, Missy’s best friend. Cole was last seen as the bride in BLT’s dinner theater “I’m Getting Murdered in the Morning.” Also she has held major roles with community theaters in Olean, N.Y., and Wellsville, N.Y.
Andrew Dutko is music director, while Ardyth Van Scoy is choreographer. Other members of the crew include Marlene Kijowski, costumes; Nancy Coder, props; Shane Oschman, lighting; Ron Johnson, sound; Nanci K. Garris, set design; Kathy Bryant and Marcia McAndrew, make-up; and Kim Graham, hair.
Advance tickets will be available at Graham Florist, Ott & McHenry Pharmacy and Tina’s Hallmark stores in Bradford, and also on the website at bradfordlittletheatre.org at a price of $11 each. At the door, cost will be $12 each with $11 for senior citizens. Group discounts are available through the website.
Pictured, music director Andrew Dutko at piano; and standing left to right Lori Johnson (Betty Jean), Ariel DeFrank (Cindy Lou) and Melanie Bizzarro (Missy).
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