Speaker 1: Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome.
Speaker 1: It's time now for our community connection right here on
Speaker 1: Okay one, the one you trust, and we have the
Speaker 1: actors and some of the dudes who will be a
Speaker 1: part of the children's musical theater Joseph in the Amazing
Speaker 1: Technicolor Dream Code. That's just a mouthful of a title,
Speaker 1: but boy goodness, it's a big, big, big production and
Speaker 1: uh boy, I gotta tell you you guys look like
Speaker 1: you just got out of rehearsal. Y'all pumped up, got
Speaker 1: all kinds of energy, ready to rock and roll. First
Speaker 1: of all, let's talk to our directory. If we could, ROBERTA,
Speaker 1: how are you doing?
Speaker 2: I'm doing great? How are you doing today?
Speaker 1: Well? Super, Now tell us a little bit about what
Speaker 1: these very very talented young people will be doing.
Speaker 3: Well, you know, they're going to be singing and dancing
Speaker 3: for two hours straight.
Speaker 2: There is a One.
Speaker 3: Of the fun things about this show is that it's
Speaker 3: completely sung through, so there's no dialogue, and so the
Speaker 3: show never stops.
Speaker 2: It is just a party for two solid hours.
Speaker 3: And we even end with a megamix, which is like
Speaker 3: the dance medley of all the songs in the show,
Speaker 3: so they you'll.
Speaker 2: Get your money's worth for sure.
Speaker 1: Well, Marisol, you're the narrator. Are you singing as you narrate?
Speaker 4: Oh?
Speaker 5: Yeah, we sing most of the show. There are very
Speaker 5: few scenes that the narrators are not in.
Speaker 1: Wow, Okay, this is going to be great. Isaac, you
Speaker 1: play a brother, brother of Joseph. Yes, are you the one.
Speaker 4: That SOLDI I am one of the brothers that may
Speaker 4: have participated in the sell.
Speaker 1: What song will you be saying? Just out of curiosity?
Speaker 4: Well, I'll be seeing a lot of the songs, but
Speaker 4: I do have a solo.
Speaker 1: What's up?
Speaker 6: It's one more Angel?
Speaker 2: It's a Western style.
Speaker 1: Wow. Speaking of angels, we've got Presley, who will be
Speaker 1: playing a Dolly parton Angel, explaining that one.
Speaker 3: Hi.
Speaker 7: Yeah, so Dolly is a character we kind of created.
Speaker 7: Roberta how the vision and I fit them?
Speaker 2: Ald I guess.
Speaker 1: Okay, You've got blood here, a big, pretty smile and
Speaker 1: a beautiful voice. So I guess you got it right?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess.
Speaker 1: Now we take off tomorrow night.
Speaker 2: Tomorrow night is opening night.
Speaker 1: Yes, Wow, that's incredible. I got to ask you, Presley,
Speaker 1: how long have you been rehearsing.
Speaker 7: We've been in rehearsals for about five weeks.
Speaker 1: Now, five weeks. So you got it down Stone col Yeah,
Speaker 1: you pause. You know what that means. That means I'm
Speaker 1: going to try extra hard and I got that. Now.
Speaker 1: You look pretty darn confident about this. You got this
Speaker 1: down all rock solid.
Speaker 4: Well, I think it's probably the best it's going to be.
Speaker 4: Of course, he can always be better.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that's the challenge when you get on stage.
Speaker 1: You know, I was always told as a young actor,
Speaker 1: if you think that you've delivered the best you could
Speaker 1: ever do, you can probably find at least one or
Speaker 1: two percent more energy to put into it. And it's
Speaker 1: always striving to take it to the next level. As
Speaker 1: a narrator, do you get to go across the stage
Speaker 1: quite a bit or do you just kind of pop out.
Speaker 6: Of I'm all over the place? Oh, really all over
Speaker 6: the place. I'm even in the audience at one.
Speaker 1: Point you are telling us how that goes.
Speaker 6: You have to come see the show to find it.
Speaker 3: Well, answers good, I did, I did so.
Speaker 1: Where where did we get the idea that this would
Speaker 1: be a good fit for your your group? This year?
Speaker 6: Well?
Speaker 3: Every year we try and do something that features both
Speaker 3: older students and younger students, and we just felt like
Speaker 3: we had the the kids available to do this show
Speaker 3: and to make it impactful. And if you've watched the
Speaker 3: maybe the Donnie Osmond version, or you've seen it on Broadway,
Speaker 3: you'll know that it's a little bit more liberal than
Speaker 3: maybe what we feel comfortable with in Bartlesville. And so
Speaker 3: I can tell you that this is gonna be pretty
Speaker 3: pretty true to the Biblical story. And we felt like
Speaker 3: this would be a great time to get to tell
Speaker 3: this story about redemption and family.
Speaker 1: Indeed, families are kind of weird.
Speaker 3: The family is a little bit weird. You know, not
Speaker 3: everything made sense in the Bible.
Speaker 1: But it doesn't make sense in modern day you know
Speaker 1: it doesn't.
Speaker 3: But the true story is about family and relationships and
Speaker 3: redemption of a single.
Speaker 1: Person narrator, What is the hardest part that you have
Speaker 1: to do?
Speaker 6: This is the hardest part I have to do keeping
Speaker 6: a straight face.
Speaker 5: I would say there's lots of funny parts in this musical,
Speaker 5: so it's hard to stay on stage and keep a
Speaker 5: straight face.
Speaker 6: Through it all.
Speaker 1: Oh, my goodness, takes maris all you got to work
Speaker 1: kind out for you? I do now, Isaac, you get
Speaker 1: to probably convey a few different You're not like a
Speaker 1: one trick pony guy here. You probably have a wide
Speaker 1: range of emotions you got to try to carry out
Speaker 1: while while you're performing songs. Yes, tell us a little
Speaker 1: bit about that.
Speaker 4: Well, this musical is all about different styles of music
Speaker 4: and different styles of dance. Like one minute we're singing
Speaker 4: a Western and then the next minute we're seeing like
Speaker 4: nineties rap, so.
Speaker 1: It all comes together. Yeah. Wow, you know that takes
Speaker 1: a lot of work, especially How hard has it been
Speaker 1: for you? What kind of a challenge has this been
Speaker 1: for you? Oh?
Speaker 2: I mean, it's been so much fun.
Speaker 7: It is pretty difficult just switching between the genres, but
Speaker 7: it's so much fun and once you get the hang
Speaker 7: of it, it's kind of just go, go, go, So
Speaker 7: there's not really like time to think much.
Speaker 2: You're just kind of doing it and it's really fun.
Speaker 1: Well, very very good. Now, how long of the rehearsals
Speaker 1: taking on average, because sometimes when you get right down
Speaker 1: to the last week, they can go for a long time.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: No, So we've been rehearsing for five weeks and here
Speaker 3: in the last week we rehearse from four to ten
Speaker 3: every night in the Community Center, but last night I
Speaker 3: was so nice.
Speaker 2: I love them out of nine.
Speaker 1: So perially, what's it like being involved so much? With
Speaker 1: so many hours of doing this? I mean, this is
Speaker 1: like a joy to do to begin with. So is
Speaker 1: it like compounding?
Speaker 7: Yeah, no, it really is like day and night because
Speaker 7: you're there every single day. So when we're at our
Speaker 7: rehearsal space, we're there at nine to four every day,
Speaker 7: and then once we're at the center, yeah, we're there
Speaker 7: four to ten every night.
Speaker 2: But it's so much fun.
Speaker 1: Isaak. What's it like being on the big, big, big stage,
Speaker 1: because that is a big stage.
Speaker 2: It's incredible, It's just awesome.
Speaker 1: What's got to be? And Marisol? For you? How many
Speaker 1: of these performances have you been involved in?
Speaker 5: I believe this will be my six CMT main stage show,
Speaker 5: and it's been nine years since my first.
Speaker 1: Wow, you've been doing You're you're a veteran? Which shows
Speaker 1: you've been in?
Speaker 5: I was in Annie in twenty seventeen, and I was
Speaker 5: in Little Mermaid, Matilda, Wizard of Oz, and Cinderella.
Speaker 1: Now what about you?
Speaker 2: What's your This would be my third CMT show.
Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, I was in Wizard of Oz is Cinderella,
Speaker 7: and then this would be number three, you know I did.
Speaker 2: This would be my seventh year.
Speaker 4: I've been in Little Mermaid, Oklahoma, Music Man Matilda. I
Speaker 4: skipped SpongeBob, and I picked back up in Wizard of Oz,
Speaker 4: Cinderella and now Joseph.
Speaker 1: You know I must have missed Music Band. I did
Speaker 1: that back in nineteen seventy five, Last Century. Imagine you
Speaker 1: brought it up to date a little bit.
Speaker 3: It was pretty traditional, but it was our COVID show,
Speaker 3: so it was the one that we didn't get to
Speaker 3: do in that the summer of that year, and so
Speaker 3: we brought it back in January.
Speaker 1: Of That's right, that's where I got thrown off. Yeah,
Speaker 1: So how long you've been with CMT.
Speaker 3: So I actually was in their very first show twenty
Speaker 3: six years ago.
Speaker 2: I was in Cinderella. Yes, I was absolutely too.
Speaker 3: And I've had the opportunity to come back and work
Speaker 3: with them many many times, and so this is actually
Speaker 3: my twelfth opportunity to be employed by them in.
Speaker 2: Some sort of directoral capacity.
Speaker 3: But this is my first show that I've gotten to
Speaker 3: direct gradually from the be the main director.
Speaker 2: So that's been fun.
Speaker 1: Now you've been both on station and behind the scenes
Speaker 1: and in managing the thing. For you, does it all
Speaker 1: come together when you hit that point of being director
Speaker 1: or do you kind of miss being out there on
Speaker 1: the stage.
Speaker 3: And just giving it all you got, yes and no, Really,
Speaker 3: I've really enjoyed.
Speaker 2: You say yes, yeah, sorry, could keep going.
Speaker 3: So I've really enjoyed being an educator for the last
Speaker 3: twelve years, and so it's been beautiful to get to
Speaker 3: help bring up the next generation of actors and my
Speaker 3: new role with CMT. Have just been hired to be
Speaker 3: their new artistic director and kind of lead the organization
Speaker 3: into the future. And so I'm really excited about this
Speaker 3: new opportunity and getting to spend my time with these
Speaker 3: talented students and help bring amazing community theater to Bartlesville.
Speaker 1: It's great to have that variety. Imagine all three of
Speaker 1: you have been participating in school type of productions. I
Speaker 1: know you have seen you on stage a few times,
Speaker 1: but how different is this from perhaps doing a.
Speaker 5: School I'm actually homeschooled, oh say, but I have done.
Speaker 6: We have a homeschool co op and we have done
Speaker 6: a couple of productions with our homeschool co.
Speaker 5: Op our choir director actually puts on has put on
Speaker 5: a couple of musicals in the past.
Speaker 6: We actually just finished doing Beaty and the Beast this
Speaker 6: past semester.
Speaker 1: Well, and for you, Isaac, what's the difference.
Speaker 2: I'm also homeschooler, also the same.
Speaker 1: Yes, go off, yeah yeah, Presley.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 7: So when you're doing a show like at school, it's
Speaker 7: kind of hard because you're focused about school, but then
Speaker 7: you also have to like switch your brain later in
Speaker 7: the day go to rehearsals. But then over the summer
Speaker 7: you can kind of spend all your time focusing like
Speaker 7: on the show and so so you.
Speaker 1: Get to get the full creative for bringing it to
Speaker 1: the stage. Yeah, that's great. This is gonna be awesome.
Speaker 1: So once again, it's Thursday and Friday at seven pm,
Speaker 1: Saturday and Sunday at two pm. So in the heat
Speaker 1: of the day, go to the air conditioned center, yes,
Speaker 1: and enjoy a hot show.
Speaker 3: There you go.
Speaker 2: I love that.
Speaker 1: What are the ticket prices?
Speaker 2: Rang jop Oh, Actually Isaac knows that all right.
Speaker 4: So the most you will pay for a ticket is
Speaker 4: thirty dollars. That's just if you're going as a single adult.
Speaker 4: It's twenty dollars for students if you can bundle and save.
Speaker 4: So if you take two adults and two children, you'll
Speaker 4: save twenty dollars. If you take two adults and three kids,
Speaker 4: you'll save twenty four dollars. If you take four adults,
Speaker 4: if you get you and your buddies go, then you'll
Speaker 4: save twenty dollars.
Speaker 1: Well, I like that. There you go a little bit math.
Speaker 1: I didn't think you know, school's out and everything. I know, right,
Speaker 1: But that's that's cool. It's it's a great setup that
Speaker 1: you have there, not only with CMT, but also when
Speaker 1: you move it to the center that is it's got
Speaker 1: to be awesome. It's got to be breathtaking to be
Speaker 1: on that stage. And I know you can only see
Speaker 1: just a few rows once the you know, you get
Speaker 1: ready with the theater lights. But I'm just gonna let
Speaker 1: you in a little secret that you probably already know.
Speaker 1: A place is packed. It's packed with family members and
Speaker 1: friends and people who just want to see the show
Speaker 1: and sometimes you know, standing room only not here. But
Speaker 1: if you get your tickets early, you'll.
Speaker 2: Be fine, right, Yes.
Speaker 3: So one of the things that I love about getting
Speaker 3: to work with this organization is that there's a wide
Speaker 3: variety of volunteers that help out. And so while the
Speaker 3: students do amazing work and the real show is backstage
Speaker 3: and all the volunteers that are working so hard to
Speaker 3: make this happen.
Speaker 1: Now, the tech crew and everything else. Boy, these people move.
Speaker 1: I've noticed that they could probably be Olympic sprinter. Yes,
Speaker 1: because you know they get a workout, don't they.
Speaker 3: They do. The dads of Bartlesville are working hard backstage.
Speaker 1: Now when it comes to the full blown production. You
Speaker 1: really it's priceless getting this experience, would you agree?
Speaker 5: Oh, it's one of the best things I've ever.
Speaker 1: Participated in, Now about you, Presley.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I completely agree.
Speaker 1: All right, it's quite incredible. Do you see yourselves coming
Speaker 1: back kind of like your director has after maybe a
Speaker 1: couple of years, and helping out the young ones. I
Speaker 1: haven't thought of it out that far yet, have you.
Speaker 1: I'm just trying to get through school.
Speaker 5: I've definitely considered coming back in the summers and helping
Speaker 5: out with the productions.
Speaker 1: Good, good, good, Well, this is always a good thing
Speaker 1: and sometimes well you have that big reunion thing.
Speaker 3: Yes, last year we had our twenty fifth and all
Speaker 3: the directors were alumni.
Speaker 2: That was special.
Speaker 1: That's a lot of fun. I want to thank you
Speaker 1: all for being here once again. It's at the Center
Speaker 1: and it's a Thursday and Friday at seven pm. Saturday
Speaker 1: and Sunday hit two pm, and it is Joseph and
Speaker 1: the Amazing Technicolor Dream Code. That's a mouthful, but it's
Speaker 1: going to be a great show and it's going to
Speaker 1: fill your heart with a lot of music and a
Speaker 1: good story.
Speaker 2: That's right.
Speaker 1: Thanks for being with us here on Community Connection.
Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you.