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Mill Mountain Theatre Presents “Boy Bands Through the Ages”

The boy bands are taking over! Everyone from The Beatles, The Backstreet Boys, One Direction and the latest icons, BTS. All of your favorite boy bands will be covered in Mill Mountain Theatre’s Concert, Boy Bands Through the Ages.

Experience the nostalgia of your favorite boy bands from the past and the rave of the current bands sweeping pop culture. For two nights only, this lively concert will be on the Trinkle MainStage in Downtown Roanoke from May 27th to May 28th.

The Mill Mountain Music Series is uplifted by nostalgic and iconic boy band songs of the past and present that have been curated by MMT’s Resident Music Director, music maestro and boy band aficionado, Seth Davis.

Get ready to dance, sing and remember the boy bands that overtook the nation and have changed pop culture and helped form every generation. Boy Bands Through the Ages is produced by Mill Mountain Theatre in just one week and will feature esteemed vocalists and musicians!

Returning to the Trinkle MainStage are Chris Carranza (In The Heights), Josh Polk (Guest Teaching Artist) and Parker Joh (Mamma Mia!). Additionally, Mill Mountain Theatre will be welcoming vocalist, Matthew Carter to the Trinkle MainStage. These outstanding vocalists’ harmonies will recreate the sounds of your favorite boy bands that you know and love.

This concert features an all-star band of local musicians. Boy Bands Through the Ages musicians include JT Fauber, Evan Bowman and Mike Havens, all of who will be directed by Seth Davis.

MMT’s production of Boy Bands Through the Ages will be produced and directed by MMT’s Producing Artistic Director, Ginger Poole with Music Direction and arrangement by MMT’s Resident Music Director Seth Davis, Sound and Lighting design by Savannah Woodruff and Technical Direction and Props Design by Matt Shields.

Boy Bands Through the Ages begins performances on May 27th and runs through May 28th on the Trinkle MainStage for three performances only. Tickets can be purchased online at millmountain.org or by calling the box office at 540-342-5740

Sponsors and grantors for Boy Bands Through the Ages include Roanoke Valley Orthodontics; Dixon, Hubbard, Feinour & Brown, Inc; Woods Rogers Attorney’s at Law; Virginia Commission for the Arts; Center in the Square; Theatre Communications Group; Actors’ Equity Association and Blue Star Theatres.

Mill Mountain Theatre Presents William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Join the cast of Shakespeare’s As You Like It for this playful production, filled with flirtation, fun disguises, flippant fools, family dysfunction, and some of Shakespeare’s most famous phrases.

The classic Shakespearean comedy features young performers from the Roanoke Valley and Mill Mountain Theatre’s Conservatory program, the theatre education program for young artists. As You Like It is scheduled from May 6th to May 15th on Mill Mountain Theatre’s Waldron Stage.

As You Like It is directed by Mill Mountain Theatre’s Director of Education, Victoria Buck. Buck is no stranger to Shakespeare and has earned two Masters’ Degrees from Mary Baldwin University’s Shakespeare and Performance Program with a Master of Fine Arts and a Master’s of Letters.
“Shakespeare is so classic and pervasive in both our education systems and in theatres that almost every student and actor will encounter it at some point in their lives and career, and the best way to learn it is by performing it and seeing it performed!” Said Buck.

This Pay-What-You-Can performance of As You Like It includes the distribution of free books to students as part of MMT’s initiative of connecting theatre to reading and literacy. To learn how to donate books, please visit millmountain.org/donate.

MMT’s production of As You Like It is produced by Producing Artistic Director Ginger Poole; Director and Stage Manager by Victoria Buck; Assistant Stage Manager; Conner Hunt; Scenic and Props Design by Matt Shields; Lighting Design by Savannah Woodruff and Costume Design by Tiffany Waters.

Performance of As You Like It begins on May 6th and runs through May 15th on the Waldron Stage. All tickets are ‘Pay What You Can’ at the door. For more information visit millmountain.org

Sponsors for As You Like It include Acceleration Point, American National Bank & Trust Company, Boxley Materials Co., Business Solutions Inc., The Candy Store, Cox Communications, Davenport & Company, Davis H. Elliot Company, Dunkenberger-Waskey-Nash Group at Morgan Stanley, 5Points Creative, Kiwanis Club of Roanoke, Lichtenstein Law Group, Pinnacle Financial Partners, B.J. Preas, Punch Boutique, Roanoke Valley Orthodontics, Truist and The Edgar A. Thurman Charitable Foundation for Children. Grantors include Virginia Commission for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Center in the Square, TCG, Actors’ Equity Association and Blue Star Theatres.

MILL MOUNTAIN RECRUITS RISING LATINO DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER HÉCTOR FLORES JR.

Mill Mountain Theatre is thrilled to welcome Hector Flores Jr. to lead the upcoming production of the Tony award-winning show, IN THE HEIGHTS. MMT invited Flores to join the creative team and he hit the ground running last week with rehearsals for this energetic and powerful production.

MMT is committed to leading the change needed in the theatre industry with regard to the authentic representation of casting and story-telling. Mill Mountain’s production is a turning point in how the national theatrical community will look to produce works by, with and about people of color. The theatre has worked hard to bring in Latine members of the creative team, including Flores, and a cast to tell this important story of community, neighborhood, family and hope.

The theatre has been working closely with a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) consultant with the cast and will continue to do so following the production of IN THE HEIGHTS to ensure cultural sensitivity in all productions. MMT is committed to working with marginalized communities throughout the region so everyone is able to see the importance not only of IN THE HEIGHTS but all theatre within our community.

One of many instrumental additions to the creative team is Director/Choreographer, Héctor Flores. Flores has performed in several regional productions of IN THE HEIGHTS, most notably the Multiple Helen Hayed Awarding-winning Spanish Language Production produced by Gala Hispanic Theatre in Washington DC. The rising Director/Choreographer is an executive staff member at New York Theatre Barn, an anti-racist non-profit theatre company dedicated to the incubation of culture-shifting musicals, a former Fred Astaire Ballroom dancer/instructor and is a mentee of Luis Salgado, an original Broadway cast member of IN THE HEIGHTS. He is also a mentee of prolific Afro-Latina director/choreographer Maria Torres with whom Flores will be setting another production of IN THE HEIGHTS with After the Mill Mountain production.

The new creative team includes veterans of the show, Héctor Flores Jr. as the Director and Choreographer; Mikey Sylvester as the Associate Director and Choreographer; John Daniels as the Music Director and Eric Montesa as the Production Stage Manager.

The accomplished creative team joined the other dedicated and talented MMT designers and staff members on March 24th and IN THE HEIGHTS is set to open on April 13th. We are excited by the work being done by the cast and crew and look forward to showcasing their efforts from April 13th to April 24th.

In The Heights begins performances on April 13th and runs through April 24th on the Trinkle MainStage. Tickets can be purchased online at millmountain.org or by calling the box office at 540-342-5740.

IN THE HEIGHTS is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com Music and Lyrics by Book by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Quiara Alegría. Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Development of In The Heights was supported by the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center during a residency at the Music Theater Conference of 2005. Initially developed by Black House Productions. Originally Produced on Broadway by Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman Willis Sander Jacobs, Goodman/Grossman, Peter Fine, Everett/Skipper.

Awarding Young Artists With Ginger Morris

Our twenty-fourth official episode of Meet Me At Mill Mountain: The Podcast features Ginger Morris, from Austin, Texas. In this episode, learn how Ginger got her start in the industry after college and how she became a co-founder of Summer Stock Austin.

Ginger Morris, having graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BFA in Theatre in 1998, is now a theatre producer, director, choreographer, and educator. For her first six years after college, Ginger worked as an Equity Stage Manager and the Academy Director for Austin Musical Theatre. She has directed and/or choreographed productions with various universities, professional, community, and youth theatres across central Texas. She is the co-founder of Summer Stock Austin, where she has directed and choreographed 13 musicals garnering the B. Iden Payne Award for Best Choreography. Ginger has directed and/or choreographed over 40 musicals and has worked on several original musicals from Austin to New York City. She is the Executive Director of a nonprofit theatre education company called Impact Arts, Producing Director for the Heller Awards for Young Artists with the Long Center for the Performing Arts, Artistic Director/Producer for Summer Stock Austin in partnership with Texas Performing Arts, and is also the program director of Texas Arts Project with St. Stephen’s School. She is fiercely devoted to seeing young people come alive through the arts.

Mill Mountain Theatre strives to inspire, entertain, enrich, educate, and challenge audiences of Southwest Virginia through high-quality, professional theatrical productions and experiences. Meet Me At Mill Mountain: The Podcast explores all of the buzz words in Mill Mountain Theatre’s mission statement.

Mill Mountain Music Returns: Music of the Crooners

Fly with us to the moon and experience Mill Mountain Theatre’s Music of the Crooners! This fun show is kicking off the Mill Mountain Concert Series on the Trinkle MainStage.

Experience the glitz and glamour of classic music icons such as Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Michael Bublè and many more legends! This show is one that will make you want to get out of your seat and dance with us during an unforgettable night. Music of the Crooners will be on the Trinkle MainStage for three shows only from October 29th – 30th with a matinee Saturday afternoon.

The Mill Mountain Music Series is uplifted by nostalgic and iconic songs of the past and present that have been curated by MMT’s Resident Music Director and music maestro, Seth Davis. “So much of this music is truly part of the “Great American Songbook” and has been covered by some of the greatest performers of the past 100 years. Everyone in the audience will find themselves humming along to many of these favorite songs – and we’ve got a really great group of dynamic musicians that always deliver some stunning musical performances!”

Remember some of the most celebrated entertainers of our time at our Music of the Crooners concert. Sit back and enjoy tunes originated by the velvety voices of singers like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, and more. Pop standards from the Great American Songbook will leave you humming all the way home. Featuring a live band and singers, this concert is produced by MMT in just one week, and plays for three performances only!

“Music of the Crooners will bring all of the joy our audiences felt during Million Dollar Quartet and will make you want to snap and sing along throughout the night.” Says Ginger Poole, Mill Mountain Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director and Director of Music of the Crooners. “This will be the perfect show to bring your friends and family together and enjoy live music with songs we all know and love!”

Returning to MMT to cover these classic artists are Devin Altizer, Maddie Mae Walker, Nick Jones, Leonela Hernandez and Larry Kufel.

MMT’s production of Music of the Crooners will be produced and directed by MMT’s Producing Artistic Director, Ginger Poole with Music Direction and arrangement by MMT’s Resident Music Director Seth Davis, Sound and Lighting design by Savannah Woodruff and Production Management by Matt Shields.

Music of the Crooners begins performances on October 29th and runs through October 30th on the Trinkle MainStage for 3 performances only. Tickets can be purchased online at millmountain.org or by calling the box office at 540-342-5740

Sponsors for Music of the Crooners include Skyline National Bank and Woods Rogers Attorneys at Law. Grantors consist of Actors’ Equity Association, Blue Star Theatres, Center in the Square, National Endowment for the Arts, Radio IQ WVTF, Theatre Communications Group and Virginia Commission for the Arts.

WILLY WONKA AUDITIONS – February 24th & 25th

Auditions for Mill Mountain Theatre’s Summer Mainstage, Roald Dahl’s WILLY WONKA JR, will take place on Friday February 24th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturday February 25th from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Some may be asked to attend callbacks on Sunday February 26th at 2:00pm.

Please email conservatoryauditions@nullmillmountain.org for an audition appointment time, and put ‘Willy Wonka Audition’ in the subject line. Auditions will take place in MMT’s 3rd Floor Studio (located at 20 Church Ave SE). All children 6-18 years of age are invited to audition.

Please prepare:

Please prepare a 32-bar cut of a musical theatre song (about one minute). To also be considered for a role, please prepare a one-minute monologue as well. There will be a brief movement/dance call, so please bring appropriate attire that you can move in.

Rehearsals and performances:

Rehearsals are Monday through Saturday, beginning July 6th. Performances are July 26th through August 6th on MMT’s Trinkle Mainstage.

A little bit about the show:

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr. follows candy maker Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whoever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. MMT’s version puts young actors in the spotlight, singing memorable songs including “Pure Imagination,” “The Candyman,” “ I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” “ Oompa-Loompa,” and “I Want it Now.”

Character Breakdown: (in order of appearance)

Willy Wonka/Candy Man – mysterious, mischievous, charismatic, and engaging. Wonka serves as narrator and ‘tour guide’ throughout the show, and must possess strong vocal and acting skills.

Charlie Bucket – the emotional heart and soul of the musical; honest, thoughtful, and virtuous. Spunky and enthusiastic, Charlie is in almost every scene and must possess strong vocal and acting skills.

Mr. Bucket – the bread-winner of the family; he deals with the pressures of supporting a whole family; a nurturer.

Mrs. Bucket – the support, stability, and care-taker of the family; she deals with running a household and looking after Charlie’s grandparents.

Grandpa Joe – caring, patient, sweet, and always reminds Charlie to remain cheerful. Must be kind and funny.

Grandma Josephina, Grandpa George, & Grandma Georgina – Charlie’s other grandparents; quirky and interesting. Must have good comic timing.

James & Matilda – friends of Charlie’s from school. Will likely double as Oompa-Loompas.

Phineous Trout – a reporter, who announces the Golden Ticket winners throughout the show. Must have a clear, confident speaking voice.

Augustus Gloop – an overachieving eater and glutton, a character actor who can sing.

Mrs. Gloop – Augustus’s over-indulgent mother.

Veruca Salt – A wealthy, class-concious spoiled brat. Often portrayed as British, but snobby comes in all nationalities, so not a requirement. Must be a strong singer.

Mr. Salt – solves problems by buying his way out. His nose in the air, he is obviously of the uppercrust, and you can see where Veruca gets her attitude from. An acting role (not much singing required).

Violet Beauregarde – a gum chewer extraordinaire and ‘blue-collar brat.’ Must have a strong singing voice.

Mrs. Beauregarde – a geography teacher who has invested a lot of hard-earned money into therapy for her orally-fixated daughter. An acting role (not much singing required).

Mike Teevee – a technology junkie, Mike is obsessed with television, video games, the internet, and any other technological device. Bratty, loud, and obnoxious; does not like to hear the word ‘no.’

Ms. Teevee – perfectly put together, and perfectly vacant. Think June Cleaver, Marion Cunningham, or Carol Brady.

Ensemble – to play Oompa-Loompas, Candy Man Kids, etc.

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