How to help?: Volunteer to work one or more of the 3 hourly shifts per day. Call Kathleen at 682-6294 to sign up.
Why??: This is our main fundraiser for the year. RSP is a non-profit organization and our costs to produce such quality work take money. We find this fundraiser to be a great way to meet new people, encourage new patrons and gather to socialize while helping out the company. Give it a try and I can guarantee you'll be having the time of your life (next to seeing one of our great productions, that is!!).
Producing Directors Note
Hello everyone, just wanted to take a moment and say welcome to our 2004 Season of Broadway musicals. I, for one, am very excited about the shows we are offering this year and I wanted to explain a couple of things to you, our friends and patrons. First off Runaway Stage Productions (RSP) has had to make some changes to our originally announced season, and I wanted to let you know why those changes have been made. Changes in Our 2004 Broadway Series Line-up
The Board of Directors at RSP carefully pick a season that we believe you will want to see, and we do everything in our power to plan every detail to produce the best theatre possible. However, sometimes circumstances happen that are out of our control, and we are required to change the show selection or run dates of a show. The 24th Street Theatre is a wonderful facility, but due to the fact that we are not the only tenants at the facility, sometimes there are scheduling issues that prevent us from performing a certain show at a particular time, and we have to make changes. Sometimes other theatre companies in the greater Sacramento area choose to do shows that are in conflict with our choices or prevent us from getting the performance rights, and we must change our choice of show. Or sometimes Broadway producers choose to restrict the performance rights of a particular title, and we are not able to get the rights to a title after all of our hard work and planning. So we appreciate your patience and understanding when changes need to be made, and please rest assured that whatever shows RSP produces we would do our best to ensure that you have a rewarding and entertaining theatre experience with us.
Nonprofit Educational Corporation in Need of Help!
As most of you are aware RSP is a nonprofit educational corporation with three major programs running simultaneously. First is our Broadway Series six major shows per year where we get the opportunity to entertain great audiences with our talents and love of theatre. Second, is our Youth Musical Theatre Workshops four to five times a year we enroll up to 40 students and teach them all of the wonders of theatre including vocal, dance and acting, culminating in two to three live performances for the public. It"s a great time for the participants and a labor of love for the instructors and staff. Finally, our award winning Storybook Children"s Theatre is where talented performers of all ages get to entertain an audience from 3-99 in a creative original theatrical experience.
Volunteers staff all of these programs, and RSP is currently funded almost exclusively, from ticket sales alone. Producing top-notch entertainment and quality educational programs has become increasingly expensive. We are doing everything possible to keep costs down however, the price of goods, services, performance rights, theatre rental, and all of the associated production budgets continually rise, causing a financial strain on our modest nonprofit.
If you are reading this newsletter, we know you are a patron of the arts, and most importantly a valued supporter of RSP. So, please, if you are able to help with a donation of any amount, please take this opportunity to contact us at www.runawaystage.com or call us at (916) 207-1226 with your generous tax deductible donation. All donations, no matter how small, will help with our financial challenges and help this young company continue to produce the quality programs that you have come to enjoy. Thank you for your support, both in the past and in the future.
A Performance Note
Those of you who know me or have seen me perform at RSP, or on other stages in the Sacramento area, know that I love to be on stage. I love to make people laugh, and I love what we do at RSP. Well I just wanted to let you know that I will be performing in our upcoming Storybook Children"s Theatre production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This delightful script by Lillian Baxter is really a fun piece to be performing in and I have the honor of working with a very creative cast and a fantastic director Kathleen Flint. I hope you get a chance to see this fun and zany production of Goldilocks, I think you and your family will enjoy the Teddy E. Bear (Papa Bear that"s me!) Family.
Smokey Joe's Café
Also, opening soon is a wonderful review show that I have the honor of directing, Smokey Joe's Café. In all honesty let me tell you I have not had this much fun watching a show and a truly talented group of people work together to create a truly awesome show. Vocal Director Geneva Houx (Maria in The Sound of Music and Vocal Director for JosephDreamcoat) is doing a really top-notch job getting some of the most talented folks in the Sacramento area ready to sing their hearts out. Gino Platina (veteran choreographer at RSP) and Tiffany Hurley (Choreographer, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) are sharing the choreography duties on this one, and have some really spectacular moves for you to see. The nine-member cast is truly nine of the best singer, dancer, actors I have had the pleasure of working with. This extraordinary cast has bonded and become a close family, and boy does it show in their performances. Smokey Joe"s Café is a musical song and dance review of Leiber and Stoller music of the 50"s and 60"s, and is a fast paced trip down memory lane. So please join us for a show that I personally guarantee you will love!
Well that"s all for now. Wait, one more thing - I also want to say how much we at RSP, and myself personally, appreciate all of your support and patronage. Without you, our audiences, supporters, patrons, and FRIENDS we would not be able to have the opportunity to create the art that we love, and feel the warmth and applause for doing what we love.
Sing-cerely,
Bob Baxter
Producing Director
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Harmony...
The Music is Only Part of the Magic!
There's an amazing phenomenon happening with the cast of RSP's upcoming show...Smokey Joe's Café! They're having FUN together!!!The theatre rehearsal experience is an amazing process. 
The cast member's relationship with one another can create interesting dynamics that can help or hinder even the best show. The Smokey Joe's cast is something special and they're finding magic...with each other! It is clear, when watching rehearsals that this ensemble cast of nine extremely talented individuals really loves being together!
As with many of RSP's shows, several of the cast members had worked together before. Amber Moore, who has been in several RSP shows including La Cage Aux Folles and How to Succeed in Business...had worked with Tevye Ditter at DMTC, most recently in Jesus Christ Superstar, where Tev played Jesus. Thankfully, she introduced his beautiful voice to RSP and he just jumped right in! (Literally...wait 'till you see him in "Jailhouse Rock"!). 
Cedrick Coward is new to the RSP stage, but his friendly, easy laugh and soulful voice blended so well with the group, it seems he's been in the "family" forever! Gwen Rodriguez, who was last seen on the RSP stage in Nunsense, warms up the group with her wonderful voice, beautiful and infectious smile and crazy sense of humor. Jake Montoya (Joseph), Buffee Gillihan (Narrator), Robin Hushbeck (Wife) and Bradley Bong (Asher/Butler), were all in RSP's recent production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat where they became fast (although sometimes silly) friends. They affectionately call each other "Boo". 
Lastly, Pepper Von joined us after having seen RSP's Joseph...several times. Pepper's incredible dance moves have the cast in awe, but it is his warmth and supportive demeanor that have helped the cast gel in a most wonderful way!
We expect the affection, caring and support the cast shares will develop beautifully when they take Smokey Joe's Café to the stage. The harmonies will be magical! Come see for yourself!!
by Eileen Hushbeck
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