by April Helms

Special Products Editor

Eight actors gathered at Western Reserve Playhouse, battling the summer heat as they practiced the music and some of the staging for a musical based on the peculiar American feature, the suburb.

"Suburb, The Musical," directed by Matty Sayre, opens at Western Reserve Playhouse July 16.

Walt Kaminski, who is serving as the scenic designer and is playing Tom, flipped through the colored sketches he created, showing the screens that will be seen to show scenes from the suburb, such as the mall, a bagel store and a neighborhood street. The theater stage had signs and pieces of the set coming together.

"I play the elderly gentleman," Kaminski said of his character. "His wife has died and he's looking to sell the house."

Kaminski said a younger couple expecting their first child are looking at it. The young wife, Alison (played by Laura Hengle) is reluctant, but her husband (played by Mike Yonkura) is eager to move from the big city to the suburbs. Assisting them is the pushy real estate agent Rhoda (played by Pat Robertall-Hudson).

Fleshing out the cast is the four-member chorus, which includes Jon Baley, Betty Huber, Michael Hourigan and Hannah Conkle.

"This is a delightful show filled with music, although new to you, which will stay in your head long after the curtain comes down," Sayre said.

Megan Denman debuts as musical director accompanied by Jared Palsgerer on bass and Joshua Daum on drums. Rena Alessio Baker returns as choreographer. Producers are WRP Board Member Sue Snyder and Dawna Kornick.

Marie Dusini, who works with Western Reserve Playhouse, said the show has been done in Columbus, but that "Suburb" will be a regional premiere.

Many of the cast commented on the challenging music in the show.

"The chorus has so many random songs," said Conkle, a Stow resident. "We play of ton of different characters, which is a ton of fun, but it is challenging."

Hourigan, who lives in Hudson, said there were many comic moments, as well as some touching moments in the show, including in the song "Walkin' to School."

"The biggest one for me is when I'm going to school," he said of one scene. "I start out at eight years old and it goes through high school. There is one moment towards the end where Alison and I look at each other, and Alison realizes this is what she wants for her child. I think it's a touching song."

Robertall-Hudson of Silver Lake said this is her first show at Western Reserve Playhouse.

"I get to talk with a New York accent," Robertall-Hudson, who grew up in New York herself, said of her character. "Imagine that!"

"I am the pushy Realtor," Robertall-Hudson said of her character. "The very influential saleswoman. The cast is really fun. It's such a diverse group. They are very hard working."

Hengle, a Macedonia resident, said her character is reluctant to leave the vitality of the big city.

"She wants to stay in the city, but her husband wants to move," she said. "But over the course of the show, she sees the validity of moving, that there is life in the suburb."

Ticket and show information

"Suburb, the Musical" runs four weekends through Aug. 8.

Tickets are $14 for adults, and $13 for students and seniors. On opening night, patrons can buy one ticket and get a second for $7.

Shows start at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 7:30 p.m. for the Sunday show on July 25.

For details or reservations, call 330-620-7314.

Western Reserve Playhouse is at 3326 Everett Road at the corner of Revere Road, at the Bath/Richfield township line.

E-mail: ahelms@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3153