Richmond's Role in American Theatre

Posted by Bruce Miller

To clarify one thing from my last post … A couple folks thought I was intending sarcasm when I said “maybe after I retire, Terrie and I will be so lucky” as to hang with Dave and Holly Timberline. No sarcasm was intended. Terrie and I like the Timberlines a lot.

And for whatever it's worth, here’s another thought on the STYLE “report card.” This one relates to actors leaving town for larger markets. Call me a glass half-full kind of guy (I am), but may I suggest that the fact that Richmond theatre artists sometimes move on to greener pastures is a testament to the strength of the Richmond theatre scene, not the weakness.

Throughout my 33 years, there has always been a percentage of talented theatre practitioners who start their careers in Richmond and then move onward and upward. From where I stand, that percentage hasn’t become noticeably larger or smaller in recent years. It’s pretty much stayed the same. That’s healthy.

Talk to Woody Eney. He left Richmond many years ago to seek the opportunities available in larger markets. So did Hansford Rowe, Blair Underwood, Steven Furst, Emily Skinner, Joe Inscoe, Dianne Pennington, Rusty Wilson, Burt Edwards, Denise Simone, Dee Slominski, Bev Appleton, Jeri Cutler, Sean MacLaughlin, Duke Lafoon, Jason Butler Harner, Skip Harris, Joe Doran, Michael Cole, Tom Hewitt, Foster Solomon and Susan Sanford, Kathy Halenda, Scott Wichmann, Maury and Yvonne Erickson, Cliff Todd and Michelle Carter, Lynn Keeton and Alan Flannagan, Laine Satterfield, Eddie Pierce, Kris Koop, Tia James, Scott Nogi, Chris Evans, Sara Heifetz, Robert Easter, Walker Jones, Brad Greenquist, David Winning, Michael Kingman, Jake Mosser, Jerrold Solomon, Michael Hersh, Larry Shue, Jack Cummings, Corey Bradley, Susann Fletcher, Andy Umberger and countless others whose names didn't immediately come to mind in the 30 or so seconds it took me to type this sentence.

Others like John Glenn, R. L. Rowsey, Denise Simone (the second time she left), Rick St. Peter and Jack Parrish left Richmond for full time opportunities in smaller markets, and they’re doing great.

Some of those who emigrate return; some find success on Broadway and/or in Hollywood; some switch careers. It’s all good. It's sad to see each of them move (really sad for me in a couple cases because they were close friends). But their departures were and are a fact of life—nothing less, nothing more.

Richmond is not New York, Chicago, L. A. or Philadelphia. It never will be.

But for those who appreciate the many wondrous things that Richmond has to offer, it’s better than a major market. It’s home. Ask Joe Inscoe.

What I don’t understand is why anyone would look on this as some sort of negative blot on the profile of Richmond theatre. It doesn’t make us look bad, it makes us look good. We should wear it like a badge of honor. Many of those whose names appear in the list above have established major careers; a few have achieved national recognition. Would any of them have done so well in the national spotlight were it not for the experiences, opportunities, successes and failures they encountered here in Richmond? We are and should be proud of our artists who move on, and proud of ourselves for ably filling the niche that Richmond fills in the national theatre scene.

Robin Harris-Jones (my friend who is quoted in STYLE and on this blog) and the others who have moved on most recently (Chris Steward, Hannah Zold, Andy Nagraj, Jonathan Spivey, Christopher Clawsen) will continue to be in the Richmond theatre family until they decide to cut the tie. And you know what? Most theatre artists who move on don’t cut that tie. They stay in the family forever.

The world is a small place and getting smaller every day. Richmond plays a vital role in the national theatre scene. The artists who leave town to pursue opportunities elsewhere are not gone, forgotten or unreachable. Many of them return to Richmond for a show every now and then, and are welcomed back with open arms. Ask Duke Lafoon.

Or better yet, come see him in Doubt, opening at Barksdale Willow Lawn on Feb. 15, and see for yourself what he's up to. And will Duke's performance in Doubt be all the better because of the experiences, opportunities, successes and failures he’s encountered since moving to NYC? You tell me.

--Bruce Miller

Where Are They Now? - Michael Cole

Michael Cole was one of the truly great guys of Richmond theatre, and remains a good friend today to a great many who are still singing and dancing in the Virginia trenches. He has moved onward and upward to some pretty exciting places, and we're proud of him. The following is an article that was written about Michael by Holly Timberline for Richmond Marquee Magazine (www.richmondmarquee.com). Holly has granted permission to post it on the Barksdale Buzz.

I Don't Think We're in Oregon Anymore
An Update on Michael Cole
by Holly Timberline

If you were a local theatregoer 15 years ago, then you saw Michael Cole onstage. During his decade in Richmond, he performed with every major theatre company in town. With his sturdy tenor voice, blonde good looks and perpetually cheerful nature, he enchanted people around him, whether he was onstage or off.

Michael grew up in Oregon and found his way to Richmond in the 80s. He moved to New York in 1993, looking for bigger acting fish to fry. What he found was a career working for someone he had long admired: composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz—the man responsible for Wicked, Pippin, Godspell, etc.

RM reached Michael on his cell phone on a recent afternoon, in the middle of his workday. He took a break to answer some questions about his busy, happy life:

How did you become Stephen Schwartz’s assistant?

When Michael got to NYC, he landed an apartment right above Schwartz’s studio. One day, Schwartz complained that the cleaning service he used was no good. The industrious—and hungry—Michael offered his services. "I started out cleaning his apartment for $50 a week," he says. At some point, Schwartz asked Michael to type a letter for him, and it grew from there. "Basically, every time Stephen offered me a chance to take on more responsibility, I said yes." Michael became Schwartz’s full-time assistant about 8 years ago.

What kinds of things do you do?

"One thing I like about the job is that it’s different from one day to the next," says Michael. Schwartz had a presence on the web before Wicked, but the volume of email he receives has expanded dramatically since the show opened in 2003. Schwartz likes the interaction with fans, and the sense that there is an actual relationship there, Michael explains, and he really takes time to respond to questions. Except when he’s too busy, which is where Michael comes in. "I manage a lot of e-mail!" he says. "All of the email comes to me first and then I deal with what I can and forward fan letters and the rest to Stephen.”

One task that falls to Michael is to keep an eye out for people who want a little too much time or attention from Schwartz. "Stephen's fans are terrific," he says, "but of course, some are, well, fanatical. I've learned to recognize this type of personality and have learned to give the potentially demanding ones just enough to make them happy."

What’s going on at work today?

Schwartz is currently writing an opera, a musical adaptation of a 1965 British film, Séance on a Wet Afternoon. It isn’t scheduled to open until spring of 2009, but Schwartz is letting people sample the goods here and there. "Today the singer who is creating the lead role is coming in to sing through some of the music. I can't tell you who she is, but she is an internationally acclaimed opera star. How cool is that?"

Does working for a "celebrity client" come with any sorts of wacky requests? Do you have to find dancing pigs for his kids’ birthday parties or anything like that?

"Well, he’s pretty normal," Michael says with a laugh. "He doesn’t send me off on crazy errands like that." Still, Michael’s role when Schwartz gets a trim may seem a little unusual: "He had a hairdresser he really liked," Michael says, "and she used to be in Manhattan, but now she lives in New Jersey. So sometimes when he needs his hair cut, Stephen has me pick him up at his home in Connecticut, drive him to New Jersey for his haircut, then take him to New York City when it’s over." Even a tri-state haircut is enjoyable for Michael, who says, "I like it because he’s captive in my car!"

What kinds of assignments are difficult?

"I don’t always fully understand the intricacies of how it all works with royalties, publishers, percentages, international rates... I have a pretty good handle on it, but when he asks me to do research on it, it’s challenging." Another less-than-favorite task is to return calls to people "who will talk forever."

What are your favorite memories of your time in Richmond?

Michael’s time in Richmond was his version of college, he says, and he still considers his Richmond friends to be among his closest. Play-wise, he will never forget performing in Falsettos at Barksdale. He says, "It’s one of those rare shows where, with the exception of just one moment in a tech rehearsal, every minute of that production was glorious. It was just a great time."

Where do you live?

Michael and his partner of 10 years, Steven Skybell (currently playing Dr. Dillamond in Wicked on Broadway), live about an hour outside of Manhattan in a town called Mahopac. From his house, it’s a short stroll down the street to Lake Mahopac, where he regularly indulges one of his passions besides theater: water-skiing. "I can ski in the morning and be at work in Manhattan in an hour," he says.

Will you return to the stage any time soon?

"If I lived in Richmond, there’s no question I would still be performing," Michael says, "because people doing theatre in Richmond are doing it because they love it and are passionate about it... Falsettos [in Richmond] was a love fest. To me, it feels more like a business in New York." He’d like to get involved with his local community theatre, but doesn’t have the time right now. He has found time to sing with the Westchester Oratorio Society, including some solo work, which he found "interesting, challenging, scary and fun."

So things are going pretty well for you?

"I have a terrific life! I love it. I love everything about it. I’m in the right place, I love my job. Life is pretty sweet."