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Reg Lenna Takes New Approach To 2006-2007 Season
By ANASTASIA CONKLIN
Audiences told the Reg Lenna Civic Center last year, that they wanted a more popular and different line up for the new season. So the Reg listened.
The theater hopes that by booking a variety of different acts and lowering ticket prices more people will come to the shows. David Schein, executive director at the Reg, hopes that this new style will pay off and bring in fresh new faces.
Audiences took surveys and told the Reg what they wanted to see. Sponsorships for the various acts helped lower prices and led the Reg to be a little more ambitious than they had in recent years.
‘‘This is a place for all kinds of taste,’’ Schein said. ‘‘The Reg is going in a new direction, by booking country, comedy, hip-hop and a great Broadway show.’’
Last year, Three Redneck Tenors captivated the Chautauqua County audience, causing their normal two-hour show to run 40 minutes over. They will kick off the 2006-2007 season on Friday.
The Three Redneck Tenors started off as one show and soon it became a national tour. According to writer and main producer, Matthew Lords, they are looking forward to coming back and playing two shows this time around.
‘‘Our show plays well at the Reg. It reminds us of vaudeville,’’ Lords said. ‘‘It just has that kind of feel.’’
This year, the Tenors will be here for a week, using the Reg for dress and tech rehearsals and plan the tour that will take them from Alaska to North Carolina. According to Lords, they plan on making Jamestown their ‘‘home’’ from now on and kick off every tour from the area.
The show is a fast-paced, sleek show that does not involve parody in the songs. According to Lords, the “fourth wall” is broken constantly and the tenors address the audience. All the performers are classically trained in opera and have even performed on Broadway. The cast for the tenors includes Keith Buterbaugh, Steven Sanders, Matthew Lord and Dinny McGuire.
‘‘We found that audiences want an adult show, without the adult language,’’ Lords said. ‘‘This is a show that is for any age.’’
To keep with the eclectic theme, the Reg is welcoming country star Shooter Jennings. According to Schein, Shooter’s performances have been compared to Marshall Tucker Band meets Led Zeppelin. Shooter started playing guitar at 14 and by the time he turned 16 he had discovered rock ’n’ roll. He moved to Los Angeles and started a band, but returned to the country music he grew up with.
‘‘People are coming all the way from North Carolina for this show,’’ said Heather Ullman, the Reg Lenna’s box office director.
The Reg’s Broadway act, Forbidden Broadway, is a mix of various musicals, vamping on current and classic shows. The show is updated each season and the musical parody of Broadway is New York’s longest-running musical comedy revue.
‘‘It has remained one of the funniest shows,’’ Schein said. ‘‘On or off Broadway.’’
Reviving the tradition of the New Comedy Festival, the Reg is presenting the national touring group The Nobodies of Comedy. Schein feels that these comics are the Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams of the future.
The Nobodies of Comedy features such stars as Modi, Christian Finnegan, Mark Gross, Jamie Lissow, Eric Lyden and Josh Blue, who won Last Comic Standing. The comedy troupe tours in a rotating schedule to keep audiences guessing.
‘‘You never know who will show up,’’ Schein said.
Many of these comics have been featured on Comedy Central and have toured across the country. According to Schein, the Nobodies of Comedy are going to tie in with some of the local comedy competition.
To keep the season well rounded, the Reg is welcoming a hip-hop dance group called Style and Peace Productions. By combining break dance, pop and lock, ballet and jazz, Style and Peace has created a new form of modern dance. The group is committed to spreading unity, love and peace through dance and gymnastic physicality.
‘‘We try to keep it Chautauqua-friendly,’’ Schein said. ‘‘And bring more people downtown. We are a true arts and entertainment district.’’
By ANASTASIA CONKLIN
Audiences told the Reg Lenna Civic Center last year, that they wanted a more popular and different line up for the new season. So the Reg listened.
The theater hopes that by booking a variety of different acts and lowering ticket prices more people will come to the shows. David Schein, executive director at the Reg, hopes that this new style will pay off and bring in fresh new faces.
Audiences took surveys and told the Reg what they wanted to see. Sponsorships for the various acts helped lower prices and led the Reg to be a little more ambitious than they had in recent years.
‘‘This is a place for all kinds of taste,’’ Schein said. ‘‘The Reg is going in a new direction, by booking country, comedy, hip-hop and a great Broadway show.’’
Last year, Three Redneck Tenors captivated the Chautauqua County audience, causing their normal two-hour show to run 40 minutes over. They will kick off the 2006-2007 season on Friday.
The Three Redneck Tenors started off as one show and soon it became a national tour. According to writer and main producer, Matthew Lords, they are looking forward to coming back and playing two shows this time around.
‘‘Our show plays well at the Reg. It reminds us of vaudeville,’’ Lords said. ‘‘It just has that kind of feel.’’
This year, the Tenors will be here for a week, using the Reg for dress and tech rehearsals and plan the tour that will take them from Alaska to North Carolina. According to Lords, they plan on making Jamestown their ‘‘home’’ from now on and kick off every tour from the area.
The show is a fast-paced, sleek show that does not involve parody in the songs. According to Lords, the “fourth wall” is broken constantly and the tenors address the audience. All the performers are classically trained in opera and have even performed on Broadway. The cast for the tenors includes Keith Buterbaugh, Steven Sanders, Matthew Lord and Dinny McGuire.
‘‘We found that audiences want an adult show, without the adult language,’’ Lords said. ‘‘This is a show that is for any age.’’
To keep with the eclectic theme, the Reg is welcoming country star Shooter Jennings. According to Schein, Shooter’s performances have been compared to Marshall Tucker Band meets Led Zeppelin. Shooter started playing guitar at 14 and by the time he turned 16 he had discovered rock ’n’ roll. He moved to Los Angeles and started a band, but returned to the country music he grew up with.
‘‘People are coming all the way from North Carolina for this show,’’ said Heather Ullman, the Reg Lenna’s box office director.
The Reg’s Broadway act, Forbidden Broadway, is a mix of various musicals, vamping on current and classic shows. The show is updated each season and the musical parody of Broadway is New York’s longest-running musical comedy revue.
‘‘It has remained one of the funniest shows,’’ Schein said. ‘‘On or off Broadway.’’
Reviving the tradition of the New Comedy Festival, the Reg is presenting the national touring group The Nobodies of Comedy. Schein feels that these comics are the Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams of the future.
The Nobodies of Comedy features such stars as Modi, Christian Finnegan, Mark Gross, Jamie Lissow, Eric Lyden and Josh Blue, who won Last Comic Standing. The comedy troupe tours in a rotating schedule to keep audiences guessing.
‘‘You never know who will show up,’’ Schein said.
Many of these comics have been featured on Comedy Central and have toured across the country. According to Schein, the Nobodies of Comedy are going to tie in with some of the local comedy competition.
To keep the season well rounded, the Reg is welcoming a hip-hop dance group called Style and Peace Productions. By combining break dance, pop and lock, ballet and jazz, Style and Peace has created a new form of modern dance. The group is committed to spreading unity, love and peace through dance and gymnastic physicality.
‘‘We try to keep it Chautauqua-friendly,’’ Schein said. ‘‘And bring more people downtown. We are a true arts and entertainment district.’’
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