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GTKY Part 2: “The Odd Couple” Cast & Crew

Enjoy part 2 of the “Getting to Know You” series! And don’t forget to pick up your advance tickets for production…. we open in just one week!

What is your most memorable show and/or Character?

I have three: Sister Julia Childs in Nuncrackers; playing the Foreigner in The Foreigner; and being in the Barber Shop Quartet in Music Man

~ Dennis Howard (Felix Unger)

What is your favorite play or musical?

It is so hard to pick! I love Sound of Music and West Side Story as I grew up watching them with my mother.

~ Rachel Bigelow ( Stage Manager & Scenic Artist)

If you were a superhero for a day, who would it be and why?

Spider-Man. He’s been my favorite superhero ever since I was a little kid.

~ Steve Clemens ( Vinnie )

When not in the middle of a production, what do you enjoy doing for fun?

What is this thing called not in the middle of a production?? When I get any spare time with my family, we love to watch movies together and we just bought our first camper, so I see lots of camping trips in our immediate future.

~ Laura Michels ( Lighting Designer)

What is your favorite play or musical?

That’s like asking what my favorite movie or book is. It’s impossible to answer for me. Depends on my mood. Do I want to laugh? Cry? Sing? Test my viewpoints? That will all depend on what I will want to watch.

~ Jon Bigelow (Oscar Madison)

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Casting Complete for “The Odd Couple”

Thank you to all that came out the first week in January to audition for this year’s spring show. We are excited to share the comedic team that will be performing in March with this production. Please join us in welcoming….

  • Jon Bigelow as Oscar Madison
  • Dennis Howard as Felix Unger
  • Elisa Mill as Roy
  • Jay Schueller as Murray
  • Mike Gainor as Speed
  • Steve Clemens as Vinnie
  • Jennifer Simonson as Gwendolyn Pigeon
  • Meagan Guptill as Cecily Pigeon

The cast will begin rehearsals at the end of this month in preparation for performances running March 19th – 22nd.

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AUDITIONS SET FOR “THE ODD COUPLE”

The Pine City Heritage Players will host auditions for The Odd Couple on Monday, January 6 and Tuesday, January 7 from 6:00 – 8:00pm at the Pine City High School Auditorium (1400 Main St S, Pine City).  Those interested in auditioning should enter through the main doors and check-in at the auditorium lobby.  

The Odd Couple, a Neil Simon comedy, premiered on Broadway in 1965.  The show was later adapted into a film in 1968. In 1985, the show was adapted by Simon into a new script, The Female Odd Couple.  The plot for both productions follows the story of two mismatched roommates and how their new living arrangements affect their friendship. 

The show will be directed by Nicholas Basta, a Pine City High School graduate and active member of the Heritage Players.  “Nick has been involved in several recent productions with the Heritage Players – on stage, as sound technician, and as a stage manager.  We look forward to seeing Nick take on the next step in his career as a director, “ says Board President Cassandra Olson. 

Basta is excited and eager to get started on the production and hopes that the upcoming show will draw in some new interest from actors.  “Our production team is hoping for a diverse group of actors to audition for the show. By selecting this particular show, we will have the flexibility to choose which version of the script we go with based on the best combination of actors/actresses,” says Basta. 

Auditions will be held as an open call for actors across the region for ages 16+ for this production.   The show will perform March 19 – 22, 2020.

Those interested in auditioning for this production should sign-up for an audition slot using this Sign-Up Form.

No advance preparation is required for the auditions, but the following links will provide you with some useful tools to prepare.

  • Print a copy of the AUDITION FORM and fill out ahead of time. Printed copies of the form will also be available for the evening of your audition.
  • We will provide examples of scenes from the show for cold readings. Links will updated on this page as soon as they become available.
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Up Next: Songs of the Stage, September 21

The Pine City Heritage Players have announced the next “Songs of the Stage” event for Saturday, September 21st at 7:30 PM at the Pine City Country Club.  “We are always looking to try new things and explore new ways to showcase the many talented members of our organization,” says Cassandra Olson, Heritage Players President, “This event is in a new venue and we are excited for the changes we’ve planned.”

One such change for the event will be a VIP ticket that will include a taco bar before the show and the opportunity to meet and visit with the performers and board members of the organization.  The Heritage Players are planning for the VIP attendees to be the first to hear the 2020 Season Announcement. “We’ve never done a live announcement for our season, so we are hoping that our audience will get excited with us this year,” shared Olson.

The “Songs of the Stage” performances are held 2-3 times per year as a fundraising event for the enrichment and senior scholarship program started in 2018 to honor former board member, Harvey Lindstrom.  The September event will include songs including Crazier Than You from The Addams Family and Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid performed by one of this year’s Senior Scholarship recipients, Allie Gosen.  Gosen is a sophomore at Concordia – St. Paul where she is minoring in theater. 

Other returning singers include Rachel Bigelow, Scott Tolzmann, Cassandra Olson, Jon Bigelow and Signe Reisted.  The newest performers for PCHP include Ryan Skille, Briana Engh and Michaela Engh. The evening will be hosted by Elisa Mill as the emcee. 

VIP tickets are on sale through Monday, September 16th and can be purchased from Cabin Coffee’s and Three Twenty Brewing Company for just $20.  A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for the performance only. 

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2019 Scholarship Awards

In 2018 the Heritage Players established a scholarship fund in memory of Harvey Lindstrom to provide enrichment opportunities for students in the region to explore their creativity in the performing arts. This year we expanded the scholarship program to provide funds for students interested in pursuing a degree in the performing arts.

We are pleased to announce this year’s scholarship recipients: Alexandria Gosen & Emily Elliot. We wish to congratulation both of these young ladies and wish them the very best in their future.

Alexandria Gosen is entering her second year at Concordia University, St. Paul. She has been an active volunteer with the Heritage Players for many years and has enjoyed her time acting in shows with the group. Recent appearances include Into the Woods (2019) and Shrek: The Musical (2018).

Emily Elliot is a recent graduate of Pine City High School and will begin her college experience next month at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She has been actively involved in her church, volunteering for VBS programs, as well as volunteering with Heritage Players. Recent appearances include Once Upon a Mattress (2019) and Bye, Bye Birdie (2017).

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Applications Available for ‘Harvey Lindstrom Memorial Scholarship’

The Pine City Heritage Players Community Theater will expand its scholarship opportunities for students in the east central Minnesota area.  Two different types of scholarships will be available: Enrichment opportunities for grades 5-12 and Performing Arts Educational opportunity for college-bound students.  Both scholarships will provide a unique opportunity for community members to explore additional ways to expand their skills in the performing arts or pursue a degree in theater.

Both of these scholarships are made possible through the generosity of the Lindstrom family and fundraising during the “Songs of the Stage” events hosted throughout the year.  

In December 2017, the Heritage Players and the Pine City Community lost a treasured member. Harv Lindstrom lived his life with a servant’s heart and the Heritage Players were honored to have him serve on their Board of Directors. His family chose to honor his memory by donating memorial gifts to the Heritage Players, who decided to use those gifts to create the “Harv Lindstrom Memorial Scholarship”.

The enrichment scholarship is available for any student grades 5-12 interested in taking part in a performing arts enrichment program.  A few examples might include: an improv workshop, week long camps for theater, dance or vocal performing. This scholarship will be available year round for requests.  Students should submit scholarship requests with an eight week window prior to the start of the event for adequate processing time.

The second opportunity is a Performing Arts Educational scholarship, offered for students that will be pursuing a major or minor in the performing arts.  The complete set of guidelines and application forms can be found on the Heritage Players website. The deadline to apply for the 2019 scholarship will be August 1st.

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An opening for a team of volunteers…

The Heritage Players cast and production team for the spring musical “Once Upon A Mattress” have been busy with rehearsals and planning for the last three weeks. With the show just over a month away from opening, and the opening for a princess already filled…. we are now on the lookout for volunteers that are interested in getting involved in the show.

Volunteer Opportunity #1 — Poster Distribution
The posters and postcards arrive this week and we would love to get a few volunteers that will help get them posted throughout Pine City and into our neighboring communities. Contact us via email at heritageplayers@gmail.com to make arrangements to pick up your posters.

Volunteer Opportunity #2 — Set Construction
One of the best ways to get involved with the Heritage Players is to join us for one of our first two set construction days. No experience is necessary, we’ve got a great team that will help teach you the tricks of this trade! We would love you to join us for an hour, two or the whole weekend — whatever works best in your schedule. We welcome people of ALL ages to help with construction, painting, and other creative projects…. but those under 16 must be with a parent/guardian to assist.

Join us on Friday, March 8th or Saturday, March 9th.

On Saturday, March 9th we’ll also have a potluck lunch at Noon…. so plan accordingly if you are joining us!

Want to receive text message reminders for these volunteer opportunities as well as others that will be scheduled based on the results of these two dates?
Send a text message 81010
with the message @pchpcrew

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What to expect this season in Pine City!

We are less than a month away from the first event of our season…. our December Songs of the Stage event returns for our third year as a community event held in conjunction with the Holiday Madness events hosted through our Pine City Area Chamber of Commerce.   This year our theme is titled, “My Favorite Holiday Songs” and will be held on Saturday, December 1st at the American Legion Post in Pine City.
The evening is hosted by two of our local favorites, Elisa Mill & Mary Ellen Sauser.  When these two are together…. we never really know what to expect.  “My Favorite Holiday Songs” will feature musical performances from new and returning singers plus a special guest appearance by Jay Schueller and Friends, ventriloquist.
Performer line-up and ticket information will be announced very soon.  All proceeds from Songs of the Stage events are contributed to the Harvey Lindstrom Memorial Scholarship Fund for area students interested in theater enrichment programs.

“Once Upon a Mattress” performing in March 2019

Next up we have our winter production of “Once Upon a Mattress”! An exciting retelling of “The Princess & the Pea” fairy tale. Prince Dauntless the Drab must be wed before anyone else can get married in the land, and no one is good enough for the overbearing Queen Aggravain, but that all changes when Princess Winnifred the Wobegone swims the moat to find her suitor!
We are excited to a new, but familiar face to the Director’s seat for this production.  Scott Tolzmann joins us for his regional directing debut for “Once Upon a Mattress”.   You’ve seen him onstage last summer in Shrek, but now he’s excited to help bring this story to life!
Scott studied Theatre Arts at Concordia University, St. Paul, where he was an active member of the theatre department through performing onstage, working in the costume shop, and serving as Vice President of the Student Theatre Association for Greater Education for two years.
Jay Schueller, Board President, says, “We’ve enjoyed having Scott as part of many shows in the last few years as an actor and volunteer.  His investment in the success of the organization makes him a great fit to achieving our mission as an organization.  We look forward to seeing his vision come to life with this show.”
Tolzmann says, “I’m very excited to be continuing the tradition of quality theatre in the community. And would like to thank the Heritage Players for this amazing opportunity! I hope to see you at auditions in December!”

“Into the Woods” planned for July 2019 performances

Wrapping up our 2018-19 season, we have Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”, coming to our stage in July! Taking some of the most beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales and wrapping them together in a story about wishes, family, and the choices we make.
The production team planning for shows is still in progress and we are interested in hearing from those interested in volunteering to be part of any of the shows this season.  If you’d like to be involved (onstage and off), and keep up to date on Heritage Players happenings, please subscribe to our newsletter below, follow us on Facebook or Instagram, or email us at heritageplayers@gmail.com
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2018-2019 Season Begins in Pine City

2018-19 season Facebook cover photo

While our blog pages have been a bit quiet since the closing of “Shrek: The Musical” in July, our behind the scenes work and planning hasn’t slowed down!  Each year in the month of August the Board of Directors meets for the annual organization meeting where new officers are elected and new volunteer roles are assigned.  We begin planning the new season and seeking out the production staff that will take on the “heavy lifting” of organizing and planning for each show that we will be performing.

As you can see, we’ve got a great line-up for shows this season and we are looking forward to sharing them with our community!  Stay tuned for more information on the season, upcoming shows and production team announcements…. until then…. let me share a quick update on the Board of Directors for the Heritage Players Community Theater.

2018-2019 Officers for Heritage Players:
President: Jay Schueller
Vice-President: Cassandra Olson
Secretary: Rachel Bigelow
Treasurer: Becky Schueller
Directors: Dennis Howard, Alan Gosen, Nick Basta and JoAnn Lindstrom