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Ask Dorothy: A
Paper Doll Musical
by Megill & Company  As any paper doll in Paperville could tell you, being
two-dimensional doesn’t make dating any easier than it is here. And the Ask
Dorothy radio broadcast on WXYZ Radio has become one of the most popular
shows in town, where the sweet and romance-wise Dorothy (a.k.a. Dot) always
seems to know the right thing to say to her many callers seeking romantic
advice. Unfortunately, her radio microphone is like Dumbo’s magic feather, and
she doesn’t feel nearly as comfortable and confident in real life romance as
she does on the radio. Will her crush on her new neighbor Walter, and pressures
at work, finally give her the strength to change all that?
Following up on their spooky The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and dramatic, metaphysical musical Fate, Megill & Company demonstrates their versatility with this quirky, creative, lighthearted musical Ask Dorothy – A Paper Doll Musical. Sisters Heather and Beth Megill somehow developed the show together over the past few months over the phone and via video web chats, and their efforts have now entered the three-dimensional realm at the Avo Playhouse in Vista. The result is a fun and amusing production filled with corny paper puns, mime jokes, a little romance, and good music. The two talented sisters also star in the show, with Heather Megill as Dorothy/Dot – a cute, kind, and lovable young woman given to wearing polka dot dresses, not knowing what to say when nervous and microphone-less, and trying to get advice from her young self (Little Dot played adorably by Janie Escalle). Her main confidant is a Mime played by Beth Megill, with Beth turning in a terrific performance with hilarious facial expressions and original choreography. She is also one of the very few mime narrators that you will ever see. Heather has cast an excellent group of comedians and singers to help bring their paper dolls to life. Ben McLain from U.C. Irvine is Dot’s romantic leading man, nicely portraying nice guy Walter while his fantastic, smooth vocal work works delightfully with Heather’s in their duets which make up some of the best numbers of the show including a first-date song about Blueberry Pie and the ballads First Love and With You. Young Davin Curtis is a big hit as the tiny tycoon Benjamin with a hardened exterior and soft underbelly. Lauren Gira is the goofily vain, beautiful, voluptuous paper doll Veronica who seems to have added dimensions compared to her two-dimensional cohorts (she may be two-and-a-half dimensional), wowing her fellow paper dolls as she “gives the world what they want to see” and threatening Dot’s professional and romantic lives. Other fine performances come from Toni Billante as gruff boss Mr. Madison, Ryan Johnson as radio show helper Charlie, and especially the four WXYZ Girls who add humor, personality, and great dancing to the show. “Rounding out” the show is a great ensemble that performs a variety of roles and does great work with Renee Kollar’s imaginative choreography, all while moving and holding their arms and hands in classic paper doll style. While a couple of the most remarkable features of this new musical are the costumes and sets that manage to really let you see Paperville and its residents as a town of paper dolls. The flat props add much humor and atmosphere to the piece, and Cynthia Megill’s costumes, all black with paper tabs on the back, are very creative, delight the eye, and fit the characters to a T. Performs through July 17, 2005.
Rob Hopper ~ Cast ~
Mr. Madison: Toni Billante Mr. Eggelheart/Ensemble: Juan Castaneda Benjamin: Davin Curtis Jerome Matthews: Tad Dickerson Little Dot: Janie Escalle Sam/Ensemble: Noah Fish Miss X: Whitney Fortmueller Veronica Russell: Lauren Gira Miss W: Deidre Haren Charlie: Ryan Johnson Dot's Mother: Genevieve Koesling Miss Y/Choreographer: Renee Kollar Miss Bingham: Heather Lane Barbara/Ensemble: Alex Matsuo Walter: Ben McLain Mime: Beth Megill Dorothy/Director: Heather Megill Miss Z: Stacey Micoli Beverly/Ensemble: Veronica Rotta Julian/Ensemble: Jeffrey Strong Dolores/Ensemble: Brouge Morgan Wright Director: Heather Megill Choreography: Renee Kollar Lighting Design: Richard Hellstern Costume Design: Cynthia Megill Sound Design: Don Megill, Bryon Andersen Adrian Gibaldi |