Foothills Sentry - July 2022

Foothills Sentry Page 8 July 2022 Come Visit Our Showroom 3024 East Chapman Avenue Orange, CA 92869 QUALITY BILLIARD PRODUCTS. EXPERT POOL TABLE SERVICE. Tuesday - Friday: 11 AM - 6 PM Saturday: 10 AM - 3 PM (714) 620-4001 Call/Text dkbilliards.com david@pooltableguru.com DK BILLIARDS SALES & SERVICE dan@SlaterforMayor.com 714-886-3160 Paid for by Slater for Orange Mayor 2022, ID #1438598 1537 E. Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92866 Barry Pearl Broadway stars pack Peppertree Park By Estelle C. Nicol What are the odds of having an actor who has appeared on Broad- way six times, an actress who starred in “Grease” on London’s West End, a Tony-nominated choreographer, and a projection designer whose work has ap- peared on four Broadway stages, all hanging out in Peppertree Park in Tustin at the same time? Given that all four are mem- bers of the Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts’ Broadway in the Park production of “The Wizard of Oz,” the odds are exceptionally good. When TACFA hired Lythgoe Family Productions to produce this year’s show, they knew their ties to Hollywood were strong, given they had produced “Ameri- can Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” Fortunately for TACFA, their ties to the musical theater world were even stronger. That is why Peppertree Park will be overflowing with talent when “The Wizard of Oz” opens on Tues., Aug. 2 for a five-night run. Dream come true Having an actor who has per- formed on Broadway multiple times join the cast was too much to dream for. But, as the song goes, the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. Barry Pearl has worked with the Lythgoes before, and quickly agreed to join the cast as the Wiz- ard. Barry is best known for his movie and television work, in- cluding co-starring in the hit mov- ie “Grease.” However, Broadway has been his home for many years. Barry was only 11 years old when he made his Broadway debut in “Bye-Bye Birdie.” His other Broadway credits include “Oli- ver!,” “A Teaspoon Every Four Hours,” “The Producers," “Len- ny’s Back,” and most recently “Baby It’s You!” Barry was also in the national tour of “Grease,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and many others. This will be the second time he has per- formed in “The Wizard of Oz” in an outdoor theater. Taking on the role of Glinda the Good Witch is Lauren Samu- els. She first came to the Lyth- goe’s attention when she was one of 9,000 contestants to enter the show “Over The Rainbow.” In the show, Andrew Lloyd Webber searched for a leading lady to star in his production of “The Wiz- ard of Oz.” Lauren consistently wowed Webber with her stunning performances week after week. Watched by over 6.4 million viewers in the United Kingdom, she out-performed thousands of contestants to become one of the three finalists. Although Lauren ultimately did not win, she was immediately cast as Sandy in the musical “Grease” at the Piccadil- ly Theatre in the West End, Lon- don’s version of Broadway. When the Lythgoes found out she was moving to the United States and was scheduled to ar- rive just as casting for “The Wiz- ard of Oz’ was to begin, she had barely unpacked when they called and convinced her to join the cast. Award-winning director Both of these talented ac- tors will be under the direction of Spenser Liff. In addition to Spenser’s Tony nomination, he has been nominated for two Emmy’s for his choreography in the Lythgoe-produced show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Like Barry Pearl, Spenser was a child when he first stepped on a Broad- way stage. Spencer earned his Equity card at the age of seven in the first national tour of “The Will Rogers Follies.” He has been dancing nonstop ever since. He was barely 22 when he became one of the most sought after choreographers on Broadway. Conquering Broad- Lauren Samuels way as a choreographer was not enough for him. Spenser set his sights on the same route that Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins fol- lowed, and soon was adding the role of director to his choreogra- pher duties. One of the most exciting changes to Broadway in the Park will take place behind the actors on a 20 x 40-foot video projection wall. This is where the digital art- istry of Aaron Rhyne comes into play. Aaron is the creative genius behind designs that have been seen on stages around the world in over 100 productions, includ- ing Broadway’s “Anastasia,” “The Sound Inside,” “A Gentle- man’s Guide To Love and Mur- der” as well as Disneyland’s live stage production of “Frozen.” It is clear TACFAhas pulled out all the stops for their 20th Broad- way in the Park, and with ticket prices only $20 for adults and $10 for children, it is guaranteed to be a sold-out crowd every night. For tickets and information, see TACFA.org. Summer of Love fun raises funds Partnering with the Orange City Firefighters, Assistance League of Orange board members treated 50 guests to a groovy “Summer of Love” themed celebration on June 12. Members of Firefighters Lo- cal 2384, Ryan Vega, Joey Bush, Takashi Hamaguchi and John Collins, with their Board Presi- dent Miguel Gonzales, grilled up dinner while Assistance League and Orange Blossoms Auxiliary Back row, left to right, in pink are Assistance League volunteers Ginny Abell, Leslie Sorrells, Carolyn Seeley, Diane Lanois, Barbara Swartz and Firefighters Joey Bush, Ryan Vega, John Collins; front, Daena Hullinger, Catherine Rose, Takashi Hamaguchi, Miguel Gonzales, Su- sie Willits and Karen O’Keefe. members staffed the event. Chris and Cathy Hall’s residence was transformed into a psychedelic scene for the evening, complete with live entertainment from Full Spectrum band, playing dance music from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Guests were encouraged to don their hippiest outfits for the par- ty, which raised over $6,000 for Assistance League philanthropic programs. www.FCAhome.org