The Musical Theater Factory Blog
Official blog of The 5th Avenue Theatre
David Armstrong will be directing our spring production of The Secret Garden, which is a co-production with D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Company being performed there this fall. He recently directed our revisal production of Lerner & Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon. What has been your favorite directorial experience? Every show is my favorite when I am doing it but looking
The 5th has a tremendous history of nurturing writers and composers that in turn leads to new musicals on both our stage and on Broadway. With the leadership support of the following donors, The 5th can continue investing in the next generation of writers and further our commitment to producing new works. Thank you to
Inspired by the real-life Gold Rush of the late 1840s, Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon explores the lives of prospectors who traveled thousands of miles and spent hundreds of dollars attempting to strike it rich. The would-be miners came from all over the world and all walks of life. The stories of gold lying
Our final trio of pioneers join the wagon train today: Pearl (Brenna Wagner), and a special treat: our two Swings, Nicholas Tarabini and Carolyn Willems van Dijk! Pearl joins Timberline, Lotta and Mary as an entertainer in the area, as well as playing the character of Elisa. Swings act as understudies to basically all of the
Three more pioneers pursue the American Dream: Silas (Paul Flanagan), Timberline (Trina Mills) and Merchant Reed (Aaron Shanks). Silas is an immigrant from London who has come to find his fortune. Timberline arrives with the other girls with an iron will and a drive to make money. Merchant Reed is a hard working man who
Three more No Name City citizens join the ranks: Nathaniel (Ethan Carpenter), Lotta (Sarah Rose Davis) and Vlad (Eric Esteb). Nathaniel travels from Cleveland to find a new home (and hopefully gold) in California. Lotta arrives with several other ladies, all of whom are entertainers for Jake’s Palace of Pleasure on Main Street. Vlad is
Three more hope to strike it rich in California: Deza (Kyle Bernbach), Angus (Jared Michael Brown) and Chee Weng (Ulyber Mangune). Deza hails from Peru who was already a miner in Chile, and arrives carrying lots of knowledge of how to be effective at mining. Angus has traveled across the country from the mid-West in
Over the course of several years, Director David Armstrong, Writer Jon Marans, Music Supervisor and Vocal Arranger Ian Eisendrath and Choreographer Josh Rhodes worked together to develop and re-write a new version of the Lerner and Loewe musical, Paint Your Wagon. I sat down with them recently to talk about the process of recreating a classic.
Lerner & Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon is being revived-brought back to life-on our stage, but it is also going through an extensive revision. When we combine a revival and revision, we get a revisal! This is not the first musical from the past to receive this kind of renovation. The current Broadway smash Shuffle Along
Three more pioneers journey west: Jameson Woodling (Allen Fitzpatrick), Mary (Taryn Darr) and Craig (Eli Lotz). Jameson Woodling is the husband of Cayla, until she frees herself from him. (Allen is pulling double duty, also portraying Craig’s Dad.) Mary is one of the ladies who comes to town after the miners have set up camp. (Taryn is
