MUSIC to my EARS
Posed Movie Production Stills
and Frame Grabs from video footage
(PAGE BEST VIEWED AT 1280 X 1024
PIXEL SCREEN RESOLUTION)
Photos by Christopher P. Jacobs and Jenny Morris
~ ~ ~
CHARACTERS and ACTORS PICTURED
(in order of appearance in photos
below):
Peggy (Jenny Morris), Molly (Karly
Anderson),
Amber (Wendy Honrath), Hubert
Sorensen (Michael Harvey),
Brenda (Lori Barrett), Pat (Royce
Blackburn), Allie (Louise Pinkerton),
Vic (George Herda), Kayci (CeAnne
Reese) Jordan (Patrick Pearson),
Alisha (Ashley Braxton), Josh (John
Grove), Sara (Crystal Karlstad)
Emily (Caroline Gray), Bill (Paul
Kelly),
café background atmosphere (Suellen
Palya, Mark Landa),
Bessie Sorensen (Lee Barnum), Dancer
(Sara Anderson),
George (Gordon Dexheimer), Frankie
(Betty Gard),
Street Musician (Greg
"PeatMoss" Norman),
Lady of the Evening (Miranda
Mozinski), Melanie (Marjorie Morris),
Jimmy (Marc Arnason), Terry (Chris
Hargreaves),
chorus girls (Miranda Mozinski,
Jessica Gunderson),
Wendy (Allison Wiese)
~ ~ ~ ~
While cleaning the theatre before a matinee, Peggy and Molly
discuss
the classic movies they like and go into a song and dance
routine.
Their co-worker Amber is not amused by their antics.
Amber tells them she hopes their next movie isn't another
saccharine Shirley Temple picture.
The owner, Hubert Sorensen, announces that his mother has
decided to sell the theatre and they'll be closing soon.
Long-time patrons Pat and Allie discuss the fate of the theatre
with Brenda the manager.
Audience members at the closing night of the old downtown movie
house
lament the fact that the theatre is closing as they start to
watch the last film.
All are shocked when Vic, one of the characters in the movie,
breaks character to look at the crowd,
then walks off the screen into the auditorium and exhorts them
to do something to save the theatre.
Bill Warren is catching up with the New York Times theatre
section
at a local café when his old friend (the actor who had played
Vic)
recognizes him and asks what he's doing back in his old home
town.
Bill confides he’s hiding out from his ex-wife Melanie, who
divorced him after the last show he starred her in was a flop.
Then Vic tells him that the last local downtown movie house
has just closed after playing his latest film,
and is expected to be torn down for a parking ramp.
With her assistant Peggy, theatre manager Brenda goes over their
closing night inventory,
noting that receipts won’t come close to paying off the bank
loan.
They hear a knock on the door and look up to see Bill Warren,
a former home-town boy who is now a Broadway producer.
Bill tells Brenda he’s heard of the theatre’s difficulties.
He explains that a benefit stage show might raise enough
money in just one weekend to save the theatre.
Although Peggy and Brenda are skeptical at first, Bill insists
that using local talent
with his experience and reputation behind it, a musical revue
will be a sure-fire hit.
They agree to do the production and Bill makes plans to call in
some New York favors.
Peggy expresses her doubts to Alisha and Jordan that the show
will ever come off, while Molly wonders what they’re talking
about.
Despite some iffy auditions, the show starts intensive
rehearsals.
Molly and Peggy drag Bill out to the lobby to show him a new
song specialty number they want him to add to the show.
Brenda tries to explain to Hubert and old Bessie why she’s
invested
all the theatre’s remaining money in Bill Warren’s stage
production.
Peggy and Molly demonstrate their specialty song for Bill, but
while one
of the chorus line dancers waits anxiously to speak to him, they
are
interrupted by a surprise visit from George the banker and
Frankie
the real estate agent, who were expecting the theatre to be
closed up.
Bill and Brenda walk back to the theatre after having a
post-rehearsal drink,
trying to forget all that has gone wrong and how little time
they have left until
opening. Bill’s spirits are suddenly lifted, however, and he is
inspired to create
a new major production
number for the show when they see a lady of the evening
enjoying a street musician's performance of the “St. Louis
Blues.”
Peggy rehearses the new version of “The St. Louis Blues”
but Molly runs on stage to tell her they're all in big trouble.
Bill's ex-wife Melanie has heard from the banker that her
alimony is being used to finance a show. She arrives
with her lawyer Jimmy, demanding either full payment
or to be cast in the lead role, to the distress of Brenda
and disdain of Terry the choreographer.
Although bitterly disappointed, Peggy tells Bill to let Melanie
play the part so the show can go on and the theatre can be
saved.
Melanie impresses everyone except Molly with her singing talent
but
frustrates other cast members when she has trouble remembering
dialogue.
While they admit she's got marquee value, both Terry and Peggy
cringe whenever Melanie forgets lines that Peggy already knows.
Molly, meanwhile, starts to formulate a scheme of her own,
and Jimmy flirts with some of the chorus girls.
After rehearsal, Bill visits Melanie, hoping to boost her
confidence
in her performance, and possibly rekindle their old
relationship.
Ever the diva, Melanie reminds him of their failure,
but does not discourage Bill’s renewed attentions.
That same night Brenda dreams that Bill romances her
by a verdant stream, singing “You Made Me Love You.”
In Brenda's dream, after singing their love duet they
dance around a flowing fountain and share a kiss.
Bill, Brenda, and Terry discuss how well the show is going
after a few weeks of rehearsals, now that Melanie is the star.
Terry complains about Melanie’s temperament and questionable
talent,
but Bill defends her and
insists she’ll make the show a national hit.
While George the banker and Frankie the real estate agent
discuss their difficulties in trying to shut down the show
so they can seize
control of the property, George's secretary,
Wendy, announces a mysterious female visitor is waiting to see
him.
Molly enters with a sultry confidence, to the skeptical glares
of Frankie and Wendy.
After Frankie and Wendy leave, Molly tells a wary George
that she has a proposition they'll both enjoy, a plan that could
get Melanie, the show's leading lady, out of the production.
But amidst all the comedy, drama, backstage intrigue, and romantic
triangles,
nothing can dampen the enthusiasm of the hardworking singers, dancers,
and musicians
who keep struggling to bring "Music to My Ears" to the
stage against every setback!
Will they be able to open on schedule, impress the public, and
save the theatre?