City of Angels: Talking With the Cast

Patch went backstage to talk with cast members of James Street Players' City of Angels to get the scoop on their role and how the acting process goes.

Soloman Buchman (Stone)
Why should people come see this show?
I think that they'll enjoy it.  It's a classical Broadway show… a musical comedy.  It's got music in the style of that jazz that was popular in the 1940s…which is sort of unique.  Not too many shows have that.  It moves quickly.  The cast is great and I think people will have a great time.

How are you like the character you portray?
Other than being tall, dark, handsome and slightly mysterious?  As an actor you try to find the little things in you that help you relate to the character.  Stone feels a certain amount of pain, that comes out a little bit later in the show… and I think everybody can relate to that… not just me.

Tell me about the rehearsal process?
Well, for me, the process was very quick.  The cast had been rehearsing about six weeks, when the fellow who was playing this role dropped out, and through a connection that was made quickly, I was offered the part.  So, I've only been with them for the last three and a half weeks.  So it's been fast.  For me, it's been pretty intense.

Was that challenging for you?
It was.  Every spare minute I had, I was trying to learn the lines and the music.  The people here were very helpful and cooperative and very nice to work with.  I have a voice teacher who is wonderful and she worked overtime with me to make sure everything was set.  So, it's been an intense experience so far, but I've really loved it.

Carol Ann Spallone Smith (Bobbi/Gabby)
Why should people come see this show?
It's always good to support local live theater.  We never disappoint.  I'm hoping everybody will enjoy it.  We do get a lot of repeat people coming, so they like to see people that they know.  This is not a show that's done often… so it's good for people that like musicals to be able to see something different.

How are you like the character(s) that you portray?
My one characters ends up in a brothel… so I'm definitely not like her!  As Bobbi, Stine's wife, I'm kind of hard on him… and in a way, that's kind of like me with my husband.

What did you like about this rehearsal process
Just working with the people… a lot of good life long friends down here.  We've known each other for years and we love spending time together.  We just have a ball!  Things always happen… things that throw you off, but it's just fun to see what's going to come next.

Did you face any challenges within the process?
I have two quick costume changes… and the other night, my thigh high stockings fell down.  That was a little bit of a challenge.  While I was onstage, I had to yank them up. There are black and white scenes and colored scenes, so we have to make sure we go out with the right costume on.  The movie scenes are all in black and white… and all the real life scenes are in colored costumes.  That's how we distinguish the two worlds throughout the show.  So, that was a little challenging.

Kenneth Lewis Kopolovicz (Stine)
Why should people come see this show?
I think it's a great show, because it shows two worlds: a movie world and the reality world.  It shows a writer, writing something that he really loves and he wants to turn in into a movie.  It's great… whenever I'm typing and I stop… the speakers stop speaking.  The music is extraordinary… it's by Cy Coleman.  And, the storyline is great.

How are you like the character you portray?
 I think I have the same energy as the character.  I'm a teacher, so everyday I get up every morning, have coffee, eat lunch…whatever.  Bing, bang, boom… go!  That type of thing.

What did you like about this rehearsal process?
To be honest, I didn't really like the rehearsal process this time. It was hard to take direction.  The director is really great.  Intelligent.  But it's hard to take direction and be along with all the different characters at the same time.  So, it wasn't really too independent this time, it was more like a big group effort.  It was the nature of the play that made it challenging.

Do you feel accomplished?
Oh yeah, I'm happy.  Vocally, I'm happy… and dramatically I think it's one of my best.  I did this show in high school and played the same part…so it's a nice memory looking back for me… and doing this part again, almost 20 years later. 

Kerry Quirke (Alaura Kingsley/Carla Haywood)
Why should people come see this show?
It's a lot of fun.  Anytime that you can get out and see people is good. Theatre is so expensive to get into the city.  We're not Broadway, but we try really hard and we're all volunteering here to make people happy.

How are you like Alaura Kingsley?
Because she's a trouble maker!  Tell your friends!  Tell your family!

What did you like about the rehearsal process?
Oh, I love the people I work with.  We have so much fun.  Rehearsals are the best part!  We giggle a lot... make fun of each other.

Did you face any challenges in this process?
I get nervous before every show.  I don't think one is any different from the next.  You sit there and you panic that you are not going to remember your lines, but somehow you walk out there and it all comes out!  Sometimes it doesn't, but the show goes on!

Carolyn Cavanaugh (Oolie/Donna)
Why should people come see this show?
It's not something that done too often on Long Island because of the difficulty of the show.  It has fantastic music… a wonderful jazz score.  It's a great script that was written by Larry Gelbart, the same guy who wrote MASH.  It's really clever.  James Street is the kind of theatre that attracts, because of the familial atmosphere that we have.  We've been around for 45 years, so we attract good talent, so you'll have good performances.

How are you like one of the characters that you portray?
Oolie is the secretary, the gal Friday to Stone, the investigator in the show.  Throughout the whole process, the director (Thom Rosati) keeps calling me Oolie, because he's wonderfully creative, but scattered… because he's got a million ideas.  Due to proximity… we live within five miles of each other and I've known him since I'm five years old…I wind up finishing everything for him.  So I'm a lot like my character.

What did you like about this rehearsal process?
I love James Street, because, like I said, it's a very familial atmosphere.   We have rehearsals three days a week in comparison to other places where you could be there five days a week.  And we have two weekends of shows, not a month of shows… so you can still carry on a life.  You can have a family and do shows.  Here, a lot of people have kids and we've known each other for many years.  I think it helps the process.

Did you face any challenges during this process?
Well, having a show as difficult as this and only having three rehearsals a week, you kind of wish that you were here everyday.  And some people on the technical end were here everyday trying to perfect the nuances going from the black and white (movie) world to the colored (reality) world.  The music is very difficult, beyond anything that we've done here before.  But, it's well worth it.

Lisa Landry (Angel City 4/Margie)
Why do you think people should come see this show?
I think that we do a great job.  It's a lot of fun.  It's great music and it's an evening of entertainment.

How are you like one of the character(s) that you portray?
I relate to being in the quartet.  All that Jazzy Swing music… I love that.  That's where I would be!  I think I was born in the wrong era.

What have you liked about this rehearsal process?
Just being here and seeing how the show comes together.  Working with everyone… really seeing how it evolves.  You get to the point and get really nervous and think, "How is this going to work," but it all comes together.

Did you face any challenges in this process?
Not really.  I just love it.  I love being onstage.