The Show Must Go On

“Lend Me A Tenor” Shines at Theatre Palisades Annual Awards Show

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Each year, Theatre Palisades caps off its season with an annual meeting and awards show, and 2020 was no exception—though, for the first time, the evening took place via Zoom and four shows were under consideration instead of the typical five, due to a season that was cut short following restrictions put in place in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 60 attendees tuned into the Sunday night show, with people checking in from places like Pacific Palisades, Florida and Arizona.

“This is very different because we get to stay home this year, and no one had to fight traffic on the 405 or on PCH, and you didn’t have to look for a parking place,” show host Martha Hunter began. “You can sit here in your pajamas and eat a can of cold soup—we don’t know. Here we are.”

The meeting portion began with new Theatre Palisades President Philip Bartolf, who first recapped the 2019-20 season.

“We had hilarious fun with ‘Lend Me A Tenor,’ some suspense with ‘Mousetrap,’ acidic satire with ‘Ruthless! The Musical’ and finally laughs and tears with ‘Steel Magnolias,’” Bartolf shared, adding that the “Wait Until Dark” set is still up and ready for its actors—a show that has been placed in an indefinite holding pattern following the March shutdown of live theater.

Though the season was cut short, Theater Palisades Youth and Theatre Palisades Actors’ Troupe have been delivering content virtually, including a Zoom performance of “The Sound of Music.”

Bartolf explained that Theatre Palisades continues to work behind the scenes, including with local playwrights to hopefully deliver a virtual play in the “not-too-distant future” and also revamping the organization’s website.

“Overall, we are in sound fiscal condition,” Bartolf shared. “I will say that, unlike other theaters in our league, we had a very strong balance sheet to begin 2020.”

Beginning in 2021, Bartolf said that there will be fundraising efforts to shore up the theater’s financial position, as well as looking into plans that other theaters have used and will use as they reopen, eyeing an optimistic return in the second quarter of the year.

As the meeting portion concluded, the awards ceremony kicked off with a reimagined version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” featuring Doug Green, Holly Sidell, Courtney Shaffer, Peter Miller and Alexandra Banks. Lyrics had been rewritten to focus on COVID-19 and its effects on the theater.

The first set of accolades virtually handed out were the Off Board Awards, bestowed to Theatre Palisades Gardening Committee Head Diane Goldberg; Palisades Charter High School senior Eli Nagle for Technical and Set Construction; and Calvary Christian School eighth-grader Clayton Collins for Lighting and Sound Tech.

Bartolf thanked the award winners for their help keeping the theater moving and operations “spiffy.”

Before the next set of awards, a pre-recorded scene, “Gazette-Act III” from Edmond Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac,” starring Bartolf and Wendy Taubin, streamed. Using a trick of Zoom backgrounds, the two, who recorded separately, were able to make it look like they were sharing a stage—including passing a prop.

Compliments rolled in through the comment section, with attendees saying, “Wendy is brilliant and beautiful,” as well as, “Great job, Phil.”

Technical awards were then given out by Manfred Hofer, who shared that as an actor, the show really starts to come together once “you’re dealing with all the other elements.”

“When you’re finally on the set, when you’ve got the costumes, when you’ve got the light and the sound all working,” he continued, “that’s the really exciting time when you know you’re about to open, you’re about to have an audience and it just adds another wonderful dimension to the work that you’re putting on.”

Joanne Reich, who designed posters for all four shows being considered, won the Graphic Design category for “Lend Me A Tenor,” with Marc Antonio Pritchett winning Sound Design for “Mousetrap,” June Lisandrello for “Lend Me A Tenor,” and Lighting Design for “Lend Me A Tenor” went to Sherman Wayne and Franz Kleinenberg.

Wayne, who was nominated for all four shows in the Set Design category, took home the award for “Lend Me A Tenor.”

“It was a very fun set to work on,” he shared. “I really enjoyed it and it was quite a challenge because I had to fit four rooms onto our smallish stage, but we were able to do it.”

As congratulatory messages rolled in through the Zoom chat, the next scene, featuring Mitch Feinstein and Hofer, provided a bit of comedic relief, taking on “The Fourth Ghost,” a short play by Arthur M. Jolly adapted from “A Christmas Carol” featuring the Ghost of Christmases Yet to Be.

Actors Awards were then handed out: First was the undisputed Cameo Award, which went to Hunter’s rescue shih tzu, Tallulah, for her role of Puddles in “Ruthless! The Musical.”

Supporting Actor went to Randy Oppenheimer and Supporting Actress to Hunter for their respective roles in “Lend Me A Tenor.”

Next, Green returned to the Zoom screen to present a moving tribute to those near and dear to Theatre Palisades who passed away this season: Arnold and Sigrid Hofer, Sherry Coon, and M.J. Lory.

“In this past year, we’ve lost not only most of our season but four of our most beloved—well, friends isn’t saying it strongly enough and members doesn’t come close,” Green shared before beginning a song.

Bartolf then presented the Featured Actress Award to Maria O’Connor for “Lend Me A Tenor.”

“I’m shocked, thank you so much,” she shared after winning. “I had a wonderful time doing this show and I had a blast with all my castmates.”

Lead Actress was awarded to Jenna Nicole Sullivan for “Ruthless! The Musical” and Lead Actor to Greg Abbott for “Lend Me A Tenor.”

“I’m speechless—thank you, thank you,” Abbott said. “This show was a joy to do and the cast was such a joy to work with. I’m thrilled and I can’t wait to work with these people again.”

Yvonne Robertson presented the Subscribers Award, which is the best play as voted on by subscribers, which went to “Lend Me A Tenor” for the 2019-20 season.

Past President Nona Hale was given the Lelah T. Pierson Award, which Bartolf explained is the highest award given out each year.

“It’s awarded to an individual who demonstrates constant sustaining support to the theater in fundraising, just overall outstanding participation in the affairs of the theater,” he shared.

The final two awards of the evening were Production, which went to Hunter, and Director, which went to Wayne—both for their work on “Lend Me A Tenor.”

“I think 75% of the job of a director is finding a great cast, I found that,” Wayne shared. “The best I’ve ever had. Beautiful people, worked hard all the way from first rehearsal to closing night. They had a ball, the audience had a ball and the whole thing worked so beautifully.”

He concluded his message by thanking Theatre Palisades for allowing him to do what he loves to do: work in the theater—a sentiment he shared that he knows other attendees feel too.

“It’s what feeds our soul, feeds our inner person,” he said. “Let’s just hope that soon, we’ll all be back together, doing what we love to do, directing and acting and costuming and all the stuff that just brings joy.”

After the final award was given out, Bartolf hosted a reception where attendees were encouraged to share a drink and conversation before signing off.