Filed under: A Moon for the Misbegotten, Bad Dates, Heroes, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, The seafarer | Tags: A Moon for the Misbegotten, Bad Dates, david adkins, Edward Morgan, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Gordon Joseph Weiss, Heroes, IRNE Awards, Kate Udall, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, ron holgate, The seafarer
MERRIMACK REP RECEIVES 9 IRNE AWARD NOMINATIONS
John Kooi, Kate Udall, Gordon Joseph Weiss and Michael Canavan. Photo by Meghan Moore.
The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) have nominated Merrimack Repertory Theatre artists and productions for 9 awards in the Large Theatre category. Headlining Merrimack Rep’s nominations are The Seafarer and A Moon the Misbegotten, which are both nominated for Best Production of a Play, a category Merrimack Rep has won previously with Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance (2008) and The Drawer Boy (2003).
IRNE Nominees David Adkins & Gordon Joseph Weiss in The Seafarer. Photo by Meghan Moore.
In total, four of Merrimack Rep’s productions in 2009 garnered IRNE nominations. Eugene O’Neill’s American classic A Moon for the Misbegotten, which culminated MRT’s 30 Anniversary Season, leads the way with 5 nominations. In addition to Best Production of a Play, it also received nominations for Best Director (Edward Morgan), Best Actress (Kate Udall) and Best Ensemble. Gordon Joseph Weiss is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performances as Phil Hogan in A Moon for the Misbegotten and as Richard Harkin in The Seafarer. The Seafarer is also nominated for Best Production of a Play, and David Adkins received a nomination for Best Actor.
Jonathan Hogan, Ron Holgate & Kenneth Tigar in HEROES. Photo by Meghan Moore.
Also nominated for Best Actor is stage veteran Ron Holgate, who made his Merrimack Rep debut as Gustave in Heroes in November 2009. Elizabeth Aspenlieder, who starred in the one-woman show Bad Dates, is nominated for Best Solo Performance, an award she won for the same role earlier this year at the Boston Theatre Critics Association’s Elliot Norton Awards.
Elizabeth Aspenlieder - Photo by Meghan Moore
The IRNE Awards will be held on Monday, April 19, 2010 at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama. The full list of IRNE nominees, along with event information is available online at www.stagesource.org.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s 2009-2010 Season is sponsored by Lowell Cooperative Bank. The Seafarer was sponsored by Wannalancit Mills, an investment of Farley White Interests. Heroes was sponsored by Courier Corporation. Bad Dates was sponsored by Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank.
Filed under: Heroes, interview, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, reviews | Tags: allyn burrows, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Heroes, interview, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, reviews
MORE HEROES PRESS
Jonathan Hogan, Ron Holgate & Ken Tigar in HEROES. Photo by Meghan Moore.
Here are a few more articles about Heroes that we weren’t able to post on Monday.
Tom Garvey of the Hub Review has written a follow up post to his review of Heroes, entitled War and Remembrance, about the political subtext of Gustave’s plot to travel to Indochina.
Sheila Barth reviews Heroes for the Theatre Mirror, highlighting the contributions of Chelsea native Ken Tigar.
What to know how actors remember their lines? Merrimack Repertory Theatre actors Allyn Burrows (The Homecoming) and Elizabeth Aspenlieder (Bad Dates), who have both won Elliot Norton awards for their work on the Liberty Hall stage, share their tricks.
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Filed under: Bad Dates, Merrimack Repertory Theatre | Tags: Bad Dates contest, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Elliot Norton Awards, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, MRT
ELIZABETH ASPENLIEDER WINS ELLIOT NORTON AWARD FOR BAD DATES
- Elizabeth Aspenlieder – Photo by Meghan Moore
Actress Elizabeth Aspenlieder, star of the one-woman hit comedy, Bad Dates, which ran at Merrimack Repertory Theatre from March 19 to April 12, 2009, took home the award for Outstanding Solo Performance at the 27th Annual Elliot Norton Awards last night, May 11, at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre in Cambridge. Originally produced by Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA earlier this year, Bad Dates transferred to Merrimack Rep in March, where it ran for four very successful weeks and played to packed houses. Bad Dates became Merrimack Rep’s 11th highest grossing production in its 30-year history. When combined with the Company’s recent IRNE Awards, Ms. Aspenlieder’s Elliot Norton marks the fifth time in the past year that local reviewers have recognized a Merrimack Rep actor for an outstanding performance on the Liberty Hall stage.
The Elliot Norton Awards, now in their 27th year, recognize excellence in Greater Boston Theatre. The awards, which are presented by the Boston Theater Critics Association, were founded in honor of Elliot Norton, who served as drama critic for Boston newspapers for forty-eight years and as moderator of Elliot Norton Reviews on WGBH-TV from 1958-1982. At the event, actor Al Pacino accepted a Special Elliot Norton Award honoring the late Paul Benedict. A complete list of winners can be found here.
Bad Dates was originally sponsored by Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank. Merrimack Repertory Theatre is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Filed under: Merrimack Repertory Theatre | Tags: Bad Dates, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Elliot Norton Awards, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, MRT
ELLIOT NORTON NOMINATION
- Elizabeth Aspenlieder – Photo by Meghan Moore
View the complete list of nominees here.
Filed under: Bad Dates | Tags: Bad Dates, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Haviland Morris, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, MRT
Cast Change for Bad Dates
Due to a physical injury, actress Elizabeth Aspenlieder will be unable to complete the last two weeks of the run of Bad Dates at Merrimack Repertory Theatre. Filling her shoes as Haley Walker for the final two weeks will be Haviland Morris, who is fresh off a five-week run of Bad Dates at the Tony Award-winning Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT. To allow time to adequately rehearse and make the substitution, the performance originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, has been moved to 8 pm on Tuesday, April 7. The Thursday, April 2, performance has been moved to Sunday, April 12 at 7 pm, and is the new closing performance for Bad Dates. Performances will resume on Friday, April 3 at 8pm. All other shows and times remain as scheduled.
Haviland Morris
Haviland Morris has a long and varied career in film, television and theatre. She has appeared in the films Sixteen Candles, Who’s That Girl, Reckless, Love or Money, A Shock To The System, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, The Last Supper, Dear Diary, Home Alone 3, All Your Difference, Rick, The Baxter, Joshua, Cherry Crush, Calling It Quits and Adam. She has performed on television in “One Tree Hill,” “One Life To Live,” “Canterbury’s Watch,” “Madigan Men,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Sex and the City,” “Cosby” “Diagnosis Murder,” “Family Ties,” and in the “Law and Order” franchises. Morris has appeared on Broadway in Ring ‘Round The Moon and Arcadia at Lincoln Center and Tartuffe: Born Again at Circle in the Square. She has acted Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage, Naked Angels, Manhattan Theatre Club, WPA, and Theatre Off-Park.
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Filed under: Bad Dates | Tags: Bad Dates, Bad Dates Boston Globe review, Bad Dates Review, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Lowell, Lowell Sun, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, MRT
Bad Dates Reviews
- Elizabeth Aspenlieder – Photo by Megan Moore
The reviews are pouring in for Bad Dates, and as was the case at Shakespeare & Company, the show and star Elizabeth Aspenlieder are garnering raves! Read what all the critics are saying, and be sure to catch Bad Dates at Merrimack Repertory Theatre before April 12. If you’ve already seen Bad Dates, feel free to leave a comment with your feelings on the production.
“Irresistible” – The Boston Globe
“Get ready to laugh” – Lowell Sun
“Merrimack Repertory Theatre offers a completely entertaining stimulus package for the spouse deficient and the romantically disadvantaged among us.” – Broadway World
“Artfully constructed” – Boston Phoenix
“This is a comedy not to be missed for a good laugh, even if you’re a guy.” – Zingology
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Filed under: Bad Dates | Tags: Bad Dates contest, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Lowell, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, MRT
Cast Interview – Elizabeth Aspenlieder
Elizabeth Aspenlieder. Photo by Kevin Sprague.
Bad Dates star Elizabeth Aspenlieder, originally from Toronto, Canada, has spent the last 13 years working at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA. She has acted in numerous productions over that period of time, including Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, and Richard III. In addition to her acting work at Shakespeare and Company, Elizabeth is also the Director of Public Relations and Playbill Sales.
Bad Dates ran for two months at Shakespeare and Company, starting in January of this year. During her time off from the show, Elizabeth answered a few questions about Bad Dates and her character, Haley Walker.
How has Bad Dates been going for you out at Shakespeare and Company?
It has been a wonderful experience stepping into Haley’s shoes every night – literally and figuratively! We’ve had great houses and so much fun. I was surprised how quickly I became comfortable with the audiences every night and them with me — so much so they talk back to me…give me advice, you know, sigh and gasp at some of my not so ‘hip’ clothing choices, like “wear the blue dress darling – that skirt is awful…don’t go out with him…” stuff like that. It sure keeps me on my toes because I am after all doing a play 🙂 . But it’s been great fun to interact with them and form a bond, a level of camaraderie and trust. They are after all coming into my bedroom every show, so it’s a pretty intimate setting and thankfully, we both seem to feel like we are just talking to a best friend, sharing our ups and downs and trying to figure it all out together — at least that’s how it feels at my end, and it’s really inspiring.
How were you able to balance performing with your day job at Shakespeare and Co.?
It sure has been a balancing act. Kind of like that silly human trick of rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time…it’s not always easy :)! I’ve always felt that women, or at least most of the ones in my life are great at multi-tasking – and luckily it’s something I have been doing here for years so it’s second nature. I just look at the whole picture, plan out my day and be sure give myself plenty of time to prepare before each show – I usually leave the office by 4pm if I have a 7pm show so I can clear out the days clutter in my head, let work go and move into Haley’s world and psyche. And power naps are so under-rated!
How, if it all will you adjust your performance when the show moves to MRT?
I think I will most likely have to adjust my intentions and up my desire to reach a 300 seat house as opposed to the intimate 100-seat house I have been playing in. I just have to sense if the audience is with me, I can feel it in my bones and in the air if they are ‘getting it’ – the story, so I may have to adjust my volume, my intentions – like tuning a guitar so it’s all in sync and harmony. My first experiences with S&Co. were performances on the 600-seat outdoor Mainstage, and for the past 8 years I have been playing in their 428-seat theatre so I am very familiar and comfortable with playing to larger houses.
Do you have any bad date stories in your past that helped you understand or indentify with you character, Haley?
Oh, boy! Do I. Let’s see, I have code names for all of them of course…there was the ‘chicken man’ – you don’t want to know…the ‘tattoo man’, I couldn’t tell if he actually was wearing a shirt or if he truly had a tattoo that covered his entire body – that just ‘looked like a shirt’…hmmm….oh then there was the ‘kid’ (he said he was 35…turns out he was 23 and I’m like…well, to quote Haley “It doesn’t matter how old I am.” Yes, you can say I have drawn from my personal experiences with bad dates. But not only that, Haley really has this incredible journey where she goes through a gamut of emotions from elation, to despair, to hopeful, ecstatic happiness, to humiliation and heartbreak – all experiences most of us have had in our lives, which makes this play accessible to so many of us. It holds a mirror up to our lives, our human desires, needs and faith that it will all work out in the end. And if it doesn’t? Well, it’s not the end. 🙂
Finally, is it ever possible to have too many shoes?
In a word, NO.
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Filed under: Bad Dates | Tags: Bad Dates, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Lowell, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, MRT
Bad Dates Press
Filed under: Bad Dates | Tags: Bad Dates, Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Lowell, Merrimack Rep, Merrimack Repertory, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, MRT, Pay What You Can, Pay What You Will, Young Professionals of Greater Lowell, YPGL
Bad Dates Schedule of Events
Bad Dates is running from March 19 through April 12 at Merrimack Repertory Theatre. Here is the schedule of special events and ticket deals for the run of Bad Dates. Visit the MRT online box office to purchase tickets
March 19 @ 8PM – First Preview/Pay What You Will Night – For Pay What You Will Pricing, you must purchase tickets in person, with cash, between 5PM and 8PM on March 19th. ID required. A director’s dialogue will follow the performance.
March 21 @ 8:30PM – Lowell Night – Lowell residents may purchase tickets for $10. Tickets must be purchased in person, with cash, between 5:30PM and 8:30PM on March 21th. ID required.
March 22 @ 7PM – Opening Night – Join MRT for the official press opening of Bad Dates and a post-show champagne toast.
March 25 @ 2PM – Cookie Matinee – Complementary cookies and coffee are supplied by Brew’d Awakening Coffehaus in Lowell.
March 25 @ 7PM – Wine Lovers Night – Starting at 7PM, sample fine wines from around the globe. There is a $5 admission charge to participate in Wine Lovers Night.
March 26 @ 8PM – Post Show Forum – Your chance to ask Elizabeth Aspenlieder and others questions about the show.
April 2 @ 7PM – Young Professionals Night – Pre-show meet and greet with members of the Young Professionals of Greater Lowell, with free appetizers from a local restaurant. Visit the YPGL website for ticket information.
Ticket Deals for Bad Dates
Senior – 10% of regular ticket price with ID
Students – UML and MCC students pay $10. All other students pay $15. ID required
Rush Hour – Purchase half-priced tickets between 5PM-8PM for that night’s performance. Available Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings only.
Groups – Groups of 6 or more receive a 25% discount off the regular ticket price. Call 978-654-7595 or email marketing@merrimackrep.org for rates and booking.
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