Busker Alley - The Huber Marionettes

CAST
(in order of appearance)

Charley Baxter. . . . . . . . . . . . .TOMMY TUNE
Puppeteer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHILLIP HUBER
Young Charley. . . .. . . . . . . . . BRUCE MOORE
The Buskers . . . . . .. ......MICHAEL ARNOLD
MICHAEL BERRESSE
JEFFREY JAMES
REGI JENNINGS
DENIS JONES
BRUCE MOORE
MARK SANTORO
ABE SYLVIA
RICHARD VIDA
DAVIDWARREN-GIBSON
Arthur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..RON KIDD
Elaine Claire. . . . . . . . . . . . . ..LAURIE GAMACHE
Max Beardsley. . . . . . . . . . . . DREW ELIOT
Gladys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .MARCIA LEWIS
Pickwick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .TAFFY
Victor Duchesi . . . . . . . . . .. . BRENT BARRETT
Libby St. Alban. . . . . . . . .. .. . .DARCIE ROBERTS
Prentiss James. . . . . . . . . . . . .LEE MARK NELSON
Bartender. . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . MICHAEL BERRESSE
The Busker Trio . . . . . . ........ . MICHAEL BERRESSE
BRUCE MOORE
RICHARD VIDA
Claxton, The Butler. . . . . . . .. .DAVID WARREN-GIBSON
Stage Manager. . . . . . . . . . .. . . MICHAEL ARNOLD


Tommy Tune & Buskers

Charley Marionette


Taffy, Philip Huber,
& Marcia Lewis Bryan


Tommy Tune & Darcie Roberts


Mark Lee Nelson
& Darcie Roberts


Stage Door Charley is set in London in 1938, on the eve of World War II. Writer AJ. Carothers' story is an adaptation of a British film, St. Martins Lane, about a busker (street entertainer) and his love for a stagestruck younger woman.

The score by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman captures the sound and feel of the era's music while advancing the story line with meaningful lyrics.

Tune plays Charley Baxter, who comes from a long line of buskers. He is content with his life of performing on the sidewalk outside the West End theaters until he befriends Libby St. Alban, a jobless, homeless 22-year-old woman who dreams of being onstage - inside the theaters.

A chorus of 10 buskers, all dressed in ragged suits and mismatched shoes identical to Tune's outfit, are showcased with the star from the beginning to the end in numbers titled Blow Us a Kiss, Busker Alley, Tap 'Appy Feet, Strays, What'll I Do With 'Er and Charley the Busker.

Remember the scene from Singin' in the Rain in which Gene Kelly dances with a lamppost? Picture 11 dancers and 11 lampposts.

Charley brings Libby into his world, teaching her the busker, trade, and she inspires the formation of a quartet, including the talents of two older performers, Gladys. (Marcia Lewis), whose specialty is a number called Hula Love Song, and Arthur (Robert Nichols), who recites lines from Shakespeare in no particular order

Arthur’s romantic interest in Gladys comically mirrors Charley's love for Libby, especially in the older couple's duet, Mates.

Gladys' sidekick is a shaggy white dog - a realistic marionette operated by Phillip Huber of the Huber Marionettes.

The dog was the darling of the 2,OOO-plus crowd Wednesday night as was another marionette named Charley, which was a miniature version of the star and performed two numbers with him.

Libby is content with her life until composer Prentiss James (Lee Mark Nelson) and producer Beardsley (Drew Eliot) give her a chance to join the chorus of a show. She accepts the offer, breaking Charley's heart, giving Tune the opportunity to sing a bluesy number called Tin Whistle Tune.

Rounding out the sophisticated world Libby has joined are a stuckon-himself stage star, Victor Duchesi (Brent Barrett), and Elaine Claire (Laurie Gamache), the leading lady Libby replaces.

In these days of high-tech extravaganzas in which helicopters land onstage, it was refreshing to see a simple story come to life against a background of catchy tunes and simple sets.


Tommy Tune & Buskers


Phillip Huber, Tommy Tune,
& Charley Marionette


Taffy


Marcia Lewis Bryan
& Robert Nichols


Darcie Roberts, Drew Elliot,
& Brent Barrett


Tommy Tune & Buskers