Meet the Cast of Spelling Bee - Rolando and Erin!


Rolando Bautista

 What is your role in this show? I play Paul Coneybear, one of Leafs siblings.

What is your background in theatre? When I was in high school I did Pippin, Urinetown, and Babes in Arms. But that was kind of it, haha. I’ve never taken any singing lessons, most of the techniques that I use now (which isn’t very much) when I sing is mostly self-taught, but I think I’ve gotten pretty far considering! This is my very first ELOPE production, actually my very first production outside of high school and I’m extremely happy to be a part it!

What is your favourite word to spell? My favourite word to spell  is Awkward because it just has a weird vibe to it when you’re spelling it as compared to saying it, not quite sure how to explain it but it’s a weird word to spell but I like it.


Erin Foster-O'Riordan


What is your role in this show? Olive's mother, or more precisely, Olive's dream version of her mother--a dream where her mom is longing to be with her as much as she longs to be with her mom.

What is your background in theatre?  After years of being far too serious for my own good, I re-connected with my love of theatre, and am so grateful for the experiences I've had, and the people I've met. With ELOPE, I appeared in Baby as part of the ensemble of crazy mamas, and as Irene Malloy in Hello, Dolly!  Favourite roles elsewhere include Truvy in Steel Magnolias, the Wife in Putting it Together, and Cathy in The Last Five Years.  

What is your favourite word to spell? Chimerical. So beautiful yet so melancholy!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SUMMER READING! #yegbookclub

Image
On May 26th we had a lively chat on twitter with author Thomas Trofmiuk about Waiting for Columbu s .  It was wonderful to be able to ask questions about the characters and their possible paths and has the author answer them.  It was very clear that they all continued to live outside the book.  We begged for a Consuela sequel as she was a favorite of many of us readers. It was also great to learnt hat there is a Waiting for Columbus movie in the works.  When I read the book I was struck by how cinematic it was and, like The English Patient , I thought it would lend itself to film. Following the discussion I indicated that there would be some Summer Reading Choice(s) for the next #yegbookclub.  I don't know about you, but I am always hard to pin down for the summer.  With holidays and day camps for the kids and, for this year, directing two Fringe Shows I thought we could have 2 selections to read over the summer and then in September we could take two evenings to chat about th
Read more

Fringe #42 - Sat, Aug 19 - Three Great Musicals and More WORD OF MOUTH Recommendations!

Image
I saw three great musicals on Saturday. They were very different, but enjoyable in their own ways! First I took in Morningside Road , a new musical by Mhairi Berg and Simon Abbott. It was so beautiful. having written a play about a similar topic I thought the way that the story was told was very well done. The music is lovely and sung very well - tight harmonies and gorgeous voices. At the end, I estimate 50% of the audience (if not more) was in tears and there was an instant standing ovation. This is a terrific pick!  Next up was The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes which in the spirit Schmigadoon, the lead character Howard wakes up to find himself living in a a musical and wanting to get out of it. It was a super fun ride of a show. It hit on so any musical theatre tropes and references what feels like a thousand specific shows. The Musical Theatre afficionado should not miss this show! I loved how they really leaned into all the ridiculousness because that's the only way this k
Read more

Bringing The Color Purple to the Stage with Joyous Song and Truthful Storytelling!

Image
Sometimes when you are very excited for something, it fails to live up to your expectations. This is NOT the case with The Color Purple currently running at the Citadel Theatre . As I wrote earlier, I loved Alice Walker's novel and I am happy to report that the production is everything and more than I could have hoped for. From the first few seconds of the show, when Celie (Tara Jackson) and Nettie (Allison Edwards-Crewe) sing a child's rhyme together, you know that musically you are going to be treated to something magnificent. This grows as the full cast joins them onstage and the world of Celie is created. The power and beauty of this cast in their vocals is majestic. It's the kind of music sung so well that it makes you want to lift from your seat. The Citadel has done an incredible job of bringing together this cast which has no weak links, each voice expressive, joyful and strong. Kudos to the cast and to Music Director Floydd Ricketts for creating such amazing sou
Read more