Drew Harvey (top) describes Curtains Up! as a musical that has everything rolled into one.
Written as a love letter to the Town of Highlands, the Highlands Playhouse is set to open Curtains Up!, created by the Playhouse’s artistic team, Marshall Carby and Jimmy Lewis.
“We really wanted to focus on Highlands,” Carby said. “We talked a lot about the history of the Highlands Playhouse and how important it is to us. This show is really a love letter and a thank you to the community that comes out to support us.”
With shows being so close together and often using the same actors, Carby said they decided to create a show based around their ranges.
“We wanted to put our best foot forward and create a show based around the actors that we already have,” Carby said.
Assistant artistic director Jimmy Lewis has spent his summers in Highlands since 2013.
“When we were planning, post COVID, about how we wanted to reopen the theater, we thought, what better way to celebrate not theatre itself, but celebrate the town we are in. We came up with songs that not only we love to sing, but that Highlands would love, as well.”
Lewis said transitioning from CASH: Ring of Fire to Curtains Up! used all parts of his brain.
“We actually rehearsed Curtains Up! during the day and then performed CASH at night,” Lewis said. “All of the actors had to use all different parts of the brain, because we were transitioning between two very different styles. With Curtains Up!, we sing higher parts and then in CASH we would sing very low. We definitely got our vocal athletics in to say the least.”
With a rigorous rehearsing schedule, Lewis said all of the actors had to stay prepared.
“Sleep is definitely a priority,” Lewis said. “Water was another priority. Our director Sarah Poole Wilhelm was really conscious about how we were using our voices. We were all rebuilding our stamina especially after COVID.”
Since Lewis has been with the Playhouse since 2013, he gets to revisit some of his favorite characters in Curtains Up!.
“For example, we do a song from Annie, like back when I was here in 2013,” Lewis said. “Not only will the audience have a positive reaction to the play, but I get to revisit some of my favorite moments on stage here at the Playhouse.”
Coming back for his second year at the Playhouse, Drew Harvey said this play is unique because they mostly play themselves.
“I think we play ourselves for the most part because we all had so much to do with putting this play together,” Harvey said. “There are some short monologues scattered here and there to introduce the numbers, but we are pretty much ourselves and that has been a unique experience.”
Having to transition from country to intense musical theatre numbers, Harvey said it worked out in his favor.
“The rule is technically to start low and go higher,” Harvey said. “But it technically worked out in my favor because we were singing such high songs in the morning during rehearsal, then during CASH my voice was already low and warmed up.”
Lewis is from Baltimore, Maryland, but has been living in New York City since 2013 and spends his summers in Highlands.
He graduated from Rider University in New Jersey.
“I always come back to Highlands during the summer because of the team that we have built here for one,” Lewis said. “This town is so accepting and loving of the arts to the point where we can walk down Main Street and somebody will shout, ‘We saw you in CASH!’ The fact that in such a small town, not only is there such a natural beauty, but there is such a strong support for the arts that you don’t find in other places.”
Harvey is from Buffalo, N.Y., and attended Marymount Manhattan College. He has lived in New York City since 2017.
“I love this community,” Harvey said. “Especially the community at this Playhouse. We are able to walk that thin line in theatre where, yeah, we get our work done, but we are having a blast doing it. We are able to work and enjoy this town that we are in and not a lot of people doing what we are doing are able to do that.”
Harvey describes Curtains Up! as a musical that has everything rolled into one.
“For me, this show is everything that I love about musical theatre all rolled into one show,” Harvey said. “It’s funny, you’ve got tons of group numbers with crazy harmonies and also very intimate duets and solos. There is really something for everybody.”
With more than 30 of the best musical theatre songs, Lewis said this is the play to see.
“Our music director is wonderful, and she has made arrangements specifically for this cabaret, for this group,” Lewis said. “We made this show with Highlands in mind. Yes, it’s songs that we love, but Highlands was at the forefront of why we chose these songs.”
Curtains Up! opens to the public on Aug. 19 playing until Sept. 5. Shows are scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sundays at 2 p.m.
The cast for the show is Bailey Baker, Andrew and Mary Fehrenbacher, Andrew Harvey and Jimmy Lewis.
The crew for the show includes music director Sarah Pool Wilhelm, scenic designer Sarah Klocke, costume designer Susie Williams, lighting and sound designer Ben Williams, stage manager Myjoycia Cezar, production assistants Holly Ruth Gale and John Gale, technician Dakota Barbee and technician John Coate.
For more information, visit highlandsplayhouse.org.
By Christopher Smith