Travolta, Bannon return for four ‘Love Letters’
It’s been a week for alumni of Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre.
First up is Cheyenne Jackson’s homecoming concert Tuesday at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. But of course, if you’ve gotten this deep into the Sunday Today section, you know all about that.
Then during the last week of May, Lake City Playhouse will host “Love Letters,” A.R. Gurney’s popular story of a lifelong love reveled through two people’s letters to each other. Ellen Travolta and Jack Bannon, also veterans of CST, are returning to roles they love for one weekend only, with proceeds to benefit the playhouse and the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. Four shows are planned May 29 through May 31. Tickets are $25 and are available through the Lake City Playhouse box office or online at lakecityplayhouse.org. Phone number is (208) 667-1323 and the theater is at 1320 E. Garden Ave.
We’ll have more on this show in 7 on Friday.
One more CST veteran, longtime music director Steven Dahlke, won’t be with the theater company this year. But he and his family do plan on returning to the Lake City this summer to once again run their Jazz Hands children’s theater camp, this year at the Unity Church, 4465 N. 15th St. in Dalton Gardens. Dahlke and his partner, actor-choreographer Christopher Moll, have run the camp for five years. Dahlke, who was with CST for 18 years, teaches music at Queensborough Community College in New York.
“Coeur d’Alene is a like a second home. It would be unthinkable to not spend at least a month there every summer,” Dahlke said. “We had plans of Ella (their daughter) growing up there during the summer, and we don’t want to change that.”
The two sessions for children as young as 8 will run in late July and early August. For details and to register, visit http://christophermoll.com/ or visit Jazz Hands Children’s Theatre on Facebook.
Jackson extra
Here’s one little tidbit from the Cheyenne Jackson interview that didn’t make the story, but seems relevant here.
Not too long ago, Jackson was performing at Birdland, the famous New York City jazz club. He told the audience about growing up in the Inland Northwest and mentioned Coeur d’Alene.
“I heard this laugh that was familiar, and I looked over and it was Roger Welch,” Jackson said.
Welch, the former Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater artistic director fired last year, has relocated to New York.
“I hadn’t seen him for so long,” Jackson said. “So I called him out and thanked him for hiring me for ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.’ ”