Interplayers opener will feature Welchs
The Interplayers Ensemble has changed its opening show in September from “Same Time Next Year” to “Painting Churches,” but that’s not the big news.
The big news is that Robert and Joan Welch have been tapped to play the lead roles in this touching family drama/comedy by Tina Howe about an aging couple, one of whom is a poet.
Bob and Joan Welch are the co-founders of Interplayers. Through their 20-year run, they established Interplayers as Spokane’s main resident professional theater and a vital cultural force. However, after handing over the reins three years ago, they have had no role in the theater. In fact, at one point, they were not allowed to set foot in the place.
That’s all over now, since Robin Stanton departed as the theater’s artistic head and Nike Imoru has taken over.
In fact, Interplayers plans on honoring the Welchs further at the end of “Painting Churches,” which runs from Sept. 9-25. The theater will dedicate the auditorium in their name, so that it will become the Robert and Joan Welch Auditorium.
Gimme the judges
A three-judge tribunal has been appointed.
By that we mean the judges for “Gimme the Mike,” the region’s homegrown version of “American Idol”:
“ Troy Nickerson — artistic director of the Spokane Theatrical Group and well-known actor and director of local musicals.
“ Sam Hill — program director of KCDA-FM (103.1, Familiar New Music and Retro Hits) and an air personality at KKZX-FM.
“ Isamu (Som) Jordan — The Spokesman-Review’s own music writer and a spoken-word performer.
As already announced, Rob Harder, the morning man at KISC-FM (KISS 98.1), will be the emcee. The show begins on July 11 at 6:30 p.m. on KHQ-6 and will continue every Sunday for six weeks.
“Gimme the Mike” will revive a genre which has been rare, if not nonexistent, since the ‘70s: a live, local entertainment show.
In a link to the past, the show will open with Deanna Sylte Lucas and Deanda Sylte Roberts singing the old Boyle Fuel jingle. They were the twins who sang that jingle every week on “Starlit Stairway,” Spokane’s beloved local TV talent show which ended in 1973.
A KREM health special
Speaking of locally produced programs, Nadine Woodward hosts “Generation at Risk: A Family Health Check Special” about the subject of childhood obesity on Wednesday at 9 p.m. on KREM-2.
This show will examine a range of social and psychological issues surrounding the subject, as well as Spokane School District 81’s handling of the issue.
TV journalists moving on
A reader wrote to ask, “What happened to Renee McCullough of KXLY-4 and Jeff Dubois from KHQ-6?”
Glad you asked.
McCullough went to KMTR-TV in Eugene, Ore. this month, where she is the station’s main anchor. Her co-anchor? Matt Templeman, also formerly of KXLY.
Dubois joined KIRO-TV in Seattle in May as a reporter. He’s back home, since he’s a Bellevue (Wash.) High School grad.
The May sweeps report
The May television sweeps ratings are in from Nielsen and the results for the news time slots are a virtual repeat of the February sweeps.
Here are the highlights:
“ KREM-2 still wins at both 5 and 6 p.m. by a comfortable margin over second-place KHQ-6 and third-place KXLY-4.
“ KHQ still wins at 11 p.m. in a squeaker over KREM, with KXLY third.
“ KHQ still wins the mornings, with KXLY second and KREM third.
“ At 10 p.m., KSKN-22 beats KAYU-28.