OC Register Interviews Winter Wonderettes Director, Roger Bean

By Paul Hodgins
OC Register
November 25, 2009

Over the last few years, Roger Bean's life has been pretty much taken over by four modestly talented female singers who call themselves the Wonderettes.

Bean, a playwright and director, admits that he spends more time than he ever imagined dealing with his fictional creations, who hail from Springfield (Bean chose that hometown because it's the most common name for an American city – he wants the Wonderettes to be from nowhere and everywhere).

"In the last couple of years, my life has mostly been taken up with Wonderettes-related stuff," said Bean, who has spent several weeks preparing "Winter Wonderettes" for a production at the Laguna Playhouse, where it opens Nov. 28. "Recently there have been 'Wonderette' shows in New York and Chicago and Florida and Hawaii."

Last year, local audiences got their first taste of the winsome foursome when the original incarnation of the show, "The Marvelous Wonderettes," played at the Laguna Playhouse.

The Wonderettes are catty, vindictive, backbiting and blithely egotistical. They're also the best of friends who have been performing as close-harmony singers since high school.

The group consists of Missy, the prim, level-headed one, easily the quartet's most talented singer; Cindy Lou, a statuesque beauty with a sultry delivery and that annoying sense of entitlement beautiful people exude; excitable Betty Jean, whose got some creative differences with Cindy Lou; and Suzy, a gum-chewing, lovable bimbo who has a budding romance going with Richie, the guy who runs the show's lights and isn't afraid of demonstrating his luminous love from the tech booth.

"Winter Wonderettes" is a sequel of sorts to "The Marvelous Wonderettes," which begins in 1958 when the four girls are still in high school and ends 10 years later, when life has started to deliver its tribulations and rewards.
"'Winter Wonderettes' takes place about six months after the first play ends," Bean said. "There's a little bit of movement that's happened. You find out that Missy, who got proposed to onstage, has been married. Richie is married to Suzy. She's had twins and she's pregnant again. She's turning into a baby factory."

The story is set in Harper's Hardware, where Betty Jean has worked since high school. The Wonderettes have transformed the drab place into a Yuletide-themed wonderland. Mr. Harper is due to appear at the end of the evening as Santa Claus, as he does every year to hand out everyone's eagerly anticipated Christmas bonus envelope.

But this year, Harper is a no-show. Betty Jean runs off to find him but comes back with the envelopes instead. Everyone opens them to discover not cash but pink slips. Harper's Hardware is closing its doors forever.
"I think everyone will really identify with that part of the show this year," said Bean, who penned "Winter Wonderettes" back in 2003 when unemployment was far less of an issue than it is today.

Bean is quick to reassure us that things aren't as dire as they appear. It was never his intention to delve into heavy issues with the Wonderettes franchise.

"I wanted to steer clear of the weightier things happening at the time. Getting into the Vietnam War, for example, would have been too rough for this little jukebox world I created."

One hallmark of Bean's shows is his use of period music, both popular and obscure, to define the Wonderettes' style and help tell their stories. "Winter Wonderettes" contains traditional Christmas carols, midcentury pop songs that everyone knows and a few not-so-familiar tunes as well: "The Man With the Bag," "Run, Rudolph, Run," "Christmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day" and "Suzy Snowflake."

"I go through a lot of songs when I put these shows together," Bean said. "I listen to them over and over, and stories begin to take shape. I think, 'I'd love to have this song in the show. Whose story does it fit into?' After many listenings the solution will come to me about how the songs could be part of somebody's story line."

Bean once thought that the success of the Wonderettes would give him a certain amount of free time. No such luck.

"I run my own licensing company now, which looks after the Wonderettes as well as three other shows that are my own. Every once in a while I find a short period to write something new. But the more success I have the busier I get. I used to think, 'When I get to a certain level of success I'll be able to do whatever I want.' But once you create something like this, you spend a lot of your time maintaining it."

Coastline Pilot Stuart Little Preview

Theater Preview: A Mouse is in the House
Preview by Tom Titus
November 5, 2009

There’s a mouse in the house this weekend and next — very old mouse actually, born in 1945 as a literary cousin of Charlotte the barnyard spider.

“Stuart Little: A Musical Fantasy” is the Laguna Playhouse’s youth theater production, opening tonight for a two-weekend engagement as the latest incarnation of the story created at the end of World War II by E.B. White, best known for the children’s classic “Charlotte’s Web.”

Stuart, as most kids (and many adults) are aware, is a little mouse, just two inches tall, who’s “born” into the Frederick C. Little family in New York. He’s a determined underdog trying to survive in a real people’s world.

“Yes, ‘Stuart Little’ is now a musical,” says Donna Inglima, director of the playhouse’s Youth Theater, who’s staging the production. “It should come as no surprise that this beloved story would be made into a play (in 1973) and then into a musical.”

The White book has been adapted by Joseph Robinette, with music by Ronna Frank.

“The Laguna Playhouse Youth Theater is fortunate to get the rights to produce this ‘cuter than a mouse’ piece of delicious storytelling that features absolutely adorable songs and crazy characters,” the director adds.

“It’s also interesting to note that E.B. White has written a story that’s immersed in a world that combines human and animal interaction long before Gary Larson’s (Far Side) cartoon strips became so prevalent and popular,” Inglima said.

As is the case with all youth theater productions at the playhouse, “Stuart Little” will receive a full professional staging. This show is one of a two-play subscription series of plays and musicals based on popular books or stories aimed primarily for children of elementary and middle school ages.

“The staff for each production is drawn principally from the playhouse’s Youth Conservatory Program,” Inglima explains. “Open casting is ‘age-appropriate,’ which means that young people play young people in the plays with content similar to G or PG-rated movies.”

Youngsters (and their parents) attending “Stuart Little” this weekend and next will be treated to musical numbers such as “Paddle Your Own Canoe,” “Feed Him Up,” “Size” and “Nighttime in New York.”

The latter is sang by a quartet of cats.

http://www.coastlinepilot.com/articles/2009/11/06/blogs_and_columns/on_theatre/cpt-titus110609.txt

2 Minutes of Theater: Winter Wonderttes Rehearsal

We just started a new segment called 2 Minutes of Theater with the Laguna Playhouse in which we hope to do weekly updates about upcoming shows in- you guessed it- 2 minutes or less!

Our first podcast features rehearsal footage from Winter Wonderettes and director Rodger Bean explaining what the show is about. We've got all sorts of ideas for upcoming segments. Anything you'd like to see? Leave us a comment or email ctrela@lagunaplayhouse.com

Wonderettes cast includes Bets Malone, Misty Cotton, Julie Dixon Jackson and Susannah Hall. Meghan, our host, is the girl behind this blog and many of our tweets on twitter! Thanks to Chris Trela, the Director of Communications, for the idea, filming, and editing!

Laguna Playhouse Celebrates 89!

During the October 22nd performance of "Moonlight and Magnolias," the Laguna Playhouse celebrated several special events! First, we had a very special guest come out and speak during our Stage Talk, actress Ann Rutherford, who played Scarlet O'Hara's little sister in Gone With the Wind. Stage Talk, usually when the audience asks questions to the actors and crew, was taken over by Ann's charisma and fun personality.

October 22nd also happened to mark the 89th anniversary of Laguna Playhouse! And believe it or not, Ann's 89th birthday was also later that week! We rolled out a birthday cake and the entire audience sang happy birthday to Ann and the Laguna Playhouse.

Here's some clips from the interview. More can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLagunaPlayhouse

How did you hear about the movie and get the role?


What was it like working with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh?