The spring musical my senior year of high school was Carnival, with performances April 3-5, 1975. I played Jacquot, an assistant puppeteer...a part originated on Broadway by the voice of Beauty & the Beast's Lumiere, Jerry Orbach. I was also the puppeteer and voice for the French fox, Renardo.
The show opened with my character playing a harmonica solo (something I learned to do just for this show, but using my fingers to isolate the notes, instead of my tongue and lips, like a real harmonica player would do). As we began the dress rehearsal on April 1, my solo was interrupted by the voice of someone offstage: "I want to be in the play!" The director pretended to be confused and annoyed, but it turned out the would-be cast member was the school's football coach, Mr. Huber, already wearing a strongman costume. The directors had convinced him to join the cast at the last minute.
I must have really enjoyed being in the show. The school paper quoted me as saying "Carnival was definitely a nice thing to be involved in. In all the plays I've been in, there's been a certain closeness between the cast members, but Carnival and the people in it were extra special. I liked the chance to be sensitive in a part rather than just a comical figure, and yet, Renardo allowed me to be a ham if I wanted to. I'm very happy about the whole experience."
"There were moments in the play that I'll never forget such as Dewey's intro to 'Cirque de Paris'." [Anne Dormire...which reminds me that one of MY favorite scenes was when my character listened to HER character sing "Mira". That was all I did, and it was lovely.]
"Mr. Jacquot - Don't really know what to say or how to say it, except that you're really fantastic!! The character that you've developed for Jacquot is so warm, sensitive and loving -- for me, it's just right!
"My admiration for your acting potential has jumped about 20 points during our show, and I feel very sure you're going to do extremely well in your future - just work hard!
"I think you know me pretty well, and I hope you realize that I do believe in the 'magic of the theatre,' and Renardo and Jacquot...but most of all, I believe in a super-talented guy named Dewey Roth who expresses that special magic better than anyone in our cast! Give 'em Hellems. Break a Leg - Mr. H" [Show's director and school's choir director]
