Designers With Local Ties Work on Tony-Nominated Musicals Designers With Local Ties Work on Tony-Nominated Musicals
If the March 31 call had come a day later, Will Harris would have guessed it was an April Fool’s joke. The producers of A & E’s “Biography” were asking him to be part of the recent episode about Scott Baio, the actor who found fame as Chachi Arcola on “Happy Days.”
Harris and Baio have never met but the producers uncovered an online review by Harris, associate editor of Bullz-Eye online magazine, on the 1980s’ sitcom “Charles in Charge,” starring Baio.
“I’m in no way an expert on him,” Harris said. “And I only gave the show three stars in my review.”
A production team spent two hours with Harris at his Chesapeake home, filming his comments to incorporate into the Baio episode that first ran on May 28.
The experience was novel for Harris, who said he had not appeared on TV since he was a pre-teen guest host 25 or so years ago on “Report Card,” a locally produced show on WTVZ-TV.
And ironic since “I’ve been trying to nail down an interview with Baio myself,” Harris said.
Maybe his “Biography” comments will help – or maybe he should have given Baio a five-star review years ago. hen the Tony Awards are announced next Sunday night, two local scenic designers will have to share the news long distance. Court Watson, Western Branch High 1999 grad who is currently designing sets in Vienna, Austria, and Hilary Noxon, Hickory High 1999 grad who just returned from a vacation in Paris , each worked on nominated musicals.
Watson worked on the set design for “Cry-Baby” and Noxon was part of “In the Heights,” each nominated for Best Musical as well as in other categories.
Watson and Noxon were classmates at Virginia Commonwealth University with Watson graduating at the top of the technical theater program in 2003 and Noxon right behind him, ranked second. He went on to get his MFA in 2006 at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the same year she earned her MFA from the University of Arizona School of Theatre Arts.
The young designers stay in touch in New York – and so do their proud mothers back in Hampton Roads, Sylvia Watson, who serves on the Chesapeake Planning Commission, and Deborah Wyld, Hilary’s mother, who served on the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission from 2001 to 2006. Wyld lives in Smithfield.
Chesapeake’s Singing Cowboys, the Phelps Brothers, above, will be honored at the 10th annual Phelps Brothers Music Festival at Lakeside Park in South Norfolk today from 1 to 6 p.m. Norman, Willie and Earl Phelps, who were songwriters as well as performers, grew up in South Norfolk and appeared in 17 Hollywood cowboy movies between 1937 and 1941.
The Sidekicks, The Winds of Grass, and Ed and Bobbie Beard (Willie Phelps’ daughter) will all be part of today’s tribute. The All Star Band and Joe Hoppel, Country Music DJ Hall of Famer, will bring the best of heritage country music to the afternoon.
1908
Construction began on the landmark American Theatre that opened in Hampton a year later. From 10-cent Saturday morning movies to an adult theater to a beer- and-pizza movie house, the theater had a mixed past until it was restored and opened in June 2000 as a performing arts venue.
The Virginian-Pilot
If the March 31 call had come a day later Will Harris would have guessed it was an April Fool”s joke. The producers of A & E’s “Biography” were asking him to be part of the recent episode about Scott Baio, the actor who found fame as Chachi Arcola on “Happy Days.”
Harris and Baio have never met but the producers uncovered an online review by Harris, associate editor of Bullz-Eye online magazine, on the 1980′s sitcom “Charles in Charge,” starring Baio,
“I’m in no way an expert on him,” Harris said. “And I only gave the show three stars in my review.”
A production team spent two hours with Harris at his Chesapeake home, filming his comments to incorporate into the Baio episode that first ran on May 28.
The experience was novel for Harris who said he had not appeared on TV since he was a pre-teen guest host 25 or so years ago on “Report Card,” a locally produced show on WTVZ-TV.
And ironic since “I’ve been trying to nail down an interview with Baio myself,” Harris said.
Maybe his “Biography” comments will help- or maybe he should have given Baio a five-star review years ago.
Photo in Keeping Tabs inbox
When the Tony Awards are announced next Sunday night, two local scenic designers will have to share the news long distance. Court Watson, Western Branch High 1999 grad who is currently designing sets in Vienna, Austria, and Hilary Noxon, Hickory High 1999 grad who just returned from a vacation in Paris, France, each worked on nominated musicals.
Watson worked on the set design for “Cry-Baby” and Noxon was part of “In the Heights,” each nominated for Best Musical as well as in other categories.
Watson and Noxon were classmates at Virginia Commonwealth University with Watson graduating at the top of the technical theatre program in 2003 and Noxon right behind him, ranked second. He went on to get his MFA in 2006 at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the same year she earned her MFA from the University of Arizona School of Theatre Arts.
The young designers stay in touch in New York – and so do their proud moms back in Hampton Roads, Sylvia Watson, who serves on the Chesapeake Planning Commission, and Deborah Wyld, Hilary’s mom, who served on the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission from 2001 to 2006. Wyld now lives in Smithfield.
Photo in KT inbox
If you glimpsed a small crowd running roadside with a torch this past week, chances are they were part of the 23rd Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run, raising money for the Special Olympics Virginia.
Norfolk Sheriff Robert J. McCabe serves as the project’s Region 3 director covering most of southeastern Virginia. This year 3,000 officers across the state volunteered to run 2,000 miles carrying torches to the University of Richmond for the opening of the 2008 Summer Games on Friday .
Locally the torch run began at the south end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and passed throughVirginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Isle of Wight before the runners drove over the James River Bridge to continue the run on the peninsula.
Photo of McCabe in Kt inbox
Chesapeake’s Singing Cowboys, the Phelps Brothers, will be honored at the 10th annual Phelps Brothers Music Festival at Lakeside Park in South Norfolk today from 1 to 6 p.m. Norman, Willie and Earl Phelps, who were songwriters as well as performers, grew up in South Norfolk and appeared in 17 Hollywood cowboy movies between 1937 and 1941.
Before their deaths, the brothers brought other country music stars to the area while they continued to play clubs and radio shows. Norman Phelps’ claim to fame was co-writing “Back in the Saddle,” Gene Autry’s signature song.
The Sidekicks, The Winds of Grass, and Ed and Bobbie Beard (Willie Phelps’ daughter) will all be part of today’s tribute. The All Star Band, an ad hoc collection of local country music legends, and Joe Hoppel, Country Music D J Hall of Famer, will bring the best of heritage country music to the afternoon.
File art of the Phelps or Joe Hoppel
By the numbers
1908 – construction began on the landmark American Theatre that opened in Hampton a year later. From 10-cent Saturday morning movies to an adult theater to a beer and pizza movie house, the theater had a mixed past until it was restored and opened in June 2000 as a performing arts venue.
9,500 – youth and adult competitors were expected to kick sand along the Virginia Beach oceanfront this weekend at the North American Sand Soccer Championships. Another 300 signed up to tussle in beach wrestling, with hundreds of other sandy sports fans competing in the coed flag football, beach rugby and beach lacrosse.
$29.95 – price of a lavish Swan Terrace Father’s Day Brunch at the Founder’s Inn. But for active military dads with valid military ID, the Dad’s Day meal is on the house. In case granddad is along, seniors get a 10 percent discount and kids eat for $10.95. 9,500
Youth and adult competitors were expected to kick sand along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront this weekend at the North American Sand Soccer Championships. Another 300 signed up to tussle in beach wrestling, with hundreds of other sandy sports fans competing in the coed flag football, beach rugby and beach lacrosse. $29.95
Price of a lavish Swan Terrace Father’s Day Brunch at the Founder’s Inn. But for active military dads with valid military ID, the Dad’s Day meal is on the house. In case granddad is along, seniors get a 10 percent discount and kids eat for $10.95. If the March 31 call had come a day later, Chesapeake resident Will Harris would have guessed it was an April Fool’s joke. The producers of A & E’s “Biography” were asking him to be part of the recent episode about Scott Baio, the actor who found fame as Chachi Arcola on “Happy Days.”
Harris and Baio have never met but the producers uncovered an online review by Harris, associate editor of Bullz-Eye online magazine, on the 1980s’ sitcom “Charles in Charge,” starring Baio.
“I’m in no way an expert on him,” Harris said. “And I only gave the show three stars in my review.”
A production team spent two hours with Harris at home, filming his comments to incorporate into the Baio episode that first ran on May 28.
The experience was novel for Harris, who said he had not appeared on TV since he was a pre-teen guest host 25 or so years ago on “Report Card,” a locally produced show on WTVZ-TV.
And ironic since “I’ve been trying to nail down an interview with Baio myself,” Harris said.
Maybe his “Biography” comments will help – or maybe he should have given Baio a five-star review years ago. hen the Tony Awards are announced on June 15, two local scenic designers will have to share the news long distance. Court Watson, Western Branch High 1999 grad who is currently designing sets in Vienna, Austria, and Hilary Noxon, Hickory High 1999 grad who just returned from a vacation in Paris , each worked on nominated musicals.
Watson worked on the set design for “Cry-Baby” and Noxon was part of “In the Heights,” each nominated for Best Musical as well as in other categories.
Watson and Noxon were classmates at Virginia Commonwealth University with Watson graduating at the top of the technical theater program in 2003 and Noxon right behind him, ranked second. He went on to get his MFA in 2006 at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the same year she earned her MFA from the University of Arizona School of Theatre Arts.
The young designers stay in touch in New York – and so do their proud mothers back in Hampton Roads, Sylvia Watson, who serves on the Chesapeake Planning Commission, and Deborah Wyld, Hilary’s mother, who served on the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission from 2001 to 2006. Wyld lives in Smithfield.
Chesapeake’s Singing Cowboys, the Phelps Brothers, above, will be honored at the 10th annual Phelps Brothers Music Festival at Lakeside Park in South Norfolk today from 1 to 6 p.m. Norman, Willie and Earl Phelps, who were songwriters as well as performers, grew up in South Norfolk and appeared in 17 Hollywood cowboy movies between 1937 and 1941.
The Sidekicks, The Winds of Grass, and Ed and Bobbie Beard (Willie Phelps’ daughter) will all be part of today’s tribute. The All Star Band and Joe Hoppel, Country Music DJ Hall of Famer, will bring the best of heritage country music to the afternoon. 1908
Construction began on the landmark American Theatre that opened in Hampton a year later. From 10-cent Saturday morning movies to an adult theater to a beer- and-pizza movie house, the theater had a mixed past until it was restored and opened in June 2000 as a performing arts venue. 9,500
Youth and adult competitors were expected to kick sand along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront this weekend at the North American Sand Soccer Championships. Another 300 signed up to tussle in beach wrestling, with hundreds of other sandy sports fans competing in the coed flag football, beach rugby and beach lacrosse. $29.95
Price of a lavish Swan Terrace Father’s Day Brunch at the Founders Inn. But for active-military dads with valid military ID, the Dad’s Day meal is on the house. In case granddad is along, seniors get a 10 percent discount and kids eat for $10.95.
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