Posted: 8/23/15 at 12:15pm
Picture it. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The steamy, hot summer of 1983. I was thirteen years old and, the previous Christmas, I had been gifted by my parents with a full-season subscription to Melody Top Theatre. Finally, I would have my own canvas-backed seat inside one of America's last star-driven, summer-stock tent theatres! Even though I had already seen a national tour of ANNIE, I was looking forward to seeing it again – along with six other musicals that were brand-new to me: BARNUM; GEORGE M!; PROMISES, PROMISES; LITTLE ME; SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS; and THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG. And while I thoroughly enjoyed seeing guest stars like Larry Kert; Peggy Cass; Eddie Mekka; Desi Arnaz, Jr.; Arte Johnson; Jason Kincaid; and Robert Walden, a Midwestern woman by the name of Ann Arvia really taught me what musical theatre performance is all about. In what may only be described as a grand feat of showmanship, Ann played leads (Chairy in BARNUM and Fran in PROMISES, PROMISES), a semi-lead (Grace in ANNIE), a supporting role (Fay Templeton in GEORGE M!) and small parts (Ramona in LITTLE ME, Martha in SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS and a Voice of Sonia Walsk in THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG). Singing, dancing and overflowing with charm – a word found in almost every one of her positive reviews – Ann captivated local audiences with her performances over the course of three short months. Thirty-two years later, I'm thrilled to share some memories of Ann on my Melody Top website, including pictures of her with John Raitt, Jack Gilford, Eddie Bracken and Barry Williams. Follow the link in this message to learn more about the start of Ann's impressive musical stage career, which now includes Broadway credits in the original production of LES MISERABLES, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and MARY POPPINS.
http://memoriesofmelodytop.com/pictures2.html
