My History in Pictures

Me, as myself, on stage. Now, let's raise the curtain and get on with the show!


Gotta sound good when on center stage.


Real life is so much scarier, though...

Amhal and the Night Visitors

Character: Page
Director: Anna Murdock and Ewan Mitton's ULOS (Utah Lyric Opera Society)
Location: Villa Playhouse, Springville
Year: 2007
Ewan Mitton was kind enough to give me private tutoring singing lessons along with my sister Cami.

Pictures coming soon!

Disney's Beauty & the Beast

Character: Monsieur D'arque (In black, far right)
Director: Anna Murdock
Location: Spanish Fork High School
Year: 2006
Old man character #6.
I was suffering from back problems during the run of this show so I really relied on the cane. Honestly, with my back problems, it was typecasting. My only real worry was when I had to jump off of the stage and run up the aisle at the end. Let's just say, that cane had to move as quickly as I could!
My wife and I also had to drive for an hour to get to the theater for practices and performances as we live now in Salt Lake, an hour away from Spanish Fork.
That's dedication!

Plotting the fate of Belle's father with Gaston and LeFou.


Nothing like a town riot to bring a conniving plot into fruition...

Annie

Character: Drake the Butler, Radio Puppeteer, and Ensemble
Director: Anna Murdock
Location: Villa Playhouse, Springville
Year: 2000
Does this count as being triple-cast?

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Character: Brother
Director: Anna Murdock
Location: Spanish Fork High School
Year: 2000
When my mom brought the performance a few years later to our home town we hoped for the same incredible crowds that we saw in Payson. Unfortunately, neither the repeat performance, power, or energy could rekindle the spark in our former audience that we loved so much. Still, it was the best darn "Joseph..." that Spanish Fork had ever seen!


My director mother also entrusted me in this performance with the Baker solo! "A solo would be NICE!!!"

For both runs of the shows my director mom used a local, full children's choir for the show. They loved to play around backstage between scenes, were very well behaved, and sounded fabulous on stage! It wouldn't have been as powerful a show without them.

The Sound of Music

Character: Ballroom Dancer/Silly Contest Participant Dancer
Location: Scera Indoor Theater, Orem
Director: Ewan Mitton's ULOS (Utah Lyric Opera Society)
Year: 2000
The joy of being double cast is it gives you a chance to show both sides. In this case, my suave, charming side and then my silly, outrageous side.
The little girl in these tuxedo photos loved my flexibility so much she gave me a trophy - a rubber, yellow, bendable rabbit because she said I was as flexible as it was.



Laura Asay, myself, and Laura's mom.

Kids have always flocked to me. Honestly, though, it's because I keep bacon in my pocket.

Babes in Toyland

Character: Toymaker
Director: Anna Murdock
Location: Villa Playhouse Theater, Springville
Year: 1999
There were plenty of babes in Toyland.

What they didn't realize is that I was not holding the plans to the toy making machine, like I thought.

The villains were soon discovered!

Then it got a little violent in Toyland for a bit...

Castles and Dragons

Character: The Dragon Smog
Director: Anna Murdock
Location: Villa Playhouse Theater, Springville
Year: 1999
First, the Wizard Merlin. 20+ years later I'm the dragon. Talk about an identity crisis...

Over the years plenty of directors gave me the opportunity to just do my own thing. Here the director is allowing me to eat her grandson (my nephew, Scott Jensen).

As a result I ended up back in jail. I got to take my dinner with me, though.

I was mad when dinner made a break for it.

I was finally appeased when Scott brought me my favorite snack-frogs! Now that's love!

Arsenic & Old Lace

Character: Mortimer
Director: Bill Brown
Location: Villa Playhouse, Springville
Year: 1999
20 years later I gained my second romantic lead role and my first, and to date, only stage kiss. It was awkward for both of us since she was married. When the director said it had to be we fought and fought with it. She finally threw her hands up and exclaimed, "Oh, to heck with it!" She then ran over, grabbed me, and kissed me quick. That broke the ice for the rest of the run of the show.
I originally auditioned but did not get the role. There were plenty of guys whom I thought were better than me, anyway. However, the actor they chose dropped out shortly after he was chosen. I was either their second or third pick. But I don't care because I got the part!

Pictures coming soon!

Music Man

Character: Dancer/Ensemble
Director: Anna Murdock
Location: Scera Shell Outdoor Theater, Orem
Year: 1999
Ken, my sister's husband, my sister Cami, my director mother Anna, and myself.
I was doing this show at the same time of doing the made-for-tv movie, "The Ballad of Lucy Whipple." Which explains the beard. Oddly enough, it works for both time periods.

Shown here: My good friend Brian Sheets, dancer and romancer extraordinaire.
Eatin' on the fly, or should I say, between scenes...

My sister's husband Ken, myself, and my sister Cami.

"Four score and seven years ago..."

Pollyanna

Character: Thomas
Director: Carolyn Stevens
Location: Villa Playhouse, Springville
Year: 1999

Pictures coming soon!

Pirates of Penzance

Character: Pirate (Act 1), Police Sergeant (Act 2, with the red shoulder piping)
Director: Buddy Youngreen and Ewan Mitton's ULOS (Utah Lyric Opera Society)
Location: Villa Playhouse, Springville
Year: 1999

Practice makes pirates!

How I felt at the beginning of each show.

What happened during each show.

Where I felt I belonged at the end of each show (the box is a sarcophagus).

I'm the one, stage right, in red, in the tub.
There's no privacy on a pirate ship...


Privacy and dignity all walk the plank when the pirates pull pranks!


The only solution is to high-tail it stage right... best speed possible!


The penalty for thinking their joke gone a bit too far; taken a lot longer and farther than originally intended!

Always at attention when the lady summons.

However, it's hard to stay at attention when said lady has us humming... without any breath break intending!

Bringing the troops to arms!

You guys face the pirates on stage right! I'm leaning to go the other way... stage left!

Ah, the joy of choreographed stage combat chaos!
At the end of this show I was invited by to audition for the Villa's upcoming performance "Pollyanna" by the writer of the script, Brian Sheet's mom. After the practices had begun I was then invited to audition for Payson's upcoming parody performance "The Pirated Penzance." They wanted me to reprise my role in a parody situation. I told them 'the show must go on' and felt dedicated to "Pollyanna" but I have always wished I had joined their show.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Character: Brother
Director: Kathleen Nut
Location: Villa Playhouse, Springville
Year: 1999
In a high energy show it's always fun to come up with small tidbits to use in performances. Unfortunately, some actors began to steal my bits so I was forced to always reinvent myself.
I was stopped after one performance by a member of ULOS (The Utah Lyric Opera Society) and was invited to audition for their upcoming performance of "The Pirates of Penzance." This began my long and close connection with that outstanding group and the wonderful spirit of my good friend Ewan Mitton.

Pictures coming soon!

Midsummer Night's Dream

Character: Snout/Wall
Director: Kathleen Nut
Location: Villa Playhouse, Springville
Year: 1999
I met my good friend Brian Sheets while doing this show. That's him, on his knees, to the right.
I made a New Year's Resolution that year to do as many shows within the year as I could. By the close of the year I did 7 shows consecutively and at least one big movie shoot.
At the end of this show I was invited by Kathleen Nut to audition for the Villa's upcoming performance "Joseph and the Amazing, Technicolor Dreamcoat."

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Character: Brother
Director: Anna Murdock
Location: Payson High School
Year: 1995
Nothing like this show can bring a tear to my eye and gallons of sweat to my forhead at the same time. This performance had people standing in the aisles and the crowds demanded an extra performace. I was so dead tired by the very end I ran on auto-pilot through that last performance. I will never forget the energy and fevor that came from that show or the power and emotion the audience gave us for it.
Simply awesome.