By Anna Corbett-Neal, Co-Editor-in-Chief
When Newman’s production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Carousel” starts its four-show run tonight, audience members may not recognize most of the main cast.
Though freshman Danielle Brown was cast to play the lead female role of Julie Jordan, the other four main acting roles all will be filled by community members. Among them is Max Dutton, an anchor and reporter for KWCH Channel 12 news in Wichita and the host of the show “Kansas Now.” He’ll play the lead male role of Billy Bigelow.
Other main roles will be played by experienced local actors Catherine Vessey (Carrie Pipperidge) and Braden Sweet (Enoch Snow). Rebekah Schwartz, a 2023 Newman graduate and former theater department member, will play Nettie Fowler.
Nine Newman students auditioned for the play, and though all were cast, Danielle Brown was the only one who landed a lead role (one dropped out after being cast).
Mannette, Newman’s theatre director, said that “Carousel” requires a large cast, and the production he is directing is made up of about 28 adults and five children. That required him to look for actors outside of Newman’s small theater department, he said.
“We’ve had youth members from the community in recent productions, but this is the first time we've really opened up the auditions to the community,” he said.
Auditions were put on in late August, and those who tried out were asked to prepare 15 bars of a song from a Broadway musical and be ready to read from the “Carousel” script.
Casting the show wasn’t easy, Mannette said. During auditions, he saw talented performers both from Newman and from outside Newman.
“I wanted to keep an open mind to everything,” he said. “If I have a Newman student who is as talented as the person that they're up against, then I would give priority to the Newman student.”
Still, some of the Newman actors performing in the play were not happy about being passed over in favor of actors who aren’t affiliated with Newman.
Junior Steven Brown, who played the lead role in Newman’s recent production of “Tom, Dick & Harry,” said that although he is content with his “Carousel” roles of second policeman, ruffian and heavenly friend, some of his student cast mates felt slighted.
He understands why.
“We are a Newman production,” he said. “We are mostly Newman theater. If we’re going to do a Newman production, we should primarily have Newman students in lead roles.”
Mannette said that performing with actors who come from outside of Newman will provide an opportunity for growth for Newman’s student actors.
“They're getting a lot out of the experience,” he said. “I think it's a wonderful opportunity for them to work with people that they wouldn't get a chance to work with normally and learn from these other people as well.”
Steven Brown said that what bothers him most about the casting is the impression it could give high-school age actors who might be considering Newman. He remembers visiting Newman when he was a high school senior in 2022 and seeing “Dracula.” He was impressed by the student leads in the play.
“They were really great performers, and I was like, ‘These could be my peers who can help me,’” he said. “And that played a bit of a part in me coming to Newman.
“Carousel” follows the story of a carousel barker, Billy Bigelow, and a mill worker, Julie Jordan, as they fall in love. The main characters go on a journey that includes tragedy and finding their way back to each other.
The show’s musical director is Mary Ellen Swords, Newman’s new assistant director of music. The show will feature a live orchestra directed by Newman’s new accompanist and assistant professor of music David Perez.
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in DeMattias Performance Hall. Admission for Newman students is free. General tickets are $15, $10 for senior citizens, faculty, staff and military members, and $5 for non-Newman students with student IDs.
PHOTO: Anna Corbett-Neal, Co-Editor-in-Chief
