In Trousers

Egads! Theatre is teaming with Spinning Tree Theatre to put on a sort of "Kansas City Mini Finn Fest" featuring two shows from William Finn. Spinning Tree will be producing Make Me A Song, Finn's most recent work in April after Egads! brings you Finn's first commercial work, In Trousers.

Spinning Tree Theatre debuts with the Midwest premiere of Off-Broadway’s hit revue celebrating the music of Tony Award-winner William Finn. Soaring with beauty and wit, Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn is passionate and hilarious, overflowing with “Heart and Music”.

In a word, it’s Finntastic!
- Variety

Katie Karel (Sweetheart) has been living in Kansas City for two years. Since her move, she's been able to maintain a relative level of busytude, both in theatre and out. Credits include: Janet-Rocky Horror (Eubank Productions), Ivy-bare (Unicorn Theatre), Lucinda-Into The Woods (KC Rep) Bird Girl- Seussical, Isablle-U:BUG:ME, Adele-Life on The Mississippi, Millicent-Lucky Duck (Coterie Theatre), Widow Douglas-Big River, John Rutledge-1776 (Musical Theatre Heritage). Katie has worked with Moises Kauffman (The Laramie Project, I Am My Own Wife), Bill Russell (Sideshow), and Henry Krieger (Dreamgirls). She is proud to have been in two original staged productions at the Coterie (U:BUG:ME, Life on the Mississippi) one of which has been published, U:BUG:ME. Up next Katie can be seen as the title role in Evita for Musical Theatre Heritage. Thank you to (you know who you are) and (everyone I forgot to mention). You can dig up more dirt at www.katiekarel.com. Enjoy the show!

Shelby Floyd (Miss Goldberg)is a newcomer to the professional theater world. She became connected with Egads! Theatre after working with Steven in JCCC's productions of Into the Woods (The Witch) and The Rocky Horror Show (Magenta). She is 19 years old and grew up in Overland Park, KS. Other favorite roles include Natalie/Ed in All Shook Up and Julia Guglia in The Wedding Singer at Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park. She also loves writing and singing her own music. Look her up on youtube and facebook.

Jared Hill (Marvin) is a graduate of Missouri State University with a B.F.A. degree in Musical Theatre Performance and is finishing a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Missouri – Kansas City; he is also a member of Actors' Equity Association: Equity Membership Candidacy program. This is Jared's début in the Kansas City theatre circuit and he’s excited to be working with such a wonderful group of individuals on the Kansas City premier of, In Trousers.
Some of his favorite roles include: Cyrano - and later Christian - in Cyrano de Bergerac; Bat Boy in Bat Boy: The Musical; Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Jeff Bennet in I Love You Because; and Kreon in Oedipus Rex. Jared is also a contributor to Civic Engagement and Public Affairs having affiliation with organizations such as Student Community Action Team - where he served as President for one term; Student Service Learning Leaders; and Midwest Campus Compact Citizen-Scholar Fellows Program – a branch of AmeriCorps. Jared extends his deepest love and thanks to his family, loved ones, and mentors on this wonderful journey; without each life would not be the same. Also to the patrons and those in attendance for giving us this opportunity to share this piece and our passion; thank YOU and I hope you enjoy this experience!

Molly Denninghoff (Wife) holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from Stephens College in Columbia, MO. She has been seen in several productions throughout Kansas City, most recently including This Is How It Goes at The Living Room, Eating Raoul for Egads! Theatre Company, Alice in Wonderland at the Nelson Atkins for Bellenwhissle Productions, and Frindle at the Coterie Theatre. Molly also holds a Kevin Kline Award nomination for "most outstanding supporting actress in a musical" for her work in Quilters at the Avalon Theatre in St. Louis, MO. Up next you can catch Molly as Dainty June in the Musical Theatre Heritage production of Gypsy! She sends her love and thanks to her friends, family, and the Eubanks!

"In Trousers" a musical by William Finn presented by Egads! Theatre Company was performed at the Off Center Theatre from March 11 through March 26, 2011. Here is the original web page as it looked then, plus some additonal photos and video assembled after the show had closed.

IN TROUSERS
a Musical by William Finn

A Kansas City premiere, this contemporary one-act musical from the composer of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A New Brain and Falsettos centers on the self-indulgent, neurotic Marvin (in the first of three "Marvin musicals" including March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland), who has a wife and a son and a lover (we discover). The story is simple: when things get too hot for Marvin in his current situation, he reverts to his fourteen year-old self, recalling his past relationships with his high school sweetheart and his high school English teacher, Miss Goldberg, who always wore dark glasses. Told through songs, the show (zigs or jogs) in and out of Marvin's confused adolescence and his status-quo marriage as he is torn between his fantasies of "kissing men" and his desire to maintain his family-life as he knows it; Marvin ultimately makes the decision he feels is best for him.
This show is recommended for teens and adults.