Dates/times:
Thursday, September 22 2016 at 07:00 PM (Get Tickets)
Location:
Southhall-Moore House
218 E Tuscaloosa St
Florence, AL 35630
Event Description:
Optidefno Brings Broadway to the Shoals in Way The Heck Off Broadway!
Optidefno, a theatre company founded in 1997 by Eli Flippen, Rick Richey, and Richard Wallace, is returning to the Shoals in a big way. The mission of Optidefno is to bring the Shoals area’s premier arts: Music, Fashion, and Visual Art together in collaborative theatre productions. Led by Artistic Director, Richard Wallace, Optidefno seeks to tap into the many talents the Shoals has to offer and produce innovative and professional quality productions.
To kick off the company’s renaissance, Optidefno will be hosting a Broadway style cabaret entitled Way The Heck Off Broadway at 7:00 PM on September 22nd at The Southall-Moore House, part of the Kennedy-Douglas Arts Center at 209 Tuscaloosa Street in downtown Florence. The event is emceed by Richard Wallace a veteran emcee of Broadway style cabarets produced at New York City's Don’t Tell Mama’s, The Duplex, and New York University. With a varied selection of Broadway standards and contemporary hits, Way the Heck Off Broadway features Florence native and New York-based actress Ashlie Roberson, nationally renowned baritone, Daniel Seigel, and Atlanta/Birmingham-based actor Caleb Clark. The trio will be accompanied by Katie Holmes, Director of Music/RMTC Conservatory at The Red Mountain Theatre Company in Birmingham.
Tickets include light hors d'eouvres and wine!
Ashlie Roberson was born and raised in Florence, Alabama, attended Florence High School and graduated from the University of Alabama and now resides in New York City. As a professional actress, Ashlie has performed in 48 states and in Canada numerous national tours. In New York City, she has performed in numerous productions, cabarets, and workshops, most recently a new musical called Brass Heart which will open Off-Broadway in January. Favorite roles include: Nellie in South Pacific, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Annabelle/ Pamela in The 39 Steps, Georgie in The Full Monty, Caroline in Titanic, June Carter in Ring of Fire, Prudie Cupp in Pump Boys and Dinettes.
Daniel Seigel received his degree in Theatre Performance from Birmingham-Southern, and his Master’s Degree in Voice and Graduate Performance Diploma in Opera from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was in the studio of renowned British bass-baritone John Shirley-Quirk. Daniel has performed across the country in recital and in concert, including two appearances at Carnegie Hall in 2010 and 2016. He has appeared with Opera Birmingham, Mobile Opera, opera companies up and down the east coast, Red Mountain Theatre, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Music Festival, and more.
Caleb Clark is currently a Resident Artist at Birmingham Children’s Theatre, working as an actor and teaching artist to enrich and educate through outreach programs and mainstage productions. Recent regional theatre credits include Chef Louis (Little Mermaid) at Red Mountain Theatre Company, Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) with Birmingham Music Club, Alf (Peter and the Starcatcher) at City Equity Theatre, Ladahlord (James and the Giant Peach) and Shrek (Shrek the Musical) at the Alliance Theatre; Algernon (The Importance of Being Earnest), Antonio (Illyria: A Twelfth Night Musical), and Demetrius (Midsummer Night’s Dream) at Georgia Shakespeare. In addition to a busy schedule as a concert and cabaret soloist, Caleb also maintains an active studio of voice and acting students.
Richard Wallace, Master of Ceremonies, is the Artistic Director and Co-founder of Optidefno. Currently a PhD Candidate in Theatre Studies at The University of Alabama, Richard holds an MA from NYU and a BA from Birmingham-Southern College, both in Theatre. Richard is a Florence, AL native, returning home after spending the majority of his career in New York City as an educator, administrator, and performer.