And so it ends...

This weekend will be the first weekend we will not have a show up at Starlight. It is an odd feeling. You grow so accustomed to something that when it has disappeared, you can hardly get used to the vacancy. So firstly, I should apologize for this being my first post on the blog. I love being busy, and I really thought I would make time to write more often, but I usually forgot or didn't have anything really to say. So Starlight this summer was quite the experience, and I would like to talk about some of the actors and what they showed me this summer. Brittney Carlson (now Fekete') was one of my best friends this summer. She is wise, beautiful and wonderful. Katie Roundy was also a brilliant friend this summer and I want her to know how much it meant to me that we could talk and be as close as we were. Dugan Jackman, who I am sure you all know was an awesome choreographer and I think my favorite part of the summer was when he ran on stage after hearing the dinner bell in Seven Brides only to find that Adam had used the bell as an example for Millie. His look of disappointment was CLASSIC! His best friend Garret was absolutely incredible. He definitely inspired me to be more adventurous. Seriously, get this. He learned how to do a pretty prefect back-handspring in about 30 seconds. Pretty impressive. Abby Howard also inspired me to be more daring when it came to tricks because she was the first one to try all the lifts, and 99.9% of the time, she got them perfectly. Her sister Sarah and her brother BJ were also so wonderful. Their family let me stay with them some weekends and they became like another family for me. Speaking of family, what about the Davis'? Skye and Michelle are such a wonderful couple. Skye was almost the older brother I never had, and while I didn't really get to know Michelle on a personal level, I did get to witness her enormous talents, especially vocally. It was incredible to be working with someone who could sing so gorgeously with such little effort. Gracie and Maya are two of the most GORGEOUS girls I have ever met! It always gave me such joy when Gracie would run up and jump on me after every show giving me a great big hug. Maya was such a joy because she constantly had a smile on her face and is just so sporty! Congrats on Varsity by the way! Sawyer was awesome too- I loved that he always liked being chorus- it made being in the background an absolute blast! He was a great dance partner too. Ed and Jan- well I am sure you all know them pretty well, but aren't they wonderful? Simply lovely, I think. Who is next? How about Claire Marx? She has the biggest blue eyes I have ever seen and she is sooooo gorgeous! She just started college and we wish her the best of luck! Tim is back at school with me and doing very well. He is so talented and it was a pleasure to watch him grow this summer. Oh yeah, that's what Tim said. There is also Spencer Smith- what a boy! All I can say is that I have finally met my match making funny faces on stage, not only that, but if it were a competition, he would win! And then there is Jared Fillingim. Well, love that boy to death and I think my favorite memory is when he kissed his manikin head! I totally have a picture! Woot! Well that covers the core kids plus a few Davis kids and the Davis parents, but I hope it gives you an insight as to what our crazy summer was like. I love these people and I wish them all the best in the future! 

-Francesca Mintowt-Czyz

Getting ready for the 2009 Season!!!

We are back and so ready for this summer season. I ran down to the theatre and took some pictures so you can see the make over that the stage is undergoing. We have a great group of actors this season (a lot of new faces) and they are all so excited to get an audience up here. Our season kicks off this year with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opening this weekend (May 29th). With only 10 performances you won't want to wait to get your tickets. For those of you who have seen Joseph before here at Starlight, are in for a treat. With all new costumes and choreography it is going to be a fan favorite. Also now is a good time to nab those Season Passes. We now offer Senior and child prices on all season passes.

We are down to our very last sheep. Some of the brothers in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamCoat.

Joseph getting attacked by the girls of Pharaoh's Court.

New Marquee's for this seasons shows outside the Box Office.

Can't wait to see everyone up in the Mountains! Don't forget to get your tickets soon!

Dugan

Thank You and Goodbye

As we make our way much too quickly through closing week, nostalgia tugs at my heartstrings. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful summer. It has been a time of rest and healing for me after a rough junior year in a very rigorous acting program. It has been 3 months of playing and laying around, as well as of growth and learning. I feel blessed to have been a part of the Starlight cast of 2008 and to have had the privilege of working with so many wonderful people and I will never forget the amazing time I had this summer.

Thanks to Ed for giving me this gift of Starlight for my second season, for Tess and the Fairy Godmother and Aunt Eller (yes, even her) and for Milly most of all. Thank you for days and nights of endless rehearsals and for rafting the Canyons and for a Grandma and Grandpa and for fixed tap shoe heels and paychecks and magic tricks. Thank you for your warmth and love and support and faith.

Thanks to Angie (and Dale) for being my adopted family while I am so far from my natural family. Thank you for Sunday dinners and peace signs in church and grocery lists made at inappropriate times and for oreo cookies and lemonade pie and unrealistic 80's movies and too many kittens and a home. Thank you for your big heart and friendship and shared loved of efficiency and home cooking.

Thank you to my fellow cast members for being friends and jokesters and talented and quirky. Thanks for 5 bricks, so's Dorcas Bixby, call me when you get there, effing cheer, Bowzer's Big Bow, who do I love...all of you, how bout stiff upper lip, and mooo. Thanks for NOT poking my baby and for knowing what I meant when I said "raspberry custard and ...apple...sauce" and for nights at the Dog and going to the hot springs and for reading "Oh The Places You'll Go" to me and for holding hands in the circle and promising to stand by me forever as you can count on me to stand by you. I wish you all the best in whatever future endeavors you undertake and hope you will find happiness and success in your lives.

Thank you also to the wonderful patrons we were blessed with this season, both those returning from seasons past and also our new audience members. I hope your evenings with us were as enjoyable and fun for you and your families as they were for us. We have loved making you smile and laugh this summer and hope we brought you the kind of entertainment you'll come back for again and again. Thank you to everyone who found a way to donate to Starlight this year; it is your generosity that keeps our doors open and allows us the opportunity to do what we love.

I can not express my gratitude to everyone who made this summer the unforgettable experience it has been for me. Keep in touch and watch out for me someday. Many thanks and much love.

-Jersey

A day off....sort of

So it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and Scot has no idea what to do. Lo and behold, an opportunity arises to dress like a pirate and throw candy at small children, so what does he do? I think we all know. Unfortunately the dozens of children were all equipped with squirt guns and buckets and such, and things got ugly in a hurry. So Scot spent an hour or two locked in deadly water combat with his fellow pirates and many, many children. Eventually children were bribed to join the pirates, so everything worked out just fine. All in all a great way to spend what might have been a lazy day in the park.

And I was mocked for only being an ordinary pirate and not a famous one. Pirates at the bottom get no respect. (I'm the one in the white.)

scot with one t

Time is running out

For all of you folks who've been thinking, "Hey, I should really get up to Garden Valley this summer and see a Starlight show," your time is running out! After tonight we only have two, count 'em two!, weeks left of our summer season. Two weeks to catch Crazy For You, Cinderella or Oklahoma! on the Starlight stage. You do have a couple of weekends after that to see Let's Murder Marsha, but don't miss out on your Starlight fix for the summer! Otherwise you'll be waiting for nine long months to get another chance, and it won't be the same fabulous shows with the same amazing casts! Really, if you've been planning on coming up (or coming up again) this summer, don't blow it. You've only got two weeks left...

scot with one t

Summer Dance Camp!

This past week I taught two wonderful groups of girls ballet and hip hop at the Garden Valley Fitness Center. I had such a great time working with all of my sweet, talented girls and I only hope they had half as much fun as I did. The first class was the 4-7 year old ballet class and my little ballerinas were Ruby, Lydia, Benny, Katerry and Andrea and we danced to Bobby Darin's "Baby Face." Oh my gosh, they were fall-on-the-floor adorable. My big girls, 8-12 year old hip hop, consisted of Kate, Zoe, Annika, Chloe, Meridith, Cheyenne and Emily and we danced to "Imma Shine" by YoungBloodz to which I choreographed a VERY challenging routine which the girls truly rose to the occasion to master. I was so proud of all of their hard work.

By the way, I'm still searching for a way to get the videos scot so kindly taped for us of our final performances up here so everyone can watch them, but have yet to have any success. Take my word that they are very impressive and adorable until you can see for yourselves.

Thank you to all parents for sharing your wonderful girls with me this week. It has been such a pleasure working with them. I hope they will all continue dancing in the future.

YouTube is Nifty

So if anyone out here is interested in seeing some of my vocal work away from Starlight you can search my name " stefanie londino" on http://www.youtube.com/ and find my two singing finals. I have very little else interesting to report except that I am slowly falling in love with Garden Valley. City-grown Jersey girl becoming endeared to a tiny Idaho town and its warm-hearted inhabitants ...God, its the premise for a corny Lifetime movie. Sigh. Gosh, the summer is running by. I'm already getting that bitter taste in my mouth about how much I'm going to miss these last 3 months. It has been wonderful and I will never forget it for the rest of my life. Hopefully I am ready to go back and face the music.

Stay on Target!

So I was in Target the other day and saw something that is pretty much fabulous, so I took a picture so everyone can enjoy.

I also got a very nice polo shirt for only $6.50. Target is indeed a wonderful place...

scot with one t