White Christmas - Performances December 19-22, 2013

Based on the beloved, timeless film, this heartwarming musical adaptation features seventeen Irving Berlin songs and a book by David Ives and Paul Blake. Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil's former army commander. The dazzling score features well known standards including Blue Skies, I Love A Piano, How Deep Is the Ocean and the perennial favorite, White Christmas.

Performances December 19-22, 2013

In 2014, CharACTers will bring seven fantastic productions to the local stage.  The shows listed below are part of the proposed season lineup and are subject to change.

*This is not an official announcement.  All shows are subject to change pending the finalization of rights.*



Surprise Musical To Be Announced! - March 2014

A surprise musical will open our 2014 Season.  We hope to be able to announce this production in the next few months.  All we can say for now is that this show would be the biggest production EVER to be produced in Etowah County.  Look out, Gasdsden!  CharACTers is preparing to bring community theatre to a whole new level!

Disney’s 101 Dalmatians KIDS - April 2014

In a loving home in the city of London, human owners Robert and Anita live happily with Dalmatian parents Pongo and Perdita as they raise their Dalmatian puppies. Everything is quiet until the monstrous Cruella De Vil, Anita's former classmate, plots to steal the puppies for her new fur coat! Join all the dogs of London as they daringly rescue the puppies from Cruella and her bumbling henchmen.

With a delightfully fun score, lovable characters, and one of the most deliciously evil villains in the Disney canon, this stage adaptation is certain to charm and delight all audiences.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf - May 2014

Winner of the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play and the 2013 Tony for Best Revival of a Play. The Broadway production of this play was a shattering and memorable experience and proclaimed the author as a major American playwright.

George, a professor at a small college, and his wife, Martha, have just returned home, drunk from a Saturday night party. Martha announces, amidst general profanity, that she has invited a young couple—an opportunistic new professor at the college and his shatteringly naïve new bride—to stop by for a nightcap. When they arrive the charade begins. The drinks flow and suddenly inhibitions melt. It becomes clear that Martha is determined to seduce the young professor, and George couldn't care less. But underneath the edgy banter, which is crossfired between both couples, lurks an undercurrent of tragedy and despair. George and Martha's inhuman bitterness toward one another is provoked by the enormous personal sadness that they have pledged to keep to themselves: a secret that has seemingly been the foundation for their relationship. In the end, the mystery in which the distressed George and Martha have taken refuge is exposed, once and for all revealing the degrading mess they have made of their lives.

Shrek the Musical – July 2014

Based on the Oscar® winning DreamWorks film that started it all, this Broadway musical brings the hilarious story of everyone's favorite ogre to dazzling new life on the stage.

In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre — not a handsome prince — shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won't shut up, a bad guy with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand...and his name is Shrek.

Full of all-new songs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, SHREK THE MUSICAL is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone!

My Son Pinocchio JR. - October 2014

Pinocchio must prove himself brave, truthful and unselfish, but what about the toymaker?  Raising a perfect child might not be as easy as it looks.  The Blue Fairy and her Fairies in Training lead Geppetto on a hilarious journey through this fractured fairytale in order to discover what it means to be "A real father."  Oscar  and GRAMMY Award - winner Stephen Schwartz adds a brand new score to the classic Disney hits, "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "I've Got No Strings."  MY SON PINOCCHIO JR. is the perfect show for a dynamic cast of middle school performers.

God of Carnage – October 2014

Winner of the 2009 Tony Award. "[A] streamlined anatomy of the human animal…delivers the cathartic release of watching other people's marriages go boom. A study in the tension between civilized surface and savage instinct, this play is itself a satisfyingly primitive entertainment." —NY Times.

A playground altercation between eleven-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters.

Wizard of Oz – December 2014

Based upon the Classical Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros.

Little Dorothy Gale of Kansas, like so many girls her age, dreams of what lies over the rainbow. One day a twister hits her farm and carries her away over the rainbow to another world. Come join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion and Toto as they travel the universe of Dorothy's imagination.

The show includes the songs Over The Rainbow, Munchkinland (Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead), If I Only Had A Brain, If I Only Had A Heart, If I Only Had The Nerve , We're Off To See The Wizard (Follow The Yellow Brick Road), The Jitterbug, and The Merry Old Land of Oz.




Season Tickets for this AWESOME season will go on sale later this year!


We hope that you are as excited as we are!  
Comment and let us know what you are the most excited about!

What an amazing night we had at our 2012 CharACTers Awards Ceremony!  It was so much fun enjoying each other’s company, reuniting with old friends, watching all the musical numbers, and seeing who won in each category that were filled with amazing talent.

The evening began with the opening song from Wicked, “No One Mourns the Wicked”, with new lyrics that announced to the audience, “Good News!  The CharACTers Awards are here!”  The song ended with me coming out in a pink ball gown and a blonde wig as Glenda as I welcomed everyone to the awards.  We then went right into a medley of all the shows that CharACTers has produced over the past five years!  It was a very emotion trip down memory lane for me personally.  Listening to songs and watching the dances from each one of these productions brought back so many memories for me and many others.  Our amazing chorus did a terrific job bringing each show to life as we quickly jumped from one show to the next. 

The rest of the evening consisted of performances from each of the 6 shows produced during the 2012 Season and a special performance from CharACTers National Award Winning Musical Theatre Troupe, CCT KIDS.  Following each performance, awards were given out to winners in a variety of categories including: Best Kiss, Best Couple, Best Orchestra, and of course, Best Actor and Actress.

The night was filled with laughter, tears, and a whole lot of love!  We even were able to enjoy an AMAZING cake baked by our very own Santana Carlton of Santana’s Studio.

The night ended with the announcement of our closing show of this season and the announcement of our proposed 2014 Season.  (I will make a separate post about this exciting news very soon.)  The chorus closed the show with a beautiful rendition of “Thank You for the Music” and a hysterical performance of “Goodbye” from The Producers.

Reliving the past FIVE YEARS OF THEATRICAL MAGIC made for a terrific evening.  I would just like to say again, thank you to each and every person who has worked so hard over the years to make this group what it is today.  May the next five years be even better.  

I love you all!

Cody Carlton – Executive Artistic Director / President

The Winners of the 2012 CharACTers Awards –

Best Show *
Peter Pan

Best Actor *
Chris Dowdy – Oliver Warbucks - Annie

Best Actress *
Santana McKinney Carlton – Peter Pan - Peter Pan

Best Supporting Actor *
Chad Miller – Rooster - Annie

Best Supporting Actress *
Sally Waldrop – Ms. Hannigan - Annie

Best Actor in the Junior Category *
Chandler Jacobs – John - Peter Pan

Best Actress in the Junior Category *
Bailey Broome – Annie - Annie

Best Supporting Actor in the Junior Category *
Payton Russell – Michael - Peter Pan

Best Supporting Actress in the Junior Category *
Ramsey Whitney – Molly - Annie

Best Newcomer Actor *
Jamie Waller – Roosevelt – Annie

Best Newcomer Actress *
Lisa Urban – Grace - Annie

Best Villain *
Jason St. John – Captain Hook - Peter Pan

Best Comedic Duo, Trio, or Quartet *
Sally Waldrop, Chad Miller, Heather Boyete – Hannigan, Rooster, Lilly - Annie

Best Cameo *
Skylar Wheat – Dewey - Legally Blonde

Best Kiss *
Santana McKinney Carlton & Rebekah Wall – Peter & Wendy (a Thimble or a Kiss) - Peter Pan

Best Overall Cast *
Annie

Best Costume Design *
Amanda Russell, Cody Carlton & Beth Grove - Peter Pan

Best Makeup and Hair Design *
Amanda Russell, Cody Carlton, Becca Whisenant - Peter Pan

Best Scenic Design *
Cody Carlton - Peter Pan

Best Ensemble *
Titanic

Best Stage Manager *
Mari Minyard - Music Man

Best Crew *
Peter Pan

Best Orchestra *
Music Man

Best Musical Number *
Ugg-A-Wugg – Peter Pan

Best Onstage Couple *
Cody Carlton & Santana McKinney Carlton – Emmett & Elle - Legally Blonde

Best Master Carpenter *
Seth Williamson - Peter Pan

Making A Difference Award 
Angie Campbell

Greetings from the stage!

Hello everyone! My name is Jacob Dowdy and I am very excited to be playing the role of Patsy in CharACTers Entertainment’s summer performance of Monty Python’s SPAMalot!

First off I suppose I should tell you a little bit about myself. I am 15 years old and attend Gadsden City High School. I love to sing and act and have been involved in the theatre since I was 8 and partook in my first show, The Jungle Book KIDS, under the direction of Cody Carlton. I’ve been in many other performances since then, some among them being Oliver!, Ragtime, Titanic: The Musical, and most recently Annie.

Theatre to most people is just a hobby, but to me and others like me, it a lifestyle. If you were to ask me what my favorite part about it was, I honestly couldn’t answer you. The answer you would probably get would be something along the lines of, “What isn’t there to like?!” You fall in love with all of it. The people you meet become family, the stage and the theatre itself becomes like a home, and the singing, dancing, and acting is like the food and drink put on your table for dinner. It is best feeling in the world to be able to come to practice and walk in to warm smiles and greetings and all the laughter you could ask for. For me you could say the theatre is what I’m addicted to, because whenever I take a break from the stage I go through what I call “theatre withdrawals” and find myself dying to get back to what I love! Whether it be back stage, out in the lobby, or on the stage performing.

Throughout my almost 8years of doing productions I’ve met friends – or rather “family” – that I hope keep throughout my whole life. People like my director, Cody Carlton, whom I have looked up to as an inspiration for many years. Being involved in an environment like this, one which inspires and is uplifting in every way, has allowed me to blossom not just socially but academically as well. I honestly believe that I would not be the person I am today without my time in the theatre and the people that I have come across along the way. They mold you; build character in you that you never knew you had before, and overall, bring out your inner “thespian” (which is without a doubt any person’s best side).

Being a part of this production is specifically special to me in the regards that I am an avid Python fan. I was first introduced to these talented men in Monty Python’s the Holy Grail when I was 11 years old and have been hooked ever since. Since that point I have become the owner of all three Python films, every aired episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, as well as special DVDs like un-aired recordings of the German productions, private and public interviews with the troupe, and Monty Python: LIVE at the Hollywood Bowl. These six men’s witty and hilarious, yet outrageous senses of humor have sent audiences to their knees crying from laughter for decades and from personal experience I can honestly say that they still do today.

This is sure to be an excited, extravagant, and entertaining show to say the least and I can’t wait for opening night! I’ll see you there! Until then, remember: “Always look on the bright side of life!”

Sincerely Yours,

Jacob Dowdy