Routt Triopia Show — Workin' It Out!
2008 · Buena Vista Farms (designated the "Buena Vista Theatre" for the run), just west of Jacksonville on U.S. Route 67, Illinois
The production cataloged here as the "Routt Triopia Show" was in fact Workin' It Out! — an original two-act musical comedy by Ken Bradbury and Roger Wainwright, directed by Ken and staged in April 2009 as a high-energy, hip-hop styled "stomp" show. The story follows two young people, Julia Kennedy and Robby Bailey, born at the same moment, as they grow up side by side and search for the meaning of life. In the end it is not riches or fame that brings them fulfillment but learning how to simply give of themselves to others. The show was mounted as a joint production of two rival high schools, Routt Catholic and Triopia, with choreography by Jacksonville High School senior Jessica Manker.
Songs
Performance order, from the program's Synopsis of Scenes and Musical Numbers:
Act I
- Opening Stomp — Scene One (A few years ago) — The Stomp Dancers
- Hello World! — Julia and Robby
- Suckin' It Up — The Kindergarten Crew
- Textin' — Scene Two (Jr. High) — Julia and the Texters
- Get Down and Dribble — Scene Three (Movin' Down the Road) — London, Taylor, and the Dribblers
- Stress! — Scene Four (Still Movin') — Julia and the Stressed Mess
- Nothin' Worthwhile is Ever Easy — Scene Five (Dead Ends) — London and Taylor
Act II
- Opening Stomp — Scene One (The search begins) — The Stomp Dancers
- Draggin' Your Kimono — The Dragon Dancers
- How Cool Are You? — Biff & the Ensemble
- Saturday Night Feingold — London, Herbie & the Dancers
- I Remember — Scene Two (Meanwhile, the parental units) — Mrs. Kennedy & Mrs. Bailey
- Viva Espana! — Scene Three (Around the World) — The Spanish Dancers
- Kama Sutra, Baby — The Dancers of India
- Sure and B'Gorra! — The Dancers of Dublin
- Life's No Mystery! — Julia and Robby
- Workin' It Out — The Ensemble (finale)
Cast
- Julia Kennedy, the girl — Courtney Phillips
- Robby Bailey, the boy — Phillip Whited
- Herbie Feingold — Brennan Vahle
- London, narrator — Carrie Greening
- Taylor, narrator — Jaymee Toler
- Mrs. Florence Kennedy — Catherine Smith
- Mr. Arthur Kennedy — Joe Strattman
- Mr. Harold Bailey — Brock Gwaltney
- Mrs. Jean Bailey — Katherine Waymire
- Payton, kindergarten — Brock Gwaltney
- Shannon, teacher — Autumn Brown
- Reese, student — Billie Smith
- Morgan, boy student — Hans Kleinschmidt
- Kennedy, student — Kyle Cummings
- Parker, student — Wes Burton
- Kasey, student — Bryanna Welsh
- Emerson (Teen Soap Opera) — Bryanna Welsh
- Shea (Teen Soap Opera) — Michael Roegge
- Drew (Teen Soap Opera) — Annie Schone
- Avery (Teen Soap Opera) — Autumn Brown
- Margie — Annie Schone
- Landon — Patrick Doyle
- Rolf — Kyle Cummings
- Eric — Alex Porter
- Prabah — Jessica Gomer
- The Poobah — Brianna Klein
- Coach Knight — Wes Burton
- Coach Merris — Brock Gwaltney
- Mayor Daley — Billie Smith
- Emanuel — Autumn Brown
- Clinton — Brynna Welsh
- Prime Minister of Boomshockalocka — Patrick Doyle
- Monster — Joe Strattman
- Little Red Riding Hood — Katie Taylor
- Lancelot — Kyle Cummings
- Excalibur — Billie Smith
- Johnny (offstage game show announcer) — Joe Strattman
- Biff — Brock Gwaltney
Production Notes
Workin' It Out! ran April 15–18, 2009, with performances at 7:30 each evening and sell-out crowds on the final three nights; over the four-night run it played to nearly a thousand theatre-goers. Twenty-five students from Routt and Triopia rehearsed for seven weeks, with the leads taken by Courtney Phillips of Routt and Phillip Whited of Triopia. The dinner-theatre format offered a pre-show roast beef buffet option, with tickets at $7.
The venue was unusual: Buena Vista Farms, just west of Jacksonville on U.S. Route 67, had never hosted theatre before. The stage was placed in the middle of the space — a deliberately neutral choice for a venue sitting roughly halfway between the two rival schools — and the farm was designated the "Buena Vista Theatre" for the run.
By 2009 Ken Bradbury was described as Triopia's recently retired theatrical director of 35 years. His co-author, Roger Wainwright of Chatham, brought a list of credited works of his own, among them David, You and I, Camp Sunshine, and The Spirit of Lincoln. The show carried a single clear theme: that meaning is found by giving of oneself rather than by chasing riches or fame.
Photos