Hello Burns Park Players,

The Board has updates for you. We wanted to let you know the following:

1. Publicity and Marketing Subcommittee.
We are forming a new subcommittee of the Board - the Publicity and Marketing Subcommittee. A primary goal for this year is to increase our ticket revenue without increasing ticket prices - in other words, to sell more tickets/sell-out all of our shows. Given the loss of the Ann Arbor news, which has traditionally been one of our primary way of communicating with the public, we want to be very creative about are marketing strategies this year. We want to tap into the creativity and expertise of BPP membership in our planning. So... if you are
interested in serving on the Publicity and Marketing Subcommittee, please let Lisa Harris know.

2. AnnArbor.com
The Burns Park Players will have a presence on the new AnnArbor.com. Jay Pekala will be our official "contributor" to the Community section blog. So watch for us when the site goes live on July 20th!

3. Facebook
We also have a new Facebook group ("Burns Park Players") - so sign up!! Margaret Punch is the Facebook administrator of the group.

4. One more producer!
Debi Haller has officially joined the Producer team for Guys and Dolls. She has always offered her expertise literally and figuratively behind the scenes, and now we are making it official - so welcome aboard!

5. Ann Herman memorial bench and garden.
As you know, we lost a dear Burns Park Player last year, Ann Herman. A memorial bench and garden is being created by a group of her friends to honor and remember her. Cindy Blum is
organizing this effort - please be in touch with her directly if you would like more information, or would like to contribute perennials or other things to this effort. The garden will be on one of the traffic islands in Ann Arbor Hills, near Ann's home. Though this is not a Burns Park Players project per se, we thought that many of you would like to know about this, and hope you will forgive our use of the BPP mailing list to inform you.

6. Election of officers
Officers (President, Secretary, Treasurer) were determined at the June Board meeting, and are unchanged from last year: President – Lisa Harris; Treasurer – Margaret Punch; Secretary – Aprille McKay. The remaining Board members at large are Tom Bourque, Deb Odem Stern, Jay Pekala and Jim Wallace. You can reach us collectively at board@burnsparkplayers.org.

Great news from the Burns Park Players Board:

First, and most important, we've picked a show, a director and producers!

We're doing Guys and Dolls! Its a musical about small time gamblers and the Salvation Army believers who try to reform their evil ways. The show features fabulous music by Frank Loesser and our staging will make special efforts to integrate the children in fun ways and give women songs to perform in that might be as fun as the ones the men get (although it's hard to top Luck Be a Lady!)

The Ann Arbor News published a fun preview of the show by Roger LeLievre: http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/01/ann_arbor...

Here's the information on ads for ready access!

We begin production season with our all-company business meeting at Tappan Middle School at 7pm. Ad signups, crew organization meetings, readthrough.

Here is the full cast list for Annie Get Your Gun. As Courtney indicated to you all earlier earlier, this show could have been cast several times over from among the talent we have available in our amazing group. There are several other singing and acting roles which will be cast in the course of rehearsals. Thanks to all who shared their talents during auditions and callbacks. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Fall Business Meeting and Read-through on Nov. 17 at Tappan, and to an exciting January and February spent together. Feel free to contact the producers (producers@burnsparkplayers.org) with any questions, or if you are unable to accept your role.

Annie: Eva Rosenwald

Frank: Jeffrey Post

Dolly: Dawn Korman

Winnie: Hannah Pearlman

Tommy: Neal Kelley

Buffalo Bill: Bob Galardi

Charlie: Jud Hoffman

Sitting Bull: Tom Bourque

Wilson: Eric Middleton

Pawnee Bill: Chip Letts

Women's Ensemble: Barb Blue, Melissa Bruzzano, Fredda Clisham, Carol Clyde, Marcia DeBoer, Talia Glass, Lisa Harris, Shelia Hatch, Mary Henderson, Aprille McKay, Rachel Seel, Laura VanKersbergen, Niki Wardner

Featured Dancers: Marion Cohen, Teagan Donnell, Gianna Lete, Alicia McHugh, Isabel McKay, Sally Pinnell, Peggy Randolph, Heather Robinson, Karen Willatt, Jamie Yahr

Men's Ensemble: David Burgoyne, Barry Fuller, Fred Hall, Matthew Garritty-Janger, Spencer Michaud, Jay Pekala, John Randolph, Clinch Steward, Howard Weinblatt, Frank Worden

Oakley Siblings: Sara Burakoff, Sarah McCurrach, Jordan McKay, Becca Shipan, Katherine Wardner

The callback list has been sent out to those who are called back for a specific part. If you have not received a separate notice, you will definitely be a part of the ensemble. Here is a note from Courtney:

Come out all you talented Burns Parkers! Singing and dancing auditions for this year's show, Annie Get Your Gun, will begin at 7 pm on October 20 at Tappan Middle School. Come back at 7 pm on Tuesday October 21 for acting auditions. No preparation is necessary, but we can tell you that the singing audition will be a choice of "There's No Business Like Show Business" or "The Girl I Marry." Everyone who wishes to be in the cast must audition, but we're a supportive and encouraging group, and we think you'll have a good time. The callback list will be distributed by email on October 22, and will occur at 7pm on October 23.

The 2008-9 Burns Park Players Membership Dues are $40 per family and include a complementary "Annie Get Your Gun" t-shirt and show DVD.