Video highlights from Miscast 2015. Video by John Moore for the DCPA NewsCenter.

Miscast 2015, a community-wide benefit for the Denver Actors Fund,
raised $4,102 for the non-profit organization that serves members of the local theatre community in need.

This year’s show, held Sept. 14 at the Littleton Town Hall Arts Center, featured 45 local performers, including an aging (male) Annie, a pair of female The Book of Mormon Elders, a hot-potato national anthem, and a high-heeled local TV personality who brought the house down.

Miscast is an opportunity for members of the local theatre community to sing songs and act out scenes they would never … ever! … get cast to perform on any legitimate stage. The popular revue has been staged intermittently by various local theatre companies. But after a few years of dormancy, the Denver Actors Fund revived the tradition as its annual fundraiser last year.

The Denver Actors Fund provides both financial and situational help to members of the local theatre community both on and off stage. Funds raised at Miscast 2015 brought the 2-year-old organization over the $50,000 mark in overall revenues raised.

Under the guidance of director Robert Michael Sanders, Miscast took on more of a variety-show flavor in 2015. The bill included actors performing in miscast roles, as is the norm, but hosts Mark Pergola and Damon Guerrasio opened up the program to include fun audience-participation games that were chosen to capture the zeitgeist of the late-night TV wars, such as an homage to Jimmy Fallon‘s popular “Lip Sync Battles” on The Tonight Show.

As guests entered the Town Hall lobby, they were asked if they wanted to be entered into a drawing to play in several on-stage games. Those who did paid $5 – sparing audience members with no desire to leave their seats. Several theatre companies and local merchants donated prizes.

After two playful audience members took on the challenge of a cold lyp-sync assignment (including actor Margie Lamb, who starred in Town Hall’s Next to Normal, syncing Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “I Like Big Butts”), audiences were told the third contestant would be Eden Lane, host of the weekly arts TV showIn Focus with Eden Lane, airing on Fridays on Rocky Mountain PBS Channel 12. It was soon evident Lane, who has performed on Broadway, was a ringer.

Lane emerged in the signature red boots from the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots and lip-synced Lola’s big song, “Sex Is in the Heel,” joined by members of the cast of Ignite Theatre‘s recent La Cage Aux Folles: Peter Dearth, Carlos Jimenez, Jeffrey E. Parizotto, Keith Rabin Jr. and Eric Pung.

For the second straight year, Miscast featured a comical appearance by M.U.T.T.: The satirical Multicutural Urban Theatre Troupe, which performed several short scenes from plays they are clearly miscast for, including this year scenes from Shakespeare’s Othello and Romeo and Juliet. The actors included Arlene Rapal, Laura Slack and Sam Wood.

“Miscast 2015” was attended by more than 200, including DCPA Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director Kent Thompson. Several of  the volunteer performers have appeared in DCPA productions, including Leslie O’Carroll (A Christmas Carol) and Sarah Rex (Forbidden Broadway).

Photos from “Miscast 2015” held Sept. 14 at the Town Hall Arts Center. All photos by John Moore for the DCPA NewsCenter. All photos are available for free downloading by clicking “View original Flickr image.”

‘MISCAST’ MUSICAL NUMBERS:

• Taylor Nicole Young Cory Wendling, “Me, Beauty and the Beast
• Reace Daniel and Matt LaFontaine, two numbers from Chicago
• Steven Burge and Sarah Rex, “The National Anthem,’ with appearance by Tim Howard
• Phamaly Theatre Company, “When You’re a Gimp,” a West Side Story variation featuring: Brian Be, Don Gabenski, Adam Johnson, Harper Liles, Amber Marsh, Don Mauck, Lucy Roucis, Robert Michael Sanders, Rachel VanScoy, Daniel Wheeler, Leslie Wilburn, Linda Wirth and Lisa Young
• Carter Edward Smith, “So Much Better,” from Legally Blonde.
• Jalyn Courtenay Webb, “Dead or Alive,” from Rock of Ages, joined by members of Midtown Arts Center’s cast from the same show:  Courtney Blackmun, Barret Harper, Jon Tyler Heath, Morgan Howard, Michael Lasris, Anne Terze Schwarz and Jason Tyler Vaughn
• Maximillian Peterson, “Climb Every Mountain,” from The Sound of Music
• Megan Van De Hey and Leslie O’Carroll, “You and Me” from The Book of Mormon
• John Ashton, “Tomorrow,” from Annie
• Mark Pergola and Damon Guerrasio, “This Little Light of Mine“

PRODUCTION TEAM:

• Robert Michael Sanders, director
• Donna Debreceni, musical director
• Jessica Swanson, assistant director
• Ronni Gallup, Event coordinator
• Jonathan D. Allsup, stage manager
• Alexis Bond, lights
• Cara Wallingford, sound
• Clint Heyn, technician

SPECIAL THANKS:

• Anonymous donor who bought tickets for cast and crew
• Brenda Billings
• Tom Borrillo
• Bree Davies, Westword
• Kim Drennan
• Becca Fletcher
• Deb Flomberg
• Nikki Harrison
• Kevin Hart
• Margie Lamb
• Cheryl McNab
• Debbie Minter
• North End Sound Inc
• Susan Ramsdorf
• Leslie Rutherford
• Lola Salazar
• Gloria Shanstrom
• Kent Thompson and Kathleen McCall-Thompson
• Town Hall Arts Center

DONOR THEATRES AND MERCHANTS:

• Aurora Fox
• Cherry Creek Theatre
• Midtown Arts Center
• Miners Alley Playhouse
• Phamaly Theatre Company

• Lola’s Sugar Rush, 2490 W. Main St.
• The Chocolate Therapist, 2560 W. Main St.

Previous NewsCenter coverage of the Denver Actors Fund:
Miscast 2015 is coming to the Town Hall Arts Center
Miscast 2014 photos, video highlights
How Denver Actors Fund is helping the local theatre community
DSA students make remarkable, record donation to Denver Actors Fund
2014 True West Award: Kristen Samu and Denver Actors Fund volunteers
‘Once, The Musical’ cast members perform at Denver Actors Fundraiser

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Denver Actors Fund was started in 2013 by DCPA Senior Arts Journalist John Moore, who runs the DCPA’s NewsCenter, and local actor and attorney  Christopher Boeckx. The current President is Brenda Billings of Miners Alley Playhouse.