Happy Dispatch 2017

In our next show, Ruddigore, a curse follows a family through multiple generations. For Durham Savoyards, the blessing of presenting Gilbert and Sullivan follows generations too. And 2017 not only featured the world premiere of Alan Riley Jones’ brilliant Thespis score but possibly set a world record for multigenerational participants.

This fall Elizabeth Hankla was Daphne in Thespis and Angelina in Trial by Jury, with father Hank as Olympian Cupid and a courtroom spectator. (They first shared a production last spring, when Elizabeth was Lisa and Hank was in the stage chorus in The Grand Duke.) In Thespis/Trial, Janell Lovelace was producer, husband Tanner was orchestra manager and bass player, son Bram and her dad David Lehmann were ushers while her mom Karen Lehmann was costume assistant. Lori Anderson and her niece Cheryl Crews were Thespis/Trial accompanists.

On a grander scale, Karen Guidry was our Thespis/Trial wardrobe mistress, and her husband Charles was warehouse manager, while daughter Pam Guidry-Vollers was assistant choreographer, hair and makeup maven, and a Thespian/courtroom spectator, and grandson James Vollers was the Deputy Cupid (Thespian) and another spectator. James technically qualifies as the youngest Savoyard ever on stage, because Pam was pregnant with him while in the chorus of The Grand Duke 2000, but he was not actually seen until The Grand Duke 2017 – with mother and grandparents in their customary roles.

The legendary first family to have three generations on the Savoyard stage began with Richard Watson, a Savoyards founder who for many years played leading roles, followed by former son-in-law Richard Dideriksen, who played all of the tenor leads and many of the baritone roles as well. Granddaughter/daughter Michele Dideriksen was the youngest ever Savoyard in a speaking role as Hercules in The Sorcerer 1977 (age 5 1/2), with her father as the tenor lead, Alexis. In his last production, The Grand Duke 2000, Watson, then age 85, was a chorus member, Richard Dideriksen was Ludwig, and granddaughter Katrina Rose Dideriksen (who has since performed professionally on Broadway and at Carnegie Hall) was a singing waitress. In that same production, Dideriksen’s second wife, Teme Levbarg, understudied Gretchen and her daughter, Rebecca Rose Reice, was another singing waitress; Rebecca and Teme also played in Sorcerer 2001, with Richard as Dr. Daley.

Scott Hill also has a three-generation Savoyard family, where two generations participated at a time. She played Kate in Yeoman of the Guard 1973, with her 8-year old daughter, now Kathy Hill Starks, as a 7-year old villager. Kathy performed, directed, and choreographed numerous productions in the 80s and 90s, and her toddler Geoffrey appeared on stage with her in Yeoman 1995, along with her husband, John Starks, who had several leading roles in the 90s.

Back in the day, the children of cast and production members often were dancers, fairies, sprites, and ghosts. According to Charles Register, creator of our performance database, when the Savoyards rehearsed at Duke’s Page Auditorium, kids studied, read, or played quietly (mostly) while the adults learned their steps and songs. Those same kids were often drafted into cameo stage roles, which is how many got affected by the G&S “bug.” The next generation did not have the same opportunity, because of strict liability rules discouraging the presence of kids near the stage at The Carolina Theatre.

Here are other instances where two generations shared a production:

• Patricia (“Trish”) Watson, daughter of Richard and Ruth Watson, later Patricia Dideriksen (first wife of Richard), and now Patricia Bartlett, performed in leading roles and choruses from 1975 to 1990, always with her father also in the cast. During some of that time (and earlier) her mother worked with costumes in several shows.
• For two decades starting in 1975, Dan and Harriet Delius shared almost every production, he on stage (often in a leading role) and she doing various crew tasks. Starting in 1977, their children Tracy and Robby were also tech crew, a role Tracy still fills as “Paint Girl.” Tracy also appeared on stage once during that period and twice since.
• Lisa Hirsh was house manager for Thespis/Trial 2017 with daughter Mary Elizabeth as Nicemis, and she was costumer and Queen Victoria in The Grand Duke 2017 with M.E. as the Princess of Monte Carlo. Lisa also did props when daughter Kimberly was cast in Patience 2006, HMS Pinafore 2007, and Yeoman 2008.
• Elizabeth Ferree Clark was chorus/assistant dance captain when mother Nancy Ferree-Clark was accompanist for The Pirates of Penzance 2005. Elizabeth also understudied Patience in 2006 with father Tom Clark as rehearsal accompanist.
• Megan Colborn has been in stage or royal chorus since 2005, with dad Alan Colborn as set builder and mover since Mikado 2010.
• Olive McKrell played Ruth in Pirates 1999 with son Tommy in the chorus and husband Matt in the pit. She also understudied Lady Sangazure in Sorcerer 2014 and sang in the Royal Chorus with Matt and daughter Abby on stage as villagers.
• Mary Ann Freedman understudied Buttercup and sang chorus in HMS Pinafore 1992, while son-in-law, Toby Kennedy, did the lighting design. Many years ago daughter Sharon Freedman ran the follow spot.
• Katharine Dunbar Linker and her dad Jay Dunbar were in the chorus together in Iolanthe 1998 and Pirates 1999 (when Jay was also Sergeant of Police). In Iolanthe 2012, Katherine was Phyllis and Jay was Private Willis.
• Hugh Mace and his daughter Virginia sang chorus in Yeomen 1984; she was Herald to the Duke and he was chorus in The Gondoliers 1985. Both were in the tech crew in 1987 and 1993.
• Patrick Kenan, a Savoyard founder and long-time performer in many baritone roles, was on stage with daughter Sarah Kenan in five shows from 1973 to 1980. Sarah worked on publicity when Patrick was Pirate King in 1989.
• Ben Morgan and his parents Karen Hassett and Keith Morgan got involved with building sets for Savoyards as a family activity, motivated by his Eagle Scout requirements. They worked on crew for five years between 2001 and 2007. Ben was also assistant stage manager in 2006 and 2007. Recently Ben married Meaghan and they both have continued in many tech capacities.
• Director/actor/Savoyards founder George Williams had his children George, Jr., Adger, and Harriet on stage with him in 1973 and two of the three in 1977.

Lastly, there are families with Savoyards of different generations who were never actually in productions together.

• Mollie Moses (later Mollie Moses Storck and Mollie Moses O’Dell) and her sister Kitty worked on costumes in 1974. They are daughters of founders Connie and Monte Moses, big supporters of the Savoyards, who for many years hosted great parties for the group. The parents were also instrumental in saving the Carolina Theatre from the wrecking ball – without them, there would be no lovely historical venue to hold performances! Our opening night parties in the Carolina Theatre are held in the Connie Moses ballroom. Mollie has been on stage or in the Royal Chorus in 11 productions since 1980 and has been tech crew for 14 productions.
• Dorothy Kitchen (founder of Duke String School) and son Nicholas (of the Borromeo String Quartet) played in the pit orchestra from 1964 to 1981 and in 1982, respectively.
• Watching Charles Smith perform in Ruddigore 1979 convinced his father, David, to give in to the arm-twisting he’d gotten from the Savoyards for years, and he joined the company for HMS Pinafore 1980, a near-perpetual presence since.