Roger Schmelzer

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Posted to Indiana Auditions.com by Michael Long.

In his Director's Notes to the audience, Director Kevin D. Smith says "'My Favorite Year,' is a perfect community (or even regional theatre) show - lots of roles, everyone gets a chance to shine, the music isn't impossible to learn, and there are lots of ways to do it to suit anyone's theatre space and budget." After watching Footlite Musical's latest production, I couldn't agree more. It's not big number, large chorus, flashy show. This production is just charming in it's simple, life-affirming, message.

"My Favorite Year" is based on the movie of the same name that started Peter O'Toole and Marc Lynn Baker. Set in 1954, a young Benjy Stone (Tony Schaab) remembers the time he was a freshman writer on the King Kaiser Comedy Cavalcade and his hero from the movies, the dashing, swashbuckler Alan Swann (Roger Schmelzer), guest stars. Benjy soon learns that even our heroes are human and make mistakes. If you're a fan of the movie, you won't be disappointed. Theatregoers will enjoy the story of redemption and reconciliation. And, if you're not a fan of the movie, the cast and crew work hard to change your opinion of the material.

Roger Schmelzer, as the charming movie star Alan Swann, is simply wonderful and makes the part is own. His rendition of "If The World Were Like Movies," is just heart-breaking in its beauty. Schaab and Mikayla Reed (playing K. C. Dowling) do a good job of making their character's romance believable. Theresa Koleszar (as Alice Miller) steals just about every scene she in with her energy. The rest of the cast did a great job and, oh my goodness, sounded A-MAZ-ING. There was one brief moment of chaos during "Manhattan," but they quickly recovered. Kudos to them all, and to Smith for creating.

Tech-wise, the show was good. This might be the first show I've seen at Footlite that didn't have mic problems or hard-to-hear lines. Jeff Farley did a fantastic job with the costumes. It the little details that matter. Benjy's wardrobe consisted of all-argyle sweaters. In the opening number, the King Kaiser Comedy hour is about to go on the air. And in the chorus, we have a janitor whose outfit gives a wink and a nod to the Carol Burnett Show and the soprano who hits the loud, high notes is dressed as the stereotypical Viking opera singer. Those little details add to the show's appeal.

Footlite's production of "My Favorite Year," is easily my favorite show of the year so far.

Cabaret Hotline Online, a national website promoting cabaret, has listed rogerschmelzer.com among its links to performers. Based in New York City, Cabaret Hotline Online has 4,000 pages of news, information and stories on cabaret from across the country. The website also offers a free newsletter that reaches more than 2,500 subscribers. Fans of cabaret performance can use Cabaret Hotline Online to find events and venues in cities throught the United States. Please visit their site at www.cabarethotlineonline.com.

Roger will originate the role of has-been movie actor Alan Swann for Indianapolis audiences in the local theatre premiere of My Favorite Year opening at Footlite Musicals March 9 and running weekends through the 25th.

My Favorite Year, based on the hit film of the same name, is a good old-fashioned musical comedy set in 1954 when Benjy Stone, freshman writer on King Kaiser's Comedy Cavalcade, is assigned the daunting task of baby-sitting veteran Hollywood swashbuckler Alan Swann who's doing a live guest appearance on the show. The effort to keep the reckless Swann off the booze and out of the papers during rehearsal week nearly drives Benjy to the brink, when he's given an unexpected glimpse into Swann's broken heart that teaches him about human frailty, tragedy, comedy, love-everything that makes 1954 his favorite year.

The show has an impressive pedigree. Its story comes from the real-life experience of funnyman Mel Brooks as a writer for Sid Caesar during the salad days of live television comedy. The score is by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty who also penned Once on this Island, Lucky Stiff and Ragtime. Peter O'Toole portrayed Swann in the 1982 film for which he earned an Academy Award nomination. Mark-Linn Baker, later famous for his role in the 1980's sitcom Perfect Strangers made his film debut as Benjy Stone. Tim Curry was Tony-nominated for the Swann role on Broadway during the 1992 season.

This production is an Indianapolis premiere directed by Kevin D. Smith. Evening performances begin at 8:00 PM on March 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24. Sunday matinees begin at 2:30 PM on March 18 and 25.

Footlite Musicals performs at the Hedback Community Theatre located at 1847 North Alabama Street. Reservations can be made by calling 317.926.6630.

Done well, a cabaret show isn't merely a singer standing in front of a roomful of people. Far from it. With his new cabaret program, Standards and More, Roger again showed more than his knack for performing classic American pop music; he displayed a heartfelt appreciation for the journey the songs and the songwriters took to become popular in the first place.

The new show featured 26 songs by (among others) Gershwin, Bacharach, Manilow, Rodgers AND Hart, to the delight of about 75 at the Indianapolis Liederkranz. He even worked in two numbers by local composer, David Lips. But more on that later.

For this engagement, his fourth since debuting as a solo act a little more than a year ago, Roger and Music Director Loesje Chandler put together a winning collection of beautifully structured and arranged songs, none better than the stirring opening number, "Unchained Melody." Rather than the traditional Righteous Brothers treatment, Roger opted for a more dramatic, modulated version that grabbed the audience's attention before an immediate transition into a decidedly up tempo "A Lot of Living to Do" from Bye, Bye Birdie.

After a couplet of 60s standards, ("On A Clear Day," "This Guy's in Love With You"), Roger ventured onto a stool in the house to croon Englebert Humperdinck's "After the Lovin'" to the ladies in the audience. It would be the first of several visits into the audience during a highly interactive evening.

Next came a clever three-song arc tracing his romantic experiences, beginning with his awareness of the opposite sex ("Real Live Girl"), touching on grown up relationships (the amusingly seductive "Concentrate on One Thing at a Time") and concluding with the reality that romance is pretty confusing ("Bewitched").

Next, Roger introduced David Lips, an Indianapolis composer. Almost two years after their initial meeting David sent Roger a demo CD, prompting collaboration on two original Lips songs for the Liederkranz audience. With David on the keyboard, Roger performed "You'll Never Know," a poignant exploration of unrequited love and "Someone There" built on a sweet lyric about a full heart. Both songs deserve a permanent place in Roger's repertoire.

Gershwin tunes book ended the second act ("Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me"). In between came one of Barry Manilow's first compositions, "I Am Your Child," an audience participation version of "Once in Love with Amy," and a medley of "old songs" that allowed Roger to do brief versions of several standards to help the evening further live up to its title. Especially well received was the bluesy "I Was a Fool to Let You Go," introduced as a classic "saloon song" suitable for Sinatra. Roger ended the evening with personal staples, "They're Playing My Song" and a particularly reverent rendition of John Bucchino's "Grateful." Both "If I Sing" and "Old Friend," two of Roger's customary ballads were also on the set list.

Roger's preparation was evident throughout, not only as he smoothly spun out line after line of legato words and phrases filled with insight and honesty, but by the context he provided to set them up. The introduction to "They Can't Take That Away From Me" was typical. In addition to telling his audience that the song came from 1937's Girl Crazy, he also explained that it earned George Gershwin his only Academy Award nomination and that it was a number one song for Fred Astaire. Whew! Another example: His performance of Rodgers & Hart's "Bewitched" included an earlier version of the lyrics with a more sophisticated edge ("Horizontally speaking, she's at her best" and "Thank God I can be oversexed again").

In addition to Loese Chandler's usual flawless accompaniment, Roger was backed by the very talented Cliff Jones on percussion. Their teamwork was evident throughout the evening, bringing polish to each and every number. All three did a bang-up job infusing a fresh approach to both the standards and the more that inspired the evening.

Roger received his ninth Encore nomination today, as Best Major Supporting Actor for his performance in Into the Woods at Footlite Musicals this past May. Roger is one of several talented actors from this production to receive recognition from Encore judges. The Encore Awards will be handed out on October 23.

3.28.06 - Roger to narrate Sondheim's Into the Woods, April 28-May 13

Footlite Musicals will conclude its 50th season with one of the most honored shows in Indianapolis' non-professional theater history, Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, returning for a three weekend run beginning April 28. Roger will appear in the dual roles of the Narrator and the Mysterious Man.

Into the Woods blends various familiar fairy tales with an original story of a childless Baker and his Wife, who catalyze the action of the story by attempting to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child. In the first act, the characters set out to achieve their goal of living "Happily Ever After." Facing a genuine threat to their community, the characters come to understand that all actions have consequences and that the inescapable interdependence of their lives is, in fact, their greatest strength.

Into the Woods was last presented at Footlite Musicals in 1991. That production went on to sweep local, regional and national theater awards and was taken to Japan to compete internationally.

For tickets to Into the Woods, please call 317-926-6630.

The Hedback Theater, home of Footlite Musicals, is conveniently located in downtown Indianapolis at the corner of 19th and Alabama streets in the historic Herron-Morton neighborhood, just four blocks east of Meridian Street.

Go to www.herron-morton.org

For driving directions please visit www.mapquest.com

Roger's engaging new cabaret act played to enthusiastic crowds at The Villa Restaurant in February and March. In it, he charmingly explored tunes from the great American pop songbook, the Great White Way and introduced some new songs to Indianapolis audiences.

The lightning quick first act was kicked off with a burst of energy, Marvin Hamlisch's They're Playing My Song, followed by a slick Sinatra-style version of Nice and Easy before moving to one of Roger's specialties, the underperformed Real Live Girl from the musical "Little Me." His rendition of the clever Old Movies, that invoked the names of classic film stars ranging from Humphrey Bogart to Barbara Stanwyck, left little doubt that the evening's selections would be at the least, eclectic.

Moving further afield, Roger poignantly delivered a soft and gentle ballad, Brian Gari's How Did You Know?, described as being about "the upside of love." He balanced it with a mini Kander and Ebb medley of I Don't Remember You/Not A Day Goes By that he introduced as representing "what the acceptance of lost love looks like when you don't really mean it." He closed the first half with a trio of songs from 50s and 60s Broadway, Just In Time, Once Upon A Time and a jazzy arrangement of A Lot of Livin' to Do. Much to Roger's relief (because he had promised to pay for dinner for anyone who could), no one in the audience was able to identify Ray Bolger as the originator of the middle song in that section.

While act one was pure showbiz, Roger's second was more intimate, indicated by his clearly personal rendition of Self Portrait composed by the late Ed Kleban coupled with an early Barry Manilow tune, All The Time.

The second act was liberally interspersed with reflections and stories. On A Clear Day was introduced with a brief history of its lyricist, Alan Jay Lerner and This Guy's In Love was set up with a story about his appreciation for trumpeter Herb Alpert, who scored his first number one hit with it almost 40 years ago. Also amusing was Roger's recounting of an "argument" he had with the iconic Robert Goulet on the streets of New York City last summer over a swinging number called Married I Can Always Get. Moving to heavier fare and demonstrating his range, Roger offered a version of Gretchen Cryer's Old Friend, originally written for a woman to sing to a girlfriend, that proved particularly wistful, lonely and at last, hopeful.

Roger concluded the evening with a moving tribute to his late father ("the person who brought music into our home") If I Sing, followed by an encore consisting of the ancient Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein number I Won't Dance first performed by Fred Astaire and closing with John Bucchino's haunting, yet inspirational Grateful.

Throughout, musical director Loesje Chandler's masterful keyboarding added a special musicality to the evening, enriching each selection with depth and professionalism.

His two Villa shows filled the restaurant, drawing from all around Indiana as well as Arkansas, Illinois and Ohio. Roger is planning a new cabaret-style show for this Fall, details to be announced.

Highlighted by some new touches, Roger delivered his "fun-loving" cabaret, They're Playing My Songs, to a spirited audience at The Villa Inn on February 24. With Loesje Chandler providing musical direction, Roger added a showtune medley and a Bobby Darin tribute to his set list along with a new and improved encore.

2.08.06 - Villa Sale of Tickets for February 24 They're Playing My Songs Underway

The Villa Inn, Restaurant and Spa will begin marketing Roger's show to regular Villa patrons this week. If you missed the exclusive pre-sale, it is not too late to make reservations, but you should do so quickly for the February 24 show. The facility is located at 1456 North Delaware Street in downtown Indianapolis. Dinner seating begins at 5:30 with the show set to begin at 7:30. Prices are $18 for dining room seating with an entree and drink minimum and $10 for bar seating with a two drink minimum. Please note, there is a no cancellation policy regarding the cover charge.

If February 24 doesn't suit you, pre-sale for the March 24 show has already begun. For more details and to make reservations call 317-916-8500 or visit their website at www.thevillainn.com

2.05.06 - "Doubtless Without A Doubt;" The Philadelphia Story Comes to Indianapolis

Even though written in the 1930's, The Philadelphia Story still knows how to "smack" an audience. Roger co-starred as C. K. Dexter Haven in the coming of age story about a young society girl and the men in her life that enjoyed a brief revival at Indianapolis' Hedback Theatre on February 3 and 4. The houses were large and receptive to the version mounted by the Indianapolis Player's Club. Afterward, one audience member offered this enthusiastic e-review of Roger's performance: "It was as close a match between man and role as ever I've seen. You were sly, teasing, rakish, charming and sexy."

12.9.05 - Cabaret at The Villa: They're Playing My Songs - February 24 and March 24

The Villa Inn, Restaurant and Spa will offer dinner and show packages in February and March for Roger's solo cabaret performance of They're Playing My Songs. For those who missed the debut of the show in September, this will be a great time to see it in this beautiful and exciting venue. Roger and musical director Loesje Chandler have made a couple of changes that will make the evening new, even for those who saw it at the Liederkranz.

Built in 1906, The Villa was modeled after a Florentine castle discovered by its original owners when they honeymooned in Italy. The facility is located at 1456 North Delaware Street in downtown Indianapolis. Seating time and prices for the dinner and dining package are pending. For more details and to make reservations call 317-916-8500 or visit their website at www.thevillainn.com

11.1.05 - The Philadelphia Story at Indianapolis' Hedback Theatre on February 3

The Indianapolis Player's Club will offer a free performance of The Philadelphia Story on Friday night February 3 at the home of Footlite Musicals, Hedback Theatre, located at 1847 North Alabama Street. Roger will be co-starring in the role of C.K. Dexter Haven. No reservations are required for this performance. Doors will open at approximately 6:30 with the show beginning at 7:00. This is not a Footlite production, so do not call for details. Please watch this space closer to the event for updated information.

The Hedback Theater is conveniently located in downtown Indianapolis at the corner of 19th and Alabama streets in the historic Herron-Morton Place neighborhood, www.herron-morton.org just four blocks east of Meridian Street. For driving directions please visit www.mapquest.com

Playing to a roomful of friends old and new, Roger opened his new solo cabaret show at the Indianapolis Liederkranz last night. Backed by musical director Loesje Chandler, Roger performed great Broadway classics like "Just in Time," "She Loves Me" and some gems less familiar to his audience from composers Brian Gari and Craig Carnelia. He also did a special audience-participation rendition of "Trouble" and closed the evening with John Bucchino's inspirational "Grateful."

One audience member has offered this review: "Just wanted to write a little note telling you what a wonderful job you did Friday night. My only regret is that you only did it the one night. Loved the way you interacted with the audience, went out into the audience, and bringing the lady up on the stage was just really bold and brilliant. I was quite impressed with your range (even though I have seen you perform a number of times before), your easy going, conversational style, your wacky humor, and then your ability to shift gears and tenderly caress a ballad. And truly, you gave Robert Preston a run for his money with "River City" - and, thanks for having the faith that the audience could sing along with you. Thanks again for a lovely, memorable evening!"