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Mason Street Warehouse Nominated For Two Wilde Awards

SAUGATUCK, Michigan — Mason Street Warehouse (400 Culver St.) has received two Wilde Award nominations for the 2014 Mason Street Warehouse (MSW) production of "Beehive." The first nomination is for "Best Musical" and the second for "Best Design-Sets." Beehive was one of the 168 productions reviewed this season by EncoreMichigan.com across the state. The Wilde Awards will be presented this year at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.
"In total, EncoreMichigan.com's team of critics reviewed 168 productions produced or presented by 49 professional theater companies located in 25 communities across the state during the abbreviated 2014-15 season," said Encore Michigan. "Shows had to be performed for four consecutive days or more over the two weekends or more to be eligible for a review."
Last year's production of "Beehive, The 60s Musical" was a musical revue of the coming of age of women's music through 40 hits of girl groups. The cast included Laurie Elizabeth Gardner, Kellie Goddard, Amy Goldberger, Crystal Sha'nae and Solea Pfeiffer, who rocked out to the hits of The Chiffons, The Supremes, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and more.
"Our Mason Street team is thrilled with this year's Wilde award nominations. It's such an honor to have our work recognized in this manner," said Kurt Stamm, MSW Artistic Director. "That team of incredibly gifted women brought the '60s music to life. What astounds me is that none of them lived through that time period, yet they led our audiences through the memories of that time and had them singing along. This was a really wonderful production that I was proud to direct."
MSW's Resident Set Designer, Todd Engle, designed the set for "Beehive" and has been with MSW for 12 seasons. Engle has designed and taught for theater programs in West Michigan and around the country, including The Caldwell Theatre, Florida; Anderson University, Indiana; Actors' Theatre; Grand Rapids Civic Theatre; Grand Rapids Ballet; Muskegon Civic Theatre; Kalamazoo College; Hope College; and the University of Evansville.
"Few designers are as brilliant as Todd Engle," said Stamm. "He's been our resident scenic designer since the theater's founding in 2002 and we are extremely fortunate to have him. He never fails to challenge our space to its fullest potential, transporting audience after audience to the exact time, place and tone a show dictates. Thanks to Todd's expertise, the bright pink-carpeted platforms for 'Beehive' were masterfully flexible for the various decades of the 1960s we explored. And the video screen that flew in and out was in the shape of a 60s television with foil on the antennas!"
Michael Reinhardt and Deadwood Productions built the "Beehive" set. Reinhardt returns to MSW as technical director and Deadwood Productions will construct sets for all of MSW's 2015 productions.
MSW's first show of the season, "Cabaret," opens June 26 with another Engle original: a set designed to mimic a 1930s Berlin nightclub and boardinghouse.
To learn more about Todd Engle, visit www.toddlewisengle.weebly.com.
The last Wilde Award MSW received was given in 2012 to actor David Spencer, who took home "Best Performance, Actor-Comedy" for his performance in "The 39 Steps." Prior to that, MSW was awarded "Best Musical" in 2011 for the production of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."
For information about Mason Street Warehouse or for show tickets, call 269-857-2399 or visit www.sc4a.org.

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