By Steve Keenan
The Montgomery Herald
MONTGOMERY —
The month of August will prove to be one to remember when Beach Vickers assesses an august acting and directing career.
Vickers, a Montgomery native whose life’s path has included five years in the Peace Corps and a stint as a reporter, photographer and assistant editor for The Montgomery Herald, is currently back in the area for six weeks. Aside from visiting with his mother, Betty, the main purpose of his visit is to direct Kanawha Players’ revival of the stage hit “Li’l Abner,” which will debut Sept. 24 for the first of two weekend runs at the Charleston Civic Center Little Theatre.
Vickers directed the musical for Kanawha Players in the 1986 season, and current Charleston Mayor Danny Jones — who played the lead male role in that production — has made the necessary private financing available to bring “Li’l Abner” back to the city stage, including hiring Vickers to helm the production once again.
The plan originally called for Jones to reprise his role, but he has opted against that, and Adam Campbell stepped in. However, there will be three cast members in 2010 who acted in the original show.
“Li’l Abner” will serve as a fund-raiser for Kanawha Players, which is in its 89th year and is the second-oldest, continuously operating amateur theater company in the country.
“Kanawha Players is a community organization of amateurs who don’t get paid, but they are still very talented,” said Vickers, who himself has forged a solid stage acting and directing career in West Virginia and elsewhere. “In our mind, (Li’l Abner) is a reunion of everybody who has enjoyed Kanawha Players.”
Vickers currently resides in Los Angeles, where his day job is in administration at NBC Universal. At nights and on weekends, he remains busy with a varied roster of stage performances and behind-the-scenes jobs. In the past five years, those have occurred primarily in southern California, but he has also acted in Florida, Pennsylvania and in many other locales over the years.
Among his favorite roles have been Luther Billis in “South Pacific” in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in which he acted with former Miss America Susan Powell; Daddy Warbucks in “Annie” in Fort Myers, Fla.; and Boolie Werthan in “Driving Miss Daisy” in Lancaster, Pa.
Two days before taking a leave of absence from his job and returning to his home state, Vickers, 60, completed a well-received turn as Uncle Ernie in a professional production of the rock opera “Tommy.”
“I took my bow and went home and packed,” said Vickers. “It was so popular that next winter they want to do it again in a larger theatre.
“I was proud to be in it.”
With the same cast, “Tommy” will return for further shows at the roomier venue, the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Anaheim Hills, Calif., next February.
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In the meantime, Vickers has immersed himself in guiding a 30-person cast and others in the crew in preparations for “Li’l Abner,” which is based on the cartoon strip of the same name created by Al Capp.
He calls the current actors “a really funny and talented cast.”
Kim Javins, who will portray the lead female role, Daisy Mae, says those in attendance will be treated to a production that includes “a lot of amazing veteran talent and new talent.” She says rehearsals have been “intense” because “the show is going up so quickly.”
Javins expresses admiration for Vickers.
“He’s so animated,” she said. “I think he could do every character in the show by himself.”
The show runs Sept. 24 and 25 and Oct. 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. nightly at the Civic Center Little Theatre, with 2 p.m. matinee performances set for Sept. 26 and Oct. 3.
For tickets, call the KP box office at 304-343-PLAY (7529) or the Civic Center box office at 304-342-5757. Or, e-mail t*****s@kanawhaplayers.org to have tickets set aside in your name for payment and pick-up at the ticket window just prior to the performance.
For more. visit www.kanawhaplayers.org.
— E-mail:
skeenan@register-herald.com
