Tammy Blanchard  loves her hometown of Bayonne, New Jersey. The Emmy-winning and Tony-nominated actress makes no secret of her love for the City of Bayonne. Check any of her interviews  and you will always find a reference to Bayonne  and her love for the people and the places the City has to offer.

Ms. Blanchard co-star of the recently released   INTO THE WOODS, and the soon to be released suspense film THE INVITATION stopped by Bayonne City Hall on Tuesday, April 28th and met with Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.

Mayor Davis and Ms. Blanchard discussed the future of the arts in Bayonne and the Bayonne school system which Ms. Blanchard attended both grammar school and high school in Bayonne.

In 2014 Ms. Blanchard was inducted in to the Bayonne High School Hall of Fame for Arts & Entertainment.

Tammy Blanchard INTO THE WOODS Interview

The post Local Actress Tammy Blanchard Visits Bayonne City Hall first appeared on River View Observer.

An Interview with local actress Tammy Blanchard

After the presents have been opened on Christmas Day, itâ€s always fun to go out and catch a movie. Thatâ€s what Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp and Stephen Sondheim fans will be doing when the movie musical INTO THE WOODS opens nationwide on Dec. 25^th.

Meryl Streep stars as the Wicked Witch and a troupe of wickedly talented stars including Johnny Depp, Anna Kendrick, Christine Baranski and Bayonneâ€s Tammy Blanchard join her for a romp in the woods. “Be careful what you wish for” is the filmâ€s tagline because although itâ€s about Grimm Fairy Tales, this is no kiddie movie. Sondheim and co-writer James Lapine have taken several fairy tale characters on loopy adventures where very adult things happen, and not every journey ends happily ever after.

Disneyâ€s INTO THE WOODS is the filmed version of the Tony Award winning musical which debuted on Broadway in 1987 starring Bernadette Peters as the wicked witch, and directed by Hal Prince. It has been performed throughout the world, has had several revivals here and in London, and has taken almost 30 years to go from stage to screen.

During her career, Bayonneâ€s Tammy Blanchard earned Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of Judy Garland in LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND; ME AND MY SHADOWS; and two Tony Award nominations for supporting roles in HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS…(with “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe) and GYPSY starring Bernadette Peters.

A single-mom, Blanchard keeps a busy schedule while balancing a full-time career. River View Observer caught up with her right after INTO THE WOODS premiered at the Ziegfeld on Dec. 8^th to find out what it was like to work on a Disney film with superstar Meryl Streep and director Rob Marshall, (who directed the film version of the Broadway musical CHICAGO).

RVO: Tammy, can you talk a bit about your character in the film?

TB: I play one of the wicked step-sisters being pressured to marry a prince. We have a lot of money, but weâ€re losing the money and desperate. Our wicked step-mother – played by Christine Baranski – will do anything to get us married.  We had a lot of fun working together. Christine is amazing.

RVO: What was it like working with Christine Baranski?

TB: She was flying back and forth from filming THE GOOD WIFE (CBS-TV). She loves acting, and talking about it. Iâ€m so laid back, but a lot of other actors are so into their roles and they talk a lot about it. Although I like preserving, I like seeing other actors be that way. Thatâ€s why I love acting. Itâ€s a bunch of geeks and dorks who get together and make something beautiful happen. And the set is like a church. I love it. Itâ€s a saving grace for me.

RVO: What was it like at the Dec. 8^th movie premiere at the Ziegfeld, seeing yourself on that huge screen?

TB: It was fun. It was cool seeing myself be so mean and rotten. I was impressed with my snottiness. (she laughs)

RVO: Can you share an anecdote about working with Meryl Streep?

TB: Before filming, the entire cast went out to dinner and Iâ€m sitting at the table with all the leads including Meryl Streep. Iâ€m pretty shy and donâ€t say much. Then Meryl asks me where Iâ€m from. When she talks, everyone stops. I tell her I was born and raised in Bayonne. She said her father was from Newark. I had no idea that sheâ€s a Jersey girl, too. And to reach out to me in that moment, that was so generous. But thatâ€s what Jersey girls do.

RVO:  Did you have any scenes with Meryl Streep?

TB: We had a scene in the woods where Meryl as the Wicked Witch is about to throw the blind girl to the giant. When we started shooting it, she kept throwing me. Rob had to go over and tell her that it was the blind girl who was to be thrown. Thatâ€s how it was rehearsed. But I loved getting thrown by Meryl Streep. She wanted to connect with me and she did.  (Tammy laughs) It seems she still has that Jersey girl way about her. Sheâ€s happy and free-spirited. And as an actress, sheâ€s blessed with this gift for knowing humanity. Sheâ€s beyond great. She has a sense of truth in her. Meryl does so many charitable things for so many people. I just love her so much.

RVO: Did you do any scenes with Johnny Depp?

TB: He came to the recording studio and we met. Rob Marshall, the director, walked him into each booth to say hello. He seemed shy, sweet and timid. He smiled at me at one point, but for the most part he was hidden away from everyone.

RVO:  Youâ€ve worked with Sondheim before when you did GYPSY on Broadway with Bernadette Peters. Whatâ€s he like?

TB: Anna Kendrick and I were waiting in a rehearsal room when he came in to use the piano. He changed some notes on a piece of paper for a new song (that was eventually cut), thanked us and left. We witnessed Stephen Sondheim writing music. Afterwards, I cried. It felt like such a magical moment and then for him to thank us for allowing him to use the piano. On set and in rehearsals, heâ€s a quiet man. Sort of like Santa Clause: he smiles and laughs; he seems sweet and cuddly; and youâ€re terrified of him.

 RVO Do you think the film is okay for kids to see?

TB: It demolishes your thoughts about fairy tales. Itâ€s a dark take. Childrenâ€s minds are very precious. I think in order to make that decision, you have to know your child. If your child doesnâ€t believe in fairy tales and princesses then you can take them. If your child loves princesses and fairy tales, I wouldnâ€t take them if theyâ€re younger than 10.

RVO:  What do you think of Rob Marshallâ€s direction?

TB:  Itâ€s different from the Broadway show; Rob put a modern day twist on it. He cast all of these people from different parts of the world and he has us sing all types of music. Meryl Streep raps in it. Itâ€s mind-blowing, dark, funny, sarcastic, and itâ€s different from what we grew up knowing about fairy tales. Princes arenâ€t always what you thought they were.

If you go:

Opens nationwide on Dec. 25th

Into the Woods, the movie

Check local movie listings

www.disney.com/IntotheWoods‎

www.movietickets.com

The post Bayonne’s Tammy Blanchard in her first Disney film: INTO THE WOODS first appeared on River View Observer.

Ms. Blanchard plays Florinda, one of the wicked step-sisters from the Cinderella tale.

And our sources at the premiere tell us  Ms. Blanchard is wickedly fantastic in Director Rob Marshall’s film.

Steven Songheim was also in the audience to see his score from Into The Woods brought to life on the big screen.

Into The Woods will open nation wide on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2014

photo source: Justjared.com

The post Local Actress Tammy Blanchard at the “Into the Woods Premiere in New York first appeared on River View Observer.

In theaters December 25th, 2014.  Photo by Peter Mountain(c) 2014 Disney Enterprises, Inc All Rights Reserved

The post Hudson County Actress Tammy Blanchard in Disney’s “Into the Woods” with Merly Streep and Johnny Depp first appeared on River View Observer.

by Sally Deering

 

Back in the 1970s, alumni from the Argos Eyes Drama Society at Saint Peterâ€s College met one night in a tiny Jersey City attic and talked about starting a theater where they could put on plays that challenged them artistically and attracted local audiences. By the end of the meeting, that group of aspiring playmakers became the Attic Ensemble.

     Several theaters and more than a hundred plays later, the Attic Ensemble has settled into the Barrow Mansion on Wayne Street in Jersey City, a block from the Grove Street PATH in a hip neighborhood where the company continues to stretch and grow. And while hundreds of actors and volunteers have entered and exited the Atticâ€s doors, the company has stayed true to the mission that was drafted all those years ago in that musty old attic.

 

This marks the 39^th year for the Attic Ensemble and theyâ€ve planned an interesting season that includes a couple of old chestnuts and some new and daring plays. Neil Simonâ€s Come Blow Your Horn opens September 18^th, followed by productions of Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire, The Pillow Man by Martin McDonough and Working- the musical,  an early collaboration between Wicked composer Stephen Swartz and other writers. Pretty ambitious stuff for a non-equity troupe that doesnâ€t have much in their bank account and relies on its volunteer members to keep the curtain from coming down for good.

 

Art Delo, the companyâ€s artistic director has been with the Attic Ensemble almost from the beginning.  He joined the troupe after heâ€d been bitten by the acting bug.

 

“I did Promises, Promises with the Attic at Roddyâ€s Beef and Ale House on West Side and Glenwood in a building that doesnâ€t exist anymore,” Delo says during a break from Come Blow Your Horn rehearsals. “I think shortly after that, they were looking for a space and my father was a minister at St. Stephenâ€s (church) on Union Street. I was so desperate to act I had to get them a theater.”

 

The company moved into St. Stephenâ€s little theater attached to the back of the parish and from 1976 to 1997, the Attic presented a mix of musicals, comedies and dramas, even Shakespeare. That first year they did The Sound of Music, Twelfth Night, A Celebration of Life, East Lynne, The Roar of the Greasepaint and Alice in Wonderland. Their last year at St. Stephenâ€s they presented Jake’s Women, A Streetcar Named Desire, Fences and the Sondheim musical, Company.

 

“We lost St. Stephenâ€s ‘cause the church closed and it looked like it was finally over for the Attic,” Delo says. “Then one of our members, Wanda Suszka found this space at the Barrow Mansion and we lucked out. We caught the wave and once we were here, we got some great volunteers and actors coming in from New York City.  I like to think we have a reputation for doing pretty good stuff and the fact we lasted this long means something.”

.

 

Through the years, the Attic has had its share of tough times. Like when audience attendance was so small, there were more people in the shows than in the seats. And there were calamities, too, like when Draculaâ€s cape set fire during a Halloween show (the actor survived unharmed,) and a prop gun was lost during the performance of a murder mystery. (It was later recovered in a laundry bag.) Delo remembers that night because he was onstage with Ken Jennings, a founding member of Attic, who went on to perform on Broadway in the original cast of Sweeney Todd  and other big musicals.

 

“Ken comes back now and then to see the shows,” Delo says. “He even volunteers and gives programs out at the door.”

 

There were big surprises, too, like the time during The Heidi Chronicles, when Suszka came out for her curtain call and actor Al Maragni jumped on the stage, got down on his knee and proposed. Suszka accepted and now the couple has two children.

During their ten years at the Barrow Mansion, the Attic has stayed afloat with the money they receive from ticket sales and a small grant. And with the help of volunteers like the companyâ€s new Board President Billy Mitchell, who hopes to attract corporate sponsors who understand the importance of having a successful theater company in their community.  

 

Building corporate relationships and receiving financial backing from sponsors would help subsidize future productions, special childrenâ€s theater programs like “Attic Junior,” and support opportunities for Attic to expand.

 

“Weâ€re a Jersey City tradition,” Mitchell says. “Corporate sponsorship would help us continue our goal to present shows that are artistic and challenging like The Pillowman, a recent Broadway offering and one of the shows weâ€re doing this season. Itâ€s a very dark, very funny play.”

Plays are chosen through a group consensus, sort of. Members share ideas and the season comes from that input with a final decision from the Board of Directors. Sometimes, the pieces are controversial as was the case a few seasons back when they did a production that had a nude scene. Some people made a big deal about it, Mitchell says, and the controversy even made the news. But the nudity was inherent to the piece and not meant to shock people.

“Weâ€re not doing Oh Calcutta for the sake of nudity,” Mitchell says. “But we did do Six Degrees of Separation, which is a great play that has nudity.”

Gutsy writing and good storytelling also attract good actors and Mitchell suggests that actors who want to play interesting parts should attend Atticâ€s auditions, which are posted on the companyâ€s website. (www.atticensemble.org)This season thereâ€s something for every type of actor, Mitchell says. Come Blow Your Horn has several older characters for actors of a certain age and Rabbit Hole will appeal to young serious actors who want to gain experience and build their resumes. The Pillow Man will also attract the serious thespian because itâ€s a challenging piece and the musical Working has parts for both singing and non-singing performers.

The Attic supports non-traditional casting, too, giving actors opportunities to play roles they wouldnâ€t necessarily be cast in at more traditional theater companies. Judith Moss who joined the Attic 23 years ago when they needed someone to play piano for a Christmas show has done several non-traditional roles including Joanne in Company and the witch in Into the Woods. But there are certain limitations. When asked if she got cast in Come Blow Your Horn, Moss laughed: “Iâ€m not a Jewish mother.”

As opening night for Come Blow Your Horn draws near, actors rehearse, scenery gets painted and the companyâ€s overall energy becomes focused on putting on the show. A few years back, the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters gave the Attic Ensemble an award for outstanding community theater, an award they received for the body of work theyâ€ve done over the years. But itâ€s easy to see that the Attic Ensemble could never have made it this long without their core members who exhibit a dedication almost unheard of in local theater today. Which makes you wonder why volunteers like Delo, Suszka, Mitchell and Moss do it year after year without pay or any of the benefits Equity theaters offer?

“We do really good work and itâ€s quite fulfilling,” Moss says. “We donâ€t make any money, any profit. Itâ€s all for the love of the art – theater for theaterâ€s sake.”

 

The Attic Ensemble

83 Wayne St

Jersey City, NJ

201-413-9200

www.AtticEnsemble.org

 

 

2009-2010 Season

Performance times for all shows:

 

 

Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3 pm

Early Riser Thursday at 7pm

Tickets are $20 General Admission / $15 Students & Seniors

 

All shows: Saturdays at 1pm
Tickets: $5 Kids / FREE Parents & Guardians

Each play will be 40-45 min.,
followed by a 25 min. hands-on educational talk-back.

September 19 & 26

Anonymous, Unknown & Grimm
an eccentric collection of 19th century stories & lessons

Compiled from 19th century primers intended for young children, and from classic tales of the Brothers Grimm, this series of vignettes addresses “old school” behavior and etiquette as well as actions and consequences.

October 14 & 21

The Athlete, Princess, Pirate, Fairy, Welder, Deep-sea Diver Club
a play for people with friends

Oh, the problems of starting an ‘exclusive†club but wanting to get friends involved! As each friend expresses their dreams, the clubâ€s exclusivity grows more and more inclusive.

February 20 & 27

Jack, and the Beans, Talk.
Or, Was the Cow Worth the Weight?
a timeless story for our time

 

A talk show style re-telling of Jackâ€s journey from rags to riches, with surprise guests and unpredictable responses from otherwise neglected characters whose points-of-view donâ€t always support Jackâ€s story.  

 

April 24, May 1 & 8

Villain: DeBlanks
a fill-in-the-blanks mystery

 

A classic, comic, heist adventure with a twist. The first ten minutes are Mad-Libs® style, where the audience provides key nouns, verbs and adjectives — all of which the cast then incorporates in the telling of the tale.

 

The post THE SECRETS IN THE ATTIC first appeared on River View Observer.