A Juggling Act

Bloom Balances Motherhood, Musical

When she's not driving 70 miles a day to practice her lines and songs, Rhinelander resident Beth Bloom can be found with her children Erin and Adam.  Bloom, an English teacher is currently on family leave from Rhinelander High School. (Photo by Linda Goldsworthy)

hings just have a way of working out says the 34-year-old mother of two.

“Today, for example, I walked down to the basement to check the dryer and found that we had a slight flooding problem.  What could I do?  I had rehearsal in less than an hour.”

It’s all part of a typical day for Rhinelander resident Beth Bloom who will star as matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi in the Three Lakes Theater Company’s June productions of Hello, Dolly!

With 3-year-old daughter Erin and 14-month-old son Adam at home, Bloom wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle a large part in Hello, Dolly! In fact, when she was offered the lead role, Bloom wasn’t sure she wanted it.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to manage learning all of the lines and songs,” she recalled.  But learning the lines wasn’t the only thing Bloom had to consider.

Her husband Mike, who works as an Oneida County public defender, also serves as an attorney coach for the Rhinelander High School Mock Trial team. Since the group was defending its second consecutive state championship, the two of them worried about scheduling and timing elements.

“Mike was practicing three to four times per week for four hours a day—that didn’t include his Sunday practices.  And if the team won the state title, which they did, he would also have to prepare an entire new case for the national competition in May,” she explained. 

Add to the mix driving 70 minutes to Three Lakes, three to four times a week, the cost child care, and other family commitments.  It’s obvious why Bloom didn’t immediately give creative director Mari Lynn Garbowicz an answer to the question, “Would you be interested in playing Dolly?”

 “My first reaction was that I really didn’t think I’d be able to commit to it.  But the more she talked, the more it sounded like they could really use a Dolly.  Mari Lynn seemed to have a great deal of confidence in me. But she encouraged me to talk it over with Mike and explore options with my sitter,” Bloom said.

As luck would have it Bloom’s husband Mike was wholeheartedly in favor of her participation, noting that if it was something she really wanted to do that they would work it out.

Working it out included forming a master calendar of rehearsal times, mock trial practices, and performances for not only the baby-sitter, but also for her parents and in-laws.

Bloom also had to make a monetary commitment to the production. 

Following a rather long Saturday rehearsal in early May, Bloom exclaimed, “Wow! That was a $50 practice.” 

Thinking that Bloom was referring to the productive rehearsal, a cast member walking nearby agreed saying, “Yes, we really did get a lot done today. I can’t believe we went through the entire first act twice.  We’ve never done that before.”

With a smile Bloom responded, “No, I mean literally.  That was a $50 baby-sitter practice.”

FOSTERING A MUSICAL TRADITION

One of 11 children, Bloom found herself surrounding by music.  Her elder siblings played instruments; her mother Bev constantly sang around the house.

But it was her appearance in a New Berlin Eisenhower’s production of South Pacific as a seventh grader that really hooked her on musicals.  “I played Ngana, the young daughter of wealthy planter Emile de Becque.”

As a senior, the blue-eyed brunette would play the female lead Nancy in Oliver.

“I’ll never forget singing while walking backwards up a set of stairs to a platform and hearing the audience’s applause as I finished. It was the greatest feeling,” said Bloom, recalling her most memorable appearance on stage. 

Bloom’s love of the stage and music is materializing in her children, especially young Erin who has taken to playing pretend games with her mother saying, “You be Cornelius, and I’ll be Barnaby.” 

Cornelius and Barnaby, the production’s comical feed store clerks, have also enhanced Erin ’s expanding vocabulary.  According to Bloom, the youngster can often be heard exclaiming Barnaby’s favorite phrase, “Holy Cabooses!”

“She also busts me on lyrics,” laughs Bloom. “Actually, if given the choice of listening to Lion King, Polly Wolly Doodle or Hello, Dolly! compact discs, Erin picks Dolly.”

Yet Erin is aware of her mom’s absences during the last few months as well as change in the nightly bedtime routine.  “I’ve taken to reading her and extra story sometimes,” explained Bloom. “She’s aware of what I’m doing and has even said, ‘Bye Mom! I’ll have you in my heart!’”

So does Bloom have any regrets as the musical is about to open? Has the juggling of schedules, the long drives and change in routine been worth the effort?

“Being on stage is such a natural high for me.  It’s so fun and I feel like I’ve found a niche again. As I’ve said before, things just have a way of working out for the best!”

Audiences will enjoy the gruff demeanor of Horace Vandergelder, eloquently played by Eagle River resident Gary Gilbert.  Gilbert joins the TLTC for a fourth production. (Photo by Linda Goldsworthy)

Eagle River’s Gilbert Stars in Hello, Dolly!

ven before auditions for “Hello, Dolly!” took place, his wife, Bernice, said that trying out for the lead male role would not be fair to everyone else—it would be typecasting.

“I enjoy coming across as a curmudgeon. It’s an inert part of my personality,” Eagle River’s Gary Gilbert gruffly grins, “but overall I am a very positive person, who tries to find the best in everybody.”

Gilbert, who stars as the penny-pinching feed store owner Horace Vandergelder, is one of 31 cast members in the Three Lakes Theater Company’s “Hello, Dolly!” Scheduled to open on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. , the production promises to be enjoyable according to Gilbert.

“I think people will go home after the two and one half hour production and say, ‘Boy, was that great,’” notes Gilbert, who works for John Reid and Associates where he sets up seminars for law enforcement agencies throughout the area.

According to creative director Mari Lynn Garbowicz, one of the reasons this show will be so successful is due to Gilbert. “He goes out of his way to make everybody feel at ease, and he always manages to find the good in people. Even though he has the lead, he doesn’t act as the primadonna; he’s just part of the family.”

Musical director Lori Hunter agrees, “He has a lot of talent and a desire to support the community.  He’s added vocal leadership and is a lot of fun to be around.”

Gilbert’s four years of TLTC involvement is due in part to Hunter who first came to know him through several Eagle River musical groups, including Lessons in Carols, POPS River Revival, and the Lenten Cantatas. After working with him, Hunter realized she couldn’t pass up an opportunity. “He was male, and he could sing—and we (TLTC) needed men,” laughs Hunter.

“Brigadoon” saw Gilbert playing the benign and kindly village sage Mr. Lundie, who was anything but a curmudgeon.  In “South Pacific,” Gilbert was cast as the crotchety Captain George Brackett.  “I guess I’m the stock old man in the shows,” chuckles Gilbert, who admits that he hadn’t seen any TLTC productions prior to joining the group.

While Gilbert may have been new to the troupe  in 1999, he was far from being new to the stage.  Prior to moving to Eagle River from Milwaukee in January of 1979, the father of three sang with the Bel Canto Chorus, a city choral group that did a couple of performances each year, including a performance of the “Messiah” with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. As part of the Milwaukee Opera Company, Gilbert also sang in the chorus for “Carmen.”

According to Gilbert, musical experiences in Milwaukee and Three Lakes only differ in size and funding. “Otherwise the spirit is exciting and the dedication is every bit as great in Three Lakes,” he notes.

While he enjoyed singing and being on stage, Gilbert admits while raising his children, he didn’t think about being part of the theater. “I love to sing and I love the theater, so after the kids grew up, I was able to take part in it more,” explains Gilbert.

CASTING

According to Garbowicz, casting Gilbert in “Hello, Dolly!” was easy. “He was able to portray the gruffness and gentleness of the character of Vandergelder required.”

But casting shows, in general, is extremely difficult.  “You have to personal feeling aside.  One of your dearest friends may tryout for one of the parts, but if he or she doesn’t fit that part, the show always comes first,” explains Garbowicz.

“Take “Camelot,” last year’s show, for example. Gary and I have a very comfortable relationship, and he was up for the part of King Arthur.  Even though Gary was one of my friends, he didn’t have all the aspects of the role as Don Meeder possessed.  But the nice thing about Gary was that he put the production above all else and even though he was disappointed, he later acknowledged that the casting of Don Meeder was perfect—and Gary not only let me know it, but he also let Don know it,” notes Garbowicz, explaining the characteristics that make Gilbert such leader in the organization.

While Gilbert may not have been King Arthur in “Camelot,” he’s finding the part of Vandergelder to be challenging.

“It’s a lot of work! You have to be disciplined at learning the part, memorizing the songs, and trying to interpret the role.  In addition, you really have to work on the interaction between stage characters,” says Gilbert of preparing for the role. “It’s more than just saying lines!”

While his wife insists that Gilbert was typecast as Vandergelder, the old curmudgeon’s character has grown on Gilbert. “Vandergelder has a very appealing personality—under that very, very hard veneer is a soft, sensitive, caring individual.”

“Just like me,” concludes Gilbert.

Page last updated on 06/04/2008