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The Aerospace Players bring “1776” to the Armstrong after 2 year delay
Singing and dancing rocket scientists? That sounds like an excruciating evening. Well, actually, they're pretty darn good.
Singing and dancing rocket scientists? That sounds like an excruciating evening. Well, actually, they’re pretty darn good.
After securing the rights and then having to put the production on a 2-year hold due to COVID, The Aerospace Players (TAP) will be bringing the musical “1776” to the James R Armstrong Theatre, Torrance, for six shows only January 27 through February 4, 2023. TAP is an Aerospace Employees Association club founded in 1988, making the Armstrong its home for productions since 1994. Although an employee club, TAP states on its website that it is committed to “working hard to produce quality shows” and some of TAP’s participants have received awards over the years.
“1776” is directed by Chuck Gustafson, a Hermosa Beach resident. Chuck is a retired Sr. VP of The Aerospace Corporation. He won the Torrance Performing Arts Consortium (TPAC) Making a Difference award in 2010 and the TPAC President’s Award in 2020. Chuck has been involved in TAP since its inception in 1988 playing Eugene Florczyk in “Grease.” He made his directorial debut with the show “Guys and Dolls” in 1994. When asked why he’s been involved in The Aerospace Players for almost 35 years and why “1776” he responded “in my first show I found out I really liked musical theatre. Plus I built friendships over time which is also part of the fun. I first did “1776” in 1991 with the Manhattan Beach Community Church and fell in love with it. I then directed it for TAP in 2005 in a small theater, which limited the lighting and made us put the orchestra in another room. So, I wanted to direct the show again in a great theater like the Armstrong.” When asked how the club got the video of William Daniels (who originated the role of John Adams on Broadway in 1969) wishing Aerospace Players the best of luck, he replied “I don’t know. Someone at Aerospace [Corporation] knew someone who knew Bill Daniels. The video clip got back to our Tech Director, Tammy Choy, and now it’s on The Aerospace Players’ Facebook page. It was so kind of Bill to do that and the cast loves it.”
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Bob Minnichelli plays the role of Benjamin Franklin. Bob currently works at The Aerospace Corporation as a Principal Engineer and has been involved with the club almost 33 years. Bob received the TPAC Mercury Stage & Theater award in 2016 for his performance of Teyve in “Fiddler on the Roof” and has held many lead roles in past TAP shows: George Banks (Mary Poppins), Max Bialystock (The Producers), Harold Hill (The Music Man) and Benjamin Franklin (1776), to name a few. When asked what about Benjamin Franklin makes him want to reprise his role, Bob said “having played Franklin 18 years ago, what initially stood out for me in recalling the experience was Franklin’s most passionate dialogue defending the cause of American independence, and struggling with compromising his strong anti-slavery position to establish consensus on independence – “first things first”, as he states in the script. Right or wrong (and the character addresses that as well). It’s a pretty intense conflict.” When asked about his dream role he stated King George in “Hamilton” – “what fun that would be!”
A relative newcomer to TAP, Evan Cooper plays the fiery John Adams. Evan is also an Aerospace Corporation employee and played Reuben (a brother) in TAP’s 2019 “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” When asked why he’s involved with TAP and why he auditioned for the role of John Adams, Evan replied “I was thrilled to be able to get back on stage for ‘1776’ after my last experience before the pandemic. I wanted John Adams specifically because I loved the motivation and feeling behind the character: obnoxious and disliked, yes, but striving towards doing the most good.” Evan’s dream role? “… would either be The Phantom (Phantom of the Opera) or Orpheus from “Hadestown.”
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Evan and Bob were both asked how acting, singing and dancing are like engineering, and they both had precise, technical answers. Summarizing, Bob sees theater from a Systems Engineering perspective saying it has many complex SE elements and challenges which include building the organization and interfaces to develop the individual on-stage components: blocking, singing, choreography, sets, and props, and integrating them, then integrating them with the orchestra, with the light team, the sound team, the stage crew and the theater management team. He says he is “definitely a better systems engineer as a result of my theater experience.” Evan emphasized the various types of engineering (electrical, systems, mechanical) where everyone has their expertise, but the team needs to work, learn and collaborate to make the strongest product for all those involved.
Thomas Jefferson is played by Charles Keppler who is an aerospace engineer by day. Charles played Rolf Gruber in TAP’s 2022 “Sound of Music.” Abigail Adams is played by Erin Callaway, an accomplished actress and mother of four. Erin played Sister Margaretta in TAP’s 2022 “Sound of Music.”
The rest of the leading and supporting cast has years of performance experience: Bob Borich (playing Edward Rutledge, South Carolina) held former lead roles with TAP and other community theatre companies of Pharaoh (Joseph), Cat (Seussical), Wilbur Turnblad (Hairspray) and many more. Michael DeBartolo (playing John Dickinson, Pennsylvania) held former lead roles with TAP of Lazar Wolf (Fiddler), Hysterium (Forum) and has had several film and TV roles. Isabella Francisco (playing Martha Jefferson) was Liesl von Trapp in TAP’s 2022 “Sound of Music.” John Schroeder (playing Richard Henry Lee, Virginia) was Bert in TAP’s 2018 performance of “Mary Poppins”). Nik Corzine (playing a Courier) was Joseph in TAP’s 2019 “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
The Aerospace Players is a volunteer organization, with cast, crew and live orchestra for “1776” all donating their time to bring this show to the community.
And how many Johns, exactly, make up the cast of this show? John Woodcock (playing John Hancock, President, Continental Congress), John Wilson (playing James Wilson, Pennsylvania), John Nolan (playing George Read, Delaware), John Ranaudo (playing Samuel Chase, Maryland) and John Schroeder (playing Richard Henry Lee, Virginia). “Sit down, John!”
When: Fri, Jan 27, 8p.m. Sat, Jan 28, 8p.m. Sun, Jan 29, 2p.m. Ths, February 2, 7p.m. Fri, Feb 3, 8 p.m. Sat, Feb 4, 2p.m.
Where: James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, California 90503
Tickets: $24 Adults. $22 Seniors, Students, Children. $20 group rate (10 or more tickets, single show). Tickets can be purchased online at bit.ly/TAP1776_23 or in person at the James Armstrong box office. Box office phone: (310) 781-7171.
Information: Questions or to purchase group rate tickets email aerospaceplayers@gmail.com
