Baltimore County, MD smARTS, 6 Jun 2018

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From YouTube: Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre

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Join Jim Hunnicutt in an interview about Cockpit in Court

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( ♪♪♪ ).

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Cockpit in court summer theatre has been entertaining baltimore audiences.

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For more than four decades.

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with us on smarts is artistic director jim hunnicutt, to talk about this summer's exciting season at ccbc in essex.

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Good to see you. oh,, it's great to see you, carolyn., dear old friend., I mean, you've kind of done every aspect of the theater, right?.

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You've been on stage,, you've directed,, you are managing the theatre.

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I mean, really, every aspect., it's been an experience.

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The only thing I haven't done, I would love to have learned to play the piano.

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Okay. there's still time., there's still time.

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you could've sang for me. yeah.. I would love that.

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So I mentioned that it's been more than 40 years.

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That cockpit in court has been in existence..

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That's a long time., especially for a theatre.

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So where do you attribute your success? To?.

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I think one of the major reasons that we succeed is because.

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We really are trying to reach out to the community.

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And give them something that is as close to a broadway experience as they can get.

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Without having to leave the state and not spend the money.

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That you would to go to new york or go to a professional theatre, company.

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So those are all very practical. Reasons.

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I've been to many of the performances and I'm always wowed by the high professional quality of it.

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It's really terrific.. So that's another reason: I'm going to add to your list of why it's lasted so long.

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And because of that,, we do attract people that just have a love for it.

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And want to perform and fortunately, we get excellent performers.

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Fortunately, baltimore has a lot of great talent and some of these performers, whom I know personally,. I know you do as well,.

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Had been in new york and decided that they missed baltimore, wanted to come, back, be with their families, closer to their friends.

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So you get this great mix of some new york quality,.

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I think, performers but coming back.

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So talk a little bit about the performers and how you're able to attract some great talent.

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Jim:, we have a whole committee that actually pulls the seasons together.

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Trying to figure out what shows will attract performers,.

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Audience and basically, pay for themselves.

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And we do think about who we know in the community that is around.

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So that we can put on shows that, hopefully are newer, they haven't had the chance to do., especially if you're in new york and if you're, not a main character or an understudy,. You might not ever get a chance to do some of these roles.

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So it's a chance to come and we go all out for it.

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So that they're getting an experience that they're very proud of.

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There's some real favorites as far as performers and directors.

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Do you want to list a couple of names?.

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Sure. I'll get in trouble for the ones I leave out.

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One that we've had do a lot of shows recently is tom wyatt.

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He, of course, was in new york and choreographs as well as directs.

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And he also costumes., it's amazing, the things that you learn.

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Sure. we've had a director, john desmone when we did hairspray.

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Which was the premier for this area.?

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He came. In. he's been working in baltimore for 40 some years.

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We have performers.

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My wife, liz boyer hunnicutt,, shannon wollman, eileen keenan,.

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People that have been doing it since they were 16 to 18 years old.

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Still involved. yeah., that is terrific.

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Okay., so let's talk a little bit about this season. I've got your brochure here.. It looks like another great winner.

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We're excited. okay.

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I think we've covered the entire realm with this season.

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Okay., why don't you start us with? I guess, a great show,.

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Big tony award-winning show?

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yes. we're opening with avenue q.

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You would think it's a family show because it's kind of like an episode of sesame street.

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But it is an adult version of sesame street.

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It contains some language and situations that we recommend not for children.

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But you get to see the true puppeteer form of art taking place.

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You meld between actors and the characters that are real and aren't real.

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It's a comedy and a coming of age story told in such a funny,, unique way.

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It was a really groundbreaking, musical., very groundbreaking..

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I remember when it came out. okay. and then we've got some great things for the younger female set. Maybe.

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Or male set., I don't want to be gender specific., but you've got the little mermaid.

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Jim: we have the little mermaid.. It is the full disney production.

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I saw it in new york when it ran in new york and we're trying to live up to those expectations.

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Carolyn: fantastic.

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Jim:, so they will see sebastian and all the characters they expect to see.

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And in a full stage., so that's one of our advantages as well. Is you have a full stage.

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So we don't have to pare down the shows.

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Right, right. okay. and then tell me about the other. You have two other...

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Yes. we're doing two plays.

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One is a comedy. neil simon's laughter on the 23rd floor.

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Kind of about his time when he was growing up.

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Becoming a writer of himself on the sid caesar show.

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And then one back a little bit older that was written in the 70's.

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Called come back to the five and dime, jimmy dean, jimmy dean.

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A little bit more of a darker comedy, but it's still a fun show.

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yeah. right. are those also done in your big main stage. Theatre?.

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Those are actually done in a cabaret space. We have upstairs.

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And it's theatre in the round, so you are no more than 30 feet away.

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From the actors- and we find our audiences really love, that.

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They come., they have cabaret tables., they eat.

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they drink and they feel like they're part of the show.

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So folks want to find out more about... if they can't remember all the season and everything,, they can go online.

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Jim: onto our webpage. yeah., we'll put that up and also,. Are you ever looking for people to get involved,.

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To volunteer to help, to donate money?.

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We always are. ( laughter, ) yes., we're always looking for. I mean,. We hire people from colleges.

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Just trying to get started into the field.

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We hire anybody that we can to make the shows happen.

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We get volunteers that work on shows and a lot of kids start in our theaters.

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I will see you. I'm going to be there.

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absolutely,. I can't wait to see avenue q and some of the other shows as well.

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Jim hunnicutt, always good seeing you.

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Oh,, it's a pleasure, carolyn.. I appreciate it., you bet.

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Well, I'm carolyn black-sotir, and this is smarts,, the baltimore county arts and culture show.