Mother's Day 2023

Lillian and Jordan joined us for an evening at the Rome Little Theatre's production of Sister Act starring our friend Beth McCain last night... 

Lillian greets Beth out front are the show...

Sheila with Beth

It is fun to be Lillian Shaw's father when she visits RLT where she is beloved...

The blurred fellow in the background is Lillian's longtime friend Russell Evans , who nailed the role of the cop who falls for Delores/Sister Mary Clarence.

...and stayed over for Sunday morning with us. 

While Sheila and I were at church, Lil and Jordan concocted a delicious brunch of waffles with egg frittatas and fruit with a butter-cream sauce for the waffles. Yum!

Brannon and the Grandgirls FaceTimed with us in the afternoon to wish Sheila a Happy Mother's Day. I  have some screenshots from the FaceTime but they are on Sheila's iPad... watch for those pics. 

Gleaning Facebook: It's Not Just Lillian's Father

 From J.J. Walker Seifert's Facebook:

Y'all - if you didn't get to see this show this weekend, I implore you (at the direction of Dolly Parton herself) to go see it next weekend! It is HILARIOUS, the music is amazing - Lillian Shaw's cleavage, I mean --- her VOICE makes it worth it alone.

Carson Claire and I had a great time! Good job, RLT Cast & Crew!

9 to 5 -- Coming Soon!

Here's the Rome Little Tgeatre promo for 9 to 5 the Musical. Lillian will star as Doralee Rhoades -- the 'Dolly Parton' role. Can't wait!

 

Gleaning Facebook: The Secret Garden Finale

Today, Sunday February 7, 2016, is your last opportunity to see and hear this production of The Secret Garden. This is one of my very favorite musicals. I wish Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon had collaborated on much more. Their translation of this wonderful classic story into a stage musical is just magical. The words are poetic and the music -- at turns -- stirring, comic, ethereal, and majestic.

Please support bringing these kinds of classics to our community theater stage. Two of my friends who attended last evening reported being brought to tears. Now it IS community theater. You will not find perfection. At least not from ol' Ben Weatherstaff, the gruff but tender-hearted gardener that I get to inhabit one more time. But these players have volunteered a huge percentage of their waking hours outside of work and school for many weeks to bring you this show. Our stage crew, sound and light crew, production staff, and nine piece orchestra are focused on making sure you hear and see every note and every word intended (and as little unintended as possible!).

As a father iI will shamelessly brag that it is a very special privilege for me to share a stage again with one of my two talented daughters. Lillian IS a Yorkshire housemaid from her first entrance to final curtain. You Downton fans will recognise the type. "Martha"'s heart is as big as Lillian's and her voice will resound with humor and comfort (A Fine White Horse") in the first act, and with passionate encouragement for distraught "Mary" in the second ("Hold On")

This is not a show often attempted in community theater. The music is absolutely wonderful, but also difficult. Several of the characters must portray tortured souls, while trying to preserve the spark of humanity. I hope you will see an orphaned little girl and her frightened and emotionally abandoned cousin find new purpose and new life in a garden reborn from their friendship and the love of their Yorkshire servants. And two depressed, sad, selfish, angry brothers brought back from the brink of insanity by the love reborn in that garden.

Y'all come!

Andrew Bressette Really well put Terrell,

Victoria Stanz Abernathy You got wonderful reviews from our special visitor, Rachel Craw, this afternoon who loved to the point of tears during the whole performance last evening. I probably could drive after dark now if I had a trusted vehicle, but I was with you all in spirit. Bravissimo to you all!

Gleaning Facebook: Backstage at Rehearsal

At Secret Garden reheasal. I have a small part (Ben Weatherstaff). Lillian has a nice part: Martha. She has a showstopper solo in the second act and another solo in the first act. Few outside of theatre realize the time commitment for a show like this gorgeous musical. And for most of us, those with minor roles, it means a lot of waiting. But I am watching a difficult scene/song/dance come together tonight (Come Spirit Come Charm). That's fun to see & hear.

Uh oh... I'm finally on.. bye.

Comments

Victoria Stanz Abernathy My favorite book. Those names bring back the happiest memories!

Leigh Whittenburg Callan Oh, Terrell! I'm so glad to hear about the rehearsals and CAN"T WAIT for the production. I love Ben's character and also Martha's. I know exactly what songs you are talking about. Whitney and I know every word. I'll try to get her to come. I don't think she's seen the show staged. I remember you as Uncle Archibald in times past.

Terrell Shaw I loved that role, Leigh. Granted it might be a bit much to cast me --- a VERY young 68 --- as Archie next to a twenty-something Lily, but it's hard to watch James Swendsen nailing "my part". The guy is good, doggone it. On Opening Night when Archie and Neville sing that wonderful duel of a duet, Lily's Eyes, I may step onto the stage and reveal that (ta-dah!) Ol' Ben also had a crush on Lily and make it a trio! (JK!!!!)

JJ Walker Seifert Aww. I played Martha in the Secret Garden in college - go Lillian!

Rita Lawler I saw this at the Fox many many years ago. Staging incredible. I played the music for months after.

Sheila Matthews Shaw We saw it at the Fox also. Lillian was 4, I think, Brannon was 9. We all loved it!

Andi Rouse Beyer I saw Secret Garden at the James theatre in March of 1992, Mandy Patinkin played Mary's Uncle. We can't wait to see it at RLT!

Carla Byram April - let's take B

April Jacobs Howell She would love it!

Freddie Ashley Love that show. "Lily's Eyes" is such a beautiful song. I think there's a Lincoln Center revival coming down the pike.

Vivienne

Vivienne with her Mom.

 

Gleaning Facebook: Roman Nomination

 Congratulations to my daughter Lillian Shaw, one of the nominees for the 2014 Roman Award as Female Showstopper for her role as Jan in Grease.

Notes from Facebook after the production of Grease:

Terrell Shaw to Lillian Shaw: My daughter was the epitome of great acting, singing, dancing in Grease last night!

Becky Gurley: [Lillian] was one of my favorites last night. Sussana Brown who played Rizzo was another favorite.

Marie Kindred: Lillian's rendition of Jan was fabulous ! She is so talented.

Carol Payne to Lillian Shaw: You were AMAZING last night in Grease. What a fabulous production!

Wendy Davis: Fun evening watching "Grease" at Rome LittleTheatre! My pal Lillian Shaw was the star of the show to me! What a fun surprise that my former classmate Danny Price was the dreamy crooner - well done, my friend!

Mario Sanchez to Lillian Shaw: I can't even begin to explain my newfound level of admiration for you, Lillian. It was an incredble joy seeing you on stage and I look forward to seeing you in more productions! :0)

Hill Sawyer: Went and saw this lovely lady in Grease tonight. My girl!

Gleaning Facebook: RIP Mary Doster

Comments

Buzz Wachsteter
Mary has made her final curtain call on the stage of the Desoto, and has taken her place on the front row of the balcony. God bless a truly unique and loving person. Enjoy catching up with Cathy and Josh, Forrest, Hyman and Lilly, L.T., Dan and Edna, Gordon Elliott, and so many more. You will always be in our hearts and memories.

Laura L Adams
Just tagged the marquis photo for the Drumbeat...

Bob Doster
Thanks.

Julia Hilburn Dent
Terrell, please friend Mike Tolbert or tag him with this photo!! He is her nephew & came from N.C. to the service & all!!!

Mike Tolbert
Thanks so much. She was a dear aunt

Barbara J. Gale
Mary was one of my first friends in Rome...I will miss her.

Deb Joyner Dennemann
Terrell, dear one, tell us about her memorial service. I was so sorry to not be able to be there.......

Terrell Shaw
It was great to meet your parents, Deb.
It was a very nice service, with a reception/meal afterwards. I told a few Mary stories at the reception and several other chimed in as well. I think Mary would have approved.
I plan to put the memories folks sent me into a file to share with Bob & Bill and others soon. I have two more funerals to attend (and I'll sing at one of those) this week. It seems they come in bunches. Entirely too common these days.

Deb Joyner Dennemann
It's such a small church.. hope it was packed.. would have been much more so if folks like me could have been there. What a lovely thing to do for Bill and Bob. Sorry to hear of the other funerals you have to attend but I agree entirely too many these days.

Terrell Shaw
Had to bring in benches and chairs… it was packed.

Deb Joyner Dennemann
OH I'm so happy to hear it was such a good turnout!

 

Gleaning Facebook: On Mary Doster's Service

Harriet Kiser
Mary's service today was a very beautiful celebration of her life.  Terrell Shaw shared some hilarious memories of Mary along with several folks who had worked with her over the years in Rome LittleTheatre.  I could picture Mary and Nancy sitting there together in "their" pew.  Give Nancy my love.

Regina Reynolds Yarbrough
Thank you Harriet!! If we can ever get moved I could attend these things - so many great memories of my mom and the Marys!

Nancy Parker Self

We went to Mary's service. It was very lovely and touching . So glad she was apart of our lives.

Gleaning Facebook: Brannon's Visit

Brannon wanted to check out the area's disc golf courses, since her friend John is a big fan of the game. Berry has two courses.

 

This is the first "hole" in the course that wanders around the Ford Buildings and Log Cabin Campus.

The mountain campus course begins (1) and ends (18) near the Winshape center with the midpoint (9) behind the Normandy Inn.

Friday night we saw RLT's pretty good production of A Few Good Men. Our friend Russell Evans played Kendrick the extreme Marine lieutenant.

The renovations at the Desoto are really sprucing the place up. And we look pretty good too.

Brannon chose Schroeder's as the site for the final meal of our six-week visit. Soft pretzels all around. Lillian out Megged Meg Ryan by ordering a Grilled Chicken Pita, but hold the mayo, cheddar cheese, and mustard but could you add spinach, feta cheese and green pesto please. I, of course, had the veggie on whole wheat…. with ham. Sheila stuck with her standby, the Salvadore Deli. And Brannon had a Crummy Pita. Can't beat Shroeders!

At the airport a passerby struck our beauty for us. He crouched, I suppose to emphasize that gigantic belly of mine.

Gleaning Facebook: Last Performance!

 Last chance to see "Hairspray" -- Sunday February 17, 2:30. at the Desoto Theater.

Tonight's performance was the best yet. Lillian was in full voice for the first time, she says. I thought she was great last weekend, but I knew she was struggling with hoarseness. I thought she was full voice Friday night. But tonight there was even more life and force to her performance than ever. That goes for the whole cast. They fed off a very big and lively audience... if it wasn't a sell-out it was close. Maybelle! Wow! Linc, Edna, Seaweed! Even Velma, who has a terrible cold, worked around it to give her usual wonderfully nasty performance. A great ensemble effort!

They'll pull out all the stops for the final show tomorrow afternoon. Y'all come!!

Bravo Hairspray cast.... one of the best community musical performances I've seen.

From James Willis...

Last weekend for an absolutely fantabulous show: Hairspray. The show rocks and the band is one of the tightest I have ever seen at RLT!

--------------

Angela Flannigan McRee Loved it the second time, too! First class show!

Mary Nisbet Asbury Vocals were amazing!!!!

Marsha Yancey Atkins
Loved Friday night's performance,everyone was so good! 

Gleaning Facebook: Hairspray

"Tracy Turnblad" from Hairspray, the Musical. (AKA Lillian Shaw.)

Beckie Gurley

Beautiful!! I enjoyed watching her sing and bring Tracy Turnbald to life. She was amazing!!

Rachel Craw
Fantastic!

Lillian's mother is prettier than Tracy's. (Sorry Jonathan.)

 

James is right about the band. It's gonna be a good show -- but I'm partial to the lead, Tracy Turnblad, played by a wonderful actress and singer who just happens to be my daughter.

Gleaning Facebook: My Youngest

Terrell Shaw
Go see my daughter, Lillian Shaw, in Hairspray, opening Friday night at Rome Little Theater in Rome GA. 

Nancy Johal Singh
Beautiful pic!!!

I will talk to my husband and let you know which night we can attend:)

Terrell Shaw
I understand there are also others in the cast.

Erskine Thompson
Cripes! I remember her being born! I'm so OLD!

Terrell Shaw
And, Erskine, I taught you, you old geezer, in elementary school -- how do you think that makes me feel.

Brandi Johnson Camp
She is AMAZING!!!

Anita Stewart
Stunning.

Betty Smith Franklin
those eyes look familiar....

Kathy Wilson
Beautiful!

Gleaning Facebook: From Debby Brown

Thanks to Debby Brown for this little memory she shared on Facebook:

I remember when your printing business did the cover of the 93-94 Rome Little Theater program. It was one of the very best ever done! There is Monica Cook, Mary Doster, Terrell ( the Wizard himself!) his sweet little girl Brannon, the photographer Frank's wife, Victoria Logue and out front Ricky Webb. Ricky and Jason did Big River and were the best Huck and Tom ever! And Ricky gave Quentin the part of the Doctor when he was only 14 years old in "Arsenic and Old Lace." Which he got some flak for because of Quentin's age, but he and Don Rusaw made quite the pair for evil killers, haha! Good memories.. and thank you Terrell for being in so many of our most special RLT ones! Just thinking.. the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz.. the evil Pirate under Captain Hook and the Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof... just to name a very few! you are great at whatever you decide to be or do.

 Comments

Debetells Sumtales
It was.. ricky was in it!

Beckie Gurley
Terrell Shaw what year did you play the wizard? My two brothers were flying monkeys. I think it was 1992.

Terrell Shaw
May 1993, I think, Becky. This program was from the following year.
You may remember, Debbie, that we lost one of the leads from Into the Woods in an auto crash. A horrible time for the theater.

Debetells Sumtales
ohh.. I had forgotten that Terrell!

Beckie Gurley
I remember that. My mom knew her. I was living in Carrollton attending college. It was only a few years after my dad died. I remember wizard of oz being a huge show. I watched it several times. My mom helped with costumes.

Debetells Sumtales

I remember your mom and your brothers. Your mom was very sweet. 

Gleaning Facebook: Stage Bigamy

 From Ginger McClure's Facebook:

It was so, so, so good to see you and the real wife today!!! So funny that I had just been telling my new husband about you!! Hugs to BOTH of you!

Comments:

Ginger McClure
Hugs to "both" as in you and Shelia...not both of my stage husbands!!!

Mary Nisbet Asbury
Just call her Elizabeth Taylor....on second thought, don't.

Terrell Shaw
Sheila is used to my bigamy ...and trigamy. I wonder how many stage wives I've had... I had three in Broadway Spectacular last summer and two of them were Ginger!

Mary Nisbet Asbury
Kinky.....

Ginger McClure
Well, Terrell...you cannot compete with Don this time: he is Jacob and has about 4 or 5 wives, AT ONCE!!!! Of course I am NOT his "favorite wife"...that was Rachel and she is DEAD!!! Hmmmmmmm !!!!

Terrell Shaw
It is always good to know there are mountains left to scale, frontiers remaining to explore, depths still to plumb, and roles yet to inhabit ... but I think I may be willing to allow Jacob/Don this particular record, unchallenged. One wife at a time is ambition enough for this ol' boy! 

Gleaning Facebook: Broadway Spectacular III

from Foxworthy Studio Facebook:

An incredible grouping of talent all in one place! (Cast & Crew; please feel free to tag or download the jpeg's for your own use. If you would like a print, please call us at the studio!)

I still can't get over the depth of acting and singing talent we have here in Rome!

----------

Haley Elizabeth Shaw When I saw it...It was really good
Terrell Shaw Thank you, Haley! I'm so glad y'all got to come. It was a fun show to do.

Gleaning Facebook: Broadway Spectacular III

Put it on your calendar now:

Broadway Spectacular III 

June 25, 26, and 27, and July 2, 3, and 4, 2010

Desoto Theater on Broad Street in Rome GA

Promises to be a good production. In it I get to play bits of three of my dream roles from musical theater: 

Jean Valjean from Les Miserables (Bring Him Home); 

Thernardier from Les Miserables (Master of the House) and 

Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof (If I were a Rich Man and Sunrise, Sunset). 

In addition I will play a (bearded!) Ben Franklin in two numbers from 1776 

(But Mr. Adams and The Egg) 

and sing a song from Aspects of Love (Love Changes Everything).

There will also be bits of Oklahoma, Cats, Man of La Mancha, and more. 

Y'all Come! 

Here's a link to an old post from 2006 about my favorite roles 

http://aloneonalimb.blogspot.com/.../dreaming-musical...

Comments

Carol Shaw Johnston
I will plan to be there! You know I love to hear you sing "Bring Him Home."

Terrell Shaw
Thanks Carol!

Jim Ellington
Break a leg, Terrell!!! If there are others in this show, should we pack a lunch? LOL!

Naomi Liles Crouse
Hey - how do we get tickets? We'll be picking up kids from Glisson around those dates and could probably swing by. Les Miserables is one of my favorite musicals ever!

Lillian Shaw
Awesome! But I won't get to be there... : (

Ruth Baird Shaw
Wow...I"m getting to be a cry baby just thinking about your singing Bring Him Home at my request at my celebration party in Dalton in 1990. Will the Fourth of July fireworks and the Cook Out at your house be on July 3?

Joan Shaw Turrentine
Will they make a professional video or audio for purchase? I will be there, but I sure would buy a video or audio too if available.

Ruth Baird Shaw
It would be a good time to have anoter Roman Holiday???