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Jeff Shipper (l) and Shondra
Jepperson looking for Mr. and Ms. Right in
"Maybe Baby, It's You" at the Canyon Moon
Theatre running from Nov 8 thru Dec 3rd. |
Theater Review
Maybe Baby, It’s You—Canyon Moon Theatre’s
current success
by Beverly Lehnhardt | Sedona.biz
Sedona, AZ - No maybes about it—Canyon Moon
Theatre (CMT) has a hit on its hands with the
Off-Broadway comedy, Maybe Baby, It’s You!
A nearly-full house on opening night, Saturday,
November 10, thoroughly enjoyed this delightful,
insightful, irreverent and hilarious look at the
search for love, relationships, and ‘soul mates.’
Two actors—in a series of 11 vignettes—illustrate a
variety of relationship situations from the first
exciting kiss to the (not-so) golden years of
marriage. Jeff (Shipper) Masters and Shondra
Jepperson, both CMT veterans, are outstanding in all
their various roles. Each actor plays nearly a dozen
characters, replete with split-second hair and
costume changes, including young lovers, tender
romantics, cynical middle-agers, seen-it-all
geriatrics with memories of the ‘good times,’ as
well as some outrageous dream sequences.
Jepperson’s “Madea, the Goddess of Vengeance” and
Master’s Latin lover “Diego,” are both hysterically
funny. The audience belly-laughed its way through
the entire production and, as the lights dimmed
following the final scene, showed its appreciation
with an enthusiastic standing ovation.
Jepperson has numerous CMT credits to her name, last
seen here in Canyon Moon’s Talking With, and
has performed all over the country in a plethora of
venues—everything from stadiums to cruise ships. In
addition to her acting career, singer/ songwriter/
musician/ arranger Jepperson performs with her
husband Tom in the popular Sedona duo known as Tom &
Shondra.
Masters has also appeared numerous times on the CMT
stage as well as on the main stage at Theatrikos in
Flagstaff and at the Prescott Fine Arts Association.
Both Jepperson and Masters are “…having a blast!”
with this show and are pleased with the challenge of
having “…to make each character unique.” The hair,
the costumes, the voices and attitudes must all vary
from personality to personality.
Written by Shari Simpson and Charlie Shanian, Maybe
Baby is directed by actress/ composer/ producer and
writer Gail Edwards who is widely known as Vicky
Larson on ABC’s Full House and Sharon Lemure on
NBC’s Blossom. Last year, Edwards came out of
semi-retirement to play Nell Todd in CMT’s
production of Charlie Cox Runs with Scissors.
Producing Artistic Director Mary G. Guaraldi
selected Maybe Baby because the universal
topic of love and relationships appeals to everyone.
The comedy is not only truly funny but contains
nuggets of truth that mirror life, allowing each
audience member to relate personally to what’s
happening on-stage.
Casting Jepperson and Masters for this show was
sheer brilliance on Guaraldi’s part—the actors
simply exude talent; their body language and facial
expressions alone convey the immediate feelings of
their characters. Individually talented, these two
become much more than the sum of their parts when
on-stage together.
Guaraldi and Darlene Krantz selected and created the
costumes for the play, giving each character his/her
own very unique look. The total hair and costume
changes were quick, never leaving the audience
hanging, yet so complete as to convincingly portray
a different character.
Maybe Baby is a winner of a way to begin
Season X and I’ll be surprised if every performance
isn’t a sell-out. Order your tickets now by calling
a 24-hour Brown Paper Ticket hotline at
800-838-3006; go online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/20492;
or stop into Rycus’ Corners in VOC or Clothing
Reflections in West Sedona. You can also visit CMT’s
website at www.canyonmoontheatre.org or call
928-282-6212 for more information.
This show runs now through December 3, Thursdays to
Saturdays at 7:30p.m. and Sunday afternoons at
3:00p.m. Ticket prices are $19 for general admission
and $11 for full-time students.
Canyon Moon Theatre is located in the Oak Creek
Factory Outlet next to Cody’s Pet Emporium. Because
of the construction on Route 179 in VOC, you should
allow a few extra minutes to arrive at the theatre
prior to show time.
Season X is sponsored by The Marketplace Café with
support from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the
Sedona Arts & Culture Commission, and the Sedona
Community Foundation.
If Maybe Baby, It’s You is any indication of
the quality of the line-up for Season X, Northern
Arizona theatergoers are in for a great year! Order
your tickets now so you don’t miss this delightful
production.
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