Latest news with #RickGarman
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
POTUS, the smash Broadway comedy, comes to Savannah
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Savannah Cabaret's latest production is timely AND hilarious. Beginning April 24, they are bringing 'POTUS,' the Broadway smash, to Club One in Savannah. (The play has a subtitle, but it includes a word that isn't print-friendly so we're just calling it by its 'first' name.) 'POTUS' is the no-holds-barred story of seven women surrounding a fictional (and never seen or named) President of the United States on a very bad day at the White House. They include the chief of staff, the press secretary, a White House reporter, the president's secretary, the first lady, the president's sister, who may or may not have just escaped from prison and the president's special friend who has arrived with news that there's going to be a surprise in about nine months. Savannah Cabaret artistic director (and director of 'POTUS') Rick Garman — fresh off winning the GLAAD Media Award for writing 'The Groomsmen: Second Chances' — says he fell in love with the fast, funny, raunchy play when he first saw it in New York City. 'It was the funniest play that I've ever seen in my entire life, and not just because of the cast. It's a crazy farce with all sorts of unexpected twists and turns.' While the original Broadway cast of POTUS had some major stars (Vanessa Williams, Rachel Dratch, Leah DeLaria, Susy Nakamura, Julie White, Julianne Hough and Lilli Cooper), Garman says his cast just as formidable. 'We have a few people who are Savannah Cabaret regulars, but we've gone outside of the Savannah Cabaret troupe and we have seven of the best actresses in this town. I'm not kidding. They have been in shows collectively at just about every theater company: Savannah Prep, Savannah Historic Theater, Savannah Stage Company, Tybee Arts, just to name a few.' When you take your seat to see POTUS, you'll be treated to the talents of local fan favorites Hannah Dodson, Valerie LaVelle, Nicole Borysowicz, Luisa Nolasco, Ajae Michelle, Teresa-Michelle Jackson and Joanna Walchuk. Garman says he didn't really hold audition for this production; he knew who he wanted from the start. 'I reached out to specific people and said, 'Here's the script, read it. Is this something you'd be interested in doing?'' The original production of POTUS had music but the play isn't considered a musical. Garman, however, is incorporating original music into his production. 'There's one sort of a rap [song] that one of the characters does that's supposed to be a thing. But there are places where there needs to be music and so we're going to create it. A few weeks ago, I actually put in a female empowerment song with intentionally bad lyrics.' The space at Club One isn't huge, but people who perform there know how to use it wisely. Since POTUS takes place in and around the White House, the actors will be on stage and in the room. '[Club One] is not a traditional theater so why pretend it's a traditional theater? Yes, there's a stage and yes, there are seats pointed toward the stage, but there's all this other stuff going on. So we have a tendency to bring the action out into the audience.' Get your tickets to see POTUS here so you can see these fast, funny, raunchy women try to save the President from himself…or bring down the White House trying! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Savannah Performing Arts Festival sponsor backs out due to drag performers
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The Savannah Performing Arts Festival has lost a sponsor, putting them in a financial bind and organizers said the reason lies in who they have to speak at a panel discussion. 'We're having some of the city's best drag queens in to talk about the art of creating that illusion,' Rick Garman with the festival said. 'And when [the sponsor] found out that drag was going to be included in the festival, they pulled out. It's disappointing and offensive.' Garman said this is an event for all ages, and the daytime events are appropriate. According to him, it was no secret who their speakers and performers would be at their events. The panel, called 'Heels and Hair: The Art of Drag', is happening Thursday, Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. The discussion is only 45 minutes, which is a small portion of the festival compared to the remaining two weeks of events. The festival didn't say who the sponsor is or how much money they were giving but that it was a significant amount. Now, the organization is relying on credit cards and hoping they can keep the events going. 'Our performances, our panels and our musical and all that stuff that we're doing over the next two weeks has groups and people from all over the city, all different walks of life and all different kinds of art,' Garmin said. 'The arts should serve everyone. The idea that we would put on something that would exclude somebody just because we're worried that somebody is not going to like it, we're not going to do that.' If you would like to support the show, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
