Fort Salem Theater might be in the middle of nowhere in Washington County, but it attracts Broadway actors on a regular basis. That caliber of acting, coupled with the quality productions it produces, is why Artistic Director Jay Kerr isn’t happy being “the Best Kept Secret in the Capital Region.”
“People don’t know we’re here. People in Salem don’t know we’re here and not for our lack of trying,” said Kerr. “Our goal is to have people see what we do. We want people to come find us.”
Being a hidden gem won’t stop Kerr from creating the best plays and musicals he can. The final presentation of summer will be “George M. Cohan Tonight!” starring Broadway actor Jim Raposa.
“Jim was in a show with us last year and we kept saying ‘What role would your like to play?’ and he said he’d love to do George M. Cohan, so we found this show,” said Kerr.
Raposa might not be a household name but he’s been part of some of the most famous musicals on Broadway, like “Cats” and “The Lion King.”
“Do your gig, do it well and take care of your body … getting that crowd’s response is just amazing,” said Raposa.
Raposa has been teaching in the performing arts department at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, VT since leaving Broadway, but he still has plenty of memories from his glory days.
“It’s really an amazing time because you go to 100 auditions and you may book one job and to then be able to work with some of the heavy hitters and create theater with them and love going to work every night and to entertain an audience and make an audience feel an emotional journey, it’s really cathartic,” said Raposa. “I miss that.”
Raposa covered six roles in “Cats,” including Mr. Mistoffelees and Skimbleshanks. In “Lion King” he was Timon and Zazu. He also did stints in TV and film, as well as working in regional theaters and the U.S. premiere of “Ragtime.”
“I became very accustomed to the hours. I had days free most of the time and worked at night because I was a swing and I was usually in rehearsals two days a week, so I had a bit of a harder schedule than some of the other cast members,” said Raposa.
There’s really only one show that Raposa wanted to do, but didn’t.
“I would have loved to play Tobias in Sweeney Todd,” said Raposa. “I’m pretty relentless. If there’s a show that I wanted to do and a character I wanted to do and if I didn’t have the goods to play the character, I’d go out and learn them. I learned how to flip off walls and was trained as a gymnast.”
He said he’s excited to portray Cohan, a major entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and producer.
“It’s a one-man show and it’s 90 minutes from start to finish where we condense the life of George M. Cohan who really broke through the barriers and created the first true triple threat,” said Raposa. “It’s just a fun show; dancing, singing, acting. You’ll laugh a little, cry a little and go out humming songs that everyone knows.”
Cohan and Raposa’s lives mirror one another’s, in a way.
“What I find so compelling about the story is that he was told he wouldn’t be able to do it; wouldn’t be able to do this, do that … he took charge of his own career, which is very similar to what we face in this industry,” said Raposa. “I find a real connection with him … I feel very fortunate to be able to portray him.”
Raposa said he has no plans to return to Broadway because teaching has become his passion.
“I feel I get a chance to give back and affect lives like my life was affected by teachers I had in high school and college,” said Raposa. “Growing up my parents were like ‘You must get a job that is safe” … I kind of went ‘I gotta do what I love to do’ and I feel we also offer many students a safe place to be creative.”
Kerr said talent like Raposa set Fort Salem Theater apart from other local companies.
“It lets people know consistently they’re going to see something that’s good. Capital Rep doesn’t have Broadway performers much. The shows that come to Proctors are road shows with people who probably have never been on Broadway but you come to Fort Salem and see people who have a resume,” said Kerr.
“George M. Cohan Tonight!” runs two weekends from Aug.12 to 21. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. and Sunday shows at 2 p.m. For ticket information visit fortsalemtheater.com or call the box office at 854-9200. Adults are $27, children 12 and under are $15 and seniors (62 and older) are $25.
