Wagon Wheel Theatre alumni will perform during a special concert Dec. 14 to honor the late Roy Hine.
The "Roy Hine Musical Tribute" at the theater kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Michael Yocum, Grace College theater arts director and a WWT regular, will host the tribute show. The alumni will perform some of their favorite songs from musicals directed by Hine.
The performance benefits the Roy Hine Scholarship Fund established by the Roy Hine Performing Arts Foundation. Tickets for the one-night only show are available from the Wagon Wheel Theatre box office or by calling 574-267-8041.
Hine, 51, of Chicago, died Nov. 21, 2007, of heart failure while working on Wagon Wheel's production of "Cinderella."
Born May 6, 1956, in Jamestown, N.Y., Roy was the son of Roy and Angie Phillips Hine. A 1974 Southwestern High School graduate, he earned a bachelor's degree in speech and a master's of fine art degree in design from Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.Hine started working at the Wagon Wheel as a set designer in 1982. He was named artistic director in 1995.
His love of theater started in the drama club in high school. He acted in a number of productions at the Little Theatre, Jamestown Community College and the Jamestown Consistory. In his junior year, he directed "The Wizard of Oz."
He moved to New York City after graduation from Northwestern University. He acted in a variety of productions there, and served as a resident designer for the Cortland Repertory Theatre, Cortland, N.Y., and taught drama at Cedar Crest College, Allentown, Pa.
Hine is survived by his parents and four siblings.
A dozen WWT alumni will perform during the tribute concert.
Adrian Aguilar performed in 10 shows under Hine's direction. His favorites include "A Grand Night for Singing," "Leader of the Pack" and "Annie Get Your Gun."
A junior musical theater major at the University of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music, Alex Aguilar has performed in nine productions at the Wagon Wheel. His favorites include "Annie Get Your Gun" and "The Pirates of Penzance."
Heather Beck received her bachelor's degree in fine arts in musical theater performance from Western Michigan University. Audiences may remember Beck as Lena Lamont in "Singin' in the Rain," Amazing Mayzie in "Seussical!", Bombalaurina in "Cats" or in "Leader of the Pack."
Favorite roles for Brianna Borger at WWT include Agnes Gooch in "Mame," Ellie in "Leader of the Pack," BJ in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" and Truvy in "Steel Magnolias."
Jennifer Dow has shined under the WWT spotlight for 10 years. Her most memorable roles are Adelaide in "Guys & Dolls," Gertrude in "Seussical!", Nellie in "South Pacific", Esther in "Meet Me in St. Louis" and Sydney in "Superman."
"Kiss Me, Kate" was Lars Haglund's very first professional show, and he was cast in the show by Hine. Following that musical, Haglund performed in 12 shows under Hine's direction, including "Beauty & the Beast," "Singin' in the Rain" and "Superman."
Relatively new to the Wagon Wheel stage, Kira Lace Hawkins first worked with Hine playing Irene Molloy in the Wabash Community Theatre production of "Hello, Dolly!" She then auditioned for the WWT holiday production of "Cinderella," where she played Queen Maisie, and came back for the 2008 summer season as Auntie Em/Glinda in "The Wizard of Oz" and Vi Moore in "Footloose."
A professional actor for more than 20 years, Robert Joseph Miller started at the WWT in 1991 and has appeared on the WWT stage on and off since. His last time here, he directed "Steel Magnolias." He also was in the first show Hine directed at the WWT, "A Few Good Men." The last show Miller did with Hine was "A Year with Frog and Toad."
Jennie Sophia's previous roles at the WWT include Sarah Brown in "Guys & Dolls," Hope in "Anything Goes," Madge in "Picnic," Cinderella in "Cinderella" and Maria in "The Sound of Music."
Other actors taking part in the show include Crystal VanArtsdalen, Jason Weitkamp and Alyssa Wilmoth.
