Emergency - Who you're going to call when you need an actor immediately?

When Center Stage patrons arrived for the Saturday evning performance of "Once on this Island" Saturday night they could not avoid seeing the ambulance in front of the theater. One's first reaction would be that some theatergoer necessitated some sort of medical attention. But, the audience was informed from the Pearlstone Theater stage that there would be no performance that night due a medical emergency of one of the actors and without an understudy...the show was cancelled. The actor in question, C.E. Smith, who plays the role of "Tonton Julian" was rushed to a hospital due to an accelerated heart rate.

One of the many advantages of Baltimore, is its proximity to New York. The production's Director/Choreographer Kenneth Lee Roberson who has been involved in over six past Center Stage productions, and who recently choreographed "Avenue Q" and "All Shook Up" on Broadway, was called Sunday morning about the situation. Soon after being informed, Ken called back and said "I'm getting on the next train, I've got the script,I'll know the lines, I know the steps, I'm an old bitch, I'm going on!"

The Sunday matinee had been cancelled.

It was 1:20 p.m. when Roberson arrived at Baltimore's Penn Station, a mere four hours after he was awakened with the news from Center Stage. The first problem was the costume...would it fit? It did. Next were the sandals. They fit as well. A sign from the gods...

From 2-4:30, the full cast and crew rehearsed the show.

Sunday evening, the show went on as scheduled and what a spectacular evening it was. According to reports from the theater, it was "...clean, sharp, highly focused and charged with a reinvigorated energy. Ken was absolutely amazing! The audience was just as jazzed up as the company. It will be one of those nights in this life in the theater that one will not forget."

Now the good news. C. E. Smith has been released from the hospital and officially cleared to resume performances beginning with the Tuesday night, January 10th performance.

Center Stage will add one performance at the end of the run, Sunday evening, January 22. If you haven't seen this show, bring the kids, set your favorite Sunday evening television shows on your vcr's, dvr's or tivo's and come celebrate a great production by thanking these wonderful actors for making the month of January in Baltimore a little brighter. I would love to see this added performance a sell-out. If you've seen it, come again, or recommend it to your friends and neighbors.

Finally, a huge thank you to Ken Roberson for showing us the true spirit of giving and fearlessness in the life of the theater.

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