P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525
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P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525 |
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Bea Walsh - A Zenon Winning Costume Designer and Two Time Gracie Award Recepient By: Roy Riedy |
Bea Walsh's name first appeared in the April, 1999, program for Frank Oberhausen's revival of The Sound of Music as one of the six members of the make-up team. In November of that year, her name appeared in the program for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as one of the House Managers.
In January, 2000, Frank Oberhausen directed the Irving Berlin Musical Annie Get Your Gun and Bea won a Best Costume Design Zenon for her work with Helen Curcio on that production. In April, Bea delighted audiences when she appeared on stage as Mae Peterson in Sue McCollum's presentation of Bye Bye, Birdie. Birdie was followed by Mike Logsdon's Run For Your Wife and Bea was again seen in the Playhouse lobby as a House Manager. In August, Bea ended her full season by being a seamstress for Melanie Boulay's reprise on Oliver! At the Fifteenth Annual Zenon Awards, the following month, Bea received her first Zenon, a fitting reward for her involvement in the Twenty-sixth Season.
The Twenty-seventh Season opened with Jet Hansen's revival of On Golden Pond and Bea's name appeared in the program as a Costume Coordinator with Lisa Thomas. The King and I, directed by Frank Oberhausen was the January offering and once again Bea's name appeared among the names of the House Managers, as it did in the following program for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Bea was backstage for the summer show, Steve McDaniels's comedy, Moon Over Buffalo, as the costume designer with her Zenon winning friend, Helen Curcio.
The Twenty-eighth Season opened with Frank Oberhausen and Kathy MacNeill directing a reprise of Guys and Dolls, and the winning team of Walsh and Curcio was again in charge of the Wardrobe Design. During the run of the next show, Peter Pollard's Foxfire, Bea was again in the lobby welcoming guests as a House Manager. Joe Willis' extravaganza Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat called on the full resources of HLT and Bea answered the call by being one of the many seamstresses that the lavish show required.
Bea greeted ticket holders for the last two shows of the season, Mike Logsdon's funny Move Over Mrs. Markham, and Melanie Boulay's high flying Peter Pan. She ended another busy season by being nominated with Helen Curcio for a Best Costuming Zenon at the Seventeenth Annual Zenon Awards Ceremonies held in early October, 2002.
During the Twenty-ninth season Mrs. Walsh was involved as a seamstress for Frank Oberhausen and Kathy MacNeill's outstanding revival of The Man of LaMancha. Bea was a house manager during the second play of the season, Pete Pollard's reprise of the Best Play of the Year, Steel Magnolias. Kathy MacNeill and Frank Oberhausen brought Brigadoon back to the Lakeside Playhouse in March and Bea and Helen Curcio were in charge of the Wardrobe for the Lerner and Loewe musical. In June Bea was back in the lobby as a House Manager for Allen Branch's production of The Hound of the Baskervilles but back on the Production Team of Sue McCollum's revival of The Fantasticks as her Costume Designer in August.
At the Eighteenth Annual Zenon Awards Ceremony in October, Bea was nominated for Best costuming with Helen Curcio for their work on the musical Brigadoon, and also for her costume work with The Fantastics.
The Thirtieth Season opened with Melanie Boulay's musical I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, with Bea in charge of the Costume Design. During the second play of the season, Mike Logsdon's Out of Order, Bea worked as a House Manager. In March, Jennifer Westergom presented The Scarlet Pimpernel on which Bea worked with an army of seamstresses that were responsible for the show's profusion of costumes.
Pete Pollard directed Neil Simon's Lost In Yonkers in June and Bea was in charge of the show's costume design. Jesus Christ, Superstar, directed by Tammie Pollard was the last play of the Thirtieth Season and once again, Bea was one of the seamstresses responsible for the costumes.
At the Nineteenth Zenon Ceremonies in early October, Mrs. Walsh received two nomintions for Best Costuming, the first for I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, and the second for Lost In Yonkers.
Most recently, during the Thirty-first Season, Bea has worked as a seamstress on Frank Oberhausen's revival of The Music Man, presented in November, and in January, 2005, was presented with a second Gracie Award, for her ongoing work at Highlands Little Theatre.
Since joining Highlands Little Theatre, six years ago, Bea has been involved in 25 plays at the Lakeside Playhouse. She has attended 1 First Nighter and 4 Zenon Ceremonies and won a Best Costuming Zenon. Her name has appeared in 33 local news articles and 17 HLT Newsletters for a total of 80 citations. If this isn't devotion to a cause, what is? It is people like Bea Walsh that make HLT the vibrant organization that it continues to be.
