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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Jack Smith - Piano Man By: Roy Riedy |
The first show that Jack Smith played in was the opening show of HLT's Sixth Season, Frank Oberhausen's November, 1979, production of South Pacific. He and Harly Mays were the show's rehearsal pianists and Jack also played the piano in the orchestra with Christine Jones.
He was called upon to help twice in the Seventh Season: in November, 1980, Jack played the piano in Fred Pearce's orchestra for Janelou Buck and Carol Gose's musical Irene; and in February,1981, he and Roy Lash provided the dual piano accompaniment for Frank Oberhausen's My Fair Lady.
In the Eighth Season, Frank Oberhausen directed The Sound of Music in October, 1981, with Jack Smith and Donald Edman as his dual piano accompaniment. In the Ninth Season, Jack was the pianist and choral director for Frank Oberhausen's November,1982, musical, Camelot, the first musical to be given in the newly acquired Lakeside Playhouse. The following April, Jack was one of the audition and rehearsal pianists for Carol Gose's musical, Guys and Dolls.
Marian Dunham opened the Tenth Season with Lionel Bart's musical Oliver with Jack as her musical director and pianist. In February Jack Smith and Buford Jasper were the musical directors for Frank Oberhausen's Irving Berlin musical Annie Get Your Gun; Carol Thurow was the pianist. In June, Jack was Carol Gose's pianist for her Cole Porter musical, Can-Can, Jack was accompanied on the accordion by Albert Thiele.
Jack worked on one play during the Twelfth Season, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's two person musical, I Do! I Do!, based on The Fourposter by Jan de Hartog. The June, 1986, play was directed by Janelou Buck with Jack as her piano accompanist. The First Annual Zenon Ceremony was held that October at the Sebring Elks Club at which Jack received his first Production/Technical Award for his musical contributions to the theater that season.
In the Thirteenth Season Mr. Smith was the pianist for Richard Farnsworth and Karen Cardozo Rosa's production of The Fantasticks. It was the last musical Jack played for until he agreed to be a musical consultant for Roy Riedy's "Extra" show in December, 1994, Kander and Ebb's revue, And the World Goes 'Round.
In the Twenty-sixth Season, Mr. Smith agreed to be the audition pianist for Melanie Boulay's revival of the musical Oliver! Sadly, Mr. Smith died suddenly and unexpectedly just a week before the auditions were scheduled to be held. Ms. Boulay graciously dedicated the show to the memory of Jack Smith and his long time partner, Buford Jasper, both of whom were devoted to the musical welfare of Highlands Little Theatre.
During Mr. Smith's twenty year association with Highlands Little Theatre he played or was the musical director for thirteen musicals and at the First Zenon Ceremony in 1986, he received a Zenon for his musical contributions to the theater. Mr. Smith's name appeared in fourteen playbills and two Zenon programs as well as thirteen HLT newsletters and twenty-five local news items for a total of fifty-four theatrical citations. He was a enthusiastic and tireless volunteer who was generous and unselfish in sharing his musical gifts when HLT was in its formative stage, contributing much to its growth and professional presence that has now become an awaited and unsurprising occurrence.
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