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Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad May 1, 2006 Essentially Ashland The Old Pink Church makes impression then and now Lance Pugh Jim Giancarlo taps his way through a night of memories In the early 80s I dropped by what was commonly referred to as the “Old Pink Church,” a derelict Baptist church on the corner of First and Hargadine. A former owner had it painted in absentia, resulting in a brightness of pink best reserved for Easter Eggs. It was for sale and, as I had just renovated the IOOF Building on the Plaza, it was time to look for more historic gardens to nurture. I tapped my knuckles on some rotting flooring and thought of the strident staccato of Jim Giancarlo’s pronounced tap explosions within the Plaza Dance Studio, which my wife, Annette, was running on the Plaza, in the space now suspiciously fishy and better known as The Black Sheep. I could not then see how Jim’s pronounced proclivities towards tap madness would nest within the “Old Pink Church” and help transform it into one of the cultural jewels of the Pacific Northwest. I arrived with my structural engineer, Dave Bassett, to delve into the inner working of a property suffering from water damage and vandalism. The original stained glass was largely missing or broken and the interior dank and, as we concurred, in need of major renovation. I walked away shaking my head. Fortunately, there seems to be a reason for everything, for someone acquired the structure who had a plan and the talent to mold the disheveled structure into a work of art. It was Craig Hudson who brought his focus, talents and salvaged pieces from a movie theater in Landsdale, Pa., into this former church, making it a dynamic part of Ashland’s theatrical engine. In 1985, as swirls of dynamic concurrence collided, David Shaw, then running the Peter Britt Festival(s) in Jacksonville, thought to include a musical on the hill that shouts, at times, inspiration into the town below. David engaged a team to produce the musical “Grease” with Paul Barnes as director, choreographer Jim Giancarlo, musical director Michael Grossman, costume designer Michael Chapman, producer Dante DiLoretto and Craig Hudson as scenic designer. This would be the team that would go on to create the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, churning an abandoned church into a font of humor, dance, music and dinner — the makings of a completely enthralling evening of diversion. James M. Giancarlo tripped by and stumbled upon Ashland in the fall of 1975, after hiking and camping on Mt. Shasta. He, as most of us have, instantly fell in love with the small-town charm and returned in April of 1976 as a dancer for the Festival’s Green Show. He began dancing in the Bay Area at an advanced age of 25, experimenting in underground theater. By 1985, the 50th anniversary of the Shakespearean Festival, Jim was back in Ashland to celebrate and dance in our fair city. He taught tap at the Plaza Dance Studio in the IOOF Building to the clear appreciation of his students, though not received well by some tenants on the ground floor, who heard what they believed to be a cacophony of ill-timed reindeer hooves landing nowhere close to Christmas. Jim tapped it up with Suzanne Seiber, both versed in laying down well-riveted moves that make up combinations, which make up steps, which comprise a routine. These two hoofers played off each other endlessly and have been fast friends since Jim’s first days hitting the sidewalks of Ashland. Together they spark a remembrance of Fred Astaire and Anne Miller — loose at the hip and further flexible all the way to the toe. Jim Giancarlo makes magic at the Cabaret Theatre, which operates out of what was once known as “The Old Pink Church.” Submitted photo In the first year of the Oregon Cabaret Theatre there were 30 performances of two shows. In 2005 there were 277 performances of five shows, the delivery of which requires that actors remain in costume while running errands around town (just kidding). Each season begins in the first week of February and keeps on delivering until the last performance on New Year’s Eve. It took me a while to realize what a great night the last performance is and, accordingly, the tickets for the evening are guarded as treasures. The Cabaret enjoys strong local and regional support, this in addition to the throngs who press to town for other theatrical offerings. I make sure that my family gets together several times each year to sample the frolic that is always offered at Ashland’s Best Kept Secret — the Oregon Cabaret Theatre. After penning this remembrance I will be calling 488-2902 to secure seats for a fine meal and evening loaded with laughs. During intermission I will lean back and admire the craftsmanship involved in the remodeling, looking carefully at and through the stained-glass artistry of Ashland’s nationally famous Tim Yockey. The windows framing the stained glass were renovated by Bob Munroe and Loren Clear of the Cabinet Works. Louis and Tim Kohler invented hand tools to do the stucco while John Harpster and Larry Morgan oversaw the entirety. I know that my mind will think of all of those who have made things happen: Sylvia Medeiros, company manager; Kathleen Mahoney, stage manager; Darcy Danielson, music director/piano player; Jim Malachi, percussionist; Kerri Robbins, costume designer; Michael Halderman, technical director; Frank Sullivan, sound designer; Roxanna Clover, prop mistress; Julaine Haraden Morley, box office manager; Wyly Cunningham, restaurant manager; Douglas Todd, chef and Karrie Smith, wardrobe mistress. What always brings my mind back to focus is hearing taps hitting the floor as Jim works his way through a routine which starts at the Plaza Dance Studio, shim-shams over to the Cabaret, there to paddle and roll into the future. --> Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.