On July 4, 1908, Glenn Curtiss flew his seaplane, June Bug, nearly a mile over Lake Keuka and a cheering crowd in Hammondsport, New York. He also built the Curtiss NC-4 seaplane, the aircraft that in May 1919 would become the first to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.
The hugely popular musical SEAPLANE celebrates Glenn Curtiss as the father of naval aviation and Pensacola as its cradle. Written by Carolyn and Jack Fleming and scored by Allen Pote, SEAPLANE charts the course of early aviation from the invention of the June Bug in New York, to the opening of the first U.S. naval aviation flight school in Pensacola, to the first successful trans-Atlantic flight expedition led by naval aviation pioneer, Jack Towers.
The original 1989 stage production in Pensacola was followed by a special performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1990, a three-year summer stock run in Hammondsport, New York that ended in 1994, and a final production in Pensacola that same year.
Now, 20 years after it was last performed, SEAPLANE took the stage again in August 2015 at the Saenger Theatre with Broadway stars in the lead roles. With this incredible history, the story lives on for future generations to learn and be inspired. The Flemings and the Potes are committed to working together to keep the story of Glenn Curtis and Jack Towers alive. Stay tuned for future plans including a performance in Pensacola in the fall of 2016.
Writers
Lifelong collaborators Jack and Carolyn Fleming wrote the book and lyrics for SEAPLANE, for which they received the Adelia Rosasco Soule Award and many other recognitions. Noted writer Carolyn Fleming’s first novel Journey Proud was awarded the 2014 Eric Hoffer Book Award. Dr. Jack Fleming, a distinguished cardiologist with many contributions to the field, is a prolific songwriter and accomplished vocal soloist. Jack and Carolyn authored the books Thinking Places and Perils! and the musicals Imagination! and Bahia de Panzacola.
Composer & Music Director
A nationally known composer of choral music and musicals, Mr. Pote travels extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad as a conductor for festivals and workshops. He has received numerous commissions and has published over 300 choral works, including 20 musicals for youth and children. With his wife Susan he is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Pensacola Children's Chorus. A former member of the National Board of Choristers Guild, Mr. Pote is a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and is a three-time winner of the Arts Council of Northwest Florida's Muriel Shugart Award recognizing outstanding accomplishments in music.
Director & Choreographer
Emily Mixon is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory, receiving a Bachelor Fine Arts in Musical Theater. She is the staff choreographer of the Pensacola Children's Chorus and on faculty at Ballet Pensacola where she teaches Broadway Dance Machine. Emily directed and choreographed Willy Wonka at Pensacola Little Theatre and has choreographed numerous productions in the Gulf Coast area. Emily served as Adjunct Faculty in the theater department at UWF and has provided creative and artistic guidance for many organizations and institutions in Pensacola.
Darren Campbell Bill Rodgers
Sewell Jeter Griffith Lena Curtiss
Michael Dennis Roscoe Bailey
Sheryl Vandenberg Lulu Mott
Mike Dinwiddie Ezra Hobart
Jim Eisman Emmett Schneider / Dick Richardson
Clay Terry Mac Joiner
Jay Bixler A.C. Putty Read
Caroline Norman Gibson Wallis Warfield
Corey McKern Pat Bellinger
Laura Mixon Winkles Corinne Mustin
Jack Lauter, Brody Ryan Young Roscoe
Debi Janea* Featured Dancer
Rebecca Kincaid* Featured Dancer
Erin Lapaglia-Kottler* Featured Dancer
Samuel Joseph Mounce* Featured Dancer
Richard Steinert* Featured Dancer
Nathaneel Williams Ensemble / Dance Captain
Garrett Metzler Ensemble
Tyler Baxter Ensemble
Joseph Garnett Ensemble
Nigel Walden Ensemble
Joshua McLamb Ensemble
Colin O’Brien Ensemble
Hayley Heath Ensemble
Amy Fenicle Ensemble
Brooke Fleming Ensemble
Justine Olan Ensemble
Michaela Jacobs Ensemble
Madison Michles Ensemble
Loren Stone Ensemble
Sarah Mixon Ensemble
Jack Anderson** Children’s Ensemble
Lauren Bonner** Children’s Ensemble
Brooke Bradley** Children’s Ensemble
Ellie Caldwell** Children’s Ensemble
Carissa Ferguson** Children’s Ensemble
Ella Griffith** Children’s Ensemble
Daniel Gulley-Rich** Children’s Ensemble
Kindell Harris** Children’s Ensemble
Jocelyn Jouravel** Children’s Ensemble
Josh Kilcawley** Children’s Ensemble
Vitus Larrieu** Children’s Ensemble
Lucie Lovato** Children’s Ensemble
Jack Menzies** Children’s Ensemble
Ethan Middleton** Children’s Ensemble
Graybill Partington** Children’s Ensemble
Jonny Taylor** Children’s Ensemble
Tori Vinson** Children’s Ensemble
Elizabeth Watson** Children’s Ensemble
Emily Watson** Children’s Ensemble
Olivia Whitner** Children’s Ensemble
Paul Thompson Orchestrator/Conductor
Susan Pote Children’s Ensemble
Lauren Isenhour Producer
Robert Allen Gandrup Scenic Designer
Glenn Avery Breed Costume Design
Sarah Setta Lighting Design
Logan Ball Sound Effects Designer
Zack Bookout Visual Effects
Jeff Jordan Audio Engineer
Brittany Rappise Wig/Makeup Design
Olivia Odom Properties Master
O’Keeley Media Video Production
Sarah Setta Company Stage Manager
Nethaneel Williams Asst. Choreographer
Stacey Shelnut Assistant to the Director
Martin Tate Rehearsal Accompanist
Amy Pote Watson Children’s Ensemble Coordinator
Costumes provided by Wardrobe Witchery
Edee Green Wardrobe Supervisor
Tiffany Nelson Dresser
Logan Goodsen Dresser
Edee Green Costume Construction
Jason Estala Costume Construction
Lauren Woods Costume Construction
Linda Corley Costume Construction
Logan Goodsen Costume Construction
ValMae Besser Costume Construction
Scenic Construction by Pensacola State College’s Performing Arts Department
The Fleming Family
Anonymous
Judge & Mrs. Lacey Collier
Susan & Allen Pote
Anonymous
Fred Levin
Duncan Family
Valerie & Ray Russenberger
Christine & Chris Dorvault
Cynthia & Dave Clark
Teri Levin
Emily & Ron Hedgecock
Kathleen & Flack Logan
Jane & Henry Roberts
Appleyard Family
Jan & E.W. Hopkins
Mary & T. J. Henriques
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Tan
Cindy & Marcus Michles
Drs. Nell and James Potter
Marie Nowak
Shirley & Jim Cronley
Susie & Joe Endry
Ellen & Roger Vinson
Dr. & Mrs. Fred Mixon
Amy & Kyle Watson
Laura & Melvin Warren
Bank of Pensacola
A. Downing Gray & Company
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Caldwell Associates Architects, Inc.
Independent News
Pensacola News Journal
July 2, 2015 – Facebook
Drumroll please... we are excited to announce the local cast of Seaplane!
June 21, 2015 – BlabTV
The Daily Brew’s Carly Borden and Mollye Barrows talk to Allen Pote and Emily Mixon about the new production of Seaplane.
June 5, 2015 – Pensacola Today
Recent graduates in theatre, aspiring theater artists, semi-professional and professional performers are strongly encouraged to audition.
December 27, 2014 – Pensacola News Journal
Ashley Brown, Emily Mixon and Chuck Wagner headlined a preview event to help launch Pensacola Naval Air Station-based "Seaplane."
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