Date: Fri 30-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Neuberger-Goodspeed-Haddam

Full Text:

Goodspeed Showcases The Talent Of A Newtown Actor

(with cuts)

BY SHANNON HICKS

On an hilarious train ride from Chicago to New York, a host of colorful

passengers including an extravagant theatre producer and a tempestuous star

tap dance their way from one outrageous situation to another. One of those

characters is Letitia Peabody Primrose, played by the Newtown actor Jan

Neuberger.

The train ride in question is onboard the famed New York Central Railroad car

"The Twentieth Century Express," and the story of the train's passengers is

the plot for the Tony Award-winning play, On The Twentieth Century . The

musical comedy is the 1999 season opener at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam.

Preview performances ran April 9-29; regular performances begin this weekend

and will continue until July 3.

Jan Neuberger, the Newtown actor in one of the six principal roles of the

Goodspeed production, made her Broadway debut in 1974. A New York University

student for two years, she had decided to go for broke and get some on-the-job

training.

Taking a chance on an open call, it turned out the director of the production

Jan was auditioning for was a former ballet teacher. Jan was hired to play the

role of Dainty June, "a Hollywood blonde," for a revival of Gypsy that starred

Angela Lansbury.

Jan was able to perform the understudied role a few times during the Broadway

production -- her first professional Equity experience -- but says what she

picked up behind the scenes was far more than the time put in on the stage.

"I learned so much from her," Jan said a few weeks ago, en route to one of the

final rehearsals at Goodspeed for Twentieth Century . "It was an unbelievable,

eye-opening experience for me," she continued. "Being able to watch Angela

work, while at that young and very green age... She has remained a real idol

of mine." Not a bad way to break into the business.

"I pretty much used up all my good luck in that one shot," she laughed.

In truth, Jan has made a career with her acting abilities. She was most

recently on Broadway in the fabled Shubert Theatre in Big . Off-Broadway

credits include Rags, Forbidden Broadway, All in the Timing and Christina

Alberta's Father .

Regionally, Goodspeed audiences will recognize Jan from her work in Arthur:

The Musical and It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman . She has also

appeared in Ivoryton, a neighbor of East Haddam (similar to Hawleyville or

Dodgingtown to Newtown in terms of proximity), in The Man Who Came to Dinner ,

Sister Mary Ignatius... and The Robber Bridegroom .

Additional work has included a number of shows for corporations, where actors

go in and provide entertainment during symposiums. Actors are hired to perform

at educational or motivational corporate functions, Jan explained, to convey a

message to attendees.

"We're hired ... to break up the monotony of corporate speeches," she said.

Jan met her husband, the writer and producer Bob Carter, when she was hired by

his company, Aniforms, to be involved in one such corporation show. Aniforms

hired a company of actors that included Jan to do a show for Exxon

Corporation.

The couple spent nearly 25 years living in New York before moving into Newtown

three years ago. Jan's commute to Goodspeed Opera House is about an hour, but

she loves the drive, she says, so she doesn't mind the ride. During

productions and even the rehearsal stages of a play, the actors of a company

have living quarters right at the opera house.

Jan loves the latest part she is bringing to life. Letitia Peabody Primrose is

one of the passengers onboard "The Twentieth Century Express." With this role,

Jan is allowed to have a bit of fun while acting.

"This is a woman who has escaped from a mental institution, whose mission in

life is to prepare the masses to repent," explained the actor. "She is also

the founder of a company, and my guess is her family were the ones who locked

her up.

"She's very eccentric and way out there. It's a very cool part," she laughed.

The magic of the historic Goodspeed Opera House has not been lost on the

actor, either. The same thing that continues to draw audiences in to the

theatre has also cast a spell on Jan. While the opera house is a small

building, it is full of magic and charm, and constantly the home of

performances that receive high praise from critics and audiences alike.

"Aside from the magic of what is done on stage," Jan said, "the building

itself is magnificent. It's just a gem, with the charming lobby and

red-carpeted staircase. It's also intimate enough that microphones are

completely unnecessary.

"It's a very well-oiled machine, too. It's just good to work there because you

know you're in good hands."

Before hitting the road to get to her rehearsal a few weeks ago, Jan was

completely optimistic about the prospects of On The Twentieth Century . The

production would include a huge technical hurdle -- because the story takes

place on a train, the stage crew had to construct a set that would appear to

include a full-size train car -- but the cast and crew was working on

something very special, a strong show that has been honored with five Tony

Awards.

"It's always very exciting every time I start a new show," said Jan. "And when

you're starting with good material, that's half of the battle right there.

"This one's going to be one of the top... no, this is very close to the top of

good experiences."

Luck may have been with Jan for that first audition 25 years ago, but the lady

obviously possesses the talent that keeps the directors knocking on her

dressing room door.