Carol Ann gets her moment in the world premiere of Uptown Players’ ‘Star of Wonder’

RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com

In the very beginning of Uptown Players, the company made a splash with the musical comedy When Pigs Fly by Howard Crabtree and Mark Waldrop. For its 20th season back in 2021, Uptown celebrated the milestone by bringing the show back, which in turn, reintroduced audiences to the character of Carol Ann Knipple, the artistic director of the Melody Barn Theater.

And that was both a surprise and no surprise at all to actor Micah Green.

“It’s funny. When Pigs Fly is like a gay Saturday Night Live with these vignettes,” he said. “So Carol Ann popped out for a minute, sang and then moved on. That was it!”

But with her Iowan accent and bubbly optimism, the character stood out — and now, Carol Ann is front and center in Uptown Players’ world premiere of the holiday musical comedy Star of Wonder: A Carol Ann Christmas, also penned by Waldrop and directed by B.J. Cleveland.

“She was always an audience favorite,” the playwright said. “A few years ago, Uptown Players did a fantastic revival of the show, and Micah hilariously nailed the character. So, this year when Jeff Rane asked if I’d be interested in writing a holiday show hosted by Carol Ann, I jumped.

“I love to put words in her mouth.”

The show opens Dec. 5 and runs through Dec. 14 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater.

Green may have been familiar with Carol Ann, but one scene a few years back does not make a full character. So the actor isn’t just revisiting her, he is bringing her to life through Waldrop’s new script. And at the time of this interview, Green was still connecting with the character.

“We have to flesh her out on a larger scale, and I’m just now getting comfortable with the material, But it’s coming along, and I love finding more pockets of joy to give her,” Green said.

Carol Ann may get her big moment in a full show, but she hasn’t been out of the spotlight.

She’s been popping up with her midwestern glee for quite some time.

“Carol Ann has had a life beyond the original production. She hosted a New Year’s Eve event at the top of the World Trade Center during the original run. During Covid she had a new monologue created for a holiday show, Zoomed, by Short North Stage in Columbus, Ohio.

This is her third (and best) post-Pigs vehicle,” Waldrop said.

But does this mean an expansion of a Pigs Fly universe?

“Well, like the other, I believe it’s a one-shot,” Waldrop added.

Still, one can dream.

As they head into the show’s opening, Green still has plenty of work ahead of him, but this is really the fun part for him.

“I’ve learned the blocking and the choreo, so now I’m in the place to relax and inject my own touches to her,” he said.

Despite his years of experience in theater, this is Green’s biggest role to date.

“Yeah, often, I will come on, say something funny, and then I leave. But this is the most material I’ve ever had. And (director) B.J. (Cleveland) and I take comedy very seriously, so it’s been a lot of work.

And then you see this massive poster with your face on it, and then you start to feel the pressure, but I’m also ready to have fun and let what happens happen,” Green said.

Uptown Players’ holiday offering looks like a campy Christmas good time, but Waldrop adds, “Even with the silliest shows, I find that some kind of positive message rises to the top like cream. Carol Ann is more than a little self-involved. Star of Wonder is about her learning to recognize that everyone around her has something special to offer — and to appreciate the importance and beauty of community.”

For tickets, visit UptownPlayers.org