By Ralph E. Hall
In the mid-1970s, I had the pleasure of auditioning a very young teenager named Joe Andrews for the role of Sir Tom in Camelot (a Golden-Hall Production at the former Ramada Inn in Binghamton). The musical was produced in a dinner-theater seating. At one performance, a wait-staff member forgot to remove a tray from Joe’s path for a running entrance path. The results were disastrous, but he and King Arthur went on complete the final scene of the show to the roaring approval of the audience. Andrews’ dedication to the craft continues to this day.
Andrews went on to appear in many G-H shows, and, for the past 30-plus years, he has appeared in many local productions in many venues including the Cider Mill Playhouse. Earlier this year, he directed KNOW Theatre’s season-opener, Guys, and received many accolades from the audiences for his interpretation of this 9/11 story. In February KNOW, located at 74 Carroll St., Binghamton, is producing William Inge’s Bus Stop, again with Andrews directing.
The commitment and dedication that Andrews has brought to the stage over the years represents an excellence rarely seen. From his early work to this day, audiences have admired Andrews’ work. He always can be counted on for giving a great performance with outstanding character interpretations. He will be appearing again in KNOW and other productions in addition to his work as a director.
The dates are Feb. 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26, with Friday and Saturday shows starting at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. The cast includes Riley Phillips, Lynette Daniels, Mike Arcesi, Jessica Nogaret, Brendan Curtin, Rich Bocek, Dave Merrell and Zac Chastain. Details: Visit knowtheatre.org.
