Begun in 2011 as a benefit for victims of a gas explosion in Allentown, Star of the Day Event Productions has grown both in size and popularity. They have performed their cabarets throughout the Lehigh Valley and Quakertown and expanded into children's theater when they were sought out by America On Wheels to do a production of "The Little Engine That Could."
Their most recent cabaret "You're Menken Me Crazy" was an evening of songs by composer Alan Menken from some of his famous ("Beauty and the Beast") and obscure ("Weird Romance") musicals. The cabaret featured a cast of cabaret "regulars" as well as two members making their cabaret debut. Menken, well known on Broadway and as a composer of several of Disney's animated musicals left the performances with no shortage of material and the singers handled each song beautifully. 
The cabarets are a mixture of singing and "informal" discussion on the songs being performed in a dark, romantic setting. The shows last about two hours and can be an entertaining and inexpensive evening out.
Star of the Day is taking their collective "pipes" and expanding into more theatrical productions. The company's first show for "mature audiences" was the musical comedy-drama "A My Name Is Alice" which they performed at the Allentown BrewWorks in 2012. The show, a combination of vignettes and musical pieces compiled by various lyricists and composers, ranged from humor to sadness and everything in between.
Since then the company began producing more theatrical productions such as their recent "Stuart Little “ The Musical" and an upcoming season of musicals.
Kirsten Almeida, founder and president of Star of the Day, says she's excited for the future of the company and looks forward to an impressive season beginning with "Gypsy" in May. It may seem daring for a company to tackle a leviathan such as the famous Sondheim-Styne-Laurents musical as their first major production but Almeida is undaunted. "It is in my top three shows," she states "and I've done it three times. Every time I've had such a marvelous experience that I wanted to do it again from the director and choreographer's side." Almeida will direct and choreograph the production while Rich Lovallo will serve as musical director.
"As an actor you need to have 'double vision' when you're directing," Almeida explains. "You can see the actor's perspective but also your own vision as director." While she has performed in community theater productions Ms. Almeida's goal is for her company to evolve into a full-time professional company. "I have nothing against community theater ¦ but this is my profession. I take the arts very seriously." Her hope is for the company to become a professional repertoire theater in the next five years.
Ms. Almeida is a graduate of Wagner College of Staten Island with a degree in theater. She began by directing children's theater and has been choreographing for nearly twenty years.
The rest of Star of the Day's season is as impressive as "Gypsy" - the quirky musical "Batboy" being produced in September and the family holiday musical "Babes In Toyland" in December.
While separate auditions were held for "Gypsy" auditions for the company are also held at their cabarets during an "open mike" session after the performance. Those who wish to audition for the company simply fill out a form and check "I am auditioning." Their most recent "You're Menken Me Crazy" drew a nice sized crowd and the sign-up sheet for auditions was filling up before the final performer sang.
Almeida is proud that her company is growing and has assembled a staff of equally talented people to work with her. Andrea Cartagena is the company's entertainment coordinator who has been with Star of the Day for three years. She will also be performing in "Gypsy" as Mama Rose “ a role made famous by such Broadway divas as Ethel Mermen, Tyne Daly and Bernadette Peters. When asked how she will prepare for such a demanding role Ms. Cartagena said "my mother was a 'stage mother' to a great degree “ it was always about her, not me. I was her 'best work' so I will take a lot of my own mother and put her into my interpretation of Rose. It will be cathartic for me." Cartagena's mother passed away in 2011.
Ms. Cartagena is no stranger to playing "larger than life" roles “ having portrayed Joanne in the Pennsylvania Playhouse's production of "Company" and Mae Peterson in "Bye, Bye Birdie" at Theatrical Gems in the Poconos (a role for which she is nominated for a 2014 Northeastern Pennsylvania Theatrical Alliance award). She is thrilled to be playing Mama Rose in this production, saying "I am more ready now to play the role both in maturity and growth as an actor. It is a part I was born to play. You get a role like this and you sink your teeth into it."
When asked about the challenges of such a major production as "Gypsy" Ms. Cartagena responded "This is our flagship production so I want it to be as big as wonderful as it can be. All of us do." There will be a cast of nearly thirty people in the production.
The company performs their Spotlight Cabaret on the second Thursday of every month atAllentown Brew Works at 8:00 PM, the Cabaret at the Stacks on the last Sunday of every month at
the SteelStacks at 4:00 PM and will also be hosting Cabaret Dinner Shows in Quakertown (see their website for dates and times). Tickets for "Gypsy" will range from $20 to $25.
The company is also proud of their charity work “ collecting money for "Relay For Life" and participating as a team in the "marathon walk" each June to raise money for cancer research.
For more information about Star of the Day Event cabarets and ticket information for "Gypsy" visit www.staroftheday.org