Meet Nurse Nancy!
South Pacific Spotlight: Nancy Gallman Witzke as Ensign Janet MacGregor
Nancy Gallman Witzke is a rhetoric teacher at Joliet Junior College and brings years of choir singing to her first production at Summer Place Theatre. Nancy shared her thoughts on being in South Pacific as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of this American musical theater classic.
South Pacific opens on June 7: Get your tickets here.
QUESTION: Who or what inspired you to start doing theater?
NANCY GALLMAN WITZKE: A love of music and stories
Q: What was the musical that had you fall in love with musicals?
NGW: Singing in the Rain and The Sound of Music
Q: What is the favorite role you've ever played?
NGW: So far, my favorite role was playing a Dynamite in Hairspray.
Q: What is the dream role you still want to play?
NGW: I would like to play (the Whitney Houston version of) the fairy godmother in Cinderella, Glinda from The Wiz, and if I were younger, Dreamette Lorrell Robinson from Dreamgirls.
Q: What is the most challenging part of bringing this story to life?
NGW: Fully understanding one’s purpose and reflecting both the serious and humorous sides of one’s identity.
Q: Do you have any performance superstitions?
NGW: Not yet!
Q: If someone was going to make your life into a movie, who would you want to play you?
NGW: Don’t laugh, but probably an actress from a Hallmark movie…
Q: What do you do when you’re not doing theater?
NGW: I teach rhetoric at Joliet Junior College, work in retail, sing in a choir, and of course, try to delve into my other interests: writing poetry and inspirational nonfiction; reading fiction; and studying French, fashion, and food.
Q: Which character from South Pacific would you most like to have dinner with and why?
NGW: Either Emile and his kids or Bloody Mary because all experienced intriguing life choices (plus Emile and his kids could help me practice French).
Q: Why should people come see this production of South Pacific?
NGW: Our production is full of spirited characters who transport the audience into our world --- who make the story and songs come to life.
Come see Nancy and the rest of this incredibly talented cast when South Pacific opens on June 7.
Learn more about our production here Get your tickets here.