Performing Credits:
ChristmasTime Ensemble vocalist Reagle Music Theater, 2011
Voices of Hope Soloist, small group, ensemble Shalin Liu Center, Rockport, 2011
It’s ChristmasTime Ensemble vocalist Reagle Music Theater, 2010
Voices of Hope Harmonies of Hope (ensemble) Symphony Hall, Boston, 2010
A Touch of Ireland Barbershop Quartet Reagle Music Theater, 2010
Nunsense Sister Mary Amnesia Burlington Players, 2009
It’s ChristmasTime Ensemble vocalist Reagle Players, 2008
Remembering the 40s Ensemble vocalist Reagle Players, 2008
A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein
Ensemble vocalist Reagle Players, 2008
From the Pages of a Book Narrator Hazel Boone Dance Studio annual recital, 2008
It’s ChristmasTime Ensemble vocalist Reagle Players, 2007
Amateurs Jennifer Collins Winchester Players, 2007
Dearly Beloved The Sermonettes (vocal dubbing) Burlington Players, 2007
A…My Name Is Alice* Mindy, ensemble Colonial Chorus Players, EMACT Festival 2007
The Pajama Game Babe Williams Colonial Chorus Players, 2007
A…My Name Is Alice Mindy, Sheridan, Chorus Leader Colonial Chorus Players, 2006
City of Angels Oolie/Donna Burlington Players, 2006
The Ugly Duckling The Queen Theatre To Go, 2005
Hooray for Hollywood Vocalist Middlesex Concert Band/ Colonial Chorus, 2005
Broadway Now and Then Featured Vocalist Burlington Players, 2005
Once On This Island Storyteller/Featured Vocalist Colonial Chorus Players, 2005
Cinderella Joy Colonial Chorus Players, 2004
Nunsense* Sister Mary Leo Colonial Chorus Players, EMACT Festival 2004
Anything Goes Chastity Colonial Chorus Players, 2004
Working Babe Secoli Colonial Chorus Players, 2003
Honk! Dot, Swan, Blizzard dancer Colonial Chorus Players, 2003
The Dining Room* Actress #1 Theater To Go, 2003
Winton Club Cabaret Ensemble Vocalist/Dancer Winchester Hospital, 2003
Fiddler on the Roof Ensemble, “Rumor” soloist Colonial Chorus Players, 2002
Nunsense* Sister Mary Leo Colonial Chorus Players, 2002
She Loves Me Caroler Majestic Theater Trust, 2002
The Wiz Crow, Kalidah, Ensemble Colonial Chorus Players, 2002
Cabaret* Fraulein Kost Colonial Chorus Players, 2001
42nd Street* Phyllis Dale Colonial Chorus Players, 2001
David: The Musical Ensemble, Bathsheeba Maiden LCM Productions, 2001
Titanic Ensemble Pentucket Players, 2000
A Grand Night for Singing Ensemble, Featured Soloist Colonial Chorus Players, 2000
Jesus Christ Superstar Apostle Wife Colonial Chorus Players, EMACT Festival 2000
Jesus Christ Superstar Apostle Wife, Pilate’s Wife Colonial Chorus Players, 2000
Crazy For You Mitzi Colonial Chorus Players, 1999
The Sound of Music Sister Mary Jude Lynnfield Spotlighters, 1998
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown Patty Borderline Players, 1998
Godspell Sonia, JoAnn Borderline Players, 1997, 1998
The Children’s Hour Agatha Gordon College, 1989
Production/Technical Credits:
It's ChristmasTime Costume Assistance Reagle Players, 2010
Aladdin, Jr. Costume Design & Construction Dedham Middle School, 2010
A Christmas Carol Costume Construction Dedham Middle School, 2009
It's ChristmasTime Costume Repair Reagle Players, 2009
Say It With Music Costume Assistance Reagle Players, 2009
Hello Dolly Costume Refurbishment Reagle Players, 2009
Mulan, Jr. Costume Construction Dedham Middle School, 2009
Sweet Charity Property Coordinator Colonial Chorus Players, 2008
Joseph…Dreamcoat Costume Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2007
Dearly Beloved Stage Crew Burlington Players, 2007
On Golden Pond Stage Crew Burlington Players, 2007
The Pajama Game Costume Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2007
Journey to the Manger Stage Crew Byfield Parish Church, 2006
Journey to the Manger Costume Assistance Byfield Parish Church, 2006
King of Hearts Costume Design/Coordination Colonial Chorus Players, 2006
King of Hearts Stage Crew Colonial Chorus Players, 2006
City of Angels* Costume Construction Burlington Players, 2006
City of Angels Assistant Set Design Burlington Players, 2006
The Music Man Costume Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2006
The Ugly Duckling Costume Assistance Theatre To Go, 2005
Me and My Girl* Costume Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2005
Aida Dresser, Costume Construction BB Productions, 2005
Once On This Island Costume Mentor & Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2005
Cinderella* Costume Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2004
Anything Goes Costume Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2004
Honk!* Costume Construction: Colonial Chorus Players, 2003
Fiddler on the Roof Costume Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2002
Nunsense Set Construction/Decoration Colonial Chorus Players, 2002
She Loves Me Costume Designer Majestic Theater Trust, 2002
She Loves Me Dresser, Stage Crew Majestic Theater Trust, 2002
Cabaret Costume Design/Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2001
42nd Street Costume Construction Colonial Chorus Players, 2001
Oliver! Ticket Coordinator Colonial Chorus Players, 2000
Titanic Costume Construction Pentucket Players, 2000
The Sound of Music Dresser Lynnfield Spotlighters, 1998
You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown Costume Design & Constr. Borderline Players, 1998
Godspell Asst. Director, Costume Designer Borderline Players, 1998
An Inspector Calls Costume Construction Gordon College, 1990
A Winter’s Tale Costume Construction, Dresser Gordon College, 1989
The Children’s Hour Costume Co-Design & Constr. Gordon College, 1989
* Awards and Honors:
Outstanding Production Nomination, EMACT Festival, A…My Name Is Alice
Best Ensemble Nomination, EMACT Festival, A…My Name Is Alice
Special Adjudicator’s Award for Notable Excellence for Performance Values Nomination, EMACT Festival, A…My Name Is Alice
Best Costume Design Nomination, EMACT DASH Program, City of Angels
Best Costume Design Nomination, EMACT DASH Program, Me and My Girl
Best Costume Design Award, EMACT DASH Program, Cinderella
Best Ensemble Nomination, EMACT Festival, Nunsense
EMACT EARP Ensemble Award, The Dining Room
EMACT EARP Acting Award, Sister Mary Leo (Nunsense)
EMACT EARP Acting Award, Fraulein Kost (Cabaret)
EMACT EARP Tap Ensemble Award, 42nd Street
EMACT EARP Costume Construction Award, Honk!
Other:
Vocalist and dancer, Critics Choice cabaret troupe, 2001-2005
Secretary, Executive Board of Colonial Chorus Players, 2000-2006, 2007-2008
Advance Programs Chair, Executive Board of Colonial Chorus Players, 2006-2007
Script Reading Committee, Colonial Chorus Players, 2003-2005
Featured vocalist, Spirit vocal troupe, Great Britain Tour 1992
French horn, Gordon College and Community Wind Ensemble/Symphonic Band, 1986-1998
Vocal and Dance Skills:
Extensive vocal experience in theatrical and choral settings; excellent sight reading skills; excellent ear for harmonies
Extensive theatrical dance experience including tap, some ballet
Comments from adjudicators:
EMACT Adjudication of Cabaret
Sandra J Metcalf adroitly made the role of Fraulein Kost a memorable one. She was realistic and matter-of-fact in her role of female companion to the German Sailors and businessmen, while preserving a certain core of vulnerability. Her portrayal had layers that made it interesting to watch and engaging. Her true tour de force moment was her lead of the "Tomorrow Belongs to Me (Reprise)". Metcalf was engaging, powerful, and terrifying as she led the call to nationalism with a loud and resolute singing voice. Her repeated hand gesture in the song was large, but she committed to it fully and made it work.
EMACT Adjudication of Nunsense (in-season performance)
The characters were unique and real. Each actor understood the intent of their songs as well as the intent of their entrances. Each character was always reacting and fully in character at all times, without exception. The sub-dialogue and reactions gave so much to this production.
EMACT ETC Adjudication of Cinderella
[Sandra J. Metcalf as “Joy”] was fun to watch from the first moment she stepped on stage [with] her bold choices played unapologetically. Metcalf’s Joy was a bit gawky, not very bright or refined, and not aware of how she was viewed by others. A crystalline moment for the character was when she was dancing with the Prince at the ball and she was very proud and the Prince kept stealing glances (when she wasn’t looking) at her mop of hair and the plume sticking out it. It was very funny and Metcalf chose to carefully keep her character unawares. Joy’s oblivion had a tone which was a bit harder and seemed more worldly. “Stepsister’s Lament” [was] really delicious to watch as [the sisters] moved in a well synchronized manner through the song ending with their heads rested on their fists in what seemed to be perfect unison, while all the time they kept the individuality of their character choices. After the intermission Metcalf kept her reactions alive as she was at first dubious of Cinderella’s imagining what the ball was like and then allowed herself to become dreamy along with Cinderella’s thoughts. She maintained the energy into “A Lovely Night” singing with conviction and performing the dance moves with zest. I especially liked the emotion of the dance dip on “I love you.” Later, Joy does a move that looked like the twist to try to wedge her foot into the glass slipper, and then accuses her sister of shrinking the shoe. The whole segment had me laughing out loud and demonstrated that Metcalf has an innate sense of coming timing and made thoughtful choices. Nice job!
EMACT ETC Adjudication of City of Angels
[Sandy Metcalf as Oolie/Donna] was really fun to watch throughout this production in dual roles that I think are the most difficult to pull off. Unlike some of the other double casting roles in the show where the characters have very different circumstances or are alter egos of one another, Oolie and Donna are almost like shadow characters…Oolie came across as the most real and three-dimensional person of the film characters and it was that her vulnerability came through even when she was talking tough. Overall, a very enjoyable performance that captured the spirit of both characters and included entertaining renditions of two numbers.
EMACT ETC Adjudication of A…My Name is Alice [Jen Howard]
Sandra Metcalf was completely committed to the song and the movement, giving us a big, brassy performance that was a delight.
EMACT ETC Adjudication of The Pajama Game [Mark Usher]
Sandra Metcalf does well with the role of Babe. It’s not the easiest role to play with strong comic roles surrounding so you really get to shine in the vocal numbers. Sandra…gave a very strong vocal performance... “I am not at all in Love” and “There once was a man” were two elevating numbers in the show!
EMACT ETC Adjudication of Nunsense (2009) [Robert Hallissey]
Sister Mary Amnesia (Sandy Philpott): was delightful as Sister Mary Amnesia who is sweet and simple on the outside, but illustrates that “still waters run deep.” She made her entrance onto the stage only after being coaxed by the Reverend Mother and entered from her hiding place in a school locker. The character was shy in a wide-eyed and friendly way, but she got over it quick or forgot to continue to be shy, which seemed in character. She appeared very happy to be singing and dancing as one of the nuns in the first two numbers. She had a terrific sweet and innocent character voice that almost reminded me of Georgia Engel but with more projection. After Sister Hubert coached her to be firm, she tried to bark out a series of orders to the audience as if they were misbehaving children in her class and she punctuated it by slapping a ruler in her palm hard. After a well done little grimace, she let out a tiny exclamation, “ow” that was hilarious. She then reverted to her real sweet character telling the audience about the Twelve Apostles clock at the convent. Philpott played it that she was oblivious to what she was saying when she told them that “…when the big hand is on the John and the little hand is on the Peter it is time for the Sisters to go down on their knees.” She paused during the audience’s reaction and then added, “And pray.” During the quiz ad-libbed beautifully with the audience at one point giving a hint for the answer Saint Francis, she said in a leading way, “rhymes with Smancis”. It was a great comment for the character she created that she thought that was a good clue. For her solo number “So You Want to Be a Nun” Philpott started her introduction with a big toothy smile at the audience and a quietly drew them in, before she snapped into yelling, “Can you hear me in the back?” That set up the contrast she played in the song between her sweet self and her alter ego puppet Sister Mary Annette. Philpott deftly kept the puppet hidden from the audience’s view until she pulled it out from behind her and it spoke to stop the song. Throughout the song the nun puppet contradicted everything that Amnesia extolled about the virtues of being a nun and in some impolite ways. Philpott’s expression of shock when the puppet said “You can’t screw around” was priceless. The nun puppet’s gruff and lower-pitched voice served as an excellent contrast to Amnesia’s voice and the actress was able to switch back and forth on a dime. In the second act she continued to get laughs with the lost character, for example when she was showing off the BVM Cookbook and later when she sat back on the bed to reveal that the souls of her shoes were marked “L” and “R”. It was an accomplishment that we could laugh about her without feeling bad for her, because she seemed so content most of the time. In her solo, “I Could’ve Gone to Nashville” Philpott nailed a number of different techniques used by country singers like a twang in her voice, a musical simile of “Drop Kick Me, Jesus Through the Goalposts of Life” complete with a stutter note, and busting out her vocal towards the end. She ended on her knees in a spotlight in a larger-than life ending that suited both the style and her revelation perfectly. She seemed to be greatly relieved and elated to have remembered her name and very pleased that she could help her sisters with her prize winnings. She added a button to it stating “and I helped!” in a broad country accent delivery that was right out of a familiar TV commercial.