Silicon Valley's Favorite Leading Man Comes Home to StarStruck In The Wizard of Oz, Jan. 17-Feb. 1, 2020

Silicon Valley’s Favorite Leading Man Comes Home to StarStruck
In The Wizard of Oz, Jan. 17-Feb. 1, 2020
Story by Helen Chang
    If you’ve ever seen James M. Jones perform the rapid-
fire “Trouble” as the huckster Harold Hill in StarStruck
Theatre’s 2010 production of The Music Man, you would
never take him for a numbers man. And if you’ve ever
cried at his heart-rending “Empty Chairs and Empty
Tables” as Marius in Les Miserables, you would never
imagine him an accountant.                                     James Jones as Marius, with Lance
                                                               Smith as Enjolras in Les Miserables in
   And yet, that was his pursuit during an 8-year hiatus       2010 | Photo by Atom Biggs
fom musical theatre. One of StarStruck’s favorite leading men from 2006 to 2011, Jones’s last
role with the Fremont-based nonprofit youth musical theatre company was Skye Masterson
in Guys and Dolls. He’s now back as a special guest in none other than the title role in
StarStruck’s The Wizard of Oz, performing Jan. 17-Feb. 1, 2020 at the Jackson Theatre at
Ohlone College in Fremont, California.
   “For StarStruck’s 25th anniversary season, we wanted to return to two of our most lavish
mainstage productions: The Wizard of Oz in the winter, and Les Miserables in the summer.
James played principle roles in both of these past shows,” said Lori Stokes, StarStruck’s
founding artistic director. “He was the scarecrow in our 2009 show. We’re thrilled to have
him back as the all-powerful and mighty Wizard of Oz!”
   Jones had not meant to stay away from the theatre so long. While attending St. Mary’s
College in Moraga, he found his studies left little time for extracurricular activities. “I took
accounting courses and it just clicked with me,” said Jones about his academic path. “And it
was a practical career.” Soon, a master’s degree followed, and the momentum carried him
                                     into the public accounting profession, doing audit and tax
                                     work, and eventually to corporate accounting.
                                        There was no turning back. Or so he thought.
                                            Good friend and fellow StarStruck alum, Katherine Dela
                                         Cruz, talked him into exploring opportunities to get back
                                         into musical theatre, and helped him build up the
                                         confidence to audition. Last year in November after 8
James Jones was Scarecrow, Callie
                                         years away from the theatre—and while working full-time
Garrett was Dorothy last time StarStruck —he auditioned for South Bay Musical Theater’s
went down the Yellow Brick Road in
2009 | Courtesy of StarStruck            production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.
  “I didn’t think I’d get the part,” said Jones. Despite being thoroughly prepared and focused
on what he had to deliver both musically and dramatically in the audition, he was nervous.
“The guy next to me had all of his music and acting lines on an iPad, and was wearing a
button-down shirt and slacks.” The competition was clearly just as thoroughly prepared and
focused.

“So I was absolutely thrilled when I got the call from the producer, and he offered me the
lead part, Jimmy,” said Jones. The show ran in Saratoga in the spring of 2019. Next came
Woodside Community Theatre’s fall production of Monty Python’s Spamalot in which he
played Sir Robin. After that came the part of Davy in Hillbarn Theatre’s Newsies in
December. And now, he is in rehearsals to return to StarStruck’s Oz.
  Perhaps not surprisingly, Jones realized that he was leveraging his aptitude with numbers
to prepare for his leading roles. “I number every line in a scene, then I remember them over
and over again. Let’s say it’s an 11-line monologue; in the first section it’s talking about a dog.
Section A describes the dog. B is what happens to the dog. C is why I’m saying what I’m
saying. On the other hand, If it’s one line it’s a matter of repetition and recording myself,
over and over again.”
   The most challenging part of playing the Wizard? “He has a lot of crazy lines,” said Jones.
“Some of the stuff the wizard has to say are tongue twisters, long paragraphs, and fancy
Latin words. It’s gonna be great!” In contrast, the biggest challenge in his previous walk
down the yellow brick road, was the hectic, madcap costume change at the end.The most
gratifying element of his return to the StarStruck fold?
   “I am who I am today because of StarStruck. That’s where I started, that’s where I grew
up. Lori [Stokes], Nancy [Godfrey], Jeanne [Batacan-Harper]—they are my second moms, my
mentors,” said Jones about StarStruck’s respective artistic director, music director, and then-
choreographer.
   “They taught me how to be professional, how to have fun, how to communicate—that’s
huge! And especially how to find my courage, and to be confident of the decisions I make
on-stage, and off.
  “StarStruck will always be my second home.”

                 James Jones (with Evan Boomer, left) first captivated audiences as Snail
                    in StarStruck's 2006 production of A Year with Frog and Toad |
                                        Courtesy of StarStruck

Valerie Golobic is Dorothy, Gisele Lajavardi is Scarecrow in StarStruck's 25th
                anniversary production of The Wizard of Oz | Photo by Rosaura Studios
 About StarStruck Theatre
Established in 1995, Fremont-based StarStruck Theatre is a non-profit organization dedicated
to nurturing the talents and lifelong love of the performing arts among youth while
entertaining the community with live musical theatre productions of uncompromising quality.
Mainstage shows are presented in January and July/August.
About StarStruck’s The Wizard of Oz
Performances Jan. 17-Feb. 1, 2020 at the Jackson Theatre in the Smith Center at Ohlone
College, Fremont, CA.
   Friday, January 17 @ 7:30 pm (Opening Night / StarStruck Alumni Night)
   Saturday, January 18 @ 7:30 pm (StarStruck Giveaway Night)
   Sunday, January 19 @ 2:30 pm (Dress up as your favorite OZ character)
   Friday, January 24 @ 7:30 pm (ASL Interpreted performance)
   Saturday, January 25 @ 7:30 pm (SuperStar Donor Reception)
   Sunday, January 26 @ 2:30 pm (Talk Back with Actors)
   Friday, January 31 @ 7:30 pm (Dress in Emerald City green)
   Saturday, February 1 @ 1:00 pm (Dress up as your favorite OZ character)
   Saturday, February 1 @ 7:30 pm (StarStruck Giveaway Night)

Direction by Lori Stokes
Music Direction by Nancy Godfrey
Choreography by Juliane Godfrey
Flying by ZFX Flying Effects

Tickets: Special 25th anniversary pricing: All tickets are $25 (excluding ticketing fees).
Order online, https://starstrucktheatre.org/; or call the box office, 510-659-1319 Mondays
through Fridays, 11 am – 5 pm.