Spotlight Series: Lyndsay and Jeremy Palmer

This Spotlight  focuses on Lyndsay and Jeremy Palmer who met in a theater as teenagers, reconnected in college, then married and have done over 20 productions together in Los Angeles and Denver. But now with the shutdown, everything is on hold for both of them regarding their future production plans, so here is a bit of their theatrical history.

Shari Barrett (SB): What would you like readers to know about your theatrical background?

Jeremy Palmer (Jeremy): Lyndsay first saw me on stage in a production of Treasure Island when she was 13 and I was 14. Then she recognized me when we met five years later in college. Since then, we got married and we’ve done over 20 productions together in LA and Denver.

Jeremy and Lyndsay in “Little Women”

We most recently appeared onstage together in Little Women The Broadway Musical (as Amy March and John Brooke) at the Westchester Playhouse, directed by Jennifer Richardson, which Jeremy co-produced with Rocky and Victoria Miller. He also appeared as Max Halliday in Dial M For Murder there, while Lyndsay has been featured in many of their musicals including playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Fastrada in Pippin which they co-produced together.

(SB): What production(s) were you involved with when word went out you needed to immediately postpone/cancel the show?

Lyndsay Palmer (Lyndsay): When the current shutdown happened mid-March, I was midway through the run of Noises Off at the Long Beach Playhouse, which luckily got to open but not finish as planned.

(SB): How was the shutdown communicated with the cast and production team?

(Lyndsay): We were at the theatre Thursday night, March 12, to do a private performance for a business group and were told it would be the final performance. Of course, we were all heartbroken, but glad we at least got to perform half the scheduled run. They do plan to remount the production in the fall and they invited the original cast to return if available.

(SB):  What future productions on your schedule are also affected by the shutdown?

(Jeremy): Lyndsay was also midway through the audition process at that time for the musical Fun Home by Kentwood Players, and I am scheduled to produce 9 TO 5 The Musical there this Christmas. But there is no way of knowing right now when either of those shows will go up since everything depends on when the Westchester Playhouse can open for audiences again. So like everyone else, it’s a waiting game for the time being.

Lyndsay and Jeremy during “Pippin”

(SB): How are the two of you keeping the Arts alive while at home by using social media or other online sites?

(Lyndsay) Both of us have regular video chats with our theater friends and have played Scattegories and other games with them and some of our theatre friends in Denver, too.

(Jeremy): The Arts have been around long enough to have lived through multiple plagues and pandemics and come through stronger than ever! People need the Arts to pull them through times like this.

(SB): Any other thoughts about how the current pandemic is affecting the two of you personally?

(Lyndsay): We are taking the “stay at home” plan very seriously, especially since Jeremy has only one lung and has to be extra cautious about contamination. So thank you to everyone for being extra careful on behalf of those with pre-existing conditions like him. Please do what you can to #FlattenTheCurve by staying home and wearing a mask if you must go outdoors for any reason.

This article first appeared on Broadway World.

Shari Barrett

Shari Barrett, a Los Angeles native, has been active in the theater world since the age of six – acting, singing, and dancing her way across the boards all over town. After teaching in local secondary schools, working in marketing for several studios, writing, directing, producing, and performing in productions for several non-profit theaters, Shari now dedicates her time and focuses her skills as an independent publicist to “get the word out” about smaller theaters throughout the Los Angeles area.

As a founding member of the LA Stage Alliance Leadership Council Task Force, she and reps from theaters throughout the city worked together to articulate a vision for the theatre community of Greater Los Angeles.

Shari has received recognition from the City of Los Angeles for her dedication of heart and hand to the needs of friends, neighbors and fellow members of society for her devotion of service to the people of Los Angeles, and is honored to serve the theatre world in her hometown.

Currently she is the Publicist and a member of the Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse.

• Jennifer Richardson
• Jeremy Palmer
• kentwood players
• long beach playhouse
• Lyndsay Palmer
• Rocky Miller
• Victoria Miller
• Westchester Playhouse