ASU Gammage
Inner Circle
Adriel Flete and Company, ON YOUR FEET! © Matthew Murphy
Volume 20 | Fall 2018
Alan Menken, the Musical Genius Behind ALADDIN
This Fall Get ON YOUR FEET!
Valley Star Takes the Stage in DEAR EVAN HANSEN VOLUME 20 | 2018
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All of this is possible because of you. Thank you! Your continued support of ASU Gammage allows for us to continue to upgrade and maintain our historic venue.
At ASU Gammage we are committed to providing the best theater experience for our patrons. Each year we strive to bring the best of the arts to our venue; we create programs that allow the community to engage with world-class artists and productions; and we continue to make changes to our beautiful and historic theater to provide a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for all. Just as the previous few summers, this summer ASU Gammage underwent some major upgrades to get ready for the upcoming season. One of our major upgrades was a new stage floor. The short break in the summer between shows gave us the opportunity to complete this project. While construction was taking place, our team discovered a little piece of ASU Gammage history beneath the boards. The last time the stage was replaced was in 1989, and members of the ASU Gammage staff created somewhat of a time capsule by signing a piece of the stage with their names. The new stage looks absolutely amazing and will last many years allowing us to accommodate all of the large touring productions we have in store for this and coming seasons. Our next major upgrade to our venue was our new window coverings. These Duette® window coverings absorb heat and help preserve this historic venue. Each new covering was custom made for our windows, and each is its own unique size to fit its own window. They look fresh and help us keep our building cooler and more comfortable for our patrons. We would like to extend a special thank you to Susan and Bill Ahearn who made this major and much needed upgrade possible. The last of our significant upgrades was the completion of refurbishing our seats. This is a project we have been working on throughout the last two seasons, but this summer we put the finishing touches on this major project. All of this is possible because of you. Thank you! Your continued support of ASU Gammage allows us to continue to upgrade and maintain our historic venue. The job is never done, and we are always looking for ways to make our theater more enjoyable and accessible for all.
Photo: Tim Trumble
Our venue is ready for the 2018-2019 Season! We can’t wait for you to experience it!
Colleen Jennings-Roggensack Executive Director of ASU Gammage ASU Vice President for Cultural Affairs
IN MEMORIAM - Richard “Dick” Love
ASU Gammage friend and supporter, Richard “Dick” Love passed peacefully at the age of 84 on June 1, 2018 in Scottsdale. The “Rae and Richard S. Love Lobby” at ASU Gammage will continue to welcome all who visit the theater, while honoring a true gentleman known for his positive attitude and quick sense of humor. Our memories of Dick will forever live in our hearts.
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ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
jon Hask Jay and Ro
The Hasker Equation 8
er
Contents
Sharing the Arts with the Next Generation: Desiree Ong 16
Creating On Your Feet! 4
Valley Star Phoebe Koyabe brings Tony® Winning Musical Home 15 D esiree
O ng
ASU Gammage Inner Circle
Lissa deGuzman (Jasmine) and Clinton Greenspan (Aladdin). Aladdin North American Tour. Photo by Deen van Meer. © Disney
Christie Prades as Gloria Estefan and Mauricio Martínez as Emilio Estefan, ON YOUR FEET! © Matthew Murphy
venture 10 d A y a w d a ro B 8 201 11 rs te is S l Sou 14 s to o h P t n e VIP Ev
Musical Maestro 18
Volume 20 | Fall 2018 Executive Editor: Colleen Jennings-Roggensack Editor In Chief and Project Manager: Theresa Dickerson Managing Editor: Victor Hamburger
Anda Union 20
Creative Director Paul Carter II Editorial Team: Kari Amarosso, Cheryl Amick, Sianna Kent, Erica Lin, Michelle Johnson, CAP,OM, , Camille Ridley
Man in the Arena - Theodore Roosevelt- ASU Kerr
Kerr Korner 22
Contributing Writers: Theresa Dickerson, Catherine Hathaway, Sheryl Flatlow, Jennifer Haaland
ASUGammageFan
VIP Club Listing 24 ASUGammage
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ASUGammage VOLUME 20 | 2018
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Broadway
g n i t a e r C
In one of the seminal scenes in ON YOUR FEET!, Gloria Fajardo and Emilio Estefan are trying to persuade a record label executive to help them crossover to the English-speaking market. The executive’s response is dismissive and disrespectful, insisting that there’s no audience for the Latin rhythms of Miami Sound Machine in the U.S., and intimating that the couple are not real Americans. But a furious Emilio gets the last word: “Look very closely at my face ... this is what an American looks like.” 4
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
Left: Christie Prades as Gloria Estefan, Mauricio Martinez as Emilio Estefan and Company, ON YOUR FEET! © Matthew Murphy Below: Mauricio Martinez as Emilio Estefan, Christie Prades as Gloria Estefan and Devon Goffman as Phil, ON YOUR FEET! © Matthew Murphy
... this is what an American looks like. BY SHERYL FLATOW
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It’s a show-stopping moment, and it speaks to the power and universality of the exhilarating, moving love story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Of course, the dynamic musical numbers drive the show; yes, rhythm is gonna get you on your feet! But the story of these two determined Cuban Americans, their challenges, and their extraordinary success is transcendent: the musical is a celebration of family—all families—and the American Dream. That was a deliberate choice on the part of the creative team: director Jerry Mitchell, choreographer Sergio Trujillo, and book writer Alexander Dinelaris. “It’s why I’m so proud of this show, and so excited to share the national tour with the rest of America,” says Trujillo. “We’re all immigrants and we’re all part of this wonderful country, which is made up of people of all colors and races. That is ON YOUR FEET!” It’s often said that the more culturally specific a musical is, the more it speaks to all people. You don’t have to be Jewish to understand and identify with the Jews of Anitevka in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, you don’t have to be a Dominican immigrant living in New York to empathize with the characters in IN THE HEIGHTS, and you don’t have to be a supremely talented Cuban immigrant dreaming of success in Miami to relate to the journey of the Estefans. If the world onstage rings true, it’s easy for the audience to step inside. The key is “authenticity,” a word used repeatedly by the creative team. And ON YOUR FEET! is as authentic as a Broadway musical can be. The cast is Latino. They speak Spanish as well as English. Original members of Miami Sound Machine are part of the orchestra. The choreography features real Cuban dances, not just the salsa and the conga, but the chancleta and the pañuelo. “When I would go into the room where Sergio and his dancers were working, it wasn’t like he had to teach them how to salsa, or teach them the rhythms,” says Mitchell. “They came in knowing the language. It was a vocabulary they all grew up with.”
VOLUME 20 | 2018
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Broadway
Right: Christie Prades as Gloria Estefan, Adriel Flete and Company, ON YOUR FEET! © Matthew Murphy Bottom Center: Mauricio Martinez as Emilio Estefan and Christie Prades as Gloria Estefan, ON YOUR FEET! © Matthew Murphy
We all have our own way of expressing movement. With the Cubans, it feels like they’re playing congas with their feet. It’s in their rib cages, it’s in the soul of who they are. Most of all, the show captures the essence of Gloria and Emilio, who shared the details of their lives with Dinelaris. All the major conflicts and incidents in the show reflect actual events. “They were amazingly generous,” says Dinelaris. “We had lots of meetings and talked for hours. I eventually spent time with Gloria’s mother, who recently passed. She was an amazing woman, tough as nails and charismatic, and she became a major character in the show. When I had all this information, I had to figure out which part of their story I would tell to make it the most effective.” Once he had the structure, Dinelaris listened to the entire Estefan catalogue, to determine what music would work best. “I was smart enough to know that we’d use ‘Conga’ and ‘Rhythm is Gonna Get You,’” he says. “But there are also some songs in the show that only hard-core Estefan fans will know, like ‘Famous.’ It’s a challenging puzzle when you’re doing a musical based on an existing catalogue, because you need to find songs that will move the story forward without changing the lyrics. I did change one word in one song, and that was with Gloria’s permission. There’s a love song called ‘When Someone Comes Into Your Life,’ and I realized that by changing just one word, the song would work as a father giving advice to his daughter. There was one scene where I couldn’t find any song that worked. So I called Gloria, and she ended up writing a new song, ‘If I Never Got to Tell You,’ with her daughter, Emily.” For director Jerry Mitchell, it was important to capture the special connection between the Estefans. “It was all the things I didn’t know about 6
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
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Gloria and Emilio that I wanted to put in the show,” he says. “Their partnership displayed itself every day, in every way, down to eating lunch. It was obvious how they took care of each other, how they were there for each other after all these years together, and that was exciting. They have such a strong sense of family, and I wanted to bring out that family dynamic. It made me think a lot about my own family, and how everyone has someone in their family who is the most supportive and someone who is the least supportive. That was part of the story that we were trying to wrap our heads around.” In telling the story of two musicians who went on to worldwide fame, the songs and the
choreography propel a great deal of the narrative. Even the numbers that are done in concert often move the story along. Act I ends with ‘Conga,’ and in the original script, Dinelaris wrote that the lights explode and there’s a big production number. “I said, ‘That’s not enough; we have to tell the story,” says Mitchell. “So I asked Gloria and Emilio to tell me whatever they could about ‘Conga,’ which was their first massive hit. It was written in the Netherlands as an encore piece, and when they came back to the States, they performed it at weddings, at bar mitzvahs, anywhere that
“
they could get a gig. Now, a few years earlier a dancer named Spencer Howard showed me a video of him dancing with his mother and maracas at his bar mitzvah. I got the video from Spencer, showed it to Sergio and said, ‘This is funny. This is true. And truth is where humor lies.’ And that’s how we built the number.” Without giving away how the number evolves, suffice it to say that the conclusion is inspired by Gloria’s concerts. “The idea was to take a radio song and give it a story and a reason to exist in this musical.” The concept was Mitchell’s; the execution was by Trujillo, who received a Tony Award nomination for his choreography. “Having worked on Jersey Boys, I learned a great deal about what to do with the progression of a pop star, and what to do within that kind of story and vernacular,” says Trujillo. “In order to be truthful, I had to create a vocabulary that was unique to our show.” He began by immersing himself in all kinds of Cuban dance, in order to capture the essence of the movement. For instance, he has danced the salsa since he was a boy in Colombia, but the style he learned was different than the Cuban style. “Colombians use really quick feet movement, while the Cuban style is a lot more languid, more sensual,” he says. “Cubans move differently than Colombians
Once again, it comes back to family. And that, says Dinelaris, is one of the great takeaways from the show. “This story about immigrants, about perseverance, about family, is about all of us,” he says. “On Broadway, I heard audiences say all the time, ‘That Cuban grandmother is my Jewish grandmother’ or ‘my Irish grandmother.’ It’s a universal story. The comment I heard more than anything else was, ‘It wasn’t what I expected. I expected the Gloria Estefan revue. I didn’t expect to be moved and to cry and to see my family in it. I didn’t expect the goosebumps and the tears. I
I think that has to do with how we identify with family and with culture. And I hope people leave the theater, go home, and call their mother.
just expected to have a good time.’ And I think that has to do with how we identify with family and with culture. And I hope people leave the theater, go home, and call their mother.” l Sheryl Flatow has written about the performing arts for more than 30 years. She is also a lecturer at Florida Atlantic University's Lifelong Learning Society in Boca Raton, and has curated exhibitions on major artists, including Stephen Sondheim and George Balanchine.
VOLUME 20 | 2018
Above: Alma Cuervo as Consuelo, Claudia Yanez as Rebecca, Christie Prades as Gloria and Nancy Ticotin as Gloria Fajardo, ON YOUR FEET! © Matthew Murphy
do when they dance, or Venezuelans or Argentinians – we all have our own way of expressing movement. With the Cubans, it feels like they’re playing congas with their feet. It’s in their rib cages, it’s in the soul of who they are.” Dinelaris was particularly moved by Trujillo’s choreography for ‘Wrapped,’ which he describes as “a fluid piece of poetry.” It comes after the horiffic 1990 bus accident, and Trujillo says he was initially stumped by what to do with the number. So he called Gloria and asked her how the song came about. “She said that when she was on the road, it was very hard to be so far away from her loved ones,” he says. “That’s why she wrote the song. And then I immediately knew what the number needed to be.”
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The Hasker Equation Donor Profile
Jennifer Hanland Jay and Rojon Hasker with Danielle Wade, who played Dorothy in the National Tour of THE WIZARD OF OZ.
It takes two. Rojon and Jay Hasker seem to embrace this sentiment in many endeavors. Along with their own, so many other lives they’re touching are the richer for it. Two happy roles ASU Gammage has been playing in the Haskers’ equation are provider and recipient.
Two Retirees Jay retired ten years earlier than Rojon and he credits her with helping them begin to grow relationships with like-minded people outside of their professional lives. “When you are leaving the busy work world, you better have a plan put together,“ he chuckles. “She has done a really good job with it.” The Haskers were moved to become more involved as donors years ago, “when Colleen and Michael did a presentation about the community outreach at ASU Gammage.” The concept of programs that focused on using the performing arts to educate and enrich the Valley’s youth connected with what Jay and Rojon held dear. “Rojon put her niece into Camp Broadway that year,” Jay says, referring to the program comprised of distinguished actors, writers and designers directly from New York, who work with kids ages 10-17 for one week. 8
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
Rojon further recalls one of the first Performances for Students event they attended was the Dance Theatre of Harlem. “It was then that we grasped the impact ASU Gammage was having on the students. When the performance began it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. After the show, even though the cast could only take ten or twelve questions, a 100 hands shot up every time,” she says. Jay blends his memory with Rojon’s, saying, “From the respect their silence demonstrated to their ovations, we knew.” “As we walked out we could overhear children talking: ‘I’m going to ask my dad for ballet lessons’ or ‘I hope my mom will let me take ballet,” Rojon remembers. “Since then, we’ve tried to attend every Performance for Students.” Because she grew up in Alaska and Jay was raised in the Ozarks of Missouri, neither had big opportunities to be exposed to the performing arts. Rojon tells about the choir teacher in Anchorage who gave extra credit for students to attend cultural events like the French film festival. That same teacher urged her students to see JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in 1973. The “somewhat controversial show at the time” stuck with Rojon.
Jay, still thinking about the Dance Theatre of Harlem and acknowledging he had even less arts exposure than Rojon as a child, says, “When you have been impacted by an arts experience and see children impacted that way as well, you have to pass it on.”
Two Extra Tickets Once Rojon was also retired, it seems the Haskers began re-doubling their arts involvement. Jay says, “We meet all kinds of different people through ASU Gammage. Mollie [Trivers, Senior Director of Development] and Michelle [Johnson, Executive Assistant] help bring me along. They always make sure I feel comfortable and sometimes they tell me what to expect.” “They are masters at making people feel welcome,” Rojon adds. Years ago, the Haskers developed another unique arts-enrichment habit. By purchasing four rather than two tickets to every show each season, the Haskers have built relationships small and grand. They offer people from all walks of life to share their ASU Gammage performance experiences along with them. “One of the things about my wife is she believes in paying it forward. She wants to make sure we are helping others go forward, too,” Jay explains. For instance, their adult grandchildren, ages 22 and 26, have first crack at the extra tickets and join the Haskers for a couple shows each season. They’ve already called dibs on DEAR EVAN HANSEN and WICKED for 2018-19. Last season, of course, the huge excitement was for HAMILTON.
”There’s just so much there, so much to learn from the theater community,“ Jay says. “It’s filled with people who have worked hard, been lucky and want to support others to do the same,” Rojon concludes. The couple has built a support system through their ASU Gammage network that borders on the irreplaceable. They’ve also increased and deepened their support of ASU Gammage goals. “Now and then, especially in this summer heat, the discussion about moving somewhere else comes up,” Rojon says. “But we don’t want to give up our community at ASU Gammage. It’s entertainment, it’s social and it’s learning. It keeps us engaged and sharper; we understand current issues better. We gravitate toward people like that.” “We recently became even more interested in Beyond, primarily because of Michael, (Reed, Senior Director of Programs and Organizational Initiatives)” Rojon continued about the couple’s decision to underwrite one of the shows this season. “We are excited to be involved with BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES. Michael’s passion and enthusiasm always leads to the best programming.” Circling back to the idea of having a pro-active retirement plan, Rojon reflects, “At work you have a built-in social structure. That automatic social contact is gone when you retire. There is a void to fill. At ASU Gammage, we are always around people who are very open and non-judgmental. They are fun to be around and they are optimistic.”
“Both kids know every single word to HAMILTON and to DEAR EVAN HANSEN… to so many of the shows. I have never seen that level of enthusiasm from our grandson,” Rojon says about his attitude toward HAMILTON. “They expose us to new ideas.” From siblings and friends to their coffee shop barista and downstairs neighbors, the Haskers take people to ASU Gammage with them every time.
Two New York Jaunts The Haskers have twice joined the ASU Gammage Broadway Adventure as they continue to deepen their connection to friends they’ve made. It’s a trip that includes opportunities to meet with Broadway actors, directors and producers and provides chances to get an insight into the industry. “We learn where people come from; we learn about the education they have or don’t have. So often what we watch on stage is so different from the person.”
Jay and Rojon Hasker chat with ASU Gammage Executive Director Colleen Jennings-Roggensack at a donor lunch. Photo by Tim Trumble.
VOLUME 20 | 2018
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2018 Broadway Adventure breaks the mold yet again and gives VIPs an inside look at NYC John Lucking and Ray and Lena Mogensen learn about the historic restoration work of Evergreene Studios in Brooklyn.
and Jay L to R: Rojon Thatcher, and Hasker, Craig a Broadway Ken Schutz in g io af ter hearin ud rehearsal st , Y! LL O D , HELLO from stars of AY AW COME FROM EL . S U O R A C d an
ASU Gammage VIP donors regroup for a full da y exploring the City.
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ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
ASU feature
Soul Sisters STORY BY B O B Y O U N G
Members of Gila River Culture and Language Teacher Cohort support each other and their community as they earn their master’s degrees From left: Priscilla Espinoza, Marcella Hall, Edwardine Thomas, Nina Allison and (not pictured) Starleen Somegustava have formed a close relationship through the Gila River program.
PHOTOS BY D E A N N A D E N T
In the 1950s, after the Indian Relocation Act was enacted, Priscilla Espinoza’s family moved from the Gila River Indian Community in the far southeast Valley to Southern California. She met her husband, Phillip, there. They raised six kids. And they felt the sting of discrimination and racism that was commonplace to her people in those days. They became activists, joining the Brown Berets, a group modeled after the Black Panthers in the 1960s. Espinoza was marching with them in Los Angeles during August 1970 when two activists and newspaper editor Ruben Salazar were killed. Salazar was struck by a tear-gas canister fired by a sheriff’s deputy. “I was there, marching and dodging tear gas,” she says. “It really did make an impact, and a lot changed in Southern California. Because of that big march they started getting more minority teachers, and there was a big push for equal education.” She put her own higher education, however, on the backburner. Through it all, she never forgot her place
among the Akimel O’otham people in Arizona. “I never lost my identity when I left,” Espinoza says. “I take it with me wherever I go.” After Phillip, to whom she was married for 42 years, passed away seven years ago, the 69-year-old greatgrandmother of two and grandmother of six felt a pull from home and a push from her late husband, who had told her to “keep going, keep living.” “He was my greatest supporter,” she says. Now she is among five women from the Gila River Indian Community who call themselves the “soul sisters.” Soon, they will be the graduating grandmas and mothers — and remarkable role models for the people of their community and beyond. Ranging in age from 36 to 69, Espinoza, Edwardine Thomas, Nina Allison, Marcella Hall and Starleen Somegustava are completing work on Master of Interdisciplinary Studies degrees as members of the Gila River Culture and Language Teacher Cohort, a partnership between Arizona State University’s Center VOLUME 20 | 2018
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ASU feature “ I told myself I had to get back on track. You do it for your kids. You do it for your family. You’re that role model. You’re that example. ” — N I N A A L L I S O N for Indian Education, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and the Gila River Indian Community Tribal Education Department. The first-of-its-kind program trains future teachers on their home reservation with a focus on tribal history and keeping alive the Akimel O’otham language. The group has formed a tight bond. “We have all been through a lot of stuff together,” says Thomas, a 56-year-old grandmother of four. “These are my sisters. We’ve gone through a lot of stuff. We’re still going through a lot of stuff. Every week we come to class and we lean on each other.” All have experienced similar challenges while pursuing their education — from getting back into good study and attendance habits, to feeling a sense of responsibility for their immediate and extended families that is such an important piece of their culture, to balancing work and school, to solving the mysteries that are laptop computers and PowerPoint presentations. Perhaps the greatest challenge was simply believing that, despite their age and responsibilities, they could achieve an advanced degree from
ASU. “I’ve been going to school off and on since 2014, starting at South Mountain (Community College), and I would say this year has been the most stressful year ever,” says Hall, 36, a cultural instructor for fifth- through eighth-grade students at Sacaton Middle School, about an hour south of Phoenix. She has a daughter and is caring for a niece and nephew. “I’m handling it, and it’s hard,” she adds. “Coming here and letting the ladies know and having their support, it gets easier.” Espinoza and Thomas are the elders of the group. Each happened upon the cohort by happenstance. “I always tell people I’m a lifelong learner,” Thomas says. “I’ve been going to school since after high school. I went to college for one year but had to drop out, just for family things. I had to take care of my siblings. So I had to work.”
She has worked for 26 years at the Blackwater Community School in Coolidge. When she attended an in-service teacher training program at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, it led her back to school. “There were people there from South Mountain (Community College), and they asked if any people were interested in obtaining their degrees,” she says. “So that’s where it started.” Now, she is the only member of her family to earn a college degree. Her work at Blackwater focuses on making home visits to people in the community and working with parents and children to reach childdevelopment milestones in gross and fine motor skills and language. “We incorporate the O’otham language in our visits because a lot of the parents do not know our language,” she says. “So they learn along with their kids.” She says her ultimate goal is to establish a full-immersion school in the Gila River Indian Community that all of the soul sisters might someday work at. To that end, the women will join forces this summer to bring together members of the community’s seven districts for a camp that would immerse participants in the O’otham language and culture. “We’re going to try to do it for three weeks and see how that goes,” Thomas says. “The rest of my cohort members are going to be in on that, too. “It’s going to be limited to about ten families per district, and hopefully this will be like a steppingstone for other people to come and join our group, because we’re open to anyone helping us — other community members that are fluent in language or dances or basket making.” When Espinoza returned to the area to be near one of her sons living in Maricopa, she paid a visit to the Gila River Indian Community Governance Center to complete some paperwork. She and her husband had hoped to retire in the community. “I had retired from a school district in California, where I was a special education (instructional assistant),” she says. “I was at the Governance Center to talk to a lady about my paperwork. I wasn’t looking for a job. This
“ I’m so proud of who
I am and proud of what I represent
to the people here. They trust me because they know I’m a member of the community, too. So my heart is full.”
— P R I S C I L L A E S P I N OZ A 12
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
Artwork by Akimal O’Otham, Pee-posh, Quechan, Pawnee, and Hispanic from the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC)
young lady was putting up flyers that said ‘special needs (teacher) urgently needed.’ “I said, ‘I used to do that for years.’ Long story short, they interviewed me that day, got my paperwork and hired me on the spot.” She was asked to work with a young boy with cerebral palsy, who couldn’t walk or talk. “He could only say ‘mama’ “ We incorporate the and ‘no,’ ” she says. “I put all my O’otham language in our energy into this little boy... visits because a lot of the I would see him every morning and say, ‘Good morning, what is parents do not know our your name? My name is Priscilla.’ language. So they learn I said that over and over for six along with their kids.” months. One morning I said, ‘Hi, buddy,’ and he looked at me and — E DWA R D I N E T H O M A S said, ‘Hi, ’scilla!’ Oh my gosh, I knew then that this is it.” Gregory Mendoza, who was Gila River Indian Community governor at the time, came to visit Casa Blanca Community School in Bapchule, where Espinoza works, and told her he had received a report about her work with the young boy, who now uses a walker. “He said, ‘I want you to get into this program we have going on, this cohort. We want you to get your degree. We need people like you to help our people here.’ So that was it,” Espinoza says. “I’m so proud of who I am and proud of what I represent to the people here. They trust me because they know I’m a member of the community, too. So my heart is full.” The women in the cohort — many of whom are able to participate because of private giving — agree that they are motivated most by what they represent for their families and community members. Espinoza says the cohort members hope their successes will “snowball.” “When family members see each one of us, the five of us, I think it will trickle down,” she says. “It will snowball, pick up momentum. That’s what we’re hoping for.” “I tell my students, ‘Don’t be a statistic,’” Hall adds. “We have a lot of high school dropouts, and not many of our people are going to college. I say, ‘Make your people proud. Make your family proud of you. We need our people in our communities sitting in the seats we are in as teachers, as educators, as tribal council members. You are all going to be filling our seats.’” Allison, a mother of four and grandmother of three, briefly stopped her studies in the program when a nephew was killed in a car accident. He had just graduated from high school. The desire to set an example for others kept her from giving up. “I didn’t do homework. I didn’t do readings. That was a struggle for me,” she says. “... I told myself I had to get back on track. You do it for your kids. You do it for your family. You’re that role model. You’re that example. “You have ups and downs and have struggles, but you go on.” Thomas tells young people to get their education while they’re young instead of waiting like the members of the cohort. “If I could turn back time, I wish I would have stayed in school and finished (college) after high school,” she says. “(I tell them) ‘You can do it. Just set your priorities straight and know your family will always be behind you.’”
ASU Gammage in partnership with Cornerstone Theater Company presents
NATIVE NATION
Written by Larissa FastHorse Directed by Michael John Garcés
April 27-28 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Phoenix Steele Indian School Park
An Indigenous theatrical experience for the whole family. Join the original people of this land at significant locations around Phoenix to see the world through their eyes. Part marketplace, cultural performance, community gathering and theater, NATIVE NATION is a new experience every time that will forever change the way you see this land. Generously sponsored by APS. NATIVE NATION was made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project, with lead funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
VOLUME 20 | 2018
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VIP Donor Event Photos
Opening Night Party at Pita Jungle 1. Jeff Rich with the young cast members 2. L to R: Bella Fraker (Understudy), Vincent Molden (Zack), Ava Saba, Lily Saba, Jesse Sparks (Understudy) 3. Amelia Corwin and Corwin Hemmingsen with the young cast members 4. Phoebe Koyabe with Colleen JenningsRoggensack 5. L to R: Bryan Hill, Merritt David Janes (Dewey), Leah Pallin-Hill 6. Helen & Joe Goldblatt with the young cast members Photos: Tim Trumble
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ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
Valley star
Phoebe Koyabe
brings Tony®-winning musical home
How does it feel to be cast in your first national tour? PHOEBE KOYABE: I couldn’t be more excited to be joining the DEAR EVAN HANSEN family. Being able to do theater has been a dream of mine for half of my life. I never imagined it could become reality so soon. Tell us about your audition and when you found out you got the part. PK: The auditioning process was pretty long, and I had to fly back and forth from Arizona to New York. I was thrilled to be in a room with such amazing and talented people. I really tried to think of it as a learning experience. I always tried my best but every time I flew home, I was full of self-doubt, frustration, and a feeling that I could’ve done better. I actually never even thought I had a shot at the part (especially considering my age) so I was really confused when my agent asked if she could call me. I was actually in the middle of teaching dance classes so as soon as my first break began I picked up the phone. Hearing the news was so overwhelming! It was such a shock that I screamed and started crying... that was difficult to explain to my students.
Tell us about growing up in the Valley; how did the local theater scene impact your experience? PK: The Valley is so great because we have so many theaters (especially community and youth). The theater community is so big, yet so close, and everyone knows everyone. The level of talent in the Valley is very high and I was able to learn so much from the people I worked with. Growing up home-schooled, theater was my social life. I hung out with theater kids, theater kids, and maybe a few more theater kids along the way. Aside from that, I was still able to do some community and professional shows around the Valley which made me comfortable working with people of all ages. What are your memories of attending shows at ASU Gammage? PK: My first memory at ASU Gammage was 9 years ago when I saw LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE with my mom and sister. It was so long ago, but the thing I remember the most was how overjoyed I was, and this overwhelming feeling of wanting to jump up on the stage and join the actors.
What about being a part of the DEAR EVAN HANSEN national tour are you most excited about? PK: I am thrilled to become a part of the DEAR EVAN HANSEN family. As soon as the cast was announced I received messages from a number of my cast mates. Everyone seems so kind and the cast is so close! They’ll be my home away from home and I can’t wait.
What are you most looking forward to when you come to perform at ASU Gammage? PK: I know it might sound silly, I can’t wait to see ASU Gammage from the other side of the stage. For nine years I’ve seen shows from the audience and being up there one day almost seemed like an impossible dream.
What does it mean to you to be a part of show that has such a strong and impactful message? PK: As someone who has personally been on the receiving end of bullying, being part of a show that has such a strong message is beyond amazing. I’ve gotten so many messages from other teenagers telling me how this show has changed their life for the better, and I am so glad I get to be a part of it.
We look forward to Phoebe’s return to the Valley Nov. 27-Dec. 2 in
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Staff Profile
Sharing the arts with the next
generation Desiree Ong BY CATHERINE HATHAWAY
Desiree Ong has always worked to educate children. The Educational Enrichment Program Manager at ASU Gammage started her career by teaching middle school English for 14 years. Ong has a masters in English Education from Columbia University and has a passion for sharing her love of Broadway and the arts with others.
Top Left: Colleen Jennings-Roggensack with Desiree Ong. Desiree is showing off the fact that her photo is actually in the DEAR EVAN HANSEN poster! Top Center: Desiree Ong truely believes #youwillbefound at DEAR EVAN HANSEN. She is a huge fan!
“My focus is on the K through 12 programs,” Desiree Ong said. “I really love Musical Theater. That’s really what first got me interested in ASU Gammage.” Ong works on educational initiatives such as Camp Broadway, Teaching Artists Program, Performances for Students, High School Musical Theatre Awards, Tech Tours and many more exciting opportunities offered by ASU Gammage for K-12 students. Ong joined the ASU Gammage team in September 2017 after keeping her eye on the ASU Gammage job openings.
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When this position opened up it was so in line with my education background and love of Broadway that I decided to go after it.
“I taught English here in The Valley for seven years at Phoenix Country Day School,” Ong said. “When this position opened up it was so in line with my education background and love of Broadway that I decided to go after it.” Ong was inspired to purse her career dreams through another one of her passions: Happy Planners. “It is this combination of using a regular planner and keeping a scrapbook,” Ong explains. “It’s a new trend. There is a whole planner community. I’m a part of a local group of called the Arizona Planner Girls.” She said the inspirational messages encouraged her to pursue her passions as a career. “The whole line promotes taking small steps every day with positive messages,” Ong said. “So after reading these for a year and a half, it motivated me to take the risk and go after it.” Ong loves working on educational programs at ASU Gammage. There’s always a variety of projects for her and Campus & Community Engagement Manager, Amanda Arboleda, to work on for the community. Ong has a passion for each of her projects. “Our newest program launched this fall is the The Molly Blank Fund Teaching Artists Program. We’re going to take 30 local artists and have national teaching artists train them in the Kennedy Center Arts Integration Method. After that, they will be able to go into schools and implement their lessons they design along with help from the Kennedy Center artists.”
Ong works on these projects all year long so they can be the very best experience for the participants. High School Musical Theatre Awards is a very special event that Ong manages. High schools throughout the Valley register to have their musicals attended by judges. The judges score the high schools and all the participants come back for one special night of awards and performances by the students. “It’s probably our biggest and most time-consuming program,” Ong said. “But very rewarding to celebrate high school musical theater in the Valley.” Ong knows how important these programs are to students. She is the mother of two girls, Ashley (age 17) and Verona (age 3). She loves seeing their reactions whenever they attend a performance or workshop with their mom. “Ashley enjoys coming with me to these events,” Ong said. “She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but I think she thinks her mom has a pretty cool job.” l
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She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but I think she thinks her mom has a pretty cool job.
Top center: The ASU Gammage staff celebrate Ong’s birthday • Top right: Ong’s daugher Verona shows off her collection of programs Center: Ong with her husband Wellington Cartell • Bottom Center: Ong with her daughter Ashley and Austin Scott who plays Alexander Hamilton in the National Tour of HAMILTON. • Bottom Right: Ong and Ashley with Nick Cartel who plays Jean Valjean in the National Tour of LES MISERABLES.
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Broadway
This feature is excerpted from Disney’s Aladdin: A Whole New World (The Road to Broadway and Beyond) by Michael Lassell.
Musical
Maestro
Clinton Greenspan (ALADDIN). ALADDIN North American Tour. Photo by Deen van Meer. © Disney
Earning a staggering number of accolades for his
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Alan Menken
work on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and the film version of Aladdin, amongst many others, Alan Menken is an undisputed master of the stage and film musical. For this stage version of ALADDIN, he reveals that he had a very particular vision. “It’s always been a dream of mine,” says superstar composer Alan Menken, “to somehow restore the telling of Aladdin the way Howard Ashman and I first envisioned it, and how we wrote it. The Disney film version is a dazzling actionadventure tale with great animation effects and a handful of songs, some with lyrics by Howard and some by the great Sir Tim Rice. But the original concept that Howard first pitched was a tribute to those old Bob Hope–Bing Crosby ‘road pictures’, almost a satire of that kind of Hollywood romantic comedy. And it was also meant to be a celebration of the jazz of the 1930s and ’40s, particularly the music of such breakout stars of the era as Fats Waller and Cab Calloway.”
Arabian Nights Men. Photo by Deen van Meer. ©Disney
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I am especially happy that Howard’s poignant ‘Proud of Your Boy’ once again has pride of place in the story of a boy who finally became all that a mother could wish for in a son.
So when Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical, told Menken he was putting together a script of ALADDIN to license to amateur theatrical groups, the multiple Oscar®-winning musician saw an opportunity to revisit the roots of the Aladdin project. “Remember, this was years before we even considered developing ALADDIN for Broadway,” says Schumacher. “I thought Alan would be way too busy to get involved with our little licensing project, but he really wanted to do it.” “They came to me with a script based closely on the movie,” recalls Menken. “It would have been fine, but it wasn’t the musical-comedy homage to popular jazzera movies that Howard and I first proposed. So I said, ‘Look, I have a whole treasure trove of existing material that was never used, songs for the main characters and characters that were eliminated in the film, including Aladdin’s three sidekicks, Babkak, Omar and Kassim.’”
And so Chad Beguelin, who was writing the script, dug into Menken’s trunk and came back with something altogether new. “As we began to work,” Menken says, “it became clear that we were going to need some new songs along with hits from the film and some songs that were written but never used. So I suggested that Chad write the lyrics since he was writing the new libretto and was already an accomplished, Tony®-nominated lyricist in his own right. Chad was absolutely terrific at creating new songs that fit perfectly with those Howard, Tim and I had written for the film.” For Menken, the journey has been deeply personal, because his beloved musical partner, Howard Ashman, died before the Aladdin film score was complete. Menken is particularly grateful to have restored “Proud of Your Boy,” a song for ALADDIN to sing to his fretful mother. “It was the hardest thing to lose from the film,” says Menken, “and not just because the song was lost – I’ve lost a lot of songs in my career – but because we had also lost Howard. That song packs an enormous emotional punch, and men in particular seem to relate to it deeply. So many of us go through a phase when we are disappointing our parents, or we think we are. I’m delighted to have had a hand in reshaping ALADDIN. I love the show and all the music. But I am especially happy that Howard’s poignant ‘Proud of Your Boy’ once again has pride of place in the story of a boy who finally became all that a mother could wish for in a son.” l VOLUME 20 | 2018
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Beyond
Anda Union brings
majesty of Mongolia and leaves lasting legacy in the
Valley
In October 2011, Anda Union made their first residency visit to the Valley as part of their performance in the 2011- 2012 Beyond Season. The majority of the group had never been in Arizona before and were excited to experience our Valley. The group visited The Desert Botanical Gardens and were amazed by the desert foliage; had the cowboy experience at Rustler’s Rooste complete with riding the famous “tin” slide; but it was a visit to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) that created a special place their hearts. At the time the MIM had just opened a few months prior and was already receiving amazing reviews from visitors from across the world. When the museum found out about the upcoming performance of Anda Union the staff requested to have the musicians visit the museum. The group headed to the MIM a few days prior to their performance. The museum arranged for the group to have a special tour. Anda Union was enjoying seeing the instruments from around the world. But it was when the group got to the Asian Instrument Gallery they were in for a pleasent surprise. One of the band members was looking at the Mongolian exhibit. It had instruments that 20
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they knew well and videos of Mongolian performers that showed up on the screen. One of the videos that was used was noted as an “unknown group” from Mongolia. While watching the video the band member start smiling and laughing. He called the translator over and pointed to the screen and exclaimed, “That is us!” The “unknown group” was Anda Union. The MIM staff quickly reached out to their curation team, and the Asian instrument curator came up to meet the musicians. He was so thrilled to meet the group from the video and began working on getting “unknown” changed to Anda Union.
The curator continued to chat with the band members. The group was sharing with him about the instruments they used when they performed and the ones that were the best for the sound they create. One of the members decided to give the MIM one of his favorite handmade flutes so that museum would have something from Anda Union to have to remember their visit and for the curation team to enjoy. The museum staff so grateful for Anda Union’s insight and generosity that an impromptu ceremony in the front lobby where Anda Union presented their donation to the director of the museum.
Anda Union in 2011 exploring the Musical Instrument Museum
This year on October 27 ASU Gammage will host Anda Union for the third time, almost seven years from the day that we first hosted them. Each visit brings amazing and lasting memories for everyone involved. The impact this group leaves on our community is beyond measure.
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Kerr Korner
Nano Stern
The Nayo Jones Experience
ASU Kerr lineup brings back Valley favorites and exciting emerging talents The Nayo Jones Experience - Come Home for the Holidays Saturday, December 15, 2018 Nayo Jones, a young veteran of prestigious events such as New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and French Quarter Fest, shares her soulful selections, from R&B to jazz. Don’t miss her rendition of “At Last!”
Christmas from a Celtic Table Saturday, December 22, 2018 Join us for this authentic Irish Christmas celebration featuring the music and dance of Ireland. 22
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The Bob Shimizu Quartet Saturday, February 9, 2019 Bob Shimizu’s wonderful, creative take on “standards” includes select songs from his youth. Experience the swinging melody and improvisation of his jazz, along with a wide palette of rhythmic styles, sonic beauty and warmth.
Brian Runbeck and Shana Bousard Where Is Love? Songs of Love, Longing, Romance and Exasperation Thursday, February 14, 2019 Here’s a great Valentine’s date night, featuring this power duet
and beloved songs from Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby and other hits from the Great American Songbook.
the music with an infinite array of tonal color that reflects his many influences.
Man in the Arena - Theodore Roosevelt Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Charles Lewis Quintet Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Meet the Bull Moose himself! Award-winning actor Derek Evans brings to life the 26th President of the United States, one of the most exciting, charismatic personalities in all of history. Learn lessons in patriotism, self-reliance, family values and the conservation of our great natural resources.
Jazz master, pianist and storyteller Charles Lewis, one of the late Louise Lincoln Kerr’s close friends, shares a personal selection of tunes close to his heart, interwoven with stories of his time in Kerr’s home and studio.
Rachel Lee Priday (violin) Wednesday, February 27, 2019 Violinist Rachel Lee Priday, acclaimed for her tonal beauty and riveting stage presence, has appeared as soloist with major international orchestras including the Chicago, Houston, National Symphony Orchestras and the Boston Pops. Combining fierce intelligence with imaginative curiosity, her vast repertoire and eclectic programming reflect an artist at the peak of her game.
Dave Stamey Friday, March 1, 2019 Western music may have left the country music genre with the end of the silver screen cowboy crooners, but Dave Stamey is a real cowboy that celebrates historic and contemporary characters, horses, western landscapes and a bandit or two!
Rachel Lee Priday. Photo by Lisa- Marie Mazzucco
Quarteto Nuevo Tuesday, March 12, 2019 Quarteto Nuevo merges western classical, eastern European folk, Latin music and jazz with an organic feel, jazzy interludes, rumbling percussion motifs and mesmerizing rhythms. They meld the music of ancient worlds and faraway places with a contemporary groove that enchants audiences of all ages.
Composer’s Choice featuring Nokuthula Ngwenyama Thursday, March 21, 2019 This annual show, featuring contemporary composers from video games and visual art to film and television, is curated by violist and composer Nokuthula Ngwenyama. This is not a typical classical music concert, it’s a peek into the fascinating craft of working musicians today.
Nano Stern Wednesday, March 27, 2019 Chilean indie folk-rock singer/songwriter Nano Stern is leading the new wave of Chilean song. His devoted following stretches from South America to North America and from Europe to Australia. His musical virtuosity, charismatic live performances and passionate advocacy for current social justice issues result in a true and honest universal message.
The Abney Effect Friday, April 5, 2019 Chicago-born jazz trumpeter Mario Abney, now of New Orleans, fuses traditional and extended trumpet techniques in signature, inventive ways. His strikingly personal instrumental vision endows
Dave Staney
The Nash and ASU Kerr present Jazz in Concert Series 2019 Francine Reed Wednesday, January 9, 2019 Nat “King” Cole Centennial with Joe Bourne and Dennis Rowland Wednesday, February 6, 2019 The Divas Return! Wednesday, March 6, 2019
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VIP Guidelines: You must maintain your annual VIP contribution at or above the Directors Club level in order to enjoy VIP donor seating. Special subscription seating is offered to VIP donors in the Orchestra level in rows 3–20 in the VIP and A price levels. VIP benefits may be available only upon your request, at your expense (if any) and subject to availability. Benefits are effective immediately and are subject to change without notice.
Corporate/Foundation Sponsors $100,000+ Desert Financial Credit Union The Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation $75,000 Broadway Across America George Brazil Plumbing & Electrical $50,000-$25,000 Abbett Family Foundation $24,999-$10,000 Andrew Family Foundation Arizona Business Bank 24
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$24,999-$10,000 continued APS California Institute of Contemporary Arts $9,999-$2,500 Abbot Downing Arizona Business Magazine Arizona Lottery The New England Foundation for the Arts Penrose Academy Shamrock Farms Target Tim Trumble Photography, Inc. USAA
ASU Gammage gratefully acknowledges these individual donors and foundations whose cumulative giving totaled $100,000 or more as of September 2018. The contributions of these generous benefactors, in partnership with those of other visionary patrons, sponsors and volunteers, have incalculably enriched our community. Abbett Family Foundation Susan and William Ahearn Pat and Bill Andrew Jerry Appell APS Arizona Lottery Carol Barmore Barbara, Irv and Jeremy Berger Carmen and Michael Blank F. Richard Bloechl Family Lee Bowman George Brazil Plumbing and Electrical Broadway Across America Cathy Dickey JO Finks Laurie and Chuck Goldstein Joanne and Mark Halberg Ronald H. Harten Patricia Kaufman Patricia Langlin-Brazil The Hugh W. Long, Jr. Family Rae and Richard S. Love Robert Machiz Mr. and Mrs. Michael Manning Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation Lesley and Paul Monfardini Margaret T. Morris Foundation Sarah Nolan Jenny Norton and Bob Ramsey Rosenbluth Family Foundation Ticketmaster Mary and Bill Way/Way Family Charitable Foundation
ASU Gammage VIP Donor Club Legacy Susan and William Ahearn Anonymous Carol and E.G. Barmore Larry Berentzen Barbara and Irv Berger Weasley Beckley In Memory of Nan Beyer George and Patricia Brazil Linda Broomhead and Terese Sanchez Marlene Bushard Kim Cahow-Harmon Angela and David Conwell Carl J. Cross Leonard and Emily Dudziak Raylan and Beverley Evans JO Finks Mary Flora Marilyn and Jim Foley Phillip Gillies Alan and Anita Handelsman Henry and Mary Hansen Carl and Patricia Harris Ronald H. Harten Jay and Rojon Hasker Robert and Jeanette Heacock David N. Horowitz Lucille Hudgens Jacqueline Hufford-Jensen and Greg Kroening Donald and June Julen Sue Larsen Rae and Richard S. Love Douglas Lowe Larry Mattal Elizabeth and Peter Means Merrily Metzger Paul and Janet Morrison Ron and Vickie Neill Clyde C. Parker Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Michael Pollay Russell A. Robbins Mitchell and Heather Ross Virginia Schantz Margaret Schulz Tamara Scrivner Mr. and Mrs. Russell Smith Ava Spanier Jo and Frank Stockman Bruce C. Thoeny Mollie C. Trivers John and Joyce Webb
For information on planned giving, please contact us at 480.965.1910.
as of September 2018
INVESTORS GUILD Susan and William Ahearn* Molly Blank Fund and Carmen and Michael Blank* Lee Bowman* Dr. and Mrs. Charles Goldstein Ronald H. Harten* Beth and Mike Kasser Patricia Langlin-Brazil and James Cord MD* Jenny Norton and Bob Ramsey* PRODUCERS ACADEMY Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Baughman* Barbara, Irv and Jeremy Berger* Joan Cremin* Eileen Curtin* Janet and Chip Glaser Peter Harries* Jay and Rojon Hasker* Patricia Kaufman* Gail and John Krueger Hope and Steven Leibsohn Mr. and Mrs. Michael Manning Marcia and Andrew Meyer Jeff and Leslie Rich Rosenbluth Family Foundation* Jana and Charles Sample Joanne Schust GRADY GAMMAGE SOCIETY Bill and Cindy Abbott* Allen-Heath Memorial Foundation Anonymous Felice Appell Reginald M. Ballantyne III* Carol and E.G. Barmore Mary A. Barrett Jacqueline Chadwick, MD Larry Clemmensen Dr. and Mrs. Steven Farber* Sophia and Mike Fong Davie Glaser In Loving Memory of David H. Glaser Judy and Herb Gold Jan and Dick Govig* Carl and Patricia Harris Ralph and Ellen Hirsch David N. Horowitz and Damon J. Bolling* Brian Jones Michelle Jung and Chris Rodriguez Norman and Teresa Klein Family Aaron and Brenda LaTowsky Kathy and Albert Leffler Richard S. and Rae Love Bonnie Maffi and Mara Kotansky Merrily Metzger* Dr. and Mrs. Gerald Mandell Lina and Raymond Mogensen Lesley and Paul Monfardini* BOLD indicates $50K cumulative giving to ASU Gammage * denotes multi-year commitment
Jeffrey D. Oliver* Arthur and Linda Pelberg Sandie and Hollis Phillips Rod and Julie Rebello* Brenda and Jim Rowland Richard and Christy Schust Enid and Michael Seiden* Lorri and Stephen Smith Roxane Smyer and Bailey Smith Chris and Adela Sommer Tiller Family Foundation Marsha and Charles Van Dam Kristi Vasquez and Jeff Roberts Veteran Tickets Foundation The Way Family Patrick H. Zanzucchi KATHRYN GAMMAGE CIRCLE AADS Office Solutions Int’l, LLC and Top Priority Messenger Service, Inc. Mariana and Richard Abelson Nancy and Warren Alter Buffie and Ray Anderson Anderson, Chavet and Anderson Inc. Rhet and Marcia Andrews Anonymous Tran and Glenn Appell Arizona Glaucoma Specialists - Jeffrey S. Kay, M.D. Alan and Char Augenstein Harrison and Laura Bachrach Lisa and Harley Barnes, Jr. Craig and Barbara Barrett Michael and Julie Bennett Kristy and David Benton Mr. and Mrs. John Berry Karen and Gary Bethune Janet Bioletto Corilee and Kevin Bishop Col. Jody Blanchfield The Blunck Family Jon and Jennifer Bohnert Tara and Todd Bookspan Teresa and Mark Borota Susan and David Brachman Shirley F. Brown and Fred L. Brown Steve and Belinda Brown Rebecca and Jeff Brynsaas Debra Burk Elizabeth Burm M.V. Burt M.D. Pam and Bryan Cadoo Linda Carneal Rick and Kathy Cartell Renee Cermak and Fred Auzenne* Dawn Cernak Susan and Steven Charney Children’s Dental Village Kelly and Julia Christensen Rose and Joseph Circello Marilee and David Clarke* Dr. and Mrs. Lance Cohen Lee Baumann Cohn and Mike Cohn John H. Cole III M.D. and Patrick T. Boyhan Marilyn and Bob Colvert Angela and David Conwell Andrea and Matt Cowley
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ASU Gammage VIP Donor Club James L. Cramer and Allen C. Kalchik Barbara Crisp and Mark Nemschoff Crystal Family Foundation Beth and Ed Dawkins Nancy Dean and Lorree Ratto In memory of Terry DeBoer Mr. and Mrs. Tom DeBonis Bob Demaine Teresa and Michael Dempsey Laurie Dennhardt and Anna de Jesus* Wendy and Todd Dickerson Cathy Dickey Erika and Russ Dickey Mr. and Mrs. Robert Donat Dr. Jane Dowling Carmen and Mike Duffek David Dyer Daniel Eng Michele and Chris England Alexa and Scott Erjavic Ardie and Steve Evans Jane and Andrew Evans II Ray and Bettijune Fanning Mary Farrington-Lorch and Martin Lorch Dayna and Eric Feldman Bela Patel Fernandez and Miguel Fernandez JO Finks Phyllis and Jack Finney Mike and Becky Fish Karen and Grady Gammage Jr.* Judy and Howard Garr Kyla and Michael Garrison Natalie and Ed Gaylord Terry Gimmellie and Brooks Hull and Paula Kampinski Mrs. Saul Ginsberg Neil G. Giuliano Mark and Sherry Goldberg John and Deanne Greco Joan and Al Gudriks and Mary and Dan Stamp Gretchen and Jim Haahr Joanne and Mark Halberg* In Memory of Ada Halbreich Mr. and Mrs. Don Hall Liesa Harkness* Jeffrey E. Harper Marilyn and Paul Harter Jennifer and Stuart Hetrick Beth and Bill Hicks Denise and David Higgins Tim and Katie Hill Jacki and Charles Hoagland Andrea and Herbert Hodes Les and Marfa Holland Bruce Hopkins Jacqueline Hufford-Jensen and Greg Kroening Christine Hughes Mike Hughes and Dr. Kevin Mendivil Tara and Nikhil Iyengar Dr. Ellie and John Izzo Jaburg and Wilk, P.C. Bonnie and William Jaeger Kim Jameson and Jon Ann Hockersmith Colleen Jennings-Roggensack and Dr. Kurt Roggensack* 26
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Dr. Lyndy Jones Peggy R. Joslin and Nicholas Joslin Mr. and Mrs. Tim Kaehr Stacy and Alan Klibanoff* John Kras and Timothy Walling Michelle Laiss-Lipner Patricia and Mark Landay Machrina and Dale Leach Edward and Emily Lesser Herb and Nancy Lienenbrugger Douglas Lowe Evelyn and John Lucking Keli and Kurt Luther Kalidas and Darlene Madhavpeddi Foundation Kristen and Doug Magnuson Cheryl and Johan Magnusson Cheryl Mandala Marketline Mortgage Ms. Michelle Matiski and Dr. Alan Snyder Steve and Rhonda Maun* Cathy Mazur Celia and Kent McClelland Leslie McDonnell In Memory of Jack McDonnell Tahnia McKeever Patrick McPhilomy and Kasia Lukaszczuk Kathleen A. Mickle, Karen B. Roth, Laurie Kaptur and Laurie Topping Paulette and Michael Miller Christine and John Minch John and Angela Misner Kathleen and Barry Monheit Larry and Virginia Morrison Teresa and James Mortensen Loraine and Jim Mottern Carl C. Mueller Kenneth and Donna Muller Dawn and John Mulligan Rafael and Mary Munoz Mutual Management Services The George and Karen Nackard Foundation Christine and Frank Nechvatal Tina Neisch Dick and Jane Neuheisel Nathan and Betty Norris Novack Family Michael Obert and Enzo Armetta of Salon Armetta Linda and Kevin Olson R.G. Olson PhD and Peggy Steele Dr. Hong Ong and Doris Ong Mr. and Mrs. Enrique Ortega Darcy and Mark Ortiz Barbara and Donald Ottosen PRM Association Management Frank and Ginny Palamara Leah Pallin-Hill and Bryan Hill* Dr. John Parente Dr. and Mrs. Donald Patterson Dwight and Kathryn Peters Pat Piazza Debbie and Tobie Pirone Jennifer and Noah Plumb MaryLee and Glen Poole Carol A. Poore, Ph.D.
Dr. Bradley T. Porter and Dr. Brinks Austin Practice Strategies Nathanael Pretlow In Memory of Dr. Jeannette Pretlow The Prygocki Family Dr. Coral Quiet and Mr. Jerry Weinberg* Dr. Carolyn Ragatz and Mr. Phillip Ragatz Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Rawlings Russell A. Robbins Dr. Lynn Robershotte and Bryce Larry and Lisa Rogoff* Mario Trejo Romero and G. Lewis Penrose Mitchell and Heather Ross Jessica and Kyle Rowland Cheryl Rubbelke Karen and John Runberg Lori K. Ryan, MD Norm and Pam Saba Judy and Harold Samloff Bryan and Katherine Sandler and Janis Merrill Ellen and Paul Schifman Jesse and Jennifer Schwarz The Scollick Family Tamara Scrivner and Bill and Kathy Aichele Mr. and Mrs. Danny Sharaby/Tickets Unlimited Slack Family Jeffrey and Deborah Smith Zahnie L. Soe Myint, Esq. Ava Spanier and Steve Garland Nicole Spracale Frances and Unni Sreekumar Dr. Cheri St. Arnauld and Family Mr. and Mrs. Ron Starkman* Dr. Barry and Judith Stern Morgan Stewart and Troy Homewood Jennifer and Tim Storey Cheryl and Ed Sucato John and Monica Suriano Donald Tapia Bruce C. Thoeny Brinley Thomas and Charles Bentley Violet Toy and Betsy Toy Yee Mollie C. Trivers Melissa Trudelle Kerry Turner UMB Bank Susan Van Dyke MD/Van Dyke Aesthetics Jerrye and Tim Van Leer Mark and Lynn Vanderlinde/VRealty Advisors Laura and Richard Varner Barbara and Brian Waddoups Doug Walters Col. Alexander Warschaw Michael White Jana and Mark Wilcke* Wilhelm Automotive Myra and Donald Wilhite Todd and Tammy Wilkening Daryl and Karly Williams Diane Willian Dr. Judith G. Wolf
Dr. Frederick T. Wood and Mrs. Kim Wood* Greg Yagi Pamela and Larry Yellen Ray and Sue York Martha Scales Zachary Charlie and Judy Zarrelli* Barbara and Barry Zemel DIRECTORS CLUB Kim and John Abbs Helene and Marshall Abrahams Lou Anne and Keith Alexander Alive at Work, LLC Marilyn and Richard Alsager Anonymous Louraine Arkfeld Christine and Rocky Armfield Tarah Ausburn Kevin Axx and Cameron Goebeler Doug Ball and Connie Stine Jim Barash and Dr. Tamar Gottfried Lory Baraz and Robert Zucker Scott and Anthony Barshay Fredric D. Bellamy Deborah Benedict Mary and Scot Benefiel Ross and Shirley Berg Gina and Gregory Berman E.M. Berry Suzanne and David Black Katherine and John Boisvert Kelley, John and Justin Bonowski Susan and Richard Bookspan Teresa and Mark Borota Melissa and Jonathan Boyd Mickey and Heidi Bradshaw Linda Broomhead and Terese Sanchez Patti and Rick Brown Mr. and Mrs. Steve Byers Kerie S. Trindle Byrne and Derek Byrne Camelview Physical Therapy Elaine and Paul Campbell David E. Cantrell and Glenn W. Eyet III Caroline Carney and Nick Adamakis Matt and Jill Casperson Kent Cattani Dr. David and Mrs. Georgiana Cave Kristin and Mark Chase Sophia Chiang and Wayne Gaafar Helen Cho Kathryn A. Christmann Christopher Coffer Paula and Dan Coleman Kathleen Cullen Marilee and Zach Dal Pra Diane and Phil Daspit Ellen and Andy Dauscher Dr. and Mrs. Eugene L. De La Cruz Bette DeGraw Lloyd Dennington Drs. Fred and Suzie DePrez Donna Dichiaro in memory of Bob Dichiaro Jackie and James Disney Karen and David Divine Janice Donnelly and John King Michael Drexler Matthew and Terra Duke Cheryl Dworman Cheryl Eames Jim Edmonds Elite Cleaners Lou and Rick Ender Christine English and Lenard Hailey Jody Epperson Michele and Michael Etheridge
Thomas Fannin Dino and Linda Farfante Penny and Charles Fine Dr. Allen W. Flores Nancy and Barry Forman Eric Fox and Raymond Hebert Joan and Michael Friedman Sandra J. Fromm Marybeth and Jimmy Garrett Barbara and Gregory Geidel Dr. Philip E. and Roseann M. Geiger Carole and Ronnie Gilbert Sue and Joe Gilleland Joe and Helen Goldblatt Vicki Greener Michelle and Roy Grimm Brent M. Gunderson Alan and Anita Handelsman Lynlie and Myron Hansen Kathy and Marty Harper Diane Harrison Dottie and Mark Harshbarger Nora and Tim Hart Col. and Mrs. Paul Harwood Jane and Daryl Haugen Larmon and Linda Haugen Hensley Beverage Company Jill and Alan Hieb Donna and Scott Hopman Christopher and Judy Hossack Dr. Scott Howell and Mr. Sean Smith Teresa and Darrel Huish The Till Hutchison Family Regan Iker-Lopez Jacqueline E. Jackson Nancy and Jeffrey Jacobs Dr. and Mrs. Ron Jenks Andrea and Mark Johnston In Memory of Steven R. Jonas M. Joann Jundt Shari and Irwin Kanefsky Elaine Karcher Rona and Allan Kasen Rosey and Justin Kerchal Casey and Clara Khaleesi Terri and George Kief Alison and Alan Kierman Lawrence and Margo Kowal Theresa and Jeff Krueg Jo Krueger Mary and Dave Kurrasch Julianne and Thomas La Porte Lawrence R. Lathom Linda and Jim Lee Sandi and Eric Lemnitzer Patty and Matthew Lernor Sara and Salvatore Lettieri Pat and Paul Lewis, Kelsey and David Henz Fuyu Lin and Samuel Anderson Law Office of Christina M. Lopez, PLLC Tiffany Ana Lopez Robert Louchheim Sharon Lytle-Breen Rita and Nicole Mann John Martell and Cathy Thuringer Lindsay and Morgan Mathie Julie and Scott McCallister Laurie and James McDonald Robbyn McDowell Karri and Joseph McInerney Dr. Geoffrey McKinzie and Tabitha McKinzie Tamara and Ian McLeod Azar Mehdizadeh and Justin Reynolds John Mertens and Kim Cantor Bruce Meyerson and Mary Ellen Simonson In Memory of J. Eric Miller
Kathryn Morrison Blanche and Kevin Munnelly Mary Murphy and Kurt Meyer Nagle Law Group Brenlie and Jim Nagy Diane Nastro Angela and Jesus Navarro Vickie and Ron Neill Pamela and Tom Ng Debbie and Jim Nixon Karen Nordstrand NuVentures Limited In Memory of Cindy Olstein Shannon Olwine and Mohit Mehta Dr. and Mrs. Donald A. Opila Pam Peacock - Superior Real Estate Services Suzie and David Perkinson Gloria and Jill Pierce-Garcia Cindy Prince Hari Puri Juliet Rains Carol and Gregory Rath Dean Rennell Herschel and Valerie Richter Rebecca P. Ripley and Tara D. Swinehart Sharon and James Robbins Chad Robert John and Dee Ann Rogers Theresa and Rene Romero Kristine Romine Meryl and Rich Rose Rosedale Hair Design Kent and Mira Rossman Julie and Joseph Russomanno Beth Saiki-Olsen and Morgan Olsen Jeffrey P. Salomone, M.D. Sherilyn and Joseph Sandor Christine and Frank Scarpati Mark Schiavoni Katherine and Bryan Schlueter Katherine and Randall Schmidt Lyrna and Michael Schoon Janiece and Tom Schubert Ursula and Rick Schultz Catherine Scott Ken Schutz and Craig Thatcher Christa and Donald Scott Elisa Segal Judy Sera-Windell and Robert Windell Nelma and Jim Shearer In Memory of Sylvia Shippy Connie and Darin Shryock Suzanne and Jay Simon Jessica and Keaton Smith Karen Stein and Andrew Rosenzweig Alan Stoff Katherine and Mark Strumpf Laura and Michael Suriano Christina and Tim Tarter Toby Teret Taylor Carla and Gary Tenney Tina Marie Tentori Tewksbury Financial Group/John and Sunny Tewksbury Karen Thorn Kartika and Eric Thornbrew Susan Thrasher and Chuck Schwartz Chona and David Tom Alicia Torruella Missy Turner Zeena Ubogy M.D. and Millard Thaler M.D./ Papillon Cosmetic Dermatology Center Dr. Robert and Julia Wacloff Katie and Johnathon Wahlman Colleen Smith Walters and Dave Walters Joseph Walters
Dale and Sheryl Wanek Shari and Chuck Warshaver Phyl Wason Suzanne and Craig Weaver Lori and Neal Weinstein Dian and Jeff Weisman Kris and Dale Wendt Jr. Kristi and Gary West Betty and John Whiteman Dr. Brian and Dawn Williams Doris and Duly Winkler Carol and Thomas Wood Michelle and Chris Zachar Breann and Stephen Zapytowski, Jr. Joseph Zavislak SUPPORTING MEMBER Natalie and John Ahearn Donna and Kirk Anderson Anonymous Melanie and Patrick Burm Stephanie and Brad Butler Cathy and John Calhoun Ann Chafoulias Carl J. Cross Julie and Michael Dillon Rhonda Elifritz-Rix Virginia and Ron Erhardt Priscilla Ethier Gail Fawcett Mr. and Mrs. Armando Flores Jane and Bob Franek Gary and Jacque Griffith Katrina Hanna Kimberly and Dale Hopely, Jr. Dr. Patty Horn and Sue Purkat William Hosking Michelle Louise Johnson Ellen and Howard Katz Karen J. Killoren Survivors Trust Sue Klein Cheryl Laurent Devoney Looser and George Justice Suzan Makaus Marilyn and Mark McCall Julie Mooney Ariana and Daniel Mormino Eve and Jim Morse New Electric, Inc. Pam and Gary Passey Valerie and Gregory Patten Timbra and Kevin Peace Natalie and Robert Petrucelli Valleria Pickett Toni Ramsey and Mark Mulligan Marliese and Glen Reeves Beverly and Ron Richards Alison and David Riddiford Debra Rinell Dawn and Michael Sandlin Michelle and Jeffrey Sarrett Jacob Schwarz Elvia Senter and Norman Buckner, Jr. Michael and Ciby Shaw In Memory of Judith A. Signeski Marvin E. Smith Richard P. Stahl Chris and Geri Swahn Vicki and Tom Taradash Dr. Jerome and Dr. Selma E. Targovnik VIP Tours of New York LLC Sandy Wagner Dr. Syd Wilson and Dr. Carol Wilson Yubeta Family
Neva & Jim Bochenek George & Mary Ann Bradbury Saundra Bryn Mary & Ray Byke Burton Cagen PCx Mr. & Mrs. Paul Cash, Jr. Brent Collins Michele F. Davis Susan Dowhie Jan and Leo Dressel Doorenbos Family Richard Duke Patricia & Fred Farsjo Patricia Fimbres Ethan Fox Mary Ann Gallagher Sarah & Brad Glenn Alyssa Ann Goldstein Morton L. Goodman & Kathleen Niederst Ryan Gurney Sharon & Tim Gregory Jeffrey Haggerty Eva & James Hamant Barbara & Joel Hanania Maren Hanson Susan Harrison Kathy & Kenneth Hudson Elizabeth Hulst Frances Johnson-Gibbs Dawn Kemp-Moye & Gordon Moye Diane Kreizenbeck Leola & W. Brian Krueger Shirley Kruger Donna Kucinski William & Linda Langer Raenelle & William Lees Mr. & Mrs. Brian Leiphart Steven Lofgren Karie Lurie Christine Mackay Julianne Mate Tina Minchella Eve & James Morse JoAnn Mulvihill & Mary Jane Lipshie Jordan Nimura Keith Norton David Novarina Andrea and Charles O’Connor Amanda Panagakis In Honor of Melissa Phelan Ann & Richard Porras William Rase Nathalie Rennell Beth Reynolds & Bradley Burt Camille Ridley/Nico & Malina Peter & Jeane Robbeloth Virginia Savage Barbra Schwartz & Jeremy M. Helfgot Jessica Scianna Raj Sivananthan Tony Skrbek & Beverly Sloane Marilyn Slovak Daniel L. Smith Leslie Standerfer Donna and Philip Stover Kathleen Sumner Orin & Mary Svarc Sherri Tanis Patricia Taylor Celia Vasfaret Mary Walker Jo & Don Wilson Cindy & David Winston Darcey Winterland & Blake Bulloch Tandy Young Lisa Zelasko Gayle Zerkel
ASU Gammage wishes to thank the hundreds of donors who are not listed due to space limitations.
CONTRIBUTING MEMBER
Ted Allmon Teresa Amabisca Teresa & Eugene Anderson Wayne & Julie Anderson Anonymous Association of the United States Army, Arizona Territorial Chapter Sheryl & Fred Barlam David Bayliff William Becker Rosemary Berg
VOLUME 20 | 2018
27
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE PO Box 870205 Tempe, AZ 85287-0205 480.965.5062 asugammage.com
Upcoming VIP Donor Events Tuesday, November 6 Opening Night Party: ON YOUR FEET! 10:00 p.m. (approx.) Join ASU Gammage and cast members from ON YOUR FEET! for beverages and light hors d’ oeuvres on Opening Night. Exclusive VIP member benefit (Directors Club and above)! Must RSVP.
Tuesday, November 27 Opening Night Party: DEAR EVAN HANSEN 10:00 p.m. (approx.) Join ASU Gammage and cast members from DEAR EVAN HANSEN for beverages and light hors d’ oeuvres on Opening Night. Exclusive VIP member benefit (Directors Club and above)! Must RSVP.
SAVE THE DATE!
Monday, March 11, 2019
Recognizing Sue Frost with the 2019 Gammy Award and Pat Langlin-Brazil with the 2019 Jerry Award. Please send your VIP Event RSVPs to Camille Ridley at camille.ridley@asu.edu or 480.965.9915.
