ASU GAMMAGE
INNER CIRCLE asugammage.com
Volume 7 | Fall 2015
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS TAKE CENTER STAGE
JOURNEY HOME BEGINS WITHIN
GREAT NEW PERFORMANCES ADDED
CAMP BROADWAY’S 16 TH YEAR AT ASU GAMMAGE
CONGRATS 2015 TONY WINNERS!
DIRECTOR’S SPOTLIGHT
Photo: Tim Trumble
New York’s Broadway season this year will be remembered for not only the abundance of great work, but for the groundbreaking and innovative shows that brought home 2015 Tony Awards®.
“It was an amazing season in New York and we can’t wait to bring the BEST of BROADWAY to ASU Gammage in the coming seasons.”
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE Volume 7 | Fall 2015 Executive Editor: Colleen Jennings-Roggensack Editor In Chief and Project Manager: Dana Terrazas Managing Editor: Victor Hamburger Creative Director: Sarah Moore Editorial Team: Cheryl Amick, Michelle Johnson CAP-OM Contributing Writers: David M. Brown, Beth Giudicessi, Emma Greguska, Jennifer Haaland, Peter Means, Merrily Metzger, Melissa Vuletich, Savanah Yaghsezian Cover Photo: Hamilton High School perform a number from LEGALLY BLONDE featuring award winners Gabbi Giusti and Lauren Anderson. Photo: Denny Collins 2
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
FUN HOME received the 2015 Tony Award® for Best Musical and four more, including Best Score and Best Leading Actor for Michael Cerveris. FUN HOME is a new musical based on Alison Bechdel’s memoir of the same name, and was nominated for a total of 12 awards (including three featured actresses in the same category). THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME also took home five Tonys, including Best Play, Best Leading Actor for Alex Sharp and Best Direction for Marianne Elliott. The award for Best Revival of a Musical went to THE KING AND I; the show also won Kelli O’Hara her first Tony Award® after five previous nominations. It was also incredible to see some local connections take home Tony Awards® as Michael Cerveris is a close personal friend and his family has longtime ties with ASU Gammage. Cerveris' father, also named Michael, was an ASU professor and his brother Todd and sister Marisa are also actors, with Todd appearing at ASU Gammage a few times in the past few years. Michael previously won a Tony for his role in Sondheim’s ASSASSINS. The evening also saw Mesa’s Ruthie Ann Miles take home Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in THE KING AND I. Other winners included SKYLIGHT winning Best Revival of a Play, Helen Mirren winning Best Leading Actress and Richard McCabe winning Best Featured Actor for THE AUDIENCE. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS also took home four awards for its exquisite portrayal of a young American soldier, a beautiful French girl and an indomitable European city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of war. It was an amazing season in New York and we can’t wait to bring the BEST of BROADWAY to ASU Gammage in the coming seasons.
Colleen Jennings-Roggensack Executive Director for ASU Gammage and Associate Vice President Cultural Affairs for ASU
Photos, top to bottom: Colleen Jennings-Roggensack and her daughter Kelsey Roggensack with Tony Winner Michael Cerveris. Colleen and Kelsey with former ASU Professor Michael Cerveris and his wife Marsha Quinn. Colleen with Tony Winner Ruthie Ann Miles.
CONTENTS 4 The ‘Journey Home’ Begins From the Path Within
6 ASU Gammage Announces Additional Performances For 2015-2016
8 Long Family Visits ASU Gammage
10 CONTENTS
A Lead Roll: Donors Contribute To ASU Gammage … And Its Doughnut Scene
11 When You Add a Local Actress’s Dreams With WICKED ... Happy is What Happens
14 ASU Gammage Broadway Adventure
15 University Archivist Leaves Legacy at ASU
16 ASU Gammage Hosts First-Ever High School Musical Theater Awards
19 Meet ASU Alumna and THE BOOK OF MORMON Star Alexandra Ncube
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50TH ANNIVERSARY LEADERSHIP BOARD
ASU Gammage VIP Club
Colleen Jennings-Roggensack
Pat Langlin-Brazil
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William Ahearn
Albert Leffler
Jerry Appell (in memoriam)
Michael Manning
Upcoming VIP Events
Felice Appell
Sarah Nolan
JO Finks
Leslie & Jeff Rich, Co-Chairs
Grady Gammage, Jr.
Bill Way
Laurie & Chuck Goldstein
Mary Way, Co-Chair VOLUME 7 | 2015
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JOURNEY HOME
Photo: Denny Collins
THE ‘JOURNEY HOME’ BEGINS FROM THE PATH WITHIN • By David M. Brown For 14 years, a select group of female inmates have begun their “Journey Home” from the Maricopa County Estrella Jail on West Durango Street in South Phoenix. Victoria, a Phoenix woman in her 20s, who served six years in California and Arizona, is one. Her life inspired the theme of this past year’s Journey Home program, “Living By Design, Not By Default,” March 28, at the correctional facility.
Through dance, visual arts, poetry and storytelling, the women tell their life stories during the one-hour performance for community members and supporters. Approximately 350 women have participated in the program since its inception.
The final artwork of that program, Revivify, is a 12x6-foot tilework of 30 panels depicting a colorful multi-seasonal tree. This has been installed in a lobby stairwell at ASU Gammage for guests to enjoy through NEWSIES, in June, 2016.
The theme of this year’s program is Living By Design, Not By Default: “Many of us live our lives (re)acting on a whim and responding to outside influences. We are motivated by what’s going on in other’s lives instead of creating a life of joy and advancement for ourselves. We live according to someone else’s design,” says Teniqua Broughton, who serves as the Journey Home administrator and facilitates its choreography.
Sponsored by ASU Gammage, The Journey Home Program: An Arts Experience for Incarcerated Women is a six-week rehabilitative outreach program coordinated with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Life Paradigms Inc., a Phoenix-based nonprofit which helps women discover and express their inner worth for themselves and their families.
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“As a result, we act impulsively; we are out of control; we have no connection to our own reality. We merely exist on the surface of life,” she continues. “This year’s Journey Home used the Archetypes to explore what’s really important in our lives, eliminate nonessentials and execute a life design that suits our highest purpose.”
ASU Gammage Nourishment Journey Home will expand into two programs in 2015-2016, with the first program culminating on November 14 and another program in Spring 2016. “Journey Home gets to the heart of the ASU Gammage mission of Connecting Communities™,” says Colleen JenningsRoggensack, executive director of ASU Gammage. Jennings-Roggensack’s Connecting Communities™ has reached out beyond the brick and mortar to the Valley, encouraging, in particular, underserved areas to enjoy the diverse arts programs at ASU Gammage. The installation went beautifully, she says. “Revivify is now front and center in the ASU Gammage lobby, with a picture of Victoria and her story. Every woman who participated in the 2015 program is featured through her work in the ASU Gammage lobby for all to see.”
Photo: Denny Collins
“By connecting these women through working with the Estrella Correctional Jail, we are giving them tools and support to reenter the greater Valley of the Sun community,” says JenningsRoggensack, in her 23rd year directing ASU Gammage.
JOURNEY HOME
“The fact that this program has the lowest recidivism rate than any other program speaks volumes about the power of the arts and the mission of ASU Gammage.”
Victoria, Vivi and New Roots A native Phoenician, Victoria is working in the Valley while she completes her probation and hopes to be a career artist— partly as a result of her participation in Journey Home. A mother of two, she completed her GED in California and participated in the 2011 edition of Journey Home; she was released, in fact, just a few days before the March 2015 performance. “I was in my teens and got in trouble with a ‘bad boy,’” she says. “Journey Home taught me to believe in myself and to love myself. It’s not just a rehabilitation program. It went deeper with me, and told me to believe that I can do it.” Broughton remembered Victoria’s six canvas paintings created for the program four years ago and asked her to be a consultant for this past program. “In 2011, Victoria exhibited her work, and she just shined in the program, so we decided to bring her back this year,” Broughton says. “And not just for her art skills. The fact that she herself went through the Journey Home program and turned her life around serves as a role model and inspiration for the women. She is a perfect example of the program.” A former ASU Gammage employee, Broughton is the CEO of VerveSimone Consulting, LLC, a consulting practice for nonprofits, artists and event planning. The founder and executive director of Life Paradigms, Fatimah Halim, serves as the storyteller for Journey Home, coordinating writing aspects of the program, and their associate, Imani Muhammad, a psycho-therapist and visual arts facilitator, helps the women participating in Journey Home with psychological issues that often become more pronounced during the pre-performance workshops and rehearsals.
The Journey Home program is unique, Broughton says. “We are not aware of any other program that combines several mediums of arts, storytelling, movement and visual art within the facility as a tool for self-reflection and self-esteem building.” Many of the women take Journey Home after completing New Opportunities for Woman (NOW), another program available within Estrella Jail for inmates that helps with self-esteem building, résumé writing and other lifebuilding skills. Victoria could not enter the jail because of probation, so she worked outside the jail with Broughton in preparing the work. First, Victoria sketched out the artwork, which depicts a deep-rooting tree simultaneously in multi-colored leaf and in bloom. Then she color-coded each of the acrylic tiles so that the women in the program could paint them during the four hours they met weekly. “Each of the women painted a panel, some women two panels,” Broughton says. “But the women didn’t know what the final piece would look like. We wanted an element of surprise at the final performance.” For that, Broughton and Muhammad installed it so the women could see the complete Revivify. “I call her ‘Vivi,’” Victoria says. “She’s about rebirth, how you can change your life and help change others’ lives. “And, yes, the face in the tree may be me,” she adds, with a smile. “People seem to think so.” “Our lives change with the seasons, but we grow stronger,” Broughton says. “We make mistakes, but we can revivify and design a better life for ourselves. This year’s theme provided hope for a reality in which women can overcome their situations and grow productive lives after incarceration.” l Brown is a Valley-based freelancer (azwriter.com). VOLUME 7 | 2015
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2015-2016 ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES
ASU GAMMAGE ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES FOR 2015-2016 For more than 50 years, the world’s best performers have come to ASU Gammage to showcase their talents. From dance to jazz, from theater to music ... the world has come alive at the Valley’s home for the arts. In this 51st year, ASU Gammage will present a collection of provocative, fascinating and adventurous artists.
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VIJAY IYER/MIKE LADD – HOLDING IT DOWN is the first to debut this season. On October 17 at 7 p.m., brilliant Jazz composer/musician Vijay Iyer and acclaimed spoken word poet Mike Ladd explore the experiences of ethnically diverse veterans post9/11 wars through the medium of their dreams. Ladd’s lyrical adaptations of these accounts are juxtaposed with Iyer’s lush, potent music, and with first-person poetic contributions from Maurice Decaul, a writer who served with the Marines in Iraq and Air Force veteran and drone pilot Lynn Hill. Decaul and Hill’s original, brave, from-the-gut contributions are performances of this beautiful, sometimes difficult and moving project.
2015-2106 ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES
Up next is RHYTHMIC CIRCUS – FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW on November 10 at 7 p.m. The show is a pure burst of funk, beat box, tap and hip hop energy. As well as the unreal sounds of beat boxer Heat Box. Together these Minneapolis-based artists have integrated an inventive style of rapidfire tap, shuffle and stomp with multiple musical genres that creates a wildly creative show that brings audiences around the world to their feet to cheer out loud.
Gammage to perform her poetic meditation on our timeline connection to the natural world and the fragility of its ecology. Monk and her acclaimed Vocal Ensemble create a liminal space where human, natural and spiritual elements are woven into a delicate whole, illuminating connections and dependency among all things, all
On November 21 at 7 p.m. MOON MEDICINE, a musical and optical experiment conducted by interdisciplinary artist Sanford Biggers, will arrive at ASU Gammage. His live work, by turns troubling and inspiring, weaves found images of funk, film noir, punk, Sci-Fi, traditional Samoan dance and Buddhism with original video content and improvised turntableism and veejaying. The result is an evocative concert that is as much jam session as it is a performative film screening/video installation.
The next performance is MEREDITH MONK – ON BEHALF OF NATURE on January 30 at 7 p.m. The contemporary music/theater icon, Meredith Monk, returns to ASU
people. ASU Gammage resident artist Aaron Landsman will bring his play, OPEN HOUSE, to Arizona in March (dates TBD). OPEN HOUSE is a small play about the big city, small enough to be performed in living rooms throughout Phoenix, but big enough to ask how we live in our city now, and into the future. The play follows two narratives: the evocative sales pitch of a real estate salesman named Three, and the story of Rick and Jane, a young couple trying to figure out how to sustain a relationship, start a family and live as active members of a city that sometimes seems out of control. Set against the backdrop of turbo gentrification, rising rents and the insecurity of urban living, OPEN HOUSE asks how we can participate in the ongoing evolution of our city.
The final performance, CAMILLE BROWN & DANCERS – BLACK GIRL: LINGUISTIC PLAY, is set for April 16 at 7 p.m. BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play depicts the complexities of carving out a positive identity as a Black female in urban American culture. In a world where Black women are often only portrayed in terms of their strength, resiliency or trauma, this work seeks to represent a fuller spectrum of the Black female and the complexity of negotiating ourselves in this racially and politically charged world. BLACK GIRL uses African-American social dancing, rhythmic play and musical compositions to better illustrate who “black girl” knows herself to be. It is Brown’s hope that this work resonates, inspires and encourages Black girls everywhere. Ms. Brown draws from Melissa Harris-Perry’s “Sister Citizen,” Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” and Daniel Silberberg’s “Wonderland: The Zen of Alice,” and “Slide: Games as Lessons in Black Musical Style” as a resource. l Savanah Yaghsezian
Tickets to these performances are on sale now at asugammage.com and the ASU Gammage Box Ofiice. VOLUME 7 | 2015
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LONG FAMILY VISITS ASU GAMMAGE It was 1965 when Dr. Alexander Shreiner took the stage at ASU Gammage to play the inaugural concert on the newly installed Ӕolian-Skinner organ, generously donated by Barbara and Hugh Long. In the audience were Barbara and Hugh Long, Jr. Hugh Long, Sr. had passed away in 1964 and never got the opportunity to hear the grand instrument played. Since then, the beautiful organ, with 870 pipes housed in ASU Gammage’s historically renowned orchestra shell, has remained one of the most valued musical instruments on ASU’s campus with a replacement value of $2.5 million.
ÆOLIAN-SKINNER ORGAN
Fast forward to April 2015, and Hugh Long, Jr. and his own family—wife Rebecca, daughters Shannon and Madison and Shannon’s friend Andrew—returned to Tempe to see and hear the organ—during an ASU Gammage 50th Anniversary lunch time organ concert—once again and to tour the Long String Collection that his parents donated to the School of Music in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. The connection to Hugh Long, Jr. and ASU Gammage was rekindled by ASU Gammage 50th Anniversary Leadership Board members Grady Gammage, Jr. (a childhood friend of Hugh’s) and Albert Leffler. Gammage reached out to Hugh more than a year ago to catch up and invite him to visit and see and hear the organ his parents had donated. In addition, to helping prepare for a day full of activities, including an organ recital and a tour of the instrument and string collection, Leffler also gathered important background
information to provide historical context to the Long family for the generous gifts given to ASU by Long’s parents. Even though Long never really lived in Arizona, except in 1967 when his family stayed for four months, his mother was born in Phoenix and grew up here with five brothers and one sister. She graduated from ASU in 1938 when it was Tempe Normal School. Since then, Long has been back several times to visit grandparents, uncles and cousins. When asked about his last visit to ASU in particular, Long mentioned, “My last visit to ASU was so long ago that I can't remember when. We went to a Sun Devils game, and they beat UofA! I was told that I brought them good luck. In the 80s, I did stay at the HoJo's, now The Graduate Hotel, while a company plane was having maintenance checks done at Sky Harbor. I enjoyed seeing ASU Gammage from the pool.” Interestingly, it was that same hotel, now newly renovated as The Graduate Hotel, where Long and his family stayed again during this trip. When asked if his perception of ASU has changed since his recent visit, Long replied, “I have always had a favorable perception of ASU which has increased over time. I feel a connection with ASU even though I never attended; more so than the universities that my two daughters attended. I guess it just has that welcoming feeling.” And warmly welcome back the family is exactly what ASU Gammage did. Long says, “Most memorable was enjoying the organ concert with my family, seeing the string collection and sharing stories of my parents with my daughters. It brought back a lot of memories. It was the first time my family visited ASU Gammage. They were impressed.” At the end of the day, Grady and his wife Karen took the Longs to dinner where Gammage and Long caught up on the years that had passed since they were boys. The legacy that Barbara and Hugh Long created back in 1965 lives on at ASU whenever the Hugh and Barbara Long organ or instruments from the Long String Collection are played in concert by graduate students or visiting artists. l To learn more about giving to the organ restoration, please contact Peter Means at peter.means@asu.edu.
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ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
A New Energy to Restore ASU Gammage’s Æolian Skinner Organ
ÆOLEAN-SKINNER ORGAN
Today, the extraordinary Æolian-Skinner organ that Hugh Long Jr.’s parents donated is in need of having its console restored. 50th Anniversary Leadership Board member, Albert Leffler, is passionate about the Æolian-Skinner organ and is spearheading an effort to raise $150,000 to fully restore and update the console to contemporary standards. We recently interviewed Leffler about why restoring ASU Gammage’s beautiful pipe organ is so important to him. Why are you passionate about ASU Gammage’s Æolian-Skinner? Albert Leffler (AL): Most pipe organs are found in churches and the occasional synagogue. But very few are found in concert halls. The pipe organ for ASU Gammage was built by the leading organ firm of the era, the ӔolianSkinner Organ Company of Boston, Massachusetts. Besides their many installations in churches, they also built organs for such prestigious concert halls as the Philadelphia Academy of Music, New York’s Avery Fisher Concert Hall and the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, D.C. I was on the staff at ASU Gammage in the mid-70s and studied organ with Dr. David N. Johnson. I was fortunate that ASU Gammage was not as nearly busy as it is today, and the organ became my practice instrument. So, I became quite familiar with the quality of sound—the amazing voicing—for which Ӕolian-Skinner pipe organs are renown.
Why is it important to restore the organ’s console at this time? What would happen if we did not? AL: Looking at the organ’s console, three keyboards and a variety of drawknobs are visible. But a look inside the console reveals an amazing and ingenious mix of pneumatic tubes and small bellows, levers, fulcrums and electric contacts that are beginning to wear out. Especially critical are the fraying cables that carry electric signals from the keys and drawknobs to the organ’s windchests behind the organ screen. Most of the parts are no longer manufactured and have to be
custom made. Replacing this older mix of parts with newer technology will provide a more stable platform and as well a far greater degree of flexibility for the organist in setting registrations for the vast organ literature. With the right “memory” installed, an organist will be able to rehearse a piece of music and then go into the hall and listen to what she/he just played from the perspective of the audience. This is a wonderful help in perfecting one’s performance.
What is the timeline for raising the needed funds and celebrating the next 50 years of the organ? AL: A small committee including Professor of Organ Dr. Kimberly Marshall and organ curator Cliff Golden, is in the process of preparing a full specification of necessary work. The resulting cost estimate will then form the basis for a fund drive to update the organ console. We hope to have funding in place and work accomplished so that a rededication concert can be held in 2016 inaugurating the next 50 years of the Gammage organ! l To learn more about giving to the organ restoration, please contact Peter Means at peter.means@asu.edu.
Special Lunchtime Organ Concert Tuesday, December 8 • 12 noon at ASU Gammage ASU Gammage Concert is free and open to the public. Paid parking is available in the ASU Gammage lot VOLUME 7 | 2015
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A LEAD ROLL: DONORS CONTRIBUTE TO ASU GAMMAGE … AND ITS DOUGHNUT SCENE
DONOR PROFILE
Since 2005, Karen and Mark Prygocki have supported ASU Gammage. A short walk away, they recently opened the newest site of Fractured Prune, their made-toorder doughnut franchise. How did you get involved in the Phoenix community?
Why did you pick the northeast corner of ASU’s campus for your newest shop?
Mark Prygocki (MP): I came 20 years ago with a company that had around 12 people in it. It was a little pharmaceutical company called Medicis, and we grew it to almost 1,000 people and ended up selling the company. Fractured Prune, much like Medicis, was a small company with no operational procedures or concept here in Arizona, but with a very big heritage back on the east coast. We brought it to Arizona our kind of way—the stores are designed our way, some of the doughnuts are designed our way, some of the new offerings are designed our way. We’re out to build a brand and we’re out to build the new leaders in the community. We think with our fantastic management team—we’ve been able to use the five stores we’ve opened in the last year to do things like support ASU Gammage. We’re very proud of the organizations we’re able to help through Fractured Prune doughnuts.
MP: A number of reasons. First, and foremost, are our friends at ASU Gammage. We’ve been coming down here for years and years, and we love the area. There are a lot of people located in this area, and I think Tempe is doing a fantastic job not only attracting students to the area, but also businesses. Right across the pathway you have Morgan Stanley, LifeLock and thousands of employees from State Farm will be coming; Tempe is up-and-coming as far as a business community.
Tell us about your passion for Broadway and why you chose to be involved with ASU Gammage. Karen Prygocki: We are truly lucky for the type of events that come into ASU Gammage. Most people think you have to go to New York to see these shows. You hear on TV about the shows going on in New York, and we have them right here. We’re so blessed by the caliber of shows that come in and we think that’s so important for the community. We’re so privileged to be a part of that. MP: I’ve seen PHANTOM at a number of places, and the best performance I’ve ever seen was at ASU Gammage. Our parents were with us—we bring as many people as we can. It’s not just a night out, it’s an experience, and it’s so much fun. I think in some ways ASU Gammage is a lot like Fractured Prune. What I mean by that is once you try it, you’re hooked. Once people get there—and we have to do a better job as a community getting people there—once people get there, and here, they’re hooked.
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This is a huge university with great opportunity and the clientele we want to attract, as well as good employment because of the students who want to learn business concepts and entrepreneurship. It’s a great all around opportunity for us. It’s a place we had to be.
What advice can you offer for students interested in entrepreneurship? MP: There are a number of things we’ve learned in the process. To keep it short and sweet: be a sponge. Keep learning. Talk to as many people as you can who have gone down this road. There are a lot of mistakes we continue to make, and we learn from them. From our perspective, we give a lot of leeway to our managers, to our employees—we want them to make these mistakes. If we’re hiring the right people, they’ll learn from it. There are so many learning lessons in entrepreneurship, but don’t be afraid to fail. One concept that we try to instill in the management team is “Winning but never won.” You can feel good about that moment or that day, but then you’ve got to start again because once you feel you’ve won, you’ve let down your guard. So every day you have to get up, come here and feel like you haven’t won. It’s an internal feeling that you’ve never won and you’ve got to keep trying to win. You may have won for a moment. Feel good about it. Embrace it. Then get back at it. l Beth Giudicessi, ASU Media Relations and Strategic Communications
WHEN YOU ADD A LOCAL ACTRESS’S DREAMS WITH WICKED ... HAPPY IS WHAT HAPPENS
Burnham's is not the traditional New York City actor's story. In fact, the day she moved to the Big Apple, she auditioned for the WICKED national tour, about a year ago in June 2014. After singing Glinda's number, “Popular” for her audition (as the audition staff requested), she was invited back later in the week for callbacks. Like a tornado out of Kansas, she was cast and rehearsing by the end of the month. “I really had fun,” Burnham recalls with a giddy giggle. “That is, after I got out of my head and away from the crazy, excited voice saying, ‘I'm auditioning for WICKED. RIGHT NOW!!’” But don't let “first New York audition” be mistaken for inexperience. Burnham's impressive path led her from an Apache Junction homeschool education to music and theater classes at Mesa Community College (MCC) by the time she was thirteen. Those sparks
BEKA BURNHAM
“It kind of feels like a dream come true,” says Glinda and Nessa Rose understudy Beka Burnham, a twenty-something WICKED tour ensemble member who grew up just down the road in Apache Junction. Not unlike the lyrics from Glinda's “Thank Goodness” number, Burnham “couldn't be happier” about the direction her career is heading.
Photo: Joan Marcus
of career passion were fueled by her family's years of season tickets to the ASU Gammage Broadway shows. “Every time I came away from a show at ASU Gammage, I knew I wanted to be up there,” Burnham remembers, recalling fondly especially her first time seeing WICKED almost 10 years ago. She notes her family played the ASU Gammage lottery and eventually won seats to see the “Before Oz” sensation a second time during that run. And now, she's singing and dancing those numbers herself and “having a ton of fun.” In addition to her nightly ensemble role, she's gotten to play Glinda a dozen or so times and Nessa Rose around a half dozen in her year of touring. “I will always remember when I got to go on for Glinda in Atlanta at the beautiful Fox Theatre. That day the house was filled with kids. They laughed at everything and were so vocal and then appreciative after the show. I’m so lucky that I got to be Glinda for them.”
In keeping with her first NYC audition that resulted in the present Broadway tour, Burnham relays that her first MCC stage experience was WIZARD OF OZ. After several more roles and college classes in Mesa, she auditioned for and was accepted into the Boston Conservatory. By the time she was an upper classman at “Bo-Co” as she affectionately refers to her alma mater, she was playing meaty roles like Beth in Sondheim's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG and Clara in LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. So, when that first-day-in-New-York audition came along, it was Burnham as Glinda, not Elphaba, who was stoked to defy gravity. Like a handprint on her heart, she carries with her those happy ASU Gammage and formative Phoenix experiences. Much to her own and the audience's delight, by them Beka Burnham has been changed for good. WICKED will play ASU Gammage for six weeks, August 26 - October 4. l Jennifer Haaland
VOLUME 7 | 2015
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VIP EVENT PHOTOS
MOTOWN VIP LUNCH
MOTOWN VIP CAST PARTY
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ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
PHANTOM VIP CAST PARTY
VIP EVENT PHOTOS
MOTOWN Benefit Lunch in the Rae and Richard S. Love Lobby at ASU Gammage 1. Lunch sponsor Lee Bowman pictured with Jarran Muse (Marvin Gaye) and Elijah Ahmad Lewis (Stevie Wonder) 2. L to R standing: Jeri Barmore, Mollie Trivers, Kate Hogan, Cheri St. Arnauld, and Reed L. Shannon (Young Berry Gordy/Stevie Wonder/Michael Jackson), L to R seated: Carol Barmore, Keith Shannon, Merrily Metzger and Susan Casey 3. Guests enjoying the cast Q&A portion of the lunch 4. L to R standing: JO Finks, Peter Means, Roxane Smyer, Leon Outlaw, Jr. (Young Berry Gordy/Stevie Wonder/Michael Jackson), Jeff Rich, L to R seated: Sabrina Outlaw, Richard & Rae Love 5. L to R standing: Laura Vreeland, Michelle Jung, Leah Pallin-Hill, Elijah Ahmad Lewis (Stevie Wonder) and Susan Brachman, L to R seated: Rojon & Jay Hasker, Julie Mate, and Stephen & Lorri Smith
PHANTOM VIP Cast Party at PF Chang’s 1.L to R: Nick Cartell (u/s Raoul), Mr. & Mrs. Walter Pusselis, Krista Buccellato (u/s Christine Daaé) and Storm Lineberger (Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny) 2. Chris Mann (The Phantom) and Greg Yagi
MOTOWN VIP Cast Party at The Handlebar 1. L to R: Kathy Gannis, Jesse Nager (Smokey Robinson), Tran Tran, Julius Thomas III (Berry Gordy), Ritta Yee, Tony Porter, Felice Appell, Jamison Scott (Ensemble) and Pat Kaufman 2. Carl & Patricia Harris pictured with Julius Thomas III (Berry Gordy)
3. Bryan Hill & Leah Pallin-Hill pictured with Nick Cartell (u/s Raoul) and Celia Hottenstein (u/s Christine Daaé) 4. L to R: Celia Hottenstein (u/s Christine Daaé), Jim Engbarth, Krista Buccellato (u/s Christine Daaé), Kerry Engbarth and Storm Lineberger (Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny)
3. Marcia & Jeff Buzzella pictured with Jesse Nager (Smokey Robinson)
5. Syd & Carol Wilson pictured with Nick Cartell (u/s Raoul) and Chris Mann (The Phantom),
4. L to R: Jamison Scott (Ensemble), Bill Ahearn and Krisha Marcano (Ensemble)
6. L to R: Nick Cartell (u/s Raoul), Keegan, Kendall and Kurt Luther
5. Vickie Hall, Reed L. Shannon (Young Berry Gordy/Stevie Wonder/Michael Jackson), Kyra Jackson and Krisha Marcano (Ensemble)
7. L to R: Sharon Lytle-Breen and Cindy Ganter pictured with Nick Cartell (u/s Raoul) and Chris Mann (The Phantom)
6. L to R: Ruben Arreola, Justin Dale, Alex Smith, Queen Smith Ali Arreola, Julius Thomas III (Berry Gordy), Jesse Nager (Smokey Robinson) and Jeanette Dale
8. The next generation of theater goers - L to R: Bailey Smith, Keegan Luther, Kendall Luther and Alexia Lorch
Photos: Tim Trumble
Photos: Tim Trumble
VOLUME 7 | 2015
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2015 BROADWAY ADVENTURE
ASU GAMMAGE BROADWAY ADVENTURE This year marks my fifth time as a participant in Broadway Adventure, a four-day trip with ASU Gammage staff. Now, either I have nothing better to do with my life, or this opportunity is a tremendous amount of fun. I would say it is the latter. New friendships, New York trivia you would never pick up in a book, Broadway shows and an opportunity to meet the stars are just a few parts of the exciting experience. From beginning to end, attendees are shown a New York you would never learn about on your own, all at the hands of our trusty guide, Joe Rosenberg. Joe is as iconic to Broadway as the Big White Way itself. He is an Architecture and Theater Historian and was instrumental in saving 36 theaters from destruction and preserving them as landmarks. We started our adventure with a meeting with the delightful Charlotte St. Martin, the President of The Broadway League. She gave us a brief history of Broadway, as she has known it for the last 10 years, and the ins and outs of what happens behind-the-scenes. This visit was followed up by a lovely happy hour at the Novotel Hotel. At this time, Joe passed out our tickets to the three Broadway shows you previously selected. Soon we are all rushed off to our shows with eager anticipation. The next day we gathered, and it was easy to notice new friendships being forged as our travelers share the excitement of the Broadway performance they saw the evening before. We spent the day in Harlem, not the Harlem of old, but a revitalized and vibrant community. Along the way, Joe pointed out architectural and historical delights, as only Joe can relate them. We dined at the Red Rooster, known for its traditional soul food, and were greeted by Billy Mitchell, known as the “Soul of the Apollo Theater.” Billy regaled us with story after story of the historical Apollo Theater, of which many entertainers from past and present have graced its stage. Moving on to the Dance Theater of Harlem, we were privileged to watch rehearsals for their current show. The day ended with yet another Broadway show of our choice. Our final day together, as a group, was spent visiting with select Broadway performers. This part of the adventure gave us the unique experience to be entertained, up close and personal, by current Broadway cast members. The Q&A sessions gave insight into what it takes to become a performer from their perspective; the pitfalls and anecdotes. We were so fortunate to visit with Kyle Dean Massey (for the second time!), the lead in PIPPIN on our ASU Gammage stage as well as Broadway. Additionally, we chatted with Jeff Kready, the principal in A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER and Paul Loesel, keyboardist from WICKED. Rounding out an excellent day is another Broadway performance of your choice. The next day is a fond farewell to New York City, unless ...
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... YOU GO TO THE TONYS! Our adventure leader extraordinaire, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, is a Tony voter. So, not only can she recommend the “must-sees” currently running on Broadway, you can also select to attend the Tony Awards® at Radio City Music Hall with her. Aside from all the glitz and glamour, you get the advantage of being entertained while they cut away for commercial breaks. So next year, buy your gown and rent your tux! This article was written by Merrily Metzger. Merrily has been an ASU Gammage donor for over a decade. Merrily was the first donor to commit to the Golden Gammage Initiative, and is a legacy donor. We are grateful for Merrily’s support and advocacy. The 2016 Broadway Adventure will take place June 2-5, 2016. You will meet Broadway actors, producers and directors. As our director Colleen Jennings-Roggensack is a Tony voter and a board member of The Broadway League, attendees will get access to many behind-the-scenes events. Space is limited. Please call Mollie Trivers at 602.373.3377 for more details.
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVIST LEAVES LEGACY AT ASU Carl Cross is in the midst of explaining his aversion to reading when outside, the ASU Symphonic Carillon begins to announce the hour with its distinctive, sentimental chiming. Cross’ eyes widen and a smile breaks across his face. “That’s my carillon,” he whispers in an aside, and points south out the window of Hayden Library’s fourth floor, toward the speakers on the Memorial Union where the chiming emanates.
“That just floors people,” he continues, referring to his distaste for reading. Cross has eye issues that make reading extremely uncomfortable but, ironically, that never kept him away from the very place those instruments of personal torture are housed. It’s the “detail work” of running a library that Cross loves. “I’m very OCD, if you want to put it that way. I love the very critical things that we have to do. People outside of technical services have no idea of the amount of rules that limit how everything is created, how it becomes available to everybody and to our database,” he said. Unlike many people, Cross was fortunate enough to discover his life’s passion at a very early age when he took over for the school librarian for a few days after she broke her ankle. He was only in seventh grade at the time, but the librarian was so impressed that when Cross moved on to Tempe High School she wrote a letter to the librarian there recommending him as a student worker. “I was the only freshman who had ever worked in the high school library. And I so impressed them that they had me run the library all four summers of my high school years,” Cross said.
“Watching that rise from the ground was really something,” Cross said. Later, when Cross became a freshman at ASU, his class’ orientation was the first official gathering in the newly built auditorium, even before the inaugural concert. Having taken part in musicaltheater productions during high school, Cross’ appreciation for the performingarts center was a given. “From that day on, I became a supporter of ASU Gammage,” said Cross, who went on to work in the box office and was later appointed to the university’s performing arts board. The other half of Cross’ legacy gift will go to his beloved ASU Gammage. As an ASU student, Cross studied English education with a libraryscience minor. He took a job with ASU Libraries as a student assistant and became a full-time staff member when he graduated in June 1969. Among several projects Cross contributed to during his time with ASU Libraries is one he is especially proud of: establishing the university archives. Cross and others worked to compile hundreds of years of records, information and artifacts from all over the university into a comprehensive historical archive of ASU. It was while perusing those archives that Cross’ colleague Judith Smith came upon some information about the carillon, which was donated to ASU in 1966 by Associated Students as a memorial to those in the ASU community who gave their lives in service to their country. After some digging, Smith discovered that although it had originally been installed in Matthews Hall, it had disappeared during renovations.
Photo: Tim Trumble
The carillon was eventually rediscovered in a storeroom in the Matthews Center, and together with Smith, Cross co-founded the ASU Carillon Society in 2002 to raise funds to refurbish the instrument. It now has a home at Old Main, where its music is broadcast daily. “It’s been in storage more years than it’s been played. And we hope to remedy that,” Cross said. One of the ways he is working to do that is by promoting various events that feature the carillon. Every day since its re-installation, Cross has listened from his office in Hayden Library for the carillon’s hourly chimes, a watchful guardian of the bells. With his impending retirement, he wonders who will be willing to take up that post.
CARL CROSS
Cross will retire this August after 51 years with ASU Libraries. Through the ASU Foundation he plans to make a legacy gift, half of which is designated for the carillon, an instrument whose preservation and utilization he spends much of his time advocating for.
Also during those years, Cross watched as ASU Gammage, less than a mile north of Tempe High, manifested on the southwest corner of ASU’s Tempe campus.
However, Cross does have plans to remain active in the ASU Carillon Society, as well as ASU Gammage. In the spring of next year, he will begin his tenure as the secretary of the executive board for the Arizona Association of Manufactured Home Owners and plans to also continue his work as a worship leader for his mobile park community’s church. “It’s neat cleaning up all these things as I’m leaving,” Cross said of packing up his office. “You realize how much you’ve contributed. … The contributions to the online catalogs, to the national databases, that’s all there for perpetuity. … It’s a very different feeling to create stuff that you know is going to be there to aid research and development for years to come.” l Emma Greguska, ASU News
VOLUME 7 | 2015
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HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS
ASU GAMMAGE HOSTS FIRST-EVER HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS On Saturday, May 2 a milestone event took place at ASU Gammage in celebration of our 50th Anniversary season: the first ever High School Musical Theater Awards sponsored by Clearwing and Penrose Academy. Hosted by ASU Gammage Executive Director, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, the showcase allowed for a spotlight on Arizona high school musical theater productions as well as their theater students and teachers. The program, while new to ASU Gammage, is in conjunction with The Broadway League’s Jimmy Awards, a national program for high school musical theater students. Winners from the local awards next year will participate in the regional competition and then on to the Jimmy Awards in NYC! Students, teachers and community members all came to celebrate the participating schools, students and faculty. And of course, no major event is complete without a red carpet and paparazzi! While it may seem that the highlight of the evening would be the awards, Drama teacher James Ball from Mingus Union High School shared, “As the day approaches, I thought my kids would be excited to stand on the stage for their nominations, or to see one of their own perform on stage—but it’s the idea of walking on a ‘red carpet event’ and picking out dresses and suits, getting hair and nails done, and taking pictures that have all of my students talking so excitedly. What an awesome idea! It warms my heart to see them get so excited about something.” 16
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While the red carpet was a big attraction, the awards performance showcase was the real star of the evening and included performances from schools nominated for Best Overall Production - Chaparral High School (CINDERELLA), Hamilton High School (LEGALLY BLONDE), Millennium High School (THE DROWSY CHAPERONE) and Valley Vista High School (Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) as well as performances from best lead performer nominees from Mingus Union High School (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE), Notre Dame Preparatory High School (THE ADDAMS FAMILY-double cast), Payson High School (TARZAN) and Phoenix Country Day School (ZOMBIE PROM). “The ASU Gammage High School Musical Theater Awards was a phenomenal experience. We were in awe and humbled by the amount of amazing talent we saw from all of the high schools that participated. The level of professionalism and quality of the whole awards production really WOWed us! For our students to be able to say they performed on the ASU Gammage stage was the climax of their high school drama experience!”, says Kim LaGuardia from Millennium High School. The evening also included a few surprise video messages from hit Broadway shows in New York! The casts of MATILDA, BEAUTIFUL THE MUSICAL, Disney’s ALADDIN and MAMMA MIA! all sent well wishes to the nominees throughout the show.
ASU Gammage is beyond thrilled to add the High School Musical Theater Awards to its repertoire of Cultural Participation programs and looks forward to many more years of Arizona High School talent to grace our stage. For information on the 2016 High School Musical Theater Awards, contact Melissa Vuletich. l Melissa Vuletich • melissa.vuletich@asu.edu Photos by Denny Collins
Winners Best Overall Performance: Millennium High School Best Lead (Male): Matt Corsillo Best Lead (Female): Gloria Alcala Outstanding Supporting Performance: Emily Temple Best Dancer: Alyssa Ebel Honorable Mention: Peyton Drake Best Tech - State Management: Sally Tepper Best Tech - Makeup and Hair: Mariah Jones Best Tech - Sound: Paul Amato
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS
Following the performances, Jennings-Roggensack invited each nominee to the stage. One by one, awards were presented to high school students in the following categories: Best Overall Production, Best Lead (Male), Best Lead (Female), Best Supporting Performance, Best Dancer, Honorable Mention, and Best Tech in Lighting, Costume Design, Sound Design, Stage Management, Set/Prop Design. Ending the evening, ASU Gammage and Penrose Academy provided two $500 scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrated leadership on stage, in the classroom and in their community.
Best Tech - Set/Prop Design: Karolena Lein Best Tech - Costumes: Gabbi Giusti Best Tech - Lighting: Rylee Garvine ASU Gammage Scholarship: Lauren Anderson, Dylan Capello
VOLUME 7 | 2015
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CAMP BROADWAY
GIVE THEIR REGARDS TO BROADWAY Camp Broadway 2015 is in the books! What a great week campers had with their favorite performing arts summer camp! This year marked 16 years that Camp Broadway has partnered with ASU Gammage to provide enthusiasm and passion for theater with 85 campers between the ages of 10 to 17. The week of June 1-5, 2015 was a memorable one for so many. The week started off as it usually does with introductions of staff to both the campers and their families, and then jumped right into rehearsals for the Camp Broadway medley. There was no rest for the weary when part of Camp Broadway because come Friday, the show must go on! The kids this year were so enthusiastic and dedicated to putting their best into their work each and every day. Highlights from the week included the annual karaoke and pizza party, as well as seeing the Wednesday evening performance of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Looking around, there were so many wide eyes and smiles taking in the entire spectacle. What a privilege it was to witness many campers transform from unsure and shy to confident and enthusiastic
performers in a cohesive junior Broadway company in just five days! It is such a joy to watch the confidence building and learned teamwork in the campers of very diverse backgrounds and is something our ASU Gammage VIPs can be proud of supporting. Campers were lucky the week provided cooler weather and even got a little rain to cool us all off at the end of the week. As always, the entire week culminated in the Family Finale, and it did not disappoint. The performances of ALL SHOOK UP and HAIRSPRAY, JR. were fantastic and really showcased all the hard work put in by every camper throughout the week. In addition to the two main productions, this year’s gypsy showcases were quite creative and humorous. A gypsy showcase takes two well-known Broadway shows and combines the themes and songs to make a brand new, silly production. For example, GUYS AND DOLLS and THE ADDAMS FAMILY become ADDAMS and DOLLS. The week was a terrific success ASU Gammage received many wonderful emails and comments after the finale from families excited to return. One family traveled all the way from
Kentucky for camp and shared with me they had told their daughter that since she had such a good time this year, maybe next year she would want to travel to the Camp Broadway in New York. Her response? “New York? I want to come back to Tempe!” With the end of each Camp Broadway, we reflect on the memories of the week— from shy campers entering the first day not sure what they will experience, to triple-threat actors and actresses exuding confidence on stage! The camp is more than a performing arts skill building class, it is a camp that builds life skills and strong character. ASU Gammage always looks forward to seeing what will come from next season’s camp and what impact can be made on the youth that attend. Camp Broadway 2016 will take place June 1317, 2016, and campers will be able to see the Broadway tour of NEWSIES! If you are interested in finding out more about Camp Broadway, contact cpinfo@asugammage.com or call 480.965.5062. l Melissa Vuletich • melissa.vuletich@asu.edu
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Photos: Bill Ahearn
MEET ASU ALUMNA AND THE BOOK OF MORMON STAR ALEXANDRA NCUBE
MEET ALEXANDRA NCUBE
Alexandra Ncube made her first appearance in the Broadway hit THE BOOK OF MORMON in February. The 23-year-old Arizona State University grad is one of the youngest cast members of the touring musical theater production and hails from the Valley. She is excited to return with the show in October and is honored to have been recently named ASU Gammage’s next Rising Star. Tell us about growing up in the Valley; how did the local theater scene impact your experience? Alexandra Ncube (AN): I loved my college experience. I learned a lot about myself as a woman and an artist. I worked hard, learned from failures and grew as fast as I could before I was unleashed to the outside world. I was always in shows around the Valley. I created strong relationships with my teachers, my directors, my castmates and beyond. Every experience seemed to be some kind of stepping stone for the next chapter.
Tell us about the big plans you have during the run at ASU Gammage. (AN): I'm very excited to be returning to Tempe in the fall, not only for the show, but because I'm tying the knot with the most amazing man I have ever known. I'm anxiously awaiting for this special day and can't wait to celebrate our love with friends and family.
What are your memories of attending ASU Gammage? (AN): Attending shows at ASU Gammage was my initial exposure to the arts at a young age. I saw plenty of shows from THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA to AMERICAN IDIOT. It was always our routine to get rush tickets in hopes of getting seats as close to the front as possible. The people I have been watching were those I have admired for years. They contributed to the growth of my dream to, one day, join them on that stage. I had a taste of it when I convinced the lead in ALTAR BOYZ to choose me to go on stage during "Something About You." That was the first time I shared the stage with people at such a level of this profession, and I knew I wanted to be there someday.
ASU Alumna Alexandra Ncube from THE BOOK OF MORMON. Š Joan Marcus, 2015
What are you most excited about when you come to perform at ASU Gammage? (AN): I am most excited to finally perform on the stage I have been watching all these years. I am so proud and grateful to have been chosen to be in one of the biggest shows in the world and to perform for all of my family and friends.
What did it mean to win the Rising Star Award? (AN): The Rising Star Award was so unexpected. I've never won an award in my entire life for the arts. While accepting awards isn't the reason I perform, it was such an honor and achievement to be recognized by ASU. I was so thrilled I could barely breathe. I hope I can make you all proud when the show finally reaches Tempe in the fall! l Dana Terrazas
VOLUME 7 | 2015
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100K MILESTONE
DONORS
ASU Gammage gratefully acknowledges these individual donors and foundations whose cumulative giving totaled $100,000 or more as of July 2014. The contributions of these generous benefactors, in partnership with those of other visionary patrons, sponsors and volunteers, have incalculably enriched our community.
ASU Gammage Leadership Board members Laurie & Chuck Goldstein unveiling their door in Portal 1.
American Airlines Arizona Lottery APS Susan & William Ahearn Jerry Appell F. Richard Bloechl Family JO & Harvey Finks George Brazil Home Services Laurie & Chuck Goldstein Patricia Langlin-Brazil Richard S. & Rae Love Robert Machiz Kemper & Ethel Marley Foundation Margaret T. Morris Foundation Rev. Jenny Norton & Bob Ramsey Scottsdale Insurance Company/ Nationwide Insurance Foundation VMI Holdings The Way Family/Way Family Charitable Foundation
CORPORATE/ FOUNDATION SPONSORS $100,000+ Broadway Across America Desert Schools Federal Credit Union Margaret T. Morris Foundation/ J.W. Kieckhefer Foundation $75,000+ George Brazil Home Services $50,000-$25,000 American Airlines Andrew Family Foundation Century Link National Endowment for the Arts
ASU Gammage VIP donor Kathleen Bloechl unveiling her family door. 20
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
$24,999-$10,000 Arizona Lottery APS California Institute of Contemprary Arts Pearson & Company Scottsdale Insurance Company/
Nationwide Insurance Foundation Stinson Leonard Street LLP/ Michael C. Manning The Way Family/Way Family Charitable Foundation $9,999-$2,500 Abbot Downing Arizona Business Bank Arizona Business Magazine Macy’s Foundation The New England Foundation for the Arts Penrose Academy The Reflective Designer Shamrock Foods Target Tim Trumble Photography, Inc.
LEGACY
INVESTORS GUILD $25,000 and Above Mrs. Frank A. Bowman* Patricia Langlin-Brazil Dr. & Mrs. Charles Goldstein Sarah Nolan Rev. Jenny Norton & Mr. Bob Ramsey
PRODUCERS ACADEMY $10,000 and Above
Susan & William Ahearn* Dr. & Mrs. William Andrew Jerry Appell* Janet & Doug Baughman Carmela & Michael Blank John Breeding Broadway Across America Jeffrey & Marcia Buzzella* James L. Cramer & Allen C. Kalchik Joan Cremin Eileen Curtin* Jane & Clive Cussler JO & Harvey Finks Karen & Grady Gammage Jr. John Gore Peter Harries* Sharron Lewis Robert Machiz Steve & Rhonda Maun Merrily Metzger Andrew & Marcia Meyer Lesley & Paul Monfardini Rod & Julie Rebello* Jeff & Leslie Rich Jana & Charles Sample Joanne Schust
GRADY GAMMAGE SOCIETY $5,000 and Above Anonymous Bill & Cindy Abbott Allen-Heath Memorial Foundation Alan & Char Augenstein Harrison & Laura Bachrach Reginald M. Ballantyne III E.G. & Carol Barmore Mary A. Barrett Oonagh & John Boppart Renee Cermak & Fred Auzenne Dr. & Mrs. Steven Farber Sophia & Mike Fong Fractured Prune Doughnuts Arizona Christine & Luis Gonzalez In Memory of Ada Halbreich Jay & Rojon Hasker* Caroline & Chris Hoeye Jacqueline Hufford-Jensen & Greg Kroenig Patricia Kaufman* Norman & Teresa Klein Family Kathy & Albert Leffler Julie & Herbert Louis Richard S. & Rae Love Mr. & Mrs. Kent McClelland Rebecca Bowman Nassikas
• as of 7/2015
Nederlander Producing Co. of America, Inc. Jeffrey D. Oliver Arthur & Linda Pelberg Larry & Lisa Rogoff Rosenbluth Family Foundation Richard & Christy Schust Enid & Michael Seiden Lorri & Stephen Smith Roxane Smyer & Bailey Smith Mr. & Mrs. Ron Starkman* Steffie & Millie Marsha & Charles Van Dam Kristi Vasquez & Jeff Roberts Pam & Wayne Wesala Jana & Mark Wilcke Patrick H. Zanzucchi KATHRYN GAMMAGE CIRCLE $2,500 and Above AADS Office Solutions Int’l, LLC & Top Priority Messenger Service, Inc. Kathy Aichele & Fran Tepner & Robert Scrivner Nancy & Warren Alter Anderson, Chavet and Anderson Inc. Buffie & Ray Anderson Anonymous Michael & Betsy Appelbaum Felice Appell Tran & Glenn Appell Tara Bickford Bailey & Glen R. Bailey Craig & Barbara Barrett Barbara, Irv & Jeremy Berger* Karen & Gary Bethune Janet Bioletto Tara & Todd Bookspan Susan & David Brachman Dr. & Mrs. Derek Braun Steve & Belinda Brown Cheryl & Lee Brueckel Jim Cairns & Dani Stanton Linda Carneal Rick & Kathy Cartell Dr. David & Mrs. Georgiana Cave Jacqueline Chadwick, MD Children’s Dental Village Marilee & David Clarke Carol & Larry Clemmensen Les & Becky Coates/Lawns by Les Dr. & Mrs. Lance Cohen John H. Cole III M.D. & Patrick T. Boyhan Marilyn & Bob Colvert Angela & David Conwell Kris Cook & Dale Wendt, Jr. Barbi Crisp & Mark Nemscoff Cyndi & Terry DeBoer Mr. & Mrs. Tom DeBonis Bob Demaine Laurie Dennhardt & Anna de Jesus Erika & Russ Dickey Todd & Wendy Dickerson Mr. & Mrs. Robert Donat Laura Dornbush Rebecca Driggs Kerry & Jim Engbarth Michele & Chris England Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Ensor Ardie & Steve Evans Jane & Andrew Evans II Lyn & Bruce Everette Ray & Bettijune Fanning
BOLD indicates $50K cumulative giving to ASU Gammage * denotes multi-year commitment
VOLUME 7 | 2015
DONORS
Anonymous Susan & William Ahearn E.G. & Carol Barmore Larry Berentzen Barbara, Irv & Jeremy Berger Charley Beyer George & Patricia Brazil Marlene Bushard Carl J. Cross Leonard & Emily Dudziak Raylan & Beverley Evans Mary Flora Marilyn & Jim Foley Alan & Anita Handelsman Henry & Mary Hansen Carl & Patricia Harris Robert & Jeanette Heacock David N. Horowitz Lucille Hudgens Donald & June Julen Sue Larsen Richard S. & Rae Love Douglas Lowe Larry Mattal Elizabeth & Peter Means Merrily Metzger Marilyn Moman Paul & Janet Morrison Vickie & Ron Neill Clyde C. Parker Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Michael Pollay Russell A. Robbins Virginia Schantz Margaret Schulz Mr. & Mrs. Russell Smith Jo & Frank Stockman Bruce C. Thoeny Mollie C. Trivers John & Joyce Webb Allie Lamar Yeager
ASU GAMMAGE VIP CLUB
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DONORS
ASU GAMMAGE VIP CLUB
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Bela & Miguel Fernandez Phyllis & Jack Finney Eric Fox & Raymond Hebert & Judith Rosenthal & Georgia Garrett-Norris Brooke Fry Family Dr. & Mrs. Dean Gerstenberger Kathy & Marty Harper Terry Gimmellie & Brooks Hull Mrs. Saul Ginsberg Davie Glaser In Loving Memory of David H. Glaser Globe Foundation Mark & Sherry Goldberg Don & Justine Good Jan & Dick Govig John & Deanne Greco Joan & Al Gudriks & Mary & Dan Stamp Mark & Joanne Halberg Mr. & Mrs. Don Hall Alan & Anita Handelsman Liesa Harkness Jeffrey E. Harper Kathy & Marty Harper Carl & Patricia Harris Ralph & Ellen Hirsch Genevieve & Michael Hogan David N. Horowitz & Damon J. Bolling Tara Iyengar Dr. Ellie & John Izzo Jaburg & Wilk, P.C. Colleen Jennings-Roggensack & Dr. Kurt Roggensack Peggy R. Joslin Michelle Jung & Chris Rodriguez Mr. & Mrs. Tim Kaehr Stacy & Alan Klibanoff Michael & Ellyn Kruke Drs. Aaron & Brenda LaTowsky Hope & Steven Leibsohn Herb & Nancy Lienenbrugger Douglas Lowe Kurt & Keli Luther Theresa & Ed Maciag Cheryl & Johan Magnusson Dr. & Mrs. Gerald Mandell Marketline Mortgage Ms. Michelle Matiski & Dr. Alan Snyder Cathy McDavid Drs. Elizabeth & Jeffrey McKenna Patrick McPhilomy Kathleen A. Mickle & Karen B. Roth Glenn & Stephanie Mitchell Kathleen & Barry Monheit Scott More Carl C. Mueller Kenneth & Donna Muller Rafael & Mary Munoz Dr. & Mrs. Jacob Musallam Dick & Jane Neuheisel Nathan & Betty Norris Frank & Ginny Palamara Dr. John Parente ON Media Publications PRM Association Management Leah Pallin-Hill & Bryan Hill* Dwight & Kathryn Peters Pat Piazza Debbie & Tobie Pirone
Practice Strategies Pragmatic Marketing, Inc. Dr. Coral Quiet/Arizona Breast Cancer Specialists Mario Trejo Romero & G. Lewis Penrose Russell A. Robbins Rose Law Group Mitchell & Heather Ross Jim & Brenda Rowland Karen & John Runberg Norm & Pam Saba Jesse & Jennifer Schwarz Danny Sharaby/Tickets Unlimited Jeffrey & Deborah Smith Dr. Cheri St. Arnauld & Family Dr. Barry & Judith Stern Cheryl & Ed Sucato Holly, Kristen & Lauren Terrell Bruce C. Thoeny Brinley Thomas & Charles Bentley Tiller Family Foundation Janet Tkach & J. Volpe Cheryl & Gary Van Brunt Susan Van Dyke MD/Van Dyke Laser & Skin Care Mark & Lynn Vanderlinde/ VRealty Advisors M.A. Verso MD Veteran Tickets Foundation Doug Walters Patrick & Darlene Wastal Connie & Craig Weatherup Jeffrey & Dian Weisman Daryl & Karly Williams Dr. Syd Wilson & Dr. Carol Wilson Dr. Salpi Wolper Dr. Frederick T. Wood & Kim Richey Frank & Candace Yaconis Greg Yagi & Don Strook Violet Toy & Betsy Toy Yee Ray & Sue York Charlie & Judy Zarrelli* Barbara & Barry Zemel
DIRECTORS CLUB $1,250 and Above Mariana & Richard Abelson Altier Credit Union Marcia & Rhet Andrews Anonymous Jane Ash Kevin Axx & Cameron Goebeler Sam Baar Luisa & Berke Bakay Jim Barash & Dr. Tamar Gottfried Michael & Julie Bennett Kristy Benton Best Life Pharmanaturals Col. Jody Blanchfield Jon & Jennifer Bohnert Katherine & John Boisvert Susan & Richard Bookspan Teresa & Mark Borota Linda Broomhead & Terese Sanchez Patti & Rick Brown Babette Burdman Cheryl & Pat Burke Elizabeth Burm
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE
Janet & Karen Caldwell Camelview Physical Therapy David E. Cantrell & Glenn W. Eyet III Cappuccino Subito Casey Cary Kent Cattani Susan & Steven Charney Helen Cho Kathryn A. Christman Grainger Cole Marilee & Zach Dal Pra Ed & Beth Dawkins Brian & Becky Delghiaccio Drs. Fred & Suzie DePrez Donna & Bob Dichiaro Jackie & James Disney DMB Associates, Inc. Michael Drexler Jim Edmonds Cynthia Emmons Richard & Lou Ender Christine English & Lenard Hailey Jody Epperson Michael Etheridge Thomas Fannin Cheryl & Eric Farber Dino & Linda Farfante Mary Farrington-Lorch & Martin Lorch Penny & Charles Fine Mike & Becky Fish Sandra J. Fromm & Gary A. Fadell Crystal Fyke Cynthia Ganter Marybeth & Jimmy Garrett Dr. Philip E. & Roseann M. Geiger Carole & Ronnie Gilbert Joe & Helen Goldblatt Vicki Greener Lindsey, Victor & Henrik Hamburger Diane Harrison Dottie & Mark Harshbarger Marilyn & Paul Harter Larmon & Linda Haugen Hensley Beverage Company Jennifer & Stuart Hetrick Lori & Howard Hirsch Christopher & Judy Hossack Mike Hughes & Dr. Kevin Mendivil The Til Hutchison Family Kim Jameson & Jon Ann Hockersmith Lynda Jones & Ron Jenks In Memory of Steven R. Jonas Dr. Lyndy Jones Lynn Judd Susan Karis Rona & Allan Kasen Casey & Clara Khaleesi Sheila Kloefkorn & Sue Wieger Jo Krueger Law Office of Christina M. Lopez, PLLC Lawrence R. Lathom Machrina & Dale Leach Mary E. LeRoy & Mark F. Tabar Law Office of Christina M. Lopez, PLLC Sharon Lytle-Breen In Memory of Jack McDonnell
Robbyn McDowell Dr. Geoffrey McKinzie & Tabitha McKinzie Bruce Meyerson & Mary Ellen Simonson In Memory of J. Eric Miller Larry & Virginia Morrison Dawn & John Mulligan Mary Murphy & Kurt Meyer Mutual Management Services Christine & Frank Nechvatal Tom Ng Linda & Kevin Olson In Memory of Cindy Olstein Dr. & Mrs. Donald A. Opila Todd Ott Dr. & Mrs. Donald Patterson Gloria & Jill Pierce-Garcia Carol A. Poore, Ph.D. Keith & Laura Price Hari Puri Carolyn & Phillip Ragatz Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Rawlings Dean Rennell Lezlie & Brent Richardson Herschel & Valerie Richter Rebecca P. Ripley & Tara Swinehart Dr. Lynn Robershotte & Bryce Rene & Theresa Romero Jeff Salomone Mr. & Mrs. Harold Samloff Bryan N. Sandler, Esq. Christine Scarpati Ellen & Paul Schifman Lyrna & Michael Schoon Ryan & Rachel Semro Judy Sera-Windell & Robert Windell Linda & Martin Shultz Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Signeski Mr. & Mrs. Clark Skeans Rebecca & William Smead Nicole Spracale Dale Stellick John & Monica Suriano Dr. Jerome & Dr. Selma E. Targovnik Christina & Tim Tarter Toby Teret Taylor Tewksbury Financial Group/ John & Sunny Tewksbury Susan Thrasher & Chuck Schwartz Mollie C. Trivers Zeena Ubogy M.D. & Millard Thaler M.D./Papillon Cosmetic Dermatology Center Ann & Paul Underwood Joseph Walters Dale & Sheryl Wanek Col. Alexander Warschaw Phyl Wason Jim & Susan Watson Lori Weinstein John O. Whiteman Jeanne Wilcox & Joe Rody Todd & Tammy Wilkening Doris & Duly Winkler Mr. & Mrs. Bob Withers/ Pastoral Care Fund Sharon K. Woodman
SUPPORTING MEMBER $500 and Above
CONTRIBUTING MEMBER $250 and Above Anonymous Lynette Abarr-Boubelik Amanda Aguilar Kevin Alaniz Joseph Albach Velda Alexander Teresa Amabisca Susan Anderson & Robert Arthur Jeanette Arnow Association of the United States Army, Arizona Territorial Chapter Erin & Bryan Barry C.K. “Wiggie” Bastian & Stephanie Keeler David Bayliff Veronica & John Beamer William Becker Karla & Paul Benge Rachael & Benjamin Bertrandt Kristine Black Suzanne & David Black Linda & William Blanton David Blaylock Neva & Jim Bochenek Eveline Brack Lauri & Mike Branch Dr. & Mrs. Peter S. Brown Kathryn Browne Elizabeth & Dan Burk Bruce Burton Cheryl Canning Christine Carlson Tony Castaldo Jacqueline Chikos Rose & Joseph Circello Jessica & John Clark Brent Collins Dorothy & Roger Colucci Teri Connelly Kevin Corrigan Pamela & Keith Corrigan Kristie & Andrew Cowan Stacey Craig Lisa Croft Matthew Dameron Sharon Darnall Diane & Eric Davis Michelle & Bruce Davis Jennifer Dean Tamela Demik Julie & Michael Dillon Michelle Dinsdale Viet Do Day & Matt Dominy Diana Dunn Darrell DuPee Michelle & Keith Easton Ira Ehrlich Rhonda Elifritz-Rix Denise & Theodore Engel Priscilla Ethier David Evan den Boer Patricia & Fred Farsjo Sharon Feltus Patricia Fimbres Jennifer Finley Sylvia & John Fox Arlene & Peter Frick Friedel Family Foundation Kevin Gallegos Mary Ann Gallagher Michelle Giannino Selma Glass Alyssa Ann Goldstein Morton L. Goodman & Kathleen Niederst Barbara & David Greenberg Sharon & Tim Gregory Raef Hamaed Eva & James Hamant
Cynthia Hanna Katrina Hanna Therese & Scott Hannemann Thomas Hartwell Emory Heisler Linda Herman Chelsea Hollis Valerie Hubbard Patricia Hynoski David Inger Patti Jackman Gary Jackson Mister Jackson Crystal Jess Lisa Johnican Gwen Johnson Anne & Tom Jones Kathryn Keast David Kinsella Ann & Timothy Kneuss Edith & Donald Kunz Richard Laborin Michelle Laiss-Lipner William & Linda Langer Daniel Levesque Patricia Liaros Linda Lo Cicero Tara Lockhart Steven Lofgren Trenda & J.W. Long Ian Lowbridge Suzanne Lucks Victoria Lukasik Karie Lurie Suzan Makaus Dr. Patricia Mariella Kimberly Marshall Julie Mate Jon McCaine Marilyn & Mark McCall Roberta McManemy Linda & Anthony Meraz Kathleen Mickle Kathryn & Robert Mitchell Julie Mooney Erica Moran Karen Nackard Mikaela Nixon Keith Norton Stephanie Nowack Stephanie Nye Margaret & Larry Ostendorf Larry Paprocki Matthew Pennell Natalie & Robert Petrucelli Sandra Phillips Valleria Pickett Melanie Powers Nathanael Pretlow Aenid Ptaszynski & Mark Ptaszynski Cheryl Pugh Arcelia Rael Rosalie Raptosh Gail & Michael Reed Devin Reno Leslie Reynolds James Rich Elizabeth Roach Peter & Jeane Robbeloth Lynn Robinson David Roden Ronald & Cynthia Rodgers Emanuel Romero Carolyn Roos Todd Rowland Donna & Jack Rubino Norman Sandfield Dawn & Michael Sandlin Jennifer Sartell Gloria Sawrey Joette Schmidt Elvia Senter & Norman Buckner, Jr. Daniel Shedore Rex Shurlow Janice Sickels In Honor of Kendall Siebels Kathy Sill & Joel Birenbaum Raj Sivananthan Daniel L. Smith Laura Spearman Marguerite Spears David Spencer Adam Stcyr Mark Stevens Kelly Stricklin & Kristina Stricklin Steven Stringham
Arlynne & Michael Striplin Trisa Summers Orin & Mary Svarc Chris & Geri Swahn Audreyetta Swanson In Memory of Ralph Thomas Lisa Thompson Marty Thorsen Linda Toner Josephine Torrez Jennifer Turner Rebecca Van Doren Robert Van Marter Celia Vasfaret Joel Wallace Katherina & Harold Watson Marty Westfall Margot White Barbara Whitman Christine Woodson Felice Yocopis Lisa Zelasko Gayle Zerkel
DONORS
Anonymous George Abrams Wendy & Ian Ackerman Andrea Alley Robyn & Robert Anderson In memory of Jerry Appell Lory Baraz & Robert Zucker Darbi & David Barnett Ross & Shirley Berg In Memory of Nan Beyer Lisa Black Miriam & Brian Boegel Arlene Busch Stephanie & Brad Butler Kelly Calhoun Sophia Chiang & Wayne Gaafar Steven & Shari Cohen Catherine M. Comer Carl J. Cross Shelly & Mark Detmer Janice Donnelly & John King Kimberly Dorris Don Dotts Cheryl Eames & William Achtenberg Bob & Frankie Ellis Margaret & Marc Erpenbeck Barbara Estrada Karen Felts & Amanda Felts Fifth College Consulting, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Armando Flores Jane & Bob Franek Ira Gaines Mary Ann Graf MaryLee Hanson Jill Hart Ronald H. Harten Cathleen & Scott Hartman Col. Paul Harwood Beth & Bill Hicks Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Hoffer Patty & Ronnie Horn Kathy & Kenneth Hudson Michelle Louise Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm Jozoff Patricia & William Jump Dr. & Mrs. Dean Kile Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kirby Sr. Joan & Walt Koppenbrink Alisa & Michael Lacey Lisa & William Leighton Linda & Ken Levin Donna & Marc Levison Michael & Daisy Levitt Dorothy Lincoln-Smith Beth & Rob Marsh Alice Mason Marianne & John McGuire Elizabeth & Peter Means Karen Nackard Vickie & Ron Neill Neiman Marcus Kathy & James O’Brien Michael O’Meara Pam & Gary Passey Valerie & Gregory Patten MaryLee & Glen Poole Toni Ramsey & Mark Mulligan Michael Rego Lauren Reid Ronald & Beverly Richards Kristine Romine Ed Sandler Dawn & Michael Sandlin Linda & Sherman Saperstein Katherine & Randall Schmidt Jacob Schwarz Ronald P. Slamin, Sr. Richard P. Stahl Laura & Michael Suriano Chris & Geri Swahn Frank & Donna Tanori
Vicki & Tom Taradash VIP Tours of New York LLC Margaret Vick Suzanne & Armando Viteri Leesa & George Weisz Jean & Darren West Kelli & Lonnie Williams Larry Wulkan Dr. & Mrs. Howard E. Wulsin Joseph Zavislak Robert & Cathy Zinn Foundation
VOLUME 7 | 2015
23
ASU GAMMAGE INNER CIRCLE PO Box 870205 Tempe, AZ 85287-0205 480.965.5062 asugammage.com
UPCOMING VIP EVENTS August 4 – 15
November 2015
Golden Gammage Investors: Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Journey Home Journey Home is a unique arts residency program designed to enable incarcerated women to discover a personal sense of constructive identity through performance, visual arts, creative writing and storytelling. Very limited space exists for ASU Gammage VIPs to observe this moving transformation.
A small group of Golden Gammage Investors will embark on an adventure to the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Please inquire with ASU Gammage Development for more information regarding the Golden Gammage Investors group and exclusive events.
This fall presentation of Journey Home is made possible by the California Institute for the Performing Arts.
Thursday, August 27 Cast Party: WICKED 10:15 p.m. (approx.) Join ASU Gammage and cast members from WICKED for beverages and light hors d’oeuvres. Exclusive VIP member benefit (Directors Club Member and above)! Must RSVP.
Tuesday, October 20 Cast Party: The Book of Mormon 10:30 p.m. (approx.) Join ASU Gammage and cast members from THE BOOK OF MORMON for beverages and light hors d’oeuvres. Exclusive VIP member benefit (Directors Club Member and above)! Must RSVP.
Tuesday, November 10 Performances for Students: Rhythmic Circus 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ASU Gammage See your donation at work and join us for a special performance for students followed by a donor reception and Q&A with energetic music and dance group Rhythmic Circus. Exclusive VIP Club member benefit! Must RSVP.
Tuesday, November 24 Cast Party: A CHRISTMAS STORY 10:00 p.m. (approx.) Join ASU Gammage and cast members from A CHRISTMAS STORY for beverages and light hors d’oeuvres. Exclusive VIP member benefit (Directors Club Member and above)! Must RSVP.