11 minute read
WAITRESS SHINES
HIT MUSICAL MAKES ITS WAY TO LOUISVILLE IN 2021
The long-awaited hit Broadway musical Waitress will come to Louisville next year to entertain loyal patrons in Whitney Hall at The Kentucky Center for the Arts. The production was initially scheduled to be a part of the 2018 Broadway season in Louisville, but had to be canceled due to a fire at the Kentucky Center. Now, it will return in all its glory with more anticipation than ever.T
The hit musical is based on the 2007 film, Waitress, and follows
becomes pregnant and feels trapped in an unhappy marriage.
Looking for a way out, she hears about a pie contest and immediately knows the grand prize could be her way out of the small town and rocky marriage.
However, she must find the courage to seize the opportunity and make it happen. She pours her heart into her pies, crafting desserts that mirror her topsy-turvy life, such as “The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie” and “Betrayed By My Eggs Pie.” Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness.
Brought to life by a groundbreaking, all-female creative team, this hilarious hit Broadway musical features original music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Sara Bareilles ("Brave," "Love Song"), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam), original choreography by Lorin Latarro (Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Waiting For Godot), recreated by tour choreographer Abbey O’Brien and original direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Hair, Pippin), recreated by tour Jenna Hunterson, a waitress and pie chef, who unexpectedly
director Susanna Wolk.
Don't miss this uplifting and hilarious musical celebrating friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie! For ticket and show information, click here.
“WAITRESS is a little slice of heaven!” says Entertainment Weekly, and is “sweet, sassy and passionate,” according to New York Magazine.
"It's an empowering musical of the highest order!" raves the Chicago Tribune.
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Tickets and info at: louisville.broadway.com
Bailey McCall as Jenna, and Company in the National Tour of WAITRESS. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.
KEY LIME PIE Yield: 1 (9-inch) Pie
INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST 1/3 of a 1-pound box of graham crackers 5 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter 1/3 cup of sugar INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING 3 egg yolks 2 teaspoons of lime zest 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk 2/3 cup freshly squeezed Key lime juice (you can also use store bought) INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING whipping cream, chilled 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar
For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the graham crackers in a food processor and process into crumbs, then place in a zip lock bag and further crush the crackers with a rolling pin or something heavy. Add the melted butter and sugar to the processor and pulse until combined. Add the crumb mixture and pulse again until consistent. Press the mixture against the sides and bottom of a nine-inch pie pan and bake for about 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool but keep the oven on.
For the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and lime zest at a high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to beat until thick. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice and mix until combined. Pour mixture into the pie crust and bake for 10 minutes or until the filling has set. Pull out of oven and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
For the topping: Whip the cream and confectioners’ sugar until nearly stiff. Top each slice of pie with a dollop before serving.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock. Photo courtesy of Unsplash. 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup of heavy cream or
and sides of piecrust with a fork. Bake
SIMPLE & EASY CHESS PIE Yield: 1 (9-inch) Pie
FILLING 3 whole eggs 1 ½ cups white sugar 1 stick butter (melted) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon cornmeal 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Fit pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork.
Cream sugar and eggs with electric mixer. Add melted butter and other ingredients. Mix until all are well combined. Pour into prepared, unbaked pie crust (thawed completely if using frozen). Bake for 10 minutes at 425˚ then reduce heat to 350˚ and continue baking for 30 minutes. Cover edges of crust with foil to prevent burning. (Cook for full time to ensure center is done.)
COCONUT CREAM PIE Yield: 1 (9-inch) Pie
INGREDIENTS 1 refrigerated piecrust 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 4 egg yolks 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided 2 cups whipping cream 1/3 cup sugar Toasted coconut for garnish
Fit pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom 1 refrigerated pie crust
according to package directions for a one-crust pie.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan. Whisk together half-and-half and egg yolks. Gradually whisk egg mixture into sugar mixture; bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat.
Stir in butter, 1 cup coconut, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, placing plastic wrap directly on filling in pan; let stand 30 minutes. S poon custard mixture into prepared crust, cover and chill 30 minutes or until set.
Beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, beating until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe whipped cream over pie filling. Garnish, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Here’s a look at some of this year’s Tony Award nominees!
VIDEO: Tina Turner: The Musical reveals the untold story of a woman who dared to defy the bounds of her age, gender, and race.
VIDEO: Watch the cast of Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill perform “You Learn” on Good Morning America.
VIDEO: The cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical performs from the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Good Morning America.
SPOTLIGHT on MIKE ICE Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School Assistant Principal
by G. Douglas Dreisbach
Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School has gracefully built a launch pad for elementary students who are interested in pursuing the performing arts. The school’s motto is “Where The Arts Start,” referencing its curriculum designed to prepare students for the next step in their journey at Western Middle School for the Arts, and ultimately a high school experience at Youth Performing Arts School.
We caught up with assistant principal, Mike Ice, to learn more about Lincoln’s unique curriculum, and other things he does to make it fun for the students.
This is an excerpt of the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.
G. Douglas Dreisbach: How long have you been at Lincoln Elementary and what’s your role at the school? Mike Ice: I have been with Lincoln Elementary for 10 years and an educator in the field for 23 years. Originally, I had the opportunity to come to Lincoln because of Miss Susan FrenchEpps. At the time, Lincoln was just becoming a performing arts magnet, and they brought her in to facilitate those efforts. She asked me to join her and create this wonderful school that we have now.
Over the course of 10 years, we have grown a lot, and we are grateful to the community around us that has helped us become the school we are today. As an assistant principal, it is my goal to welcome our families in, to help our students be successful. My passion is education, student success, and community involvement.
GDD: Why do you feel the arts and music integration into the curriculum for children is important? How do you feel it benefits their upbringing? MI: If you think back when you were a young child in school, there are probably certain songs that have stuck with you to this day. You could probably sing them now. And when you’re driving the car, you’ve got a song. You’ve got something that just helps motivate you and gets you through the day. Well, that’s kind of the way I look at arts. It’s a vehicle that allows students to be more successful in their core curriculum subjects, so while they’re studying math, they may be tapping out their multiplication facts, or in social studies, they may be learning the history of the dance they are working with. In language arts, they could be singing their short story or their poems. So, it is just a way to help students capture, retain, and really understand the knowledge they have.
GDD: How has LPAS adapted to the latest COVID restrictions and introduced new ways of learning, living, and performing? MI: It has certainly been challenging, but we are up for any challenge. Initially, we looked at our lessons and how they were all paper and pencil based. We then made them more
engaging online through Google Classroom. When it comes to our arts teachers, they are finding very innovative ways to really demonstrate the arts. For example, the kids are producing and sharing videos of them creating music at home using different things they find around their house. It really makes the arts come alive in their homes, and they love it!
GDD: You have also worked with Broadway in Louisville to integrate production shows into the curriculum. Tell us about how you do this and what the kids think about it. MI: The arts in Louisville, the organizations, and the people around it, are amazing. We owe so much thanks to Fund for the Arts, StageOne, Actors Theatre, Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, and all the great partners who have come into our school and helped us.
One of our biggest supporters has been Broadway in Louisville. They are simply amazing and have been so generous with tickets for students to go see shows. We try to make the experience of going to the shows exciting for the kids, and not just hand them a ticket and off they go. We try to create a New York night out and provide transportation, dinner, and make a whole evening out of it.
The student gets two tickets and can invite one of their family members. We get on a school bus and go to the Galt House for dinner and pre-show conversation, where we talk about etiquette and being in that environment. We have open-ended questions and allow the students and their guests to talk about what they are getting ready to see, because many of them have never had this experience before. When intermission comes, the kids are so excited. They come out saying, ‘Oh, my gosh, did you see this? Did you see that?’ It is great to see their excitement.
After the show, the bus picks us up from the Kentucky Center and takes us back home. The amount of conversation about the show that happens afterwards, and the connection the child and the other family member had is an experience that will last forever.
We also have the students create projects that focus on the show. Once they get their tickets, they need to do research and learn about the show they are going to. They create everything from dioramas and puppets to extended storylines and other
Mike Ice and some of his LPAS students Photos courtesy of Mike Ice.
creative things. We try to have them not just see the show, but really become part of it all and have that full experience.
I am beyond grateful for Broadway Across America and our partnership that gives our students those opportunities.
GDD: The performing arts provides an escape for people as well as other benefits mentally, socially, even physically. Why do you feel that the arts are important to adults, children and our overall community? MI: The arts provides a way to escape. When you are fully immersed in a theater with the sound, with the audience, with everything visually going on, it just helps take you to another place. You just kind of forget about your problems or the day-to-day things.
I also think the arts bring what you are feeling alive and help you understand emotionally what is going on. There have been several shows at Actors Theatre that hit home, and you are like, ‘Oh, I see that,’ or it really is a way to sometimes process your feelings. When we talk about that with kids, we ask them to draw their feelings and what’s happening, or maybe act it out or talk about it or videotape themselves, because when you’re able to express your feelings through multiple platforms, you really are able to understand and process what’s going on, or somebody else can help you with that process. I think that’s what the arts do.
