Zionsville West Middle School presents ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’ / P12
PROMONTORY
• 2+ Acre Estate Lots
• Meeting House with Pier
• 35 Acre Mature Lake
• Equestrian Stable
School District
• Zionsville Community High School
• Zionsville Middle School
• Union Elementary
HOLLIDAY FARMS
• 18 Hole Pete Dye Golf Course
• State of the Art Club House
• Fitness Center, Golf Simulator, Bowling Alley
• Indoor/Outdoor Swimming Pools
School District
• Zionsville Community High School
• Zionsville Middle School
• Pleasant View Elementary
Restaurants and Coffee Shop
• 12,000 Square Foot Club House with Resort Style Pool
• 4 Acre Dog Park
School District
• Zionsville Community High School
• Zionsville West Middle School
• Trailside Elementary
BRADLEY RIDGE
• Miles Of Paved and Unpaved Trails
• 70 Acre Nature Preserve
• Resort Style Club House
• Dining, Pickleball, Fitness Center
School District
• Zionsville Community High School
• Zionsville Middle School
• Pleasant View Elementary
March 11, 2025
Current in Zionsville
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Founded March 20 2012, at Zionsville, IN Vol. XIII, No. 50
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West Clay at 131st & Towne Rd
Wishing you the luck of the Irish
The Baker’s House offers fresh-baked goods
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
The aroma is appetizing at The Baker’s House — a new organic sourdough bakery on Main Street in the Village in Zionsville.
FOOD
Owners Allie Rijfkogel and Carl Ceresoli opened the shop in January with fresh-baked bread that has quickly become a local favorite.
Rijfkogel and Ceresoli began selling sourdough at the Zionsville Farmers’ Market a few years ago, and sales and demand quickly turned to discussions about opening a storefront.
“We were selling out really fast,” Rijfkogel said. “We made more, we sold out, we made more, we sold out. Carl’s background is, he came from global infrastructure, so he’s all about scaling. So, he saw it as a potential opportunity, and we went with it. Here we are now.”
The bakery turns out hundreds of loaves of bread every day, often selling out. It also produces pizza dough, baguettes, crackers, croutons and organic butter.
Rijfkogel said the recipe for the bakery’s success is quality ingredients.
“We have everything in sourdough, and we don’t use any commercial yeast,” she said. “We want to bring back the idea of having a local bakery with fresh bread. This is a really health-conscious community. So, we use the highest-quality ingredients that we can get. Our ingredients are organic. Our methods are super pure and the hard way. And we make delicious bread.”
Rijfkogel said sourdough has a 24-hour fermentation process that depletes gluten while maintaining protein, iron and other healthy nutrients, making it an option that most people can enjoy.
“Our bread is special. You can’t get it at the grocery store. And then, obviously, the benefits of sourdough,” she said.
Rijfkogel said bread produced at The Baker’s House is designed to be gift-worthy — beautiful bread loaves in beautiful packaging that people will be excited to share.
“Bread is like wine. It brings people together,” she said. “You can get cupcakes (and) you can get cookies anywhere. We wanted to create something that gave people more.”
The bakery already is focused on ex-
pansion. The company is in the process of securing a second location in Fishers, with plans to eventually expand to Brownsburg and downtown Indianapolis. Future plans include updated online ordering availability and kits for those who want to try to make their own bread at home.
The bakery will return to the farmers market this year with more offerings, including hot food like baguettes stuffed with ham and cheese, so customers can snack while browsing the market.
“We provide a great customer interaction,” Rijfkogel said. “Hot bread comes out of the oven, so you can come get hot bread fresh for dinner. We’re open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., so you can swing by after work and take home fresh bread. I want (people) to know that they are guaranteed a special experience when they come here.”
The Baker’s House is at 365 Main St. in the Village, facing Old National Way. Learn more at bakershousebread.com.
The Baker’s House offers fresh-baked sourdough bread, croutons, crackers, pizza dough and organic butter. (Photo courtesy of The Baker’s House)
The Baker’s House is a new organic sourdough bakery on Main Street in the Village in Zionsville. (Photo by Marney Simon)
Boone County leaders focus on growth
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
Leaders from Boone County municipalities, the Boone County Council and the Boone County Board of Commissioners participated in a panel discussion on the state of Boone County last month at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds in Lebanon.
COUNTY NEWS
Elected officials discussed a variety of issues over the course of the one-hour session, including infrastructure, housing, expansion of the Big-4 Rail Trail and workforce development.
Zionsville Mayor John Stehr said Boone County has an opportunity to seize on a growing population, due in part to the Limitless Exploration Advanced Pace — or LEAP — Innovation District in Lebanon.
“This is a first-class problem that we’re having,” Stehr said. “If you look at the state of Indiana as a whole there are 75 Indiana counties that lose population every year. There are 17 counties that are gaining population. We’re one of those 17 and arguably the leader of that 17. So, there are tremendous opportunities here for us and it’s incumbent on all (Boone County leaders) to take advantage of the opportunities this presents. These are the businesses of the future. This is the economy of the future. And ground zero for it in Indiana is here in
Boone County.”
Panelists said one way to grow Boone County is through its workforce. Boone County Councilor Shari Ritchey said leaders have an obligation to reach out to local school systems to help grow workforce talent from Boone County youth as they near high school graduation.
“We’ve got to start thinking about internships — paid and unpaid — for our kids to come through,” she said. “(We need to) partner with our local businesses and figure out the different lanes that our students can fill. I think there is a real need for us as business leaders and elected leaders to lean in and help this come to pass.”
Panel participants said retaining workforce talent means building strong communities.
“What we can do as communities is build up quality of life,” Lebanon Mayor Matthew Gentry said. “We have to be a great place for people to live and we have to have housing that people can afford to live in. There has to be that balance — a quality of place for a quality of life.”
Elected leaders said local downtown areas, trails and parks are ways to attract young people who want to live in Boone County and can in turn attract businesses.
The event was hosted by the Boone County Chamber of Commerce and the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce.
Elected leaders from around Boone County recently participated in a panel discussion on the state of the county. (Photo by Marney Simon)
Center for Sight moving to Zionsville
Center for Sight recently released plans for its new location in Zionsville’s Creekside Corporate Park.
VISION CARE
The vision center — owned by Dr. Michael Behforouz — will move from Carmel to Lots 4 and 5 in Creekside on 106th Street, with plans to construct a 33,265-square-foot campus, including a medical office building with future plans to build a surgery center.
The state-of-the-art eye care campus and future surgery center will serve as a critical resource for patients seeking specialized eyecare, offering innovative treatment options in a modern and patient-centric environment.
“Our practice is built upon a patient-focused approach that integrates the latest advances in ophthalmic technology with the care and expertise of skilled physicians,” Behforouz stated. “We believe it is a privilege to be entrusted with the care of our patients’ eyes and the overall health of their vision, and it is a responsibility we embrace. We are very excited about enhancing and expanding our services in Zionsville to serve central
Center for Sight closed on the properties in January. Creekside Corporate Park is a conservation office park with 38 percent of the property dedicated to woodland preservation. Center for Sight joins park residents Group 1001, DK Pierce, Graham Rahal Performance, Rahal Letterman Lanigan and Ducati.
Town officials said the development represents Zionsville’s efforts to bring a variety of new businesses to the area.
“Bringing high-quality healthcare like this can only benefit Zionsville and all of us who live here,” Mayor John Stehr stated. “It is forward-thinking and will help us meet the medical needs of our growing and vibrant town.”
The new vision center is expected to employ 35 to 50 health care professionals. The site is being developed by Cornerstone Companies and Podell Partners, with American Structurepoint serving as the architect and civil engineer.
The development represents a $13 million investment by Center for Sight. The center is expected to open in spring 2026. A groundbreaking date has not been finalized.
Learn more at caringforeyes.com.
DISPATCH
Miller named Make-A-Wish OKI CEO — Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana recently announced Juli Miller as its new president and chief executive officer. Miller most recently served as Chief Mission Delivery Officer since 2021, where she was instrumental in driving transformational change and helping the chapter grant a record-breaking 1,205 wishes in fiscal year 2023. Miller lives in central Indiana with her husband, Dan and their four children. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services with a minor in management from Purdue University. The mission of Make-A-Wish is to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Learn more at wish.org/oki.
Indiana.”
Center for Sight will construct a 33,265-square-foot medical campus in Zionsville’s Creekside Corporate Park. (Image courtesy of Center for Sight)
Amendment would allow alcohol in Zionsville parks
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
The Zionsville Town Council will consider an ordinance to amend rules at town parks this month, specifically to allow alcohol on certain properties.
TOWN NEWS
The ordinance was introduced for a first reading March 3.
In October 2024, the park board approved revisions to park rules regarding parameters around drone use, swimming and equestrian access, parking lot hours and the authorization of alcohol sale and consumption in association with special events and on park properties within a designated outdoor refreshment area. The ordinance amendment would reflect those changes.
“What we’re doing is seeking to put this in the town code which gives our police department the ability to enforce these code violations rather than a simple trespassing or something like that,” Mayor John Stehr said.
Zionsville’s downtown DORA was approved in October 2024 and is expected to activate in April. A DORA is a designated area where patrons 21 and older can purchase alcoholic beverages in a marked con-
tainer from participating establishments, then carry those drinks within the district.
Zionsville’s DORA encompasses the Village, with the north-to-south border from Poplar Street to south of 106th Street; and extending west-to-east from Second to Elm streets, with a carve-out between Hawthorne and Sycamore streets to include SullivanMunce Cultural Center. The district includes Creekside Corporate Park.
Creekside Park — the pedestrian connector between the Village and Creekside Corporate Park — is the only park property within the town’s DORA.
The council will consider the ordinance amendment March 17. The meeting takes place at 7:30 a.m. at Zionsville Town Hall.
Meetings can be viewed at youtube. com/@TownOfZionsville.
CHAMBER AWARDS HONOR THE BEST OF ZIONSVILLE
Michelle Lyttle accepts the Dahlia Excellence in Service Award — which recognizes an employee of a Zionsville business that has demonstrated outstanding service — during the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Celebration at the Golf Club of Indiana in Whitestown last month. The awards highlight the outstanding achievements of the Zionsville business community. Other honorees were Church Church Hittle + Antrim, Community Service Award; The Lovely Dev, zWORKS Start-up of the Year Award; Frances + Parke, Outstanding First Tuesday Award; Tom Casalini, Town Crier Award; and Hoosier Village, Business of the Year Award. Learn more about chamber events at zionsvillechamber. org. (Photo courtesy of Zionsville Chamber of Commerce)
The Zionsville Town Council will consider an amendment this month to allow alcoholic beverages in town parks under specific conditions. (Photo by Marney Simon)
Boone County to increase communication efforts
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
Boone County has plans to boost its public relations efforts so residents can be informed about what is on the agenda across the county.
OUTREACH
Recently appointed Communications Director for Boone County Brent Wheat told the Boone County Commissioners last month that he’s focused on the public’s right to know about the activities of elected and appointed government officials.
suddenly discover it’s closed,” he said. “Social media is a wonderful way to do that and that’s where you reach a lot of folks. We’re still going to work with our media partners, but again, it’s a world where you kind of have to push your information out through social media and that will make it much more effective. Ultimately, we’re going to build a system where posting information is simple, quick and effective.”
Besides social media, Wheat said he plans for long-form informative video posts on the county’s YouTube channel.
“People, when they’re paying taxes, (they) just want to know what the government is doing,” Wheat said. “We can avoid some of these misunderstandings at times by just explaining what’s really going on rather than leave a vacuum of facts that people want to fill. I want to facilitate the public knowing what’s going on and I want the public to see some of the good work that Boone County does.”
Wheat said his priorities include updating the county’s website, upgrading streaming options for public meetings and creation of a social media presence.
“The goal there is when there’s information that needs to go out — especially important information — (for example) if a road is closed, we need all the outlets we can to get that information out to the public before you get in your car and then
“If we can sit down for 45 minutes and talk about it for the folks that are interested, that’s just another way to get the message out and inform the public and again show that we’re actually doing work,” he said. “We just don’t sit up here and eat your tax dollars. Ultimately, I want to build our information systems so that we can publish stuff better, faster, stronger.”
Wheat also said he will work with all departments and develop relationships with community partners to make sure the public has access to up-to-date information.
Wheat previously served as a member of the Lebanon City Council. The county commissioners approved a services contract with Wheat for the newly created position in February on a part-time basis for $36,000 annually, with a prorated payment of $33,000 for 2025.
DISPATCHES
Gardenfest 2025 — Boone County Master Gardeners will host Gardenfest from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 5 in the Farm Bureau Community Building at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds in Lebanon. Gardenfest highlights include a used tool and garden item sale, free soil testing and guest speakers. Gardenfest is free and open to the public. Learn more at mastergardenersboonecounty.org
IPL, nonprofits to mark KKK trial anniversary — The Indianapolis Public Library and local civic organizations have teamed up to reflect on the 100-year anniversary of the 1925 trial of D.C. Stephenson, a Ku Klux Klan leader convicted of the rape and murder of Indianapolis resident
Madge Oberholtzer. The trial, conducted in Noblesville, marked the decline of the Indiana KKK, which wielded significant political and social power in the 1920s. To view the events schedule, visit indypl.org/ stephenson-trial-anniversary.
Whitestown company named to Best Place to Work list — REGO-Fix USA, a Whitestown-based toolholdings-systems manufacturer, is among 150 companies named to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Best Place to Work in Indiana list for 2025. The top companies were determined through employer reports and comprehensive employee surveys. The winners will be ranked across five size categories during a chamber dinner event April 30.
Lawrence North High School junior Ke’Adriah “Keke” Butler has emerged as one of the top guards in the state this season.
“Keke Butler has been phenomenal for us all season,” Wildcats coach Stephen Thomas said. “I’m blessed to have her again as a senior next season. Her teammates know how to get her in her spots (to score) and she knows how to get her teammates in their spots and they all trust each other. Between Kya Hunt and Butler, I’m biased, but those are the two best in the backcourt in the state. They’ve guarded incredible guards throughout the entire year and they just continue to answer the call.”
Butler scored 20 points and had eight rebounds and two steals in Lawrence North’s 65-59 victory over Warsaw in the IHSAA Class 4A state championship game March 1 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Butler hit all four of her free throws in the final 25 seconds to help seal the victory.
KE’ADRIAH BUTLER
Favorite subject: Algebra
Favorite athlete: Kobe Bryant
Favorite TV show: “Family Guy”
Favorite vacation spot: Florida
“We practice them all week, so I knew there was going to be a time when it was going to be a close game and I was going to have to shoot those,” Butler said. “I tuned out the noise and knocked them down one by one.”
They were needed as Lawrence North (19-8) saw an 18-point lead dwindle to three with 31 seconds left.
“They (Warsaw) were here for a reason,”
Lawrence North junior guard
Ke’Adriah “Keke” Butler was the top scorer for the state championship team. (Photo by Mark Ambrogi)
Butler said. “We don’t think they are going to give up. We had to figure out what we need to do to get together.”
The Wildcats, who beat Class 4A defending state champion Lawrence Central in the sectional final, had eight losses during the regular season against top 20 teams.
“It means a lot because everyone doubted us and didn’t expect us to be here,” Butler said. “Overall, it feels great to know we worked all season for this and now
we’re getting the rewards. We continued to work hard. We didn’t let any comments bother us and no predictions bother us. We continue to stand tall, continue to work together and get the job done.”
Butler led a balanced scoring attack by averaging 13.9 points per game and 46 percent shooting from the field. She averaged 6.4 ppg as a sophomore.
“Everybody has continued to play their role and do what they are good at,” Butler said. “We have good players all the way down the bench and we knew there would be different players in different situations.”
Butler said she made the most improvement getting to her spot on the floor to shoot.
“I didn’t shoot a lot of mid-range shots (previously), but now I can get to the spot,” she said.
Butler has scholarship offers from Indiana State University, Indiana University Indianapolis, Morehead State University and University of Evansville, among others.
To nominate a high school student for Athlete of the Week, contact mark@ youarecurrent.com.
COMMUNITY
The Zionsville Lions Club recently increased its membership by six. The new members are, from left, John Irwin, Jim Paddock, Chuck Wormington, Janice Wormington, Larry Beard and Denise Thornberry. The Zionsville Lions Club membership is 200 — the largest in Indiana. The Lions will host their first spring event — the Eggnormous Egg Hunt — April 19 at the Lions Park in the Village. Learn more at zionsvillelions.com. (Photos courtesy of Zionsville Lions Club)
Phelp’s Creative House, an Indianapolis-based creative content marketing agency, recently joined the Zionsville Lions Club as a Partners in the Park sponsor. Welcoming the new partnership are, from left, Zionsville Lions Club Partner in the Park chair Sue Bowron-White, Joshua Phelps and Maggie Phelps. The Partners in the Park program provides sponsors a chance to display their organization’s name and information for visitors on signage in the 28-acre community park, 11053 Sycamore St. in Zionsville.
DISPATCH
Forsythe appointed DPW director in Whitestown — The Town of Whitestown recently announced the appointment of Jason Forsythe as the new Director of Public Works. Forsythe previously served as street superintendent for the City of Frankfort. Forsythe will oversee a wide range of public works functions, including maintaining public roads, all water infrastructure owned by the town and all wastewater infrastructure within Whitestown.
Tuesdays Starting Feb 25, 2:30-4:30
Psi Iota Xi offers scholarships for Zionsville students
EDUCATION
“It
- Kathy
Zionsville’s chapter of Psi Iota Xi — an Indiana-based philanthropic and cultural sorority that focuses on supporting the community — will award a $1,500 nonrenewable scholarship to a Zionsville Community High School senior planning to pursue a degree in any field of study at a four-year college or university.
Applications can be accessed through the Naviance student portal and will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Academic Achievement, including GPA; grades through the past seven semesters; and works in progress
• Activities, including extracurriculars, community involvement and work experience
• Demonstrated leadership
• A completed essay
Special consideration may be given to applicants planning to major in art, music or speech/hearing development.
The deadline for submission is March 15. Applications should be submitted to Kara Clarke in the ZCHS counseling office.
Psi Iota Xi is a philanthropic sorority focused on art, literature, music, speech and hearing. Members are dedicated to projects that improve their communities. The Zionsville chapter celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024.
Fish Fry Fridays — The Knights of Columbus at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Zionsville hosts Fish Fry Fridays during the Lenten season through April 11. Every Friday in Lent except Good Friday, meals of Alaskan pollock, fries, a decadent brownie and choice of applesauce or coleslaw will be served from 5 to 8 p.m. in the parish hall, 1870 W. Oak St. Lemonade and coffee are included. Premium beer and wine bythe-glass is available for purchase. Meals and a la carte options range from $2 to $14 and children 5 and under eat free. Learn more at zionsvillecatholic.com.
COMMUNITY
Morris named to Marian University leadership
news@youarecurrent.com
Melissa Morris of Zionsville was recently appointed chief human resources officer at Marian University.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Morris has 20 years of leadership experience in human resources. She has held leadership positions at prominent organizations, including staff vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Elevance Health (formerly Anthem); human resources and organizational development director at Ascension St. Vincent Indiana; and senior executive director of human resources at Sanford Health in South Dakota.
“Marian University’s mission deeply resonates with my personal and professional values,” Morris stated. “I am excited to help advance a forward-thinking culture that addresses the evolving challenges in higher education.”
In her role, Morris will focus on implementing a new strategic human resources management plan that aligns with Marian University’s vision to achieve excellence through 2030 and beyond.
“Melissa’s exceptional track record of leadership will continue in the Marian University community as she implements a human resources strategy that sustains and accelerates the exceptional pace of growth that Marian has and will continue to achieve,” Marian University President Daniel J. Elsener stated.
Learn more about Marian University and its leadership at marianuniversity.edu.
DISPATCH
Tax prep assistance — AARP Tax-Aide is offering free tax preparation and electronic filing to low and moderate income taxpayers of all ages at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library branch in Zionsville on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and at the Whitestown branch on Mondays from 9:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m. through April 10. AARP membership is not required for assistance. Appointments are required. Schedule an appointment at 317-873-3149.
Walk-In-Closets
Reach -In- Closets
Garage Cabinets
TALE AS OLD AS TIME
Zionsville West Middle School presents ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
A classic tale of fantasy and romance comes alive at Zionsville West Middle School this week.
The ZWest Drama Club will present “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” in a combined three shows March 14 and 15. The production is a scaled-down version of the Disney musical. The show is the Disney telling of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s original work and tells the tale of a cursed prince and an unexpected love story with his beautiful captive, Belle.
Along the way, the audience is introduced to several characters, including Maurice, Belle’s quirky father who is also an inquisitive inventor; Gaston, the show’s antagonist who tries without success to win Belle’s heart; Lefou, Gaston’s ditzy second-hand man; and Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts, servants in Beast’s castle who have been cursed to live as objects — the candlestick, the clock and the teapot, respectively.
Eighth-grader Avery Benner, 14, plays Belle. She said the students had been lobbying to pick the production for more than a year and said Belle is a character she’s long wanted to bring to life.
“I’m probably most excited just because I’ve always loved ‘Beauty the Beast,’ and Belle has always been a character that I’ve wanted to play,” she said. “Just to see her standing up to Gaston all the time when everybody else loved Gaston, and she was the only one to say no, I don’t want Gaston. And then she goes and falls in love with the Beast.”
Benner said embracing the role has been an exciting challenge.
“It definitely has been hard for me, because Belle is definitely very introverted and I am not, and so it’s been kind of hard,” she said. “I think watching other people acting as Belle — I’ve watched a lot of videos of people on Broadway and I’ve watched different junior versions on YouTube — just watching those have really helped me figure out what my version is and how I want to pursue that.”
Seventh-grader Cole James, 13, plays the Beast. He said he is excited about the challenge of playing a literal beast.
“I like acting,” James said. “I love the musical because my whole family is kind of like a musical family. And I always loved impersonating things from movies and things. It’s very fun because I get to give him a voice. I think it’s always fun how his emotions are changing all the time. He gets angry very easily and he gets sad pretty easily, too.”
Fifth-grade math teacher Jenna MacNulty is the show’s director, and music educator Dylan Lewis is the music director for the production. Both teachers are in their first year at ZWMS. MacNulty said they were excited to take on the musical this year and wanted to bring something exciting to the stage for the students and the audience.
“We were thinking to ourselves when we were picking a show, maybe we should do a smaller scale show so that we’re not over our heads with the musical our first year,” MacNulty said. “But then while we were talking, we thought, ‘We don’t want numbers to drop, and we still want kids to be excited about the musical. We want to get even more people than have done it in the past.’ So, we (decided) we should do a classic that every single person in the school is going to know. They’re going to get excited about it; they’re going to want to audition; they’re going to want to see it; they’re going to want to be a part of that Disney magic that we all grew up with.”
Auditions were held in December 2024 before winter break, and the cast list was
announced and rehearsals began in January. MacNulty said since then, the students have been working hard at rehearsals four times a week after school.
“It’s been a big commitment and all these kids are showing up and putting their best foot forward,” she said. “It’s a lot, but they’re doing a great job.”
MacNulty said the audience will not be disappointed.
“The Disney magic of it all, these kids are bringing it to life,” she said. “It’s not just a junior version of a musical that you’re going to see at a middle school. It is genuinely going to be mind-blowing the things that these kids are putting on stage and all the magic and hard work and dedication behind it. During some of our choreography rehearsals when we see something lock in, we know the audience is going to eat this up and they’re going to love it. They’re going to think that it’s awesome. The intense moments between (Belle and Beast) are just going to be fantastic. It’s the retelling of the story through our own middle school eyes.”
Cast members said the show has something for everyone.
“I definitely think people should come and see it because it’s a good musical for all ages and especially for families,” Benner said. “And I also think that it’s a Disney classic that everybody knows and that everybody enjoys. I think it’s nice to see on stage, and with all the music, there are a lot of ups and downs in the show.
So, there’s obviously the excitement of ‘Be Our Guest’ and then there’s a little bit of sadness in ‘Home.’ There are different emotions throughout the show.”
The ZWMS production of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” includes 63 cast members and 23 students on crew. Cast members include Cole Meyer as Maurice; Trenton Mimms as Gaston; Gavin Tedja as Lefou; Prentice Stovall as Lumiere; Mason Cline as Cogsworth; and Katie Tedja as Mrs. Potts.
“It’s going to be an amazing show and everybody has worked so hard for it,” Benner said. “The dedication of the cast and the crew, what we’ve all put together and the practice that we’ve had, we’ve worked so hard for this. It’s obviously going to be worth coming to see because we’re just all going to have it perfected.”
ON THE COVER: Cast members rehearse a dance sequence in ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’ (Photos by Marney Simon)
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Zionsville West Middle School presents, Beauty and The Beast Jr.
WHEN: March 14, 7 p.m.; March 15, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
TICKETS: All tickets are reserved seating only and are not available at the door. Tickets are $12 for VIP; $10 for premium; and $8 for reserved. Purchase tickets at websites.eventlink.com/s/zwms/Tickets.
More than 63 students make up the cast of ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’ at Zionsville West Middle School. (Photos by Marney Simon)
The Zionsville West Middle School Drama Club presents ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr. March 1415. (Photo by Marney Simon)
VIEWS
READERS’ VIEWS
Zionsville should remain smoke-free
Editor,
As Zionsville residents, we are deeply saddened to learn that council members are considering an ordinance that would weaken our current smoke-free law. Smoke-free laws make our community cleaner, safer and healthier, so why would we want to weaken our law?
The city is considering an ordinance to allow bars and restaurants to create private cigar smoking areas. We all know there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke travels through doorways, cracks in walls, ventilation systems, etc.
Everyone has the right to breathe clean, smoke-free air, regardless of where they live, work or play.
There is crystal-clear proof that exposure to secondhand smoke is harmful to a person’s health. As people who both lost their first spouses to cancer, we want to support any effort that will help reduce the number of cancer cases in our community. We are calling on the council members to prioritize the health of Zionsville town residents and vote no on this ordinance.
Dr. Douglas K. Kelsey and Karen L. Kelsey, Zionsville
America is in crisis
Editor,
As an elder, I’ve lived through many political crises in this country — but I have never seen an attack on our democracy like this.
In the past, there was bipartisan opposition to lawlessness. Today, the guardrails are being dismantled before our eyes, and we must sound the alarm.
Ray Michel, Zionsville
Whitestown Town Council needs to be transparent
Editor,
What’s up with the Whitestown Town Council?
At the December meeting, they renewed their contract with the town attorney from Taft Stettinius & Hollister. Never mind that two of the council members had grave concerns about the quality of legal representation in 2024. Also never mind that the Redevelopment Commission had in November 2024 fired Taft and rehired prior counsel. At the same December meeting, multiple town employees and department directors complained about late and missed payments by the clerk-treasurer that were affecting their ability to do their jobs. That led to a special workshop meeting with employees in mid-January, when the clerk and the council acted like it was all the fault of the employees and their pro-
cesses needed to change. No talk of how the clerk-treasurer’s office would address chronic late payments.
Then came the revelation in early February that the clerk-treasurer had missed the payment on employees’ dental insurance, resulting in multiple instances of employees or their dependents having dental claims denied. Meanwhile, the majority of the council has no clue why people are getting upset.
Oh, and at that December meeting?
Three of the five councilors voted to more than double their own salaries, ostensibly because they’ve been doing such a great job. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to elect so many complete newbies to the Whitestown Town Council, after all.
Ken Kingshill, Whitestown
“Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to elect so many complete newbies to the Whitestown Town Council.”
- KEN KINGSHILL
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Comedian Shillue benefits from popularity of ‘Gutfeld!’ show
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Tom Shillue understands his good fortune of being a regular on a hit late night show.
Shillue, who appears on “Gutfeld!” on FOX News, will be a special guest on ‘Gutfeld Live ’25’ at 7 p.m. March 15 at the Fishers Event Center. Shillue and fellow comedian Jamie Lissow, a frequent “Gutfeld!” guest, will start the two-hour show with their stand-up routines.
Political satirist Greg Gutfeld, who also is a co-host of “The Five” on FOX News, then joins Shillue on stage.
Shillue, 58, has been in the comedy business since 1991.
“It took me about a decade to get going,” he said. “I did my first TV appearance on Conan O’Brien in 1999. I did a Comedy Central special in 2003.”
Shillue also appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and then “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“I was also working on Comedy Central (on ‘The Daily Show’) but it didn’t really translate to selling that many (stand-up comedy) tickets, but when I started doing ‘Red Eye’ with Greg, I started getting fans out to the club, who were fans of ‘Red Eye,’” he said. “When I took over ‘Red Eye,’ that was fantastic for the audience, but nothing compares to what ‘Gutfeld!’ has become in the last 18 months or so. I go out to clubs and I sell out and it’s really remarkable. The ‘Gutfeld!’ audience is very loyal.”
Shillue performs on average one weekend a month with solo shows and another weekend with Gutfeld.
“It’s basically a Q&A, but I’m the emcee,” Shillue said. “I’m not as much asking Greg questions as I am guiding him through a series of slides of different things, his colleagues at Fox, his dog. We kind of talk about them in a funny way. It’s personal stories and political stuff, too. He runs through different politicians.
We basically talk about whatever is going on in the world today. Greg likes to keep it loose. It’s the opposite of me with my stand-up. I write it ahead of time and I come out and deliver the jokes and Greg comes out and I have to roll with the punches.”
Shillue keeps his performance schedule light.
“If I’m out there two weekends a month, that is enough for me because I have the Fox News gig,” he said. “Jamie does an amazing number of dates. He’s on the ‘Gutfeld!” show and then he’s out doing the clubs because he makes his living doing the clubs. Since I’m on Fox with Greg all week, I don’t need to be a road warrior.”
Shillue previously did a show three hours a day on Fox News radio for two years. He now regularly appears as a guest or co-host on Fox News radio shows.
‘JERSEY BOYS’
“Jersey Boys” runs through April 13 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. For more, visit beefandboards.com.
CIVIC THEATRE
Comedian
Tom Shillue will be a special guest on ‘Gutfeld Live ’25’ at 7 p.m. March 15 at the Fishers Event Center. (Photo courtesy of Fishers Event Center)
“They keep (me) busy,” he said. “They always find me stuff to do at Fox.”
Shillue said his Joe Biden imitation was in frequent demand on “Gutfeld!” the past several years.
But Shillue said live performing is his first love, especially stand-up routines.
“I’m a storyteller,” he said. “I tell longform stories (on solo shows) about my family.”
Shillue no longer does commercials, but still does voiceovers. He wrote a book called “Mean Dads for a Better America,” in which he discusses his childhood, his family and the traditional values he embraces.
“It’s a memoir about growing up in the ’70s in a conservative Irish Catholic town,” said Shillue, who grew up in Norwood, Mass. “It’s funny stories about growing up.”
For more, visit tomshillue.com. For tickets, visit fishersevencenter.com.
Civic Theatre presents “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” from March 14 to 29 at The Tarkington at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit civictheatre.org.
FEINSTEIN’S CABARET
Kevin Cole’s “Have Fingers — Will Travel: My Unbelievable Songbook Journey” is set for March 14, followed by “Dueling Pianos” March 15 at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. Both performances are at 7:30 p.m. For more, visit feinsteinshc.com.
COMEDY AT THE CAT
St. Pat’s Comedy at The Cat, featuring Dave Dugan, is set for 7:30 p.m. March 14-15 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel. For more, visit thecat.biz.
HANK RUFF AND THE HELLBENDERS
Hank Ruff and the Hellbenders will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 11 in the Live at the Center series at The Tarkington at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Tickets are $10 in person or register for a free livestream at thecenterpresents.org.
‘APPALACHIAN SPRING’
Carmel Symphony Orchestra will present “Appalachian Spring” at 7 p.m. March 16 at the Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit carmelsymphony.org.
DISPATCH
ATI Lab Series reading set — Actors Theatre of Indiana’s Lab Series returns with “Kannon Gets the Wiggles” at 2 p.m. March 15 at the Carmel Clay Public Library. The show is by Gavin Thomas Drew and Chapman Shields. The music is by Rolin Mains and the lyrics are by Drew and Mains. The show is adapted from the book “Sometimes I Get the Wiggles” by Andee Cooper. For more, visit atistage.org.
Indianapolis Opera celebrates 50th anniversary with gala
By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com
Indianapolis Opera CEO David Starkey jokes that it’s taken 50 years for the organization to plan its 50th anniversary — but such a celebration does take a lot of careful planning, especially in the opera world, where everything is grand and extravagant.
MUSIC
This year’s anniversary season was designed to honor the Indianapolis Opera’s longtime supporters and alumni.
“Those 50 years are all built upon legacy families and there are many of them … that have been around from almost the very beginning,” Starkey said. “And then, as the opera company grew over Its years, it engaged, it hired, it promoted young and established singers that basically created their careers here in Indianapolis and went on to sing literally all over the world … that sung in the major opera houses of Europe and the United States — the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera, Chicago, San Francisco.”
Many of those alumni will return for the Indianapolis Opera’s March 22 gala performance, set for 7:30 p.m. at the Hilbert Circle Theater, 45 Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. The gala also will feature the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Starkey said it’s been about two decades since the two organizations partnered on an artistic project.
Indianapolis Opera’s Principal Conductor Alfred Savia will conduct the gala performance. He previously worked with the Indianapolis Symphony and regularly returns as a guest conductor for symphony performances.
“He’s leading up an extravagant array — we’re going to have 15 singers from all over the world that have come up through this opera company (performing) with the Indianapolis symphony, with our opera chorus of nearly 50, in the Hilbert Circle theater, and singing an extravagant gala of opera’s most popular and illustrious selections in a grand and extravagant way,” Starkey said. “This is bigger than any kind of opera concert the city (has) ever had.”
Some of the arias concert attendees will hear include the famous duet from Puccini’s “Tosca,” performed by Angela Brown and Jim Cornelison; selections from Pucci-
ni’s “Madame Butterfly;” and pieces from Wagner’s “Die Walküre.”
“We’re going to have five tenors sing an original version of ‘Nessun dorma,’ the famous tenor aria that was made famous by Luciano Pavarotti,” Starkey said. “You know, there used to be the famous Three Tenors, (Plácido) Domingo, (José) Carreras and Pavarotti? Well, we’re going to up it to five tenors.”
“Nessun dorma” is from Puccini’s opera “Turandot.”
Starkey said he’s humbled by the number of former Indianapolis Opera singers who were willing to return for the gala.
“I had no idea who could say yes and almost every single person has said yes in some form of fashion… that we invited because they were over the moon to come back and celebrate the company that established their career,” he said, adding that longtime former IO Artistic Director Jim Caraher was returning to the podium for the gala. “They’re coming back to celebrate him, too — that’s been a big part of the response, and he deserves it in a massive way.”
The lineup of performers can be viewed online at indyopera.org/50th-anniversarygala-cast.
Audience members can choose to attend just the performance, but organizers also have planned a gala dinner preceding the concert at the neighboring Columbia Club. Tickets for the dinner include premium seats at the concert, valet parking and a post-concert reception drink. Starkey said the dinner will honor many of the IO’s longtime supporters, including some that have been with the organization since its first decade.
For more, visit indyopera.org/50thgala concert.
The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
Soprano Angela Brown in a 2009 production of “Ariadne.” (Photo courtesy of Denis Ryan Kelly, Jr.)
Pianist to share stories, music
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Kevin Cole has worked with many of the greatest songwriters in Great American Songbook history.
CONCERT
So, it’s fitting he will share those stories at Feinstein’s cabaret at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. Feinstein is the founder of the Great American Songbook Foundation.
The seven songwriters are George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, Hugh Martin and Marvin Hamlisch.
Harburg wrote the lyrics to many standards as well as all the songs for the film “The Wizard of Oz,” including “Over the Rainbow.”
“Kevin Cole: Have Fingers — Will Travel” is set for 7:30 p.m. March 14. It is part of the Don Farrell Presents shows at Feinstein’s. Cole had worked with Actors Theatre of Indiana co-founder Farrell on “Forever Plaid” and participated in the ATI Lab Series reading of “Mr. Confidential” in 2022.
Cole and Harburg collaborated on a song that was intended for Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Harburg died in 1981, and the song never got to either Sinatra or Bennett. Farrell will sing it in the show.
“I was only 18 when I wrote the music,” Cole said. “I’ve sang it in my solo shows, but it will be nice to hear someone else sing it.”
“I had the experience of working with the great songwriters from a very early age,” Cole said. “As I tell the story of each one of the seven songwriters that have influenced my life or career, I play something that either I played for them or collaborated with them, so it’s all integrated together the story and music.”
For more, visit kevincolemusic.com. For tickets, visit feinsteinshc.com. Cole
The only one of the songwriters that Cole, 66, didn’t meet was Gershwin, who died in 1937. However, when Gershwin scholar Edward Jablonski heard Cole play at age 15, he told Cole he played like Gershwin. Jablonski and Cole are both from Bay City, Mich.
LIFESTYLE
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