KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
USICAL PAGE TO STAGE M
JOE DiPIETRO MUSIC AND LYRICS BY DAVID BRYAN DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY BOOK AND LYRICS BY
Lead Sponsor
Co-Sponsors
Margaret & Anthony Acampora
MAY 13 – JUNE 15
BEFORE YOU GO
KNOW
We look forward to seeing you at La Jolla Playhouse at your upcoming performance of Chasing the Song. Below is some additional information about the production and the venue to enhance your theater-going experience. Parking Parking is free for all subscribers. For all others parking is $2 (subject to change), Mon-Fri. Upon arrival to campus, please purchase your parking permit from one of the automated pay stations located next to the information kiosk. Simply park, note your space number, and pay $2 at the pay station. Pay stations accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express or cash ($1 and $5), and do not give change. You will not need to return to your car. Parking is free on the weekends. Audience Engagement Events The Playhouse offers unique opportunities for audience members to delve deeper into the play with these special performance series options: Free Discussion with David Bryan and Christopher Ashley: Artistic Director Christopher Ashley will moderate this exciting evening with legendary composer and Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan, who will discuss his work on the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis and Chasing the Song. - Monday, May 12 at 7:00 pm Talkback Tuesdays: Participate in a lively discussion with actors and Playhouse staff members after the performance. - Tuesday, May 27 following the 7:30 pm performance - Tuesday, June 3 following the 7:30 pm performance Discovery Sunday: Explore the themes of the production with special guest speakers. - Sunday, June 8 following the 2:00 pm performance Insider Events: Join Playhouse staff for a special pre-performance presentation that gives an insider’s view of the play. - Wednesday, June 11 at 6:30 pm - Saturday, June 14 at 1:00 pm Foodie Friday: Buy a ticket to Chasing the Song and enjoy San Diego’s finest food trucks, plus a complimentary microbrew tasting from Stone Brewing Company. - Friday, June 13 starting at 6:00 pm
ACCESS PERFORMANCES ACCESS Performance: During this performance, La Jolla Playhouse provides American Sign Language interpretation and audio description. - Saturday, May 31 at 2:00 pm Additional ASL Interpreted Performance: - Friday, June 13 at 8:00 pm. Foodie Friday starts at 6:00pm! Open Captioned Performance:This performance has added open captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. - Sunday, May 25 at 2:00 pm Accessibility A golf cart is available to assist patrons with accessibility issues to and from the parking lot. Please notify the Box Office prior to your performance if you are in need of this service; additionally, you may pull into the five minute parking in front of the theatre, and a friendly La Jolla Playhouse greeter will assist you. Dining La Jolla Playhouse is pleased to announce that James’ Place will be the Theatre District’s new on-site restaurant, beginning service soon!
Developed by renowned Sushi Master James Holder, the menu will include his signature sushi, as well as delectable dishes created with Prime and Angus cuts of beef, locally and sustainably harvested seafood, along with seasonal dishes. A lighter fare menu will also be served at the newly-redesigned sushi/cocktail bar, featuring craft beer and California wines. Please contact La Jolla Playhouse Patron Services at (858) 550-1010 for more information.
We also recommend the following nearby restaurants: Dolce Pane e Vino 16081 San Dieguito Road Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 dolcepaneevino.com
Pamplemousse Grille 514 Via de la Valle, Suite 100 Solana Beach, CA 92075 pgrille.com
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 8970 University Center Lane San Diego, CA 92122 flemingssteakhouse.com
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive La Jolla, CA 92037 rockbottom.com
Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering 700 Prospect Street San Diego, CA 92037 giuseppecatering.com
Roppongi Restaurant & Sushi Bar 875 Prospect Street La Jolla, CA 92037 roppongiusa.com
MISSION: La Jolla Playhouse advances theatre as an art form and as a vital social, moral and political platform by providing unfettered creative opportunities for the leading artists of today and tomorrow. With our youthful spirit and eclectic, artist-driven approach, we will continue to cultivate a local and national following with an insatiable appetite for audacious and diverse work. In the future, San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse will be considered singularly indispensable to the worldwide theatre landscape, as we become a permanent safe harbor for the unsafe and surprising. The day will come when it will be essential to enter the La Jolla Playhouse village in order to get a glimpse of what is about to happen in American theatre.
La Jolla Playhouse has received La Jolla Playhouse has received the the highest rating from Charity highest rating from Charity Navigator, Navigator, the nation’s premier the nation’s premier charity evaluator. charity evaluator. P4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe
CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
OUR MISSION
A MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR What a pleasure it is to have the Chasing the Song creative team back at La Jolla Playhouse. Our first pass at the show in January 2013, as part of the Playhouse’s inaugural DNA New Play Festival, capped at two weeks of rehearsals with two presentations for our audiences – their response was electric. I felt the show had “good bones” and that during the DNA process the creative team (the same team that created Memphis at the Playhouse in 2008) had arrived at a new level of shared trust and common vocabulary. Chasing the Song was ready to go to next stage of development as a Page To Stage production at the Playhouse. There’s a natural progression from Memphis to Chasing the Song beyond the proximity of their time periods. Memphis dealt with the issue of race and its impact on relationships and the rock and roll music in the American south in the 1950s. Chasing the Song lands us in New York City’s Brill Building and portrays how the music industry in the 1960s lived side by side with world-changing events. The civil rights and women’s movements were rapidly accelerating, as was the threat of war with a rival superpower on an island just off our shores, and a more prolonged and painful one was brewing in Southeast Asia. Chasing the Song opens a portal to that time and allows us to imagine how rock and roll songwriters, working for a woman publisher/producer in a male-dominated business, rode the wave of change happening all around them. The Chasing the Song team came together again in early April with an amazing multi-talented company of actors, dancers and musicians whose energy and commitment have galvanized the show. These artists bring alive the story of songwriters with the killer drive to make music that came from the depth of their souls. Now, together with you as an invaluable participant in the Page To Stage process, we’re taking the show on the next step of its journey. The Playhouse is once again giving life to new a musical for the American theatre with a great story to tell.
PATRON SERVICES PATRON SERVICES is located in the lobby area of each theatre. A representative is available to answer questions and hand out assisted listening devices, restaurant guides, performance schedules and subscription information. BARS AND CONCESSIONS are open one hour prior to curtain and during intermissions. To avoid the rush, intermission beverages can be ordered before the show. CAMERAS AND RECORDING DEVICES are strictly
in the theatre. Please check these items with the P5 prohibited PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe House Manager and turn off your camera phone.
PARKING is free for subscribers; $2 for the general public on weekdays (free on weekends). Upon arrival to campus, please enter your parking space number and pay the automated paystations located in the parking lot. Spaces that are not paid for are subject to ticketing by UC San Diego Campus Police. BABES IN ARMS Out of respect for fellow audience members and the performers, babes in arms are not permitted in the theatre during performances.
THEATRE TOURS Tour the stages and production shops of the Playhouse facilities and learn more about the history of La Jolla Playhouse and the role that it plays in the community. Contact (858) 550-1070 x101. ACCESSIBILITY
La Jolla Playhouse provides wheelchair-accessible seating and parking. Wheelchair seat locations are available for wheelchair users and a companion at all performances; be sure to advise the reservationist that you require a wheelchair location. Additionally, a golf cart is available to assist patrons with accessibility needs to and from the parking lot. Please notify Patron Services prior to your performance if you are in need of this service; additionally, you may pull into the five minute parking in front of the theatre, and a friendly La Jolla Playhouse greeter will assist you.The Playhouse also provides assisted listening devices for patrons who are hard of hearing. Devices are available, free of charge, at the Patron Services Center prior to performances (subject to availability). Listening Devices Provided in Part by
PLEASE SILENCE all electronic devices including cellular phones, watches and pagers before the performance. Safety in the Theatre District La Jolla Playhouse is constantly working with the UC San Diego Police Department and UC San Diego Transportation and Parking Services, which operates the parking lot and security system, to maintain and improve security conditions for patrons and staff members. Additionally, patrons and staff are welcome to use UC San Diego Community Service Officers (CSOs) for an escort to their cars by calling (858) 534-WALK (9255). Further questions regarding security may be addressed to UC San Diego Police at (858) 534-HELP (4357). DOCTORS AND PARENTS expecting calls during the performance should leave their names and seat numbers with the House Manager before the show. Leave the following number with your service: (858) 550-1030. LATECOMERS or PATRONS WHO LEAVE THEIR SEAT DURING THE PERFORMANCE will be admitted to the standing room section of the theatre at the discretion of the House Manager. They may take their assigned seats at intermission. La Jolla Playhouse accepts no responsibility for inconvenience to latecomers.
LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE presents Michael S. Rosenberg Managing Director
Christopher Ashley Artistic Director
SICAL PAGE TO STAGE MU
BOOK AND LYRICS BY
Joe DiPietro
MUSIC and lyrics BY
David Bryan
CHOREOGRAPHED BY
Sergio Trujillo DIRECTED BY
Christopher Ashley Featuring
Stephen Lee Anderson*, Nick Blaemire*, Kim Yu Blanck‡, Hannah Corrigan ‡, Patrick Dillon Curry*, Tesiana Elie ‡, Zach Fineblum*, Sidney Franklin*, Julie Johnson*, Jay Klaitz*, Morgan Marcell*, DeQuina Moore*, Ben Moss*, Marco Ramos, Jeremy Sevelovitz, Chloe Tucker*, Jim Walton*, Jake Weinstein*, Jonny Wexler* Music Supervision/Arrangements Music Director/Conductor Scenic Design Costume Design Lighting Design Sound Design Dance Arranger Dramaturg Associate Choreographer Hair and Wig Design Dialect Coach Casting Production Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Producing Director Production Manager
Lynne Shankel Michael Gacetta Robert Brill Paul Tazewell Howell Binkley Steve Canyon Kennedy James Abbott Shirley Fishman Edgar Godineaux Charles G. LaPointe Eva Barnes Telsey + Company, Rachel Hoffman, CSA Arturo E. Porazzi* Brandon Kahn* Dana I. Harrel Linda S. Cooper
THE CAST (in alphabetical order) Stephen Lee Anderson....................................................................................................... Oliver Nick Blaemire....................................................................................................................... Jesse Kim Yu Blanck..................................................................................................................... Doreen Hannah Corrigan................................................................................................................... Satin Patrick Dillon Curry........................................................................................... Bernie and others Zach Fineblum.................................................................................................Leonard and others Sidney Franklin............................................................................................................... Ensemble Julie Johnson..........................................................................................................................Edie Jay Klaitz................................................................................................................Fatman Freddie Morgan Marcell..................................................................................... Frances Eden and others DeQuina Moore....................................................................................................................Cheryl Ben Moss................................................................................................................ Sol and others Marco Ramos.......................................................................................... Beat Brother and others Jeremy Sevelovitz............................................................................................ Manny and others Chloe Tucker..........................................................................................................................Ginny Jim Walton.............................................................................................................................. Stan Jake Weinstein................................................................................................... Beats and others Jonny Wexler............................................................... Frankie Fontana, Beat Brother and others Tesiana Elie...........................................................................................Understudy: Doreen/Satin
Setting An office in the Brill Building, New York City Time: Spring 1963 - Spring 1964 Chasing the Song is performed with a 15-minute intermission.
Dance Captain................................................................................................................................................Morgan Marcell Associate Lighting Designer............................................................................................................................. Amanda Zieve Associate Sound Designer.............................................................................................................................Walter Trarbach Assistant Lighting Designer...................................................................................................................Rebecca Bonebrake Directing Assistant.......................................................................................................................................... Michael Moran ‡ Scenic Design Assistant.....................................................................................................................................Andrea Healy ‡ Costume Design Assistant...................................................................................................................................Janet O’Neill ‡ Stage Management Assistant............................................................................................................................Sarah E. Dion ‡ Production Assistant.............................................................................................................................Cheng-Yu (Miso) Wei
* Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage
Managers in the United States. The theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association.
La Jolla Playhouse is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for the nonprofit professional theatre.
This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union.
All musicians are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.
‡ UC San Diego M.F.A. Candidates in residence at La Jolla Playhouse.
MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT ONE
ACT TWO
Alive.............................................................................. Edie, Company
American Sound................................................ Edie, Ginny, Company
Better than All the Boys...........................................Edie, Songwriters
In My Eyes........................................................................... Oliver, Trio
The Boy in the High School Band....................................Jesse, Ginny
The Whole World.....................................................................Leonard
Rock ‘n’ Roll Bikini............................................Fatman Freddie, Jesse
Desert Rose..................................................................... Jesse, Ginny
I Fell in Love with the Boy....................................Ginny, Frances Eden
23 Miles to Empty............................... Cheryl, Freddie, Satin, Doreen
All for a Song..................................................................................Edie
When Your Baby’s Gone................................................................ Stan
The Love Song of the Back-Up Singer...............Cheryl, Satin, Doreen
The Rhythm Is Everything.................... Leonard, Freddie, Songwriters
Rhythm of My Broken Heart.......................... Ginny, Frances, Dancers
Rise...........................................................................Edie, Songwriters
Always Doesn’t Mean Forever..................Ginny, Jesse, Beat Brother
Come Back When You’re a Man........................................ Edie, Ginny
The Me in You.........................................................Edie, Ginny, Jesse
On and On..................................................................... Edie, Company
I Am Music................................................................Edie, Songwriters
MUSICIANS Music Director/Conductor/Keyboard ................................................................................................................................... Michael Gacetta Alto, Tenor Saxes/Clarinet/Flute.............................................................................................................................................. John Rekevics Tenor, Baritone Saxes/Flute........................................................................................................................................................David Burnett Trumpet..................................................................................................................................................................................... Andrew Elstob Electric, Acoustic Guitars............................................................................................................................................................Mark Shapiro Electric, Acoustic Basses........................................................................................................................................................Michael Pearce Drums/Percussion.......................................................................................................................................................................Frank Pagano Contractor.....................................................................................................................................................................................Lorin Getline Rehearsal Drums.........................................................................................................................................................................Frank Pagano
Acknowledgements Special thanks to the following for their support of this production: Sharp Business Systems Additional lighting equipment provided by Christie Lites • Additional sound equipment provided by Sound Associates SIR • Freedom Guitar • Production Transport
SUBSCRIBE NOW! LaJollaPlayhouse.org
JAMES FENTON CAREY PERLOFF FEATURING BD WONG NEW ADAPTATION BY
JOE DiPIETRO MUSIC AND LYRICS BY DAVID BRYAN DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY
DIRECTED BY
BOOK AND LYRICS BY
A CO-PRODUCTION WITH AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATRE
A PAGE TO STAGE MUSICAL
BY
ELIZABETH EGLOFF MICHAEL WILSON
DIRECTED BY
A CO-PRODUCTION WITH HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY AND HARTFORD STAGE
MAY 13 - JUNE 15
JULY 8 - AUGUST 3
JULY 13 - AUGUST 10
A NEW MUSICAL FROM THE CREATORS OF THE TONY AWARD-WINNING MEMPHIS
FEATURING BD WONG IN A SWEEPING EPIC
THE DISCOVERY THAT BROUGHT MEDICINE OUT OF THE DARK AGES
WITHOUT WALLS
All performances take place at SILO in Makers Quarter, 753 15th Street, East Village, San Diego
La Jolla Playhouse in association with San Diego REPertory Theatre presents a Without Walls production
ALAN MENKEN STEPHEN SCHWARTZ BOOK BY PETER PARNELL DIRECTED BY SCOTT SCHWARTZ MUSIC BY LYRICS BY
BY
SHERI WILNER JACKSON GAY
DIRECTED BY
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY VICTOR HUGO PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS.
BY
HERBERT SIGUENZA SAM WOODHOUSE
DIRECTED BY
ALL TICKETS $25
SEPTEMBER 4 - OCTOBER 5
OCTOBER 26 - DECEMBER 7
JUNE 14 – JUNE 29
A 20TH CENTURY CLASSIC INCITES A 21ST CENTURY SHOWDOWN
A NEW MUSICAL FEATURING AN OSCARNOMINATED SCORE
SHAKESPEARE MEETS MAD MAX IN A WORLD PREMIERE ADAPTATION OF HENRY IV, PART 1
THE COMPANY Stephen Lee Anderson, Oliver La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Theatre: Richard III (Old Vic, London) and BAM with the Bridge Project (Dir: Sam Mendes). Broadway: 10 productions, including Spider-Man, Julius Caesar, Wicked, The Crucible, Footloose, The Capeman and The Kentucky Cycle. Off-Broadway credits include Violet, Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons) and productions at Atlantic Theatre Company, Vineyard Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Company. Regional: Huntington Theatre (IRNE Award, Best Supporting Actor), Signature Theatre, Long Wharf, Kennedy Center, Denver Center (seven seasons). Film/TV: The Treatment, Orange Is the New Black, Those Who Kill, Unforgettable, Law & Order and Autopsy V (HBO). Nick Blaemire, Jesse La Jolla Playhouse: Cry-Baby. Broadway: Godspell, Cry-Baby and Glory Days (music and lyrics). National Tour: Altar Boyz (1st National). Off-Broadway: Dogfight (world premiere), The Black Suits, Departure Lounge (SPF @ The Public). Regional: James Lapine’s Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing (Vineyard Playhouse); The Last Goodbye (Williamstown); Bring It On (Alliance); Lil’s 90th (Long Wharf). Film/TV: Recurring roles on Crossbones (NBC), Believe (NBC), The Big C (Showtime) and Whit Stillman’s Damsels in Distress. Education: B.F.A. in Musical Theater from University of Michigan. Kim Yu Blanck, Doreen La Jolla Playhouse: Cornerstone (Without Walls Festival). UC San Diego credits include A Doll House, Drums in the Night and Titus Andronicus. New York theatre: Folk Wandering, The Most Inspiring and Magnificent Tale of Alfridge von Waddlegrave (both at Ars Nova’s ANT Fest); First Ladies Project (East 4th Street Theater); Ex Machina (FringeNYC). Company member of Political Subversities. Education: B.F.A. from NYU, M.F.A. candidate in Acting at UC San Diego. For Mom, Dad and SZB.
Zach Fineblum, Leonard and others La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. NYC: Carlo in Infallibility (Theater for the New City). Regional: Young Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (Guthrie Theater); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It (Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey); Pericles, Much Ado About Nothing (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival). Education: University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program. Lots of love and gratitude to Mom, Dad, Max, Louie and Rachel! Sidney Franklin, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: The Car Plays and Our Town (Without Walls Festival). Regional: Torch Song Trilogy (Diversionary Theatre); Family Table, Welcome to Me and Mine, Lifted (Playwrights Project); White Christmas (San Diego Musical Theatre). His screen credits include a lead role on a Lifetime movie and several co-starring roles on MTV, FX, CBS and ABC. Mr. Franklin is a member of the California Rhythm Tap Company. Julie Johnson, Edie La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Candide. National Tour: Memphis. Off-Broadway: Das Barbecü (Drama Desk Award nomination, Theatre World Award), Roadside and The Rink. Regional: A Funny Thing...Forum (Shakespeare Theatre Co.); Cabaret (Dallas Theater Center); Ragtime (Lyric Theater of OKC); Hello Dolly! (Lyric Stage, Irving); The Best Little Whorehouse... (Bass Hall); Paper Moon (Goodspeed). Carnegie Hall with New York Pops. Voice of Baby Bop on Barney and Friends series. Film: Pure Country and The Apostle. Education: B.F.A. Austin College.
Hannah Corrigan, Satin La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. UC San Diego: Grapes of Wrath, Little Children Dream of God and She Stoops to Conquer. New York: Nick Jones’ The Wundelsteipen (The Flea); Karen O’s Stop the Virgens (dir. by Adam Rapp at St. Ann’s Warehouse); Show Choir! (NYMF). Education: B.A. from Yale University and M.F.A. in Acting from UC San Diego. Love to Mom and Dad.
Jay Klaitz, Fatman Freddie La Jolla Playhouse: DNA New Work Series presentation of Chasing the Song. Mr. Klaitz received his M.F.A. from The Institute for Advanced Theatrical Study at Harvard University & The American Repertory Theater. Broadway credits include: High Fidelity (dir: Walter Bobby), Lend Me a Tenor (dir. Stanley Tucci) and Rock of Ages (dir. Kristen Hanggi). Film credits include: The History of Future Folk (The Friars Club Grand Jury winner ‘13), Frozen River (Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Winner ‘08) and Super Powers (Tribeca Film Festival Best Short ’07). TV guest appearance credits include: Rescue Me, Law & Order: CI, Body of Proof, I Just Want My Pants Back and Elementary. For you, CNM.
Patrick Dillon Curry, Bernie and others La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Ambrose Kemper in Hello Dolly! with Rachel York (Reagle Theatre, Boston); premieres of Linthead (Santa Monica Playhouse); David Misch’s Occupied (Skylight Theatre, Beverly Hills); Upstairs with Varla Jean Merman (Café Istanbul, New Orleans); Battledrum (Sierra Madre Playhouse); Tsarina (Grove Theatre). Film: The Shift with Danny Glover. Thanks to my wonderful friends and family for believing in me, and to Carnegie Mellon School of Drama faculty for a great education. patrickdilloncurry.com
Morgan Marcell, Frances Eden and others; Dance Captain La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. National Tours: In the Heights (Dance Captain, Carla u/s), second national tour of In the Heights (Associate Choreographer/Supervisor). Regional: Mary Warren in The Crucible (Antaeus); All Shook Up (MTW); When You Wish (Freud UCLA); Nora in Brighton Beach Memoirs (Moonlight); Associate Choreographer for High School Musical (Starlight). TV/Film: Life as a Song (CBS Pilot), Tulips (AFI), series regular in Nadafux (NYFA), Disney Promos, Narration for Legoland. Education: Dean’s Scholar, Boston University.
Tesiana Elie, Understudy: Doreen/Satin La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Ms. Elie is a second year M.F.A. student. UC San Diego credits: She Stoops to Conquer, Drum in the Night, Hamelin, Tonight We Improvise and In the Red and Brown Water. Recent credits: Yellowman (Alma), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey II), Big River (Alice’s Daughter) and Chicago (Mona Lipshitz). She also just concluded a showing of an original one-woman cabaret piece called Is Your Perception My Reality: or the pieces of me.
DeQuina Moore, Cheryl Broadway: Legally Blonde (Pilar), Little Shop of Horrors (Chiffon), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Sylvia u/s), Happy Days (Lola), Hair (AFC). First National Tour: Flashdance (Kiki), Madea’s Big Happy Family (Rose). Film: Joyful Noise (Devonne), Madea’s Big Happy Family, Ghost Town, Rachel Getting Married and Camp. TV: Law & Order: SVU, Racing for Time, Third Watch (recurring), All Falls Down. B.F.A. NYU/CAP21. Thanks be to God! Love to Mom, Dad, Eron, family and friends!
THE COMPANY Ben Moss, Sol and others La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. National Tour: Spring Awakening. Off-Broadway: Arlington (Vineyard Theatre); Bunked! (NY International Fringe Festival). Regional: Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Various workshops, commercials and film. Education: B.A. from Harvard University. Mr. Moss is represented by CESD and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Follow him on Twitter @BenKMoss! Marco Ramos, Beat Brother and others is excited to be making his La Jolla Playhouse debut. Regional credits: Inappropriate (Odyssey Theater); A Chorus Line (Musical Theater West); Rent (UCLA). Education: B.A. in Theater from UCLA. Much love to his girls at BBR, Kevin and his family for their love and support on his artistic journey. Jeremy Sevelovitz, Manny and others La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. National Tour: We the People (TheatreWorks USA). Regional credits include: Johnny Giovanni in Hello! My Baby (Goodspeed); Jason in Ring of Fire (Seven Angels); Old Clifford/Clarence in War of the Roses [Henry VI: Parts 2 & 3] (Royalty Free Theater @ Irondale). Education: B.F.A. in Musical Theatre, The Hartt School. Jeremy is thrilled to be part of Chasing the Song! Thank you Mom, Dad & Julie for your support & About Artists Agency for the gig! jeremysevelovitz.com Chloe Tucker, Ginny is thrilled to be making her La Jolla Playhouse debut! National Tours: Mamma Mia! (Sophie). Attended The Boston Conservatory and the Hamilton Academy of Music in Los Angeles. Love and thanks to Steven, Mark, Rich, Diane, John, Mom and Dad. Jim Walton, Stan La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Merrily We Roll Along, 42nd Street, Sweeney Todd, The Music Man and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Off-Broadway: And the World Goes ‘Round and Closer Than Ever. On PBS: Crazy for You, Sondheim! The Birthday Concert and Company. midlifethecrisismusical.com Jake Weinstein, Beats and others La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. National Tour: A Chorus Line. Off-Broadway: Peter and the Wolf (Lincoln Center); Angelina Ballerina. Regional: A Chorus Line (PCLO); White Christmas (Arkansas Rep). Founder and Artistic Director of True North Theatre Lab. Graduate of NYU Gallatin studying Musical Theatre Performance, Writing and Producing. Special thanks to Craig and Avalon, Telsey + Co, the incredible cast and creative team, and my amazing friends and family. jakeweinstein.com Jonny Wexler, Frankie Fontana, Beat Brother and others is so excited and grateful to be back at the Playhouse. La Jolla Playhouse: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Chasing the Song (DNA New Work Series). Selected theatre credits: Peter Pan (Drayton Entertainment); High School Musical (Neptune); It’s a Wonderful Life (Grand Theatre); The Music Man (Stratford Festival). Selected Film/TV: The Doodlebops (Disney, CBS, 600+ live shows worldwide), Brady, Awakened and The Plan. Thanks to Christopher, Dana, Sergio, my team in LA, my friends and family, and my little babe! jonnywexler.com
Joe DiPietro, Book Writer and Lyricist won two Tony Awards for co-writing Memphis, which won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical. He won the Drama Desk Award and was nominated for another Tony Award for Best Book for his Gershwin show, Nice Work If You Can Get It, starring Matthew Broderick. Other works include the award-winning The Toxic Avenger (with David Bryan) and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, the longest-running musical revue in off-Broadway history. He has two new plays debuting this summer: Living on Love, starring Renee Fleming at The Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Clever Little Lies, starring Marlo Thomas at The Hamptons Guild Hall. His historical drama, The Second Mrs. Wilson, will debut next season at the Long Wharf Theatre. David Bryan, Composer and Lyricist is a Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist. He won three 2010 Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Orchestrations and Best Musical for the hit Broadway musical Memphis, as well as the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical. He is a Grammy® Award-winning keyboard player and founding member of Bon Jovi. Over the past 30 years the band has sold more than 150 million records and toured the world, playing to millions of people. Their recent Because We Can tour was the #1 grossing tour in the world. He and Joe DiPietro have also co-written the award-winning musical The Toxic Avenger. Mr. Bryan is also a National Spokesperson for VH1’s Save the Music Program. For more information please visit davidbryan.com. Christopher Ashley, Director/La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director has served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director since October, 2007. During his tenure, he has helmed the Playhouse’s productions of His Girl Friday, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Dram of Drummhicit, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Restoration and the acclaimed musicals Xanadu and Memphis, which won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. He also spearheaded the Playhouse’s Without Walls (WoW) series and the Resident Theater program. Prior to joining the Playhouse, he directed the Broadway productions of Xanadu (Drama Desk nomination), All Shook Up and The Rocky Horror Show (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), as well as the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration productions of Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along. Other New York credits include: Blown Sideways Through Life, Jeffrey (Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards), The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla, Regrets Only, Wonder of the World, Communicating Doors, Bunny Bunny, The Night Hank Williams Died and Fires in the Mirror (Lucille Lortel Award), among others. Mr. Ashley also directed the feature film Jeffrey and the American Playhouse production of Blown Sideways Through Life for PBS. Mr. Ashley is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Director Fellowship and an NEA/TCG Director Fellowship. Sergio Trujillo, Choreographer La Jolla Playhouse: DNA New Works Series presentation of Chasing the Song, Memphis, The Wiz, Zhivago and Jersey Boys. Broadway: Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Memphis (OCC Award, Astaire, Drama Desk Award nominations); Tony and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical, Jersey Boys (Olivier, Drama Desk, Dora, OCC Award nominations; Green Room Award – Australia); Hands on a Hardbody (Drama Desk, Astaire Award nominations), Leap of Faith (Drama Desk, Astaire Award nominations), The Addams Family, Next to Normal (Lucille Lortel Award nomination), All Shook Up and Guys and Dolls (Astaire Award nomination). Presently Mr. Trujillo’s work is represented internationally in the National Tour of Flashdance, Arrabal – A Tango-Rock Opera (Toronto), European production of Disney’s Tarzan, The Addams Family (Mexico City) as well numerous companies of Jersey Boys worldwide.
THE COMPANY Lynne Shankel, Music Supervision/Arrangements La Jolla Playhouse: Cry-Baby. Broadway: Cry-Baby and Company. OffBroadway: Bare, the Musical; Altar Boyz (Drama Desk Award nomination); Vanities, the Musical; Summer of ’42; The Thing About Men; The Extraordinary Ordinary (Drama Desk nom) and The Memory Show. Regional: Allegiance (Old Globe; Craig Noel Award for Orchestrations); Beaches (Signature Theatre); Once on this Island (Paper Mill); LMNOP (Goodspeed); Princesses (5th Avenue Theatre). Other credits as orchestrator/arranger: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, San Francisco Symphony (featuring Bonnie Raitt), Dallas Opera Orchestra (featuring George Hearn), South Bend Symphony, Lea Salonga, Marin Mazzie, Jason Danieley and Chita Rivera. Michael Gacetta, Music Director/Conductor La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Matilda, A Christmas Story, The Book of Mormon and Shrek. National Tours: Hair. Off-Broadway: Rent. Regional: The Producers (North Shore). Education: B.F.A. in Jazz Studies from University of Michigan. Thanks to Lynne for a chance to finally work together! Go Blue! Robert Brill, Scenic Designer/La Jolla Playhouse Artist-in-Residence Mr. Brill’s designs for the Playhouse include last season’s Sideways and His Girl Friday, as well as Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz, Creditors and many others. For Broadway: Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, Assassins (Tony nom), Guys and Dolls (Tony nom), Design for Living, Buried Child and others. His credits include Christopher Plummer’s A Word or Two (Ahmanson/Stratford); Sinatra (Radio City); Faust (Met Opera/ENO); Moby-Dick (Dallas Opera, San Diego, San Francisco, DC, Australia and Canada); Doubt (Minnesota Opera); Wozzeck (SD Opera); White Noise (Chicago); Robin and the Seven Hoods (Old Globe); On the Record (Disney); American in Paris (Boston Ballet); A Clockwork Orange (Steppenwolf); The Laramie Project (BAM and others). Upcoming: world premieres of Cold Mountain (Santa Fe Opera) and The Manchurian Candidate (Minnesota Opera). A graduate of UC San Diego and a founding member of Sledgehammer Theatre, he is a recipient of the Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration and a 2011 La Jolla Playhouse Honors Award. Paul Tazewell, Costume Designer La Jolla Playhouse: Side Show, Sideways, His Girl Friday, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Jesus Christ Superstar, Memphis, The Wiz, Private Fittings and Palm Beach. Broadway: A Streetcar Named Desire; Memphis; In the Heights; The Color Purple; Bring in ’da Noise...(Tony nominations); Magic/Bird; Jesus Christ Superstar; Lombardi; The Miracle Worker; Guys and Dolls; Caroline, or Change; A Raisin in the Sun; Drowning Crow; Elaine Stritch: At Liberty; On the Town; Fascinating Rhythm and Def Poetry Jam. Off-Broadway: Ruined, McReele, Flesh and Blood, Fame, Boston Marriage and Harlem Song. Stratford Shakespeare Festival: A Word or Two, Pirates of Penzance, Henry V, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Tempest, Macbeth, Caesar and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet. Regional: Guthrie, NYSF, Old Globe, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alliance, Pasadena Playhouse. Opera: Faust (English National Opera); Porgy and Bess (Chicago Lyric, San Francisco Opera, L.A. Opera, Washington Opera); Magdalena (Théâtre du Châtelet); Little Women (New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera); Treemonisha (St. Louis Opera). Awards: Three Helen Hayes Awards plus Lucille Lortel, Jefferson, Princess Grace and Irene Sharaff awards and 2014 La Jolla Playhouse Honors Award.
Howell Binkley, Lighting Design La Jolla Playhouse: Jesus Christ Superstar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Memphis, Xanadu, Cry-Baby, Zhivago, The Wiz, Private Fittings, Palm Beach, Jersey Boys, The Farnsworth Invention, Dracula, Eden Lane and How to Succeed... starring Matthew Broderick. Broadway works include: After Midnight, A Christmas Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, Magic/Bird, How to Succeed... starring Daniel Radcliffe (2011 Tony nomination), Lombardi, Million Dollar Quartet, Memphis, West Side Story (2009 Tony nomination), Gypsy starring Patti LuPone, In the Heights (2008 Tony nomination), Avenue Q, The Full Monty, Parade and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993 Tony nomination). Elsewhere: The Joffrey Ballet’s Billboards, Resident Lighting Designer/Co-Founder, Parsons Dance. Six musicals in repertory for the Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Celebration. Awards: A five-time Helen Hayes Award recipient, Mr. Binkley received the 1993 Olivier Award and Canadian Dora Award for Kiss of the Spider Woman. 2006 Henry Hewes Design Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Tony Award for Jersey Boys. Steve Canyon Kennedy, Sound Designer was the production engineer on such Broadway shows as Cats, Starlight Express, Song & Dance, The Phantom of the Opera, Carrie and Aspects of Love. Broadway sound design credits include: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Hands on a Hardbody (Drama Desk Award), Jesus Christ Superstar, Catch Me If You Can, Guys and Dolls, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Jersey Boys (Drama Desk Award), Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, Hairspray, The Producers, Aida, Titanic, Big, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Carousel and The Who’s Tommy (Drama Desk Award). James Abbott, Dance Arranger La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Musical Director for Rent, Bombay Dreams, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Disney’s Tarzan. Dance Arrangements for Tarzan, Aida, Bombay Dreams, Sweet Charity, Guys and Dolls and Wicked. Synthesizer Design for Spamalot, The Boy from Oz, Avenue Q, The Addams Family and Big Fish. Contributing Orchestrations for Aida, Bombay Dreams, Wicked, The Addams Family and Women on the Verge... (Drama Desk Award nomination). National Tours: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Starlight Express, Flashdance, Cats and Music of the Night. Shirley Fishman, Dramaturg Now in her 13th season at the Playhouse, Ms. Fishman most recently served as Dramaturg on Side Show, Sideways, Glengarry Glen Ross, An Iliad, Hands on a Hardbody, American Night, the DNA New Play Series and other projects in development. Other shows include Ruined, Surf Report, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bonnie & Clyde, Creditors, Herringbone, Unusual Acts of Devotion, the Playhouse’s production of Xanadu and UC San Diego’s The Revenger’s Tragedy, directed by Christopher Ashley. At the Joseph Papp Public Theater she dramaturged such projects as Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters, Two Sisters and a Piano by Nilo Cruz and Tina Landau’s Space, among others, and was co-curator of the New Work Now! annual new play festival. She serves as a Dramaturg for UC San Diego’s Wagner New Play Festival. Other Affiliations: Sundance Theatre Lab, Magic Theatre, Native Voices at the Autry and Playwrights Project, among others. She is an M.F.A. graduate of Columbia University’s Theatre Theory/Criticism/Dramaturgy program.
THE COMPANY Charles G. LaPointe, Hair and Wig Design La Jolla Playhouse: Side Show, His Girl Friday, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, A Dram of Drummhicit, Peer Gynt and Bonnie & Clyde. Broadway: After Midnight, Beautiful, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Soul Doctor, Motown, Jekyll and Hyde, Clybourne Park, Bring It On, Newsies, The Columnist, Magic/Bird, Bonnie & Clyde, The Mountaintop, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Merchant of Venice, Memphis, Henry IV, Cymbeline, Lombardi, Fences, Looped, Miracle Worker, Superior Donuts, 33 Variations, Guys and Dolls, In the Heights, Jersey Boys, The Color Purple, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Good Vibrations and A Raisin in the Sun. Eva Barnes, Dialect Coach La Jolla Playhouse: Sideways, His Girl Friday, A Dram of Drummhicit, Jersey Boys, Xanadu, Carmen, Restoration, Zhivago, Palm Beach, The Third Story, The Scottish Play, The Love of Three Oranges, Tartuffe, The Adoration of the Old Woman, The Model Apartment and Our Town. Other theatres: Mark Taper, Ahmanson Theatre (Romeo and Juliet, directed by Sir Peter Hall), Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre, D.C., McCarter Theatre, Public Theater and San Diego Rep. She also coached Anna Deavere Smith’s House Arrest and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Broadway and PBS film). Film: Big Night. Ms. Barnes is on the Acting Faculty at UC San Diego. Staged readings of her play, Smoking Men & Other Activities, are planned in San Diego and Los Angeles this fall. TELSEY + COMPANY, Casting Broadway/Tours: The Cripple of Inishmaan, If/Then, The Bridges of Madison County, All the Way, Motown, Kinky Boots, Newsies, Rock of Ages, Wicked, Evita, Porgy and Bess, Sister Act and Million Dollar Quartet. Off-Broadway: Macbeth, Atlantic, MCC, 2nd Stage and Signature. Regional: A.R.T., Dallas Theater Center, Goodman. Film: Focus, Into the Woods, Song One, The Last Five Years, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Friends with Kids, Margin Call, Sex and the City 1 & 2, I Love You Phillip Morris, Rachel Getting Married, Dan in Real Life and Across the Universe. TV: Masters of Sex, The Sound of Music Live!, Smash, The Big C and commercials. www.telseyandco.com Arturo E. Porazzi, Production Stage Manager La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway credits include First Date, the 2010 Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, Xanadu, Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Marie Christine, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Triumph of Love, Victor/Victoria, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, Jelly’s Last Jam, Me and My Girl, Singin’ in the Rain, The Three Musketeers, Zorba, Marilyn: An American Fable, 42nd Street (1980 & 2001), Angel and Shenandoah. Other professional credits include NBC-TV, CBS-TV and Business Communications clients. Brandon Kahn, Assistant Stage Manager La Jolla Playhouse: 2014 DNA Reading Series, 2014 Gala. Broadway: Brighton Beach Memoirs, Mary Stuart, South Pacific and Losing Louie. Off-Broadway: Farragut North (Atlantic Theatre Company); John Lithgow: Stories by Heart, The Glorious Ones (Lincoln Center Theater); Frank’s Home (Playwrights Horizons); The Fantasticks. Regional: Broke-ology (Williamstown); Sleuth, Pippin, Tommy, Viva La Vida!, The Lady in Question (Bay Street Theatre); Black Coffee, A Funny Thing..., Leading Ladies and A Christmas Carol (Alley Theatre). B.F.A. from University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Michael S. Rosenberg, Managing Director has served as Managing Director of La Jolla Playhouse since April, 2009. During his five years at the Playhouse, he has worked in partnership with Artistic Director Christopher Ashley to produce 13 world premieres, six Playhouse commissions and the hit musicals Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Hands on a Hardbody and Little Miss Sunshine. He was also instrumental in bringing the Page To Stage workshop of John Lequizamo’s Diary of a Madman to the Playhouse, which transferred to Broadway. Additionally, he fostered the growth of the Playhouse’s awardwinning Performance Outreach Program (POP) tour, achieving the most performances at local schools in Playhouse history. Previously, Rosenberg was Co-Founder and Executive Director of Drama Dept., a New York non-profit theatre company, where he produced new works by the likes of Douglas Carter Beane, Warren Leight, Isaac Mizrahi, Paul Rudnick and David and Amy Sedaris. He has been a part of the producing teams for the Broadway productions of Grey Gardens and American Buffalo and the national tour of Little House on the Prairie. He serves on the boards of La Jolla Country Day School and the Theatre Communications Group. Debby Buchholz, General Manager has served as general manager of La Jolla Playhouse since 2002. She is a member of the Executive Committee and of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT). In 2009, she received a San Diego Women Who Mean Business Award from The San Diego Business Journal. Previously she served as Counsel to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. She was a faculty member of the Smithsonian Institution’s program on Legal Problems of Museum Administration. Prior to the Kennedy Center, she served as a corporate attorney in New York City and Washington, DC. She is a graduate of UC San Diego and Harvard Law School. Ms. Buchholz and her husband, noted author and White House economic policy advisor Todd Buchholz, live in Solana Beach and are the proud parents of Victoria, Katherine and Alexia. Des McAnuff, Director Emeritus served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director from 1983 through 1994, and from 2001 through April, 2007. Under his leadership, the Playhouse garnered more than 300 awards, including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Playhouse to Broadway credits: Jersey Boys (four Tony Awards); Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Tony Award); How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (five Tony nominations); director and co-author with Pete Townshend on The Who’s Tommy (Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Director) and Big River (seven Tony Awards), among others. Film credits: Quills, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Iron Giant (9 Animation Society awards) and Cousin Bette. Recipient of the Drama League’s 2006 Julia Hansen Award, Mr. McAnuff served as Artistic Director at Canada’s Stratford Festival from 2007 through 2012. He recently directed the hit productions of Sideways, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and Jesus Christ Superstar at the Playhouse.