Les Misérables School Edition
By Alan Boublil & Claude Michel Schoenberg Based on the Novel by Victor Hugo Executive Director & Producer Aaron Shapiro Directed by Robert-Eric West Studio BE Staff: Executive Director - Aaron Shapiro Education Director - Tamara Drew Development Director – Mac Vaughey Production Staff: Director - Robert-Eric West Music Director - Charlotte Rivard-Hoster Production Manager - Aaron Shapiro Stage Manager - Steven Besic Crew Chief & Assistant Production Manager - Michael Wax Costume Coordinator - Emma Cullimore Assistant Costume Coordinator - Rafaela Valderrama Technical Director - Andrew Glasenhardt Sound Designer & Engineer - Steven Yaussi Properties Designer - Tamara Drew Lighting Designer - Mac Vaughey Make-up Design - Karina Kedaitis Scenic Designer - Adam Veness Make-Up Artist - Claudia D. Vasquez Student Technical Assistants: Kiah McKirnan Madison Turner “Costumes provided by Broadway Costumes, Chicago IL www.broadwaycostumes.com Les Misérables 1
A N O T E F R O M T H E D I R E C TO R “Les Misérables”, you say? With 38 teenagers, you say? Why that’s just crazy talk... or so we thought. Here we are, once again, tackling one of the biggest shows in the industry and once again a great bunch of “38 teenagers” have worked their tails off to provide both an exhilarating experience for our audience and another chapter of amazing memories for themselves. Through Ms. Tamara’s unique sociological approach to theatre education, our learners have deepened their understanding of social inequities, class warfare, poverty, justice and selflessness all while tackling the new skills of acting with their bodies and voices in what is, for all intents and purposes, an opera. Our amazing team has created a world in which the issues of today are clearly mirrored in the past. The themes of “Les Mis” are no less valid today than they were in the past. Thanks to the parents of our learners for creating such wonderful kids and to the staff of Studio BE for their amazing work. Sit back, relax and enjoy our “journey to the past.” THE ORCHESTR A Keyboard 1/Conductor.....................................................................Charlotte Rivard-Hoster Keyboard 2........................................................................................................Jonathan Hannau Keyboard 3........................................................................................................... Abby Langhorst Woodwinds......................................................................................................................Cara Hartz Violin.....................................................................................................................Matthew Hannau Cello......................................................................................................................... Hillary Pennella Trumpet.....................................................................................................................Caleb Mitchell Horn................................................................................................................................Andy Frickle Guitar.....................................................................................................................Kyle McCullough Bass...................................................................................................................................Alex Cholka Percussion...................................................................................................................... Justin Kono THE CAST Jean ValJean...................................................................................................................JoJo Brown Javert ......................................................................................................................................Nat Kier Bishop of Digne........................................................................................Christopher Knudson Factory girls................................................................................................... Adelise Morquecho, Meredith Lostaglio, Kristin Garret, Willa Sachs Bamabatois............................................................................................................. Brandon Waller Fantine..................................................................................................................... Sonia Goldberg Old woman.................................................................................................................Emily Beckert Fauchevelant............................................................................................................ Kristin Kattner Young Cosette...............................................................................................................Beth Waller Mme. Thenardier................................................................................................ Charlotte Adams Thenardier.................................................................................................................... Time Brickey Young Eponine.............................................................................................................Emma Tracy Gavroche............................................................................................................................ Ian Waller Eponine........................................................................................................... Veronica Fernandez Enjolras............................................................................................................................ Erik Dohner Marius.........................................................................................................................Michael Waller Cosette.............................................................................................................McKenna Batterson Babette...............................................................................................................Melody DeRogatis Combeferre............................................................................................................. Brandon Waller Joly................................................................................................................. Christopher Knudsen Gavroches gang....................................................................Anneliese Stenzel, Adina Cohen
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UNDERSTUDIES Fantine...............................................................................................................................Ana Lovric Eponine................................................................................................................Madison Pullman
THE ENSEMBLE Amy Soria Fiona Morrison Sarah Heilbronner Grace Sopko
Marcelle Asilis Dagny Tracy Martha Aguirre Mary Maloney
Amelia Mroczkowski Ana Lovric Madison Pullman Mick Dado
MUSICAL NUMBERS Act I Prologue............................................................................................ Valjean, Javert & Company At the End of the Day..................................................................................................... Company I Dreamed a Dream..............................................................................................................Fantine The Docks........................................................................................................................... Company The Cart Crash...............................................................................................Valjean & Company Fantine’s Death.................................................................................... Valjean, Fantine & Javert Castle on a Cloud................................................................................................... Young Cosette The Inkeeper’s Song.......................................................................... Thenardiers & Ensemble The Bargain.................................................................................................Valjean & Thenardiers The Beggars.............................................................. Marius, Enjolras, Gavroche & Ensemble The Robbery...............................................Eponine, Thenardiers, Marius, Valjean & Javert Start..............................................................................................................................................Javert The ABC Café...................................................................................Enjolras, Marius & Students The People’s Song........................................................................................................... Company Rue Plumet........................................................................Cosette, Valjean, Marius & Eponine A Heart Full of Love.........................................................................Cosette, Marius & Eponine The Attack on Rue Plumet.......Thenardier, Thugs, Eponine, Marius, Valjean & Cosette One Day More................................................................................................................... Company Act II The Barricade.................................................................................................................... Company Javert at the Barricade..................................................Gavroche, Javert & Revolutionaries The First Attack.................................................................... Valjean, Javert & Revolutionaries The Night.............................................................................................Valjean & Revolutionaries The Second Attack...............................................................................................Revolutionaries The Final Battle............................................................................. Gavroche & Revolutionaries The Sewers.......................................................................................................................Thenardier Javert’s Suicide..................................................................................................... Valjean & Javert The Café Song......................................................................................................................... Marius Marius & Cosette................................................................................................Marius & Cosette The Wedding.........................................................................Thendardier, Marius & Company Epilogue.............................................................................................................................. Company
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SPECIAL THANKS Chase Bank Community Giving Program, The Waller Family, The Pullman Family, Dr. Jan Hart, Jay Shapiro, Parita Shaw, Rhapsody Snyder, Jason Geis, The Center on Halsted, Michael Wax, Grant Sabin, Jeremy & Janet Shapiro, and of course special thanks to the parents of all our fantastic learners.
SUMMER We are excited to announce our Summer of Sondheim Camp! Studio BE is an institution of learning. Studio BE is a community. Studio BE is a breeding ground for expression, discipline, imagination, and confidence. Learners at Studio BE are held to a standard of respect, honesty, open-mindedness, and diligence. These combined elements have procured a comfortable and productive environment in which our learners can feel confident, grow, and thrive. Each learner at Studio BE is expected to maintain the integrity of our community, and contribute to our environment in a positive way. So, don’t worry-you are going to love summer here!! Sweeney Todd: Monday-Friday, June 18th – July 14th, 10:00am-5:00pm. (No camp Weds, July 4th) Into the Woods Act I: Monday-Friday, July 16th-August 4th, 10:00am-5:00pm. Into the Woods Act II: Monday-Friday, August 6th – August 25th, 10:00am-5:00pm. Tackling the Sondheim material we are facing in the amount of time we have allotted is an exciting and sizable challenge. It is going to require commitment, attendance, and punctuality. BE prepared!
A N O T E F R O M T H E E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R We are so proud to present this production of Les Misérables for you. This has been such an amazing experience for our staff and students alike. We couldn’t do it without the love and support of people like you. Studio BE has officially been open to the public for 3 fantastic years. The scope and mission of our organization has grown leaps and bounds each year. Last semester we received a $25k grant from Chase Bank that has allowed us to make this our very first FREE program. By making our Spring Musical free, we have expanded the amount of participants by 50%! We hope to continue to make our Spring Musicals free in the future as well, but are depending on financial support of our Studio BE community to achieve this goal. There are several ways you can help us facilitate this enormous goal: 1) Make a tax deductible donation. See Mr Mac in the lobby after the show or donate online! 2) Join us at our 3 Year Anniversary - Green Tie Fundraising Gala June 2nd. 3) Volunteer. We could use you help behind the scene! 4) Spread the word about our amazing Studio BE summer camp! Love, Mr. Aaron 4 Studio BE
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BIOGR APHIES Jojo Brown (Jean ValJean): Jojo is very excited to be in this production of Les Misérables, taking on the most challenging role he has played yet. This is his fourth production with Studio BE, having been in RENT, Jungle Book, and Little Shop of Horrors. He would like to thank his parents, brother, and sisters, and hermit crabs for always being there for him, the teachers of Studio Be for making him the performer he is today, and Wesley Houston for touching all of our lives. Time Brickey (Monsuier Thenardier): Time Brickey is nothing short of a disaster, if not a catastrophe. The very notion of his being sends shivers down the spines of tigers and other wild cats of the like. You may know him from every Studio BE production ever (excluding those of the Show Stoppers).
show, as well as the other cast members and the production staff of Studio Be. Colton Couty (Ensemble) is extremely happy to be with Studio BE for his first production. This is his first Studio BE show of hopefully many. His hobbies are skateboarding, swimming, and snowboarding. He plays sports such as football, baseball and wrestling. He currently goes to St. Benedict High School. Veronica Fernandez (Eponine) is 17 years old and goes to lincoln.park high school. She has been in many shows at Studio BE and loves being a part of such a great community. She would like to thank her parents and friends for being so supportive of her and what she loves to do. Veronica hopes to go a good musical theater college and get more opportunities with other community theaters.
Brandon Waller (Bombatois, Fiona Morrison Combeferre)is (Ensemble) is so excited to be in Les excited to be in her Mis. He has been in first production at three shows at Studio Be! She Studio BE: would like to thank Grandfather in her cast members Ragtime, Jungle Book, and Mushnik in and the production Little shop of Horrors. He would like to staff for making it such a fun and thank his family, the other cast members, welcoming experience. Fiona would and the Studio BE staff members. also like to thank her family for driving her back and forth from rehearsals and Emmet Sandberg promises to pay for the gas. (Ensemble): Emmet is very Michael Waller excited to be in this (Marius) is ecstatic production of Les to be in his fourth Misérables. This is production at his first production Studio Be!! Michael with Studio Be. He likes monkeys. would like to thank his parents and his Michael would like brothers for supporting him in the to thank his family, Les Misérables 7
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) friends, fellow cast members, wonderful Studio Be staff, and especially Wes Klien for inspiring him to always be true to himself and never give up on his dreams! Michael loves Studio Be with all his heart and is super grateful for all that it has given him throughout the years. Maya Blackstone (Ensemble) is thrilled to play a beggar for the third time in a Studio Be production; she previously immigrated to America in Ragtime and paid to pee in Urinetown. Maya has loved every part of the rehearsal process for Les Mis, and thinks this production is outstanding. Maya is a junior at the University of Chicago Lab School where she has participated in numerous productions. In her spare time, Maya enjoys singing loudly, dancing spastically, hanging out at the Be, going to expensive restaurants and traveling the world. Maya would like to give a shout out to her family and friends that are coming to see her. She asks that her fans please remember to form a neat and orderly line outside her dressing room after the curtain call. McKenna Batterson (Cosette) is thrilled to have had the opportunity to participate in this production of Les Misérables. She is fifteen years old and attends the Chicago High School for the Arts, studying in the Musical Theatre conservatory. She currently dances with Studio Be’s Fierce Troupe as well. She would like to thank her friends, family, vocal coach, and the staff of Studio Be for being so supportive of her and helping her to become the performer she is today.
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Willa Sachs (Factory Girl) is a Senior at Lane Tech High School. She has studied voice at the Old Town School of Folk Music, worked as a demo singer, and performed as lead vocalist in a number of You-tube videos. She hopes to continue studying music and theater in college. In addition to singing and acting, she enjoys writing and studying French. Mary Maloney (Ensemble) is thrilled to be in her 7thproduction at the be, having also been in Rent, Romeo and Juliet, Ragtime,Jungle book, Little Shop of horrors and Urinetown. She is a 19 year old collegestudent; and has been in theatre since she was 7 with no plans of ever stopping!She would like to thank Mr. West, Mom, Dad, Dylan, Paige and Wes. Erik Dohner (Enjolras) made a stellar debut as Danny in Lane Tech College Prep’s February production of Grease. In September 2011 Erik began studying at the Merit School of Music, in Merit’s new opera- musical theatre program that is in partnership with Lyric Opera and the renowned Diva Rene Fleming, Lyric’s Creative Consultant. This fall Erik along with six fellow students at Merit had the great opportunity to have a master class with Rene Fleming via Skype. While at Merit Erik has also studied with A. J. Wester and Patrice Michaels. Erik also studies classical voice with Kathleen Van De Graaf, and will continue this classical voice pursuit in college next year.
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Charlotte Adams (Mme. Thenardier) is a senior at Van Steuben High school. She loves theatre and all other arts too. This is her fourth show at Studio Be. Adelise Morquecho (Factory Girl) My name is Adelise Morquecho I’m 13 years old. The last play I did was Ragtime, that was also my first play. Ragtime showed me that I enjoy doing musicals. I also play the clarinet which I’ve been playing since sixth grade. I just want to thank my family in supporting my dreams :). Grace Sopko (Ensemble), 14 is thrilled to be an ensemble member in her first Studio BE production. Some of her favorite past roles in Elmhurst Children’s theatres productions include; the Witch in “Into the Woods”, Tallulah in ‘Bugsy Malone”, and Jasmine in “Aladdin”. Other favorites include Gertrude McFuzz in “Seussical” and the White Rabbit in “Alice in Wonderland” she would like to thank her family for all the love and support – and for driving her from Elmhurst to the city for rehearsals. Chris Knudsen (Bishop of Digne, Joly)has performed in several plays, most recently appearing as Frederic in “Pirates of Penzance”, Jr. with Elmhurst Children’s Theatre. He has also played Jojo in “Suessical the Musical”, Aladdin in “Aladdin”, Schroeder in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, Cinderella’s Prince in “Into the Woods”, and Adsolem in “Alice in Wonderland”.
When he is not busy on stage, Chris loves playing Minecraft. He also plays the piano and guitar. Chris is a huge fan of Coldplay and looks forward to seeing the band live in concert one day. Thank you to my mom for driving me back and forth to rehearsal, and to my dad and sister Helen for their support. Ana Lovric (Fantine Understudy, Ensemble) is excited to be working on one of her favorite shows, Les Misérables! Past Studio BE shows include “Romeo and Juliet”,“Jungle Book”, and “Little Shop of Horrors”. She has also preformed in shows at Lane Tech, playing characters such as Rose in “Gypsy” and most recently Rizzo in “Grease”. She would like to thank her entire BE family for being so wonderful to her and is sad this is likely her last show. Love you, Beople!! Amy Soria (Ensemble) This is Amy’s fourth show at Studio Be. Musial theatre is her passion and she hopes to pursue it as a career in life. She would like to thank her friends and family for supporting her. Anneliese Stenzel (Gavroches Gang) is a seventh grader at Lincoln Elementary who likes to dance, act and sing. She has played many waiters and butlers and is now thrilled to be part of the production of Les Misérables. She hopes to attend UCLA to pursue her dream of screen acting. Many thanks to mom and dad for all the support.
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B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Adina Cohen (Gavroches Gang) is very excited to be in Les Misérables, her first Studio BE production. Some of her favorite past roles include Rizzo in “Grease” and Grandma Izeitel in “Fiddler on the Roof”. Adina sings in the Chicago Children’s Choir Concert Choir and can’t wait to tour Italy with them this summer. She also enjoyed being a part of the Company at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. She would like to thank her voice teacher Heather Aranyi and her family and friends for all of their support. Nat Kier (Javert) has acted in five shows; assistant stage managed one show, and directed another with the S. Ignatius Harlequins. He was also seen last summer as Feldzieg in “The Drowsy Chaperone” at Circle Theatre. Nat has performed at Second City over the summer, participated in his schools Battle of the Bands, and is a Madrigal singer at Ignatius. He actively sings and writes but enjoys down time as well. Nat would like to thank his supportive friends and family, his extremely talented cast mates, and the entire Studio BE staff for making this show the best it can. Eric Goldberg (Ensemble) Eric is 17 years old and is a junior at Whitney Young High School. He has been acting since age 6: favorite roles include Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Neville Landless in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and “Devil Anse” Hatfield in Hatfield & McCoy. His other great passion apart from acting is music: he has been studying percussion for eight years as a member of the 10 Studio BE
CSO’s Percussion Scholarship Group, and has composed music for several theatrical productions at his school. Eric was nervous to join the cast of Les Miz so late in the process but is so glad that his sister Sonia convinced him to do it and that he gets to be a part of such a fantastic production! Martha Alexandra Aguirre - I’m sixteen years old. I’ve been in various shows like “The Music Man”“Romeo and Juliet”,“Once on this Island”,“Cats”, and a couple more shows. Les Misérables was the first show I was ever in when I was eleven. I played Little Cosette. My dream is to one day perform on Broadway and to perform at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. I would like to thank my mother for all the support she’s given me throughout the years. Mick Dado (Ensemble) As a child I aspired to be an artist. Now, I want to be an animator, graphic novel artist, or an actor. I recently joined theatre about two years ago. In all honesty, it was not always my dream. But, when my parents and my sister and some friends told me I was a good singer and a capable actor I decided to give it a try. “Gypsy” was the first theatre production I have ever been to. I started liking it. It also changed my anti-sociallike outlook and gained more friends. I than my friends and family for always supporting me, and I hope to make a great show with you all! Melody DeRogatis is an outgoing drama major at Lincoln Park High School. This is her first major theatre production, with hopes of many
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) more to come. She hopes to be on Broadway and a successful creative writer in the future. Her favorite Broadway shows are “Rent” and “Spring Awakening”. She would like to thank her mom, dad, Arleigh, and Adam for their love and support. Emily Beckert is 15 years old and a Freshman at Whitney Young High. This is her 5th show at Studio BE! She has previously been in Ragtime, Junglebook, Little Shop, and Urinetown. She likes painting, rollerblading, eating, traveling, and you! She would like to thank her mother who has always supported her and does nice things even when she has been particularly teenagery. Kristin Kattner is so excited to be in another show with Studio BE. She is 18 years old and attends Collumbia College. AND She loves her amazing cast! Beth Waller - is 11 years old and a 5th grader at Sacred Heart Schools. She has previously been in Studio Be’s showstoppers performance of The Velveteen Rabbit. She is glad to be in the older group and also happy to be in one of her favorite plays. Beth would like to thank her family and friends for support and thank the Studio Be’s teachers that helped her. Ian Waller - is 13 years old and is in 8th grade at Sacred Heart Schools. He has been the little dude in one other show at Studio Be. He is enjoying the
process and doing whatever he can to not grow by not eating gross vegetables. Ian would like to thank everybody that has helped him which includes Studio Be staff and all of his fellow cast members at Les Misérables. Christopher J. Leonard -A freshmen student at Chi-Arts (Chicago High School for the Performing Arts) and first time actor with Studio Be, Christopher strives to learn his craft of Musical Theater and succeed in his academics. He holds the skills and morals he learned in scouts close to help him along his way. (Partly in the absence of his father who died when he was four.) Then two years ago, he became interested in the arts, and joined the Chicago Children’s Choir. Which then lead to him attending ChiArts. His goals in life are to go to college, have a career in the arts and sciences for a time, move to Australia, and wants to have a daughter. Emma Tracy – is thirteen and plays young Eponine. She always dreamed of being in this production. She is currently in 8th grade and going to Chiarts next year. Her outside activities are playing tennis and hanging out with her friends. She has been at Studio Be for two years. Her ambition is undecided but she is thinking about going into the world of photography. She likes acting, YouTube, and cute boys. Oolala. She has worked very hard and made lots of friends along this journey to stardom. She says”thank you mom and dad for making all of this possible. I hope all of my closest friends will come to support me in this long hard fought journey to entertain everyone with this amazing production.” Les Misérables 11
B I O G R A P H I E S ( c o n t .) Meredith Lostaglio (Factory Girl) is very excited to be in her first production at the BE. She has been acting since she was 6, and previous plays include “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” (Narrator), “Once on this Island” (Story Teller), “Hamlet” (Ophelia), “Annie” (Molly), and an Off-Broadway tour of “The People Garden” (all 10 child principle roles). She has also done various commercials, short films, radio jingles, voice over’s, and even a live performance at the opening of the Haneda International Airport in Japan (in which she sang in Japanese). She would like to thank her mother and sister for always supporting her. Marcelle Asilis Marcelle has been acting and singing since she was six years old. She has interests in musical theatre, soccer, and fashion. She plans on doing this as a career part time. She loves food and supports Invisible Children even though that guy is crazy. Her favorite musicals are Newsies, Les Misérables, and Oliver. She would like to thank her parents because without them, she wouldn›t be here. Sonia Goldberg - This is Sonia’s first full-scale production with Studio BE after participating in Broadway at the BE last summer and taking voice lessons. She loves this place and regrets not getting involved
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sooner. She is a junior at Whitney Young High, where she participates in theatre, plays cello in orchestra, and sings in jazz band. Sonia has been in over 20 theatrical productions in her life, and plans to spend her life performing. Special thanks to her friends and family for putting up with her nonsense. Amelia Mroczkowski Amelia is a sophomore at Lane Tech High. She is a member of the ensemble, and most recently played Marty in Grease. Previously she has worked with After School Matters doing vocal programs with the Chicago Opera Theatre for teens and the HHW Vocal Arts Ensemble. Madison Pullman - Madison Pullman is 14 years old. This is her third year here! Previous shows at Studio BE include; Rent, Ragtime, Romeo & Juliet, Little Shop, Urinetown & Broadway at the BE. She would like to thank her friends and family for supporting her throughout the years. Enjoy! Dagny Tracy – is a sophomore at Whitney Young High and has been participating at Studio BE for two years and has enjoyed every second of it. She is excited to be participating in Les Mis and can’t wait to continue pursuing performance.
S T U D I O B E A N D P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F Aaron Shapiro (Executive Director) - Executive Director and co-founder of Studio BE as well as President of the Executive Board, graduated with two B.A’s from Barat College of DePaul University where he received Departmental Honors in both Economics and Acting/Directing. As a child he performed in several productions with the L.A. Opera Company, the Los Angeles Children Chorus, and regularly worked as an extra in TV shows, commercials, movies, and music videos. After college Aaron founded Oracle Productions and opened their 40-seat black box theatre in Wrigleyville where he served 4 years as Artistic Director. He has worked professionally in Chicago as a director, stage manager, producer, actor, production manager, electrician, carpenter, sound technician, technical director, scenic designer and lighting designer for Collaboraction, American theatre Company, The House Theatre, The Lincolnshire Mariott, Shattered Globe, Theatre Wit, Devonshire Players, Downers Grove Players, Pegasus Players, Victory Gardens Greenhouse and Biograph, Teatro Luna, Teatro Vista, Timeline, Next, About Face, The Entertainment Project, T.U.T.A., Light Opera Works, Albany Park Theatre Project, and Pinebox Theatre. Tamara Drew – (Artistic Director of Youth Programming) - Director of Education and Co-Founder of Studio BE, Miss Tamara couldn’t be more proud of how the Studio BE program, learners, and community have grown in the last three years. With a degree in Theatre and Sociology from Millikin University, Miss Tamara continues to fulfill her personal mission of providing social perspective and excellent performance art training to the leaders of tomorrow through Studio BE. Miss Tamara has her hands in every Studio BE program, from Company, to Showstoppers, our In-School outreach programs and Accelerated Dance Troupe. She proudly facilitates a style of learning that is applicable beyond the stage. She wishes love and congratulations
to all of our Studio BE high school seniors who will become alumni of our program in a few short weeks, and thanks them for giving her so much to be proud of! Mac Vaughey (Development Director) - Studio BE Executive Board Vice President, is a graduate of Brown University and recipient of the University’s Weston Prize for Theatrical Design. He is the resident Lighting Designer at the 16th Street Theater in Berwyn, recently named the Chicago Reader’s “Best Emerging Theatre Company.” Mac is also an Artistic associate for Teatro Luna, and Premiere Theatre & Performance, and a company member at Walkabout Theatre. Additionally, Mac’s work has been seen at the American Theatre Company, Redmoon Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Collaboraction and Climax Nightclub. Mac has also worked with Infamous Commonwealth, The Sinnerman Ensemble, Open Eye Productions and many other theatre companies. Mac also serves as head of the ligthing department for Light Opera Works, Timeline Theatre Company, and the American Theatre Company. Robert-Eric West - is a graduate of Butler University with a BA in musical theatre including concentrations in vocal performance and pedagogy as well costume, hair and make-up design. He began his career at the age of six as a member of a youth theatre studying with the acclaimed children’s theatre director and author Nora MacAlvay, returning later in life as the company’s artistic director. Robert-Eric spent 13 years as a vocal coach and musical theatre history instructor at Indiana University where he also founded the Monroe County Children’s Theatre. For the past eight years he has supported his bohemian theatrical life as a make-up artist and artist trainer for Prescriptives, Shu Uemura and Giorgio Armani Cosmetics at the national level and has had his work appear on stage, screen and print. Spanning Les Misérables 13
S T U D I O B E A N D P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F ( c o n t .) almost 40 years, his career has taken him from one coast to the other but he will always call Chicago home. He has performed, designed, directed and taught workshops and Master classes for the Dunes Arts Foundation, Candlelight, Festival Players Guild, Drury Lane, Oracle Productions and Indiana Repertory Theatre, just to name a few. For the past 3 years Mr. West has proudly called “The BE” his home as a vocal coach, designer and director toiling alongside some of the hardest working people in the industry. Charlotte Rivard-Hoster (Music Director) Charlotte is a music director, pianist, and instructor, with experience in regional theatres across Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Illinois. Les Misérables is Charlotte’s first production with Studio BE, and she’s happy to be joining such a fantastic production team! Favorite musical direction credits include The Light in the Piazza (World Collegiate Premiere, Berklee College of Music), and Carousel (Boston Conservatory). In addition to her work as a music director and private piano instructor, Charlotte can be found teaching elementary vocal music in several Chicago Public Schools, as a teaching artist with Rock for Kids. Steven Besic (Stage Manager) - is thrilled to be joining the Les Mis team to help guide these amazing kids through the grown up processes the they don’t get in school. As a freelance stage manager and designer, he has worked way too much for way to little and is glad to get something more from this experience. Cheers! Steven Yaussi (Sound Design & Engineer) Originally from Glendale, CA Steven Yaussi, has worked and studied all over the United States. He received a degree for Theatre: Design & Technology, from the University of Evansville, with an 14 Studio BE
associated study in Art. As he sees it, a Theatre production, or any creative process for that matter, follows a path much like that of a tree. Starting with a simple seed the plant grows and matures due to its unique physical surrounding. With time and age, the tree then progress blooming the beauty of its fruit and labor. Finally it ends its journey with the fallen seed of knowledge to continue the cyclic process. Recent designs include: Crossed, Teatro Luna (2012); Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Wayside Theatre (2010); Winter’s Tale, University of Evansville (2010); The House of Blue Leaves, University of Evansville (2009) Andrew Glasenhardt (Technical Director) Andrew is thrilled to be making his debut with Studio BE. Previous credits include A Kid From Brooklyn, Ron Hawking’s The Men and Their Music, and The Buddy Holly Story. He has been known to take on a variety of roles with his skills in management, electrics, carpentry, and rigging. He sends his love to his wife Dana. Karina Kedaitis (Make-up Design) began working with theatrical makeup and wigs while attending Lemont High School where she assisted in plays and musicals for her own personal enjoyment. Her love for the theatrical world quickly grew and she pursued her passion at Make Up First School of Make Up Artistry in Chicago, where she became a certified make up artist. Karina started as an intern at Studio BE under Robert-Eric West and is ecstatic about joining the BE team again for Les Misérables. She is confident that she can touch others with art and performance in the same way that it has touched her. In a world of acting and pretend, she works to help instil values and open mentalities in hopes of making a difference in just one person’s life.
S T U D I O B E A N D P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F ( c o n t .) Claudia D.Vazquez (Make-Up Artist) - is a certified professional makeup artist.A graduate from Makeup First School of Makeup Artistry, she received formaltraining in beauty, theatrical and clinical makeup applications. She currently lives in Chicago and works, inthe city, as a freelance makeup artist. Rafaela Valderrama (Assistant Costume Designer) Rafaela is pleased to be a part of the crew for Les Misérables. This is her first ever production and she couldn’t be more excited! She has a degree in Fashion Design and enjoys creating unique fashion designs for herself as well as her friends, especially
during Halloween when she becomes the #1 go to person for creative costumes. In her spare time she enjoys trying out new restaurants, attending quiz nights, karaoke, and spending time with her niece and nephews. A big “Thank You” to Studio BE for giving me this opportunity, and a special thanks to Aaron and Emma. I really appreciate working with you all. Michael Wax (Crew Chief) HI! Im Michael and im really excited to be working with Studio BE for the first time on the production team. Fresh of my lighting and set design debut in Portland Oregon, with the off Broadway premier of Legally Blond the Musical its good to be back! I have also done shows in Chicago for Light Opera Works, Quest Theater Ensemble, and The Chopin Theater.
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GET TALKING. (Just not during the performance)
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