STRICTLY GERSHWIN (Program Book) by Playhouse Square

SPOTLIGHT ON

The Kulas Foundation

Strictly Gershwin is a production that will transport audiences to the golden age of Hollywood through a ballet celebrating the timeless music of Ira and George Gershwin.

The performance will be a grand spectacle that takes audiences on a journey through ballet, jazz, tap, and ballroom dance, all set to a big band soundtrack. Featuring Tulsa Ballet, members of Cleveland Ballet, and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, this production brings together over 55 dancers, a 48-piece orchestra, 11 tap dancers, and four singers. It is a vision that simply cannot be missed.

Strictly Gershwin perfectly aligns with the Kulas Foundation’s dedication to music and our long-standing support of Cleveland’s major performing arts institutions.

Our impact is magnified by the organizations we support, and there’s a reason Playhouse Square boasts the largest season-ticket holder base among performing arts centers in North America. With its dynamic leadership, bold vision, and innovative programming, Playhouse Square stands as a shining beacon of Cleveland’s cultural scene.

The Kulas Foundation is honored to be the Lead Presenter and partner with Playhouse Square to bring to Cleveland a performance truly worthy of taking Center Stage!

Nancy W. McCann President Kulas Foundation

CENTER STAGE BENEFIT

October 5 2024

PREMIER SPONSOR

TRUSTEES Playhouse Square

Officers

Chair

Brent D. Ballard*

President & CEO

Craig Hassall AM*

Vice Chair, Brand & Marketing

Andrea Hogben*

Vice Chair, Engagement

Rick Buoncore*

Vice Chair, Education

Bob Helmer*

Vice Chair, Finance

Mark D. Ross*

Vice Chair, Governance & Nominating

Amy G. Brady*

Vice Chair, Government Affairs

Paul J. Dolan*

Vice Chair, Real Estate Development

Bill Cosgrove*

Vice Chair, Strategic Planning Advisor

Jim Merlino*

Secretary/Treasurer

Heather Lennox*

Terry Adelman

Thomas W. Adler*

Himanshu Amin

Warren Anderson*

Steven M. Auvil

Ken Babby

Michael Baston

Teresa Metcalf Beasley

Gina Beredo

Jodi Berg

Laura Bloomberg

Jim Boland

Paul Carleton

Scott Chaikin*

John G. Chapman, Sr.*

James Graham

Lawrence H. Hatch

J. David Heller

Jason Hillman

David Jacobs*

Julie Jacono

Michael Jeans

Louis G. Joseph

Margaret M. Judd

Patrice (Patsy) Kouvas

Edward J. Largent

Todd Leombruno

Joe Matuszewski

Heath Monesmith

Jon H. Outcalt*

Patrick M. Pastore

James A. Ratner*

Sean Richardson

Luci Schey

William R. Seelbach

David B. Sewell

Doug Spiker

Sara Ellen Stashower

Alex Szilvas

Kurt C. Treu

Leila L. Vespoli

Tracy Vigh

Molly Walsh

Frances Cudjoe Waters

Neil C. Weinberger

Denise G. Wells

Debra A. Wert

Trustee for Life

Oliver C. Henkel, Jr.

William B. Lawrence

Victor J. Scaravilli

K.K. Sullivan

Lawrence J. Wilker

National Trustee

Thomas C. Stevens

Chairs Emeritus

Oliver C. Henkel, Jr.

John F. Lewis†

Julien L. McCall†

Forrest D. Hayes†

Glenn R. Brown†

Jon H. Outcalt

Henry F. Eaton†

K.K. Sullivan

Thomas W. Adler

Thomas C. Stevens

David S. Goodman

James Ratner

Amy G. Brady

*Executive Committee

†Deceased as of 8/20/24

Playhouse Square is a not-for-profit performing arts center that presents and produces a wide variety of performing arts, advances arts education and creates a destination that is a superior location for entertainment, business and residential living, thereby strengthening the economic vitality of the region.

Playbill Editor: Linda Feagler

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KEYBANK STATE 10.3–6.2024

OCTOBER 3-6, 2024 • PLAYHOUSE

SQUARE

ARTISTIC STAFF

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Marcello Angelini

ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Daniela Buson

REHEARSAL DIRECTOR & ARTISTIC COORDINATOR

Susan Frei

TBII ARTISTIC MANAGER & REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Alfonso Martín

CREATIVE TEAM

CHOREOGRAPHY & DIRECTION Derek Deane

WORDS & MUSIC George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin

MUSIC ADAPTED, SUPERVISED, & CONDUCTED BY Gareth Valentine

LIGHTING DESIGN Howard Harrison

SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGN

Roberta Guidi Di Bagno

TAP CHOREOGRAPHER Bill Simpson

ORCHESTRATOR Don Sebesky

LYRICIST Dubose Heyward

SOLO PIANIST Andrew Lahti VOCALISTS

Glenn Seven Allen, Mike Schwitter, Claire Leyden Haber, Sandra Marante

TAP DANCERS

Kris Kerr, Demi Remick, Bill Simpson

GUEST ARTIST Joshua Stayton

DANCERS

PRINCIPALS

Jaimi Cullen, Aubin Le Marchand, Jun Masuda, Nao Ota

SOLOISTS

Regina Montgomery, Aina Oki

DEMI-SOLOISTS

Jonathan Teague Applegate, Jonathan Beloli, Julia Crosby, Sumika Fujiwara, JooYoung Kwon, Fabian Raschitor, Yuki Toda, Edward Truelove,

CORPS DE BALLET

Daniele Arrivabene, Alison Cervantes, Adrian Cruz, Carlos De Miguel, Talisson Farias, Yuika Fujimoto, James Lachlan Murray, Ian Stocker, Haley Mae Wilson, King Hei Wong

APPRENTICES

Giulia Canavese, Shi Jean Kim, Haruka Tanabe

TBII

Polina Chepyk, Sharon Choi, Kevin Crapisi, Nathan Cronheim-Strasser, Morgan Davis, Senna Dewulf, Elias Fahle, Zoe Ferla, Sophie Mossa, Shunsuke Nakamura, Michael Stadtherr, Paolo Tarini, Audrey Williamson

TBII APPRENTICES

Isabella Shook, Ava Thomas

Lou

FUNDING

OVERTURE

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

FASCINATIN’ RHYTHM SHALL WE DANCE?

THE MAN I LOVE S’WONDERFUL EMBRACEABLE YOU

AMERICAN IN PARIS

GERSHWIN ON BROADWAY GERSHWIN

IN HOLLYWOOD

RHAPSODY IN BLUE GERSHWIN INTERLUDE LADY BE GOOD BUT NOT FOR ME IT AIN’T NECESSARILY SO STRIKE UP THE BAND WHO CARES? A FOGGY DAY SUMMERTIME

I GOT RHYTHM

FASCINATIN’ RHYTHM FINALE

WHO’S WHO in the company

OUR LOCAL PERFORMING PARTNERS

Cleveland Ballet

The exquisite artistry of Cleveland Ballet has been capturing the hearts of patrons in Northeast Ohio and beyond since 2015. Cleveland Ballet is indebted to its legions of supporters who have secured its position as a cultural gem with critical acclaim and continued patronage. Recognized for its commitment to innovation, diversity, and creativity, Cleveland Ballet is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of ballet enthusiasts through the Academy of Cleveland Ballet, its robust outreach program, and accessible programs such as Pay What You Can. Cleveland Ballet is proud to be among the prestigious ranks of a Playhouse Square resident company.

Cleveland Pops Orchestra

Since its debut performance in 1996, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, under conductor Carl Topilow, plays the music of Broadway, Hollywood, jazz, rock, and light classics, filling a void in Cleveland’s rich cultural arts scene. In addition to its Severance Hall and Playhouse Square concerts, the orchestra performs free concerts in communities throughout northeast Ohio, as well as for musical attractions and events in Cleveland. Its community educational programs feature an in-school residency for students K-3, the Cleveland Pops Youth Orchestra, and an annual young artists competition. Playing to large and diverse audiences, its entertaining concerts create an experience that evokes an upbeat emotional reaction and response. The Cleveland Pops Orchestra is delighted to be part of this exciting production!

The Artistic Company

MARCELLO ANGELINI

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Marcello Angelini has served as Tulsa Ballet Artistic Director since 1995, following a distinguished career as a principal dancer and guest artist with some of the most renowned troupes in the world. Angelini’s studies began at home with his father in Naples, Italy, and continued through graduation from the Kiev Institute of Dance in the former Soviet Union on a special full government scholarship. His professional career as a dancer began in 1979 at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino where he obtained the status of soloist in 1981. He was a Principal Dancer with Deutsche Oper Berlin, England’s Northern Ballet Theater, Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens in Montreal, and the Cincinnati Ballet. As a Guest Principal Dancer, he performed with the ballet companies of some of the most prestigious Opera Houses in Italy such as San Carlo Opera House, Rome Opera House, the Arena of Verona in Italy and the Teatro Massimo

in Palermo. He also has performed as principal guest artist with the Basler Ballet in Switzerland, English National Ballet and the Scottish Ballet in the United Kingdom, Ballet Arizona in the USA and Santiago’s Teatro Municipal in Chile. He danced leading roles in most of the classical repertoire, including five versions of Giselle, three of The Sleeping Beauty, Michael Smuin’s Romeo & Juliet, three versions of Swan Lake, Jonh Cranko’s Taming of the Shrew, and three productions of Cinderella, including that of the late Rudolf Nureyev. His contemporary leading roles include Death in Death and the Maiden and the valet in Birgit Cullberg’s Miss Julie and has been featured in ballets by Hans Van Manen, Niels Cristie, John Butler, John, Cranko, Kenneth McMillan and most of the George Balanchine repertoire. He has received numerous awards, both as a dancer and for his achievements as Tulsa Ballet’s Artistic director. With his wife, Daniela Buson, he was awarded the Golden Rose for the most promising Italian dancer, the Positano Price for Excellence in the Field and, again with Mrs. Buson, he won the first National Italian ballet competition, held in Rome, Italy and

broadcast by RAI, the national state television station. As an artistic director he was awarded the Governor’s Arts Award for individual contribution to the arts in Oklahoma the Harwelden Award and The Kennedy Center Arts Advocacy Award.

During his tenure with Tulsa Ballet, Angelini brought to the company’s repertoire dozens of Oklahoma premieres, American premieres and World premieres from some of the top dance makers of the world. Today’s Tulsa Ballet enjoys a truly international repertory representing the world’s leading choreographers and an international roster of dancers representing ten different countries. His artistic policy aims at preserving the classical repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries while presenting works by the top contemporary choreographers of our time. During his leadership Tulsa Ballet also opened The SemGroup Center for Dance Education in Brookside and The Hardesty Center for Dance Education, both academies meant to offer truly professional dance instruction for the region. Studio K, a theater built with the mission of creating new works in Tulsa and exporting them to the world, opened in 2008 and has premiered over 35 new works since then, fulfilling another important goal for the organization, that of being a major contributor to the growth of the field. National and international touring has also been a major focus for Mr. Angelini, resulting in the company appearing in five different countries in addition to tours to The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and The Joyce Theater in New York.

Mr. Angelini and Mrs. Buson are the proud parents of twin boys Alessandro and Valentino.

DANIELA BUSON ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Daniela Buson serves as Assistant Artistic Director for the Tulsa Ballet, following a distinguished career as a Principal Dancer and Principal Guest Artist in some of the most renowned ballet companies in the world. A native of Palermo, Italy, she received her training from Maestro Jacques Beltrame.

Upon graduation, she joined Maggio Danza in Florence under the direction of Evgeny Polyakov. In 1983 she joined the Deutsche Oper Berlin in Berlin, Germany, as a Soloist and a year later moving to the Northern Ballet Theater as a Principal Dancer. During her career as a Principal Dancer and a Principal Guest Artist, she appeared with

companies such as the Northern Ballet Theater and English National Ballet in England, Basel Ballet in Switzerland, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens in Montreal, Canada, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet West and Ballet Arizona in the US, the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy, and Tulsa Ballet.

She danced leading or title roles in most of the classical ballet repertory including Giselle, Don Quixote, La Sylphide, The Sleeping Beauty, Michael Smuin’s Romeo & Juliet, Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, John Cranko’s Taming of the Shrew and Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella among others. She was also featured in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Nacho Duato, Birgit Cullberg, James Kudelka, Val Caniparoli, Paul Taylor, Christopher Wheeldon, Antony Tudor, Stanton Welch and many other masters of the 20th century. She has won numerous awards for her dancing including the Leonide Massine Positano Prize. Upon retiring from the stage, she became Ballet Mistress with Tulsa Ballet. In her private life she is married to Tulsa Ballet’s Artistic Director Marcello Angelini with whom she has twin boys, Alessandro and Valentino.

SUSAN FREI

REHEARSAL DIRECTOR & ARTISTIC COORDINATOR

Susan Frei joined Tulsa Ballet in 1987 and became Ballet Mistress in 1993. As a dancer, she has performed leading roles in Footage, Yes, Virginia, Another Piano Ballet, Filling Station, Con Amore and The Nutcracker. She was a Principal dancer with Colorado Ballet and also has danced with the Tennessee Dance Theatre and Tampa Ballet. She has staged numerous productions for Tulsa Ballet, including The Nutcracker, Zingara, Con Amore, Rhythmetron and Grand Tarantella. Her dance training includes the Colorado Ballet with Fernand Nault and William Thompson and the American School of Ballet.

ALFONSO MARTÍN

TBII ARTISTIC MANAGER & REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Mr. Martín began his ballet training at a very early age at the studio of Dance Aikoa in Spain. At the age of 15, he moved to Madrid to pursue his ballet training under the guidance of Carmen Roche. While in Madrid, Mr. Martín finished his studies of Music and Dance, earning a degree with High Honors from the Royal

Conservatory of Madrid. After his graduation, he joined the Ballet del Mediterraneo, and it was with this company that he made his professional debut in Madrid dancing The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère. Immediately following these performances, Mr. Martín was invited by Fernando Bujones to join Ballet de Monterrey (Mexico) as a Principal dancer. During his time in Mexico, he danced numerous Pax de Deux from the classical repertory and performed throughout Mexico as a guest artist.

In 1998, he joined Tulsa Ballet as a DemiSoloist and rose through the ranks, receiving his promotion to Principal dancer in April of 2001. Mr. Martín’s professional career also includes Boston Ballet. His repertory includes Principal roles in Giselle, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Brigit Culbert’s Miss Julie, George Balanchine’s Who Cares? and Theme and Variations, as well as the creation of Charles in the world premiere of Tulsa Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Mr. Martín has been featured in works by John Cranko, Val Caniparoli, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Paul Taylor, Antony Tudor, Jerome Robbins, Robert North, Nacho Duato, John Butler, Twyla Tharp, Fredrick Ashton, Christopher Wheeldon, Edwaard Liang, Jorma Elo and Ma Cong. He received the gold medal at the second National Competition in Torrelavega, Spain. Mr. Martín has appeared as a guest artist across the United States and in Spain, Italy, Mexico and Brazil.

At the end of the 2012-2013 season, he retired from dancing and joined the Tulsa Ballet Artistic Staff assuming the responsibilities of Tulsa Ballet II Artistic Manager and Ballet Master. Off stage, he is married to retired Principal dancer, Ashley Blade-Martín.

SCOTT BLACK MANAGING DIRECTOR

A native of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Scott Black has worked across the country in many aspects of the performing arts industry for the past 20 years with positions including arts administrator, presenter, director, producer and performer.

This year Scott joins Tulsa Ballet for his sixteenth season as Managing Director after having served three seasons as the Executive Director of the OK Mozart International Festival, deemed “Oklahoma’s Premier Music Festival.” Prior to that, he spent three

years as the Producing Director for Northern Lights Playhouse, one of the few rotating repertory theaters continually operating in the United States, and The Pinewood Dinner Theatre, both in north-central Wisconsin.

Scott has directed and/or produced over 30 regional theater productions and spent three years in New York City, where he worked in theater management and promotions for several Broadway and off-Broadway shows and toured with National Theatre of Performing Arts.

DEREK DEANE CHOREOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR

Derek Deane trained at the Royal Ballet School from 1970 to 1972 and was invited to join the professional company at age 18. He was promoted to soloist, principal and finally to senior principal dancer by 1982. He danced most of the major roles in the Royal Ballet’s classical repertoire and in works by the most important choreographers of the 20th century.

Deane began choreographing during his performing career, creating ballets for the Royal Ballet, Sadler’s Wells Ballet, and Birmingham Ballet. After retiring from the stage, he worked independently as an international teacher and choreographer and, in 1990, became resident choreographer and assistant director at Ballet di Roma in Italy. Deane returned to England and from 1993 to 2001 was artistic director of the English National Ballet (ENB). He premiered new productions of major classical works — Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, The Nutcracker — as well as his own original works. He pioneered ENB’s hugely successful “in the round” productions; his arena version of Swan Lake has been seen by over 750,000 people worldwide.

Deane’s Alice in Wonderland, Swan Lake and Strictly Gershwin were, at the time, the highestearning productions in the company’s history and had record-breaking attendance. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire for Excellence in Dance in 2000. Since leaving the English National Ballet, Deane’s works have been performed by Teatro La Scala Milan (Coppelia); Shanghai Ballet (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet); The National Ballet of Croatia (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Paquita, The Lady of the Camellias, and Cinderella); Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (Hungry Heart, Simply Simon, Anything

Goes, Alice in Wonderland, and Romeo and Juliet); Teatro San Carlo Naples (Giselle, La Bayadere, and The Nutcracker); Kobayashi Ballet Japan (Giselle); Queensland Ballet (Strictly Gershwin); and Colorado Ballet (Romeo and Juliet).

GEORGE GERSHWIN COMPOSER

George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn in 1898, the second son of Russian immigrants. In 1914, he left high school to work as a Tin Pan Alley song plugger. His first real fame came with Swanee (lyrics by Irving Caesar), which was turned into a smash hit by Al Jolson in 1919.

In 1924, George teamed up with his older brother Ira, and the pair became the dominant Broadway songwriters, creating infectious rhythm numbers and poignant ballads. This extraordinary creative combination created a succession of musical comedies, including Lady, Be Good! (1924), Oh, Kay! (1926), Funny Face (1927), Strike up the Band (1927 and 1930), Girl Crazy (1930), and Of Thee I Sing (1931), which was the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Over the years, Gershwin songs have also been used in numerous films, including Shall We Dance (1937), A Damsel in Distress (1937), and An American in Paris (1951). George always held ambitions to compose serious music. Paul Whiteman asked him to write an original work for a concert of modern music to be presented in New York in 1924: Rhapsody in Blue opened a new era in American music. Commissioned by conductor Walter Damrosch to compose a piano concerto for the New York Symphony Society in 1925, George wrote Concerto in F, considered by many to be his finest orchestral work. Porgy and Bess (co-written with Dubose Heyward and Ira) was George’s most ambitious undertaking. After a Boston preview, Porgy and Bess opened its Broadway run on October 10, 1935. The opera has since had numerous major revivals, toured the world, and was made into a major motion picture in 1959. George Gershwin was working in Hollywood at the height of his career when he died of a brain tumor just before he was 39 years old. His works are performed today with greater frequency than they were during his brief lifetime; and he was awarded a special posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 1998.

IRA GERSHWIN

LYRICIST

Ira Gershwin was born in New York City in 1896. In 1918, he tentatively began a collaboration with his brother George, and The Real American Folk Song (Is a Rag) was heard in Nora Bayes’ Ladies First Not wanting to trade on the success of his already famous brother, Ira adopted the nom de plume of Arthur Francis, under which he supplied lyrics for his first Broadway show, Two Little Girls in Blue (1921), with music by Vincent Youmans. In 1924, Ira dropped the pseudonym and began his successful and lifelong collaboration with George in earnest. The Gershwins created their first joint hit, Lady, Be Good! (1924), and followed it with more than twenty scores for stage and screen, including Oh, Kay! (1926), two versions of Strike up the Band (1927 and 1930), Girl Crazy (1930), Shall We Dance (1937), and the triumphant folk-opera, Porgy and Bess (1935), written with Dubose Heyward. Before and after George’s death in 1937, Ira collaborated with such composers as Harold Arlen (A Star Is Born, 1954), Vernon Duke (Ziegfeld Follies, 1936), Kurt Weill (Lady in the Dark, 1941), Jerome Kern (Cover Girl, 1944), Harry Warren (The Barkleys Of Broadway, 1949), Arthur Schwartz (Park Avenue, 1946), and Burton Lane (Give a Girl a Break, 1953). For his film achievements, Ira Gershwin received three Academy Award nominations. In 1966, he received a Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Maryland, confirming the judgment of so many of his literary admirers that his work was not only of the first rank, but that the Gershwin standards set new standards for American musical theatre. In the years after George’s death, Ira attended to the Gershwin legacy of songs, show and film scores, and concert works. In 1985, the United States Congress recognized the Gershwin legacy by awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to George and Ira. Ira Gershwin died in 1983 in Beverly Hills.

GARETH VALENTINE MUSIC ADAPATION, SUPERVISOR & CONDUCTOR

Gareth Valentine is a highly accomplished musical director with a distinguished career that spans several decades. He studied at the Royal College of Music, London from 1975 to 1978, earning an Honours Degree (GRSM Cons.) In 1981, Gareth Valentine embarked on a remarkable career that

placed him at the pinnacle of the musical theatre industry. Notably, he has collaborated with renowned composers such as Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, John Kander and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. His extensive repertoire includes conducting West End musicals, all of which garnered Olivier Awards for Best Musical or Best Musical Revival, such as 42nd Street at Drury Lane, Kiss Me Kate at Victoria Palace, Merrily We Roll Along at Donmar, Chicago at Adelphi, and City Of Angels at Donmar.

Last year Gareth worked on Sinatra at Birmingham Rep and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum at Lido2 in Paris.

Gareth Valentine’s orchestral engagements include performances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra de Chamber de Paris, Pasdeloup Orchestra, Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra.

Gareth composed the ballet Strictly Gershwin for the English National Ballet, showcased at the Royal Albert Hall, a sellout UK Tour, and a season with Tulsa Ballet, USA. The ballet proved to be a box office record breaker for Queensland Ballet, Australia.

Gareth Valentine’s expertise and contributions to the musical arts have earned him recognition, with The Stage recently describing him as “one of the West End’s most sought-after musical directors.”

HOWARD HARRISON LIGHTING DESIGNER

West End: Mamma Mia! (worldwide), Mary Poppins (Broadway), Wind in the Willows, The Importance of Being Earnest, Harvey, Neville’s Island, The Pajama Game, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Viva Forever!, Glengarry Glen Ross, Love Story, Guys and Dolls, Ragtime, The Witches of Eastwick, Oleanna, Donkey’s Years and Heroes, Macbeth (Broadway) Rag Time, Rock ‘n’ Roll (Royal Court and Broadway) Opera and Ballet incudes: Strictly Gershwin (Queensland Ballet/ Shanghai Ballet) The Barber of Seville (Lyric Opera Chicago), Die Fledermaus (Welsh National Opera), Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! and Edward Scissorhands (Sadler’s Wells, UK and US tours). Strictly Gershwin, Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake (English National Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall)

Howard has been nominated 10 times and has been twice awarded the Olivier Award for Best

Lighting Designer in 2008 and again in 2015. In 2012, he received the Knight of Illumination Award for his work on Anna Christie at the Donmar. He has been nominated twice for Broadway’s Tony Awards.

ROBERTA GUIDI DI BAGNO SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGNER

Born in Rome, Italy, Roberta Guidi di Bagno studied at the Accademia Libera del Nudo. For the past 48 years, she has worked extensively with many of the major opera houses and ballet companies around the world including Houston Ballet, Teatro alla Scala in Milano, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Queensland Ballet, English National Ballet, Zagreb National Theatre, Spoleto Festival Italy and USA, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Semperoper Ballett Dresden, Royal Danish Ballet, Teatro San Carlo Napoli, Maggio Musicale Firenze, Teatro Massimo Palermo, English National Ballet, Teatro Filarmonico Verona, New National Theatre Tokyo, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, and Staatsballet Berlin. Two of her latest accomplishments in 2023 were: Francesco Ventriglia’s World Première of A Thousand Tales commissioned by CMDI Events and Samit Event Group for the Dubai Opera House, and the opening of Aaron Watkin’s English National Ballet’s season with new sets and costumes of Balanchine’s Theme and Variations. She has a number of future projects including Coppélia for Prague National Ballet.

Ms. Guidi di Bagno has received a number of prestigious awards including the “Positano Massine Prize for Ballet” for her artistic accomplishments (1997), Premio Anita Bucchi, and Giornale della Danza’s “Best Costume Designer in 2012.”

IVAN GIL-ORTEGA STAGER

Ivan Gil-Ortega was born in Madrid and began his dance training at the school of the Gran Teatro and the Liceu “Joan Magrinya” in Barcelona. He further honed his skills under the guidance of Carmen Roche in Madrid. In 1995, Gil-Ortega joined the Stuttgart Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to Soloist at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin in 1996. He returned to Stuttgart as a Soloist in 1997 and was later promoted to Principal in 2001. He remained with the Stuttgart Ballet until 2007 as a

Principal dancer and then moved to the Netherlands at Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam.

Throughout his career, Gil-Ortega has danced numerous Principal roles in the Stuttgart Ballet repertoire, including Siegfried and von Rothbart in Swan Lake, Petrucchio and Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew, and Tybalt and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet, all in John Cranko’s productions of the classics. He has also performed Carabosse in Marica Haydée’s production of The Sleeping Beauty, Colas in La Fille mal Gardée, and Albrecht in Giselle. Notably, he has received the International Leónide Massine Dance Prize in Positano, Italy, for his performances in the ballet Onegin.

Gil-Ortega’s repertoire extends to Principal roles in works by renowned choreographers such as Hans van Manen, Uwe Scholz, David Bintley, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Mauro Bigonzetti, Nicole Fonte, Goyo Montero, Christian Spuck, and Derek Deane, among others. Many of these choreographers have created roles specifically for him. In addition to his dancing career, Gil-Ortega has expanded his activities as an assistant director and ballet stager. He has worked closely with choreographers such as Christian Spuck, Goyo Montero, and Derek Deane. He has also collaborated with companies including Teatro San Carlo in Napoli, Maggio Musicale in Florence, Western Australian Ballet in Perth, the Finnish National Ballet in Helsinki, Universal Ballet in Korea, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Stuttgart Ballet, Staatstheater Nürnberg, and the National Theatres of Croatia and Slovenia.

Gil-Ortega has worked closely with Goyo Montero, the artistic director of Staatstheater Nürnberg, on various productions. He has also collaborated extensively with Derek Deane, the renowned British choreographer and former Artistic Director of English National Ballet, assisting him in the creation and staging of several works.

Furthermore, Gil-Ortega has served as the Vice President of the Jury for the international ballet competition Le Prix de Lausanne in 2019, alongside Carlos Acosta. Since 2019, he has been an active member of the jury for the Youth American Grand Prix competition. As of January 2020, GilOrtega holds the position of Artistic Consultant for Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Throughout his illustrious career, Ivan Gil-Ortega has made significant contributions to the world of ballet as a dancer, assistant director, and ballet stager, leaving a lasting impact on the international dance community.

DON SEBESKY ORCHESTRATOR

Born in New Jersey, USA, Don Sebesky trained at The Manhattan School of Music. He has arranged for hundreds of renowned artists, including Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett and Bette Midler and has conducted for some of the world’s nest orchestras including London Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and New York Philharmonic. Sebesky’s Broadway theatre credits include Porgy and Bess (London production by Trevor Nunn), Sinatra At The Palladium, Sweet Charity, Bells Are Ringing, Flower Drum Song, Parade, The Life, Cyrano, The Goodbye Girl, Will Rogers Follies, and Sinatra At Radio City. He has also created numerous musical scores for film and television. Sebesky has released a variety of recordings, receiving 31 Grammy nominations and three Grammy wins. He won a Tony award for Best Orchestrations for the revival of Kiss Me, Kate (2000) and is the author of the top selling book The Contemporary Arranger.

DUBOSE HEYWARD LYRICIST

Dubose Heyward, author of the novel (1925) and play (1927) Porgy, wrote fiction and short stories during the 1920s and 1930s that focused on the lives of black Americans living on the waterfront of Charleston, South Carolina. Heyward and his wife, Dorothy, dramatized his most successful novels, resulting in major Broadway successes; namely Porgy and Bess, the first American folk-opera, with music by George Gershwin and lyrics co-written by Ira Gershwin and Heyward. Many of the songs from Porgy and Bess have been performed and recorded countless times over the decades, including Summertime, I Love You Porgy, and I’m On My Way, to name just a few. Heyward and his wife later dramatized another of his books, Mamba’s Daughters, with much success. Heyward then wrote the screenplay for the 1933 motion picture based on Eugene O’Neill’s Emperor Jones, starring Paul Robeson. Heyward founded the Poetry Society of South Carolina.

ANDREW LAHTI SOLO PIANIST

Andrew Lahti joined Tulsa Ballet as the Company and Center for Dance Education Pianist in June of 2009, and was promoted to Principal

Company Pianist in October of 2011, returning to the company where he was first trained in the art of ballet accompanying by acclaimed pianist Ramona Pansegrau. At Tulsa Ballet, he has worked with many distinguished choreographers, including Marcello Angelini, Andrew McNicol, Kenneth Tindall, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ma Cong, Edwaard Liang, Ronald Hynd, Wayne McGregor, and Ben Stevenson. He has appeared as solo pianist for the world premieres of Ma Cong’s Tchaikovsky: The Man Behind the Music and Nicolo Fonte’s Axis Mundi, as well as the North American premiere of Derek Deane’s Strictly Gershwin. He also performed Kurt Joss’s The Green Table on tour to Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Prior to this, Andrew spent four years in New York City working with Edward Ellison at Ellison Ballet, Sara Knight at Greenwich Ballet Academy, and Francois Perron and Deborah Wingert at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center.

A Tulsa native, Andrew received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Evansville (studying with Dr. Garnet Ungar), and his Masters in Piano Performance at the Mannes College of Music, where he studied with Jerome Rose. While at Mannes, he participated in numerous performances as a soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician, and premiered several pieces. Further studies were with Dr. Roger Price of the University of Tulsa, with Rebecca Pennys at the Chautauqua Institution, and in Austria with Jörg Demus and Stefano Fiuzzi.

GLENN SEVEN ALLEN GUEST VOCALIST

Glenn Seven Allen is garnering critical acclaim on theatre, opera, and concert stages throughout the United States as a consummate performer, lauded for his dynamic interpretations of heroes and leading men alike. He was hailed by Opera News as an “Edwardian matinee idol, giving by far the most detailed dramatic performance.”

Allen recently performed with New York City Opera in All is Calm; created the role of John in Southern Crossings at Barnard College; and sang Roldolfo in Soo Theatre’s La bohème. He also appeared as a soloist with Gulfshore Opera and American Modern Ensemble.

Known for his work on Broadway and in leading theatres throughout the country, Mr. Allen appeared as Giuseppe in the Tony-winning Broadway run of Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza. Other theatrical credits include Girl Crazy at City Center

as part of their Encores season, Casino Paradise with Lincoln Center, Lancelot in Camelot at the Arvada Center, Rutledge in 1776 at Goodspeed, Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar at North Carolina Theatre, Assistant D.A. Kramer in the world premiere of Bonfire of the Vanities at The Process Studio Theatre, Carousel with the NY Philharmonic for PBS’ Great Performances, and Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., where he received The Helen Hayes nomination for Best Actor.

Mr. Allen starred as Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities at Bob Jones University and at New York City Opera as Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain and Freddy in Dear Erich. He sang Il Padre in Piramo e Tisbe with the Little Opera Theater of NY, the Inquisitor in Candide at Carnegie Hall, and Dan Goodman in Next to Normal with Syracuse Stage. He also performed with Charlottesville Symphony, American Lyric Theatre, and Glacier Symphony, and was featured in a Mediacom commercial.

MIKE SCHWITTER GUEST VOCALIST

Mike is thrilled to be making his Tulsa Ballet debut with this iconic music. Broadway: Pippin (Lewis, u/s Pippin). National Tours: The Book of Mormon (u/s Elder Price), Les Misérables (u/s Marius and Enjolras). Off-Broadway: Stardust Road (Wallace). Regional: West Side Story (Tony), South Pacific (Lt. Cable), Next to Normal (Gabe), Beautiful, Unsinkable Molly Brown, Jesus Christ Superstar. Film/TV: BROS, Holly Jolly. Mike has also performed with dozens of symphonies domestically and internationally, including Cirque Musica and West Side Story at the Hollywood Bowl. For more information, visit www.MikeSchwitter.com

CLAIRE LEYDEN HABER GUEST VOCALIST

Claire Leyden is a New York-based actor and singer with a passion for innovative crossover repertoire. She was most recently seen in Ragtime at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, and as Sibella in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Other recent projects include the national tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Mrs. Bucket), the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ touring pro-

duction of The Pirates of Penzance (Mabel), and the title role in the New York revival of Victor Herbert’s Madeleine. Claire is an avid collaborator in new work across all genres; recent world premieres include It’s a Small World (or, The Robot Play) by Amber Palmer, Pietà by Jake Landau and Andrea DelGiudice, and The Extinctionist by Daniel Schlosberg and Amanda Quaid. www.ClaireLeyden.com

SANDRA MARANTE GUEST VOCALIST

Born and raised in Miami with a Cuban-Hungarian background, Sandra Marante is a musical theater actress and classically trained soprano. Select theater credits include two seasons performing with the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes, In the Heights (Broadway at Music Circus, Westport Country Playhouse – performed with many of the original Broadway cast) and Stonewall (New York City Opera at Lincoln Center). Other favorite performed operas and musical theater shows include Sunset Boulevard, Smokey Joe’s Café, Man of La Mancha, Madama Butterfly, My Fair Lady and Gianni Schicchi. Television appearances include BULL (CBS), Quiero Ser Estrella (Univision) and Evil Lives Here (Hulu). Ms. Marante’s personal life story about her tenacity to succeed despite what obstacles she endured has been recognized and admired by Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Illinois and the public press (ex. Chicago Tribune, Miami Sun Sentinel, Los Angeles Times, Opera Pulse and Classical Singer Magazine). Ms. Marante was also one of the spokes-patients for a national commercial advertisement for Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Ms. Marante has been a part of many prestigious young arts programs such as NYC (dicapo) Opera, Charlottesville Opera and Brevard Music Festival to name a few. She received her Performer Certificate at University of Connecticut, M.M. at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and B.M. at New World School of the Arts.

KRIS KERR GUEST TAP DANCER

After graduating from medical school with first class honours and establishing his place as a respected medical specialist, Dr Kris Kerr is

back in the spotlight. Kris is a multi-award-winning Dance Champion from Queensland Australia, securing 28 Championships with 14 of these for tap dance. He studied numerous dance styles since commencing ballet classes at the age of three, but it is his affinity for tap dance that enticed him back to the stage. In 2016 he made his professional debut with the Queensland Ballet’s 2016 season of Derek Deane’s Strictly Gershwin, receiving an Australian Dance Awards long-list nomination for an Outstanding Performance by a male dancer. In 2018, he reprised the same role alongside Bill Simpson for the U.S.A premiere of Strictly Gershwin with Tulsa Ballet. In the last 12 months, Kris has re-joined both Queensland Ballet and Tulsa Ballet for their respective celebrated revivals of Strictly Gershwin, and he is most delighted to perform with Tulsa Ballet once more in Cleveland. Kris is also an accomplished pianist, music theorist and composer, holding several diplomas from the Australian Music Examinations Board, Trinity College of London and the St. Cecilia School of Music International. In 2024, he received a Fellowship in Music Composition for the orchestral score of his new ballet music, Mythologos. Kris dedicates his performances of Strictly Gershwin to his family, past teachers and those who help turn dreams into reality.

DEMI REMICK GUEST TAP DANCER

Demi Remick is a NYC-based dancer, choreographer, burlesque artist and company director creating and performing works across musical genres and dance styles. She was awarded Dance Magazine’s Top-25-To-Watch in 2014 at 17-yearsold, is a YoungArts Gold winner, a Presidential Scholar in the Arts nominee and a Capezio Athlete. Demi has toured worldwide as the tap dance soloist with Postmodern Jukebox for over seven years and has acquired over five million views on her viral Super Mario Bros Medley and Legend of Zelda Tap Medley. She has performed as a featured soloist in off-Broadway productions with Company XIV in Brooklyn, in Quixotic Fusion’s Sensatia Cabaret in Denver, and as “The Hottest Freshman” at The New York Burlesque Festival. Demi has tap danced with Caleb Teicher & Company, Dorrance Dance, Jason Samuels Smith’s ACGI and Lisa LaTouche’s TapPhonics. She has also performed in events produced by Susanne Bartsch, Bill T. Jones, and alongside American Ballet Theatre and New York

City Ballet dancers. While touring the world Demi has performed at venues such as The Sydney Opera House, NY City Center, The London Palladium, Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, The Kennedy Center, Hollywood’s Greek Theatre, and arenas seating over 6000 people to name a few.

Demi has taught all levels of tap dance internationally and sets her work on youth ensembles and professional companies across the United States and abroad. Demi earned her BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance and attended Jacob’s Pillow Tap Program at 17 years old. Demi travels the world teaching and performing tap dance hoping to share the joy of the art form with people everywhere.

BILL SIMPSON GUEST TAP DANCER

An accomplished tap dance performer, choreographer and educator with a career spanning more than 20 years, Bill’s is an important voice in the global conversation of tap. A graduate of Queensland University of Technology in Australia, Bill’s performance credits include Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs, both the Australian and North American premieres of Derek Deane’s Strictly Gershwin, and Red Hot Rhythm’s Rhythm Junkies which Bill also produced, winning an Australian Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Dance or Musical Theatre. A regular member of the Australian Tap Dance Festival faculty and an experienced teacher, Bill has helped thousands of people across the world discover tap dance through his acclaimed instructional video course series for beginners, Just TAP, and most recently co-founded Taptopia, a global community for tap dancers.

JOSHUA STAYTON GUEST ARTIST

Originally from Ohio, Joshua began his training at the Performing Arts school in Cincinnati. He then continued with the Orlando Ballet School (Peter Stark) and Houston Ballet II (Claudio Muñoz). Joshua has been a Demi-Soloist with both Tulsa Ballet and Sarasota Ballet. Some of his repertoire includes leading roles in Concerto (MacMillian), Mirror Walkers (Sir Wright), Age of Innocence (Liang), Bolero (Fonte), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Wheeldon), One/end/One (Elo), The Nutcracker (Angelini), The Sleeping Beauty (Angelini), Romeo & Juliet (Liang),

Extremely Close (Cerrudo), and more. Joshua has performed internationally in Budapest and previously at the Helsinki IBC. He has also had the opportunity to choreograph for Tulsa Ballet’s second company and for Helsinki IBC in 2016.

JAIMI CULLEN PRINCIPAL

Born in Rochester, NY, Jaimi received her training at the Draper Center for Dance Education, followed by Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program in New York City. In 2011, Jaimi was a YoungArts Finalist and placed in the Top 12 at the Youth America Grand Prix NYC Finals. This same year, she was offered a contract with Tulsa Ballet II. After one season, she was promoted to the main company and rose through the ranks before being promoted to Principal Dancer in 2023. Jaimi’s repertoire includes performing the role of Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (Edwaard Liang), the title roles in both Carmen (Kenneth Tindall) and Cinderella (Andrew McNicol), Odette in Swan Lake (staged by Marcello Angelini), the lead role of Rosalia in Vendetta, A Mafia Story (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa), and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker (Ma Cong & Val Caniparoli). She has danced in many contemporary and neoclassical works, including principal roles in works by world renowned choreographers such as Wayne McGregor, Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, Jerome Robbins, Derek Deane, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and more.

AUBIN LE MARCHAND PRINCIPAL

Aubin Le Marchand, from Paris, France, began his training in a conservatory of the city before he joined the Paris Opera Ballet School in 2009 and studied there until 2015. After a few productions with Paris Opera Ballet, Bordeaux Ballet, Royal Opera of Versailles Ballet, and various other projects, he joined the Croatian National Theatre of Split where he became a Principal. Aubin has danced main roles in major pieces of the classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoire such as Onegin, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, The Great Gatsby, La Esmeralda, and more. Aubin has worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as D. Dean, A.Preljocaj, T.Malandain, L.Mujić, V.Medvedev among many others. Aubin joined Tulsa Ballet in 2023 as a Soloist and was promoted to Principal for the 24/25 Season.

JUN MASUDA

PRINCIPAL

Born in Osaka, Japan, Jun Masuda received his first dance training at the age of five. Jun has won numerous prizes and accolades for his dancing, including Gold Medals at Youth America Grand Prix and Tokyo National Dance Competition, and the Silver Medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition 2016, which was broadcast on the TV news in Japan. After training in Japan, he departed to the renowned Académie Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and studied under the direction of Luca Masala for three years. After graduation he joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2019, the main company the following year, and was promoted to Principal dancer in 2023. Jun’s repertoire includes performing the leading role in Romeo and Juliet (Edwaard Liang), Strictly Gershwin (Derek Deane), Don Quixote (Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa), Cinderella (Andrew McNicol), Carmen (Kenneth Tindall), Swan Lake (staged by Marcello Angelini) The Nutcracker (Ma Cong & Val Caniparoli), Vendetta, A Mafia Story (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa), Dorothy and Prince of Oz (Edwaard Liang). He also has performed in many works by world renowned choreographers such as Alexander Ekman, Marco Goecke, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Luciano Cannito, Katarzyna Kozielska, and many more.

NAO OTA

PRINCIPAL

Born in Aichi, Japan, Nao Ota began her ballet training at Dance Space. In 2013, she received a scholarship to study short-term with Dominique Khalfouni, in France. Nao won first prize at the Japan Grand Prix in 2016 and joined Tulsa Ballet II the following year. She was promoted to Apprentice in 2018, Corps de Ballet in 2019, and Soloist in 2022. In 2023, she was promoted to Principal. Her repertoire includes Odette/Odile in Swan Lake (Angelini) Cinderella in Cinderella (McNicol), Strictly Gershwin (Deane), Lead couple in Cacti (Ekman), Carmen in Carmen (Tindall) Kitri in Don Quixote, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Liang), and The Green Table (Jooss), She has also performed in works by Jennifer Archibald, Ma Cong, Young Soon Hue, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Katarzyna Kozielska, Yury Yanowsky, and Val Caniparoli.

REGINA MONTGOMERY SOLOIST

From Los Angeles, Regina began studying ballet under former Mariinsky Principal, Marat Daukayev. She attended the Rock School for Dance in Philadelphia and has won many awards at the Youth America Grand Prix. Regina joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2013 and was promoted to Soloist in 2022. She is an AGMA union representative and is the Shoe Coordinator for Tulsa Ballet. She’s been featured in both Pointe and Dance magazines and is working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Business through Oklahoma State University. Regina has performed lead roles in Marcello Angelini’s The Nutcracker, Katarzyna Kozielska’s Ode, Itzik Galili’s O Balcão de Amor, Joshua Bergasse’s Dancing in the Streets, and Kurt Joos’ The Green Table. She has danced notable roles in works such as Don Quixote, Giselle, and Swan Lake

AINA OKI SOLOIST

Born in Hiroshima, Japan, Aina studied at the Koike Ballet Studio. From 2013 she studied at John Cranko School in Germany and graduated in 2018. Aina is the finalist of the Prix De Lausanne 2018. The following year she joined Tulsa Ballet ll and became Corps de Ballet member one year later. Her repertoire includes featured lead roles such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Tchaikovsky, and danced many other roles. She has worked with Kenneth Tindall, Nicolo Fonte, Craig Davidson, Josha Bergasse, Luciano Cannito, Val Caniparoli, Garret Smith, Katarzyna Kozielska, Itzik Galili, Andrew McNicol, and Ma Cong. She was promoted to Soloist in 2023. In 2024 she was promoted to Senior Soloist.

JONATHAN TEAGUE APPLEGATE DEMI SOLOIST

Jonathan Teague Applegate was born in Modesto, California. He began training at Juline School of Dance at seven. At sixteen, he was accepted into the San Francisco Ballet School. After training, he was offered an apprentice contract with the San Francisco Ballet under the direction of Helgi Tomasson. Teague danced in full-length classics, including Swan Lake and Don Quixote, and worked with world-renowned

choreographers such as Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Posshokov. He joined TBII where he performed in works such as Melodia, Tchaikovsky: The Man Behind the Music (Ma Cong), and Cacti (Alexander Ekman). After being promoted to Apprentice, Teague was promoted to Corps de Ballet after performing soloist roles in Only the Lonely (Adam Hougland) and Ballyhoo (Penny Saunders), as well as featured roles in Don Quixote (Anna-Marie Holmes).

JONATHAN BELOLI

DEMI

SOLOIST

Jonathan Beloli grew up in a small town in northern Italy. In 2015 he started his professional ballet training at Teatro Nuovo of Turin, where he studied closely with Ramona and Niurka De Saa. He then joined the EkoDance International Dance School directed by Pompea Santoro, former principal dancer and Mats Ek’s assistant. After graduation, he spent a year in Pompea Santoro’s professional project, working closely with Mats Ek, Fernando Suels Mendoza, and Paolo Mohovich. There, Jonathan met Marcello Angelini who offered him a contract to join Tulsa Ballet II. He performed in roles such as The Nutcracker Prince in The Nutcracker (Cong and Caniparoli), Jack in Jack & The Beanstalk (Cong), and Paris in Romeo and Juliet (Liang). Jonathan was promoted to DemiSoloist in 2024.

JULIA CROSBY

DEMI SOLOIST

Julia Crosby, from Germantown, Maryland, began her training at the Maryland Youth Ballet. From there, her training includes The Houston Ballet and The Washington Ballet. In 2017, she joined Milwaukee Ballet 2. In 2018, she joined Atlanta Ballet 2 and performed in the Premiere of Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker and as Princess Odette/Black Swan in Bruce Wells’ The Swan Princess. She joined Tulsa Ballet as an Apprentice in 2020, and was promoted to Corps de Ballet the following season. She has danced in roles such as Mirlitons and Marie in Ma Cong and Val Caniparoli’s The Nutcracker and Little Swans in Swan Lake, and Soloist roles in Only the Lonely (Adam Hougland), Don Quixote, and Strictly Gershwin (Derek Deane). She was promoted to Demi-Soloist in 2024.

SUMIKA FUJIWARA

DEMI SOLOIST

Sumika Fujiwara, from Aichi Japan, began her training in 2004 at Shiho Kanazawa Ballet Studio. She was accepted to Canada’s National Ballet School in 2016 and graduated in 2019. After three years of training at the professional ballet school, she joined Tulsa Ballet II. In her three years with TBII, she performed in main company pieces such as Flight of Fancy by Ma Cong and four little swans in Swan Lake. Sumika joined the main company as an Apprentice and was promoted to Corps de Ballet. She joins the company this season as Demi Soloist.

JOOYOUNG KWON

DEMI SOLOIST

JooYoung was born in South Korea and started ballet at the Uniballet Academy at the age of six. She studied at Seoul Arts High School in 2019 and was a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne in 2021. She joined Tulsa Ballet as Corps de Ballet the following year. She has been featured as the Lead Swan in Swan Lake (Angelini) and Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote. She has performed in works choreographed by Katarzyna Kozielska, Yury Yanowsky, Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Nicolo Fonte, Craig Davidson, Kenneth Tindall, Andrew McNicol, Derek Deane, and Adam Hougland.

FABIAN RASCHITOR

DEMI SOLOIST

Fabian Raschitor was born in Bucharest, Romania. He began his professional formation at the Floria Capsali Choreography High School. In 2017 he was offered a scholarship at the Princesse Grace Academy in Monaco, where he studied for 4 years under the direction of Luca Masala. After graduating as a professional dancer in 2021, he joined Tulsa Ballet II and worked with choreographers such as Ma Cong, Val Caniparoli, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Andrew McNicol, and more. In 2022, Fabian joined the main company as an Apprentice and was promoted to Corps de Ballet. Fabian joins the company this season as a Demi Soloist.

YUKI TODA

DEMI SOLOIST

Yuki Toda was born in Aichi, Japan, and started ballet at three years old. In 2007, she trained at the Acri-Horimoto Ballet Academy. In 2013, she studied for a year at the Hungarian Dance Academy before returning to Japan. Yuki competed and won 2nd place in the Japan Grand Prix in 2016, where she was offered a position in Tulsa Ballet II. She joined the main company as an Apprentice in 2019, Corps de Ballet the following season. Her repertoire includes Cacti (Ekman), Hindrance (Yanowsky), PARHELIA (Archibald), Vendetta, A Mafia Story as a Daniela (Ochoa), Swan Lake as a lead swan (Angelini) and more. Yuki was also featured as a guest dancer in Japan. Etoile from Paquita (2017), Lilac from Sleeping Beauty (2018). She returns this season as a Demi Soloist.

EDWARD TRUELOVE

DEMI SOLOIST

Edward Truelove, from North Yorkshire, England began his training at a local dance school in Yorkshire. After gaining a government scholarship to Tring Park in 2016, he was able to further nurture his passion. Graduating in 2021, Edward joined TBII for one year, getting the chance to perform in works by: Andy Blankenbuehler, Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Andrew McNicol, Ma Cong, and Marcello Angelini. He joined the main company in 2022 as Apprentice and was then promoted to Corps de Ballet. This year Edward joins the main company as a Demi Soloist.

DANIELE ARRIVABENE

CORPS DE BALLET

Daniele Arrivabene was born and raised in Turin and started dancing at the age of five. At the age of 10, he started to follow the “ROYAL” method with Ilaria Ripamonti and eventually participated in the international competition organized by the National Academy of Cuba where he ranked third. In 2017, Daniele participated in the summer school of the Royal Ballet School, and in 2018 at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne competition. Daniele joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2018 and was promoted to main company in 2020 as an Apprentice, and is currently a member of the Corps de Ballet.

ALISON CERVANTES

CORPS

DE BALLET

Alison Cervantes, from Hacienda Heights, California, trained at the Orange County School of the Arts, then at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. She joined the University of Oklahoma’s School of Dance in 2019 and danced with Oklahoma City Ballet II concurrently for their 20/21 season. At OU, she performed leading roles in Signature by Price Suddarth, Viva Vivaldi, and The Nutcracker. Alison joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2021, where she has performed works by Stephanie Martinez, Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Andy Blankenbuehler. She then joined the main company as Apprentice and is currently a member of the Corps de Ballet.

ADRIAN CRUZ CORPS DE BALLET

Born in Zaragoza, Spain, Adrian Cruz studied at the Maria de Avila School. He attended Prix de Lausanne in 2017. Graduating from Hamburg Ballet, he danced roles including Bach Suite No.2 and performed in galas in Japan and Berlin. In 2018 he joined Atlanta Ballet 2, performing in Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast as Beast and Gaston and Swan Princess as Prince and Von Rothbart. He joined Tulsa Ballet as Corps de Ballet in 2020 dancing roles such as Golden Driller in the premiere of Ma Cong and Val Caniparoli’s The Nutcracker, Pas de Quatre in Marcello Angelini’s Swan Lake, Matadors in Don Quixote from Anna-Marie Holmes and Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet from Edwaard Liang.

CARLOS DE MIGUEL

CORPS DE BALLET

Carlos de Miguel is from Madrid, Spain. He started his ballet training in 2013, at the age of 11, with Maria Gimenez. In 2016 he continued his studies with Carmina Ocaña and Pablo Savoye. He joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2020.Carlos has performed with Tulsa Ballet in productions such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Vendetta, A Mafia Story, and has worked in new creations from Norbert De la Cruz III and Stephanie Martinez. In 2022, he joined the main company as an Apprentice and was promoted to Corps de Ballet.

TALISSON FARIAS

CORPS DE BALLET

Talisson started his dance training when he was eight years old at the Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil under direction of Pavel Kazarian and graduated after nine years. Upon his graduation, Talisson joined the Junior Company of Bolshoi School in Brazil where even before his graduation he had the opportunity to work with great masters such as Galina Kravchenko and Vladimir Vasiliev and be part of ballets such as Don Quixote, Raymonda, The Nutcracker and Les Sylphides. Talisson joined Tulsa Ballet II for 2021/2022 season and worked with Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and other great choreographers. Talisson joins the main company as a member of the Corps de Ballet for the 24/25 Season.

YUIKA FUJIMOTO

CORPS DE BALLET

Yuika Fujimoto was born in Yamaguchi, Japan, and spent many years training at the Koike Ballet Studio. After reaching the finals at the Prix de Lausanne in 2017, she received a full scholarship to Academie Princesse Grace in Monaco where she trained under the direction of Luca Masala. During her three years at the academy, she performed in Pays Sage, Cinderella (Marâtre), Opus40, and Abstract by Jean-Christophe Maillot. After graduating from Academie Princesse Grace in 2020, she joined Tulsa Ballet II and was promoted to main company in 2024 as a Corps de Ballet member. She has performed works by Yury Yanowsky, Alexander Ekman, Derek Deane, Edwaard Liang, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ma Cong, Andrew McNicol, and Val Caniparoli.

JAMES LACHLAN MURRAY

CORPS DE BALLET

Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, James Lachlan Murray began his training with Scottish Ballet’s Junior Associates program. Lachlan then joined the Dance School of Scotland, before moving onto English National Ballet School, where he graduated in 2017. After graduating, Lachlan joined Teatrul de Ballet Sibiu where he danced for two years, before joining the Israel Ballet in Tel Aviv. Over his career, Lachlan has worked with choreographers such as: Sharon Eyal, Itzik Galili, Andonis Foniadakis, George Williamson and

Martin Chaix. He performed in classical ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, La Bayadere, and The Nutcracker. Lachlan returns to Tulsa Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member for the 24/25 Season.

IAN STOCKER

CORPS DE BALLET

Ian Stocker began dancing at the Rockford Dance Company in Illinois. He continued his training at the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago under Karin Ellis Wentz. After joining Ellison Ballet’s Professional Training Program in 2017, he studied under Edward Ellison and Bat Udval and danced in several showcases, performing works such as Napoli Pas de Six, and Maina Gielgud’s Storm. Ian joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2021 where he worked with choreographers including Stephanie Martinez, Ma Cong, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Ian was promoted to the main company in 2023 as Apprentice and returns this season as a member of the Corps de Ballet.

HALEY MAE WILSON

CORPS DE BALLET

Haley Mae Wilson trained at International Ballet School in Colorado, with Mark and Sandra Kerr. In 2016, she was awarded third place in Paris at Youth America Grand Prix, and second place in Como, Italy at the Pierina Legnani Competition. In 2017, she placed first in the Denver Ballet Guild Competition and YAGP. At the New York YAGP Finals, she received a scholarship to the Trainee program at Ballet West, where she trained for two years. In 2019 she joined Tulsa Ballet II. In 2022 she was promoted to Apprentice and Corps de Ballet in 2023. Since joining she has performed works by Ma Cong, Jimmy Orrante, Edwaard Liang, Stephanie Martinez, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Itzik Galili, Nicolo Fonte, Andrew McNicol, Kenneth Tindall, Alexander Ekman, and Jennifer Weber.

KING HEI WONG

CORPS DE BALLET

Born in Hong Kong, King Hei Wong trained at The John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany under the class of Nicola Biasutti. After graduating in 2021, King Hei joined San Francisco Ballet’s Trainee Program with the leadership of Patrick Armand. Before joining Tulsa Ballet, King Hei participated in

productions with companies including Hong Kong Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, as well as performing featured roles with Taiwan Ballet Company and Rondo Ballet. King Hei was a prize winner at the Asian Grand Prix in both 2015 and 2016. He was also a semi-finalist at the 2021 Prix de Lausanne video edition. This is King Hei’s first season with Tulsa Ballet.

GIULIA CANAVESE APPRENTICE

Giulia Canavese was born in Genoa, Italy and began her professional training when she was seven years old. She joined La Scala ballet school and a few years later continued her training at the Academy Princess Grace under the directorship of Luca Masala. She has performed works such as Who Cares by Balanchine and works by Jean-Christophe Maillot and Michel Rahn. She has also worked with Stephanie Martinez, Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Andrew McNicol, where she danced the role of Stepsister in his World Premiere Cinderella. She joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2021. Giulia joins the main company this season as an Apprentice.

SHI JEAN KIM APPRENTICE

Shi Jean Kim is originally from South Korea. He began his ballet career when he was seven years old. Kim entered Korea National University of Arts at the age of 16. He has performed in Don Quixote — Pas de Deux; Le Corsaire — Pas de Deux; Romeo and Juliet — Pas de Deux; Tchaikovsky — Pas de Deux and Giselle — Pas de Deux and other various classical and modern ballet works. Kim won third place in Senior Men’s in the 2021 Youth America Grand Prix and first place in Senior Men in the 2020 Korea International Ballet Competition. Kim joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2023 and was promoted to the main company as Apprentice in 2024.

HARUKA TANABE APPRENTICE

Haruka Tanabe is from Kagoshima, Japan. She started ballet at the Higuchi Ballet Studio in 2009. Tanabe studied at the Zurich Dance Academy under the instruction of Steffi Scherzer and Risa Yajima-Boisnon in Switzerland in 2019. She graduated in 2023. During the four years at school, she performed Valse Fantasie (solo couple) by George Balanchine, Napoli by August Bournonville, On the Verge of Ascending by Jon Ole Olstad at the Opernhaus Zürich. She was a finalist at

TULSA BALLET II

TBII is designed to provide a bridge between the student phase of an aspiring classical ballet dancer and their professional career.

POLINA CHEPYK

TBII DANCER KYIV, UKRAINE

SHARON CHOI

TBII DANCER

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

KEVIN CRAPISI

TBII DANCER MILAN, ITALY

SOPHIE MOSSA

TBII DANCER CAGLIARI, ITALY

SHUNSUKE NAKAMURA

TBII DANCER KANAGAWA, JAPAN

MICHAEL STADTHERR

TBII DANCER NOVI, MICHIGAN

NATHAN CRONHEIM-STRASSER

TBII DANCER COLUMBUS, OHIO

PAOLO TARINI

TBII DANCER FLORENCE, ITALY

MORGAN DAVIS

TBII DANCER FISHERSVILLE, VIRGINIA

AUDREY WILLIAMSON

TBII DANCER FORT WORTH, TEXAS

SENNA DEWULF

TBII DANCER IZEGEM, BELGIUM

ISABELLA SHOOK

TBII APPRENTICE THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS

ELIAS FAHLE

TBII DANCER ALICANTE, SPAIN

AVA THOMAS

TBII APPRENTICE SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS

ZOE FERLA

TBII DANCER PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA

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Image Credit: Art Central Foundation, Art Buffet

STRICTLY GERSHWIN (Program Book)

SPOTLIGHT ON

CENTER STAGE BENEFIT

SPONSORS

TRUSTEES Playhouse Square

Officers

Trustee for Life

KEYBANK STATE 10.3–6.2024

SQUARE

ARTISTIC STAFF

CREATIVE TEAM

DANCERS

GERSHWIN ON BROADWAY GERSHWIN

IN HOLLYWOOD

WHO’S WHO in the company

OUR LOCAL PERFORMING PARTNERS

Cleveland Ballet

Cleveland Pops Orchestra

The Artistic Company

SUSAN FREI

ALFONSO MARTÍN

SCOTT BLACK MANAGING DIRECTOR

DEREK DEANE CHOREOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR

GEORGE GERSHWIN COMPOSER

IRA GERSHWIN

LYRICIST

GARETH VALENTINE MUSIC ADAPATION, SUPERVISOR & CONDUCTOR

HOWARD HARRISON LIGHTING DESIGNER

ROBERTA GUIDI DI BAGNO SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGNER

IVAN GIL-ORTEGA STAGER

DON SEBESKY ORCHESTRATOR

DUBOSE HEYWARD LYRICIST

ANDREW LAHTI SOLO PIANIST

GLENN SEVEN ALLEN GUEST VOCALIST

MIKE SCHWITTER GUEST VOCALIST

CLAIRE LEYDEN HABER GUEST VOCALIST

SANDRA MARANTE GUEST VOCALIST

DEMI REMICK GUEST TAP DANCER

BILL SIMPSON GUEST TAP DANCER

JOSHUA STAYTON GUEST ARTIST

JAIMI CULLEN PRINCIPAL

AUBIN LE MARCHAND PRINCIPAL

JUN MASUDA

PRINCIPAL

NAO OTA

PRINCIPAL

REGINA MONTGOMERY SOLOIST

AINA OKI SOLOIST

JONATHAN TEAGUE APPLEGATE DEMI SOLOIST

JONATHAN BELOLI

SOLOIST

JULIA CROSBY

SUMIKA FUJIWARA

EDWARD TRUELOVE

DANIELE ARRIVABENE

ALISON CERVANTES

DE BALLET

ADRIAN CRUZ CORPS DE BALLET

CARLOS DE MIGUEL

TALISSON FARIAS

YUIKA FUJIMOTO

JAMES LACHLAN MURRAY

IAN STOCKER

HALEY MAE WILSON

KING HEI WONG

GIULIA CANAVESE APPRENTICE

SHI JEAN KIM APPRENTICE

HARUKA TANABE APPRENTICE

TULSA BALLET II

INVEST

ENGAGE

INNOVATE LEAD