SIGHTLINE
BY JANICE SINDENWWelcome to the theatre! This issue of Applause encompasses the final months of an extraordinary season in which we’ve seen demand for theatre revitalized. Thanks to you, we have exceeded nearly every Broadway goal and extended the runs of four shows — Cebollas, Rubicon, The Secret Comedy of Women and The Improvised Shakespeare Company®.
We’re delighted to end the season on a high note. First up from the Theatre Company will be a refreshingly unconventional adaptation of Emma, a Latine exploration of immigration and culture in Where Did We Sit on the Bus? and the historical look at the rise and fall of a financial empire in The Lehman Trilogy.
Across the Galleria will be a trio of Broadway’s best hits including a celebratory account of Cher’s six-decade career in The Cher Show, an all-new take on Stephen Sondheim’s Company and the long-awaited return of Disney’s Frozen, which originally started here in 2017. And let’s not forget Space Explorers: THE INFINITE at Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace, Broadway’s Next Hit Musical in the Garner Galleria Theatre and Bluey’s Big Play in the Buell.
As one season ends another begins. We heat up the summer with the return of Wicked followed by the national tour launch of KIMBERLY AKIMBO plus an entire season of touring shows, which we shared in March.
In this issue, I’m pleased to announce our upcoming 2024/25 Denver Center Theatre Company season. Highlights include Shakespeare’s Hamlet, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter based on the New York Times best-selling novel, the world premiere of The Reservoir by Denver-born Jake Brasch and everyone’s favorite, Little Shop of Horrors. You can find the full season on pages 18-19.
We hope you will rejoin us next season, but for now, on with the show!
Vladimir ScriptWarm regards,
Janice Sinden Janice Sinden, President & CEOAPPLAUSE
VOLUME XXXIV • NUMBER 6 • APR - JUN 2024
EDITOR: Suzanne Yoe
DESIGN DIRECTOR: Kyle Malone
DESIGNER: Brenda Elliott
CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS: Paul Koob, Lucas Kreitler
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Misha Berson, Lisa Bornstein, Linnea Covington, Emma Holst, Joanne Ostrow, Kelundra Smith
Applause is published six times a year by Denver Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with The Publishing House, Westminster, CO. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Call 303.893.4000 regarding editorial content.
Applause magazine is funded in part by
Angie Flachman, Publisher For advertising 303.428.9529 or sales@pub-house.com coloradoartspubs.com
Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization that engages and inspires through the transformative power of live theatre.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Hassan Salem, Chair
Ruth Krebs, Vice Chair
David Jacques Farahi, Secretary/Treasurer
Nicole Ament
Dr. Patricia Baca
Brisa Carleton
Jerome Davis
Kevin Kilstrom
Susan Fox Pinkowitz
Manny Rodriguez
Alan Salazar
Richard M. Sapkin
Martin Semple
William Dean Singleton
Robert Slosky
Tina Walls
Dr. Reginald L. Washington
Judi Wolf
HONORING OUR ELDERS
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts honors and acknowledges that it resides on the traditional and unceded territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary Indigenous Tribes and Nations who have historically called Colorado home.
16
Sylvia Young
HONORARY TRUSTEES
Navin Dimond
Margot Gilbert Frank
Jeannie Fuller
Robert C. Newman
Daniel L. Ritchie
Cleo Parker Robinson
HELEN G. BONFILS FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Martin Semple, President
William Dean Singleton, Vice President
Dr. Reginald L. Washington, Secretar y/Treasurer
Nicole Ament
Kevin Kilstrom
Ruth Krebs
Susan Fox Pinkowitz
Hassan Salem
Robert Slosky
Judi Wolf
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Janice Sinden, President & CEO
Jamie Clements, Vice President, Development
Chris Coleman, Artistic Director, Theatre Company
John Ekeberg, Executive Director, Broadway & Cabaret
Lydia Garcia, Executive Director, Equity & Organization Culture
Angela Lakin, Vice President, Marketing & Sales
Glen Lucero, Vice President, Venue Operations
Laura Maresca, Chief People & Culture Officer
Charlie Miller, Executive Director & Curator, Off-Center
Lisa Roebuck, Vice President, Information Technology
Charles Varin, Managing Director, Theatre Company & Off-Center
Allison Watrous, Executive Director, Education & Community Engagement
Jane Williams, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
Der Rosenkavalier
LEGACY GIVING
It is because of one Legacy Gift that we exist today. We invite you to join our Encore Society when you name the DCPA in your estate plan.
Encore Society members receive special event invitations, ticket offers, and member-only perks. Join by:
• Making a tax-free gift in your will or revocable trust
• Designating the DCPA as a beneficiary of a retirement plan, IRA, insurance policy, or other account
• Taking advantage of tax-wise giving through appreciated stock or your IRA RMD
For more information, contact: Connor Carlin ccarlin@dcpa.org | 303.446.4842
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BEST OF BROADWAY SOCIETY
Indulge in unforgettable evenings all Broadway season long! Enjoy pre-show cocktails and dinner at Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House, front-and-center orchestra seats, and intermission amenities in the Wolf Room at the fabulous Buell Theatre.
Contact: Marc Ravenhill • mravenhill@dcpa.org • 303.572.4594
DIRECTORS SOCIETY
Get unprecedented access to Denver Center Theatre Company shows! Enjoy pre-show dinners and behind-the-scenes discussions with creatives, premium seating, and opening night festivities with the cast and crew. Contact: Marc Ravenhill • mravenhill@dcpa.org • 303.572.4594
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Build your brand recognition and entertain your clients as a Corporate Member. You’ll receive tickets to eight DCPA shows, private pre-show cocktails and dining, and professional networking opportunities. Contact: Caroline Eppers • ceppers@dcpa.org • 303.446.4873
Soara-Joye Ross in A Little Night Music Photo by Amanda Tipton PhotographyTHE IMPORTANCE OF VOICEOVER
CBY LINNEA COVINGTONCartoon superheros, talking toilet paper, instructional videos, audiobooks — these are all done by voiceover artists.
“It can be so very broad. I think of voiceover as being anytime you hear a voice without the face of the person speaking,” said Mare Trevathan, a professional voiceover artist, local actor and DCPA Teaching Artist who has recorded over 500 titles, her favorite of which was voicing a talking sword.
Voiceover work plays into everyday life a lot more than most people think, and it’s a skill that’s both needed and profitable. It’s also a skill one needs to learn. You may have been told you have a “good voice” which is helpful, but it’s not a reason to launch a career.
“It’s important people understand all voices are good voices, it’s just understanding what’s right for any given situation,” said Trevathan, who mentioned a woman she knows who has a babylike voice perfect for toys, but not great for books or instructional videos. “Even if you have a traditionally ‘good voice,’ which is about five-percent of people, it’s more about what you can do with it.”
Trevathan recommends a few things for those who want to get into the voiceover game. Before you take a voiceover class, start with acting.
“An acting class will speed up any work you will do in a voiceover class, and you will learn how to create circumstances that directly support a voiceover script you’re working on,” she said.
Another key in learning to be successful is taking a class in improv. Especially, explained Trevathan, in the age of artificial intelligence. Turns out AI can do a lot, but it can’t improvise a situation or inject emotion.
Then, of course, taking classes with a professional voiceover artist will set you up for success.
“I don’t feel like people are wasting their time and money on dreamland. There is work out there for people who can and want to put in the time and energy into voiceover,” added Trevathan. “Anyone can be a talking sword, but they may not get paid for it.”
DCPA Education o ers seasonal classes in acting, improv and voiceover. Visit denvercenter.org/education for details.
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In WHERE DID WE SIT ON THE BUS? Latiné artists excavate their own histories
BY KELUNDRA SMITHWWhen performer and playwright Brian Quijada was in the third grade, his teacher taught the class a lesson about the Civil Rights Movement during Black History Month. She explained that a woman named Rosa Parks changed the course of history by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. Quijada raised his hand and asked, “Where did Latinos sit on the bus?” His teacher replied that she didn’t know. This moment was etched into Quijada’s mind and nearly 20 years later he wrote, Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, a one-person show inspired by that memory.
The mostly autobiographical play is composed of a mix of poetry, rap, monologues, and live sound mixing and looping. In it, the Civil Rights Movement lesson sends a curious kid, Bee Quijada, home to ask questions about his Salvadoran family’s immigration story, which continues well into Bee’s 20s. However, what he finds along the way is that the only answer he needs is the dream he holds inside his heart.
Quijada says he was inspired to write the play as a young actor in New York when he kept being called into auditions for roles that didn’t resonate with his experience as a brown kid who grew up in a Jewish and Italian neighborhood in Chicago. By that time, he’d defied his parents’ wishes, moved to New York, and chosen to be an artist instead of a doctor, lawyer, or accountant.
“I wanted to play a Latino character that wasn’t steeped in Latino trauma,” Quijada said. “There weren’t a lot of comedies. I love hip-hop and there weren’t a lot of stories of hip-hop. I wanted to tell a story where I could do the
things I loved and tell personal stories through musicals and comedy.”
Quijada grew up making home videos with his brother Marvin. He also grew up going to Quinceañeras and other celebrations where music moved the room. In the script, he recalls this early introduction to performance by saying, “I’m a strong believer that we are all born with rhythm. Those who think they can’t dance do have it somewhere deep within them. Waiting to be released and displayed on the floor.”
As Quijada got older, he started doing musical theatre with Jewish friends at his middle and high schools, performing in shows such as Cats and The Wizard of Oz. The closer he got to art, the more distance he felt between his true calling and his parents’ desires for him. He pointedly captures this experience gap in Where Did We Sit on the Bus? in the stanza: “I get why the Mexican workers in Highland Park restaurants don’t know whether to talk to me in English or Spanish when I walk in with my white friends. I get why the white librarian wonders what nationality I am because my English is white-washed.”
“American isn’t Black and white, there’s nuance and gray lines,” Quijada said. “We have to have empathy for the American immigrant. I was battling identity questions and asking where I fit in a Black and white America. What does it mean for me to grow up loving Michael Jackson, me a brown kid, dancing like a Black kid who wanted to be a white kid. The piece is summed up by a coming-of-age story and figuring out who the hell you are.”
by Kyle
Where Did We Sit on the Bus? received its world premiere at Teatro Vista in Chicago in 2016. It garnered Outstanding Solo Performance and Sound Design at The Chicago Jeff Awards and earned him two Drama Desk nominations in the same categories for its Off-Broadway debut at Ensemble Studio Theatre that same year. Since that time, it has been performed across the country.
Four years ago, Quijada stopped acting in the play and passed it along to his friend Matt Dickson, who has directed the production ever since, and mentee and friend, performer Satya Chávez. The two met when Dickson and Quijada were working on another show, Undesirables, while Chávez was a student at the University of Colorado, Boulder. When Quijada’s journey performing the show ended, he knew who to call.
Chávez said that part of what attracted them to the script is that it reminded them of their family’s story.
What does it mean for me to grow up loving Michael Jackson, me a brown kid, dancing like a Black kid who wanted to be a white kid. The piece is summed up by a coming-ofage story and figuring out who the hell you are.
— BRIAN QUIJADA, PLAYWRIGHT
“Eduardo Quijada is basically Gerardo Chávez,” Chávez said. “Brian’s dad told him the story of having to eat tortilla and salt for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and my dad ate rice and beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner….”
Chávez’s parents migrated to the U.S. from Mexico. Immigration is an ever-present issue in the piece, much like in real life. When Bee asks her mom how she came to America, she responds, in part, “A quarter of an apple and half a sandwich to get over the border. / 3 days.”
“The piece itself is not trying to be politically divisive,” Chávez said. “It makes a point to make you fall in love with the immigrant characters and Bee Quijada, but then there’s a spoken word piece called ‘Let Them In’ that reflects on the hypocrisy of a country founded by refugees and immigrants who won’t let a new generation in.”
As artists, both Chávez and Quijada carry their parents’ stories with them. Quijada said that he hopes the next generation will feel inspired by the piece. “Tell your story in the unique way that only you can tell it. That’s what I did, put all the joy in with all the things I was passionate about.”
WHERE
DID WE SIT ON THE BUS?
APR 19 – JUN 2 • SINGLETON THEATRE
ASL Interpreted and Audio Described performance: May 12 at 1:30pm
Post-show discussions: May 14, 21, 23 & 28
• All people are equal • Moments are shared • Differences are valued • Discussion is encouraged
We respect that everyone experiences our stories differently.
“ … THE MOST HIGH - PROFILE — AND HIGH ALTITUDE — MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL IN AMERICA.” - THE TIMES, UK
COMPANY REVIVAL FINDS NEW DEPTH
IIn his 2010 memoir and lyric collection, Finishing the Hat, Stephen Sondheim wrote of his surprise at the reception of Company in 1970: “I had no idea Company would be so unsettling to public and critics alike.” He was “stunned by the polarized reactions of fervent admiration and ferocious rejection” when the somewhat experimental production premiered.
The play derived from a group of brief one-act plays written in the late 1960s by actor and playwright George Furth. Sondheim and Furth merged the scenes into a musical built around a single urban man with an emotionally empty life and a distinct fear of marriage. Nothing much happens in the story, just a display of neurotic antics around a surprise 35th birthday party. The action takes place inside the mind of the main character, Bobby.
Lacking the usual linear plot, Company was a new form, labeled (not by Sondheim) the “concept musical.”
“As far as I know,” Sondheim wrote, “prior to Company there had never been a plotless musical which dealt with one set of characters from start to finish. In 1970, the contradictory aspect of the experiment (a story without a plot) was cause for both enthusiasm and dismay.”
BY JOANNE OSTROWThe revival half a century later has stunned audiences once again by making the central character a female. More than just a gender-bending rewrite, with the male Bobby now a female Bobbie, the revival switches up ancillary characters as well and finds new depth. British director Marianne Elliott ’s Tony Award-winning production has been hailed as revelatory.
Matt Rodin who plays Jamie in the touring production, said what ’s so remarkable about Sondheim and Furth’s work is that 50 years after its inception, “the messages and ideas are still deeply relevant. What it means to be in a relationship with another person, the messiness of marriage, and the dance of compromise all hit home in the same way they did in the ’70s — maybe even more so now.
“I think that ’s not only because we’re more open to discussing marriage and partnership as a society, but this new production has adapted the material in a way that resonates today. Gender flipping Bobbie, Jamie, the boyfriends, and a handful of the other couples’ dynamics paints a more vivid picture of life as we know it. A single woman at 35 has a lot more pressure than a single man at 35. In this production, the wives (particularly Jenny and Susan) lean more stable and clear headed, while the
— MATT RODIN, ACTOR
[50 years after its inception,] the messages and ideas are still deeply relevant. What it means to be in a relationship with another person, the messiness of marriage, and the dance of compromise all hit home in the same way they did in the ’70s — maybe even more so now.
COMING UP FROM BROADWAY WICKED
Cultural phenomenon and beloved musical Wicked returns to the Buell Theatre this summer. Before Dorothy dropped into Oz, two rivals-turnedunlikely-friends tell a story of love, magic, and friendship.
Elphaba, born with emerald-green skin and misunderstood throughout her childhood, grows into a fiery and exceptionally talented young witch. Glinda is everything Elphaba hates: bubbly and popular. Lumped together as university roommates, the witches learn and grow, becoming allies and friends. When the world decides to call one “good” and the other “wicked,” loyalties are tested as each witch must make her own decisions, forging her own path.
husbands (David and Peter) are buttoned up and anxious. We get to see Company through a 21st century lens, and it ’s brighter than ever.”
Given the culture’s heightened expectations for women regarding marriage and children, the gender switch adds meaning. Additionally, in the revival, the wedding-day panic attack is sung by gay male Jamie, rather than straight female Amy in the original, underscoring that gay marriage may be legal but fear of commitment is universal.
Actor Rodin said, “This role is an incredible blessing because Jamie gets an arc of his own. At the end of show, right before Bobbie’s final turn in ‘Being Alive,’ Jamie speaks to her from the other side of commitment. He tells her that everything is going to be okay; that being in a relationship with another person is actually a gateway to a deeper part of ourselves and our shared humanity. And miraculously, for the first time, she listens.”
The score remains among Sondheim’s best, from the wise, heartrending “Being Alive” to the urban anonymity anthem “Another Hundred People” to the zinger made famous by Elaine Stritch, “The Ladies Who Lunch.”
For fans of the original Company, the challenge of seeing the reversed emotional roles is newly rewarding.
“Theater, at its best, provokes questions instead of providing answers,” cast member Rodin said. “This version asks even more questions than the original, and for the better.
“The payoff is an audience, and a company of actors, that feel more seen, understood, and moved. We leave with questions unanswered. And I don’t think theater gets much better than that.”
MAY 22 – JUN 2 • BUELL THEATRE
ASL Interpreted, Audio-Described and Open Captioned performance: Jun 2 at 2pm
This Tony Award-winning musical is “a complete triumph! An original musical that will make you laugh, cry, and think” (USA Today). Known for its iconic songs, including “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” and “For Good,” Wicked electrifies audiences with its dynamic music, beautiful staging, and moving story.
Wicked features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin) and a book by Winnie Holzman, adapted from the original novel by Gregory Maguire. The production is directed by Tony Award-winning director Joe Mantello (Assassins, Take Me Out).
Wicked comes to Denver July 24 through August 25. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to see this exhilarating show, a musical that will change you “for good.”
THE ONE. THE ON LY. CHER
TThe Cher Show is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy, an Oscar, an Emmy and enough Tony-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage. The Cher Show is so much Cher that it takes three actresses to recount one legendary career. Spread out over six decades, the totality of Cher’s accomplishments may be hard to comprehend. Consider this decade-by-decade look at her career highlights and you’ll understand why she is a legend.
May 20, 1946
Born Cherilyn Sarkisian to an Armenian-American father and an Irish-English-German-Cherokee mother.
1960s
At 16, Cher heads to LA where she meets producer Phil Spector and becomes a backup singer for such groups as The Ronettes and The Righteous Brothers. She meets Sonny Bono and their friendship turns into a romance. They release “I Got You Babe” and rocket to the top of the charts. They continue to turn out hits while Cher becomes a solo artist with her first release, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).”
1970s
In the face of diminishing sales, the duo develops an act that ultimately becomes “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” (CBS, 1971-1974). When the show ends, so too does their marriage. Building upon her celebrity, the multifaceted performer sets out to redefine herself, resulting in the first No. 1 solo hit of her career with “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.”
1980s
Cher turns to acting, first starring on Broadway and then the big screen in Mask, Suspect, The Witches of Eastwick, Silkwood (Golden Globe, Supporting Actress), and Moonstruck (Academy Award, Best Actress). But she still remains atop the music charts with “I Found Someone,” “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Just Like Jesse James.”
1990s
Cher stars in If These Walls Could Talk, Tea with Mussolini, and Mermaids, which also features her pop cover of “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss).” Soon, her music fills the club scene and she releases Believe for which the title song wins a Grammy for Best Dance Recording.
2000s
Soon after releasing Living Proof, Cher announces her retirement from live performance and sets out on a 325-date farewell tour. One performance is televised, scoring her three 2003 Emmy Awards. After a brief hiatus, Cher returns to the stage in Las Vegas where she holds court for 192 shows from 2008-2011.
2010s
Cher releases her first album in 12 years with Closer to the Truth in 2013, returns to Vegas with Classic Cher, and stars in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!
According to Wikipedia, Cher is the only artist to have a #1 single on a Billboard chart in each of the past seven decades with a total of 34 Top 40 hits. She is a fashion icon, an award-winning actress and a music legend. She is Cher.
THE CHER SHOW
MAY 3 – 5 • BUELL THEATRE
ASL Interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned Performance: May 4 at 2pm
THEATRE, UP CLOSE
by Jennifer M. Koskinen.
ANNOUNCING THE 2024/25 THEATRE COMPANY SEASON
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ELLIOTT & HARPER PRODUCTIONS THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION CATHERINE SCHREIBER
ELLIOTT & HARPER PRODUCTIONS THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION CATHERINE SCHREIBER NEDERLANDER PRESENTATIONS WORK LIGHT PRODUCTIONS BOB BOYETT GFOUR PRODUCTIONS
NEDERLANDER PRESENTATIONS WORK LIGHT PRODUCTIONS BOB BOYETT GFOUR PRODUCTIONS
MARY MAGGIO/SCOTT ABRAMS RICARDO HORNOS/CARL MOELLENBERG CROSSROADS LIVE HUNTER ARNOLD
MARY MAGGIO/SCOTT ABRAMS RICARDO HORNOS/CARL MOELLENBERG CROSSROADS LIVE HUNTER ARNOLD NO GUARANTEES GROVE ENTERTAINMENT DARYL ROTH/TOM TUFT FAKSTON PRODUCTIONS MICHAEL WATT CONCORD THEATRICALS
NO GUARANTEES GROVE ENTERTAINMENT DARYL ROTH/TOM TUFT FAKSTON PRODUCTIONS MICHAEL WATT CONCORD THEATRICALS
ELLIOTT & HARPER PRODUCTIONS THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION CATHERINE SCHREIBER NEDERLANDER PRESENTATIONS WORK LIGHT PRODUCTIONS BOB BOYETT GFOUR PRODUCTIONS
INDEPENDEN T PRESENTERS NETWORK JOHN GORE ORGANIZATION MERRIE-KADES-BEARD MICHAEL SHUMAN CARSON GLEBERMAN JONATHAN & RAE CORR KEN DAVENPORT ORDINARY MAGIC SANDI MORAN MARC LEVINE AND JUJAMCYN THEATERS PRESENT
INDEPENDENT PRESENTERS NETWORK JOHN GORE ORGANIZATION MERRIE-KADES-BEARD MICHAEL SHUMAN CARSON GLEBERMAN JONATHAN & RAE CORR KEN DAVENPORT ORDINARY MAGIC SANDI MORAN MARC LEVINE AND JUJAMCYN THEATERS PRESENT
MARY MAGGIO/SCOTT ABRAMS RICARDO HORNOS/CARL MOELLENBERG CROSSROADS LIVE HUNTER ARNOLD NO GUARANTEES GROVE ENTERTAINMENT DARYL ROTH/TOM TUFT FAKSTON PRODUCTIONS MICHAEL WATT CONCORD THEATRICALS INDEPENDEN T PRESENTERS NETWORK JOHN GORE ORGANIZATION MERRIE-KADES-BEARD MICHAEL SHUMAN CARSON GLEBERMAN JONATHAN & RAE CORR KEN DAVENPORT ORDINARY MAGIC SANDI MORAN MARC LEVINE AND JUJAMCYN THEATERS PRESENT
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM
BOOK BY GEORGE FURTH
BOOK BY GEORGE FURTH
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM
ORIGINALLY PRODUCED AND DIRECTED ON BROADWAY BY HAROLD PRINCE WITH
ORIGINALLY PRODUCED AND DIRECTED ON BROADWAY BY HAROLD PRINCE WITH
BOOK BY GEORGE FURTH
BRITNEY COLEMAN JUDY M c LANE
BRITNEY COLEMAN JUDY M c LANE
ORIGINALLY PRODUCED AND DIRECTED ON BROADWAY BY HAROLD PRINCE WITH
KATHRYN ALLISON MATT BITTNER DERRICK DAVIS JAVIER IGNACIO
KATHRYN ALLISON MATT BITTNER DERRICK DAVIS JHARDON D i SHON MILTON
JAMES EARL JONES II MARINA KONDO MATT RODIN EMMA STRATTON JACOB D ICKEY TYLER HAR DWICK DAVID S OCOLAR
BRITNEY COLEMAN JUDY M c LANE
JAVIER IGNACIO JAMES EARL JONES II MARINA KONDO MATT RODIN EMMA STRATTON JACOB DICKEY TYLER HARDWICK DAVID SOCOLAR
KATHRYN ALLISON MATT BITTNER DERRICK DAVIS JAVIER IGNACIO
MATTHEW CHRISTIAN CHRISTOPHER D e ANGELIS KENNETH QUINNEY FRANCOEUR CJ GREER ELYSIA JORDAN BETH STAFFORD LAIRD CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG
JAMES EARL JONES II MARINA KONDO MATT RODIN
MATTHEW CHRISTIAN CHRISTOPHER D e ANGELIS KENNETH QUINNEY FRANCOEUR CJ GREER ELYSIA JORDAN BETH STAFFORD LAIRD CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG
EMMA STRATTON JACOB D ICKEY TYLER HAR DWICK DAVID S OCOLAR
SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN
SOUND DESIGN
SOUND DESIGN ILLUSIONS HAIR, WIG, & MAKE-UP DESIGN
SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN ORIGINAL SOUND DESIGN TOUR SOUND DESIGN ILLUSIONS HAIR, WIG, & MAKE-UP DESIGN
BUNNY CHRISTIE NEIL AUSTIN IAN DICKINSON KEITH CAGGIANO CHRIS FISHER CAMPBELL YOUNG FOR AUTOGRAPH ASSOCIATES
MATTHEW CHRISTIAN CHRISTOPHER D e ANGELIS KENNETH QUINNEY FRANCOEUR CJ GREER ELYSIA JORDAN BETH STAFFORD LAIRD CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG
BUNNY CHRISTIE NEIL AUSTIN IAN DICKINSON KEITH CAGGIANO CHRIS FISHER CAMPBELL YOUNG FOR AUTOGRAPH ASSOCIATES
SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN
WIG, & MAKE-UP DESIGN
CASTING ORCHESTRATOR ADDITIONAL VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS DANCE ARRANGEMENTS TARA RUBIN CASTING DAVID CULLEN JOEL FRAM SAM DAVIS MERRI SUGARMAN, CSA CONSULTING
BUNNY CHRISTIE NEIL AUSTIN IAN DICKINSON KEITH CAGGIANO CHRIS FISHER CAMPBELL YOUNG FOR AUTOGRAPH ASSOCIATES
CASTING ORCHESTRATOR ADDITIONAL VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS DANCE ARRANGEMENTS TARA RUBIN CASTING DAVID CULLEN JOEL FRAM SAM DAVIS MERRI SUGARMAN, CSA CONSULTING PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE PRODUCER GENERAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR COMPANY MANAGER PORT CITY TECHNICAL ANIÈLE FORTIN-PERKELL WORK LIGHT PRODUCTIONS TANISHA FORDHAM TIMOTHY R. SEMON MICHAEL COGLAN RYAN GEORGE COURTNEY KING
CASTING ORCHESTRATOR ADDITIONAL VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS DANCE ARRANGEMENTS
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE PRODUCER GENERAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR COMPANY MANAGER PORT CITY TECHNICAL ANIÈLE FORTIN-PERKELL WORK LIGHT PRODUCTIONS TANISHA FORDHAM TIMOTHY R. SEMON MICHAEL COGLAN RYAN GEORGE COURTNEY KING
TARA RUBIN CASTING DAVID CULLEN JOEL FRAM SAM DAVIS MERRI SUGARMAN, CSA CONSULTING
TOUR MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA/ & PUBLICITY COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT CONTENT & SOCIAL ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER BOND THEATRICAL ARTHOUSE SUPER AWESOME FRIENDS PAULA STAROBA JAY CAREY
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE PRODUCER GENERAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR COMPANY MANAGER PORT CITY TECHNICAL ANIÈLE FORTIN-PERKELL WORK LIGHT PRODUCTIONS TANISHA FORDHAM TIMOTHY R. SEMON MICHAEL COGLAN
TOUR MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA/ & PUBLICITY COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT CONTENT & SOCIAL ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER BOND THEATRICAL ARTHOUSE SUPER AWESOME FRIENDS PAUL STAROBA JAY CAREY
RYAN GEORGE COURTNEY KING
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER MUSIC DIRECTION MUSIC COORDINATOR STEVE BEBOUT SIMONE SAULT CHARLIE ALTERMAN MICHAEL AARONS
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER MUSIC DIRECTION MUSIC COORDINATOR STEVE BEBOUT SIMONE SAULT CHARLIE ALTERMAN MICHAEL AARONS
TOUR MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA/ & PUBLICITY COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT CONTENT & SOCIAL ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER BOND THEATRICAL ARTHOUSE SUPER AWESOME FRIENDS PAUL STAROBA JAY CAREY
MUSIC SUPERVISION BY JOEL FRAM
MUSIC SUPERVISION BY JOEL FRAM
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER MUSIC DIRECTION MUSIC COORDINATOR STEVE BEBOUT SIMONE SAULT CHARLIE ALTERMAN MICHAEL AARONS
CHOREOGRAPHED BY LIAM STEEL
CHOREOGRAPHED BY LIAM STEEL
MUSIC SUPERVISION BY JOEL FRAM
DIRECTED BY
DIRECTED BY MARIANNE ELLIOTT
MARIANNE ELLIOTTCHOREOGRAPHED BY LIAM STEEL
DIRECTED BY MARIANNE ELLIOTT
CAST
CAST
Bobbie BRITNEY COLEMAN
Joanne JUDY McLANE
Sarah KATHRYN ALLISON
David MATT BITTNER
Larry DERRICK DAVIS
Peter JAVIER IGNACIO
Harry JAMES EARL JONES II
Susan MARINA KONDO
Paul .................................................................................................................... JHARDON DiSHON MILTON
Jamie MATT RODIN
Jenny EMMA STRATTON
Andy JACOB DICKEY
PJ TYLER HARDWICK
Theo.......................................................................................................................................... DAVID SOCOLAR
Priest MARINA KONDO
UNDERSTUDIES
Understudies never substitute for players unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the appearance. For Bobbie—MARINA KONDO, BETH STAFFORD LAIRD; for Joanne—CJ GREER, ELYSIA JORDAN, EMMA STRATTON; for Jamie—KENNETH QUINNEY FRANCOEUR, CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG; for Sarah—CJ GREER, ELYSIA JORDAN; for David—MATTHEW CHRISTIAN, CHRISTOPHER DeANGELIS; for Paul—KENNETH QUINNEY FRANCOEUR, CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG; for Larry— MATTHEW CHRISTIAN, CHRISTOPHER DeANGELIS; for Peter—CHRISTOPHER DeANGELIS, CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG; for Harry—MATTHEW CHRISTIAN, CHRISTOPHER DeANGELIS; for Susan—CJ GREER, ELYSIA JORDAN; for Jenny—ELYSIA JORDAN, BETH STAFFORD LAIRD; for Andy—KENNETH QUINNEY FRANCOEUR, CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG; for PJ—MATTHEW CHRISTIAN, KENNETH QUINNEY FRANCOEUR; for Theo—MATTHEW CHRISTIAN, CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG.
DANCE CAPTAIN/ DANCE CAPTAIN FIGHT CAPTAIN CHRISTOPHER DeANGELIS CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG
THERE WILL BE ONE 15-MINUTE INTERMISSION.
The use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is strictly prohibited. Please turn off all electronic devices such as cellular phones, beepers and watches. The use of cell phones in the theatre is prohibited by New York City law.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT I
Overture .....................................................................................................
The Company (except Bobbie)
“Company” Bobbie and the Company
“The Little Things You Do Together” Joanne and the Couples
“Sorry-Grateful” Harry, David and Larry
“You Could Drive a Person Crazy” Andy, Theo and PJ
“Have I Got a Guy for You”.......................................................................................................The Couples
“Someone Is Waiting” Bobbie
“Another Hundred People” PJ
“Getting Married Today” Jamie, Paul, Priest and the Company
“Marry Me a Little” Bobbie
ACT II
Entr’acte
The Company (except Bobbie)
“Side by Side by Side” Bobbie and the Couples
“Poor Baby” Harry, Sarah, David, Jenny, Paul, Peter and Larry
“Tick Tock” ............................................................................................................................................. Orchestra
“Barcelona” Bobbie and Andy
“The Ladies Who Lunch” Joanne
“Being Alive” Bobbie
TRAVELING ORCHESTRA
Music Director/Keys 1—CHARLIE ALTERMAN
Assistant Music Director/Keys 2—ADRIAN RIES
Bass—CATHERINE MICHETTI Drums—ANTHONY SCANDORA
Music Preparation: Kaye-Houston Music/Anne Kaye, Doug Houston
Music Technology: Phij Adams
Music Technology Associate: Lucy Baker-Swinburn Synthesizer Technician: Randy Cohen, Randy Cohen Keyboards
Music Coordinator: Michael Aarons
“Company” Dance Remix: Martin Lowe and Phij Adams
LOCAL ORCHESTRA
Alto Sax/Flute/Piccolo—ART BOUTON Tenor Sax/Clarinet—JARED CATHEY
Baritone Sax/Bass Clarinet/Eb Clarinet—KEVIN SAKAI Trombone—ROB OLDS
Violin—NAOMI SMITH
Cello—JEFFREY WATSON Keyboard Sub—BOKO SUZUKI Contractor—JIM HARVEY
BRITNEY COLEMAN (Bobbie) is a native of Ann Arbor, MI. Broadway: Company (New Yorker), Tootsie (Suzie), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Lucille), Sunset Boulevard (Heather). National Tour: Beetlejuice (Barbara Maitland), Beautiful. Select regional credits: Old Globe, The Muny, Bay Street Theater, TUTS, Asolo Rep, Arena Stage, Westport Country Playhouse, Team Starkid, Featured soloist in the World Premiere of Andrew Lippa’s Unbreakable with The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. BFA: The University of Michigan. Deepest gratitude to those good and crazy people, my friends: Chris Harper, Marianne Elliott and my Company family, my HCKR family and my Fam family. Thank you for being by my side (by side by side) year after year. www.britneycoleman.com @britneycoleman
JUDY McLANE (Joanne). Broadway: Mamma Mia! (starred in over 4000 performances), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Aspects of Love, Chess. OffBroadway: Romeo & Bernadette (Outer Critics Circle Award), Johnny Guitar (Drama Desk Nomination, Drama League Honor). Tours: Into the Woods, Side By Side By Sondheim, Joseph... Dreamcoat, Big. Select Regional: Gypsy (Goodspeed), Next to Normal (Pioneer), Sunset Boulevard (Engeman), Follies (Signature, Helen Hayes Nomination), Evita (Paper Mill). Film: Were the World Mine, Hiding in Daylight. TV: “Madame Secretary,” “Elementary,” “The Blacklist,” Showtime’s “The Loudest Voice.” Instagram: @judy.mclane
KATHRYN ALLISON [she/her] (Sarah). Broadway: Company Revival OBC , Wicked, Aladdin. TV/Film: “The GAG,” “Elementary,” “The Bachelorette.” Debut album Something Real out now! Huge thanks to my parents, Headline Talent, and the village that inspires me and lifts me up. @kathryndallison
MATT BITTNER (David ). Matt Bittner is an actor, writer, and musician. Select credits: Lucy & Charlie’s Honeymoon (Lookingglass), Almost Famous (Broadway), School of Rock (Broadway/Tour) and Present Laughter starring Kevin Kline (Broadway). Endless gratitude to Nicolosi&Co, dear friends, and family. https://mbittner.com/
WHO’S WHO
DERRICK DAVIS (Larry). @dreamclimber The Secret Garden (Archibald); The Phantom of the Opera (The Phantom); The Lion King (Mufasa); Carousel (Billy Bigelow u/s); The Tap Dance Kid (William u/ s); The Little Mermaid (King Triton); I Dream (MLK); Dreamgirls (Curtis Taylor Jr.); Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr.).
JAVIER IGNACIO (Peter). Broadway: Company (Jamie, Peter, Andy u/s); Side Show (Houdini/Dog Boy). OffBroadway: Fiasco Theatre’s Twelfth Night ; The Public/Public Works’ Twelfth Night | National Tour: Fiasco Theatre’s Into the Woods | WSU Alum; AEA member. @iamjavierignacio
JAMES EARL JONES II (Harry). National tours: Come From Away, Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess. Regional: Porchlight, Goodman, Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Lookingglass, Lyric Opera Chicago. TV/film credits: Maybe I Do, The Poker House, “Chicago Med.” Thanks to friends, family, Stewart Talent, Tara Rubin Casting and the Company Team. Mom, Dad, Maje…always.
MARINA KONDO (Susan/Priest, u/s Bobbie). Broadway: KPOP (OBC). National Tours: Disney’s Frozen (OTC/ First Asian-American Anna), Lincoln Center’s The King & I. Off-Broadway: Road Show (NYCC), KPOP (Ars Nova). Regional: The Muny. TV: “Succession” (HBO). University of Michigan (BFA). @marinakondo
JHARDON DiSHON MILTON (Paul ). Broadway: TINA (OBC), A Bronx Tale. Off-Broadway: the bandaged place (Roundabout Theatre), The Black Clown (Lincoln Center & a.r.t.). Regional: Into the Woods (PCLO), Rent (MUNY), Little Shop of Horrors (Tantrum Theatre). TV: “Blue Bloods,” “Harlem” & “And Just Like That.” Thank you God, mama, and big love to Rochel Saks. @jhardondishon
MATT RODIN [he/she/they] (Jamie) is grateful to be here and queer. Regional: RENT (Paper Mill), Hedwig… (Milwaukee Rep.), HAIR (Weston), MASS (Kennedy Center). Love to his biological, chosen, and Company families. Dedicated to his real-life Paul, Sam. @whoismattrodin
EMMA STRATTON (Jenny, u/s Joanne). Broadway: The Prince Of
Broadway. National Tours: Anything Goes (Reno), Bullets Over Broadway (Helen Sinclair). Regional: Gypsy (Louise), Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett). To Hal & Steve, whose work has shaped my life. Always, for my family. @ladystrat
JACOB DICKEY ( Andy) is honored to take the blue briefs on their first national tour! Stage: Company (Broadway), Aladdin (Broadway & First National tour), Emojiland (OffBroadway). TV: “Partner Track,” “The Other Two,” “Gossip Girl,” “Blue Bloods.” Love to my people. IG: @js_dickey
TYLER HARDWICK (PJ ). Broadway: Once on This Island; Motown The Musical. Tours: Once on This Island (Daniel); Dreamgirls (C.C. White); Motown The Musical (Norman Whitfield). New York: The Tempest (Ferdinand) Regional: Steppenwolf (Choir Boy, Pharus); The Old Globe (Hair, Claude); TV/Film: “Pose,” “The Blacklist.” IG: @tylerhar
DAVID SOCOLAR (Theo). OffBroadway: Kinky Boots, National Tour: Waitress (Dr. Pomatter). Lead the independent feature, Beyond the Lake . Headliner: Shades of Bublé. Many thanks to Sarah Haber with CTC, Bridget McCarthy, Merri Sugarman, and Mom and Dad for everything always. @davidsocolar
MATTHEW CHRISTIAN (u/s Theo, u/s Larry, u/s David, u/s Harry, u/s PJ ). Matthew Christian Selected Theater: …what the end will be (Roundabout), Anthem (Baryshnikov Arts Center), The Sabbath Girl (59E59), Hello Again (Drama League/New Ohio), Double Helix (Bay Street Theatre), As You Like It (A.R.T.), The Lives of Others (Two River Theatre). TV/film: A Crime to Remember (Discovery ID), Labor Day (Paramount). BA: Harvard. MFA: A.R.T./MXAT Institute at Harvard.
CHRISTOPHER DeANGELIS (Dance Captain, u/s Harry, u/s Larry, u/s Peter, u/s David ) is thrilled to be touring with his husband, Jay Carey. Broadway: Beauty and the Beast National Tours: School of Rock, Jersey Boys, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Ragtime. Many thanks to Merri
Sugarman, his family, Roxy, and Avalon Artists Group.
KENNETH QUINNEY FRANCOEUR
(u/s Jamie, u/s Andy, u/s Paul, u/s PJ ) is excited to join Company ! New York: Child’s Christmas in Wales (Irish Rep), Finian’s Rainbow (Town Hall). Tours: Jersey Boys (Gaudio u/s), Memphis (Huey u/s). BFA Elon University. This one’s for Mom. @kfrancoeur
CJ GREER (u/s Susan, u/s Joanne, u/s Sarah) is thrilled to join Company ! CJ is also voice faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno, building and implementing their new Musical Theatre degree. She performs and presents nationally and internationally as singer, teacher, conductor, and research clinician. Grateful to family. LU7! cj-greer.com
ELYSIA JORDAN (u/s Joanne, u/s Sarah, u/s Susan, u/s Jenny). National Tour: School of Rock. Regional/ Concerts: Billy Elliot (Ogunquit Playhouse), Lincoln Center, Playwrights Horizons. BFA: Ithaca College. Grateful for Merri, Avalon, and the incredible family and friends who keep me company, especially Steve. @lysiejordan
BETH STAFFORD LAIRD (u/s Bobbie, u/s Jenny). Tours: Anastasia (Anya & Swing), Newsies (Swing, u/s Katherine), Ghost (u/s Molly). Others: Beauty & the Beast (Belle), Newsies on Disney+ (Nun/Bowery Beauty), Newsies (Katherine), Anything Goes (Hope), Sweeney Todd (Joanna). Love to MJD, JTC, and fam. bethstaffordlaird.com @bethstaffordlaird
CHRISTOPHER HENRY YOUNG (Dance Captain, Fight Captain, u/s Jamie, u/s Paul, u/s Peter, u/s Andy, u/s Theo). Broadway/Tour: A Bronx Tale: The Musical, Hamilton (And Peggy Company). Off-Broadway: The Harder They Come (The Public Theater). Other Credits: Head Over Heels, Sweat, Guys & Dolls (Oregon Shakespeare Festival).
STEPHEN SONDHEIM (Music & Lyrics) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone Can Whistle, Follies, A Little Night Music, The Frogs, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park With George, Into the Woods, Assassins, Passion and Road Show as well as
the lyrics for West Side Story, Gypsy and Do I Hear a Waltz? and additional lyrics for Candide. Anthologies of his work include Side by Side by Sondheim, Marry Me a Little, Putting It Together and Sondheim on Sondheim. For films, he composed the score of Stavisky, co-composed Reds and wrote songs for Dick Tracy and “Evening Primrose” and co-authored the film The Last of Sheila. His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: Finishing the Hat and Look, I Made a Hat. In 2010 the Broadway theatre formerly known as Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed in his honor.
GEORGE FURTH (Book) graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Speech and received a master’s in fine arts from Columbia. After writing the book for the Tony Award-winning Company, he collaborated again with Stephen Sondheim, writing the book for Merrily We Roll Along. He went on to write the play or book for Twigs, The Act, The Supporting Cast, Precious Sons and Getting Away With Murder (with Stephen Sondheim). He won Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, London’s Olivier, Evening Standard Award, Chicago’s Jefferson, Andy and Drama League awards. He was a member of the Actors Studio and the Dramatists Guild. He was well-known as a character actor, appearing in numerous film and television roles including Shampoo, Blazing Saddles and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where he was featured in the role of Woodcock.
MARIANNE ELLIOTT (Director) is artistic director of Elliott & Harper Productions, which she co-founded alongside producers Chris Harper and Nick Sidi. Marianne’s productions for Elliott & Harper include Company on Broadway (Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical) and in the West End (Evening Standard Award for Best Director) and Death of a Salesman, co-directed with Miranda Cromwell at the Young Vic and West End (Olivier Award for Best Director). Marianne’s other recent productions include the West End premiere of Cock by Mike Bartlett, starring Jonathan Bailey. Prior to forming Elliott & Harper Productions, Marianne was an associate director at the National Theatre where she directed Angels in America (NT and Broadway; Tony Award for
Best Revival of a Play), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (NT, West End, Broadway; Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Play) and co-directed War Horse (NT, West End and Broadway; Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play). Previously Marianne was an associate director at the Royal Court and artistic director of the Manchester Royal Exchange. Marianne has just directed her first feature film, The Salt Path, starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs, due for release in 2024.
LIAM STEEL (Choreographer) is a British director and choreographer whose theatre and opera work has been the recipient of two Olivier Awards and three further nominations, including one for Best Theatre Choreographer for Company. Companies include the RSC, National Theatre, Royal Court, Royal Opera House, Shakespeare’s Globe and ten productions with Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. He was also responsible for all the musical staging of the Oscar winning film of Les Misérables
JOEL FRAM (Music Supervision and Additional Vocal Arrangements). Broadway: Merrily We Roll Along, Company, Wicked, Scandalous, Sweet Smell of Success, The Music Man, James Joyce’s The Dead, Jumpers, Cats. London: Company, Wicked, Forbidden Broadway. With partner Annette Jolles at Symphony Space: New Voices/Project Broadway, Wall to Wall Stephen Sondheim and Wall to Wall Stephen Schwartz. Joel oversees the Musical Theatre Writing Workshop at the National Theatre and serves as Literary Associate at the Old Vic Theatre.
BUNNY CHRISTIE (Scenic & Costume Design). Multi award-winning International designer creating numerous shows including many at The National Theatre and West End (London). She previously worked with Marianne Elliott designing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Tony Award). She has won four Olivier Awards and Two Tony Awards including for her design for Company on Broadway and in London. She was awarded an OBE for services to British Theatre.
NEIL AUSTIN (Lighting Design). Nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Musical at the 2022 Tony Awards for this production of Company.
Broadway: Leopoldstadt, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Ink, Travesties, Hughie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Evita, Red, Hamlet, The Seafarer and Frost/ Nixon. Awards: 2019 Tony—Ink; 2018 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and 2017 Olivier—Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; 2011 Olivier— The White Guard; and 2010 Tony and Drama Desk—Red
IAN DICKINSON (Original Sound Design) has extensive sound design credits to his name both domestically in the U.K. and internationally. Previous U.S. shows include 2:22 A Ghost Story (LA Drama Critics Circle nom.), Hangmen, The River, The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time (Olivier Award, Drama Desk Award), Angels in America (Tony nom.) Rock ’N’ Roll (Tony nom.), The Seagull, Jerusalem (Tony nom.) and John Gabriel Borkman (Drama Desk nom.) Ian has been a member of the Autograph design team since 2009. He’s thrilled to have been a 2022 Tony nominee for his work on Company.
KEITH CAGGIANO (Tour Sound Design). Select credits: Holiday Inn - The New Irving Berlin Musical, The Radio City Spring Spectacular, Himself and Nora, Disenchanted, Bare; Tours: Cabaret, RENT, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Anything Goes; Regional: The Most Beautiful Room in NY, Austen’s Pride, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Little Shop of Horrors, Guys and Dolls. Keith also designs and engineers live events and consults on professional sound system installations. He is a graduate of Duquesne University.
CHRIS FISHER (Illusions) works worldwide as international illusions & magic associate for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Recent Broadway credits: Back To The Future, Company, Angels in America. London West End: Stranger Things - The First Shadow ; The Time Traveler’s Wife; Back to the Future; 2:22 A Ghost Story ; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Prince of Egypt ; Company ; Peter Gynt ; Treasure Island; UK: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ; Merlin.
CAMPBELL YOUNG ASSOCIATES (Wig and Hair Designer). Broadway & West End: Funny Girl; Back to the Future; Tina–The Tina Turner Musical (Drama Desk); A Beautiful Noise; Leopoldstadt; The Music Man; Hello, Dolly!; To Kill A Mockingbird;
Girl From The North Country; Les Misérables; Matilda; Billy Elliot. Film/ TV: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
TARA RUBIN CASTING (Casting). Selected Broadway and National Tours: The Outsiders, Back to the Future, Here Lies Love, Bad Cinderella, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, KPOP, Mr. Saturday Night, Six, Ain’t Too Proud, Selected Off-Broadway: Sing Street, Trevor, Between the Lines, Clueless Film: Here Today. Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe.
DAVID CULLEN (Orchestrator). Orchestrator of Cats, Starlight Express, Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, By Jeeves, Whistle Down the Wind, The Phantom of the Opera, The Woman in White, Love Never Dies, Children of Eden, The Baker’s Wife, Parade, The Wizard of Oz and others.
SAM DAVIS (Dance Arrangements). Broadway: New York, New York (Tony nomination), An American in Paris, Holiday Inn, Gigi, Side Show, Big Fish Film/TV: Beauty and the Beast; Hail, Caesar!; “A Christmas Story Live”; “Good Behavior.” London: Company, Joseph…. Composer of four OffBroadway shows. University of Michigan graduate.
THOMAS SCHALL (Fight Director). Over 100 Broadway shows: A Soldier’s Play (Drama Desk Award, fight choreography), True West, War Horse. Off-Broadway: NY Theatre Workshop Othello, ( Drama Desk nomination), Red Speedo. The Public Theater Hamlet, King Lear. The Armory The Hairy Ape, (Drama Desk nomination).
STEVE BEBOUT (Associate Director) is Associate Director for Casey Nicholaw: Some Like It Hot (Broadway), Disney’s Aladdin (Broadway, Tour), Something Rotten! (Broadway, Tours), The Book of Mormon (Broadway, Tours, International); and for Jerry Zaks: Sister Act (Broadway), The Addams Family (Broadway, Tours, International). He’s directed a bunch of his own stuff too. Thanks to Marianne, Chris & Tea!
SIMONE SAULT ( Associate Choreographer). U.K.: Company, Love Never Dies, dir. Cinderella workshop—Andrew Lloyd Webber. Choreographer: The Phantom of the Opera, Aust. Classical Brit Awards, “Giri/Haji,” “Baby Ballroom,” “Strictly
Dance Fever” (BBC/Netflix). Theatre/ film: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Mamma Mia!, Nine, Chicago, Sinatra London Palladium, The Phantom of the Opera. Dance: Sydney Dance Co. All for my Luca, Mum and Dad.
TANISHA FORDHAM (Consulting Associate Director). Broadway debut! Jesus, Mama-Zoob, Monkey… 143. We did it! Writer, director, performer. Off-Off Broadway: 12 Mo’ Angry Men. Co-producer 2018 Oscar nominated My Nephew Emmett. Upcoming: narrative feature film. www.enlightenedvisions.org
CLAIRE WARDEN (Intimacy Director). Broadway: Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (first intimacy director on Broadway), Company, Slave Play, Jagged Little Pill, The Inheritance, West Side Story, Linda Vista. Drama Desk Awards: Slave Play, Special Award for Pioneering Work. Variety Award - 10 Broadway Players to Watch Intimacy coordinator for shows on HBO, Amazon, Hulu, Showtime, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox.
CHARLIE ALTERMAN ( Music Director). Broadway: Music Director for Pippin, Next to Normal, Godspell and Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me. National Tours: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Grease. TV: “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” Regional includes: The Muny, TUTS, ART, Old Globe, La Jolla, Papermill, Arena, Williamstown. Honored to be part of this thrilling production.
MICHAEL AARONS ( Music Coordinator). Broadway: Harmony, How To Dance In Ohio, & Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Hamilton, Disney’s Aladdin. Radio City Christmas Spectacular Upcoming Broadway: The Wiz, Boop!, The Devil Wears Prada. Off Broadway: I Can Get It For You Wholesale, Little Shop Of Horrors. Current tours: Hamilton, Disney’s Aladdin, Disney’s Frozen, Mamma Mia!, Moulin Rouge!, Jagged Little Pill. www.m2music.nyc
PORT CITY TECHNICAL (Production Management) is based in Charleston, S.C. Also referred to as “Work Light South,” PCT was initially started in 1993 as Technical Theater Solutions by Rhys Williams. TTS worked with WLP on many shows, including American Idiot, In the Heights and Avenue Q. Since the conception of PCT, tours with WLP have included Rent, An Officer And A Gentleman,
Motown, R&H’s Cinderella, Something Rotten!, Bandstand, White Christmas and the pre-Broadway Ain’t Too Proud: The Temptations Musical. Current tours include Ain’t Too Proud, Clue, Company, Mamma Mia!, Mrs. Doubtfire and Jesus Christ Superstar
BOND THEATRICAL (Tour Booking, Marketing & Publicity) is an independently-owned theatrical booking, marketing and publicity company representing award-winning Broadway shows and live entertainment properties. BOND connects artists and audiences by forming strategic, authentic and profitable partnerships between producers and presenters across North America. For a complete list of current projects, please visit BondTheatrical.com
WORK
LIGHT PRODUCTIONS
(General Management & Producer). Formed in 2005, WLP has since grown into a full service producing, investment, general management, and technical supervision company. Current and past productions: Olivier Award winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar (North America, UK Tour), Ain’t Too Proud (Broadway, North America, West End), Clue (North America), Cluedo ( UK), and the North American tours of Mrs. Doubtfire, Mamma Mia!, Company, RENT, An Officer and a Gentleman, Motown, Something Rotten!, Bandstand, R&H’s Cinderella, White Christmas, American Idiot, In The Heights and Avenue Q. Produced Julie Andrews, The Gift of Music. WLP is led by founding partners Stephen Gabriel and Nancy Gabriel. worklightproductions.com
JAY CAREY (Production Stage Manager). Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud, Jersey Boys, Finding Neverland. Tours: Six, Ain’t Too Proud, Jersey Boys (1st & 2nd National), Curious Incident… A proud member of AEA. Happy to be touring again with my husband, Chris! @jaycarey212 @lilthingsudo2gether
MATTHEW BROOKS, he/him (Stage Manager). National Tours: Jesus Christ Superstar ; An Officer and a Gentleman; Rosie Revere, Engineer and Friends; and A Christmas Story Proud AEA member and graduate of the University of Illinois.
MEGAN CISZEK, she/they (Assistant Stage Manager). Broadway/OffBroadway: Sleep No More, The Who’s
Tommy, Mrs. Doubtfire. Tours: SIX Aragon Tour, CATS (1st National). Proud new AEA member. Go Dukes! Thanks to my nugget Ayla, my friends, family, and any who have mentored me along the way. Love you all.
TIMOTHY R. SEMON (Production Supervisor). Broadway: The Shark is Broken, Company 2022, Network, Angels in America, Sunset Boulevard, Paramour, Lady Day…, 9 to 5, Collected Stories, A Chorus Line, High Fidelity, Three Days of Rain, Wicked, Assassins Tours: Jersey Boys, White Christmas, Wicked. Off-Broadway/regional: yes. TV: “Sweeney Todd,” “Company,” “Sondheim 80th Birthday Concert.”
BFA: UC-CCM.
MICHAEL COGLAN (Company Manager ). Recent National/ International Tours: Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary Tour, An Officer And A Gentleman, Bandstand, Rent, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, 42nd Street, My Fair Lady, How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, Hair, The Producers. Off-Broadway credits: Transport Group, The Flea Theater. Regional credits: Williamstown Theatre Festival, New York Stage & Film, Bard SummerScape, Center Theatre Group.
ELLIOTT & HARPER PRODUCTIONS
(Producer) is an independent production company founded in 2016 by the Tony and Olivier Award winning team of Artistic Director Marianne Elliott and producers Chris Harper and Nick Sidi. Theatre Productions include Company on Broadway and West End (Winner of 5 Tony Awards and 4 Olivier Awards); Death of a Salesman at The Young Vic, West End and Broadway (Olivier Award for Best Direction); West End premieres of Cock and Heisenberg; The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, West End and UK and Ireland Tour. EHP also co-produced the Broadway transfer of Angels in America, directed by Marianne Elliott (Winner of 3 Tony Awards and Olivier Award for Best Revival of a Play). Film Productions include Executive Producers of The Salt Path, directed by Marianne Elliott.
THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION
(Producer). America’s oldest professional theatre company and the largest theatre owner on Broadway. For over 120 years, The Shubert Organization has been at the forefront of the American theatre. Under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Robert E.
Wankel, Shubert owns and operates 17 Broadway and six Off-Broadway theatres, as well as the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. The company has produced and co-produced hundreds of plays and musicals and, alongside Neil Meron is lead producer of the new musical Some Like It Hot
CATHERINE SCHREIBER (Producer). Five-time Tony/Olivier Awardwinning producer. Broadway Global Producer of the Year Award. Recent Broadway: Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Life of Pi, Brustein’s Window, Death of a Salesman, Company, The Lehman Trilogy. Off-Broadway: Play That Goes Wrong. Tony Awards: Company, The Lehman Trilogy, The Inheritance, Angels in America, Clybourne Park London: Lion, Witch & the Wardrobe, The Scottsboro Boys
NEDERLANDER PRESENTATIONS,
INC. (Producer) is a production division of the multinational theatrical entities owned by James L. Nederlander. They have produced innumerable plays, musicals, operas, ballets, and concerts. The Nederlander’s also own a notable chain of legitimate theatres.
BOYETT - MILLER (Producer). Though both have produced television, features and theatre, their joint theatre ventures have been Mrs. Doubtfire, Tootsie, Hillary and Clinton, War Horse and 13.
GFOUR PRODUCTIONS (Producer). Winners of over 50 Tony Awards. Currently on Broadway: The Shark is Broken, The Book of Mormon, Six Tours: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, On Your Feet!, Menopause The Musical GFourProductions.com
MARY MAGGIO (Producer). Tony Award Winning Producer. Company, Funny Girl, Merrily We Roll Along. Upcoming: Films: Black Bouquet, Tribes. Musicals: Super You, Hamlet, Mandela. Tony-Nominated: The Great Comet, On The Town, The Sign.
SCOTT ABRAMS (Producer). Tony Award-winning producer and manager of Mach 1 Partners LLC, a theatrical and film production company. Broadway: A Beautiful Noise, Back to the Future, Merrily We Roll Along, Harmony. London: Moulin Rouge!
HORNOS • MOELLENBERG (Producer). Ricardo Hornos is an award-winning theatre, film and TV writer/producer in the U.S., the U.K. and South America. Carl
Moellenberg has won 13 Tony Awards on Broadway. He is also a film producer as Chairman of Dominion Pictures.
CROSSROADS LIVE (Producer). From offices in London, Sydney and North America, Crossroads Live is a leading producer of musical theatre and pantomimes. In partnership with leading creators and IP owners, Crossroads brings iconic entertainment to audiences across the globe. www.xroadslive.com
HUNTER ARNOLD (Producer). Select Broadway: Hadestown (Tony); The Inheritance (Tony); Leopoldstadt (Tony); Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Tony); Dear Evan Hansen (Tony); Tina; Anastasia; Kinky Boots (Tony); Some Like It Hot; Back to the Future. Select Off-Broadway: Little Shop of Horrors. @hunterarnold
NO GUARANTEES (Producer) is led by Christine Schwarzman, Darren Johnston and Megan O’Keefe; credits include Pulitzer Prize winner Fat Ham, Tony Award and Olivier winner Leopoldstadt and the upcoming musical Goddess
GROVE ENTERTAINMENT (Producer). Current & Upcoming: Good Night, Oscar starring Sean Hayes; Water for Elephants; The Wiz; Company (Tour); a new immersive musical Ceilidh by Claire McKenzie & Scott Gilmour. www.groveentertainment.com
DARYL ROTH (Producer). Produced 7 Pulitzer Prize-winning plays including How I Learned to Drive, Proof, Three Tall Women and W;t. 13 Tony Awards, 130 productions including Kinky Boots. Theater Hall of Fame inductee.
TOM TUFT (Producer). Chairman, Roundabout Theatre (2010-2022); currently First Vice Chairman. Senior Advisor, Arsenal Capital, formerly Partner, Goldman Sachs; Vice Chairman, Lazard. Co-producer of Company, Into The Woods, Macbeth, Sing Street and Parade.
FAKSTON PRODUCTIONS (Producer). Ken Fakler and Dan Stone are a Tony Award-winning co-producing team known for their work on Dear Evan Hansen, Beautiful, The Inheritance, Some Like It Hot, Parade, and Funny Girl.
MICHAEL WATT (Producer). Current productions include Moulin Rouge! The Musical (London). Over 30 pro -
duction credits including Jersey Boys (only New Zealander to receive a Tony, Annie Get Your Gun). Co-owner of Ronnie Scott’s with Sally Greene OBE. ONZM for international philanthropy.
CONCORD THEATRICALS (Producer). The world’s most significant theatrical company: R&H, Tams-Witmark, Samuel French, ALW Collection and more--licensing, publishing, recording and producing. Hadestown (Tony), Company (Tony), Into the Woods (Grammy), Six, Some Like It Hot
INDEPENDENT PRESENTERS
NETWORK (Producer) consists of 35 leading presenters in the U.S. and Asia. Broadway/London/ tours include & Juliet, Tina, Moulin Rouge!, The Wiz, Hadestown, Some Like It Hot and Dear Evan Hansen.
JOHN GORE ORGANIZATION (Producer) family of companies includes Broadway Across America and Broadway.com, under the supervision of 20-time Tony-winning producer John Gore. Productions include: MJ, Moulin Rouge!, and Kimberly Akimbo.
MERRIE-KADES-BEARD (Producer). Merrie L. Davis, Tony/Olivier Award winning Producer: Parade, 2023; Company, Broadway, 2022; Company, West End, Olivier 2019; Museum of Broadway; Upcoming: Working Girl Ken and Mady Kades: Tony Award winner, Drama Desk Award. Investing in over 46 Broadway and London West end shows. Louise Hall Beard: Broadway: A Christmas Story, Gentleman’s Guide... (Tony), Dames at Sea, Company (London, Olivier).
JUJAMCYN THEATERS (Producer)
Jujamcyn Theaters (Jordan Roth, President) is recognized as a theatrical innovator for championing shows that push the boundaries of Broadway. Jujamcyn’s five Broadway theatres are the St. James, Al Hirschfeld, August Wilson, Eugene O’Neill and Walter Kerr. Jujamcyn’s proud legacy includes Best Musicals Moulin Rouge, Hadestown, Kinky Boots, Book of Mormon and six plays by August Wilson. Join us @Jujamcyn.
STAFF FOR COMPANY
PRODUCER & GENERAL MANAGEMENT
WORK LIGHT PRODUCTIONS
Stephen Gabriel Nancy Gabriel
Anièle Fortin-Perkell, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Producer
Courtney King, General Manager
Sanjida Chowdhury, General Management Assistant
Brian Harlan Brooks Jordyn David Noelle Hedgcock
Matt Kunkel Marian Osadebe Casi Pruitt
Mitchell Skolnick
Carolyn Smith
COMPANY MANAGER
Michael Coglan
TECHNICAL SUPERVISION
PORT CITY TECHNICAL
Rhys Williams, Vice President of Production
Ryan George, Production Manager
Mackenzie Foster, Director of Production Operations
Laurence Christopher Ryan Johnson Tom Klonowski
Adrienne Maurer Hunter Storie Tiffany West
CASTING
TARA RUBIN CASTING
Tara Rubin, CSA
Merri Sugarman, CSA Claire Burke, CSA
Peter Van Dam, CSA Xavier Rubiano, CSA
Kevin Metzger-Timson, CSA Louis DiPaolo
Spencer Gualdoni, CSA Olivia Paige West
Frankie Ramirez
TOUR BOOKING, MARKETING & PUBLICITY
BOND THEATRICAL bondtheatrical.com
TOUR BOOKING
Temah Higgins Mollie Mann
Wendy Roberts
Madison St. Amour Laura Rizzo Nilesha Alexander
TOUR MARKETING & PUBLICITY
DJ Martin
Marc Viscardi
Phillip Aleman Bailey Ford
Production Stage Manager Jay Carey
Stage Manager Matthew Brooks
Assistant Stage Manager Megan Ciszek
Assistant Company Manager Ashley Edler
Assistant Choreographer Emilie Renier
Associate Scenic Designer Ann Beyersdorfer
Assistant Scenic Designer Se Oh
Associate Costume Designer Hunter Kaczorowski
Assistant Costume Designer Stefanie Genda
Associate Lighting Designer Jessica Creager
Assistant Lighting Designer Victoria Bain
Moving Lighting Programmer Jeff Englander
Scenic Model Builders Charli Burkhardt, Abbey Wiker
Illusions Associate Nate Dendy
Associate Hair & Wig Designer Liz Printz
Intimacy Director Claire Warden
Music Technology Phij Adams
Music Technology Associate Lucy Baker
Synthesizer Technician Randy Cohen
Music Preparation Kaye-Houston Music/ Anne Kaye, Doug Houston
Production Carpenter Tom Klonowski
Head Carpenter Sean Sacco
Automation Carpenter Al Osuna
Assistant Carpenter/Flyman Shawn Watson
Swing Technician Kate Spradling
Production Automation Carpenter Sara Ramone
Production Electrician Diana Duecker
Head Electrician Randall Baptiste
Assistant Electrician Michael Smith
Assistant Electrician/Spot Operator Mitchell Dailey
Production Sound Engineer
Head Sound
Thomas Ford
David Allen
Assistant Sound Joseph Roma
Head Properties Kendall Barbera
Assistant Properties
Amy LeGore
Production Wardrobe Tiffany West
Wardrobe Supervisor Allison Hearn
Assistant Wardrobe Brooks Bennett
Stitcher Chloe Levy
Fabricators Rebecca Dee, Becca Christian
Shopper Aidan Griffiths
Hair & Make-Up Supervisor Lisa Chan
Production Hair Adrienne Maurer
Production Assistant Megan Ciszek
Banking City National/Michele Gibbons
Payroll Prestige PEO
Accountant WithumSmith+Brown/ Robert Fried, CPA, Karen Kowgios, CPA, Anthony Moore, CPA
Bookkeeping Galbraith & Co/Kenny Noth
Insurance Maury Donnelly & Parr/Bob Middleton
Legal Counsel Davis Wright Tremaine LLP/ M. Graham Coleman, Carrie Casselman
Immigration Counsel Law Offices of Dora M Komura, PC/Stephanie Friedberg
Tour Booking, Marketing & Publicity Office
Bond Theatrical/ Jenny Bates, Melissa Cohen, Steph Kelleher, Linda Stewart, Scotland Newton, Elisabeth Reyes, Jacob Stuckelman, Janiya Wade, Hannah Wallace
Social Media/Community Management ArtHouse/ Sara Fitzpatrick, Aaliytha Stevens, Marc Mettler, Yael Matlow, Sara Rosenzweig
Advertising on Broadway AKA
Production Photographer Matthew Murphy, MurphyMade
Physical Therapist Neuro Tour Physical Therapy
Travel Agent Road Rebel
ELLIOTT & HARPER PRODUCTIONS
Artistic Director Marianne Elliott
Producer Chris Harper
Producer Nick Sidi
Administrative Producer Georgia Miles
Finance Consultant Lucy Woollatt
Rehearsed at the New 42nd Street Studios.
CREDITS
Scenery and scenic effects built, painted, electrified and automated by Hudson Scenic Studio, Inc. Automation and show control by Hudson Scenic Studio, Inc.. Lighting equipment from PRG Lighting. Sound equipment provided by Sound Associates. Production outfitting by Port City Equipment Rentals. Props fabricated by BrenBri Props. Wigs built by Paul Huntley. Costumes by Colin Davis Jones, Giliberto Designs, Julz Kroboth.
SPECIAL THANKS
Austin Rodriguez, Eric Stewart, Holly Coombs, Emily Hayes, Julie Hurley, Megan Schneid, Nic Steffes, Tinky Walker, Jason Golbourn, Sharon Hobde, and the Broadway and London West End cast, crew, and management of Company
Souvenir merchandise designed and created by Creative Goods.
THE ACTORS AND STAGE MANAGERS EMPLOYED IN THIS PRODUCTION ARE MEMBERS OF ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION, THE UNION OF PROFESSIONAL ACTORS AND STAGE MANAGERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
Backstage and Front of the House Employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes (or I.A.T.S.E.).
PLEASE BE ADVISED
• LATECOMERS and those exiting the theatre are seated at predetermined breaks in designated areas.
• PHOTOS, RECORDING & CELL PHONE USE are prohibited.
• CHILDREN 6+ are welcome in our theatres and must be ticketed.
• DRINKS are allowed in provided containers.
• ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES, LARGE PRINT PROGRAMS & BOOSTER SEATS are available in most theatres. Ask an usher to direct you.
• BRAILLE PROGRAMS are available with 2 weeks’ notice to amcmullen@dcpa.org or 303.446.4836
The musicians employed in this production are members of the American Federation of Musicians.
ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents & Managers represents the Press Agents and Company Managers employed in this production.
This production is produced by a member of The Broadway League in collaboration with our professional union-represented employees.
We Fund Culture.
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Robin Appleton
Julie Bassignani
Vonnie Clough
Craig Cory
Cyndie Cory
Steve Davies
Anne Davis
Amber Krimbel
Carolyn Dore
AnnSue Gunter
Judy Holabird
Will Holabird
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HERE’S HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Take advantage of tax-wise giving: Speak with your tax advisor about transferring appreciated stock directly to the DCPA, or direct part or all of the RMD from your IRA directly to us. We pay no capital gains, so your direct transfer contributions often go further than personally taking your distribution and making donations out of the proceeds.
Make a gift in your will or revocable trust:
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EMMA
A REFRESHING TAKE ON A TIMELESS CLASSIC
BY LISA BORNSTEINIIt takes something extra to adapt a 200-year-old classic novel that has already been adapted multiple times for stage and screen. Call it guts — call it ovaries — but actor/playwright Kate Hamill has now adapted five novels of Jane Austen, with her latest, Emma, staged at Denver Center Theatre Company.
“Jane Austen was a proto-feminist,” the New York-based actor and playwright says. “She talked a lot about something I’m very interested in, which is not only the interiority of women’s lives but also what to do when the dictates of your conscience and character are in direct opposition to what your society expects of you.”
In the 1815 novel and the play, Emma is a well-off young woman who, having made a successful match, decides matchmaking is her gift. Comic missteps ensue, as well as a hidden romance.
“When I started thinking about Emma, I was really interested in the frustrations of a woman who cannot work,” Hamill says. “I had an acting teacher who would talk about the tragedy of women before work, who were not able to put their considerable intellect and their talents into work that fulfills them. My Emma became about that, this very brilliant woman who is trying to find someplace to put her excess energy, and matchmaking becomes her outlet, because it’s the only thing she can do.”
Hamill came to playwriting as an actor who was dissatisfied with the roles available to her and other highly educated and trained women.
“I was working, but I very quickly was frustrated, because I felt like I was constantly auditioning to play someone’s wife or girlfriend or prostitute,” Hamill says. “So often, I felt like my identity as a feminist person, which actually predates even my work in theater, was really coming into opposition with the work that I was auditioning for. I would be in these rooms with 600 other women who were all super funny and smart or talented, all of whom were auditioning to play one role out of ten roles. The plays were male gaze-oriented and they were almost always by men.”
Hamill wrote a check for $100 to her friend, Andrus Nichols. “I want to write a new feminist classic, and if I don’t write it, you get to cash it,” Hamill recalls.
The play, her first, was an adaptation of Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, partly because Hamill could not find a stage adaptation that had not been written by a man.
Hamill played Marianne, and Nichols played Eleanor. Her second career had begun. In the decade since, she has written nearly 20 plays, including four Austen adaptations and several original pieces.
The playwright’s approach to Jane Austen isn’t all reverence and bonnets. Rather, anachronistic touches, including recent music and dances, are sprinkled throughout. Emma herself regularly breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience.
“I’m always interested in creating a work which is in conversation with the original but which has lots of relevance and unexpected surprises in it,” Hamill says. “I’m always looking to create something that speaks both to people who know the novel very well and also people who have absolutely no relationship with the novel at all.”
My Emma became…this very brilliant woman who is trying to find someplace to put her excess energy, and matchmaking becomes her outlet, because it’s the only thing she can do.
This production is the adaptation’s second; it arrives at the Wolf Theatre following its premiere in the 2021/22 season of Minneapolis’s Guthrie Theatre. Once again, Meredith McDonough will be directing, and their collaborative relationship is so strong that Hamill will be in residence in Denver during rehearsals, unusual for later productions. Along with them will be some of the designers from the Guthrie, as they continue to try to improve the work.
The anachronisms, such as modern makeup and a popcorn machine, are a way for Hamill to bring the audience into what was, when written, a contemporary world, not a costume drama. “Both I and Meredith McDonough, who’s directing this production, we’re both really interested in injecting irreverence and timeliness into this classic work,” Hamill says. “I’m not a dramaturgically rigid adapter, so I tend to come at it from a new-play lens. I tend to come at it as a collaboration between myself and another author — some of whom are currently dead.”
As a writer, she is slightly skeptical of adaptations that hew too closely to the original, as if it were an unmalleable constitution.
“If we played just totally Regency music and Regency dances, it might be a little more dramaturgically accurate, but you’re not going to get the same feeling that [the characters] would get dancing these dances,” she says. “Anytime you have something that’s really dramaturgically rigid, everyone’s about a decade too old, and no one has smallpox scars, and everyone has their original teeth. We understand things through a modern lens. I believe in letting these acts of theater run around in the sun and coloring in crayon on our altars.”
Most of all, though, Hamill wants the audience to realize that this is a comedy. It led her to watch a lot of “I Love Lucy” in preparation for the script.
“She is super, super funny,” Hamill says of Austen. “I think she is often sort of pigeon-holed as a quote-unquote romance writer, but she’s so funny and she’s so smart about people’s characters.”
EMMA
APR 5 – MAY 5 • WOLF THEATRE
ASL Interpreted & Audio Described performance: Apr 28 at 1:30pm Post-show discussions: Apr 18 & 30
1. BELONGING
We build a respectful and empathetic culture through our active commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.
2. COLLABORATION
We produce our best possible work together by engaging people with diverse perspectives, lived experiences and talents around our shared goals.
3. COMMUNITY
We cultivate open, responsive, affirming relationships and partnerships for a greater collective impact.
4. CREATIVITY
We embrace innovation and imagination in our daily work to advance our mission.
5. INTEGRITY
We act responsibly, with honesty, accountability and transparency.
6. SUSTAINABILITY
We prioritize the wellbeing of our team, our finances and the environment to ensure our thriving future.
Learn more about what drives the DCPA, and where we’re going, at denvercenter.org/plan
Join us for free public performances of Shakespeare in the Parking Lot! Every Saturday from April 6 – May 13, our troupe of actors will stage 60-minute versions of the Bard’s most beloved plays in and around our pickup truck “set.” Performance locations throughout the Denver metro area TBA
denvercenter.org/community-events
DCPA Event Services
The DCPA Event Services team is here to partner with you for every aspect of your next big event! Create an experience for the record books with immaculate catering, dramatic lighting design, our theatre-quality A/V system, professional staffing — the works — all coordinated by one team under one roof.
COLORADO NEW PLAY SUMMIT: WHERE PLAYS BEGIN
BY LISA BORNSTEINThat buzz you heard the last weekend of February was the sound of creation at Denver Center Theatre Company, where the Colorado New Play Summit drew sold-out audiences of nearly 2,000 playwrights, industry professionals and theater fans.
“The festival weekend, it’s a wild, wonderful ride, and there’s a lot that gets packed into it,” said Leann Kim Torske, the Theatre Company’s Director of Literary Programs.
Audiences were treated to staged readings of four new works: Cowboys and East Indians, by Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler; OneShot, by Andrew Rosendorf; Godspeed, by Terence Anthony, and Ghost Variations, by Vauhini Vara. In addition, the Theatre Company offered fully staged productions of two scripts from the 2022 New Play Summit: Leonard Madrid’s Cebollas and Kirsten Potter’s Rubicon.
The spotlight shone on several local creators this year. A professor at Colorado State University, McConigley collaborated with playwright Spangler to bring her Wyoming-set short story to the stage. Vara, who lives in Fort Collins, is the rare writer to submit her play unsolicited and have it accepted for the Summit.
It was announced that two plays which received readings at last year’s Summit will receive full productions as part of the Theatre Company’s 2024/25 season. Clue playwright Sandy Rustin has written The Su ragette’s Murder, pairing the voting rights movement with a whodunit. Denver playwright Jake Brasch’s script, The Reservoir, will receive a co-production with three prestigious theaters: the Denver Center, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, and Los Angeles’ Geffen Playhouse.
The playwrights, directors, dramaturgs and casts of (clockwise from upper left): Ghost Variations, Cowboys & Easts Indians, One-Shot and Godspeed
ITHE LEHMAN TRILOGY
BY MISHA BERSONIn 2008 the prominent Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers had 25,000 employees around the world. It carried $639 billion in assets, and was the fourth largest investment bank in the United States — and one of the oldest.
But when its massive portfolio of mortgage-backed securities lost value and the nation’s over-inflated housing bubble burst, the company saw its stock price plummet — while other leading financial institutions also hit the rocks. By September 15, Lehman had amassed $613 billion in liabilities. With just $1 billion cash on hand and no private or government bail-out, the company shocked Wall Street by filing for bankruptcy.
You might assume a play titled The Lehman Trilogy, like numerous films about financial institutions gone bust during that recession-triggering autumn, focuses sharply on a seemingly invulnerable institution’s demise.
But the Tony-winning drama by Ben Power and Stefano Massini, a hit in London, on Broadway and around the U.S., accomplishes something less predictable and more illuminating than a disaster timeline. It follows the rise of the Lehman firm from its mid-19th century creation by a trio of three enterprising immigrant brothers, up to a kind of coda to its fateful collapse in 2008. And in doing so, it raises questions and concerns about the personal and societal
damage wreaked by unbridled financial opportunism, without ethical or governmental guardrails to regulate it.
Based on a verse novel and play written in Italian by Massini, who was born and resides in Florence, The Lehman Trilogy has also been praised for its lean, effective style of theatrical storytelling over three acts. A trio of actors portray the three Lehman founders — Emanuel, Henry (Heyum) and Mayer — as well as transforming before one’s eyes into dozens of other characters, including some of the brothers’ descendants.
Spinning off actual events, the epic begins with the arrival of the Bavarian Jewish siblings in Montgomery, Alabama in 1844. In European countries, Jews had often been banned from owning land or joining unions. In the American South, the Lehmans began their business as a dry goods store.
But they soon carved out a different role as middle men, purchasing large quantities of cotton from plantations (run on slave labor) and reselling it at a profit — spinning cotton into gold, as it were.
After the devastation of the Civil War, the play depicts Emanuel (a financial visionary, always looking for inventive ways to increase profits) moving the company to New York City’s burgeoning Wall Street district. There he embraces the lucrative business of making high-end loans, investing
in such hot commodities as oil, iron and a new cross-country railroad system that forever changed the economy.
But over time, guided by the sons and grandsons of the founders, Lehman Brothers lends enormous sums for massive bundles of increasingly complex “derivatives” — as in mortgage-backed securities, which prove to be unsustainable as impractical loans and defaults multiply.
Yet as much as The Lehman Trilogy is a primer and timeline on the relentless march of American capitalism over several generations, it is also a study of how much is lost to a family with unbridled, singleminded profiteering. Gradually but surely, the Lehmans shed their Orthodox Jewish religious observances, their ties to the Old Country, and their familial trust in one another — as well as their concern for those who suffer from their moves in increasingly risky financial markets.
The Lehman Trilogy began in the theater as a five hour-plus verse work, performed (in Italian) at Teatro Piccolo in Milan. Intrigued, the renowned stage and film director Sam Mendes engaged British playwright Power to adapt the sprawling saga into a three-hour play. Mendes’ National Theatre staging premiered in London in 2018.
It was an immediate hit, hailed by the Guardian newspaper as an “astonishing” event “spanning 150 years,” and a tour de force for the shape-shifting actors.
When the work arrived on Broadway in 2021, critics were also enthusiastic. The Washington Post review by Peter Marks lauded the show as “a marvelous reckoning with [the Lehman] legacy, and a fascinating audit of a driven family’s psychic balance sheet.”
But The Lehman Trilogy also sparked some controversy. There have been complaints that it pays little attention to the Lehmans’ exploitation of slave labor in the Antebellum South, including the brothers’ own purchase of slaves. (In 2005 the company publicly acknowledged and apologized for its slavery ties.)
Also, charges that the play promulgates harmful caricatures of Jews have arisen. In the Jewish online magazine Tablet, Judith Miller wrote that it “contains subtle but pervasive intimations of the classic antiSemitic tropes it ostensibly laments, with invocations of Jewishness — and Jewish power, and Jewish money…”
During 2008 financial crisis, and sadly to this day, bogus antisemitic conspiracy theories about Jews malevolently dominating and rigging the world economy have swirled online.
Defenders of the play note that Mendes is Jewish, and Massini, though gentile, has been an avid student of Jewish history and religion since his youth.
Also, the National Theatre engaged a rabbi as a script consultant. Orthodox Rabbi Daniel Epstein (who also consulted on a production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America) advised on the Jewish rituals and Hebrew dialogue in the play, but also participated in lengthy discussions with the authors about how to represent the Lehmans’ Jewishness without stereotyping them.
“The Lehmans were Jews and they ran a bank,” Powers told the SoCal Jewish News. “There’s no getting away from that, but I don’t think the show deals in tropes. I think that their Jewishness and their financial acumen are two separate issues. I’m confident that the play is responsible in terms of the story it tells.”
The Denver Center Theatre Company production will allow the audience to judge for itself.
THE LEHMAN TRILOGY
MAY 3 – JUN 2 • KILSTROM
ASL Interpreted and Audio Described performance: May 26 at 1:30pm
WWhen Disney Theatrical Group decided to adapt the animated film Frozen for the Broadway stage, they enlisted a team with more than just stellar theatrical bona fides. Not only do they have a collective 16 Tony Awards®, but they also have art and design in their bones.
When it came time to design the sets and costumes, Christopher Oram had an artistic game plan. He filled, as he put it, “sketchbook after sketchbook of scribbles and ideas and shapes” inspired by everything from Nordic architecture to royal costuming. What emerged from those early ideas are the beautifully icy winterscapes and earth-toned greenways that today greet audiences on tour across North America.
Oram said his designs were primarily inspired by research trips he took to Scandinavia, where “glaciers and forests and churches” inspired his lush design concepts that reflect the region’s magic and mystery.
“You’re out in the middle of a fjord and there’s literally no one else around,” he said of his visit to Norway. “You see tiny houses clinging to the bottom of giant steep cliffs. The water is bottomless beneath you, and it’s pitch black. You get that there may be goblins in the woods and fairies under the rocks. Nature is so present around you.”
He drew on those inspirations in his scenic design. He took cues from the timber-based architecture in Norway, all heavy woods and pillars and planks. Oram embedded the traditional Norwegian folk art called Rosemåling — a type of decorative painting that features stylized flowers — into many elements of the set. It’s a nod to the “wonderful juxtaposition of heavy wood and delicate floral motifs,” giving a “big masculine space with all this feminine detailing.”
“It’s all in service of the narrative of the story, visually,” he said.
The costumes are just as inspired.
“All Disney animated characters have iconic looks,” he said. “But for the stage you have to interpret that work for an older, more sophisticated audience.”
“You have to conceive of garments in a different way, but make them iconic and recognizable and beautiful,” he said.
NATURE AND NORWAY
DESIGNER CHRISTOPHER ORAM TALKS ABOUT FROZEN THE BROADWAY MUSICAL
Oram did that by maintaining the silhouettes from the film but using fabrics that move in certain ways to give the actors physicality and weight. The costumes feature layers of satins and silks, with beading and embroidery as lush accents. Hand dying created stunning ombré effects in blues, golds, scarlets and whites.
Oram was especially excited about a scene featuring Elsa in a pant suit, a switch which gave her “modern-day independence and fierceness.”
“You can’t stage a fight scene with her in a ball gown,” he said with a laugh.
Oram said he was thrilled to design and conjure the world of Frozen for the stage. Critics agreed. Variety called his work “very theatrical,” and the Los Angeles Times had high praise for the designer’s “imaginative handiwork.”
“I’m absolutely an aesthetic designer,” said Oram. “I love beauty. I love texture. I love design. I love the world around me.”
I’m absolutely an aesthetic designer. I love beauty. I love texture. I love design. I love the world around me.
— CHRISTOPHER ORAM, DESIGNER
FROZEN
JUN 19 – JUL 3 • BUELL THEATRE
ASL Interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance: June 29 at 2pm
Four New Readings June 14th & June 15, 2024 Theatre Companies: Northlight Theatre, Chicago * En Gard Arts, New York Old Globe Theatre, San Diego * Seattle Rep, Seattle For
combining design & qu alit y for a stylish wardrobe that’s uniquely yours.
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FEATURING
Michael Stern, conductor Jon Kimura Parker, piano
ON THE PROGRAM
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 “Pastorale”
George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Franz Liszt Les Préludes, S.97 Poème symphonique No. 3
TICKETS
JULY 19 | RIVERWALK CENTER, BRECKENRIDGE
Tickets: $5-55
JULY 20 | KING CENTER, DENVER
Tickets: $5-75
Tickets on sale April 1st!
DCPA is a part of UCHealth’s Ready. Set. CO challenge aimed at helping Colorado get back to the summit of good health and become the healthiest state in the nation.
To learn more about Ready. Set. CO please visit: uchealth.org/readysetco/
PROUD SPONSOR OF DCPA BROADWAYUCHEALTH SUPPORTS THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT FUND
The health system celebrates its seventh year partnering with the DCPA.
BY LINNEA COVINGTONTThe Denver Center for the Performing Arts and its longtime partner, UCHealth, are teaming up to ensure the youngest community members have more access to arts programming.
UCHealth has a history of incorporating the arts into patient care. For years it has used art and music therapy as tools to help patients in their healing journeys. And, more recently UCHealth teamed up with the DCPA’s presentation of The Secret Comedy of Women to film a virtual reality version of the popular show so that both staff and patients can enjoy an escape during periods of stress.
This year, UCHealth is taking its support of the arts one step further through its commitment to the youth engagement fund. “UCHealth is happy to support the youth engagement fund to ensure the youngest members of our community have an opportunity to learn and draw inspiration from the programs, classes and immersive experiences offered by DCPA,” said Manny Rodriguez, Chief Marketing, Experience and Customer Officer at UCHealth.
Whether offering patients an unexpected arts experience while in the hospital, challenging the community to be the healthiest it can be or providing opportunities for youth to explore the wonders of the live theater, UCHealth knows that culture enriches lives. “Exposure to various art forms has been shown to improve both physical and mental wellbeing,” Rodriguez continued, “and it allows adults and children alike the opportunity for expression as well as provides an outlet for creative thinking and emotions.”
It seems that a trip to the theatre is just what the doctor ordered.
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
A“At CBS Colorado, we bring you news about what’s happening at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and in arts and cultural communities throughout Colorado. CBS Colorado understands the positive impact the arts have on our community — it fosters pride and a sense of belonging, has a positive impact on a community’s economic vitality and enhances the quality of life for everyone. CBS Colorado is committed to making Colorado a great place to live.”
– Tim Wieland, CBS Colorado President and General ManagerSavor the best of downtown Denver and support the performing arts in style by dining with our Preferred Restaurant Partners.
SHOW YOUR THEATRE TICKETS TO GET:
Complimentary half-dozen oysters, half bottle of Prosecco, and valet parking until 10:30pm
Complimentary seasonal dessert
Complimentary valet parking and dessert with entrée purchase
Special pre-theatre menu, $45 per guest
Special pre-theatre menu, $89 per guest
Complimentary parking and 20% off bill
Complimentary martini with purchase of a dinner entrée
Free general admission entry with same-day DCPA ticket
Complimentary starter with the purchase of a main entrée
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TTCI Wealth Advisors supports Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) because it is Denver’s cultural heart. The tireless work by the professionals at DCPA ensures that Coloradans young and old experience the joys of live theatre.
The impact of DCPA goes far beyond the stage. DCPA creates opportunities for the community to gather. The communal experience of viewing a performance enables neighbors to form bonds with one another through the art they experience. Thus, the arts become the catalyst for weaving a robust social fabric. DCPA touches thousands of lives each year, and Denver is a stronger, more vibrant community because of it.
Through its educational outreach, the DCPA provides the youth of the greater Denver area opportunities to engage with theatre. Its offerings allow kids an avenue to explore their artistic potential, discover new perspectives, develop an early artistic appreciation and share ideas. Arts education is crucial for nurturing creativity, fostering critical thinking and providing a platform for self-expression. It equips students with skills for personal and academic success.
The enchantment of theatre comes to life at DCPA, which presents a playground for imaginations to thrive, capturing the hearts and minds of young and young-at-heart. When lights dim and curtains rise, audiences embark on adventures to last a lifetime, with breathtaking stories and unique characters through landscapes of the mind.
In life, everyone is their own author, crafting storylines and chapters along the way. At TCI Wealth Advisors, the goal is to help assure life’s story can be developed to the fullest. The Advisors at TCI help by ensuring that assets align with the goals each client hopes to achieve. They help guide clients through life’s journey, with its unique combination of opportunities, challenges and successes. TCI Wealth Advisors helps transform financial goals into tangible accomplishments, helping ensure that every client leads their version of a purpose-filled life.
Regardless of the twists and turns in life’s journey, it’s imperative for the Denver community to embrace and support its cultural heart. DCPA’s enduring impact nourishes individual experiences and contributes to the overall vibrancy of the greater Denver community. Each person is an essential element in preserving the enchantment of live theatre for future generations. That is a lasting cultural DCPA legacy that can and will continue to shape and inspire lives for many years to come.
At TCI Wealth Advisors, the goal is to help assure life’s story can be developed to the fullest.