Applause -- Message in a Bottle, February 13-25, 2024

VOLUME XXXIV NUMBER 4 JAN – MAR 2024

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APPLAUSE

SIGHTLINE

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BY JANICE SINDEN

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VO LU M E X X X I V • N U M B E R 4 • JA N - M A R 2 0 24

EDITOR: Suzanne Yoe DESIGN DIRECTOR: Kyle Malone DESIGNER: Brenda Elliott CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS: Paul Koob, Lucas Kreitler CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sarah Crompton, Emma Holst, Genevieve Miller Holt, John Moore, Joanne Ostrow

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Hello and happy 2024! We are delighted to welcome you to our winter lineup with eight productions, the Colorado New Play Summit, and the culmination of our Middle and High School Playwriting competition.

First up from Broadway is the return of two beloved favorites of American musical theatre — Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s groundbreaking Jesus Christ Superstar and Bob Fosse’s choreographic masterpiece Chicago. These are followed by a new dance-theater piece Message In A Bottle from director/ choreographer Kate Prince set to the music of Sting, which portrays the humanity of refugees as they hope for a brighter future.

The Denver Center Theatre Company welcomes its peers from across the nation to the 18th Colorado New Play Summit at which four scripts will be read in a crucial playwright-audience exchange that influences the development of the play. This year features Cowboy and East Indians by Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler, Ghost Variations by Vauhini Vara, Godspeed by Terence Anthony, and One-Shot by Andrew Rosendorf.

As part of the Summit, attendees will attend Cebollas by Leonard Madrid and Rubicon by Kirsten Potter, two plays that were read in 2022 and now receive their professional debut. We invite you to be among the first in the world to experience these new plays as they enter the American theatre canon.

At the same time, DCPA Education’s Middle and High School Playwriting competition awards top honors to three middle school 10-minute plays and three high school one-act plays. The one-act scripts are read in conjunction with the Colorado New Play Summit.

We invite you to attend the full Summit and add on a Broadway show to your winter activities.

Vladimir Script

Warm regards,

Janice Sinden Janice Sinden, President & CEO

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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.

IN THIS ISSUE Cebollas ..............................................................pg 10 Message In A Bottle..................................pg 12 Rubicon ...............................................................pg 14 Jesus Christ Superstar .......................... pg 19 Chicago ................................................................pg 21 4

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WO RL D P RE MIER E

The Righteous

LA TRAVIATA Giuseppe Verdi

DON GIOVANNI Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Gregory Spears Tracy K. Smith

WORLD PREMIERE

THE RIGHTEOUS Gregory Spears Tracy K. Smith

July 13, 17, 26, 30 August 7, 13

DER ROSENKAVALIER Richard Strauss

THE ELIXIR OF LOVE Gaetano Donizetti

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Explore the Season

For tickets and more information visit santafeopera.org or call 505-986-5900

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by Benedetto Cristofani

I

BY S U Z A N N E YO E

If you’ve been to downtown Denver in mid-summer, you might have encountered creatures from a different planet…known locally as FAN EXPO but known nationally as Comic Con. That one weekend a year when sci-fi enthusiasts convene to embody their favorite character, meet celebrities and delve into all things comic-sci-fi-horror-anime-gaming.

Fast forward six months and you might stumble upon another convention — ThesCon — a slightly different opportunity for middle and high school students across the state to explore workshop offerings, meet actors and theatre professionals, engage with college programs, audition for main stage performances and scholarships and delve into all things theatre-drama-plays-musicals.

In December, the Colorado Thespians held the 59th ThesCon at the Colorado Convention Center. More than 5,500 students from Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico gathered for performances, workshops, panel discussions and competitions.

Unsurprisingly, DCPA Education played an integral part in the 2023 event. Continuing a long-standing partnership, the full team led 17 workshops ranging from the Choreography Styles of & Juliet to stage combat and improv to movement. Additionally, the Community Engagement team hosted five behind-thescenes tours of DCPA studios and production facilities while other teaching artists participated in adjudication of student performances.

New to the DCPA’s participation, was a performance of Shakespeare in the Parking Lot in the Bellco Theatre. The cast and crew offered an abridged version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of the Middle School Opening Ceremony. Also, as a special treat, the actresses playing the Queens in the national tour of SIX participated in six panel discussions with the star-struck teens.

Through their efforts, the Colorado Thespians lived up to their mission — to promote and strengthen theatre arts in education through theatrical experiences that provide creative enrichment for students and teachers.

Bravo!

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There’s still a robust lineup of plays awaiting you at the Denver Center Theatre Company.

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CEBOLLAS Illustration by Kyle Malone

WHEN A ROAD TRIP IS A FAMILY JOURNEY

BY JOANNE OSTROW

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This world premiere work by New Mexico playwright Leonard Madrid drew loud laughs from audiences at the 2022 New Play Summit. The tagline says it all: Three Sisters, four wheels, four hundred miles, and one dead body.

From a comedic premise, a heartwarming comedydrama emerges when three Latina sisters embark on an unexpected drive, Albuquerque to Denver. Their mission: to get the body of the youngest sister’s lover back to Denver before his wife finds out how and where he died.

Cue the family secrets, sibling grudges and endless highway. Are we there yet?

It’s pedal to the metal as well-drawn characters bicker and laugh all the way north on I-25. Landmarks scroll by — Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Huerfano, Colorado Springs, Castle Rock — along with family memories and secrets. The sisters’ distinct personalities enliven the proceedings, and sharp dialog keeps the play speeding along. While humor fuels the trip, serious issues test the relationships.

Director Jerry Ruiz said the play is “about healing the rift in their family.” Specifically, “the sisters must tell (youngest sister) Yolie the truth about her origins and help her move on.”

As the miles tick by, “there is the sense of a new beginning, a rebirth for the family,” through the fact of the baby that very pregnant Yolie is going to have.

“The more we’ve worked on it beyond the witty banter, there really is a lot of real human material in there that gives it the heft of a drama and also roots the humor in something very real and very emotionally understandable.

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“I’d call it a comedy-drama,” Ruiz said.

The story, while outrageous, is actually quite universal, concerning family, siblings and legacy.

“That’s the hook,” Ruiz said. “You don’t have to have driven a body across state lines to appreciate family dysfunction and the legacy of your parents and to grapple with the choice they made. I think we all can connect to that in some ways.”

The question at the outset is, are these women going to come back together and be in each other’s lives or will they be pulling in different directions?

The production aims to be immersive, to seemingly invite the audience along on the trip.

“We are going to have a car, or part of a car, onstage,” Ruiz said. Audiences will see the characters getting in and out of the shell or skeleton of the vehicle. Meanwhile Ruiz will use projections to create the sense of motion and travel.

Cebollas projections designer Alex Basco Koch and an assistant have made the actual drive, Albuquerque to Denver, with a video camera to capture the view from out of their car.

That road trip footage will be projected onto various surfaces on and around the set, with road signs and landscapes changing as the story progresses to create an immersive environment. The Singleton Theatre is “a great space for it,” Ruiz said, “very intimate, so we’ll feel very close to the actors and also get that sense of travel.”

The casting is “definitely all Latina, you want to have

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

that authenticity. The cultural representation is important,” Ruiz said.

Two of the actors return from the New Play Summit reading, the third is from New York.

The culture of New Mexico figures prominently in Cebollas.

“There are some terms in there that I didn’t even know, and I’m a fluent Spanish speaker,” Ruiz said. “They are so regional. Regional slang and Spanglish.”

A lobby display is planned to familiarize audiences with the unique culture and language of that area.

For instance, Ruiz said, “’ombers,’ is it Spanglish? I’d never encountered this word. Leonard said it’s like when you’re in trouble, it’s very contextual.”

BLAST OFF!

You don't have to have driven a body across state lines to appreciate family dysfunction and the legacy of your parents and to grapple with the choice they made. I think we can all connect to that in some ways.

— JERRY RUIZ, DIRECTOR

Or the expression “burque,” which Ruiz learned means Albuquerque.

“It’s like shortened Spanish slang. These are things even Spanish speakers might not be familiar with. We’ll try to give that context.”

Citing the Denver Center Theatre Company productions of Laughs in Spanish (2023), American Mariachi (2018), FADE (2016, which he directed) and others, Ruiz said the Denver Center “has a pretty good track record of producing Latina and Latino playwrights and other playwrights of color…. They feel that mission to represent different facets of the community.”

He credits the company with figuring out a sustainable model at a time when theater generally is struggling. “They are continuing to serve their established audience but also inviting new folks in, and then picking shows that are culturally specific but that can speak to a broader audience. It’s a balancing act.”

The fact that Cebollas rose through the process of the New Play Summit is a sign of that commitment to keeping the pipeline fresh and inviting in new playwright voices. Since it began 18 years ago, the Summit development process has introduced 68 new plays, more than half of which were picked up as full Theatre Company productions.

“To see a play go from being read for the first time at the [Summit] to a full production two years later, that’s actually a quick turnaround in the life cycle of plays in the American theater,” Ruiz said. More typically he has worked on plays for six or seven years before they were produced.

“To have that reading, to get people excited, then turn around and do it the very next year — that’s a wonderful opportunity.”

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JAN 26 – MAR 10 • SINGLETON THEATRE ASL Interpreted and Audio Described performance: Feb 11 at 1:30pm Post-show Discussions: Feb 22 & 29

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THE MAKING OF

BY SARAH CROMPTON

M

Message In A Bottle takes as its theme the biggest, saddest subject facing the world today: the international refugee crisis that is separating families and causing suffering and unrest across the globe.

Yet its origins are in a small, personal — and happy — moment in the life of the choreographer Kate Prince. She was on her honeymoon in Greece, listening to Sting’s Message In A Bottle. She’d loved it since she was a child, and it had been one of the songs she’d chosen to play at her wedding. “I started wondering, as you do, what it would be like to use Sting’s music to create a dance story.”

She mentioned the idea to Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director and Chief Executive at Sadler’s Wells. The next thing she knew, she was in a hotel lobby with Eliza Lumley, Head of Theatre for Universal Music UK, trying to pitch the idea to Sting himself. “I was really nervous, in that way you can be when it’s a physical reaction and very much out of your control,” she says, with a broad smile. “For someone who’s a dancer, I was so physically awkward.

“And I didn’t like that I was nervous because he’s just a guy. But I think he had that impact because when I was a kid, I was so far away from even thinking that one day I might work with such a legend.

“But he was really lovely and he listened. He was just really open, and from that we got his permission to do a

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workshop, and I worked on it for two weeks and at the end of two weeks he came in with his manager and sat on a chair and fourteen dancers performed for him.”

The workshop was a revelation. “I was blown away by it,” Sting said later. “The response for me was very emotional not just because I was honoured that they were using my music to express something, but there was something happening at a deeper level beyond understanding. It was moving me in ways that I couldn’t quite interpret. I have had very little experience of dance so being moved was what led me to say yes, carry on. I was just intrigued by it.”

He also felt that in some ways, the exercise for him has been one of discovery. “This is my dream life exposed. I write songs in isolation. I don’t see any overriding themes, so watching people interpret the songs in a larger narrative, it’s therapy.” Excited by the entire prospect, he gave the go ahead, giving Prince carte blanche on story and on interpretation, while keeping control of approval over the music.

Meanwhile, she began working on the project. She doesn’t quite remember where the idea of making a narrative about refugees first came to her, but gradually it made itself impossible to ignore.

She had been in the audience in Edinburgh in 2013 when a North Korean refugee, Joseph Kim, gave a TED talk. “He

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

COMING UP FROM BROADWAY

made a massive impact on me and that story got me started.” She then watched other documentaries including Human Flow, Refugee and The White Helmets on Netflix, two Guardian documentaries — Escape from Syria: Rania’s Odyssey and We Walk Together — and more recently For Sama.

All this research forms the background to the fictional narrative she has created in Message In A Bottle, about a family torn apart by civil war, and about ideas of home. The two brothers and their sister each have a different story to tell “because no one story of any refugee or immigrant is the same,” Prince explains. “Every single person in it and every bit of information is extracted from the truth.

“When I make dance, it’s important to me that it’s about something and that we’ve got loads of story, background, research and layers.

The audience doesn’t have to receive everything we put in. There is no dialogue, no narration. I just want the bodies to respond to the music, because the music is brilliant.” Nevertheless, as the piece has developed, every dancer has in their mind a clear storyline they are trying to convey. “I want it to have a very clear narrative, but it’s not like musical theatre. There you don’t stop to express a single emotion in a piece of dance. That’s what we do here.”

— KATE PRINCE, DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER

In doing so, Prince is asserting the power of dance — and of hip hop dance in particular — to tell huge stories, and deal with important themes. She wants to use its language to draw attention to the central, often forgotten, message of the refugee crisis.

She also quotes Alonzo Westbrook, the writer and hip hop pioneer.

“He said ‘hip hop is the artistic response to oppression.’ If you look through history, whenever the worst thing has happened, it has brought the best art. Art is cathartic. It gives us release. I can show you a news film about refugees that’s really disturbing, and you might watch it for a while and then change the channel. But if you really engage with the story, through dance, it communicates to you in a different way. You absorb it as a work of art.”

Nevertheless, she believes that Message In A Bottle offers hope. “It’s there to uplift and inspire like all our work, because all our work is really about one thing: love. Everything comes back to love and the power of love and the healing power of love, forgiveness and acceptance. This is a piece about the strength human beings have to keep going, to find peace again in their lives, despite trauma. It’s about resilience.”

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

FEB 13 – 25 • BUELL THEATRE ASL Interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance: Feb 25 at 2pm

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Roman Banks as 'MJ' and the cast of the MJ First National Tour.

Photo by Matthew Murphy, MurphyMade.

I want it to have a very clear narrative, but it’s not like musical theatre. There you don’t stop to express a single emotion in a piece of dance. That’s what we do here.

MJ

Michael Jackson’s iconic music and signature moves are taking the Buell stage in 2024. The Tony Award-winning musical MJ offers an insider’s perspective of the artistry that catapulted Michael Jackson to international superstardom and legendary status. MJ was created

by Tony Award-winning Director/ Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and playwright Lynn Nottage.

The show takes audiences behind the scenes as Michael Jackson prepares for his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. As the team rehearses the setlist — packed with Jackson’s most famous tunes, including “Thriller,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Bad” — audiences witness the genius of Jackson’s creative process and are transported to pivotal moments in his career.

The Washington Post called MJ “a riveting adrenaline rush of a show.”

WGN Radio said, “MJ is one of the best shows ever.” Don’t miss the biggest musical of the decade as it takes its first national tour. MJ stops in Denver April 10 - 28, 2024. Sing along, dance in your seat, and flashback to the live performance of one of pop music’s most celebrated musicians.

RUBICON: SEX, ESPIONAGE AND A WOMAN FINDING PURPOSE

Illustration by Kyle Malone

BY JOANNE OSTROW

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APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024

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Do you remember a sexy movie with Lauren Bacall as a glamorous society woman turned wartime spy named Betty, blazing through men and countries, from South America to Europe, seducing her way to crucial information for the Allies in WWII? No? That’s because there was no such movie — although perhaps there should have been.

Betty Pack was a real-life character sidelined by history, an affluent wife and mother who became an espionage agent, a sultry and successful woman, who was denigrated for using her sexuality to prevail.

Instead of a romantic, high-gloss movie that never was, witness Betty coming to life in Rubicon, a world premiere written by Kirsten Potter and directed by Chris Coleman, Artistic Director of the Denver Center Theatre Company.

At its core the play is about “the cost of purpose,” Coleman said.

“It’s about a woman who comes from immense privilege and doesn’t really have a sense of purpose at the outset. She was kind of wandering through her life….

She discovers both a sense of excitement and purpose when she fumbles her way into the world of espionage and realizes that she has a real gift for it.”

Not that the art of seduction was admired in a well-bred Minnesota daughter of a U.S. Marine Corps officer. She went on to be called “the ultimate honey trap,” as she worked for both British and American intelligence outfits.

It was not necessarily a compliment.

“I think she was ahead of her time, and the system she was working in didn’t know what to do with her,” Coleman said. “A woman with the kind of sexual autonomy that she had was outside the realm of understanding or acceptability of that world.

“In the play, it’s crushing.”

Betty’s comfort with her function as a Mata Hari, trading sex for secrets, was clearly outside the norm.

“It’s the heritage of our culture, isn’t it?” Coleman said.

“Who gets to use their sexuality however they want to, whose sexuality has to be tightly contained? That’s so old in our culture, even when it’s being commandeered and deployed for a greater good, it still makes people uncomfortable that a woman has that much control and is actually not apologetic about it.”

It shouldn’t spoil the action for audiences to know that the five cast members worked with an intimacy choreographer. Samatha Egle, who previously worked on Rattlesnake Kate, Hotter Than Egypt, A Little Night Music and Much Ado About Nothing, is “a really valued collaborator,” Coleman said.

She choreographs the sex scenes as one would a fight or a dance. “She will say ‘talk to me about this kiss, what’s the flavor? A two-count, a five-count?’ I really appreciate it. It takes any kind of awkwardness out of my hands.”

A celebration of this unsung hero is overdue. There are books about Betty but you are forgiven for never having heard of her. Neither had the director.

“I love forgotten history,” he said.

Betty was a force of nature. “She clearly was an adrenaline junkie. Situations most of us would feel terrified by and run from, she ran right

— CHRIS COLEMAN, DIRECTOR

ELIZABETH PACK

Elizabeth Pack was a World War II spy for the British and American governments. Here are five facts about this unsung heroine.

1 straight into. Even before she’d actually been recruited. You could justify it by saying she was going to help out her imprisoned lover, but it’s more than that. She just found it exciting.”

Coleman laughed at the idea of ’40s film star Bacall playing Betty in a glamorous black-and-white film version of the story. “The actress we cast sounds a little like Lauren Bacall…. It’s hard for the play not to be glamorous, given the period and settings. From a ball at the embassy in Santiago to meeting rooms in Madrid…’ It’s a fancy world.”

The famous Enigma machine — used by the Germans to encrypt and decrypt messages — provides a pivotal plot point for the play. A boundary-breaker but not a code-breaker herself, Betty managed to steal the Vichy Papers in an elaborate scheme that helped the Allied landing in North Africa in 1942.

“Getting the Naval codes from the Vichy French embassy was going to give the allies an advantage that could turn the tide of the war,” Coleman said.

For Betty, “it was all intuition, she definitely was interested in older powerful men, both romantically but also they were of interest to her as a human.”

Appraising the character, Coleman said he was reminded of Robert Caro’s biographies of Lyndon Johnson. Betty’s talent was “like LBJ’s uncanny ability to sense what an older powerful man needed from a mentee, that built entree for him and a power base for him that he utilized to great effect. Betty had a similar sense of how to endear herself to people in power, whether she slept with them or not, to get them to say ‘yes’ to her…”

And what of her personal Rubicon? Her point of no return? “I think it’s nice if it’s left as a question mark for the audience,” Coleman demurred.

The playwright always imagined the set for her play’s production as a puzzle box, Coleman said. “It feels like it’s filled with surprises that reveal themselves in ways you don’t expect.” Designer Tony Cisek came up with “a solution that feels sleek, elegant and surprising.”

The resulting set will be “beautiful but very simple,” Coleman promised, “with some magic tricks that let it transform very elegantly.”

Rather than fussy furniture, audiences will be transported via simple devices like a sound cue or a chandelier.

“It will be very cinematic,” Coleman said.

RUBICON

FEB 9 – MAR 10 • KILSTROM THEATRE ASL Interpreted and Audio Described performance: Feb 18 at 1:30pm Post-Show Discussions: Feb 27 & Mar 7

RUBICON

A woman with the kind of sexual autonomy that [Betty Pack] had was outside the realm of understanding or acceptability of that world.

FIVE FACTS ABOUT

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3

4

5

Amy Elizabeth Pack also went

by Betty Pack, Betty Thorpe, Amy Brousse and Cynthia (her official codename). She was also referred to as the “Minnesota Mata Hari” and “the greatest unsung heroine of the war.”

She was born to a Marine Corps officer and a Senator’s daughter, placing her in the heart of the Washington political scene.

As a promiscuous teen, she got pregnant at age 19 by an unknown partner and later married British operative Arthur Pack 19 years her senior.

When they relocated to Spain at the onset of the Spanish Civil War, her activism began. She smuggled rebel Nationalists to safety, transported Red Cross supplies to Franco’s forces and coordinated the British embassy evacuation.

After moving to Poland, she enlisted as a British spy and befriended a colleague of the Polish foreign minister from whom she extracted information on the Enigma machine and Hitler’s plans to dismantle the former Czechoslovakia.

But her most dangerous and sensational escapade involved breaking into a Vichy French embassy and extracting naval codebooks.

See how she did it at Rubicon, playing February 9 – March 10 in the Kilstrom Theatre.

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A Sadler’s Wells & Universal Music UK Production

Directed and Choreographed by Kate Prince Based on the songs of Sting With ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company A Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK production co-produced with Birmingham Hippodrome and The Lowry, Salford.

Research and development supported by The MOVEment.

Director & Choreographer ........................................................................... Kate Prince Music & Lyrics ...................................................................................................................Sting Music Supervisor & New Arrangements ..................................... Alex Lacamoire Music Producer & Arranger ......................................................................Martin Terefe Music Co-Producer & Mixer................................................................. Oskar Winberg Set Designer .........................................................................................................Ben Stones Video Designer ..................................................................................... Andrzej Goulding Costume Designer......................................................................................Anna Fleischle Lighting Designer ................................................................................... Natasha Chivers Sound Designer .......................................................................................... David McEwan Dramaturg.................................................................................... Lolita Chakrabarti OBE Associate Choreographer .................................................................Lukas McFarlane US General Management.....................................................Pemberley Productions

SPONSORED IN DENVER BY

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

SEASON SPONSOR

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

SYNOPSIS

By Lolita Chakrabarti OBE

We live in a world where one person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution. In 2022 statistics show that over 100 million people around the globe had been forced from their homes. More than thirty-two million of those people are a, and half of them are under eighteen years old.

We are confronted by stories of displacement every day — in newspapers, on television and on our streets. We regularly hear about migrants fleeing oppressive regimes, but the focus is often on the catastrophic political in-fighting and violence and we lose sight of the people affected.

Message In A Bottle is an imagined story about one family.

In a village in a country far away, the community live well and support each other.

But when civil war breaks out this idyll of existence is devastated as the community is broken and homes destroyed. We follow the fortunes of a father, mother and their three teenage children — Leto, Mati and Tana — who face this brutal reality together. They are confronted with impossible choices in order to survive. They must leave their homeland and undertake a perilous journey to safer shores. Along the way they will be separated from each other and have to persevere alone.

Inspired by the passionate, evocative and iconic music of Sting — Message In A Bottle is a universal story of loss, fear, survival, hope and love.

To find out more about this production

The photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device or such photographing or sound recording inside the theater, without the written permission of the management, is prohibited by law.

Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes (including 20-minute interval)

Act 1 Desert Rose I dream of love as time runs through my hand.

If I Ever Lose My Faith In You There’d be nothing left for me to do….

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic I resolve to call her up, a thousand times a day, and ask her if she’ll marry me, in some old fashioned way Fields Of Gold Will you stay with me, will you be my love… as we lie in fields of gold.

King Of Pain There’s a little black spot on the sun today.

Fragile If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one, drying in the colour of the evening sun, tomorrow’s rain will wash the stains away, but something in our minds will always stay.

Don’t Stand So Close To Me To hurt they try and try Invisible Sun And they’re only going to change this place, by killing everybody in the human race…

But I don’t even wanna die just yet, there has to be an invisible sun, that gives us hope when the whole day’s done.

Inshallah As the wind blows, growing colder, against the sad boats, as we flee, anxious eyes, search in darkness, with the rising of the sea.

A Thousand Years A million roads, a million fears, a million suns, ten million years of uncertainty.

Shadows In The Rain I woke up in my clothes again this morning, I don’t know exactly where I am.

Every Breath You Take Since you’ve gone I’ve been lost without a trace, I dream at night I can only see your face.

Message In A Bottle Rescue me before I fall into despair… I’ll send an S.O.S. to the world.

INTERVAL: 20 MINUTES

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

RUNNING ORDER & SONG LIST

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

RUNNING ORDER & SONG LIST (Continued)

Act 2

Spirits In The Material World There is no political solution, to our troubled evolution.

If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free If you want to keep something precious, you’ve got to lock it up and throw away the key.

Brand New Day I’m thinking in a brand new way…I’m starting up a brand new day.

Love Is The Seventh Wave There is a deeper wave than this rising in the world.

De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da Don’t think me unkind, words are hard to find, they’re only cheques I’ve left unsigned, from the banks of chaos in my mind.

Walking On The Moon Giant steps are what you take, walking on the moon… We could walk forever… we could live together… walking on the moon.

Be Still My Beating Heart Be still my beating heart, or I’ll be taken for a fool.

Englishman In New York Be yourself, no matter what they say.

Shape Of My Heart I’m not a man of too many faces, the mask I wear is one.

The Bed’s Too Big Without You I can’t sleep with your memory, dreaming dreams of what used to be, when she left I was cold inside.

Roxanne You don’t have to put on the red light, those days are over, you don’t have to sell your body to the night.

So Lonely And I can only play that part, and sit and nurse my broken heart.

Fields Of Gold Will you stay with me, will you be my love among the fields of barley? We’ll forget the sun in this jealous sky as we lie in fields of gold.

The Empty Chair If I should close my eyes, that my soul can see, and there’s a place at the table that you saved for me.

They Dance Alone One day we’ll dance on their graves, one day we’ll sing our freedom, one day we’ll laugh in our joy, and we’ll dance.

CREATIVE TEAM KATE PRINCE (Director & Choreographer) is a director, writer and choreographer. She is also the Artistic Director of ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company which she founded in 2002. Kate is an Associate Artist at both The Old Vic and Sadler’s Wells, where ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company is also a Resident Company. In 2005 Sadler’s Wells commissioned the company’s first full-length work, Into the Hoods, conceived and directed by Kate.

The show’s premiere in 2006 met with widespread critical acclaim and Into the Hoods went on to become the first hip hop dance show to transfer to the West End in 2008, after two critically successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe. Kate’s further work with ZooNation includes the Olivier nominated Sylvia (The Old Vic 2018 & 2023), the Olivier nominated Some Like It Hip Hop (The Peacock, 2011-13, 2019 and two UK tours), Groove on Down the Road (Southbank Centre, 201314), ZooNation: Unplugged (Sadler’s Wells, 2013), The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (Royal Opera House, Linbury Studio, 2014 and Roundhouse, 2016) and Into the Hoods: Remixed (The Peacock, 2015-16 and UK tour). The company created special performances for Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations and for the Laurence Olivier Awards in 2011, creating new choreography for West Side Story with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. For TV, Kate’s credits include work for “Strictly Come Dancing,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “The Royal Variety Show,” “Top of the Pops,” “Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away,” CD:UK, Blue Peter, Strictly Dance Fever, Sport Relief, The Album Chart Show, Discomania and PopWorld. Her film work includes choreography for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, StreetDance 3D and The Holloway Laundrette, which she wrote & directed for BAFTA/Channel 4. Other theatre work includes Everybody’s Talking About Jamie for Jonathan Butterell (nominated for Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer), Enda Walsh’s Ballyturk, Stephen Mear’s Shoes I

Can’t Sing: The X-Factor Musical and A Mad World My Masters, both for Sean Foley. With ZooNation she has also created choreography for sporting events, including the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Handover Ceremonies (2008), the Opening Ceremony of the Tour de France (2007) and the IOC opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics at the Royal Opera House.

Kate’s work has been nominated for five Olivier Awards, a Black British Theatre Award, a South Bank Sky Arts Award, a WhatsOnStage Award and two Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. Kate has a Masters from the University of Edinburgh, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Winchester and in 2019 Kate received an MBE for services to dance.

STING (Music & Lyrics) Composer, singer, author, actor, and activist, Sting is one of the world’s most renowned and distinctive artists.

Throughout his illustrious career, he has received 17 Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, four Oscar nominations, a TONY nomination and has sold 100 million albums from his combined work with The Police and as a solo artist. He is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, has received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors as well as honorary Doctorate of Music degrees from Northumbria University (October 1992), Berklee College of Music (May 1994), University of Newcastle upon Tyne (2006) and Brown University (2018).

Sting, managed by The Cherrytree Music Company, has appeared in more than 15 films and authored two books, including The New York Times best-selling memoir, Broken Music. Sting’s latest album, The Bridge, showcases his prolific and diverse songwriting prowess.

Representing various stages and styles from throughout his unrivalled career and drawing inspiration from genres including rock n’ roll, jazz, classical music and folk, the eclectic album features Sting’s quintessential sound on pop-rock tracks such as the album’s opening rock salvo “Rushing Water” and new

indie-pop sounding “If It’s Love.”

Sting’s support for human rights organizations such as the Rainforest Fund, Amnesty International, and Live Aid mirrors his art in its universal outreach. Along with wife Trudie Styler, Sting founded the Rainforest Fund in 1989 to protect both the world’s rainforests and the indigenous people living there.

ALEX LACAMOIRE (Music Supervisor & New Arrangements) is a four-time Grammy, three-time Tony, three-time Olivier, and Emmy award winner for his work on Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, In The Heights, and FX’s mini-series Fosse/ Verdon. Alex was also the recipient of a first-of-its-kind Kennedy Center Honors for his contribution to Hamilton. Other credits as music director, arranger, &/or orchestrator include: Sweeny Todd (2023 Broadway Revival), Bring It On, Wicked, Bat Boy, Godspell. He served as the Executive Music Producer for the films: The Greatest Showman, In The Heights, VIVO, Dear Evan Hansen, Tick, Tick...Boom!

MARTIN TEREFE (Music Producer & Arranger) has been making music for over thirty years as an artist, songwriter, musician and producer.

He is the owner of the legendary Eastcote and Kensaltown Studios in West London, and a founding member of the multi-disciplinary art collective Apparatjik. Martin’s writing collaborations and productions have won multiple Grammy, Brit and Juno awards and in 2009 he was named one of the top 10 most successful music producers of hit songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart.

Martin has also been involved in the early careers and development of many artists.

OSKAR WINBERG (Music Co-Producer & Mixer) is a Grammy Award winning engineer, producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Stockholm, Sweden. Now living in London his work has resulted in multiple gold and platinum selling records with artists such as Shawn Mendes, Jason Mraz, Mike Posner, Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Paloma Faith, and Christina

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

BIOGRAPHIES

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

Aguilera. He is also involved in the development of new young artists such as BarlowLN, and recent breakout YUNGBLUD. BEN STONES (Set Designer) is an Olivier award nominated stage designer who trained at Central Saint Martins College of Art. His designs now span theatre, dance, comedy, fashion and musicals. Sets and costume designs for dance include multiple productions for ZooNation including Some Like It Hip Hop, Into The Hoods, The Mad Hatters Tea Party and Sylvia. Recent musical productions include She Loves Me, Miss Saigon, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the National Theatre, and Operation Mincemeat currently running at the Fortune Theatre in London’s West End. ANDRZEJ GOULDING (Video Designer) is an award-winning Video and Set Designer. Video Designs include: Life of Pi, &Juliet (Broadway); Sylvia, Eureka Day, The Time Traveller’s Wife, People, Places and Things, The Drifters Girl, The Unfriend, The Girl On The Train, Coriolanus, Henry V, Groundhog Day (West End); Da Vinci Code, The Unreturning (UK Tour); Miss Saigon (Sheffield Crucible). With more than 20 award nominations his award wins include a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Broadway World Award, UK Theatre Award and a Whatsonstage Award.

ANNA FLEISCHLE (Costume Designer) is an Olivier award-winning, Tony nominated scenic and costume designer. Her recent work includes: The Pillowman (West End), The Collaboration (Broadway), Death of a Salesman (Broadway, West End), 2:22 A Ghost Story (West End, Ahmanson LA, Melbourne), Much Ado about Nothing (National), Hangmen (Broadway, West End – Tony Award Nominee, Winner of Olivier Award For Best Set Design, Critic’s Circle Award ‘Best Designer’, Evening Standard Award ‘Best Design); Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (West End/ UK tour/ LA); Home I’m Darling (National/West End - Olivier Award Nominee for Set Design and Best Costume Design).

NATASHA CHIVERS (Lighting Designer) is a London-based lighting designer with more than 20 years of experience. Her recent work in theatre includes Hills of California (West End), Peaky Blinders (Rambert), Prima Facie, 1984 (West End/ Broadway), Enemy of People (The Armoury, New York), Judas (Internationaal Theater, Amsterdam), Blood Wedding (Young Vic), The Doctor (Almeida), Sylvia (The Old Vic); The Antipodes, Sunset at the Villa Thalia and Statement of Regret (National Theatre). Recent awards include the Drama Desk Award and nominations for Tony and Olivier Awards (Prima Facie).

DAVID MCEWAN (Sound Designer) is a Music Producers Guild Award winner, sound designer, engineer, composer and music producer. A London-based Australian, his career spans 30 years with accomplishments across television, cinema, theatre, dance, and music production. David’s latest producer album credits include 2022’s ‘Anomaly’ by Jasdeep Singh Degun, released on Peter Gabriel’s Realworld Records.

Previous collaborations include Nitin Sawhney, Cirque Du Soleil, Jeff Beck, Natasha Bedingfield, Garou, Yeast Culture, The London Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Metropole Orchestra, Warner Music, Sony Music and Universal Music. Message In A Bottle is David’s fourth collaboration with Sadler’s Wells.

LOLITA CHAKRABARTI OBE (Dramaturg) is an actress and playwright. Her play Red Velvet opened at the Tricycle Theatre, London, transferred to St Ann’s Warehouse, New York and London’s West End, earning her Most Promising Playwright awards from the Critics Circle and Evening Standard. Lolita adapted Booker Prize winning novel Life of Pi for the stage, which won five Olivier’s in the West End including Best New Play, three Tony’s on Broadway and four UK Theatre awards. Her adaptation of Hamnet opened at the RSC and transferred to London’s West End in 2023.

Other writing credits include Hymn and Invisible Cities.

D.J. WALDE (Music Associate & Additional Arrangements) is an award nominated composer, musician, consultant, DJ and performer from West London. Work for ZooNation includes Sylvia, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Some Like It Hip Hop, and Into the Hoods. Other recent credits include: As Composer & Music Supervisor - Stranger Things - The First Shadow (Netflix/ Sonia Friedman Productions); As Composer - All’s Well That Ends Well (Royal Shakespeare Company); Our Generation (National Theatre); As Musical Director - Hymn (Almeida Theatre); As Consultant - Peaky Blinders (Rambert). In 2012, he DJ’d in front of a worldwide audience for the London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony.

LUKAS MCFARLANE (Associate Choreographer & Dancer) is a Creative/Choreographer from Canada who became a UK household name when he won television competition show “Got to Dance” at 19 years old. He has since curated a lustrous career working with artists such as Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, & Pink, brands like GAP and UNIQLO, and on shows including “The X Factor,” “The Voice” and Netflix’s “Dance Monsters.” Recent works include upcoming film Apartment 7A where he worked closely with actress Julia Garner, as well as the “Queens Platinum Jubilee Celebrations” and “Eurovision Song Contest” where he was show choreographer for both.

TOMMY FRANZÉN (Assistant Choreographer) won a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for his roles in ZooNation’s Some Like It Hip Hop and Russell Maliphant’s The Rodin Project. Tommy’s nominations include a South Bank Sky Arts Breakthrough Award and an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. Tommy was runner up on the BBC’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” Films include Harry Potter 4, Mamma Mia 1 & 2, Aladdin, Cats, Tomorrow Morning, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Snow White. Tommy has been choreographing on BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing” since 2018. He is currently Assistant Choreographer on Burlesque the Musical.

DANCERS OLIVER ANDREWS trained at Urdang Academy. He made his professional theatre debut in the production of Message In A Bottle in 2021 and followed that with a number of commercial appearances including the Joy Awards in Riyadh, “The Voice” (ITV), the MTV EMA Awards in Dusseldorf. A standout performance credit was being involved in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Party outside Buckingham Palace in June 2022 and for Kylie at the Radio 2 in the Park in Leicester 2023.

LINDON BARR is a British Choreographer, Dance Artist and Lecturer. He is also the Artistic Director of his own award-winning Hip Hop Dance Company ‘Elementz Entertainment’. Lindon’s performance credits include London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Jesus Christ Superstar, Thriller Live (West End), Some Like It Hip Hop and Into The Hoods: Remixed.

DEAVION BROWN is a Dancer from South Wales. Graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in 2019. Deavion joined the closing cast of Thriller Live and played a featured role in the recent Everybody’s Talking about Jamie Movie rendition of the West End show. He is incredibly excited and grateful to be returning to the stage for this production.

DAVID COTTLE has trained in hip hop, popping, breaking, and has taught workshops with his own stylised choreography all around the world. His credits include Ed Sheeran, JUNGLE, Christine & The Queens, BTS, Emeli Sande, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Google, ENO, and more.

HARRISON DOWZEL trained at the Rollo Academy and Performers College. At the age of 12 he played the role of Billy Elliot in the West End. After graduating college, Harrison joined Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. He has appeared in Romeo and Juliet, The Red Shoes, Spitfire for BBC’s Dancing Nation, The Nutcracker! and The Car Man. Other credits include Message In A Bottle (UK and European tour 2021) The Royal Variety Show, Sunday Night At The Palladium, Vogue World, MTV EMA awards dancing for David Guetta, Bebe Rexha and Gayle. Emma Buntons Christmas tour 2022. Take That, BST Hyde Park.

NESTOR GARCIA GONZALEZ is a Mexican b-boy and dancer, working for the last 13 year in shows including Michael Jackson Tribute and Urban Fantasy Show in Riviera Maya and Cancun Mexico. He was a finalist of the Dance Elite Championships UK as a soloist. He’s worked with ZooNation and Tumbellina International in Germany, Scotland, London’s Royal Albert Hall, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and CPG concepts Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium. Nestor has also featured in TV and film, including “Strictly Come Dancing,” Men In Black and Matilda.

NATASHA GOODEN has started in West end productions such as Some Like It Hip Hop, Into the Hoods Remixed - Zoonation Dance Company, International tour with Boy Blue Entertainment, - Blak Whyte Gray. She has also choreographed productions at the Royal court theatre Liverpool - The Scouse jack and the beanstalk, Bongo Bingo. As a performer her TV work includes “Got To Dance” Finalists with female crew Boadicea, “The Lodge” (Disney Channel), Olympic Opening Ceremony 2012, ITV “X Factor,” BBC “Strictly Come Dancing.”

ANNA HOLMSTRÖM Anna Holmström is a Swedish choreographer, dancer and acrobat currently based in Berlin. Her journey in movement started with Rhythmic Gymnastics, where she won the Junior Swedish Championships in 2005. As a dancer she has graced stages around the world in productions such as Flying Bach, together with the German b-boy crew Flying Steps. Anna is the founder of the artistic platform Petricore Movement. Through collaborations with international artists she creates dance performances, photography series and short-films on the topics of environmental- and mental health.

MEGAN INGRAM Graduated from Bird College in 2018 and trained with Company Jinks and Marshon Dance Company. Her credits include: Zoonation: Mixtape, Sadbook by 201 Dance Company, Emerge & See, Message In A Bottle, If it’s Love – Sting (music video), Bennie and the Jets – Elton John (music video), Rehearsal Dancer (Marvel), Ensemble in Aladdin (Darlington Hippodrome), Alternative Hair Show Anne Veck (Catwalk), Choreographer Hideaway – Esther Turner (music video).

AJANI JOHNSON-GOFFE is a performer, choreographer and teacher based in London. He is a graduate of Brit School for Performing Arts and London Contemporary Dance School. Productions include Riverdance’s Heartbeat Of Home, Avant Garde Dance Company’s The Black Album ReImagined and Boy Blue Entertainments production REDD. He has toured internationally with FKA twigs and Years and Years and performed at the Brit Awards 2019 with Dua Lipa.

CHARLOTTE LEE is a London-based dancer, graduated Bird College in 2020. Her recent professional credits include working for various artists on the Brits, performing on “The Voice Kids” UK and at The Joy Awards in Saudi Arabia. She has also featured in music videos, live performances and international work.

Making her debut as part of a full show cast, she is thrilled to be fulfilling one of her childhood dreams.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

LIZZIE GOUGH (Assistant Choreographer, Resident Director/ Choreographer, Dancer) was a finalist on BBC’s “So You Think You Can Dance” UK 2010. She is a choreographer and mentor on BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing,” 4 seasons of “Dance Dance Dance” ITV, STV, RTL and currently Movement Director for BBC “Gladiators.” Lizzie has also choreographed commercials such as Just Eat, Virgin Mobile, Samsung, Vodaphone to name a few. As a performer her TV work includes “The Voice,” “Eurovision,” “Brits Awards,” “The X Factor,” European Stadium/ Live Tours with Take That, Zara Larsson and Theatre shows such as Some like it Hip Hop, Mad Hatters Tea Party, Swanlake Reloaded and Blaze.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

DANIELLA MAY trained at The Northern School of Contemporary Dance and The London Contemporary Dance School. Her working credits include Idris Elba’s and Kwame Kwei-Armah’s Tree at the Young Vic, West End production and international tour of Stomp. She has danced on the BBC, Channel 4, Hulu, Netflix, and with other companies such as Southpaw Dance Company, Grounded Movement, Uchenna Dance, Tavaziva Dance, and many more.

DYLAN MAYORAL has worked as a dancer for the last 18 years, performing at prestigious venues around the UK such as The Royal Opera House, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, O2 Arena, and Peacock Theatre. He has worked with some of the biggest artists in the world including Rita Ora, Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa, Fergie, Martin Jensen, and BTS. He has taught in 39 countries worldwide, delivering his own choreography and sharing his theories behind movement and art.

SERENA MCCALL trained in Scotland with the Scottish Ballet and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the Royal Ballet Associate scheme in Newcastle. She then moved to Birmingham where she trained at Elmhurst Ballet School then graduated from Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary in London in 2023. She has worked with Royal Ballet soloist Marcelino Sambe for ‘An Evening with Hermes’ for the release of their new Brides De Gala Scarf, she also worked with choreographer Ricky Jinks for the watch brand Breitling during New York Fashion Week, where she was lead dancer and dance captain.

ROBBIE ORDONA is a mixed Filipino performer, choreographer and teacher from London. Robbie trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) until 2019. Performance credits include Breathless Puppets By Akram Khan and Naanman Azhari, Ina-Ama by Jason Mabana, Everybody’s Talking about Jamie (The,Movie), P!NK (The BRIT Awards), Used To Be Blonde

by Sharon Eyal (NYDC) and various performances with Company Jinks.

LARA RENAUD is a Canadian contemporary ballet dancer, trained at The School of Dance (Ottawa) and Alberta National Ballet (Calgary) before moving to Europe and graduating in the contemporary ballet program at Dance Area in Geneva.

She performed across Europe with Area Jeune Ballet and cie Janssens Mandorino and appeared in music videos and TV programs in Canada, US and Switzerland.

HANNAH SANDILANDS is a Scottish dancer graduated from West College Scotland. She has worked closely with Associate Choreographer Lukas McFarlane as her mentor for the past seven years.

She appeared in the film adaptation Everybody’s Talking about Jamie: The Movie. She also featured on “The Greatest Dancer” Season 1 as a member of Company Jinks.

JESSEY STOL is a Dutch professional dancer who graduated from Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts. After graduating, she worked with various companies in The Netherlands. She then came to London where she started to work with Botis Seva’s company Far From The Norm, before joining the cast of Message In A Bottle.

STEVEN THOMPSON started his professional career at 19 when he booked ‘Thriller Live’ on the West End. Steven has danced for several world class artists and worked on three feature films including Netflix’s film Jingle Jangle and series ‘Dance 100’. He has also worked with: Google, Adidas, Universal, Emirates Airlines, X Factor, UEFA, MTV EMA’s, Brit Awards, Reebok, Radio 1 Teen Awards, The Voice & more.

GAVIN VINCENT is a multidisciplinary dance and movement artist. With a strong background in Breaking, he is a veteran crew member of The Soul Mavericks, achieving multiple UK and European championship titles. His Credits include The Bregenz Festival Production of Rigoletto, Zhang Yimou’s Apologue 2047, Studio City’s Elékron, and with companies including Wired Aerial Theatre, Southpaw Dance Company, and various Netflix productions. As a movement director Gavin has cre-

ated his own work, collaborating closely with Breakin’ Convention and has designed movement for 2 Gents theatre, Gorilla Circus, Theatre Témoin, and Cirque Bijou.

MALACHI WELCH trained at the Brit School. He has performed in the West End’s The Lion King, Matthew Bourne’s Lord of the Flies, Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, and most recently the Olivier Award-winning productions of TRAPLORD and Sylvia. He has worked with Interlude Dance, Boy Blue Entertainment, ZooNation The Kate Prince Company and Rebirth Dance, alongside the guidance from Kymberlee Jay.

SONG CREDITS All songs written by Sting Co-writers: Cheb Mami (Desert Rose), Dominic Miller (Shape Of My Heart), Kipper (A Thousand Years), J. Ralph (The Empty Chair) Steerpike (Overseas) Limited)/Magnetic Publishing Ltd administered by EMI Music Publishing Limited (Shape Of My Heart) Steerpike (Overseas) Limited/M. Khelifati administered by EMI Music Publishing Limited/ Delabel Editions (Desert Rose) Steerpike (Overseas) Limited/Mark Eldridge administered by EMI Music Publishing Limited/ Diverse Music (A Thousand Years) Steerpike (Overseas) Limited/J. Ralph administered by EMI Music Publishing Limited/ Tubby & The Spaniard Music Publishing, LLC

COMPANY (in alphabetical order) Oliver Andrews, Lindon Barr, Deavion Brown, David Cottle, Harrison Dowzell, Nestor Garcia Gonzalez, Natasha Gooden, Lizzie Gough, Anna Holström, Megan Ingram, Ajani Johnson-Goffe, Daniella May, Dylan Mayoral, Serena McCall, Lukas McFarlane, Robbie Ordona, Lara Renaud, Hannah Sandilands, Jessey Stol, Steven Thompson, Malachi Welch CREATIVE TEAM Director & Choreographer Kate Prince Music & Lyrics Sting Music Supervisor & New Arrangements Alex Lacamoire Music Producer & Arranger Martin Terefe Music Co-Producer & Mixer Oskar Winberg Set Designer Ben Stones Video Designer Andrzej Goulding Costume Designer Anna Fleischle Lighting Designer Natasha Chivers Sound Designer David McEwan Dramaturg Lolita Chakrabarti OBE Associate Choreographer Lukas McFarlane Music Associate & Additional Arrangements D.J. Walde Assistant Choreographers Tommy Franzen, Lizzie Gough REMOUNT PRODUCTION TEAM Resident Director/Choreographer Lizzie Gough Dance Captains Lindon Barr, Hannah Sandilands Wardrobe Supervisor Miwa Mitsuhashi, Sabia Smith Hair Stylist Tevae Humphreys, Bethan Owens TECHNICAL TEAM Company Stage Manager Marius Arnold-Clarke Deputy Stage Manager Kayleigh Atkinson Touring Production Manager Adam Smith Touring Production Electrician/Relighter Joe Pilling Head of Sound Simon Lambert Head of Video Marc Lavallee Head of Wardrobe Joanna Hunnisett Deputy Head of Wardrobe Heather Cohen Deputy Head of Lighting Alfie Sissons Technical Swing Mim Evison Wardrobe Assistant Firdest Karaca Touring Physiotherapist Adam Lawrenson Production Lighting Equipment supplied by White Light Ltd. MUSICIANS (NEW ARRANGEMENTS) Vocals Sting Drums Kristoffer Sonne Electric Guitars Staffan Astner Bass, Guitars & Keys Martin Terefe Piano, Keys & Guitar Alex Lacamoire Guitar, Keys, Backing Vocals & Programming Oskar Winberg Guest Vocalists Lead Vocals (Fields Of Gold, Invisible Sun) & If You Love Somebody Set Them Free) Beverley Knight Lead Vocals (The Bed’s Too Big Without You) Lynval Golding Lead Vocals (Don’t Stand So Close To Me) Claudia Georgette Vocals (Inshallah & They Dance Alone) Shaneeka Simon Vocals (Inshallah & Invisible Sun) Christella Litras Additional Musicians Bass John Garrison Piano & Keys Nikolaj Tor Percussion Daniel Freedman Programming D.J. Walde Drum Programming Noah Terefe Choir Glen Scott (choir leader), Christella Litras, Shaneeka Simon, Jermaine (Jaz) Ellington, Chérie Johnson, Dylan Turner, Ellena Vincent, Cleveland Watkiss, Coretta Scott, Jack Vasiliou, Shean Williams, Denise Pearson, Laura Vasiliou String Quartet Violin Patrick Savage Violin Shelley Britton Viola Emma Owens Cello Chris Fish Horns Saxophone Carlos Sosa Trombone Raul Vallejo Trumpet Fernando Castillo ORIGINAL CREATION PRODUCTION TEAM Music Assistant to Alex Lacamoire & Additional Arrangements Isaac Hayward New arrangements recorded at Kensaltown Studios & Eastcote Studios, London Sting’s vocals produced by Martin Kierszenbaum, Martin Terefe Recording Engineers Oskar Winberg, George Murphy Assistant Engineer & Additional Engineering Sophie Ellis Additional Assistant Engineers Clem Cherry, Jake Sewell & Max Margolis Executive Assistant to Martin Terefe Julie Bateman Financial & Back-Office Annie Benson

Music Copywork Stephanie Leah Evans Assistant Stage Designer Rachel Wingate Associate Lighting Designer Andy Purves Associate Costume Designer Rose Montgomery Props Supervisor Rosheen McNamee Prop Maker Emma Hughes Set Construction MDM Props After Effects Animator Raphael Pimlott 3D Modeller Jay Wood Video Programmer Jack Jewell Video Production Engineer Dan Trenchard Video Engineer Mike Samuel Lighting Programmer Laura Howells Production Electrician Doug Thomas-Currie Production Electrician Joe Kirk Rehearsal Sound Engineer Lizzie Arnold Soundscape Consultant Andy Hockley (d&b audiotechnik UK) Costume Supervisor Ilona Karas Assistant Costume Supervisor Sabia Smith Costume Intern Alisa Neu Costume Makers Anna Barcock, Alice Brown, Roxy Cressy, Philip Engleheart, Pat Farmer, Rae Hildbrand, Chrissy Maddison, Pauline Cheney Parker, Elaine Pearson, Lucie Shilton, Jane Temple Costume (Dyeing & Break-Down) Gabrielle Firth, Nicola Killeen Costume (Textile Artwork & Break-Down) Arantza Vilas Hair & Make-Up Susanna Peretz Lighting Supplier SLX Sound & Projection Supplier Stage Sound Services PRODUCERS For Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director & Chief Executive Alistair Spalding CBE Executive Producer Suzanne Walker Head of Producing & Touring Bia Oliveira Producer Hannah Gibbs Assistant Producer Molly Jones Head of Production Adam Carrée Marketing Manager Jordan Archer Marketing & Communications Coordinator Steven Lou Head of Media & Communications Caroline Ansdell Media Officer Laura Neil Producing & Touring Trainee Izzy Billington For Universal Music UK Executive Producer Eliza Lumley For ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company Founder & Artistic Director Kate Prince Associate Artistic Director Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe Executive Directors Flo Buckeridge & Chantal Spiteri Executive Producer Sandra Castell Garcia Producer Annie Taylor-Gooby General Manager Sophie Cammack Company Coordinator Jasmine Cox Agency Manager Shannelle ‘Tali’ Fergus Marketing & Communications Manager Frankie Stansfield SERVICES Artwork, Design, Advertising & Trailer AKA Photography Helen Maybanks, Johan Persson, Uli Weber Promotional Filming Stefan Demetriou (Globe Productions) & David Lopez-Edwards Tour Booking (UK & International) Kayte Potter, Fiona Buffham & Rebecca Bose for Great Leap Forward: kayte@greatleapforward.co.uk Tour Booking (North America) Stephen Lindsay for The Road Company: sl@trc.nyc Cherrytree Music Company (Sting’s Management) Martin Kierszenbaum, Nicole VanGiesen, Meghan Johansson Forge Ahead Media, Inc. (Sting PR) Tracy Bufferd DawBell (Sting UK PR) Stu Bell, Dave Palmer Physiotherapy Production Physio Therapy US General Management Pemberley Productions General Manager Tim Smith General Manager Doreen Sayegh Associate General Manager Annie Shea Graney Tour Manager Florent Trioux US Production Management Advisor What If We Productions THANK YOU Neil Adleman, Catherine Airey, Fiona Allan, Wei An Hwa, Kerry Andrews, Molly Andruskevicius, Tommas Arnby, Sacha Arnby-Lumley, Jonathan Badyal, Josh Baker, Nafisa Baba, Tony Barnes, Adam Barker, Robert Bassett, William Booth, Harry Bresslaw, Robia Milliner Brown, Melissa Bravo, Oliver Chapman, Fleur Clark, Katie Collins, Steve Cowton, Karen Dagg, Idney D’Almeida, Alex Doherty, Penny Duncanson, Claire Eason Bassett at English National Ballet Studios, Edwardian Hotels London, Onyemachi Ejimofor, Rachel Fallon, Julia Fawcett, Luke Ferrar, Tony Fletcher, Alex Ford, Cassie Gallagher, Natalie Gardiner, Simon Gillham, Good Chance, Robby Graham, Lucas Rhys Gregory Wildman, Chloe Hadley, Ellie Hartwell, Robin Jenkins, David Joseph, Ian Kagey, Daniel King, Molly Ladbrooke Hutt, Scott Landis, Evisa Limani, Milaim Limani, Tom Malone, Tom March, Justin Masterson, Dina Mousawi, Rose Montgomery, Asa Mohammed, Rutendo Mushaunga, Jemma Newby, Stephen Nowlan, Emma Pascoe at Edwin Shirley, Alex Sarmiento, Portia Oti, Laurence Pinkus, Daniel Phung, Andy Purves, Sophie Robertson, Marc Robinson, Kaycee Rice, Clive Rudd, Ellya Sam, David Sharpe, Chris Sudworth, Elijah Smith, Sammie Squires, Eckhard Thiemann, Florent Trioux, Selina Webb.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

CREDITS

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE FOLLOWING SUPPORT IN ITS 2024 BROADWAY SEASON

EVERY PLAY HAS A STORY Visit the DCPA NewsCenter

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.

for in-depth coverage of the Colorado arts scene, bonus content from your favorite shows, and local tips for your next adventure downtown — all from nationally recognized writers.

LEARN MORE

denvercenter.org/news-center

• 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.

Members of Denver Theatrical Wardrobe, Wigs, Hair and Make-up, IATSE Local 719 Robin Appleton Julie Bassignani Vonnie Clough Craig Cory Cyndie Cory Steve Davies Anne Davis Amber Krimbel Carolyn Dore AnnSue Gunter Judy Holabird Will Holabird Lauren LaCasse Kelsey Lambert

Leslie Lambert Sarah Lambert Sharon Millikan-Hale Callie Morrow Tim Nelson Lisa Parsons Wagner Laura Payne Dave Poole Jessica Rayburn Alan Richards Elisa Spadi Amy Tepel Eliza Vlasova Barbara Wilson

DPAC House Crew Mark Anthony Perry Elliott Kiko Marra Allen Olmstead

Albert Sainz Sr. Josh Thurman Derek Tovar David A. Wilson

We Fund Culture.

SCFD.org The Denver Performing Arts Complex is owned and operated by Denver Arts & Venues for the City and County of Denver.

City and County of Denver Mike Johnston, Mayor Denver Arts & Venues Gretchen Hollrah, Executive Director Denver Arts & Venues, Arts Complex Operations Mark Heiser, Venue Director Jody Grossman, Assistant Venue Director, Booking Todd Medley, Facilities Superintendent Kelly Graham, Safety, Security and Garage Operations Manager Carol Krueger, Patron Services Manager artscomplex.com | (720) 865-4220 For immediate assistance & security (720) 865-4200

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Make a monthly donation to the DCPA to join our Sustainer Society! Your consistent contributions will lay the foundation for even more ambitious shows and experiences in the future. Customize your donation amount at any time and support the DCPA on your terms.

THE SUSTAINER SOCIETY PROVIDES: Auto payments • Flexibility • Affordability

LEARN MORE Maggie Bofill and Stephanie Machado.

Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography.

GO BEHIND THE SCENES Find out how costume designers, set builders, propmakers, and technical specialists create our shows from scratch.

Venues Tour – Mondays at 10am Theatres, public art, Actor’s Alley, and more

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LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH ve i e c ort e r to upp n i s s tr p e O tom age ! s cus t mes DCPA ential, ut o tex the u’ll get emssation ab , m fro ing so, yinoute infocrellationcsant road do e-m can signifi lex.

By h w sho , and Comp to-t s up- s like rts ate g A d n i p e h u t th age near r a g es sur o l c

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BRIGHT LIGHTS OF

BROADWAY Direct from Broadway to the Buell, these larger-than-life hits and intimate cabaret shows will fill your calendar in 2024.

Secure your seats today!

5 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y T O U R

JAN 3 – 28

JAN 23 – 28

JAN 30 – FEB 4

FEB 7 – MAR 31

FEB 13 – 25

MAR 5 – 10

GARNER GALLERIA THEATRE

GARNER GALLERIA THEATRE

MAR 14 – 17 BUELL THEATRE

BUELL THEATRE

BUELL THEATRE

BUELL THEATRE

BUELL THEATRE

APR 10 – 28

MAY 3 – 5

JUN 12 – 30

JUN 19 – JUL 3

BUELL THEATRE

MAY 11 & 12 BUELL THEATRE

©Disney

BUELL THEATRE

MAY 22 – JUN 2 BUELL THEATRE

GARNER GALLERIA THEATRE

BUELL THEATRE

JUL 24 – AUG 25 BUELL THEATRE

3 x 3.375

GET TICKETS

DENVERCENTER.ORG • 303.893.4100 2023/24 BROADWAY SEASON SPONSORS

18

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

Elvie Ellis and the company of the North American Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR IS REBORN

BY JOHN MOORE

F

From blasphemy to Broadway to banned to broadcast television, few pop-culture titles have generated the buzz Jesus Christ Superstar has generated.

When Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice dared to imagine the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ through a decidedly late 1960s rock ’n’ roll lens, it was received much like a revolution in world history.

“Superstar was written like a radio play, because that was the closest thing we had available to us,” Lloyd Webber told Rolling Stone magazine. “I think it works best when it’s closer to a rock concert.”

From the start, Superstar was slammed as blasphemous.

Imagine the audacity of a new rock musical that dared to tell the story of Christ’s downfall from the sympathetic perspective of his chief betrayer?

The writers couldn’t find a producer at first. “We were told it was the worst idea in history,” Lloyd Webber recalled. So he and Rice transformed their stage musical into a two-record concept album that was released in 1970.

Rice was inspired by the Bob Dylan anthem “With God On Our Side,” which features Judas in its penultimate verse. Rice was fascinated by the idea of Judas not as a craven back-stabber but rather a close friend struggling with the implications of Jesus’ growing popularity.

“From a very young age, I had wondered what I might have done in the situations in which Pontius Pilate and Judas Iscariot found themselves,” Rice wrote. “How were they to know Jesus would be accorded divine status by millions and that they would as a result be condemned down the ages?”

When the legendary concept album hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, a Broadway staging went from impossible to inevitable. American fans had begun staging unauthorized live performances in churches and theaters.

But what bowed on Broadway in 1971 was polarizing.

Webber himself called that first (of four) Broadway productions “brash and vulgar” — and he was not alone.

The show was banned in South Africa and protested by everyone from the American Jewish Committee to the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith to evangelist

Billy Graham. (Though Graham did acknowledge that “if the production causes young people to search their Bibles, to that extent it may be beneficial.”)

Ironically, Jesus Christ Superstar found favor with Catholic popes. Jewison, who directed the 1973 film, arranged a special screening for Pope Paul VI. Neeley quotes Paul VI as saying: “Mr. Jewison, not only do I appreciate your beautiful rock-opera film, I believe it will bring more people around the world to Christianity than anything ever has before.”

From its birth, Superstar reflected the rock roots that defined a generation. And as time has passed, it has proven to be a musical that demands to be re-interpreted again and again.

We were told it was the worst idea in history.

– ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, COMPOSER

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

JAN 23 – 28 BUELL THEATRE

ASL Interpreted, Audio-Described and Open Captioned performance: Jan 27 at 2pm

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

19

HANDCRAFTED THEATRE

BUILT RIGHT AT HOME Want to see the real impact from investing in the arts?

Support classic, contemporary and new works by our local Denver Center Theatre Company.

SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR - $10,000+

Sponsor a show of your choice and get access to exclusive Opening Night festivities, meet-and-greets with the cast and crew, recognition in Applause magazine, and more sponsor perks!

PREMIERE SPONSOR - $25,000+

Get everything included in a Spotlight Sponsorship, plus behind-the-scenes tours, access to rehearsals, and invitations to a sponsor dinner with the show’s Director and Managing Director.

HONORARY PRESENTING SPONSOR - $50,000+

Get everything included in a premiere sponsorship, plus a guided tour of the DCPA costume, prop, or scene design workshop. You’ll also get two complimentary Directors Society memberships, private meet-and-greets with the creative team, and a private luncheon with the company’s Artistic Director.

HONORARY SEASON SPONSOR - $100,000+

Sponsor the entire season and experience theatre like never before! The DCPA will build a customized theatre experience for you and your guests. And you’ll get unprecedented access to every step of the play’s development, from first rehearsal to final product. Almost anything is possible!

GET INVOLVED Contact: cmaxwell@dcpa.org

20

(TOP PHOTO) The cast of A Little Night Music. Photo by Amanda Tipton Photography.

(INSET PHOTO) Matt Zambrano and Brittany Mendoza-Peña in LITTLE RED. Photo by Amanda Tipton Photography.

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

Connor Sullivan in The Touring Production of CHICAGO. Credit Jeremy Daniel.

CHICAGO STILL HAS THAT

“RAZZLE DAZZLE”

T

B Y G E N E V I E V E M I L L E R H O LT

every gesture, every bit of lighting, every word and The 1975/76 Broadway season made history. Meryl moment were all woven together to create the story,” Streep earned her first Tony® nomination and Sondheim’s said Brown, who played the role of June.

Pacific Overtures premiered on Broadway. And two of Chicago opened on Broadway on June 3, 1975, to musical theatre’s most enduring musicals were created enthusiastic audience response. Fosse considered it a nearly simultaneously. compliment that some took In the preceding year, offense at his cynical take on the while visionary director and American justice system and the choreographer Michael Bennett cult of celebrity. “When people was developing A Chorus Line, walked out,” said Brown, “Bob got the equally visionary Bob Fosse tickled because he figured that in enlisted composer John Kander order to be offended, they must and lyricist Fred Ebb to create a have ‘got it.’” new piece too: the musical version But when the Tony Awards of a 1926 play about an infamous came around, the unconventional dame who’d killed her husband.

A Chorus Line won them all. In Fosse was an established his review of Chicago’s 1996 Broadway director and revival, New York Times critic choreographer at this point with Ben Brantley reflected that the a corps of loyal dancers. Denver — CANDY BROWN, 1975 production of Chicago had resident Candy Brown was one ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST been, “in a sense, the evil twin of of them. its rival musical, as acerbic and In January 1974, while Brown cold-hearted as the other was was dancing in Pippin, she and 18 sentimental and warm.” other dancers gathered to discuss the challenges of being But Chicago would eventually get its due. The 1996 a Broadway gypsy, which eventually became the basis revival was a resounding success, winning six Tonys of Bennett’s A Chorus Line. His project was an unknown and remains the longest-running American musical on quantity with only the glimmer of becoming something Broadway today. Still considered one of Fosse’s towering bigger, so some participants defected to more secure gigs, undertakings, Chicago returns to Denver and it’s still got Brown among them. She joined Fosse’s Chicago. that razzle dazzle.

“I felt a loyalty to Bob,” she said, “as Chicago would be my third project with him...not to mention the fact that no Genevieve Miller Holt is the Vice President for Broadway Across one knew if the Michael Bennett workshop would even be America in Cincinnati. a show.”

A year later, Brown arrived for the first day of rehearsal, yet just after lunch, the cast was told that Fosse had been hospitalized. “I went numb,” said Brown. “We all were in CHICAGO a state of disbelief.” Work stopped as Fosse suffered two JAN 30 – FEB 4 • BUELL THEATRE heart attacks and underwent bypass surgery.

ASL Interpreted, Audio-Described and Open Captioned Months later, the Chicago team reassembled and Fosse performance: Feb 3 at 2pm began to construct his iconic musical. “Every costume,

Every costume, every gesture, every bit of lighting, every word and moment were all woven together to create the story.

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

21

PROUD SPONSOR OF MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

T [The arts] inform, inspire and uplift while bringing the community together.

The arts are a significant part of making Denver an amazing place to live and work. U.S. Bank believes in the power of play, which includes the arts, because it brings joy, encourages creativity, teaches problem-solving skills and builds emotional learning. That is why U.S. Bank is a long-time supporter of the magnificent programs and spectacular performances at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA).

The arts educate, promote understanding, broaden our perspectives and enable communities to share rich cultural experiences. Denver is fortunate to have a thriving arts community, which is home to some of the nation’s finest theatres, museums and artists.

“We’re proud to serve the DCPA because it provides a world-class venue offering the best in live entertainment, in addition to education for all ages through the art of theatre,” said Andy Aye, Market Leader for Colorado and New Mexico.

“We know the critical role that the arts play in our society.

They inform, inspire and uplift while bringing the community together.”

In 2022, U.S. Bank committed $64 million to nonprofit organizations through Community Possible, with an emphasis on community development diversity and inclusion, financial education and the environment. Additionally, its employees volunteered more than 311,000 hours, demonstrating that employee engagement is a major component of its community success.

“The DCPA brings us together to appreciate our diversity of thought, perspective and talent,” said Aye. “I am always amazed at how much we share in common when we all laugh or gasp during a key moment in a performance. It is a sense of participation and belonging that strengthens our community.

Supporting the DCPA is making an investment in ourselves, the arts and the place we call home.”

— ANDY AYE, COLORADO/NEW MEXICO MARKET LEADER

22

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

“One of the best musicals of the decade” - Time Out New York

Titanic, The Musical Story and Book by Peter Stone · Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston Presented by Eklund Opera and the Musical Theatre Program

March 15-17, 2024 · Macky Auditorium Robert Westenberg, stage director Tickets start at $17 at cupresents.org.

TITANIC is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com

Second Wind Fund pays for up to 12 sessions of therapy for Colorado youth at risk of suicide.

February 16 - March 31, 2024

For more information visit thesecondwindfund.org or scan the QR code

arvadacenter.org |

Underwritten by Diana and Mike Kinsey

| 720.898.7200

PROUD SPONSOR OF THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES AND SATURDAY NIGHT ALIVE

DAVITA: COMMUNITY FIRST

A

As a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, DaVita is committed to making a lasting impact, starting with the care it provides and extending to the broader communities it serves.

Since first calling the Mile High City home in 2010, the company has remained dedicated to supporting causes that uplift the Denver community while fostering a culture that encourages teammates to get involved. As a company, DaVita invests in opportunities that advance leadership, sustain cultural institutions, and respond to the community’s most pressing needs.

DaVita is proud to support the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a vibrant organization committed to increasing access to performing arts for all individuals. DCPA’s mission to serve, engage and inspire its community aligns with DaVita’s efforts to support healthy communities around the world, as well as in its own backyard of Colorado. DaVita is proud to play a role in DCPA’s Theatre for Young Audiences program, engaging more than 15,000 pre-K through 3rd grade students and educators from 128 schools across metro Denver.

Following are examples of other local community collaborations DaVita is proud to support: Funding 10 Denver Scholarship Foundation recipients as they pursue a pathway to healthcare related careers.

Preparing teen moms at Florence Crittenton Services for future livable wage opportunities through a summer exposure program that matches them with paid internships. The program provides them with flexibility of job choice over the summer while helping to ensure they are ready for medical internships and gain necessary professional skills.

DaVita is a proud premier supporter of Urban Peak’s annual fundraiser, Urban Nights. The nonprofit is the only organization in Denver that provides wrap-around support services for youth experiencing homelessness.

24

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

FEB 8TH - APR 7TH, 2024 SCAN OR CALL TO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

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9/19/24 – 11/10/24

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6/19/25 – 8/31/25

DCPA TEAM DCPA TEAM DCPA

Stori Heleen-O’Foley................Event Technical Katie Davis .....................Manager, VIP Ticketing Prop Shop Manager Billy Dutton...........................Associate Director, Meghan Markiewicz ...........................Supervisor Janice Sinden..........................President & CEO Operations Sara Pugh ........................Associate Supervisor Donna Hendricks...........Executive Assistant, Shane Hotle.................................Audio Engineer Danielle Freeman ...................................Manager, Bennet Goldberg, Georgina Kayes, President & CEO David Mandlowitz, Customer Service Ashley Lawler .............................................Artisans Julie Schumaker......................................Manager, Will Stowe, Ian Wells ...........Video Engineers Andrew McGlothen................Prop Carpenter Board Relations Tara Miller...........................................Event Sales & Claire Hayes, Ella Mann, Operations Director Rocco Williams ...........Managers, Box Office ACCOUNTING & FINANCE Brook Nichols ........Event Technical Director Chris Leech.......... VIP Ticketing Coordinator Scene Shop Eric Moore.............................. Technical Director Jane Williams...................................................CFAO Kate Olsen................Event Sales Coordinator Katie Spanos .......................Associate Director, Subscriber Services Albert “Stub” Allison, Robert L. Orzolek, Sara Brandenburg................................... Director, Benjamin Peitzer...........Event Technical Lead Josh Prues ....Associate Technical Directors Accounting Services Alex Taylor ..............................Lighting Designer Group Sales Jeremy Althoff, Tyler D. Clark, Michaele Davidson ....Accountant, Treasury Brooke Wyatt........Event Logistics Manager Jessica Bergin..................... Associate Director Amy Wynn Pastor, Blythe Kamin.............................................Manager, Kyle Scoggins .....................Scenic Technicians Jennifer Jeffrey....................Director, Financial Audience Development Planning & Analysis INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Louis Fernandez III.....Lead Scenic Technician Kristina Monge .......................................Specialist, Lisa Roebuck.................................Vice President Elias Lopez...........................................Coordinator Brian “Marco” Markiewicz ....Lead Carpenter Accounts Payable For security purposes, the IT team has been omitted. Maddie Young .......................................Associate, Education & Group Sales Scenic Design Jennifer Siemers ...........Director, Accounting Operations Lisa Orzolek .................................................Director Audrey Smith....................Associate Manager, Vincent Bridgers ........................Senior Analyst OFF-CENTER Kevin Nelson, Accounting Adam Busch................................. Junior Analyst Charlie Miller ...Executive Director & Curator Nicholas Renaud..................................Assistants Aaron Chavez ....................................................Lead BROADWAY & CABARET Courtney Ozaki............................ Line Producer Sound Design Ruben Cruz, Jordan Latouche.... Engineers John Ekeberg.........................Executive Director Alex Billman .......................................... Supervisor, Simone Gordon .................Associate Director PEOPLE & CULTURE Sound & Technology Administration Kyle Greufe, Sam Nolte, Laura Maresca ................................................ CPCO Lucas Swinehart..........Associate Supervisor, Ashley Brown.......................Business Manager Tara Perticone............................................Analysts Sound & Technology Alicia Bruce ............................. General Manager Brandon LeMarr ......................................Manager Equity & Organization Culture Meagan Holdeman+, Lisa Prater .........................Operations Manager Sarah Martinez ..............................Administrator Lydia Garcia .........................Executive Director Timothy Schoeberl+, Seán Kroll .............................................Coordinator Joseph Reecher ......................Senior Engineer Dimitri Soto+ .......................................Technicians Garner Galleria Theatre Cordelia Taylor ..................................Coordinator Human Resources Abel Becerra ............................Technical Director Stage Management Brian Carter.............. Senior Business Partner Michael Morales ..................................Production Jason Begin+, MARKETING & SALES Andrew Guilder ....HR & Recruiting Specialist Anna Hookana+ ...................Core Stagehands Stage Manager Angela Lakin....................................Vice President Paul Johnson..............................................Payroll & Corin Davidson, Harper Hadley, Whitney Testa..................Executive Assistant, DEVELOPMENT Compliance Manager Sage Hughes, Anne Jude, Marketing & Broadway Laurie Moore ........................... Business Partner Nick Nyquist, Malia Stoner, Jamie Clements .............................Vice President Monica Robles...............Supervisor, Mailroom Kristin Sutter.............................Stage Managers Connor Carlin......................Associate Director, Marketing Major & Planned Gifts Heidi Bosk ...........Associate Director, Press & Kinsey Scholl .................Operations Specialist Magdalena Tronina, Georgia Wood, Rain Young .....Apprentices Promotions, Broadway & Cabaret Caroline Eppers .......................................Manager, Wardrobe Corporate Partnerships Erin Bunyard.............Senior Digital Strategist THEATRE COMPANY Heidi Echtenkamp .............................Supervisor Kara Erickson-Stiemke.................Coordinator Sofia Contreras .....................Graphic Designer Administration Kaylie Groff........Manager, Grants & Reports Brenda Elliott, Charles Varin .......................Managing Director Robin Appleton^, Amber Krimbel^, Paul Koob..............Senior Graphic Designers Emily Kettlewell .................Associate Director, Madysen Hunter....................Business Admin/ Lauren LaCasse^, Lisa Parsons Wagner^, Annual Giving TJ Forlenza ............................................Copywriter Assistant Company Manager Nicole Watts^, Kami Williams^........Dressers Michael Garcia ..........Manager, Web Content Caitie Maxwell.... Senior Director, Major Gifts Alex Koszewski ................ Company Manager Wigs Claire Graves............................................... Director, Marc Ravenhill ....................Associate Director, Produced Programs Ann Marshall........................... General Manager Diana Ben-Kiki......................................Supervisor Donor Relations Abby Schmidt^, Brittany Gutierrez...................................Manager, Artistic Megan Stewart........................Manager, Events Communications Chris Coleman .......................... Artistic Director Marisa Sorce^ ..............................Wig Assistants Linda Horan...............................Project Manager Jessica Eckenrod.................Artistic Associate EDUCATION & VENUE OPERATIONS Jeff Hovorka .... Director, Sales & Marketing, Grady Soapes ....................Artistic Producer & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Glen Lucero....................................Vice President Broadway & Cabaret Casting Director Allison Watrous ................. Executive Director Emma Holst .......................................Coordinator, Leean Kim Torske.................................... Director, Merry Davis ..........................Financial Manager Stuart Barr ............................. Technical Director Communications & PR Literary Programs Jane Deegan ..................................Administrator Leslie Channell .......................................... Director, Emily Kent........Director, Insights & Strategy Costume Crafts Facilities Business Operations Lucas Kreitler .........Junior Graphic Designer Kevin Copenhaver....................................Director Jerad Ayala, Steven Bilbao, Lyndsay Corbett ...................Teaching Artist & Michael Ryan Leuthner ........................

Director, Chris Campbell.........................................Assistant Abraham Cervantes, Lindsey Cervantes, Manager, Playwriting & Bobby G Digital Marketing Carmen Molina, Judith Primero Molina, Elliot Davis ......................... Evening Registrar & Costume Shop Office Coordinator Emily Lozow .............Assoc. Director, Sales & Janet Macleod... Director/Design Associate Juan Loya Molina...............................Custodians Marketing, Broadway & Cabaret Dwight Barela, Mark Dill, John Howard, Rachel Ducat.................Executive Assistant & Meghan Anderson Doyle ....Design Associate Bryon Willingham ............................... Engineers Business Manager Kyle Malone................................Director, Design Stephanie Cooper, Michael Kimbrough....Manager, Engineering Rya Dyes .................................................Registrar & Dan McNulty.........................Marketing Analyst Amoreena Knabb, Ingrid Ludeke, On-Site Class Manager Todd Metcalf .................................Media Producer Carolyn Plemitscher ................................. Draper Brian McClain .....................Manager, Custodial Gavin Juckette ......Teaching Artist & Theatre Hannah Selwyn ....Manager, Email Marketing Patron Experience for Young Audiences Program Manager Brad Steinmeyer .............................Coordinator, House Crew Evan Gendreau .................. Associate Director Douglas Taylor+ ...................................Supervisor Broadway & Cabaret Jesús Quintana Martínez ....................... Director, Elliot Shields...............................................Manager Community Engagement Julie Whelan ...........................................Associate, James Berman+, Forest Fowler+, Kaylyn Kriaski, Leilani Lynch, Produced Programs William Loving+, Dave Mazzeno+, Timothy McCracken................Head of Acting Aaron McMullen, Stacy Norwood, Kyle Moore+, Matt Wagner+ ....Stagehands Mikayla Woods.................................Coordinator, Rick Mireles ...................................................Manager, Valerie Schaefer...............Assistant Managers Produced Programs Calli Lavarnway+, Community Engagement Nora Caley, Teresa Gould, David Saphier......Teaching Artist & Manager, Suzanne Yoe.......................Director, Content & Kelley Reznik+ .......................................Assistants Robin Lander, Myrisa Martin, Communications Lighting Design In-School Programming Selin Ozcelik, Barbara Pooler, Charlotte Talbert ......................................Librarian Ticketing & Audience Services Charles MacLeod......................................Director Wendy Quintana ..................House Managers Rachel Taylor .....Teaching Artist & Manager, Jennifer Lopez ...........................................Director Lily Bradford..............................................Assistant Safety & Security Literary Engagement & Resiliency Christina Adamoli*, D.J. Dennis*, Joseph Price+ .............Production Electrician Jodi Benavides, Justin Walvoord ....................Teaching Artist & Edmund Gurule*, Alison Orthel*, Bryan Faciane............Lead Security Officers Paint Shop Manager, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot Lane Randall*, Hayley Solano*, Calum Abeywickrema, Brian Adams, Samuel Wood.........................Teaching Artist & Sam Stump*...................Counter/Show Leads Jana Mitchell....................Charge Scenic Artist Mayte Armendariz, David Bright, Kristin Hamer MacFarlane, District Liaison Kirsten Anderson*, Scott Lix*, Tyler Edwards, Arden Jones, Melanie Rentschler .....................Scenic Artists Liz Sieroslawski*, Manuel Amaya Loera, EVENT SERVICES Greg Swan* ..................... Subscription Agents Production Gabe McNally-Nakamura, Saundra Bergman, Tamika Cox*, Mekenzie Dalton*, Jeff Gifford ...................................................Director Isabella Samaniego, Shayne Thullen, Phil Rohrbach ...........................Event Managers Zeah Edmonds*, John Fish, Jen Gray*, Julie Brou................Administrative Assistant/ Tori Witherspoon............Security Specialists Daniel Davidek, Noa Halpern, Natalie Jaramillo*, Office Manager Judy Briggs...........................................Front Desk Arias Goldanloo, Jacob Sorling, Phi Johnson-Grimes*, Noah Jungferman*, Matthew Campbell......Production Manager Quentin Crump..........................................Director Drake Watkins ..................... Event Technicians Holly Stigen*, Andrew Sullivan*, Peggy Carey................. Associate Production Samantha Egle, Cody Gocio ....Senior Sales Robert Warner*, * Member, I.A.T.S.E. Local B-7 Manager & Event Managers Joseph Williams*..........................Ticket Agents + Member, I.A.T.S.E. Local 7 ^ Member, I.A.T.S.E. Local 719 Jon Collins.....................Manager, Subscription Staff list current through December 21, 2023

APPLAUSEWORTHY EVENTS DCPA Event Services

Bring some theatricality to your next all-team meeting, annual gala, or corporate retreat and leave your guests starstruck! DCPA Event Services makes it easy, with everything from coat check to catering facilitated by our in-house professionals. Contact us today!

BOOK NOW

DENVERCENTER.ORG/VENUE-RENTALS

6 CORE VALUES. 1 DENVER CENTER.

4. CREATIVITY

AB IL

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We cultivate open, responsive, affirming relationships and partnerships for a greater collective impact.

T RI EG

3. COMMUNITY

I NT

We produce our best possible work together by engaging people with diverse perspectives, lived experiences and talents around our shared goals.

C O

2. COLLABORATION

SUST AIN

We build a respectful and empathetic culture through our active commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

CO L

Y IT

TION RA BO LA

1. BELONGING

BELONGING

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

PROUD SPONSOR OF DCPA EDUCATION’S HIGH SCHOOL/MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAYWRITING COMPETITION

The Aegon Transamerica Foundation is proud to support the DCPA and the brilliant programs and events it brings to life.

From Broadway tours to immersive experiences to educational programs for kids, DCPA is an integral part of Denver’s thriving artistic community — and it’s a big part of what makes our city so special.

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Transamerica employees are dedicated to helping people live their best lives, whether it’s saving and investing for the future or protecting themselves and their loved ones. They bring expertise, creativity and heart to everything they do — and to the communities where they live and work.

Transamerica’s private, nonprofit foundation is proud to do its part in helping to create a brighter and more secure future for people in our community by supporting programs that enhance their opportunities and capabilities while broadening social networks, interactions and aspirations. Through our charitable giving and employee volunteer efforts, we contribute to a wide range of worthy causes in Denver, including the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA).

We believe our longtime support of the DCPA — one of the nation’s largest nonprofit theatre organizations — helps to enliven our community and bring new perspectives that can enable Denverites see the world through another’s eyes.

The Aegon Transamerica Foundation looks forward to supporting another great year of DCPA programming.

We are proud to play a role helping DCPA make theatre accessible to all.

— MELISSA SMITH, CHAIR OF THE AEGON TRANSAMERICA FOUNDATION’S DENVER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Transamerica employees help serve meals at Denver Children’s Home.

Transamerica employees help prepare “Bags of Fun” for children fighting long-term or life-threatening conditions.

Transamerica employees help build homes for families in need with Habitat for Humanity.

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APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

Attention to detail like no other.

Guaranteed.

CREMATIONS LIFE CELEBRATIONS CEMETERIES

FREE Planning Guide: DignityMemorial.com

Proud to support the performing arts in Denver.

8 LOCAL PROVIDERS TO SERVE YOU, INCLUDING:

Olinger

MORTUARIES & CEMETERIES

303-233-4611

Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary & Cemetery

PROUD SPONSOR OF DCPA OFF-CENTER’S CAMP CHRISTMAS

Union Pacific is proud to support the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and its commitment to embed diversity, equity and inclusion into its organization and programs.

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Union Pacific Railroad, through its Community Ties Giving Program, is proud to support DCPA Off-Center’s Camp Christmas Community Access program, ensuring equitable access to underserved populations in the Center’s surrounding communities.

Union Pacific proudly supports organizations that improve the quality of life where its employees live and work. Investing in high quality, nonprofit programs positions communities for future growth and prosperity.

Union Pacific is proud to support the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and its commitment to embed diversity, equity and inclusion into its organization and programs. Camp Christmas brings together the local community in a secular celebration to remind everyone that joining together as a community is important during the holiday season and year-round. This program meets the community’s need for an affordable, family-friendly program that showcases differences and unites us through immersive storytelling.

APPLAUSE • JAN – MAR 2024 • 303.893.4100 • DENVERCENTER.ORG

Photo: From the Hip Photography

CELEBRATE THE COLORADO SYMPHONY’S CENTENNIAL WITH THESE CONCERTS AND MORE ALL SEASON LONG!

Mozart & Now with Peter Oundjian

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2

The Wizard of Oz in Concert

Stravinsky’s The Firebird with Christopher Dragon

JAN 26-28

FEB 9-11

MAR 2-3

MAR 8-10

COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG | 303.623.7876 VIEW ALL EVENTS USING THE QR CODE

( 3 03) 86 2 -3 90 0 | r igh t t i m e . c om