FEB 2023
SUNDAY GEORGE PARK IN THE WITH
310.623.3650 | Linda@LindaMay.com | LindaMay.com JUST A NOTE TO SAY, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! ©2022 Carolwood Partners Inc. If your property is currently listed, please disregard this notice. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other Brokers. The accuracy of all information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity. DRE 02200006
contents
P1 Program
Cast, performances, who’s who, director’s notes and donors
6 In the Wings
Mandolinist Avi Avital at the BroadStage in Santa Monica; Coded at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Frozen at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.
12 A Sondheim Celebration
The tribute to the late composer-lyricist at the Pasadena Playhouse was created with both longtime Stephen Sondheim fans and new audiences in mind.
18 Design
Designers and craftsmen at Emtek transform utilitarian, seemingly pedestrian hardware into miniature masterpieces that can have a huge impact on a room’s aesthetics.
22 Getaway
Paso Robles isn't just for wine any more. A massive walk-through outdoor exhibit, a distillery trail and new subterranean jazz club Libretto are just the start.
32 Parting Thought
Performances’ new program platform for shows and concerts can be accessed from any digital device.
P. 12 GETTY IMAGES, P. 18 COURTESY EMTEK P. 22 SERENA MUNRO FEBRUARY 2023 MAGAZINE 12 18 22
2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
My wealth. My priorities. My
You’ve spent your life accumulating wealth. And, no doubt, that wealth now takes many forms, sits in many places, and is managed by many advisors. Unfortunately, that kind of fragmentation creates gaps that can hold your wealth back from its full potential. The Private Bank can help.
The Private Bank uses a proprietary approach called the LIFE Wealth Cycle SM to find those gaps—and help you achieve what is important to you.
To learn more, please visit unionbank.com/theprivatebank or contact:
©2023 MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Union Bank is a registered trademark and brand name of MUFG Union Bank, N.A. Wills, trusts, foundations, and wealth planning strategies
legal, tax, accounting, and other implications. Clients
consult a legal or tax advisor. Sanjay Chugani Senior Private Wealth Advisor sanjay.chugani@unionbank.com 323-630-0112
ID #637487
partner.
have
should
NMLS
PUBLISHER
Jeff Levy
EDITOR
Benjamin Epstein
ART DIRE CTOR
Carol Wakano
CONTIBUTING WRITERS
Roger Grody, Libby Slate, Caleb Wachs
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Glenda Mendez
PRODUCTION ARTIST
Diana Gonzalez
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Walter Lewis
ACCOUNT DIRE CTORS
Kerry Baggett, Jean Greene, Tina Marie Smith
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Christine Noriega-Roessler
BUSINESS MANAGER
Leanne Killian Riggar
MARKETING/
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Dawn Kiko Cheng
DIGITAL PROGRAM MANAGER
Audrey Duncan Welch
DIGITAL MANAGER
Lorenzo Dela Rama
Contact Us
ADVERTISING
Walter.Lewis@ CaliforniaMediaGroup.com
WEBSITE
Lorenzo.DelaRama@ CaliforniaMediaGroup.com
CIRCULATION
Christine.Roessler@ CaliforniaMediaGroup.com
HONORARY PRESIDENT
Ted Levy
For information about advertising and rates contact California Media Group 3679 Motor Ave., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90034
Phone: 310.280.2880
Fax: 310.280.2890
Visit Performances Magazine online at socalpulse.com
Performances Magazine is published by California Media Group to serve
arts venues
the West.
2023 California Media Group. All Rights
Printed in the United States. MAGAZINE AN UPSCALE BOUTIQUE SIZES 12 UP 13606 VENTURA BLVD. SHERMAN OAKS 818.990.6128 AbundancePlusSizes.com Background art by Vecteezy Best Performance ...By A Realtor In The South Bay Lauren Forbes CEO / Founder 310.901.8512 lauren@laurenforbes.com laurenforbesgroup.com DRE 01295248 $1B+ Career Sales Volume Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628, 01527235, 1527365. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. 4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
performing
throughout
©
Reserved.
LAOPERA.ORG • 213.972.8001 Tickets for A Budgets CHRISTOPHER KOELSCH JAMES CONLON RICHARD SEAVER MUSIC DIRECTOR PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SEBASTIAN PAUL AND MARYBELLE MUSCO FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MARRIAGE HOLLYWOOD MEETS HAUTE COUTURE IN OPERA’S GREATEST COMEDY, WITH DIRECTOR JAMES GRAY AND DESIGNER CHRISTIAN LACROIX MOZART'S conducted by JAMES CONLON FEB 4—26 SHENANIGANS
A BROAD ARRAY
AN ECLECTIC MIX of music and musicians is on tap at the BroadStage. March 11, acclaimed chamber orchestra Academy of St. Martin in the Fields returns with “explosively charismatic” (The New York Times) mandolinist Avi Avital; program highlights include Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 1, arranged for solo mandolin by Avital. March 3, composer, NEA Jazz Master and seventime Grammy Award winner Maria Schneider leads her eponymous 18-piece orchestra in arrangements from her 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist album Data Lord, in which she explores the polar extremes of the digital and organic world. Trumpeter/vocalist Bria Skonberg, one of the “most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” (The Wall Street Journal), makes her BroadStage debut on March 10. Skonberg presents inventive arrangements of traditional jazz repertory, reinterpretations of contemporary classics and original compositions. 1310 11th St., Santa Monica, 310.434.3200, broadstage.org
IN THE WINGS
6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
MUSIC
ZOHAR RON AND, OPPOSITE, DINA REGINE
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 7
Mandolinist Avi Avital. Opposite: Maria Schneider and her orchestra
The Advent of Digital Art
INTERNATIONAL AND interdisciplinary in scope, Coded: Art Enters the Computer Age, 1952–1982 explores how the emergence of computer technology impacted art in the age of the mainframe. Coded, opening Feb. 12 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, examines the origins of digital art; it features artists, writers, musicians, choreographers and filmmakers working directly with computers or using algorithms and other systems. The
artworks reflect the simultaneous wonder and alienation of the 1960s and ’70s—and the utopian and dystopian possibilities of the new machines. Coded’s examination of the advent of the personal computer, and the integration of digital technology in our lives, enriches our appreciation of art and culture in the age of the computer—then and now. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A., 323.857.6000, lacma.org
IN THE WINGS
ART
8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Early digital works at Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Angelo Testa, IBM Disks textile, 1952–56; (top) Rebecca Allen, preparatory drawing for Girl Lifts Skirt, 1974; and (opposite) Eduardo Paolozzi, Universal Electronic Vacuum: Computer-Epoch, 1967.
COURTESY UC BERKELEY ART MUSEUM / PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE. OPPOSITE FROM TOP, REBECCA ALLEN AND MUSEUM ASSOCIATES/LACMA PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 9
Can’t Hold It Back
FROM THE PRODUCER of The Lion King and Aladdin, Frozen stops at Segerstrom Center for the Arts through Feb. 19 as part of its North America tour. “Thrilling” and “genuinely moving,” writes The New Yorker, “simply magical!” says the L.A. Daily News. Many
know the songs from the Academy Award-winning 2013 film, but the stage production, which was Tony Award-nominated for Best Musical, expands the score and adds a dozen new numbers by the film’s songwriters: Oscar winner Kristen AndersonLopez and EGOT (Emmy, Grammy,
Oscar and Tony awards) winner Robert Lopez. Book is by Jennifer Lee. The story centers on the relationship between sibling princesses Elsa and Anna. Expect stunning sets, costumes and special effects. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787, scfta.org
IN THE WINGS
MATTHEW MURPHY / DISNEY
Will Savarese and Lauren Nicole Chapman in Frozen
10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
MUSICAL
MAR 3 & MAR 4
Shamel Pitts TRIBE
Touch of Red
Freud Playhouse
MAR 11
DakhaBrakha
The Theatre at Ace Hotel
MAR 25
Sam Green
32 Sounds
The Theatre at Ace Hotel
APR 29
Perla Batalla & Quetzal
Royce Hall
APR 30
Dream House Quartet
Katia & Marielle Làbeque, Bryce Dessner & David Chalmin
Royce Hall
2023 SPRING PROGRAMS
Tickets on sale January 26
Visit cap.ucla.edu/spring2023
MAY 7
Avery*Sunshine
The Theater at Ace Hotel
MAY 11
Quinteto Astor
Piazzolla
Royce Hall
MAY 12
The Small Glories
Royce Hall Terrace
MAY 21
Matthew Whitaker
The Theater at Ace Hotel
JUN 22
Dan Froot & Company Podcast
Royce Hall
Rehearsal Room
A SONDHEIM
FEATURE
Sondheim muse Bernadette Peters caps the Pasadena Playhouse tribute June 10-11.
ANDREW ECCLES 12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
CELEBRATION
The Pasadena Playhouse’s tribute to the late composer-lyricist was created with both Sondheim fans and brand-new audiences in mind. / BY LIBBY
IF STEPHEN SONDHEIM had done nothing other than write the lyrics for West Side Story, his place in entertainment and cultural history would have been cemented.
But when the musical theater titan died in November 2021 at age 91, he left a legacy of so much more: the music and lyrics for 13 Broadway musicals including Company, Follies and Sweeney Todd; the lyrics for Gypsy and Do I Hear a Waltz?; nine Tony Awards; and the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Sunday in the Park with George
It’s not surprising, then, that Pasadena Playhouse is producing a nearly five-month Sondheim festival of full-scale musical productions, solo and choral concerts, shows by student performers, even an improv revue.
As it turns out, A Sondheim Celebration, which runs through June 11, was conceived by Playhouse producing artistic director Danny Feldman prior to Sondheim’s death, during the dark days of Covid-19 lockdown when he was trying to find hope and to look forward to a time when theaters would resume performances.
Sondheim himself signed off on the idea.
Though Sondheim’s death was “pretty devastating,” Feldman says, he decided to move forward. He had chosen to showcase the composer-lyricist because, he says, “Sondheim changed musical theater forever. Before, there was a darkness and a nuance to a lot of shows, but it was mostly kept offstage.
“Sondheim was about bringing all of that onstage. He was writing about the complexities of human beings, and in a way that didn’t sound as commercial or square as a Rodgers and Hart song. The New York Times obituary [said], ‘He taught us how to hear differently.’ His level of artistry was at such an unparalleled level.”
The celebration roster was designed, through varying styles and approaches, to engage both diehard fans and people unfamiliar with Sondheim’s work.
The “anchor marquee” offerings, as Feldman calls them, are Sunday in the Park with George (Feb. 14-March 19) and A Little Night Music (April 25-May 21) on the Playhouse mainstage. Larry Owens, pre-Broadway lead of A Strange Loop, performs his Sondheimia concert (Feb. 27 and March 6), followed by indie folk singermusician Eleri Ward’s Acoustic Sondheim (April 14-15).
Impro Theatre’s Sondheim UnScripted (May 5-6) runs at the Playhouse’s Carrie Hamilton Theater. A free concert by community choral groups, Song by Song by
SLATE /
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 13
muse Bernadette Peters (June 10-11) on the Playhouse mainstage.
Sunday in the Park with George, an exploration of what it means to be an artist inspired by Impressionist pointillist painter Georges Seurat, is directed by Sarna Lapine, who helmed the 2017 Broadway revival and is the niece of longtime Sondheim collaborator/ book author James Lapine. The production retains many of the same designers as the revival and scenically, the director says, is still “very simple. It’s very stripped down, and the orchestra will still be on stage.”
Lapine brings her experience working with Sondheim to the production. “He was always a very generous communicator, and always incredibly joyful and supportive,” she says. “His notes are always so precise. He is looking at the balance and the color of the score in a very detailed way. I often found that his notes were so actor friendly, as opposed to very technical singing notes—they were about the spirit and the tone and the way that the actor would approach something.
“His writing is so character driven,” Lapine adds. “And he’s such a detailed and clever storyteller. His compositions are about the complex inner workings of characters. I consider him to be the master of ambivalence, which means he’s constantly creating dramatic tension.
“People are always at odds with themselves—the human condition is very paradoxical and contradictory. This is such a brilliant dramatist. He is not just a composer.”
The cast of A Little Night Music must be /CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
FEATURE
Sondheim (April 22), takes place at the First United Methodist Church in Pasadena. Students from the USC School of Dramatic Arts perform
Sondheim on Sondheim (April 20-26) at the university’s Bing Theatre downtown. The celebration concludes with concerts by Sondheim
14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Promotional assets for A Sondheim Celebration
WINTER @ THE WALLIS
FEB 2-5
Dahlak Brathwaite: Try/Step/Trip
FEB 12
SUNDAY FUNDAY: Parker Bent, Broadway Babies, Dance Sunday with Debbie Allen & Friends: Flamenco
FEB 17-18
Luminario Ballet of Los Angeles
FEB 23
Anthony McGill & The Pacifica Quartet
FEB 25
Santa Cecilia Orchestra
2022/2023 SEASON
GET YOUR TICKETS! TheWallis.org
ANTHONY MCGILL & THE PACIFICA QUARTET
SANTA CECILIA ORCHESTRA LUMINARIO BALLET OF LOS ANGELES
DANCE THEATER FAMILY MUSIC THE WALLIS IS THE PROUD RECIPIENT OF GENEROUS SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION FROM:
SINGLE TICKETS NOW ON SALE!
DAHLAK BRATHWAITE: TRY/STEP/TRIP
DANNY FELDMAN
Producing Artistic Director Presents
Opening Night: FEB 19, 2023
SUNDAY GEORGE PARK IN THE WITH
Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Choreographed by ALISON SOLOMON
Directed by SARNA LAPINE
Starring
GRAHAM PHILLIPS KRYSTINA ALABADO
Book by JAMES LAPINE
Music Directed by ANDY EINHORN
Scenic Design BEOWULF BORITT
Costume Design CLINT RAMOS
Lighting Design KEN BILLINGTON
Sound Design DANNY ERDBERG & URSULA KWONG-BROWN
Projection Design TAL YARDEN
Casting THE TELSEY OFFICE RYAN BERNARD TYMENSKY, CSA ROSE BOCHNER, CSA
Wig Design CHRISTOPHER ENLOW
Stage Manager LISA ANN CHERNOFF
Associate Producer JENNY SLATTERY
Press Representative DAVIDSON & CHOY PUBLICITY
Technical Director/ Production Supervisor BRAD ENLOW
This production is partially underwritten by the very generous members of The Brad & Pamela King Honorary Producers Circle who include:
Harvey & Ellen Knell
Jerry & Terri Kohl Bill Resnick & Michael J. Stubbs
Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine Orchestrations by Michael Starobin
Originally Produced on Broadway by The Shubert Organization and Emanuel Azenberg By arrangement with Playwrights Horizons, Inc. New York City which produced the original production of Sunday in The Park with George in 1983.
Pasadena Playhouse sits on the land of the Gabrielino-Tongva and Kizh people, who historically inhabited the area around present-day Pasadena. We honor their contribution to this region and give thanks for the opportunity to live, work, and perform on their unceded ancestral lands.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P1
19
FEB 14–MAR
CAST
P2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
GRAHAM PHILLIPS George
KRYSTINA ALABADO Dot/Marie
LIZ LARSEN Old Lady/Blair
ARMAND AKBARI Soldier #2/Ensemble
JENNI BARBER Celeste #2/Elaine
ALLISON BELINKOFF Swing
ALEXANDRA MELROSE Mrs./Harriet
MATTHEW McCOY Swing
DEBORAH LEW Frieda/Betty
ROBERT KNIGHT Louis/Charles
BRIAN CALÌ Boatman/Lee
ERICA GONZALEZ Louise
MARC GINSBURG Ensemble
JENNIE GREENBERRY Nurse
SAVANNAH L. JACKSON Ensemble
TREVOR JAMES Soldier/Alex
JASON MICHAEL SNOW Franz/Dennis
JIMMY SMAGULA Mr./Billy
JULIANA SLOAN Celeste #1/Waitress
BRIANNA PEMBER Ensemble
MICHAEL MANUEL Jules/Bob
EMILY TYRA Yvonne/Naomi
CAST
(in alphabetical order)
Soldier #2 ARMAND AKBARI
Dot/Marie KRYSTINA ALABADO*
Celeste #2/Elaine JENNI BARBER*
Boatman/Lee BRIAN CALÌ*
Louise ERICA GONZALEZ
Nurse JENNIE GREENBERRY*
Soldier/Alex TREVOR JAMES*
Louis/Charles ROBERT KNIGHT*
Old Lady/Blair LIZ LARSEN*
Frieda/Betty DEBORAH LEW*
Jules/Bob MICHAEL MANUEL*
Mrs./Harriet ALEXANDRA MELROSE*
George GRAHAM PHILLIPS*
Celeste #1/Waitress JULIANA SLOAN*
Mr./Billy JIMMY SMAGULA*
Franz/Dennis JASON MICHAEL SNOW*
Yvonne/Naomi EMILY TYRA*
Ensemble MARC GINSBURG*, SAVANNAH L. JACKSON*, BRIANNA PEMBER
UNDERSTUDIES
Understudies never substitute for players unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the appearance.
For George Seurat – MARC GINSBURG, JASON MICHAEL SNOW; for Dot/Marie – JENNI BARBER; for Jules/Bob – MARC GINSBURG; for Yvonne/Naomi – JULIANA SLOAN; for Nurse – ALEXANDRA MELROSE, BRIANNA PEMBER; for Boatman/Lee – ROBERT KNIGHT; for Frieda/Betty – SAVANNAH L. JACKSON; for Franz/Dennis – MARC GINSBURG; for Old Lady/Blair Daniels – ALEXANDRA MELROSE; for Mrs./Harriet – JENNIE GREENBERRY; for Mr./Billy – MATTHEW McCOY; for Louis/Charles – MATTHEW McCOY; for Soldier/Alex – ARMAND AKBARI, MATTHEW McCOY; for Celeste #1/Waitress – BRIANNA PEMBER; for Celeste #2/Elaine – ALLISON BELINKOFF; for Louise – BRIANNA PEMBER
SWINGS
ALLISON BELINKOFF, MATTHEW M c COY
STAGE MANAGEMENT
CAST / CREATIVE
DANCE CAPTAIN
EMILY TYRA
Stage Manager LISA ANN CHERNOFF*
Assistant Stage Manager KALEIGH BERNIER*, MIKAYLA BETTNER*
MUSICIANS
Music Director/Conductor ANDY EINHORN
Associate Conductor/Keyboard 1 ALBY POTTS
Violin JEN CHOI FISCHER ( Concertmaster ) , GRACE OH
Viola LINNEA POWELL
Cello IRA GLANSBEEK
Bass IAN WALKER
Bass Clarinet/Clarinet/Flute JEFF DRISKILL
Clarinet/Flute/Piccolo
BRETT MCDONALD
Alto Sax/Clarinet/Oboe/English Horn SEAN FRANZ
French Horn LAURA BRENES
Harp AMY WILKINS
Keyboard 2 ANDRE CERULLO
Percussion NICK STONE
Orchestra Contractor ERIC HEINLY
Synthesizer Programmer
RANDY COHEN, COHEN KEYBOARDS
Associate Synthesizer Programmer JUAN MATOS
Chromolume #7 Music NAOMI EISEN
*Appearing through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Sunday in the Park with George will be performed with one 15-minute intermission.
Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
MUSICAL
NUMBERS
SETTING
ACT I takes place on a series of Sundays from 1884 to 1886 and alternates between a park on an island in the Seine just outside of Paris, and George’s studio.
ACT II takes place in 1984 at an American art museum and on the island.
ACT I
“Sunday in the Park with George” Dot
“No Life” Jules, Yvonne
“Color and Light” Dot, George
“Gossip” Celeste #1, Celeste #2, Boatman, Nurse, Old Lady, Jules, Yvonne
“The Day Off” George, Nurse, Franz, Frieda, Boatman, Soldier, Celeste #1, Celeste #2, Yvonne, Louise, Jules,Louis
“Everybody Loves Louis” Dot
“Finishing the Hat” George
“We Do Not Belong Together” Dot, George
“Beautiful” Old Lady, George
“Sunday” Company
ACT II
“It’s Hot Up Here” Company
“Chromolume #7” George, Marie
“Putting It Together” George, Company
“Children and Art” Marie
“Lesson #8” George
“Move On” George, Marie
“Sunday” Company
P4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
PASADENA PLAYHOUSE
Pasadena Playhouse is a place where people have gathered for over 100 years to experience bold and important theater. As the State Theater of California, our mission is to enrich people’s lives through theater, community programs, and learning.
GRAHAM PHILLIPS
George Seurat
Graham began his career as a soloist at the New York City and Metropolitan Operas before starring in Jason Robert Brown’s 13: The Musical. He was a series regular on The Good Wife before writing and directing his first feature, The Bygone, a neowestern thriller, with his brother. Their second feature, Rumble Through the Dark, based on the novel The Fighter by Michael Farris Smith, will be released in April. He has performed in a variety of roles on film and television, including leads in the films Goats, Evan Almighty, XOXO, Staten Island Summer, and Blockers. He has also appeared in Riverdale and Atypical, and starred in ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live. Most recently, Graham played Nick in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Geffen Playhouse.
KRYSTINA ALABADO
Dot/Marie
Broadway: Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls, American Psycho, Green Day’s American Idiot National Tours: Evita, American Idiot, Spring Awakening. Off-Broadway: The Mad Ones (Samantha Brown), Ain’t No Disco (Atlantic Theatre Company), David Bowie’s Lazarus (New York Theatre Workshop), Camp Wanatachi (La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club). Select Regional: Kiss My Aztec (Hartford Stage), Miss You Like Hell (La Jolla Playhouse), Mystic Pizza (Ogunquit Playhouse), Burn All Night (American Repertory Theater), Songs For A New World (North Carolina Theatre). TV/Film: The Zombie Wedding (coming 2023), Better Nate Than Ever (Disney+), First Reformed (A24), God Friended Me (CBS), Mecha Builders (HBOMax), Tyrant (FX), Voltron (Netflix). Instagram/TikTok @krystinaalabado
ARMAND AKBARI
Soldier #2/Ensemble, u/s Soldier/Alex
Armand is thrilled to be making his debut with Pasadena Playhouse! Recent Credits include: Rapunzel’s Prince in Into the Woods, Al in A Chorus Line, and Melchior in Spring Awakening at USC Dramatic Arts, as well as Monty Navarro in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Quasimodo in Hunchback of Notre Dame at Children’s Musical Theater San Jose. He is the winner of the Beach Blanket Babylon Scholarship for the Arts Competition and was recently featured in BroadwayWorld’s First Next on Stage Competition and AmericanPops Orchestra’s NextGen National Competition. Armand will be a graduating member of the inaugural class of BFA Musical Theatre at USC in May 2023. Instagram: @armand.akbari
JENNI BARBER
Celeste #2/Elaine, u/s Dot/Marie
Broadway: All My Sons, Sunday in the Park with George, Annie, The Nance, The Performers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wicked (Glinda). Select Off-Broadway/Regional: By The Way, Meet Vera Stark (Signature Theatre), From Up Here (Manhattan Theatre Club), A New Brain (New York City Center Encores!), As You Like It & The Tempest (Sam Mendes’ The Bridge Project, Brooklyn Academy of Music/The Old Vic), Private Lives (Hartford Stage), Sunday in the Park with George (Huntington Theatre: 2017 Elliot Norton Award, Outstanding Actress). TV: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Master of None, Elementary, Smash, Law & Order: SVU, The Electric Company. Adjunct Professor, USC School of Dramatic Arts. Graduate of the University of Michigan Musical Theatre Department.
ALLISON BELINKOFF
Swing, u/s Ensemble, Celeste #2/Elaine
Allison is thrilled to be making her professional debut here at Pasadena Playhouse. She will be graduating with her BFA in Musical Theatre in May from the University of Southern California. Highlights include performing at Carnegie Hall, playing Little Red in Into The Woods, Sheila in A Chorus Line, and Ilse in Spring Awakening. She won a Ventura County Theater Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Paulette in Legally Blonde: The Musical. She would like to thank her family and all her teachers for their love and support. Instagram: @alli_bellinkoff
BRIAN CALÌ
Boatman/Lee
Brian is happy to be back in Los Angeles, making his Pasadena Playhouse debut as the Boatman/ Lee. Broadway: Pretty Woman, Paradise Square, Master Class. NYC: City Center’s Encores! The Most Happy Fella and The Golden Apple; Live from Lincoln Center’s Show Boat. LA: Hollywood Bowl/ LA Phil’s Kinky Boots. TV/Film: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Law & Order: SVU, Blacklist, Fosse/Verdon, Bull, Boardwalk Empire, FBI: Most Wanted, Vinyl, Manifest, and the upcoming season of The Gilded Age. Instagram: @caliano. This one’s for my LA fam!
MARC GINSBURG
Ensemble, u/s George, Jules/Bob, Franz/Dennis
Marc was last seen at Pasadena Playhouse as Tateh in the Ovation Award-winning production of Ragtime, for which he was also personally nominated. Since then, Marc has performed over 500 times as Sammy in the First National Tour of the Tony Award winning production of The Band’s Visit. Other credits include George (Sunday in the Park with George), Aaron (First Date – Ovation Nomination), Che (Evita – Ovation Nomination), Lord
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P5
WHO’S WHO
Farquaad (Shrek The Musical – San Diego Critics Circle Nomination), Sir Lancelot (Spamalot), Leo Bloom (The Producers), and many others. Thank you to Sarna, Danny, Andy, Rose, Steven, and everyone at Pasadena Playhouse. All my love to Liza, Phoenix, and Seneca!
ERICA GONZALEZ
Louise
Erica is so excited to make her Pasadena Playhouse debut! Erica’s favorite roles have been Baby June in Gypsy and Jojo in Seussical. She has also appeared in You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Beauty and the Beast, Bugsy Malone, and Peter Pan. Erica’s dream is to perform on Broadway one day and would like to thank her parents and grandparents for always supporting that dream. She would also like to thank her vocal coach Becky for her guidance and support throughout the years, and also Damien, Alexander, her manager Eileen, her agents at KMR, and everyone at Pasadena Playhouse. Instagram: @erica.rose.gonzalez
JENNIE GREENBERRY
Nurse, u/s Mrs./Harriet
Jennie is thrilled to be making her Pasadena Playhouse debut! Off-Broadway: Lucky Duck (New Victory Theater) Select Regional: The Tempest; Twelfth Night (Ariel; Olivia, Santa Cruz Shakespeare), Into the Woods (Witch, PCPA Conservatory Theatre), Kate Hamill’s Little Women (Meg, Dallas Theater Center/Old Globe), Cyrano de Bergerac (Roxane, Guthrie Theater). In five years as a company member at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Jennie appeared as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Ophelia in Hamlet, and Marina in the tour of Pericles (Folger Theatre/Guthrie Theater) among many other roles. Film: Cry Baby Hill. Catch her being a giant nerd on TikTok and Instagram @berriesofgreen.
SAVANNAH L. JACKSON
Ensemble, u/s Frieda/Betty
Savannah (she/her) is an actor, singer, producer, and writer from Norman, OK. She is an MFA Acting graduate from Temple University and a BFA Acting alumni from Oklahoma City University. Recent credits include: Rosalind in As You like It (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Marianna in Passing Strange (Wilma Theater), Celia in As You Like It (Saratoga Shakespeare Company), Katherine in Henry VI and Luciana in Comedy of Errors (Delaware Shakespeare), Reggie in the world premier of Kristoffer Diaz’s Reggie Hoops (Temple University), Kenny Ortega’s HAIR pitch for Netflix. For my family & Geo III <3 Instagram: @savannah.l.jackson.
TREVOR JAMES
Soldier/Alex
Trevor couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of this dream of a show. Select theater credits: West Side Story (International Tour), The Karate Kid the
Musical (Pre-Broadway), Jersey Boys (Theatre Aspen), Newsies (Red Mountain Theatre Company), Merrily We Roll Along (4Leaf Productions). Trevor has appeared on screen in Prodigal Son (FOX) and WeCrashed (AppleTV+). He is a graduate of Texas State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Special thanks to the entire cast and creative team, CLA Partners Management, and HCKR Agency. @trevorberger13, trevorjamesberger.com.
ROBERT KNIGHT
Louis/Charles, u/s Boatman/Lee
Robert is excited to be making his Pasadena Playhouse debut in Sunday in the Park with George! He was recently seen in the ensemble of She Loves Me at South Coast Repertory as well as performing in his two sold out solo shows at Sterling’s Upstairs at The Federal. Other credits include: Jim in Big River (Hale Theater Arizona) and Jim Conley in the Ovation nominated and the LA Times Critic’s Choice, Parade (The Chance Theatre). He is grateful to be back in the theater after a long hiatus and he couldn’t do it without the love and support from his wife and daughter. #LiveLikeLance&Juanito.
LIZ LARSEN
Old Lady/Blair Daniels
Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Hairspray, Damn Yankees, Most Happy Fella (nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, won the LA Drama-Logue Award), Rocky Horror Show, A Little Night Music, Smell of the Kill, Starmites, Fiddler on the Roof. A New Brain (Lincoln Center) TV Recurring roles: Madoff (w/Richard Dreyfuss) Mr. Robot, Law and Order (10 years), SVU, (4 years), Criminal Intent, Sopranos, Raising Kanan, The Breaks. This Spring: A Transparent Musical (Mark Taper Forum).
DEBORAH LEW
Frieda/Betty
Broadway: Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Vixen in The Threepenny Opera, South Pacific. Off-Broadway: Candide and Cinderella at New York City Opera; No, No, Nanette (City Center Encores); Cupid and Psyche. Regional: Sujata in Up In The Air (Kennedy Center), Maria in West Side Story (Joseph Jefferson Award nomination), Cosette in Les Miserables (Atlanta TOTS, Wolf Trap Theatre), Isabelle in Amour (Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theatre), title role in Cinderella (North Shore), Kim in Miss Saigon (Westchester Broadway Theatre), Elizabeth in Myth (O’Neill Theatre Center), Tuptim in The King And I (Westin Playhouse). For Violet and Charlie.
MICHAEL MANUEL
Jules/Bob
Michael is delighted to return to Pasadena Playhouse, where he was last seen with Alfred Molina in The Father (LA Drama Critics). Other recent theater credits include A Christmas Carol
P6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
and Our Town at South Coast Repertory, Buried Child, Frankenstein (LA Drama Critics, Ovation Awards among others), and Othello at A Noise Within. Other regional theaters include: Alley Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum, Yale Repertory Theatre, Seattle Rep, The Empty Space, NJ Shakespeare Festival, Theatre for a New Audience, Cornerstone Theater Company, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Geffen Playhouse, Upright Citizens Brigade, Interact Theatre Company, and Impro Theatre where he is member of the Main Company (which will be performing Sondheim UnScripted at the Playhouse in May). Other credits include NCIS: LA, Wonderland, National Treasure, and the upcoming Doug Out. Michael is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
MATTHEW MCCOY
Swing, u/s Mr./Billy, Louis/Charles, Soldier/Alex, Ensemble
Matthew is thrilled to be joining the company of Sunday in the Park with George! He is currently a senior at the University of Southern California, finishing his BFA in Musical Theatre and was most recently seen in Into the Woods (Jack), A Chorus Line (Don), and Spring Awakening (Moritz) at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. He wants to thank the creative team for this opportunity, his faculty at USC, his dogs at home, and his friends and family for their constant love and support.
Instagram: @matthewmccoy_
ALEXANDRA MELROSE
Mrs./Harriet, u/s Old Lady/Blair Daniels, Nurse
Pasadena Playhouse debut! National Tour: Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary (Factory Girl/Mme. Thénardier cover) Regional: Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts) Tuacahn Center for the Arts & La Mirada Theatre; School of Rock (Rosalie Mullins), Wonderland (Mad Hatter), and Mary Poppins (Mrs. Brill) Tuacahn Center for the Arts; Passion (Fosca’s Mother) Boston Court Pasadena; Mamma Mia! (Rosie) Totem Pole Playhouse; Master Class (Sharon Graham) Northern Stage; Caraboo (Jenny) Goodspeed Opera House; Sinatra (Singer) Radio City Music Hall. Workshops: Prelude to a Kiss (South Coast Repertory) and Woodstock (Pre-Broadway).
Training: Samuel Beckett Theatre (Dublin, Ireland), NYU/Tisch (BFA), Groundlings. Thanks to Sarna and KMR. Love to Ron and my family. Twitter/Instagram: @lexmelrose. Website: AlexandraMelrose.com.
BRIANNA PEMBER
Ensemble, u/s Celeste#1/Waitress , Nurse, Louise
Brianna (she/her) is elated to be making her debut with Pasadena Playhouse! She is currently pursuing her BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Southern California and will be graduating in the spring. She was last seen in USC’s productions of Into the Woods (The Baker’s Wife), and A Chorus Line (Maggie).
JULIANA SLOAN
Celeste #1/Waitress, u/s Yvonne/Naomi
Juliana is overjoyed to be in this special show. Theater credits include: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie, 1st National Tour); Sweeney Todd (Johanna, South Coast Repertory); M. Butterfly (Rene/pin-up girl, South Coast Repertory); Les Miserables (Eponine, Sacramento Music Circus); Saved (Lana, Playwrights Horizons); and Grammynominated West Side Story (Rosalia, San Francisco Symphony). Juliana voiced Ms. Wendy in Pixar’s Oscar-winning Toy Story 4, recurs on Star vs. The Forces of Evil (Disney XD), Unikitty (Cartoon Network), and sings as Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins - Legacy album, Disney). Television credits include Every Other Holiday (Lifetime) and Songs of a Lifetime (PBS). Love to John!
JIMMY SMAGULA
Mr./Billy
Jimmy most recently completed filming a confidential Warner Bros. feature as well as The Kennedy Center’s production of Guys and Dolls Broadway: Billy Elliot, The Little Mermaid, To Be Or Not To Be, Damn Yankees (Encores), Phantom of the Opera, Man of La Mancha and The Full Monty National tours: Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera. Television: Recurring roles on HBO Max’s Doom Patrol and Showtime’s Black Monday. Also, Oh Jerome No, Better Things, The Sopranos, Grey’s Anatomy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks & Recreation, Erase, Corporate, Bones, Community, Hot in Cleveland, and many more. Film: Rebel in the Rye, The Island, Step up 3, and The Producers Movie Musical. Instagram: @JimmySmagula
JASON MICHAEL SNOW
Franz/Dennis, u/s George
Film/TV: Black Monday (Showtime), The Big Leap (Fox), Special (Netflix), This Is Us (NBC), One Day At A Time (Netflix). NYC/Broadway: The Book of Mormon (Original Broadway Cast), The Spongebob Musical! (Original Cast Recording), South Pacific (Lincoln Center PBS Broadcast), Xanadu (1st National Tour). Voice Over: Frozen (Troll in “Fixer Upper”), South Park, Emmy Nominated Episode“You’re Not Yelping” (Vocalist). YouTube: “Gaston” (Broadway Villains Party), “You’re Nothing Without Me” (Mostly Musicals: Crime Scene).
EMILY TYRA
Yvonne/Naomi
Emily can most recently be seen starring in the independent film Harpoon by Ron Grant, which premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2019. Classically trained as a ballerina, Emily got her start dancing for the Boston Ballet company at the age of 17. On stage, she most recently starred as Cassie in the Signature Theatre’s production of A Chorus Line. She is a consummate triple threat and has already earned herself three Broadway credits for her work in Chaplin, Nice Work If You Can Get It, and Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway. On
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P7
screen, Emily was first cast in a recurring role on the acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire and went on to star in the Starz mini-series Flesh and Bone, created by Moira Walley-Beckett, and in the CBS medical drama Code Black
JAMES LAPINE Book
James Lapine is a playwright and director. On Broadway he has worked with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Passion. He also conceived and directed the musical review Sondheim on Sondheim. With William Finn he created Falsettos, recently revived by Lincoln Center Theater; Little Miss Sunshine; Muscle; and directed Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Other Broadway credits include his play based on Moss Hart’s memoir, Act One (also Lincoln Center Theater), Amour, The Diary of Anne Frank, Golden Child, and Dirty Blonde. He has written the plays Table Settings, Twelve Dreams, The Moment When, Fran’s Bed, and Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing. Lapine has been nominated for eleven Tony Awards, winning on three occasions. He has also been the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Stage Directors Choreographers Foundation’s Mr. Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater, and inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.
STEPHEN SONDHEIM Music and Lyrics
Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994) and Road Show (2008) as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959) and Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Anthologies of his work include Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me A Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99) and Sondheim On Sondheim (2010). He composed the scores of the films Stavisky (1974) and Reds (1981) and songs for Dick Tracy (1990) and the television production Evening Primrose (1966). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: Finishing the Hat (2010) and Look, I Made A Hat (2011). In 2010 Broadway’s Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed The Stephen Sondheim Theatre in his honor; in 2019, London’s Queens Theatre was also renamed the Sondheim.
SARNA LAPINE Director
Sarna is a New York-based director of musicals, operas, and plays. She is currently focused on developing new work as well as radically reimagined revivals.
Recent credits include: Fiddler on the Roof performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra; Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine (Spotlight on Plays); the world premiere of Kate Hamill’s Dracula (Classic Stage Company); the New York premiere of Kate Hamill’s Little Women (Primary Stages); as well as The Rape of Lucretia (Boston Lyric Opera), named Best Opera of 2019 by the Boston Globe.
Sarna directed the critically-acclaimed Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford, which reopened the Hudson Theatre on Broadway.
In addition to working on Broadway, Sarna has worked regionally, Off-Broadway and internationally, including the Japanese premiere of Anna Ziegler’s Photograph 51. Touring productions include: the North American tour and Japanese premiere of The National Theatre’s WarHorse; Dirty Dancing North American tour; and the second national tour of Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony Award winning revival, South Pacific. Concerts include: 4-Stars in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan; two Sondheim concerts with the Boston Pops starring Ruthie Ann Miles, Carmen Cusack and Phillip Boykin; as well as Sondheim on Sondheim at The Hollywood Bowl, starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jonathan Groff and Vanessa Williams.
Sarna has been a guest artist at Juilliard, Fordham University, the Hartt School at University of Hartford, and BMI. She has been a guest speaker at Rutgers University, CalArts, and Mountview Academy, and has taught at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. She holds an MFA in film from Columbia University.
Her first documentary short film My Saraab, about a political refugee from Iraq, won best short film at the Northwest Film Forum in 2005 and was accepted at the Big Sky Documentary film festival, Beverly Hills Shorts Festival, Arab & Iranian Film Festival, and Northwest Folklife.
Sarna served as Bartlett Sher’s assistant and associate director on Lincoln Center Theater’s Broadway productions of The Light in the Piazza; South Pacific; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown; and Awake and Sing!.
Before a career in theater, Sarna worked in arts and outdoor education in Seattle, WA. She was a mountaineering and rock-climbing guide for the Pacific Northwest Outward Bound School, as well as Program Director for a nonprofit called Powerful Voices, designed to teach sex education to girls in the juvenile justice system. Sarna transformed the latter program through a new curriculum promoting self-expression through the arts. In conjunction with a researcher at the University of Washington, she helped address teen motherhood, addiction, and sexual assault issues.
P8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
ANDY EINHORN Music Director
Broadway (Music Director/Conductor): Carousel, Hello, Dolly!, Holiday Inn, Bullets Over Broadway, Cinderella, Brief Encounter, Sondheim on Sondheim
Tours: Sound of Music; Hello, Dolly;, Sweeney Todd; The Light in the Piazza; The Lion King. Music director and conductor for Audra McDonald, including two albums. Concert appearances include New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Boston Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra. Pasadena Playhouse/92Y: You, I Like. TV: The Oscars, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Six by Sondheim Honors Graduate: Rice University. Upcoming: Extrapolations (Apple Plus) and Cabrini (Jonathan Sanger).
ALISON SOLOMON Choreographer
Recent/Upcoming Credits: Fiddler on the Roof (featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2nd National Tour, Swing!, Sweeney Todd (Signature Theater), Into the Woods (Guthrie Theater). Associate Choreography Credits include: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Broadway, Australia, 1st National Tour); Gigi; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Smokey Joe’s Cafe; I Married an Angel (City Center); Sweet Charity with Sutton Foster; The Honeymooners; In the Heights (The Kennedy Center). She had the honor of choreographing a spot for Acer Electronics featuring Lauren Froderman (So You Think You Can Dance), Gillian Murphy (American Ballet Theatre), and Ashley Bouder (New York City Ballet). She also assisted on the NFL Super Bowl LII “Dirty Dancing” commercial featuring Odell Beckham Jr. Eli Manning, and the NY Giants. Visit alisolomon.com for more.
BEOWULF BORITT Scenic Design
29 Broadway designs include: the Tony Awardwinning set for Act One, the Tony nominated sets for The Scottsboro Boys, Therese Raquin, Potus, and Flying Over Sunset. Also on Broadway, Sarna Lapine’s production of Sunday in the Park with George, The Piano Lesson, Come From Away, Freestyle Love Supreme, Be More Chill, The New One, Bernhardt/Hamlet, Meteor Shower, A Bronx Tale, Prince Of Broadway, Hand To God, Sondheim On Sondheim, The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee, LoveMusik, Rock Of Ages, Chaplin, On The Town, Bronx Bombers, Grace, and The Two And Only. His book about Broadway set design, Transforming Space Over Time, is available wherever books are sold.
CLINT RAMOS
Costume Design
Clint is a designer, advocate, and creative producer. He has designed over two hundred theater, opera, and dance productions. Recent designs for the stage include: KPOP, Slave Play, The Rose Tattoo,
Eclipsed, Once On This Island, Sunday in the Park with George, Torch Song, Here Lies Love. Film credits include: Production Design for Lingua Franca by Isabel Sandoval for Netflix; and costume design for RESPECT, the Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson for MGM. Clint’s lifelong advocacy is for an equitable landscape in theater and film for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and for the rights of immigrants. @clintramos
KEN BILLINGTON Lighting Design
Ken has over 100 Broadway shows to his credit, including the original Sweeney Todd, Waitress, Sunday in the Park with George (2008 & 2017) Act One, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Footloose. His Tony-Award lighting for Chicago has been seen in 36 countries. This winter season includes: The Secret Garden at the Ahmanson Theatre; the new Broadway musical New York, New York; and the West End Production of Crazy for You. Other Projects: Hugh Jackman in Concert, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Fantasmic! at Disneyland, and award winning architectural lighting for work NYC’s Tavern on the Green. Ken is a member of the Theatre Hall of Fame.
DANNY ERDBERG
Sound Design
Danny is thrilled to return to Pasadena Playhouse where he designed Head over Heels. New York: The Public Theater, New York City Opera, 92Y, Roundabout Theatre Company, City Center, Atlantic Theater Company, and 59E59 Theaters. Regional: Arena Stage, Arizona Theater Company, Geva Theatre Center, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Geffen Playhouse, ACT Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Saratoga Opera, Virginia Stage, and Long Wharf, as well as productions in Korea, Japan, China, Canada, and Cuba. Broadway Associate: The Iceman Cometh (Tony Nom), Significant Other, Violet, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Heiress, and The Nance (Tony Win). Danny is a member of IATSE, USA829, SDC and the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab. Graduate of Northwestern University.
URSULA KWONG-BROWN
Sound Design
Ursula is excited to return to Pasadena Playhouse following last year’s production of Head Over Heels. Previous designs include: Holiday at Arena Stage, King Lear at the Wallis Annenberg, The Wickhams at Arizona Theatre Company, Native Gardens at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, and the world premiere of Stonewall with NYC Opera. As a composer, her work has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Miller Theatre, Le Poisson Rouge, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery in London, as well as by festivals and ensembles across the country and around the world. Ursula received her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and her B.A. from Columbia University. More info at www.ursulakwongbrown.com.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P9
WHO’S WHO
TAL YARDEN Projection Design
Broadway: Network, The Waverly Gallery, Indecent, Sunday in the Park with George, The Crucible. OffBroadway: Becky Nurse of Salem, Hamlet, Enemy of the People, Antigone, The Damned, Kings of War, The Fountainhead, Roman Tragedies, King Lear, Distracted, Lazarus, Liberty City, The Misanthrope Regional: A Walk on the Moon, Ocean Filibuster, Passing Strange, Frost/Nixon. London: Get Up, Stand Up, Anna X, My Brilliant Friend. Opera: Exterminating Angel, Between Worlds, Mahagonny, Salome, Brokeback Mountain, Macbeth. Video: Pat McGrath, Rick Owens, Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, James Brown, Patti Smith. Awards: Molière Award, Lucille Lortel Award. Nominations: Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Henry Hewes Design Award, Outer Critics Circle Award.
CHRISTOPHER ENLOW
Wig Design
Christopher is an IATSE hairstylist with Local’s 706, and 798. Before returning to Los Angeles in 2020, Christopher was in New York City refining his skills as a production hairstylist. He worked with incredible Broadway designers such as David Brian Brown, Charles Lapointe, and Josh Marquette to name a few. With 14 Broadway credits and several in film/tv, he returned to the west coast to be closer to family. Christopher happily returns to Pasadena Playhouse after his Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Award nomination for the design of last season’s production of Head Over Heels. Broadway Credits: Mama Mia, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Kinky Boots, Lion King, Gigi, On Your Feet, War Paint, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Waitress, Anastasia, The Prom, The Inheritance, and Diana: The Musical
LISA ANN CHERNOFF
Stage Manager
Most recently worked on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in San Francisco. Broadway: The Great Society, My Fair Lady, Oslo, The King & I, The Bridges of Madison County, Golden Boy, Catch Me If You Can, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Ragtime, Shrek. Off-Broadway: Unknown Soldier; Pocatello; Detroit; Rapture, Blister, Burn, Prayer for My Enemy (Playwrights Horizons), Mary Jane (New York Theatre Workshop), Kingdom Come (Roundabout Theatre Company), The Model Apartment (Primary Stages), King Lear (The Public Theater). Regional: Once Upon a One More Time (Shakespeare Theatre Company). National Tour: Spamalot. UK: My Fair Lady
KALEIGH BERNIER
Assistant Stage Manager
Broadway: True Crime Obsessed on Broadway, A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Doubtfire, Be More Chill
Off-Broadway: Lincoln Center, Atlantic Theater Company, Irish Repertory Theater, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. Regional: The Notebook (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Soft Power (Center Theatre Group), Title of Show (Warren Miller Performing Arts Center) and various shows at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Fordham University Graduate. All my love to my parents, Nick and Granny! @blockislandcharcuterie
MIKAYLA BETTNER
Assistant Stage Manager
Mikayla is excited to be at Pasadena Playhouse for the first time. Recent credits include Metamorphoses (ASM) at A Noise Within, A Christmas Carol 2022, Animal Farm (Deck Crew/ Carpenter) at A Noise Within. She would like to thank her family and friends, and Lisa for everything.
THE TELSEY OFFICE Casting
With offices in both New York and Los Angeles, The Telsey Office casts for theater, film, television, and commercials. The Telsey Office is dedicated to creating safe, equitable, and anti-racist spaces through collaboration, artistry, heart, accountability, and advocacy.
MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL
Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theaters from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theater as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theaters in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theater, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior™ shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
P10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Chair
Dennis Cornell
Erin Baker
Treasurer
Ken McCormick
Secretary
Sheri Ball
TRUSTEES
Erin Baker
Sheri Ball
MaryLou Boone
Dennis Cornell
Brandon Dickerson
Peggy Ebright
Danny Feldman
Beth Fernandez
Sheila Grether-Marion
Julie A. Gutierrez
Cristina Hernandez
Melanie Holden
Jane Kaczmarek
Brad King
Harmon Kong
Jim McCarthy
Ken McCormick
Alfred Molina
Leigh T. Olivar
Bingo Roncelli
Jeff Smith
Lilah Stangeland
Ann Sunshine
Patricia Barajas Tavera
CHAIR EMERITI
David M. Davis
David DiCristofaro
Michele Dedeaux Engemann
Kerry McCluggage
BOARD EMERITI
Valerie Amidon
Carol Burnett
Linda Griffey
Ralph Hirschmann
Frank Kleemann
Dennis Lowe
Tad Lowrey
Rao Makineni
Abel Ramirez
Kathy Arntzen Roat
Anne Rothenberg
Lyn Spector
Elliot Stahler
Corky Hale Stoller
Mike Stoller
Greg Stone
Leslie Tolan
Martha Williamson
IN MEMORIAM
David Angell
Theodore Fitch Behr
Betty Ann Koen Brooks
Albert Lowe
Margaret Sedenquist
Roger Stangeland
James Watterson
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P11
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MEMBERS
Donations reflect gifts given between August 8, 2022, and January 6, 2023.
Contributions received after January 6, 2023 will be acknowledged in the next program.
THE BRAD & PAMELA KING HONORARY PRODUCERS CIRCLE
SUSTAINER $100,000+
Anonymous
Erin & Jeremy Baker
Brad & Pamela King
Terri & Jerry Kohl
LEADER $50,000+
Ellen & Harvey Knell
Leigh T. & Harry Olivar
Bill Resnick & Michael J. Stubbs
SPONSOR $25,000+
Anonymous
Avery & Andrew Barth
Dennis Cornell
Julie & Don Hopf
Harmon & Lea Kong
Michele & Roger Engemann
Michael Mackness & Eric Sigg
Tracy & Ken McCormick
Diana J. Sedenquist / Sedenquist Family Trust
Lilah Stangeland
Ann & Steven Sunshine
BACKSTAGE SOCIETY MEMBERS
$10,000+
Anonymous
Chantal & Steve Bennett
The Sahan Daywi Foundation
Susan Dietz & Lenny Beer
Heather & Paul Haaga
Cristina Hernandez & Jeffrey Bernstein
Elisabeth Hunt
Jane Kaczmarek
Jennifer Lee & Alfred Molina
Donna J. Leonhard
Tad Lowrey
Sheila Grether-Marion & Mark Marion
Sarah & Eric Miller
Wendy Munger & Lenny Gumport
Bingo & Gino Roncelli
Dr. Frank & Shelley Williams
SPOTLIGHT MEMBERS $5,000+
The Caplin Foundation
Stephanie & Leo Dencik
Gail & Jim Ellis
Dr. Annette Ermshar & Associates
Dorothy Falcinella
Brenda & Bill Galloway
Beth Gertmenian
Kate & Kristopher Good / WHH Foundation
Debra L. Grieb & John Mickus
Alan Keith & Richard Brand
Christopher Kreiling & Ruben Hassel
Janet & David Lazier
Megan Mekjian & Christian Hall
Robert J. Muehlhausen
David Nagy
Dr. Stephen Henry & Rudy O’Claray
Lyn Spector
Karin & Sean Stellar
Amy Stephens
Barajas Tavera Family
Robert & Lynn Traver
Judy Waller
Mickey & Nickie Williams
PREMIER MEMBERS $2,500+
JoJeanne Angeloff
Carol M. & Barrett P. Bingaman
Meta & Jay Berger
Z. Clark Branson
Mary Lou Byrne & Gary W. Kearney
Kevin Callahan & John Sims
Mary Lea & Bill Carroll
Susan & Steve Chandler
Joe & Dottie Clougherty
Lynn & Carl Cooper
Brandon & Chelsea Dickerson
Patti & Jim Dolan
Anne Dougherty & David Dobrikin
Michael Enomoto
Judith & Stanley Farrar
Ms. Vivien Stanley Foran & Dr. William F. Foran
Beth & Rob Hansen
Philip Hawkey & Dena Spanos-Hawkey
Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation Donor Advised Fund
Chris & Melanie Holden
Richard Kaplan
Heather Lord & Jason Wolenik
Shelly & Dennis Lowe
Greta & Peter Mandell
Luke Maxcy
Thomas & Samira Moran
Ceil & Wendell Mortimer
Richard Motika & Jerrie Whitfield
Ainhoa Moya
Nancy & Phil Naecker
Richel & Kenneth Nash
Richard Oosterom & William Ferry
J.R. & Chip Ossman
Garrett Paine & June Thurber Paine
Faryn Pearl
Barbara & Tony Phillips
Sarah & Daniel Rothenberg
Susan J. Shieldkret
Laurie & Jeffrey Smith
Kristan & Philip A. Swan
Thomas Castñeda & Richard von Ernst
Nicole & Bernhard von Thaden
Marianne Wallace
Steven Warheit & Jean Christensen
Robert & Deborah Wycoff
James & Beth Zapp
RED CARPET MEMBERS $1,000+
Anonymous
Andy Abowitz
Ellen & Lewis Anten
Sheri & Andy Ball
Susan Bleecker
Paula Brand
E. Thomas Brewer
Diana Buckhantz
Dave & Zoie Carney
Chris & Will Cathcart
Hannah Coan
The Colburn Family Foundation
Phyllis Currie
Derek Whitefield & Gary Dahle
Martha Denzel
Peggy Ebright
Sandy & Mark Esensten
Sue & Jim Femino
Lisa Field
James Flock
Marilyn Louise Flynn
Janis Frame & Sandy Zisman
Dale Franzen
Carole Fritz
Karen Gallagher
Julie A. Gutierrez
Donald & Denise Hahn
Rose Ann Hall
Annette Hanks
Tracy & Richard Hirrel
Gary Hunter
Marie Ida
Gary & Lois Ingham
Lenny & David Kelton
John E. Kinikin
Edward & Joy Klein
Eugene Korney & Penny Grosz
Penelope & Steven Ledbetter
Carl L. Levinger
Diane Martin
Mary Anne Mielke
Carolyn Miller
Joan & Phil Miller
Steven A. & Marianne M. Mills
Sue & Monty Mohrman
Cheryl & Judd Morris
Sharyl Overholser
Teresa Payton
Gloria & Don Pitzer
Lucy Pliskin
Meenakshi Ponnusamy
Don Riddell & Sharon Valdez
Mark Schuster
Jan & Carl Siechert
Janis & Stuart Simon
David & Gail Snyder
Antonia Hernandez & Judge Michael Stern
Donna Stevens
Randall & Mari Tamura
John D. Taylor
Shirlie Thomas
Valerie Gumbiner Weiss
Carl Whidden
Carolyn Wilson & Patrick Connor
Liz & Andy Wilson
Barbara & John Wortmann
Robbie & David Zeidberg
Amy Zeidler
PLAY IT UP DONORS $500+
Anonymous (2)
Don Bacigalupi
Bruce & Judy Bailey
Gary & Shirley Best
Carole Black
Thomas Bogaard
Annette Brandin
John Brinsley
William Brownlie
Geoffrey Cowan & Aileen Adams
Joe Dadourian
Pamela G. Dawber
Debbie DeRing
Harout Dimijian
Kay & Larry Driscoll
Jody Dunn
Janet Ellis
Carol Gabel
Betty Jo Gaddy
Gracella C. Gibbs
Pamela Girard & Shayne Smith
Sue H. Horn
Carolyn V. Horne
Rochelle & Jerome Kaplan
Amy & Alan Karbelnig
P12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kettle
David C. Kramer
Susan Kramer
Clark Linstone
Gerald Loeb & Frances Richmond
Luther & Carol Luedtke
Denise Lumarda
Aaron Mark
Ilene Marshall
Jim & Amanda McCarthy
Joyce McGilvray
Lori A. McKenna
Kelly McKenzie
Christopher Meyer & Gary Holm
Margot & Mitch Milias
Jacquelyn Myers
Charlene B. Nelson
Christine Ofiesh
Janice Ohta & Fred Weiss
Robert Oltman
Michael Oppenheim
Anthony & Carolyn Pearson
Dr. Dianne Philibosian
Andrea & Jeff Pomerance
Lorelle Pouncey
Winnie Reitnouer
Ed & Linda Richmond
Tim & Jeanne Sakata Patterson in honor of Gordon Hirabayashi
San Marino Rotary Charities
Lorraine Schield
John Scott
Betty & John Seinfeld
Robert Sepulveda
Joel Sheldon
Scott Sigman
Adele Skibba
Mark Swenson
Laney Techentin
Brian Thomas
Shannon Thyne
Andrew J. Tiedge
Eileen T’Kaye
Martha Tolles
Anita Tsuji
Robin Underwood & Rebecca Rieck
Greg Vanni
Audrey & George D. Voigt
Carrie Walker
The Wang Family
Jim & Mary Weidner
PLAY IT UP DONORS $250+
Anonymous (2)
Carol Adams
Joan & Andreas Aebi
Sharon Arthofer
Gloria Aviles
Craig Baker
Cynthia Baker
Charles Barnes
Kyle Barnes
Nestor Barrero
Nancy Baxter
Sue Beall
Patricia Beauchamp
Wayne Bemis
Joni & Miles Benickes
Vicki & Robert Bond
Bruce & Mary Ann Boullie
Nancy B. Breaux
Leticia R. Buckley
Jacqueline Burdorf
Barbara Byrne
Andy Cadiff
Ann Pin Cash
Gale Caswell
Karen E. Cera
Shirley Christensen
Jerry Christoff
Michael Churukian
Ross Clark
Craig & Karen Codding
Renate & Mel Cohen
David Coher
Phyllis Crandon
Lori Curry
Jessica David
Marlene Decker
Richard Douglas
Glen & Lorrie Drogin
Lee Edwards
Elaine Enzminger
Richard & Nancy Esbenshade
Margaret J. Fenger
Beth Fernandez
Barbara Ferrer
Frances Ferris
Mary Fox
Robert Galvan
Joseph Gebele
Larry & Ellen Gervase
Patricia Golson
Nan K. Goodman
Rudi Gomez
Bruce Grieve
Janie & Robin Guentert
Dean Hansell
Jerry Haserot
Stephen Henson
Nadia Hillman
Robin Hirabayashi
Rena Hochleitner
Susan Huser
Len Jacoby
Ed Jessup
Jonathan N. Katz
Joseph Keegan
Christopher Kelly
Kathie Kingett
Jay Knight
Michael Korney
Sharon Landa
Xenophon Lang Jr.
Darlene Larin
Eric Laun
Kitty McNamee & Paul Lazarus
Patricia Lee
Roz Lee
Michelle Lesperance
Diane Link
Jonathan Littman
Richard & Miki Lorentz
Rose & Warren Loui
P.K. MacDonald
Magda Manigque
Jamie March
Dorinda Marticorena
Sharon Matsumoto
Diana Matsushima
Barbara Maxwell
Susan Mayeda
Larry McDonald
Robert McManus
Angela & Fritz Miller
Lenika Milne
Natalia Molina
Dulce Moran
Laura Mosqueda
Robert & Terri Mulein
Margaret Murphy
Claudia Myles
Emory Myrick
Clark Nesselrodt
Barbara Nicoll
Robert S. Nishinaka
Diane Oeser
Susan Olson
Patricia O’Toole
Thomas & Cheryl Palfrey
Edward Parker
Catherine Pearman
Yvonne Pine
John Poer
Dimitri D. Portnoi
Thomas Pound
Theresa L. Prevail
Cynthia M. Ramirez
Susan J. Reed
Janet Rice
Don & Susan Riechel
Donald Roback
Linda Roe
Judy Rogers
Lauren Ross
Sue Rottner
Lisa Rowley
Theresa C. Ryan
Edward E. Saborio
Dan Salcido
Cory Sanderson
Charon Sandoval
William Sarget & Nancy Wischhusen
Holly Schlesinger
Georgia Shaver
Gerald Silver
Peter Soelter
Geoffrey Soffer
Marcia Spira
Nadya Starr
Jane Stiglitz
Holly Streem
David & Keppie Sullivan
Valerie Sussman
Pamela Tartaglio
Vicki Thompson
Marion Tropper
John Tuite
Melanie R. Vesey
Timothy Vient
Margaret Villarreal
Justin Wagner
Eric Warren
Lynda Jenner & J. Patrick Whaley
Stephen Wheeler
Laurie Whitcomb
Stephen R. Wilson
Joseph and Alison Winter
Roxanne Wong
Amber & Paul Zeidler
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P13
Want to add your name to the list? Scan the QR code to donate today or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org to learn more.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
Ahmanson Foundation
Ann Peppers Foundation
California Arts Council
California Community Foundation
City of Pasadena
The David Lee Foundation
Fitzberg Foundation
The Green Foundation
The Helen & Will Webster Foundation
Jess & Palma Morgan Foundation
The Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation
L.L. Foundation for Youth
Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Los Angeles County Supervisor
Kathryn Barger, 5th District
Milo W. Bekins Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
Pasadena Community Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Perenchio Foundation
The Rose Hills Foundation
San Marino Rotary Club
The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
CORPORATE SPONSORS
Benny Boy Brewery
East West Bank
Friends of the Pasadena Playhouse
Haute Picnic
Hudson Pacific Properties
Kaiser Permanente
SPACES
US Bank
Vroman’s Bookstore
Contributions received after January 6, 2023 will be acknowledged in the next program
GILMOR BROWN SOCIETY
The Gilmor Brown Society recognizes legacy givers who have honored the Playhouse by including the theater in their own will or trust. We are grateful for the legacy of the following individuals whose generosity allows this organization to continue serving our community
Anonymous
Lenore Almanzar
Ellen Bailey*
In Memory of Judie Bartell
Estate of Evelyn Bray
Darrell Brooke
Marjorie Cates
Ross Clark
Gary Dahle & Derek Whitefield
Estate of Agnes Duncan
Peggy Ebright
Estate of Harriet L. Freeman
Estate of Ada Gory
Linda & Jay Griffey
Virginia Hawkins
Sue Haynie-Horn & John Horn*
Sheila Grether-Marion & Mark Marion
Doug Jones & John Sanger*
Annelies Kischkel
Estate of Pauline Ledeen*
The Joanie Marx Trust
Adele Morse
William & Adele Nevins
Shirli Nielson*
Estate of Charles Pierce
Shirley Reed Trust*
Frederick Ricci*
Estate of Constance Ropolo
A. Jerald Saldana
Estate of Margaret H. Sedenquist*
Sandra Shaw*
Lyn Spector
Lilah & Roger* Stangeland
Estate of Bill Watters
Jim Watterson
Barbara Jean Wolpert
*Gift Realized
P14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Producing Artistic Director
Danny Feldman
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
Chief Financial Officer
Lisa Whitney
Controller
Czarina Luna
Business Manager
Kristen Hammack-Eaton
Facilities Manager
Terry Battocchio
Lead Custodian
Rosa Salcedo
Custodian
Maria Lupe Flores
PRODUCTION/ARTISTIC
Associate Producer
Jenny Slattery
Technical Director / Production Supervisor
Brad Enlow
Company Manager
Bonnie McHeffey
Producing Assistant
Amanda Tralle
Production Assistant
David Kahawaii IV
EDUCATION
Education Manager
Arie Levine
DEVELOPMENT
Chief Development Officer
Alex Wang
Major Gifts Officer
Becky Birdsong
Assistant Director of Events
Sam Palmer
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Kory P. Kelly
Director of Marketing & Communications
Herb Agner
Communications Manager
Omar Avedanke
Marketing Manager
Nelly Mueller
Communications Coordinator
Brandon Karrer
Marketing Coordinator
Abby Green
Graphic Designer
Spencer Berry
Videographer
Nathaniel Peterson
Press Representative
Davidson & Choy Publicity
PATRON SERVICES
Director of Patron Services & Sales
Rachyl Spacca
Patron Services Manager
Kevin Lauver
Patron Services Supervisor
Shelby Amses
Patron Services Associates
Rafael Goldstein, Amanda Kochey, Hannah Tamkin, Theresa WegherThompson, Kyndal Zakarian
Audience Engagement
Carol Osborn
House Managers
Emily Minnotte, Tammi Steren, Mark Walter, Steven Garry
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager
Lisa Ann Chernoff
Assistant Stage Manager
Kaleigh Bernier, Mikayla Bettner
Assistant Director
Brian Eckert
Associate Scenic Designer
Romello Huins
Associate Costume Designer
Camille Benda
Assistant Costume Designer
Edurne Fernandez
Associate Lighting Designer
Jared A. Sayeg, Ed McCarthy
Wig Design
Christopher Enlow
Associate Projection Designer
Elizabeth Barrett
Production Assistant
Mikayla Bettner
Deck Chief
Matt Petosa
Production Electrician
Chris Osborne
Head Electrician
Vsev Krawczeniuk, Keannak Parvaz
Lead Audio
Christian Lee
Lead Audio Engineer
Corey Charness
A2
Marcos Friedman
Video Supervisor
David Patrick
Video Programmer
Jason Thompson
LX Programmer
Chris Osborne
Light Board Operator
Keannak Parvaz
Follow Spot Operators
Kyle Gundlach, Charity Lindsay
Wardrobe Supervisor
Liz Rose
Stitcher
Michele Young
Wigs Supervisor
Jenni Gilbert
Props Head
Douglas Puskas
Lead Scenic Painter
Johnny LeBlanc
Head Carpenter
Sean Lewellyn
Carpenters
Dwight Ortiz, Isa Mistuharu, Marcos
Friedman, Nicolas Chamberlin, Jason
Maradiaga, Charity Lindsay, Nelson
Aranda
Electricians
Matt Petosa, Charity Lindsay, Kyle
Gundlach, Keanu Ross-Cabrera, Evan
Drane, Charles Millican, John Povilaiti, Vanessa Rodriguez
FRIENDS OF THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Beth Fernandez
1st Vice President
Barbara Cruse
2nd Vice President
Nancy Ashcraft
Treasurer
Lawrence Yu Secretary
Sharon Zaslaw
Directors
Doris Arima, Raquel Burgess, Maggie Chatman, Ross Clark, Charles Hay, Karie Henley, Barbara Jacoby, Lillias Krezel, Patti La Marr, Art Leos, Beverly Meissner, Shirley Miller, Emily Minnotte, Patrick Oliva, Fran Olson, Betty Parnell, Natalya Pashkova, Sienna Salce, Tammi Steren, Valerie Vallas, Lawrence Yu
Advisory
Lenore Bond Almanzar, Nancy Ashcraft, Sue HaynieHorn, Carolyn Di Pane
The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
This theater operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
The technical employees of the Pasadena Playhouse are represented by the INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF THEATRICAL STAGE EMPLOYEES, MOVING PICTURE TECHNICIANS, ARTISTS AND ALLIED CRAFTS, OF THE UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES AND CANADA, AFL-CIO,CLC: Local 33 Stagehands, Local 706 Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Local 768 Theatrical Wardrobe Local 800 Art Director’s Guild. The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.
The musicians in this production are members of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47.
Scenic materials and lumber provided by A&G Lumber. Scenic Materials printed and supplied by Rosebrand. Lighting equipment provided by PRG. Projection equipment provided by PXT Studios. Rigging supplies and materials provided by Jack Rubin & Sons. Props package designed and supplied by Kathy Fabian and Propstar. Costumes constructed by John Kristiansen.
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P15
STAFF
IN THE THEATER
FOR EVERYONE’S SAFETY
We take your health very seriously and want to ensure you have a safe, as well as fun visit to the Playhouse. We strongly encourage all patrons to wear a mask during performances, but it is not required at this time. For more details on our COVID-19 policy, and for our most up-to-date guidelines, visit pasadenaplayhouse.org/covid-19.
FOR EVERYONE’S ENJOYMENT
As a courtesy to the artists and patrons, we ask you to please turn off cell phones, all electronic devices and anything that may light up the area around you prior to the performance. Please refrain from talking and any disruptive noise-making during the performance. Neither photography nor the use of electronic recording devices are allowed during performances.
LATE ARRIVALS
In consideration of our artists and patrons, late seating will take place during the first appropriate break in the performance at the discretion of Management. House Management may need to direct late arrivals to alternate seats. For the convenience of latecomers, the performance in progress may be viewed and heard on the monitors in the lobby.
RESTROOMS
Restrooms, including accessible facilities, are available in the lobby 45 minutes before each performance. We invite you to use whichever restroom you are comfortable using. We offer all-gender restrooms upstairs in the Carrie Hamilton lobby. Please see House Management if you would like to be directed to these restrooms at any time during your visit.
AGE RESTRICTIONS
Children under age 6 will not be admitted into the theater. We ask that everyone in your party, regardless of age, be able to sit quietly through a performance without disrupting other patrons or the artists. Patrons of all ages must have a ticket to enter the theater and must sit in the seat indicated on the ticket.
ACCESSIBILITY
We are committed to making theater accessible to all patrons. Assisted-listening devices can be checked out in the lobby before the performance using a photo ID. The third Sunday matinee performance for every Mainstage production offers Open Captioning. For more information regarding accommodations and services, please contact Patron Services or ask the House Manager.
PRODUCTION ADVISORY
We do not offer advisories about the subject matter for each production, as sensitivities vary from patron to patron. If you have any inquiries regarding the content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that may affect patron comfort, please contact Patron Services or a House Manager before the performance begins.
CONTACT PATRON SERVICES
Email boxoffice@pasadenaplayhouse.org
Phone 626-356-7529
PHONE HOURS
Tuesday - Saturday 12 PM - 6 PM Sunday 12 PM - 4 PM
BOX OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday - Saturday 12 PM - 6 PM Sunday 12 PM - 4 PM
On performance days, the Box Office windows will remain open 15 minutes after the show begins.
Please note hours are subject to change due to observed holidays.
SOCIAL HANDLES
P16 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Playhouse
pasadenaplayhouse
@pasadenaplayhouse Pasadena
@pasplayhouse @
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number DRE 00558939 | DRE 01750717. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. *Source: RealTrends 500, 2021 closed sales volume. Sally Forster Jones | Tomer Fridman AWARD-WINNING LUXURY AGENTS AT THE #1 BROKERAGE IN THE COUNTRY * SALLYANDTOMER.COM INFO@SALLYANDTOMER.COM DRE 00558939 | DRE 01750717 $1.3B+ COMBINED 2021 SALES VOLUME $15B+ COMBINED CAREER SALES VOLUME
Distinctive Details
aesthetics and the company’s commitment to craftsmanship. Will Zhang, Emtek’s director of design and product innovation, is passionate about reimagining the role hardware plays in residential design.
“Hardware has traditionally been an afterthought,” says Zhang, who believes it should be considered early in the design process. “We position hardware at the forefront of projects and believe that it’s an extension of your personal style … the ‘jewelry’ of the home.
“I consider trends while designing, but more important are adaptability and versatility.“
More critical than styles, Zhang suggests, are products crafted with a well-proportioned hand feel and weight, products as artistic as they are functional.
SOPHISTICATED DESIGNERS recognize that details can greatly enhance living spaces, and that hardware—items such as door handles, switch plates, even hinges or door stoppers—can have a disproportionate impact on a room’s
aesthetics. In the right hands, those seemingly pedestrian products can be downright glamorous.
Hardware products from Emtek, manufactured-to-order locally, are favored by architects and interior designers because of their refined
“There’s a new shift towards making a big statement with your hardware,” the designer continues, noting current preferences for longer door and cabinet pulls as well as pivot doors.
“In recent years, people have been more willing to take risks with their hardware choices,” says Zhang. He insists that not everything needs to match and that traditional and modern styles can
PHOTOS COURTESY EMTEK
DESIGN
Emtek designers and craftsmen transform utilitarian hardware into miniature masterpieces. / by roger grody /
18 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Rustic-modern door handle in rich, blackened finish.
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 19
Opposite: Limitededition Galapagos Project, made using 3D printing technology.
DESIGN 20 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Kitchen cabinetry enhanced by Emtek hardware
artistically coexist. “People want more unique options, more dimension and personality in their homes.“
Particularly compelling is Emtek’s Spoke series of door handles, contemporary wheel-shaped knobs with a single rung connected to a central rod. Though their minimalist, paredback presence is a natural for modern architectural environments, they also work well in vintage homes.
“I consider the Spoke knob to be sort of a deconstruction of the concept of hardware,” Zhang confides. A passionate cyclist, he sought a new way to apply the ancient wheel concept to contemporary design. Choice of finishes can transform Spoke products, Zhang explains. “A more traditional choice such as unlacquered brass, with a classic-
style rosette like our new Watford, can warm up a modern design.”
The Galapagos Project, a limitededition series of handles with elegantly organic lines, represents Emtek’s foray into 3D printing technology. By creating its own algorithms, the company’s designers were able to produce a seemingly infinite number of patterns reflecting nature's random variations.
The experiment suggests that cutting-edge technology is not necessarily an anathema to artisanal craftsmanship.
“Customization is at the core of what we do and our design philosophy adheres to that principle,” says Zhang. Emtek allows clients to tailor hardware selections to other design elements, from lighting to wallpaper.
Local interior designers and architects, such as Silver Lake-based Swike Design, have discovered that Emtek provides an excellent way to express their visions.
“Emtek’s products are designed for the homeowner with a keen eye," Swike founder Sarah Weichel says, "yet built with quality materials you can depend on long term.”
“I actually like to think of the way I design to be very ‘L.A.,’” states Zhang, a native Angeleno who says he draws creative energy from his hometown.
“I’m constantly inspired by the city, and by all its unique details that come together to form a patchwork of amazing, cohesive diversity.”
Emtek 800.356.2741, emtek.com
Los Angeles Jewish Health is Energizing Senior
The evolution of our name from the Los Angeles Jewish Home to Los Angeles Jewish Health reflects the full spectrum of our comprehensive, awardwinning programs and services. Los Angeles Jewish Health has grown from a group of caring neighbors providing shelter, to a leading non-profit senior care organization.
Our mission remains the same: to deliver excellence in senior care for all, rooted in Jewish values. With more than 100 years of trusted care, we meet you where you are in life to provide a customized experience that’s right for you.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Life!
Independent Living
Assisted Living
Senior Behavioral Health
•
•
Short-Term Rehabilitation
Skilled Nursing
•
PACE
Hospice & Palliative Care
Nursing School
Geriatric Health
Memory Care
One call does it all 855.227.3745
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 21
www.lajhealth.org
SPIRIT FORWARD
Paso Robles is not just for wine anymore.
TRAVEL 22 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
/ by benjamin epstein /
Wine not your thing?
Consider
… Paso Robles!
Though the enological stature of the town, midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, has skyrocketed, what’s also exploded of late are venues and activities for the most part unrelated to wine.
An obvious example: Bruce Munro: Light at Sensorio, a massive outdoor exhibit “infusing culture in valleys of viticulture,” wrote The New York Times.
The otherworldly walk-through experience features 58,000 illuminated stemmed spheres; Munro’s Light Towers—69 towers made of 17,000 wine bottles and ethereally morphing optic fibers—was added in 2021.
Otherworldy outdoor exhibit Bruce Munro: Light at Sensorio
COURTESY SENSORIO PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 23
Bar next door. Pizzas made with 72-hour coldfermented dough include chef Cory Bidwell’s Smoke Show with smoked short rib, pickled pineapple and roasted jalapeño.
But first, design your own gin and tonic: Choose among 60 gins, choose your premium tonic, choose your aromatic garnishes.
Cane Tiki Room, from the owners of nearby FishGaucho and Eleven Twenty Two Speakeasy, is filled with tiki and nautical artifacts; it presents one of the state’s largest rum collections as well as pupu plates. A system of skull-and-crossbones suggest the drinks’ strength; ”watch out”
Bond Furs ANNUAL PRIVATE SALE SATURDAY & SUNDAY DECEMBER 7 th & 8 th 626.471.9912 bondfurs.com 114 W. Lime Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016 Custom Designed or Ready Made Garments, Alterations, Restyling, Storage, Cleaning & Glazing. COURTESY DELLA'S TRAVEL
COURTESY IMAGES 24 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Build-your-own gin and tonics at Della's
THE STORY THAT DEFINED A GENERATION. AN UNMISSABLE WORLD PREMIERE.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, the hardened hearts and aching souls of Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade and their chosen family of ‘outsiders’ are in a fight for survival and a quest for purpose in a world that may never accept them. A story of the bonds that brothers share and the hopes we all hold on to, this gripping new musical reinvigorates the timeless tale of ‘haves and have nots’, of protecting what’s yours and fighting for what could be.
BEGINS FEB 19
TICKETS WILL SELL OUT!
PRODUCTION SPONSORS
TRAVEL
ESMAIL / FAURÉ
Open since 2020, The Alchemists’ Garden is known for its highly original cocktails, organized by the classics that inspired them, plus upwards of 150 sipping spirits and a globally inspired menu.
New at the Garden: The Remedy, a higherend-spirits lounge within the lounge offering cocktails using techniques of molecular gastronomy.
There’s also news in fine dining: In Bloom, now marking one year, earned Michelin recognition after a mere six months.
Abdiel Gonzalez,
*Commissioned through a generous gift from Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting.
COURTESY IN BLOOM 26 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
MARCH
Conductors GRANT GERSHON, KIKI & DAVID GINDLER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JENNY WONG, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 62 singers, soloists, tabla, percussion, chamber orchestra LAMASTERCHORALE.ORG TICKETS START AT $45 213-972-7282 REENA ESMAIL World Premiere* GABRIEL FAURÉ Requiem in D Minor Addy Sterrett, soprano
26, baritone
2023
Creating rich tapestries of sound through Indian and Western classical music traditions, Reena Esmail, Swan Family Artist-in-Residence, explores the theme of water in her world premiere. Esmail’s exquisite piece is paired with Fauré’s stunning showcase of the human voice.
for the Zombie-inspired 28 Ingredients Later.
Chris and Nicole Haisma’s endeavor stars chef Kenny Seliger; signature dishes include a panzanella with cotton candy grapes, red grapes, fried capers and whipped burrata. Haisma spins vinyl nightly; an elderflower smoke bubble tops the Led Zeppelininspired Rover cocktail.
Corn cappelletti, pickled Fresno chile, corn relish and corn nage at new In Bloom
For 50 years, California Institute of the Arts has been a place where creative individuals come together to experiment, practice, teach, and learn as a community of artists. Their impact and influence have transformed the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and beyond.
As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we look to our artists to challenge what has come before and show us what could be for generations to come.
Celebrating California Institute of the Arts’ 50th Anniversary
O ering undergraduate and graduate degrees in: Art • Critical Studies • Dance • Film/Video • Music • Theater
Top right: Fall 2022 photoshoot for The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts. Photo: Josh Rose.
Bottom right: From The School of Theater’s production of The Glass Mountain
calarts.edu
At left: From a CalArts School of Art Practicum course titled, Waste Not
Lovers of the performing arts might head for the new subterranean jazz club Libretto
Center stage is a historic Steinway grand, owner Corey Jordan's personal piano, one of several he has tucked away about town; Jordan creates riffs for film soundtracks by day.
Upcoming acts at Libretto include the Melissa Morgan Quartet on Feb. 18 and the John Proulx Trio Feb. 25.
Performing-arts lovers might stay at new Piccolo, just off the treelined square. It shares ownership with adjacent Paso Robles Inn, which opened in 1891; details such as exposed brick walls are a nod to the inn’s rich history. Custom pieces by local artisans— a blacksmith’s chandeliers, a 76-foot mural—fill the boutique property.
Piccolo hits a high note with Tetto, the city’s only rooftop bar.
Piccolo is not the city’s first musically themed hotel. The Allegretto Vineyard Resort, filled with art and artifacts, was the area’s most significant new destination since the Paso Robles Inn when it opened in 2015; Cello Ristorante & Bar is its fine dining room.
It’s minutes from Sensorio
KAHANE PLAYS KAHANE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT (213) 221-3920 LACO.ORG MAR 11 ROYCE HALL 8 P.M. MAR 12 ALEX THEATRE 7 P.M. CHRISTOPHER ROUNTREE conductor GABRIEL KAHANE composer JEFFREY KAHANE piano
TRAVEL 28 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
Saturday, March 4, 2023 7:30 pm
Vibrant opera star Angela Gheorghiu returns with an unmatched repertoire, including Handel, Strauss, Tosti, Massenet, and more.
Celebrity Opera Recitals at BroadStage are supported by a generous gift from the Lloyd E. Rigler — Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation. broadstage.org
GLYNDEBOURNE, GARSINGTON & LONDON FESTIVALS
June 18 – 30, 2023
GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL: L’ELISIR D’AMORE; & DON GIOVANNI (New Production).
LONDON (Royal Opera– Covent Garden): WERTHER (Kaufmann); IL TROVATORE.
GARSINGTON FESTIVAL: ARIADNE AUF NAXOS; & Mozart’s MITRIDATE, RE DI PONTO. HOLLAND PARK FESTIVAL: RIGOLETTO. PLUS - A West End Musical (TBA). – 5-Star Hotels –Grand Hotel – Eastbourne Sussex; The May Fair – London
MILAN & VERONA
June 29 – July 10, 2023
MILAN (La Scala): MACBETH (Netrebko); & Prokofiev’s ROMEO & JULIET BALLET. VERONA (Arena): CARMEN; RIGOLETTO; LA TRAVIATA; & AIDA (New Production).
– 5-Star Hotels –Grand Hotel– Milan; Due Torri– Verona
–Orchestra Tickets to Performances––Selected Gourmet Meals & Wine––Customized Sightseeing and Excursions–
March 24, 2023 Patti LaBelle Melissa Etheridge 323-343-6600 April 22, 2023 theluckman.org media partner TICKETS ON SALE NOW DISCOVER OUR FULL SEASON AT THELUCKMAN.ORG INTERNATIONAL CURTAIN CALL 2023 Deluxe Opera & Music Tours LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE Contact International Curtain Call 3313 Patricia Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90064 Ph: (310) 204-4934; (888) 354-0250 E-Mail: Icctours1@aol.com
“alluring and expressive”
–The New York Times
Celebrity Opera is back!
Angela Gheorghiu
PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 29
Photo by Cosmin Gogu
FEATURE
SYMPHONY SERIES AT AMBASSADOR AUDITORIUM
SCHEHERAZADE
FEBRUARY 11, 2023
BEETHOVEN & RACHMANINOFF
MARCH 18, 2023
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
APRIL 29, 2023
/CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
strong actors for that very reason, affirms Darryl Archibald, the show’s musical director.
“There’s so much exposition, information where the audience gets to find out about each character and how they feel, through their songs,” he says of the story of mismatched lovers; the book is by Hugh Wheeler. “There are not a lot of songs that sit there, that simply are just fun songs.”
This 50th anniversary production will use Jonathan Tunick’s original orchestrations, but with an expanded string section. “There’s this wonderful grandness to the music,” says Archibald, who was musical director for the Playhouse’s 2019 production of Ragtime and is musical director for Broadway’s Some Like It Hot. “We want to hear the music to its fullest—it’s
FIRST U.S. PRODUCTION OUTSIDE OF BROADWAY DIRECTED BY KRISTIANNE KURNER a"…atonceashiverysuspenser,ahearthsidefamilyportrait, politicaltragedyandjourneyacrossmythicseas." —Ben Brantley, The New York Times WWW.NEWVILLAGEARTS.ORG 760.433.3245 TICKET INFO THE DEAHURSTON NEWVILLAGEARTS CENTER 2787STATEST. | CARLSBAD,CA 92008 2019 Tony Award Winner Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play during its West End run and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Desk Awards for Best Play for its Broadway run FEB4 –MAR5
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! PASADENASYMPHONY-POPS.ORG | 626.793.7172
22
23
UNSUK CHIN Subito con forza ELGAR Cello Concerto RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade
HUANG RUO Folk Songs for Orchestra RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 “Erotica”
30 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
GERSHWIN An American in Paris BARBER Violin Concerto CARLOS SIMON The Block RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
important that we go all out to help support what we’re going to see onstage.”
And what we’re going to hear, of course; with the show not yet cast at press time, Archibald hopes to have operatic voices for the Greek chorus-like group of singers known as the Quintet.
Feldman believes that the celebration may well be cathartic for audience members still mourning Sondheim’s loss, no matter which event.
“There are many ways people can grieve,” Feldman says. “I think one of the most beautiful is to have an audience full of folks who felt so connected to this work—giving them an opportunity to come together and experience it as a community in an act of honoring.
“I’m humbled by the opportunity that we have to do it.”
GETTY IMAGES
2022 / 2023 SEASON TICKETS START AT $25! FEBRUARY 11, 14, 17 & 19 A hysterical comedy, a heartbreaking tragedy, from one of the greatest composers of all time. Visit sdopera.org or call 619-533-7000 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 31
Stephen Sondheim
reprogrammed !
Performances Magazine unveils a digital program platform for shows and concerts
SIGN IN
CONTRIBUTORS
NO RUSTLING PAGES, no killing trees . . . Of all the innovations to have come out of the pandemic, the new Performances program platform, accessed on any digital device, may be least likely to disappear in the foreseeable future. Not only had its time come—it had been long overdue.
Performances provides the programs for 20 SoCal performingarts organizations, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Ahmanson to San Diego Opera, where the app made its debut.
The touchless platform provides cast and player bios, donor and season updates and arts-centric features. Audiences receive a link and code word that instantly activate the app; QR codes are posted, too.
Screens go dark when curtains rise and return with the house lights. Updates—repertory changes, understudy substitutions, significant donations—can be made right up to showtime, no inserts necessary.
Other features include video and audio streams, translations and expanded biographies.
For those who consider printed programs keepsakes, a limited number, as well as commemorative issues for special events, continue to be produced. Collectibles!
Meanwhile, there is less deforestation, consumption of petroleum inks and programs headed for landfills. For the ecologically minded, the platform gets a standing ovation.
Theaters and concert halls reopened after a long intermission. Stages are live, the excitement is back. Activate your link and enjoy the shows. —CALEB WACHS
COURTESY L.A. PHIL PARTING THOUGHT
REGISTER Stay arts-engaged, access past programs.
THE ESSENTIALS Acts, scenes, synopses, repertory and notes.
Donors and sponsors who make it all possible—you!
THE PLAYERS Bios and background for cast, crew and creators.
WHAT’S ON What’s coming at a glance and ticket information.
Link to your performing-arts companies and venues. SEARCH Find whatever it is you want to know—easily.
32 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
DROP DOWN MENU Table of app contents.
Wed Feb 15 | 8pm
Filharmonie Brno: Janáček, Martinů and Dvořák
Dennis Russell Davies, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director
Sat Feb 18 | 8pm
Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
Thu Feb 23 | 8pm
Treelogy: A Musical Portrait of California’s Redwood, Sequoia and Joshua Trees
Sat Mar 4 | 3pm
Yamato – The Drummers of Japan
Hinotori: The Wings of Phoenix
Renowned composers Billy Childs, Steven Mackey, and Gabriella Smith — all with deep California roots of their own — have each composed original music for this three-part concert. Commissioned, produced, and presented by The Soraya, Treelogy is a celebration and a call to action to save California’s beloved and iconic trees.
Yamato
Filharmonie Brno
A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham
Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2023 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. CalRE# #030716398 JadeMillsEstates.com | 310.285.7508 Encourage Creativity Support the Arts