15 minute read
Arts
Chandler actress in running for Jimmy Award
BY ASHLYN ROBINETTE
Staff Writer
A Chandler performer won the ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards and is now nominated for best actress at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards – otherwise known as The Jimmy Awards.
Kristiana Corona, a recent Hamilton High School graduate, was awarded Best Lead Female for her performance of Ellie Blake in “Freaky Friday” by the seventh annual ASU Gammage HSMTA, which took place in a hybrid, livestreamed format.
Now, she hopes to win best actress at the 12th Jimmy Awards, which will be streamed July 15 at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s a crazy competition,” Corona said. “All the kids that are up for the awards are the best of the best. It’s been fun so far and I’m excited to see what happens.”
The ASU Gammage program is a regional component of the NHSMTA and recognizes and celebrates Valley high school students and faculty that produce musical theatre programs, according to its website.
Schools compete in 14 performance and tech categories. Along with receiving a cash award of $500, the best lead male and female winners continue to the NHSMTA where they compete with students across the country for grand scholarships.
“In a typical year, we have 25 schools competing with 10 finalists in each category,” said Desiree Ong, ASU Gammage Education Program Manager.
“This year, we had 14 schools competing, as well as the nominations from non-participating Title I high schools, with five finalists in each category.”
Winners of the ASU Gammage HSMTA are chosen through a process by ASU’s 15 adjudicators who use the same criteria as the NHSMTA: singing, acting and dancing, Ong said.
Semifinalists from participating high schools are chosen based on their show scores while semifinalists from non-participating Title I high schools are selected based on auditions. Title I schools serve generally poverty-level households. All semifinalists audition again for the panel of adjudicators.
Finalists are chosen and the winners are announced on the night of the ceremony.
“The moment of hearing my name being called is so ingrained in me,” Corona said. “I had been repeating my name in my head over and over again, hoping they would say it.
“So, when they actually did I thought that I had imagined it. Then, everyone was cheering, a confetti cannon went off and balloons came down. It felt like everything I had worked for paid off.”
Tyler Baldwin, a recent Queen Creek High School graduate, was awarded
Left: Kristiana Corona of Chandler, a recent Hamilton High grad, is in the running for the National High School Musical Theatre Award for best female lead. Right: Tyler Baldwin, a recent Queen Creek High School graduate, and Kristiana were feted to a colorful celebration when they won best male and female lead awards, respectively in the ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre competition. (Tim Trumble/ASU Gammage)
See ACTRESS on page 36
Chandler artist-novelist making the rounds
SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF
Fox Crossing resident and former journalist Laurie Fagen will take part in two book signings this summer.
She was featured yesterday, July 3, in her hometown of Earlham, Iowa, at JK Books and Gifts, which has been carrying her two crime fiction mystery novels “Fade Out” and “Dead Air,” as well as polymer clay jewelry.
On Saturday, July 17, she will be closer to home.
She is one of more than 70 authors taking part in the annual Payson Book Festival 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino, Highway 87, Payson.
“I’m thrilled to be part of in-person book events once again,” Fagen said. “The pandemic was challenging for all of us, and I’m looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new readers.”
Books will be available for sale at both events, and personalized book signings are available.
In addition, Fagen will exhibit her fiber and jewelry at two large studio tours this fall: Prescott Area Studio Tour Oct. 1-3 and Hidden in the Hills Nov. 19-21 and 26-28 in the north Scottsdale area.
Fagen will join visual artist Nicole McCaigue of Santan Valley and Prescott at her location on Congress Street in
Prescott for the three-day event.
She will be one of six artists at The Images Studios, 6925 E. Windstone Trail in Scottsdale, for two weekends prior to Thanksgiving.
Fagen’s career started at KTAR News Radio as a student at Arizona State University when she reported live about traffic conditions while flying around the Valley in a single-engine aircraft.
“Radio really gave me a great background in gathering news, and relying on the ear only,” she explained. “I base some of my novel’s radio reporter sleuth on those early days in my career.”
After graduation, she worked fulltime for the station as an assistant producer before making a move to television, returning to her home state of Iowa to work for KWWL-TV, an NBC affiliate television station in Waterloo, as a reporter, videographer, editor and anchor.
Fagen spent the next 10 years working in commercial and cable television, then started her first business as a writer, producer and director for corporate television, which she ran for another decade before she and her late husband, Geoff Hancock, purchased the Ocotillo News and later renamed it SanTan Sun News.
They published the twice-monthly newspaper until his death in 2013, when Times Media purchased the community newspaper.
– Laurie Fagen
ACTRESS from page 35
Best Lead Male for his performance of Jack Kelly in “Newsies” by the ASU Gammage HSMTA and joins Corona in the NHSMTA competition as a best actor nominee.
The NHSMTA was established in 2009 by Nederlander Alliances and Pittsburgh CLO to “elevate the importance of theatre arts education in schools and reward excellence in student performance,” according to the association’s website.
The program impacts over 140,000 students annually who participate in high school musical theatre competitions that are sponsored by over 40 professional theatres across the country.
“The Jimmy Awards are huge for the theatre community,” Corona said. “It’s the highest accolade that you can get.”
Presented by the Broadway League Foundation, the NHSMTA program has been the catalyst for more than $4 million in educational scholarships to date and several previous student participants have been cast in Broadway, format due to the pandemic but that’s an upgrade from last year, when The Jimmy Awards were canceled. Instead of traveling to New York City though, this year’s 72 nominees from 36 regions from across the U.S. are participating virtually.
– Kristiana Corona
Touring and West End productions. The Jimmy Awards were named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander – or “Jimmy” as the theatrical community knew him.
The NHSMTA shifted to a virtual
Love for musical theatre must be in the air for Chandler students as the 2019 winners of the ASU Gammage HSMTA who moved on as nominees for The Jimmy Awards were Sophia Donnell, of Hamilton High School, and Casey Likes, of Chandler High School.
It was around the age of seven when Corona’s passion for musical theatre was born. Her parents signed her up for a Chandler Center for the Arts musical theatre summer camp, which she continued for four years.
“It sparked something in me,” Corona said. “I loved it and it only grew from there.”
Corona plans to continue her musical theatre journey by attending Kent State University in Ohio to study musical theatre. Then, she hopes to go into professional theatre like Broadway.
“Performing allows me to open myself up to new experiences that I wouldn’t have had just by living a normal life,” Corona said. “I get to live through characters.”
To watch The Jimmy Awards, hosted by Corbin Bleu, virtually on July 15 go to jimmyawards.com.
FAGEN from page 35
Fagen is also an artist and singer.
Fagen published her debut novel, “Fade Out” in 2016, the first full-length book in the Lisa Powers series, which involves her coverage of a massive fire that destroys the opulent mansion of a reclusive pharmaceutical heir, and her career is jeopardized when the story gets way too hot.
In “Fade Out,” Lisa dodges bullets investigating the cold case of a kidnapped bank executive found murdered and discovers horrors she never imagined while tracking down a missing father. She finds herself facing down criminals in addition to reporting on them.
“Dead Air,” the second in the series released in 2017, involves her coverage of a cop shooting that tears the community apart; a sexual assault cold case involving a child; and a film noir-style podcast.
She has also narrated audiobooks for both titles, which are all available on Amazon and Audible.
Fagen is currently working on the third book in her “Behind the Mic Mysteries” series and plans to have it available in early 2022.
It’s the continuing story of a young radio reporter, Lisa Powers, who covers the crime beat for a fictional Chandler radio station; helps police solve cold cases; and for fun, creates a mystery theatre podcast.
The third book, called “Bleeder,” includes her coverage of the trial for the cop shooter from “Dead Air;” a domestic violence story and cold case; and “Art of the Steal” podcast about a murder and art theft in a gallery.
For additional information and how to purchase Fagen’s book and other published works, visit www.ReadLaurieFagen.com, her Amazon author page at amazon.com/author/lauriefagen and at ShortOnTimeBooks.com. Her art may be seen at FagenDesigns.com.
At The Village, we care. About your health, your well-being, your fitness, your goals – and about our community, too.
Our employees and members work together to give back to charities and causes throughout the Valley. We also do small things that make a big impact. Like donating our old towels and tennis balls to local animal rescues and hosting annual water, sock and shoe drives for people in need. We’re committed to being a big part of your community. And we invite you to join ours.
Chandler Museum offers programs, exhibits
SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF
Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler is offering a variety of free programs this month. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays. Information: 480-7822717 or chandlermuseum.org.Exhibits
Bigger than Boxing: Zora Folley and the 1967 Heavyweight Title,
Through Feb. 13, 2022
On March 22, 1967, at Madison Square Garden, New York City, two men face off in the ring for the Heavyweight Championship of the World – Muhammad Ali and the challenger from Chandler, Zora Folley.
“Bigger than Boxing” features the stories of these two boxers, the circumstances that weighed heavy on each man, and the fight that was a turning point in both of their careers.
Black and white in black and white: Images of dignity, hope, and diversity
Through Oct. 17.
At the turn of the 20th century, many African Americans across the country embraced the “New Negro Movement,” which set the stage for the Harlem Renaissance. No one better captured the essence of this time of advancement than African American photographer John Johnson. This exhibition includes thirty-one large-scale black and white photographs captured by Johnson from 1910 to 1925.
Programming Museum in a Box
Dive into culture, history, and art at home with a themed activity box. Each Chandler Museum in a Box includes instructions and supplies for three-five activities. Museum in a Box is available for sale in the Museum Store.
Family Edition Frank Lloyd Wright in Chandler
Explore architecture with a Frank Lloyd Wright themed activity box. Design a city, test your building skills with edible construction supplies, and review shapes hidden within authentic Wright drawings. This Chandler Museum in a Box contains all needed supplies for three activities, stories about Wright’s time in Chandler, and the book Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright from the popular Who Was? series. $18, Great for ages 7-10, includes enough supplies for two users. While supplies last!
Date Night Edition Sweat and Spar: Boxing Fun for Two
Ready for a date night that packs a punch? Don’t worry about your fitness level, grab your partner and step in the ring. Round 1: Duke it out with your partner in a series of jump rope challenges. Round 2: Find out who can talk the talk. Round 3: Weigh in on issues that matter with conversation cards centered on the exhibition Bigger than Boxing: Zora Folley and the 1967 Heavyweight Title. Round 4: Take a breather by expressing your artistic side, boxing style. This box also includes movie suggestions, drink recipes, and a sweet treat. $24, Designed for adults.
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Phoenix Theatre Company reopens indoors
BY BRIDGETTE M. REDMAN
Contributor
The Phoenix Theatre Company is taking its season indoors and welcoming back its audience with three small-cast shows.
They’ve gone above and beyond the call of what the Maricopa County Department of Public Health and the stage union, Actors Equity, the stage union, are asking for. They replaced air fi lters, cleaned air ducts and added special fi lters in the rooms that will house patrons and artists.
Their system removes the air from inside, draws in fresh air from outside and circulates it.
The artists have also been kept in their own bubbles as they rehearse the shows that will be brought indoors: “Daddy Long Legs,” now through 23 to July 18; and “Pump Boys and Dinettes” July 23 to Aug. 22.
“Daddy Long Legs” is a two-person musical about an orphan who is sent to college by a benefactor who chose to remain anonymous.
Directed by Robbie Harper, it follows Jerusha Abbott’s college experience as she learns to be a writer. The benefactor, whom she aff ectionately calls “Daddy Long Legs,” requires that she write him monthly. The audience watches her become a fi ercely independent, intelligent woman.
“‘Daddy Long Legs’ has a great message of caring for someone you did not know and the amazing places where love can be found,” Barnard said.
Directed by Barnard, the third show is a country music fest. L.M. and Jim run a fi lling station in Grand Ole Opry country. They are the eponymous Pump Boys. Across the way is a diner operated by Rhetta and Prudie. Together, they deliver a toe-tapping evening of country western songs on guitar, piano, bass and even a few kitchen utensils.
“‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’ is for fun,” Barnard said. “It’s just a joyful ride. It is great summer fare that is highly entertaining, and you don’t have to think about it.”
Barnard said he put a lot of thought into the shows that might give the audience hope.
Barnard during the past year, the company tried to retain as much staff as possible, and to take care of their employees the best they could.
“Reopening means a great deal to us,” Barnard said. “It allowed us to bring staff back. Even when we had to furlough, we paid for everyone’s health insurance, so no one had to worry about their health insurance during COVID.”
The director and stage manager wear masks during rehearsals.
They will also continue to ask audiences to wear masks and have temperature checks when they arrive. There will be social distancing in public areas, but not in the theater seats.
“We felt like from everything we could read and see that it is a good time to try to safely go back inside,” Barnard said.
He thinks it may take time for everyone to feel comfortable about returning. However, people will be more apt to wash their hands and wear a mask when they have been ill.
For now, he is happy to invite theater lovers to see shows by the 102-year-old theater company.
“I’m excited about seeing people again,” Barnard said. “I’m excited for the artists. It is part of their DNA to entertain, to communicate, to educate or just to provide an escape. That’s what they do and it has been very diffi cult to be able to do that. I think it will be exciting – and maybe a little taste of normalcy – as we ramp up and grow back.”
“Daddy Long Legs” opened last week, starring Kathlynn Rodin and James D. Gish, and they’re thrilled to be back to our stage at the Phoenix Theatre Company. (Facebook)
The Phoenix Theatre Company’s 2021 Summer Season
“Daddy Long Legs” Through July 18 “Pump Boys and Dinettes” July 23 to August 2 WHERE: The Phoenix Theatre, 1825 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $41 INFO: phoenixtheatre.com
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