July-August 2023 Intermission

Sam McLellan and company in THE BOOK OF MORMON North American tour

photo by Julieta Cervantes

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is the official program of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center

TPAC update

110 E. Second St., Tulsa, OK 74103 918-596-7122 • TulsaPAC.com

PUBLISHER Tulsa Performing Arts Center

WRITER/EDITOR Amanda Nichols

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrea Maduro

ADVERTISING SALES Kaley Jobe

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Mark Frie

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Jen Alden

VP OF OPERATIONS

Bryan Clemons

VP OF DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT

Sara Phoenix

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

Terri McGilbra

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION

Amanda Nichols

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Scott McLarty

DIRECTOR OF TICKETING SERVICES

Jeff Newsome

DIRECTOR OF PATRON SERVICES

Tosha Faith

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Jeremy Stevens

DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES MAINTENANCE

James Stewart

TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TRUST

CEO Mark Frie

CHAIR Julie Smith

CO-CHAIR Ken Busby

TREASURER Jen Alden

SECRETARY Wendy Garrett

TRUSTEES Billie Barnett, Mayor G.T. Bynum, Laura Creekmur, Lori Decter Wright, Linda Frazier, Taylor Hanson, Carlye Jimerson, Felix Jones III, Jay Krottinger, Tina Peña, Glenda Silvey, Hayley Stephens

EMERITUS TRUSTEE Robert J. LaFortune

Intermission is published monthly by the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust

For advertising information, contact Kaley Jobe at kjobe@tulsapac.com.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center: 918-596-2368, anichols@tulsapac.com.

Current and past issues of Intermission can be viewed at issuu.com/tulsapac/docs

The Tulsa PAC is 46 years old and in desperate need of renovation and expansion. As part of the city of Tulsa’s proposed Improve our Tulsa extension, $79.7 million has been earmarked for the TPAC. This is an incredible opportunity to address some critical needs in the building while giving our staff the chance to raise private funds alongside this public gift.

The list of upgrades and enhancements is extensive. Projects will include HVAC and ADA upgrades, dressing rooms updates on all levels, an expanded and enclosed loading dock on the east side of the building and a complete renovation of Chapman Music Hall.

The Chapman renovation will replace all seating, add aisles to the orchestra level, replace the pit wall and address acoustical challenges in the theatre. Through our own fundraising, we hope to include a lobby expansion and added restrooms in the future.

If you believe in the arts, and what they do for our community, I want to encourage you to get out and vote yes on August 8. These TPAC projects, along with the other vital projects included in the plan, will ensure we stay globally competitive as a world-class city.

For more information about our projects, you can visit tulsapac.com. For information on the total IOT extension, visit www.improveourtulsayes.com. We appreciate your continued support of the arts!

photo by Nathan Harmon

Mark Frie

july/august events

World Stage Theatre Company

The Wiz Jr.

Like an emerald, this precious Broadway gem infuses L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a dazzling mix of rock, gospel and soul music.

LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE

July 28 at 7 p.m.

July 29 at 7 p.m.

July 30 at 3 p.m.

Theatre Tulsa Academy

Finding Nemo Jr.

Disney’s Finding Nemo Jr. is a 60-minute musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by awardwinning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE

July 13 at 7:30 p.m.

July 14 at 7:30 p.m.

July 15 at 2 p.m.

July 15 at 7:30 p.m.

July 16 at 1 p.m. — sensory friendly performance

July 16 at 4 p.m.

july/august events

Celebrity Attractions

Bluey’s Big Play

Bluey’s Big Play is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy© award-winning children’s television series. Join the Heelers in their first live theatre show made just for you, featuring the brilliantly created puppets. This is Bluey as you’ve never seen it before, brought to real life.

CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL

July 15 at 10 a.m.

July 15 at 2 p.m.

July 15 at 6:30 p.m.

July 16 at 2 p.m.

Theatre Tulsa Academy

The Little Mermaid Jr.

Journey “under the sea” with Ariel and her aquatic friends in Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., adapted from Disney’s Broadway production and the motion picture. Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories, Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. is an enchanting look at the sacrifices we all make for love and acceptance.

JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE

July 21 at 7:30 p.m.

July 22 at 2 p.m.

July 22 at 7:30 p.m.

July 23 at 1 p.m. — sensory friendly performance

July 23 at 4 p.m.

Celebrity Attractions & TPAC Presents

The Book of Mormon

This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing room only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, The Book of Mormon has truly become an international sensation.

CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL

July 26 at 7:30 p.m.

July 27 at 7:30 p.m.

TPAC Improve Our

In just a few years, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center will be 50 years young! Fifty years of incredible art on our stages; fifty years of life-changing performances; fifty years of a community coming together to celebrate music, dance, theatre and so much more. As exciting as that is, those years have also taken their toll on the building itself. Years of deferred maintenance have put the TPAC further and further behind industry, safety and ADA standards. As our building falls behind, it gets harder and harder to bring world-class talent to our stages. Other performing

arts centers, casinos and other venues look more and more appetizing to those booking touring routes, and downtown Tulsa is being left out.

Thanks to the City of Tulsa, we’re being given the chance to change the path of our building. Instead of allowing it to fall further behind, they’ve included the TPAC in the upcoming Improve Our Tulsa package. Without increasing taxes, the City has put forth a package that will help not just the TPAC but also other major infrastructure and maintenance issues within our city.

Multiple sewage line ruptures

Crumbling exterior staircases

If the package is approved by voters on August 8, here are a few of the big things we have planned for the TPAC:

• Achieving backstage ADA compliance

The TPAC has many shortcomings when it comes to ADA compliance. The worst of which is backstage, as there is not a safe way to get from the stage door entrance to the backstage areas without using a very steep, for many unusable, ramp.

• Replacing outdated sound equipment in Chapman

The Chapman Music Hall, our biggest theatre, falls far behind industry standards for sound equipment, often making shows very difficult for patrons to hear.

• Adding aisles to the Chapman orchestra level

The orchestra level of the Chapman Musical Hall has continental seating, meaning there are not any aisles, which is not just irritating for patrons, it also makes emergency situations far more difficult and dangerous.

• Overhauling outdated and broken orchestra pit hydraulics

The outdated hydraulics system that controls the height of the Chapman orchestra pit no longer works correctly, causing the pit level to sink over time, making it impossible to keep it at stage level for entire runs of shows.

A steep ramp is the only access to backstage from stage door

No aisles in Chapman Music Hall

•

Refurbishing all dressing rooms and backstage areas to industry standards

The backstage areas of the TPAC have been allowed to fall far behind industry standards and are uninviting, uncomfortable areas for performers.

• Renovating and expanding outdated, rusting loading dock

The TPAC has only one loading dock for its four venue spaces. A single show can require up to 20 trucks that need to be loaded and unloaded. The existing dock is also aged, rusted and far below industry standards.

Above and below: the backstage areas, including dressing rooms

While this doesn’t take care of all of our building’s issues, we have additional plans for private funding to help in other areas of need, which includes a way to complete this maintenance without closing our doors.

The TPAC was originally built through groundbreaking cooperation between public and private funds. Now, we’re hoping to find the same magic formula to make sure our building continues to be a gem in Tulsa’s crown, bringing in the very best for Tulsans to see.

Above: the single loading dock, far below industry standards

Enjoy

Downtown Tulsa’s award-winning restaurant, Juniper, changes with the seasons to bring guests creative, modern cuisine focused on delicious, locally sourced ingredients. Juniper boasts a beautiful and intimate downtown setting with its rustic brick columns, commissioned art by local artists, and a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Downtown Tulsa’s award-winning restaurant, Juniper, changes with the seasons to bring guests creative, modern cuisine focused on delicious, locally sourced ingredients. Juniper boasts a beautiful and intimate downtown setting with its rustic brick columns, commissioned art by local artists, and a warm and inviting atmosphere. JuniperTulsa.com

Earning a staggering number of accolades for his work on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and the film version of Aladdin, amongst many others, ALAN MENKEN is an undisputed master of the stage and film musical. For this stage version of Aladdin, he reveals that he had a very particular vision.

‘It’s always been a dream of mine,’ says superstar composer Alan Menken, ‘to somehow restore the telling of Aladdin the way Howard Ashman and I first envisioned it, and how we wrote it. The Disney film version is a dazzling actionadventure tale with great animation effects and a handful of songs, some with lyrics by Howard and some by the great Sir Tim Rice. But the original concept that Howard first pitched was a tribute to those old Bob Hope–Bing Crosby ‘road pictures’, almost a satire of that kind of Hollywood romantic comedy. And it was also meant to be a celebration of the jazz of the 1930s and ’40s, particularly the music of such breakout stars of the era as Fats Waller and Cab Calloway.’

So when Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical, told Menken he was putting together a script of Aladdin to license to amateur theatrical groups, the multiple Oscar®winning musician saw an opportunity to revisit the roots of the Aladdin project.

‘Remember, this was years before we even considered developing Aladdin for Broadway,’ says Schumacher. ‘I thought Alan would be way too busy to get involved with our little licensing project, but he really wanted to do it.’

‘They came to me with a script based closely on the movie,’ recalls Menken. ‘It would have been fine, but it wasn’t the musical-comedy homage to popular jazz-era movies that Howard and I first proposed. So I said, “Look, I have a whole treasure trove of existing material that was never used, songs for the main characters and characters that were eliminated in the film, including Aladdin’s three sidekicks, Babkak, Omar and Kassim.” And so Chad Beguelin, who was writing the script, dug into Menken’s trunk and came back with something altogether new.

This feature is excerpted from Disney’s Aladdin: A Whole New World (The Road to Broadway and Beyond) by Michael Lassell.

‘As we began to work,’ Menken says, ‘it became clear that we were going to need some new songs along with hits from the film and some songs that were written but never used. So I suggested that Chad write the lyrics since he was writing the new libretto and was already an accomplished, Tony®-nominated lyricist in his own right. Chad was absolutely terrific at creating new songs that fit perfectly with those Howard, Tim and I had written for the film.’

For Menken, the journey has been deeply personal, because his beloved musical partner, Howard Ashman, died before the Aladdin film score was complete. Menken is particularly grateful to have restored

‘Proud of Your Boy’, a song for Aladdin to sing to his fretful mother. — ‘It was the hardest thing to lose from the film,’ says Menken, ‘and not just because the song was lost — I’ve lost a lot of songs in my career — but because we had also lost Howard. ‘That song packs an enormous emotional punch, and men in particular seem to relate to it deeply. So many of us go through a phase when we are disappointing our parents, or we think we are. I’m delighted to have had a hand in reshaping Aladdin. I love the show and all the music. But I am especially happy that Howard’s poignant “Proud of Your Boy” once again has pride of place in the story of a boy who finally became all that a mother could wish for in a son.’

Senzel Ahmady (Jasmine) and Adi Roy (Aladdin), Aladdin Tour. Photo by Deen van Meer

We have A LOT of fun stuff in the building for kiddos this month. From Bluey’s Big Play to Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. and Finding Nemo Jr., there’s a little something for children of all ages. With that in mind, we know waiting for the show to start isn’t always easy for the little ones, so we thought we’d provide something to occupy their minds for a short while. Have fun!

our supporters

Community support from these sponsors help us provide more art than ever before. For more information on how to become a sponsor, visit tulsapac.com/corporate-sponsorships.

CHARLES & MARION WEBER FOUNDATION

Thank you to our Luminaries for helping us fund our community engagement programs, helping us inspire, lead and give light to others!

Prismatic

Barnett Family Foundation

Vibrant

Wendy & Chuck Garrett

Dwight & Jessica Strayer

Scott & Vanessa

Thompson Foundation

Tanninger

Philanthropies

Iridescent

Dr. Janet Cheek

Jill & Bob Thomas

Kari Wall

Brilliant

Jana Bingman

Samuel Briggs

Liz Carr

Cathy Creekmore Craig

Wendy & Gentner

Drummond

Jennifer Dubois

Ronald & Lindsay Fick

Amy & Blaine Hoyt

Kyle & Holly Hubbell

Eugene & Ellen Ichinose

Wayne & Tracey Larkin

Marla Mansfield

Olivia Martin & Madeleine Phillips

Linsay & Adam Panzer

Tim & Kay Phoenix

Betty Pirnat

Brian & Dustin Shore

Ken & Julie Smith

Jo Ann & Douglas Stall

Hayley Stephens

Richard Sudduth

Dustin & Christy

Thames

Amanda Viles

Splendid

Sarah & Justin Amador

John & Marge Gaberino

Albert & Susie Gallegos

Mark & Natalie Haggard

Chandler Harris

Kenneth Hess

Teri Holmes

Carlye Jimerson

Caron & Shawn Lawhorn

William & Sarah

Matthews

Dennis Neill & John Southard

Sharon Parker

Tina Peña & Bill Loyd

Brenna Peterson & Jeffrey Wayland

Glenda Silvey

Adelaide Steed

Ann Tierney

Carolyn Tillman

Vivid

Bruce & Kami Barton

Ely Bates & Katherine Silvey Bates

Linda & Phillip Berrey

Sarah Block

Alecia Brown

Ken Busby

Cristi Carnahan

Laura Creekmur

Lori Decter Wright

Marcus & DeLynn

Fairless

Linda Frazier

Linda Hair-Grant

John & Quin Halpin

Mikaelah Howard

Craig & Carol Kovin

Jessica Lawmaster

Patricia Love-Renton

Kerry Malone

Richard & Susan Marple

Nancy & William

McGuinness

Amy Nance

Tom & Laurie Neylon

Evelyn Perez

Katha Stricklin

Amanda Vavra

Valerie White

Tanyala Woods

Steve Wright

Rev. Richard & Peggy Ziglar

SEPTEMBER

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra

Prelude: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5

CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL

September 9 at 6 p.m.

World Stage Theatre Company

A Man of No

Importance

LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE

September 15 at 8 p.m.

Theatre Tulsa

Beautiful: The Carole

King Musical

JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE

September 15 at 8 p.m.

September 16 at 8 p.m.

September 22 at 8 p.m.

September 23 at 8 p.m.

September 24 at 2 p.m.

September 29 at 8 p.m.

September 30 at 8 p.m.

October 1 at 2 p.m.

SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER EVENTS

Chamber Music Tulsa

Junction Trio

WESTBY PAVILION

September 16 at 7:30 p.m. and JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE

September 17 at 3 p.m.

Celebrity Attractions

Aladdin

CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL

September 26 at 7:30 p.m.

September 27 at 7:30 p.m.

September 28 at 7:30 p.m.

September 29 at 8 p.m.

September 30 at 2 p.m.

September 30 at 8 p.m.

October 1 at 1 p.m.

October 1 at 6:30 p.m.

OCTOBER

TPAC Presents: Brown Bag It

Francisco Treviño

WESTBY PAVILION

October 4 at 12:10 p.m.

Tulsa Town Hall

Bill Browder

CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL

October 6 at 10:30 a.m.

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra

Masquerade: Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9

CHAPMAN MUSIC HALL

October 7 at 7:30 p.m.

American Theatre Company

The Great American

Trailer Park Christmas

LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE

October 6 at 8 p.m.

October 7 at 8 p.m.

October 8 at 2 p.m.

October 12 at 8 p.m.

October 13 at 8 p.m.

October 14 at 8 p.m.

WindSync presented by Chamber Music Tulsa

photo by Aly Matei

Chamber Music Tulsa WindSync

WESTBY PAVILION

October 14 at 7:30 p.m. and JOHN H. WILLIAMS THEATRE

October 15 at 3 p.m.

World Stage Theatre Company Reflections

LIDDY DOENGES THEATRE

October 19 at 8 p.m.

October 20 at 8 p.m.

October 21 at 3 and 8 p.m.

October 22 at 3 p.m.

October 27 at 8 p.m.

October 28 at 3 and 8 p.m.

October 29 at 3 p.m.

Check out our events page!

New shows are scheduled all the time on tulsapac.com!

Events are subject to change.

HELPFUL INFO

TPAC ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES are located at 110 E. Second Street, Tulsa, OK., 74103-3212. Office hours: Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone 918-596-7122. Fax 918-596-7144. Please subscribe to our monthly TPAC email newsletter online at TulsaPAC.com.

PARKING Convenient underground parking is located west of the building, accessed from Second Street. Event parking also is available in several lots across the street to the east and south of the TPAC.

ADMISSION AND LATE SEATING

Lobby doors open two hours prior to an event. Chapman Music Hall doors normally open 30 minutes prior to curtain. The remaining theaters open 30 minutes before curtain. Late seating is at the discretion of each sponsoring organization. Latecomers may be temporarily held out of the theater or asked to take seats at the back if available.

TICKET OFFICE HOURS are Monday through Friday 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. In addition to regular hours, it opens two hours prior to curtain for events scheduled in Chapman Music Hall. The Second Street ticket office, 110 E. Second Street on the north side of the building, opens two hours prior to each curtain for tickets to events scheduled that day in John H. Williams Theatre, Liddy Doenges Theatre or Charles E. Norman Theatre.

PHONE ORDERS Call the TPAC ticket office at 918-596-7111. Outside Tulsa call 1-800-364-7111. Nominal service charges are added to all phone and Internet orders. The TPAC ticket office accepts DISCOVER, MasterCard and VISA. Subscriber hotline: 918-596-7109.

BUYING TICKETS ONLINE Buy tickets at tulsapac.com using VISA, DISCOVER or MasterCard. Print your tickets at home or pull them up on your mobile device using the print at home option. Tickets will be scanned by ushers at the door.

EXCHANGES The ticket office gladly exchanges tickets to events with more than one performance, subject to certain guidelines. Otherwise, all sales are final.

GROUP SALES AND BUILDING

TOURS Group discounts are available. Please call 918-596-7109 for group sales assistance. Tours of the TPAC are offered free of charge and last approximately 45–60 minutes. Arrangements may be made by calling 918-596-7122.

SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

All Performing Arts Center facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. Please ask about wheelchair-accessible seating when purchasing your ticket. Parking is located on the street level of the parking garage near the TPAC elevators. Use the south elevator to reach Chapman Music Hall. Restroom facilities are located in the Third Street Lobby for Chapman Music Hall events, and adjacent to the John H. Williams Theatre Lobby for events in the TPAC’s other theaters. The TPAC has a Listen Technologies RF system to assist the deaf and hard of hearing. It is available at coat check for Chapman Music Hall events. Ask the house manager on duty for equipment for the Williams, Doenges and Norman Theatres. Devices are provided at no cost. PLEASE NOTE: The TPAC is a tobacco-free facility. Smoking and vaping are not allowed, nor is the use of chewing tobacco. Also, as a courtesy to the performers and audience, please turn off all audible message systems and cellular phones.

For more Visitor Information, please visit us at TulsaPAC.com.