W O RL D PR EM IE RE
SEP BOOK BY WENDY WASSERSTEIN & CHRISTOPHER DURANG
01 8 2 / 7 T C T8–O
MUSIC BY CY COLEMAN
LYRICS BY DAVID ZIPPEL LEAD SPONSOR:
DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY GRACIELA DANIELE
180328 Albarino Djeet TRTC Playbill f.pdf
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ABOUT US
LEADERSHIP
John Dias Artistic Director
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Michael Hurst Managing Director
Robert M. Rechnitz Executive Producer Joan H. Rechnitz Associate Producer
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Todd Herman President Anne Luzzatto Vice President Hon. Edward J. McKenna, Jr. Treasurer Susan Olson Secretary Stephen Becker Marilyn Broege Amanda Butterbaugh Robert Butters Carolyn Cushman DeSena Kathleen Ellis Gale Grossman Caroline Huber Mary Jane Kroon Nyire Melconian Adam Rechnitz Joan H. Rechnitz Robert M. Rechnitz Geoffrey Sadwith Maureen Silliman Mary Carol Stunkel Webster Trammell Richard B. Worley Howard P. Aronson William Marracini Kathryne Singleton Emeritus Board Members
ARTIST ADVISORY BOARD May Adrales Barbara Andres Brandon J. Dirden Joel Grey Lisa Kron Martin Moran Brenda Pressley Ruben Santiago-Hudson Tanya Saracho Maureen Silliman Leigh Silverman Jennifer Tipton
Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst, develops and produces great American theater. Through 8 theatrical productions each year (including world premieres, musicals, classics and theater for families) and 40+ annual events happening around Monmouth County, we produce exceptional theater and cultivate engaged audiences. Two River celebrates and honors our core values of Artistic Excellence; Education and Community Engagement; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; and Operational Excellence. Founded by Joan and Robert Rechnitz in 1994, Two River is recognized in the national theater community for its newplay commissioning program, which creates a pipeline for developing work that contributes to the vitality and future of the American theater. Each season, the theater hosts numerous artist residencies, workshops and readings, and presents an annual Cabaret of New Songs for the Musical Theater in association with NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program. The Crossing Borders (Cruzando Fronteras) festival and Nosotros program foster a closer relationship between the theater and Latino artists and audiences. Two River cultivates a new generation of theatergoers through innovative arts education programs that introduce young people to the theater and create opportunities for them to engage with renowned theater artists. For more information, visit tworivertheater.org or call 732.345.1400. Â
5 Title Page 7 Patron Services 9 A Note from the Artistic Director, John Dias 10 Song List 11 Cast of Characters 13 Bios 25 Two River Theater's 25th Anniversary: A Look Back at our First Five Years 26 3 Questions for Graciela Daniele 28 Christopher Durang Remembers Wendy Wasserstein 29 David Zippel Remembers Cy Coleman 31 Our 2018/19 Season 33 Coming Soon: August Wilson's King Hedley II 35 Two River Theater's Be More Chill moves to Broadway 37 Audition Notice for High School Students 41 Join our $25 for the 25th Campaign 42 Individual Donors 45 Institutional Support 46 Meet Our Staff & Volunteers 49 Take a Walk on the West Side 50 Meet Our Restaurant Partner: Urban Coalhouse
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REACH YOUR HIGHEST LEVEL OF HEALTH & WELL-BEING IN 2018
Hackensack Meridian Integrative Health & Medicine has developed a comprehensive health and wellness program like no other. Completely customized and focused around our Five Pillars of Health and Well-Being: Sleep, Activity, Purpose, Nutrition and Resilience. Begin your path to wellness with one of our clinical experts: integrative medicine physicians, nurse practitioners, health coaches, health psychologists, acupuncturists, nutritionists, massage therapists, and movement & energy therapists. To learn about the events and classes we offer or to schedule a consultation, please call 732-263-7999 or visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org/IntegrativeMedicine for more information.
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1/17/18 10:58 AM
PAMELA’S FIRST MUSICAL
John Dias Artistic Director Michael Hurst Managing Director Robert M. Rechnitz Executive Producer Joan H. Rechnitz Associate Producer
Book by Wendy Wasserstein and Christopher Durang Music by Cy Coleman Lyrics by David Zippel Based on the book written by Wendy Wasserstein and illustrated by Andrew Jackness With Sarah McKinley Austin * Wesley J. Barnes * Jeanine Bruen Andréa Burns * Mary Callanan *
Carolee Carmello * Nick Cearley * Erica Dorfler * Hillary Fisher * David Garrison *
Jacobi Hall * Howard McGillin * Michael Mulheren * Elizabeth Ritacco Blake Zolfo *
SCENIC DESIGNERS.............................................................David Gallo & Viveca Gardiner COSTUME DESIGNER.........................................................Gabriel Berry LIGHTING DESIGNER..........................................................David Lander SOUND DESIGNER.................................................................Drew Levy MUSIC PREPARATION........................................................Michael Mahadeen WIGS DESIGNER.......................................................................Tom Watson CASTING...........................................................................................Tara Rubin Casting ASSOCIATE CHOREOGRAPHER ............................ Madeleine Kelly ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER................................. James Steele * PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER.......................... Lori M. Doyle *
Orchestrations by Charlie Rosen Music Direction by Gregory J. Dlugos Music Supervision and Arrangements by Kevin Stites Direction and Choreography by Graciela Daniele
OPENING NIGHT: SEPTEMBER 14/2018 JOAN AND ROBERT RECHNITZ THEATER *Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Two River Theater is supported in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
LEAD SPONSOR:
SUPPORTED BY:
RESTAURANT PARTNER:
SEASON SUPPORTERS:
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160 Route 35 South . Red Bank, NJ
732.345.9977
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PATRON SERVICES
ACCESS
Thank you for joining us at this performance. Two River Theater is dedicated to making your experience the best that it can possibly be. Please note the following offerings and requests to better enhance your time at the theater:
BEFORE PLAY
VIRTUAL TOUR & ACCESS
Join us 45 minutes prior to every performance in the Two River lobby for a pre-performance talk, which will give you valuable insight into the play you are about to see. Talks last 10-15 minutes and are led by a member of the company or Two River’s Artistic Department.
Two River Theater is committed to making theater accessible to all. If you would like to view our space in detail, in advance of your visit, a virtual tour is available on our website, tworivertheater.org
POST-PLAY DISCUSSIONS Post-play discussions are scheduled following select performances of every subscription series production. During these discussions, audiences are invited to share their questions and responses to the work on stage with members of the cast and staff of the theater. Post-play discussion dates for the current season can be found in our season brochure or on our website.
INSIDE TWO RIVER EVENTS A series of mostly FREE arts & humanities events specially curated for each of our productions. Events include film screenings, book club, poetry readings, crafting nights, lectures, social events with our artists & more! To make sure you are first to hear about these events sign up for our email list, follow us on Facebook, and stay tuned to our website!
BOX OFFICE Box Office Hours: Monday through Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday from 12-5pm and starting one hour prior to all performances.
CONCESSIONS Coffee, tea, water, soda, candy, and snacks are available at the concessions stand in the lobby. Only water will be permitted into the theater during performances.
ACCESS DATES SIGN INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE: FEBRUARY 2, 2019 AT 3PM Noises Off AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Offered at one 1PM Wednesday matinee performance of all subscription series productions* OPEN CAPTIONING: Offered at one 3PM Saturday matinee performance of all subscription series productions* RELAXED PERFORMANCES: OCTOBER 6, 2018 AT 3PM Pamela’s First Musical NOVEMBER 25, 2018 AT 10AM Journey to Oz *Dates may vary. Please confirm on tworivertheater.org or by calling 732.345.1400.
Access programs made possible through support from New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
COURTESY Please limit food and drink, taking photographs and cell phone usage to our lobby or outside the theater. Late seating will occur at the discretion of Management.
ACCESS PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY:
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monmouth.edu
Monmouth University proudly supports Two River Theater
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A NOTE FROM THE
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
JOHN DIAS Photo by Danny Sanchez.
“I love play rehearsal.” Christine Canigula in Be More Chill You’d have to have been living under a rock this summer—or buried up to your neck in sand somewhere out on Long Beach Island—to have missed the big news about the big success of Joe Iconis & Joe Tracz’s Be More Chill. After its world premiere right here at Two River Theater—and after we produced a cast album, which became a worldwide sensation—young people went wild and actually used social media as a force of good. Love for the show—even among kids who hadn’t seen it—went viral. The show moved to a sold-out run off-Broadway this summer and has just announced a move to the Lyceum Theater on Broadway! A certain New York Times critic, who—begrudgingly—came to see the show in Red Bank, didn’t like it. At first, that fact scared away some of the unimaginative adults who might have produced the show in New York or helped to find a life for it at another regional theater. But the fans were unstoppable. Millions of young people around the world found the cast album online and began to create a whole world for themselves from the music, lyrics and story. “Young” seems at first the most salient adjective to describe them but really there are better ones: Brilliant, passionate, inquisitive, curious, devoted and determined! Their excitement and love were infectious and a group of visionary commercial producers stepped up to harness that youthful passion and give Chill another shot. These kids made an example of one of the greatest forces of human nature: our sense of play, our imaginations. Another great thing happened this summer with the release of the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor. We were reminded of the simple wisdom of Fred Rogers, who understood the importance and power of a child’s ability to play, to imagine, to make-believe. I hope everyone got to see that film and respond to Mister Rogers’ invitation to hold, again, the child within us and to see the world from his (or her) perspective; a world of possibilities, where make-believe can be made real. He’s the first person who taught so many of us some of our most important lessons, like: “Imagining something may be the first step to making it happen.”
One of the things I noticed this summer is that our national dialogue has gotten more and more fraught with tension and that we seem to be talking less to each other, and more at each other. And we seem to be getting nowhere. You constantly hear folks speak about “these troubled times” and I can’t help but think: isn’t it possible to look back at most of history through a lens that’s “troubled?” It’s in our nature to struggle. It’s not easy being human. Especially when we’re all so different and each of us is trying in our own way to fit in and still hold true to ourselves—while still hoping to figure out what that is. Well, as if on cue, Pamela’s First Musical has arrived to bring both the splendiferous pizazz of Broadway and some simple wisdom. She could be speaking for all of us when she sings: “I’m trapped inside a puzzle that I can’t outwit, I wanna go where all of the pieces fit.” There are some important life lessons we could learn from 11-year old Pamela. Could we use our imaginations to see our way out of “these troubled times,” I wonder? When was the last time you put on a show in your bedroom? Better yet, don’t answer that. But you know what I mean: it’s essential to human progress that we make time to pretend, to imagine. It’s not lost on me that what we do in the theater is put on plays. We play. And that to play is to practice; it’s life’s rehearsal. And we should do more of it, I think. Play, that is. I don’t exactly mean to suggest that Pamela will change the world. That she’ll lead us out of “these troubled times.” But, give her a little chance and she just might make a big difference. It all begins with make-believe; A sudden spark of inspiration. And every note of every theme, Started with a dream In some imagination. I’ll see you in the theater!
John
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SONG LIST Overture................................................................................................................................................................. Orchestra The Broadway Song........................................................................................................................................ Louise, Ensemble Where All the Pieces Fit................................................................................................................................ Pamela Where All the Pieces Fit Reprise............................................................................................................. Pamela Perfection.............................................................................................................................................................. Lyndell, Jessica, Kevin, Thomas, Daniel Perfection Reprise............................................................................................................................................ Lyndell, Jessica, Kevin, Thomas, Daniel Where All the Pieces Fit Reprise 2......................................................................................................... Pamela Anything That You Do................................................................................................................................... Louise Manhattan Moves Me..................................................................................................................................... Louise, Pamela, Ensemble Reinvent Yourself.............................................................................................................................................. Louise, Robert, Pamela, Models Welcome to Sardi’s........................................................................................................................................... Bernie, Ensemble I Know What I Like............................................................................................................................................ Bernie Behind the Scenes........................................................................................................................................... Hal, Bernie, and Company Feet Don’t Fail Me Now................................................................................................................................. Nathan, Mary Ethel, The Messenger Feet Don’t Fail Me Now Reprise............................................................................................................... Nathan, Mary Ethel, The Messenger Salzburg!................................................................................................................................................................ Ensemble Sister Maria........................................................................................................................................................... Mary Ethel, Friedrich, Linzer Torte, Pamela Except You............................................................................................................................................................ Mary Ethel, Pamela Feet Finale / The Broadway Song Reprise........................................................................................ Mary Ethel, Nathan, Ensemble It Started With a Dream................................................................................................................................ Louise and Company You Make Me Proud........................................................................................................................................ Kevin Finale........................................................................................................................................................................ Pamela, Louise, and Company
PRODUCTION CREDITS Dance Captain: Blake Zolfo Assistant to the Director: Brian Eckert Assistant Lighting Designer: Margaret Peebles Programmer: Keithlyn Parkman Rehearsal Pianist: Kent Dennis Spot Ops: Abbey Smith & Courtney Davis Deck Audio: Natalie Soto & Caroline Harvey Assistant Wig Designer: Tommy Kurzman Wardrobe: Maggie Barnett, Jaclyn Vela, Kasey Gillette Wig Runner: Lauren McManus Deck Carpenter: Laura Nuneliver Young Adult Supervisor: Molly Huber
SPECIAL THANKS Thanks to André Bishop, Ben Wasserstein, Pam Wasserstein, Scoop Wasserstein. André produced Wendy’s plays at Playwrights Horizons and Lincoln Center and Broadway. They were also close friends. Ben and Scoop are her nephews, and Pam is her niece. And indeed when Wendy wrote the book Pamela’s First Musical she chose the name Pamela in honor of her niece. André and Ben are the official literary executors. Pam and Scoop are advisors. We are grateful that they allowed us to present the musical at Two River Theater. Thank you, David Lee, Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher. Thank you to the artists who have helped develop Pamela in readings and a concert: Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Bogardus, Brent Barrett, Tracee Beazer, Christian Borle, Liz Callaway, Carolee Carmello, Derek Cobey, Lila Coogan, Dave Droxler, Sandy Duncan, Chris Dwan, Gregg Edelman, Rebecca Eichenberger, Steve Flaherty, David Garrison, Lovett George, Kathie Lee Gifford, Randy Graff, Joel Grey, Matthew Gumley, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Robert Klein, Leslie Kritzer, Michele Lee, Alyse Alan Louis, Karen Mason, Marin Mazzie, Donna McKechnie, Garren McRoberts, Debra Monk, Malcolm Morano, Donna Murphy, Gabrielle Pizzolo, Michael Riedel, Tony Roberts, Arbender Robertson, Libby Servais, Christopher Sieber, Emily Skinner, Elizabeth Stanley, Tommy Tune, Audrey Twitchell, Lillias White, Karen Ziemba, and Chip Zien. Thanks also to Adam Wiggins and Masque Sound and Recording Corp. 10
CAST OF CHARACTERS
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Pamela.....................................................................................................Sarah McKinley Austin Daniel/Jules Gels/Linzer Torte/Others................................Wesley J. Barnes
Insure Invest Retire
Ensemble................................................................................................Jeanine Bruen
Van Winkle Associates
Mary Ethel Bernadette...................................................................Andréa Burns
A leading provider of benefits,
Tiny La Tuna/Messenger/Gladys/Others...........................Mary Callanan
estate & wealth planning
Aunt Louise..........................................................................................Carolee Carmello Robert/Harrison Roy/Others......................................................Nick Cearley Lyndell/Betty Songheim/Countess........................................Erica Dorfler Jessica/Heidi Lee Lee/Others...................................................Hillary Fisher
strategies for families & businesses since 1979. 732.741.4046
Bernie S. Gerry....................................................................................David Garrison Nick/Billy Ivey Zippers/Butler/Others..................................Jacobi Hall Kevin/Nathan Hines Kline............................................................Howard McGillin Hal Hitner..............................................................................................Michael Mulheren Ensemble................................................................................................Elizabeth Ritacco Thomas/Cy Songheim/Friedrich/Others............................Blake Zolfo
A mutual company founded in 1845
MUSICIANS A S S OC IAT ES ,
INC.
Conductor and Keyboard 1..........................................................Gregory J. Dlugos Drums.......................................................................................................Perry Cavari Bass...........................................................................................................Jeff Dingler
Award-Winning Award-Winning
Reeds 2....................................................................................................Tessa Dolce
Full Color Full Color Printing, Printing, Digital Printing, Digital Printing,
Trumpet..................................................................................................Jeff Kievit
Design, Binding, Design, Binding,
Reeds 1....................................................................................................Michael Mahadeen
Distribution and Distribution and Promotion Promotion
Keyboard 2............................................................................................Ian Miller Trombone..............................................................................................Clint Sharman
Direct to Direct to Plate Plate Technology Technology Utilizing Macintosh Utilizing Macintosh and PC and PC Platforms Platforms Full Service Full Service Design Design
The Director/Choreographer is a member of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union NI SCE C A
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UNITED
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The Designers at this Theatre are Represented by
United Scenic Artists • Local USA 829 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers in LORT theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE
Two River Theater Company is a member of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT), Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, and ArtPride New Jersey.
Serving the Tri-State area for over 30 years
Jersey Printing Associates 153 First Ave., Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716 732.872.9654 • jerseyprinting.com
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BIOS
MEET THE ARTISTS! Sarah McKinley Austin (Pamela) is honored to be a part of this new musical! National Tours: Matilda the Musical (Matilda), Once (Ivanka). Regional: Les Misérables (Young Cosette). Love and gratitude to Nancy Carson, Jeannine Rowden, teachers, friends and family. Instagram: @sarahmckinleyaustin and www.sarahmckinleyaustin.com
Wesley J. Barnes (Daniel/Jules Gels/Linzer Torte/Others) is thrilled to be a part of the PFM premiere! As an LA native, he received a BA in theatre performance/musical theatre from Concordia University Irvine (2015). As a member of the Kennedy Tap Co. he has performed for the NAACP Image Awards, PBS Holiday Spectacular, Michael Jackson’s 45th Birthday Party, and other events and tours. He has toured as a featured performer in Magic of the Dance in both Germany and Taiwan. Favorite credits include: Newsies, The Scottsboro Boys, Godspell, In the Heights, Choir Boy, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, The World According to Snoopy, Songs for a New World, Reckless, The Drowsy Chaperone. Much love to family and friends, along with Ann Steel Agency. Follow Wes on Instagram @Mistahwes and like his Facebook page! Jer 29:11 Wesleyjbarnes.com Jeanine Bruen (Ensemble) is a New York-based actress and singer who recently played the lead role of Christine in the New York premiere of Vox Lumiere’s Phantom of the Opera. Jeanine has made her mark in the cabaret world, performing frequently at 54 Below, Town Hall, and the Metropolitan Room. She was featured as a “Broadway Rising Star” at Town Hall in 2016. Education: Wagner College’s Honors Program (B.A. Theatre Performance), The Barrow Group. Endless gratitude to Two River, our entire cast, crew, and creative team, Aaron Sandler, SirenSong Entertainment, Tara Rubin Casting. All my love to Mom, Dad, Jul and Gen. Keep up with Jeanine at jeaninebruen.com. Andréa Burns (Mary Ethel Bernadette) is a Drama Desk Award winner and earned an Outer Critics Circle nomination for her show-stopping performance as Gloria Fajardo in On Your Feet!. Broadway audiences also know her as Daniela from the original cast of In the Heights. Also on Broadway: The Nance, Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty, The Ritz. Off-Broadway: the original casts of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World and Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night. Film: Akron. TV: Blue Bloods, Kevin Can Wait, Jessica Jones, Law & Order: SVU, The Electric Company, Rescue Me, and Mindhunter. Andréa’s solo album, A Deeper Shade of Red, is available at psclassics.com Mary Callanan (Tiny La Tuna/Messenger/Gladys/Others) Two River Theater: Debut. Mary most recently played Jean Ann Ryan in last season’s Bandstand. Previously, Mary played Marge in the 1st National Tour of The Bridges of Madison County. Broadway: Mamma Mia! (Rosie – final company), Annie (Mrs. Pugh/Miss Hannigan understudy). Tours: Mamma Mia!, The Sound of Music, Big the Musical, and Damn Yankees. Regional: Gypsy, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Mame, Les Miz, Falsettos, Follies, Bat Boy, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Chicago, and Violet. Proud member of Actors’ Equity. www.marycallanan.com 13
Carolee Carmello (Aunt Louise) has appeared in 14 Broadway musicals and is a three-time Tony nominee. She recently completed a year-long run as Mrs. Lovett in the critically acclaimed Sweeney Todd at New York’s Barrow Street Theatre. She was seen as Mae Tuck in Tuck Everlasting and as Mrs. du Maurier in Finding Neverland (earning a Drama Desk nomination). Carolee received both a Tony nomination and Drama Desk nomination for her portrayal of Aimee Semple McPherson in Scandalous. Broadway audiences also saw her as Mother Superior in Sister Act, as Alice Beineke in The Addams Family (Drama Desk nomination and Outer Critics Circle nomination), as Donna in Mamma Mia!, as Gabrielle in Lestat (Tony nomination, Drama Desk nomination), as Ms. Pennywise in Urinetown, as Kate in Kiss Me, Kate, as Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel, as Lucille Frank in Parade (Tony nomination and Drama Desk Award), as Abigail Adams in 1776, as Cordelia in Falsettos, and as Oolie in City of Angels. Other Off-Broadway credits include: john and jen, Das Barbecü, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Hello Again (Obie Award), A Class Act, The Vagina Monologues, and Elegies. Carolee’s screen credits include The Deuce, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Good Fight, Madam Secretary, Smash, Law & Order: SVU, Frasier, Ed, and Remember W.E.N.N. (SAG Award nomination). Her concert appearances have taken her across America and Europe, including engagements at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, and Carnegie Hall.
CELEBRATING
49 YEARS IN BUSINESS
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Nick Cearley (Robert/Harrison Roy/Others) is one-half of the critically acclaimed “undie”-rock comedy duo known as The Skivvies (theskivviesnyc.com), co-created with Lauren Molina. Mr. Cearley’s Off-Broadway credits include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pageant: The Musical (original cast album on Jay Records, Drama Desk nomination) and Sex Tips.... He has also appeared in the Broadway/First National Tour of All Shook Up (dir. Chris Ashley). Mr. Cearley’s most recent and fave regional credits include eight (!) regional premieres of the acclaimed one-person play Buyer & Cellar, An Act of God (B Street Theatre/Sacramento), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (co-pro with Portland Center Stage and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), and Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show directed by Hunter Foster at Bucks County Playhouse. His extensive regional credits also include runs at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bay Street Theater, Huntington Theatre Company, American Stage Theatre Company, Luna Stage, Diversionary Stage, TheatreWorks, New York Stage and Film, City Theatre, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Rubicon Theatre Company, Nantucket Theatre Workshop, and A.C.T. of San Francisco. He was also recently named on the OUT100 list as one of the most compelling and influential LGBT actors of the year. Instagram/Twitter: @clearlycearley @theskivviesnyc www.nickcearley.com, www.theskivviesnyc.com
Erica Dorfler (Lyndell/Betty Songheim/Countess) is making her Two River debut. She was most recently seen in the revival of Carmen Jones at Classic Stage Company. Broadway: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, The Book of Mormon, Memphis, Baby It’s You!, Scandalous. OffBroadway: Avenue Q (New World Stages), Forbidden Broadway (Davenport Theatre), Silk Stockings (York Theatre). Regional/NYC: The Way of the World (Folger Theatre, dir. Theresa Rebeck), This (Barrington Stage), Here’s Hoover (Abrons Arts Center, dir. Alex Timbers), West Side Story with the L.A. Philharmonic (Hollywood Bowl), Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (ART). Television: The Family. Many thanks to Tony Cloer of Blue Ridge Entertainment and Tara Rubin Casting. For Brian. ericadorfler.com Hillary Fisher (Jessica/Heidi Lee Lee/Others) is so excited to be a part of this fantastic show! NY/Regional credits include: The Last Five Years (The National Black Theatre), Rent (Mac-Haydn Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Fulton Opera House). Proud Pace MT17. Thanks to Buchwald, Tara Rubin’s office and much love to Graciela Daniele. Instagram: @no.chillary David Garrison (Bernie S. Gerry) is best known as Steve Rhoades on the long-running comedy series Married With Children. His Broadway credits include A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine (Tony Award nomination, DramaLogue Award), Wicked (Carbonell Award), The Visit, Titanic, Torch Song Trilogy, The Pirates of Penzance, Bells Are Ringing, and the Encores! productions of Strike Up the Band and Little Me. He made his Broadway debut working with Graciela Daniele and Christopher Durang on A History of the American Film. His OffBroadway credits include I Do! I Do! (Drama Desk Award nomination), Dead Poets Society, Middletown, New Jerusalem, It’s Only a Play, Kid Victory, By the Way Meet Vera Stark, The Torch-Bearers, Geniuses, and Silence! The Musical. He received a Helen Hayes Award for Merrily We Roll Along (Arena Stage), and played the Devil in the world premiere of Randy Newman’s Faust (La Jolla/Goodman). His opera credits include Die Fledermaus at Santa Fe Opera and Candide at Glimmerglass. He has had recurring roles on The West Wing, The Practice and Law & Order, as well as guest starring on many shows, including Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; The Good Wife; 30 Rock; NYPD Blue; Everybody Loves Raymond; Murphy Brown; Murder, She Wrote; Judging Amy; and LA Law. For PBS Great Performances, he was featured in On the Town with the London Symphony Orchestra and Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall. 15
Jacobi Hall (Nick/Billy Ivey Zippers/Butler/Others) is delighted to be making his debut with Two River Theater. Favorite credits include The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), In the Heights (Benny), Hairspray (Seaweed), Tarzan (Kerchak). A focused multi-talented artist, Hall is determined on breaking into show business and leaving a mark on the arts and entertainment industry forever. Endless gratitude to family, Luedtke LLC, casting, and Ms. Graciela Daniele. IG: @Jacobihallll Howard McGillin (Kevin/Nathan Hines Kline) is best known for his record-setting performance in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera. His Broadway credits also include Gigi, The Kiss of the Spider Woman, She Loves Me, The Secret Garden, Anything Goes (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), The Mystery of Edwin Drood, choreographed by Graciela Daniele (Tony and Drama Desk nominations, a Theatre World Award), and Sunday in
the Park with George. On London’s West End, he starred in Mack and Mabel and Anything Goes. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his New York theatrical debut in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of La Bohème opposite Linda Ronstadt. He starred in the Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman musical Bounce directed by Harold Prince at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where he was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. Regional credits include Grey Gardens and My Fair Lady at Bay Street, Damn Yankees at Paper Mill, The 39 Steps and It Shoulda Been You at George Street, and It’s A Wonderful Life at Irish Rep. He appeared recently opposite Charles Busch in The Confession of Lily Dare. He has sung on concert stages around the world—from Carnegie Hall to the Israel Philharmonic Hall in Tel Aviv to Tokyo, in New York’s famed Cafe Carlyle, 54 Below, Feinstein’s at the Regency, and the Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room. Recent TV includes The Good Wife and Elementary. Howard has narrated numerous episodes of Nature for PBS, and recorded numerous audio books in addition to providing voices for the animated feature films South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and The Swan Princess. His solo CD is Howard McGillin: Where Time Stands Still. Michael Mulheren (Hal Hitner) Tony and Drama Desk Award nominee for Kiss Me, Kate. Broadway: Bright Star, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Looped, The Farnsworth Invention, Deuce, La Cage aux Folles, The Boy from Oz, Titanic, On the Waterfront. OffBroadway: Miss You Like Hell (The Public Theater), Captains Courageous (Manhattan Theatre Club), Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons), The Cocoanuts (American Place Theatre), and The Fantasticks (Sullivan Street Playhouse). More than 50 plays and musicals at such regional theaters as Goodspeed, Westport Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse. Television: recurring roles on Daredevil, Salem, Person of Interest, Rescue Me, Royal Pains, Law & Order, Gotham, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods. Films by such directors as Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Richard Donner. Love always to Amanda, Conor and Fiona. Elizabeth Ritacco (Ensemble) is ecstatic to be making her Two River Theater debut! A Toms River native, Elizabeth’s most recent accomplishments include High School Musical (Axelrod PAC), Be More Chill (Exit 82 Theatre Co.) and Ghost (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse). Other credits include In the Heights (Axelrod PAC), Fiddler on the Roof (Surflight Theatre), and Heathers the Musical (Exit 82 Theatre Co.). She is so grateful to her family and friends for being the ultimate support system, and is even more so to the creative team for sharing their energy and wisdom with her! @sillylizzles
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Blake Zolfo (Thomas/Cy Songheim/Friedrich/Others) is so grateful to be working at such a beautiful theater with this dream creative team. Theater: Kid Victory (Vineyard Theatre - Chita Rivera nomination for Outstanding Male Dancer), Sexyback (American Repertory Theater), and The Lightning Thief (National Tour). TV/Film: Madam Secretary and Body of Chris (Alfred P. Weisman Award). Proud Boston Conservatory alum and proud member of Actors’ Equity. Cofounder and Director of Production for the multimedia production company, Iris Productions. Thanks first to God and then to my family and my Loo.
MUSICIANS
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Perry Cavari (Drums) was born and raised in New Jersey, and now lives with his wife Maria and daughter Emily. His versatility has kept him as one of the top players on the New York music scene. Perry’s Broadway credits include: A Bronx Tale; Something Rotten; Promises, Promises; Big Fish; Bullets Over Broadway; Elf; Leap of Faith; Young Frankenstein;The Drowsy Chaperone; Fosse; Oklahoma!; The Producers; Victor/Victoria; and Grand Hotel, to name a few. His movie credits include: Hail Caesar, My Week with Marilyn, The Producers, as well as the Chicago movie soundtrack for which he composed and performed “A Tap Dance” which featured Richard Gere. He is currently recording Norm Lewis’s latest CD as well as doing his live performances. Jeff Dingler (Bass) is a bassist who has worked as a professional both domestically and abroad. He has toured with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, and has played with numerous jazz artists across the US, Africa, Europe, and Japan. For the past two years Jeff has served as professor of bass and jazz studies at Mekane Yesus University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His most recent album of original compositions, In Transit, has received critical acclaim in the US, Europe, and Africa. Tessa Dolce (Reeds 2) is a freelance Multiple Woodwind Specialist based in the New York/ Metropolitan area. A recent MA graduate in Multiple Woodwind Performance from Montclair State University in New Jersey, Tessa studied with Chad Smith, Harry Searing and Wendy Stem. She continues as the orchestra manager for the Kasser, Memorial and Fox Theaters at MSU. While at the university, Tessa was a pit orchestra member for West Side Story, Carousel, Three Penny Opera, The Producers, Anything Goes, 42nd Street, and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Tessa has been a member of the orchestra for productions presented by Vanguard Theater Company, CAST Theater Productions and GB Productions. She also performs as a member of the Garden State Symphonic Band and Central Jersey Wind Ensemble.
Michael Mahadeen (Music Preparation/Reeds 1), is a conductor, educator, composer, and performer, who can regularly be found on the music teams of various professional, community, and educational theater organizations, and serves on the faculty of several NJ schools/ universities. Recent Broadway/NYC credits include: On the 20th Century (Roundabout), Crazy for You (MCP), The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Hadestown (NYTW), Sweeney Todd (Barrow), and Show Boat (NY Phil). Michael has had music performed by the Czech Radio Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Colonial Symphony, and is known internationally for his scores to video games in the Wing Commander series. Additionally, he has orchestrated solo concerts for Jarrod Spector, Kelli Barrett, and Eric Petersen, among others. A graduate of Montclair State University and recipient of the NJ Distinguished Student Teacher Award, Michael currently studies at the New York Conducting Studio under Dr. Gary Fagin. His music is published by Bandworks Publications.
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Jeff Kievit (Trumpet) “A career of dreams coming true.” Recordings, tours and live performances with many of music’s most popular groups, from yesterday’s Bee Gees to today’s Panic at the Disco, he has worked with artists ranging from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Ray Charles to Sting and Lady Gaga. Jeff’s career is as diverse as it gets, from performing as a soloist for Handel’s Messiah at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, to arranging, producing and recording music for the Super Bowl. That diversity includes performing for concerts, Broadway shows, and many appearances on The Kennedy Center Honors TV show. Other credits include recording CDs, TV themes, movies, and commercials for TV and radio; producing CDs; music supervising for CBS’s The Young and the Restless; and music directing for the legendary jazz great Chuck Mangione and a TV special for Vanessa Williams. Jeff’s been a vital part of the formula for success with numerous Broadway shows and is thrilled to be back under the direction of his longtime friend Greg Dlugos with Pamela’s First Musical.
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Ian Miller (Keyboard 2) is a music director, pianist, singer and composer originally from St. Louis, MO. Currently based in New York City, Ian is on faculty at the Nightingale-Bamford School, is a performer with the Story Pirates, and is the music director of “AHRC on Broadway,” a musical theater program for adults with intellectual disabilities. He holds a degree in music from Yale University, and is a former Whiffenpoof. www.musicianmiller.com Clint Sharman (Trombone) has performed in dozens of Broadway shows, including most recently A Bronx Tale, Honeymoon in Vegas serving on trombone, euphonium and tuba. Career has included, among many others, performing with Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Michael Jackson, Bee Gees, and the Boston Pops and Philadelphia Pops Orchestra. Also extensive work in television, jingles, albums and film.
CREATIVE TEAM Wendy Wasserstein (Playwright) was the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Play for her landmark 1989 drama The Heidi Chronicles, which Two River Theater produced as the second play of its 1994/95 debut season at Monmouth University. The Heidi Chronicles also won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize and Susan Smith Blackburn Prize; the New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards; and earned a grant from The Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays. For The Sisters Rosensweig she received the 1993 Outer Critics Circle Award, a Tony Award nomination, and the William Inge Award for Distinguished Achievement in American Theatre. Her other plays include Uncommon Women and Others, Isn’t It Romantic, An American Daughter and Old Money; a musical, Miami (with Jack Feldman and Bruce Sussman); and Waiting for Philip Glass, which was included in The Acting Company’s Love’s Fire. Third was produced at Lincoln Center Theater in the fall of 2005, just months before her untimely death on January 30, 2006 at the age of 55, after a bout with lymphoma. Her screenplays include The Object of My Affection, which starred Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd. For PBS Great Performances she wrote Kiss, Kiss Darling; Drive, She Said; and adaptations of John Cheever’s The Sorrows of Gin and her own Uncommon Women and Others. She adapted The Heidi Chronicles for TNT (1996 Emmy Award nomination for Best Television Movie) and An American Daughter for Lifetime Television. Her adaptation of The Nutcracker was performed at the American Ballet Theatre at the Met, and her adaptation of The Merry Widow premiered at San Francisco Opera. She was the librettist for the original opera Festival of Regrets: Central Park, which had runs at Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera. Her books include the essay collections Shiksa Goddess and Bachelor Girls, and a novel, Elements of Style. She contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Times, New York Woman, and Harper’s Bazaar, among many other publications. She was the recipient of an NEA Grant, Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. She served on the Council of the Dramatists Guild; taught at Columbia University, New York University, Juilliard School, and Princeton University; and held an Honorary Doctorate from Mount Holyoke College. Wasserstein was born in Brooklyn and raised in Manhattan. She was a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the Yale School of Drama. Christopher Durang (Playwright) graduated from Harvard and Yale School of Drama. His plays include A History of the American Film (Tony® nomination); The Actor’s Nightmare; Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You (Obie Award); Beyond Therapy; Baby with the Bathwater; The Marriage of Bette and Boo (Obie Award, Dramatists Guild Hull Warriner Award); Laughing Wild; Durang/Durang (an evening of six plays); Betty’s Summer Vacation (Obie Award); Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge; Adrift in Macao, Book and Lyrics by Durang, Music by Peter Melnick; and Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them. Miss Witherspoon was a double premiere at McCarter and Playwrights Horizons (2005, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize); McCarter and Lincoln Center Theater jointly produced Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, winning the 2013 Tony Award® for Best Play, and five other awards. His latest play is Turning
Off the Morning News, a commission from Emily Mann at the McCarter Theatre. http://www.christopherdurang.com Cy Coleman (Composer) (1929-2004) was born in New York City. A child prodigy, he gave piano recitals between the ages of six and nine, and trained in piano composition and orchestration at New York City’s High School for the Performing Arts and NY College of Music. Despite early success in the classical and jazz genres, Coleman decided to build a career in popular music. He collaborated with Joe A McCarthy on the classics Why Try to Change Me Now, The Riviera and I’m Going to Laugh You Right Out of My Life. Coleman’s most successful early partnership was with Carolyn Leigh. The pair wrote many pop hits including Witchcraft, made famous by Frank Sinatra, and The Best Is Yet to Come. Coleman’s winning streak as a Broadway composer began when the team of Coleman/Leigh collaborated on the musical Wildcat (1960), which marked the Broadway debut of comedienne Lucille Ball, followed by Little Me, with book by Neil Simon. In 1964, Coleman began collaborating with Dorothy Fields. Their first project was the Broadway smash Sweet Charity, again with book by Neil Simon, featuring the showstoppers Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now. The pair then worked on the 1973 Broadway show Seesaw before their partnership was cut short by Fields’ death in 1974. Coleman remained prolific throughout the 1970s and 1980s composing the score for I Love My Wife (1977), with lyrics by Michael Stewart, and On the Twentieth Century (1978), with Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 1980, Coleman served as producer and composer for Barnum, introducing theatergoers to Jim Dale and Glenn Close. He also collaborated on Welcome to the Club (1988), with A.E. Hotchner, and City of Angels (1989), with David Zippel with book by Larry Gelbart. The 1990s brought two more hit Cy Coleman musicals to Broadway: The Will Rogers Follies (1991), again with Comden and Green, and The Life (1997), with lyricist Ira Gasman. Coleman’s film scores include Father Goose, The Art of Love, Garbo Talks and Family Business. His numerous awards include Grammys (three wins, 13 nominations), Tonys (three wins, 11 nominations), Emmys (three wins, five nominations), Oscar (one nomination for Sweet Charity), Songwriters’ Hall of Fame inductee, Johnny Mercer Award (Songwriters’ Hall of Fame) and the Richard Rodgers’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in American Musical Theatre (ASCAP). David Zippel (Lyricist) is a lyricist and director. He has won the Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, two Grammy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. He is one of a handful of contemporary lyricists to have achieved success on Broadway, in Hollywood and in the pop music world. Musicals: City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White, Just So, Princesses, Going Hollywood, Pamela’s First Musical. Films: Disney’s Hercules, Disney’s Mulan, The Swan Princesses, The Wedding Planner. His songs appear on over 25 million CDs and have been sung by: Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Barbara Cook, Michael Bolton, Ricky Martin, Cleo Laine, Nancy LaMott, Sarah Brightman, Mel Tormé and Barbra Streisand. David worked with Liza Minnelli to write Liza’s at the Palace, which won the 2009 Tony Award and was recorded for PBS. David conceived and directed Princesses at Goodspeed Musicals and The 5th Avenue Theatre. David conceived and directed The Best Is Yet to Come: The Music of Cy Coleman, which premiered at the Rubicon Theatre and for which he won a 2010 “INDY” award for his direction and a 2012 Drama Desk Award for Best Musical Revue. He conceived and directed They’re Playing His Songs: The Music of Marvin Hamlisch. David is one of the lead producers of Gerard Alessandrini’s smash spoof SPAMILTON: An American Parody, currently in London and soon to cross America. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is delighted not to practice law. Graciela Daniele (Director/Choreographer) has directed on Broadway, at Lincoln Center and The Public Theater, and at regional theaters and has earned 10 Tony Award nominations and six Drama Desk nominations. Her Broadway director/choreographic credits include Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Annie Get Your Gun, Marie Christine, Once on This Island, Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Dangerous Game. She has musical staged/choreographed such shows as Ragtime (Astaire, Ovation [L.A.], 19
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NAACP, and Callaway Awards), The Goodbye Girl, Zorba with Anthony Quinn, The Rink starring Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She choreographed the New York Shakespeare Festival production of The Pirates of Penzance on Broadway, Los Angeles and London, the motion picture of Pirates, and three Woody Allen films including Mighty Aphrodite, for which she won the 1996 Fosse Award, and Everyone Says I Love You, for which she won the 1997 Fosse Award. Ms. Daniele directed and choreographed A New Brain, which enjoyed an extended run in the summer of 1998 at Lincoln Center Theater. She is a recipient of the 1998 “Mr. Abbott” Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Director/Choreographer. Ms. Daniele directed and choreographed Michael John LaChuisa’s Little Fish (Second Stage) and Bernarda Alba (Lincoln Center Theater) along with the Lincoln Center Theater production of William Finn’s Elegies: A Song Cycle. Most recently, she has choreographed The Visit on Broadway and the world premiere of Sousatzka at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. Kevin Stites (Music Supervisor and Arrangements) recently conducted the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (Lerner and Loewe tribute) and an all-star Broadway evening with a 400-voice choir and the New York Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall for Manhattan Concert Productions, and has completed his fourth season as Music Director for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. He conducted the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall with Brian Stokes Mitchell, several Symphonic Concerts with Kristin Chenoweth (LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl), and Do You Hear the People Sing with the Oklahoma City and Hartford Symphony Orchestras. He was Music Director for MCP’S concert presentations of Crazy for You and Titanic (David Geffen Hall) as well as conducting the mono-opera Falling Man by Kenneth Fuchs at the 911 Museum Memorial. Kevin was Music Director of Grey Gardens with Betty Buckley and Rachel York in Los Angeles. He is Music Director/Pianist for Deborah Voigt’s Voigt Lessons. Guest Conductor: Grant Park Symphony (Sondheim, Bernstein, Gershwin, Loesser, and Porter tributes), Hollywood Bowl’s The Producers, Guys and Dolls, and Les Misérables. Broadway: On the 20th Century (revival), South Pacific (Lincoln Center Theater), A Tale of Two Cities, The Color Purple (Music Supervision/Incidental Music), Titanic (Original Musical Supervisor/ Music Director), Sunset Boulevard, Les Misérables (2006 revival), The Threepenny Opera (Roundabout revival), Fiddler on the Roof (2003), Nine (Revival), Oklahoma! (Nunn/Stroman), On the Town, Nine to Five (Additional Musical Arrangements). Tours: Little House on the Prairie, The Color Purple, Martin Guerre, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Titanic. Film/Television: Rosie Live!, Reefer Madness, Letterman, Rosie, several Tony Awards telecasts, two Il Volo specials for PBS. Future projects include: Broadway revival of Crazy for You, Maltby and Shire’s Take Flight, and the further development of Austin’s Pride. He earned his Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in Music from the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign, and studied under the tutelage of Professor Kenneth Drake and Professor Emeritus John Wustman. He was awarded the Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship in 1979/80. Gregory J. Dlugos (Music Director and Conductor/Keyboard 1) has, since moving to NYC, worked as Music Director, Conductor, Associate Conductor, Pianist, Composer, Arranger and Orchestrator for many Broadway Shows and Tours, and at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to work with such personalities as Chita Rivera, Antonio Banderas, Sutton Foster, Andrea Martin, Betty Buckley, Jerome Robbins, Peter Gennaro, Michael Kidd, Hal Prince, Mel Brooks, Kander & Ebb and Pat Benatar. His Broadway credits include Barnum, Phantom of the Opera, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Sunset Boulevard, Chicago, Fosse, Jekyll and Hyde, Nine and Young Frankenstein. Since 2012 Gregory has been Music Supervisor of the Musical Theater Department at Montclair State University where he has conducted numerous productions, most recently, Anything Goes at the Alexander Kasser Theater. He recently returned from the Shanghai Institute for Visual Arts where he was Music Director for the first Chinese production of A Chorus Line.
Charlie Rosen (Orchestrator) is a composer, performer, arranger, orchestrator, music director, and producer. Recent credits include — Broadway: Prince of Broadway (Orchestrations), American Psycho (Assoc MD/Keys), The Visit (Guitar/Zither), Honeymoon in Vegas (Orchestrations), Cyrano de Bergerac (Composer), One Man, Two Guvnors (Music Director, Bass), 13 The Musical (Guitars, Bass, Keys), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Assoc. MD, Bass). Off Broadway/ Regional/Other: Moulin Rouge (Orchestrations) — The Colonial Theater, Bounty Hunter (Orchestrations) — Barrington Stages, The Boston Pops (Arranger), A Legendary Romance (MD/Orch.) — Williamstown Theater Festival, Miss You Like Hell (Orchestrations) — The Public Theater, Misc. Shakespeare in the Park — The Public Theater, Be More Chill – Two River Theater (MD/Orch.), The Black Suits – Center Theater Group (MD/Orch.), Unauthorized...Samantha Brown – Goodspeed, Bonfire Night – NYSF, Charlie Rosen’s Broadway Big Band — In residency at 54 Below, Chita Rivera: A Legendary Celebration – August Wilson (Orchestrations). TV/Film: The Presidents Show — Comedy Central (Composer) Maya and Marty – NBC (MD/Composer/Arranger), Best Time Ever w/NPH — NBC (Orchestrations and Track Production), High Maintenance — HBO (Addl Music). ASCAP, Local 802, Equity, Berklee, WME — www.charlierosen.com @CRosenMusic David Gallo (Scenic Designer) has designed over 30 Broadway productions, including Memphis, The Drowsy Chaperone (Tony Award: Best Scenic Design), Gem of the Ocean, The Mountaintop, reasons to be pretty, Xanadu, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. For Two River Theater, he designed The School for Wives. He creates innovative scenic and media design for television, concerts, and events. He is production designer for Sesame Street, his Blue Man Group work has been seen by millions, he is creative director for Phish’s New Year’s Eve extravaganzas, and the Illusionarium he created for Norwegian Cruise Line was a pioneer in immersive entertainment venues. His work for Stage Entertainment, Disney, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, and others is seen daily in a dozen cities worldwide. The Smithsonian Institution and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame both own samples of his work. www.davidgallo.com Viveca Gardiner (Scenic Designer) expanded into theatrical set design after decades in the circus industry as a performer, teacher, writer, director, and producer. She has collaborated with David Gallo on multiple productions and live events, and she is the line producer for the Phish New Year’s Eve “gag” that she directs at Madison Square Garden. Gabriel Berry (Costume Designer) specializes in collaboration on new work. Notable productions include the world premieres of the works of Maria Irene Fornes, Richard Foreman, Charles Ludlam, Samuel Beckett, Philip Glass, John Guare, Christopher Durang, Mabou Mines, Peter Sellars, John Adams, Tito Puente, Yoshiko Chuma, Lucinda Childs, Ethyl Eichelberger, Nick Jones, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Osvaldo Golijov, Meredith Monk, and Ellen Stewart. Awards include Obies, Bessies and a silver medal from the Prague Quadrennial for her contribution to experimental theater. She previously designed Dancing at Lughnasa, Pericles and Absurd Person Singular at Two River Theater. David Lander (Lighting Designer) Two River Theater: Carry It On written and performed by Maureen McGovern. Broadway: The Heiress with Jessica Chastain and Dan Stevens, The Lyons with Linda Lavin, Master Class with Tyne Daly, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo with Robin Williams (Drama Desk Award; Tony and Outer Critics nominations), 33 Variations with Jane Fonda (Tony and Outer Critics nominations), I Am My Own Wife (Drama Desk and Outer Critics nominations) among others. Off-Broadway: Atlantic Theatre, The Public Theater, MTC, Roundabout Theatre, Signature Theatre, The Vineyard Theatre among others. Regional: Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, Huntington Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, among others. International Theatre and Opera: Dublin, Delhi, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo among others.
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Drew Levy (Sound Designer) Previously at Two River: Dancing at Lughnasa, The Ballad of Little Jo, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,Absurd Person Singular. Broadway: Honeymoon in Vegas (Drama Desk nomination), Chaplin (Drama Desk Award), The Winslow Boy, The Importance of Being Earnest, Present Laughter. Off-Broadway: One Day the Musical, The Weir, Why Torture Is Wrong…, Emergence-See!, Dutchman, The Mistakes Madeline Made. Regional: Heartbreak Hotel, Bard SummerScape, Williamstown, 5th Avenue Theatre, The Old Globe, Two River Theater, Arena Stage, Westport Country Playhouse, McCarter, Huntington, Long Wharf. Other: Reconfiguration: An Evening with Other Lives; Drama Desk Awards Ceremony; Metropolitan Opera 125th Anniversary Gala; holiday installs for Saks 5th Avenue, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston. Tom Watson (Wig Designer) is head of the wig and makeup department at the Metropolitan Opera. He has designed wigs for more than 55 Broadway productions. Current and recent Broadway designs include Annie, The Big Knife, The Assembled Parties, An Enemy of the People, Picnic, A Christmas Story, Harvey, Million Dollar Quartet, Rock of Ages, Wicked, How to Succeed…, The Addams Family, Promises, Promises, South Pacific, Sondheim on Sondheim, A View from the Bridge, and Sunday in the Park with George. Tara Rubin Casting (Casting) Selected Broadway: King Kong (upcoming), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Indecent, Bandstand, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale, Cats, Falsettos, Disaster!, School of Rock, Les Misérables, The Heiress, The Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, …Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys. Off-Broadway: Smokey Joe’s Café; Jersey Boys; Here Lies Love; Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Selected Regional: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Asolo Rep. www.tararubincasting.com
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Madeleine Kelly (Associate Choreographer), born in Rhode Island, has performed as a dancer on Broadway, television, and feature films. Her Choreography and Associate Choreographer credits include The Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Mexico City, Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, My Favorite Broadway with Julie Andrews, numerous shows for Lincoln Center, Broadway’s Taboo, Pal Joey, Chita Rivera: A Dancer’s Life, The Visit. Recent credits include Sousatzka in Toronto staring Victoria Clark, Montego Glover and Judy Kaye, and Chita & Tune: Just in Time with Chita Rivera and Tommy Tune. James Steele (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working at Two River Theater on this fantastic production. Broadway: Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Roundabout); One Man, Two Guvnors. Tour: Small Mouth Sounds. Off-Broadway: Small Mouth Sounds (Signature), By the Water (MTC), Pageant (SAS), Tail! Spin!, …The Great Comet of 1812 (Ars Nova/ Kazino), My Name Is Asher Lev (Westside Theatre), An Iliad (NYTW), The Tribute Artist (Primary Stages), The Divine Sister (DRTM). Thanks to Grazie, Maddie, Lori, Jackie and Joaquin, love to Mom and Gram. Lori M. Doyle (Production Stage Manager) is stage managing her first production with Two River Theater, and she’s pleased and honored to be a part of this company. She comes directly to Red Bank from the Contemporary American Theater Festival, where she helmed the Marinoff Theater and two new plays performing in Rep. Other 2018 credits include Skeleton Crew at Baltimore Center Stage. Broadway: The Visit, You Can’t Take It With You, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (revival), Fela!, Jane Eyre: The Musical, 1776, Say Goodnight Gracie, and 11 Mainstage productions and numerous Gala events for Roundabout Theatre Company. Regional: 10 summer seasons (two plays in rep each season) at Contemporary American Theater Festival, multiple productions at Baltimore’s Center Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. Off-Broadway: 2econd Stage Theatre Company, RTC @ The Laura Pels, New York Shakespeare Festival, Lamb’s Theatre Company, Circle Rep, and American Jewish Theatre. Additional: 82+ corporate and special events with 32 different production companies.
LEADERSHIP BIOS
JOHN DIAS (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR) assumed his position as Artistic Director of Two River Theater in August 2010 after working as a producer and dramaturg in New York for 20 years. In partnership with Managing Director Michael Hurst he has brought new vitality to the 25-yearold Red Bank theater, including producing subscription shows on two stages for the first time; launching the theater’s first literary department and commissioning program for new plays; presenting annual events such as a musical theater cabaret in collaboration with New York University’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and the Crossing Borders festival of Latino plays; and developing numerous arts-education initiatives for young people including A Little Shakespeare, an annual production of one of Shakespeare’s plays performed by high-school students. He is the co-author and was the director of Two River’s musical The Ballad of Little Jo, which he wrote with composer Mike Reid and lyricist Sarah Schlesinger. Throughout his career, John has been a leading advocate for bold new American plays and stimulating productions of the classics, including the Broadway productions of Lisa Kron’s Well and Shakespeare’s The Tempest. For 12 seasons, he worked in a variety of capacities at The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, including Associate Producer and Associate Artistic Director. Previously, John was dramaturg at Hartford Stage Company. He also co-founded and led Affinity Company Theater, a production company dedicated to bringing daring new works from around the world to New York, and The Playwrights Realm, an off-Broadway company that produces new plays by emerging artists. He has been a Tony Award nominator, a consultant for the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous other organizations, and he has taught at New York University and Yale University. John currently teaches in the graduate school at Columbia University. He received his BA from George Washington University and his MFA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. MICHAEL HURST (MANAGING DIRECTOR) has been the Managing Director of Two River Theater since 2011. During his tenure, Two River has embarked on a new Strategic Plan; began producing subscription shows on two stages for the first time; and launched the theater’s first commissioning program for original plays, as well as numerous new community and education programs. Under his joint leadership with Artistic Director John Dias, Two River has experienced ambitious growth and enjoyed new recognition in the national theater community. Prior experience includes 16 years at The Public Theater, including four years as General Manager and six as Managing Director, overseeing budgets that ranged from $16 to $20 million. Michael was responsible for all financial aspects of the productions at The Public Theater and Central Park’s Delacorte Theater. During his tenure at The Public, he oversaw the Broadway transfers of many productions, including Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Take Me Out, winner of the Tony Award for Best Play; and Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori’s Caroline, or Change. Michael was also part of all strategic planning including the opening of Joe’s Pub, now considered one of the country’s best small venues for music and performance. Prior to coming to Two River, Michael was Chief Operating Officer of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, which presents the New York Film Festival. At the Film Society, he oversaw the building of a new three-theater, $40-million facility that opened in June 2011, and he managed the organizational growth necessary to support the facility. Michael served as Vice President for The Off-Broadway League and was a member of The Broadway League for 14 years. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and on the Advisory Board for the Indie Street Film Festival. ROBERT M. RECHNITZ (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER) founded Two River Theater in 1994 and serves as the theater’s Executive Producer. In 2015/16, Two River premiered his play (written with Kenneth Stunkel), Lives of Reason. An educator, writer, and director, he is one of New Jersey’s most esteemed theater leaders. He earned his PhD from the University of Colorado and was a Professor of American Literature at Monmouth University for 35 years, contributing scholarly articles and short stories to various academic journals. As Two River’s Executive Producer, he oversaw the theater’s move from Monmouth University in West Long Branch to the Algonquin Arts in Manasquan. While the company was in residence in Manasquan, he planned for and oversaw the building of Two River’s state-of-the-art, two-theater complex in Red Bank as its permanent home. He directed the opening production in the new building, the classic American comedy You Can’t Take It with You, in 2005. Among the other notable productions he has directed at Two River are Curse of the Starving Class (for which he received a nomination for Best Director of a Comedy from The Star-Ledger), True West, A View from the Bridge, The Glass Menagerie, Thieves’ Carnival, Uncle Vanya, American Buffalo, and Barefoot in the Park. Bob is an active member of a number of organizations benefiting our Monmouth Country, including serving as a Board member for several local non-profits. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, honors, commendations, and accolades.
CONNECT WITH US STAY CURRENT WITH TWO RIVER! See show trailers, costumes renderings and set sketches, photos, posts from the rehearsal room, and much more! The conversation is constant on Two River’s social media sites.
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TWO RIVER THEATER 25TH ANNIVERSARY: A LOOK BACK AT OUR FIRST FIVE YEARS
HERE’S A LOOK BACK AT OUR FIRST FIVE YEARS:
1994/95
The Cocktail Hour by A.R. Gurney, directed by Dennis Delaney The Heidi Chronicles by Wendy Wasserstein, directed by Beth Milles Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Robert Walsh
1995/96
Nora, adapted by Ingmar Bergman, from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, directed by Lew Jacob The Illusion, by Pierre Corneille, adapted by Tony Kushner, directed by Jonathan Fox The Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard, directed by Robert M. Rechnitz All in the Timing by David Ives, directed by Nick Olcott
1996/97
A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, directed by Robert Rechnitz Reckless by Craig Lucas, directed by Stephen Hollis Betrayal by Harold Pinter, directed by Jonathan Fox Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward, directed by Kent Paul
1997/98
The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney, directed by Dennis Delaney The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, directed by Robert M. Rechnitz Machinal by Sophie Treadwell, directed by Jonathan Fox The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, directed by Padraic Lillis
1998/99
The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard, directed by Peter Bennett Thieves’ Carnival by Jean Anouilh, directed by Robert M. Rechnitz Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Jonathan Fox Noises Off by Michael Frayn, directed by Dennis Delaney
Two River Theater was founded in 1994 by Joan and Dr. Robert M. Rechnitz, a Professor of American Literature at Monmouth University. Two River was founded both to produce great American theater, and to serve students and multigenerational audiences as an educational center —an ambition we continue to honor today. As a professional not-for-profit theater, Two River received immediate critical and popular acclaim and rose quickly to local prominence. In only its first season, Two River was heralded as having “arrived” (in the words of The New York Times) as an institution of “taste, class, and resilience.” Over the years, we have enjoyed growing audiences, been supported by loyal donors, and have been recognized with numerous accolades. Two River became a full member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance after just one season as an affiliate member—the first time in the Alliance’s
history that a theater was granted full membership so quickly. In 1996, a lead editorial in the Asbury Park Press praised the company and its service to Monmouth County. Two River performed its first three seasons, and part of its fourth, at Monmouth University. In 1997, under the leadership of Dr. Rechnitz, who took the position of Executive Producer, and Artistic Director Jonathan Fox, the theater moved from its home on the Monmouth campus to the Algonquin Arts Theatre in Manasquan, where we spent the next six years. Since our earliest years, Two River has earned acclaim for our productions of masterpieces from the world canon and contemporary plays, particularly by leading American and British playwrights.
Photos of Two River Theater's productions of The Heidi Chronicles and The Real Thing. 25
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QUESTIONS FOR GRACIELA DANIELE By Madeleine George, Playwright-in-Residence
There’s a famous story about you, that you were studying classical ballet in Paris when you saw West Side Story— I wasn’t studying. I studied in the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires for eight years, graduated, became a soloist, toured with a company, arrived in Paris, and became a soloist there. So I was already a professional. Got it! So then, when you were in Paris, there’s this story that you saw West Side Story and you were an instant convert to musical theater. Is that a true story? What was it about West Side Story that made you fall in love so hard and so fast? The brilliance, first of all, of Jerome Robbins, [whose work] I already knew through ballet. I was coming from a tour and a friend of mine said, “Oh, you have to see this musical at the Theater Alhambra.” And I said—I was such a ballerina—I said, “Oh, I don’t like musicals.” Well, the truth of the matter was, I had never seen one because I was touring in South America and Europe. She said, “No, no, no. Tonight is the last night.” So I went, I bought a ticket, standingroom only, and the moment I heard the first chords, I was already, “Oh my God!” And then it started. As I said, I already knew his work through the ballets—Fancy Free, The Cage, and all that—and I adored his work, I still do. But West Side Story was such a revelation to me that when I left the theater, everything about it—everything, the music, the imagination of taking Romeo and Juliet and putting it on the streets of New York in the 50s, and his direction and, mostly, his choreography— was just astounding. I went out, and the theater was right by the River Seine, and I sat there and I said, “I have to go to America, to New York City, to learn how to do that.” And I did. I worked a little more, I got money, and I came to New York City. And I went, actually, to study. I spoke very little English. I was 23 when I arrived in New York, it was September 1963. I was 23
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years old, and I went to beginner’s [class], because I didn’t know anything about jazz; I was a ballerina. And I was taking class in beginners and I saw a man standing on the side looking at me, and he said, “Come here, come here,” at the end of the class. And he said, “You’re a great dancer, what are you doing in beginners?” Well, I couldn’t speak English, so I said, “Don’t know anything. Jazz. Don’t know anything.” Now, he gave me a little booklet of the basic exercises, and he said, “Go home, study this, and then come to professional class.” One month later, he was choreographing a new show, and he said, “Would you like to do a Broadway show?” and I said, “Okay!” That’s a famous phrase I have; it’s like somebody’s knocking at the door and I open it, and they say, “Do you wanna come outside and play?” and I say, “Okay!” Especially at that time. So that was What Makes Sammy Run? with Steve Lawrence [choreographed by Matt Mattox], and I was playing the role of Rita Rio, a Latin. And there was a nine-minute ballet, and I was the soloist. And that’s how my whole story in musical theater started. Because of Mr. Robbins. You’ve done almost every job in the theater short of wig master—performer, choreographer, writer, director, producer. How do you determine which role to assume for which project? Is there one role you feel most comfortable in? There is no role where you feel comfortable when you are creating something; they’re all too hard to be comfortable. I love choreography always, because that was my first love. When I choreograph now, I choose what I want to do; I don’t do everything they offer me. I choose it because I like the story, I like the authors, and especially, I must say, it’s because I’m curious about working with other directors. As a choreographer, I get to collaborate with directors I respect, admire, and I learn from them. I think that when I did things that I
produced (not at the beginning, but later on) it’s because I was enamored of a literary piece and wanted to bring it into a musical form. So I put the money I was making on Broadway into insane things, which just allowed my brain to work even harder than just choreographing.
seeing your piece, I would like to go back to my novella and add all the things that you did.” That’s the greatest award I have ever gotten in my life. I couldn’t speak, I was so moved. You’ve spent many years developing Pamela’s First Musical with your collaborators. Is there something about musicals in particular that takes extra time and patience to come to fruition? And what does Pamela’s First Musical have to say to us about what makes musicals so intoxicating?
I adapted Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges, who were people who were very close to me in the sense that I grew up reading them and being enamored of their work. So when I had the opportunity to be at Lincoln Center, where I was working as an Associate Director, and they said, “What do Why does a musical take you want to do?,” I said, “I want so long? I’ll tell you. When I directed plays, it was like having to get permission from Gabriel a beautiful dinner with five, García Márquez to do Chronicle six people, candelabra, very of a Death Foretold.” It was interesting conversation, Mozart almost two years before he said playing in the background. Doing yes, but we got it. And then I a musical is like having a huge chose the composer and lyricist and all that. I actually do have Italian family, dogs, children, a lot of food, on a beach in the middle to say—I have gotten awards. of the summer, and everybody’s But nothing like having Gabriel screaming, having wine—this García Márquez see Chronicle of SI-18064B-TRTC-Fall:trt 12:47 Pagea 1musical it is.PM Because a Death Foretold on Broadway 7/25/18is what involves all of the arts—the and having him say to me, “After
the
Graciela Daniele with Carolee Carmello. Photo by John Augustine.
story, music, lyrics, singing, acting, dancing, the set—it’s so complicated that you have to have time to develop it.
people react that way; it touches something else besides the brain, something inside of you.
Musicals are a feast for your ears, for your eyes, for your brain, and music speaks sometimes more than words do. Music is something that touches us in a way that nothing else does. I mean there are certain things that I still hear, after 70 years, and they make me cry—a chord, a musical phrase. I think many
This is why I always loved this piece, because it is about why we are in the theater. Pamela is about [the age] when you start young and dream about all the things. You’re so innocent and ignorant, blissfully ignorant, but the passion for it makes you keep on going and keep on going and keep learning, and never stop learning. n
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I loved to be at the Drama School, but now and then there would be a few not-good classes. This person I could tell meant well, but I could see he was going to be boring and not be very helpful. I was on one aisle, Wendy was opposite. I noticed that she had the same grouchy look she had in her application picture. When our class was over, Wendy went outside and I followed her and said, “You must be very smart to be bored so quickly.” Her grouchy face changed, and she giggled and smiled in this engaging way, and we promptly went out for coffee, and our friendship began.
CHRISTOPHER DURANG REMEMBERS WENDY WASSERSTEIN Wendy Wasserstein and I met at Yale School of Drama in 1973. It was my third year, and her first. I had heard about Wendy the previous year. I was working part time in the Admissions Office to pay for my room and board. And I never looked at any of the submission plays—except for Wendy’s. I heard that Richard Gilman, our main playwriting teacher, had read Wendy’s play and he was impressed and was going to accept her. So I looked up her transcript in the files. She was coming from Mount Holyoke; her picture was very serious, almost grouchy. Her play was called Any
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Woman Can’t, and she had a high recommendation from the novelist Joseph Heller, famed for Catch-22. She had a writing class with him in City College in New York and he wrote to Yale that she was brilliant. I expected she would write something serious. But when I read the play, I found it funny and charming. And her main character finished Mount Holyoke and moved back to New York, where there were construction workers everywhere making catcalls at her main character and in reality at Wendy herself… well she didn’t like it. In the play she used the construction men as a kind of Greek Chorus. But that was before I met her. It was September 1973 when she got to Yale. There were 12 playwrights over three years. There were three visiting playwrights who were giving a three-month class. (Everything was in three’s, it seems.) The teachers were only a few years older than us. Terrence McNally was one of them, and I hoped I would be in his class but I wasn’t. So I was put with another class… and by chance Wendy was put in this same class.
She was funny and witty and we both laughed a lot. I had done a lot in the Yale Cabaret – short plays or musicals. Wendy was writing one called When Dinah Shore Ruled the Earth, a hilarious title. I ended up writing it with her, and acted in it too. At Yale we watched out for each other. We’d read each other’s work and give encouragement. We’d marvel at some of the talented people around us, like Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver and Christine Estabrook and Alma Cuervo, among many others. I needed a summer job and Wendy went with me to the Katy Cook Employment Agency in New Haven together, and Katy Cook decided we were delightful, and wanted to book us immediately as a butler and maid. We should’ve done it, that was a real “path not taken” moment, I fear. Wendy and I might have spent our lives as domestics. Instead we opted for typing jobs, and eventually playwriting. We both acknowledged the
need for “mental health days,” when you just can’t face people and need to stay in your room all day. Hopefully with a cake. When I went to New York, she helped me find an apartment. While looking, it was a hot, hot summer day, and I suggested we see the new film Jaws because I thought all that water would be cooling; but poor Wendy had to hide her eyes for most of the film. In truth she was extremely sensitive. We wrote two more things together. The Ladd Company asked me and Wendy to write a screenplay of a New Yorker short story called House of Husbands. It was a funny story and we worked every day on it. It almost got done but then the Ladd Company had a financial disaster with a movie called Outland. And they said our script was fun but they worried it was too quirky and they didn’t want to make it. At least we got paid, which is always nice. And then we wrote a crazy short comic version of Medea for an event at Juilliard. It was fun, and the actors were great (including Harriet Harris and Laura Linney). Somewhere before that, I went to the first reading of Wendy’s The Heidi Chronicles at Playwrights Horizons, and lo and behold in the second scene, Heidi meets Peter at a college mixer (oh, and how Wendy hated those!), and Peter’s first sentence to her was “You must be very bright.” Heidi: “Excuse me?” Peter: “You look so bored, you must be very bright.” Sound familiar? I was thrilled she wrote that in. For that play she won both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Wendy died January 30, 2006. She was only 55. Gosh how I miss her. n
DAVID ZIPPEL REMEMBERS CY COLEMAN Cy Coleman changed my life. And for that I will always be grateful. Here was a guy who had had enormous success writing with iconic lyricists including Carolyn Leigh, Dorothy Fields, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Yet after listening to a few songs and looking at a very short resume he and Larry Gelbart were willing take a chance on a complete unknown (me) to collaborate with them on their show, which ultimately became City of Angels. Talk about trusting your gut. But that was Cy. He was the most self-confident person I have ever met and one of the most positive. Cy was the best and he knew it. Once he made the decision to work with you he assumed the same was true for you. Writing with him was always exciting because music just poured out of him. What was so extraordinary about Cy was, musically, how little he repeated himself. Each of his scores was strikingly original. Cy did not have a signature sound. Each show, each character he wrote for brought out a unique sound. Originality was very important to him. And both he and his music were completely without pretense. In spite of the all the accolades awards and huge success he encountered during his life I don’t think he was completely appreciated for his contribution to the Great American Songbook. And he
knew it. It always frustrated Cy that people try to define you by the last thing you did rather than looking at the totality of your creative life. About a month before he died, Cy was about to reconstitute the Cy Coleman Trio and play an engagement at Feinstein’s at The Regency, several decades after he had made a name for himself as a nightclub and cabaret star. He told me that as a young boy, he started out as a classical pianist (he played Carnegie Hall as a seven-year-old) and in his teens decided he would rather play jazz. People said, “Oh, there’s a classical pianist who thinks he can play jazz.” Later when he decided to become a songwriter people said, “Oh there’s that jazz pianist who thinks he can write songs.” When he decided to write for the theater, people said, “Oh, there’s that pop songwriter who thinks he can write a Broadway show.” And 40 years (and several Tonys later) he said he could already hear them saying, “Here’s that Broadway composer who thinks he can play the piano.” And he was right. His enthusiastic reviews were filled with surprise. Almost 20 years ago, when Wendy Wasserstein’s children’s book, Pamela’s First Musical, was first published, I called Wendy to congratulate her and to tell her that I thought her book would be a wonderful basis for a musical. She agreed and immediately said, “Let’s do it.” I asked her who would be her ideal choice for a composer and she, just as quickly, said “Cy Coleman.” Cy was exactly who I had in mind. You couldn’t find anyone more “Golden Age Broadway” which is the era that the book evokes. Cy agreed, immediately, and we went to work.
But Cy delivered so much more than a traditional “Golden Age” score. He wrote rhythm tunes, tunes with Latin inflections, marches, pastiches, pop, ballads and a soaring anthem. Even the patter song and the classic Broadway 2/4 tempo songs have an original Cy Coleman twist to them. Cy had no idea that this was going to be his last score but somehow, he used Pamela’s First Musical as an opportunity to pull out multitudes of colors and shades in his seemingly endless musical paint box. Graciela Daniele, who was the director/choreographer Cy, Wendy and I chose from the start for Pamela’s First Musical,
is helming the Two River World Premiere all these many years later. Chris Durang joined the team to complete and polish the book that Wendy started. It’s cathartic for us to revisit a project that we loved creating and to see it to finally come to life in a full production. John Dias has carried a torch for Pamela since we first pitched it to him when he was part of the artistic team at The Public Theater. He and Grazie have pulled together this amazing cast, crew and design team. The rehearsals have been filled with loving memories of our happy, joyful collaboration. Sadly, all that’s missing is Cy and Wendy. n
Photo left: Wendy Wasserstein and Christopher Durang. Photo by John Augustine. Photo above: Larry Gelbart, Cy Coleman and David Zippel at the 1990 Tony Awards, where their collaboration, City of Angels, won six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.
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MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY
FALL 2018
CENTER FOR THE ARTS
SEASON NOW
ON SALE!
As seen on
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FINALIST ON AMERICA'S GOT TALENT!
SEPTEMBER 28 ● 8 PM
OCTOBER 5 ● 8 PM
WINNER
OF NBC'S PHENOMENON!
OCTOBER 11 ● 8 PM
and the Vagabonds
OCTOBER 19 ● 8 PM OCTOBER 26 ● 8 PM OCTOBER 13 ● 8 PM AND MORE!! CHECK OUT ALL OUR EVENTS ONLINE!
ALL SHOWS AT THE POLLAK THEATRE 732.263.6889 | MONMOUTH.EDU/MCA
November 11, 2018 Dona Nobis Pacem: A Salute to Veterans December 16, 2018 Joy to the World: A Christmas Suite April 6 & 7, 2019 Carmina Burana: A Scenic Cantata June 2, 2019 A Night at the Oper(ett)a
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WELCOME TO OUR 18/19 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON! SUBSCRIBE TO THE REST OF OUR SEASON & SEE 5 SHOWS FOR AS LOW AS $150!
By August Wilson Directed by Brandon J. Dirden
NOV 10 - DEC 16
By Michael Frayn Directed by Sarna Lapine
JAN 12 - FEB 3
By Martin Moran Directed By Carolyn Cantor
Starring Maureen Silliman By William Luce Directed By Robert Rechnitz
By Regina Taylor Original Music by Diedre L. Murray Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
FEB 23 - MAR 24
APR 13 - MAY 5
JUNE 8 - 30
For more information on this season’s productions, pick up a season brochure in the theater’s lobby. SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW AT THE BOX OFFICE 31
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AUGUST WILSON’S KING HEDLEY II
COMING SOON:
August Wilson comes back to Two River—and will be seen, for the first time, in our intimate 110-seat Marion Huber Theater! Two River favorite Brandon J. Dirden—seen on our stage most recently in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and A Raisin in the Sun—returns to direct King Hedley II, the sequel to Seven Guitars that picks up the stories of Ruby and Canewell (known here as Stool Pigeon) from the earlier drama (produced at Two River in 2015, under Brandon’s direction). The year is 1985 and Pittsburgh’s Hill District has been ravaged by violence, unemployment, and urban blight. King Hedley II, Ruby’s son, returns to his home after a seven-year prison term looking to re-build his life, save some money, and start a family. However, both he and those around him quickly find that in 1980s America, the rules have changed. First performed in 1999, King Hedley II was Wilson’s eighth entry into his famed American Century Cycle, comprised of one play focused on African American life for each decade of the 20th Century. With this production Two River celebrates the halfway mark of presenting all 10 of Wilson’s Cycle plays. The cast features Two River veterans—including Harvy Blanks (returning for his fourth Wilson production), Brian D. Coats (Seven Guitars, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Charlie Hudson III (Seven Guitars, A Raisin in the Sun) and Elaine Graham (Intimate Apparel). Blake Anthony Morris will play King. Performances of King Hedley II begin in the Marion Huber Theater on November 10 and continue for an extended five-week run through December 16.
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SECURE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
Many shows will sell out quickly! For more information or tickets, visit tworivertheater.org or stop by the box office.
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TWO RIVER THEATER COMMISIONED WORLD-PREMIERE MUSICAL MOVES TO
BROADWAY! The Company of Be More Chill at Two River Theater, 2015. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Following its 2015 world premiere at Two River Theater and a sold-out Off-Broadway run this summer at the Pershing Square Signature Center in New York City— Be More Chill will begin performances on Broadway in February and officially open on March 10, 2019!
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Two River Theater is proud to be the theater that commissioned, developed, premiered (and funded the original cast recording of) ‘’one of the most popular new musicals in America!” —The New York Times
FOR MORE INFO ON BROADWAY TICKETS: WWW.BEMORECHILLMUSICAL.COM The Original Cast Recording CD & Vinyl Album on sale at the Two River Box Office! 35
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT
SEPTEMBER 7 – OCTOBER 7
The Age of Innocence
By Edith Wharton Adapted for the stage by Douglas McGrath Directed by Doug Hughes In Association with Hartford Stage
OCTOBER 9 – 28
Detroit ′67
By Dominique Morisseau Directed by Jade King Carroll
TICKETS START AT $25. Sierra Boggess and Andrew Veenstra in The Age of Innocence, photo by T. Charles Erickson 36
mccarter.org | 609.258.2787 Made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.
EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT
Last season's A Little Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors. Photo by Scott L. Friedman.
AUDITION NOTICE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! Are you a student in grades 9-12 who loves the theater? Want to be involved as an actor, stage manager, or as a member of a production’s backstage run crew? If you love the theater as much as Pamela does (or if you know a young person who does), then Two River Theater has a special opportunity for you to be involved in a production on our Marion Huber stage! Student actors in grades 9-12 are encouraged to audition for our upcoming adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which will be presented as part of our annual A Little Shakespeare program from January 25-February 2, 2019. The 75-minute performance will be adapted and directed by Sara Holdren, a director, teacher, and critic for New York Magazine/Vulture.com who specializes in Shakespeare, reimagined classics, and spectacular, outsized stories with an element of the otherworldly to them. One of Two River’s most popular Education programs, A Little Shakespeare launched in 2014 and now introduces the works of Shakespeare to hundreds of young people each season. All Little Shakes adaptations are directed and designed by theater professionals, and performed and supported backstage by students from local high schools. This year, we’re going scarier than ever before with the dark and terrifying tale of Macbeth, a soldier whose encounter with three mysterious witches begins a violent quest for power and the crown.
Auditions will be held at Two River Theater on Monday, October 15 starting at 3:30 pm, by appointment only. Actors should prepare one short monologue: 15-20 memorized lines of text from any Shakespeare play. Actors will then be paired up and asked to read scenes. To book an audition time, contact Education and Community Engagement Manager Amanda Espinoza at aespinoza@trtc.org. (In-person auditions with the director are always best, but if you cannot make it on October 15, you may send a video audition by 8pm on Wednesday, October 17. Email Amanda for details.) Students interested in opportunities to work as an Assistant Director, Assistant Stage Manager, Assistant Designer, or on the production’s run crew should email Amanda Espinoza by Wednesday, October 17 and we’ll contact you for an interview. More info can be found at bit.ly/LittleShakes A Little Shakespeare is sponsored by OceanFirst and Rumson Country Day School and is supported by The Jorgensen Foundation, Investors Foundation, and The Stone Foundation. All quotes on this page are by students who participated in last season’s A Little Shakespeare production of The Comedy of Errors, adapted and directed by Sara Holdren.
“A Little Shakespeare allows high school students to work on a professional level with brilliant people, to put on a show that is not only great, but a blast to be a part of.”
“It has made me a better artist. It has taught me lessons about being a professional actor and working in a regional theater. It has opened my mind to new thoughts and ideas. I have grown so much from this program and it has been a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful experience.”
“An amazing opportunity to create and learn. I've been fortunate enough to have my limits pushed far beyond what I thought capable, and become an immensely stronger performer because of it.”
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Sutton Foster and the cast of the New Group revival of Sweet Charity.
THE BLANCHE AND IRVING LAURIE FOUNDATION The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation was established in 1983 by New Brunswick philanthropist Irving Laurie. The Foundation supports a variety of projects across broad issue areas. The 2018/2019 program of cultural support currently includes the 2018/2019 Drew Forum –New Jersey’s most prestigious ongoing speakers series; Lincoln Center Theatre’s revival of My Fair Lady; the Roundabout Theatre revival of Kiss Me Kate; the public television series American Masters and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 56th Annual New York Film Festival. The Foundation was gratified to have been selected as the Outstanding Foundation of 2016 by the New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. It is proud to report that the Foundation has provided approximately $84,000,000 in grants to philanthropic endeavors, addressing the Foundation’s interest in the arts, education, health care and social services. 38
FOR HELP • Kosher Meals on Wheels • Hebrew Free Loans • Need-Based Camp Scholarships • Bereavement Groups • Holocaust Survivors • Counseling • Security Grants
TO HELP • Volunteer • Donate • Create a Legacy • Advocate for Israel • Buy Israeli Products • Visit Hospitals • Deliver Meals on Wheels
TO CONNECT Gavin Creel and Jane Krakowski in the Roundabout Theatre revival of She Loves Me.
• Teens • Business, Legal, and Medical Professionals • Active Adults • Women • People with Special Needs • Young Adults & Families
FOR EXPERIENCES • Young Family Playdates • Birthright Israel • Israel Education • Films • Travel to Israel & Overseas • Jewish Camp • Adult Education
Kelli O’Hara and the cast of Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of The King and I.
TO THE
JEWISHHEARTNJ.ORG 732•588•1800 Photos by Lisa Campbell
@jewishheartnj The cast of Lincoln Center Theater's production of The Royale. 39
Halloween Ball
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RETURN OF THE BENEFIT BASH!
10.20.18
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JOIN OUR $25 FOR THE 25TH CAMPAIGNÂŹ
Photo Credits (Clockwise from center) The Company of Be More Chill, 2015. David Josefsberg, Michael Urie, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Kevin Isola in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, 2015. The Company of The Ballad Of Little Jo, 2017. Ryan G. Dunkin, Britney Coleman, Kent Overshown & Perry Sook in Camelot, 2014. Brenda Pressley, Jeff Kready, Margo Seibert and Chuck Cooper in In This House, 2012. Photos by T. Charles Erickson.
In celebration of our 25th Anniversary Season, help us reach our fundraising goal of raising $25,000 from new donors. Your donation will help propel us forward into our next 25 years of artistic excellence and transformational educational programming. NEW THIS SEASON! Use the DipJar in our lobby to make quick, easy and secure donations of $25 with any major credit card!
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QUESTIONS? Contact Individual Giving Manager, Jesse Beutell, at 732.345.1400 x 1805 or JBeutell@trtc.org Two River Theater is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. No goods or services will be received in exchange for a gift made in the manner suggested. All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. 41
INDIVIDUAL
DONORS
THANK YOU to the following generous individuals who made contributions to the theater! VISIONARY CIRCLE ($25,000+) Anonymous Caroline P. Huber Joan and Robert Rechnitz The Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation
THE INNOVATOR CIRCLE ($10,000-$24,999) Lisa and Stephen Becker Marilyn and Bob Broege Phyllis Kinsler Mary Jane and Rick Kroon David Lee Gordon Litwin and Anne Luzzatto Victoria and William Marraccini Liz and Adam Rechnitz
BENEFACTOR ($5,000-$9,999) Diane and Robert Butters Sam Chevalier Kelly and Brooks Cullen Carolyn DeSena Kathleen Ellis* and Kenneth Pringle Cynthia and Robert E. Evanson Gale and Dr. Robert B. Grossman Guttenplan Family Foundation Paul and Joan Hamelberg Todd and Lanae Herman Jim and Barbara Hrebek Joanna and Brian Leddin* Vincent and Beth Mazza* Linda McKean The Honorable Edward J. McKenna Nyire and Gregory Melconian 42
Bob and Shirley Neff JP Nicolaides and The Honorable Ed Zipprich Sean O'Connell Susan and Ty Olson Ivan Polonsky and Elizabeth Tortorella Gerald and Mary Beth Radke Anne Marie Schultz Kathy and Webster Trammell Anne and Sheldon Vogel
CHAMPION ($2,500-$4,999) Howard P. Aronson Shirely S. Boll Nancy Karpf and Scott Brady Patrick Callinan Jan and Lynne Dash The Devon Group Joan Ellis The Gravina Family Foundation, Inc. Juliet Cozzi and Ronald Gumbaz Christina Hewitt Tim and Eileen Hogan Barbara and Joseph Hollander Maureen and James Hurst* Katherine Kovner Cathy Larson Kathleen and Arthur McConnell Gloria Nilson Fund Patrick and Allyn Quagliano Patricia and Vernon Ralph Daryl and Steven Roth Foundation Linda and Andrew Safran Mary Carol and Ken Stunkel Susan E. Whyman William and Cynthia Wilby Dr. Ralph and Meta Wyndrum Chryssa Yaccarino
PATRON ($1,000-$2,499) Anonymous Jutta and George Aguilar Barbara and Andy Andres Marie and Robert Arbour Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Kasandrea Banks The Honorable William G. Bassler Lois Broder Barbara and Tom Carroll Tamara Casriel Joan and John Cleary Bruce Sherill and Robert Cordrey Melissa and Joseph C. Del Broccolo, III Nancy and Michael Del Priore John Dias Gail and John Duffy Linda and Bob Ensor Vincent Gifford Margean Gladysz Lorraine and Bob Henry Herbert Paul Catherine Weiss and Samuel Huber Michael Hurst Melissa and Paul Hurst Ginny Kamin Gerri and Brett Lawrence Edward Madden Wendy and Jerry Marks Jennifer Colyer and Shemmy Mishaan Aida and Brian Murphy Patricia Perfect Monica and John Ryan Lori and Geoffrey Sadwith Candy and Dr. Sigmund Sattenspiel June and Mort Seligman Maureen Silliman and William Parry Caryl and Charles Sills
Cathy Sivo Arthur and Rita Steinman Laura and Gregg Wallace Warters Family Fund Cathy and Gene Weber* Joan Zakanych
PRODUCER ($500-$999) Anonymous Jennifer and Joe Anderson Nancy and Ed Butler Dennice and Ray Carey Barbara and Harold Chafkin Patricia and Dr. E. F. Cheslock Isabella and John Chiappinelli Kathleen Anderson Culebro Judy and Richard Fuller Valerie Gordon-Johnson Eve R. Hershkowitz Thomas K. Hessman Sheela Jain, M.D. and Suresh Jain, M.D. Natalia and Andre Kachala Giovanna Kanu Judith Laufer Kim Mason Lois and Robert Mortenson Lauren Nicosia Penney Riegelman The Craig and Flori Roberts Foundation, Inc. Anita and Robert Stix* Penny and Larry Turtel The Wilder Family Barry V. Qualls Gail and Stuart Van Winkle Carolyn Williams Nancy Winter
DIRECTOR ($250-$499) Anonymous (2) Michael and Lisa Absatz Lucille and Richard Adelmann Frank and Nancy Bellezza Peg and John Bennett Dr. Janice Breen
Harmon P. Bulter Amanda Butterbaugh and Michael Mulheren Dr. Joseph J. Calabro Lucy Campanella Barbara and Peter Carton Dennice and Ray Carey Marjorie and Peter Cavalier Susan and Alan Coen Robert Connolly Karen and Joseph D'Amore Barbara G. Fleischman Maria and Paul Galeota Susan and Roy Gelber Guy Gsell and Suzanne Longley Gail Klein and Marc L. Harrison Barbara Boas and Stephen Hecht Kerri Hoffmaster Phyl and Don Howard Patricia and William Jaeger May Louie and Walter Graczyk Stan Lumish and Ann Roseman Bob MacKasek Renee Maxwell Linda Mitchell Jennifer and Thomas Mullin Karen and David Rajala Toni Rinella and Brian Compton Louis Rodriguez Barbara Sager Peggy Sansone Peter A. Schkeeper Linda Schottland Kathryne and Richard Singleton Susan Stamler Karin and Joe Stein Nannette and Richard Tereo Stephen Thurber Jennifer Tipton Judith and Joseph Vassallo Cheryl Wild Dee and Fred Williamson Marjorie and Zeke Zaccaro
MATCHING GIFTS The following have provided matching gifts to Two River on behalf of their employees. C.R. Bard Foundation Johnson & Johnson Matching Gifts New Jersey Resources Matching Gift Microsoft Corporation Prudential Financial, Inc. (2) TE Connectivity Verisk Analytics (2) Verizon Wireless *Includes matching gift.
TRIBUTES AND MEMORIALS In memory of Art Kamin: Renee Maxwell In memory of Mary (Penny) Buchner: Joseph McCarthy In memory of Leon Yarusi: Paula Yarusi In memory of Bernice Steinman: Arthur and Rita Steinman In honor of Hannah Walker Jodi Magee
Listing reflects gifts made between July 1, 2017 and August 28, 2018. 43
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presented by
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
THE VISIONARY CIRCLE $25,000+
THE STONE FOUNDATION
INNOVATOR CIRCLE $10,000-$24,999 The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
The Philip & Tammy Murphy Foundation
BENEFACTOR $5,000 - $9,999 THE HILARIA AND ALEC BALDWIN FOUNDATION
THE MAX AND BELLA SCHULMAN FOUNDATION
COMMUNITY PARTNERS DAVID SCHWARTZ FOUNDATION
The Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation
IN-KIND SUPPORT
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MEET OUR STAFF & VOLUNTEERS! ARTISTIC Stephanie Coen Associate Artistic Director Taylor Barfield Literary Manager Madeleine George Playwright in Residence Brian Eckert Artistic Assistant ADMINISTRATION Alma MalabananMcGrath General Manager Margaret Shafai Director of Finance Karen Pierce Staff Accountant AUDIENCE SERVICES, PR & MARKETING Courtney Schroeder Director of Marketing Jenna Rocca Associate Director of Marketing Hannah Walker Institutional Marketing Manager Yurik L. Lozano Multimedia Manager Michele Klinsky Box Office Manager Lauren Mancuso Box Office Supervisor Kristina Marinos Box Office Supervisor/ Student Matinee Coordinator Lynn Kroll Box Officer/Group Sales Coordinator Vernette Spicer Box Officer/Access Coordinator Evan Kudish Brianna Merriman Samantha Truglio Matt Yee Box Officers Angela White House Manager & Volunteer Coordinator Carmen Balentine Doreen Fromage Melissa Javorek Donna Stiles Francesca Trerotola Assistant House Managers Briana Butler Colette Dante Thomas Dougherty Matt Markowski 46
Daniel Pino Kayla Santry Gabby Scerbo John Knodel Front of House Staff DEVELOPMENT Jesse Beutell, Individual Giving Manager Katie Benson Special Events Manager Ellen Hahn Institutional Giving Manager EDUCATION Kate Cordaro Director of Education Amanda Espinoza Education and Community Engagement Manager Lea Anello Corinda Bravo Amanda Butterbaugh Devin Fletcher Shane O’Neil Elliot Roth Teaching Artists Sara Holdren Adaptor/Director OPERATIONS Dave Hartkern Director of Facilities Wayne Van Sant Maintenance Supervisor Vinnie Gillick Lamar Hicks William Hinton Building Maintenance PRODUCTION Lauren Kurinskas Director of Production Will Cruttenden Associate Production Manager Kayla Allen Production Management Assistant Katherine Borden Company Management Assistant Joaquin Gomez Jackie Romeo Production Assistants Frank Meyer Technical Director Fiona Malone Assistant Technical
Director Duane Noch Master Carpenter Christian Dilks Staff Carpenter Laura Nuneliver Shop Assistant Colleen Dolan Scenic Charge Jeena Yoon Properties Supervisor Victoria Schilling Assistant Properties Supervisor Alison Marjean Frimmel Props Assistant Dan Montano Sound Supervisor Sue Patino Lighting Supervisor Abigail Lynn Smith Lighting Assistant Natalie Soto Sound Assistant Lesley Sorenson Costume Shop Supervisor Jill DiGiuseppe Draper Maggie Barnett Wardrobe Supervisor Jaclyn Vela Costume Assistant SPECIAL SERVICES Gilda Rogers Community Relations Social Sidekick Press & Publicity Design Army Graphic Design Suzanne Anan Graphic Design T. Charles Erickson Production Photography Michael Boylan Director, Cinematographer Gordon N. Litwin, Esq., Litwin & Provence, LLC Legal Counsel WithumSmith + Brown Auditors VOLUNTEER GUILD Arthur Aaron Ronnie Aaron Suzanne Allyn Marlene Abelon Debbie Adamchak Juanita Agee Irwin Altschiller Maddy Altschiller Karen Anderson Cecelia Ambrosio
Ellen Balthazar Gale Baran Myriam Barthole Paddy Barber Carl Battaglia Ellen Battaglia Joyce Becker Herb Bein Diane Bein Carmen Benimeli Barbara Berg Joan Blake Kathy Boushie Charles Blake Helena Blyskun Marti Bookstein Mercedes Brand Barbara Brodzinski Arlene Brown Robert Buchbinder April Bunn Carmen Cancel-Seaman Judith Carluccio Kathleen Castore Barbara Chasser Dora Chu Bob Connolly Roslyn Cooper Lynda Crawford Nancy Daley Elizabeth De Carvalho Diane DeLoche Florence Diller Eleanor Falcichio Ellen Falvo June Farkouh Steve Faustina Arleen Faustina Bonnie Foerst George Foerst Robyn Flipse Judy Fuller Prudence Frechette Janet Garcia Nancy Gargan Sidney Gelbein Pat George Bill Gerdes Lara Gomez Jim Graf Margaret Graf Marilyn Griffin Constance Gryczka Helene HelgesenMonserrate Roland Monserrate Nona Hammer Kathleen Hari Cynthia Hellman Greg Held Jeri Held Robert Hespe Karen Hespe Karen Heyer Marion Holinaty Caroline Huber
Cecilia Jelic Shirley Johnson Bonnie Johnson Thomas Johnson Virginia Kamin Barry Kaplan Dee Kaplan Karen Kelly Barbara Kenas Beverly Keyes Karen Kirkwood Valerie Kilpatrick Phyllis Kinsler Dottie Kirschenbaum Eleanor Kitzhoffer Mavis Kolb Diane Kragh Diane Kuriloff Harriet Kuropatwa Betti Lane Mary Anne Lapiana Margaret Lelivelt Donna Lizotte Bob Levine Carol Levine Barbara Lipton Kathy Lloyd Diane Lopresti Frank Lopresti Brittany Lovely Donna Lovely Gay Lowden Sharon Lucas Iris MacNeil Mary Mahoney Joanne Mallon Robert Mallon Janis Marano Pamela Marhan Libby Markowitz Mary Mason Susan Mazur Vinnie Mazza Joan McCue Eileen McDermott Jo McKeon-Hutton Bill McMurray Mary Melosh Evelyn Mendelsohn Anne Messinger Dorothy Michels Carol Migliore Bernard Miller Carol Miller Susan Minehardt Linda Monti Marilynne Morley Gloria Moro Susan Moss Michele Mullin Judith Mugrace Leslie Nicholson Kathy Nielsen Eileen Nolan Maureen O’Connor Leach Olivia Olson
Linda Pacotti Dolores Palonetti Katherine Parisi Terri Pinto Marilyn Pennell Art Perri Pat Perri Tracy Peternich Claire Planchere Terri Pontecorvo Philomena Porcello Lois Priest Marion Quinn Mark Rabinow Judy Rector Fran Reinhold Susan Richman Ruth Rosencrown Carl Rosencrown Lori Sadwith Gil Saltzman Marcia Saltzman Gail Sanderson Evelyn Schneider Connie Schulman Phyllis Searby Jeffrey Shepard Deb Sieron Robin Siegel Judy Simmons-Bradshaw George Smith Arlene Smelson Arthur Steinman Cathy Stelzner Howie Stelzner Linda Stewart Carol Stewart Mary Carol Stunkel Denise Sobotka Martin Sulkes Rose Sullivan Lorraine Stone Leila Sulkes Michele Susalis Eunice Taylor Steve Tepperman David Tolleth Deborah Tolleth Lauren Tolleth Chris Wallace Patricia Walter Mollie Warar Deborah Wasserman Marvin Wasserman Marty Weinstein Marla Weinstein Joy Weinstein Gregory White Nina Willey Kirk Willey Joyce Wingerter Barbara Withers Mary Ellen Wirin Zina Wolin Martin Wolin Joan Zakanych Laura Zakanych
The
G A L L E R I A ‘S
TUESDAY - FRIDAY 8 AM - 4 PM SAT & SUN 8 AM - 3 PM / CLOSED MONDAYS!
732.268.7365
Email: eaterywestside@gmail.com www.westsideeatery.com CATERING - BUSINESS NETWORK MEETING - SPECIAL DINNERS
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TAKE A WALK ON THE WEST SIDE Two River Theater is nestled right in the middle of a thriving neighborhood full of wonderful people, exciting businesses, and delicious food. We hope that all our patrons take a little time to explore some of what the West Side has to offer, to see why Two River is so happy to call it home! Here’s a quick list of a few of our favorite spots around the West Side, to get you started!
LOCAL FAVORITES Two River Theater isn’t the only West Side institution celebrating a major landmark this year – Danny’s Sushi and Steakhouse, a popular preshow dinner pick for theater patrons, celebrates their
49th anniversary this year! Stop by to offer Danny your congratulations, and to enjoy one of their signature mules while you’re at it! The Galleria across Bridge Avenue is host to some of Two River’s favorite regular restaurant partners: West Side Eatery, the perfect stop for a coffee and incredible lunch wrap, Urban Coalhouse, where the wings and pizza are a must-try, and Siam Garden, bringing incredible Thai food to spice up your evening! The Melting Pot has also just re-opened their doors after a complete redesign and update, so you can feast on fondue in the chicest of surroundings. The JBJ Soul Kitchen continues their great work on the West Side, not only serving up delicious meals, but also providing them to those in need, offering
SALUTING OUR RED BANK NEIGHBORS AND PARTNERS!
job training, encouraging volunteering, and more. In all they do, they embody their motto of “hope is delicious” Señor Pepper’s is the Two River Theater Mexican restaurant of choice – across the street from the train station, it’s the place to grab a burrito and one of the daily agua frescas!
NEW ON THE BLOCK The highly-anticipated Triumph Brewing Company opens this fall just 48 steps away from the theater, with incredible salvaged material interiors, an outdoor hops garden, and (of course) a ready-to-pour selection of craft beers.
Check out Wild Eye, the latest addition to the Lambs and Wolves beauty block just across from the Red Bank train station. After taking care of your external maintenance at Lambs and Wolves, you can pop in to Wild Eye for a candle, crystal, incense, or other beautiful items made by artisans and independent makers to take care of some internal maintenance as well! Making the jump from East to West, Good Karma restaurant opened Karma 2 Go as part of the Metrovation and West Side Lofts building across the street from Two River. Karma 2 Go’s healthy and delicious vegan meals (and sweet treats!) have already made it a favorite for Two River Theater staff and , actors during rehearsal. Gotta stay fueled up for those big Pamela’s dance numbers! n
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TWO RIVER 4TH ANNUAL BLOCK PARTY
To kick-off our 2018/19 25th Anniversary Season, Two River hosted their 4th Annual block party on Wednesday, August 29th. Over 100 guests enjoyed live music from The Shady Street Show Band and enjoyed barbeque from M+J Texas BBQ, along with additional food donations provided by Restaurant Partner, Urban Coalhouse, West Side Eatery, JBJ Soul Kitchen, Bombay River, and a group of community cooks. Our guests also got the opportunity to mix and mingle with our fabulous Pamela’s First Musical cast!
MEET OUR RESTAURANT PARTNER: URBAN COALHOUSE! Located right across the street in The Galleria, Urban Coalhouse is the perfect spot for lunch, dinner or happy hour!
GREAT PERKS! Show Urban Coalhouse’s playbill advertisement (inside back cover) to your server and get a starter for FREE! n Outdoor seating n $9 - $13 lunch combos with large portions from 11AM – 4PM n Awesome happy hour menu from 12 to 7PM Monday through Thursday and all day and night Saturday and Sunday. Includes $8 appetizers (or 2 for $14) & $3 beers and $5 glasses of wine.
STAFF & CAST FAVORITES INCLUDE: n Oven Roasted Wings - served on top of onions with a side of buffalo sauce that will make your mouth water! n Apple Salad - Crisp romaine lettuce, gorgonzola cheese, granny smith apples, candied pecans, dried cranberries, famous apple cider dressing n Red or White Sangria – they are both equally delicious, and on Wednesday nights you get ½ off your glass or pitcher!
FREE PARKING IN GALLERIA LOT WHEN DINING AT THE RESTAURANT 50
ACT ONE IS ON US!
Call ahead or make reservations at 732.212.1700 Free Parking Available at the West Front Street Entrance
URBANCOALHOUSE.COM RED BANK | PARAMUS | HOBOKEN | BRICK LOCATED AT THE GALLERIA, 2 BRIDGE AVE RED BANK, NJ *VALID FOR ONE GROUP ONLY. OFFERS CAN NOT BE COMBINED.
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