Baseball, heroes, and dreams.

I'll be there tonight, say hello if you are too. Watch for my post late this evening with my reaction to the play. 

John Wren 

By Steven Dietz

From the book by Dan Gutman

WHEN & WHERE:                        

November 15 – December 22 in The Space Theatre

Media Night: Thursday, November 21 @ 6:30pm

PERFORMANCE DATES:                                                                       

Thursday, November 21                                             6:30pm

Friday – Sunday                                                         7:30pm

Saturday & Sunday matinee                                       1:30pm

There will be 15 student matinees. For more information, please contact agriesmer@dcpa.org.

ABOUT:

This engaging, family-friendly show about a time traveling Little Leaguer plucks all the right heartstrings. Joey Stoshack jumps back in time to witness Jackie Robinson break the baseball color barrier for a school project. When Joey’s skin color changes in the process, he learns how different the world can look and how important it is to have a hero.

CAST:

Joey Stoshack                                     AARON M. DAVIDSON                

Jackie Robinson                                  WILLIAM OLIVER WATKINS                                         

Coach                                                  MICHAEL SANTO              

Bobby Fuller                                       RYAN WUESTEWALD                              

Mom                                                    DIANA DRESSER   

Dad                                                     TIMOTHY MCCRACKEN

Mrs. Levitt                                          KRISTEN ADELE

Flip                                                      MICHAEL SANTO

Leo Durocher                                      JUSTIN WALVOORD

Branch Rickey                                                MICHAEL SANTO

Rachel Robinson                                 KRISTEN ADELE

Ant                                                      RYAN WUESTEWALD

Dixie Walker                                       JOHN M. JURCHECK

Eddie Stanky                                      LEIGH NICHOLS MILLER

Pee Wee Reese                                    JUSTIN WALVOORD                                             

Mrs. Herskowitz                                 DIANA DRESSER                                       

Delivery Man                                      TIMOTHY MCCRACKEN

Policeman                                            LEIGH NICHOLS MILLER

Ben Chapman                                     RYAN WUESTEWALD

Babe Ruth                                           MICHAEL SANTO

ARTISTIC STAFF:

Director                                               STEPHEN WEITZ

Set Designer                                        LISA M. ORZOLEK

Costume Designer                               MEGHAN ANDERSON DOYLE

Lighting Designer                               CHARLES MACLEOD

Sound Designer                                  JASON DUCAT       

Dramaturg                                           DAVID SAPHIER

Voice and Dialect Coach                    KATHRYN G. MAES, Ph.D

INTERESTING FACTS:

·         Author Steven Dietz was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and received his BA from the University of Northern Colorado.

·         Adapter Dan Gutman is best known for his Baseball Card Adventures book series which started off with Honus & Me. The series revolves around a child travelling back in time to meet a baseball legend.

·         The set was created to feel like a baseball stadium and its floor was hand-painted with baseball cards from the 1800’s until today.

·         In 1949, Jackie Robinson was selected as the National League’s Most Valuable Player of the Year and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

·         In 1997, Major League Baseball "universally" retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be so honored. Initiated for the first time on April 15, 2004, Major League Baseball has adopted a new annual tradition, "Jackie Robinson Day", on which every player on every team wears #42.

·         Robinson's retired #42 hangs in tribute in every big-league stadium.

QUOTES:

“As a life-long baseball fan, I love the way this play speaks to the place of the game in our culture. Baseball provides the perfect platform for a young boy's journey of growth and understanding.  The play also shows the historical significance of the game in America.  For every significant moment in modern American history, there's a story about baseball that encapsulates that moment.” – Stephen Weitz, Director

“Since I was a little boy, I have had two loves in my life, sports and the arts. Too often I have seen people who are a lover of one of these humanistic expressions dismiss the other, but to me they couldn't be more similar. They both are about doing the impossible, testing physical and mental limits, about the dreams of kids that can become realities as adults. It’s about seeing something you never imagined could happen and then dreaming about it for yourself. I hope that with Jackie & Me we can bring lovers of both sports and theater to the Denver Center and make them discuss, think, and dream.” – Aaron M. Davidson, actor playing the role of Joey Stoshack 

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

The cast and artistic staff of Jackie & Me are available for interviews. Please send requests to agriesmer@dcpa.org.

EVENTS:

American Sign Language Interpretation/Audio Described Performance | December 8, 1:30pm

Ø  CONNECT

Spark a dialogue today when you connect through our free discussion series.

Perspectives on the Play | November 15 at 6pm

The DCTC’s creative team provides the audience a unique perspective on the production. In The Jones Theatre.

General Talkback | November 24, post-show

Join us for a discussion with the actors from the show.

Talkback hosted by the Higher Education Advisory Council | December 8, post-show

Join the cast for a discussion led by members of our academic community.

Denver Public Library Workshop

Prepare for Jackie & Me through a participatory workshop designed to introduce the characters and explore the themes of the play and novel.

TICKETS:

Single tickets for Jackie & Me start at $29 (non-SCFD) and also are available for $10 (SCFD 10 for $10 program).  To purchase, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100.  For groups of 10 or more, please call 303.446.4829.  TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582.  Tickets also may be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex lobby.  Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org.  Student rush $10 tickets are available one hour prior to curtain with a valid student ID subject to availability.  Senior and military rush tickets are available one hour prior to curtain, subject to availability. No children under four will be admitted to any theatre.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).  Please visit our website at www.denvercenter.org.

GENERAL:

This production of Jackie & Me is generously supported by Producing Partners The Corley Legacy Foundation and Keith & Kathie Finger. Jackie & Me is part of the Denver Center Theatre Company 2013/14 season, which is generously supported by Daniel L. Ritchie, Larimer Square, The Steinberg Charitable Trust and Wells Fargo.

About the Denver Center Theatre Company

The Tony Award-winning Denver Center Theatre Company, helmed by Producing Artistic Director Kent Thompson, is currently in its 35th season of offering classic, contemporary and new works to the American West.

**Please be advised that The Denver Center for the Performing Arts – denvercenter.org – is the ONLY authorized online seller of tickets for Denver Center Attractions (the Broadway touring productions) and the Denver Center Theatre Company (the resident theatre company productions). Currently there are scalpers, also known as ‘second party vendors,’ selling tickets online at a rate more than double the standard price – and up. Tickets bought through these vendors MAY NOT BE VALID. You could not only be refused admission, but also lose your entire investment.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit organization.

"Got to dream." Great acting brings Death of a Salesman to life in Denver.

I saw Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman in the Space at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts this evening, what a powerful production of what is perhaps the most powerful American play, according to John Moore.

On Broadway in 1949, the award winning play has been produced repeatedly since then but ne.ver before at the DCPA. If it turns out you miss out on tickets here, another production is just starting rehearsals in Colorado Springs, some of us will want to see them both.

Entering the Space is always a fantastic experience, finding the right section in the circular hall, it's like finding a place to sit right on the stage, it seems, the theatre in the round is a perfect setting for this intense drama, and the simple staging amps up the emotions, less is more.

It's said that Miller wrote the play very quickly, the first on the two acts in little more than a day, a gut shot. Powerful, poetic, a punch to the gut of each of us privileged to be in the audience tonight.No one went out whistling.

The salesman, now at the end of his 35 year marriage, career and refrigerator, is 62 year old Willy Loman. We learn he lost his father at a very young age, although it's never said out loud-- in the poetry of good theatre, as in life, very often the most important things don't need to be said out loud-- and as a result Willy has had no clue for the last 30 or so years what's the right way to raise his two sons, who admit they are still boys. Willie tries to help them become men, he continues to try too hard.

Biff, his oldest son hits the high point of his life his senior year in high school, which is true of many high school athletes. H. G. Bissinger the Sports Illustrated writer followed  the Permian Panthers of Odessa Texas for his book Friday Night Lights and found this to be true. James Michener in the research he did for his book Sports in America found no relationship between participating in high school sports and success in life beyond school.

Some see Death of a Salesman as a put down of the American Dream, capitalism and the profession of being a salesman. That's reading into the play something that just is not there. Ben Franklin never used the term "American Dream", but clearly he was the inventor of the concept, the common person bettering the lot of his family through hard work, thrift and giving real help to customers to earn a successful place in the world,

That's not the Willy Loman dream. His dream is about celebrity: to Willy being universally well liked is the key to success. He wants his sons to be popular, to win acclaim, and to not worry about the little things, things like studying too hard. It's no surprise that in their second decades beyond high school they are both struggling.

Mike Hartman, my favorite DCPA actor, is a perfect fit for the role of Willy. He has wide range of emotions, and they can turn on a dime, flashes of anger turning into tears of joy, and then crashing down again, over and over and over.

The rest of the cast was  outstanding as well, Lauren Klein as the wife and mother enabling her child like husband and sons, Biff, brought to life by Patrick Hayden, and Happy, who Scott Mclean creates. Charley, an outstanding performance by Michael Santo, is the Loman's long suffering neighbor who towards the end of the play shows he very well understands the important role of the salesman, that he admires Willy and men like him for reasons that don't get discussed much or even thought about,

When Willy comes to Charley after being fired to, again, borrow some money:

CHARLEY: Willy, when’re you gonna realize that them things don’t mean anything? (Being well liked, well known by a lot of people.) The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you’re a salesman, and you don’t know that… Why must everybody like you? Who likd J. P. Morgan? Was he impressive? In a Turkish bath he’d look like a butcher. But with his pockets on he was very well liked.

I believe Charlie's eulogy for Willy is meant as praise for all salesmen-- those spark plugs for the engine of our prosperity that has served us all so well over the last 235 years, creating widespread wealth beyond the wildest dreams previous to the American Dream. Today, it's become popular to look down on the salesman. Since the start of business schools in colleges in 1910 or so, there has been an elevation of economists, managers, and market researchers, a shift of power from the hunters to the gatherers, people like Howard, who we can be sure was the beneficiary of a business school education, who we watch fire Willy, Howard the son of the owner who Willy helped to make rich. . Our current financial condition bears witness to the result of putting the gatherers in charge.

Here's Charley's eulogy. Tears come to my eyes everytime I hear it, thinking of my dad, George Tomlinson, Bill Daniels, and so many salesmen I have known who are no longer with us, salesmen who, with rare exception, were like Willie "he never made much money, never got his name in the paper," they got not nearly enough respect as they drove our economy in what truly were the good old days.

CHARLEY: Nobody dast blame this man. You don’t understand: Willy was a salesman. And for a salesman, there is no rock bottom to the life. He don’t put a bolt to a nut, he don’t tell you the law or give you medicine. He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a Shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back — that’s an earthquake. And then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.

Word will spread quickly about this powerful Denver Center production, the Space is a small theatre and this will be a short run. If you want to see it, and you should, I suggest you get your tickets now, don't wait.

To purchase, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100.  For groups of 10 or more, please call 303.446.4829.  TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582.  Tickets also may be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex lobby.  Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org.  Student rush $10 tickets are available one hour prior to curtain with a valid student ID subject to availability.  Senior and military rush tickets are available one hour prior to curtain, subject to availability. No children under four will be admitted to any theatre.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).  Please visit our website atwww.denvercenter.org.

GENERAL:

This production of Death of a Salesman is generously supported by Producing PartnersDiana & Mike Kinsey. Death of a Salesman is part of the Denver Center Theatre Company 2013/14 season, which is generously supported by Daniel L. Ritchie,Larimer Square, The Steinberg Charitable Trust and Wells Fargo.

Here's a montage of some of the powerful scenes from this outstanding production of what the Denver Post's John Moore has called the most important of all American plays:

My favorite play with my favorite actor in the leading role!

My daughter Allie and I will be attending Death of a Salesman with Mike Hartman as Willie Loman tomorrow, Thursday (Sept 26.) see detail in post below.

Allie and I will let you know what we think after we see it, but if you want tickets, would be best to buy them right away. This is the first time the DCPA has done this play, and my guess is that Mike will bring an original, strong performance to this most American role.

By Catherine Trieschmann

World Premier!

A small town arts council has $20,000 to award to a local artist with an “under-represented American voice.” 

Should they choose the teacher/painter of modest talent or the self-taught artist who creates religious figures out of trash? 

Opens September 20! Don't miss it! DCPA's Mike Hartman is Willie Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.

Mike Hartman is Willie Loman. 

"(Mike Hartman) is an underappreciated gem in the American theater. Because of his sense of humor, his generosity and his cleverness as an actor, he can play a wide range of characters so memorably."   

Kent Thompson 

Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer- and Tony-winning drama Death of a Salesman is the story of Willy Loman, a failing salesman who cannot accept that his dreams for his family are no match for realities of their ordinary lives. This heartbreaking portrayal of the American Dream explores families, promises and how slowly both can break.

Catch Starcatcher at Ellie Calkins

Photos of the Peter and the Starcatcher touring company:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/denvercenter/sets/72157633473473301/

Tonight my daughter Allie and I watched 11 men and 1 woman tell the story of what came before the story of Peter Pan, the very creative and energetic Peter and the Starcatcher, a play based on the 2006 novel of a similar name by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, adapted for the stage by Rick Elice.

Lively show, creative staging, still it's a dark show, especially the first half, it had pulled me down by

NY Starcatcher video

Video of of Peter and the Starcatcher of New York performance:

Winner of 5 Tony Awards®
TOUR TO LAUNCHED IN DENVER TODAY, AUGUST 15

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, the five-time Tony Award®-winning musical play written by Tony Award® nominee Rick Elice and directed by Tony® Award winner Roger Rees and Tony® Award nominee Alex Timbers, which kicks off the National Tour in Denver on August 15, 2013 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

Tickets are on sale now at denvercenter.org.

 Tuesday, August 20, 12:00 noon, Tattered Cover Book Store Historic LoDo Join cast members from PETER AND THE STARCATCHER for an inside look at this wonderful production based on the bestselling young adult novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry.

 A company of a dozen actors play more than a hundred unforgettable characters, all on a journey to answer the century‐old question: How did Peter Pan become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? This epic origin story of popular culture’s most enduring and beloved character proves that your imagination is the most captivating place in the world.

 PETER AND THE STARCATCHER won five 2012 Tony Awards® (the most of any play of the 2011-2012 season) and was named one of The New York Times, New York Magazine and The New Yorker’s Top 10 Shows of the Year. The New York Times hails PETER AND THE STARCATCHER as “the most exhilarating storytelling on Broadway in decades,”

New York Post exclaims it is “the gold standard of Peter Pan shows” and Entertainment Weekly calls the show “an absurdly funny fantastical journey.” PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is suitable for younger audiences but most enjoyable for those 10 and up.

 Single tickets for PETER AND THE STARCATCHER start at $20. To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582. Groups of 10 or more, please call 303.446.4829.

For more information, visit peterandthestarcatcher.com 

PERFORMANCE DATES August 15-September 1 Tuesday–Sunday 7:30pm Saturday & Sunday 2pm *Thursday, August 29 2pm *Audio Description/ASL, Sept 1 2pm *No 2pm matinee on Saturday, August 17 *No 7:30pm performance on Sunday, Aug 18

“Fiddler on the Roof” in DCPA Space Theatre

This promises to be a fantastic, a truly 

"don't miss it" event! I'll be there for

the July 20 performance and will give

you a report.  John Wren

Phamaly Theatre Company Announces Cast for

 “Fiddler on the Roof”

Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and book by Joseph Stein,

Based on Sholem Aleichem's stories by special permission of Arnold Perl.

Directed by Steve Wilson

Musical Direction by Donna Debreceni

Choreography by Debbie Stark

Denver – Phamaly Theatre Company presents “Fiddler on the Roof” July 18 - August 11 at the Space Theatre in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Celebrate the power of tradition and change with this multiple Tony Award-winning musical that has danced its way into the hearts of people all over the world for nearly 50 years.

As Tevye tries to hold onto his religion, his Russian-Jewish customs, and his five daughters, he knows that “without tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.” Resplendent with some of the most beloved and timeless songs in musical theatre like “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Do You Love Me,” “Fiddler on the Roof” is filled with laughter, warmth, and inspiration for the whole family.

Leading the cast is Mark Dissette as Tevye, reprising the role he played in Phamaly's 1994 production. Other Phamaly performers who graced the stage in the 1994 production are Kathleen Traylor, who played Yente and comes to this production in the role of Golde, Lucy Roucis played Tzeitel and returns as Mordcha and Donna Gunnison played Shaindel and this year steps into the role of Grandma Tzietel.  Greg Stanley, Fyedka in '94, and Phamaly founder Teri Westerman, who recently returned to Denver, join the Fiddler ensemble cast. 

Steve Wilson has cast Phamaly new-comers Rachel Van Scoy as Tzeitel, Kenzie Kilroy as Hodel, Harper Ediger as Shprintze and Emerson Stark as Bielke; daughter Chava is played by Lyndsay Palmer. Trenton Schindele has been cast in the role of Motel, Jeremy Palmer as Perchik, Daniel Traylor as Fyedka, Kevin Pettit as Lazar Wolf, Ashley Kelashian as Yente, Amber Marsh as Fruma Sarah, Jamie Lewis as the Constable and Don Mauck as the Rabbi. Rounding out the Fiddler cast is Ben Kassman (Mendel), Lisa Young (Yussel), Don Gabenski (Nachum), Linda Wirth (Shaindel) and ensemble members Kevin Ahl, Brian Bernard, Edric Kelashian, Maryann Migliorelli, Mallory Moss, Molly Nash, and Shannon Wilson.

This year Phamaly has a Guest Artist, Sophia Hummel, playing the role of the Fiddler. Sophia is currently a student at the San Francisco Conservatory, and her bow arm is amputated at the elbow. She uses an adapted bow in order to perform. A second Fiddler plays the Fiddler’s son. Leslie Wilburn is 11 years old. He lives locally and performs as concertmaster with the Denver Young Artists Orchestra’s Conservatory Orchestra. The violin part traditionally performed by one character will be turned into a duet between parent and child, highlighting this relationship that is emphasized in this show. Leslie has ADD.

Director Steve Wilson is passionate about this year's show, "For me, Fiddler on the Roof is the quintessential statement about the strength of the human spirit.  I am struck by the truly universal appeal of this magnificent classic of the American musical theatre. 

"While the story has a special tie to the rich heritage of the Jewish Diaspora and the dark struggle with Anti-Semitism, it also touches on the collective truth that everyone will ultimately leave the comfort of “home” and venture off into the sometimes forbidding and unpredictable world.  These transitions can be particularly challenging for those with disabilities and their loved ones and caretakers. 

"The play also has much to say about how humans define home. The story clearly tells us that it is not the place that has defined the people, but the people who have defined the place.  Home will travel with them wherever they choose to go – and their strength of spirit and resolve to live a vibrant life are ever present."

Wilson concluded by saying, "I believe great theatre connects us with signature moments in our lives when we can see how our small journeys connect to our bigger journey.  I hope this PHAMALY Fiddler will encourage everyone to reconnect with their own experiences of these pivotal life cycle transitions - when children leave, families relocate, relatives move or pass on – or a significant life altering health event.  These are times of stress, loss and tragedy, but also times of revelation, strength and renewal."

The Phamaly Theatre Company's production of “Fiddler on the Roof" previews July 18 and 19 and opens on Saturday, July 20 in the Space Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex.  Performances are Thursday, July 18 and Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. on Monday, July 29. Tickets are $30 - $34 adult, $23 groups of 10 or more, and $17 for July 18 and 19 previews as well as the Friday, July 26 and (Industry Night) Monday, July 29 performances.

 Post show talk-backs follow the July 21, 29 and August 4 performances. Tickets go on sale Monday, June 3 and can be purchased by calling Denver Center Ticketing at 303-893-4100; online at www.phamaly.org; or at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. $23 tickets groups of ten or more - call 303-931-7241.

An Audio Described and ASL Signed performance is scheduled for Sunday, July 28 at 2:00 p.m. Phamaly will offer a backstage sensory tour at 11:00a.m. The sensory tour brings individuals on stage for a tactile experience, touching elements of the set, costumes, and prop pieces. The tour is free but advance reservations are required by calling the Phamaly office at 303-575-0005.

Now in its 24th season, Phamaly is an award-winning Colorado based Theatre Company comprised entirely of performers with a wide variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities.  Phamaly’s mission is to inspire people to re-envision disability through professional theatre.

Named Best Theatre Company of 2012 by 5280 Magazine

Recipient of the Alliance for Colorado Theatre’s 2012 Professional/Community Theatre Award

Recipient of the 2013 NEA Art Works Grant

More information at www.phamaly.org

I Don't Know How to Love Trinity Church's Wonderful Production of Jesus Christ Superstar!

Only two more performances, don't miss it!

Ember Rose dominates the show from start to finish as Judas, John Hookey as Pilate, his Pilate's Dream in the first act is very fine, with an exception or two the entire cast is phenomenal in this lively, entertaining, moving hour and a half rendering of this favorite. More about it and ticket information below.

The highlight of the night, and it's a bright, bright highlight is Kia Chapman's Mary and her soul stirring performance of the signature song I Don't Know How to Love Him. I searched YouTube, nothing comes close to Kia's heartfelt rendition. If you've been living in another world and aren't familiar with the song here's a good performance, seeing Kia tonight makes Helen Reddy here seem like amateur hour.

Tonight!  Jesus Christ Superstar, see below. I'm attending, will post here later tonight. John Wren

Trinity's Dramatic Arts Ministry Presents 

Jesus Christ Superstar

Trinity United Methodist Church's Dramatic Arts Ministry presents a 60's-inspired version of the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. This award-winning musical, featuring an inter-generational cast and live rock music, will be performed April 26-28 in Trinity's historic sanctuary located on the corner of 18th & Broadway in downtown Denver.

Following the success of their musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rice and Webber collaborated to create another musical with religious themes.  Jesus Christ Superstar traces the final days of Jesus and illuminates the transcendent power of the human spirit. This powerful story begins with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and the unrest caused by his preaching and popularity. As Jesus' radical teachings are embraced by the populace, one of his disciples, Judas, increasingly questions the enlightened motives of this new prophet, ultimately resulting in his betrayal of Jesus. Christ's final days are dramatized with emotional intensity and thought-provoking edge, followed by the joy of His resurrection.

Webber's score for Jesus Christ Superstar features a number of legendary hits, including "Heaven on Their Minds," "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "Hosanna," and the title song, "Jesus Christ Superstar." Mixing a broad range of rhythmic forms, including Webber's fondness for unusual time signatures, the music is haunting and will leave audiences humming.  Rice's libretto remains contemporary and communicates its message clearly even after the passage of 40 years. 

Pamela Clifton, longtime Denver actress and director, brings fresh staging and some cross-gender casting, making for a newly energized production. Trevor Rutkowski's expert musical direction has taken the entire cast's vocal abilities to new heights. Hillary Hutson has choreographed some wonderful 'do not miss' show pieces.

Jesus Christ Superstar will be performed at Trinity United Methodist Church on Friday & Saturday, April 26th & 27th at 7:00 and again on Sunday, April 28th at 2:00 pm.  Free parking is available in the lot directly to the north of the church on Broadway.

Ticket prices are $14 for adults (over 18), $12 for seniors, and $10 for students (18 and under). There is also a Family Pack available for $40.  Tickets are available online at trinityumc.org  or at seatyourself.biz/trinityumc.  All seats are general admission, so patrons should arrive early to get the best seats.  Doors open 30 minutes before show time. 

Free Denver Small Business Summit

Denver Business Summit

My friend Barry Moltz headlines this day, an event packed with interesting speakers. 

Take a look at their website (click), I'll be there, will you? 

Notice at the bottom, if you can't get to the event itself, it will be available via live streaming video, see notice at the bottom of webpage. 

I hope to have someone with us from the event with us on The Startup Show Monday. 

It just makes sense to see Sense and Sensibility!

Great music, from "In Society" and "We Must Have Sense" that becomes "I Must Have Sense" towards the end of the story, insight into society built on hostage social capital, strong characters very well portrayed by a strong cast, don't miss this! (see below for performance and ticket info.)

The orchestra does a great job under the baton of Paul Masse, great dancing, singing, memorable moment after moment after moment. I really enjoyed it and will be thinking about it for a long time..

Was there a hidden message? Seemed to me Elinor, very well played by Stephanie Rothenberg, lost some of her spirit at the very end of the play, was she really happy with the final turn do you think?

WORLD PREMIERE

 

 An award-winning Broadway creative team and a stellar cast of Broadway veterans and newcomers have assembled to bring one of Jane Austen's most beloved romances to life. The much-anticipated world premiere of SENSE & SENSIBILITY THE MUSICAL, book and lyrics by Jeffrey Haddow and music by Neal Hampton, receives its world premiere April 5 – May 26, 2013 (press opening April 11), presented by the Denver Center Theatre Company, in The Stage Theatre at the Denver Center for Performing Arts at 14^th and Champa.  Producing Artistic Director Kent Thompson selected SENSE & SENSIBILITY THE MUSICAL after it became a runaway hit at the 2012 Colorado New Play Summit. The production is staged by Director and Choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge, whose recent Broadway revival of Ragtime received six Tony Award® nominations.

In this grand musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s enthralling novel, audiences are drawn into the tempestuous world of the Dashwood sisters. Opposites in temperament, but equally determined to find love and happiness, sisters Elinor and Marianne struggle with soaring emotions, dashed hopes, and their own conflicting notions of ideal love. But while one follows her heart and the other her head, each finds personal triumph in romance.

Jane Austen fans from around the country are expected to converge in Denver, not only to experience SENSE & SENSIBILITY THE MUSICAL but also to participate in opening weekend “Austen at Altitude" festivities April 11-13, including a Regency Ball, backstage tours, reception with the stars, and discussions and presentations by world-renowned Jane Austen experts. Sponsored by JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America), proceeds from an opening night benefit will go to the Chawton House Library, located in Jane Austen’s final home, in Hampshire, England.

Denver Center Theatre Company has assembled an extraordinary cast for this world premiere. Starring in the pivotal Dashwood sister roles will be Stephanie Rothenberg as Elinor and Mary Michael Patterson as Marianne. Ms. Rothenberg made her Broadway debut last season as Rosemary opposite Nick Jonas in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and then starred as Princess Anne in the Guthrie Theater’s world premiere musical, Roman Holiday. Ms. Patterson made her Broadway debut in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Tony-winning revival of Anything Goes starring Sutton Foster.

The sisters’ romantic entanglements will be portrayed by three of Broadway’s most dashing leading men. Nick Verina, seen as Young Ben in the recent Broadway revival of Follies with Bernadette Peters, will take on the role of love-struck Edward; Jeremiah James, who starred as Billy Bigelow in the West End revival of Carousel and as Curly in the first national tour of Oklahoma!, will portray the rakish Willoughby; and Robert Petkoff, Broadway’s recent Lord Evelyn Oakleigh opposite Sutton Foster in Anything Goes, will be the loyal Colonel Brandon. Petkoff is familiar to Denver audiences from the Denver Center Theatre Company’s world premiere of Sir Peter Hall’s Tantalus (2000).

Additional Broadway talent joining the cast includes Ed Dixon (Anything Goes, Sunday in the Park with George, Mary Poppins, How the Grinch Stole Christmas) as Sir John; Ruth Gottschall (Mary Poppins, The Music Man, Funny Thing…Forum) as Mrs. Jennings, and Joanna Glushak (Sunday in the Park with George, Urinetown, Les Misérables) as Mrs. Dashwood/Mrs. Ferrars.

The ensemble will include Andrew Kober, Preston Dyar, Josh Walden, Stacie Bono, Liz Pearce, Trista Moldovan, Jessica Hershberg, Steven Strafford, and Daniella Dalli.

The production boasts a formidable production team, including Set Designer Allen Moyer, Tony nominee for Grey Gardens; Costume Designer ESosa, 2012 Tony nominee for The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and “Project Runway” finalist; acclaimed Lighting Designer James F. Ingalls; Sound Design by Craig Breitenbach (world premiere of The Laramie Project); Music Supervisor David Loud, whose recent Broadway productions include The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and The Scottsboro Boys; Music Director and Conductor Paul Masse, whose Broadway credits include The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, The Scottsboro Boys, as well as Curtains, Chicago, Avenue Q, 42nd Street, and Gypsy, and Orchestrations are by Kim Scharnberg and Neal Hampton.

SENSE & SENSIBILITY THE MUSICAL is based on the novel by Jane Austen. Book and lyrics by Jeffrey Haddow. Music by Neal Hampton. Directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge.  

Performance Schedule

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday performances at 6:30pm

Friday and Saturday evening performances at 7:30pm

Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1:30pm

No children under four admitted.

Tickets and Subscriptions

Tickets ($55 - $65) are available now by calling 303.893.4100 or 800.641.1222 (TTY 303.893.9582). Subscribers enjoy free ticket exchanges, payment plans, priority offers to Broadway shows, discounted extra tickets, a dedicated VIP hotline, free events including talkbacks and receptions, and the best seats at the best prices, guaranteed. 

SENSE & SENSIBILITY THE MUSICAL is presented by special arrangement with Betty Ann Besch Solinger and Alice Chebba Walsh. This production of SENSE & SENSIBILITY THE MUSICAL, generously sponsored by U.S. Bank and The Ritz-Carlton, is part of the Denver Center Theatre Company and Denver Center Attractions (DCA) 2012/13 seasons. SENSE & SENSIBILITY THE MUSICAL Producing Partners: The Anschutz Foundation, Joy S. Burns, Daniel L. Ritchie, June Travis. DCTC is generously supported by Larimer Square, The Steinberg Charitable Trust and Wells Fargo Advisors. DCA is generously supported by United Airlines and Vectra Bank. Media sponsors are The Denver Post and CBS4.  The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.  Please visit our website at www.denvercenter.org.

**Please be advised that The Denver Center for the Performing Arts – denvercenter.org – is the ONLY authorized online seller of tickets for Denver Center Attractions (the Broadway touring productions) and the Denver Center Theatre Company (the resident theatre company productions). Currently there are scalpers, also known as ‘second party vendors,’ selling tickets online at a rate more than double the standard price – and up. Tickets bought through these vendors MAY NOT BE VALID. You could not only be refused admission, but also lose your entire investment.

About the Denver Center Theatre Company

The Tony Award-winning Denver Center Theatre Company, helmed by Producing Artistic Director Kent Thompson, is currently in its 34th season of offering classic, contemporary and new works to the American West.

"Other Desert Cities" strong drama.

Great acting, especially from my friend Mike Hartman who plays the father, a retired actor, half of a power couple who are former friends with the Reagan's, true believers, the play explores their effect on the live of their three children, one who is about to publish a memoir.

Not light theatre, but lots of light moments, the final scene tells the rest of the story

                               WHEN IS LIVING A LIE THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

 

PLAYS THE SPACE THEATRE MARCH 29 – APRIL 28

A story of family secrets and differing political views, Jon Robin Baitz’s Tony Award-nominated play, OTHER DESERT CITIES, plays The Space Theatre March 29 – April 28. Tickets may be purchased now, by calling 303.893.4100 or visiting www.denvercenter.org.

When a daughter returns to Palm Springs for a Christmas gathering after writing a tell-all book about a family secret, parents and family suddenly scramble with an issue they’d rather not discuss. Secrets and lies unravel making each character more complex—and human.

OTHER DESERT CITIES is directed by DCTC Producing Artistic Director Kent Thompson (Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream). “Other Desert Cities is a brilliant and remarkable hit from Broadway because it’s a play for grownups,” says Thompson. “Baitz keeps shifting our sympathies as these characters surprise us with each revelation.  At the same time as it’s moving, it’s also very funny.”

The cast of OTHER DESERT CITIES includes recipient of the 2013 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Kathleen McCall (Romeo & Juliet, When We Are Married, Heartbreak House) as Brooke Wyeth. Lauren Klein, who performed the role of Polly Wyeth on Broadway Plainsong, Eventide, You Canʼt Take It With You), plays the same role in Denver. Mike Hartman (14 seasons/ Romeo & Juliet, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, World Premiere Great Wall Story) plays Lyman Wyeth while Tracy Shaffer (Romeo& Juliet, When We Are Married, World Premiere Two Things You Don’t Talk About At Dinner) plays Silda Grauman. John Patrick Hayden (debut) plays Trip Wyeth.

The play takes place in Palm Springs in a home that is trapped in the 1960’s. Set designer James Kronzer (To Kill a Mockingbird, When Tang Met Laika, The Catch) brings a sophisticated and quintessential mid-century home to the stage with cherry wood, a stone fire place, sunken living room, sputnik pendant lamp and a tinsel tree for the holiday. Costume design is by Bill Black (Heartbreak House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello), lighting design is by York Kennedy (King Lear, Glengarry Glen Ross) and sound design is by Jason Ducat (Grace, or The Art of Climbing, When We Are Married, Fences, Heartbreak House).

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT: Jon Robin Baitz’s plays include The Film Society, The Substance Of Fire, The End Of The Day, Three Hotels, A Fair Country (1996 Pulitzer Prize finalist), Mizlansky/Zilinsky, Ten Unknowns, and The Paris Letter, as well as a version of Hedda Gabler (Broadway 2001). He created “Brothers & Sisters,” the TV series, which ran for five seasons, until 2011. Other TV work includes PBS’ version of “Three Hotels,” for which he won the Humanitas Award, and episodes of “The West Wing” and “Alias.” He is the author of two screenplays: the film script for The Substance of Fire (1996) and People I Know (2002). He is a founding member of Naked Angels Theatre Company and on the faculties of the MFA programs at The New School for Drama and SUNY Stony Brook/ Southampton. His play Other Desert Cities won the Outer Critics Circle Award in 2011.

Single tickets for OTHER DESERT CITIES start at $35 (non-SCFD) and also are available for $10 (SCFD 10 for $10 program) and are on sale now.  To purchase, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100.  For groups of 10 or more, please call 303.446.4829.  TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582.  Tickets also may be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex lobby.  Buy and print online at www.denvercenter.org.  Student rush $10 tickets are available one hour prior to curtain with a valid student ID subject to availability.  Senior and military rush tickets are available one hour prior to curtain, subject to availability. No children under four will be admitted to any theatre.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).  Please visit our website at www.denvercenter.org.

This production of OTHER DESERT CITIES is generously supported by Producing Partners Terry & Noel Hefty and Karolynn Lestrud. OTHER DESERT CITIES is part of the Denver Center Theatre Company 2012/13 season, which is supported by Larimer Square, The Steinberg Charitable Trust and Wells Fargo Advisors. Media sponsorship for DCTC is provided by The Denver Post and CBS4. 

About the Denver Center Theatre Company

The Tony Award-winning Denver Center Theatre Company, helmed by Producing Artistic Director Kent Thompson, is currently in its 34th season of offering classic, contemporary and new works to the American West.
 

Special Events for OTHER DESERT CITIES

Perspectives on the Play | March 29 at 6pm

The DCTC’s creative team provides the audience a unique perspective on the production. In The Jones Theatre.

Student Night | March 29, 7:30

Students purchase $10 tickets ahead of time on-line, in person or over the phone for these designated student nights (promo code STUDENT, valid student ID required).

General Talkback | April 7, post-show

Join us for a discussion with the actors from the show.

Talkback hosted by the Higher Education Advisory Council | April 14, post-show

Join the cast for a discussion led by members of our academic community.

Theatre & Theology | April 16, post-show

In a continued partnership with Pastor Dan Bollman of the Rocky Mountain Evangelical Lutheran Synod, this discussion examines the relevant connections to the productions through the theological lens.

Fourth Wall | April 17 at 5:30pm

Join other 20 and 30-somethings at Fourth Wall, which includes tickets to the play and pre- and post-show events that expand the theatrical world.  The event includes appetizer, a ticket to the show and a drink at the after-party. For more information visit www.denvercenter.org/fourthwall.

American Sign Language Interpretation/Audio Described Performance | April 28, 1:30pm

PERFORMANCE DATES                                     March 29 – April 28

Tuesday – Thursday                                                    6:30pm

Friday – Sunday                                                         7:30pm

Saturday & Sunday matinee                                       1:30pm

**Please be advised that The Denver Center for the Performing Arts – denvercenter.org – is the ONLY authorized online seller of tickets for Denver Center Attractions (the Broadway touring productions) and the Denver Center Theatre Company (the resident theatre company productions). Currently there are scalpers, also known as ‘second party vendors,’ selling tickets online at a rate more than double the standard price – and up. Tickets bought through these vendors MAY NOT BE VALID. You could not only be refused admission, but also lose your entire investment.

 

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit organization.