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CRAZY FOR YOU LYRIC THEATRE @ ILLINOIS Music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin Sarah Wigley, director Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27, 2019, at 7:30pm Sunday, April 28, 2019, at 3pm Tryon Festival Theatre

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  • CRAZY FOR YOULYRIC THEATRE @ ILLINOIS

    Music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira GershwinSarah Wigley, director

    Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27, 2019, at 7:30pmSunday, April 28, 2019, at 3pm

    Tryon Festival Theatre

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    TH

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    THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

    Tonight’s performance of Crazy for You is sponsored in part by the following generous donors:

    SUSAN & MICHAEL HANEY

    WELCOME

    WELCOME TO LYRIC THEATRE @ ILLINOIS —a vibrant community that embraces a wide range of opera and musical theatre.

    We are proud to represent the breadth and depth of sung theatre in our mainstage productions, preview series, workshops, and masterclasses. The 2018-19 season has stellar examples of so many of the great works we love: the hilarious and poignant satire of modern striving, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; the beloved, romantic, tragic Italian opera La Bohème; the profound and starkly beautiful Rape of Lucretia; and the zany, tap-dancing Gershwin musical Crazy for You.

    It is our privilege to partner with Oscar- and Tony-winning composing team Richard Maltby and David Shire and with Beth Morrison Productions in the development of new work for our national stages. It is also our privilege to be raising a new generation of performers, composers, and directors.

    We are excited to announce new degrees in Lyric Theatre at the University of Illinois that teach flexibility, creativity, and wellness to the generation of singers, actors, dancers, and creators who will be the next leaders in the opera and musical theatre worlds.

    Happy 50th birthday, Krannert Center! And thank you for the opportunity to teach, perform, and collaborate with artists from different generations and cultures, from community members to Grammy winners, and across musical styles and forms to bring stories to life on the stage.

    Yours,

    Julie and Nathan Gunn CO-DIRECTORS, LYRIC THEATRE @ ILLINOIS

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    PROGRAMCRAZY FOR YOU LYRIC THEATRE @ ILLINOISMusic and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira GershwinBook by Ken LudwigMichael Tilley, conductor Sarah Wigley, director

    Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27, 2019, at 7:30pmSunday, April 28, 2019, at 3pmTryon Festival Theatre

    ACT I

    20-minute intermission

    ACT II

    Lyric Theatre @ Illinois is produced by the University of Illinois School of Music (Jeffrey Magee, director).

    This production includes smoke effects and gunshots.

    CONDUCTORMichael Tilley

    DIRECTORSarah Wigley

    CHOREOGRAPHERCharlie Maybee

    FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHEREthan Gardner

    SCENIC DESIGNERDaniela Cabrera

    COSTUME DESIGNERMelissa Hall

    LIGHTING DESIGNERTony Rajewski

    SOUND DESIGNERMatt Powell

    PROPERTIES MASTERHaley Borodine

    HAIR/MAKEUP MASTERDanielle Richter

    MUSICAL PREPARATIONMichael McAndrewAlex MungerCadis Ying-Jie Lee

    STAGE MANAGERAdeline Snagel

    TECHNICAL DIRECTORSRyan GajdosImani McDanielPatrick Storey

    LYRIC THEATRE ASSISTANTGrace Thompson

    CRAZY FOR YOU

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    CASTBOBBY CHILDOwen Connor Stout

    BELA ZANGLERFabian Guerrero

    POLLY BAKERColleen Bruton

    IRENE ROTHLogan Piker

    MOTHER (MS. LOTTIE CHILD)Emily Albert-Stauning

    PERKINSGrant Ebert

    CHAUFFEURJon Faw

    LANK HAWKINSCameron Young

    EVERETT BAKERJoe Grudt

    EUGENE FODORDane Brandon

    PATRICIA FODORBerit Johnson

    TESSAnna Benoit †

    PATSYCaroline McKinzie

    FOLLIES GIRLS

    MITZISara Dolins

    ELAINEAnastasia Kasimos

    LOUISEMady Simanonis

    SUSIE Abby Steimel

    BETSYSophia Byrd

    MARGIELisa Buhelos

    COWFOLK

    MOOSENicholas Koch

    MINGOIsiah Asplund

    SAM/PETEGeoffrey Schmelzer

    HARRYJon Faw

    CUSTUSGrant Ebert

    JANHannah Dziura

    WYATTNick Hittle

    BONNIERachel Maramba

    † Dance Captain

    In the event of an emergency, the following actors will perform as indicated:Nicholas Koch (Bobby), Lisa Buhelos (Polly/Tess/Patsy), Sophia Byrd (Irene), Jon Faw (Lank)

    ORCHESTRAVIOLIN 1Maya Williams

    VIOLIN 2Olivia Taylor

    CELLOKutasha Silva

    BASSAndrey Gonçalves

    GUITARJosé Guzmán/Paul Mock

    REED 1Adam Nigh

    REED 2 Ben Nichols

    REED 3Emma Olson

    REED 4Kevin King

    REED 5Grace Calderon

    TRUMPET 1Barkey Bryant

    TRUMPET 2Saori Kataoka

    HORN 1Clark Stevens

    HORN 2[pending]

    TROMBONEMatthew Dixon

    BASS TROMBONE[pending]

    TRAPSMaddi Vogel

    PERCUSSIONJackson Barnett

    PIANO/KEYBOARD 1Michael McAndrew

    KEYBOARD 2Cadis Ying-Jie Lee

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    SYNOPSISACT IBackstage at the Zangler Theatre (New York City, 1935), Bobby Child, the son of a wealthy banking family, wants nothing more than to perform. As Tess, the dance director, dodges the advances of Bela Zangler, Bobby attempts to audition for him, but instead runs into his disapproving mother and long-time fiancée Irene. Bobby’s mother sends him to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on the small-town theatre that shall soon be owned by their bank.

    Bobby arrives in Deadrock and immediately falls in love with Polly Baker, the daughter of Everett Baker who is the owner of Deadrock’s Gaiety Theatre. Even though Lank Hawkins insists on purchasing the theatre from Everett, the memories of Polly’s mother on the Gaiety stage prevent him from selling.

    Finding himself stuck between family business and complete infatuation, Bobby suggests that Deadrock put on a show in order to pay off the mortgage. Polly agrees until she finds out that Bobby was sent to take the theatre and is heartbroken.

    In order to keep the plan alive, Bobby disguises himself as Zangler and invites the Follies Girls to Deadrock. The entire town begins rehearsals for the show and after many setbacks, find only one couple in attendance, Eugene and Patricia Fodor. Just as everyone realizes that the production breathed new life into their sleepy town and all is not lost, Zangler slips into Deadrock unnoticed.

    ACT IIBobby professes his love to Polly in Lank’s saloon, but Polly admits her love for the man she thinks is Zangler. As Bobby begins explaining his Zangler impersonation, the real Zangler stumbles into the saloon looking for Tess. Polly eventually sees the two Zanglers and angrily realizes the situation at hand. After being rejected by Bobby, Irene finds immediate distraction and excitement in Lank.

    The town of Deadrock gathers at the theatre, and only Polly, Everett, Bobby, and Tess still think the show should continue. Bobby plans to return to New York, and just as Zangler agrees to produce the show as a display of his love for Tess, Polly realizes that she does love Bobby.

    Six weeks later, Bobby’s mother gives Bobby the deed to the Zangler Theatre while back in New York City. Bobby dreams of Polly and realizes that he must return to Deadrock to pursue her.

    Even though Deadrock has revitalized with the resurrection of the Gaiety theatre, Polly misses Bobby and decides to go to New York to find him. Polly and Bobby eventually reunite with a full celebration that includes Irene marrying Lank and a blossoming romance between Bobby’s mother and Everett.

    PROGRAM NOTES“In 2000 years, there has been one resurrection, and it wasn’t a theatre,” one character reminds us in Crazy for You, Ken Ludwig’s 1992 overhaul of Guy Bolton’s 1930 collaboration with the brothers Gershwin. Fortunately, Ludwig seems not to take his character’s proclamation too seriously—in addition to his numerous original theatrical successes, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning playwright has created a series of acclaimed adaptations of existing works, from Twentieth Century to Treasure Island to yet another Gershwin work, in this case the symphonic poem An American in Paris. The 1951 film version of the last work was one of the first instances of the “jukebox musical,” a long tradition of plot contrivances designed to showcase an artist’s greatest hits. Long before ABBA jammed as many songs as possible into Mamma Mia!, and even before A Hard Day’s Night or even Yankee Doodle Dandy for that matter, Florence Ziegfeld was wowing Broadway audiences with his famous Ziegfield Follies. It is this rich vein of thrilling dancers, costumes, wordplay, slapstick comedy, and mistaken identity that Ludwig mines and his craft that makes the classic songs assembled here seem to flow spontaneously from the situations.

    Ziegfeld appears in Ludwig’s book in the person of Bela Zangler, the rich emigré producer smitten with a showgirl. Danny Churchill, hero of Girl Crazy, is sent to Arizona to manage the family ranch, a post his father hopes will free him from the seductions of women and booze. He ends up turning the ranch into a dude ranch and importing showgirls from Broadway. Danny (Bobby in Crazy for You) is cut from the same cloth as the show’s co-author Guy Bolton, married four times to a succession of performers, who titled his Broadway memoir (with his collaborator P.G. Wodehouse) Bring on the Girls! A legendary figure, who along with Wodehouse and Jerome Kern is credited with inventing the modern musical, Bolton also worked with George M. Cohan, the Gershwins, Oscar Hammerstein, and many others before capping his Broadway career with the book for Cole Porter’s Anything Goes.

    I can almost hear you asking: why not just revive Girl Crazy then? Not only did it make Ginger Rogers a star, it launched Ethel Merman’s career as her very first Broadway show. For those of you who are fans of we pit dwellers, listen to the almost unimaginable assemblage of talent who played in the pit orchestra: “Red” Nichols, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Jack Teagarden. Roger Edens was the onstage pianist and George Gershwin himself conducted opening night. Yet somehow, it seems that this hit show was destined for continuous reinvention.

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    Dynamic tap-dancing, classic Gershwin tunes, hilarious disguises, romance—Crazy for You embraces each of these elements and more, making it no wonder that this crowd-pleaser won the Tony award for Best Musical in 1992. With a song list straight out of Tin Pan Alley’s greatest hits, we are proud to present this full-scale tap-dancing showcase in collaboration with our friends and colleagues in the departments of Dance and Theatre, the School of Music, and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. While witnessing students from across campus create a community through the creation of live performance art, I could not help but realize throughout this process the exciting parallel between the world of theatre created in Deadrock, Nevada, in 1935 and the world we create every day here at our “miracle on the prairie”—Krannert Center.

    In Crazy for You, Bobby Child and Bela Zangler leave the bright lights of New York City for a community that believes in the power of live theatre and the inclusivity that art manifests when it is born out of a place of inspiration and joy. How extraordinary that while we celebrate a fictional town that brings Follies Girls, cowboys, and British tourists together, we simultaneously celebrate Krannert Center’s 50th anniversary.

    Thank you, Krannert Center, for 50 years of bringing endless possibility, magic, and delight to our “miracle on the prairie”—our friends in Deadrock, Nevada would be proud.

    —Sarah Wigley, director

    DIRECTOR’S NOTEOnly two years later, a film vehicle for Wheeler & Woolsey scrapped most of the play, retaining only the score. The 1943 film Girl Crazy, starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, similarly altered large portions of the book. In 1965, Connie Francis starred in yet another rewrite, now titled When the Boys Meet the Girls and featuring Herman’s Hermits, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Louis Armstrong, and Liberace! So when Gershwin fan George Horchow acquired the rights to a slew of George and Ira Gershwin favorites, Girl Crazy, which already boasted “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” and “But Not for Me,” was the ideal vehicle for Ludwig, along with unknown choreographer Susan Stroman and her future husband, director Mike Ockrent, to adapt.

    With Broadway titans like William Ivey Long and Robin Wagner designing the costumes and sets, respectively, and revered orchestrator Bill Brohn in charge of the score, expectations were high. Still, few could have imagined how well the show would be received. Frank Rich gushed, “Crazy for You uncorked the American musical’s classic blend of music, laughter, dancing, sentiment, and showmanship with a freshness and confidence rarely seen during the Cats decade.” The “new” Gershwin musical swept the Best Musical category for the season and ran for 1,622 performances.

    It has become commonplace to bemoan the rise of the jukebox musical, but Crazy for You argues passionately and convincingly for the validity of the conceit. The best of musical theatre taps dance, theatrical farce, the brilliant lyrics of Ira, and the unequalled music of his brother George—who could ask for anything more?

    —Michael Tilley, conductor

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    PROFILESEmily Albert-Stauning (Ms. Lottie Child) is a freshman at the University of Illinois studying lyric theatre and neuroscience as a James Scholar and honors student. Her past performance credits include numerous roles in Minnesota and Wisconsin

    professional theatres such as the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Guthrie Theater, Fitzgerald Theater, The Phipps Center for the Arts, Children’s Theatre Company, and number of community theatres. Film credits include local and national commercial work and Emmy Award-winning host credit for Best Children’s Educational Series Into The Outdoors. Albert-Stauning is founder of her own charity program Hope For a Better Day and is a Sony Records/Rock the Cause Records recording artist/songwriter. At the University of Illinois, she studies voice with Dawn Harris.

    Isiah Asplund (Mingo) is an alumnus of the Department of Dance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. You may recognize him from his work with the local band Charlie & the Possibly Wilds. It has been a few years since his appearance in theatre as Boy

    in Peter and the Starcatcher. He has spent his time since graduation choreographing for local shows such as A Well at the Armory Free Theatre and Fun Home at the Station Theatre. He previously performed with Lyric Theatre @ Illinois in its production of Kiss Me, Kate.

    Anna Benoit (Tess) is a junior pursuing a BMA in lyric theatre under the instruction of Sarah Wigley and Dawn Harris. Last fall, she performed as Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and in the ensembles of La Bohème and The Pirates of

    Penzance. She also participated in the workshop of Take Flight under the direction of Richard Maltby and Kevin Stites. Benoit has danced in several ballets with the Springfield Ballet Company, most recently as the Stepmother in Cinderella. She has performed in several productions with the Springfield Municipal Opera and the Legacy Theatre in Springfield, Illinois. Past Lyric Theatre @ Illinois credits include The Light in the Piazza and She Loves Me.

    Dane Brandon (Eugene Fodor) is a junior acting major from Morton, Illinois, the Pumpkin Capital of the World! Krannert Center credits include Hit the Wall, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Twelfth Night (Illinois Theatre); a staged

    reading of Maltby and Shire’s Take Flight; and The Light in the Piazza (Lyric Theatre @ Illinois). Other recent credits include Working Title (Armory Free Theatre), Pippin (Illini Student Musicals), and Parade (Corn Stock Theatre). Outside of acting, Dane also serves as a camp counselor at the Corn Stock for Kids theatre camp, and he is a former member of the Illini Student Musicals Board of Directors.

    Colleen Bruton (Polly Baker) is a senior currently pursuing her BMA in lyric theatre and will be the first graduate of this new program this spring. She studies under Sarah Wigley and previously studied under Yvonne Gonzales Redman. Highlights of her previous

    stage credits include She Loves Me, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Last Five Years, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Light in the Piazza, and Don Giovanni. In fall 2018, Bruton workshopped a new musical, Take Flight, directed by Tony Award-winning Richard Maltby and David Shire with music directed by Radio City Music Hall’s principal conductor Kevin Stites. 

    Lisa Kay Buhelos (Margie) is a soprano currently in her junior year at the University of Illinois. She is pursing a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and studies with Yvonne Gonzales Redman. Recently, she has been seen in the Lyric Theatre @ Illinois

    productions of La Bohème (Ensemble), Pirates of Penzance (Ensemble), and the workshop of Take Flight (Brenda). Previous roles include the chorus of Too Many Sopranos, Cinderella in Into the Woods, and Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family. She co-created, co-directed, and performed in the first production of Broadway Backwards at Butler University. There, Buhelos also participated in opera scenes and was a recipient of the Women’s Department Scholarship Award.

    Sophia Byrd (Betsy) is a sophomore who has recently joined the Lyric Theatre program. Sophia began her career singing with the Chicago Children’s Choir through which she was able to perform such works as Otello and Carmina Burana with the

    Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Riccardo Muti. Byrd has performed alongside artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Jennifer Hudson, Kurt Elling, and Chance the Rapper. Her song “I See the Light” was featured in the Spike Lee original motion picture Chiraq. Sophia most recently appeared in the world premiere of Ted Hearne’s new work Place and Heidi Rodewald’s The Good Swimmer at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) New Wave Festival. This is her premier performance on the Krannert Center stage.

    Sara Dolins (Mitzi) is a sophomore, and this is her third performance at the University of Illinois. In addition to performing in Crazy For You, she is currently the assistant choreographer for Footloose and a member of the Vitality Dance Team. An

    avid fan of musical theatre, she has appeared in over 30 musical productions. Her favorite roles include Tanya in Mamma Mia!, Heather Duke in Heathers the Musical, Golde in Fiddler on the Roof, and Chiffon in Little Shop Of Horrors (which she also choreographed). Sara will continue to hone her musical theatre skills this summer as she studies with the West End Musical Theatre Training Program in London.

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    Hannah Dziura (Jan) is a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign pursuing a BA in dance with a pre-physical therapy concentration. During her freshman year, she attended Columbia College Chicago and danced with BOOM

    CRACK! Dance Company under the direction of Trae Turner. After transferring to the University of Illinois in fall 2017, Dziura has been given the opportunity to revisit her passion for tap dancing and expand her modern dance palate. Previous castings with Dance at Illinois include her role as Jane in MFA candidate Charlie Maybee’s thesis work, The Promise of Stormy Weather, in Studio Dance I (2019). Upon graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school to receive a PhD in physical therapy and continue to teach dance in the Chicagoland area.

    Grant Ebert (Perkins/Custus) is a Hoosier from Peru, Indiana, and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in vocal performance and literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He studied with Ricardo Herrera and is currently

    studying with Jerold Siena. Ebert recently performed as Marcello in Lyric Theatre @ Illinois’ production of La Bohème and was the cover for Leporello in Don Giovanni. He has completed a bachelor’s degree in music education and vocal performance from Manchester University in Indiana where he studied with Debra Lynn. While attending his undergrad, Ebert starred as the Husband in Amelia Goes to the Ball, Don Giovanni in an English version of Don Giovanni, Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods, and Henry Pimpernel in Christopher Sly.

    Jon Faw (Harry/Chauffeur) is an actor, dancer, and musician based in Urbana, Illinois. As an actor, some of his favorite roles include Tom in The Glass Menagerie (2018), Pozzo in Waiting For Godot (2017), and Johnny in American Idiot (2017). Most recently,

    Faw performed with Charlie Maybee’s Polymath Performance Project in The Promise of Stormy Weather (2019) as part of Studiodance I at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. He also has various credits in local film as well as with his band, Charlie & The Possibly Wilds, which has performed over 20 shows in Champaign-Urbana since its inception in 2017.

    Fabian Guerrero (Bela Zangler) is a sophomore pursuing a BFA in acting at the University of Illinois and a minor in musical theatre. Hailing from Aurora, Illinois, other recent credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Illinois

    Theatre), Pirates of Penzance (Lyric Theatre @ Illinois), and Red (Armory Free Theatre,). Other media credits include an upcoming, untitled Deep Silver Volition project and commercial credits with Kellogg’s “Plant a Seed.” Guerrero is also a member of the Student Alumni Association on campus.

    Joe Grudt (Everett Baker) is a freshman journalism major at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and this is his first show with Lyric Theatre @ Illinois. He has previously been seen as Bill Austin in Illini Student Musicals’ production of Mamma Mia!.

    Nick Hittle (Wyatt) is a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying chemistry and dance. He has trained with Deanna Doty and guest instructors at Champaign Ballet Academy for 11 years and attended the San Francisco Ballet School’s

    2015 summer intensive. As a soloist at CU Ballet, Hittle has appeared in and choreographed for several CU Ballet productions including Coppélia (Franz), Cinderella (Prince Charming), The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Desire), Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried), and The Nutcracker (Nutcracker/Cavalier). He has also appeared in multiple faculty and guest artist dance pieces with Dance at Illinois; Spring Awakening, American Idiot, Pippin, and Heathers with Illini Student Musicals; Oklahoma! (Dream Curly) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Asher) with Champaign Urbana Theatre Company; and Newsies (Tommy Boy) with Corn Stock Theatre.

    Berit Johnson (Patricia Fodor) is a first-year master’s student in vocal performance and literature where she is a musical theatre voice teaching assistant, sings with the Chamber Singers, and studies under Dawn Harris and Sarah Wigley. She is originally from

    Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is a graduate of Concordia College Moorhead with a BM in vocal performance and theatre art. Other credits include performances with The College Light Opera Company, Southwest Summer Theatre, Fargo Moorhead Opera, and the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Johnson has been seen as Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia (Lyric Theatre); Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance (Sinfonia da Camera), and Amelia Earhart in Maltby and Shire’s Take Flight opposite Nathan Gunn and under the direction of Richard Maltby.

    Stasia Kasimos (Elaine) is currently a sophomore in the BFA acting program pursuing a musical theatre minor. This is her first production with Lyric Theatre. Last semester, she played a Protean in the Illinois Theatre production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way

    to the Forum. Previous projects include The Syringa Tree and Heathers (Illini Student Musicals). 

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    Nicholas Koch (Moose) is a sophomore studying lyric theatre currently under the tutelage of Dawn Harris. In his time at the University of Illinois, he has been involved with several Lyric Theatre @ Illinois productions including Don Giovanni (Ensemble), She

    Loves Me (Arpad Cover/Ensemble), Take Flight workshop, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Male Swing), La Bohème (Ensemble), The Pirates of Penzance (Pirate/Police Officer), and A Grand Night for Singing. He is also a member of the Chamber Singers. In addition to his lyric theatre studies, Koch is studying French and hopes to study abroad this upcoming summer in Arles, France.

    Rachel Maramba (Bonnie) is a sophomore pursuing a dual degree in dance and psychology. While at the University of Illinois, she has performed in Love Sucks Vol. IV (choreographed by Rachel Rizzuto) and at local elementary schools through

    Dance at Illinois’ repertory company. She is also a teaching assistant for the Creative Dance for Children program. Previously, Maramba trained under Libby McGuire-Giovanni. This is her mainstage debut at Krannert Center and her first performance with Lyric Theatre @ Illinois.

    Caroline McKinzie (Patsy) is a sophomore pursuing a BMA in lyric theatre. She has been seen previously as Logainne in Lyric Theatre’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and in the ensembles of She Loves Me, Take Flight, and Pirates of

    Penzance. Previously at Krannert Center, McKinzie played Johanna in the Illinois High School Theatre Festival All-State Production of Sweeney Todd. 

    Logan Piker (Irene Roth) is a sophomore pursuing a BMA in lyric theatre, currently studying with both Yvonne Redman and Sarah Wigley. She made her Lyric Theatre @ Illinois debut last spring as both ensemble member and Ilona cover in She Loves Me.

    Additional past credits include Marcy Park in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Pirates of Penzance, Take Flight, and guest artist in the Nathan and Julie Gunn and Friends Concert: An Evening on Broadway.

    Geoffrey Schmelzer (Sam/Pete) is a baritone pursuing a BM in voice performance at the University of Illinois where he studies with Jerold Siena. Last November, he was seen as the Sergeant of Police in Sinfonia da Camera’s semi-staged production of The

    Pirates of Penzance at Krannert Center. For Lyric Theatre’s recent production of The Rape of Lucretia, Schmelzer covered the role of Junius. This upcoming summer, he will perform the roles of Pagageno in Die Zauberflöte (Manhattan

    Opera Studio) and Schaunard in La Bohème (Midwest Institute of Opera). His concert experience includes performances as the bass soloist in Michael Haydn’s Missa Sancti Hieronymi (UI Oratorio Society) and Handel’s Messiah (Urbana First United Methodist Church). Schmelzer is a member of the University of Illinois Chamber Singers.

    Madysen Simanonis (Louise) is a freshman in lyric theatre, studying voice with Yvonne Gonzales Redman. This is her first production with Lyric Theatre @ Illinois. Some previous roles include Ella in Cinderella (2018), Ali in Mamma Mia! (2018),

    Scaramouche in We Will Rock You (2017), and Mrs. Beineke in The Addams Family (2017).

    Abby Steimel (Susie) is a junior studying mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has choreographed Illini Student Musicals’ (ISM) productions of Mamma Mia! and Heathers the Musical, appeared in

    ISM’s productions of Pippin (Showgirl) and American Idiot (Ensemble), and currently serves as secretary on the ISM Executive Board. Steimel has also performed in BAM Theatre’s Chicago (Tap Soloist/Liz); Limelight Theatre Company’s Annie (Grace Ferrell) and The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet); and Dance 2XS UIUC.

    Owen Connor Stout (Bobby Child) is a first-year master’s student in opera performance and literature and studies voice with Dawn Harris. He has previously been seen as Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance and as Don Hall in Lyric Theatre @ Illinois’

    29-hour reading of Maltby and Shire’s Take Flight. Connor recently made his operatic debut as Junius in the Lyric Theatre production of Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia.

    Cameron Young (Lank) is in his first year as a lyric theatre major, and this production of Crazy For You is his first Lyric Theatre @ Illinois role. During his first semester, he played Sky in Illini Student Musical’s production of Mamma Mia!.

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    Haley Borodine (Property Master) is a second-year student studying for her MFA in properties design and management. Her previous shows at Krannert Center include Travesties; Twelfth Night, or What You Will; and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Previous credits include properties master at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, technical director at Andrean High School, properties intern at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, properties artisan at the Georgia Shakespeare Festival, and freelancing in Chicago.

    Daniela Cabrera (Scenic Designer) was born in Cusco, Perú. She is currently enrolled in her third year in the MFA scenic design program at the University of Illinois. Her most recent credits include scenic designer for La Bohème, Assassins, and Travesties at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. She also was the scenic charge for Hit the Wall and the properties master for Barbecue at Krannert Center. Cabrera has worked in Argentina as a scenic designer for Flotante, Bigolates de Chocote, and Masha y el Oso.

    Ryan Gajdos (Co-Technical Director) is in his first year of graduate school in the scenic technology program. His experience at the University of Illinois began as the show carpenter for Forum, along with working on many of the shows in the scene shop. He is from Cleveland, Ohio, where he earned his BA in technical theatre from Baldwin Wallace University. This summer, Ryan will be serving as the technical director for Porthouse Theatre in Cutahoga Falls, Ohio. 

    Julie Jordan Gunn (Co-Director of Lyric Theatre) is a pianist, educator, and music director. She has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious recital series, including the Aspen Festival, Auckland’s Aotea Centre, Boston’s Celebrity Series, Brussel’s La Monnaie, Cal Performances, the Carnegie Hall Pure Voice Series, the Cincinnati Chamber Music Society, the Cliburn Foundation, the Dallas Opera, Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center Great Performers, Manhattan’s Café Carlyle, the McCallum Theater for the Performing Arts, the Metropolitan Opera Summerstage, Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Center, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Ravinia Festival, St. Paul’s Schubert Club, San Francisco Performances, the Sydney Opera House, Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, University of Chicago Presents, Washington’s Vocal Arts Society, the Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills, Washington National Opera, the 92nd Street Y, and the United States Supreme Court. She has been heard with William Burden, Richard Croft, Michelle De Young, Elizabeth Futral, Isabel Leonard, Stefan Milenkovich, Kelli O’Hara, Mandy Patinkin, Patti LuPone, Yvonne Gonzales Redman, Alek Shrader, the Pacifica and Jupiter Quartets, and her husband and artistic partner Nathan Gunn. This season she is enjoying recitals and cabarets in Vail, Bridgehampton, Orange County, South Bend, and at London’s Wigmore Hall. Her production company, Shot in the Dark Productions Inc, made its debut at Krannert Center in Nathan and Julie Gunn and Friends: An Evening on Broadway. Gunn enjoys working at the intersection of different disciplines and collaborates with artists in the fields of theatre, dance, and design whenever possible. She has served as a coach or conductor at Chicago Opera Theater, Highlands Opera Studio, the Metropolitan Opera Young Artist Program, Opera North, Opera Theatre St. Louis, Southern

    Methodist University, Theaterworks!, and Wolf Trap Opera. She is committed to new works and in recent seasons has been part of several world premieres as a co-producer, a pianist, or as a conductor—concert works by Augusta Read Thomas, Jennifer Higdon, and Harold Meltzer and staged works such as Polly Peachum (Scheer/Van Horn), Letters from Quebec to Providence in the Rain (Gill), Black Square (Demutsky), p r i s m (Reid), The Surrogate (Macklay), and Bhutto (Fairouz), often in collaboration with Beth Morrison Projects and American Opera Projects.

    Nathan Gunn (Co-Director of Lyric Theatre) is widely acclaimed for his diverse performing career bridging genres of opera, musical theatre, and recital. Gunn grew up in South Bend, Indiana, doing what most Midwestern boys do: play sports, work hard at school, and spend time with family. His interest in music became a passion his junior year in high school when he was introduced to Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte. Consumed by a desire to learn more, he went to the University of Illinois (the third generation to do so in his family) to study music and was mentored by John Wustman and William Miller. As a performer, Gunn is respected as an artist, a musician, and as a singing actor. He has performed on the greatest stages in the world as well as television, radio, video, and live simulcast performances. His famous portrayal of the character Papageno (The Magic Flute) was brought to the world stage in the first, live HD broadcast, which was performed at the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to Papageno, he has reinterpreted classic roles such as Billy Budd, Figaro, and Don Giovanni, garnering many awards including a Grammy award for his portrayal of Billy Budd and the coveted Beverly Sills award. He has also been widely acclaimed for his ability to cross over into musical theatre. Performances of Billy Bigelow and Lancelot (Live at Lincoln Center) and in the

    New York Philharmonic’s celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday led to collaborations with musical theatre stars such as Mandy Patinkin, Kelli O’Hara, Audra McDonald, and Kristin Chenowith.  Gunn believes that music is a living art form and therefore needs to be relevant. He has championed dozens of new songs and operas and has sung theatre in a multitude of venues. His newest project is a one-man show produced and written by Hershey Felder called Flying Solo, which has been lauded for its “powerful and reflective response to father/son relationships.” Nathan and Julie Gunn’s production company Shot in the Dark Productions, Inc produces and performs cabaret shows such as Nathan and Julie Gunn and Friends: An Evening on Broadway and Drytown, which help to entertain and educate the public while giving talented young artists and hometown celebrities a platform to show off their talents. Nathan and Julie are also often seen in recital and cabaret settings where they enjoy creating programs unique to the special event. Gunn is a professor and Swanlund Chair at the University of Illinois where he is co-director of Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, a comprehensive program embracing a broad continuum of opera and musical theatre while supporting the development of new works. Gunn developed and founded the first Bachelor of Musical Arts in Lyric Theatre curriculum in the nation. It is part of the School of Music at the University of Illinois and housed in Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to life as a performer, educator, and advocate, he is an avid patron of the arts. Nathan and Julie Gunn consistently support pre-college music education and sponsor cultural events in order to secure the future of the art form. Nathan and his family reside in Champaign, Illinois.

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    Melissa Hall (Costume Designer) is in her second year of the MFA costume design program at the University of Illinois. Most recently, she designed A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Illinois Theatre) and In the Fullness Thereof (Dance at Illinois). Her assistant design works include Extraordinary Bodies: What Am I Worth? (The Royal National Theatre in London) and Assassins (Illinois Theatre). Melissa graduated with a BA honors degree from The City of Glasgow College in association with The West of Scotland University in the United Kingdom.

    Charlie Maybee (Choreographer) is a music and dance artist hailing from Woodbridge, Virginia. An alumnus of the Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble (MTYE) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of Dance and Choreography BFA program, he is currently pursuing an MFA in dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Maybee has been an adjunct instructor, production manager, space coordinator, and accompanist for Dance at Illinois as well as the director of dance arts for the Champaign Park District. Charlie is also the founder and artistic director of Polymath Performance Project, a multi-faceted collective of performers who embrace the notion of entangling many methods of making to create interdisciplinary performance artwork. Since 2014, his work has been shown nationally at events and venues such as Eden’s Expressway in New York City; Panoply Performance Laboratory in Brooklyn, New York; Links Hall in Chicago; Richmond Dance Festival at Dogtown Dance Theatre in Richmond, Virginia; Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana, Illinois; and the American College Dance Association at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Maybee is currently researching creative processes where tap dance is the central medium of expression and how to further integrate tap dance into the scope of contemporary performance and scholarly study.

    Michael McAndrew (Coaching Staff/Accompanist) maintains an active schedule as a collaborative pianist and vocal coach. He has played with Summer Harmony Men’s Chorus, Foothills Opera Experience, Tri-Cities Opera, and has been on coaching staff at the Songe d’été en musique in Quebec, among other engagements. He has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Randy Brecker, Phil Woods, Bob Dorough, the Momenta Quartet, Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek, and Met Opera National Audition Winner Martye Bizinkauskas. McAndrew is also an award-winning composer, recently placing as a finalist in the 2019 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Art Song Competition and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Orchestra Call for Scores. He is a DMA candidate in vocal coaching and accompanying where he studies with Michael Tilley. He holds degrees in collaborative piano and composition from Binghamton University (MM) and in music composition from Moravian College (BM). His recent engagements included a full performance of Schubert’s Winterreise as well as being on music staff for La Bohème and assistant-conducting Rape of Lucretia with Lyric Theatre @ Illinois.

    Imani McDaniel (Co-Technical Director) is in her first year as a scenic technology master’s candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before attending the university, she worked for two years as the technical director at The Little Theatre On The Square (LTOTS) in Sullivan, Illinois. She also taught drama classes for children ages 4-18 in the Star Dance and Drama program at LTOTS and directed their most recent production of The Music Man, Jr. McDaniel recieved her BA at Eastern Illinois University in both technical theatre and performance. Some other works in technical direction include Noises Off!, Beauty and the Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and The Great American Trailer Park Musical. Outside of theatre, she enjoys coaching musical competition groups and athletic teams.

    Alex Munger (Coaching Staff/Accompanist) is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Master of Music in vocal coaching and accompanying, studying with Julie Jordan Gunn, where he was the recipient of the Nancy Kennedy Wustman Award in Vocal Accompanying. This past summer, Munger was a Fellowship Pianist with the Aspen Opera Center. Previously, he spent two summers at the Bay View Music Festival. He is passionate about working in theatre and loves seeing how his role as pianist fits into the countless other aspects of a production.

    Matt Powell (Sound Designer) is a second-year audio grad student. His previous sound designs include Don Giovanni and An American Daughter at the University of Illinois. In addition to these two productions, he has also designed Rehearsal for Death, Der Fledermaus, Vintage, Lady from the Sea, The Threepenny Opera, The Movie Game, Two x Tenn, and The Illusion at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Powell’s audio engineering work at the University of Illinois includes The Other Shore, All the King’s Men, and Assassins.

    Christina Rainwater (Scenic Charge Artist) is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and has been a professional scenic artist for 16 years. She received a BFA in theatre from Missouri State University and an MFA in scenic art from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. There, she developed the workshop “A Distressing Subject” on distressing techniques for scenery, properties, and costumes. Rainwater was the scenic charge artist at the Flat Rock Playhouse in Flat Rock, North Carolina, for two years. She has an ongoing working relationship at Goodspeed Musicals where she worked on the musicals Camelot, Carnival, Carousel, Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles. She also worked for Feld Entertainment in Palmetto, Florida, including Disney’s Princesses on Ice and Disney’s Playhouse Tour II. This summer Rainwater worked for six weeks at The Muny (St. Louis, Missouri) as a journeyman scenic artist.

    Tony Rajewski (Lighting Designer) is a third-year MFA student in lighting design. He has designed primarily in the Buffalo area, including a season-long residency at the American Repertory Theatre of Western New York. While there, Rajewski was nominated for a regional award for best lighting design in the production of Shine and was part of the production team for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, which won best production of a musical. Other works include The Giver at Lexington Children›s Theatre, February Dance With Dance at Illinois, and Marat/Sade with Illinois Theatre.

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    Adeline Snagel (Stage Manager) has had the opportunity to stage-manage a great variety of productions. In her senior year, she has stage-managed Nathan and Julie Gunn and Friends: An Evening on Broadway and production stage-managed Dance at Illinois’ 50th Anniversary Celebration, November Dance: Dancing 50: Moving Forward/Looking Back. She is finishing her University of Illinois career with Crazy for You. Last year, Snagel served as stage manager for Illinois Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s wacky, murderous musical Assassins. Last winter, she had the opportunity to work as a tech production assistant for Pretty Woman: The Musical for its out-of-town tech and previews. She has also worked as an assistant stage manager for The Grapes of Wrath, Failure: A Love Story, Studiodance I (2017), and All the King’s Men. Snagel has also worked on the BEAR iteration of The Unreliable Bestiary—a lifelong performance art project by Art + Design Professor Deke Weaver; as a production manager/teaching artist with Storycatchers Theatre at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago on their original musical Living Life Backwards; and as an assistant stage manager for the 2017 Intensive Development Lab Residency with the Jonah Bokaer Dance Company at Krannert Center.

    Patrick Storey (Co-Technical Director) is in his first year as a scenic technology graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Patrick’s work at the University of Illinois includes La Bohème and being the technical director for Lyric Theatre @ Illinois. Storey has previously worked as the assistant technical director at Berkshire Theatre Group in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and assistant project manager at BeNT Productions in Clinton, Massachusetts.. He received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering/technical theatre from Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

    Michael Tilley (Conductor/Music Director) spent six years as musical director for Franc D’Ambrosio’s national tours before joining the faculty of Lyric Theatre @ Illinois. As a conductor, he has led ensembles from Central City Opera, Opera Colorado, Emerald City Opera, and Boulder Opera. He has been a featured performer with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and other regional orchestras as well as with the Martha Graham Dance Company at the Vail International Dance Festival. Tilley’s orchestrations and arrangements, from solo piano to full symphony to rock opera, have been heard across the country and abroad. He has also composed music for the stage and a feature-length soundtrack. He plays, sings, and writes for the Argentine Tango groups Extasis and Orquesta Tipica di Natural Tango. In addition to his duties at the University of Illinois, he is currently assistant musical director for The Four Phantoms.

    Sarah Wigley (Director) is a clinical assistant professor of voice for the School of Music Lyric Theatre at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana where she instructs Lyric Theatre Studio and Musical Theatre Repertoire while maintaining a voice studio of over 20 students and frequently stage-directing both opera and musical theatre productions. She holds an MM in voice performance from Colorado State University and a BM in voice from the University of Minnesota. While residing in Minneapolis, Wigley performed professionally with regional companies such as the Guthrie Theater, the Skylark Opera Theatre, The Mystery Café, the Minnesota Centennial Showboat, and the Minnesota Opera. Her Denver credits include roles such as Aldonza in Man of La Mancha (OpenStage Theatre), Emma in Jekyll and Hyde (Inspire Creative Theater Company), Dolores in The Wild Party (Ignite Theatre Company), and Miss Scarlett in Clue The Musical

    (Candlelight Dinner Playhouse). Wigley has served as faculty for the musical theatre program at the University of Northern Colorado and Parlando School for the Arts in Boulder, Colorado, and has had several students appear on Broadway and in national tours and regional theatres across the nation. As a contemporary voice specialist, she frequently presents workshops concerning flexible voice technique and crossover training for both studio voice teachers and choral educators. Sessions ranging from “Crossing Over: Contemporary Voice Technique for Solo and Ensemble Singing” to “Crossing Genres: A Classical Singer’s Guide to Jazz” have energized the International Congress of Voice Teachers, the National Association for Teachers of Singing, Illinois Music Education Association, Iowa Choral Directors Association, and Minnesota Music Education Association as well as numerous high schools and colleges nationwide.

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    PRODUCTION STAFFASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERSKaetlyn AllenZeenah Hussein

    ASSISTANT SCENIC DESIGNERKat Blakeslee

    ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNERCourtney Brown

    ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNERStephen Moderhock

    PROPERTIES MASTERHaley Borodine

    SCENIC ARTISTChristina Rainwater

    MASTER ELECTRICIANMegan Coffel

    AUDIO TECHNICIANHyat Dominguez

    ASSISTANT DIRECTORRachel Weinfeld

    STAGE/PROPERTIES RUNNING CREWJenna KeeferPalash RanjitMatthew RohanYwoory Wang

    FLY CREWKyle Condon

    COSTUME RUNNING CREW HEADSSadie CheslakCassandra Patrie

    COSTUME RUNNING CREWLauren HardersPat Weber

    MAKEUP RUNNING CREW HEADDanielle Richter

    MAKEUP RUNNING CREWCorey BarlowTafadzwa DienerCaylei Hallberg

    LIGHT BOARD OPERATORElliot Hubiak

    FOLLOW SPOT OPERATORSBenjamin MatthewJake PattersonNingyi Zhang

    AUDIO MIXINGNora Simonson

    A2Walter Koonce

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS[Name][Name][Name]

    EVERYONE DESERVES THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE LIFE-AFFIRMING POWER OF THE PERFORMING ARTS.

    In celebration of Krannert Center’s 50th anniversary, make a gift today to help ensure access to the arts for all through free and low-cost experiences.

    Every dollar given will be matched by generous sponsors.

    Lend your support now at KrannertCenter.com/Give.

  • 26 27

    The following donors have made generous contributions to the funds that support our productions and scholarships for our students including the Illinois Lyric Theatre & Opera Support Fund, the Sara de Mundo Lo Opera Award, the Thomas Schleis Memorial Scholarship, the Joseph W. Schlanger Memorial Opera Fund, Opera Sponsorship Fund, the Jerry Hadley Memorial Scholarship Fund, and the Illinois Opera Theatre Enthusiasts Fund.

    $25,000+Karen Altay-Rosenberg & Paul RosenbergPhyllis Cline EstateFrances Schlanger

    $10,000-$24,999Barbara E. BarnesMichael & Susan Haney Paul Herman Ronald JohnsonJosef & Margot Lakonishok

    $5,000-$9,999Jenny & Richard HarveyJohn Johnson & Patricia Coyne-JohnsonCraig Milkint & Margaret Resce-MilkintTracy McCabe & Fabien WeckerSara de Mundo LoA. Mark NeumanGinny & Paul UhlenhopLizabeth Wilson

    $2,500-$4,999David & Carol LarsonGay & Donald RobertsDaniel Sherbo & Thomas NixonJoy Crane Thornton-Walter & John Walter

    $1,000-$2,499Kenneth & Mary AndersenBeth ArmseyMildred BarnettMarsha Clinard & Charles BoastBeth & David ChascoAnne EhrlichAnn EinhornElizabeth GoldwasserJames & Helen FarmerMary Hoffman Yvonne Simpson-Matz & Charles MatzElizabeth Raiman Ed & Lois Beck RathDonald & Janice SherbertMelvyn SkvarlaBill & Sandra Smith VolkRichard Ziegler

    $500-$999John Dodson & Terri DodsonAnn EinhornRoxanne FreyStanley FriedmanJames & Maxine KalerMary Kruse Anna MerrittBruno & Wanda NettlHoward & Jean OsbornPaul & Yvonne RedmanBarak RosenshineAlbert Valocchi & Anna SilvisPaul Vermel & Carolyn PaulinJune & Ashton WallerArnold Weinfeld & Colleen Weinfeld

    $250-$499Forough Minou ArcherSusan & Donald ArmstrongSandra & George BatzliRuth CortrightLynda Dautenhahn & Lee NickelsonDeborah DayEduardo Diazmunoz & Maria MartinezMargaret & George FramptonDouglas HoardJ. B. & Mary HowellRobert HuckBruce & Jean HutchingsMarilyn KohlMaria Lancaster William & Jean May (DEC)Claudia & Tracy NugentZelma & Stanley RansomFaith & Bruce RobertsKathryn RomansMelvin RothbaumRobert & Mary SkirvinBlanche Sudman (DEC)Elizabeth TalbotMarie TompkinsPaul Weston

    LYRIC THEATRE @ ILLINOIS HONOR ROLL[JANUARY 2013-SEPTEMBER 2018]

    $100-$249Carl & Nadja AltstetterJohn & Carol AndersenDianna ArmstrongPamela Van Arsdale Marolyn BannerKathleen & S.E. BartonKenneth Bengoechea & Nancy JohnsonLouis Bergonzi & Robert SteckSamuel BostaphPeter & Judith BraunfeldCharmian & Robert Bulley June CampbellClara Castelo (DEC)John & Tina ColomboJohn Dunkelberger IIMary GaddyAbel GaribaldiMary GassmannJoli GinsbergJohn & Shirley GoinLois & Ernest GullerudDennis Helmrich & Gerald Hecht Kadriye HieronymiGlen JarossElizabeth JonesJean JonesCharles Jordan & Linda JordanGlen & Susan KitsonEstrella LataneRichard LataneDennis & Amy Malaney Anne MartelLinda McKownHelen MironJane & Walter MyersSaul Nache & Matthew TolandGertrude & Richard ReynoldsSelma RichardsonJudith Rowan & Richard SchachtKarl SchoepsChristie SchuetzAnn SeidmanCheryl Snyder & Melissa BreenNicholas & Mary TemperleyHarry TriandisIrene TurnerDavid & Christina WhippoBarbara & Richard WilliamsDolores & Roger YarbroughBeth Zeiders

    $1-$99Margaret AndersonJustin BrauerJenifer Cartwright Yoline ChandlerRoma & Don ChenowethLaura CzysBarbara Dalheim Nancy DavisGloria & Richard HelfrichM. K. Herbold & Charles Herbold (DEC)Sally & Bill HermannBruce & Ingrid HutchingsPatricia & Edward JarotChrista KnustRosanne KoehlerCalvin LearPauline LemonnierJennifer Lewis & Lori SandersMatthew LoarRuth Lorbe Lily MaoRetta & William PollioElizabeth Rockman & Gregg HomerdingDennis SchaferDennis & Linda SimsMary SronceSherry & Robert Steigmann Cecile SteinbergMargaret StewartRichard TaylorDorothy Williams Marsha Cook Woodbury

    Corporations, Foundations & OrganizationsM. R. Bauer FoundationFranciscan Interprovincial Novitiate St. Francis FriaryIllinois Opera Theatre EnthusiastsOpera Illinois LeagueUniversity of Illinois Alumni Club of HoustonRoger & Dolores Yarbrough Foundation

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    Lyric Theatre @ Illinois is a program which is fortunate to have support from the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the School of Music, and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Because of its wide reach, it touches students across the university as well as faculty and community members of all ages. We are grateful to have a growing audience and robust ticket sales, but we

    still need your financial help to continue to fund outstanding resources for our students.

    Donors like you fund guest artists from around the world to work with our students and inspire audiences, as well as scholarships for younger students at a time when many families find it financially difficult to send them to us for education.

    Our new degree in Lyric Theatre is here! With your help we can ensure that the most talented students can afford to attend Illinois. Your gifts make all of this possible. Thank you.

    —JULIE & NATHAN GUNN, DIRECTORS OF LYRIC THEATRE STUDIES

    If you would like to make a contribution or to help sponsor a production, please contact David Allen at

    217.333.6453 or [email protected].

    Lyric Theatre @ Illinois is a part of the visionary organizational structure of Krannert

    Center for the Performing Arts, which connects the students, staff, and faculty of Dance

    at Illinois, the Department of Theatre, and the School of Music within the College of Fine

    and Applied Arts. At the core is LEVEL21—the academic and professional program of

    performance design, technology, and management—co-stewarded by Krannert Center

    and the Department of Theatre. This collaborative and integrated environment for

    research, engagement, and education situated in Krannert Center’s extraordinary physical

    facility stands as the benchmark for the performing arts complex of the 21st century.

    IN SUPPORT OF MUSIC AT ILLINOISYOUR SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL in helping us to remain a leader among America’s major schools of music and to attract the finest students and faculty to our campus.

    Gifts from alumni and friends support such vital areas as student scholarships and fellowships, instruments for use in the School of Music, grants for student travel to competitions and conferences, and lectures and masterclasses presented by guest artists.

    Please consider a gift this year to affirm and advance the outstanding education being offered to a new generation of performers, educators, musicologists, and composers. Your support will help provide the margin of excellence that distinguishes the University of Illinois School of Music.

    YES, I WANT TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN! Please send the below form with your gift to: University of Illinois Foundation, PO Box 3429, Champaign, IL 61826-3429. To make your gift online, go to: http://music.illinois.edu/give-now

    NAME (PLEASE PRINT)

    ADDRESS

    CITY STATE ZIP

    TELEPHONE EMAIL ADDRESS

    I HAVE ENCLOSED A GIFT OF $1000 $500 $250 $100 $50 $

    MY CHECK IS ENCLOSED (PAYABLE TO UIF/SCHOOL OF MUSIC).

    TO PAY BY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD CALL 217.333.9174 OR GIVE ONLINE AT MUSIC.ILLINOIS.EDU/GIVE-NOW

    I HAVE ENCLOSED MY EMPLOYER’S GIFT FORM.

    TO LEARN MORE about ways you can support the School of Music, please contact David Allen at 217.333.6452 or [email protected].

  • 30 31

    LYRIC THEATRE @ ILLINOISSCHOOL OF MUSIC DIRECTORJeffrey Magee

    CO-DIRECTORSJulie Jordan Gunn Nathan Gunn

    MUSICAL ADMINISTRATORMichael Porter Tilley

    MUSICAL THEATRE COORDINATOR AND RESIDENT DIRECTORSarah Wigley

    RESIDENT DIRECTORDawn Harris

    DANCE AT ILLINOIS LIAISONRebecca Nettl-Fiol

    DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE LIAISONTom Mitchell

    MUSIC STAFFCadis Ying-Jie LeeMichael McAndrewAlex Munger

    The Lyric Theatre @ Illinois program acknowledges with gratitude the cooperation of the voice, choral, and accompanying faculties of the University of Illinois School of Music in supporting the talented students in its productions.

    SCHOOL OF MUSIC ADMINISTRATIONJeffrey Magee, DirectorLinda Moorhouse, Associate

    DirectorChristina Bashford, Director of

    Graduate StudiesDavid Allen, Associate

    Director of DevelopmentAngela Tammen, Admissions

    and Public Engagement Director

    ACCOMPANYING Julie GunnCasey RobardsMichael Tilley

    BANDBarry L. HouserAnthony MessinaLinda Moorhouse Elizabeth Peterson Stephen PetersonSean Smith

    BRASSElliot L. Chasanov Charles DavalMark MooreRonald RommBernhard Scully

    CHORALChet AlwesBarrington ColemanOllie Watts Davis Andrew MegillAndrea Solya

    COMPOSITION-THEORYCarlos CarrilloEli FieldsteelIvette Herryman RodriguezKerrith LivengoodErik LundAndrea SolyaHeinrich TaubeStephen TaylorReynold TharpSever Tipei

    JAZZ STUDIESRonald BridgewaterTito CarrilloLarry GrayJoan HickeyCharles ”Chip” McNeillJames PughJoel SpencerJohn ”Chip” Stephens

    MUSIC EDUCATIONJanet Revell Barrett Stephen Fairbanks Donna GalloAdam KruseJoyce McCallJeananne Nichols Elizabeth Peterson Bridget Sweet

    MUSICOLOGYI Ketut Gede AsnawaChristina BashfordDonna BuchananMegan Eagan-Jones William Kinderman Gayle Sherwood Magee Jeffrey MageeMichael SilversGabriel SolisPricilla TseSteven Wilson

    LYRIC THEATREJulie GunnNathan GunnDawn HarrisSarah WigleyMichael Tilley

    ORCHESTRADonald Schleicher

    ORGAN AND HARPSICHORD Charlotte Mattax MoerschDana Robinson

    PERCUSSIONRicardo FloresWilliam Moersch

    PIANOTimothy EhlenWilliam HeilesRochelle Sennet

    PIANO PEDAGOGYJoan HickeyChristos Tsitsaros

    STRINGSMichael CameronLiz FreivogelRudolf HakenDmitry KouzovNelson LeeWayne LeeDaniel McDonoughMegan Freivogel McDonoughStefan MilenkovichGuido Sanchez-Portuguez Ann Yeung

    JUPITER STRING QUARTETNelson LeeMeg FreivogelLiz FreivogelDaniel McDonough

    VOICEBarrington ColemanOllie Watts DavisNathan GunnDawn HarrisRicardo HerreraYvonne Gonzales RedmanJerold SienaSylvia Stone

    WOODWINDSJohn DeeJ. David HarrisJonathan KeebleTimothy McGovernJanice MinorDebra Richtmeyer

    SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY

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    KRANNERT CENTER VOLUNTEERS KRANNERT CENTER COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS as of September 24, 2018

    Paula AbdullahElizabeth AllisonJane BarryAnn BergeronKathy BergeronGeorge BrockJonne BrownFelix ChanYoline ChandlerCoco ChenKathleen CorleyMillie DavisCara DayLori DeyoungWilliam DickAstrid DussingerSheryl DyckDebra EichelbergerBeth Engelbrecht-

    WiggansRichard Engelbrecht-

    WiggansRoger EppersonVennie EwingB. Jean FloodRichard FloodRoger FredenhagenRobin GoettelGene GrassSandy HaasKatherine HansenTonya HartmanJudith HaydelCynthia HelmsKathy Henry

    Mary HosierLaurie JacobCynthia JeanRoland JeanMarcy JoncichDebra KarplusDaniel KrehbielDiane LassilaJosephine LeeJennifer LinLynda LopezPenny LopezJanice MaddoxMarguerite MaguireMary ManleyBobbi McCallJim McEnerneyLiz McMillenKathy MetcalfSharron MiesMartha MilasCarol MilesCarol MillerJulie MillsPatrick MillsFrank ModicaChristina MyersLinda NeiderMichael NelsonDick NortonMarjorie OlsonKarla PodollLynn PodollCarolyn PresleyAnne RaczakCorinne SaldeenBarbara SchleicherDawn SchultzChristel SeyfertLei Shanbhag

    Carrie StorrsDavid TanJohn TaylorAdrian TestoLee TrailBarbara TurnerDianna VisekSpencer WaldenJunren WangJean WeigelWhitney WelshDiane WilhiteEd WilhiteDouglas WilliamsSusie WrightBruce Zimmerman

    KRANNERT CENTER STUDENT ASSOCIATION (KCSA)as of September 24, 2018

    KCSA Administrative BoardMichelle Burns, PresidentRia Greer, Vice PresidentMeagan Schaffer, Fei Lin,

    John Cummings, Marketing and Events

    Connor Reardon, Alice Luo, Claire Wu, Danqi Luo, Internal Operations

    KCSA MembersAki AkhauriMichelle BurnsJingwen DaiRowan Frantz

    Elena GonzalezJessica GossenStanley GuAlly GuoHayley KelleckHaley KennedyRyan LinXiao LinJenny LiuSeren LiuSian LiuYuanze LuoSamantha MoranJess NathanDaniel OsterYueting SuFu SunHaley Van PattenClaire WuXuan YiAndy YoonMenghao YuYangxue YuLucia ZhangValerie Zhao

    KRANNERT CENTERAMBASSADORSAnna Barry Maddy KleinerChristine MillinsCassie Quemeneur

    KRANNERT CENTER STAFFMike Ross, DirectorTerri Anne Ciofalo, Associate Director

    for ProductionCindi Howard, Associate Director

    for Finance and OperationsTammey Kikta, Associate Director

    for Artistic ServicesDeborah Miller, Senior Director

    of AdvancementMaureen V. Reagan, Associate Director

    for Marketing

    ARTISTIC SERVICESTammey Kikta, Associate Director

    for Artistic ServicesJason Finkelman, Artistic Director of

    Global Arts Performance Initiatives Daniel Pozzebon, Assistant Director

    for EventsAndrew Almeter, Visiting Production

    Coordinator for EventsDavid Krupla, Interim Technical

    CoordinatorJohn H. Minor, Head Piano Technician

    ADVANCEMENT AND DIRECTOR’S OFFICEDeborah Miller, Senior Director

    of AdvancementCheryl Snyder, Associate Director

    of AdvancementBethany Whoric, Assistant Director

    of AdvancementLinda Spice, Advancement Offi ce Manager

    and Director’s AssistantRanae Wilson, Advancement Assistant

    FINANCE AND OPERATIONSCindi Howard, Associate Director

    for Finance and Operations

    Business Offi ceLynn Bierman, Debbie Delaney,

    Stacey Elliott, Shelly Thomas-Eichorn, Accounting Staff

    Tara Heiser, Gina Moton, Shanitera Walker, Human Resources Support Specialists

    Building OperationsJohn O. Williams, Facility ManagerJoe Butsch, Building ElectricianJared Painter, Assistant Chief Building

    Operations EngineerJerry Bonam, Eric Carr, Emmett Catlin,

    Joe Domain, John Ekstrom, Bryan Franzen, Rodney Keagle, Mark Lash-brook, Barry Lerch, Kevin Logue, Tony Mapson, Attendants

    Glenda Dalton, Offi ce Support Associate

    MARKETINGMaureen V. Reagan, Associate Director

    for Marketing

    Advertising and PublicityBridget Lee-Calfas, Advertising

    and Publicity Director

    Creative Services StudioVanessa Burgett, Creative DirectorM. Joan Cushman, Marketing Services

    CoordinatorJanet Huber, Program and Web EditorNicholas Mulvaney, Senior Designer

    EngagementEmily Laugesen, Co-Director of

    EngagementMonique Rivera, Co-Director of

    Engagement Sam Smith, Director of Civic Engagement

    and Social PracticeCrystal Womble, Outreach Director

    Patron ServicesLisa Lillig, Co-Director of Patron ServicesNicholas Puddicombe, Co-Director

    of Patron ServicesDean Brian Carlson, Food and

    Beverage DirectorKelly Darr, Evening Intermezzo and

    Stage 5 Bar ManagerMichael Bunting, Intermezzo SupervisorChuck Hanson, Intermezzo AssistantTaylor McCoy, Snack Bar AttendantZia Moon, Patron Services AssistantRachel Wallace, Front of House Manager

    Ticket ServicesMichael Prosise, Ticket Services DirectorWhitney Havice, Assistant Ticket

    Services DirectorBunny Berg, Ty Mingo, Jon Proctor,

    Barbara Schoenoff, Ticket Offi ce Supervisors

    PRODUCTIONTerri Anne Ciofalo, Associate Director

    for ProductionAmber Dewey Schultz, Assistant

    Production Director

    Audio DepartmentRick Scholwin, Audio DirectorAlec LaBau, Assistant Audio Director/

    Video DirectorKeith Norton, Theatre Audio and

    Media Specialist

    Costume ShopAndrea Bouck, Costume DirectorRichard Gregg, Interim Costume Rentals

    DirectorTonya Bernstein, Assistant Costume Shop

    ManagerJames Edaburn, EB McTigue,

    Cutters/DrapersLinda Follmer, Julianna Steitz,

    Theatrical Stitchers

    Lighting DepartmentMichael W. Williams, Lighting DirectorLisa Kidd, Associate Lighting Director

    Properties DepartmentAdriane Binky Donley, Properties DirectorMegan Dietrich, Assistant Properties

    Director and Rentals Coordinator

    Scene ShopRyan Schultz, Technical DirectorEric Lin, Associate Technical DirectorAndrea Stewart, Associate Technical

    DirectorMaximilian Zorn, Scene Shop CoordinatorNeil Pearse, Stage CarpenterBill Kephart, Scene Shop Chief Clerk

    Stage ManagementCynthia Kocher, Production Stage Manager

  • 34

    NECESSARIESRestrooms are located in the foyers of Foellinger Great Hall, Tryon Festival Theatre, and Colwell Playhouse; the east entrances on the Lobby level; and in each elevator lobby on Level 1 and Level 3. Lobby restrooms and one restroom in each elevator lobby are fully accessible and contain baby-changing stations.

    Ushers will be happy to provide you cough drops courtesy of St. Joseph Apothecary, or disposable foam earplugs if the place starts rockin’.

    If you or a companion needs medical assistance, contact an usher or other staff member.

    Please take a moment before the performance to note the theatre exits nearest to you. If it becomes necessary to evacuate the theatre, please remain calm, follow the instructions of the house staff, and exit in an orderly fashion to the appropriate safe meeting location, which will be announced to you.

    SIGHTS AND SOUNDSThe use of cell phones, cameras, and recording devices during performances is strictly prohibited unless otherwise announced from the stage. Turn them off and immerse yourself in the perfor-mance—but at intermission, consider tweeting about your experience!

    LATE ARRIVALS As a courtesy to performers and audience mem-bers, latecomers will be seated only at times selected in advance by the artist. Should you fi nd that you’ve arrived late to a performance, our Patron Services staff will keep you informed about the earliest seating opportunity.

    LOST ITEMSIf you are in need of Lost and Found, please visit the Ticket Offi ce. We will do our best to reunite object and owner!

    TICKET RETURNS If you fi nd you can’t attend a performance, return your tickets by 6pm the day before the performance for a full credit, issued in the form of Krannert Center gift certifi cates which never expire and can be used for tickets or at the bar, cafe, or gift shop. We never charge a handling fee for any ticket purchase, exchange, or return.

    SERVICESKrannert Center for the Performing Arts is committed to making experiences accessible for all patrons, and we are delighted to provide a number of services to assist you. Krannert Center theatres are equipped with an assisted listening system, wheelchair-accessible and easy-access seating, and large-print programs, Braille programs, and American Sign Language interpreters are available with three weeks’ advance notice.

    For assistance regarding your visit, please email:Para ayuda en relación con su visita, favor de enviar un email a:Pour vous aider dans votre visite, prière de nous envoyer un courriel à:

    [email protected]

    WE’RE SO GLAD YOU’RE AT THE CENTERWe work to create the best possible setting for the experiences you seek and fi nd here.

    ! ...

    ! ,

    DINING AND GIFT SHOPOur lobby services are open day and evening to serve you:

    WHY WAIT? Order before you head into the theatre, and we’ll have your food and

    beverages waiting for you at intermission or after the show.

    SHOWCASE + GIFT SHOPSMOOTH SELECTIONS + ARTISANAL APPETIZERS

    SUSTAINABLE SPECIALS + EVERYDAY INDULGENCES

  • Come as you are. Leave different.

    U of I students, come on in. In whatever clothes, whatever state of mind, from whatever world of experience, you are welcome here. We don’t have a dress code, we don’t have an opinion code, and we want the Center to be your kind of place. Because of the vital support of Krannert Center donors and the Krannert Center U of I student fee, U of I students never pay more than $10 for a ticket, and dozens of events each year are completely free.

    Your presence helps to make Krannert Center a place like nowhere else—and what you can experience here makes your education like nobody else’s. If you are inspired by what you fi nd here, invite others to join you.

    When you come to Krannert Center, we promise that you’ll leave different: refreshed, reaffi rmed, renewed!