Download Playbill Information

This information is only valid:
January 6, 2017
to March 30, 2017
Gary W. Blackman and Mark A. Blackman
Executive Producers
Greg Gunning
Artistic Director
present
FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO
with
Sean Diveny
Sean Leyes
Amanda Leakey
Dontalle Sylvester
Cheyanne Christopher
Stage Manager
Directed by Casey Pratt
Book by Kathleen Huber and Greg Gunning
Music and Lyrics by John Forster
Orchestrations by Richard DeRosa
Costumes by Fred Sorrentino
Set Construction by Red Dot Studios
ArtsPower National Touring Theatre
presents
FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO
CAST
(in order of appearance)
Lemuel
Mrs. McIlheny
Sergeant Hitchborne/ General Pickett
Jacob
Stage Manager
Dontalle Sylvester
Amanda Leakey
Sean Leyes
Sean Diveny
Cheyanne Christopher
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Overture
A Normal Day in Gettysburg
Cast
Full-Fledged American
Lemuel & Mrs.McIlheny
God On Your Side
Lemuel & Jacob
The Battle
Hymn: Keep Him Safe With You
Cast
Mrs. McIlheny
Make A Little Money On The Side
Cast
The People
Cast
FOUR SOCRE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO Who’s Who
AMANDA LEAKEY (Mrs. McIlheny) is very excited to be returning to ArtsPower for her
fourth national tour. She previously played Ms. Farmer/Elsie in Chicken Dance, Mrs.
Frankweiler in The Mixed-Up Files …, and the Narrator/Mrs. Smythe in Dog Loves Books.
Amanda graduated from Rollins College in 2011 with her B.A. in Theatre Arts. Upon
graduation, she was an acting/education intern with The Orlando Shakespeare Theater
where she performed in Miss Nelson is Missing and the sequel Miss Nelson Has a Field
Day (in the roles of Miss Nelson and her evil counterpart). She was also
in Charlotte’s Web as Fern and The Goose. Amanda was recently in Rapunzel at OST
where she played Rapunzel's mother and the Witch. She would like to thank her family
and friends for all of their love and support in her theatrical endeavors .
SEAN LEYES (Sergeant Hitchborne/General Pickett) is thrilled to be making his
ArtsPower debut! After receiving his B.A. in Theatre from the University of Notre Dame in
2012, Sean appeared in 14 productions around his hometown of South Bend, Indiana
before ultimately making the move to New York in September 2016. Favorite past
productions include Into the Woods (Jack), Guys and Dolls (Nicely-Nicely), Les
Miserables (Enjolras, Jean Valjean), The Producers (Roger DeBris), Avenue Q
(Princeton), and The Music Man (Harold Hill). Sean would like to thank his family and
friends, especially his parents, for their never-ending support, and ArtsPower for giving
him this opportunity.
SEAN DIVENY (Jacob) Sean is very excited to perform in his first ArtsPower production.
In 2016, he graduated from DeSales University with a B.A. in Musical Theatre. Sean
would like to thank his amazing family for all of their love and support
DONTALLE SYLVESTER (Lemuel) would like to say thank you so much for taking the
time out to come see the show. I truly hope you enjoy it! Thank you to the cast, crew, and
to all of my family and close friends who love and support me so much. Previous work
includes: Euphoria (Al), Their Eyes Were Watching God (Lee Coker, Ed) Uncle Jed’s
Barbershop (Man 1, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Porter, Preacher 2), A Raisin in The Sun (Walter
Lee Younger), and Aida (Amonasro). Dontalle received his degree in Theatre and Acting
Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Thank you again for supporting the
show!
CHEYANNE CHRISTOPHER (Stage Manager) received her B.A. in Theatre from
Christopher Newport University (CNU) in 2016. Most recently, she stage managed
ArtsPower’s Chicken Dance, and was the assistant stage manager for Children of the Salt
at the New York Musical Festival 2016 at The Pearl Theatre Company in New York City.
She served in the same capacity for Napolean at the New York Musical Theatre Festival
at The Pershing Square Signature Center in 2015. In August 2016, Cheyanne was the
stage manager for the acclaimed production of The Pearl Diver at Hudson Guild Theatre
in New York City. While an undergraduate at Christopher Newport University, Cheyanne
was nominated for The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region IV
National Stage Management Award for her work on CNU’s production of Tartuffe.
GARY BLACKMAN (Executive Producer) co-founded ArtsPower in 1985 with his
identical twin brother, Mark, and serves as ArtsPower's managing director. Gary received
his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Columbia College, Columbia University and
earned a Master's degree in Music Education from the College of Music at Florida State
University. In 2013, he was appointed as a council member to the New Jersey State
Council on the Arts by Governor Christie. He is also a graduate of the Commercial
Theatre Institute. Gary, his wife Amy, and their daughter Emma live in Glen Ridge, New
Jersey.
MARK BLACKMAN (Executive Producer) is ArtsPower’s founding co-director and
currently serves as director of development. He is a graduate of Columbia College,
Columbia University and received a Master’s of Music Education degree from Florida
State University's College of Music. He is also a graduate of the Commercial Theatre
Institute. Mark is responsible for ArtsPower’s fundraising and marketing efforts. In a
former life, Mark was a jazz saxophone player who was a recipient of a grant from the
National Endowment for the Arts to study for a year with jazz recording artist Eddie
Daniels. Mark and his wife, Leslie Sutton-Smith, each have a daughter, Alyssa Blackman
and Kelly Sutton-Skinner, of whom they are very proud.
GREG GUNNING (Artistic Director/Playwright) hails from Chicago, Illinois and is the
man behind ArtsPower’s on-stage magic. He has written every ArtsPower production
since 1989. Greg auditions and rehearses ArtsPower’s theatre companies each
semester in addition to creating at least one new production each year. A graduate of the
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and a former actor, Greg has performed in 38 states
across the country.
KATHLEEN HUBER (Co-Author) Kathleen graduated from the University of California,
and came to New York City as Assistant to director Brian Murray on A Scent of Flowers,
doubling as standby to Katharine Houghton. New York credits include Luisa Baccara and
Aelis Mazoyer in Tamara, Volumnia in Coriolanus, Countess Aurelia in The Madwoman of
Chaillot, Queen Margaret in Richard III, and Claudius in the Jose Quintero Theatre's allfemale Hamlet. Regionally, she has been seen at the Paper Mill Playhouse (NJ) (An Ideal
Husband), Caldwell Theatre (FL) (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), Stages St. Louis (Music
Man and High Society), Dorset Theatre Festival (VT) (Hay Fever), American Heartland
Theatre (Lettice and Lovage), Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (The Secret Garden),
Stamford Theatre Works (CT), (Collected Stories) and the Alabama, Orlando and
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festivals, among others. Kathleen has directed shows for
New Jersey Rep, Boston Light Opera, Forestburgh Summer Theatre, Wayside Theatre,
and aboard luxury cruise ships.
JOHN FORSTER (Composer, Lyricist, and Orchestrator) is an award-winning
songwriter, humorist, and record producer whose work encompasses the worlds of
singer-songwriting, musical theater, and children’s entertainment. John’s debut album,
“Entering Marion,” received an Indie Award HM for Best Comedy Album in 1994. Many of
his songs have been featured on NPR’s “Morning Edition.” His songs have been
recorded by Christine Lavin, Judy Collins, Rosanne Cash, and the late Dave Van Ronk,
among many others. As a writer and producer of music for children, John has been
nominated for four Grammy Awards, most recently for the Tom Chapin album, “Some
Assembly Required.” Other children’s albums written with Tom include, “Family Tree,”
“This Pretty Planet,” “Billy the Squid,” and a dozen more. His stage musicals include,
Four Score and Seven Years Ago for ArtsPower, the regional theater favorite Eleanor-An
American Love Story, How to Eat Like a Child, and Into The Light on Broadway. He also
wrote the lyrics for Freaky Friday with composer Mary Rodgers.
FRED SORRENTINO (Costumer) has designed and built the costumes for ArtsPower’s
Beyond the Miracle, Laura Ingalls Wilder: Growing Up on the Prairie, Anne of Green
Gables, Hans Brinker & the Silver Skates, A Little Princess, Terrifically Tilly, Salem
Justice, Caddie Woodlawn, Are You My Mother?, Anastasia Krupnik, Highlights for
Children, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Lily’s Crossing, The Little Engine That
Could; Earns Her Whistle, From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Mike
Mulligan And His Steam Shovel, The Rainbow Fish, Amber Brown is Not a Crayon, My
Heart in a Suitcase, and Harry the Dirty Dog. Fred is a gifted musician having earned a
Bachelor’s degree in voice from Jersey City (NJ) State College. A veteran performer in
both operatic and musical theatre productions, Fred now maintains a busy schedule
designing and building costumes.
ARTSPOWER NATIONAL TOURING THEATRE Celebrating our 31st anniversary
season in 2016-17, ArtsPower is one of America's largest and most respected producers
of professional theatre for young and family audiences. Founded by twin brothers Gary
and Mark Blackman in 1985, ArtsPower has created 30 original musicals and plays that
have been presented for more than 13 million people throughout 49 states and the
District of Columbia. Based in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, ArtsPower hopes you enjoy
today’s performance and invites you to share your comments with us at
[email protected].
ArtsPower National Touring Theatre
9 Sand Park Road, Suite 6
Cedar Grove, NJ 07009
O: 973.239.0100
F: 973.239.0165
www.artspower.org
###