Download IN REVIEW DISNEY`S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST • GREAT WALL

Volume XXIII
n
d e nv e r
c e n t e r
f o r
t h e
p e r f o r m in g
a r t s
in review
t h e
NUMBER 5
Van Hughes (Johnny), Joshua Kobak (St. Jimmy) and the company of American Idiot • Photo by Doug Hamilton
march - april 2012
ALSO PLAYING…
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast • Great Wall Story • CHarley’s Aunt • Fahrenheit 451
303.893.4100
AP P L A US E
1
chairman’s LETTER
M
Daniel L. Ritchie
Most of our patrons know and
frequently use our website
denvercenter.org for show
information, to buy tickets, or to
learn about our education courses
and outreach.
Recently, however, there has
developed a whole new bevy of
websites pretending to be us, with
names like denverboxoffice.com or
buell.denvertheater.com. Some are
quite sophisticated with information
about the shows, with images and
reviews. Unless you knew, you
wouldn’t know.
ctually, we have counted
more than 20 websites
offering our tickets.
What they have in common is
ticket prices higher than ours,
sometimes multiples of ours.
Typically they buy the tickets
from us at our regular prices,
though sometimes their
tickets don’t really exist. The
“secondary ticket market”
(once called scalpers) now
even has its own convention
in Las Vegas. It has become a large
and apparently profitable business.
There is a place for a legitimate
secondary ticket market as long as
the ticket buyer knows that he or she
is not dealing with us and not at our
prices. Our goal is simply to make
sure our patrons are able to purchase
tickets for the best possible price and
that they are fully informed about
their alternatives.
or the safest and cheapest
tickets for Denver Center
shows, however, buy early and
only from denvercenter.org or by
calling 303.893.4100, 800.641.1222
or TTY: 303.893.9582.
These are the only official sites
and phone numbers we have. n
F
Daniel L. Ritchie
Chairman and CEO
The Denver Center for the
Performing Arts
index
A
8
AMERICAN IDIOT
A musical journey based on
Green Day’s Grammy® Awardwinning album, tells of three friends,
forced to choose between dreams
or suburbia as they seek out
meaning in a post-9/11 world.
by Rob Weinert Kendt
12
GREAT WALL STORY
This tangled tall tale of
journalistic bravura, based on a
true Denver story, is spiced with
humor and a neat moral twist.
by Douglas Langworthy
4
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r c enter. or g
APPLAUSE
M
A
G
VO L U ME XX III
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N U MB E R 5
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Ma rc h - A pril 2012
Editor: Sylvie Drake Associate Editor: Suzanne Blandón
Designers: Kim Conner, Brenda Elliott, Kyle Malone, Jim Smelser
Applause is published seven times a year by The Denver Center for the Performing Arts
in conjunction with The Publishing House. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission is prohibited. Call 303.893.4000 regarding editorial content.
Applause magazine is funded in part by
For advertising information call
The Publishing House 303.428.9529.
7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030
Angie Flachman, Publisher
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts
1101 13th St., Denver, CO 80204
303.893.4000
www.denvercenter.org
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit
organization serving the public through the performing arts.
NTC REP
16
The talented graduating actors of the
National Theatre Conservatory have
earned their skills and show them off
in Fahrenheit 451 and Charley’s Aunt,
performed in rotating repertory.
by Daniel Renner
SUMMIT REPORT
26
37
An account of the seventh
Colorado New Play Summit.
by Sylvie Drake
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
The Disney folk took their hugely
successful film and turned it into
an equally successful musical and,
in this edition, improved on their
improvement.
by Teri Downard
Board of TRUSTEES
Daniel L. Ritchie,
Chairman and CEO
Donald R. Seawell,
Chairman Emeritus
Randy Weeks,
President and Executive
Director, Denver
Center Attractions
William Dean Singleton,
Secretary/Treasurer
W. Leo Kiely III,
First Vice Chair
Robert Slosky,
Second Vice Chair
Christian Anschutz
Dr. Patricia Baca
Joy S. Burns
Isabelle Clark
Navin Dimond
Margot Gilbert Frank
Thomas W. Honig
Mary Pat Link
Edward A. Mueller
Robert C. Newman
M. Ann Padilla
Richard M. Sapkin
Martin Semple
James Steinberg
Peter Swinburn
Tim E. Taylor
Lester L. Ward
Dr. Reginald L. Washington
Judi
Wolf
_______________________
Carolyn Foster,
Executive Assistant to
Daniel L. Ritchie
Kim Schouten,
Executive Assistant to
Daniel L. Ritchie
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Dorothy V. Denny
Mayor Michael Hancock
Governor John Hickenlooper
Elaine Mariner
Kent Thompson
HonoRary Members
Jeannie Fuller
Robert S. Garner
Glenn R. Jones
Cleo Parker Robinson
Management Committee
Randy Weeks,
President and Executive
Director, Denver
Center Attractions
Dorothy V. Denny,
Executive Vice President
Vicky Miles, CFO
Kent Thompson,
Artistic Director,
Denver Center
Theatre Company
Suzanne Blandón,
Director, Communications
Clay Courter, Director,
Facilities Management
Emily Davidson, Director,
Human Resources
Sylvie Drake, Director,
Publications
Anita Edwards, Manager,
Web Services
John Ekeberg, Director,
Programming and
Operations, Denver
Center Attractions
Tam Dalrymple Frye,
Director, Denver Center
Theatre Academy
Jeff Hovorka, Director,
Media and Marketing
Ed Lapine,
Producing Director,
Denver Center
Theatre Company
Bruce Montgomery,
Director, Information
Systems
Daniel Renner, Director,
Education
Jennifer Siler, Director,
Accounting
Gregory Smith, Director,
Audience Development
Charles Varin,
Managing Director,
Denver Center
Theatre Company
Dawn Williams, Director,
Venue Sales and
Operations
AMERICAN NATIONAL
THEATRE &
ACADEMY BOARD
Kent Thompson,
Chairman and CEO
Judi Wolf,
President and COO
Daniel Renner,
Secretary and Treasurer
Donald R. Seawell,
Chairman Emeritus
HELEN G. BONFILS
FOUNDATION BOARD
OF TRUSTEES
Lester L. Ward, President
Martin Semple,
Vice President
Judi Wolf, Sec’y/Treasurer
Donald R. Seawell,
President Emeritus
W. Leo Kiely III
Daniel L. Ritchie
William Dean Singleton
Robert Slosky
James Steinberg
Dr.
Reginald L. Washington
_______________________
Brockman Seawell,
President Emeritus &
Honorary Trustee
COMING ATTRACTIONS
I Love You,
You’re Perfect,
Now Change
Now – June 24
Garner Galleria Theatre
On Sale Now
American Idiot
Now – March 11
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
Cult Following
2nd Thur
March 8 – May 10
Off-Center @
The Jones
On Sale Now
Disney’s Beauty
and the Beast
March 14 – 18
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
World Premiere
Great Wall Story
March 16 – April 22
Ricketson Theatre
On Sale Now
Ring of Fire:
The Music of Johnny Cash
March 23 – May 13
Stage Theatre
On Sale Now
The Addams Family
June 19 – July 1
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
Square of Ice
March 30 & 31
Off-Center @
The Jones
On Sale Now
Jersey Boys
July 17 – Aug 11
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
Heartbreak House
March 30 – April 29
Space Theatre
On Sale Now
The Book of Mormon
Aug 14 – Sept 2
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
SOLD OUT
Bill Cosby
March 31
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
La Cage Aux Folles
Sept 4 – 16
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
NTC Rep
Charley’s Aunt and
Fahrenheit 451
April 4 – 21
Conservatory Theatre
On Sale Now
Stomp
Sept 25 – 30
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
Wicked
April 11 – May 20
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
Memphis
Oct 9 – 21
Buell Theatre
On Sale Now
Date*
April 20 – May 12
Off-Center @
The Jones
On Sale Now
White Christmas
Nov 23 – Dec 24
Buell Theatre
On Sale Date
To Be Announced
The Whale In New York City
Samuel D. Hunter’s, The Whale, which originated as a reading during
the 2011 Colorado New Play Summit and received its fully staged world
premiere earlier this year in The Ricketson Theatre, will be part of New
York City’s Playwrights Horizon 2012-13 season. “A primary goal of the
Summit is to develop and produce great new American plays that will
have a future life,” said Denver Center Theatre Company Artistic Director
Kent Thompson. “We’re thrilled The Whale will open in New York—
and want to thank our audiences and donors for making that possible.” n
Information: www.playwrightshorizons.org.
Costume
Collection
Judi Wolf’s
C
ostume designer Angela Balogh Calin
got to dig into Denver’s history for her
inspiration for Great Wall Story. Based on
a true event, this world premiere is set in Denver at
the turn of the 20th century. According to Calin,
“Designing for the theatre is a constant balancing
act between letting your imagination loose in
order to create characters and then bringing the
rendering to life. This is a special project because
the characters were real people who lived in
Denver. That made the research for the piece
even more important. We wanted to ensure the
authenticity of the costumes.”
The play begins in July 1899 and continues to
New Year’s Eve, forcing Calin to design costumes
that spanned several seasons. Obviously, the
play moves swiftly through this time period
necessitating quick costume changes.
“It’s challenging to have Harriet, the reporter in
the play, have three consecutive costume changes
in a very short time,” said Calin, “and to have one
actor play six different parts with full costume,
hair and make-up changes. All these challenges
add to the uniqueness and excitement of live
theatre and I hope the audiences enjoy watching
the actors transform under their eyes.”
Dive into Denver’s past and enjoy the actors’
metamorphosis when you see Great Wall Story,
playing March 16-April 22. n
303.893.4100
TTY: 303.893.9582 • denvercenter.org
Audio-description, ASL interpretation and Open Captioning available
at select performances; check dates/times when ordering.
Performances at The Denver Center are made possible in part through the generous support of:
Denver Center Theatre Company
2011/12 Season Sponsors
Denver Center Theatre Company &
Denver Center Attractions Media Sponsors
6
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r c enter. or g
Denver Center Attractions
2012 Season Sponsors
Great Wall Story
costume designs by
Angela Balogh Calin
SCFD
MUSICALS
album
BROADWAY
SHOW
or how to turn an
into a
Google images
american idiot
THE
American Idiot is yet
another example of a strong
collection of songs lending
themselves to transformation
into a powerful stage show.
O
Once upon a time, composers and playwrights conceived
musicals together, with some degree of simultaneity and
shared understanding about the story they were striving to
tell. From Daponte & Mozart to Rodgers & Hammerstein,
teams teamed, toiling to marry music and theatre into a
harmonious whole.
That’s so last millennium, dude.
Today’s rock and pop musicals might
start instead with a catalog of wellknown songs, artfully woven into an
evening of theatre (Mamma Mia!,
Jersey Boys) or with a club-seasoned
troubadour whose story/cabaret songs
seem to want to grow into something
play-like (Passing Strange, Hedwig
and the Angry Inch).
Then there’s the concept-albumturned-Broadway-rock-opera, a
unique hybrid form that began in
1969 with a pair of messianic doubleLP extravaganzas, Jesus Christ
Superstar and Tommy. Neither were
written for the stage, though both
were eventually theatricalized and
filmed: Superstar on Broadway in
1971 and on film two years later, and
The Who’s pinball allegory, Tommy,
Michael Mayer
first as a film in 1975 and then on
Broadway in 1993.
While the Superstar album
“The amount of
freedom I had to
dream and imagine
was unprecedented.
For whatever reason,
something alchemical
happened when I
spent time with
these characters.”
— Director
8
b y R o b W e i n e rt- K e n d t
A PP L A U S E
d e n v e r center. or g
looks in retrospect like an audition demo for its writers,
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, The Who had no
such ambitions, let alone theatrical know-how. Apart from
its outré film adaptation by the late Ken Russell, Tommy
seemed destined to be performed as a sort of rock oratorio—
until the La Jolla Playhouse’s Des McAnuff came along in
the early 1990s. With the help of The Who’s lead songwriter,
Pete Townshend, McAnuff rethought Tommy for the stage,
turning it into the song-and-dance entertainment it didn’t
know it was meant to be. (McAnuff now has achieved a
similar feat with a reinvented Superstar, due on Broadway
this month.)
irector Michael Mayer played a similar role with
American Idiot, the chart-busting 2004 album by the
punk-pop band Green Day, which he helped shape
into a Broadway show in 2010. But Mayer’s job proved a
good deal more involved and interpretive than McAnuff’s
had been—not least because, while Green Day front man
and main songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong proved open
and cooperative, the narrative threads holding together the
American Idiot album were more tenuous.
“It’s not easy to follow,” Mayer admits of the record.
“The story is deliberately ambiguous. It’s almost more an
emotional narrative than it is a literal narrative.” Its rough
outline follows a sad sack described in the song suite “Jesus
of Suburbia” as he travels into the depths of a city nightlife,
where he meets “punk-rock freedom fighter” St. Jimmy
as well as an “Extraordinary Girl” later called simply
“Whatshername.”
“St. Jimmy is powerful and sexy and dangerous and
D
“I
I kept thinking we would cross a line that
would be intolerable,” Mayer confesses of
the writing process. “But Billie Joe kept
encouraging me to go further. The amount
of freedom I had to dream and imagine
was unprecedented. For whatever reason,
something alchemical happened when I
spent time with these characters.”
uch was the simpatico nature of this
odd collaboration, Mayer says, that
he recalls “the very cool feeling of
hearing Billie Joe talk about characters I’d
made up in a way that demonstrated his
understanding of them—which he should,
given that he’d written what they say.”
So American Idiot may now have enough
narrative content to fill an evening. But it
wouldn’t be a musical at all if the songs
themselves hadn’t cried out for the stage.
“The music has such buoyancy and
authenticity,” Mayer effuses. “That’s what
got my heart racing when I thought of
putting it on stage and creating stories
that would fulfill the promise of this rock
opera they’d written. They play against
the tragedy of the story. If the songs were
all slow, mournful, dirge-like, minor-key
hymns to destruction, you wouldn’t want
to watch it at all.”
This dramatic flair for contrast may be
no coincidence; Armstrong had been a
rosy-cheeked child performer before he
became a spike-haired Berkeley punk
rocker.
“As far as I’m concerned, Billie Joe is
a direct descendant of Al Jolson,” Mayer
says. “Having seen him sing ‘Rockabye
Your Baby With a Dixie Melody’ at the
Bowery Ballroom, I can say it’s in his
DNA.
S
He’s a real entertainer, and that comes
through.”
Ultimately, what comes through
American Idiot—and the thing that made
this ad hoc adaptation process work
at all—is not only Green Day’s knack
for show-stopping rock, but a sort of
overarching coherence of attitude and tone.
This quality, in turn, may be traced to
some of this concept musical’s antecedents.
“He was thinking of Tommy and Rocky
Horror Show,” Mayer says of Armstrong’s
Idiot templates. “He also thought about
West Side Story, and I think he thought a
little bit about Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts
Club Band.”
hat Green Day had a template in mind
may have helped Mayer feel his way
to a story. But don’t ask him to pin
down the punk lightning he’s caught in this
musical-theatre bottle.
“I’ve been trying very hard not to define
it for anyone, because it is unusual and
it is its own thing,” Mayer says. “Is it a
musical? Is it an opera? Is it a rock opera?
Is it a punk-rock opera? Is Green Day even
punk?” (A seemingly simple question that
can start a long debate, if you’re up for it.)
Mayer throws up his hands and says,
“I’m just committed to calling it a show.”
american idiot
possibly destructive,” Mayer explains,
“and this girl who’s a rebel is someone
with whom he has some real connection.”
There’s not a lot else in terms of concrete
story points, Mayer concedes. “What you
glean from listening to the album a lot
and reading it in a particular way is that
Jesus returns home having experienced the
suicide of St. Jimmy and the destruction of
his relationship with the girl. It’s kind of a
mock-heroic return. Billie Joe describes it
as one step forward, two steps back.”
That wouldn’t be enough to sustain an
evening of theatre, in other words. Besides,
Armstrong, though open to the idea of a
stage version, wasn’t a playwright. That
left Mayer—who had a background in
shepherding both bracing new works and
unlikely adaptations to the stage, from The
Triumph of Love to Thoroughly Modern
Millie to Spring Awakening—to embark on
his first professional writing gig (he shares
book-writing credit with Armstrong).
t was the conceit of the project that I
would take the record and basically
write a story onto it and from inside
it,” Mayer says. “All the songs are intact
and in order” (and there are a few bonus
tracks, courtesy of Green Day’s follow-up
album, 21st Century Breakdown).
Though Armstrong’s lyrics are virtually
the only text of the show, Mayer did
invent characters and situations. “Jesus
of Suburbia,” a.k.a. Johnny, now has two
friends: Will, who stays home to molder in
the small town, and Tunny, who escapes
with Johnny but grows disaffected, enlists
in the army, and ends up wounded in Iraq.
“I had great anxiety with the liberties
we were taking, dramatically as well
as emotionally, and
T
Rob Weinert-Kendt is associate editor at
American Theatre, and has written about
theatre and the arts for The New York
Times, the Los Angeles Times, Variety,
The Guardian and The San Francisco
Chronicle.
Front from left, Leslie McDonel, Gabrielle McClinton (Whatsername)
and Krystina Alabado. Back from left, Talia Aaron, Nicci Claspell and
Jillian Mueller in AMERICAN IDIOT. Photo by Doug Hamilton.
March 6 – 11 • Buell Theatre
Signed & Audio Described • March 11, 2pm
Tickets: 303.893.4100
Toll-free: 800.641.1222 • TTY: 303.893.9582
Groups (10+): 303.446.4829 • denvercenter.org
303.893.4100
AP P L A US E
9
encore society
The Road to
…Doesn’t take as many
Photo by Terry Shapiro
Estate
Planning...
A
s a member of the
ENCORE SOCIETY,
I am excited to
be a part of the future of
The Denver Center for the
Performing Arts.
We pride ourselves on being
a center for lifelong learning
through live theatre, where
people’s stories are shared from
generation to generation and where
we explore together what it means to be an
American in the 21st Century.
We have been fortunate to receive gifts from
individuals who remembered The Denver Center in their
estate plans, leaving bequests or creating annuities that
help finance our productions and educational programs.
These individuals are part of our ENCORE SOCIETY
— donors who let us know in advance that we are a
part of their estate plans. Members of the ENCORE
SOCIETY are invited each year to visit with executive
and artistic leadership to discuss the upcoming season
and long-term plans for The Denver Center.
As you and your family consider philanthropic and
estate planning goals, we hope that you will consider
what theatre has meant to you and what it could mean to
future generations.
Daniel L. Ritchie, Chairman
Board of Trustees
Please join the
Sam Gregory in
The 39 Steps
10
Steps as you
Think.
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
Encore Society!
Let us know that The Denver Center is a part of your
estate planning. Remember, Encore Society members
are invited to a special event each year. For further
information, please visit www.denvercenter.org/encore
or contact David Zupancic, Associate Director of
Development at 303.446.4811 or [email protected].
ART PARTNERS
Epicurean
THIRTY TASTY YEARS—AND COUNTING
E
The long-running
relationship between
Epicurean and the
DCPA took on even
more meaning when
Epicurean was
selected as the
exclusive caterer
for the Seawell
Grand Ballroom.
A proud supporter of
The Denver Center for
the Performing Arts
14
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
picurean Catering marks a milestone
birthday this year, and if anyone
believes in celebrating, it’s Epicurean’s partners, CEO Larry DiPasquale and
his wife Jill. “Jill and I were talking recently
and I said, ‘Thirty years, one passion,’ and
without missing a beat she asked, ‘Do you
mean me or the business?,’” laughs DiPasquale. “Nice to have a mantra that works
for both, actually.”
While the longest-running caterer in
Denver is known for its amazing food and
uncompromising service, the business really
centers on relationships, including that
with DiPasquale’s business partner Sharon
Magness Blake. What started as a friendship
between the two powerhouses quickly led to
high-octane business discussions. “It’s as if
we didn’t have a choice,” says DiPasquale.
“We simply had to work together.
“We haven’t looked back since.”
Epicurean’s executive and culinary teams
also have been a part of the recipe for
success almost since the beginning. Vice
President of Sales Dan Spahr has been with
the organization for 19 years while Greg
Karl, Paul Aylmer and even DiPasquale’s
personal assistant, Colleen Lagomarsino,
are closing in on 15 years, allowing for a
synergy and trust level that is a rarity in the
industry.
Executive Chef Bob Gitre left Wolfgang
Puck for Epicurean in 2003 and has
witnessed the metamorphosis of the
company. “When we hired Bob, we were
so busy that I may have forgotten to tell
him I had big plans. Since then we’ve
become exclusive at the stadium (previously
INVESCO, now Sports Authority Field),
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts
(DCPA), Palazzo Verdi and SoCo Clubs.
We opened our first restaurant, Mangia Bevi
Café. We recently launched Epicurean Street
Cuisine, which includes a mobile pizza
oven and our custom built food truck. Now
we are in talks to open another restaurant
downtown,” smiles DiPasquale. “Maybe you
shouldn’t print this – he’s going to hit me up
for a raise!”
Taking the leap into the restaurant business
took time, energy and a lot of taste-testing.
“Half of the recipes on Mangia’s menu are
family favorites, so I had to get it right.
But we are always tweaking; Jill is doing a
small but smart redesign of the space as the
demand for weekend and evening events
continues to astound us,” says DiPasquale.
he long-running relationship between
Epicurean and the DCPA took on
even more meaning when Epicurean
was selected as the exclusive caterer for the
Seawell Grand Ballroom. “We seem to share
a vision. We are both obviously dedicated to
Denver, to the arts, and to the not-for-profit
and corporate organizations that make our
city so diverse. I view our partnership as a
gift,” explains Larry.
Protecting the relationship with staff,
suppliers, partners and the community seems
to be the basic ingredient for this industry
leader. Celebrating 30 years? Well, that’s just
icing on the cake. n
T
the shows
with
and
present
2012
Photo by Erinn Chalene Cosby
denver Center Attractions SHOWS
Sponsored by
june 19 – july 1
Buell Theatre
april 11 – may 20
Sponsored by
Buell Theatre
march 31
Buell Theatre
NOW – June 24
garner galleria Theatre
sept 25 – 30
Buell Theatre
sept 4 – 16
Buell Theatre
july 17 – aug 11
Buell Theatre
All
shows
now on
sale!
Act now for
the best
seats
best
the
at
price!
oct 9 – 21
Buell Theatre
303.893.4100
GROUPS: 303.446.4829 TTY: 303.893.9582
18
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
ART PARTNERS
Vectra Bank
COMMITTED TO ITS COMMUNITIES
I
“As our economy
continues its recovery,
it is more important
than ever to ensure
that our communities
are enriched by
world-class art and
entertainment.”
—Bruce Alexander, Vectra Bank
President and CEO
n this changing economy, families and business owners need to
arm themselves with the knowledge and preparedness to succeed
personally and professionally. They need a partner who has the
expertise and resources to help them thrive, as well as the flexibility and
personal attention to really understand specific needs and goals.
The bankers at Vectra Bank Colorado make the commitment to
proactively anticipate the needs of their customers by listening to and
understanding the individual, and creating customized solutions to help
their customers achieve their financial dreams.
Serving individuals as well as small and middle-market businesses,
Vectra Bank is a valued member of communities throughout the
state and is dedicated to developing and strengthening its ties to each
community it serves. As such, Vectra Bank is proud to be a presenting
sponsor of the Denver Center Attractions 2012 Broadway season.
“We are delighted to commit our support to The Denver Center for the
Performing Arts,” said Vectra Bank President and CEO Bruce Alexander.
“As our economy continues its recovery, it is more important than ever
to ensure that our communities are enriched by world-class art and
entertainment.”
Since the bank was established in 1988, helping to create and sustain a
great community is at the heart of Vectra Bank’s unflagging community
support. Not only does it provide effective tools to bolster the growth
of area businesses, but its employees also commit thousands of hours
to dozens of community organizations. Local branches feature lobby
displays of area artists while employees devote time to mentor with
Junior Achievement to educate youth about business, economics and
the global economy. Through partnerships with organizations such
as the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Vectra has created
opportunities for home ownership and small-business development for
thousands of low-income individuals.
As part of Zions Bancorporation, Vectra has the reach and resources
of many larger competitors. But its approach to business is decidedly
different. Whether the customer is the manager of a growing Colorado
company or an individual consumer, both will find at Vectra Bank an
innovative banking organization eager to surpass their expectations. n
For information on Vectra Bank Colorado, visit www.vectrabank.com.
President and CEO Bruce Alexander
20
APPLAUSE
d e n v e rcenter. or g
A proud sponsor of the
Denver Center Attractions season
the shows
K E N T T H O M P S O N,
A RT I S T I C D I R E C T O R
Don’t miss the final plays of the 2011/12 season!
Photo by Kyle Malone
On a slow news day in 1899,
three Denver reporters
dream up a hoax…
Great Wall Story
By Lloyd Suh • Directed by Art Manke
March 16 – April 22 • ricketson Theatre
A group of the British elite
gather in the countryside
for frivolous pursuits as
WWI draws near.
March 23 – May 13 • Stage Theatre
March 30 – April 29 • Space Theatre
Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash
Created by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Conceived by William Meade
Orchestrations by Steven Bishop and Jeff Lisenby
Directed by Jason Edwards
Heartbreak House
By George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Bruce K. Sevy
Photo by eric laurits
Illustration by Kyle Malone
The best-loved songs of
Johnny Cash
tell the journey of a man
in search of his soul.
DENVERCENTER.ORG | 303.893.4100
Groups (10+): 303.446.4829 | TTY: 303.893.9582
22
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
Colorado new play summit
Getting High
on the
Mile-High Summit
More than ever, the readings of this year’s new plays at
The Denver Center’s Colorado New Play Summit reflected
the fractured, loopy, changing world we live in
Trustees Judi Wolf and Dean Singleton
(seated), attend the Summit with
Denver Center founder and Chairman
Emeritus Donald R. Seawell.
A
Photos by Suzanne Blandón & Kyle Malone
Two Things actor Nasser
Faris has a hug for
Two Things playwright
Lisa Loomer.
Happy people mingling and networking at lunch.
s new play festivals go, the 2012 Colorado New Play
Summit—our seventh annual—was a high-octane hit.
Again.
Held on February 11 and 12, its format was different this
year. Four plays were read at podiums and one musical—an
adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility that even
benefitted from some minor staging. The customary panel
discussion that was part of past Summits was jettisoned to
accommodate the extra reading, but the annual late-night
playwrights’ slam, in which playwrights are invited to read from
works they’re developing, remained a giddy rallying point for the
weekend. Held in a deliberately casual theatre setting, the slam
gives everyone—audiences, performers and playwrights—a
welcome opportunity to laugh, kick back, relax.
The plays read this year were in many ways highly
symptomatic of our rapidly changing world. Grace, Or the Art of
Climbing by Lauren Feldman, is the metaphorical account of a
reluctant rock climber struggling with doubt, loss and depression
as she trains for a world climbing competition while trying
to regain control of her fractured life. Richard Dresser’s The
Hand of God turned out to be a farcical doubled-jointed take on
corporate absurdity, advertising nonsense and reality television
that saves its biggest surprise for the end, when the tables are
turned and the joke is squarely on the audience. Homefree,
a heartbreaking yet unflinching look at the tribulations of
homeless teens by Lisa Loomer, offered an uncomfortable view
of these lost children trying to cope with a world they don’t
understand and that doesn’t know how to help them.
Finally, Ed, Downloaded, Michael Mitnick’s provocative
multi-media comedy, is, for better or worse, perhaps the closest
we’ve come so far to a close-knit marriage of theatre and
technology. Directed by Sam Buntrock (who staged a powerful
revival of Sunday in the Park with George in London and on
Broadway that made extensive use of video), Ed, Downloaded
gave us a dying young man whose heart is torn between two
(l-r) John-Michael Marrs and Karl Miller in the reading
of Richard Dresser’s comedy The Hand of God.
26
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
Actor Sam Gregory in a dramatic
moment in Lisa Loomer’s Homefree.
Actors John Hutton and Teresa Avia Lim
in a father/daughter scene from Lauren Feldman’s
Grace, Or the Art of Climbing.
loves and whose downloaded brain, offering him a chance at
immortality, delivers memories that become the focus of a
raging rivalry between the women left behind.
In all cases these readings were provocative, evocative,
intriguing and altogether notable examples of widely divergent
and often brilliant original thinking. The musical of Austen’s
Sense and Sensibility, with book and lyrics by Jeffrey Haddow
and music by Neal Hampton, was perhaps the most traditional
of the readings, yet immensely seductive in its condensations
of the novel’s familiar incidents, in the engaging lightness of its
tone and in the ease of its swirling movement (much thanks to
Marcia Milgrim Dodge’s fluid direction).
wo fully staged world premiere productions derived
from plays read at last year’s Summit were part of the
weekend package: Loomer’s Two Things You Don’t
Talk About at Dinner and Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale.
The former about a Passover Seder gone wrong, and the latter
about a 600-lb. man trying to reconnect with a daughter he
had abandoned years earlier for love of another man, triggered
great amounts of conversation and (appropriate) controversy.
In its seven years this Festival has continued to expand in
popularity and to develop plenty of national as well as local
traction. More than 300 industry professionals from across
the country attended the weekend, the highest number to
date. Among them were playwrights, dramaturgs, composers,
producers, music directors, representatives from a wide array
of other theatres, and some 20 members of the American
Theatre Critics Association who again chose to hold their
annual mini-meeting at the Festival. There also was a
particularly strong showing from the general public, both local
and from out-of-town. The energy was mile-high, the houses
packed, and the buzz of networking and plain visiting kept the
many lively communal meal times humming.
Now it’s on to 2013. n
—Sylvie Drake
Sara Jean Ford (left) and Lisa O’Hare in a scene
from the musical, Sense and Sensibility.
(l-r) Whale playwright Samuel D.
Hunter sharing a moment with
Whale cast members Tasha
Lawrence and Angela Reed.
T
Producing Partners of the 2012 Colorado New Play Summit
were Leo and Susan Kiely, Joy S. Burns, Daniel L. Ritchie, and
The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. We thank
them all for their ongoing support and generosity.
Colorado new play summit
Denver Center Theatre Company Artistic Director
Kent Thompson (center) greets guests at a Summit lunch.
Associate Artistic Director Bruce Sevy (second from right)
chats with another visitor.
(l-r) Meghan Wolf and Mandy Siegfried
arguing over their relationship to Ed (played
by Todd Bartels, in the background) in
Michael Mitnick’s Ed, Downloaded.
Members of the Women’s Voices Fund gather to
show their support of the Summit.
303.893.4100
AP P L A US E
27
Denver Center theatre academy
AT THE DENVER CENTER
THEATRE COMPANY
dramatic EVENT
POSSIBILITIES
Learn to be the best
from the best.
Photo by Brian Landis Folkins
denvercenter.org • 303.572.4466
Photo by Brian Landis Folkins
Be Inspired
Be a Pro
The Cast of DCTC’s production of
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Photo by Terry Shapiro
Be Prepared
303.446.4892
denvercenter.org/education
Scholarships available
24
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
Photo provided by www.Studiojk.com
Beginning, Intermediate & Advanced
Acting • Voice Over • Stage Combat
Auditions • Public Speaking
Women with hattitude
Save the Date!
Act Seven
Women with Hattitude
t h u r s d a y , M a y 3 , 2 01 2
Show us your Hattitude and join more than 500 women
(and a few gentlemen!) for The Denver Center for the Performing Arts’
annual luncheon benefiting the Women’s Voices Fund Activities.
Tickets are $50 per person • Top Hat Tables of 10 are $1,000
reservations or to join our committee:
303.446.4815
Photos by Vicki Kerr
Sponsored by:
28
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
next up
Looking
ahead…
Heartbreak House
Ring of Fire: The Music
of Johnny Cash
March 30 – April 29, Space Theatre
Photo by eric laurits
Illustration by Kyle Malone
March 23 – May 13, Stage Theatre
T
his last play by George Bernard Shaw is
almost elegiac, marking a change of
mood and tone from his usual brisk,
smart comedies. Just before the outbreak of
World War I, an eclectic group of Englishmen
gather at the country estate of Hector and
Hesione Hushabye. They represent the best and
the brightest—both rich and poor, commercial
and cultural, liberal and conservative. Romance
blooms and dies (yes, hearts are broken in this
house), but the real tragedy is that these people,
capable and fortunate, cannot set aside their petty
squabbles and inconsequential dalliances long
enough to address the biggest problems facing
society—including matters political, economic,
social and, most ominously, the oncoming world
war. “We are useless, dangerous and ought to
be abolished,” Hector verbalizes toward the end
of act three. Here Shaw takes an unflinching
yet sympathetic look at our seeming inability to
seriously envision looming peril, let alone take
any sort of action. n
30
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
W
e know the legend. We know the story.
And now, we get to experience the music
in Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny
Cash, a revue that includes 39 of the singer’s bestknown songs, describing the journey of a man in
search of his soul. Many people approached Johnny
Cash with the idea of putting his music on stage.
William Meade succeeded in convincing Cash who
ultimately gave him the rights to this material just
before his death in 2003. Meade asked American
theatre director/producer/lyricist and screenwriter
Richard Maltby, Jr. to create a theatrical show out
of Cash’s music and Ring of Fire: The Music of
Johnny Cash was born. “The details are there for
those who choose to find them,” says creator Maltby,
“but along with them are glimpses of the world Cash
lived in—of home, and family, and the land; of hard
work and adversity; of faith and love and compassion
for people who lead hard lives or are down on their
luck.” With everything from straight-up standards
such as “I Walk the Line” and “Country Boy” to the
wryly ironic “I’ve Been Flushed from the Bathroom
of Your Heart,” Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny
Cash promises to be a soulful and spirited musical
journey with the Man in Black. n
next up
Tickets: 303.893.4100
Toll-free: 800.641.1222
TTY: 303.893.9582
Groups: 303.446.4829
denvercenter.org
Wicked
April 11 – May 20, Buell Theatre
IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS ONE YET….
I Love You, You’re Perfect,
Now Change
Feb 17 – June 24
Garner Galleria Theatre
N
ow everything you’ve ever
wanted to know about
dating, mating, marriage,
husbands, wives, kids and inlaws but were afraid to ask will
be answered in this recordbreaking show. Parents who talk
baby talk? Men who talk (and
women who pretend to listen)?
Infidelity? Long lines for the ladies’ room? These are just some of
the irritations deftly skewed in Joe DiPietro’s hugely successful
musical review. Four actors playing more than 20 characters face
the tribulations of dealing with the (very) opposite sex. A perfect
date-night destination. n
AND DOWN THE ROAD A PIECE…
B
ack by “Popular” demand! Long
before that girl from Kansas arrives in
Munchkinland, two girls meet in the
land of Oz. One, born with emerald green skin,
is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is
beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these
two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the
West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for “the
most complete - and completely satisfying - new
musical in a long time” (USA Today). This winner
of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and
three Tony Awards, is coming back to Denver
and you won’t want to miss it. n
The Addams Family
June 19 – July 1
Buell Theatre
D
a da da dum, snap
snap… In a prolific
career spanning six decades,
Charles Addams created several
thousand cartoons, sketches
and drawings, many of which
were published in The New
Yorker. But it was his creation
of characters that came to be
known as The Addams Family
that brought Addams his
greatest acclaim. Addams’ drawings have entertained millions and
served as the inspiration for television series and motion pictures.
Now, Charles Addams’ freaky family has leapt off the page
and onto the stage with a new Broadway musical. The Addams
Family began performances in March 2010 to become one of
Broadway’s hits, delighting audiences of all generations with this
family’s tortured tribulations. This original musical comedy brings
the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester,
Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and, of course, Lurch, to spooky
and spectacular life on stage. The snappy music (two snaps),
with an exciting score and the characters we all know and love,
guarantees everyone will have a R.I.P.-roaring good time at the
theatre. Come meet the family. We’ll leave the lights off for you. n
303.893.4100
AP P L A US E
31
VIP EVENINGS
Great seats to great theatre!
VIP
2 0 1 2
Evenings
Experience a VIP Evening at The Denver
Center. Entertain clients, friends or family.
Celebrate a Special Occasion.
Enjoy:
f Pre-show cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and
dinner in the Seawell Grand Ballroom
f Center orchestra seating in the Buell Theatre
f A tax-deductible contribution supporting
The Denver Center is included with
each ticket
Choose from:
Fri, May 11, 2012
$250 per person
Thurs, Dec 6, 2012
Thurs, Aug 9, 2012
$225 per person
$225 per person
303.446.4815
f
denvercenter.org/vipevenings
Vip Evenings are presented by
supporting The Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ education programs
32
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r center. or g
ART PARTNERS
THE WESTIN
DENVER DOWNTOWN
Partnering with the Arts
The Westin Denver
Downtown receives
the Colorado Business
Committee for the Arts’
Philanthropy Award
T
he Westin Denver Downtown
was recently honored with
the 2012 Colorado Business
Committee for the Arts (CBCA)
Award for Philanthropy. This award
recognizes exemplary corporate
citizenship and generosity to arts and
culture, and illustrates the use of the
arts to propel business success. CBCA
is an organization of nonprofit member
companies that serves to leverage the
arts for economic vitality through
business and arts partnerships.
“For more than 20 years, The Westin
Denver Downtown has collaborated
with Denver area cultural organizations
that perform, produce or exhibit in the
metro Denver area,” states Tom Curley,
The Westin’s General Manager. Curley
confirms that these partnerships with
the arts help generate additional taxes
and income for many businesses in
Denver, as well as help the hotel fill
its guestrooms during occupancy need
periods. Best of all, these partnerships
are a win-win for all, as the arts
organization receives guestrooms and
cross-marketing benefits from the
hotel, and the hotel generates business
and relationships with key target
markets.
“Corporate philanthropic support
is critical to sustain arts and culture,
which in turn is extremely important
to community vitality,” states Deborah
Jordy, CBCA’s Executive Director.
“A company’s commitment to the arts
supports a wide variety of community
priorities, including quality of life,
education and economic development.
At the same time, charitable giving
generates good will and strengthens
corporate culture.”
Highlights of The Westin’s
contributions include a more than
20-year sponsorship of Saturday
Night Alive, The Denver Center for
Performing Arts’ annual fundraiser that
generates well over $600,000 annually
to benefit The Denver Center’s arts
education programs.
The Westin also has partnerships with
Colorado Ballet, Central City Opera
and Opera Colorado that include crossmarketing and weekend packaging
opportunities. For spring 2012, the
Westin adds the Yves Saint Laurent
exhibit at the Denver Art Museum as a
weekend packaging partner.
The Westin is actively represented on
arts boards such as the Denver Center
Alliance, the Central City Opera Guild
Board, the Colorado Ballet Board of
Trustees, the Fine Arts Foundation
Board and VISIT DENVER’S Cultural
Tourism Committee.
Collaborating with arts organizations
is a key business focus for The Westin
Denver Downtown, and the hotel looks
forward to nurturing these relationships
for years to come. n
Collaborating with arts organizations is a key
business focus for The Westin Denver Downtown
36
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r c enter. or g
(l-r) Tom Curley, The Westin Denver
Downtown General Manager; Lynn Wong,
Fine Arts Foundation President; Judi Wolf,
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Trustee and Fine Arts Foundation Citizen
of the Arts at a recent Citizen of the Arts
gala, and Greg Carpenter, Opera Colorado
Executive Director.
A proud sponsor of
Disney’s
Beauty and the Beast
(l-r) Marie Belew Wheatly, Colorado
Ballet Executive Director; Tracy Blair,
Westin Denver Downtown Director of
Sales & Marketing; Pat Pearce, Central
City Opera General Director with Travis
Faust, Westin Denver Downtown Director
of Catering sharing a toast at the recent
Citizen of the Arts gala.
ART PARTNERS
comcast
Culture and business go together
C
A proud sponsor of
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,
Ring of Fire,
La Cage Aux Folles
and Memphis
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
La Cage Aux Folles
help more families across Colorado benefit
from this program. Investing in the success of Colorado
families also means engaging in community
service, and Comcast employees proudly
roll up their sleeves frequently to give
back to our communities. Our most recent
Comcast Cares Day brought together
more than 6,500 volunteers—Comcast
employees, family members, and friends—
to complete projects at 47 different sites
across our Mile High region. Volunteers
helped with construction, painting, urban
garden development, repairs and other
needed services. t’s this same base of dedicated employees that is committed to providing the
fastest, most sophisticated and featurerich suite of communications services that
directly impact the success of local business
customers. Comcast has quickly become the
go-to company for Business Class Internet,
Voice and Video services. From our quickstart website offerings to our unlimited
local and long distance calling plans to
the television services that keep employees entertained and informed, Colorado
businesses rely on our technology to get a
market advantage, save money and build
their bottom lines. The Comcast commitment transcends
communications. Through technology,
innovation and philanthropy, Comcast is
proud to help our communities reach their
full potential. n
I
Memphis
Christine Andreas
A vibrant arts
community—
in addition to
inspiring big dreams
and enriching hearts
and souls—helps
attract and sustain
other thriving
businesses.
omcast isn’t just in the business
of communications and entertainment. We’re also in the business of
building communities. Investing in culture
is good for business. A vibrant arts community—in addition to inspiring big dreams
and enriching hearts and souls—helps
attract and sustain other thriving businesses.
Comcast is committed to philanthropy and
investing in community organizations as
well as to delivering innovative technology
services for business customers to support
the overall success of our communities. Since 2001, Comcast has provided
billions in cash and in-kind support to
national and local nonprofit organizations.
Here in Colorado, Comcast donated more
than $5 million last year in cash and inkind contributions to 200-plus community
organizations. Comcast has been thrilled
to support The Denver Center for the
Performing Arts (DCPA) and its Dramatic
Learning program that enables children to
learn through innovative arts programs. We
know that investment in children today is an
investment in our community’s future. That’s why Comcast recently launched
“Internet Essentials,” a program that brings
the power of the Internet to more families
across our state. Families with children who
receive a free school lunch can enjoy fast
home Internet service at an affordable price,
purchase a low-cost computer, and receive
free Internet training to help them advance
their skills in utilizing technology. Learn
more at www.InternetEssentials.com to
Emily Behny as Belle and the cast of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
Photos by Joan Marcus
38
APPLAUSE
d e n v e r c enter. or g
(l-r) J. Bernard Calloway and Montego Glover / Broadway cast of Memphis.
© 2011 All rights reserved. Photo Credit: Jason Bell. Photo: KevinBerne.com