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Study Guide
July 29—August 3, 2014
G
Rat
NC Theatre applauds our
Audience Engagement Partner PNC
and their Grow Up Great Program!
PNC pulls back the curtain of the 2013-14 NC
Theatre season to share a series of behind
the scenes experiences with audience members of all ages. The PNC In the Director’s
Chair is a window into the creative process,
helping to broaden the way audiences engage
with musicals and their regional theatre company, NC Theatre, giving patrons a deeper
appreciation for the art form beyond simply
their own experience in the moment, and ultimately enhancing their theatre-going experience.
PNC recognizes that learning in a child's early
years is essential for their long-term success.
Through Grow Up Great, a $350 million, multi-year,
bilingual initiative that began in 2004, PNC provides the leadership, advocacy, funding, tools, and
volunteers to help educate parents, caregivers, and
communities on how to prepare young children for
success in school and life. The initiative has funded
innovative early childhood education programs
in math, science, the arts and financial education.
To date, the program has served more than 1.5
million children.
PNC and NC Theatre are proud to work together to give patrons a brand new perspective – In the Director’s Chair.
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is made possible by
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NC Theatre: Your Broadway Connection
Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts | Doug Vande Zande Photography
North Carolina Theatre is Raleigh’s regional professional musical theatre company. In 1983
Raleigh's City Manager, Mr. L.P. Zachary, invited Carolina Regional Theatre, with the deft direction
of De Ann Jones, to make its permanent home in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium under contract with
the City. The Theatre debuted with the musical Camelot in Spring of the following year. Opening with
825 season tickets sold and a total audience of 24,000, Camelot marked the beginning of the
Theatre's new direction. With this new direction as inspiration, in May of 1984 the name was
changed to North Carolina Theatre. Today, North Carolina Theatre serves as the home of quality
musical theatre production in central North Carolina.
Our Mission
Culture: Feed the spirit of local citizens by providing outstanding theatre productions, using the
best regional and national talent available.
Community: Fortify the cultural vitality of the region by offering broad access to live theatre, while
strengthening economic growth in the region.
Citizenship: Foster the next generation of artists and leaders who will become future patrons of
the arts through training, performance, and outreach programs.
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Preview
Preview
Show Information
Artist Bios
Show Activities
The Theatre: NCT and Beyond
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Coming Up: One Sensational Season!
A Chorus Line
October 14-19, 2014
PG-13
Nice Work If You Can Get It
January 20-25, 2015
PG
Billy Elliot: the Musical
February 10-15, 2015
PG-13
Peter and the Star Catcher
March 10-15, 2015
PG
Next to Normal
May 1-10, 2015
PG-13
The Buddy Holly Story
July 21-26, 2015
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PG
Content
Disney’s The Little Mermaid was originally based off the Hans Christian Andersen
fairy tale of the same name, and was later made into an animated film and now a
stage musical. The musical is the story of
a young mermaid, Ariel, and her dream of
experiencing life on land. She falls in love
with a handsome prince, and makes a
deal with the sea witch to be with him.
Ariel must win over the prince before her
time on land runs out, or she will lose
everything she once had.
Characters
Ariel: King Triton’s youngest daughter
King Triton: King of the sea
Sebastian: advisor to King Triton
Flounder: Ariel’s best friend
Scuttle: expert in human artifacts
Parental Guidelines
Prince Eric: a human monarch
Rated G
Grimsby: guardian of the Prince
Violence: Murder is addressed through
song, one scene where Chef Louis attacks Sebastian
Ursula: the sea witch, sister of King Triton
Language: the word “damn” is used in
one instance
Flotsam & Jetsam: Ursula’s henchmen
Windward & leeward: heralds in King Triton’s
Drugs/Alcohol: N/A
court
Sexual Content: N/A
Chef Louis: the palace chef
Princesses: potential mates for Prince Eric
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Synopsis
Act I
den. Ariel rushes off, upset, and King Triton assigns Sebastian, whom Ariel made a laughThe story opens with Prince Eric, his adviser
ingstock because of her absence at the conGrimsby, and sailors aboard a ship at sea, dis- cert, to watch over Ariel and make sure she
cussing the "mythical" merfolk that supposedly doesn't get into any trouble. Ariel sits alone in
live under the sea. Grimsby tries to tell Eric that her grotto, which contains her collection of huhe must return to court to fulfill his birthright as man things, and sings about how she does not
king. However, Eric hears a beautiful voice and believe humans are so bad ("Part of Your
commands it to be followed ("Fathoms Below"). World").
Deep on the ocean floor in the merfolk's kingAriel and Flounder meet Scuttle at the surface
dom, a concert in honor of a defeated coup d'é- to see Prince Eric's ship and the people on it up
tat by Ursula is underway, being performed by close. Grimsby tries to reason with Eric telling
the daughters of Triton the sea king. King Trihim he must find a bride and take his place as
ton's court composer, Sebastian has composed king. A storm suddenly hits, and Eric is tossed
a song for his seven girls to perform
overboard. He almost drowns, but Ariel saves
("Daughters of Triton"). However, the youngest him and drags him to shore. Ariel realizes that
mermaid princess, Ariel, is not there for her so- she is falling in love with him, and vows to
lo, bringing the concert to a grinding halt. Ariel somehow find a way to be with him ("Part of
has forgotten about the concert entirely, and is Your World (Reprise)").
swimming around the surface, admiring her
new found item, a fork. She reveals that she is Ariel returns to her underwater home, and her
changed behavior makes her sisters and
fascinated with the human world ("The World
Flounder suspect that she's fallen in love
Above"). Together with her best friend Floun("She's in Love"). On land, Eric is determined to
der, Ariel visits Scuttle and his fellow seagulls
to ask about the human things she's collected, the find the woman who saved his life, but the
only clue he has is "Her Voice". He and Grimsand he explains them somewhat erroneously
by come up with the idea of holding a ball
("Human Stuff").
where foreign princesses will sing to him in
Elsewhere, the sea witch Ursula is planning re- hopes that one will be the girl for whom he is
venge against her brother, King Triton. She ex- looking.
plains that she was banished from the palace
King Triton learns that Ariel has saved a hubecause she used black magic, and tells her
minions Flotsam and Jetsam to keep an eye on man, and confronts her about what happened
her lovely young niece, whom she thinks will be to her mother ("The World Above (Reprise)").
the key to getting the crown and trident ("I Want As Ariel and Triton quarrel, Triton uses his trident to destroy Ariel's human collection. Sebasthe Good Times Back").
tian arrives and tries to comfort Ariel.
When Ariel returns home, she is berated by
with Sebastian for slipping out the truth to her
King Triton, who is angered to learn that she
father, Ariel decides to run away. Sebastian
has been on the surface again as contact betries reason with Ariel by pointing out the wontween the merfolk and human world is forbid7
Synopsis (cont.)
ders of the undersea world ("Under the Sea").
As all the sea creatures join in the jamboree,
Ariel swims away with Flounder. As she tries to
run away, she is stopped by Flotsam and Jetsam. They sweet talk her into seeking help
from Ursula ("Sweet Child").
to the palace ("Beyond My Wildest Dreams").
That night Chef Louis cooks dinner for Ariel,
Grimsby, and Eric. He almost cooks Sebastian
for the grand finale, but he manages to escape
as Louis, the other chefs, and the maids start
chasing after him ("Les Poissons"/"Les PoisAriel goes to Ursula, who presents a deal: Ariel sons (Reprise)"). Later, Eric takes Ariel to the
will be turned into a human for three days, dur- ballroom and teaches her to dance ("One Step
ing which she has to get the kiss of true love
Closer"). Meanwhile, Ursula is anxiously
from Eric. If she does, she will be human perwaiting for the three days to end and sends
manently; if not, her soul will belong to Ursula
Flotsam and Jetsam to hurry things along ("I
and she will spend eternity in her "watery hell
Want The Good Times Back (Reprise)").
soaked lair." As payment for the deal, Ariel will The next evening, after taking Ariel on a tour of
have to give up her voice, which would stay
the kingdom, Eric takes Ariel on a quiet boat
safe in Ursula's magic shell. Ariel is unsure
ride through a lagoon. Sebastian and Scuttle
about this because of her father telling her that
the shell was the fragile life source of Ursula's
witchcraft. However, Ursula says it is something she carries stuff inside ("Poor Unfortunate
Souls"). Ariel signs the agreement with the ink
from her aunt's tentacles. She sings into the
shell and swims up to the surface. During this
time, Ursula's spell takes effect, and Ariel is
transformed into a human.
Act II
Sebastian and Flounder bring Ariel, newly human and mute, to the shore. Scuttle and the
seagulls give her a pep talk to bring her spirits
up and get her used to her new legs
("Positoovity"). Thinking Ariel is being attacked
by seagulls, Eric chases them off. When Ariel
tries to speak with him, she realizes she cannot
talk. Eric brings Ariel back to his palace, where
the head mistress, Carlotta and the maids
bathe and dress Ariel nicely for her night out
with the prince. Ariel is fascinated by the human world she finds herself in and the maids
wonder why Prince Eric would bring such a girl
Jessica Grové as Ariel in Theatre Under The Stars’ production
of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Photo by Bruce Bennett
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watch anxiously, waiting for them to kiss. Sebastian and some of the lagoon animals try to
create a romantic atmosphere for Eric to kiss
Ariel ("Kiss the Girl"). Just before they kiss,
Flotsam and Jetsam give the boat an "electric
shock" and swim away gloating ("Sweet Child
(Reprise)"). As the second day ends, Sebastian
gives Ariel a pep talk in order to help her get
the prince the next day. Carlotta arrives to get
Ariel ready for bed and tells her about the singing contest which is to be held the next day. As
Ariel wishes she could tell Eric everything Triton worries about where his daughter has
gone, Sebastian is concerned for Ariel since
her time as a human is almost up, and Eric still
dreams of finding the girl who saved him even
though he does not want to lose Ariel ("If Only Quartet"). Afterwards, Sebastian returns to the
sea and rehearses his apology and explanation
to King Triton. Sebastian and Flounder tell an
angry King Triton about Ariel's deal with Ursula.
Fearful for his daughter's life, Triton races off to
find her.
Triton with a wave of the trident. Eric's ship arrives and Ursula uses the trident to raise the
sea level higher, having Eric's interference out
of the way. While she is distracted, Ariel then
grabs the magic shell, regains her voice, and
threatens to smash the shell. Terrified, Flotsam
and Jetsam swim away. Ursula begins to sweet
talk her niece, saying she can turn her human
again and reunite her with her prince. Ariel
starts to believe her and begins to hand the
shell over. Believing the shell is within her
grasp, Ursula tells Ariel that since they have
proven the princess was not a "daddy's girl" anymore, Triton will rot on the ocean floor forever
and Ariel will trust her instead. Furious, Ariel
yanks the shell away and smashes it, which destroys Ursula. Triton reappears and is reunited
with his daughter.
Triton soon realizes that he must let Ariel go
and transforms her back into a human ("If Only
(Reprise)"). Ariel and Eric are reunited on the
beach and Eric and Grimsby are introduced to
King Triton. In honor of his daughter, Triton declares peace between the humans and merfolk.
Ariel and Eric are married and sail away happily on a ship ("Finale").
On Ariel's last day as a human the contest
takes place. All of the foreign princesses sing
to Eric to see if he can recognize the girl for
whom he is looking ("The Contest"). All of them
fail to do so. Ariel chooses at that moment to
dance for him, and Eric picks her. Ursula then
appears, floods the ballroom, and tells Ariel
that the sun has set and she has lost. Flotsam
and Jetsam grab Ariel and take her back to the
sea.
King Triton arrives to confront his sister and
rescue Ariel, who has returned to her mermaid
form. He agrees to take Ariel's place, and Ursula celebrates her victory as she claims the trident and declares herself queen ("Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise)"). She banishes
Synopsis provided by : http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/The_Little_Mermaid_
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Meet the cast!
Jessica Grové* (Ariel) Broadway: A Little Night Music, Sunday In The
Park With George, Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy), Les Misérables (Eponine), The Wizard Of Oz (Dorothy) at Madison Square Garden
and National Tour with Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt. Regional: She
Loves Me (Amalia -CT Critics Circle Nomination), The Fantasticks, Oklahoma! (Laurey) , Guys And Dolls (Sarah Brown), Evita (Eva). Off Broadway: Busker Alley, Transport (World Premiere), Anne Of Green Gables,
Evening Primrose. Please visit www.jessicagrove.com and follow Jessica
on Twitter @JessicaGroVAY.
Matt Allen* (Scuttle) Broadway: The Wedding Singer (u/s Sammy), Oklahoma! (u/s Will Parker), Annie Get Your Gun (u/s Charlie Davenport). National Tours: Billy Elliot, Spamalot (u/s Sir Robin, Patsy, Prince Herbert),
The Producers, Annie Get Your Gun. Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse Honeymoon in Vegas (u/s Tony Rocky/Roy Bacon), Mermaid (Scuttle) also
at PCLO, KC Starlight, Dallas Summer Musicals; North Shore - A Christmas Carol (Jacob Marley-IRNE Nomination); Ogunquit Playhouse - Buddy
Holly (Hipockets, MC).
Joseph Gaitens (Flounder) Joseph Gaitens is thrilled and honored to be
back on stage with NCT! Previous NCT productions: Les Miserables
(Ensemble; Gavroche U/S) and Oliver! (Fagin’s Gang; Workhouse Boy;
Dodger U/S). Joseph has also appeared in NCT Conservatory's STAS production of Jesus Christ Superstar (Apostle), in Cary Players' A Christmas
Story (Ralphie), and in several Cary Applause! productions.
Ellen Harvey* (Ursula) Broadway: Phantom of the Opera (Madame Giry),
How To Succeed in Business (Miss Jones, opposite Daniel Radcliffe), The Music Man, Thou Shalt Not. Shakespeare in the Park: Into The Woods
(Cinderella’s Stepmother). National Tours: Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew, Helen Hayes nomination), Disney’s High School Musical (Ms. Darbus), Mamma
Mia (Tanya), and Sunset Boulevard. Regional favorites: Animal Crackers (Mrs.
Rittenhouse, Williamstown Theater Festival), Phantom (Carlotta, N.C. Theatre), Annie (Ms. Hannigan, Casa Manana), and No,No,Nanette (Lucille, Goodspeed). Proud dog owner! Film, TV and everything else: www.ellenharvey.net
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Dirk Lumbard* (Grimsby) loves being back at North Carolina Theatre after
appearing in their productions of Les Miserables, CATS, Drowsy Chaperone,
Legally Blonde The Musical, Oliver, and Hairspray. Broadway productions
include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Imaginary Friends, Music Man, On Your
Toes, Barnum, and Sugar Babies. National tours include Wizard of Oz
(Jefferson Award), Crazy for You, and Grand Hotel. He also worked in Canada’s Stratford Theatre in Music Man (Stage Door Award), Titus Andronicus, Kiss Me Kate, and Comedy of Errors. Television productions he’s taken part in include Deadline (NBC), Home Improvement
(ABC), and Alice in Wonderland (PBS). Proud to be a part on ECU’s School of Theatre and Dance
Faculty.
Alan Mingo Jr.* (Sebastian) Original Broadway cast member of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Broadway:The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), RENT (Tom Collins). National Tours: Shrek The Musical (Donkey), Hairspray (Seaweed), The
Lion King (Simba), RENT (Tom Collins) Regional: Pirates! (Sergeant) -The Muny,
Once On This Island (Papa Ge) -Paper Mill Playhouse, A Christmas Story: The
Musical -Kansas City Rep., The Wiz -La Jolla Playhouse TV/Film: Frasier, Law &
Order, Tears of the Sun M.F.A.: UC, Irvine. www.alanmingo.com
Kevyn Morrow* (King Triton) Last seen at NCT in Driving Miss Daisy with Sandy
Duncan. Broadway original casts:The Scarlet Pimpernel, Dream, Smokey Joe's
Café, Leader of the Pack. Dreamgirls (1987 revival), A Chorus Line (1990 closing). West End: 125th Street, Ragtime- Olivier Best Actor Nom. Off-Broadway:
Boys in the Band, Blue. Regional: The Whipping Man, It's A Wonderful Life, Gem
of the Ocean, Stormy Weather, First Wives Club-NAACP Best Actor Nom., Race,
Radio Golf,Les Misérables (Javert), Xanadu, The Pajama Game (Sid), The Three
Musketeers (Aramis), Five Guys Named Moe, Thunder Knockin’.., Our
Town,Tambourines to Glory-Helen Hayes Award Best Actor Nom. Film:The
Trade, Stayin’ Alive. Television: Kennedy Center Honors (featured), Half-Sharepilot(series regular).Guest spots- Hostages,The Good Wife, Elementary, Law & Order, Coach, Murphy Brown. Recurring spots- Person of Interest, Hope and Faith, Ed, One Life.., Kidsworld (Host).
Ian Parmenter* (Prince Eric) is incredibly honored to be returning to NCT for The
Little Mermaid. Most recently, he appeared in their productions of Les Misérables
(Combeferre) and CATS (Munkustrap). Other favorite roles include Oklahoma
(Curly), Into The Woods (Cinderella's Prince), and Grease (Danny). He is a proud
member of Actor's Equity and a graduate of UC Irvine.
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The Artists Behind NC Theatre
CASEY HUSHION (Artistic Director) is proud to be the Artistic Director of North Carolina
Theatre, where she has directed 18 productions. Casey was the Associate Director of Elf (2012,
2010). She was also was the Assistant Director of In The Heights, both on Broadway and the National Tour. She had the pleasure of Assistant Directing the Broadway, West End and the National
Tour productions of The Drowsy Chaperone. Other Broadway credits include: To Be or Not To
Be (Manhattan Theatre Club) and Good Vibrations. She also directed the Off-Broadway run of Fat
Camp last spring. Casey has worked as the Associate Director on Anyone Can Whistle at City Center Encores, as well as on Minsky’s at the Ahmanson Theatre. A graduate of New York University,
Casey has worked at regional theatres such as North Shore Music Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse,
Papermill Playhouse, Casa Manana, Music Theatre of Wichita and Goodspeed Opera House, where
she was also on staff as their New Works Scout. Active in the development of new musicals, she
has directed for festivals such as the New York Music Theatre Festival and the National Alliance for
Musical Theatre. With the Boston Pops, Casey has directed concert versions of Carousel and of A
Little Night Music. Casey just finished directing a production of How To Succeed In Business at both
Riverside Theatre and Walnut Street Theatre. This fall, Casey directed the critically acclaimed production of NERDS at the Philadelphia Theatre Company which hopes to open on Broadway this
year.
JENNIFER WERNER (Director) Jennifer is the Associate Director of the Tony Award winning “The Book of Mormon.” Also ”The Most Happy Fella,” “Follies” (City Center/Encores!),
and “Robin and the 7 Hoods” (Old Globe). Jennifer’s diverse body of work as a choreographer includes “The Black Suits” (CTG/LA), NFL National commercials; ABC’s Upfronts, “As Long As We
Both Shall Laugh” (Roundabout); Drama League Awards, “My Fair Lady” (Ogunquit); “Phantom” (NC
Theatre); “A Wonderful Life”(Engeman), and numerous Regional/International productions
of “Cabaret.” New work Off-Broadway : “Bloodsong of Love” (Ars Nova),“The Plant That Ate Dirty
Socks” (Lucille Lortel), “ReWrite” (Urban Stages), and “Things to Ruin” (Second Stage). Jennifer is
a Charlotte native and UNC-Chapel Hill graduate.
BRIAN J. MARCUM (Choreographer) Dir./Chor. credits: ELF - The Musical (Asso.
Chor.), She Loves Me (Alpine Theatre Project), A Grand Night For Singing (ATP), Pirates
of Penzance(Summer Repertory Theatre) A Chorus Line (SRT) Shrek (Chor. SRT), Little Shop of
Horrors(Chor. ATP) The Little Mermaid (Lyric Theatre OKC) Performing Credits:
B’way: Fascinating Rhythm, Saturday Night Fever, 42nd Street, The Boy from Oz, The Drowsy
Chaperone,Spamalot. Currently Associate Professor of Dance at Oklahoma City University.
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Student Activities
Summarize and Review
Summarize Summarize what you just watched! Use the five W’s to write
out the main points of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, as you saw onstage. Try
to be very concise, fitting each main point in one bubble.
who?
where?
what?
when?
why?
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Student Activities
The Little Mermaid: A Timeline
1837
Hans Christian Anderson wrote the fairy
tale, “The Little Mermaid”
1872
Anderson’s fairy tale is translated into
English by H.P. Paull
1957
Germaine Tailleferre wrote La Petite Sirèn, an
opera based off The Little Mermaid
1961
Shirley Temple broadcast a TV version of
“The Little Mermaid” starring Shirley Temple
1989
Walt Disney Pictures produced their famous
animated film adaptation
2008
The stage production of Disney’s The Little
Mermaid debuted on Broadway
2014
NC Theatre’s regional premiere of Disney’s
The Little Mermaid!
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Student Activities
Compare and Contrast
Compare and Contrast Read the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale online
and watch the animated Disney film of The Little Mermaid. How are they
similar to and different from one another? How are they each similar to and
different from the NC Theatre production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid? Fill
out your thoughts on the diagram below!
NC Theatre
Disney Film
Fairy Tale
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Student Activities
Under the Sea
Did you know?
There are millions of sea creatures around the
world! Our friends Sebastian the crab and Flounder are just two of the
many species you can find under the sea.
Research it!
Pick a sea creature from the list below, and
find all the information you can about it! Then write a list of your 10
favorite facts about your creature. Check out the example below!
Crab Fact Sheet
Pick one:
1) Crabs live in all types of water and on land, and spend
most of their time in freshwater.
Anemone
2) Crabs live from 8 to 13 years
Barracuda
3) Crabs have teeth in their stomachs
Clam
4) A group of crabs is a called a cast
Eel
5) Crabs have eyes on short stalks
Guppy
6) Crabs can be as small as a few millimeters and as big as
13 feet
Plankton
7) Crabs often walk to one side or backwards
8) There are over 4,500 types of crabs
9) Crabs have an external shell called an exoskeleton to
protect their soft bodies
10) Crabs breath using gills, so they stay close to water
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Seahorse
Sea Urchin
Squid
Stingray
Student Activities
Write your Own!
Mermaids People around the world have many different beliefs and stories about
mermaids. Mermaids appear in mythology and legends from many different nations.
Research these different stories, then write your own! Fill out the outline below to get
you started.
Characters
Beginning
The Conflict/Problem
The Solution
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NC Theatre and Beyond
Trivia
See how much you know about NC Theatre and Disney’s The
Little Mermaid, or fill in the blanks with your best guess!
NC Theatre
2. There are approximately ________ people in the cast, crew, orchestra, and creative team directly involved in every performance of NC
Theatre’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid
3. NC Theatre is celebrating its ______ anniversary!
4. NC Theatre has produced more than ______ shows and has held
over ________ performances.
The Little Mermaid
1. The song ____________ was almost cut from the Disney animated
film The Little Mermaid because children seemed restless during it at
an early screening of the movie.
2. Originally, Sebastian was supposed to have a(n) __________ accent rather than a Jamaican one.
3. The Little Mermaid was the first animated feature to be nominated
for a _____________ Golden Globe Award, and received ___ other
nominations as well.
4. The original stage production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid used
__________ shoes to make the actors appear underwater.
5. The Broadway production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid ran for a
total of _____ previews and _______ performances.
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NC Theatre: 1. Half a million dollars 2. 90 people 3. 30th anniversary 4. 100 shows; 1,000 performances
The Little Mermaid: 1. “Part of Your World” 2. English accent 3. Best Motion Picture; 3 4. Heely 5. 50; 685
1. NC Theatre’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid cost over
$__________ to produce
NC Theatre and Beyond
Making a Musical: Index of Terms
Actor’s Equity Association - a labor union that represents American theatre actors and stage managers.
Founded in 1913, the union provides a variety of benefits and protections for members, including health insurance, a minimum salary and many others. Under an agreement with the Actors' Equity Association, NC Theatre is committed to hiring a significant number of Equity performers for each production.
Broadway - located in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Broadway is considered the highest level of
commercial, or for-profit, theatre in addition to the West End in London. Broadway theatre includes any theatrical performance presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500+ seats that is located in the Theatre District. The Broadway League is a trade organization that works with theatrical unions such as Actor’s
Equity Assoc. (see above) to negotiate contracts and promote Broadway theatre. Most Broadway theatre
houses are owned and managed by the Shubert Organization (17 theatres), the Nederlander Organization (9
theatres), and Jujamcyn (5 theatres)
Non-Profit Theatre - holds the tax-exempt 501(c)3 status and exists for the greater good of the community.
They have a mission, vision, or goal regarding their artistic objectives for the theatre or their education department. Many non-profit theatres have an educational component which serves the community, such as NCT’s
year-around Conservatory and its “Theatre4Change” workshop in the “Stage2School” program. North Carolina Theatre is a professional non-profit theatre. There are three non-profit Broadway theatre companies: Lincoln Center Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Roundabout Theatre Company.
A musical takes a ton of people working together. Just a few of them are listed below!
Composer - writes or composes the musical score. Alan Menken composed Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Lyricist - writes the lyrics, or puts words to the songs of the musical score. Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
wrote the lyrics for Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Playwright - a playwright is someone who writes plays. Doug Wright wrote Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Dramaturg - does research on a play or musical, such as references to historical background, research of
other productions of the show, or anything else that helps the director and actor understand the script better.
Artistic Director - oversees the aspects of production, maintains the overall artistic vision and goals of the
theatre, has overarching control of the theatre’s season line-up of productions, and is the primary director of
the shows. There may also be Associate or Assistant Artistic Directors.
Director - develops a vision for a particular show and ensures its quality by unifying the artistic and production side of the show. The director typically works with actors to stage or “block” the show. The director also
works closely with designers and the technical director to ensure that the production’s technical aspects are
unified with his or her artistic vision. There may be Assistant Directors.
Producer - the producer raises and provides financial backing for productions and oversees all aspects of
putting up a theatre production. The producer also handles managerial functions and hires artistic personnel,
such as the director. There may also be Associate Producers.
Music Director - directs musical aspects of the show, such as the vocalists and the orchestra.
Choreographer - choreographs or comes up with the dance or movement component of a musical, called
choreography
Pit Conductor - the person who conducts the musicians in the pit orchestra
Rehearsal Pianist - the person that accompanies vocalists during the rehearsal process until rehearsals with
the pit orchestra begin
Production Stage Manager - in charge of coordinating many aspects of a theatrical production. They are
often the go-between communicator for the director and actors and the director and technical production personnel. They ensure the smooth execution of a production. There may be Assistant Stage Managers
Technical Director - responsible for the overall organization of the technical production process, including
overseeing the implementation of the designers’ visions, developing and working within a production budget,
scheduling and supervising build crews, communicating with the director, and organizing the strike or cleanup of a production following the closing performance
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Dream of being onstage alongside Ariel & friends?
North Carolina Theatre Conservatory
Broadway veterans teaching future Broadway stars.
Classes offered for all ages!
Visit www.nctheatreconservatory.com for more information.
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