Here is a blog post from one of our dear volunteers, Kat Colvin, about her experience at South Pacific.  Enjoy!

 
Remember how I volunteer my booty off for The Denver Center, then go see a show on its opening night… This is one of those blogs.. =]

<- back-in-the-day style…

..who I must say, in person, does qualify for some Silver Foxy swoon!

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Janet Ferguson The Pillow Man…it gets under the skin, inside the head, and still takes up space there…will never forget it…

anastatiar @DenverCenter College prod Into the Woods, 1st show I’d ever seen. forgot I knew folks on stg & was lost in story. 2 sem later i chgd major

Beverley-Lynn Miller Ewers A play called The Ghetto that I saw in London approx. 20 yrs ago. It was about a ghetto in Warsaw, Poland during World War II. Disturbing but amazingly powerful.

ChrisBerghoff @DenverCenter DOUBT. truly amazing show

Paula Hillman My mom took me to see the Fantasticks at the Elitch Gardens theater when I was a kid- I see it is being produced again and is showing at the Jerry Orbach theater in New York–this shows my age, but how many remember Elitch’s theater?

Rebecca Mason Salomonsson The Denver Center’s productions of Black Elk Speaks and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.  Both of them were incredibly powerful and highly memorable.

Chris Arneson No piece of theatre has changed my life more than Spring Awakening…and I could never say it better than I put it here.

barbdignan @DenverCenter Are you serious? There is no way to select only one. Theatre has been a telescope through which I see the world.

Sheril Beech Slater The first time I went to the Buell Theater in college and saw Rent for the first time…. I have always been in love with the music and the story but seeing a big production of it really touched me.

Michelle Sarsfield I was living in NYC at the time and went to see Spring Awakening. Amazing stuff.

Leslie Shannon Perkins Les Miserables…it was the first professional play that I ever attended and Michael Ball played the part of Marius. I was mesmerized by the music and the emotion. I still feel the same way, after seeing it several more times and whenever I listen to the Complete Symphonic Les Mis on cd.

Jane Madison Movin’ Out – it changed my life.

Kyle Mangels Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, Fiddler on the Roof, Phantom of the Opera, Avenue Q, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Spring Awakening, West Side Story, Urinetown, and Rent!!!

Kim Haller I have two. First, Cats at the Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, NY. It was the first Broadway show I ever saw and I have been a fan since. Second, Wicked. There is just something about the story that touches me every time I see it.

RachelHH2169 @DenverCenter Our Town and Death of a Saleman.

Tedd Langowski It started with seeing Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd to my all-time favorite Les Miserables, I try to see every musical play possible.

Debra Rudy The Phantom of the Opera it was my First Love and still my favorite.

Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt In the Heights. A play about your own life can be fascinating. The ordinary can be extraordinary. What a concept! Thanks, Lin-Manuel.

Frank Molina I have seen many, many, many, broadway shows over the years. I lived in NYC for 14 years and frequented Broadway a lot. There are two shows that have completely floored me and left me crying in my seat (doesn’t happen very often), the revival of Sunday in the Park with George (Awestriking) and Next to Normal (which is coming to Denver in January). Two amazing productions that tie as my best theatrical experiences.

Jack Passanante Jr. In 1972 I saw the film, The Fiddler on the Roof. I was in Navy basic training in San Diego. I sat through it twice and the experience convinced me to get a theatre degree when I completed my military service. I received my B.A. in Theatre in 1979.

Hunter Gause I would have to say Annie and The Lion King because they were the first shows I ever saw and they opened my eyes to the theater and then I was hooked.

Victoria Edington A play called The Passage that my theatre group performed this last February– based on Moby Dick and using all different medias including film, music, shadow puppets, chants, and even interactive lightning to heighten the experience. And because it was only the fourth time the play had ever been performed, it was invigorating to be able to start…

Karen Gullickson Stop the World, I Want to Get Off by Anthony Newley.

Mark Mulligan A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt. There isn’t enough space to explain its profound impact. I still quote passages to this day in a variety of settings.

Thea DiBuono Hamlet by Shakespeare.

Sylvia Romo On an elementary school field trip, saw Yul Brynner (in what turned out to be his final tour) as The King in The King and I. I was dazzled and hooked forever.

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Today we continue to explore our love of theatre with more stories from Denver Center employees about plays that changed their lives. Feel free to add comments with your stories about life changing plays as well!

DCPA Employees - May 2010

Name:

Chris Wiger

Position @ The Denver Center: Public Relations Manager, Denver Center Theatre Company

Life Changing Play: The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman

Why: No question. The play that changed my life was the Denver Center world premiere of The Laramie Project. Working so closely with Moisés Kaufman and the interviewer/actors who told the story of Matthew Shepard’s beating in Wyoming was something I will never forget.

Name: Wid Horner

Position @ The Denver Center: Phone Campaign Manager

Life Changing Play: The Post Opera

Why: My first memory and probably my fondest one is my family going to The Post Opera in Cheesman Park in the summers with a picnic on the lawn. This was a wonderful family time together and I was fascinated by all the sets, costumes, and lights. Also, going to Central City to see the operas in the summer was a huge inspiration. I even became a bell ringing usher for The Central City Opera one summer. All of this inspired me to eventually get a Master’s of Fine Arts in Technical Theatre and Design and go into theatre, now, for more than 30 years.

Name: Bob Orzolek

Position @ The Denver Center: Scene Shop Foreman, Denver Center Theatre Company

Life changing play: Time of Your Life by William Saroyan

Why: When I was a freshman in high school I saw my neighbor playing the role of the drunkard in William Saroyan’s Time of Your Life. Nick the bartender was about to throw the drunkard out of the bar for the third time when the drunkard stopped him by putting out his hand and revealing the money that he intended to use to pay for his drink. Nick went back behind the bar and the drunkard slammed the money down on the bar. One of the coins popped out of his hand and rolled onto the floor where it circle around a few time and came to a stop. The drunkard’s eyes never left the escaped coin; his head slowly wobbled back and forth and came to an abrupt stop just as the coin came to rest.

I was so impressed with this 15-year-old kid’s focus and ability stay in the moment. I thought that if my neighbor could do that I could do it too. I auditioned for the next high school play and was cast as William Roper in A Man for All Seasons along with Lucy Roucis, of PHAMALy, who played Alice. 35 years later I am still very excited to be working in theatre.

Name: Dawn Williams

Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal in RENT.

Position at The Denver Center:

Manager of Venue Sales and Marketing

Life Changing Play: Little Shop of Horrors and Rent

Why:

Little Shop of Horrors – off-Broadway in 1987 with my art class from Wheat Ridge High School — the fabric vines dropped from the ceiling and it was unbelievably cool! The performance was top notch and I knew I would be hooked on theatre from then on.

Rent — On Broadway with the original cast with my best girl friend in NYC — 1996 — what a powerful and alive performance. Molly Ringwald sat behind us and we left singing “525,600 Minutes” for the rest of the night and trip to New York.

Name: Amie Cavarra

Position @ The Denver Center: Marketing Department Volunteer

Life changing play: Living Out by Lisa Loomer

Why: Living Out still haunts me. I have two young children and probably too often make the mistake of putting work or self-centered obligations before them. While it is healthy to have some personal time, sometimes I get in too deep and I’m often haunted by this play. It reminds me that nothing should be more important than our kids and families. We need to make sacrifices both for work and against work, but always remember that our parenting role is the most important.

Name: Genevieve Miller

Position @ The Denver Center: Public Relations Manager, Denver Center Attractions

Life changing play: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

Why: After my sophomore year in college, I had a grant to do an internship at an urban non-profit of my choosing. I was deciding between working for the Environmental Protection Agency or Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. When I went to meet the folks at CSC, it dawned on me for the first time that there was a whole world of theatre professionals out there who weren’t performers, stage managers or design artists. There were people who were dedicated to the business side of theatre, on selling the tickets and keeping the organization running. After my interview, they gave me tickets to see their production of Midsummer that night and another light bulb went off. I was watching the most accessible, invigorating Shakespeare I’d ever seen. I had no idea it could be done like this – simple costumes, tiny stage, but a whole world developed from the language of Shakespeare. I did not choose to work at the EPA that summer. And I’ve been an arts administrator ever since.

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South Pacific opens in The Buell Theatre one week from today!  A stunning reinvention produced by Lincoln Center Theater, South Pacific swept the 2008 Tony Awards, winning seven honors including Best Musical Revival and Best Director.  Catch a glimpse of the show:

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Summer is the perfect time to slow down, sit back and reflect on why we love theatre.  So, we went around to Denver Center employees and asked them what plays changed their lives.  We got some pretty awesome (and touching) responses!  Here they are:

Name: Sylvie Drake

Position @ The Denver Center: Director of Publications

Life changing play: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Why: A production of Hamlet starring John Gielgud totally changed my life. I couldn’t begin to tell you why, except that the transformative power of theatre hit me over the head and it hasn’t been quite the same since. From that moment on I wanted to work in the theatre. It’s all I’ve ever felt was really worth doing, along with maybe architecture, natural science and astronomy.

Name: Marti Steger

Position @ The Denver Center: Program Manager

Life changing play: God’s Country by Steven Dietz

Why: In 2005, the National Theatre Conservatory performed God’s Country by Steven Dietz as part of REP. In my mind, live theatre is supposed to make people stop and think. A viewer can experience a range of emotions: joy, sadness, confusion or anger. God’s Country did exactly that. Audiences left the show in hushed whispers, tears and sometimes open rage. The lobby was filled each night with patrons talking about the emotional roller coaster they had just been taken on. While I cannot say I liked the play, I love that nearly 6 years later I still get tears in my eyes thinking about the production and the powerful impact it had on everyone involved.

Name: Chris Ewing

Position @ The Denver Center: Production Stage Manager, Denver Center Theatre Company

Life changing play: Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas and Amahl and the Night Visitors (opera) by Gian Carlo Menotti

Why: I was an undeclared major first semester, freshman year at undergrad. I was on the football team. After practice one day, coach called us all together and said a Dr. Richard Clark, the chair of the Theatre Department, would like to speak to us. Dr. Clark was offering one half credit to anyone on the football team who would show up four times on a given Saturday or Sunday night at midnight to “strike” a show that semester. I had no idea what he was talking about. Some sort of labor dispute? Easy credit I thought. I signed up. I thought I should see what this theatre thing was all about. I went to see the college’s production of Under Milkwood on the first Saturday night I had signed up for. I was intrigued, but not enthralled. I stayed after the show and helped “strike” (tear down) the set, lights, sound etc. I had an absolute blast. We finished about four in the morning, ahead of schedule according to the staff. We used the next three hours “loading in” some of the technical requirements for Amahl and the Night Visitors. I was hooked. I later attended that opera and was not blown away but I already had the bug for the backstage aspects of entertainment production. Those two shows changed my life. The rest is history. Some of my favorite live plays/musicals I have worked on since (because I also did rock and roll, Ben Vereen’s act, Suzanne Sommer’s act and some TV and film production, ballet, dance concerts, comedians and corporate events among other things so I’ll stick to live plays/musicals) are Sweeny Todd, The Grapes of Wrath, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Love Janis, Lost Highway. Actually I could go on and on because all live productions change me in some way, mostly I hope, for the better. Nuf’ said.

DCPA Employees - May 2010

Name:

Kirk Petersen

Position @ The Denver Center: Director of Ticketing Services

Life changing play: Evita

Why: It was the first show that I listened to the soundtrack enough to memorize all the words (still know them today!) and through friends got hired on at Robert Garner Center Attractions to help sell tickets to its Denver engagement back in 1982.

Name: Mark Onderdonk

Position @ The Denver Center: Marketing Business Manager

Life changing play: The Who’s Tommy

Why: For me, it was definitely The Who’s Tommy.  Hearing that familiar rock music come to life on stage, combined with terrific choreography, lighting and costumes hit a real chord within me.  It opened by eyes to the artistic possibilities of the stage and the powerful message of performance art.  It also made me want to switch careers to the arts and work at the DCPA, and by the following year I was!

Name: Suzanne Blandon

Position @ The Denver Center:  Associate Director of PR and Publications

Life changing play: The Lion King

Why: Attending the theatre is generally so much more than just the play – it’s the entire experience. So when I brought my 6-year-old son to see The Lion King, the experience was second to none. Not only was the production terrific, but watching his reaction and engagement in the music, movement and story was mesmerizing. We both left the theatre changed and uplifted (ok, by 10:30pm he was just lifted and soon to be snoozing…). Certainly the most memorable theatrical experience of my life.

Name: Doug Langworthy

Position @ The Denver Center: Literary Manager, Denver Center Theatre Company

Life Changing Play: Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens, adopted for the stage by David Edgar

Why: Back in the 1980s I saw the second British touring production of Nicholas Nickelby and was mesmerized. The use of the large company, the imagination and theatricality, the buoyant sense of theatre as something vital and alive. I think this experience helped me firm up my decision to pursue a career in the theatre, as now I knew theatre could do anything.

Stay tuned for more stories from Denver Center employees coming soon!

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In celebration of Denver Center Attractions’ 2011 season announcement yesterday, we asked John Ekeberg (Director of Programming and Operations for Denver Center Attractions) how a show makes its way from New York to Denver.  Here is his response:

John Ekeberg, Director of Programming and Operations for Denver Center Attractions

When a producer launches a tour of a Broadway show, usually there is a year and a half to two years after the show has opened in New York before the tour is launched.  The touring show is not the same company as the Broadway engagement.  The producer mounts an additional physical production specifically designed to tour in trucks and puts together a separate company of actors, musicians and technicians.  Many times the Broadway engagement continues to run in New York while the touring production is out on the road.  In the instances when the Broadway engagement has closed prior to the tour going out, they will sometimes use parts of the Broadway sets or costumes on the tour.

The first step in booking a tour is to contact the specific booking agent that is representing the show you are interested in.  Each touring show is represented by a booking agent who is responsible for negotiating the dates and financial terms of the tour between the producer and the theatre presenter.  One of the challenges in getting a tour to Denver is to find dates when the tour can get here at the same time the theatre is available.  Because the shows travel the country in trucks, the scheduling can get complicated.  In order for a tour to close in one city on a Sunday and get to the next in time to open on a Tuesday, the distance between cities has to be manageable.  For instance, if a show is travelling around the northeast in the summer, we won’t be able to get it to Denver in those months.  It may be coming out west in the fall, but if we have booked other shows over those months, then the theatre may not be available and it becomes a challenge to get the show to Denver.  Ideally we can make both schedules work so that we can bring the show to our audiences.

And there you have it – the first step in bringing a Broadway show to Denver!

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It’s alive!  Young Frankenstein opens at The Buell Theatre in just three weeks, and our hair is standing on end in anticipation.  Here, Mel Brooks personally invites you to the show:

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Fiddler on the Roof opens tonight in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, and we fully intend to have you humming “If I were a rich man” for the next six months!  For today’s YouTube Tuesday, we bring you some scenes from the production, which features Broadway’s Harvey Fierstein:

Tradition!

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Tomorrow is the day we’ve all been waiting for – opening night of In the Heights in Denver!  This winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical is a sensational new show about chasing your dreams and finding your true home. 

This first video features footage of the In the Heights touring cast in rehearsal. These are the folks we’ll see in Denver tomorrow night:

Next video, the title song performed on Broadway by the show’s creator and star, Lin Manuel-Miranda:

And finally, the sweet music video announcing the In the Heights tour:

In the Heights plays in The Buell Theatre April 28 through May 9.  Don’t miss it!

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Originally from Mililani, Hawaii, Colorado State,  University grad Christina Black has joined up with the national touring production of In The Heights, bound for Denver.  This innovative new musical that has met with endless critical and audience acclaim on Broadway and across the country, presents a unique opportunity for a modern dance pro like Black.  We caught up with Christina while she was in Boston recently, before the cast continued on to a stint in Florida.

Chrstine Black, Sandy Alvarez and company (In the Heights)

Tell us a bit about your dance and theatre training.

I found dance at the age of 12 and after that I couldn’t stop. I trained with 24-VII Danceforce under Marcelo Pacleb for about 5 years. I learned everything from ballet to contemporary to hip-hop. I continued my training in contemporary with The Schiff Dance Collective in Boulder, CO and I also joined a hip-hop company, True II Form (Kevin O’Keefe, Boulder, CO), which taught me the fundamentals of breaking, popping and locking.  Upon my arrival to New York I soaked up as much as I could. I took classes at Steps on Broadway, DNA, Peridance, Studio MMAC and I joined the Broadway Dance Center work-study program to earn discounted classes. I was taught to go to every audition and every class possible; you never know who will be there and it may open up opportunities for other jobs. I embraced that idea and was invited to join dre.dance (New York based contemporary company) after I took a class from the artistic director, Andrew Palermo.

I have no formal theatre training, but I took acting classes from Deborah Carlson (Word of Mouth Studios) where I learned the basics of acting. I loved her classes because they were small and personalized. Prior to the In The Heights final audition, I began taking voice lessons to prepare myself. Depending on which direction you want to take your career, being a versatile dancer is important, but being a versatile performer is equal if not more valuable.

How did you get cast in In The Heights?

The first time I auditioned was October 2008.  I have to admit that the only thing I knew about In The Heights was that it won 8 Tony Awards…I recommend doing a bit more homework before auditions. After learning the first piece of choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (which was to the number “Benny’s Dispatch”), I knew that I wanted to be in this show. I went home and prepared myself for the callbacks. I looked at the website, found video clips on YouTube and desperately tried to prepare a song.

Unfortunately, I didn’t book anything from that open call, nor the next one in January 2009.  However, I made an impression on Andy, because he contacted me directly to do prep work for another project he was working on. Two months later my agent called me for a closed two-day In The Heights audition in May 2009. That audition ended up being one of the most intense auditions I’ve been on. The first day we learned all the big ensemble numbers of the show and danced full out from 10am to 6pm.

The second day we learned even more choreography, sang and read sides [scenes from the show]. I was so fried from the audition process that I could barely concentrate on prep work with Andy later that afternoon. Little did I know that he was hiding the big news from me…my agent called me that evening to tell me I booked the job!

What makes In The Heights so special and why people should see it?

In The Heights is a story about love, loss, hope, community, pride and most importantly, family. There is at least one situation or character that mirrors something or someone in your life. Audiences easily identify with the show because the lead character, Usnavi, who was raised by his grandmother, is your best friend. Nina, the girl who finally broke the mold and went off to college is your sister. And Daniela, the salon shop owner who loves to gossip, is your Aunt. Not only are the heartfelt music, the seamless choreography, and the intertwined storylines of the neighborhood amazing, but you can’t see this show without having the urge to dance and sing and call your mother all at the same time.

How would you describe the style of choreography in In The Heights?  Did your hip hop background prepare you for Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography?

The show is infused with hip-hop, salsa, a bit of contemporary, plus a tap step thrown into the mix. The great thing about Andy is that he himself has a versatile background in dance and theatre so his choreography embodies all of it. He is very specific about what he wants and he can give you a detailed story to embrace the feeling behind the movement. My dance background prepared me for Andy’s choreography, as well as helping me understand body placement and the meaning of the moment.

How is life on the road?

Life on the road is what the cast likes to call “not real life.” Moving from city to city – especially if we’re there only a week – makes it extremely difficult to get settled. I absolutely have to unpack the first day because I want to feel like I’m living out of my room not my suitcase. On the complete flip side, traveling can be absolutely amazing. We’re currently in Boston and although it’s cold, it’s gorgeous! I’ve always wanted to visit Chicago and Boston and now I’m getting paid to do so! I’m drawn to the bigger cities, cities that have a history to them and also cities with unique architecture. Also, some of my extended family members who have never seen me dance before will get a chance to see the show because I’m coming to their hometown, and that’s something that is priceless in itself.

What is your average schedule in a given week?

My schedule is not nearly as bad as those who are understudies; actually it’s pretty great. It’s a normal Broadway schedule (one show a day Tuesday-Friday and two shows on Saturday and Sunday), but it gives me the chance to explore every city during the day. It’s cold now but once we get to Florida, you will find me on the beach every single day!

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