Aurora Arts Theatre 2019 'A Christmas Story' Playbill

5 6 3 5 E V E R H A R T R D, C O R P U S C H R I S T I , T X

What a wonderful way to end our production season at the Aurora amidst good friends. As this season comes to end, I am reminiscent of the many hours & days that go into any given production and all with one goal in mind – putting on a great musical for YOU. The Aurora staff and all those involved with the production of A Christmas Story have worked assiduously to bring this wonderfully entertaining musical to life.

Everyone involved in the production has most definitely enriched my life. This production is sure to bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart. Enjoy your evening!

Mary Chapa

Executive Director & Owner

Operations Staff Executive Director

Theatre Manager

Box Office Manager

Mary Chapa

Charlie Chapa

Christin Espinoza

Marketing Manager

Special Events Manager

Box Office Assistant

Dylan Rios

Priscilla Wolf

Tatiana Figueroa

auroraartstheatre.com

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Continuing His Legacy Ed Chapa was a fiercely passionate man with big aspirations and a love for the arts. What started as a simple thought shared with his wife, Mary, grew into a vision that was realized with the inception of the Aurora. The dream to open a quaint community theater on the Southside of Corpus Christi became a driving force in Ed’s life, and his dedication to the cause served as an inspiration to all he met. The success of the Aurora lives on as a testament to the strength of his vision and of his faith in the many volunteers and community supporters who gave of their time and hearts as much as he gave of his.

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Presents

A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL BASED ON THE MOTION PICTURE A CHRISTMAS STORY Distributed by Warner Bros., Written by

Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark and upon In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash “Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illionois” Director

Stage Manager

Musical Director

Debra Aguilar

Chelsea Guerra

Tanya Stegall

Vocal Director

Choreographer

Assistant Choreographer

Peter Lopez

Bryan Meza

Christin Espinoza

Technical Director

Scenic Design/Construction

Burt Baxter

Burt Baxter, Paul Braly

Light Design

Norman Achenbach

Scenic Artist

Kevin Craig

Light Board Operator

Sound Design

Ozzy Vela

Josh DeLeon

Sound Board Operator

Photography

Prop Master

Chloe Goss

Alex Chapa

Ernest Pruneda, Debra Aguilar

Costumers

Mary Chapa, Ernest Pruneda, Holly Brady, Kristine Halloway, Cast Families Tech Crew

Michael Escobar, Lilly Stuart, London Williams

Photos, video and/or audio recordings of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. Following the conclusion of our performance, an opportunity will be provided in the lobby for guests to meet and take photos with the cast members.

A Note From the

Director

Do you remember the days when, as a child, you couldn’t wait until Christmas because you were desiring the “perfect” present that you just knew you had to have? I remember those days. For me, it was a pony. No matter that we had no place to keep the horse, or that I knew nothing about taking care of horses, or that you couldn’t keep a horse in your room with you. I just knew that I had to have it, and that Santa would get it for me if I wished hard enough. We have all seen the 24 hours of A Christmas Story on television. It’s a classic that makes us remember our childhoods and those dream presents. When I was first told that this masterpiece was also a musical, I couldn’t believe that it could be as good as the movie, but I was wrong. It has all of the elements of the movie, plus some pretty fantastic music to go with it. Taking on such a large project in a small space seemed difficult at first, but I remembered what imaginations audience members have, and realized that it could be done. Casting was easy as there were so many talented actors who auditioned. Those chosen have worked so hard these past several weeks in order to create a magical night for you to remember. This was a true team effort from actors, to backstage help, to our lighting and sound people, to set design, to musicians, to the production staff. Everyone was so excited to be a part of this show. Every night that I get to see it coming to fruition makes me think back on those days before Christmas. The excitement, the mystery, the yearning. I know you will enjoy and be taken back to those days as well as you watch the Aurora Arts Theater production of A Christmas Story, The Musical.

Debra Aguilar Debra Aguilar Director

MEET THE BAND Piano

Bass

Drums

Tanya Stegall

Matthew Paiz

Lance Murphy

Guitar

Reeds

Trumpet I

Luke Alvarado

Debra Aguilar

Brandon O’Donohue

Trumpet II

Trombone

Severin Manley

John Rea

MEET THE CAST

Ilias Rodriquez

Eric De La Garza

Joseph Cable

Corrina Winkler

Preston Chavez

Dara Hasenkampf

Fowler Cable

Barbara Bebout

Laura Schmitt

Rachel Salinas

Aaron Adler

Seth Rodriquez

Hunter Holloway

Kate Connor

Kaylie Kolenovsky

Ana Garcia

MEET THE CAST

Isla Braly

August Schwartz

Emily Garcia

Ragen Maughan

Emma Schmitt

Bryan Meza

David Bebout

Niko Villarreal

Christopher Salinas

Wendy Sauer

Ariel Cortinas

Hannah Reynolds

Madeleine Lerma

WHO’S WHO ILIAS RODRIGUEZ (Ralphie) is super excited to be playing the role of “Ralphie” in this fantastic show with these fantastic people. This will be his 11th community theatre show and 2nd show at Aurora. He was last seen here in the last ‘A Christmas Story’ as Randy. He has also been in 9 shows at the Harbor Playhouse including Michael in ‘Mary Poppins’ and Scrooge at 12 in A Christmas Carol. He is very thankful for this opportunity and he hopes you enjoy the show.

ERIC DE LA GARZA (Jean) is incredibly excited to be back on stage! He is thankful for all of his family and friends that support and encourage him every step of the way. He is honored and excited to be working with such a talented cast of performers and hopes you guys enjoy the show!

JOSEPH CABLE (Old Man — Tree #3 & Understudy to The Lamp Post) is excited to be on the Aurora stage for the first time. He is glad to be sharing the stage with his son Fowler (Flick) and the rest of this amazing cast. Please feed the animals, except for Bumpus’s dogs. Those consarned cummerbuts!

CORINNA WINKLER (Mother) is a bubbly new transplant from Layton, Utah taking Corpus Christi by storm as Marketing Specialist for Jennie Dibala State Farm and volunteer with the local Chamber of Commerce.

Much like her role as Mother, Corinna’s main role in life was full-time mom and homemaker to her three lovely daughters. Enjoy the show!

PRESTON CHAVEZ (Randy) a fifthgrader, is very excited to be a part of ‘A Christmas Story’. This is Preston’s first

show at the Aurora and second time on stage. He would like to thank his family and friends for the outstanding support they continue to show as he follows his dreams.

DARA HASENKAMPF (Miss Shields) is super excited to be making her Corpus Christi debut! A native Houstonian, she has performed in and around Houston and Austin. She wishes to thank her loving husband for his support in this endeavor.

FOWLER CABLE (Flick) has been performing for the past 4 years on the big stage! Some of his past shows were ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Matilda’! He is excited to be on the Aurora stage for the first time and share the experience with his dad!

This could be a “sticky, sticky, sticky situation”!

Barbara Bebout (Mrs. Schwartz) is excited to be in her second performance here at Aurora. She would like to thank all the people who have helped her develop into a better performer over the last year. A special thanks to all her friends and family who are here to enjoy this dream come true with her.

LAURA SCHMITT (Flick’s mom/ Ensemble) is grateful to Aurora for giving her the opportunity to live out one of her dreams, and bonus, sharing the stage with her daughter! Excited to be working with such a talented fun cast and crew!! Enjoy the show!

RACHAEL SALINAS (Shwartz) is very excited to be in her first musical.

She would like to thank her family and Elena Gomez for supporting her through her journey.

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WHO’S WHO AARON ADLER (Scut Farkus) is excited to be back to perform as Scut Farkus in ‘A Christmas Story’. He loved it so much the first time, he decided to audition for it again! Aaron is a 16 year old homeschool student and working actor represented by The Blanco Agency. He is very thankful to Debra and everyone at Aurora for making him feel like part of the family. He is also very thankful to his mother whom he loves very much! She takes him to all his auditions and acting gigs! And to his dad who pays for everything (I.E. Starbucks).

Playhouse. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her passion for theatre. She is glad to be back on stage doing what she loves to do.

SETH RODRIGUEZ (Grover Dill) is 7 years old and is a second-grader at Calk Wilson. He enjoys playing baseball with his brother Zachary and Nathan, but he has always wanted to be in a play. He looks forward to entertaining you this holiday season ...

Happy Holidays! Love, Seth Rodriguez.

ISLA BRALY (Linda Rae) has loved dancing her whole life. She enjoys acting and loves musicals most especially.

Isla is very excited and honored to be performing in her first production at Aurora. She would like to thank her mother and father for their constant support, encouragement, and taxi service!

HUNTER HOLLOWAY (Goggles) is excited to play Goggles in ‘A Christmas Story’. He has done two summer camps at Aurora. Hunter thanks his friends (Arron and Elias) and family for this great opportunity.

Kate Connor (Mary Beth) is excited to be a part of the ‘A Christmas Story’ cast. Her previous roles include ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘Annie’, at the Harbor Playhouse and ‘Glitz! Little Miss Christmas Pageant’ as Goodness Gracious McCutcheon. She is very thankful for this opportunity. Enjoy the show!

KAYLIE KOLENOVSKY (Esther Jane) is very excited to be in ‘A Christmas Story’ for her second production.

She has previously been seen in ‘Annie’ (Orphan Ensemble) at Habor 10 AURORA ARTS THEATRE

ANA GARCIA (Nancy/Ensemble) is excited to be a part of her first community theatre experience and show at Aurora. She is so excited to be a part of this wonderful, talented cast.

She is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it and can’t wait to continue to be a part of the Aurora family. I hope you enjoy the show!

AUGUST SCHWARZ (Bobby Joe) is very excited to be in her first production at Aurora! She would like to thank her family, friends, and the production team.

Enjoy the show!

EMILY GARCIA (Betty Jean/Ensemble) is very excited to be in her very first community theater production! She would like to thank her mom, dad, and family for there support. She would also like to thank her theater, choir, and band director David Corkill for helping her fall in love with the performing arts.

RAGEN MOUGHAN (Barbara Ann) is excited to be on the Aurora stage for the first time in her role. She has previously been seen in three shows at Harbor Playhouse: ‘Willy Wonka’ (Violet Beauregard), ‘The Little Mermaid’

WHO’S WHO (ensemble), ‘Annie’ (orphan ensemble).

She would like to thank the director, Ms. Debra, for giving her an opportunity to be a part of this amazing cast and crew. “Enjoy the show!”

EMMA SCHMITT (Suzy Lou/ Ensemble) excited to be with friends from her last show and meeting new ones at Aurora.

This is her second show – hope you enjoy the show!

BRYAN MEZA (Villian) is excited to be back as the choreographer for ‘A Christmas Story’ for a second time!

Previous credits include: ‘A Chorus Line’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘Sister Act’ and ‘Rocky Horror’. He would like to thank Mary and Debra for allowing him to hone his craft, and the wonderful cast.

DAVID BEBOUT (Ensemble) is proud to continue his journey here at the Aurora in his second performance as a cast member. The joy of meeting new friends and learning new things continues to keep him young at heart.

He is proud to once again perform for your entertainment.

NICKOLAS VILLARREAL (Ensemble) is back for his fourth time at Aurora and second time performing in ‘A Christmas Story’. He’s excited to be back and is thankful to be put back in the sleigh reprising as Santa.

CHRISTOPHER SALINAS (Ensemble) is excited to join this wonderful cast of ‘A Christmas Story’. Enjoy the show!

WENDY SAUER (Ensemble) hasn’t been on the Aurora stage in over a year. She was last in ‘Sister Act, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, and ‘Calendar Girls’. She would like to thank Deb, Peter, and the

Chapa family for this opportunity to be back on the stage. She would especially like to thank her daughter, Jennifer, for convincing her to audition and also for being her biggest cheerleader.

ARIEL CORTINAS (Ensemble) is very excited to be back on the stage at Aurora! After joining the production team as choreographer for the last two musicals and having her one weekend of fun as Columbia during Rocky, being back on stage is just what she needed to end the year on a high note! She would like to thank her husband for all the support he has shown her and thank her kids for understanding that mom has been “working” so much lately. Sit back and enjoy the show!!!!

MADELEINE LERMA (Ensemble) is overjoyed to be in her third musical, ‘A Christmas Story’. Previous productions include ‘Mamma Mia’ at Aurora, and ‘Gypsy’ at the Harbor.

She is a sophomore at Incarnate Word Academy and studies dance at Ballet Academy for 12 years until it’s closing. She is excited to pursue her new passion in theatre.

HANNAH REYNOLDS (Ensemble) is thrilled and honored to be performing on the Aurora stage for the first time in her first community show. She is extremely grateful for this opportunity as well as her family and friends who have supported and encouraged her to follow her dreams. She would also like to say a special thanks to her theatre teacher Mrs. Davis who sparked in her a love for theatre.

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WHO’S WHO

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SUPPORT US It’s because of you the lights keep shining and the actors keeping acting.

​ he goal of Aurora Arts Theatre is to give people an opportunity to reach T their dreams and showcase their talents. In order to do this, we seek help from the community to help make dreams happen.

We would like to thank the following for their support and contributions: Charles X. Chapa & family Roland A. Chapa & family Erica & Roland Almaraz Bryan Davis Lara Energy ZAZA Energy Tammy & John Hearn Alpha Air Conditioning/Heating Debbie & Sam Isaacs

Priscilla’s Pantry David Garcia Debra & Scott Cornett A.J. Soza Erin Craig Brenda Davis Wienerschnitzel Gaylord & Sue Hoyt

If you are interested in making a donation to the Aurora Arts Theatre, please visit our website AuroraArtsTheatre.com or call 361-851-9700.

Special Thanks Holly & Paul Braly Kristine Ross-Holloway Erin Craig Rick Santana

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Piano Lessons Private Lessons (30 minutes or 1 hour) Ages 5+ No previous piano experience required

For more info, contact: Tanya Stegall Aurora Arts Theatre Musical Director

361-500-9327

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EL IELO

Suits and Tuxedos for Weddings, Proms, Quinceaneras and Special Events!

5425 S Staples St, Corpus Christi, TX 78411 (361) 993-2100