Chandra Jackson's Portfolio

FALL/WINTER SEASON

SUGAR SKULL! A DÍA DE MUERTOS MUSICAL ADVENTURE!

INTIMATE. INNOVATIVE. IMMERSIVE. INVITING.

WELCOME TO

The Wallis offers a convenient and memorable live performance experience with a central location, affordable ticket prices, stress-free parking, a beautiful campus and gardens to explore, and world-class restaurants within walking distance. The campus also hosts two bars that serve concessions, wine, beer, and craft cocktails that you may enjoy before the performance and in your seats.

VISIT THEWALLIS.ORG FOR TICKETS.

BOX OFFICE HOURS

ON PERFORMANCE DATES:

MON-FRI 11:30 AM - 6:30 PM

ON NON-PERFORMANCE DATES:

MON-FRI 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

CONTACT: 310.746.4000

tickets@thewallis.org

9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90210

THE WALLIS AND MERMAID THEATER OF NOVA SCOTIA PRESENT IT’S

OKAY TO BE DIFFERENTSTORIES BY

TODD PARR

OCT 7, 2023

AUTHOR / ILLUSTRATOR Todd Parr

DIRECTOR / PRODUCTION DESIGNER Jim Morrow

COMPOSER Asif Illyas

BEST ENJOYED BY GRADES PRE-K - 3.

With innovative puppetry and stunning visuals, New York Times bestselling children’s author and illustrator Todd Parr explores timely subjects with playfulness and sensitivity in three of his contemporary stories adapted for the stage. It’s Okay to Be Different cleverly delivers important messages of acceptance, understanding, and self-confidence. Equally whimsical and heartfelt, The Earth Book, is a sweet homage to our beautiful planet, inspiring audiences of all ages to do their part to keep the earth happy and healthy. This is My Hair is a funny exploration of how silly hair can be and to always feel good about yourself.

THE WALLIS AND RHYTHM OF THE ARTS PRESENTS SUGAR SKULL! A DÍA DE MUERTOS MUSICAL ADVENTURE!

OCT 29, 2023

CREATED BY Mexico Beyond Mariachi

BEST ENJOYED BY GRADES PRE-K - 3.

A bilingual/bicultural musical for young audiences, uses traditional music and dance from Mexico to tell the story of twelve-year-old Vita Flores who thinks her family has gone loco planning a celebration for deceased loved ones. Why throw a party for the dead? But when a spirited candy skeleton suddenly springs to life, Vita finds herself on a magical, musical journey to unravel the true meaning and tuneful traditions of Día de Muertos.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS THE YONATAN ESTERKIN PRODUCTION OF THE

JEWISH DOG

A ONE-MAN THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE

NOV 9 - 19, 2023

PERFORMED BY Roy Abramsohn

ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEL WRITTEN BY Asher Kravitz

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Yonatan Esterkin

STAGE AND LIGHTING DESIGN BY Yonatan Esterkin

RECOMMENDED FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN AGES 10+.

The Jewish Dog offers a view of the Holocaust, the darkest period of modern Jewish history, through the eyes of a canine unusually fascinated by human affairs. When events separate Caleb from his Jewish owners, he is adopted by a Nazi family and employed by the SS as a military dog, witnessing firsthand the rise of Nazism. Directed by award-winning Israeli artist Yonatan Esterkin, based on the novel by Asher Kravitz, and featuring Roy Abramsohn as the beloved dog, this performance explores loyalty, identity, and the fine line that separates humanity from animals.

THE WALLIS & FOR THE RECORD PRODUCTION OF LOVE

ACTUALLY LIVE

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF LOVE ACTUALLY

NOV 21 - DEC 31, 2023

DIRECTED BY Anderson Davis

LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE, the multimedia concert experience, makes a triumphant return to commemorate the cult classic holiday film’s 20th Anniversary. Set within a picturesque London cityscape, iconic scenes from the film are displayed on screens alongside all-star singers from For The Record and a live orchestra. Together, they reimagine the film’s hit soundtrack including Christmas is All Around, Trouble With Love, and Both Sides Now.

During its previous record-breaking runs, people have flocked to The Wallis to witness this award-winning production and its exceptional staging and state-ofthe-art video design. LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE is LA’s quintessential holiday tradition that brings together friends and family in an awe-inspiring winter wonderland, where film and live action seamlessly intertwine.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS

THE BOSTON COURT PASADENA PRODUCTION OF BOTH AND (A PLAY ABOUT LAUGHING WHILE BLACK)

JAN 13-28, 2024

CREATED &

PERFORMED

BY Carolyn Ratteray

DIRECTED BY Andi Chapman

Don’t miss this rare and extraordinary piece of theater. Through clowning, poetic text, and a tour-de-force performance, Both And (A Play About Laughing While Black) deeply investigates the nucleus of Black joy in which Teayanna finds herself in a netherworld between life and death as she struggles to help her mother cross over. The journey reveals the wisdom of the ancestors, invokes the legacy of the Middle Passage, and unfolds the surprising secrets within her mother’s purse. This unique and powerful story, rich with humor, raw honesty, and passion, becomes a brilliant meditation on how to reconnect with joy.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS TIM MEADOWS SEP 22, 2023

For one night only @ The Wallis, the legendary comic and actor Tim Meadows, one of the longest running cast members on “Saturday Night Live,” will deliver an evening of standup that highlights his knack for uncanny impressions, candid stories, and hilarious observations.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS BODYTRAFFIC

OCT 6 - 7, 2023

The Wallis, known as a champion of local dance companies, brings LA-based BODYTRAFFIC, led by Tina Finkelman Berkett, back to the Bram Goldsmith Theater in October with a program that delivers on the company’s vivid theatricality and sophisticated style. BODYTRAFFIC has earned international acclaim and conquered the contemporary dance world with its stunning performers, technical mastery, and compelling repertoire that embodies the company’s sheer joy of dancing.

PROGRAM

THE WALLIS PRESENTS

CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS: ink

JAN 12 - 13, 2024

RECOMMENDED FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN AGES 11+.

ink is an exploration of self-empowerment, Black love, brotherhood, and resilience that examines aspects of Black life that are too often appropriated, rewritten, or silenced. Ms. Brown made history this past year as the first Black director in the history of the MET opera and as the first Black female to be nominated for a Tony Award as both director and choreographer for a play on Broadway (For Colored Girls). With traditional African rhythms at its center, ink weaves together AfricanAmerican social dance, African, tap, jazz, modern and hip-hop movement to lift up and celebrate Black lives, Black resilience and Black superpowers.

Untitled New Work by Fernando Magadan WORLD PREMIERE Patria y Vida by Joan Rodriguez WORLD PREMIERE SNAP by Micaela Taylor Blue Until June by Trey McIntyre BODYTRAFFIC PREMIERE

THE WALLIS PRESENTS PJ MORTON

SEP 21, 2023

PJ Morton is a multi-GRAMMY-winning R&B and soul singer, songwriter, performer, and producer. His latest project, Watch The Sun, continues a spectacular run of genre-blurring releases and extends his considerable ambitions even further. In addition to earning four consecutive years of GRAMMY wins—Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2019, Best R&B Song in 2020, Best Gospel Album in 2021, and Album Of The Year in 2022 (for his contributions to Jon Batiste’s We Are)— Morton has topped charts and received nods for numerous BET, Soul Train, and NAACP Image Awards honoring the six albums he has put out since his breakthrough, Gumbo, in 2017. And all of this comes in addition to touring with Maroon 5 and running his own label.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS DEAN & BRITTA’S 13 MOST BEAUTIFUL... SONGS FOR ANDY WARHOL’S SCREEN TESTS

FEATURING LIVE MUSIC BY SONGWRITERS

DEAN WAREHAM AND BRITTA PHILLIPS

SEPT 23, 2023

Husband and wife Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, beloved as members of the iconic indie band Luna, perform original scores to Warhol’s rarely seen short silent film portraits, which captured Factory superstars, celebrities, and anonymous teenagers— among them Lou Reed, Nico, Edie Sedgwick, and Dennis Hopper—in mesmerizing four-minute shots. Part rock concert, part film screening, part archeological dig unearthing NYC’s 1960s art scene, 13 Most Beautiful... Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests is an unforgettable night in the theater.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: LINEAGECOLERIDGE-TAYLOR + CHAUSSON

SEP 30, 2023

LACO opens its Chamber Series with an intimate program curated by Concertmaster and Director of Chamber Music Margaret Batjer. Celebrated pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, who “plays with both technical virtuosity and evident joy” (The New York Times), joins LACO artists to trace the familial and musical lineage of AfroBritish composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and his only daughter, Avril Coleridge-Taylor, a pianist/composer who followed in her father’s musical footsteps.

PROGRAM

AVRIL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR

Idylle for Flute and Pianoforte, Op. 21

SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR

Clarinet Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 10

ERNEST CHAUSSON

Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet

BROADWAY @ THE WALLIS & MARK CORTALE PRESENT STEPHANIE

J. BLOCK WITH SETH RUDETSKY, HOST & PIANIST

OCT 1, 2023

The season’s newest installment of The Wallis’ internationally acclaimed Broadway @ The Wallis concert series, hosted and music-directed by SiriusXM Radio star Seth Rudetsky, features legendary Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-winner Stephanie J. Block (The Cher Show, Falsettos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 9 to 5: The Musical, Boy from Oz, Wicked). The evening promises a seamless mix of intimate behind-the-scenes stories prompted by Rudetsky’s funny, insightful, and revealing questions— and the music from Block’s stellar Broadway career.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN PRESENTS

LIZA & VINCENTE MINNELLI: THE MUSIC, THE MOVIES, THE MAGIC

OCT 14, 2023

WORLD PREMIERE

Michael Feinstein has built a dazzling career over the last three decades bringing the music of the Great American Songbook to the world. For one night only at The Wallis, Feinstein will present a multimedia tribute to iconic artist Liza Minnelli and her legendary father, film and stage director Vincente. From recordings that have earned him five GRAMMY Award nominations to his Emmy nominated PBS-TV specials, Feinstein’s concerts have spanned the globe – in addition to his appearances at iconic venues such as The White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House – his work as an educator and archivist define Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of our time.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS SANDRA BERNHARD LADY OF

THE CANYON

OCT 19, 2023

A pioneer of the one-woman show, Sandra Bernhard brings a brand-new, completely unique and raucous mix of cabaret, side-splitting stand-up, rock-n-roll, and searing social commentary to The Wallis’ Bram Goldsmith stage. Most recently, Sandra released “Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration” on Netflix, and co-starred as Nurse Judy in Season 3 of Ryan Murphy’s hit FX TV show “POSE.”

THE WALLIS PRESENTS

PACIFIC JAZZ ORCHESTRA FEATURING LEDISI & BEN WENDEL

OCT 27-28, 2023 WORLD PREMIERE

CONDUCTED BY Chris Walden

Catch the grand opening of the inaugural concert season of the Pacific Jazz Orchestra. Featuring GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter Ledisi and internationally renowned saxophonist Ben Wendel, this spectacular program features Ledisi’s interpretations of the iconic songs of Dinah Washington as well as Ben Wendel’s compositions, arranged for the orchestra by Chris Walden. The Pacific Jazz Orchestra is LA’s new resident 40-piece ensemble for jazz and beyond, founded and conducted by seven-time GRAMMY-nominated Chris Walden.

THE WALLIS PRESENTS

MICHELLE CANN, PIANO THE WOMEN OF CHICAGO’S BLACK RENAISSANCE

JAN 17, 2024

Michelle Cann makes her Wallis recital debut in a program of works by African American women composers. Sharing her passion for what she calls the “fantastic and beautiful music” of Florence Price, Cann will also play a suite by Margaret Bonds, the first African American to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and works by Irene Britton Smith and Betty Jackson King.

PROGRAM

FLORENCE PRICE

Fantasie nègre No. 1, Fantasie nègre No. 2, Fantasie nègre No. 4

MARGARET BONDS Spiritual Suite

BETTY JACKSON KING Four Seasonal Sketches

IRENE BRITTON SMITH Variations on a Theme by MacDowell

NORA HOLT Negro Dance Op. 25, No. 1

HAZEL SCOTT

Improvisation on Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp minor, Improvisation on Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

THE WALLIS PRESENTS FAMILY FEST

OCT 14, 2023

DEC 10, 2023

The Wallis continues to offer FREE events for families and young audiences. Inspired by our popular Sunday Funday events, Family Fest brings even more fun with various interactive activities and performances at different locations across The Wallis’ beautiful campus. Tasty food trucks and concessions will be available! Artists may include Parker Bent, Mariachi Tierra Mia, Kymberly Stewart, Spring Groove, and much more!

THE WALLIS PRESENTS AMAL WALKS ACROSS AMERICA ONE LITTLE GIRL. ONE BIG HOPE.

NOV 3, 2023

VISIT TO THE WALLIS DIRECTED BY Debbie Allen

The Wallis is proud to be among the venues and 1,000+ global artists welcoming Little Amal, a towering 12foot puppet representing a refugee Syrian child, at 100+ events in 35 towns and cities on a 6000-mile journey from Boston to San Diego. Little Amalwhose name means ‘hope’ in Arabic - has traveled to 13 countries, beginning her journey from the Syrian border. She carries a message of hope for displaced people everywhere, especially children who have been separated from their families, with a simple but urgent message: “Don’t forget us.”

Amal Walks Across America is produced by The Walk Productions in association with the Handspring Puppet Company. Amal Walks Across America was made possible with an inaugural investment from the Doris Duke Foundation, as well as leadership support from the Bezos Family Foundation. Additional generous support was provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Choose Love, The Conrad Presbys Foundation, the Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, the McMillan Stewart Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, The Shapiro Foundation, and Students Rebuild.

PERFORMANCE ART

THE WALLIS PRESENTS

ROSEMARY MAYER: CONNECTIONS

NOV 11, 2023

Connections (Los Angeles) 1978/2023, conceived by the late artist Rosemary Mayer and reenacted in Beverly Hills by the artist’s estate, will celebrate the community of artists in Southern California and their connections to time, place and nature. Several oversized latex balloon “monuments” designed by local artists will float over The Wallis’ Promenade Terrace during a one-day event.

Rosemary Mayer (1943-2014) was an American visual artist closely associated with the feminist art movement of the 1970’s. She was a founding member of A.I.R. Gallery, the first all-female artists’ cooperative space in the United States, and is known for her public happenings. This one day presentation will be concurrent with a two part exhibition of the artist’s work at Hannah Hoffman Gallery, Los Angeles and Marc Selwyn Fine Art in Beverly Hills.

ARTS LEARNING FOR ALL

GRoW @ The Wallis, an umbrella for the robust mix of education and outreach programs at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, is committed to sharing the arts with learners of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities and bringing their stories to life. Using the power of the arts, GRoW programs address important social issues and respond to critical needs in the greater community through arts leadership, learning, collaboration, and partnership.

Join us as The Lovelace Studio Theater transforms into an intimate nightclub & lounge called The Sorting Room. Pull up a seat and let us pour you a cold one for a night of unforgettable entertainment, including live music and uproarious comedy acts.

Additions to the line-up below will be announced soon!

ZAINAB JOHNSON

OCT 21, 2023

A stand-up comedian, actor, and writer from Harlem, NY, recently featured in Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch.

LITTLE MOON

OCT 26, 2023

Indie-rock band and the unanimous winner of NPR’s 2023 Tiny Desk Contest.

DANIEL VILLARREAL

OCT 28, 2023

A jazz-laced psychedelic instrumental folk-funk ensemble.

HALIE LOREN:

SEASON OF LIGHT

DEC 16, 2023

An international, awardwinning jazz/pop singer/ songwriter.

The Wallis @ A GLANCE

PARKING IS A BREEZE

Convenient onsite parking is available at 450 N. Crescent Drive and South Santa Monica Blvd. We encourage patrons to arrive 30 minutes prior to performance time to enjoy our first-rate amenities. Self-Parking is available at a flat rate of $8 for evening performances and $5 for matinees. [Please note: Flat parking rates start two hours before the performance start time. Parking before noon or 6pm is pro-rated with a maximum charge of $22.] Handicapped Parking is available for patrons displaying a handicapped placard for the same flat rates. Parking rates at The Wallis are determined by the City of Beverly Hills and are subject to change without notice.

OUR VENUE

BRISKIN BAR & THE BAR @ JAMIE TISCH SCULPTURE GARDEN Audiences are invited to enjoy craft cocktails, beer and wine before or after performances and during intermissions!

THE BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER is a 500-seat venue where no seat is more than 50 feet from the stage, creating an intimate environment for you to enjoy your favorite performer.

THE LOVELACE STUDIO THEATER is an intimate flexible space with traditional theater seating of eight rows of raked seats or cabaret style seating with cocktail tables and chairs.

QUIET ROOM The Lyn and Les Bider Family Foundation Quiet Room inside of the Bram Goldsmith Theater is available during most performances for patrons who wish or need to step away for a moment. You can still see and hear the performance in progress but the audience can’t hear you.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Your health and safety are very important to us. Visit TheWallis.org/Safety to stay up-to-date on our policies.

ACCESSIBILITY Accessible seating for patrons with mobility limitations are located in several locations on the main floor of the theater. Wheelchair accessible restrooms are also available on the main floor level.

A state-of-the-art telecoil induction system is installed in the Bram Goldsmith Theater.  Assisted Listening Devices are also available at no cost to our patrons.

Please contact Ticket Services to notify us of any special needs, so we can help make your experience exceptional.

YOUR TICKETS

GROUP TICKETS

Groups of 10 or more qualify for a 10% discount to selected shows. Contact the Ticket Services office for more information.

MONDAY MADNESS

The Wallis believes that everyone should have access to the performing arts. On select Mondays, we’ll drop a limited number of $10 tickets for purchase. Keep an eye on our Instagram, Facebook, and your inbox for the announcements—and act fast! The tickets are first-come, first-served. Visit TheWallis.org/Madness for details.

STUDENT TICKETS

Discounted tickets are available for students with a valid student ID for select performances. One ticket per one valid ID only.

CHILD TICKETS

All children age three and up must have a valid ticket and sit in their ticketed location. Children under age 3 will require a lap ticket at a cost of $5 per child and are required to sit on a parent or guardian's lap for the duration of the performance.

TICKET REPRINTS

Lost, damaged or stolen tickets may be reprinted for reserved-seating performances only and will be available for pick-up one hour prior to the performance. Please present your current picture ID to the Ticket Services Associate for pick-up. There is a $1 per ticket reprint fee. Subscribers receive free reprints.

Policies and ticket prices subject to change without notice.

LATE SEATING

Latecomers are seated at the discretion of the House Staff and may wait until intermission to be seated or be asked to sit in a different location than printed on their ticket.

TICKET SERVICES OFFICE

PERFORMANCE DATES

MON-FRI 11:30 AM - 6:30 PM

NON-PERFORMANCE DATES

MON-FRI 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

During performance dates, Ticket Services will be open two hours before curtain time and a half hour after the performance begins. Please note that Ticket Services is unable to process exchanges and future sales one hour prior to curtain time on performance dates.

Dates, times, prices, and artists are subject to change. To learn more about The Wallis' ticket policies, please visit TheWallis.org/Policies

EXCLUSIVE HOTEL SPONSOR

PLUS: Jordan Bak, Geneva Lewis & Evren Ozel, Grauman Fellow Artem Diaz Kolesov Fominyx VIOLIN, Writers Bloc Presents An Evening with Jane Smiley DAVID ULIN, MODERATOR

THE WALLIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022/2023

Michael Nemeroff

CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David C. Bohnett

CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Arnold S. Rosenstein

EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR & ASSISTANT TREASURER

Honorable Vicki Reynolds

VICE CHAIR, DEVELOPMENT

Ronald D. Rosen

VICE CHAIR, OPERATIONS & SECRETARY

Susan Strauss

VICE CHAIR, PLANNING & ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Jonathan A. Victor TREASURER

Arnon Adar

Ahsan Aijaz

Debbie Allen

Wallis Annenberg

Pamela Beck

John Bendheim

Thomas J. Blumenthal

MeraLee Goldman

Bruce Goldsmith

Carol Goldsmith

Laura Gordon

Halle Hammond

Chad Hummel

Cinny Kennard

Donald P. Kivowitz

Agnes Lew

Mark Louchheim

Sandra Barros Lowy

Linda May

Daphna Nazarian

Gretchen Pace

Arline Pepp

Ron Simms

Stephanie Vahn

Gregory Annenberg

Weingarten

Grant Withers

Richard S. Ziman

FOUNDING CHAIRMAN

Bram Goldsmith*

FOUNDING PRESIDENT

Paul Selwyn*

CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

Jerry Magnin

PRESIDENT EMERITUS

Richard Rosenzweig*

LIFETIME TRUSTEES

Les Bider | Eunice David

Max Salter* | Luanne Wells*

*IN MEMORIAM

A six-week performing arts intensive for students ages8-16!

Students will engage in daily dance, music, and theater classes while rehearsing for a culminating ticketed performance. Every week, performers, designers, technicians, and musical theater professionals will provide master classes in addition to their performing arts curriculum. The experience culminates with a performance for friends and family in the Bram Goldsmith Theater @ The Wallis.

LIMITED ENROLLMENT. REGISTER TODAY!

THEWALLIS.ORG/ SUMMERINTENSIVE

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

PRESENTS

JORDAN BAK VIOLA

GENEVA LEWIS VIOLIN EVREN OZEL PIANO

PROGRAM

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

Violin Sonata

ROBERT SCHUMANN

Fantasiestucke, Op. 73

W.A. MOZART

Duo for Violin and Viola in G Major, K. 423

Intermission

MAX REGER

Piano Trio No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 2

JUNE 1, 2023 AT 7:30 PM

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: 90 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.

JORDAN BAK (viola) Award-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak is building an exciting international career as a trailblazing artist, praised for his radiant stage presence and robust alto sound. The 2021 YCAT Robey Artist and a top laureate of the 2020 Sphinx Competition, Bak is also a Grand Prize winner and Audience Prize recipient of the 2019 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and the 2019 John White Special Prize from the Tertis International Viola Competition. In addition, Bak is a featured artist for WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab. Highlights of the 2021-2022 season include recital debuts at Wigmore Hall, Merkin Concert Hall & Baltimore’s Shriver Hall, chamber music tours with Musicians from Marlboro and CAG on Tour, and new music commissions from such composers as Tyson Davis, Shawn Okpebholo & James Ra. A proud new music advocate, Bak gave the world premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Du gick, flög for viola and mezzo-soprano and the viola premiere of Jessica Meyer’s Excessive Use of Force. Bak has been a presence at numerous chamber music festivals including the legendary Marlboro Music Festival; he has collaborated and performed with top-level ensembles including Verona Quartet and Merz Trio, and such artists as Jonathan Biss, Lara Downes, and Ani Kavafian. A New York native, Jordan Bak holds degrees from New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School, where he was only the third violist to receive the coveted Artist Diploma. In addition to his performing schedule, Bak serves as Assistant Professor of Viola at Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts and as returning Viola Faculty for the Classical Music Institute of San Antonio, while giving masterclasses internationally.

GENEVA LEWIS (violin) New Zealand-born violinist Geneva Lewis has forged a reputation as a musician of consummate artistry whose performances speak from and to the heart. Lauded for the “remarkable mastery of her instrument” (CVNC), Geneva is the recipient of a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant and Grand Prize winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Competition. Other recent accolades include Kronberg Academy’s Prince of Hesse Prize, as well as being named a Performance Today Young Artist in Residence and Musical America’s New Artist of the Month. After her solo debut at age 11 with the Pasadena Symphony, Geneva has gone on to perform with orchestras around the world, including appearances with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Sarasota Orchestra, Pensacola Symphony, Augusta Symphony, and Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra. In recital, recent and upcoming highlights include performances at Wigmore Hall, Emory University, Kravis Center, and Myra Hess, among others. Passionate about collaboration, Geneva has participated in many chamber music festivals including the Marlboro Music Festival and Ravinia Steans Music Institute. She has had the pleasure of performing with such prominent musicians as Ilya Kaler, Michael Kannen, Kim Kashkashian, Ida Kavafian, Mitsuko Uchida, and the Borromeo String Quartet.

EVREN OZEL (piano) Hailed an “exceptionally gifted artist” by the South Florida Classical Review, pianist Evren Ozel performs frequently throughout the United States as an up-and-coming soloist and chamber musician. Ozel’s playing has earned him success in several major piano competitions, such as the Dublin Competition, the Cooper Competition, and the US National Chopin Competition, the last of which secured him a spot in the biggest piano competition in the world: the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, where he participated in October 2021 and advanced to the quarter-final stage. As a chamber musician, he has performed at Marlboro Music Festival (with artists like Jonathan Biss and Joseph Lin) and ChamberFest Cleveland (with Franklin Cohen and Peter Wiley), and performed twice with the Jupiter Chamber Players in NYC who specialize in non-standard repertoire. Performance venues include apartments in Boston via Groupmuse as well as places like Boston’s Symphony Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Ozel is currently in the Master of Music program at New England Conservatory, where he has been a student of Wha Kyung Byun since 2014. He is represented by Concert Artists Guild as an Ambassador Prize winner of their 2021 Victor Elmaleh Competition.

PRESENTS

INAUGURAL GRAUMAN FELLOW ARTEM DIAZ KOLESOV FOMINYX

YSAŸE VIOLIN SONATAS NO. 4, 5 & 6

PROGRAM

EUGÈNE YSAŸE (1858-1931)

Sonata No. 4 in E minor

DEDICATED TO FRITZ KREISLER

1. Allemanda

2. Sarabande

In collaboration with The People’s Ensemble

3. Finale

Sonata No. 5 in G Major

DEDICATED TO MATHIEU CRICKBOOM

1. L’aurore

2. Danse Rustique

Sonata No. 6 in E Major

DEDICATED TO MANUEL QUIROGA

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2023 AT 7:30 PM

Lovelace Studio Theater

Running Time: 55 minutes, no intermission.

ARTEM DIAZ KOLESOV FOMINYX

(Violinist, Grauman Fellow) is a performing artist from Maloyaroslavetz, Russia. Artem is the first person in his entire family’s history to become a musician and perform professionally. At 8 years old he began to win local competitions and help improve his family’s financial situation by winning awards such as monthly stipends for young artists. Throughout his childhood Artem and his 5 brothers performed folk and Western European classical music in concerts across Russia and Ukraine. After the rapid privatization of education in early 2000’s Russia, his music lessons became incredibly expensive and often had to be paid through savings from his previous winnings as well as the money the family would make by selling his grandparents’ honey on the streets as well as by collecting and donating glass bottles and tin cans that he and his brothers would find on the streets. After winning the International Young Artist violin competition in Tallinn, Estonia, he went on to place 1st and be awarded a Gran Prix at the Freiburg International competition in Germany. Upon winning these contests Artem was invited to perform with the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic at 15 years old, which led to a full scholarship to study with Philippe Djokic at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Canada. While in Canada, Artem won the Canadian National Festival in both solo violin and chamber group categories and soloed with orchestras across the country. An avid chamber musician, Artem has worked with the Ying, Pacifica, Juilliard and Tokai string quartets, and was a guest artist at the St. Cecilia and the Music Room concert series for three seasons, where he performed chamber works alongside professional artists from around the world. While living in Halifax, he continued to volunteer at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and offer free translation services at non-profit refugee centers. After moving to Chicago to study with Almita Vamos, Artem won the CCPA Competition and performed the Brahms Violin Concerto in the Chicago Symphony Hall. Despite not being allowed to work as an international student and struggling finding housing, he was able to continue performing as a soloist and a chamber player. During this period, as a former member of the Yas Quartet he became a prize winner at the Schoenfeld International Competition in 2016 and a guest artist at Colorado College Music Festival. Currently Artem is working on his Doctorate of Musical Arts under the tutelage of Bing Wang at University of Southern California. A passionate advocate for the arts and education, Artem and his incredible team at the Wallis are developing an artistic project in collaboration with the participants from the neighborhood of West Adams. In the meantime, he also teaches a private piano and violin studio at Yamaha in Torrance, California. Artem believes that every human should have access to free education that does not only provide the necessary tools to individuals of any age and ability, but also empowers them to express themselves confidently as they join billions of humans that came before them on a journey of art-making that spans over a million years.

ABOUT THE GRAUMAN FELLOWSHIP

The Walter and Peggy Grauman Fellowship in Classical Music is made possible by the generosity of performing arts philanthropist and Wallis Ambassador Peggy Parker Grauman and her late husband, Walter Grauman. The Grauman Fellowship in Classical Music, the first ever fellowship program at The Wallis and the first of its type in Los Angeles County, will provide an annual Fellowship Award of $15,000 to advance the career of an exceptionally talented emerging classical pianist or strings musician based in Los Angeles. The program is intended to support the Fellow during the transition from formal education and training to the professional music world. The Fellow will have an inside look at how classical music is programmed, how artists are selected, how shows are marketed, and the essential role of philanthropic support. In addition to receiving a $15,000 Fellowship award, the Grauman Fellow will receive mentorship from The Wallis, including live performance opportunities, guidance related to successful auditioning, and the chance to meet with and learn from leading artists. The Fellow will also be asked to plan and implement a community-based outreach project designed to promote awareness and appreciation of classical music in Los Angeles County. The Wallis will announce the selection of a Grauman Fellow annually. Learn more at TheWallis.org/Grauman.

ABOUT GRoW @ THE WALLIS The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts believes everyone deserves to learn and grow through the arts. Thanks to a generous gift from Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family, our campus includes GRoW @ The Wallis, a wing dedicated to sharing the arts with learners of all ages. Arts learning is integral to all that we do at The Wallis: connecting audiences with the very best in the performing arts; using the power of the arts to build community and address pressing social issues; and responding to critical needs in the greater community through arts leadership, collaboration, and partnership. Our GRoW programs serve youth, serious young artists, and older adults online, in our classrooms, and in our theaters. Learn more at TheWallis.org/GRoW

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

PRESENTS

ALONZO KING LINES BALLET

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER Alonzo King

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CREATIVE DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER Robert Rosenwasser

THE COMPANY

Babatunji • Adji Cissoko • Madeline DeVries • Theo Duff-Grant

Lorris Eichinger • Shuaib Elhassan • Joshua Francique • James Gowan • Ilaria Guerra

Maya Harr • Marusya Madubuko • Michael Montgomery • Tatum Quiñónez

PROGRAM

DEEP RIVER

WORLD PREMIERE MAY 13, 2022

CHOREOGRAPHY Alonzo King

ORIGINAL MUSIC Jason Moran, Lisa Fischer

MUSIC Pharoah Sanders, Maurice Ravel, James Weldon Johnson

VOCALS Lisa Fischer

LIGHTING DESIGN Jim French

COSTUME AND SET DESIGN Robert Rosenwasser

SOUND DESIGN Philip Perkins

BALLET MASTER Julia Erickson

LIGHTING SUPERVISOR Seah Johnson

COMPANY MANAGER Brandi Williams

COSTUME CONSTRUCTION Joan Raymond

STAGE MANAGER Byron Roman

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Adam Cook

JUNE 9 - 10, 2023

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: 65 minutes, no intermission.

Dance @ The Wallis is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

INSPIRATION FOR DEEP RIVER

Over the first two years of the pandemic, Alonzo King and the artists of LINES worked in confined bubbles at their studios, in outside grassy areas of Golden Gate Park, on a farm in the isolated desert of Wickenburg Arizona, and in other locales in order to build work and not be halted or harmed by the pandemic. Deep River is the result of three years of working in designated time periods in unusual settings.

Along with the compositions of Jason Moran, and the remarkable voice of Ms. Lisa Fischer, the use of spiritual music from the Black and Jewish traditions was selected to address the power of inspiration during difficulty and hope and determination against seemingly impossible odds. Deep River is the call to be fanatically positive regardless of circumstance. To bloom the lotus in the muck. And to look at one another as a family of souls. It points to the imbalance of the intellect without a heart, and the necessity to feel for others as we do for ourselves. It is a love letter to a world writhing in pain. The majority of the company is predominantly on stage, sewn through solos and pas de deux.

STAFF

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Alonzo King

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

Robert Rosenwasser

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CREATIVE DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

Jane Clifford INTERIM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Masami Kondo DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Elizabeth Lopez DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Wynter Martinez DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Tammy Lai DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Michael Tiknis

INTERIM DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES

Pam Hagen

PAYROLL MANAGER, CO-FOUNDER

Jeremy Dela Pena

PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR

Penelope Frank STAFF ACCOUNTANT

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Matthew Trevino VCIO CONSULTANT

DEVELOPMENT

Jessica Browning ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Lavanya Ganganna

DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

Sydney Hartman MANAGER OF DONOR COMMUNICATION & EVENTS

MARKETING

Jamie Lyons MARKETING MANAGER

Erin McKay

EDITOR/WRITER & CONTENT MANAGER

Mona Baroudi

PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANT

EDUCATION

Marina Hotchkiss BFA PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Jordan Wanderer BFA PROGRAM COORDINATOR/ DANCE CENTER COORDINATOR

Karah M. Abiog TRAINING AND SUMMER PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Linda Lam SUMMER PROGRAM OPERATIONS MANAGER

Mary Carbonara DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Jamie Carter DANCE CENTER MANAGER

Jamie Wright DANCE CENTER ASSISTANT MANAGER

Alexandra Tiscareno DANCE CENTER ASSOCIATE

Isadora Kolmorgan

FRONT DESK COORDINATOR

COMPANY STAFF

Brandi Williams COMPANY MANAGER

Syam Waymon ASSISTANT TO ALONZO KING

Adam Cook TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Dr. Sonia Bell MEDICAL DIRECTOR

Seah Johnson LIGHTING SUPERVISOR

Philip Perkins SOUND DESIGNER

Joan Raymond COSTUME CONSTRUCTION

Byron Roman STAGE MANAGER

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATION

Selby Artists Management

Margaret Selby, Director mselby@selbyartistsmgmt.com

262 West 38th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY 10018

EUROPEAN REPRESENTATION

Delta Danse

Thierry DuClos, Director td@deltadanse.com

102 Rue Pasteur, 16600 Magnac sur Touvre, FR

Alonzo King LINES Ballet would like to thank the following funders for their invaluable support:

Additional support provided by:

There is nothing that is made or formed without a line. Straight and Circle encompass all that we see. Whatever can be seen is formed by a line. In mathematics it is a straight or curved continuous extent of length without breadth. Lines are in our fingerprints, the shapes of our bodies, constellations, geometry. It implies genealogical connection, progeny and spoken word. It marks the starting point and finish. It addresses direction, communication, and design. A line of thought. A boundary or eternity. A melodic line. The equator. From vibration or dot to dot it is the visible organization of what we see.”

ALONZO KING LINES BALLET is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the artistic vision of acclaimed choreographer Alonzo King. Collaborating with extraordinary composers, musicians, writers, and visual artists from around the world, King draws on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. He has been heralded as a visionary and thought leader on topics that reach far beyond dance, receiving numerous accolades such as a 2020 Dance Magazine Award. The company brings new works of illuminating beauty to Bay Area audiences in bi-annual home seasons. LINES Ballet’s national and international tours allow the company to share its vision of transformative, revelatory dance through performances worldwide. LINES Ballet is dedicated to training the next generation of artists through its pre-professional Summer Program, Training Program, and Bachelor of Fine Arts Program with Dominican University of California. LINES also makes dance accessible to Bay Area adults and youth through world-class, affordable classes open to the community and free in-school education programs. After San Francisco’s stay-at-home order began in March 2020, all of LINES Ballet’s programs transitioned into the online space. The company also produced a new film series, There Is No Standing Still, which The New York Times and The Guardian included in their respective “Best Dance of 2020” lists.

ALONZO KING LINES Ballet • 26 Seventh Street, San Francisco, California • Tel. 415.863.3040 • linesballet.org • facebook • instagram • twitter

“The term LINES alludes to all that is visible in the phenomenal world.

— ALONZO KING

ALONZO KING (Co-Founder, Artistic Director & Choreographer) Alonzo King has been called a visionary choreographer, who is altering the way we look and think about movement. King calls his works ‘thought structures’, created by the manipulation of energies that exist in matter through laws, which govern the shapes and movement directions of everything that exists. Named as a choreographer with ”astonishing originality” by the New York Times, Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been guided by his unique artistic vision since 1982. King has works in the repertories of the world’s leading ballet and modern companies and has collaborated with distinguished visual artists, musicians and composers across the globe. His work has been recognized for its impact on the cultural fabric of the company’s home in San Francisco, as well as internationally by the dance world’s most prestigious institutions. Named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, King is the recipient of the NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, the US Artist Award in Dance, NY Bessie Award, and the National Dance Project’s Residency and Touring Awards. In 2015 he received the Doris Duke Artist Award in recognition of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of contemporary dance. Joining historic icons in the field, King was named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition. He is a former San Francisco commissioner, and a writer and lecturer on humanity and art. Inducted into the California Hall of Fame, King holds an honorary Doctorate from Dominican University, California Institute of the Arts, and The Juilliard School.

ROBERT ROSENWASSER (Co-Founder, Executive Director & Creative Director) Robert Rosenwasser shapes the aesthetic and artistic direction of each project at the Company, including conceptual design and production. In addition to his work with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, he has designed for American Ballet Theater, Ballet de Monte Carlo, Ballet Bejart, the Royal Swedish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey American, Dance Theater of Harlem, Ballet Rambert, Joffrey Ballet, and Frankfurt Ballet. Working with Kelsey St. Press, Mr. Rosenwasser has collaborated with artists and poets Richard Tuttle, Kiki Smith, Cecilia Vicuna, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, and Barbara Guest. This work can be found at the New York Museum of Modern Art in the Department of Books and Illustrated Prints, at the Whitney Museum, and at the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library. He has been Executive Director of LINES since 2019. Mr. Rosenwasser grew up in New York and attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Cooper Union, and California Institute of the Arts.

BABATUNJI (Dancer) was born in Portland, Oregon but raised on the Big Island of Hawaii. He received his formal dance training from Center Stage Dance Studio and the University of Hawaii in Hilo before moving to San Francisco to train at the LINES Ballet | Training Program on full scholarship. Babatunji has performed works by diverse choreographers such as Sidra Bell, Amanda Miller, Gregory Dawson, and Maurya Kerr. He has performed overseas in Japan and China and danced with Philein/ ZiRu productions, Maurya Kerr’s tinypistol, and Dawson|Wallace Dance Project. Babatunji joined LINES Ballet in 2013 and danced with the company for six years. Currently, he is a dancer with Post:Ballet and SFDanceworks in San Francisco. He rejoined LINES Ballet in 2021 as a guest artist.

ADJI CISSOKO (Dancer) was born and grew up in Munich, Germany where she trained at the Ballet Academy Munich and graduated with a diploma in dance. Cissoko attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in New York City on full scholarship, before joining the National Ballet of Canada in 2010. In 2012, she was awarded the Patron Award of Merit by the Patrons’ Council Committee of The National Ballet of Canada. Cissoko joined LINES Ballet in 2014. Since then she’s originated many central roles and guested for galas worldwide. Cissoko has given multiple masterclasses and taught classes around the world as part of the company’s outreach program. In 2020, she became certified in health/life coaching and ABT’s National Training Curriculum. Cissoko choreographed her first piece AZIZ for Ballet X in 2021. She is also a 2022 recipient of the Toulmin fellowship.

MADELINE DEVRIES (Dancer) grew up in Southern California studying at the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy. She continued her training at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School and PNBS Professional Division program on full scholarship, spending summers with the Houston Ballet, The Rock School, PNB, and National Ballet of Canada. DeVries apprenticed with the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Germany in 2012, and in 2013 she danced with the Seattle based contemporary companies Whim W’Him and Coriolis. DeVries joined LINES Ballet in 2014.

THEO DUFF-GRANT (Dancer) was born in Vancouver, Canada. He studied at Goh Ballet Academy for ten years before completing his training at the Dutch National Ballet Academy. In 2015, he joined the Dutch National Ballet. In 2017, he moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia to join the Mikhailovsky Theatre. In 2022, he joined LINES Ballet.

SHUAIB ELHASSAN (Dancer), from Manhattan’s Lower East Side, began his formal dance training at The Ailey School under the co-direction of Tracy Inman and Melanie Person on a full scholarship. Elhassan has also trained at intensives such as Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Elhassan was a member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet during their 2012- 2013 season. Additionally, Elhassan has performed with Life Dance Company, Zest Collective, Dance Iquail, and the Von Howard Project. Elhassan joined LINES Ballet in 2014.

JOSHUA FRANCIQUE (Dancer) was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He began his dance training with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater back in 2015. Joshua continued his training at the Northern Illinois University BFA dance program and, soon after at The Ailey School on a full scholarship. Francique has performed works by Nicole Clark-Springer, Gary Abbott, and Kevin Iega Jeff, to name a few. In 2020, Francique attended the LINES Ballet | Training Program for a year. Joshua joined LINES Ballet in 2022.

JAMES GOWAN (Dancer), from Phoenix, AZ, began dancing at the age of 16 at Tempe Dance Academy. He graduated with a BFA in Dance from Point Park University in 2015. James has danced as a company member with Texture Contemporary Ballet, River North Dance Chicago, and DanceWorks Chicago. James joined LINES Ballet in 2016.

ILARIA GUERRA (Dancer) was born in Torino, Italy. At the age of five, she moved to Palos Verdes Estates, California where she trained in classical ballet at Lauridsen Ballet Center, performing with their pre-professional company, South Bay Ballet. Ilaria graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet | BFA Program at Dominican University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Arts Management in 2013. She joined dawsondancesf under the direction of Gregory Dawson in 2013. In 2016, Ilaria received an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Ensemble Performance. Ilaria joined LINES Ballet in 2018 and has had the chance to tour all over the US, Canada, and Europe with the company. In 2022, Ilaria earned her Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University.

MAYA HARR (Dancer) grew up in Alexandria, Virginia where she studied ballet at The Washington School of Ballet under the tutelage of former LINES Ballet company dancer, Kristina Windom and award-winning choreographer Mimmo Miccolis. As a student, Maya was the recipient of the Mary Day Scholarship and was selected to participate in the Kennedy Center Master Class Series. Maya spent her summers with San Francisco Ballet, PNB, Ballet West, ABT and the Kirov Academy. After graduating from high school, Maya moved to the Bay Area to attend the LINES Ballet | Summer Program and began her training in the LINES Ballet | Training Program. Maya joined LINES Ballet in 2016.

MARUSYA MADUBUKO (Dancer) originally from New York, NY, she began her preprofessional training at age 15 with Premiere Division Ballet under the tutelage of Nadege Hottier. In 2019, Madubuko competed at the Royal Grand Prix in Italy, winning second place for her contemporary and classical solo. She has trained with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the Royal Ballet School, and at San Francisco Ballet School where she had the opportunity to dance repertoire including Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker and Cinderella, as well as George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2021, she participated in BalletUnleashed’s first creative project Switchback, working with choreographer Cathy Marston to create a solo. Madubuko joined LINES Ballet in 2021.

TATUM QUIÑÓNEZ (Dancer) began her training at Master Ballet Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. She then continued her training at Ballet West Academy and the BWA trainee program. She spent her summers at Ballet Arizona, Ballet Austin, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet West, and Oregon Ballet Theatre. Quiñónez then joined Oregon Ballet Theatre’s second company, OBT2, in 2019. She has performed works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Willam Christensen, Gerald Arpino, Christopher Stowell, James Canfield, and LeeWei Chao. Quiñónez joined LINES Ballet in 2021.

JULIA ERICKSON (Ballet Master) is a former Principal Dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She joined the company in 2001 and danced 17 seasons with the company, including ten as a Principal Dancer. Erickson began her career with Texas Ballet Theatre. She then danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Barak Ballet, and Chamber Dance Project, where she serves as the Ballet Master as well. She was also a guest artist with Suzhou Ballet in 2018 and with LINES Ballet during the 2019/20 season. As a choreographer, Julia has created works for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, and The Dancers’ Trust Fund, among others. She trained on scholarship with Pacific Northwest Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet School. She is a member of the ballet faculty at Point Park University and is also a writer and entrepreneur.

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

AN EVENING WITH AUTHOR JANE SMILEY

MODERATED BY DAVID ULIN

JUNE 15, 2023 AT 7:00 PM

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

JANE SMILEY is the author of numerous novels, including A Thousand Acres, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and the Last Hundred Years Trilogy: Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age. Her novel Horse Heaven was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, and Some Luck was longlisted for the National Book Award. Most recently, she authored The Questions That Matter Most: Reading, Writing, and the Exercise of Freedom, a book that reflects on the literature that has meant the most to her. From Icelandic sagas to Mark Twain, from Little Women to Jessica Mitford and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Smiley explores what connects us to the stories we love, and why. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she has also received the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature. She lives in Northern California.

DAVID L. ULIN is the author or editor of ten books, including Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles (University of California Press, 2015), shortlisted for the PEN/DiamonsteinSpielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay; The Lost Art of Reading: Books and Resistance in a Troubled Time (Sasquatch Books, 2018), and Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology (Library of America, 2002), which won a California Book Award. He is currently editing the Collected Works of Joan Didion for the Library of America. The former book editor and book critic of the Los Angeles Times, he has also written for The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, The New Yorker, The Nation, The New York Times, Bookforum, The Paris Review, Black Clock, Virginia Quarterly Review, AGNI, Zyzzyva, Columbia Journalism Review, and National Public Radio's All Things Considered.

A former member of the Board of Directors of the National Book Critics Circle and the PEN Center USA, he is the recipient of a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, a Tom and Mary Gallagher Fellowship from Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Lannan Foundation Residency Fellowship. He teaches at the University of Southern California, and lives in Los Angeles.

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The Wallis @ a Glance

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LARGE PRINT PROGRAMS

The Front of House Staff is happy to provide programs with larger print to patrons upon request.

In The Bram Goldsmith Theater

TELECOIL INDUCTION SYSTEM FOR HEARING ASSISTANCE

A state of the art “hearing loop”—a thin copper wire—has been installed beneath the floor of the orchestra seating in the Bram Goldsmith Theater. For guests wearing a hearing aid with a copper telecoil wire or who have a cochlear implant, the system captures electromagnetic waves and broadcasts signals directly to your hearing aid device. For assistance, please inquire with Patron Services.

Gifted by Virginia and Frank Maas.

QUIET ROOM

The Lynn and Les Bider Family Foundation

Quiet Room is available during the performance for patrons who wish or need to step away for a moment. You can still see and hear the performance in progress, but we can’t hear you.

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THE WALLIS IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY: ENJOY LOCAL DINING

 PLATINUM CIRCLE

The Ahmanson Foundation

Annenberg Foundation/ Wallis Annenberg & Kris Levine

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Katharyn A. Gerlich

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Bruce Goldsmith

Peggy Parker Grauman*

GRoW @ Annenberg Foundation/ Gregory Annenberg Weingarten & Family

Los Angeles County

Department of Arts & Culture

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 DIRECTORS CIRCLE

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Consulate General of Israel

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Jewish Community Foundation

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In memory of Gail Silver

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THE WALLIS IS THE PROUD RECIPIENT OF GENEROUS SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION FROM

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Robert van Leer

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

Kurt J. Swanson

ACTING CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Christine Bernardi Weil DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Joel Hile DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Erin Mahan

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Coy Middlebrook

ACTING CHIEF ARTISTIC OFFICER

Manuel Prieto

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Edward L. Rada

INTERIM CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

David Truly

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS

Michelle Wiesel

GENERAL MANAGER

ARTISTIC

Camille Jenkins

PROGRAMMING MANAGER

Meghan Ripchik ARTISTIC COORDINATOR

DEVELOPMENT

Peter Indall

DIRECTOR OF INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Summer Grubaugh

DONOR EVENTS MANAGER

Loren Hayes

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING COORDINATOR

Debra Steckler

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Lisa Cowell Shams

SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

EDUCATION / GROW @ THE WALLIS

Debra Pasquerette DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMS

Rachel Kilroy

EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER

Pat Taylor

EDUCATION PROGRAMS COORDINATOR

Will Nedved

CREATIVE AGING TEACHING ARTIST

Dan Oliverio

CREATIVE AGING TEACHING ARTIST

Michelle Rearick

GRAUMAN FELLOWSHIP ADVISOR

Annalise Englert

EDUCATION ASSISTANT

MARKETING

Chandra Jackson

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Hannah Burnett

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

Libby Huebner

Laura Stegman

PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANTS

Studio Fuse

GRAPHIC DESIGN CONSULTANTS

PRODUCTION

Samantha Else INTERIM DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Lauren Wemischner* LIGHTING SUPERVISOR

Sean Kozma* AUDIO VIDEO SUPERVISOR

Joshua Shelden* ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Joseph Skowronski*

LIGHTING COORDINATOR

Jose Miguel Cortes*

AUDIO VIDEO COORDINATOR

Joyce Maddox

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

Bryant Heatherly

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

April Clements

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CLERK

Emily Bisno

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

FACILITIES

Roland Henriquez

FACILITIES MANAGER

TICKET SERVICES

Jacob Houser

ASSISTANT TICKET SERVICES MANAGER

Tori Long

TICKET OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Eric Latham

Bradley Roa

SENIOR TICKET SERVICES ASSOCIATES

FRONT OF HOUSE

Bryan Puckett

AUDIENCE SERVICES MANAGER

Nick Johnson

Piatrice Shekerjian

HOUSE MANAGERS

Laura Long

Ann McDowell

Timm Carney

GRAND HALL GREETERS

USHERS

Ruby Arreguin

Diana Borja

Annabel Chick

Jacqui Creekmore

Hector Eribez

Brandon Fricke

Judith Halle

Ruby Layne

Adam Linde

Casey McDougal

Itzhak Matos

Charlie Pinel

James Poulin

Allie Stratton

The City of Beverly Hills collects both waste refuse and recyclables in the same container.

WARNING: The photographic or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographic or sound recording inside the theater, without the written permission of the management, is prohibited by law. Violators may be punishable by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for money damages.

* The noted staff employed by The Wallis are members of the IATSE union.

Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Bloom

Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone

Ulysses Owens Jr., & J’Nai Bridges: Notes on Hope, USC Kaufman Returns to The Wallis

& THE KENNEDY CENTER THEATER FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES ON TOUR PRESENTS

ACOUSTIC ROOSTER’S BARNYARD BOOGIE: STARRING INDIGO BLUME

ADAPTED FROM THE BOOKS BY Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess

MUSIC BY Randy Preston

MUSIC SUPERVISION, ARRANGEMENTS & ORCHESTRATIONS

Mark G. Meadows

ILLUSTRATION

Tim Bowers

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER / DANCE CAPTAIN

MEET & GREET WITH KWAME ALEXANDER ON APRIL 23!

Join us after the final performance on Sun, April 23 for a book signing of Indigo Blume and the Garden City with Kwame Alexander. Books will be available for purchase.

Joey Blakely

CHOREOGRAPHY BY Breon Arzell

DIRECTED BY

Lili-Anne Brown

CREATIVE TEAM

Kevin Alexander, Delaney Bray, Priscilla Bruce, Dominic DeSalvio, Nadia Guevara, Mark Hamberger, Michelle Kozlak, Marsha LeBoeuf, Andrea “Dre” Moore, Mark Reiter, Arnel Sancianco, Alberto Segarra, Mollie Singer, Erik Teague, Channing Tucker

APRIL 22 - 23, 2023

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: One hour, no intermission.

This production is made possible by generous support from the Nemeroff family.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

ACOUSTIC ROOSTER/DAD DANIEL RILEY

INDIGO BLUME ............................................................................................................ KANYSHA WILLIAMS

CHICKEE MINAJ/MOM LAUREN DAVIS

MISS DAIRY PARTON/SAMANTHA......................................................................................... CAITLIN WITTY

DUCK ELLINGTON/ELIJAH VAUGHN RYAN MIDDER*

MULES DAVIS/MR. WOODY JAYSEN WRIGHT

ADDITIONAL STAFF

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR /LIGHTING SUPERVISOR

Montana Kern

ASST. TECHNICAL DIRECTOR/ SOUND SUPERVISOR

Liv Farley

PROPS/ WARDROBE SUPERVISOR

Arah Slagle

ACOUSTIC ROOSTER’S BARNYARD BAND

KEYBOARD

Mark G. Meadows

BASS

Zack Pride DRUMS

Carroll Dashiell III

KENNEDY CENTER STAFF

VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION

Jordan LaSalle

ARTISTIC PRODUCER, KCTYA

Sean-Maurice Lynch

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND PRODUCTIONS

David Kilpatrick

ASSISTANT MANAGER, TYA PRODUCTION

Maribeth Weatherford

SENIOR PRESS REPRESENTATIVE FOR THEATER EDUCATION

Brendan Padgett

ASSISTANT MANAGER, MARKETING

Hayley McGuirl

TRUMPET

Joe Herrera

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION ACTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT

Vanessa Thomas

MANAGER, KCACTF

Kelsey Mesa

MANAGER, MARKETING

Steven Dawson

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Lena Salins

Commissioned by the Kennedy Center Education Division.

Support for Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume is provided by the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation, the Kimsey Endowment, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education.

°The noted staff are employed under a United Scenic Artists agreement, a national theatrical labor union representing designers.

* Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume is a professional production employing members of Actors’ Equity Association.

LAUREN DAVIS (Chickee Minaj/Mom) hails from Baltimore and is excited to be a part of Acoustic Rooster. Her acting credits include Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Kennedy Center); Love’s Labour’s Lost, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and A Christmas Carol (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company); Corduroy, Akeelah and the Bee, Shrek the Musical, The Scarecrow and His Servant, Cinderella and Charlotte’s Web (Childrens Theatre Company); Oliver! (Theater Latté Da); Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet (Pillsbury House Theatre/ Guthrie Theater); Greensboro Four and American Song Book (The Smithsonian). Television credits include “America’s Most Wanted” (Lifetime). Most recently she directed the players of Olive Branch and Laurel Crown in a production of To Be A Solider and will be directing a production of MacBeth. She holds an M.F.A. from the Catholic University of America and a theater degree from Frostburg State. She would like to thank God and her family for their love and support.

VAUGHN RYAN MIDDER (Duck Ellington/Elijah) is very excited for his Wallis debut. Privileged to have been a part of the musical’s debut in 2021, Vaughn Ryan is thrilled to share this touching story with even more families throughout the country. Other credits include: The John F. Kennedy Center: A Wind in the Door, The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963; Mosaic Theatre: The Emmett Till Trilogy, Native Son; Everyman Theatre: Sweat; Gala Hispanic Theatre: In the Heights en Español (Helen Hayes nomination); Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Black Side of the Moon; Adventure Theatre MTC National Tour: Three Little Birds; Constellation Theatre Company: Urinetown, Avenue Q (Helen Hayes Award); Studio Theatre: Choir Boy. Education: B.A. Theatre, University of Maryland, College Park. IG: @vaughn_ryan_ Black Lives Matter.

DANIEL RILEY (Acoustic Rooster/Dad): The Wallis debut. Daniel is excited to join the cast as Acoustic Rooster! Born and raised in Chicago. Favorite roles include Othello (Othello), Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Ragtime), and Narrator (Passing Strange). Jeff Award: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Best Ensemble), Silver Telly Winner: Christmas Mass at Mercy Home (Use of Music). Featured on Dark Side of the Moon a Capella (VOCOMOTION Records). Regional theatre: Nina Simone: Four Women (MRT). Thanks to everyone at the Kennedy Center. Support live theater! “If music be the food of love, play on.”

KANYSHA WILLIAMS (Indigo Blume) is a Washington Metropolitan Area native who is thrilled to be making her Kennedy Center TYA debut! Kanysha is a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. and George Mason University. Theatrical credits include: Sister Act, The Color Purple, Always...Patsy Cline, Aida, Little Shop of Horrors, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and more! Off stage, Kanysha works as a singer, performer, educator and a private music instructor specializing in vocal and piano training. To God Be The Glory!

CAITLIN WITTY (Dairy Parton) is ecstatic to be at the Barnyard. Workshops/Readings: Alice Bliss (Mark Brokaw/Adam Gwon); Funny Face (Michael Mayer/Dick Scanlan). Regional: Marvelous Wonderettes (Swing: Alabama Shakespeare Festival) Jesus Christ Superstar (U/S Mary/Ensemble: ACT of CT); Sister Act (Sister Mary Robert: Arrow Rock Lyceum); Swingtime Canteen (Katie: Arrow Rock Lyceum); The Little Mermaid (Adella: STL Variety Children’s Theatre). Music Video/ Vocalist: Break The Chain (Eve Ensler/Debbie Allen). Film/ Commercial: Stand Up (SilverArt s.r.o); Neutrogena Promo. BFA Webster Conservatory. Caitlin is a national YoungArts finalist. Thank you for supporting live theatre! Light and love!

JAYSEN WRIGHT (Mules Davis/Mr. Woody) Previous credits: The Ballad of Emmett Till, That Summer in Sumner, and Benevolence (Mosaic Theater); Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (5th Avenue); Choir Boy (Marin Theatre and Studio Theatre productions); I Hate it Here, Wig Out!, and Rocky Horror (Studio Theatre); The Royale (Olney Theatre and 1st Stage co-production); Take Me Out and Now Comes the Night (1st Stage); Smart People and Jubilee (Arena Stage); The Importance of Being Earnest (Everyman Theatre); Actually and Sons of the Prophet (Theater J); Macbeth (Folger Theatre); The Wiz and A Christmas Carol (Ford’s Theatre); Measure for Measure, Wallenstein, and Coriolanus (Shakespeare Theatre); and Looking for Roberto Clemente, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Anatole, and Davy Copperfield (Imagination Stage). Jaysen is an adjunct professor of theater at The George Washington University where he teaches acting. Education: MFA in Acting from Indiana University, BA in Theatre form Grinnell College.

Instagram: @thejayceface; www.jaysenwright.com

KWAME ALEXANDER (Author) has written 37 books, three of them in a chair next to a fireplace at his neighborhood Panera Bread. He now writes in a penthouse in London, where he lives. But, he misses the writing studio he built in Virginia a few years ago. It has huge windows, a large painting of John Coltrane, 3000 books, heated floors, a blue couch, and a loft which was Randy’s idea. Kwame has eaten snails, chocolate covered bugs, and grasscutter, which is like a big rat, which he had no idea he was eating because it was in a really tasty stew he ate in Ghana while building a library and a health clinic in a village called Konko. He’s never eaten frogs. But, he has written a book about them called Surf’s Up. And, some other books you may have heard of like The Crossover and The Door of No Return, and How to Read a Book, all New York Times Bestsellers, which his Dad likes to brag about in grocery stores and doctor’s offices. Oh he also wrote the book this musical is based on: ACOUSTIC ROOSTER’S BARNYARD BAND. Kwame loves jazz. Kwame loves his family. Kwame loves his job. Part of Kwame’s job is to write and produce the Disney Plus TV series based on his novel The Crossover. The other part of Kwame’s job is to Change the World One Word at a Time. Oh yeah, he also won the Newbery Medal. Whoa!

MARY RAND HESS (Playwright) is a poet, playwright, screenwriter, and New York Times bestselling author of notable and award-winning books such as Solo (CABA Honor Book and NAACP Image Award Finalist) and Swing, coauthored with Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander, The One and Only Wolfgang: From Pet Rescue to One Big Happy Family, written with Steve Greig of @wolfgang2242 Instagram fame, and the forthcoming picture books Belong and Quiet is Strength. Hess loves collaboration and is currently at work on several exciting film and media projects. Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: Starring Indigo Blume is Hess’ first musical collaboration, but certainly not her last. She lives in California with her husband, two wildly creative sons, and one quirky dog, who loves to sing while she composes on the piano. www.maryrandhess.com

RANDY PRESTON (Composer), an African Native American is a singer-songwriter, educator and storyteller, was raised and educated in the UK and Kenya. He taught English literature for 18 years before switching careers, spending the past 7 years touring with Kwame Alexander, visiting over 700 schools throughout 6 different countries and 48 of the 50 U.S. states. Preston starred in the Kennedy Center’s limited episode series, Songbook, where he wrote and sang songs with selected young poets. Songbook debuts in 2023. He recently signed a two-book deal with Penguin Books, and is eagerly awaiting the publication of his picture book collaboration with Alexander titled, How to Sing a Song, releasing in the summer of 2023. He was thrilled to present his original score for Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie: starring Indigo Blume, and played the role of Acoustic Rooster in the KCTYA debut in November of 2021.

LILI-ANNE BROWN (Director), a Chicago South Side native, works as a director, actor and educator, and has performed in, directed and produced many award-winning shows in Chicago and nationally. Recent directing credits include: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Huntington Theatre), School Girls, or The African Mean Girls Play and the world premieres of Ike Holter’s I Hate It Here and Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre); Ain’t No Mo’ (Woolly Mammoth and Baltimore CenterStage), The Color Purple (The Muny), Once on This Island (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Acoustic Rooster...(Kennedy Center), Put Your House in Order (La Jolla Playhouse), Cullud Wattah (Victory Gardens). She is the former Artistic Director of Bailiwick Chicago, where she focused programming on Chicago-premiere musicals and new play development with resident playwrights. She is a member of SDC, AEA, and SAG-AFTRA, and represented by William Morris Endeavor. {www.lilbrownchicago.com.}

KEVIN LEE ALEXANDER (Sound Designer) is excited to join the Kennedy Center’s Theater for Young Audiences on this production of Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie. Recent regional credits include Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical and Oliver (New Repertory Theatre); Day of Absence and The Raid (Theater Alliance); A Misanthrope (Avant Bard Theatre); Huckleberry Finn’s Big River (Adventure Theatre MTC); Bright Star (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma); and Step Afrika’s The Migration: Reflections of Jacob Lawrence (National Tour). Kevin holds a Master of Science in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Maryland. He is also a member of IATSE Local USA 829.

BREON ARZELL (Choreographer) Breon’s breakout, and award-winning*, premiere as a choreographer came with a Chicago production of The Hairy Ape. Detroit native, he has worked at various studios, schools, universities (DePaul, Northwestern, and Roosevelt), and theaters. Chicago credits include: Little Shop of Horrors (Metropolis PAC), *Kill Move Paradise (TimeLine Theatre), The Color Purple (Drury Lane), *Head Over Heels & The Wiz (Kokandy Productions), *The Total Bent (Haven Theatre), Marie Christine, *Scottsboro Boys, and more. Regional & TV credits include: The Color Purple (MUNY), Once on This Island (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Miss You Like Hell (Olney Theatre), ‘South Side’ (HBO Max), ‘The 4400’ (CW), ‘Empire’ (Fox). A dedicated teaching artist, critically acclaimed, and listed as one of the 50 Players for Chicago 2018 & 2020, he has worked/ toured the U.S., England, Italy, Germany, Denmark, & Singapore. Currently, along with developing original works, he is working on the restoration and revival of a historical black musical. Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Contemporary, & Body Percussion. www.breonarzell.com

JOEY BLAKELY he/him (Stage Manager) KENNEDY CENTER: 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert. DC AREA: Shakespeare Theatre: Much Ado About Nothing. Signature Theatre: No Place to Go, The Upstairs Department, Rent, Escaped Alone, Gun & Powder, Assassins, Blackbeard, Billy Elliot, Passion, The Scottsboro Boys, Light Years, A Little Night Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Titanic, The Fix. Theater J: The Jewish Queen Lear, The How and the Why, The Last Schwartz, Body of an American, Sons of the Prophet.

DELANEY BRAY (Assistant Sound Designer) recently graduated from Rutgers University – Camden, where she served as Sound Designer for Clybourne Park, Top Girls, The Vagina Monologues, and 2018 Student Directed One Act Festival, as well as Assistant Sound Designer for Hamlet and Frankenstein. Recent local credits include Round House Theatre, Constellation Theater Company, and Studio Theatre. Delaney has also worked at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s 2019 season, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Delaney would like to thank her friends and family for always supporting her, as well as every dog ever.

MARIKA COUNTOURIS (Sub Music Director) is excited to be back after working on last year’s tour launch of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. She holds a BM in Musical Theatre from The Catholic University of America and serves as Vocal Instructor & Area Accompanist for Howard University’s BFA Musical Theatre Program. Some of her credits include: WOOLLY MAMMOTH: A Strange Loop (Pre-Broadway Run); ARENA STAGE: Ride the Cyclone; FORD’S: Grace (World Premiere); SIGNATURE: The Color Purple; FLYING V: We’re Gonna Die (Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Music Direction); GREAT LAKES CENTER FOR THE ARTS: Godspell; CONSTELLATION: The Last Five Years;

MONUMENTAL: Songs for a New World, Head Over Heels, Be More Chill, Daddy Long Legs, and Brooklyn. Next up: SIGNATURE: Passing Strange. Instagram: @marikanne

DOMINIC DESALVIO (Assistant Lighting Designer) has worked on shows throughout the DC area including at The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, NextStop Theatre, Solas Nua, and Mosaic Theatre. He has also worked professionally at Shakespeare festivals, regional theaters, opera companies, dance companies, TV news studios, and live music venues across the country. A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, he was also the proud recipient of the Kenan Fellowship at The Kennedy Center. www.DeSalvioDesigns.com

LIV FARLEY Acoustic Rooster is Liv’s debut show at The Wallis. They are really excited to be working here, and they hope you enjoy the show!

NADIA GUEVARA she/her is the proud recipient of the 20222044 Drama League Stage Directing Fellowship. For Kennedy Center TYA: Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie (Associate Director), Show Way (Associate Director), Beastgirl (Dramaturg). Directing credits include: Fefu and Her Friends (American University), N (Keegan Theatre), Palabras de encanto: Tales of

Borikén (ACA at GWU), Little Women (Johns Hopkins), Guadalupe in the Guest Room, Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans: A Salsa Fairy Tale (NVA), El encuentro (Old Globe Arts Engagement). Readings: L’HÔTEL (Fulton Theatre Stories in Diversity Playwriting Fest), Azul (San Diego Repertory Theatre Latinx New Play Festival) Associate Director: Show Way (Kennedy Center, dir. Schele Williams), The Odyssey (Dallas Theatre Center/Dallas Public Works, dir. Kevin Moriarty), Assistant Director: Daphne’s Dive (Signature Theatre, dir. Paige Hernandez), Put Your House In Order (La Jolla Playhouse, dir. Lili-Anne Brown). www.nadiaguevara.com @nadiaguevaradc

MONTANA KERN A Centre College alumni, Kern moved to Greenville, SC in 2013. He has made his way as a Designer and Theater Mercenary for the last decade, and held house positions with the Peace Center and Warehouse Theatre. In 2022, Montana designed The Wolves (scenic) and Native Gardens (Lighting) for the Warehouse Theatre. Educating Rita (Scenic) for Lean Ensemble Theatre, and Lights and Audio for the Albino Skunk Music Festival. Montana is excited to be joining the Kennedy Center in his first ever touring position.

MARK G. MEADOWS (Orchestrator/Music Director) Acclaimed jazz pianist, music director, & composer/arranger, Mark G. Meadows is a man on a mission: to create a unifying sound that harmonizes different walks of life. Ever since his award-winning turn as lead role “Jelly” in Signature Theater’s electrifying production of Jelly’s Last Jam, venues everywhere, including the Kennedy Center and Jazz at the Lincoln Center, have sought him for his ability to combine the raw, spontaneous nature of jazz with the story-telling component of live theatre. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including DC Jazz Artist of the Year in 2020 and a Henry Award for Outstanding Music Direction in 2022. He has performed alongside world-renowned artists including Cynthia Erivo, Usher, Renee Fleming, Bobby McFerrin, DeeDee Bridgewater, and many more. Mark’s work exudes his joy and fosters a sense of freedom among his collaborators. Website / socials: @markgmeadows

ANDREA “DRE” MOORE (Properties Designer) Her properties and puppet designs have been on proud display at various theatres in the MD/DC area for the past 20 years (Adventure Theatre – MTC, CenterStage Baltimore, Discovery Theatre, Flying V, Imagination Stage, Olney Theatre, Rep Stage, Rorschach Theatre, Round House Theatre, Theatre J). She currently calls the Puppet Co in Glen Echo her artistic home, building sets, puppets, and props for various productions. Several of her works are on rotating display at DoodleHATCH, and interactive art museum experience in Columbia, MD - doodlehatch.com

ARNEL SANCIANCO (Scenic Designer) is an award-winning set designer and a professor of scenic design at Arizona State University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University where he received his MFA in stage design. His nationally recognized portfolio includes, The Color Purple (The Muny), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (The Huntington Theatre Co.) The Lifespan of a Fact

(Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie (Kennedy Center), Ain’t No Mo (Woolly Mammoth), Put Your House in Order (La Jolla Playhouse), Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre), Choir Boy, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, We Are Proud to Present, (Steppenwolf), Athena, A Doll’s House (Writers Theatre), Nina Simone: Four Women (Arizona Theatre Company), The Mousetrap, Photograph 51, The Belle of Amherst (Court Theatre), Twelfth Night (American Players Theatre), The Nerd, The All Night Strut! (Milwaukee Rep). arneldesigns.com

ALBERTO SEGARRA (Lighting Designer) selected DC credits include: The Thanksgiving Play at Olney Theatre Center; Quixote Nuevo at Round House Theatre; Good People at Keegan Theatre; Tender Age at Studio Theatre; El Perro del Hortelano at GALA Theatre; Earthrise at The Kennedy Center; Blood at the Root at Theater Alliance (Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lighting Design); Satchmo at the Waldorf at Mosaic Theater; and An Act of God at Signature Theatre. Regional credits include 1776 and The Gift Horse at New Repertory Theatre and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at Blue Barn Theatre. Alberto received his MFA in Lighting Design from the University of Maryland, College Park, and he is a USA 829 member. albertosegarra.com.

MOLLIE SINGER (Assistant Scenic Designer) A Christmas Carol (Chesapeake Shakespeare Co.) Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Scenic, Imagination Stage) Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Props, Imagination Stage), The Glass Menagerie (Scenic, Rep Stage) Fuller (Scenic, Duke University) Hookman (UMD, Scenic Design) Subject to Change (UMD, Scenic Design), Souvenir (Rep Stage, Scenic Design) Lady Day at Emerson’s… (Rep Stage, Scenic Design), True West (Rep Stage, Properties), The Heidi Chronicles (Rep Stage, Properties), Dorian’s Closet (Rep Stage, Properties), What Every Girl Should Know in rep with Dry Land (Forum Theatre, Properties) H2O (Rep Stage, Properties), Richard III (Chesapeake Shakespeare Co., Properties), American Hero (Rep Stage, Props), Hunting and Gathering (Rep Stage, Scenic Design), Sunset Baby (Rep Stage, Properties).

SARAH SLAGLE (Wardrobe & Prop Supervisor) is a wardrobe technician, costume designer & teaching artist from Cleveland, Ohio. Sarah has studied at the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT) in Moscow, Russia and received her MFA in Costume Design from Northern Illinois University in May 2021. Previous credits: Wardrobe Supervisor Randall L Jones & Englestadt Theaters at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Dresser at Porthouse Theatre. Design credits: Twelfth Night (Kane Repertory Theatre), Macbeth (Shakespeare at the Castle) and Bent (MUSE Theatre Collective). If you were to ask her whether she prefers teaching, designing, or dressing more the answer is always whichever she’s currently doing. Love to her family & teachers. Thank you for supporting live theater!

ERIK TEAGUE (Costume Designer) DC AREA: Blackbeard: Signature Theatre; The Kennedy Center: Acoustic Rooster; Washington National Opera: The Lion, The Unicorn and Me; Wolf Trap Opera: The Touchstone; National Gallery of Art: Color’s Garden; Constellation Theatre: Master and Margarita, The Wild Party, Equus; Synetic Theater: The Phantom of the Opera, Richard III, The Trial, Titus Andronicus, Sleepy Hollow, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Man in the Iron Mask. REGIONAL: The Atlanta Opera: The Threepenny Opera, Cabaret; The Glimmerglass Festival: The Cunning Little Vixen, La bohéme, Ariadne in Naxos, Odyssey, Wilde Tales, Trouble in Tahiti, The Flying Dutchman; Opera Southwest: Lohengrin; Actor’s Express Atlanta: Les Liaisons Dangereuses; AWARDS: one Helen Hayes Award, six Helen Hayes Award nominations, two Suzy Bass Awards, two-time KCACTF National winner. erikteaguedesign.com

CHANNING TUCKER (Assistant Costume Designer) is a costume and puppet designer and a recent graduate of the University of Maryland’s MFA program. They most frequently design for dance, including various dance concerts for Dance Exchange, the University of Maryland, and Howard Community College. They designed the world premiere of Monstrous at Howard Community College. Past design credits include Puffs! (Howard Community College), The Netherand The Burn (Montgomery College), and Risk of Play, Ghost Bride, Outbound, Flyin’ West, Corpora Caelestia, and Tides (University of Maryland). Their long-term project is a puppet film adaptation of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

bandleaders, educators and thought leaders of his generation. Yet what matters to him consistently is giving back and continuing to be grateful for a new day to make a difference in the lives of others.

J’NAI BRIDGES (mezzo-soprano), known for her “plush-voiced mezzo-soprano” (The New York Times), and “calmly commanding stage presence” (The New Yorker) has been heralded as “a rising star” (Los Angeles Times), gracing the world’s top opera and concert stages. The 2022-23 season will spotlight Ms. Bridges in one of her signature roles as Carmen with debut engagements at the Arena di Verona, Canadian Opera Company, and a return to Dutch National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. As a native of Tacoma, WA, Bridges eagerly anticipates her Seattle Opera debut in a concert performance of Samson et Delilah as Delilah in January 2023. Additional concert engagements include Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony with the Detroit Symphony in November, and a world premiere by Carlos Simon in April 2023 with the National Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Bridges’ recital engagements for the season begin with the performance of a world premiere by Jimmy Lopez at 92NY in December, and continue throughout 2023 at Washington University, Thomasville Center for the Arts, The Cliburn, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, San Francisco Performances, and the Mondavi Center in Davis, California. Ms. Bridges’ 2021-22 season highlights included numerous world premiere engagements as a guest artist in The Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Season. Ms. Bridges’ time in Washington D.C. also included performances with The National Philharmonic in the world premiere of Adolphus Hailstork’s A Knee on the Neck, and Mozart’s Requiem, and her first performance of the Verdi Requiem with the Cathedral Choral Society. She also appeared with the Amarillo Symphony as a guest artist in a world premiere piece by Chris Rogerson entitled Sacred Earth, and she gave a solo recital at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton. In June 2022 she performed Lieberson’s Neruda Songs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel as part of the Power to the People! festival, followed by her debut with the San Francisco Symphony singing Jocasta in Peter Sellars’ production of Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. She concluded her summer season singing a solo recital at Caramoor. In the midst of the worldwide pandemic, she emerged as a leading figure in classical music’s shift toward conversations of inclusion and racial justice in the performing arts. In 2022 she was announced as one of the Kennedy Center’s NEXT50 cultural leaders. Bridges led a highly successful panel on race and inequality in opera with the Los Angeles Opera that drew international acclaim for being a “conversation of striking scope and candor” (The New York Times). In early 2021, Ms. Bridges was

featured in the Converse shoe brand’s All Stars Campaign for its Breaking Down Barriers collection. Bridges also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel for two episodes of the digital SOUND/STAGE series, and as part of the Global Citizen movement’s Global Goal campaign, a program which also included Coldplay, Shakira, Usher and more. The pandemic also forced the cancellation of Ms. Bridges’ numerous debuts during the 2020-2021 season including the title role of Carmen at The Metropolitan Opera. Bridges’ 2019 –2020 season included her highly-acclaimed debut at The Metropolitan Opera as Nefertiti in a sold-out run of Philip Glass’ opera Akhnaten, as well as a house and role debut with Washington National Opera as Dalila in Samson et Dalila. Other recent highlights include the 2022 Grammy® Awardwinning Metropolitan Opera production of Akhnaten and 2021 Grammy® Award-winning recording of Richard Danielpour’s oratorio The Passion of Yeshua with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, performing at the National Library of Congress to honor legendary fashion designer Diane von Furstenburg as she received the 2022 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award, her sold-out Carnegie Hall Recital debut, her role debut of Kasturbai in Satyagraha at LA Opera, and her debuts at Dutch National Opera and the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Ms. Bridges also created the role of Josefa Segovia in the world premiere of John Adams’ Girls of the Golden West at San Francisco Opera, and performed in the world premiere of Bel Canto at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, an opera by Jimmy Lopez based on the novel by Ann Patchett. Bridges is a recipient of the prestigious 2018 Sphinx Medal of Excellence Award, a 2016 Richard Tucker Career Grant, first prize winner at the 2016 Francisco Viñas International Competition, first prize winner at the 2015 Gerda Lissner Competition, a recipient of the 2013 Sullivan Foundation Award, a 2012 Marian Anderson award winner, the recipient of the 2011 Sara Tucker Study Grant, the recipient of the 2009 Richard F. Gold Grant from The Shoshana Foundation, and the winner of the 2008 Leontyne Price Foundation Competition. J’Nai completed a three-year residency with the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, represented the United States at the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and was a Young Artist at the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, New York. A native of Tacoma, Washington, she earned her Master of Music degree from Curtis Institute of Music, and her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the Manhattan School of Music.