MercuryTheater-GrandNightforSinging

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s

Music by RICHARD RODGERS

Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II

Musical Arrangements by FRED WELLS

Orchestrations by MICHAEL GIBSON and JONATHAN TUNICK

Conceived by WALTER BOBBIE Director and Choreographer KEVIN BELLIE

Musical Director EUGENE DIZON

Scenic and Lighting Design Costume Design JASON EPPERSON KATHRYN-SARAH PHILLIPS

Assistant Musical Director ELIZABETH DORAN Sound Design MIKE ROSS

Production Stage Manager JASON EPPERSON, A.E.A. Originally produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City, in 1993 A Grand Night for Singing is presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com.

A Grand Night for Singing

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CAST

in order of appearance

ROBERT HUNT* STEPHEN SCHELLHARDT* MARYA GRANDY* LEAH MORROW* HEATHER TOWNSEND* MUSICIANS Piano/Conductor......................................................................................................... ELIZABETH DORAN Cello.................................................................................................................................LAUREL HUMISTON Harp................................................................................................................................. JENNIFER RUGGIERI Percussion.......................................................................................................................LINDSEY WILLIAMS Woodwinds..................................................................................................................ANTHONY PARSONS Bass......................................................................................................................................................SAM FILIP UNDERSTUDIES Understudies will not perform unless an announcement is made at time of performance.

MICHAEL RECKLING P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F Director, Choreographer........................................................................................................ KEVIN BELLIE Musical Director.................................................................................................................. EUGENE DIZON Assistant Musical Director......................................................................................... ELIZABETH DORAN Scenic and Lighting Design........................................................................................... JASON EPPERSON Costume Design.............................................................................................. KATHRYN-SARAH PHILLIPS Sound Design................................................................................................................................MIKE ROSS Stage Manager............................................................................................................... JASON EPPERSON* Master Electrician.............................................................................................ANDREW GLASENHARDT Technical Director............................................................................................................... BRAD JACKSON Dance Captain..................................................................................................................LEAH MORROW* Sound Engineer................................................................................................................... BRAD JACKSON Assistant to the Costume Designer, Wardrobe..........................................................RACHEL BOYLAN Press Representative................................................................... NOREEN HERON & ASSOCIATES, INC. Kate Hughes, Lianne Wiker, Katharine Nichols, Holly Gustavson, Susan Duffy, Kelly Erdman Promotional Photographer..................................................................................... MICHAEL BROSILOW Promotional Video Producer........................................................... JASON GROH, LEXORIA STUDIOS M E R C U R Y T H E AT E R C H I C AG O Executive Director.........................................................................................................L. WALTER STEARNS General Manager........................................................................................................... JASON EPPERSON Business Manager..............................................................................................................EUGENE DIZON Lead Technician.................................................................................................................... BRAD JACKSON Box Office Manager............................................................................................................ MIGUEL PEREZ House Manager...................................................................................................................MATT CONLON Audience Service Associates........................MATTHEW PAYNE, SUSAN ROBINSON, KATIE NIXON 2

The Mercury Theater

SPECIAL THANKS Mercury Theater Chicago is a proud member of the League of Chicago Theatres, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Chicago Area Producers Organization, and the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce. *Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org

MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT ONE Sounds of the Earth............................................................................................................................................. Ensemble Opening Medley................................................................................................................................................... Ensemble Surrey with the Fringe on Top................................................................................. Stephen, Leah, Heather, Marya Stepsisters’ Lament....................................................................................................................................Heather, Marya We Kiss In A Shadow................................................................................................................................................. Robert Hello Young Lovers.............................................................................................................................................. Ensemble I’m In Love with Wonderful Guy..........................................................................................................................Heather I Can’t Say No.................................................................................................................................................................Marya Maria............................................................................................................................................................................ Stephen Do I Love You..............................................................................................................................................................Heather Honey Bun.............................................................................................................................................................. Ensemble The Gentleman Is A Dope........................................................................................................................................... Leah Don’t Marry Me.........................................................................................................Stephen, Robert, Heather, Marya Many A New Day/Wash That Man.............................................................................................Leah, Heather, Marya If I Loved You..................................................................................................................................................................Marya Shall We Dance...................................................................................................................................................... Ensemble That’s The Way It Happens........................................................................................................................Leah, Stephen All At Once You Love Her.......................................................................................................................Robert, Stephen Act I Finale............................................................................................................................................................... Ensemble ACT TWO Beautiful Mornin’........................................................................................................................................................ Robert Wedding Sequence............................................................................................................................................. Ensemble The Man I Used To Be....................................................................................................................Leah, Marya, Stephen It Might As Well Be Spring.....................................................................................................................................Heather Kansas City.............................................................................................................................................................. Ensemble Parent Medley........................................................................................................................................................ Ensemble It’s Me................................................................................................................................................ Leah, Robert, Stephen Love Look Away....................................................................................................................................................... Stephen Driving Through the Moonlight/A Lovely Night................................................. Marya, Leah, Robert, Stephen Something Wonderful............................................................................................................................................Heather This Nearly Was Mine................................................................................................................................................ Robert Impossible/I Have Dreamed............................................................................................................................. Ensemble PLEASE NOTE: A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING IS PERFORMED WITH ONE TEN-MINUTE INTERMISSION A Grand Night for Singing

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C O M I N G S O O N TO M E R C U R Y T H E AT E R

BARNUM Book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart, and music by Cy Coleman.

March 27 to June 30, 2013 The greatest show on earth is the setting for the life story of Phineas Taylor Barnum. Celebrating its Chicago professional premiere, BARNUM sets this colorful personality inside the center ring of his own circus. Audiences will be thrilled with high flying acrobatics as BARNUM tells the story of America’s greatest showman. This show bursts with toe tapping melodies; ballads, marches, and ragtime tunes by Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart.

THE COLOR PURPLE Based upon the novel by Alice Walker And the Warner Bros./Amblin Entertainment Motion Picture Book by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray August 14 to November 10, 2013 From the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Stephen Spielberg, comes the soul-stirring musical THE COLOR PURPLE. It is an inspiring story of a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world. With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love and a celebration of life.

THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER Book by John Reeger, music and lyrics by Julie Shannon November 22 to December 29, 2013 Returning for its annual voyage, THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER has become Chicago’s holiday tradition.

The whole family will enjoy this heart-warming story of the first Christmas tree ship and the family who risked their lives to fill Chicago with the Christmas spirit. The Chicago Tribune calls this show “a sacred part of a Chicago Christmas”. The Chicago Sun-Times raved, “An inheritance to be treasured”. A timely and uplifting tale of love and loss, THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER reminds us of tradition, and our responsibility to celebrate the living while honoring our heritage.

Visit www.mercurytheaterchicago.com for tickets and information.

3745 N. Southport Avenue Chicago IL 60659 773-327-1700 4

The Mercury Theater

B I O G R PA H I E S MARYA GRANDY recently returned from New York, where she co-starred in the critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway revival of Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever. Other Broadway and New York credits include Les Misérables (2006 Revival), Damn Yankees, Bells Are Ringing (City Center Encores!), The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Drama Desk Nomination), and The Water Coolers (co-author). Marya has performed regionally in Fanny Brice: America’s Funny Girl (World Premiere, directed by David H. Bell), Pump Boys & Dinettes, Follies, Take Flight, Gypsy, Beehive, Smokey Joe’s Café, The Honky Tonk Angels, Working, and The Water Coolers (Joseph Jefferson Nomination).

Television/film credits: Rescue Me, Conviction, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Denis Leary’s Merry F***ing Christmas, and Love Streams.

Recordings include the Original Cast Recording of The Great American Trailer Park Musical, The Manhattan Transfer’s Bodies and Souls, and Superwoman, by her own band, Five Floor Monica. Marya received her Bachelor of Arts from Yale University. As always, for Tim. ROBERT HUNT starred as Inspector Javert in the Broadway Revival of Les Misérables. Off-Broadway he led the original casts of Boobs! The Musical and Have a Nice Day. He was God’s Angel in Jerry Springer, the Opera at Carnegie Hall. On tour Robert was the standby for Emilie De Beque in The Lincoln Center’s Production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, Inspector Javert in Les Misérables, and Smudge in Forever Plaid. His Chicago credits include John Wilkes Booth in Assassins for the Chicago Humanities Festival, Count Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music at Writers’ Theatre, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at Theatre at the Center, Tommy Albright in Brigadoon at Light Opera Works, and Sir Lionel in Camelot at the Ravinia Festival. His extensive work in regional theaters includes appearances with such notable companies as

Wolf Trap in Washington D.C., The Goodspeed Opera House, The Berkshire Theatre Festival, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Kansas City Starlight, Theatre of the Stars, and Barrington Stage Co. to name a few. Robert’s regional roles include Jud Fry in the state centennial production of Oklahoma! opposite Kelli O’Hara, the title roles in Jekyll & Hyde (Oregonian Award, Best Actor in a Musical), Whizzer in Falsettos, Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees (Bostonian Award – Top Ten Performances of the Year), Freddy EynsfordHill in My Fair Lady, Jack Seward in the U.S. Premiere of Dracula, a Chamber Musical, and Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof among others.

LEAH MORROW is absolutely thrilled to be a part of this cast and crew, and so honored to share in such a cherished part of the American Songbook.

Most recently, Leah was seen here, at the Mercury Theater, in The Christmas Schooner. Other credits include 9 to 5 (The Fireside Theatre), They’re Playing Our Song (Fox Valley Repertory), Superman (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Musical of Musicals (Noble Fool). Great and many thanks to Walter and Eugene for welcoming her so warmly to their new theater home, and for everything, and also to Kevin. Love and thanks to Doug, my “Wonderful Guy”, and to my family and friends for all their support. And to YOU for supporting the Arts!

STEPHEN SCHELLHARDT is thrilled to be a part of A Grand Night for Singing at the Mercury Theater.

National Tours: Altar Boyz.

NYC/Regional credits: The Greenwood Tree for NYMF, Laurie in Little Women at the Bristol Riverside Theatre (Barrymore nomination-Best Actor), Malcolm in The Full Monty opposite Sally Struthers, Lionel in R&H’s Cinderella (North Carolina Theatre), and Motel in Fiddler on the Roof (West Virginia Public). His favorite Chicago credits include: Koko in Hot Mikado (Jeff nomination-Best Actor) and Lon Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis at A Grand Night for Singing

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BIOGR APHIES

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the Drury Lane Theatre; Herman opposite George Hearn in the Ravinia Festival’s Most Happy Fella; Jeff in Title of Show at Northlight Theatre; Laurie in Little Women (Jeff nomination-Best Supporting Actor), Sam in Shenandoah, Doody in Grease, Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Harry in State Fair (Marriott Theatre). Stephen is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. Many thanks to Walter, Kevin and Eugene for this opportunity, Jim at Stewart Talent, and to Devin and family for their constant support and love.

HEATHER TOWNSEND is delighted to make her Mercury Theater debut.

Past theatre credits include Porchlight Music Theatre (Nine, Sunday in the Park with George, Gifts of the Magi, Macabaret), Shattered Globe (Orpheus Descending), Bohemian Theatre Ensemble (Hello Again, Icarus), Fox Valley Rep (Breaking Up is Hard to Do), Northlight Theatre (Grey Gardens-u/s Little Edie), Dog & Pony (Roadkill Confidential), Circle (The Man Who Came to Dinner), Chicago Opera Vanguard (Boojum! Nonsense, Truth and Lewis Carroll), Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (On Golden Pond), Apple Tree (Wings), City Lit (Macbeth), Remy Bumppo (Old Times--u/s Anna and Kate), Theatre Wit (A Christmas Story), Next (American Dream Songbook-u/s Dinah), Night Blue (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Pegasus Players (The Frogs) and readings at the Goodman (Stutter) and Steppenwolf (Miss Marx).

MICHAEL RECKLING (Understudy) is thrilled to be a part of this inaugural season at the Mercury. Michael has been seen around Chicago in 42nd Street and Plaid Tidings!(TATC),Putting it Together (Porchlight Music Theatre), A Little Night Music (Writers’ Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Henrik in A Little Night Music, Leonard Meryll in Yeoman of the Guard, Carousel and My Fair Lady (Light Opera Works). Michael’s regional credits include No, No, Nannette! (Reagle Music Theatre, Boston, Mass) and Lucky in Dames at Sea (Turtle Lane Playhouse, Boston, Mass) Special thanks to Walter, Eugene, Kevin, my wonderful family and Karissa! Michael received his BFA from the 6

The Mercury Theater

Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University.

KEVIN BELLIE (Director/Choreographer) Direction and choreography credits include Urinetown (Jeff Award -Choreography), The Baker’s Wife, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Jeff nomination), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes(Jeff nomination), Can-Can (Jeff nomination), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Jeff nomination), Mack & Mabel (Jeff nomination), Sweet Smell of Success (Jeff nomination), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Jeff nomination), Hello Again (Jeff Recommended), Nine (Jeff Award), Triumph of Love (Jeff nomination), The Life (Jeff Award), Grand Hotel (Jeff Award) and Rags all at Circle Theatre where he served as Artistic Director through December 2012. Also at Circle, he choreographed Tommy (Jeff nomination), Meet Me in St. Louis (Jeff nomination), She Loves Me, and The Secret Garden (Jeff Award).

Kevin has directed/choreographed A Chorus Line (McLeod Summer Playhouse), Breaking Up is Hard to Do, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Tafettas, Roasting Chestnuts and Drood (Noble Fool), choreographed The Music Man (Light Opera Works), choreographed Anyone Can Whistle (Pegasus Players), choreographed A New Brain (Porchlight, Jeff nomination), Closer Than Ever, Gypsy (Porchlight, After Dark Award), and Being 11 (Serendipity). Kevin proudly served as co-host at the 2010 and 2011 Joseph Jefferson awards. Kevin is a proud member of the Fine Arts faculty at St. Ignatius College Prep High School in Chicago.

EUGENE DIZON (Musical Director) is thrilled to work on A Grand Night for Singing at the Mercury Theater, where he last musical directed by 2011 and 2012 productions of The Christmas Schooner. During his 14 year tenure at Porchlight Music Theatre, he received 6 Jeff Awards (Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Amadeus, Company, Into the Woods, and Merrily We Roll Along), 13 Jeff nominations as well as 4 After Dark Awards (Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, A New Brain, and Merrily). He has been an Artistic Associate at Porchlight since 1999. Other favorite theater experiences include Pacific Overtures, Nine, and Candide (Porchlight), Starting Here,

BIOGR APHIES

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Starting Now (Theo Ubique) and Songs for a New World (Columbia College). Eugene is honored to have been inducted into the Chicago Filipino Hall of Fame. He is currently the Business Manager at Mercury Theater Chicago. Eugene and Cory Goodrich produced the 2012 holiday CD recording “Season of Carols” featuring almost 100 Chicago theater artists, benefiting Season of Concern. Next up for Eugene will be musical directing Barnum for the Mercury Theater.

JASON EPPERSON (Scenic and Lighting Designer) is thrilled to be lighting another show at the Mercury, where he previously lit The Christmas Schooner, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, As Long as I’m Singing, Come Fly With Me, and The Men and Their Music.

Other lighting credits include The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (The Gift Theatre), Quake (American Theatre Company), Crumble (Dog & Pony), The Secret Garden (Porchlight), Ghost Watch (Polarity) Standing in Matoon and Kama Sutra: The Musical (commercial productions). Concert credits include The Gin Blossoms, Molly Hatchet, Foghat, Dennis Tufano (formerly of The Buckinghams), and Ron Hawking. Jason has lit many shows for numerous dance companies, and was the resident designer for The Joel Hall Dancer’s Second Company and Youth Company.

He has served as an Associate Designer for architectural projects including the McCormick Freedom Museum, the Children’s Zoo at Lincoln Park Zoo, the flagship McDonalds restaurant, and the Chicago Gold Star Memorial. Jason serves on the faculty as the Theatre Technology Program Coordinator where he has recently lit Chicago, Bernarda Alba, Summerforlk, and Ubu Roi, and is proud to be returning as the General Manager for the new ownership at the Mercury, where he previously served for 6 years. He would like to thank his lovely wife Abigail for her endless love and support.

KATHRYN-SARAH PHILLIPS (Costume Design) is excited to be designing her first show with Mercury Theater. She has been designing and working in the Chicago theatre for the last 4 years, doing everything from Wardrobe at The Goodman to stitching at Marriott Lincolnshire and child wrangling

at Chicago Shakespeare. Katie-Sarah is also a freelance seamstress for Ford Models Inc. and her work can be seen in many print ads for Sears. She has a degree in Costume Design from Columbia College.

MIKE ROSS (Sound Design) works as an audio consultant, designer, engineer, and system technician for a variety of clients and venues around Chicago. Previous sound designs for the Mercury Theater include the 2011 and 2012 The Christmas Schooner, and other recent Chicago work includes designs for Light Opera Works, Paramount Theatre, and Steep Theatre Company, as well as engineering several productions at Marriott Theatre. Mike also serves as the audio head for Million Dollar Quartet at the Apollo Theater and for a variety of corporate events for the MillerCoors company around the country. Mike holds a BFA in Sound Design from DePaul University. For more information visit mikerossonline.net.

L. WALTER STEARNS (Producer) As the former artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre, Walter has produced 40 musicals and nurtured the creative talents of hundreds of artists. In his new role as Executive Director of the Mercury Theater, Stearns is a champion for Chicago artists and productions. Walter has received the Jeff Award, After Dark Awards, the first Guy Adkins award for his contributions to the art of musical theatre and the Franny Award as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was recently honored with the Larry Sloan Advocate Award for his support of Season of Concern.

NOREEN HERON & ASSOCIATES (Press Representative) is a full service PR, Marketing, & Advertising agency. National Tours: The Singalong Wizard of Oz and the current National Tour of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Numerous concert engagements at arena theaters representing such artists as Jerry Seinfeld, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Wynonna Judd, Louis CK, The Beach Boys, Linda Eder, Michael Feinstein, Jewel, Andre Rieu, and Linda Ronstadt. Clients have also included Sesame Street Live, the ‘04/’08 Olympic Superstars, the ‘11 Champions Challenge A Grand Night for Singing

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(McEnroe, Bjorg, Agassi), Barney Live!, the Highland Games, and the Harlem Globetrotters.

Additionally, they represent regional theaters including Drury Lane, Marriott Theatre, Theatre at the Center and First Folio. Other corporate clients have included Hyatt Hotels, Massage Envy, and Smirnoff.

RICHARD RODGERS & OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II (Music and Lyrics) After long and highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein II (librettist/lyricist) joined forces to create the most consistently fruitful and successful partnership in the American musical theatre.

Prior to his work with Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart on more than 40 shows and film scores.

Among their greatest were On Your Toes, Babes in Arms, The Boys From Syracuse, I Married an Angel, and Pal Joey. Throughout the same era Oscar Hammerstein II brought new life to a moribund art form: the operetta.

His collaborations with such preeminent composers as Rudolf Friml, Sigmund Romberg and Vincent Youmans resulted in such operetta classics as The Desert Song, Rose-Marie, and The New Moon. With Jerome Kern he wrote Show Boat, which changed the course of modern musical theatre. His last musical before embarking on an exclusive partnership with Richard Rodgers was Carmen Jones, the highly-acclaimed 1943 all-black revision of Georges Bizet’s tragic opera Carmen. Oklahoma!, the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, was also the first of a new genre, the musical play, representing a unique fusion of Rodgers’ musical comedy and Hammerstein’s operetta. A milestone in the development of the American musical, it also marked the beginning of the most successful partnership in Broadway musical history, and was followed by Carousel, Allegro, South Pacific, The King and I, Me and Juliet, Pipe Dream, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music. Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote one musical specifically for the big screen, State Fair, and one for television,

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The Mercury Theater

Cinderella. Collectively, the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals earned 35 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards and 2 Emmy Awards. In 1998 Rodgers & Hammerstein were cited by Time Magazine and CBS News as among the 20 most influential artists of the 20th century and in 1999 they were jointly commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp. Despite Hammerstein’s death in 1960, Rodgers continued to write for the Broadway stage. His first solo entry, No Strings, earned him two Tony Awards for music and lyrics, and was followed by Do I Hear a Waltz?, Two By Two, Rex, and I Remember Mama.

Richard Rodgers died on December 30, 1979, less than eight months after his last musical opened on Broadway. In March of 1990, Broadway’s 46th Street Theatre was renamed The Richard Rodgers Theatre in his honor. At the turn of the 21st century, the Rodgers and Hammerstein legacy continues to flourish, as marked by the enthusiasm that greeted their Centennials, in 1995 and 2002 respectively. In 1995, Hammerstein’s centennial was celebrated worldwide with commemorative recordings, books, concerts and an award-winning PBS special, “Some Enchanted Evening.” The ultimate tribute came the following season, when he had three musicals playing on Broadway simultaneously: Show Boat (1995 Tony Award winner, Best Musical Revival); The King and I (1996 Tony Award winner, Best Musical Revival); and State Fair(1996 Tony Award nominee for Best Score). In 2002, the Richard Rodgers Centennial was celebrated around the world, with tributes from Tokyo to London, from the Hollywood Bowl to the White House, featuring six new television specials, museum retrospectives, a dozen new ballets, half a dozen books, new recordings and countless concert and stage productions (including three simultaneous revivals on Broadway, matching Hammerstein’s feat of six years earlier), giving testament to the enduring popularity of Richard Rodgers and the sound of his music.