In Twelve Angry Men (Nov. 2-14), what appears to be an open-and-shut murder case becomes a twisted puzzle of prejudice and intrigue, as 12 jurors are corralled in a room for the duration of their deliberation.
NOVEMBER 2 – 14
The Curtain Rises The Rave Review
WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL!
on the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s 2010/11 season, starting with a timeless suspense drama, followed by a compelling new musical.
As justice is tested and evidence weighed, the entire jury is forced to look beyond the show of the courtroom to unearth the shocking truth. Faced with playing the hangmen, these dozen men first must face themselves.
Tony Award winner Frank Galati directs thisexamination of our judicial process.
Read an interview about the show with Director Frank Galati on page 4
DECEMBER 7 – 19
The musical, created by Maltz Jupiter Theatre Artistic Director Andrew Kato and writer John Mercurio, had a substantial workshop production at the Theatre, then went on to receive rave reviews at theatre festivals in New York and South Korea. At the musical’s core is a Faustian deal with the devil. At St. Edward's Academy preparatory school, two seniors make a harmless bet on whether they can influence an unsuspecting freshman to break a few rules to succeed. But when the transaction goes recklessly out of control, the boys become entangled in a fight for their own academic and personal survival. Academy is a pop chamber musical about boys learning to become men — and remaining true to themselves.
Read about the journey Academy took to stardom on page 5.
In this issue:
Gala at The Breakers Hotel..........page 1
Why Invest In the Arts ................. page 1
The Origin of Broadway Shows ...page 2
More Than Zero - By Jim Brochu..page 3
12 Question With Frank Galati.....page 4
Academy Goes Global...................page 5
Where Stars Are Made .................page 6
Educate, Entertain and inspire....page 7
‘A
It started as an idea and a blank sheet of paper…
The arts need you... ...and you need the arts.
Night in Vienna’
Gala at The Breakers Hotel
Join us for our eighth annual gala: “A Night in Vienna”, inspired by our January production of
wife, Loreen.
The elegant evening will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and silent auction in the Mediterranean Ballroom; and dinner, grand auction and waltzing the night away in the Venetian Ballroom.
as part of its Conservatory of Performing Arts, as well as reaching out to the community by providing numerous educational, outreach and special
Honorary chairmen are Susan Johnson and Beth Neuhoff. Co-chairmen are Marcia Cohn and Roberta Golub.
fter ten years, Academy has made its way its way around the globe and is returning triumphant to Jupiter, where it will receive its world premiere production Dec. 7-19 with the help of a grant from the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts.
Major sponsors are Roberta and Harvey Golub, Marcia and Jerald Cohn, Susan and Ross Johnson, Tiffany & Co., Braman BMW Jupiter, Saks Fifth Avenue and PNC Bank.
For Dorothy and Russell Di Giallorenzo, the Theatre fills an important entertainment niche by live, fully-staged shows, Russell Di Giallorenzo said.
new work costs upward of $450,000, which is why individual and business sponsorships are vital to the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s success. The opportunities to direct a gift to a particular need are plentiful, including underwriting new works, sponsoring special events or backing education and outreach efforts.
Retired principal Paula Nessmith, who recently helped organize a teacher appreciation event at the Theatre, said she supports the Theatre for its
stars, who received kudos at an awards ceremony that was broadcast on national television.
reach out and touch performers, and that they’re real people. All educators in this community should realize the gem they have in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.”
The average cost of mounting a main-stage production is upward of $450,000
"Academy has gone global — from Jupiter to New York to South Korea and back to Jupiter," said Andrew Kato, Maltz Jupiter Theatre artistic director and one of the show’s creators.
At its core, the musical, conceived by Kato, and written by John Mercurio, is a Faustian tale set to a pop-chamber sound — think classically inspired music with a rock beat.
In Academy, two boys at a prep school make a bet as to whether they can influence a freshman to cheat. The musical then follows the consequences of the boys’ actions.
The show, one of 24 musicals presented during the 22-day festival, was a hit at Daegu, and won the top award for Best Musical. Upon their return to the United States, cast members had the honor of ringing the NASDAQ closing bell in New York.
“I think the Theatre’s entertainment is excellent –and as a not-for-profit professional theatre, it also gives the local community an opportunity to get involved,” he said. “The staff is so dedicated, and it feels wonderful to see the Theatre flourish and bloom.”
Supporter Susan Johnson, an honorary chairman of this year’s gala, pointed toward a saying which has inspired her family’s ongoing support of the Theatre: A life without a cause is a life without effect.
"The audience response in South Korea was overwhelming," said Kato, who will direct the show's world premiere in Jupiter. "The music is contemporary and the themes are universal."
Upon their return to the United States, cast members had the honor of ringing the NASDAQ closing bell in New York.
Support comes in many forms, including: subscribing to the Theatre’s season and Limited Engagement Series, bringing friends and groups to performances or inviting others to your home to learn about the Theatre’s needs.
The musical has been a winner with audiences around the world, in workshop and festival productions.
Academy first received a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fund at the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties for a staged reading in Jupiter in 2008, and then was one of 13 shows selected from among 300 entries for a workshop production at the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF).
Tickets are $375. To order, call Kathy Berman at (561) 972-6124, or e-mail kberman@jupitertheatre.org.
At NYMF, Academy won awards for Excellence in Writing and for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. It also won the Daegu International Musical Festival Production Award, which included an all-expenses-paid trip to South Korea for the original cast and creative team to present the show for audiences in Daegu.
Critics can't say enough good things about the musical. At NYMF, Academy sold out, had to add two performances and received glowing reviews.
An original member of the Theatre’s “1,001 Club,” Dolores Dioguardi, former president of DMI Talent Agency in New York and Tom Cruise’s first agent, said she and her husband feel inspired to give to the Theatre because it has been an integral part of their lives.
“This is one of my favorite quotes, and our support of the Theatre is one that is extremely important to us,” she said. “Truly magnificent performances bring so much to our community, and we encourage everyone to frequent the award-winning theatre that is right in our own backyard. It is through the community’s support that the theatre can continue to produce such outstanding productions.”
The arts also add to the economic vitality of a community by attracting people who buy products and services. For every $1 spent on the arts, $4 more are spent on restaurants and hotels, transportation and parking, retail sales and souvenirs.
"John Mercurio and Andrew Kato's Academy is one of the most impressive of the 28 full productions," The New York Times wrote. "It has a cast of handsome, personable young men; poignant, funny lyrics; and a plot that addresses morality and character when a bet between two older boys over which one can influence a classmate more has devastating consequences. All this show needs for the big time is a set and a larger theater."
“Theatre and the arts have been my profession, and living so close to the Maltz Jupiter Theatre I can be a part of all it has to offer. It has been a joy of my life,” Dioguardi said. “The Theatre’s survival is very important to me.”
In South Korea, fans thronged the sidewalks to welcome Academy's
In-kind contributions are also vital to the Theatre, such as donations of products and services, promotional efforts or volunteering time and expertise. Students can help support the Theatre through high school and college internships.
In Jupiter, Academy will have its set and a larger theatre. It also will feature younger cast members who auditioned in May as part of the theatre’s unprecedented “First Step to Stardom” casting call, in which hundreds of children tried out for roles in Academy and The Sound of Music
Most people don’t know that the average cost of mounting a main-stage production or developing a
“We found an amazing pool of local talent,” Kato said. “It is very moving for all of us to help these talents learn the magic of theatre.”
The opportunities to experience the magic and ensure the future of the arts and the Maltz Jupiter Theatre are endless. Take the first step – make an investment in your life and your community today.
Roberta Golub and Marcia Cohn
Cast of Academy at the Daegu Musical Theatre Festival July 2010
Photo credit: Jeff Larkin
Ever wonder where the next great Broadway show originates?
ou
You don’t have to look far — it may be at a regional theatre, like the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.
As the costs of producing new works on Broadway have soared, regional theatres have taken on a major role in developing new work as well as engaging and educating audiences in the process. A nationwide movement of not-for-profit resident theatres has, in just a half-century, transformed America's cultural landscape, replacing Broadway as the originator of new American work.
Yet currently, there are not any not-for-profit regional theatres in New York City created to exclusively develop and train professionals for musical theatre playwriting.
“The New York Musical Theatre Festival helps to fill some of that void in New York,” says Andrew Kato, artistic director of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. “But in recent years, some of the best shows have come from regional theatres.”
Notably, 32 of the last 34 Pulitzer Prize winners for drama originated at regional theaters. The rich history and cultural contributions of America's regional theatres was examined in National Public Radio’s 2006 eight-part series, American Stages.
More recently, Next to Normal, the 2010 winner, got its start at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage, and Ruined, the 2009 winner, was commissioned by Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
The League of Resident Theatres (LORT), of which the Maltz Jupiter Theatre is a member, is becoming one of the most prestigious organizations of notable theatres nationwide. Many LORT theatres contribute to creating and refining new work that goes to Broadway. At one of the semi-annual LORT conferences, Tricia Trimble, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s managing director, heard the “back story” of how its Berkeley Rep negotiated, created, rehearsed and marketed (to an atypical theatre audience) the musical American Idiot (by the rock group Green Day), which earned 2010 Tony Award nominations for Best Musical, Best Scenery and Best Lighting Design. It won the latter two categories.
The investment made to create new work can be worthwhile financially for a regional theatre, as it receives royalties paid by every subsequent theater that produces it thereafter. A grand example is A Chorus Line at The Public Theater in New York, which earned millions of dollars and
sustained The Public’s bottom line for decades.
"Every regional theatre needs to contribute to the national stage with new work," said Kato of Academy, the musical he co-created that will have its world premiere at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in December. "Mounting a musical is both time-consuming and expensive. We are continuing to learn about the show as it evolves to the next level."
Contributing to the national stage is why the Maltz Jupiter Theatre commissioned a new musical last season, Fanny Brice: The Real Funny Girl. Now, the Theatre will receive a share of the royalties once other theatres mount productions of the show.
Additionally, Jolson at the Winter Garden, scheduled for February, will be created as a pre-tour production.
“In our early days, The Tin Pan Alley Rag – the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s first new musical – helped put us on the map,” says Kato. “It won ‘Best Musical’ for the Theatre, and its next stop was Roundabout Theatre in New York City.”
Regional stages also have trained a generation of acclaimed actors, including Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Sigourney Weaver, John Malkovich, Annette Bening and James Earl Jones. In the past 50 years, the movement has grown from a handful of scattered stages in major metropolitan centers, to a network of more than 1,200 theaters dispersed across every state of the union, employing thousands of arts professionals who perform for audiences of millions.
A successful regional theatre has to strike the right balance, to know its audience and serve its tastes while pushing it, at least on occasion, into new territory. Offering this opportunity to our regional audience expands the interest in live theatre and augments the canon of musical theatre.
Fanny Brice: The Real Funny Girl, November 2009
More Than Zero
More Than Zero
Zero Mostel considered himself a painter who acted rather than an actor who painted. In July of 1977, the time that Zero Hour is set, Mostel left his art studio on West 28th street and began rehearsals to star as Shylock in Arnold Wesker’s drama, The Merchant. He would only play on performance in Philadelphia before his untimely death on Sept. 8 at the age of 62. When I heard the news I thought back to the day when I first met the larger-than-life star.
ero Mostel considered himself a painter who acted rather than an actor who painted. In July of 1977, the time that Zero Hour is set, Mostel left his art studio on West 28th street and began rehearsals to star as Shylock in Arnold Wesker’s drama, The Merchant. He would only play on performance in Philadelphia before his untimely death on Sept. 8 at the age of 62. When I heard the news I thought back to the day when I first met the larger-than-life star.
It was 1962. I was a sophomore in high school, enamored with the theatre, longing to be an actor and lucky enough to have a mentor named David Burns. Davy was co-starring in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with an actor I had never heard of before, Zero Mostel. I was knocked out by the comedic force of nature that ruled over the stage of the Alvin Theatre that night. I wanted to meet him. Hell, I wanted to be him.
It was 1962. I was a sophomore in high school, enamored with the theatre, longing to be an actor and lucky enough to have a mentor named David Burns. Davy was co-starring in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with an actor I had never heard of before, Zero Mostel. I was knocked out by the comedic force of nature that ruled over the stage of the Alvin Theatre that night. I wanted to meet him. Hell, I wanted to be him.
After the show, I made my way backstage to see Davy and literally ran into Mostel who looked like he had just taken a shower in his costume — steamy and covered with sweat. I was attending military school and dressed in my West Point-style uniform, which caught his attention. “You must be General Nuisance,” he roared, “What do you want?”
After the show, I made my way backstage to see Davy and literally ran into Mostel who looked like he had just taken a shower in his costume — steamy and covered with sweat. I was attending military school and dressed in my West Point-style uniform, which caught his attention. “You must be General Nuisance,” he roared, “What do you want?”
“I’m here to see Davy Burns,” I said.
“I’m here to see Davy Burns,” I said.
“You never come to see me!” he snorted. I said, “I will!” And he brushed past me and disappeared across the stage. The next week, I went back to see Zero…and every week after that.
“You never come to see me!” he snorted. I said, “I will!” And he brushed past me and disappeared across the stage. The next week, I went back to see Zero…and every week after that.
I’ve been asked more than once, “How do you channel him in the show?”
I’ve been asked more than once, “How do you channel him in the show?”
It’s like asking a fish how do you breathe under water? I don’t know. It’s just natural. I had been compared to Zero since my first Off-Broadway show in 1969. Jerry Tallmer wrote in The New York Post that I should play the lead in The Zero Mostel Story. He didn’t tell me I’d have to write it.
It’s like asking a fish how do you breathe under water? I don’t know. It’s just natural. I had been compared to Zero since my first Off-Broadway show in 1969. Jerry Tallmer wrote in The New York Post that I should play the lead in The Zero Mostel Story. He didn’t tell me I’d have to write it.
On the second night of Fiddler on the Roof, Stephen Schwartz and I flew to New York from Pittsburgh, where we were drama majors at Carnegie Tech. I sat in the first row of the Imperial Theatre and was dazzled by the uplifting, heartbreaking performance that unfolded just a few feet away from me. I knew from Forum that Zero was a master comedian, but I didn’t know until Fiddler that he was a towering dramatic actor. He waved to me at the bows and I felt as though I had been knighted.
On the second night of Fiddler on the Roof, Stephen Schwartz and I flew to New York from Pittsburgh, where we were drama majors at Carnegie Tech. I sat in the first row of the Imperial Theatre and was dazzled by the uplifting, heartbreaking performance that unfolded just a few feet away from me. I knew from Forum that Zero was a master comedian, but I didn’t know until Fiddler that he was a towering dramatic actor. He waved to me at the bows and I felt as though I had been knighted.
A few years later, when I had become a professional actor, I ran into Zero on the street and asked him for an autographed picture. He screamed at me, “You’re not worthy!” and went on his way. I was shocked — yet not shocked — because his behavior was as outrageous offstage as well as on. He is a very fun character for an
A few years later, when I had become a professional actor, I ran into Zero on the street and asked him for an autographed picture. He screamed at me, “You’re not worthy!” and went on his way. I was shocked — yet not shocked — because his behavior was as outrageous offstage as well as on. He is a very fun character for an
BY JIM BROCHU
BY JIM BROCHU
actor to play.
actor to play.
But he did accept an invitation to come see my off-Broadway debut in a show called Unfair To Goliath. The day after he attended, I found a manila envelope on my dressing table. Inside was an autographed picture of Zero signed, “To Jimmy, with my admiration…”
But he did accept an invitation to come see my off-Broadway debut in a show called Unfair To Goliath. The day after he attended, I found a manila envelope on my dressing table. Inside was an autographed picture of Zero signed, “To Jimmy, with my admiration…”
A few years ago, I looked at that picture and felt like Zero was commanding me to bring him back. But how? I didn’t want this play to be a “hat and cane” show. I wanted to tell the story through the prism of his first love — painting. Zero’s paintings were as colorful, fun, startling and abstract as his life. And the painting begins when I arrive at the theatre.
A few years ago, I looked at that picture and felt like Zero was commanding me to bring him back. But how? I didn’t want this play to be a “hat and cane” show. I wanted to tell the story through the prism of his first love — painting. Zero’s paintings were as colorful, fun, startling and abstract as his life. And the painting begins when I arrive at the theatre.
First I paint my face. I base my makeup on the Hirschfeld caricature of Zero as Tevye. As I shadow my brow, I think of the dark times he lived through; when I highlight my cheek, I’m applying his triumphs and glories. Zero was only truly happy when he was painting and so the play takes place in his studio while being interviewed by an unseen reporter who becomes Zero’s unwitting model.
First I paint my face. I base my makeup on the Hirschfeld caricature of Zero as Tevye. As I shadow my brow, I think of the dark times he lived through; when I highlight my cheek, I’m applying his triumphs and glories. Zero was only truly happy when he was painting and so the play takes place in his studio while being interviewed by an unseen reporter who becomes Zero’s unwitting model.
In the next 90 minutes, Zero entertains, rages, reminisces, gossips, regrets and regales buts he never stops painting. And as I invite Zero to inhabit me with his outrageousness and unpredictability, I paint a new painting at every performance. Zero Hour is a portrait of a man who overcame both physical and social obstacles with humor, dignity and craziness to hang forever in the permanent collection of great actors, comedians — and painters!
In the next 90 minutes, Zero entertains, rages, reminisces, gossips, regrets and regales buts he never stops painting. And as I invite Zero to inhabit me with his outrageousness and unpredictability, I paint a new painting at every performance. Zero Hour is a portrait of a man who overcame both physical and social obstacles with humor, dignity and craziness to hang forever in the permanent collection of great actors, comedians — and painters!
“I INVITE Z ERO TO INHABIT ME WITH HIS OUTRAGEOUSNESS AND UNPREDICTABILITY .” – J B
“I INVITE Z ERO TO INHABIT ME WITH HIS OUTRAGEOUSNESS AND UNPREDICTABILITY .” – J IM B ROCHU
See Zero Hour Oct. 14–17, 21–24
JimBrochuinZeroHour
Q :
What is your goal for Twelve Angry Men?
12 Questions Answers Angry Men!
With Director Frank Galati
2 1
A:My goal is to try to be as faithful to the play as I possibly can. It is an invitation for 12 extraordinary actors to explore the concealed truth of each character. And I say “concealed” because the truth is something that is constantly out of reach. While “justice felt” is the ideal, truth remains an elusive ambition — and my ambition for the play is to try to make this clear by making the 12 angry men believable in their anger. What’s often overlooked in this play is the anger in the room. Why are these 12 men angry? What are they angry about? Are they all angry about different things? Is there a kind of undercurrent of rage in this postwar America of the 1950s? That’s what my vision is: to try to find the truth.
4
Q :Do you think the audience will agree with the jury’s verdict?
A:That is a fantastic question. Another question that you might ask is, “Do we think that the play agrees with the jury’s verdict?” Is the play arguing for the jury’s decision? I would say that what the play is doing is positing a place. What the play says to the audience is, “You be the judge.”
Q :
What may be different in this stage version of Twelve Angry Men today compared with the 1950s?
A:
This is sort of like asking, “How is the flag different now? Or, how is the statue of liberty different now?” But the concept of justice, and the commitment that we have made as a nation of citizens to the ideal of justice, has not changed. Not even the details of the law — the determination of guilt or innocence — have changed since 1954. What has changed is the population, the country, the weather, the atmosphere. History itself has pushed the law into a new region of uncertainty, with new anxieties and new anger, while moral obligations are the same.
3
Q :If you had to distill it down, what do you think is the play’s underlying message?
A:The play’s underlying message is to reinforce our commitment as a society to the principles of justice — and to our belief in this country that a person, a human being, man or woman, is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. And radiating from that central theme is an invitation to participate in the judicial and the democratic process, and to do it with courage and rigor and compassion. It’s a look at people who gave up their work and family obligations so that their call to the jury and adjudicating a crime in court could be their focus. And this is an invitation to all citizens, an invitation to be thoughtful and to be compassionate.
Want to know more? Get Galati’s answers to the remaining questions online at www.jupitertheatre.org
Have you revisited the movie to help prepare for this production?
What references did you research to bring Twelve Angry Men to the stage?
You won two Tony awards for your adaptation of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production on Broadway of The Grapes of Wrath. How will you make this American classic your own?
What drew you to the story of Twelve Angry Men?
What qualities were you looking for in the actors in the casting of Twelve Angry Men?
What are the elements of this play that make it a good suspense thriller?
What is the recipe for suspense in this play, considering that it takes place in one room? Lighting? Sound? Audience participation?
What contribution or qualities of the playwright make this a successful play? 8 9 10 11 12 . 5 . 6 . 7
Frank Galati lecturing
photo credit: Mark Campbell
It
started as an idea and a blank sheet of paper…
The
‘A Night in Vienna’
Gala at The Breakers Hotel
Join us for our eighth annual gala: “A Night in Vienna”, inspired by our January production of The Sound of Music.
rts and culture have the capacity to uplift our lives and spirit. They connect us to places, to history, to communities, and to one another. The arts and culture are woven into our social fabric and are essential to the quality of our life — just as essential as good schools, adequate housing, health and human services and open spaces for leisure.
The gala, scheduled for Jan. 29 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, will honor the late Theatre board member and community philanthropist, Joseph D. Farish, Jr. and his wife, Loreen.
arts need you... ...and you need the arts.
The elegant evening will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and silent auction in the Mediterranean Ballroom; and dinner, grand auction and waltzing the night away in the Venetian Ballroom.
Honorary chairmen are Susan Johnson and Beth Neuhoff. Co-chairmen are Marcia Cohn and Roberta Golub.
People support the Maltz Jupiter Theatre for many different reasons. As the Theatre enters its eighth season, its Board of Directors and staff remain committed to presenting Broadway-quality musicals and dramatic works, as well as developing new productions through its Emerging Artist Series. The Theatre also takes a lead in nurturing hundreds of young students each year as part of its Conservatory of Performing Arts, as well as reaching out to the community by providing numerous educational, outreach and special event opportunities.
new work costs upward of $450,000, which is why individual and business sponsorships are vital to the Maltz Jupiter Theatre’s success. The opportunities to direct a gift to a particular need are plentiful, including underwriting new works, sponsoring special events or backing education and outreach efforts.
Retired principal Paula Nessmith, who recently helped organize a teacher appreciation event at the Theatre, said she supports the Theatre for its Conservatory of Performing Arts programs and learning initiatives.
stars, who received kudos at an awards ceremony that was broadcast on national television.
For Dorothy and Russell Di Giallorenzo, the Theatre fills an important entertainment niche by producing and presenting live, fully-staged shows, Russell Di Giallorenzo said.
fter ten years, Academy has made its way its way around the globe and is returning triumphant to Jupiter, where it will receive its world premiere production Dec. 7-19 with the help of a grant from the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts.
Major sponsors are Roberta and Harvey Golub, Marcia and Jerald Cohn, Susan and Ross Johnson, Tiffany & Co., Braman BMW Jupiter, Saks Fifth Avenue and PNC Bank.
“Live theatre is a wonderful experience, no matter what your age, and it’s important that kids have the opportunity to experience it,” she said. “Children need to be able to see that they can reach out and touch performers, and that they’re real people. All educators in this community should realize the gem they have in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.”
The show, one of 24 musicals presented during the 22-day festival, was a hit at Daegu, and won the top award for Best Musical. Upon their return to the United States, cast members had the honor of ringing the NASDAQ closing bell in New York.
The average cost of mounting a main-stage production is upward of $450,000
"Academy has gone global — from Jupiter to New York to South Korea and back to Jupiter," said Andrew Kato, Maltz Jupiter Theatre artistic director and one of the show’s creators.
At its core, the musical, conceived by Kato, and written by John Mercurio, is a Faustian tale set to a pop-chamber sound — think classically inspired music with a rock beat.
“I think the Theatre’s entertainment is excellent –and as a not-for-profit professional theatre, it also gives the local community an opportunity to get involved,” he said. “The staff is so dedicated, and it feels wonderful to see the Theatre flourish and bloom.”
In Academy, two boys at a prep school make a bet as to whether they can influence a freshman to cheat. The musical then follows the consequences of the boys’ actions.
Supporter Susan Johnson, an honorary chairman of this year’s gala, pointed toward a saying which has inspired her family’s ongoing support of the Theatre: A life without a cause is a life without effect.
"The audience response in South Korea was overwhelming," said Kato, who will direct the show's world premiere in Jupiter. "The music is contemporary and the themes are universal."
Upon their return to the United States, cast members had the honor of ringing the NASDAQ closing bell in New York.
Support comes in many forms, including: subscribing to the Theatre’s season and Limited Engagement Series, bringing friends and groups to performances or inviting others to your home to learn about the Theatre’s needs.
The musical has been a winner with audiences around the world, in workshop and festival productions.
first received a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fund at the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties for a staged reading in Jupiter in 2008, and then was one of 13 shows selected from among 300 entries for a workshop production at the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF).
Tickets are $375. To order, call Kathy Berman at (561) 972-6124, or e-mail kberman@jupitertheatre.org.
At NYMF, Academy won awards for Excellence in Writing and for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. It also won the Daegu International Musical Festival Production Award, which included an all-expenses-paid trip to South Korea for the original cast and creative team to present the show for audiences in Daegu.
Critics can't say enough good things about the musical. At NYMF, Academy sold out, had to add two performances and received glowing reviews.
An original member of the Theatre’s “1,001 Club,” Dolores Dioguardi, former president of DMI Talent Agency in New York and Tom Cruise’s first agent, said she and her husband feel inspired to give to the Theatre because it has been an integral part of their lives.
“This is one of my favorite quotes, and our support of the Theatre is one that is extremely important to us,” she said. “Truly magnificent performances bring so much to our community, and we encourage everyone to frequent the award-winning theatre that is right in our own backyard. It is through the community’s support that the theatre can continue to produce such outstanding productions.”
The arts also add to the economic vitality of a community by attracting people who buy products and services. For every $1 spent on the arts, $4 more are spent on restaurants and hotels, transportation and parking, retail sales and souvenirs.
"John Mercurio and Andrew Kato's Academy is one of the most impressive of the 28 full productions," The New York Times wrote. "It has a cast of handsome, personable young men; poignant, funny lyrics; and a plot that addresses morality and character when a bet between two older boys over which one can influence a classmate more has devastating consequences. All this show needs for the big time is a set and a larger theater."
“Theatre and the arts have been my profession, and living so close to the Maltz Jupiter Theatre I can be a part of all it has to offer. It has been a joy of my life,” Dioguardi said. “The Theatre’s survival is very important to me.”
In South Korea, fans thronged the sidewalks to welcome Academy's
In-kind contributions are also vital to the Theatre, such as donations of products and services, promotional efforts or volunteering time and expertise. Students can help support the Theatre through high school and college internships.
In Jupiter, Academy will have its set and a larger theatre. It also will feature younger cast members who auditioned in May as part of the theatre’s unprecedented “First Step to Stardom” casting call, in which hundreds of children tried out for roles in Academy and The Sound of Music
Most people don’t know that the average cost of mounting a main-stage production or developing a
“We found an amazing pool of local talent,” Kato said. “It is very moving for all of us to help these talents learn the magic of theatre.”
The opportunities to experience the magic and ensure the future of the arts and the Maltz Jupiter Theatre are endless. Take the first step – make an investment in your life and your community today.
Cast of Academy at the Daegu Musical Theatre Festival July 2010
Photo credit: Jeff Larkin
Roberta Golub and Marcia Cohn
The 2010/2011 Gala Committee
The Conservatory is the place for budding stars of all ages to get a start
The Theatre’s Conservatory of Performing Arts offers year-round learning, including a fall semester filled with musical theatre, acting and dance classes. The Conservatory’s signature Musical Theatre Wheel teaches students the individual elements of acting, voice and dance and combines them to tell a story, culminating in a “Best of Broadway” revue on the Theatre stage on December 22.
And for the first time, adults of all ages can participate year-round in acting, tap dancing and improv classes. The classes, which premiered during the 2009/2010 spring season, now will be offered in the evening to accommodate adults with busy schedules.
“In addition to our popular family programming, we have expanded our class offerings to adults, with the opportunity to learn and grow at times that are convenient for them,” said Julie Rowe, the Conservatory’s Director of Education. “Local residents can build confidence and receive training from the world-class, talented professionals who teach our classes.”
From January through March, the Conservatory offers adults a full range of daytime seasonal classes ranging from song and dance to tap, Broadway jazz and a senior chorus line, as well as a memoir writing class and play-reading club.
For younger students, the Conservatory continues to offer a range of ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop dance classes, as well as courses in playwriting, improv and audition techniques.
“The Theatre is committed to providing high-quality arts education in a positive, safe and supportive Conservatory environment,” Rowe said. “Students learn from Broadway-caliber theatre professionals and gain self-confidence, leadership and team-building skills.”
The connection to the Theatre allows students the opportunity to perform working alongside professionals both onstage and off, with master classes taught by renowned performers and choreographers.
Under the guidance of two original cast members of the Broadway hit Cats – Anna McNeely and Brian Andrews – students in the Musical Theatre
Students perform in Seussical Jr., July 2010
Kids enjoying Suessical Jr.
To “Entertain, Educate and Inspire”
The simple yet powerful mission of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre is fulfilled through the generosity of many donors. Here’s a look at several gifts that are supporting our education initiatives this season.
Student Field Trips added for The Sound of Music and The Hundred Dresses
Due to the generosity of the Elmore Family Foundation, a full-scale matinee production of The Sound of Music will be performed in January for public school students, free of charge. Made possible by Theatre board member Debra Elmore, this gift will allow the professional cast of America’s classic musical to perform nine times in one week, inspiring an additional 554 middle school students.
In October, 1,100 elementary school students will arrive in busloads to two free performances of the PNC Kids Korner production The Hundred Dresses, underwritten by the O’Hagan Family Foundation.
Children Performing for Children!
Over 200 Pre-K students enjoyed a production of Seussical Jr. this summer funded by the O’Hagan Family Foundation.
Expanded
offerings for children
Peggy & Rick Katz and Bonnie & John Osher have generously underwritten the entire season of Saturday shows for children, expanding the Saturday offerings from three to eight performances.
Grant received by PNC Foundation
The PNC Foundation’s PNC Grow Up Great program has provided a grant to strengthen and expand early childhood education at the Theatre. For an entire season, young audience members will attend the Theatre’s PNC Kids Korner Series. Over 400 pre-K children, ages 2 to 5, will attend a live performance – and under the direction of Julie Rowe, a thousand more will experience the Conservatory’s Page to Stage program, which brings teaching artists to classrooms to show students how a written story is brought to the stage.
“We are providing the first theatrical experience for many, and we are so grateful to PNC Bank’s Mark Stevens and Kathy Strother for the grant,” said Tricia Trimble, Managing Director. “We are delighted to be this resource, filling a need for those in our community.”
Scene from the PNC Kid’s Korner Series production of the Tortoise and the Hare