APPLAUSE
COLORADO ONLY HAS ONE #1
COLORADO ONLY
Invictus Private Wealth is pleased to announce that its own Michael Caplan was selected as Barron’s top independent advisor in Colorado.
Michael S. Caplan
Michael S. Caplan
Barron’s Top 100 Independent Advisors 2024
Forbes/Shook Top RIA Firms 2024
Barron’s Top 100 Independent Advisors 2024
Forbes/Shook Top 10 Best-in-State Wealth Advisor 2024
Forbes/Shook Top RIA Firms 2024
Northwestern University - Honors in Mathematics
Adjunct Professor/International Economic Fellow Georgetown Law
Forbes/Shook Top 10 Best-in-State Wealth Advisor 2024 Northwestern University - Honors in Mathematics
Adjunct Professor/International Economic Fellow Georgetown Law
Furniture Row Companies® is a group of specialty home furnishings and mattress stores, carrying a variety of brand names, all available at one convenient location. We focus on providing a shopping experience that is tailored to your needs. Our specialized buying teams are constantly combing the globe in search of the hottest trends and best values available. In addition, incentives
sales staff, make Furniture Row one of the
SIGHTLINE
BY JANICE SINDEN
HHello and welcome to the theatre!
This issue of Applause celebrates the culmination of the Denver Center Theatre Company’s 46th season with everyone’s favorite bloodthirsty plant, Audrey II, in Little Shop of Horrors followed by the Pulitzer Prize-winning family dramedy, The Hot Wing King
The DCTC will return this fall with a lineup of classic plays, thought-provoking dramas, never-before-seen world premieres, and the perennial favorite, A Christmas Carol Once titles are confirmed, watch for a program insert announcing the lineup. You won’t want to miss a thing!
Over in the Buell Theatre, we will host the return engagements of the wildly outrageous musical comedy THE BOOK OF MORMON, and the creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky
The Addams Family These will be followed by the brand-new Broadway tour, & Juliet, which imagines what Juliet would have done if she didn’t end it all over Romeo. We round out the summer with the return of MAMMA MIA!, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and an all-new version of Some Like It Hot Plus, we’ve just announced a variety of cabaret shows to keep you in stitches. Saturday Night Live’s Tim Meadows comes to town with his troupe, Bluebird Improv (May 16-18), followed by Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song (May 28-June 19).
In a double header, crowd favorite Dixie Longate, returns with Dixie’s Tupperware Party (July 16-Aug 17) and Dixie’s Never Wear a Tube Top... (Aug 20-Sep 7).
Finally, we are delighted to host Colorado’s own Tony Awardwinning Annaleigh Ashford who comes home to headline our annual gala on June 14. Join us at Saturday Night Alive to benefit theatre and education.
Vladimir Script
We hope to see you back here soon.
Warm regards,
Janice Sinden
Janice Sinden, President & CEO
HONORING OUR ELDERS
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts honors and acknowledges that it resides on the traditional and unceded territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary Indigenous Tribes and Nations who have historically called Colorado home.
IN THIS ISSUE
The Hot Wing King pg 10
Little Shop of Horrors pg 16
The Addams Family pg 18
THE BOOK OF MORMON ........ pg 22
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF UPCOMING SHOWS:
APPLAUSE
VOLUME XXXV • NUMBER 7 • APR - MAY 2025
EDITOR: Suzanne Yoe
DESIGN DIRECTOR: Kyle Malone
DESIGNER: Brenda Elliott
CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS: Paul Koob, Lucas Kreitler
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Amanda L. Andrei, Emma Holst, Joanne Ostrow
Applause is published eight times a year by Denver Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with The Publishing House, Westminster, CO. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Call 303.893.4000 regarding editorial content.
Applause magazine is funded in part by
Angie Flachman, Publisher For advertising 303.428.9529 or sales@pub-house.com coloradoartspubs.com
Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization that engages and inspires through the transformative power of live theatre.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Hassan Salem, Chair
Ruth Krebs, Vice Chair
David Jacques Farahi, Secretary/Treasurer
Nicole Ament
Brisa Carleton
Jerome Davis
Elizabeth Hioe
Deb Kelly
Kevin Kilstrom
Lynn McDonald
Susan Fox Pinkowitz
Manny Rodriguez
Alan Salazar
Richard M. Sapkin
Martin Semple
William Dean Singleton
Robert Slosky
Tina Walls
Dr. Reginald L. Washington
Sylvia Young
HONORARY TRUSTEES
Navin Dimond
Margot Gilbert Frank
Jeannie Fuller
Robert C. Newman
Cleo Parker Robinson
Judi Wolf
HELEN G. BONFILS FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Martin Semple, President
William Dean Singleton, Vice President
Dr. Reginald L. Washington, Secretar y/Treasurer
Nicole Ament
Marco D. Chayet
David Jacques Farahi
Kevin Kilstrom
Ruth Krebs
Susan Fox Pinkowitz
Hassan Salem
Robert Slosky
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Janice Sinden, President & CEO
Jamie Clements, Vice President, Development
Chris Coleman, Artistic Director, Theatre Company
John Ekeberg, Executive Director, Broadway & Cabaret
Angela Lakin, Vice President, Marketing & Sales
Glen Lucero, Vice President, Venue Operations
Laura Maresca, Chief People & Culture Officer
Charlie Miller, Executive Director & Curator, Off-Center
Lisa Roebuck, Vice President, Information Technology
Charles Varin, Managing Director, Theatre Company & Off-Center
Allison Watrous, Executive Director, Education & Community Engagement
Jane Williams, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
LEARN MORE
STUDENT PLAYWRIGHTS COMMAND THE STAGE
BY SUZANNE YOE
PProfessional playwrights are not the only ones whose work is filling stages at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts this spring (see page 28). The works of three Colorado high school students were showcased in the Weeks Conservatory Theatre at the culmination to the DCPA’s annual Middle & High School Playwriting Competition.
The program, which began in 2012/13 to foster emerging student writers, has received more than 3,200 script submissions over the past 13 years.
This year the competition received 176 middle school 10-minute plays and 119 high school one-act plays from schools across the state. From those, a panel of artistic, literary, and theatre education professionals selected three winners in each category. The winning high school scripts were then presented in professional readings as part of the Colorado New Play Summit.
“Through the creative writing process…I found my voice as an activist and playwright,” said Nicole Siegler, Senior at Denver School of the Arts and author of A Day in Black Shoes. Her play centers around a young African American boy who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and awakening to the complexities of race and identity “I gave myself permission to feel angry or sad or confused about how and why the color of my skin can, in some unfortunate cases, dictate how others treat me in society.”
Aspiring novelist and playwright Hannah Harr, Senior at Je erson County Open School, discovered her own process through the program. “I learned that trying to force the creative process on myself is not the best way for me to write.… [Rather], until I have an idea that I can run with, trying to make myself write ends up frustrating me more than anything else.” Following her own advice, Hannah found her voice. Trapped in an elevator afterlife in Little Girl, Little Ghost, Oliver Finley’s spirit sees hope when Charlie, his lost love’s lookalike, arrives, igniting his desperate quest to be seen.
Penelope Letter, Junior at Peak to Peak Charter School, borrowed inspiration from one of the greats in their play, Waiting for Download or Samuel Beckett’s Revolutionary Playlist. The comedy recounts three friends as they wait in a dim room, clinging to hope that a phone update will bring the change and power they’ve long been denied.
“I would eventually like to put all the strange ideas I have in my head onto a page,” Penelope said. “I’d like to finish some of the million stories I’ve started but haven’t yet finished!”
One down. Nine hundred, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine to go.
YOURSELF ON STAGE
PreK - Adult No Experience Required
1-Day Workshops
Multi-Week Courses
Daytime, Evening, and Weekend Classes
NICOLE SIEGLER HANNAH HARR PENELOPE LETTER
MAKE SHOWTIME A NIGHT ON THE TOWN!
Consider joining one the DCPA’s premium membership societies for an exclusive experience before and after the curtain rises.
BEST OF BROADWAY SOCIETY
For unforgettable evenings all Broadway season long, treat yourself to first-class dining and seats. Enjoy the best seats in the house, pre-show cocktails, dinner at Kevin Taylor’s at the Opera House, and private intermission in the fabulous Wolf Room.
DIRECTORS SOCIETY
Want the premium subscription experience at all of our Denver Center Theatre Company season shows? Enjoy our most exclusive seating, fine dining pre-show in the Seawell Ballroom, post-show parties with artists and creatives, behind-the-scenes discussions, and more.
Get the best of both worlds and enjoy a curated mix of our most popular Broadway and Theatre Company shows with our brand-new Premiere Access Membership! You’ll enjoy VIP seating and get access to a selection of Best of Broadway Society and Directors Society events throughout the season, dinner included.
Gareth Saxe, Linda Mugleston, Curtis Wiley, and Matthew Boston in The Su ragette’s Murder .
Photo by Jamie Kraus Photography.
EXHIBITION FREE WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION
Exhibición gratis con la entrada al Museo
WORTHY OF THE CROWN: T H E HOT
RRoyalty comes in many forms. A proud and gleaming crown. A leader, whether head of the household, a proud parent, or the coach of a team. Or even the playful banter between lovers, endearments of “Queen!” that make another person feel warm and shining from the inside out, worthy of love and devotion. This potent mix of splendor and joy makes The Hot Wing King ’s portrayal of Black friends and family so irresistible.
W I NG K I NG PITS FAMILY AGAINST FAME
BY AMANDA L. ANDREI
Welcome to Memphis, Tennessee, where contestants are spicing their chicken wings, testing their marinades, and prepping for the annual Hot Wang Festival. The culinary team New Wing Order has been trying for five years to win the top prize, and head chef Cordell is determined that this will be the year they come home as the victors. And while perfecting recipes and flavors may be at the top of his mind, bubbling around him are the rest of his crew: good friends Big Charles and Isom, and his lover Dwayne, whose house he recently moved into. It’s a home that buzzes with activity, jokes, and warmth, a place where these men treat each other with vulnerability, tenderness, and wit.
“Many of the characters reflect my identity as a gay Black man,” says director Timothy Douglas, reflecting on what he is looking forward to most in helming this comedy-drama and winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize.
“The world is so immediate for me in terms of the characters, the specific joys, challenges, and underlying elements specifically in Black culture, and in being queer and Black that we don’t necessarily talk about because we vibe together in community.”
Indeed, Memphis-born playwright Katori Hall has given the audience an invitation into this kitchen and community, using cooking and competition as the rituals that bring people together. The bodacious men dance, flirt, and posture as easily as jesters in a court or princes at a ball as they playfully prep their ingredients. Bone-in wings. Garlic. Parmesan, parsley, peli-peli pepper. Even blueberries (to go with blue cheese as the aptly named “Blueberry Birds” special). All of this spice, flavor, and heat are symbolic of deeper Black history and culture.
“The way Katori is dealing with spice, creation, and creativeness within food making is an homage, and honoring what we as a people know in daily life and our bones,” remarks Douglas. “During times of slavery, we were only given the scraps, the parts of the animal that the privileged didn’t deem suitable for eating. Those scraps and discards became the main part of the meal, and how it became palatable was how it was spiced. It’s a representation of care — the augmenting, creating, and inventing of how you spice — it’s in the bones of the play and something these characters know well.”
And over the course of the play, these characters come to know each other more intimately as blood and chosen family, encountering each other in complementary and clashing ways.
Amid the taste testing and marination, the New Wing Order’s weekend is interrupted when
Everett and TJ, Dwayne’s 16-year-old nephew and brother-in-law, show up at the house. Although skeptical of Cordell and Dwayne’s lifestyle, and dealing with his own pressures around fatherhood, TJ leaves his son with them to take care of business. During a basketball game, Everett and Cordell have a confrontation that draws Dwayne into the fray and reveals a deep social injustice and past family grief.
The
world is so immediate for me in terms of the characters, the specific joys, challenges, and underlying elements specifically in Black culture, and in being queer and Black that we don’t necessarily talk about because we vibe together in community.
— TIMOTHY DOUGLAS, DIRECTOR
It’s a moment that makes Dwayne and Cordell face each other’s secrets and desires — how Cordell is not ready to reveal their relationship to his former family, and how Dwayne grapples with his role as a brother, uncle, and father figure. It’s a choice of how to accept and love each other in full dignity — a choice that an ideal king would make, serving as a caretaker and loving guardian — and Cordell realizes that his craving for recognition may be at odds with his love for Dwayne. As Big Charles later says to him, “All lil’ black boys deserve love, even the ones trapped in the bodies of grown ass black men.”
Douglas also notes the resonance of kingliness and how this comedy brings back an earthy humor to the concepts of sovereignty and familial love. “In some circles of black men, we talk about being ancestrally descended from chiefs,” says Douglas, “and I remember looking at the character page and seeing ‘Cordell the Head Chef’ and I saw ‘Chief’ — and isn’t he the chief of the kitchen?” The play can serve as an opportunity “to think in terms of ancestral blood flow, how we see ourselves and intuit our bloodlines, how we imagine and identify our queerness, how it was absorbed or not, and how we create this for ourselves.”
And these men certainly create this loving kinship and queerness for themselves, whether singing to Luther Vandross in the kitchen, shooting hoops on the basketball court, or exchanging kisses outside the house (and promptly being affectionately ribbed for it). Because by the end of the weekend, as the festival comes to a close and the family reckons with their relationships — how they will choose to give and receive love from each other — one clear image emerges.
“It’s a king,” says Douglas. “It’s all these men representing a different angle of that crown.”
THE
HOT WING KING
APR 25 – MAY 25 • KILSTROM THEATRE
ASL Interpreted, Audio Described performance: May 11 at 1:30pm Stay for a post-show discussion on May 13, 20 & 22
6 CORE VALUES. 1 DENVER CENTER.
1. BELONGING
We build a respectful and empathetic culture through our active commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.
2. COLLABORATION
We produce our best possible work together by engaging people with diverse perspectives, lived experiences and talents around our shared goals.
3. COMMUNITY
We cultivate open, responsive, affirming relationships and partnerships for a greater collective impact.
4. CREATIVITY
We embrace innovation and imagination in our daily work to advance our mission.
5. INTEGRITY
We act responsibly, with honesty, accountability and transparency.
6. SUSTAINABILITY
We prioritize the wellbeing of our team, our finances and the environment to ensure our thriving future.
Learn more about what drives the DCPA, and where we’re going, at denvercenter.org/plan
This is the place where women feel whole.
From adolescence to your first year of menopause, every new chapter in life brings its own set of joys, challenges and occasional plot twists. The women’s health care specialists at AdventHealth will be there through each stage, empowering you with world-class technology, unrivaled expertise and the whole-person care you need to stay healthy from the inside out.
Scan the QR code for more information and to find care close to you.
Avista Castle Rock Littleton Parker Porter
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF EUROPE
JUNE 19 - 22 DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
JUNE 28 - JULY 4 THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA JULY 6 - 13 THE
JUNE 19 - JULY 31, 2025
PHILHARMONIC JULY 16 - 23
SPECIAL FREE CONCERT: SINFÓNICA DE MINERÍA IN AVON JUNE 26
Shucked
Oct 7 – 19, 2025
Buell Theatre
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
May 30 – Jun 27, 2026
Buell Theatre
The Notebook
Dec 16 – 28, 2025
Buell Theatre Water for Elephants
Feb 11 – 22, 2026
Buell Theatre
Spamalot
Aug 11 – 23, 2026
Buell Theatre
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is delighted to announce a spellbinding, spinetingling (and slightly corny) 2025/26 Broadway season! Join the ride as we fight for eternal love, set out on new adventures, and explore fantastic worlds where anything is possible.
Hell’s Kitchen
Apr 14 – 26, 2026
Buell Theatre
The Outsiders
Sep 8 – 27, 2026
Buell Theatre
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors
Nov 8, 2025 –May 10, 2026
Garner Galleria Theatre
Renew or subscribe to the season today to unlock savings on extra tickets, concierge ticketing services, free exchanges,* automatic seat renewals, and early access to DCPA Added Attractions. *Some restrictions apply
MOVES YOU TO CHEERS THE MUSEUM THAT
VISIT TODAY
At the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum, you don’t just visit history—you experience it. Test your speed. Feel the thrill of competition. Get inspired by the journeys of America’s greatest athletes.
It’s more than a museum—it brings history, innovation, and inspiration to life.
CONTRASTING DOO-WOP AND DEATH IN LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
BY JOANNE OSTROW
LLittle Shop of Horrors, the ’80s musical about a lowly flower shop clerk who makes a Faustian bargain with his man-eating plant, was an unexpected success that has now won the adoration of generations.
The show has sci-fi roots in an early short story by H.G. Wells. “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid” about a carnivorous plant dates to 1894. A dark comedy version, “Green Thoughts” by John Collier, came along in 1932. And Arthur C. Clarke wrote his take with “The Reluctant Orchid” in 1956.
Those early works inspired the nasty little farcical horror B-movie by Roger Corman, The Passionate People Eater, famously shot on the cheap in two days on the set of another B-movie in 1960.
It was not until 1982 that Howard Ashman and Alan Menken adapted the Corman flick into the beloved musical Little Shop of Horrors, which began at the tiny WPA Theater Off-Off-Broadway and became a surprise smash hit. (In 1986 it was adapted back into a movie directed by Frank Oz and given a “happier” ending.)
Combining the bloody terror of early Sixties B-movies with the girl-group sound of the period (think the Ronettes, the Chiffons, the Shangri-Las), the tone contrasts dark and light, morbid and cheerful, doo-wop and death.
Throughout, the young musical geniuses — lyricist Ashman and composer Menken — aimed at a mashup of silly and horrifying. (A favorite example, note the lyrics rhyming “shang-a-lang ” with “sturm and drang ”.)
The result was less nasty, more hip and funny.
The bones of the show are classic musical theater, while the flesh is suitably creepy. According to the book Attack of the Monster Musical: A Cultural History of Little Shop of Horrors (2022) by Adam Abraham, Ashman wanted Little Shop to be “an old-fashioned musical” that “just happens to be about a man-eating plant from outer space.”
At the DCPA when he was planning the season, Theatre Company Artistic Director Chris Coleman thought, “we’ve done sweeping classical musicals, but we haven’t done something silly. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
After spending time with the show, Coleman said, “I realize how brilliantly built it is. I don’t know that I understood that watching it, in terms of story and how each song contributes to the story and moves it along.”
Coleman said, “I find it funny that these two young aspiring musical theatre geniuses, who were wanting a piece of American success, took this pretty cheesy, not very interesting film and made something very funny, very infectious out of it. What ’s delicious is to see a plant with an incredible soulful singing voice.
Illustration by Kyle Malone.
“But what it’s really about is, how much would it take for you to sell your soul? They take a group of characters in the worst part of town who just ‘gotta get outta here.’ They’re all seeking an escape from skid row at any cost.”
It’s all good, gory fun. “If you’re going to talk about end of world, you might as well laugh as you’re doing it.” Yet in directing, Coleman said, the task was to avoid any notion of a send-up or satire. “The temptation is to wink-wink, nudge-nudge,” he said.
As he was auditioning actors in New York, he “encouraged people to trust the simplicity of the character,” telling them, “Your job is to need what the character needs.” He instructed actors, “The characters are from the island of misfit toys, slightly broken humans, oddballs but oddballs with enormous heart. You are trying to figure out how to trust that. That’s when it gets really beautiful. You have to know that it’s okay for sadness to be present and that the story will still hold up and the humor will emerge. The actor’s job is to let the story unfold.”
I
find it funny that these two young aspiring musical theatre geniuses, who were wanting a piece of American success, took this pretty cheesy, not very interesting film and made something very funny, very infectious out of it.
— CHRIS COLEMAN, DIRECTOR
Props and puppets are another key element, of course. “I don’t want to give anything away,” Coleman said, “but the goal is for the plant to have an incredible and surprising progression through the play. It’s like a science experiment, trying to get it to do all the things you want it to do, and also make it reasonably comfortable for the actors. We’re trying to finesse it in a way that feels fun for the audience and not horrifying for an actor to do eight times a week.”
The show catapulted Ashman and Menken into Disney careers that changed the course of modern musicals. After the 1986 Little Shop of Horrors film, they were tapped to contribute music to Oliver and Company, followed by The Little Mermaid — which sparked what is now considered the Disney Renaissance (including Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin among other animated musicals, with numerous Academy Award nominations and wins along the way).
The clever horror-comedy-rock musical that started it all continues to offer theatre audiences a needed escape, at least a temporary way to get outta here.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
APR 11 – MAY 25 • WOLF THEATRE
ASL-interpreted, audio-described, and open-captioned performance: May 4 at 1:30pm
Stay for a post-show discussion on April 30 & May 14
COMING UP FROM BROADWAY SOME LIKE IT HOT
A brand-new tour is coming to town, and it’s the perfect way to beat the summer heat. Some Like It Hot, a musical based on the quintessential 1959 film, is set to grace the Buell Theatre stage from July 8 - 20.
Some Like It Hot arrived on Broadway in 2022 with high energy. The show features music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray), a book by Amber Ruffin and Matthew López (The Legend of Georgia McBride), and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).
Altogether, the musical earned 13 Tony Award nominations, winning for Best Choreography and Best Costumes, as well as the Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album.
Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, the story follows two musicians who are forced to flee after witnessing a mob hit. To escape the clutches of the gangsters, they embark on a cross-country train ride that will change their lives forever.
Entertainment Weekly praised the show, calling it “a booze-soaked boisterous good time from start to finish,” filled with toe-tapping tunes, humor, and plenty of dancing that immerses audiences in the Jazz Age.
Deadline called Some Like It Hot “a tap-dancing, razzling-dazzling embrace of everything you love about musical theater.” With Tony Award-winning choreography and costuming, this roaring 30s spectacle is one you don’t want to miss.
Edward Juvier (Osgood), Tavis Kordell (Daphne) and the First National Touring Company of SOME LIKE IT HOT Photo by Matthew Murphy.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY REFLECTS AMERICAN VALUES IN A FUNHOUSE MIRROR
TThe opening musical number of The Addams Family tells audiences just why the strange and macabre clan has stuck around for nearly a century. “When you’re an Addams, the standard answers don’t apply.”
Wait, nearly a century? And they’re still relevant? Yes, it really has been that long — the comic strip by Charles Addams was originally published in The New Yorker as early as 1938.
The reason? There’s something relatable, even aspirational, about the eccentric Addams.
In a sense, the Addams reflect an idealized family, embodying true love, support, and unwavering loyalty –only cloaked in all black. “When you’re an Addams, it’s family first and family last.” Even extended family members are invited to this close-knit group, including long-dead ancestors.
At the same time, the Addams stand in stark contrast to a conventional portrayal of family in popular media, especially during their origins in the 1930s and 40s. The Addams reflect American values in a funhouse mirror, showcasing both the darkness and the saccharine sweetness of suburban life.
But that never inhibited their popularity — it only intrigued people more. In a Christmas 1946 comic strip, the family is depicted pouring boiling oil on carolers. A bit grotesque perhaps, but the image was so well received it was later sold on Christmas cards.
by Meredith Mashburn Photography
BY EMMA HOLST
Addams’ comics found comedy in the juxtaposition of the bizarre and the everyday, featuring ordinary people harboring melancholic tendencies.
That’s exactly what Addams Family enthusiasts find so intoxicating about the kooky group. At their core, the Addams are confident in their singularity, knowing what makes you unique can never be a bad thing. They’re just like you, only they embrace the darkness, the things that make them “strange.”
In The Addams Family musical, Wednesday has fallen in love with a “normal” boy. Deep in the throes of passion, her family grows concerned as Wednesday becomes a little more ordinary, herself. At a family dinner, instead of wearing her signature black dress, she arrives wearing… gasp…yellow!
In the topsy-turvy evening that follows, the Addams emphasize the importance of staying true to yourself, no matter where that takes you. “Who cares about the world outside and what it wants from you. When you’re an Addams, you do what Addams always do!”
Authenticity will take you far, even to the moon.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
MAY 2 – 4 • BUELL THEATRE
ASL Interpreted, Audio Described, and Open Captioned performance: May 3 at 2pm
Photo
Chris Coleman, Artistic Director
Charles Varin, Managing Director
presents
THE HOT WING KING
BY Katori Hall
With
Terence Archie, Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd, John Henry Carter, Robert Denzel Edwards, Jacques Jean-Mary, Dayo Olatokun, Curtis Wiley, Tobias A. Young
SCENIC DESIGN BY Tony Cisek
DRAMATURGY BY Martine Kei Green-Rogers
Stage Managers: Harper Hadley, Brandon T. Holmes
COSTUME DESIGN BY Rodrigo Muñoz
FIGHT DIRECTOR AND INTIMACY CHOREOGRAPHER
Rocio Mendez
LIGHTING DESIGN BY Reza Behjat
CASTING BY Grady Soapes, CSA and Amber Snead, CSA Murnane Casting
DIRECTED BY
Timothy Douglas
SOUND DESIGN BY Melanie Chen Cole
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT BY Peggy Carey
The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.
THE KILSTROM THEATRE • APR 25 – MAY 25, 2025
The Hot Wing King is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service imprint. (www.dramatists.com).
World Premiere produced by Signature Theatre, New York City (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; Harold Wolpert, Executive Director)
“Never Too Much” Written by Luther Vandross Published by EMI April Music Inc, Uncle Ronnie’s Music Co. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“A House Is Not a Home” Written by Burt Bacharach, Hal David Published by Sony/ATV Harmony Used by permission. All rights reserved.
SPOTLIGHT SPONSORS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
SEASON SPONSOR
CAST
(In order of appearance)
Cordell
Terence Archie Isom
Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd
Big Charles Tobias A. Young
Dwayne Curtis Wiley
TJ Dayo Olatokun
Everett Jacques Jean-Mary
Cordell/Dwayne/Big Charles Understudy................................................................................... Robert Denzel Edwards
Isom/TJ/Everett Understudy John Henry Carter
SETTING
Memphis. Now.
THE HOT WING KING will be performed with a 15-minute intermission.
Assistant Director
Stage Manager
Melissa Mowry
Brandon T. Holmes
Assistant Stage Manager Harper Hadley Stage Management Apprentice Anna Cordova
The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers of the United States.
WHO’S WHO
ACTING COMPANY
(In order of appearance)
TERENCE ARCHIE (Cordell). At the DCPA: All the Way and The 12 International: Rocky Das Musical (Operettenhaus Hamburg). Broadway: Company, Rocky, Ragtime, and Kiss Me, Kate. Off-Broadway: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Second Stage) and Joan of Arc: Into the Fire. Regional: Romeo & Juliet (ART); Guys and Dolls and Twelfth Night (Old Globe); The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Tamburlaine the Great, Edward II (STC); Arabian Nights (Berkeley Rep/Arena Theatre); The Odyssey (Artpark); Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, ACT (SF). TV: “Raising Kanan,” “Elementary,” “Manhattan Love Story,” “Madam Secretary,” “The Blacklist,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “For Life.” Special thanks to YBP, FBP and Nezzy.
ISAIAH TYRELLE BOYD (Isom). Broadway and National Tour of The Book of Mormon Regional: Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Opera of Chicago), The Color Purple (Portland Center Stage), A Bronx Tale (Papermill Playhouse), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (CenterRep), and Hairspray (CCMT). TV/Film: “She’s Gotta Have It” and A Christmas Surprise.
TOBIAS A. YOUNG (Big Charles) (He/ Him). Off-Broadway: Fabulous! The Queen of New Musical Comedies. DC: Signature: Ragtime, Disco Fever, Passing Strange, The Color Purple; Ford’s Theatre: Little Shop of Horrors, Ragtime (Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Ensemble), The Wiz; Olney Theatre Center: Guys & Dolls (Nicely Nicely), In The Heights (Piragua Guy, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical); Adventure Theatre: James and The Giant Peach (Earthworm, Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Ensemble); Toby’s Dinner Theatre: The Wiz (The Lion), In The Heights (Piragua Guy, Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor), Memphis (Bobby), Sister Act (Tj), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Fats Waller). IG: @SimplyTobiasYoung, TikTok: @SimplyFoodByTy.
CURTIS WILEY (Dwayne) (He/Him) is thrilled to be back at DCPA with The Hot Wing King after appearing earlier this season in The Suffragette’s Murder. Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud. NYC: The Total Bent (The Public Theatre), Rothschild & Sons (The York Theatre), Pageant the Musical and The Great Society. National Tours: Disney’s The Lion King and Jersey Boys. He can be heard on the GRAMMY-
nominated Broadway cast recording of Ain’t Too Proud, The Total Bent - Stew & The Negro Problem, Rothschild & Sons, Pageant the Musical and others. Queens Of Christmas streaming on BET+. Stay in touch on IG: @curtis_wiley.
DAYO OLATOKUN (TJ) (He/Him) is a dynamic and passionate youth advocate, actor, and motivational speaker, dedicated to empowering young people to discover and pursue their purpose. Through his nonprofit organization, The Gifted & Purposed Alliance, Inc. (GPA), and his book P.I.P.E. Dreams, Dayo provides a transformative curriculum that helps youth tap into their talents, access higher education opportunities, and build fulfilling careers doing what they love. With boundless energy and a heart for service, Dayo inspires the next generation to share their gifts with the world.
JACQUES JEANMARY (Everett) (He/ Him). Theatre credits: Exception to the Rule, Death and The King’s Horseman, and 10 Seconds (Theatre for Young Audiences). Special Awards/ Training: BFA, Howard University. British American Drama Academy.
ROBERT DENZEL
EDWARDS (Cordell/ Dwayne/Big Charles Understudy) (He/Him). Select regional credits: Sanctuary City (Geva Theatre/Kitchen Theatre), Chicken and Biscuits (TheatreSquared), Sister Act (Redhouse), Into the Woods (Playhouse on Park), A Christmas Carol (Hangar Theatre). TV/Film: “Equalizer,” “Task,” No Choice. Training: BA, Binghamton University. Robert would like to thank God and everyone else who has helped him up to this point in his career! IG: @therobbierob.
JOHN HENRY CARTER (Isom/TJ/ Everett Understudy). Theater credits include Choir Boy (Briggs Opera House); Comedy of Errors, Beauty & The Beast, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella, A Christmas Carol (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); Guys and Dolls (Weathervane Playhouse). He also performed as a vocalist with Aida Cruise Lines. Special Awards/Training: Otterbein University.
PLAYWRIGHT
KATORI HALL is a playwright and performer hailing from Memphis. Her plays include: Hoodoo Love, Remembrance, Hurt Village, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, The Mountaintop, On the Chitlin’ Circuit, and Freedom Train (KCACTF ten-minute play national finalist). Her work has been developed and presented at the following venues: the American Repertory Theatre, Kennedy Center, Lark Play Development Center, New Professional Theatre, The O’Neill, the Juilliard School, Stanford University, and Columbia University. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lecompte du Nouy Prize, North Manhattan Arts Alliance Fellowship, New York State Council on the Arts Commission Grant, New Professional Theatre’s Writers’ Festival award, Fellowship of Southern Writers Bryan Family Award in Drama, New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship in Playwriting and Screenwriting, Royal Court Theatre Residency, and the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award. She has also been a Kennedy Center Playwriting Fellow. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a major in African-American Studies and Creative Writing. She is now a student in the Juilliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program. She is a proud member of the Women’s Project Playwrights’ Lab, the Lark Playwrights’ Workshop, and the Dramatists Guild. katorihall.com
DIRECTOR
TIMOTHY DOUGLAS has directed 100+ plays, musicals, and opera including Denver Center Theatre Company’s
The Color Purple, the U.S. premieres of Natasha Gordon’s Nine Night Roundhouse and Tristan Bernay’s adaptation of Frankenstein, Classic Stage Company, Champion Boston Lyric Opera, Blue New Orleans Opera, and the Great Theatre of China’s production/tour of Disgraced. He has made productions for American Conservatory Theater, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Downstage New Zealand, Guthrie Theater, Juilliard School, Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, Portland Center Stage, Red Bull, Steppenwolf, and Yale Rep, among many others. Upcoming: the premiere of She Who Dared at Chicago Opera Theater.
CREATIVE TEAM
REZA BEHJAT (Lighting Designer) is an Obie award winner lighting designer based in New York City. He began his career in Iran - where he worked with some prominent directors for several years. Reza’s works have been shown on Off-Broadway and in regional theaters across the United States such as The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic Theater, Minetta Lane, Lucille Lortel, The Guthrie Theater, Actors Theater of Louisville, Berkeley Rep, Alabama Shakespeare, and many more. Reza won an Obie Award in the design category for his work on two productions of English and Wish You Were Here in 2023. In addition, alongside the cast and the creative team of English, he received a Special Citation from the Obie Award. Also, he is the winner of the prestigious award of The Knight of Illumination for Nina Simone: Four Women in 2019.
PEGGY CAREY (Production Manager) is the newest of the PM team, joining as Associate Production Manager in 2022. Before then, she worked at The Public Theater (New York, NY) as an Associate Production Manager where she managed readings, developments, and events, and hired stage management teams. Additionally, she helped to originate the Ithaca Fringe Festival as Production Director and has also worked at Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Sie Film Center, and the Kitchen Theatre and studied in both London and the National Theatre Institute.
TONY CISEK (Scenic Designer). At the DCPA: Rubicon, The Color Purple, Choir Boy, Sweat, Anna Karenina. With Mr. Douglas: Over 50 productions including Primary Trust (Cincinnati Playhouse/ McCarter Theatre), Where the Mountain Meets the Sea (Signature Theatre), Blue (New Orleans Opera), Gem of the Ocean (Round House), Long Way Down (Kennedy Center), Two Trains Running (Milwaukee Rep), A Raisin in the Sun (Indiana Rep/Syracuse Stage), Disgraced (Arena Stage), and productions at Guthrie, Alliance, South Coast Rep, Portland Center Stage, Pioneer, Folger, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, Arden, Geva, and Woolly Mammoth. tonycisek.com.
MELANIE CHEN COLE (Sound Designer) (She/Her) is a San Diego based sound designer. At the DCPA: Cebollas and A Christmas Carol (2022-2024). Regional theatre: Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center, Geffen Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Indiana Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, Northern Stage, The Old Globe, PlayMakers Rep, South Coast Rep, Studio Theatre, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Education: MFA in Theatre and Dance from UC San Diego. melaniesound.com, @melaniechencole.
MARTINE KEI GREEN-ROGERS (Dramaturg) (She/Her) is the Dean of the Theatre School at DePaul University. Her dramaturgical credits include: Wind in the Door and Long Way Down (Kennedy Center), The Catastrophist (Marin), Toni Stone and Sweat (Goodman); Lion in Winter, King Hedley II, Radio Golf, Blues for An Alabama Sky, Gem of the Ocean, Waiting for Godot, Iphigenia at Aulis, Seven Guitars, The Mountaintop, and Home (Court Theatre); Hairspray, The Book of Will, Shakespeare in Love, Comedy of Errors, To Kill A Mockingbird, The African Company Presents Richard III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Fences (Oregon Shakespeare Festival).
ROCIO MENDEZ (Fight Director and Intimacy Choreographer) (She/He/They). At the DCPA: Debut. Broadway: The Great Gatsby, Merrily We Roll Along, Ain’t No Mo’, POTUS. Off-Broadway: How To Defend Yourself, On Sugarland (NYTW), The Bandaged Place (Roundabout),The Harder They Come, Merry Wives, Romeo y Julieta (Public Theater), Black No More (The New Group). Regional: Gatsby (A.R.T), NIOR (The Alley Theater), Vietgone, The Royale (Geva Theater Center), The Wolves (Actors Theater of Louisville). Other: Rocio was recently nominated for two Drama Desk Awards, and is the resident intimacy director at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. rociomendez.com
RODRIGO MUÑOZ (Costume Designer) is a NY-based Costume Designer, originally from Mexico City. Recent credits: Sally & Tom (Drama Desk nominee), Plays for the Plague Year (The Public Theatre); What Became of Us (Atlantic Theatre); Bernarda’s Daughters (The New Group); Sorry for Your Loss (Minetta Lane Theatre); RENT (Paper Mill Playhouse); Divinity (Apollo Theatre); La Rondine (Manhattan School of Music); Notes From Now (Prospect Theater Company); This Space Between Us (Theater Row), Preparedness (Bushwick Starr); Volpone and The Revenger’s Tragedy (Red Bull Theater); Mother Road (Berkeley Rep); The Bluest Eye (Huntington Theatre); Red Velvet (Shakespeare Theatre Company); Dial M for Murder and Torera (Alley Theatre); Cabaret (Barrington Stage Company); The Palacios Sisters (Gala Theatre); Somewhere (Geva Theatre); How to Make an American Son (Arizona Theatre
Company); Mushroom (People’s Light); Fall of the House of Usher (Boston Lyric Opera); Bad Dates (Portland Stage); Jazz Singer (Abrons Arts Center). Upcoming: House of India (The Old Globe), Beggars (Little Island), Tell Me You’re Dying (Chautauqua Theater Company). BFA in Scenography from The National School of Theatre and Arts (Mexico), M.F.A. in Costume Design, NYU Tisch School of the Arts. rodrigomunozdesign.com @rodrigomu.mo
AMBER SNEAD, CSA (Casting) is originally from Southern California and began her career as a performer. She is passionate about discovering talent and committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity in her work. Her goal is to create an audition space where everyone feels supported and empowered to showcase their best work. Amber has over a decade of experience, with a background spanning both coasts, including casting for Broadway, offBroadway, tours, regional, and Los Angeles theatre. Most recently, she was casting at Binder Casting and ARC Casting, working on projects like Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway and the North American tour.
GRADY SOAPES, CSA (Casting) (He/ Him) is the Director of Casting and Artistic Producer with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Grady has cast over 50 DCPA productions including Rattlesnake Kate, Theater of the Mind, The Chinese Lady, The Who’s Tommy, and The Wild Party. Choreography credits include A Christmas Carol (3 seasons), Twelfth Night, Goodnight Moon, Anna Karenina, As You Like It, Drag Machine, Lord of the Butterflies, DragON (Denver Center); Natasha, Pierre and…, Into the Woods, The Liar (Arvada Center); Comedy of Errors (Colorado Shakespeare Festival). Grady also works as a Casting Director for Sylvia Gregory Casting where he has cast multiple commercials, TV, film, and video game projects.
STAGE MANAGEMENT
HARPER HADLEY (Assistant Stage Manager) (She/Her). At the DCPA: Theater of the Mind, Elephant and Piggie’s “We Are in a Play”, Little Red: The Musical, Colorado New Play Summit: 2022, 2024, 2025, and In the Upper Room. Regional credits: Amerikin and Truth Be Told (Curious Theatre Company); Democracy Cycle and 237 Virginia Avenue (Local Theater Company); A Very Sordid Wedding, Fun Home, When Pigs Fly, and Kinky Boots (Uptown Players).
BRANDON T. HOLMES (Stage Manager) (He/Him). DCPA Debut. Regional theater credits: Primary Trust, Stew, Clyde’s, Shane, The Chinese Lady, The Lion, Steel Magnolias and The West End (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Jersey Boys, Memphis, Chicago, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Legally Blonde, West Side Story, and Newsies (The Lexington Theatre Company). Over 40 productions with Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati including: Fun Home, The Mountaintop,
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Iliad, Grounded, Pipeline, The Humans, and Skeleton Crew. Other theaters include LOOK Musical Theater, Music Theatre Wichita, Cleveland Play House and Cincinnati Shakespeare.
THEATRE COMPANY LEADERSHIP TEAM
CHRIS COLEMAN (Artistic Director) is passionate about the connection between stories and community. He joined the DCPA Theatre Company as Artistic Director in November of 2017 and has directed Hamlet, Rubicon, A Little Night Music, Hotter Than Egypt, Much Ado About Nothing, Rattlesnake Kate, Twelfth Night, A Doll’s House, Anna Karenina, and Oklahoma!. Previously, Chris served as Artistic Director for Portland Center Stage in Oregon for 18 years. Under his leadership, PCS renovated the city’s historic Armory into a new home, saw annual attendance nearly double, workshopped 52 new plays that went on to productions at over 100 theaters around the US and UK, and became a national leader in how theaters engage with their community.
In 1988, Chris founded Actor’s Express in Atlanta (in the basement of an old church), a company that continues to be a cultural force in the Southeast today. He has directed at major theaters across the country, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Alliance Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, ACT/Seattle, the Asolo, Pittsburgh Public, 59E59, and New York Theater Workshop. He and his husband, actor/writer Rodney Hicks, live in Reunion with their 18 lb. terrier mix. Since moving to Colorado, he has hiked Dominguez Canyon, wandered the Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde, explored a working mine in Creede, and rafted down the Arkansas River.
CHARLES VARIN (Managing Director) and his team are responsible for the administrative, financial, and business operations for Theatre Company and Off-Center productions and other artistic initiatives. Since joining the Theatre Company in 2006, he has played a major role in executing the artistic vision of the organization and facilitating the production of shows such as Theater of the Mind, Sweet & Lucky, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Sense & Sensibility the Musical, The 12, Sweeney Todd with DeVotchKa, and many more. Charles is passionate about artistic innovation and firmly believes in DCPA’s long-standing commitment to new plays and new voices.
In addition to DCPA staff, the following crew worked on this production: Becca Bandy, Andy Bruening, Jason Bushey, Gabriel Crites, Lisa Ehrle, Christina HadleyDike, Kai Kramer, Nikki Mayer, Brent Rolfson, Christina Tracey, Jack Yoder.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is one of the largest non-profit theatre organizations in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals, and immersive productions. In its 2023/24 season, the DCPA offered 908,685 engagements, generating a $193.4 million economic impact.
TAKING PHOTOS AT THE THEATRE
We welcome you to take photos in the theatre before and after the performance. If you post on social media, please credit, and tag the DCPA and the design team:
@denvercenter
Playwright: Katori Hall
Director: Timothy Douglas @timdirects
Scenic Designer: Tony Cisek
Costume Designer: Rodrigo Muñoz @rodrigomu.mo
Lighting Designer: Reza Behjat
Sound Designer: Melanie Chen Cole @melaniechencole
Dramaturg: Martine Kei Green-Rogers Fight Director and Intimacy Choreographer: Rocio Mendez
Casting: Grady Soapes, CSA @grayzvander and Murnane Casting, Amber Snead, CSA
Photos and the video and/or audio recording during any part of the performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited
The Director and Fight Director are members of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.
The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
Backstage and Ticket Services Employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada. (or I.A.T.S.E.)
The scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.
PLEASE BE ADVISED
• LATECOMERS and those exiting the theatre are seated at predetermined breaks in designated areas.
• CHILDREN 4+ are welcome in our theatres and must be ticketed.
• ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES, LARGE PRINT PROGRAMS & BOOSTER SEATS are available in most theatres. Ask an usher to direct you.
• BRAILLE PROGRAMS are available with 2 weeks’ notice to accessibility@dcpa.org
The Theatre Company is grateful for the funds provided by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Special thanks also to grants from the Helen G. Bonfils Foundation; and contributions from corporations, foundations and individuals. The Theatre Company is a division of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a non-profit organization serving the public through the performing arts.
The Theatre Company operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States; and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. The Theatre Company also operates under an agreement with Denver Theatrical Stage Employees Union, Local No. 7 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada.
The Theatre Company is constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for not-for-profit resident theatre companies.
The costumes, wigs, lighting, props, furniture,scenic construction, scenic painting, sound and special effects used in connection with this production were constructed and coordinated by the Theatre Company’s Production Staff.
Explore uncharted territory, right in your backyard
Flight simulators
Ascend Spa & Wellness
Rooftop bar
Hotel Polaris is Colorado Springs’ newest frontier for world-class dining and recreation, now welcoming overnight stays and day getaways.
Set your flight path to awe-inspriring getaways and gatherings
All-day brunch
Unforgettable dinners
50s-style soda shop
THE BOOK OF MORMON IS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON
REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF THE BOOK OF MORMON
NNot just any musical wins nine Tony Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and tours in 13 countries around the world, all while playing to packed audiences on Broadway for over 14 years. But then, The Book of Mormon, a musical comedy by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Avenue Q co-creator/Frozen composer Robert Lopez, is not just any musical. The comedy has been seen by over 20 million audience members globally, with over 12,000 performances worldwide.
The conception of The Book of Mormon began after Parker and Stone met with Lopez after a performance of Avenue Q. They discovered a mutual interest in telling a story about Joseph Smith and the Mormon religion. A short time after that initial meeting, Lopez, Parker and Stone took a trip to Salt Lake City for inspiration, and The Book of Mormon musical was born.
The musical follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word When The Book of Mormon opened on Broadway in 2011, after nearly seven years of development, it instantly became a mega-hit. One of Broadway’s Legacy shows, and now in its fourteenth year of performances, it just celebrated its 5,000th performance, making it the 12th longest-running show in Broadway history. It has set house records at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre more than 50
times. Since then, The Book of Mormon has played in 40 U.S. states, six Canadian provinces and 134 cities across the globe. Critics dubbed the production “the funniest musical of all time” and the “best musical of this century.”
In 2013, The Book of Mormon opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London’s West End. The day after opening the show grossed a record $3.2 million — the highest single sales day in West End and Broadway history. The West End production subsequently won four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. The Book of Mormon has also toured in Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Germany and more.
What Stone, Parker and Lopez have created is a show that has influenced and entertained multiple generations. Audiences continue to enjoy an evening of humor and heart. The Book of Mormon is more than a success. It is now a global phenomenon.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE
THE BOOK OF MORMON
MAY 6 – 18 • BUELL THEATRE
ASL Interpreted, Audio Described and Open Captioned performance: May 17 at 2pm
Sam McLellan and company in THE BOOK OF MORMON North American tour.
Photo by Julieta Cervantes.
LIZ MILLER
A MOUTH-WATERING SEASON FINALE
The 2024/25 Theatre Company season wraps with a pair of award-winning comedies that are guaranteed to leave you hungry for more.
FEAST ON A BELOVED SCI-FI MUSICAL THAT HAS ROCKED THE GLOBE FOR GENERATIONS!
NOW – MAY 25
Little Shop of Horrors Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman Music by Alan Menken
Based on the film by Roger Corman, Screenplay by Charles Griffith
Directed by Chris Coleman
A FIERCE COMEDY ABOUT THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF CELEBRATING WHO YOU ARE
BYEXTENDED DEMANDPOPULAR
The Hot Wing King By Katori Hall
APR 25 – MAY 25
Directed by Timothy Douglas
SEASON SPONSOR:
Grow Plants that Perform
BRING SOME SHOW TO YOUR BUSINESS
CORPORATE EVENTS
AT DCPA
Whether you’re planning a Board meeting, corporate retreat, or employee appreciation event, look to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts for your corporate needs. From planning and logistics to lighting design and catering, we’re able to pull off showstopping affairs for the ultimate show of appreciation for your clients and guests!
Working with our theatrically trained, in-house Event Services team, you can select from the spectacular Seawell Ballroom or intimate Directors Room plus your choice of:
• Eight caterers
• Customized bar package from Sodexo Live!
• Dramatic lighting design and Broadway-caliber sound
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE
Called the “Super Bowl of Theatre” by OnStage Colorado, the Colorado New Play Summit rests at the pinnacle of new play development in America. This year’s 19th annual event on March 1 & 2 was no exception.
More than 1,500 tickets were distributed to readings of new works from some of the industry’s brightest playwrights:
• bogfriends by jose sebastian alberdi is an exploration of love, power dynamics, and the preservation of the past that connects six characters from different times and places as they navigate their relationships around an ancient Irish bog.
• In How to Conquer America: A Mostly True History of Yogurt by David Myers, Arlene Hoffman’s ad campaign transforms yogurt into a lucrative phenomenon. But when her late father interferes, she must confront family, culture, and appropriation in a heartfelt take on the American Dream.
• In Renaissance Rome, artists battle for a coveted commission, but poet Beatrice seeks to shape the content, as If God Were Blue by Carey Perloff explores art, power, faith, and the creative struggle.
• Held hostage in her office, psychologist Dr. Devra Mendoza must outmaneuver danger, confronting buried truths about the world, her work, and herself in Rust on Bone by Bianca Sams, a gripping psychological thriller.
Playwrights featured at the Colorado New Play Summit include (l-r) Jake Brasch, Carey Perloff, Sandy Rustin, Bianca Sams, jose sebastian alberdi, and David Myers.
Attendees also enjoyed the world premieres of Jake Brasch’s The Reservoir and Sandy Rustin’s The Su ragette’s Murder, both of which were read in 2023. Since its founding, the Summit has introduced 70 new plays, over half of which have received full Theatre Company productions before going on to more than 250 subsequent engagements across the country.
Photo by Harper Anne Finch.
Dazzle Denver
Complimentary dessert
The Regular
&
IN DOWNTOWN DENVER
Three-course Pre-Theatre Menu. Choose between the Meat, Pescatarian, or Vegetarian option! $50-$70
Panzano
Three-course Pre-Theatre Menu for $60 per person with an optional wine pairing for $30
Rioja Free glass of our proprietary Barcino C3 Cava
Complete the perfect outing with special o ers from our DCPA Restaurant Partners.
Just show your theatre tickets and enjoy!
range
Complimentary valet parking and dessert with purchase of entrée
STK Steakhouse
Complimentary valet parking and 20% off bill
12th annual
Park Hill Art Festival
May 31st & June 1st
3rd annual
Highlands Art Festival
June 7 & 8
8th annual
Evergreen Mountain Art Celebration
June 28 & 29
Jewelry - James Sandoval • Sculpture - Greg Robertson Moose Painting - Peter Freischlag
PROUD 2024/25 SEASON SPONSOR OF DCPA BROADWAY
MUSIC THERAPY CAN CHANGE THE BRAIN AND MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BETTER
BY LINNEA COVINGTON
HHave you ever listened to your favorite song and instantly felt better? This response, said Angela Wibben, Board-Certified Music Therapist at UCHealth, can be used to care for patients.
“Music and the arts are inherently therapeutic,” said Wibben who is also a classically trained percussionist. “There is no music center of the brain. When we use music interventions for rehabilitation, music activates a cross-covering of neural networks.”
While the use of music in therapy dates back centuries, UCHealth began to utilize it in 2016 as part of person-centered, collaborative care. Now UCHealth has tripled its efforts. “Until the Spring of 2024,” Wibben continued, “The University of Colorado Hospital had one staff music therapist for the entire hospital. With the support of our comprehensive data, our healthcare community, and generous philanthropy from donors, we have been able to expand the team to three board-certified music therapists on staff.”
What began in the World War II era to treat individuals in the midst of trauma has developed into a rigorous curriculum. “Now we have our own national board certification, and in order to be a music therapist you need to earn at least an undergraduate degree in music therapy,” said Wibben, who has worked in the field for 12 years, eight of those at UCHealth.
“Music therapy has been shown to improve the quality of life of our patients as well as…to help them heal and support their physical, cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and social goals,” said Wibben. “During a music therapy session our patients may talk about lyrics to explore their meaning in their lives, write songs to express emotions, improvise on instruments to decrease anxiety, use the qualities of rhythm and pitch to help them relearn how to speak after a neurologic injury, or listen to live music to help relax or decrease pain.”
However, when Wibben comes into a room with a cart of instruments, not everyone understands what’s going on.
“I usually start with a broad approach. I ask what is the most challenging part about being in the hospital. For some it’s the pain, the anxiety, and for others it’s being away from social supports and communities, pets or loved ones,” she explained. But music “can help empower people in their healing process.”
It doesn’t matter if you are a musician or have a favorite genre. The real key, she said, is to ask people what music they love and let the comfort and joy of the song course through them. That’s where the healing comes in.
PROUD PARTNER OF THE DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
CCBS Colorado’s Dillon Thomas is known as Your Reporter in Northern Colorado, but around here, he’s better known as Colorado’s connection to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. CBS Colorado’s team of Your Reporters covers Colorado’s vibrant arts scene like no one else and Dillon’s coverage of the DCPA is unique and far-reaching. His commitment has put him on the road with America’s top traveling productions, including MJ the musical, TINA — The Tina Turner Musical and SIX. “Telling the stories of these extraordinary performers and showing our viewers the long hours behind the scenes and the intense effort these shows require is one of my great honors,” Thomas says. “I’m very proud to represent CBS Colorado and showcase all the incredible talent that the DCPA brings to our theatres throughout the year.”
As one of the largest nonprofit theater organizations in the country, the DCPA provides a great avenue for connecting with our community and our clients through the arts.
— NICOLE AMENT, SHAREHOLDER AT BROWNSTEIN HYATT FARBER SCHRECK AND DCPA TRUSTEE
PROUD CORPORATE MEMBER OF THE DCPA
FFounded in 1968 by three University of Colorado graduates, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck provides its clients a value that no other western law firm can match— an integrated approach that combines sensible business solutions with a federal, state and local government perspective. The firm’s 300 lawyers and policy professionals provide multidisciplinary legal counsel that drives results and connects business leaders to the information they need to make decisions.
For more than 55 years, Brownstein has called downtown Denver home. Long before the term “corporate social responsibility” arrived on the scene, our founders, Norm Brownstein, Jack Hyatt and Steve Farber, created a culture of giving back to the local community from the first day the firm opened its doors.
Today, Brownstein continues to foster this value— investing in its communities through board service, volunteerism, sponsorships, donations and pro bono legal services. Its commitment to philanthropy goes beyond words and dollars, empowering employees to volunteer their time and talents in a way that is meaningful to them. From hosting hands-on volunteer opportunities to helping employees identify nonprofit and civic board positions that fit their passions, Brownstein’s employees give back to make the communities where they live and work stronger.
“As a member of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Board of Trustees, I get to see firsthand the impact that the DCPA has on our community,” said Nicole Ament, Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. “As one of the largest nonprofit theater organizations in the country, the work of so many people on and off the stage helps celebrate artistic achievements, create educational experiences and foster conversations. It also provides a great avenue for connecting with our community and our clients through the arts.”
Brownstein is proud to support the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the success of Colorado’s creative economy.
DCPA
Janice Sinden President & CEO
Donna Hendricks Executive Assistant, President & CEO
Julie Schumaker Manager, Board Relations
ACCOUNTING & FINANCE
Jane Williams CFAO
Sara Brandenburg Director, Accounting Services
Jennifer Jeffrey Director, Financial Planning & Analysis
Kristina Monge Associate Accountant
Rachel Rodriguez Manager, Treasury & Reconciliations
Jennifer Siemers Director, Accounting
BROADWAY & CABARET
John Ekeberg Executive Director
Administration
Ashley Brown Business Manager
Alicia Bruce General Manager
Lisa Prater Operations Manager
Garner Galleria Theatre
Abel Becerra Technical Director
Jason Begin+,
Anna Hookana+ Core Stagehands
DEVELOPMENT
Jamie Clements Vice President
Connor Carlin Associate Director, Major & Planned Gifts
Sarah Darlene Manager, Grants & Reports
Caroline Eppers Manager, Auctions & Partnerships
Kara Erickson-Stiemke Coordinator
Emily Kettlewell Associate Director, Annual Giving
Caitie Maxwell Senior Director, Major Gifts
Marc Ravenhill Director, Donor Relations
Megan Stewart Associate Director, Special Events
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Allison Watrous Executive Director
Stuart Barr Technical Director
Leslie Channell Director, Business Operations
Lyndsay Corbett Teaching Artist & Manager, Bobby G
María Corral Director, Community Engagement
Heather Curran Teaching Artist & Manager, Playwriting
Elliot Davis Evening Registrar & Office Coordinator
Rachel Ducat Executive Assistant & Business Manager
Rya Dyes Registrar & On-Site Class Manager
Gavin Juckette Teaching Artist & Manager, TYA Engagement & Music
Timothy McCracken Head of Acting
Rick Mireles Manager, Community Engagement
David Saphier Teaching Artist & Manager, In-School Programming
Charlotte Talbert Librarian
Rachel Taylor Teaching Artist & Manager, Literary Engagement & Resiliency
Justin WalvoordTeaching Artist & Manager, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot
Samuel Wood Director, Education & Curriculum Development
EVENT SERVICES
Samantha Egle, Cody Gocio Senior Sales & Event Managers
Stori Heleen-O’Foley Event Technical Manager
Shane Hotle Audio Engineer
David Mandlowitz Video Engineer
Natalia Marroquin, Phil Rohrbach Sales & Event Managers
DCPA TEAM
Tara Miller Event Sales & Operations Director
Brook Nichols Event Technical Director
Kate Olsen Event Sales Coordinator
Benjamin Peitzer Event Technical Lead
Michael Harris, Alex Taylor Lighting Designers
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Lisa Roebuck Vice President For security purposes, the IT team has been omitted.
MARKETING & SALES
Angela Lakin Vice President
Whitney Testa Executive Assistant, Marketing & Broadway
Marketing
Heidi Bosk Associate Director, Press & Promotions, Broadway & Cabaret
Erin Bunyard Senior Digital Strategist
Sofia Contreras, Lucas Kreitler Graphic Designers
Brenda Elliott, Paul Koob Senior Graphic Designers
Harper Anne Finch Manager, Social Marketing
TJ Forlenza Copywriter
Claire Graves Director, Produced Programs
Brittany Gutierrez Associate Director, Communications
Linda Horan Program Manager
Jeff Hovorka Director, Sales & Marketing, Broadway & Cabaret
Emma Holst Associate, Communications & Content
Emily Kent Director, Insights & Strategy
Michael Ryan Leuthner Director, Digital Marketing
Emily Lozow Associate Director, Sales & Marketing, Broadway & Cabaret
Kyle Malone Director, Design
Dan McNulty Analyst
Todd Metcalf Media Producer
Hannah Selwyn Manager, Email Marketing
Sergio von Kretschmann Manager, Website
Julie Whelan Manager, Produced Programs
Mikayla Woods Coordinator, Produced Programs
Suzanne Yoe Director, Content & Communications
Ticketing & Audience Services
Jennifer Lopez Director
Jessica Alverson*, Tamika Cox*, Zeah Edmonds*, Lauren Estes*, Jen Gray*, Noa Halpern*, Noah Jungferman*, Max McCord, Noelle Norris*, Alexander Roy*,
Holly Stigen*, Lily Valdez, Bronwen
VanOrdstrand*,
Rob Warner* Ticket Agents
Kirsten Anderson*, Scott Lix*,
Liz Sieroslawski*,
Greg Swan* Subscription Agents
Jon Collins Manager, Subscription
Katie Davis Manager, VIP Ticketing
D.J. Dennis*, Luke Fish*, Edmund Gurule*, Lane Randall*, Hayley Solano*, Sam Stump*, Andrew Sullivan, Alfonso Vazquez* Counter/Show Leads
Billy Dutton Associate Director, Operations
Danielle Freeman Manager, Customer Service
Claire Hayes, Ella Mann, Robert McCowan Managers, Box Office
Chris Leech Coordinator, VIP Ticketing
Katie Spanos Associate Director, Subscriber Services
Group Sales
Jessica Bergin Associate Director
Tucker Kamin Manager, Audience Development
Elias Lopez Coordinator
Maddie Young Associate, Education & Group Sales
OFF-CENTER
Charlie Miller Executive Director & Curator
Cat Huck Assistant Operations Manager
Courtney Ozaki Creative Producer
Mike Pingel Operations Manager
OPERATIONS
Sarah Arzberger Administrator
Vincent Bridgers Manager
Adam Busch Analyst
Aaron Chavez Lead
Ruben Cruz, Jordan Latouche Engineers
Simone Gordon Associate Director
Kyle Greufe Senior Analyst
Maria Herwagen Junior Analyst
Brandon LeMarr Manager
Alison Orthel, Tara Perticone Analysts
Joseph Reecher Senior Engineer
Cordelia Taylor Coordinator
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Laura Maresca CPCO
Equity & Organization Culture
Seán Kroll Coordinator
Human Resources
Brian Carter Senior Business Partner
Andrew Guilder HR & Recruiting Specialist
Michaela Johnson Interim Mailroom Assistant
Paul Johnson Manager, Payroll & Compliance
Jocelyn Martinez Business Partner
Kinsey Scholl Manager, Operations
THEATRE COMPANY
Administration
Charles Varin Managing Director
Emily Diaz Business Admin./ Asst. Company Manager
Alex Koszewski Company Manager
Ann Marshall General Manager
Artistic
Chris Coleman Artistic Director
Jessica Eckenrod Artistic Associate
Grady Soapes Artistic Producer & Casting Director
Leean Kim Torske Director, Literary Programs
Madison Cook-Hines Literary Assistant
Costume Crafts
Kevin Copenhaver Director
Chris Campbell Assistant
Costume Shop
Janet MacLeod Director/Design Associate
Meghan Anderson Doyle Design Associate
Katarina Kosmopoulos First Hand
Ingrid Ludeke,
Carolyn Plemitscher Drapers
House Crew
Douglas Taylor+ Supervisor
James Berman+, Forest Fowler+, Dave Mazzeno+, Kyle Moore+, Piper Stormes+, Matt Wagner+ Stagehands
Joseph Price+, Kelley Reznik+ Assistants
Lighting Design
Charles MacLeod Director
Connor Baker+ Production Electrician
Lily Bradford Assistant
Paint Shop
Kristin Hamer MacFarlane Charge Scenic Artist
Melanie Rentschler, Sasha Seaman Scenic Artists
Production
Jeff Gifford Director
Julie Brou Administrative Assistant/ Office Manager
Matthew Campbell Production Manager
Peggy Carey Associate Production Manager
Prop Shop
Meghan Markiewicz Supervisor
Sara Pugh Associate Supervisor
Bennet Goldberg, Georgina Kayes, Ashley Lawler Artisans
Andrew McGlothen Prop Carpenter
Scene Shop
Eric Moore Technical Director
Albert “Stub” Allison, Robert L. Orzolek, Josh Prues Associate Technical Directors
Jeremy Banthoff, Tyler D. Clark, Amy Wynn Pastor, Kyle Scoggins Scenic Technicians
Louis Fernandez III Lead Scenic Technician
Brian “Marco” Markiewicz Lead Carpenter
Scenic Design
Lisa Orzolek Director
Kevin Nelson, Nicholas Renaud Assistants
Sound Design & Technology
Alex Billman Supervisor
Meagan Holdeman+, Timothy Schoeberl+, Dimitri Soto+ Technicians
Elena Martin Associate Supervisor
Stage Management
Anne Jude Supervisor
Corin Davidson, Harper Hadley, Brandon T. Holmes, Kristen O’Connor, Malia Stoner Stage Managers
Anna Cordova, Sam Forrest, Megan Franco Apprentices
Wardrobe
Heidi Echtenkamp Supervisor
Robin Appleton^, Amber Krimbel^, Lauren LaCasse^, Lisa Parsons Wagner^, Nicole Watts^, Kami Williams^ Dressers
Wigs
Diana Ben-Kiki Supervisor
Abby Schmidt^, Marisa Sorce^ Wig Assistants
VENUE OPERATIONS
Glen Lucero Vice President
Merry Davis Financial Manager
Jane Deegan Administrator
Kristi Horvath Director of Venue Operations
Facilities
Craig Smith Director
Dwight Barela, Mark Dill, Bryan Faciane, John Howard, Iver Johnson Engineers
Abraham Cervantes, Lindsey Cervantes, Carmen Molina, Judith Primero Molina, Juan Loya Molina,
Blanca Primero Custodians
Michael Kimbrough Manager, Engineering
Brian McClain Manager, Custodial
Patron Experience
Evan Gendreau Associate Director
Kaylyn Kriaski, Leilani Lynch, Aaron McMullen, Stacy Norwood, Wendy Quintana, Valerie Schaefer Assistant Managers
Kelly Breuer, Nora Caley, Amy Howard, Robin Lander, Barbara Pooler, Ayden Smith House Managers
Safety & Security
Quentin Crump Director
Jacquelyne Schmidt Manager, Health & Safety
Timothy Allen, Jodi Benavides Lead Security Officers
Mayte Armendariz, David Bright, Ariana Cuevas, Ethan Kemberlin, Jack Leatherwood, Ian Nelson, Jason Porquis, Isabella Samaniego, Zach Stemley, Pamela Winston, Tori Witherspoon, Angel Zanudio Security Specialists
Judy Briggs Front Desk
Rateliff sings Rateliff with the Colorado Symphony APR 11-12
Beethoven & Brahms with Christopher Dragon MAY 16-18
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring MAY 23-25
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Augustin Hadelich MAY 30-JUN 1
