Performances Magazine La Jolla Playhouse February 2019

FEBRUARY 2019

at

THE 2019/2020 SEASON IS ANNOUNCED – SUBSCRIBE AND SEE IT ALL! LJPLAY_COVER_0218-Diana.indd 1

1/4/19 4:45 PM

We are San Diego.

We are San Diego.

Dance students and faculty from SDSU's School of Music and Dance

Learn more at: iam.sdsu.edu

0C2-05_TOC_PSD_0219.indd 2

1/9/19 3:53 PM

LTP_Pe

Natural Beauty, Ultimate Serenity

SpaTorreyPines.com | (858) 777-6690 11480 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037

LTP_Performances_Feb2019.indd 1 0C2-05_TOC_PSD_0219.indd 1

12/12/2018 1:51:23 PM 1/9/19 3:54 PM

⁄⁄⁄⁄ FEBRUARY 2019

CONTENTS

58 Cast, who’s who, director’s notes, chairman’s letter and donors.

14 FEATURE

Inside the world premiere of The Hour of Great Mercy at Diversionary Theatre in University Heights.

6 INTHEWINGS

58 TRAVEL

10 DATELINE

80 BACKPAGE

Around town: Broadway/San Diego’s The Choir of Man; San Diego Opera’s Rigoletto; and more.

Be More Chill in New York; Follies and The Price in London; The Loser in Los Angeles; and more.

58 DINING

Food writer Cole Casey sizes up the bay views, cuisine and cocktails at Vistal. (Pictured: the SoCal Sour.)

San José del Cabo beckons with art galleries, colonial architecture, luxe lodging and quaint culinary farms.

A crisp view of the beautifully restored, historical Balboa Theatre, located in the heart of downtown San Diego—originally built in 1924.

COURTESY VISTAL

P1 PROGRAM

2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

0C2-05_TOC_PSD_0219.indd 2

1/10/19 1:36 PM

My legacy. My partner.

You have dreams. Goals you want to achieve during your lifetime and a legacy you want to leave behind. The Private Bank can help. Our highly specialized and experienced wealth strategists can help you navigate the complexities of estate planning and deliver the customized solutions you need to ensure your wealth is transferred according to your wishes.

Take the first step in ensuring the preservation of your wealth for your lifetime and future generations.

To learn more, please visit unionbank.com/theprivatebank or contact: Mario Woizeschke Private Wealth Advisor mario.woizeschke@unionbank.com 858-551-5368

Mary Murray Private Wealth Advisor mary.murray@unionbank.com 858-602-8950

Wills, trusts, foundations, and wealth planning strategies have legal, tax, accounting, and other implications. Clients should consult a legal or tax advisor.

©2019 MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Union Bank is a registered trademark and brand name of MUFG Union Bank, N.A.

0C2-05_TOC_PSD_0219.indd 3

1/9/19 3:54 PM

Treat Your Valentine to a Concert this February!

Published by Southern California Media Group

Publisher Jeff Levy Editor Sarah Daoust Art Director Carol Wakano

FRI, FEB 22, 8PM

Production Manager Glenda Mendez

Feinstein Sings Sinatra

*

America’s most honored cabaret artist Michael Feinstein celebrates the magic of Frank Sinatra as he and his trio perform swinging American standards made famous by ol’ blue eyes. *The San Diego Symphony does not appear as part of this program.

Hadelich Performs Dvořák, Bartok & Brahms FRI, FEB 15, 8PM | SAT, FEB 16, 8PM SUN, FEB 17, 2PM

Violinist Augustin Hadelich takes us on a musical journey through Central and Eastern Europe.

Brubeck's Time Out in Concert SAT, FEB 23, 8PM

Jazz @ the Jacobs honors Dave Brubeck's classic album Time Out with a note for note – cut for cut performance featuring today's best jazz musicians and hits like Take Five and Blue Rondo à la Turk.

Production Artist Diana Gonzalez Contributing Designer Heidi Schwindt Advertising Director Kerry Brewer Account Managers Sara Kemp, Lyle Laver, Walter Lewis, Tim Egan, Joel Gilliam, Christine Penning, Jessica Levin Poff, Heather Price Marketing Manager Dawn Kiko Cheng Contributing Writers Cole Casey, Benjamin Epstein, Priscilla Goslett, Pat Launer, Francis Lewis Digital Editor William Yelles Copy Editor Claire Caraska Business Manager Leanne Killian Riggar

Coming in March JURASSIC PARK IN CONCERT SAT FEB 9, 8PM Watch Academy Award Winning film Jurassic Park on a big screen in Copley Symphony Hall at Jacobs Music Center while the San Diego Symphony Orchestra performs John Williams iconic and beloved musical score.

Jurassic Park is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. Licensed by Universal Studios. All rights reserved.

MAHLER’S FOURTH SYMPHONY FRI MAR 1, 8PM SAT MAR 2, 8PM Conductor Edo DeWaart returns for Mahler’s song-driven fourth symphony and soprano Joelle Harvey sings Barber’s nostalgic Knoxville: Summer of 1915.

TI CK ET S ON SALE NOW

Administration Eva Scattergood, Whitney Lauren Han, Kelsey Bauder Honorary President Ted Levy For information about advertising and rates, contact Southern California Media Group.

3990 Old Town Avenue, Ste B200 San Diego, California 92110 Phone: 619.260.5599 Fax: 619.260.5598 Visit Performances Magazine online

socalpulse.com

Performances Magazine is published monthly by Southern California Media Group to serve theatrical attractions throughout the West.

All rights reserved. ©2019 Southern California Media Group

SANDIEGOSYMPHONY.ORG | 619-235-0804 *Programs and artists subject to change. All sales final.

4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

0C2-05_TOC_PSD_0219.indd 4

1/10/19 1:37 PM

0C2-05_TOC_PSD_0219.indd 5

1/9/19 3:54 PM

EVENTS ⁄⁄⁄⁄ EXHIBITS ⁄⁄⁄⁄ PERFORMANCES

San Diego Opera presents Jake Heggie's chamber opera, Three Decembers, March 8, 9 and 10.

VENERATED MEZZO-soprano Frederica von Stade stars in San Diego Opera’s production of Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, reprising the role she created for the work’s world premiere in 2008 for Houston Grand Opera. Based on a libretto by Gene Scheer and an unpublished play by Terrence McNally, it runs March 8-10 at the Patrick Henry PHAME! Theater. Three Decembers explores the truth, lies, resentments and hopes of a family over the decades. With simple yet profound music that bares the souls of each character, the chamber opera is an intimate meditation on the family we wish for and the family we end up with. In it, a beloved stage actress and singer is writing her annual Christmas letter, but no letter is enough to make up for the resentments of her now-adult children. Then, the truth of their father’s tragic death comes out ... sdopera.org 6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

06-9_ITW_PSD_0219.indd 6

1/10/19 1:37 PM

OPPOSITE, COURTESY HAWAII OPERA THEATRE; TOP, BRIAN WRIGHT; BOTTOM, LITTLE FANG

INTHEWINGS

OPPOSITE, COURTESY HAWAII OPERA THEATRE; TOP, BRIAN WRIGHT; BOTTOM, LITTLE FANG

BROADWAY / SAN San Diego doesn’t BROADWAY disappoint this month with two vibrant productions. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special one-night-only perofrmance of The Choir of Man on Feb. 14—a 90-minute, nine-man spectacle of high-octane foot stomping, dancing and singing. The touring concert show features some of the best voices in the UK. Think of it as a pub crawl with an electric pulse.

The hit Broadway musical Disney’s Aladdin returns Feb. 20-March 3.

The glittering new production from the producer of The Lion King— and directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!)—centers on the magical possibilities of one lamp and being

The ensemble cast of The Choir of Man

granted three wishes. Sing along to favorite songs from the movie, as well as new music by Tony and Academy Award winner Alan

THEATER

Menken. The family-friendly production is recommended for ages 6 and up. Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown, broadwaysd.com

Jeanna de Waal plays the title role in Diana.

A GOURMET CHEF prepares a family soup recipe in hopes of keeping his father alive in San Diego Rep’s Aubergine, through Feb. 17 at Lyceum Theatre. In the comedy-drama Familiar, through March 3 at The Old Globe, the daughter of immigrant parents insists on a traditional African wedding ceremony, thus examining what defines an American family. Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things runs at The Old Globe Feb. 9-March 10—exploring the relationships between an anonymous advice columnist and her readers. La Jolla Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical Diana Feb. 19-April 7—following the life of the Princess of Wales. She was an assistant kindergarten teacher before marrying the Prince of Wales in 1981, making her the most famous woman in the world overnight.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 7

06-9_ITW_PSD_0219.indd 7

1/10/19 1:37 PM

Notes: Non

Events ⁄⁄⁄⁄ exhibits ⁄⁄⁄⁄ performances

The 2Cellos perform at Valley View Casino Center Feb. 10.

Dance show Beyond Babel plays during San Diego Theatre Week.

dance troupes at discounted ticket prices of $15, $30 or $45. Celebrate the Year of the Pig at the Chinese New Year Fair, Feb. 16-17 (sdcny.org). This

free celebration downtown features live performances, children’s crafts, a lantern parade, Chinese and Asian foods, and cultural displays.

the february lineup at California Center for the Arts, concerts Escondido includes An Evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein, presented by Barn Stage Company on Feb. 6—with performances of such musical classics as The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, South Pacific and more. Shen Yun takes the same stage Feb 7-10 and Feb. 13-17. The New York-based dance company is known for its classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk-dance choreography; along with history-rich, storybased dance, orchestral accompaniments and acrobatics. The 2Cellos, comprised of the classically trained cellist duo, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, perform at Valley View Casino Center on Feb. 10. At San Diego Symphony’s Copley Hall on Feb. 22, enjoy A Celebration of Frank Sinatra with Michael Feinstein; the renowned singer/ pianist performs Sinatra classics with his trio.

top, courtesy beyond babel; left, Courtesy 2cellos

ACCESS 40 OF SAN Diego County’s top events museums for half-off admission during San Diego Museum Month, Feb. 1-28 (sandiegomuseumcouncil.org). Visit local favorites such as Maritime Museum, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Lux Art Institute, San Diego Botanic Gardens, and many museums at Balboa Park. The 29th annual San Diego Jewish Film Festival, Feb. 7-17 (sdcjc.org/sdjff) at various locations, explores Jewish experiences through a slew of shorts, documentaries and feature films. During San Diego Theatre Week—hosted by the San Diego Performing Arts League Feb. 14-24 (sandiegotheatreweek.com) —attend productions and concerts presented by 30-plus participating theaters, music ensembles and

8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe

06-9_ITW_PSD_0219.indd 8

1/10/19 5:00 PM

Notes: None

L O O K

D E E P E R

Fun in the sun.

And the stage lights.

Tony Award winner Paloma Young went from overlooking the beach at UC San Diego to overseeing costume designs on Broadway.

All it took was a love of history and storytelling — plus an ideal climate for her imagination to run wild at the No. 4 theater program in the world.

lookdeeper.ucsd.edu

The Hollywood Reporter, 2018

06-9_ITW_PSD_0219.indd 9

1/9/19 4:06 PM

⁄⁄⁄⁄ SHOWS ELSEWHERE

DATELINE

SOME MUSICALS GET BETTER with age. Take Cole Porter’s vintage 1948 fizz, Kiss Me, Kate. It’s “Wunderbar,” especially now that Kelli O’Hara and Will Chase play NEW YORK the over-the-top embattled lovers in the Broadway revival previewing Feb. 14 at Studio 54. Fiddler on the Roof, a traditional Broadway tuner about Old World traditions, has been a staple since 1964—but never like this. Performed in Yiddish, with Russian and English surtitles, the latest Fiddler is more than a revival; it’s a rebirth. Previews begin Feb. 11 at off-Broadway’s Stage 42. Via a regional production in 2015 and an off-Broadway run last year, Be More Chill arrives at the Lyceum Theatre on Feb. 13. After a little fine-tuning, this musical about a high-school outcast finds its voice on the Great White Way.

MARIA BARANOVA

Will Roland and the cast of Be More Chill

10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

10-13_DATELINE_PSD_0219.indd 10

1/10/19 1:38 PM

Join us in celebrating La Jolla Music Society’s new home, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, with 16 events featuring an incredible lineup of internationally acclaimed musicians and ensembles, all of whom are deeply connected to LJMS and to San Diego. Celebrate this homecoming with a range of genres, including dance, film, chamber music, jazz, orchestra, and world music. All events will be held in The Baker-Baum Concert Hall.

MAY

APRIL

JERUSALEM QUARTET Revelle Chamber Music Series

GARRICK OHLSSON: BRAHMS EXPLORATION

MIDORI & JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET

Piano Series

Tuesday, April 9, 2019 · 8 PM

Friday, May 3, 2019 · 8 PM

Friday, April 12, 2019 · 8 PM Revelle Chamber Music Series

Anoushka Shankar

NPR'S FROM THE TOP

STORM LARGE & LE BONHEUR Saturday, May 4, 2019 · 8 PM Special Event

Saturday, April 13, 2019 · 6 PM Special Event

THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE

GEORGE LI, piano

Sunday, April 14, 2019 · 3 PM

(FILM SCREENING SET TO LIVE MUSIC)

DANIIL TRIFONOV

Jazz Series

Thursday, May 9, 2019 · 8 PM

Discovery Series

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 · 8 PM Piano Series

DAVID FINCKEL & WU HAN

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR

Friday, May 10, 2019 · 8 PM Revelle Chamber Music Series

Thursday, April 18, 2019 · 8 PM Special Event

Chris Thile

CHRIS THILE

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 · 8 PM

STORM LARGE'S CRAZY ENOUGH Saturday, May 11, 2019 · 8 PM Sunday, May 12, 2019 · 3 PM

Special Event

GIL SHAHAM & AKIRA EGUCHI

Special Events

Thursday, April 25, 2019 · 8 PM

RICHARD LIN WINNER OF THE 2018 INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION OF INDIANAPOLIS

Revelle Chamber Music Series

SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY MATTHEW HALLS, conductor Friday, April 26, 2019 · 8 PM Special Event

HIROMI: SOLO

Sunday, May 19, 2019 · 3 PM Discovery Series

Saturday, April 27, 2019 · 8 PM Special Event

Storm Large

tickets on sale now ǀ 858.459.3728 ǀ LJMS.ORG 10-13_DATELINE_PSD_0219.indd 11

1/14/19 12:52 PM

⁄⁄⁄⁄ SHOWS ELSEWHERE

STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S UPLIFTING musical Follies returns to the National stage Feb. 12-April 6 following its sold-out run. Set in 1971, it revolves around a lavish soirée thrown at the soon-to-be closed Weissman Theatre. For nostalgia’s sake, the Follies girls perform their swansong. David Suchet—known in his role as Agatha Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot—stars in Arthur Miller’s The Price, Feb. 5- April 27 at Wyndham Theatre.

Stephen Sondheim’s Follies at the National Theatre

The tale follows two brothers, a policeman and a surgeon, who meet after 20 years of estrangement to sell family assets—and realize how much they lost apart.

Downton Abbey’s Lily James and The X Files’ Gillian Anderson are at the Noel Coward Theatre in a new adaptation of All About Eve, based on the Academy Awardwinning film about a fading star and her young assistant. Is she a loyal servant or an opportunist?

Rod Gilfry (above) in the world premiere of David Lang’s The Loser at BAM’s Next Wave Festival in 2016

TWO PIANO prodigies at a masTHE WEST ter class encounter an even greater talent: the virtuoso Glenn Gould, on the cusp of superstardom. The devastating realization that they will never approach their new rival’s level of artistry changes their lives forever. A meditation on dreams forsaken and hopes unrealized unfolds when L.A. Opera Off Grand presents the West Coast premiere of The Loser Feb. 22-23, by composer David Lang (Anatomy Theater). An intimate staging of the work for baritone, piano and chamber ensemble incorporates multiple levels of the spectacular Theatre at Ace Hotel. It stars Rod Gilfry in a role he created for the 2016 world premiere at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House for the Next Wave Festival in NYC. 929 S. Broadway, downtown Los Angeles, laopera.org

LONDON, JOHAN PERSSON; THE WEST, RICHARD TERMINE

LONDON

12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

10-13_DATELINE_PSD_0219.indd 12

1/10/19 1:38 PM

The people you trust, trust City National.

Top Ranked in Client Referrals*

“City National helps keep my financial life in tune.”

Michael Tilson Thomas Conductor, Educator and Composer

Find your way up. Visit cnb.com SM

* Based on interviews conducted by Greenwich Associates in 2017 with more than 30,000 executives at businesses across the country with sales of $1 million to $500 million. City National Bank results are compared to leading competitors on the following question: How likely are you to recommend (bank) to a friend or colleague?

7275.20 City National Bank Member FDIC. City National Bank is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. ©2018 City National Bank. All Rights Reserved. cnb.com

10-13_DATELINE_PSD_0219.indd 13

1/9/19 4:53 PM

HAVE MERCY CY AND ISOLATED, remote and rural: Alaska, where loneliness reigns and community is crucial. Playwright Miranda Rose Hall knows the territory well, having spent a year in Anchorage. She set The Hour of Great Mercy, which premieres at Diversionary Theatre, in a tiny (fictional) town she named, significantly, Bethlehem.

“I think of Alaska like a garage sale,” says Hall

from her hometown, Baltimore. “To me, it means an assortment of odds and ends, people and belongings that are still in fine working condition, but might need a little tuneup. All the characters in the play are from different places. A lot of people go to Alaska to escape ‘the lower 48’ or ‘the South,’ as they call it, to re-invent themselves.

All of this is smashed up against sublime nature.” /CONTINUED ON PAGE 66 What interests Hall is

LUCAS MOORE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

I

DIVERSIONARY THEATRE’S WORLD PREMIERE CENTERS ON ICE, ILLNESS, INSIGHT AND REDEMPTION. by PAT LAUNER

6

14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 14

G

1/10/19 1:40 PM

s43_bee

“Not To Be Missed.”

TALKIN’ BROADWAY

“A hypnotic production... a chamber music piece of exquisite beauty.”

CHICAGO SUN TIMES

H ER SHE Y FELDER

Beethoven

BOOK BY HERSHEY FELDER • MUSIC OF LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN DIRECTED BY JOEL ZWICK FEBRUARY 21 - MARCH 24 ON THE LYCEUM STAGE

Get Tickets Now! 619.544.1000 | SDREP.ORG | Lyceum Theatre | Horton Plaza

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 15 s43_beethoven_Performances_page.indd 1

1/9/19 4:13 PM 12/13/18 11:17 AM

Come home to

SEACREST

From the beautiful rolling hills of Rancho Bernardo to the stunning coastal views of Encinitas, Seacrest Village welcomes you! Whether it is for lunch, a special guest speaker, our monthly dance or a tour, we would be honored for you to see our community. Please call us for information on how we can enhance your retirement living experience.

HELP

at home

Seacrest at Home is the trusted not-forprofit Jewish home care agency when you or a loved one requires additional help at home. We are also delighted to offer our new C.A.R.E. (Companion Available, Ready for Emergency) concierge program designed to provide an extra level of support for your loved one when needed most, along with our Care Navigation care management program.

Other services include:

d

Independent

Personal Care

d

Assisted

Meal Preparation

d

Memory Care

d

Skilled Nursing

d

Rehabilitation

Errands

d

Long Term Care

Medication Reminders

Light Housekeeping Pet Care Escort to Appointments

Companionship

Encinitas 760.632.0081

Contact us for more information.

Rancho Bernardo 858.485.0700

760-632-3715 / 760-942-2695

seacrestvillage.org

seacrestathome.org We accept most Long-Term Care Insurance | Home Care Organization license #374700096

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 16

1/9/19 4:55 PM

The Artistic Director’s Circle

Season Sponsors

Gail & Ralph Bryan Brian & Silvija Devine Joan & Irwin Jacobs Sheri L. Jamieson Frank Marshall and Kathy Kennedy Becky Moores Vivien & Jeffrey Ressler Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation

The Hearst Foundations, The William Hall Tippett & Ruth Rathell Tippett Foundation,

The Rich Family Foundation Dr. Seuss Fund at The San Diego Foundation Steven Strauss & Lise Wilson

David C. Copley Foundation, The Mandell Weiss Charitable Trust, Anonymous, Gary & Marlene Cohen, The Dow Divas, Foster Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation, Wendy Gillespie & Karen Tanz, Lynn Gorguze & The Honorable Scott Peters, Kay & Bill Gurtin, Lynelle & William Lynch, and Molli Wagner

BEGINS FEBRUARY 19

PRODUCTION SPONSORS GARY & MARLENE COHEN THE DOW DIVAS WENDY GILLESPIE & KAREN TANZ LYNELLE & WILLIAM LYNCH FRANK MARSHALL & KATHY KENNEDY DR. HOWARD & BARBARA MILSTEIN BECKY MOORES

RECIPIENT OF AN EDGERTON FOUNDATION NEW PLAY AWARD PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P1

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 1

2/4/19 1:12 PM

A MESSAGE FROM THE

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

MISSION STATEMENT: La Jolla Playhouse advances theatre as an art form and as a vital social, moral and political platform by providing unfettered creative opportunities for the leading artists of today and tomorrow. With our youthful spirit and eclectic, artist-driven approach, we will continue to cultivate a local and national following with an insatiable appetite for audacious and diverse work. In the future, San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse will be considered singularly indispensable to the worldwide theatre landscape, as we become a permanent safe harbor for the unsafe and surprising. The day will come when it will be essential to enter the La Jolla Playhouse village in order to get a glimpse of what is about to happen in American theatre.

La Jolla Playhouse has received the highest rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s premier charity evaluator.

Everyone, at some point during their childhood, is exposed to fairy tales – fantastical stories of dashing princes and plucky princesses overcoming curses and creatures to live happily ever after. Almost everyone, however, grows to learn the difference between fiction and reality.

But for those of us who remember Lady Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles in 1981, it seemed as though she had somehow miraculously managed to stay in a storybook world: the horsedrawn carriage, the impossibly long wedding dress, the prince waiting for her at the end of the aisle. Of course, Diana’s fairy tale didn’t end happily ever after. Perhaps that’s why, more than twenty years after her death, our culture remains fascinated by her story.

Diana, the new musical by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, focuses primarily on Diana and Charles’ marriage – one made “a bit crowded,” as Diana once wryly observed, by the constant presence of Camilla Parker Bowles. Yet the show isn’t interested in villainizing any of the participants; rather, it uses this triangle to dramatize the deep personal costs that arose from the conflict between tradition and change.

The Windsors had long upheld the values of duty and honor, often at the expense of personal happiness; Charles’ mother Elizabeth became queen only because her uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne rather than give up his relationship to Wallis Simpson, a divorced American. Despite being deeply in love with Camilla, Charles chose to marry Diana – who, as a titled woman unsullied by previous relationships, seemed a more suitable bride. Ironically, the perfect traditional choice became a catalyst for complete transformation.

Having lived through the relentless media coverage of Diana’s marriage, divorce, death and remembrance, I’ve always been tremendously moved by her power to stand up to the might of the monarchy. The institution survived – and even thrived – but it was undeniably altered by Diana. The celebration of Prince Harry’s recent wedding to Meghan Markle – another divorced American – would not have been possible without Diana. Though she was only married to Charles for fifteen years, Princess Diana pushed the crown in a direction that reflects our contemporary world.

CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY P2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 2

2/4/19 1:14 PM

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS Debby Buchholz Managing Director

Christopher Ashley Artistic Director

BOOK AND LYRICS BY

JOE DIPIETRO

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY

DAVID BRYAN

MUSIC DIRECTION AND ARRANGEMENTS BY

IAN EISENDRATH CHOREOGRAPHY BY

KELLY DEVINE DIRECTION BY

CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY FEATURING HOLLY ANN BUTLER*, TAYLOR COLEMAN, ERIC COLES*, ERIN DAVIE*, JEANNA DE WAAL*, BRUCE DOW*, EVAN DUFF*, MADISON NOELLE HALL*, ROE HARTRAMPF*, SHAYE B HOPKINS*, NICOLE JAVIER ‡, JUDY KAYE*, JUSTIN KEATS*, GARETH KEEGAN*, NATHAN LUCREZIO*, TOMAS MATOS*, ALLYN ANTHONY MORIYON ‡, LAUREN LIVIA MUEHL, JAMEN NANTHAKUMAR*, ENRICO NASSI ‡, KATHERYNE PENNY*, LINDSAY ROBERTS*, TARA SHOEMAKER, BETHANY ANN TESARCK* SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN SOUND DESIGN WIG DESIGN ORCHESTRATOR DIALECT COACH DRAMATURG CASTING PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER

DAVID ZINN WILLIAM IVEY LONG NATASHA KATZ GARETH OWEN PAUL HUNTLEY JOHN CLANCY DAVID HUBER GABRIEL GREENE TELSEY + COMPANY; RACHEL HOFFMAN, C.S.A. MARTHA DONALDSON* KATRINA HERRMANN* MANDISA REED* BENJAMIN SEIBERT PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P3

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 3

2/4/19 1:15 PM

THE CAST (in alphabetical order)

Camilla Parker Bowles........................................................................................................... Erin Davie* Diana........................................................................................................................... Jeanna de Waal* Prince Charles................................................................................................................ Roe Hartrampf* Queen Elizabeth.................................................................................................................... Judy Kaye* Ensemble......................................... Holly Ann Butler*, Taylor Coleman, Eric Coles*, Bruce Dow* Evan Duff*, Madison Noelle Hall*, Shaye B Hopkins*, Nicole Javier*‡ Justin Keats*, Gareth Keegan*, Nathan Lucrezio*, Tomas Matos* Allyn Anthony Moriyon ‡, Lauren Livia Muehl, Jamen Nanthakumar* Enrico Nassi ‡, Katheryne Penny*, Lindsay Roberts*, Bethany Ann Tesarck* Swings..............................................................................................Justin Keats*, Tara Shoemaker* Diana will be performed with one 15-minute intermission.

UNDERSTUDIES Camilla Parker Bowles/Queen Elizabeth ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Holly Ann Butler * Prince Charles �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Eric Coles * Diana.........................................................................................................................................................................................Madison Noelle Hall * Understudies are never substituted for listed roles unless a specific announcement or notice is made at the time of the performance.

ADDITIONAL STAFF Associate Director........................................................... Jaki Bradley Associate Choreographer............................................ Charlie Sutton Associate Music Director............................................. Haley Bennett Associate Scenic Designer..............................................Tim McMath Associate Costume Designers...... Cathy Parrott, Butler Robertson, Donald Sanders Associate Lighting Designer...........................................Aaron Spivey Associate Sound Designer................................................Matt Peploe Assistant Costume Designer.....................Desiree Hatfield-Buckley

Assistant Lighting Designer........................................Brandon Rosen Moving Light Programmer................................................Sean Beach Stage Management Assistant..........................................Tyler Larson ‡ Sound Design Assistant............................................ Stephen Jensen ‡ Studio Teachers................................. Missy Simms, Eileen Williams SDC Observer............................................................Callie Nestleroth Stage Management Interns................ Danielle Dudley, Reed Jones Dance Captains............................... Holly Ann Butler*, Justin Keats* Make-up Consultant................................................ Alberto Alvarado

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Foresight Theatrical • Bond Theatrical Group • DKC/O&M • Marathon Digital • Serino Coyne Production Resource Group • Araca Merchandising • James’ Place • Peter Ko Grove Entertainment/Beth Williams & Mindy Rich • Frank Marshall • The Araca Group

P4 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 4

2/4/19 1:16 PM

MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT ONE

ACT TWO

ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE PAGES OF HER BOOKS SNAP, CLICK THIS IS HOW YOUR PEOPLE DANCE WHATEVER LOVE MEANS ANYWAY THE WEDDING WELCOME TO THE WINDSORS PERFECT PRINCESS HAPPINESS SIMPLY BREATHE PRINCESS DI FLOATING DIANA (THE RAGE) AS I LOVE YOU PRETTY, PRETTY GIRL

HERE COMES JAMES HEWITT HIM & HER (& HIM & HER) JUST DANCE SECRETS AND LIES THE SHOW THE WORDS CAME POURING OUT DIANA (reprise) THE DRESS AN OFFICER'S WIFE IF

ORCHESTRA Conductor/Keyboard 1 ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Ian Eisendrath Keyboard 2...................................................................................................................................................................................Charlie Savage Guitar 1................................................................................................................................................................................ Jack Majdecki Guitar 2...................................................................................................................................................................................Vince Cooper Trumpet............................................................................................................................................................................................Steve Dillard Bass..................................................................................................................................................................................................Mike Pearce Horn......................................................................................................................................................................................... Jane Zwerneman Drums...................................................................................................................................................................................................Kevin Dow Woodwinds......................................................................................................................................................................................... John Reilly Associate Conductor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Haley Bennett Contractor........................................................................................................................................................................................ Lorin Getline

MUSICAL STAFF Electronic Music Design......................................................................Billy Jay Stein, Hiro Iida for Strange Cranium Productions, Inc. Electronic Music Programmer.........................................................................................................................................Scott Wasserman Copyist.......................................................................................................................................................................................... Russ Bartmus Rehearsal Pianists................................................................................................................................... Haley Bennett, Charlie Savage Rehearsal Drummer.................................................................................................................................................................. Rodney Howard Music Assistant.........................................................................................................................................................................Nick De La Riva

*

Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident heatres and Actors’ Equity Association.

The Director and Choreographer are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

All musicians are represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 325 San Diego.

‡

UC San Diego M.F.A. Candidates in residence at La Jolla Playhouse.

This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE. La Jolla Playhouse is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for the nonprofit professional theatre.

This theatre operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 122.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P5

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 5

2/4/19 1:18 PM

THE COMPANY HOLLY ANN BUTLER, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway/Off-Broadway: On the Town, How to Succeed..., Grease, Happiness, Anyone Can Whistle (Encores!). First National Tours: Evita, Flashdance, Shrek, Jersey Boys. Regional: The Royal Family of Broadway (Barrington Stage); The Honeymooners (Paper Mill Playhouse); Holiday Inn, A Chorus Line, Annie (Muny); On the Town, Nice Work If You Can Get It (Sacramento Music Circus); Miracle Worker (Queens Theatre); Leading Ladies (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Drury Lane; Jeff Award nomination); Cats (TUTS). Film/TV: Looking for Trouble, SeaQuest 2032, Figure It Out. Thanks to David and my family. Love to my penguin.

TAYLOR COLEMAN, Young Diana/Ensemble (matinees) La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway National Tour: Marta in The Sound of Music, directed by Jack O'Brien. Regional: Small Alison in Fun Home (San Diego Repertory); Cindy Lou Who (2013-2015) and Betty Lou Who (2016-2018) in Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (The Old Globe); Jane in Peter Pan, Young Fiona in Shrek and Gracie Shinn in The Music Man (Moonlight Stage Productions); Annie Get Your Gun (San Diego Musical Theatre).

ERIC COLES, Johnnie Spencer/Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Rock of Ages.

National Tours: Mary Poppins, Something Rotten. OffBroadway: Devil and the Deep, Kiko. Regional: Sweeney Todd, Mary Poppins (FingerLakesMTF); Wizard of Oz, Rock of Ages (Mirvish Entertainment); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Drayton Entertainment). Thanks to Danny. Love to Alison! @eric.coles ERIN DAVIE, Camilla Parker Bowles La Jolla Playhouse: Violet Hilton in Side Show. Broadway: Yvonne/Naomi in Sunday in the Park with George, Violet Hilton in Side Show, Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Countess Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night Music, Young Little Edie in Grey Gardens (Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut), Niki Harris in Curtains. Off-Broadway: The Glorious Ones (Lincoln Center Theatre); Eve Harrington in Applause (Encores). Tours: Swing!, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Guys and Dolls. She can be heard on cast albums: Sunday in the Park with George 2017 revival, Side Show revival, Grey Gardens, A Little Night Music revival, The Glorious Ones. TV: Tales of the City, Orange Is the New Black, Law & Order, The Good Wife. Film: Angelfish, King Jack, Easter Mysteries.

JEANNA DE WAAL, Diana La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Lauren in Kinky Boots, Heather in American Idiot. She originated the role of Dawn in the A.R.T. production of Waitress and the role of Mary Barrie in the A.R.T. production of Finding Neverland, both directed by Diane Paulus. Off-Broadway: co-starred in Orwell in America at 59E59 Theatre; Chris Hargensen in MCC Theatre’s reimagined production of Broadway’s Carrie. She is featured on the Carrie cast album released by Sh-K-Boom and Ghostlight Records. Ms. de Waal made her West End debut in the Queen musical We Will Rock You. Other notable credits include Glinda in the National Tour of Wicked and Janet in The Rocky Horror Show at The Old Globe. TV: Sophia in the Netflix/Marvel series Iron Fist; guest star on The Jim Gaffigan Show for TV Land. She wrote, produced, directed and starred in Swept, a short film which won The Audience Choice Award at The New Filmmakers Festival, NY. Ms. de Waal is the founder of Broadway Weekends, the first theater camp for adults led by Broadway performers. www.broadwayweekends.com

BRUCE DOW, Paul Burrell/Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: King Herod, Jesus Christ Superstar; Robert, Jane Eyre. Broadway: Jesus Christ Superstar, Anything Goes (benefit for Lincoln Center Theater), The Music Man, Jane Eyre. Stratford Festival: Trinculo, The Tempest (starring Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer, shown in cinemas across North America); Dromio of Syracuse, The Comedy of Errors; The Baker, Into the Woods; Emcee, Cabaret (choreographed by Kelly Devine). Regional: Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Theatre Co., DC); “F” in COCK (Studio Theatre, DC); Malvolio, Twelfth Night (National Arts Centre of Canada).

Education: M.F.A. Directing, B.F.A. Acting, UBC. @DowBruce www.brucedow.com EVAN DUFF, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Smokey Joe’s Café, Beauty and the Beast, Ragtime, Sister Act, How to Succeed... Proud alum of Ball State University, MT. Special thanks to Rachel Hoffman, Clinton Sherwood, all my teachers, my family and incredible friends. To God Be the Glory. Instagram: @3vanduff MADISON NOELLE HALL, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Queen Elizabeth in Mary Stuart (BYU Margett’s Theatre); Mrs. Corry in Mary Poppins (BYU DeJong Concert Hall); Liza in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Sundance Theatre); Cat Ballou in The Ballad of Cat Ballou (Jackson Hole Playhouse). Television: Alicia in Enchanted Christmas (Hallmark Original). Education: B.F.A. from Brigham Young University. Instagram: @maddie_hall_ ROE HARTRAMPF, Prince Charles La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Off-Broadway: The Bad Guys, Nobody Loves You (Second Stage); Unnatural Acts (Classic Stage Company). Regional: A Legendary Romance (Berkshire Theatre Award) and An American Daughter (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Golden Age (The Kennedy Center, Philadelphia Theatre Company). Film: Equity, Game Over Man, The Foster Portfolio, Ava’s Possessions and A Good Marriage. TV: Madam Secretary, The Get Down, Red Oaks, Deadbeat, Elementary, Power, Those Who Kill, Boardwalk Empire, Golden Boy, Person of Interest, Blue Bloods and Pan Am. SHAYE B HOPKINS, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. International: Margot in Legally Blonde, Rock of Ages, Grease, The Boy from Oz, Georgy Girl – The Seekers Musical. Film/TV: SNL, Tiffany Giles in Neighbours, Judith Chapman in The Doctor Blake Mysteries, The Singing Office, Orange. @shayebeh NICOLE JAVIER, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Forever Poppy (Provincetown Playhouse); tokyo fish story (TheatreWorks); Rapture, Blister, Burn (Aurora Theatre Company); Flor (Cornerstone Theatre Company); Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare Orange County); Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them (Crowded Fire Theatre) and Dis/Connected (New Conservatory Theatre). Education: B.F.A. from Chapman University, M.F.A. from UC San Diego. For B. www.nicolejavier.com

P6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 6

2/4/19 1:19 PM

THE COMPANY JUDY KAYE, Queen Elizabeth La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Anastasia, Wicked, Cinderella, Nice Work If You Can Get It (Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award), Sweeney Todd, Souvenir (Tony nomination, LA Ovation Award), Mamma Mia! (Tony nomination), Ragtime (LA Ovation Award), Pajama Game, Phantom of the Opera (Tony Award), On the 20th Century (Theater World Award), Grease. Regional: Tales of the City (ACT); Souvenir (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson, Baltimore, Rochester, Sarasota); Lost in Yonkers (The Old Globe, Arizona Theatre Company). Tour: Sweeney Todd (Carbonell Award), Grease. Twice performed at The White House. Narrator for the Alphabet Mystery Series

by Sue Grafton. For more, see: www.judykaye.com.

JUSTIN KEATS, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Escape to Margaritaville. Broadway: Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour, Escape to Margaritaville. New York: Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Regional: Damn Yankees (Sacramento Music Circus); Fiddler on the Roof (Pioneer Theater); Mary Poppins (ASF). The Walt Disney Company and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Mr. Keats is a California native who is grateful to perform close enough for his west coast family and friends to enjoy. Love as always to parents, Jacque and Donna, and thanks to agent, Dave. @jkeatster GARETH KEEGAN, James Hewitt/Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: The Who’s Tommy (DCPA); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar (Ridgefield Playhouse). International: We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys, Next to Normal, West Side Story, Hugh Jackman: Broadway to Oz, Blood Brothers.

Film/TV: Instinct, The Good Fight, The Rundown with Robin Thede, Sell By. www.garethkeegan.com NATHAN LUCREZIO, Andrew Morton/Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Aladdin (Shop Owner, u/s Kassim, Razoul), Cinderella (Sam/Woodland Creature, u/s Jean-Michel, Lord Pinkleton). TV: First Wives Club, Smash.

STC: Man of La Mancha (Anselmo/Barber, u/s Sancho). Tour: A Chorus Line (Alan DeLuca). NYMF: The Last Word (Jay Subasinghe). Concert Venues: Feinstein’s/54 Below, Broadway at the W. B.F.A. from Penn State. Love to my family, friends, BWA and Telsey Casting! Debut Cover Album and Music Video Series available at www.nathanlucrezio.com. @nathanlucrezio TOMAS MATOS, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Theatre credits include West Side Story (Guthrie Theater); In the Heights, Newsies (Pioneer Theater Company); Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (NCL).

Dance credits include Broadway Dance Lab (Fall 2018); Random Acts of Flyness (HBO); Madonna (MDNA skin); UNIQLO and Modern Love (Amazon Prime). Graduate of the renowned “FAME” School, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. Special thanks to CTG and the entire creative team. @Tomatos_ ALLYN ANTHONY MORIYON, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. UC San Diego: Beautiful Day in November, What of the Night, Othello. Wagner New Play Festival: SERE, Are You There?. San Diego: Qulili.

Miami: Cherry Orchard, A Midsummer Miami Dream (Micro Theatre). Education: M.F.A. from UC San Diego. @allynm

LAUREN LIVIA MUEHL, Young Diana/Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: world premiere of Clint Black’s Looking for Christmas and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (The Old Globe). Other credits include: Ruthless! (Moxie Theatre); California Youth Conservatory’s Billy Elliott, the Musical and Cats: A New Day; Christian Youth Theatre’s Mary Poppins; and San Diego Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

JAMEN NANTHAKUMAR, Colin/Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Recent regional credits include: Arthur De Bourgh in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Pioneer Theatre Company); Hero in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Matt in The Fantasticks (Pittsburgh Public Theatre). Off-Broadway and other New York credits: Under the Bodhi Tree (Royal Family Productions); LUDO’s Broken Bride (The Duke); The Light in the Piazza (Sheen Center). Education: B.F.A. Musical Theatre from Pace University.

ENRICO NASSI, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Washington, DC: Billy in The Real Thing (Studio Theatre); Ned in Exorcism (Arena Stage); Young Danielle in 1938: Inventing the Enemy (Theater J & SMATCH – Teatro Essere). Off-Broadway: Man in Machinalia (JACK.BROOKLYN). Education: M.F.A. from UC San Diego (graduating 2019).

KATHERYNE PENNY, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Spamalot (Hollywood Bowl); Frozen (Disney's Hyperion Theater); Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (The Old Globe); Closer Than Ever (International City Theater); Gloria in Damn Yankees (Cabrillo Music Theater). Guest star on IFC's Comedy Bang Bang. Education: B.A. from UCLA. Thank you to BBR and my starfish family. www.katherynepenny.com @kpennylane LINDSAY ROBERTS, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. National Tours: Clara u/s in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Felicia u/s in Memphis, Creole Love Call in After Midnight (NCL). Off-Broadway: Cindy Lou in Carmen Jones (CSC; Audelco Award nomination), Brigadoon, New Yorkers, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Lost in the Stars (Encores!); Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Regional: Sarah in Ragtime (Ogunquit Playhouse); Felicia in Memphis (MSW; Wilde Award nomination); Queenie in Showboat (IRNE Award nomination). Education: M.S., Drexel University; B.M., University of Maryland. Glory to God! www.lindsayroberts.com TARA SHOEMAKER, Swing La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Regional: Guys and Dolls (The Old Globe); 42nd Street (3D-Theatricals); The Hunchback of Norte Dame (Moonlight Stage Productions); Legally Blonde (Candlelight Pavillion); White Christmas (San Diego Musical Theatre); American Rhythm (Lamb’s Players); Singin’ in the Rain (Musical Theatre West); Anything Goes (Welk Resorts Theatre).

Thank you for supporting new works and live theatre!

BETHANY ANN TESARCK, Ensemble La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Gypsy, Bye Bye Birdie. Off-Broadway: Under the Bridge. Regional: Jerome Robbins' Broadway, 42nd Street (Muny); Holiday Inn (Marriott Theater); Mamma Mia! (MSMT); A Chorus Line (Sheila). Film/ TV: One Life to Live. So much love and gratitude to my family, mentors, Pace MT18, the rock stars at The Mine, and my Cory.

Dedicated to my grandma.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P7

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 7

2/4/19 1:19 PM

THE COMPANY JOE DIPIETRO, Book & Lyrics DAVID BRYAN, Music & Lyrics The writing team of DiPietro & Bryan won two Tony Awards each for Memphis, which won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as the Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Awards. Their much-produced rock & roll comedy The Toxic Avenger (Best Off-Broadway musical, 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award) recently finished a hit run in London, and the production can be seen on BroadwayHD. Their other musical, Chasing the Song, had a workshop production at La Jolla Playhouse and will premiere at a major regional theatre in 2020. Joe DiPietro's plays and musicals have had thousands of productions across the country and around the world.

His most recent Broadway musical, Nice Work If You Can Get It, received 10 Tony Award nominations and DiPietro won the Drama Desk Award for Best Book of a Musical. Grammy winner David Bryan is the keyboardist and a founding member of Bon Jovi. David and Bon Jovi are still touring the world and were recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY, Director has served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director since 2007. During his tenure, he has helmed the Playhouse’s productions of The Squirrels, Hollywood, The Darrell Hammond Project, His Girl Friday, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Dram of Drummhicit, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Restoration and the musicals Escape to Margaritaville, Disney’s Freaky Friday, Chasing the Song, Xanadu, Memphis, which won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and Come From Away, for which he won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical and the Craig Noel Award for Direction. He also spearheaded the Playhouse’s Without Walls (WOW) series and the Resident Theatre program. Prior to joining the Playhouse, he directed the Broadway productions of Xanadu (Drama Desk nomination), All Shook Up and The Rocky Horror Show (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), as well as the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration productions of Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along. Other New York credits include: Blown Sideways Through Life, Jeffrey (Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards), The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla, Regrets Only, Wonder of the World, Communicating Doors, Bunny Bunny, The Night Hank Williams Died and Fires in the Mirror (Lucille Lortel Award), among others. Mr. Ashley also directed the feature films Jeffrey and Lucky Stiff, as well as the American Playhouse production of Blown Sideways Through Life for PBS. He is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Director Fellowship and an NEA/TCG Director Fellowship.

KELLY DEVINE, Choreographer Playhouse credits include Escape to Margaritaville, Come From Away, Peter and the Starcatcher, Zhivago and Private Fittings. Her Broadway credits include Come From Away (Tony Award nomination), Escape to Margaritaville, Doctor Zhivago, Rocky (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Award nominations) and Rock of Ages. International: Rocky (Germany), Rock of Ages (West End, UK tour, Toronto, Australia; Helpmann & Green Room Awards). Opera: Faust (The Met & ENO), Wozzeck (San Diego Opera). Off-Broadway: Rock of Ages, Fat Camp, Frankenstein, Anne Wrecksick. Regional: Come From Away, Toxic Avenger, A Christmas Story, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.

Stratford Shakespeare Festival: Cabaret, Romeo and Juliet. Select film and television credits include: Mozart in the Jungle, Modern Love, Wormwood and The Upside starring Nicole Kidman and Bryan Cranston.

IAN EISENDRATH, Music Director and Arranger served as Music Supervisor, Conductor and Arranger for the Playhouse world-premiere production of Come From Away. Broadway credits include Come From Away (Broadway, Toronto, London and North American Tour) and A Christmas Story (Broadway, National Tour and Live TV). He was nominated for a 2018 Grammy for producing the Broadway cast album of Come From Away, and also produced the soundtrack for A Christmas Story with Justin Paul and Benj Pasek. Regional: Aladdin (world premiere), On the Town, Sunday in the Park With George, Cabaret, Into the Woods, West Side Story, Company, Sweeney Todd, Carousel, Titanic and Miss Saigon (5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle); The Nutcracker and Susan Stroman’s Take Five (Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle); Cabaret (Ordway, AMTSJ and TUTS); Miss Saigon (Casa Mañana). From 2004-2016, he was the Director of New Work & Music Supervisor at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. Education: University of Michigan.

DAVID ZINN, Scenic Designer La Jolla Playhouse: Xanadu, Tobacco Road, Notes from Underground.

Recent Broadway: Choir Boy, The Waverly Gallery, Torch Song, The Boys in the Band, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Humans, A Doll’s House Part 2, Fun Home. Recent Off-Broadway: Hamlet (Public Theater); Othello (NYTW); The Flick, Circle Mirror Transformation, Hir, For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday (Playwrights Horizons); Dogfight (Second Stage). Regional: ACT, Berkeley Rep, Center Theater Group, The Old Globe, Guthrie Theater, Yale Rep, ART, Huntington Theatre. UK: The Humans, Fun Home, The Flick. Tony, Drama Desk, Obie and Hewes Awards for his set and costume designs.

WILLIAM IVEY LONG, Costume Designer La Jolla Playhouse: Herringbone. Mr. Long designs for opera, ballet, modern dance, theatre, television and film. He has over 75 Broadway credits and has been nominated for 15 Tony Awards, winning six times. He was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in January 2006, and recently completed a four-year term as Chairman of the American Theatre Wing.

Hats off to Princess Diana's original designers featured in this production: Nettie Vogues, Elizabeth and David Emanuel, Jan Van Velden, Catherine Walker, Bellville Sassoon, Victor Edelstein, Bruce Oldfield, Hachi, Jacques Azagury, Alistair Blair and Christina Stambolian.

NATASHA KATZ, Lighting Designer La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Springsteen on Broadway; The Prom; Frozen; Hello, Dolly!; Long Day’s Journey into Night; Cats revival; School of Rock; An American in Paris; Aladdin; Skylight; The Glass Menagerie; Once; The Coast of Utopia: Salvage; Aida. Dance: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Winter’s Tale, Tryst (The Royal Ballet), Cinderella (Dutch National Ballet), The Nutcracker (Joffrey Ballet). Ms. Katz is a TDF Wendy Wasserstein Project Mentor.

GARETH OWEN, Sound Designer La Jolla Playhouse: SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical, Come From Away, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Olivier Awards for Memphis and Merrily We Roll Along, nominations for Bat Out of Hell, Top Hat and End of the Rainbow. Tony Award nominations for A Little Night Music and End of the Rainbow. Outer Critics Circle Award for Come From Away.

Pro Sound Award for Sound Engineer of the Year. Currently: Come From Away on Broadway; Bat Out of Hell, Strictly Ballroom, Come From Away and 42nd Street in London’s West End; Disney’s The Little Mermaid and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Bronx Tale and Bat Out of Hell worldwide. More than 280 other commercial musicals around the world.

P8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 8

2/4/19 1:20 PM

THE COMPANY PAUL HUNTLEY, Wig Designer London-born Paul Huntley has worked on hundreds of Broadway shows since his 1972 arrival in New York, most memorably the original productions of Amadeus, Cats, Evita, Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd, The Producers and Hairspray. A recipient of the Drama Desk and Tony Awards, he has also worked with the some of the most legendary leading ladies of the cinema, ranging from Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich and Vivien Leigh to Jane Fonda, Glenn Close, Jessica Lange and Scarlett Johansson.

JOHN CLANCY, Orchestrator La Jolla Playhouse: Debut. Broadway: Mean Girls (Tony Award nomination), Fun Home (Tony/Drama Desk nominations), The Prom, Tuck Everlasting, Shrek the Musical (Tony/Drama Desk nominations), Cats 2016 revival (dance arrangements/orchestrations). Off-Broadway/Regional: Jasper in Deadland (Seattle 5th Avenue Theatre); Fortress of Solitude (Public Theater); Soft Power (dance arrangements, Ahmanson); Duncan Sheik’s Secret Life of Bees (Spring 2019); string arrangements for Rihanna: NBA All-Star Game. New Irish Tenors: full orchestra arrangements; Just So (Goodspeed). As drummer or music director: Randy Newman, Carly Simon, Corey Glover, Solange Knowles, Blood Orange, Chrissy Amphlett, Kasim Sulton, Danielia Cotton, Alexa Joel, Constantine Maroulis of American Idol, Kidz Bop Live!, national tours and worked with Bono and Edge of U2 on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

DAVID HUBER, Dialect Coach La Jolla Playhouse: The Year to Come. Mr. Huber is a professional actor, voice/dialect/acting coach and teacher. He serves as the Resident Voice Coach at The Old Globe, having worked on over 30 productions since 2014, and has also worked as a voice/dialect coach and teacher at UCSD, North Coast Rep and Diversionary Theatre. His regional theatre acting credits include The Old Globe, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Pittsburgh Playhouse, PCPA Theaterfest, Texas Shakespeare Festival, among many others. M.F.A. from The Old Globe/USD Graduate Theatre Program.

GABRIEL GREENE, Dramaturg joined La Jolla Playhouse’s artistic staff in 2007 and currently serves as their Director of Artistic Development. In addition to curating the annual DNA New Work Series, he has dramaturged over two dozen new plays and musicals for the Playhouse, including The Squirrels, Wild Goose Dreams, The Last Tiger in Haiti and others without animals in the title.

Goosebumps Alive, his immersive adaptation of R.L. Stine’s best-selling novels (co-written and directed by Tom Salamon) premiered in 2016 at The Vaults (London). With Alex Levy, he co-wrote Safe at Home, which was developed as part of the 2016 DNA Series and received its world premiere at Mixed Blood Theatre in 2017 (Ivey Award). B.A.: University of Michigan. M.Phil: Trinity College, Dublin. B.F.F.: Mia Fiorella. www.gabrielgreene.com.

TELSEY + COMPANY, Casting Broadway/Tours: Pretty Woman; Straight White Men; My Fair Lady; Carousel; Mean Girls; Frozen; SpongeBob SquarePants; Once on This Island; Hello, Dolly!; Come From Away; Waitress; Hamilton; Kinky Boots; Wicked; The Color Purple; On Your Feet!; The King and I; An American in Paris. Off-Broadway: Be More Chill, Sweeney Todd, Atlantic, MCC, Park Avenue Armory, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Second Stage. Film: Mary Poppins Returns, The Greatest Showman, Miss Sloane, Into the Woods, Margin Call, Rachel Getting Married. TV: Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, This Is Us, House of Cards, Divorce, NCIS: New Orleans, One Day at a Time, Atypical, commercials. www.telseyandco.com MARTHA DONALDSON, Production Stage Manager La Jolla Playhouse: Come From Away. Broadway: The Lifespan of a Fact, Escape to Margaritaville, The Children, The Glass Menagerie, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, You Can’t Take It with You, Next to Normal, [title of show], Top Girls, The Year of Magical Thinking, The Lion King, James Joyce’s The Dead. Off-Broadway credits include shows with the New York Theatre Workshop, The Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Vineyard Theatre, Mabou Mines, St. Ann’s Warehouse and many others. National tour: The Vagina Monologues.

KATRINA HERRMANN, Assistant Stage Manager La Jolla Playhouse: Queens, The Cake, At the Old Place. Off-Broadway: The Flick (Barrow Street Theatre); The Flick, The Whale, The Big Meal, Completeness, The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, Kin, The Burnt Part Boys, Circle Mirror Transformation (Playwrights Horizons); Close Up Space (Manhattan Theatre Club); In the Wake (Public Theater). Regional credits: Twisted Melodies (Baltimore Center Stage); The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Seussical the Musical, Rock of Ages (Drury Lane Theatre); Cabaret (Theatre at the Center); The Hundred Dresses, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Chicago Children's Theatre); Mary Page Marlowe (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Royale (American Theater Company). She spent nine years working for Santa Claus at Macy's in New York City during the holidays.

MANDISA REED, Assistant Stage Manager La Jolla Playhouse: The Year to Come, The Squirrels, The Cake, SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical (SM PA), Wild Goose Dreams, At the Old Place, The Bitter Game, Tiger Style! (PA). Regional: The Heart of Rock & Roll (The Old Globe), Skeleton Crew (The Old Globe; Tour PA), The Comedy of Errors (The Old Globe, SM Intern). Opera: The Bartered Bride and Second Nature (Music Academy of the West). Education: M.F.A. in Stage Management from UC San Diego; B.A. in Theatre Technology from Dillard University.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P9

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 9

2/4/19 1:20 PM

DRESSING DIANA

A conversation between Costume Designer William Ivey Long and Director of Artistic Development Gabriel Greene

William Ivey Long at the first rehearsal of Diana. Photo by Jim Carmody

How did you first become involved with this show?

Diana is the only show in the history of my young life that I have ever aggressively clawed my way into doing. I first heard about Diana when it was being workshopped at New York Stage and Film [in summer 2017], and I got very envious. I decided I was going to be shameless. I emailed Chris Ashley – I’ve done several plays with him in the past – and I told him, “I’m the only one who can do [costumes] for this show.”

I asked him to come by my studio for a meeting, and then I got to work. I have about 100 books on Princess Diana; there’s an entire bookshelf filled with them. Diana Goes to Guatemala, Diana’s Pop-Up Book – I have all of it. I could open my own museum. I put them in the order in which they were published, then I photocopied them and made a timeline of all the things she had done, year by year by year. All the main events of her life; everything that will be in our production. I filled the entire studio with hundreds and hundreds of photos, chronologically sorted. When Chris came by, his eyes popped. I thought that was a good sign.

Why did you feel such a connection to Diana?

I’m a monarchist and an Anglomaniac. My mother’s half English and I’m from the South.

[When he was restored to the British throne in 1660,] Charles II called the colony of Virginia “the Old Dominion,” because we never went over to Cromwell. I have two history degrees and my

favorite pastime is reading biographies, often of leaders and kings. I’ve been fascinated by the British Royal family, so I started collecting books – and subsequently, throughout the years, mugs and wedding paraphernalia. A lovely person just gave me a pair of thimbles dated on Charles and Diana’s wedding day.

Was there a moment in her life that you felt particularly drawn to her?

There were two. The first one – and I will channel my inner eight-year-old girl here – was the wedding. I was in graduate school. When Diana got out of the carriage, I thought, “Oh my goodness, it’s so wrinkled!” Well, I knew why: it was silk taffeta. I was looking at it in both a fairy tale mode and in a professional way. She was Cinderella.

But what really, really nailed it for me – and it’s the reason I wanted to do this show – is when she visited the AIDS ward for the very first time [in 1987]. She shook hands with all of those male AIDS patients in London, with her bare hands. No gloves. That same week, I had visited a friend with AIDS at St. Vincent’s in Manhattan. I was forced to wear gloves and a hazmat suit just to see him. I was told not to touch him. So that really resonated with me, and I really sat up and started paying attention to Diana – not as Cinderella, but as a strong woman. That dates my real interest and fascination with the woman behind the fairy tale.

P10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 10

2/4/19 1:27 PM

How many costumes are you creating for the character of Diana?

Well, there will be some additions and subtractions once we start rehearsing, but we’re starting with 32 different looks. They’ve been created with the performance in mind – how to get into them, how to get out of them. There are several very quick changes.

The dresses have been adapted; they’re not pure copies. I hope people will think they’re seeing the real wedding dress and the real revenge dress. But we’re looking at her through 2019 eyes. So I’ve shaped them to be as beautiful to us as they were when people were first seeing them. Some of the [original] shoulder pads might have made you giggle a little.

What goes on behind the scenes during these quick changes?

In an earlier conversation, you said that the costumes in this show feel like a character in themselves.

All Royal families, especially the English Royal family, have always understood the importance of symbolism in terms of how to dress – the use of clothes to make statements. The Queen knows people have come to see her, and so she wears solid color blocks that stand out, so people could say “I saw the Queen.” It’s like designing for an opera; opera houses are huge, there are 3,000 people watching, and you always have to know where Desdemona is, where Lucia is. So they have developed the fine art of how to locate the Queen through her style of dress.

It’s fascinating to watch how they shaped Princess Diana – not a queen, but a queen-in-waiting at that point – to watch them shape “how to find Diana.” And then, almost unnoticed, Diana started to change her style. That was maybe a year and a half after becoming Princess of Wales.

And I started becoming aware of all of the British designers she chose, and how she changed her look and became more mature and more in charge.

After the divorce, of course, she developed into another persona.

It’s a science. I’ve been working at this for a long time and many great wardrobe supervisors and dressers have taught me a lot.

This is what basically happens: the performer comes off stage – it doesn’t have to be far, just out of sight. There’s a dresser there to unzip and remove the existing outfit. The actor has a modest, nude-colored undergarment That was one of the reasons I underneath, because everyone said that Diana’s costumes are should feel comfortable. Then a character in themselves. They there is a second dresser to were chosen first by the court, make sure the actor puts on the An early costume sketch for Diana and then by Princess Diana and next look. I’ve designed a special quick-change apron for the first her wardrobe staff – she had a dresser to wear. Down around the knees there are whole staff choosing all of this – and then she took pockets where they keep the shoes. Any jewelry over and used what she was wearing to tell the or earrings are in small pockets right around the story she was interested in telling. dresser’s chest. When there’s a hat involved, the dresser wears the hat. If there’s a wig change – and our Diana has five wigs – the wig person is the third person involved in that change.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P11

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 11

2/4/19 1:29 PM

Princess Diana Her Philanthropic Legacy

By Kristen Tregar

D

iana, Princess of Wales, is remembered for many things: her fairytale wedding and later divorce, the intensity of media attention surrounding her, the revelation of her struggles with depression and bulimia, and the staggering outpourings of worldwide grief upon her death.

But Diana is perhaps best remembered for her charitable interests. More than 20 years after her passing, her unprecedented relationship with the public and commitment to philanthropy remain central to her memory.

issues of HIV/AIDS and landmines. These causes presented Diana with the opportunity to boldly step outside of the protected confines within which she was expected to stay.

The 1980s were marked by extreme fear and misinformation surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic that had recently gained worldwide attention.

AIDS patients were largely shunned and rejected by society. It was already clear by 1983 that prevalent concerns about the spread of HIV were incorrect, but public I think the biggest disease this world sentiment had not yet suffers from in this day and age is the caught up to the science. disease of people feeling unloved, and

“

Engaging with common people in need seemed to fill a critical void created by the loneliness of Royal I know that I can give love for a minute, life and media scrutiny. In On April 19, 1987, Diana for half an hour, for a day, for a month, a 1995 BBC interview with made history when she but I can give – I’m very happy to do Martin Bashir, Diana said, opened the UK’s first that and I want to do that.

“I found myself being AIDS ward and shook the more and more involved hand of an AIDS patient with people who were with her own ungloved rejected by society – with, I’d say, drug addicts, hand. The photograph of that iconic contact alcoholism, battered this, battered that – and I reframed the stigma around AIDS. In an interview found an affinity there. And I respected very much with the BBC program Witness, nurse John O’Reilly the honesty I found on that level with people I met, said, “[i]f a Royal was allowed to go in and shake because in hospices, for instance, when people a patient’s hands, somebody at the bus stop or are dying they’re much more open and more the supermarket could do the same. That really vulnerable, and much more real than other people. educated people.”

And I appreciated that.”

Diana herself recognized her influence, telling Diana’s interests in philanthropy were not unusual, Bashir, “I remember when I used to sit on hospital beds and hold people’s hands, people used to be given that the history of charitable works by the sort of shocked because they said they’d never Royal family dates back to Queen Victoria. What seen this before, and to me it was quite a normal made Diana’s legacy so inextricably linked to acts thing to do. And when I saw the reassurance that of service is the scope of her work – touching 100 an action like that gave, I did it everywhere, and will charities – and her willingness to embed herself always do that.” in the issues she was most passionate about. She is perhaps best known for her advocacy on the

"

P12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 12

2/4/19 1:30 PM

Diana, Princess of Wales wearing protective body armour and a visor visits a landmine minefield being cleared by the charity Halo in Huambo, Angola.

Juda Ngwenya/Reuters Pictures

While HIV remains a global public health issue, more and more carriers of the virus have access to antiretroviral treatment, and public perception of HIV has been forever changed.

In 1997, Diana developed a strong interest in addressing landmines in Bosnia and Angola, which, due to detonations, had the highest percentage of amputees in the world. She traveled to both places, taking the opportunity to see first-hand the damage wrought by these devices. Her involvement in the issue and her work with the Halo Trust resulted in considerable public critique by the Tories, who referred to her as “a loose cannon.”

Nevertheless, Diana felt strongly enough that she continued her work. She has subsequently been credited with playing a critical role in the success of the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty, which

prohibits the use, manufacture, stockpiling or transfer of landmines. The Halo Trust has continued their work clearing minefields, but the issue has not yet been resolved. Prince Harry sustains his mother’s work, advocating for continued efforts to alleviate the problem.

Diana remained committed to spreading hope and healing throughout the world until her sudden death in 1997. The charitable trust created in her name still funds many of the projects that were so close to her heart, carrying on her legacy of giving.

But perhaps no one can better frame Diana’s philanthropic presence than herself: “I think the biggest disease this world suffers from in this day and age is the disease of people feeling unloved, and I know that I can give love for a minute, for half an hour, for a day, for a month, but I can give – I’m very happy to do that and I want to do that.”

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P13

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 13

2/4/19 1:31 PM

2019/2020 SEASON

FULL SEASON ANNOUNCED!

IKE HOLTER

MELISSA ROSS

JOH

LILI-ANNE BROWN

JAIME CASTAÑEDA

DAV

Put Your House in Order

Put Your House in Order

PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

By

IKE HOLTER

Directed by

LILI-ANNE BROWN

THE LUCKIEST By

MELISSA ROSS

Directed by

JAIME CASTAÑEDA

Developed in the 2018 DNA New Work Series

KISS MY AZTEC! Book By

Music By

JOHN LEGUIZAMO BENJAMIN and TONY TACCONE VELEZ Lyrics By

DAVID KAMP, BENJAMIN VELEZ and JOHN LEGUIZAMO Based on a Screenplay Written by

JOHN LEGUIZAMO and STEPHEN CHBOSKY Directed by

TONY TACCONE

The Luckiest

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 14

Kiss

Caroline and Rolan’s first date begins as a pretty average night that ends at Caroline’s house in an upscale Chicago suburb. But when the city around them begins exhibiting signs that something is terribly wrong, they quickly have to learn to trust each other to stand a chance against the horrors outside the gate. Equal parts romantic comedy and old-school thriller, this new play from one of Chicago’s hottest playwrights explores new beginnings at the end of the world.

Lissette is a vibrant and fiercely independent young woman. But when a sudden diagnosis shatters her world into pieces, she finds herself at odds with her mother and her best friend, who each come bearing strong opinions wrapped in good intentions. Lissette is forced to navigate between the two while unflinchingly forging her own path for her future. This tender, funny and keenly-observed play explores the uncertain and sometimes heartbreaking territory of how we choose to take ownership of our lives.

When the Spanish set their sights on Mesoamerica and its riches, they will destroy anyone and anything that keeps them from conquering and claiming it all for themselves. But the Aztecs are like, “Hell, no!” This fresh, irreverent and outrageous satire could only spring forth from the insanely hilarious mind of John Leguizamo, last seen at the Playhouse in his acclaimed one-man show Latin History for Morons. Featuring a fusion of bolero, hip hop, merengue and rap, Kiss My Aztec! celebrates, elevates and commemorates Latinx culture in an uproarious new musical.

Please note John Leguizamo will be behind-the-scenes this time — other fantastic actors will be performing!

A Berkeley Repertory Theatre Production

Patron Services (858) 550-1010 LaJollaPlayhouse.org P14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

Kiss

All productions and artists are subject to change.

2/4/19 1:32 PM

NEW MUSICAL

NEW MUSICAL

WORLD-PREMIERE PLAY

WORLD-PREMIERE PLAY

Photo Credit: Joe Mazza @ Brave Lux Inc.

The Luckiest

TONY TACCONE

LAUREN YEE

KEITH BUNIN

RAJIV JOSEPH

KIRSTEN CHILDS

DAVID KAMP

BENJAMIN VELEZ

CHAY YEW

TYNE RAFAELI

BILL SHERMAN

JEFFREY SELLER

Kiss My Aztec!

Kiss My Aztec!

Cambodian Rock Band

Cambodian Rock Band

WORLD-PREMIERE PLAY

Kiss My Aztec!

THE COAST STARLIGHT

SAN DIEGO PREMIERE

Kiss My Aztec!

CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND

By

Directed by

KEITH BUNIN TYNE RAFAELI A La Jolla Playhouse Commission originally developed in the 2018 DNA New Work Series

By

Featuring Songs by

LAUREN YEE DENGUE FEVER

NEW MUSICAL

EDA

JOHN LEGUIZAMO

FLY

Directed by

CHAY YEW

Book By

Based on

J.M. BARRIE’S PETER PAN RAJIV JOSEPH Music By

BILL SHERMAN Directed by

Lyrics By

KIRSTEN CHILDS and RAJIV JOSEPH

JEFFREY SELLER

The Coast Starlight

The Coast Starlight

Fly

Fly

Fly

Fly

One morning, a young man boards the long-distance train that runs from Los Angeles to Seattle. He’s got a secret that can land him in terrible trouble, and he has roughly one thousand miles to enlist the help of his fellow travelers – all of whom are reckoning with their own choices in search of a way forward. Keith Bunin’s new play is a smart, funny and compassionate story about our capacity for invention and re-invention when life goes off the rails.

Dubbed “fierce, gorgeous and heartwarming” by The Los Angeles Times, this epic play/rock concert thrusts us into the life of a young woman trying to piece together her family history thirty years after her father fled Cambodia. Featuring a mix of Dengue Fever hits and Cambodian oldies, playwright Lauren Yee brings to vivid life the Cambodian rock scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s, a movement cut short by the Khmer Rouge’s brutal attempt to erase the music (and musicians) once and for all. A story about survivors, the resilient bond of family and the enduring power of music.

Two major Tony Award-winning Broadway veterans team up with two of the most exciting writers in American theatre today to bring a cherished tale into the present. Wendy’s life is about to change forever when she meets a boy named Peter, a pirate named Hook, and a beguiling, beautiful Crocodile, who’s much more than meets the eye. In this thrilling, funny, dangerous look at J.M. Barrie’s novel Peter Pan, a whole new Neverland comes to life. Fly will take audiences on an adventure propelled by a powerful and percussive score, dynamic choreography and aerial acrobatics.

The creative team bringing Fly to life: Rajiv Joseph: Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo)

Kirsten Childs: Obie Award for Music and Lyrics (The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin)

Bill Sherman: Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album (Hamilton)

Jeffrey Seller: Tony Award-winning producer (RENT, Avenue Q and Hamilton) PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P15

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 15

2/4/19 1:32 PM

SUMMER 2019 THEATRE PROGRAMS Young Performers at La Jolla Playhouse

Register now at

LaJollaPlayhouse.org

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROGRAMS Lead Supporters: The Hearst Foundations | The William Hall Tippett and Ruth Rathell Tippett Foundation | Qualcomm Foundation Arts Academy pairs a classroom teacher with a Playhouse artist instructor. Through collaboration, they work together to incorporate advanced theatre activities and exercises into existing curriculum.

Girl Scouts Empowerment Theatre is a collaboration between Girl Scouts San Diego and La Jolla Playhouse.

This program prepares young women, through the acquisition and application of theatre skills, to confidently tackle challenges and opportunities faced in life as empowered leaders. This program is made possible through funding from the Favrot Fund.

In-School Residencies – In partnership with San Diego County and City Visual and Performing Arts Departments, Playhouse artist instructors teach theatre skills in classrooms across the county, ensuring theatre becomes an integral part of the education of all San Diego children while fostering a relationship with the Playhouse that will continue as they grow into adulthood.

InterACTion allows Playhouse artist instructors to work in partnership with City of San Diego Police Department’s STAR/PAL Program to create interactive lessons that teach adolescents the importance of self-respect, community and the law.

Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour Each year, the Playhouse commissions a new play that addresses real concerns of today’s youth and brings a professional production to schools and community centers across San Diego County. School performances are integrated into the classroom curriculum through pre-show visits by Playhouse artist instructors.

Student Matinees – Special student matinees of selected mainstage productions are offered throughout the school year. Study guides, pre-performance and staff development workshops and post-show talkbacks are available to prepare students for these productions.

For more information on Education & Outreach programs at La Jolla Playhouse, please contact Julia Cuppy at (858) 550-1070 x103.

YP@LJP – Young Performers at La Jolla Playhouse offers exciting summer programs for kids: Young Performers’ Workshop (YPW), an exploration of theatre arts in a fun, creative way; Young Performers’ Academy (YPA), where students build upon the skills they learned in YPW; Young Performers’ Conservatory (YPC), a 5-week intensive that prepares actors for serious college theatre programs; and Tech Theatre, a class which introduces young people to the various aspects of technical theatre. Supported by the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, the Jordan Ressler Endowment Fund, David C. Copley Foundation and the Roberto Quiñones, Jr. Scholarship Fund.

JumpStart Theatre – This three-year program consists of dedicated curriculum developed by iTheatrics to provide middle school teachers with the skills and resources needed to produce musicals in their schools for the first time. From boot camp training sessions to one-on-one mentorship by Playhouse staff, this groundbreaking program targets schools in the San Diego Unified School District that do not already have a theatre program in place.

P16 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 16

2/4/19 1:35 PM

S

The 2016 DNA New Work Series reading of Child of Colonialism

Artist and Theatre Residencies at La Jolla Playhouse 2018/19 Artists-in-Residence Mike Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza

La Jolla Playhouse is proud of its ongoing relationships with artists from all fields – playwrights, directors, designers and actors – who continue to call the Playhouse their artistic home. The Playhouse fosters and deepens these relationships by offering on-site residencies to individual artists, as well as to local theatre companies, through the Artist-in-Residence and Resident Theatre programs.

The Playhouse recently named its 2018/19 Artists-inResidence: married playwrights Mike Lew (Tiger Style!) and Rehana Lew Mirza (DNA New Work Series reading of Child of Colonialism). This multi-month residency program is designed to give artists the freedom to focus on their ongoing body of work, while becoming fully immersed in all aspects of the institution, from the stage to the boardroom to the classroom.

During their residency, Lew and Mirza plan to continue work on their Playhouse-commissioned trilogy: The Colonialism Project, an ambitious, time-spanning trilogy about colonialism and its aftermath. They will also develop a new musical, Bhangin’ It, about the high-stakes world of intercollegiate bhangra – a traditional Indian folk dance morphed into a good ole American dance-off – and what happens when a biracial student gets kicked off her bhangra team for not being “Indian enough.”

Spearheaded by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley, the Resident Theatre Program aims to encourage the artistic development of performing arts organizations, while advancing and contributing to the San Diego theatre scene as a whole. Previous Resident Theatre appointees include Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company, Moxie Theatre, San Diego Asian American Repertory Theater, Circle Circle Dot Dot, Eveoke Dance Theatre, Teatro Máscara Mágica and Native Voices at the Autry.

In this second year of their residency, Backyard Renaissance will produce Shelagh Stephenson’s An Experiment with an Air Pump in the Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre. The show will run August 8 – 25 (Thursdays through Sundays).

The show spans two centuries – 1799, On the eve of a new century, a Northern English house buzzes with scientific experiments and furtive romance; and 1999 – In a world of scientific chaos and genetic engineering, the same house reveals a dark secret buried for 200 years.

Founded in 2015 in San Diego, Backyard Renaissance believes that exceptional storytelling is rooted in a sense of joyful play, human connection and gutsy intensity. Visit backyardrenaissance.com

Previous Artists-in-Residence have included Tony Awardwinning actor and writer BD Wong (Herringbone, The Orphan of Zhao, playwright/director for POP Tour production of Alice Chan), acclaimed scenic designer and UC San Diego graduate and current faculty member Robert Brill (Playhouse’s SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical, The Wiz and many others) and MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient Basil Twist (WOW Festival productions of Seafoam Sleepwalk and Faetopia).

The Playhouse also recently announced that is is extending its 2018 Resident Theatre appointment to Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company for another season.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P17

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 17

2/4/19 1:35 PM

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE

BOARD OF TRUSTEES LYNELLE LYNCH Chair

DAVE BIALIS Treasurer

Karen A. Quiñones Andrew Rasdal Jeffrey Ressler* Becky Robbins Don Rosenberg, Qualcomm Tim Scott Karen Silberman Laura Spielman Scott M. Stanton,

SUSAN TOUSI, Illumina Secretary

Steven M. Strauss*, Cooley, LLP Andy Thomas,

TRUSTEES

Mary Walshok, Ph.D.,

RANDALL L. CLARK, SDG&E First Vice-Chair MICHAEL FLASTER Second Vice-Chair

The Lodge at Torrey Pines

Christopher Ashley** Michael Bartell Gregg Brandalise** Ralph Bryan* Debby Buchholz** Robert Caplan, Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek

Lisa S. Casey Linda Chester Peter Cowhey, Ph.D., UC San Diego

Doug Dawson Edward A. Dennis, Ph.D. Brian Dovey, Domain Associates Emily Einhorn Teri Evons Mick Farrell Dr. Lawrence Friedman Noel Gillespie, Procopio Hanna Gleiberman Jeffrey Goldman Lynn E. Gorguze Kay Gurtin, Gurtin Municipal Bond Management

Top row: Gary & Jerri-Ann Jacobs, Terry Fechter & Lynn Schenk, Thespine Kavoulakis & Pradeep Khosla; Lynelle Lynch, Becky Robbins.

Middle Row: Randall L. Clark, Sheri L. Jamieson, Christopher Ashley; Osborn & Dea Hurston.

Bottom Row: Kay & Bill Gurtin; Margret & Nevins McBride, Barbara & Howard Milstein.

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

Clark Guy, US Trust Bank of America Dwight Hare Osborn Hurston, US Bank Debby Jacobs Joan Jacobs Sheri L. Jamieson Jeanne Jones Kathy Jones, Ph.D. Pradeep K. Khosla, Ph.D., Chancellor, UC San Diego

Welcome to La Jolla Playhouse! What a thrill to cap off our 2018/2019 season with Diana, a fascinating world-premiere musical about the life of Princess Diana, from the creators of the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, directed by our own Tony-winning Artistic Director Christopher Ashley.

Kay Matherly, Wells Fargo Margret McBride* Mark J. Muñoz, Dowling & Yahnke, LLC

Bennett Peji**

Mintz Levin, LLP

UC San Diego Extension

Sharon Weremiuk** Charlayne Woodard HONORARY TRUSTEES Richard Atkinson, Ph.D. Ivan Gayler John Goodman Ewart W. Goodwin, Jr.* Joel Holliday* Julie Potiker Geri Ann Warnke* Gary Wollberg* Robert Wright, Esq. EMERITUS TRUSTEES Rita Bronowski (1917-2010) David Copley (1952-2012) Ted Cranston (1940-2012) Milton Fredman (1920-2005) Marian Jones Longstreth (1906-1997) Hughes Potiker (1925-2005) Sheila Potiker (1930-2011) Ellen Revelle (1910-2009) Roger Revelle (1909-1991) Willard P. VanderLaan, M.D.* (1917-2012) Arthur Wagner, Ph.D. (1923-2015) Mandell Weiss (1891-1993) 1947 FOUNDERS Mel Ferrer Dorothy McGuire Gregory Peck *Past Chair of the Board **Ex-Officio List as of January 23, 2019

2018 was a banner year for the Playhouse. We marked our fifth season in a row of all new work; celebrated the opening of two of our shows – Escape to Margaritaville and SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical – on Broadway, and two others – Miss You Like Hell and Wild Goose Dreams – off Broadway; and welcomed Debby Buchholz to her new role as Managing Director.

Looking ahead, our annual Gala takes place March 23, raising funds to support the Playhouse’s vital education programs, as well as our new play development initiatives. This year’s event will also benefit our outreach efforts in the military community, such as the Veterans Playwriting Workshop and Military Date Nights.

I hope you will consider joining us at the Gala and/or making a gift to the Playhouse as our fiscal year draws to an end on March 31. Your support of the groundbreaking new work on our stages and in the San Diego community makes it possible for the Playhouse to continue as the place to see what’s next in American theatre.

LYNELLE LYNCH P18 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 18

CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2/4/19 1:37 PM

Photo by Christy Seaver

Gala Chairs (L-R) Debby Jacobs Joan Jacobs Lindsey Jacobs

Saturday, March 23, 2O19 A CELEBRATION WITH A PURPOSE Proceeds support artistic, education and outreach programs including those benefiting San Diego military families.

Spectacular live performances, the ultimate in VIP experiences including an exquisite wine dinner and the best After Party in San Diego, featuring acclaimed EDM artist Mako!

Featuring Ariana DeBose, Tony Award-nominated star of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical and the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, and who was recently cast as Anita in Stephen Spielberg and Tony Kushner’s upcoming film adaptation of West Side Story.

Ariana DeBose in SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical; photo by Kevin Berne

To purchase Tickets please visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org/gala For inquiries or sponsorship opportunities please email gala@ljp.org PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P19 LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 19

2/4/19 1:38 PM

PRODUCTION SPONSORS Together, we transform lives and help audiences see the world in a new light!

THANK YOU! GARY & MARLENE COHEN THE DOW DIVAS WENDY GILLESPIE & KAREN TANZ LYNELLE & WILLIAM LYNCH FRANK MARSHALL & KATHY KENNEDY DR. HOWARD & BARBARA MILSTEIN BECKY MOORES

RECIPIENT OF AN EDGERTON FOUNDATION NEW PLAY AWARD

A special thank you to

for donating Clear-Com equipment to ensure flawless communication between backstage and front-of-house crew/staff.

For 50 years, Clear-Com has linked people together with innovative intercom solutions. Celebrating your support, and congratulations on your golden anniversary!

P20 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 20

2/4/19 1:38 PM

In Memoriam: Audrey Geisel Audrey Geisel was a passionate philanthropist and beloved San Diegan. Her support of so many institutions in town – from La Jolla Playhouse to The Old Globe to UC San Diego – had a significant impact and helped establish San Diego as a leading arts and culture destination.

Audrey and The Dr. Seuss Fund at The San Diego Foundation have generously supported the Playhouse over the last three decades. In addition to celebrating with us at our annual Gala and belonging to our Artistic Director’s Circle, they contributed to our building campaign. The Seuss name graces two black box rehearsal spaces, Seuss 1 and Seuss 2, which are used daily by Playhouse staff and audiences for meetings, rehearsals, playwriting workshops, education and outreach activities and performances.

Audrey will be remembered fondly for her wit, wisdom and profound dedication to theatre. She will be deeply missed by us, and the entire San Diego community.

Cheers and Special Thanks to The Playhouse Royals!

Margaret Acampora, Lynelle Lynch, Peggy Ann Wallace

Through the outstanding leadership of Trustees, Lynelle Lynch and Kay Gurtin, an exciting matching opportunity was created to inspire support for the Playhouse’s newest musical premiere.

We are deeply grateful to all who joined The Playhouse Royals*.

Their philanthropic support sustains our distinguished excellence among the top not-for-profit regional theatres in the country.

Julie and Lowell Potiker, Linda Chester

David Bryan, Dan Einhorn

Lynelle & William Lynch Kay & Bill Gurtin Margaret & Tony Acampora Anonymous Denise & Lon Bevers Lisa & David Casey Linda Chester & Dr. Kenneth Rind Randall & Michael Clark Diana Jillie Hill Jeff & Carolyn Levin

Darlene & James Milligan Lynn Gorguze & The Honorable Scott Peters Julie & Lowell Potiker Gerry & Jeannie Ranglas Tina Simner Barbie & Dan Spinazzola Molli Wagner Peggy Ann Wallace

*Listing as of January 23, 2019 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P21

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 21

2/4/19 1:39 PM

Ellen and Roger Revelle worked to revive live theatre during their lifetimes through volunteer leadership and charitable giving. Their legacy plan now sustains this effort at La Jolla Playhouse for future generations, thus allowing the Playhouse to solidify its place as a leader among American theatres; an incubator for emerging artists, established artists and new works; and a significant provider of arts education in the region.

The Playhouse continues to honor Ellen and Roger Revelle’s philanthropic legacy through a special group named for them – The Revelle Legacy Society. This society allows us to recognize devoted friends who have established a planned gift benefitting the Playhouse through bequests in wills and trusts, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and live insurance, and other estate-planning vehicles.

THESE GENEROUS SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN SO INSPIRED AND, IN TURN, ARE INSPIRING OTHERS: Ted and Paula Adams Christopher Ashley Scott Aylward Roberta C. Baade and George F. Yee Quaintance Bartlett* Roger S. Benson* Cynthia Bolker Esther Burnham* Ralphº and Gail Bryan Robert Caplan and Carrol Randolph Leslie J. Cohen*

Jeff Conley Ted Cranstonº* Doug Dawson Armando de Peralta, Sr.* Grace Margaret Duhamel* Pauline Foster* Sherrilyn and Ewart W. Goodwin, Jr.º Diana Jillie Hill Joelº & Rosanne Holliday Bob Jacobs Joan and Irwin Jacobs

SAVE THE DATE

Charmaine*º and Maury* Kaplan Linda and Bill Kolb Sacha Mackels and Sebastian Loubert Valorie McClelland Paul Miller Teresa A. Nugent* John O'Dea Bernard D. Paul Margaret F. Peninger* Dr. Julie Prazich and Dr. Sara Rosenthal

Jennette Pyne Karen Quiñones Jeffrey º and Vivien Ressler Ellen* and Roger* Revelle Michael S. Rosenberg Ruth Shepherd* Mickey Stern* Steve Straussº and Lise Wilson Kathryn Sturch Willard P. VanderLaanº* Arthur* and Molli Wagner Peggy Ann Wallace

Geri Ann Warnkeº and Joseph F. Kennedy, M.D.* Mandell Weiss* Dr. Steve and Lynne Wheeler Gary L. Wollbergº Liza Zinola Anonymous (1) *denotes deceased ºdenotes past Board Chair

C O

C l t

B o m A

O s D

Generously hosted by

Friday, April 5, 2019

O

This year we are pleased to celebrate the birthday of Playhouse Founder, Gregory Peck

If you have included the Playhouse in your estate planning, or if you are interested in learning how you can make a wonderful impact for the Playhouse with a legacy gift, we would love to invite you to attend our annual Revelle Legacy Society Luncheon.

For additional information and to request your invitation, kindly contact Bonnie Broberg, Associate Director of Development, at (858) 228-3084 or bbroberg@ljp.org

T c b

Planned gifts to La Jolla Playhouse qualify for the Federal Estate Tax Charitable Deduction.

La Jolla Playhouse (Theatre and Arts Foundation of San Diego County) is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt organization. Tax ID # 95-1941117

La Jolla Playhouse founders (L-R): Mel Ferrer, Dorothy McGuire, Gregory Peck

P22 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 22

2/4/19 1:40 PM

*

Christopher Ashley, Michael Clark and Trustee Randy Clark at the Opening Night of Wild Goose Dreams; photo by Lauren Radack Photography

Opening Night of Seize the King; photo by Bekah Peace Photography

CELEBRATING YOUR SUPPORT: OPENING NIGHTS AT LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE Lon and Denise Bevers, Larry and Robin Rusinko at the Opening Night of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical; photo by Lauren Radack Photography

Celebrate with the cast, creative team and La Jolla Playhouse leadership on Opening Night of every main stage production during the 2019/2020 season!

By making a tax-deductible gift of $5,000 annually, you will be offered membership in our Opening Night Circle, the Playhouse’s most philanthropic leaders who partner with us to create the best of American theatre.

Opening Night Circle members may purchase Opening Night season tickets, guaranteeing your location for all six performances.

Dates and details below.

The cast of The Squirrels at Opening Night; photo by Bekah Peace Photography

OPENING NIGHTS OF THE 2019/2020 SEASON*

PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

THE LUCKIEST

THE COAST STARLIGHT

KISS MY AZTEC!

CAMBODIAN ROCK BAND

FLY

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

SUNDAY, JULY 7

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

To make your gift and secure your Opening Night tickets for the 2019/2020 Season, contact Bonnie Broberg, Associate Director of Development at (858) 228-3084 or bbroberg@ljp.org. *Dates subject to change

LaJollaPlayhouse.org/support PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P23

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 23

2/4/19 1:40 PM

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE: ANNUAL SUPPORT FROM INDIVIDUALS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $100,000 AND ABOVE Gail and Ralph Bryan Brian and Silvija Devine Dr. Seuss Fund at The San Diego Foundation Joan and Irwin Jacobs Sheri L. Jamieson Frank Marshall and Kathy Kennedy Becky Moores Vivien and Jeffrey Ressler Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation Steven Strauss and Lise Wilson SEASON SPONSORS - $50,000+ Christopher Ashley Gary and Marlene Cohen Wendy Gillespie and Karen Tanz Kay and Bill Gurtin Lynelle and William Lynch Lynn Gorguze and The Honorable Scott Peters Molli Wagner PLAYWRIGHT’S CIRCLE - $25,000+ Michael Bartell and Melissa Garfield Bartell Lisa and David Casey Linda Chester and Kenneth Rind Susanna and Michael Flaster Debby and Hal Jacobs Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation Dr. Howard and Barbara Milstein Maryanne and Irwin Pfister Becky Lynne Robbins Charitable Fund Larry and Robin Rusinko Karen and Jeffrey Silberman Spielman Family Foundation LEADERSHIP CIRCLE - $15,000+ Anonymous Stephanie Bergsma and Dwight Hare David Bialis Drs. Edward and Martha Dennis Emily and Daniel Einhorn, Einhorn Family Foundation of JCF and Leichtag Foundation Dr. Lawrence Friedman Gleiberman Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation Kimberly and Jeffrey Goldman Jeanne Jones and Don Breitenberg Rob and Kathy Jones Margret and Nevins McBride Julie and Lowell Potiker Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation Karen Quiñones, The Quiñones Family Trust Camille and Andy Rasdal Jack and Caroline Raymond Don and Stacy Rosenberg, Rosenberg Family Fund Swanna and Alan Saltiel Tim and Emily Scott Iris and Matthew Strauss DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE - $10,000+ Anonymous Margaret and Tony Acampora Denise and Lon Bevers Barbara Bloom Joseph and Joyce Cassin Randall and Michael Clark Florence Cohen

Jeanne L. Herberger, Ph.D. Diana and Michael Hill Jeff and Carolyn Levin The Mansfield Family Darlene and James Milligan, Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation Gerry and Jeannie Ranglas Judy and Alan Robbins Mrs. Tina Simner Barbie and Dan Spinazzola Michael and Lonna J. Stolper Peggy Ann Wallace Mary Lindenstein Walshok, Ph.D. Roberta C. Baade and George F Yee Charitable Fund OPENING NIGHT CIRCLE - $5,000+ Anonymous (2) Paula and Ted Adams Weston Anson Holly and David Bruce Robert and Jaleh Brunst, Leichtag Foundation Christa Burke, Conrad and Christa Burke Fund at San Diego Foundation Marty and Shel Diller Robin and Leo Eisenberg Family Mrs. Valerie Ewell Suzanne Figi Dr. Benjamin and Sue Frishberg Bill and Judy Garrett Jeff Glazer and Lisa Braun Glazer David Newman and Samantha Goldstein, The Jasada Foundation Tatiana Zunshine and Miles Grant Eileen and Leonard Herman Joel and Rosanne Holliday Sherry and Larry Kline, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Labowe Family Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Labowe Paul and Samara Larson Elizabeth Lasley Veronica and Miguel Leff, Esq. Sheila and Jeffrey Lipinsky and Family Patricia and David Marino Elspeth and Jim Myer Family Fund Bernard Paul and Maria Sardina Wendy S. Pincus Polis-Schutz Family Foundation of Jewish Community Foundation Brian and Paula Powers Peter and Peggy Preuss Rosenthal Family Fund, Renaissance Charitable Foundation Gad and Suzan Shaanan Dr. and Mrs. David Smotrich Elizabeth Taft Tom and Judy Tullie Pamela J. Wagner and Hans Tegebo Geri Ann Warnke Dr. Steve and Lynne Wheeler David and Sherry Winkler ACTORS’ CIRCLE - $2,500+ Ginger and Ken Baldwin Dr. Kim E. Barrett Joan and Jeremy Berg Charles Bergan and Lisa Kanetake Loyce R. Bruce Todd and Debby Buchholz Corinna Cotsen and Lee Rosenbaum, The Stolaroff Foundation Karen B. Dow

Susan E. Dubé Dan and Phyllis Epstein Dean J. Haas Gerald and Ingrid Hoffmeister Fund at The San Diego Foundation James R. Gilmore and Cameron L. James Dr. Warren and Karen Kessler Mark Kritchevsky and Linda Lenhard Dr. K.B Lim and Linda Lee Lim Foundation Barbara and Matthew Loonin Dennis A. McConnell Dr. Charles and Ilene Mittman Mark C. Niblack, MD Susan C. Parker Beverly Sanborn Jay and Julie Sarno Jackie and Don Schoell Dr. and Mrs. Cary Shames Dr. Ed and Evelyn Singer Susanne Stanford and Tom Matthews David and Tina Thomas Steve and Greta Treadgold J. Marie Tuthill Cynthia Walk Bobbi Warren Emma and Leo Zuckerman INNER CIRCLE - $1,000+ Anonymous (3) Ahern Insurance Brokerage Lynell Antrim Kenneth X. Baca Robert Baizer and Diane Jacobs Baizer Rick Barton and Elaine Feuer-Barton Mrs. Esther W. Belinsky Joni and Miles Benickes Lisa and Jay Berlin Steve L. Black and Kristen Richards-Black Gary and Barbara Blake Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation Larry and Cindy Bloch The Boyd-Rawlings Family Michele Braatz Pamela and Spencer Burkholz John and Nancy Jo Cappetta Cheryl and Greg Carlson Kay Chandler Bill Chatwell and Christine Oster Joan and Lou Chesner Janet and Maarten Chrispeels Carol Clark Betty Clarquist Daniel Collins and Nancy Shimamoto Ambrose and Lucy Conroy Stacy Cromidas and Ruth Gilbert The DePodesta Family Brett Dickinson Dr. Ralph B. Dilley and Brian Danielson Mary Donnelly Mark and Jenny Dowling Jacqueline and Stanley Drosch W. Byron and Pamela Dunn Dr. Robert and Mrs. Ann Dynes Toby Eisenberg Doris and Peter Ellsworth Jennifer and Kurt Eve Inge Feinswog Beverly and Dick Fink Jim Freydberg and Olivia Negron Ellen Fujikawa Jim and Joy Furby Harold and Pamela Fuson Fund at Schwab Charitable Ira and Cheryl Gaines

Robert S Garson Dr. Irma Gigli Dr. Richard and Barbara Gitlin Kathryn Goetz Lee and Frank Goldberg Fred and Lisa Goldberg Mr. and Mrs. Ewart Goodwin Tom and Sheila Gorey Ms. Marcia Green James and Carrie Greenstein Brian Gregory and Rob Hisey Terry Gulden and Renée Comeau Dr. Richard and Phyllis Gundry Ajay and Silvia Gupta Kendall Hall, Fred Jones Family Foundation Koji and Angela Fukumura Pat and Rick Harmetz Douglas and Kimberly Harrison Dr. Carol A. Harter and Mr. William D. Smith Phil and Kathy Henry Craig Hightower and Steven Heitmiller Dr. Peter and Mrs. Megan Hoagland Bill and Nancy Homeyer Raymond and Kate Hong Mark and Frances Huettinger Osborn and Dea Hurston Selwyn and Hilary Isakow Jay Jeffcoat David and Betty Johnson Anthony and Joyce Joseph Lewis and Patricia Judd Richard and Kate Kelley Bill and Linda Kolb Mike Keefe Michael and Katharine Lee Arthur and Sandy Levinson Estelle and Hamilton Loeb Sacha Mackels and Sebastien Loubert Barbara and Carl Maggio Lori and Joe Mahler Sally and Luis Maizel David Marchesani, CFA Jasna Markovac and Gary Miller Rob and Holley Martens Valorie McClelland Professor Marianne McDonald Bill and Mim McKenzie Helga S. Moore Chandra Mukerji Laurie Dale Munday Esther R. Nahama Lyn Nelson Dr. Walter Olsen and Dr. Zdenka Fronek Dr. Rodney and Barbara Orth Christopher and Susan Pantaleoni F. Richard Pappas Drs. Kim Kerr and Paul Pearigen David and Julieta Peterson Lori and Kenneth Polin Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation Dr. Julie Prazich and Dr. Sara Rosenthal Dr. William and Marisa Rastetter Dan Romano and Alice Garfield Laura and RJ Romero Joy Rottenstein Dawn and Phil Rudolph Bill and Dorian Sailer Judge H. Lee and Margie Sarokin Scarano Family Foundation at The San Diego Foundation Herb Schnall, In Memory of Ann Schnall Dr. Morton and Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz

Mitchell and Elizabeth Siegler Marshall and Leslie Sigesmund Susan and Gerald Slavet Rod and Dolores Smith Madeline Spencer Doris A. Trauner, M.D. and Richard Stanford Dale and Mark Steele Jennifer and David Stickney Stone Family Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation August Suszko, in memory of Lorrie Tindel Stephanie and Alan Tarkington Marie Tartar and Steve Eilenberg Place D. Tegland Eloise Fletcher Thomas Susan and Richard Ulevitch Jim and Kathy Waring Jo and Howard Weiner Jeff White Leilani Jones Wilmore, in honor of Josephine Flanders Carrie and Wayne Wilson Dr. Joseph Witztum and Ms. Mary Elinger Witztum Howard and Christy Zatkin The Helene and Allan Ziman Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation CENTER STAGE CLUB - $500+ Anonymous (5) Philip Anderson and Verónica Valdés Barbara and Charles Arledge Dr. Stephen Baird and Carol Davidson Baird, Ernest and Eva Davidson Francis and Diane Bardsley Helene Beck Barbara Y. Beebe In memory of Rita Bronowski Anita Busquets and William Ladd Robert and Maggie Cooper Fred Cutler Denise and Gary David Jack and Karen DeLaria Lori and Tony Demaria Bethany Derrough Drs. Marianne and Robert Engle Drs. Bessie and Ron Floyd Lawrence, Janay and Joel Forman and Diane Bradley Susan Forsburg and Lisa Churchill Catherine R. Friedman Anne and Mark Smith Steven Garfin and Cheryl Kendrick Martha and Bill Gilmer Drs. Charles and Nancy Girvin Diana Glimm Drs. Tom and Cindy Goodman, In Honor of Whitney Goodman The Lloyd Gorcey Charitable Foundation, Inc. Dr. Michael Albo and Mr. Chris Graham Joann and Igor Grant Stephen and Karen Gray Bernard and Judith Greenspan Ed Greulich Dana Harrel and Daniel Roemer Thomas Harvey and Bonnie Drolet Jamie Henson and Robert Houskeeper Jerry and Linda Hirshberg Sharon and Robert Hubbard Nora Jaffe Neil and Vivien Joebchen Wendy S. Johnson

P24 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 24

2/4/19 1:41 PM

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE: ANNUAL SUPPORT FROM INDIVIDUALS Ginger Kantor Marian Kenney-Frick Shirley King and Arthur Olson Jerry and Martha Krasne Helen and Sig Kupka Mick and Sherrie Laver Dixon and Pat Lee Richard and Sherry Levin Mrs. Reinette Levine Marshall and Judy Lewis Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation Zita Liebermensch Kathleen and Ken Lundgren Daniel and Edna Maneval Christa McReynolds Dr. Ken Melville and Dr. Sabina Wallach David and Patricia Meyers Ellen Michaels Marilyn Moriarty and John Phillips Ann Nathan Robert Nelson and Suzanne Foucault Janet and Clyde Ostler Nolan and Barbara Penn Dr. Adele Rabin, in memory of Stephen Cohen Sanjiv Nanda and Urmi Ray Edward H. Richard Foundation Bingo and Gino Roncelli Jodyne Roseman Beverly and Howard Silldorf Alan and Esther Siman Norman and Judith Solomon John and Gail Tauscher Charles and Brita Tesar Andrea Migdal and Mike Tierney Susan Chortek Weisman and Eric Weisman Graydon and Dorothy Wetzler Judy White Brendan and Kaye Wynne Debbie S. Zeligson OVATION CLUB - $250+ Anonymous (7) Timothy W. Alexander Lt Col (Ret) Eugene and Mrs. Patricia Alfaro Rich and Mary Lou Amen Penny and Paul Arenson Beverly L. Bartlett Sharon G. Beamer Thomas Beardslee Trudy and Paul Beebe Bradley Behrendt The BenMichel Family Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation Gerlinde and Greg Beuerlein David Bevilaqua and Craig Caldwell Nicholas and Samantha Binkley Michael and Jana Birch Andrea Bjeldanes Helen and Douglas Boyden LaVerne and Blaine Briggs Ruth Bunn Roberta M. Campbell Dr. and Mrs. Edgar D. Canada Denise Carabet Larry Carter and Jeanne Ferrante Gary and Lynette Cederquist Elizabeth Chedrick Steven and Adina Chinowsky Barbara and Rick Cohen Bowers Jewelers Michelle Conde

Patti and Coop Cooprider Charley and Barb Crew Annette Cross Bruce and Joanne Dane Wally and Linda Dieckmann Bob and Chris Dilworth Beth and Stephen Doyne Bob Duffield Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Edelson Anonymous, in memory of Joan Forrest Dieter Fischer's Mercedes Service, Inc. Judy Fogel and George Diehr Dr. Jim and Mrs. Jenna Foster Dr. Charles Freebern Jeff and Jenni Friedman Aruna and Sabodh Garg A.J. and Daniel Genis Wayne and Martha Gerth Russell H Ginns Joyce Glazer Michael and Brenda Goldbaum Dinia Green Pat and Pepper Guevara Jerome and Anita Gutkin Judy and Chris Hamilton Thomas and Linda Hawkins Suzanne and Lawrence Hess Hon. Herbert Hoffman Ret. Beth Hulsart and Stephen L'Heureux Randy and Carrol Jackson Mark Johnson Dario and Dan Jones Dr. and Mrs. Joel Kaplan Robert Kaplan and Marina Baroff Jeff and Joel Harms Robert and Elena Kucinski Sue Lasbury and John C. Cochran Richard Leib and Sharon Rosen Leib Family Fund of JCF Steven and Honey Leshaw B. Leonard Levy Louis and Jocelyn Libby, in honor of Linda Chester and Kenneth Rind Dr. and Mrs. Stuart Lipton Chuck and Robin Luby Russell Mangerie Carlo and Mary Ann Marcuzzi Marianne Marsch-Nakamura Edward and Barbara Mayers Wallace McCloskey and Lynn Dolby Jim and Cheryl McIlhon Norma and Scott Miller Susan Motenko Ann L. Mound Susan Muha Martha Mutschler and Mel Ingalls Jan and Mark Newmark Tanya and Thomas O'Donnell Beatrice E. Pardo Drs. Genevieve and Kellogg Parsons John and Paula Peeling Dr. William and Beth Penny Sheila and Ken Poggenburg Ed and Nancy Quinn Kathleen Rae Cynthia and Gilbert Raff Dennis Ragen and Christine Hickman Dr. Kevin Rapeport and Dr. Angeli Hill Karen Reinker Drs. Sharon Lee and Christopher A. Rhodes Ph.D. Doug and Eva Richman Margaret Riel and Hugh Mehan

Dr. Steven and Cheryl Rockwood, in memory of Bryan Rockwood Aaron Rubenson, in Honor of Kathie Rubenson George and Karen Sachs Scott Sandel and James Marich Frankie and Howard Schiffman John and Patricia Seiber Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Selzer Jim and Joy Shaw CPAs Drs. Ron and Marilyn Simon J and J Slobodny Greg Smith Gary and Susan Spoto Linda P Spuck, in honor of David Hanses Ray and Lauren Stainback Syliva Steding and Roger Thieme Lisa Noelle Stone and Matthew A. Lab Marylou and James Straub Mark and Christine Stuhmer Dr. Michael Sutherland and Linda Greenberg Joseph and Ann Tebo Richard and Joy Vaccari Drs. Katharine Sheehan and Frederick Walker Anne Walter Audrey and Byron Warfield-Graham Diane Watson Dr. John and Darice Westwood Rod Whitlow Drew Auker and Arlon Staggs Philip and Claire Wise Curry Wolfe Drs. Adaline Corrin and Matthew Zetumer Howard and Judy Ziment

Isaac Engel and Ruth Schwartz Steven and Amy Epner Beth Epperson Jan and Lynne Erikson Julius Faulkner Esther and Robert Feier Jean Feinstein Karen and Steven Feitelberg Barbara M. Finn Rocio and Michael Flynn Pamela and Michael Foley Charlotte and Kenneth Fortier Richard and Karen Freeman Dr. William and Judith Friedel Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gans Joan and Arnold Gass Ann Lantzy Glazener and Chris Glazener Custom Logos Harry Griswold and Stephanie Webber Robert Gross Paul and Marilynn Gushard Mary Hardwick James and Toni Harker Blake Harper and Janice Deaton Jan Harrell and Janet Guidry Crane Harris Jennifer Hirsch Jonnie Hoffman Patricia Hoffman Dr. and Mrs. Michael Holland Claudia Baranowski and Tom Horvath Nikki Hrountas Jenny Price and Tony Hunter Ms. Frances Irving Edward and Linda Janon Vince and Sabrina Johnson Jim and Sharon Justeson David and Susan Kabakoff Nancy and Michael Kaehr Koji and Sue Kasuyama Barbara Keller and David Auchterlonie Edward and Glenda Knight Rolf and January Knoke Astrid Jeannine Lacy Michelle LaGrandeur Vic and Mary Landa Catherine and Stephen Lee Bena Leslie Pamela Hamilton Lester Lucy and Mitch Levy Drs. John and Mary Sanfelippo Lilley Conyee and Jonathan Lim John Lomac and Jill Schmidt Mary Long Michelle Longtin David MacCormack Sue and Peter Madsen Jain Malkin Inc. Jeanne Maltese Jordana March Dr. and Mrs. Alanson Mason

David and Carolyn Matthews Charlotte McConnell Patricia and Ken McCormack Dr. Elgie and Mary McGrath June Melin Monica Mendoza Eric and Laura Michelsen Sue Morrow Elijah and Adelle Nicolas Geri Nicolson Insu Nuzzi Max and Fredda Opalsky Robert and Maureen Parson Mr. and Mrs. Michael Paurazas Patrick and Evelyn Phillips Michael and Judy Quinton Mike and Laura Ravine Cecile and Justin Renaudin David and Melissa Rewolinski Russ and Marty Ries Sue R. Rosner Joan Rothenberg Richard Roy and Celsa Spina Allan Rudick and Dolores Forsythe Paul B. Schaeffer, in memory of my parents Marilyn R. Scheininger Judy Schreiber Peter and Jocelyn Schultz Guy Shaw Richard and Eleanor Shorter Roy and Rosalie Skaff Sarah Slaughter Clark and Kathryn Smith Nick and Vanessa Smith Peter Smith and Ralph Schneider Annie So Edward and Karen Soens Dr. John Spicer and Mrs. Joyce L. Spicer Danielle, Penn, and Sophia Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sterman Joan Stroh Nancy Taylor Edward and Karin Threat Johanna Vertullo Z.J. Waxenberg Sharon Weremiuk and Jerry Doppelt Bill Peters and Bev Willey Caryl Lees Witte Mr. and Mrs. Keene Wolcott Peter and Donna Worcester Bennett Wright

FRIEND - $150+ Anonymous (3) Ben and Debra Abate Betty Anderson Greti Baez Edward and Susan Ball Dr. and Mrs. David J. Barnette Jr. Phylaine Bemel-Schermerhorn Michael Berg Arnold Berlin Ms. Christine Blantz Cindy and Steve Blumkin Peter Boland Cherisse Brantz Arthur Brauner and Brenda Scott Mead Mary E. Brewer Reflects giving to annual fund, endowment and Alice W. Brown Gala underwriting support from April 1, 2017 to Burger Construction February 1, 2019 Samuel Buss Suzy and Bill Butler We apologize for any errors or accidental Daniel and Deborah Carnick omissions. Please contact the Individual Giving Office at (858) 550-1070 x134 if you would like to Kyle Chan change your listing.

Victoria Chen Arthur and Alice Clawson Judith Collier IN LOVING MEMORY David and Cecelia Conover Rosemary Cremo Jordan Ressler, 1981-2004 Lee Curtis A Film and Theatre graduate from Cornell Danny and Beth Dabby University, Jordan was an adventurer with a Steven McGivern and Leslie passion for the arts. Here at La Jolla Playhouse, DiBona he served as an assistant to Des McAnuff on Billy Kim and A.T. Ditty Crystal’s 700 Sundays and was the script supervisor for Jersey Boys.

Capt. Robert and Elaine Donnelly Richard and Carol Doughty The Jordan Ressler Endowment Fund was established by his parents, Mr. Russ Emmons Vivien and Jeffrey Ressler, to honor their son and his love of theatre David and Dorothy Engel and film.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P25

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 25

2/4/19 2:39 PM

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT $100,000 +

$50,000 - $99,999

$5,000 - $9,999

$25,000 - $49,999

$1,000 - $4,999

David C. Copley Foundation The Escondido Charitable Foundation Mandell Weiss Charitable Trust

The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation Las Patronas The National Endowment for the Arts Panta Rhea Foundation Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation

$10,000 - $24,999

Edgerton Foundation The Hearst Foundations The William Hall Tippett and Ruth Rathell Tippett Foundation

California Arts Council The County of San Diego Farrell Family Foundation Susan and Larry Favrot and the Favrot Fund Sidney E. Frank Foundation Lynne & Mason Rosenthal; Leo S. Guthman Fund San Diego Scottish Rite Community Foundation Ellen Browning Scripps Foundation The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation

The Coastal Community Foundation John and Marcia Price Family Foundation Price Philanthropies Foundation

City of Chula Vista, Performing and Visual Arts Grant The Dillon Fund The City of Encinitas & Mizel Family Foundation Community Grant Program The Samuel I. & John Henry Fox Foundation Fusenot Foundation The Arthur and Jeanette Pratt Memorial Fund The Sutherland Foundation

$300 - $999

Rising Arts Leaders San Diego The 3rd grade class of Solana Vista Elementary School

List as of February 1, 2019

BE IN THE LOOP WITH OUR NEW HEARING LOOP! La Jolla Playhouse offers many services designed to enhance your experience in the theatre. Our newest addition in the Mandell Weiss Theatre and Mandell Weiss Forum is a hearing loop system designed to connect the production sound with t-coil equipped hearing aids, cochlear implants and assisted listening devices.

Hearing loops are like binoculars for the ears and La Jolla Playhouse is proud to offer Hearing Assistance thanks to the generous support from the following:

The County of San Diego, District 3 The County of San Diego, District 4 In memory of Roger S. Benson of La Jolla, a champion of enhancing theater enjoyment for the hearing impaired *The hearing loop system has a wire that circles the seating area and is connected to the sound system. The signal is then picked up by the t-coil in the hearing aid or cochlear implant or assisted listening device. To use this system, one can activate the t-coil switch on the hearing aid or implant without any additional receiver or equipment needed. If you do not have a device with the t-coil then you can check out an assisted listening device from the Patron Services desk in the lobby or stop by for more information prior to performance.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P27

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 27

2/4/19 2:43 PM

PLAYHOUSE LEADERSHIP CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY, Artistic Director Please see Mr. Ashley's bio on page 8.

DES McANUFF, Director Emeritus served as La Jolla Playhouse’s Artistic Director from 1983 through 1994, and from 2001 through April 2007.

Under his leadership, the Playhouse garnered more than 300 awards, including the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. His Playhouse to Broadway credits include: SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical; Doctor Zhivago; Jesus Christ Superstar; Jersey Boys (four Tony Awards); Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Tony Award); How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (five Tony nominations); director and co-author with Pete Townshend on The Who’s Tommy (Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Director) and Big River (seven Tony Awards), among others. He also directed the premieres of Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, which he co-wrote. Opera credits: Faust (The Met, ENO). Film credits: Cousin Bette (director), Iron Giant (producer, BAFTA Award) and Quills (executive producer). Recipient of the Drama League’s 2006 Julia Hansen Award, Mr. McAnuff served as Artistic Director at Canada’s Stratford Festival from 2007 through 2012. In 2012, he was awarded Canada’s esteemed Governor General’s National Arts Center Award and the Order of Canada.

DEBBY BUCHHOLZ, Managing Director joined the Playhouse in 2002, serving first as General Manager before becoming Managing Director. She is a Vice President of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT) and a member of its Executive Committee. She is a recipient of a San Diego Women Who Mean Business Award from The San Diego Business Journal. Prior to joining La Jolla Playhouse, she served as Counsel to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. She was a faculty member of the Smithsonian Institution’s program on Legal Problems of Museum Administration. Prior to The Kennedy Center, she served as a corporate attorney in New York City and Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of UC San Diego and Harvard Law School. Ms. Buchholz and her husband, noted author and White House economic policy advisor Todd Buchholz, live in Solana Beach and are the proud parents of Victoria, Katherine and Alexia.

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE is a place where artists and audiences come together to create what’s new and next in the American theatre, from Tony Awardwinning productions, to imaginative programs for young audiences, to interactive experiences outside our theatre walls. Currently led by 2017 Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Christopher Ashley and Managing Director Debby Buchholz, the Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer. Renowned for its development of new plays and musicals, the Playhouse has mounted 98 world premieres, commissioned 52 new works, and sent 32 productions to Broadway – among them the currently-running hit musical Come From Away – garnering a total of 38 Tony Awards, including the 1993 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT EVENTS: DIANA INSIDER EVENTS

Join Playhouse staff for a special pre-performance presentation that gives an insider’s view of Diana.

Sponsored in part by

Wednesday, March 13 at 6:45 pm Saturday, March 16 at 1:45 pm

TALKBACK TUESDAYS

Participate in a lively discussion with Diana performers and Playhouse staff members immediately following these performances.

FOODIE FRIDAYS Enjoy delicious bites from a local food truck, beginning at 6:30 pm.

Friday, February 22 Friday, March 1

Sponsored in part by

ACCESS PERFORMANCE Sponsored in part by

Tuesday, February 26 after the 7:30 pm performance Tuesday, March 5 after the 7:30 pm performance

On select performances, La Jolla Playhouse provides American Sign Language interpretation for audience members who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision.

Saturday, March 9 at 2:00 pm

Friday, March 8 Friday, March 15 Friday, March 22 Friday, March 29 Friday, April 5

SONIC SATURDAYS Take in live music before the show, starting at 7:00 pm.

Saturday, February 23 Saturday, March 9

DISCOVERY SUNDAY

Join special guest speakers post-performance as they engage audience members in a moderated discussion exploring the themes in the musical.

Sunday, March 24 after the 2:00 pm performance

Saturday, March 16 Saturday, March 23 Saturday, March 30 Saturday, April 6

P28 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 28

2/4/19 2:51 PM

PATRON SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY

CONCESSIONS AND RESTAURANT

La Jolla Playhouse provides wheelchair-accessible seating and parking. Wheelchair seat locations are available for wheelchair users and a companion at all performances; be sure to advise the reservationist that you require a wheelchair location. Additionally, a golf cart is available to assist patrons with accessibility needs to and from the parking lot. Please notify Patron Services prior to your performance if you are in need of this service; additionally, you may pull into the ten minute parking area, and a La Jolla Playhouse greeter will assist you. The Playhouse also provides assisted listening devices for patrons who are hard of hearing. Devices are available, free of charge, at the Patron Services desk prior to performances (subject to availability).

James’ Place provides bar and concessions at each theatre lobby or courtyard. The restaurant (James’ Place) is open Tuesday – Friday 4:00 pm until 8:30 pm and Saturday – Sunday 3:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Please call (858) 638-7778 for reservations or visit jamesplacesd.com.

Listening Devices Provided in Part by

CHILDREN under the age of 6 are not permitted in the theatre during performances unless otherwise posted. Unaccompanied minors ages 12 and under are not permitted in the theatre.

Out of respect for fellow audience members and the performers, babes in arms are not permitted in the theatre during performances.

LATE SEATING Should you arrive late for any performance or need to leave your seat during the performance, you may be asked to wait in the lobby until an appropriate moment. To minimize any disturbance to actors or other patrons, you may stand or be seated in the first available location by House Management even if not your assigned location.

Please be advised that some performances may not allow for late seating or return to your assigned seat.

PARKING is free for subscribers; $2 for the general public on weekdays (free on weekends).

Upon arrival to campus, please enter your parking space number and pay the automated pay stations located in the parking lot. Spaces that are not paid for are subject to citations by UC San Diego Parking Enforcement.

PATRON SERVICES is located in the lobby or courtyard of each theatre. A volunteer is available to distribute assisted listening devices and answer questions.

PHOTOGRAPHY/RECORDING DEVICES Photography and video or audio recording of performances is strictly prohibited.

PLEASE SILENCE or turn off all electronic devices, including cell phones and watches, before the performance.

SAFETY IN THE THEATRE DISTRICT La Jolla Playhouse is constantly working with UC San Diego Police Department and Transportation and Parking Services to maintain a safe and secure environment in the parking lots. Patrons are welcome to use the UC San Diego escort service by contacting UC San Diego Community Service Officers (CSOs) at (858) 534-9255 (WALK). Further questions regarding security, please contact UC San Diego Police at (858) 534-4357 (HELP).

THEATRE TOURS Tour the stages and production shops of the Playhouse facilities and learn more about the history of La Jolla Playhouse and the role that it plays in the community. Contact (858) 550-1070 x101.

James’ Place is the Theatre District’s on-site restaurant. Developed by Sushi Master James Holder, the menu features his signature sushi, delectable dishes created with Prime and Angus cuts of beef, locally and sustainably harvested seafood and other seasonal dishes. Lighter fare is served at the newly-redesigned sushi/cocktail bar, which also offers craft beer and California wines.

Please call (858) 638-7778 for reservations.

Visit JamesPlaceSD.com for more information.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P29

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 29

2/4/19 2:51 PM

DNA New Work Series SAVE THE DATE! MAY 2 – 5, 2019 The Playhouse’s acclaimed new play development initiative, the DNA New Work Series, is back for its seventh year, running May 2 – 5, 2019.

The DNA New Work Series allows playwrights and directors the opportunity to develop a script by providing rehearsal time, space and resources – all culminating in readings which are open to the public.

It's a rare chance for theatre-lovers to be a part of a new work in its earliest stages of development.

Public Performances March 9 & 10 Tickets at LaJollaPlayhouse.org

Tickets to all DNA events are free. Projects will be announced in the coming weeks. Visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org for more information on programming and reservations.

18 19 S

E

A

S

O

N

The Department of Theatre & Dance at UC San Diego offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs right here in the Jacobs Theatre District.

Through our partnership with La Jolla Playhouse, current students and alumni receive internships and professional residencies on La Jolla Playhouse productions.

Diana features the work of current MFA candidates Nicole Javier, Stephen Jensen, Tyler Larson, Allyn Anthony Moriyon, and Enrico Nassi.

Winter 2019 Show Lineup:

Life is a Dream The Misanthrope Classical Women Everybody Black winterWORKS 2019 Visit theatre.ucsd.edu/season

New Directions 2018 solo performance by Olivia Carter photo by Jim Carmody

For information:

THEATRE.UCSD.EDU • 858.822.3152

P30 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 30

2/4/19 3:01 PM

THE PLAYHOUSE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL WELCOMING NEW AUDIENCES The Playhouse Leadership Council (PLC) is a passionate and engaged group of civic leaders, advocates and professionals whose mission is to create a welcoming environment for new audiences.

PLC members work in their communities to introduce new audiences to every production and ensure that their first experience at the Playhouse is inviting and memorable. From young professionals, to San Diego’s military community, to regions of San Diego underrepresented at the Playhouse, the Council connects a more diverse group of people to the Playhouse and aspires to enrich and enhance the lives of all San Diegans through theatre.

GET INVOLVED! If you live, work or interact with a community you think should experience the Playhouse, contact the Leadership Council at community@ljp.org.

PLAYHOUSE PARTNERS CELEBRATE 30TH ANNIVERSARY

For three decades the Playhouse Partners have donated their time, service and skills to support and promote La Jolla Playhouse. This dedicated group provides many ways to become involved, such as staffing the Patron Services desk, organizing breakfasts for the cast and crew and providing administrative support. In return, Partners receive many exciting benefits and special events, all while representing one of the foremost producing theatres in the country. La Jolla Playhouse is deeply grateful for the Partners’ efforts over the past 30 years, and for many years to come.

For more information, please visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P31

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 31

2/4/19 3:01 PM

LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE

STAFF

Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director*

ARTISTIC Producing Director Eric Keen-Louie Director of Artistic Development Gabriel Greene* Associate Producer Teresa Sapien Artistic Programs Manager & Local Casting Director Jacole Kitchen Director Emeritus Des McAnuff Executive Assistant to Christopher Ashley Rick VanNoy* Commissioned Artists Todd Almond, Jeff Augustin, Daniel Beaty, Guillermo Calderón, Kara Lee Corthron, Noah Diaz, Kristoffer Diaz, Kirsten Greenidge, Joe Iconis, Hansol Jung, Jon Kern, Mike Lew, Rehana Lew Mirza, Martyna Majok, Mona Mansour, Gregory S. Moss, Lisa Peterson, Theresa Rebeck, Dan Moses Schreier, Brian Selznick, Claudia Shear, Mat Smart, Charlayne Woodard, Lauren Yee PRODUCTION Production Manager Benjamin Seibert Associate Production Manager Becca Duhaime Production Office Manager Caren Heintzelman Production Intern Rosanna Wong SCENE SHOP Technical Director William Hartley Assistant Technical Director Jonathan Gilmer Master Carpenter David Weiner* Charge Artist Melissa Nalbach Production Carpenter Laura McEntyre Carpenters Kyle Alquist, Mihai Antonesco, Ryan Beasley, Megan Birdsong, Jacob Bruce, Matt Clark, Adam Day, Nick Jackson, Eszter Julian, Scott Kinney, Paul Mares, Michael Moglia, Clayton Nicodemus, Brylan Ranscht, Albert Rubidoux, Tim Van Der Lind, Zane Whitmore Scenic Painters Dwaine Best, Jeni Cheung, Jenn Imbler, Bethany Johnson, Kristin Kifer, Jenny Lee Shop Helper Doug Collind* PROPERTIES SHOP Prop Shop Supervisor Deb Hatch* Prop Shop Foreman Quinn Becker Props Artisans Ryan Lewis, Zlatko Mitev, Jeff Rockey, Gabe Serbian, Zach Zeringue COSTUME SHOP Costume Supervisor Jennifer Ables Resident Costume Design Assistant Desiree Hatfield-Buckley Draper Alexander Zeek First Hands Kyle Everett, Rebecca Fabares Stitchers Stephanie Gift, Keira McGee, Veronica Von Borstel Craft Artisan Tess Mattraw Craft Assistant Amanda Bergman ELECTRICS Electrics Supervisor Jeff Brewer Master Electrician Kristyn Kennedy Electricians Alex Cluff, Miranda Stone, Xavier Luevano, Bradley Bergholtz SOUND/VIDEO Sound/Video Supervisor Lane Elms Resident Sound Engineer Matthew Birchmeier Sound Technicians Stephen Jensen, Haley Wolf

LaJollaPlayhouse

ADMINISTRATION General Manager Ryan Meisheid Assistant General Manager Samantha De La Riva Corporate/Legal Counsel Robert C. Wright, Wright & L’Estrange Theatre/Legal Counsel F. Richard Pappas, Esq. COMPANY MANAGEMENT Company Manager Erica Martin Company Management Assistants Lex Bezdeka, Jacob Sinclair FINANCE Director of Finance Laura Killmer Payroll George Kelly Staff Accountant Janet Gray Sr. Production Accountant Jared Jackson Accounts Payable Manager Sharon Ratelle* Employee Benefits Coordinator Kathy Silberman PHILANTHROPY Director of Philanthropy Julia B. Foster Associate Director of Philanthropy Bonnie Broberg Individual Giving Manager Cristina Hernandez Institutional Giving Manager Adeline Duke Institutional Giving Officer Elizabeth Kaplan Philanthropy Officer Tony Dixon Philanthropy Coordinator Sarah Huddleston SPECIAL EVENTS Special Events Manager Samantha Watkins Special Events Coordinator Erica Kao COMMUNICATIONS Director of Communications Mary Cook* Director of Public Relations Becky Biegelsen* Director of Sales & Marketing Mia Fiorella Communications Manager Grace Madamba Senior Multimedia Designer Nancy Showers Multimedia Designer Jane Sanders Marketing Database Analyst Dani Meister Direct Sales Associate Andrew Fink Patron Services Sales Specialist Paul Preston* Communications and Marketing Intern Lily Medofer PATRON SERVICES Patron Services Manager Travis Guss Senior Lead Patron Services Representative/Ticketing Specialist Pearl Hang* Lead Patron Services Representative/Group Sales Specialist Renee Shinske Lead Patron Services Representative/Group Sales Concierge Mike Brown Patron Services Coordinator Bill Washington Patron Services Representatives Devon Gonzales, Makayla Hoppe, Devin O’Reilly

@lajollaplayhouse

Debby Buchholz, Managing Director*

EDUCATION & OUTREACH Director of Education & Outreach Julia Cuppy Associate Director of Education and Outreach Bridget Cavaiola Audio Describers Mernie Aste, Laurielynn Barnett, Brian Berlau*, Michele Dixon, Tina Dyer, Lisa Iliana, Shari Lyon*, Ann McDonald, Kay O’Neil*, Deborah Sanborn*, Leslie Satz, Sylvia Southerland* ASL Interpreters Hilda Colondres, Lynn Ann Garrett, Anelia Glebocki, Alycen Haynesworth, Suzanne Lightbourn*, Billieanne McLellan*, Geri Wu ASL Usher Esther Shen* Teaching Artists Frankie Alicea, Kristen Fogle, Donny Gersonde, Samantha Ginn, Cory Hammond, Levi Kaplan, Justin Lang, Jaese Lecuyer, Bernard Mazon, Michael Shantz Playhouse Teen Council Justin Canning, Lilith Freund, Elizabeth Gelber, Rebecca Genin, Zoe Goldstein, Mia Grust, Emre Gumus, Kelly Hatfield, Madison Hoffman, Andalyn Honselaar, David Lopez, Ariella Markus, Christina Martino, Naomi Melville, Dylan Nalbandian, Nicky Redd, Vivian Romero, Lexi Smith, Emily Talerman, Carly Walton, Sabrina Webster, Shelby Westbrook Education & Outreach Intern Mekala Sridhar OPERATIONS Director of Operations Ned Collins* Operations Manager Jen McClenahan* Network Systems Specialist Daryl “Scooter” Davis FRONT OF HOUSE House Manager John Craft* Assistant House Managers Avery Floto, Jessica Loomer, Sara Lucchini, Amy Marquez*, Chastyn Rauh, Mondis Vakili Audience Concierges Ashley Carbonell, Sarah Delgado, Christopher Ferreria, Cory Kurkierewicz, Benjamin Nelson, Sultan Saeed, Gemina Soriano Janitorial Professional Maintenance Systems: Juan Mena, Maria Mena, Tony Villafuerte DIANA CREW Stage Carpenter Laura McEntyre Automation Operator Zane Whitmore Fly Operator Adam Day Deck Crew Eszter Julian, Melissa Nalbach, Bryan Ranscht, Albert Rubidoux Production Props Zlatko Mitev Props Runner Zach Zeringue Wardrobe Supervisor Veronica Von Borstel Dressers Debbie Lou Allen, Amanda Bergman, Jazmine Choi, Stephanie Gift Wig Supervisor Albee Alvarado Hair Maintenance Stephanie Kwik Light Board Operator Alex Cluff Master Electrician/Spot Operator Kristyn Kennedy Spot Operator 2 Bradley Bergholtz Sound Engineer Chris Powell A2 Matthew Birchmeier

* Ten years or more with La Jolla Playhouse

@LJPlayhouse

LaJollaPlayhouse1947

P32 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

LJPLAY_PROG-0219.indd 32

2/4/19 3:02 PM

The Carlisles are especially interested in discovering the intersections between the vibrant retirement community and greater Carlsbad. Given the gallery next door and the proximity to a multitude of restaurants, cafés and shops, they expect to make many new discoveries in the coming months. In their free time, they enjoy organizing community cookouts, helping out on the philanthropy advisory committee, and exploring the miles of coastline just outside their door.

Continue your lifelong pursuits or find new

Robert & Arlene Carlisle

Curators of life

adventures at Carlsbad By The Sea, one of the top retirement resorts in the US, offering independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing on-site.

Robert and Arlene have an appreciation for beautiful things—like the way the light reflects off the water at sunset. They note the subtle changes from evening to evening, watching from their balcony at Carlsbad By The Sea. They have also acquired an impressive collection of both bridge and biking partners in their new home in North County.

Call 800-255-1556 or visit CarlsbadByTheSea.org 2855 Carlsbad Blvd., Carlsbad, CA 92008

We’re an equal opportunity housing provider in Southern California. CA license #374600799 COA #194

58-61_DINING_PSD_0219.indd 57

1/14/19 12:52 PM

DI N I N G

“A tense tale of wartime intrigue and romance” — The New York Times CRITIC’S PICK

WEST COAST PREMIERE

FEB. 20 – MARCH 17 The Isle of Guernsey — 1943.

A mysterious, handsome man washes up on shore and four British women decide to protect him. This award-winning play presents the dramatic tale of a family under occupation.

A powerful wartime drama brimming with suspense and intrigue that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Bayside Buzz

(858) 481-1055 NorthCoastRep.org Group Sales: (858) 481-2155, x202

what might happen if one took the world’s first international luxury hotel brand (and the largest of its kind), and combined it with a historical location on the downtown San Diego waterfront? Then, one combined tastes from all places coastal, from the Mediterranean to Baja to the Pacific Islands? And then, these coveted components were all tied together with the accomplished hands of two of San Diego’s most talented and adored chefs? Those winning combinations lead to a result called Vistal.

The gleaming new restaurant unfolds on the third level of the new 400-room InterContinental

San Diego hotel, which towers over the very space where the Pacific Coast League San Diego Padres played from 1936 to 1957: Lane Field, just behind Embarcadero Park, across from the historical Star of India sail ship. The view from the terrace can only be described as glorious, and a reminder to all who call San Diego home how truly blessed we are to live here. Vistal immediately welcomes you with a panoramic, unobstructed view of the waterfront, spanning from the USS Midway to Lindbergh Field.

Vistal is the brainchild of two of San Diego’s finest, to be sure. Amy DiBiase and Paul McCabe are both

courtesy vistal

Vistal marries idyllic waterfront dining with culinary excellence.

58 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINe

58-61_DINING_PSD_0219.indd 58

1/10/19 5:04 PM

WORLD PREMIERE | F E B . 1 9 – A P R . 7 The pickled black cod with Persian cucumber at Vistal

well known to San Diego foodies.

DiBiase emerged as a rising culinary star in her tenure at Roseville in Point Loma, moving from there to Tidal at Paradise Point. McCabe, while most recently creating gastro magic in Arizona at the Royal Palms, was previously named one of James Beard Awards’ Rising Stars while he was at Kitchen 1540 in Del Mar. Both chefs are also alumni of Top of the Cove in La Jolla.

When I first walked in, I was impressed (read: blown away) by the size and very spacious feeling of the main dining room. At no table within the restaurant would one feel crowded, cramped or unable to have an intimate conversation.

There’s breathing room, lots of it. And adding to the feeling of openness is a 30-seat bar and a full outdoor terrace (with heaters and firepits) that runs the entire length of the dining room. And for those who enjoy watching the artists at work, an exhibition kitchen with a chef’s table seats up to 14 guests.

Beginning with libations, let’s be clear. I like gin. I’m not British; I’m Irish. I’m supposed to like whiskey.

But I like gin. And Vistal’s cocktail menu includes a fine selection of specialty gin cocktails. I naturally needed no nudging to begin the sampling process, and I opened with a Gin-Serac, which combines Ford’s Gin, yellow chartreuse and Peychaud’s bitters. And it was undeniably lovely. On my next visit, the Spicy Martini (Botanist gin, Ancho Reyes Verde, agave and lime) will be up first.

A NEW MUSICAL

BOOK & LYRICS

MUSIC & LYRICS

JOE DIPIETRO DAVID BRYAN CHOREOGRAPHY

KELLY DEVINE DIRECTION

CHRISTOPHER ASHLEY

BUY TODAY!

LaJollaPlayhouse.org PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 59

58-61_DINING_PSD_0219.indd 59

1/11/19 1:51 PM

DI N I N G While admiring the lights of the Big Bay from my seat next to the impressive floor-to-ceiling windows, I asked my server what I should not miss from the starter menu, and she guided me to the pickled black cod (with Persian cucumber, fennel, persimmon, horseradish crema and malted toast). The improbable yet captivating combination of these innovative elements was astounding. I could have ordered several more of these, for both entree and dessert, and had I tossed back one more Gin-Serac, I just might have. But, noting that an entire section of the menu is dedicated to dumplings, I knew my work was incomplete.

The sheep’s milk ricotta gnudi— with local lobster, Tahitian squash, vanilla beurre blanc and smoked pistachio—was divine and flavorful with an almost silky texture. It could easily serve as an entree for those who weren’t famished, or who perhaps treated themselves to a bit of the menu’s signature bread service: Epi (a rustic bread made from French wheat stalk) by local bakery Con Pane, served with beet hummus, fennel butter, local olive oil, mint and oregano.

In a refined establishment such as Vistal—and with two award-winning chefs at the helm inside a world-class hotel—the last thing I expected to see on the entree menu was chicken-fried steak. But there it was, and any legitimate culinary enthusiast would not forgive themselves for failing to investigate further. For this amazing innovation, Vistal uses a Snake River Farms rib-eye cap wrapped in chicken skin with a potato espuma (foam), carrots and foie gras gravy. This dish can only 60 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

58-61_DINING_PSD_0219.indd 60

1/10/19 1:48 PM

A h

JEWEL in the

courtesy vistal

Vistal’s outdoor lounge and dining terrace offers unobstructed bay views.

be described as a symphony of savory—one that you hope never ends. It was simply delightful.

Vistal’s entree menu offers other inviting dishes such as coriander cider-glazed pork cheeks and olive oil poached halibut, and sides such as twice-cooked marble potatoes and roasted heirloom carrots, but it was now dessert time for me.

I selected the Coconut Haupia, a traditional Hawaiian coconut milk-based pudding. It’s prepared at Vistal with passionfruit curd and seed, macadamia shortbread, white-chocolate-coconut bark and lemon sorbet. This light and playful dessert was the perfect exclamation point upon a magnificent epicurean experience.

Vistal is an idyllic spot for a sunset happy hour, or, as it was for me, a perfect opening act to a night at the San Diego Symphony. Vistal is also open for breakfast and lunch, both featuring equally fun and engaging menus and daytime bay views. Reservations are recommended. Treat yourself to what can only be described as textbook definition of winning combinations. 901 Bayfront Court, third floor, downtown, 619.535.0485, vistalsd.com —Cole Casey

CLOSING FEBRUARY 17

A MUSICAL CELEBRATION! TWENTY PERFORMERS TAKE YOU ON A THRILLING MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE BEST OF LAMB’S 25 YEARS IN CORONADO!

1142 ORANGE AVE • CORONADO

LAMBSPLAYERS.ORG

619.437.6000 PErFORMANCEs MAGAZINE 61

58-61_DINING_PSD_0219.indd 61

1/10/19 5:03 PM

RITMOS LATINOS: QUE BONITO AMOR

TR AVE L

LIVE MUSIC BY GILBERT CASTELLANOS

FEBRUA RY 1 5 -1 7, 201 9 LYC E U M TH E ATR E

Romance: En Pointe!

A PRIL 27-28 , 2019 CALIFO RNIA C E N TE R FOR TH E A RTS ESCON D I D O

Jazz/Dance: Song of Songs

LIVE MUSIC BY CHARLES MCPHERSON

MAY 24 -26 , 201 9 LYC E U M TH E ATR E

CABO CALLING A “CABO GETAWAY” IS OFTEN synonymous with “party time,” in which case one is likely referring to a trip to Cabo San Lucas.

The bustling resort city plunked on Baja’s southern tip—where the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez collide—is a playground for those seeking sun, outdoor

JAVIER VELASCO • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROBIN MORGAN • ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

For ticket information visit:

WWW.SANDIEGOBALLET.ORG

fun and scintillating nightlife.

Yet, a Cabo getaway can also mean a quiet, restful escape for art aficionados, nature lovers and foodies—in which case one is likely referring to San José del Cabo, a 25-minute drive north up the coastline. It’s the mild (versus wild) Cabo—a quaint, artsy town punctuated by galleries, colonial architecture and authentic eateries.

Touring central San José del Cabo can be done on foot and makes for an easy afternoon.

Start at San José del Cabo Church, located in the heart of the Historic District. Founded in 1734 and relocated and rebuilt many times due to war and floods, the church was restored in 1940 and bears remarkable mosaic tiles and other significant architectural details capturing its rich history. Steps away, Plaza Mijares is a popular gathering point for locals, surrounded by historical buildings, the town’s city hall, shops and restaurants.

Be sure to stop by the Casa de la Cultura, which offers music and acting workshops, dancing, painting and literary events year-round.

RUTH PETERKIN

 Culture and cuisine converge in San José del Cabo.

62 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

62-65_TRAVEL_PSD_0219.indd 62

1/10/19 1:53 PM

The Sea of Cortez’s stunning shoreline near San José del Cabo

Also nearby sits San José del Cabo’s Gallery District, home to around 15 fabulous art galleries showcasing everything from modern fine art to photography to jewelry by Mexican and international artists. Of note, Ivan Guaderrama Art Gallery features contemporary abstract paintings, sculptures, and glass and welding works by local craftsmen. Inside Frank Arnold Gallery, find dramatic bronze sculptures, oil paintings and fine art prints by abstract artist Frank Arnold.

The district also hosts a weekly art walk every Thursday evening from 5-9 p.m., November to June.

For a dose of nature, San José del Cabo Estuary & Bird Sanctuary on the outskirts of town is an eco-tourist’s delight. Its 2,000 marshy acres comprise the only freshwater coastal lagoon in Baja and the largest body of fresh water in southern Baja. The protected tropical landscape is home to some 250 species of bird, rare plants and hiking trails. Close by in Puerto Los Cabos, Wirikuta Garden grows more than 1 million plants— including 1,500 types of desert plants, 1,000 bonsai bougainvillea trees and three pyramids built from granite boulders. It’s a special place unlike any other in the world.

The best dining outposts in the area are off the beaten path, both figuratively and literally.

Tucked away a few blocks from the Gallery District, Mariscos El Toro Guero is a palapa-covered locals’ seafood spot executing

5:38PM

The moment that caught you by surprise.

Rising to the ethereal glow of the San Diego sunshine. Setting off on a horseback ride through Los Peñasquitos Canyon preserve. An impromptu dance overlooking a magical Mediterranean-inspired landscape. Here at The Grand, surprises are everywhere.

RISE & SHINE BREAKFAST PACKAGE

Luxurious guestroom or suite accommodations with daily breakfast for two, plus complimentary yoga and fitness classes.

VISIT FAIRMONT.COM/SAN-DIEGO OR CALL 855 314 2030 TO PLAN YOUR ESCAPE

Begin your adventure here...

BalboaParkConservancy.org

OPEN DAILY 9:30AM–4:30PM 619.239.0512

PARK INFORMATION Free Map and Guide Museum & Zoo Passes Audio Walking Tours Attraction Tickets

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 63

62-65_TRAVEL_PSD_0219.indd 63

1/10/19 1:53 PM

TR AVE L

Fresh Paint Gallery PRESENTS

Personal/Political: FIGURE PAINTING BY BILLY HAWKINS WESTON RIFFLE

1020 Prospect Street

www.freshpaintgallery.com IMAGE COPYRIGHT PATRICK N. BROWN

Art and souvenir shopping in San José del Cabo

regional recipes that epitomize authenticity. This means dishes such as whole fried red snapper, chocolate clams, coconut shrimp and molcajete de mariscos—a stone bowl loaded with raw and cooked shrimp, scallops, octopus, lime juice and jalapenos. Wash it all down with one of their famous giant margaritas. For more authentic eats in town, Taqueria Rossy is a no-frills locals’ joint known for its scallop tacos, seafood soup and extensive salsa bar.

No trip to San José del Cabo is complete without a stop at the famous Flora’s Field Kitchen at Flora Farms—a 10-acre oasis at the end of a rocky, steep dirt road that will convince first-timers they’re lost before they find it. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, it’s a working farm with flourishing organic produce delivered straight to the restaurant’s kitchen—surrounded by twinkling lights, gardens, cottages, roaming friendly dogs and shops. (There’s even a James Perse concept store onsite.) At Field Kitchen, dine on vegetable risotto, seasonal salads and house-made gnocchi—while live music floats through the fragrant air as the sun dips behind the mountains, and you’ll likely find yourself researching local real estate later to see if

©GERASIMOVVV / DREAMSTIME.COM

PATRICK BROWN

64 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

62-65_TRAVEL_PSD_0219.indd 64

1/10/19 1:53 PM

you can live close by.

A few questionable turns down another unpaved road nearby will transport you to Los Tamarindos, San José del Cabo’s hidden (but not for long) gem of an organic farm, garden, market and restaurant. Offering cooking classes, private events and dining on a sprawling hacienda-style porch, Los Tamarindos emanates a community vibe that makes visitors feel like family. Order the baked eggplant rolls and the pork shank with green mole (warning: it’s a massive dish), paired with a glass of La Cetta sauvignon blanc from Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe, and life is good in Cabo.

As for lodging in San José del Cabo, its master-planned community vibe (on the outskirts of town) means plenty of tranquil, ultra-modern resorts and rental homes from which to choose. Of note, the JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa perched above the Sea of Cortez is a luxurious stunner and architectural marvel.

Its open-air lobby flanked by soaring marble columns and walls— which unfold into infinity pools, water features and sculpture gardens—emanates the backdrop of a contemporary art museum.

Dine and imbibe at six restaurants and bars; get pampered at Jasha Spa & Salon; enjoy world-class golf; and rest in a well-appointed ocean-view suite. For an even more private and personalized experience, the JW Marriott houses its own luxury boutique hotel within the resort, the Griffin Club.

An added bonus: the property is a five-minute drive (at most) into town. —Sarah Daoust

Strategies that win Your case handled only by attorneys with a minimum of 30 years’ experience Business and Real Estate Transactions, Litigation and Appeals

Contact Managing Partner Jeff Dracup today jeff.dracup@dracupandpatterson.com dracupandpatterson.com (858) 480-5295

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 65

62-65_TRAVEL_PSD_0219.indd 65

1/10/19 1:53 PM

An Evening with GREGORY PORTER Sun, February 24 – 7:30P

THE IRISH ROVERS Sat, March 9 – 7:30P

The Official BLUES BROTHERS REVUE TM

Sun, March 24 – 6:00P

THE KINGSTON TRIO Sun, April 28 – 3:00P

Tickets @ SDBalboa.org

(619/760/858) 570-1100 • Ticketmaster

Playwright Miranda Rose Hall HAVE MERCY / CONT’D. FROM PAGE 14

“examining the intensity of intimate relationships in an isolated place. When you live in a really small place, you get a kind of cabin fever. Everyone knows everything about everyone else. That can be really life-giving, or really destructive.

Paradoxically, relationships get so tight and entangled; but then, there’s the full expanse of nature and its wildness.”

The play’s human drama is set against this “vast wilderness canvas. The great glory of the land versus the messy relationships of neighbors, brothers, family. Community means a lot more in a place where the natural elements are so extreme.

You’re really not in control of your life there; the weather is in control. People need to come together in the middle of the dark, harsh, cold winter. Some people in Alaska handle winter with great elegance, experiencing the majesty of nature.”

Hall’s time in Alaska was part of the Americorps-funded Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest.

After majoring in drama at Georgetown University, a Jesuit college, she wanted to “offer some service for humanity.” She “had a hunch” she was going to be a writer, but she wanted to “test the waters” outside the theater. She was anxious to meet unfamiliar people and hear their stories. For this Ministry of Care, she was assigned to an end-of-life facility.

After her “exciting and terrifying” experience in Alaska (“the only way I survived was keeping a sense of humor”), Hall went on to earn an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. This play was her final-year thesis production.

It’s now part of the National New Play Network. Other Hall creations have been produced at Lincoln Center and East Coast regional theaters.

She had her Alaska adventures in mind when she wrote

COURTESY DIVERSIONARY THEATRE

An Evening with

GREGORY

PORTER

868 Fourth Avenue @ E Street

66 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 66

1/10/19 1:44 PM

this play as a gift for her father, who started out as a musician and became a radio journalist and host of a public radio show.

(A main character in the play presents radio broadcasts from his home.) One of the projects Hall’s father pursued was chronicling the illness and decline of his best friend, who was like an uncle to Miranda.

So the play contains a radio guy, and one with a serious illness. And a crisis of faith in a Jesuit priest who has left his order.

“To me,” says Hall, “a crisis of faith often occurs when life doesn’t go how you thought it would. Ed thought his life would evolve in one way, but then things didn’t go according to plan.”

Ed is also dealing with his homosexuality, and his five-year estrangement from his brother.

He left the family after a tragedy, but has returned to Alaska to reconnect to his real self and his roots. He is also seeking redemption. He’s making a lot of dramatic decisions.

Her title, Hall explains, “comes from the holy hour that Jesus died, when it is said that you can pray for compassion in your agony.”

“The play richly shows how hard compassion can be when we’re angry, and how misunderstandings can distort,” says acclaimed local actor/director Rosina Reynolds, who is directing the new work at Diversionary. “But when all is stripped away, we learn that all we have PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 67

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 67

1/10/19 1:44 PM

The Hour of Great Mercy cast members Andrew Oswald, Patrick Mayuyu, Tom Stephenson and Dana Case (L-R)

is each other. The story and theme are all about forgiveness, and the loneliness of Alaska and what that does to people.”

Reynolds was “intrigued by the structure of the play. It’s almost in blank verse. There’s such a musicality to it.” Diversionary Theatre is billing it as “a poetic new play with music.” Hymns begin and end the drama.

The piece, says Reynolds, relates to the “widespread sense of loneliness in our society today.

It poses questions about where you find a sense of community, and what makes a family. The five characters struggle to be a community. Ed and two other characters [both Filipino] create a family. That’s juxtaposed with the destruction of Ed’s brother Roger’s family. Roger and his 68 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 68

1/11/19 1:53 PM

A Worthy Mission The Children’s Nature Retreat Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children in the United States and Africa by responding to their very different needs and filling some of the gaps in their lives: The focus at our animal sanctuary in Alpine, California is to help kids develop a deeper connection with the natural world; while in Burkina Faso, West Africa, we provide support and access to education for children from pre-school age through high school.

To support our mission, please visit childrensnatureretreat.org or join us for our fundraising gala.

Disco Ball 2019

COURTESY DIVERSIONARY THEATRE

8th Annual Fundraiser Gala Saturday, March 2, 2019 CNRFDiscoBall.org

wife can’t help each other through the tragedy they’ve suffered, in which Ed is implicated.

“Alaskans pride themselves on being very resilient,” Reynolds continues. “They have a toughness outside. But what happens if the softness inside is not nurtured? Is it possible to find unconditional love and acceptance, warts and all? Two brothers can’t reconcile. Both are adrift. Ultimately, Ed, a man in deep conflict, is trying to reconcile his love for God and for men, his religion and his desire. In confronting his tragic past and his tenuous future, he gets to a place of dignity.”

As Reynolds sees it, Hall is using Alaska as a metaphor for isolation. “It enhances the potential for loneliness inherent in all of us.” She is energized by this opportunity.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 69

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 69

1/14/19 1:54 PM

The San Diego Concert Band Presents

Band on Broadway

Join the San Diego Concert Band in Exploring Broadway’s Greatest Hits Featuring Barbara Allen, Internationally-Known Vocalist The Joan B. Kroc Theatre for the Performing Arts 6611 University Avenue San Diego, CA April 2, 2019, 7:00 p.m.

The past several concerts have been sellouts; so get your tickets early.

For more information about this concert and the Band, please visit our website – www.SanDiegoConcertBand.com.

ears C elebrating 34 y

SD Concert Band PSD Jan19.indd 1

Service to all of San Diego of Excellent 11/26/18

Eldercare Adult Care Care Management Disability Child Care Long Term Care Transportation

Full Home Care License by the CA DSS HCO #374700002

“Home is where my heart is and I know this is where your heart is too” LAURIE EDWARDS-TATE, M.S. President and Founder

Hourly, 12-Hr/16-Hr and 24-Hr Care Available

Day 858-625-0406 PM/ER 858-569-2841 www.atyourhomefamilycare.com

• Top 50 Women-Owned Business in San Diego • Best of San Diego Non-Medical Home Care 2009-2017

Available 24 / 7 / 365

© 2018

“There’s something so wonderfully exciting and challenging about working on a new play,” says Reynolds, “especially when you are lucky enough to have the playwright in residence.” Hall will be in San Diego for a month before the opening.

4:21 PM “I’m rather jazzed about it,” says the England-born director, “working with her to bring this play to life, an enormous collaborative effort, working to take this journey and fulfill Miranda’s vision.”

Says Hall, “I’m thrilled that the world premiere of my play [which has had a number of workshops] will be at such a warm, community-driven theater. It’s a great gift to be working on the Diversionary team.”

Diversionary’s executive artistic director is thrilled, too.

Matt M. Morrow has produced and/or directed numerous world premieres. New work is a particular focus of the plays he has chosen for Diversionary since he arrived in 2014.

COURTESY DIVERSIONARY THEATRE

Director Rosina Reynolds

70 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE PSD_AtHomeFamCare_0318_1-3sq.indd 1

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 70

2/1/18 1:18 PM

1/10/19 1:44 PM

But when all is stripped away, we learn that all we have is each other. The story and theme are all about forgiveness, and the loneliness of Alaska and what that does to people.

“Our season theme this year,” he says, “is ‘Be Inspired.’ The Hour of Great Mercy is one of the most compassionate plays I have ever read. It resolutely captures the human spirit yearning for connection, understanding, community and redemption. It’s about one’s personal relationship with God and faith, and how that intersects with family. It’s timely, too, because the holidays, and winter in general, is an introspective time of year, when you get closer to yourself, take personal stock and evaluate your belief system.

“Miranda is a thrilling emerging playwright,” Morrow asserts.

“She has a real gift for drilling down to a character’s humanity and unearthing it. Rosina is a master with actors, and this play is an actor’s feast. The story and its characters ring true on every level. This incredibly special new play with music will fill your heart with affection and your mind with what it means to live and to love.”

The world premiere of The Hour of Great Mercy plays through March 3 at Diversionary Theatre in University Heights.

For tickets: diversionary.org

LA JOLLA

& DOWNTOWN SD

909 Prospect Street 858.459.8800

520 Front Street 619.231.7777

Breakfast and Lunch served 7 days a week 6:30AM - 2:30PM Santa Fe Omelette

richardwalkers.com PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 71

PSD_Richard Walker_1118.indd 4

14-16, 66-71_FEATURE_PSD_0219.indd 71

10/29/18 2:25 PM

1/10/19 1:44 PM

SHERRY V. SMITH

BACKPAGE ⁄⁄⁄⁄ THE RESTORED BALBOA THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO, ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1924

72 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

72_C3-C4_BACKPAGE_PSD_0219.indd 72

1/10/19 1:54 PM

72_C3-C4_BACKPAGE_PSD_0219.indd 3

1/9/19 4:16 PM

Selling and buying your home shouldn’t be a drama or a musical.

IT’S YOUR MOVE

TM

PETE KNOWS SAN DIEGO | MIDDLETON TEAM 858.456.SELL (7355) | PeteKnowsRealEstate.com Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. © 2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo service marks are registered or pending registrations owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

DRE# 01224842

72_C3-C4_BACKPAGE_PSD_0219.indd 4

1/14/19 3:58 PM