PROGRAMME
ENCORE! BOARD OF GOVERNORS Dr. Tom Weinberger, Chairman Judith Bensusan, Raymond Bensusan, Michael Ben-Eliezer, Nahum Binder, Sharon Binder, Marcia Lewison, Bezalel Manekin, Leah Salter, Natan Skop, Marc Zell Robert Binder, Artistic Director Paul Salter, Musical Director Encore! Educational Theatre Company (ETC) Registered Amutah #580466068 5 Hayarden Street, Talpiot 93385 Jerusalem Tel. (02) 673-1512, (054) 546-4215 binder@actcom.co.il www.Encore-etc.com
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tarcatcher
Starcatcher is an independent new Jerusalem-based theatre group committed to providing Israeli audiences high-quality productions of English-language musicals. We are interested in new, fresh, contemporary productions, and promote a broad range of shows, striving to involve, engage and mentor artists to develop the talents of the next generation of actors, directors, producers and designers. We seek to collaborate with companies and organizations with similar artistic interests in order to create a strong, vibrant English-language theatre community in Jerusalem. For more information, or to be involved, contact us at starcatcher.co.il | StarcatcherTheater@gmail.com
Encore! Educational Theatre Company Youth Division in association with Starcatcher is proud to present
A CHORUS LINE Music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante
Direction and choreography by Yaeli Greenblatt Musical direction by Jeff Rosenschein 19 – 27 March 2014 at the Masorti High School, 8 Beitar Street, Jerusalem The show will include a 10-minute intermission
Produced by arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc., New York
A CHORUS LINE The time 1975, an audition in a Broadway theatre DRAMATIS PERSONÆ Zach (Director)__________________________________Howard Metz Larry (Assistant)_________________________________Stephen Lerner Don Kerr _______________________________________ Richie Mann Maggie Winslow________________________________Shani Wahrman Mike Costa________________________________________ Alon Aviv Connie Wong_____________________________________Shira Potter Greg Gardner_____________________________________Sharon Pery Cassie Ferguson__________________________________Miri Fraenkel Sheila Bryant_______________________________________Gabi Small Bobby Mills_____________________________________Ron Orlovsky Bebe Benzenheimer___________________________________Gal Moss Judy Turner_____________________________________Molly Gordon Richie Walters__________________________________Antoine Collins Al DeLuca____________________________________ Gilad Petranker Kristine Urich (DeLuca) ________________________Marni Schamroth Val Clark________________________________________Rachel Frazin Mark Anthony__________________________________ David Gellman Paul San Marco__________________________________David Djemal Diana Morales______________________________________Yael Silver Tricia___________________________________________Eliana Brown Vicki_______________________________________ Hallel Rabinowitz Lois____________________________________________ Rebecca Fox Roy___________________________________________ Elijah Kochin Butch_____________________________________________ Josh Moss Frank__________________________________________ Avi Gamulka SPECIAL THANKS Immanuel Zilberman and Tali High School, The Nurit Katzir Centre, Moshe Nili and the Masorti High School, Flo Low, Aharon Manor
MUSICAL NUMBERS I Hope I Get It_______________________________________ Company I Can Do That ___________________________________________ Mike ... And ______________________________ Richie, Val, Judy & Company At the Ballet ______________________________ Sheila, Bebe & Maggie Sing____________________________________ Kristine, Al & Company Hello Twelve ___________________________ Mark, Connie & Company Nothing _______________________________________________ Diana Mother _____________________________________________ Company Montage__________________________Judy, Greg, Richie & Company Intermission Dance: Ten; Looks: Three ___________________________________ Val The Music and the Mirror _______________________________ Cassie One _______________________________________________ Company Tap Dance __________________________________________ Company What I Did for Love ___________________________ Diana & Company Bows ______________________________________________ Company DIRECTOR’S NOTE A Chorus Line is a show about performers. It is based on the stories of real people working on Broadway who sat down with Michael Bennett and told him all about their lives. To me what is most exciting about this show is its authenticity. Every word in it rings true, every character is like someone I know in real life. As a director, I often found myself echoing Zach’s scripted lines without meaning to, yelling at the dancers to “pull up” or “mark” just as he does in the show. When we hear someone speaking on stage, the real person, character and actor now playing the part create a historical chain between them, each adding to that unique moment we are now seeing. Long before reality talent competitions - there was A Chorus Line. Though the musical’s structure of displaying both personal stories and artistic abilities is strikingly similar to any of these modern shows, they are worlds apart. Even though Zach seems to push his actors towards revealing their sensational untold secrets, ultimately, the emphasis of the show lies elsewhere. By the end of the show it’s not about winning those 15 minutes of fame, it’s about being able to pursue your dream for yet another minute; about the pains and joys which tie us together and make us human, and about what we do for love. Yaeli Greenblatt
MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT Jeff Rosenschein ______________________________ Pianist/Conductor Daniel Sinchuk_________________________________Tenor Sax, Clarinet Bob Trachtenberg____________________Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet, Bari Sax Benny Fain __________________________________________ Trumpet Maayan Heymann ___________________________________ Trombone Doron Frankenberg _________________________________ Synthesizer Shy Oren _______________________________________________ Bass Akiva Meller ___________________________________________ Drums PRODUCTION STAFF Producer_________________________________________Robert Binder Director and Choreographer________________________Yaeli Greenblatt Music Director ___________________________________Jeff Rosenschein Assistant Director__________________________________David Djemal Assistant Choreographer_________________________Hallel Rabinowitz Stage Manager_______________________________Elianna Rosenschein Production Manager___________________________________Gal Moss Media Coordinator _________________________________Richie Mann Costume Design_____________________Robert Binder, Dena Buckman Set and Lighting Design______________________Eli Kaplan-Wildmann Sound______________________________________________Yuval Amit Make-Up_________________________________ Dena Buckman, Michal Friedman, Geula Atlas Hebrew Translation________________________________Michal Kessler Surtitles Projection_______________________________Shlomit Kovalski Tap Advisor __________________________________________Oran Aviv Box Office Staff____________________ Ricky Fleischer Shlomit Kovalski, Rachel Wagner, Mike Rosenzweig Ticket Sales Manager_______________________________Nachum Lamm Webmaster______________________________________Richie Sevrinsky Videographer________________________________ Elianna Rosenschein Poster Design and Graphics________________________Ben-Zion Binder
ABOUT THE PLAYERS Alon Aviv (Mike Costa) is a freshman computer science and humanities student at the Hebrew University. His previous stage experience includes The King and I, Guys and Dolls, and The Music Man. Alon has lately experienced what it’s like on the other side of the stage, having musical directed Company and played keyboard for several other shows. Eliana Brown (Tricia/Bebe) is 18 years old. She is currently in Sherut Leumi (National Service) at the Menachem Begin Heritage Centre in Jerusalem. This is her second production with Encore! She has performed in Israel Musicals’ The Sound of Music, Center Stage Theatre’s 13 the Musical, and most recently Encore’s West Side Story. In her free time: Eliana has no free time, juggling a full days’ work, dance classes on the side, some Torah, and of course rehearsals. Antoine Collins (Richie Walters). Returning to the Encore! and Starcatcher stage, Antoine is thrilled to be apart of such an incredible production of A Chorus Line!!!! Being no stranger to the stage, selected credits include Tel Aviv-based cabaret act Showstoppers, Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey II (Starcatcher/JEST), Hairspray as Seaweed J. Stubbs (Encore!) and Rent in the ensemble and understudy for Tom Collins (Orpheus). Rebecca Fox (Lois) is 16 years old, has homeschooled all her life, and is now studying anthropology at the Open University. She has been dancing ballet since she was six. In her free time, she enjoys playing the violin and clarinet. Rebecca is ecstatic to be in her first musical, and hopes to get the opportunity to be in many more. Miri Fraenkel (Cassie Ferguson) participating in English language theatre from the age of 14. Miri has performed lead roles in The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, 13 the Musical, Grease, Carousel, Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, and recently Aida. In April, she will be performing at the Tower of David in an original professional musical, Ah, Jerusalem. Recently, Miri participated in a Musical Theatre course at the New York Film Academy. Rachel Frazin (Val Clark) is a 21 year-old Californian and recent graduate of UC Santa Barbara. She loves Israel and theatre and is excited to be living here for the year and to be in her first musical in the Holy Land. Her most recent roles were Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret and Cha Cha Digregorio in Grease. She hopes you enjoy the show! Avi Bayer-Gamulka (Frank) is 16, studies at Hartman High School for Boys. Avi has been in countless Encore! productions, including The Keys to the City and The Wizard of Oz. He loves to sing, dance and play sports, along with spending too much time on the computer. David Gellman (Mark Anthony) is married to Yedida, a fashion designer, and father to Noam. He is an archaeologist, working for the IAA. David has participated in community theatre since 2011, including West Side Story (Diesel), Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear), Hairspray and Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour). He is overjoyed to get to dance on stage again, and hopes all the cast has as much fun as he does! Molly Gordon (Judy Turner) is new to Jerusalem and musical theatre. Originally from Berkeley, California, Molly moved to Jerusalem in September. She is currently working at the Israel Patent Office in the Ministry of Justice as a fellow in the Israel Government Fellows Program. A recent graduate of Occidental College in Los Angeles, studying Diplomacy and World Affairs and French Literary Studies, Molly is a technically-trained dancer, competing in dance competitions from the age of twelve.
Elijah Kochin (Roy) recently turned down a lucrative contract to play for the Seattle Seahawks, as he was considering a management position in Microsoft, but he let that go as well, after hearing about auditions for A Chorus Line, hollering, “I always wanted to dance with the majors!” He keeps hoping to make it into the final line-up, but it doesn’t look good. Luckily, he is studying law as a back-up at Hebrew University. Stephen Lerner (Larry) WARNING: THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SEND YOUR BIOGRAPHY IN LATE. Stephen has the most beautiful sapphire blue eyes of any available bachelor in Jerusalem. When not volunteering with underprivileged children, he can be found peeling potatoes at local food kitchens. He recently graduated from HUJI with an MSc in Biotechnology and Underwater Basket-Weaving. Stephen ran the COMPLETE Jerusalem marathon on behalf of SHALVA on Friday, explaining his underwhelming high kicks for those seeing the show Saturday or Sunday. Richie Mann (Don Kerr) is currently completing his graduate degree in political science at the Hebrew University and works in media relations in the Spokesperson’s Office at Yad Vashem. Having made aliyah from Texas after high school eight years ago, his latest “aliyah” has been onto the stage following a successful “absorption process” into the community theatre scene in Jerusalem, playing the additional roles and puppeteer in the JEST & Starcatcher production of Little Shop of Horrors and Fender in Encore’s Hairspray. Howard Metz (Zach), a native New Yorker, is proud to be celebrating 25 years (30+ productions) of community theatre in Israel by performing in this landmark show. Recent roles in musicals: Harry (Company), Panch (…Spelling Bee), Nathan Detroit (Guys and Dolls), Harold Hill (The Music Man), Vince Fontaine (Grease), Motel (Fiddler…), Pseudolus (…Forum), Max (Sound of Music), Sancho (Man of La Mancha). Plays: Hal (Proof), Serge (Art), Trofimov (The Cherry Orchard), Puck (Midsummer…). Training: Circle-inthe-Square (NYC). Profession: Dentist. Favorite productions with Riki: Nediva and Liel. Gal Moss (Bebe Benzenheimer) has been participating in Jerusalem Community Theater since 2010 and has been seen in such shows as West Side Story, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Hairspray, and Footloose. She is so sad that her husband, Josh Moss, gets cut in the first five minutes of the show. Josh Moss (Butch). When off the stage, Josh is an MD-PhD student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has performed in several previous theatrical performances in Jerusalem, including West Side Story, The Importance of Being Earnest, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Hairspray. He is grateful for the opportunity to work on this show with a number of talented friends with whom he has worked in the past. Ron Orlovsky (Bobby Mills) is commencing his third year as a student of Performing Arts at the Jerusalem Academy of Music. He studies vocal performance with Mrs. Michal Shamir and Maestro Zvi Zemel. He also performed with the Jerusalem Academy Chamber Choir under Conductor Stanely Sperber. Previous roles include Rapunzel’s Prince and the Prince’s Steward in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, Liberto in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Larry in Sondheim’s Company.
Sharon Pery (Greg Gardner) is 23 years old, and recently moved to Jerusalem. He is currently working in education and is a student in the Mechina program of the Nisan Nativ acting school. Sharon began studying dance during his army service, and studying acting when a group of his friends participated in a workshop of the Tziporela ensemble. Sharon is very excited to be a part of the cast of A Chorus Line with Encore! and Starcatcher. Gilad Petranker (Al Deluca). A geologist and instructor by profession, and although not exactly a triple-threat, likes to sing in choirs, solos, duets, showers, act in Shakespeare in the park, Encore! musicals and operas, and sometimes even dance (but only when no one is looking). Shira Potter (Connie Wong) is delighted to participate in this production and is thrilled to be working with old friends. Her previous shows include Yolanda in In The Heights, Hairspray, West Side Story, Delilah in This Night, and Patty in Grease. She has studied musical theatre and film acting in Vancouver and New York. She was interviewed by Playbill.com for her work at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. Marni Schamroth (Kristine Deluca) is a veteran of the Jerusalem community theatre scene. She has previously sparkled as Velma in West Side Story, stole our hearts as Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and made us laugh as the quirky Penny in Hairspray. Marni is currently in her first year of National Service and is very excited to play such a funny and fun role as Kristine. Yael Silver (Diana Morales). Born in Israel but raised in Canada, Yael grew up doing musical theatre, her first production being Annie Get Your Gun at age 11. Yael went on to perform in many productions including The Music Man, The Pirates of Penzance, Les Miserables and Grease (Sandy). She is currently in her second year in the vocal department at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance studying with Mrs. Anat Efraty and Maestro Zvi Zemel.Maestro Zvi Zemel. Gabi Small (Sheila Bryant) made aliyah from the USA in 2011, and recently finished her IDF service. She has performed in The Vagina Monologues, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and Little Ms. Fresno. Gabi was also a dancer in the performing group “CU Bellydance.” She is thrilled to be back on stage in her first Encore!/Starcatcher production, and would like to thank her family and friends for their support and mad keyboard skills. Leah Stern (Tricia) is a recent olah as of January 12, 2014! She hails from Long Island, New York. She has been trained in numerous types of dance, including ballet, lyrical, jazz, flamenco, modern, and pointe, as well as being a certified Zumba instructor. Leah has appeared in the shows Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Shani Wahrman (Maggie Winslow) holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from DePauw University. Shani has vast stage experience, including musical theatre, opera and film, and has also worked extensively as music director. Previous credits include Marian (The Music Man), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), Tuptim (The King and I), Tzeitel (Fiddler on the Roof) and Little Cosette (Les Misérables), as well as numerous ensemble roles. By day, Shani is an elementary school English teacher and a graduate of the Chotam program.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION STAFF Robert Binder (Producer) has been involved in the creation of educational media for Israel television, the JNF, JeMM Productions, the Gesher Foundation, and others. As artistic director of Bimadaf (“Page on the Stage”), he produced and toured in puppet-andpeople performances of Jewish tales throughout Israel and in North America and Great Britain. He is a founder of Encore! for whom he has directed seven seasons of light operas and musicals (most recently, My Fair Lady, The Gondoliers, The Secret Garden, and The Sorcerer/Trial by Jury), and is currently juggling directorial and costuming assignments for Oliver! (May 2014). Yaeli Greenblatt (Director & Choreographer) is an independent artist in Jerusalem. Previous musicals experience includes choreographer for Grease, West Side Story, Hairspray (Encore!), Spelling Bee (J-town), Little Shop of Horrors (JEST and Starcatcher). On stage roles include Ruddigore (Bridesmaid) and Carousel (Louise). Yaeli is a performer, a teacher, and is working towards a Masters degree in English Literature at the Hebrew University. This is her debut as a director in one of her all time favorite musicals! Jeff Rosenschein (Musical Director). Israeli premieres: Rent and 13; Grease, West Side Story, The Last Five Years, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors. Three years, Zamir Chorale of Boston; six summers, Rosh Musica at Camp Ramah in the Poconos; chorus of five Encore! shows in Jerusalem. Jeff is a Hebrew University Computer Science professor, and has co-founded two Jerusalem-based software companies. Married to Shira, father to Chana, Moshe, Yair, Margalit, Elianna, grandfather to Michael. David Djemal (Ass’t Director/ Paul San Marco) has always been drawn to the stage and hopes to act, sing, and dance for many years to come. David has played Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (Theatre in the Rough), Hepatitis in Woody Allen’s God (Way Off Productions), Jean Valjean in Les Miz and Radames in Aida (Hillel), Riff in West Side Story and Freddy in My Fair Lady (Encore!), Mitch in Spelling Bee and David in Sondheim’s Company (AACI). This is his first time assistant-directing and he is damn excited about it! Hallel Rabinowitz (Ass’t Choreographer/Vicky) has appeared on stage in Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, Tender Offer (Lisa), Annie, West Side Story, and Hairspray. She was assistant choreographer of Little Shop of Horrors (JEST and Starcatcher), and is honoured to be a part of the wonderful team working on A Chorus Line. Hallel has been dancing for 12 years with mostly classical training. Other interests include: science, art and Jewish studies. She is a sworn ice-cream lover. Elianna Rosenschein (Stage Manager) has been involved in theatre for a while now. Among other things, she was part of the productions of 13 The Musical and Grease, and was Stage Manager for Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, West Side Story, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She also does other stuff in her life, but rarely. Dena Buckman (Costume Designer and Makeup) is 21 and currently finishing her fashion design studies. She is delighted to be working with team Starcatcher again! Dena has previously designed costumes for Little Shop of Horrors and Much Ado About Nothing, and assisted in Hairspray and West Side Story. She has done make-up for countless shows for all the Jerusalem community theatres companies. She is so happy to be a part of the Jerusalem community theatre family and is very excited to see this show!
Become a Friend of Encore! If you have enjoyed our production tonight, please consider becoming a supporter of Encore! Specific projects and ongoing activities of Encore! are supported through the generosity of our friends:
FOUNDERS An Anonymous Foundation (Israel) David Eventhall Keren Keshet Leonard Salter ז”ל Yael and Micah ז”לTaubman Toni and Peter Wiseburgh PATRONS Dr. Harvey Baker Rabbi Gary Charlestein Ruth and Conrad Morris Rabbi Joseph ז”לand Blanche Katz Renov ז”ל Yad Rivka SPONSORS
Valerie and Alan Adler Anon. Anonymous An Anonymous Trust (UK) Sherry Begner Rachel Heller Bernstein (Tuvyah ben Meir v’Rahel Memorial Fund, in memory of Sophie Travis Liverhant) Jeff Broide Rabbi Mordecai S. Chertoff ז”ל Anne and Stanley Cohen Tabby and John Corre Susan and Arthur Fried Dorothy and Albert Gellman Carrie and Ben ז”לGrossman Bella and Rabbi Richard Hirsch Marcia Lewison Jan and Jack Livingstone Bernice and Yitz ז”לPenciner Shira and Jeff Rosenschein Marsha and Larry ז”לRoth Audrey and Harvey Scher Ruth and David Schreiber Hilary and Mark Seitler Connie and Chaim Solomon Carole and Sam ז”לSylvester Irene Wolins Della and Fred ז”לWorms Pat and Moshe Zabari Our grateful appreciation is expressed to our donors! Encore! welcomes inquiries from prospective benefactors and will be pleased to provide further information on all aspects of its activities. Tax-deductible receipts will be issued for donations made to Encore!, as well as through PEF Israel Endowment Funds, Inc. and the Jerusalem Foundation (UK). Please visit our website: Encore-etc.com
Alon Aviv
Eliana Brown Antoine Collins Rebecca Fox
Rachel Frazin
Avi Gamulka David Gellman Molly Gordon Elijah Kochin
Stephen Lerner Richie Mann
Howard Metz
Mike’s Place proudly supports Jerusalem theater.� Kosher bar and grill with live music and sports every day,from noon on. 33 Jaffa Rd. Downtown 02-5023439
Gal Moss
Miri Fraenkel
Josh Moss
Ron Orlovsky
Sharon Pery
Yael Silver
Gabi Small
Gilad Petranker
Shira Potter Marni Schamroth
Shani Wahrman David Djemal Hallel Rabinowitz
Robert Binder Yaeli Greenblatt Jeff Rosenschein Elianna Rosenschein Dena Buckman
Congratulations to the entire cast and crew! (Naomi Voss & Michael Potter)
ONE SINGULAR SENSATION! GO GABRIELLE! LOVE FROM YOUR FAMILY
Scan to read all about the behind the scenes of our production!
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COMING NEXT!
The melody, mirth, and melodrama of the boy who dared to ask for more: Lionel Bart’s
Directed by Robert Binder Musical Direction by Paul Salter Choreography by Judy Brown-Davis Set design by Roxane Goodkin-Levy 20-29 May 2014 Hirsch Theatre, Beit Shmuel, 6 Shama Street, Jerusalem
L #SIM PLY_ D E A
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