Stageview 2 1718

NOVEMBER 2017 - FEBRUARY 2018

SYRACUSE STAGE: [1] THE WIZARD OF OZ [5] NEXT TO NORMAL DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA: [9] THE SEAGULL n PHOTO: DONNA DRAKE, DIRECTOR OF THE WIZARD OF OZ

SYRACUSE STAGE + DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA |

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TAKING

TO NEW HEIGHTS

BY JERALD RAYMOND PIERCE It was 1939 when Glinda the Good Witch first floated onto screens in her pink bubble. That moment in The Wizard of Oz became so memorable that stage adaptations over the years have employed hoops and rings to emulate that iconic entrance. But this holiday season, Glinda soars in on a flying trapeze. A circus is coming to the Emerald City and it’s putting an all new spin on Syracuse Stage’s production of The Wizard of Oz. 2 Ring Circus, a New York-based group founded in 2011, works to merge aerial acrobatics with the song and dance of familiar musicals. Founding artistic director Joshua Dean, an aerialist in New York City, partnered with Ben Franklin, Kenneth Ziegler, and Lani Corson to form the four person company. 2 Ring collaborates with theaters to bring the excitement of circus acrobatics to their

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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 1911 IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES.

n L FRANK BAUM. productions. The company draws inspiration from the revolutionary Cirque du Soleil and the Montreal based company 7 Fingers—who thrilled audiences with their work in the acclaimed Broadway revival of Pippin starring Patina Miller.

For Dean and his fellow performers, The Wizard of Oz is prime for a comparable infusion of cirque-like excitement. “We want to give the audience something they love and that they recognize from the film,” Dean said. “But, we also want to make it new and exciting at the same time.”

Donna Drake, whose extensive credentials include being part of the original cast of A Chorus Line (see sidebar), directs the Syracuse Stage production and has worked with the members of 2 Ring for over a decade. She wants to use the company’s work to bring fresh perspective to the

“We know that L. Frank Baum is from near Syracuse,” Franklin said of the Chittenango native, “so there’s already a love of the Oz stories. We’re really happy to get to tell it over the holiday season and give people the show that they‘re wanting, but put it through fresh eyes.”

beloved classic. “We’re not changing the story at all because it is so iconic. Just maybe a slight shift in perception,” Drake said.

“The crows will be on a trapeze. Glinda is a trapeze artist.” In addition to Glinda’s reimagined entrance, the production presents a new look at Munchkin Land and heightens aspects of Dorothy’s journey.

2 Ring Circus contributes significantly to the vibrancy of that trip along the yellow brick road by incorporating their skills in the narrative. “We call it storytelling circus,” Franklin said. “We always try to fit it in and make it linear in the actual storytelling for the audience.

There’s a reason that this is happening.”

Dean notes that the principle actors will perform circus numbers in the show.

Veteran theatrical collaborators, 2 Ring has partnered with theatres on shows such

DIRECTOR DONNA DRAKE RECALLS A CHORUS LINE The Wizard of Oz director Donna Drake began her career with a show that changed theatre history. She originated the role of Tricia in A Chorus Line. Conceived, directed, and choreographed by Michael Bennett, with a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, and lyrics

by Edward Kleband, A Chorus Line was produced and premiered at Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival before transferring to Broadway where it ran for 6,137 performances over 15 years. Below, Ms. Drake shares some thoughts about her experience.

Well, you’re talking about my heart–what we as a company went through, the passion of dancers. A Chorus Line is over 40 years old. I had literally gotten off the bus at age 19 from small town South Carolina and walked right into the workshop of A Chorus Line.

n COVER: THE WIZARD OF OZ DIRECTOR, DONNA DRAKE.

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“We want to give the audience something they love and that they recognize from the film,” Dean said. “But, we also want to make it new and exciting at the same time.” as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Geva Theater Center and Godspell at Bob Hupp’s former home, Arkansas Rep. Each occasion is tailored to the production they are working on.

For The Wizard of Oz, the creative team has been working for a year to craft how to include the circus elements without having them feel out of place.

“We’re looking at the type of circus and the kind of style [Dorothy] would have seen had she gone to the World’s Fair or something like that,” Corson said, referencing World’s Fairs such as Chicago’s in

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1893 and Buffalo’s in 1901.

For Syracuse Stage’s production, two members of the 2 Ring team appear in the cast. Franklin will take the stage as Uncle Henry while Syracuse University alumnus Corson appears as Aunt Em and Glinda.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Corson said. “It’s going to be some crazy deja vu because The Wizard of Oz was actually the first show that I did at Syracuse when Syracuse Stage did it in 2003.”

For these collaborations, 2 Ring Circus brings in all of the rigging and apparatuses

I didn’t know anything really about professional theatre. I did years of summer stock. I arrived in New York with Equity card in hand and knew exactly what I wanted. The angels brought me a Chorus Line and my life changed. Dramatically.

I mean, it was a three-month workshop ordeal. It brought out major feelings inside all of us. We would do circle every day, and just spill our guts and our souls, and sitting off to the side was Marvin Hamlisch and Ed Kleband and Jimmy Kirkwood, just writing all this stuff down, then come in two days later and say things like we have this little song, see what you think of it, it’s called “At the Ballet”, and you just sort of lose your breath.

We knew we were sitting on something special.

We opened May 21 at The Public Theatre. That was probably my favorite production when we were downtown at The Newman Theatre because it was so intimate. And then we took a couple of weeks off and moved to the Shubert Theatre, no changes, no trying to fluff it up or anything, we just brought our stories.

n FACING: THE TIN MAN (JACK HALEY), DOROTHY GALE (JUDY GARLAND), THE SCARECROW (RAY BOLGER), AND THE COWARDLY LION (BERT LAHR) FROM THE 1939 FILM.

n ABOVE: BEN FRANKLIN AND LANI CORSON FROM 2 RING CIRCUS JOIN THE CAST OF THE WIZARD OF OZ.

necessary to execute their vision. This includes the ability to hang 15 feet in the air on a “triple trapeze.” 2 Ring will create and teach the circus choreography to the cast. Considering all of the adjustments being made, Drake and the 2 Ring team emphasize that they are remaining true to Dorothy’s story.

“We know that L. Frank Baum is from near Syracuse,” Franklin said of the Chittenango native, “so there’s already a love of the Oz stories. We’re really happy to get to tell it over the holiday season and give people the show that they‘re wanting, but put it through fresh eyes.”

I stayed with the show two and a half years, went on to do eight other Broadway shows, and over the years, I’ve done Chorus Line all over Europe, I’ve done the National Tour, and I’ve directed it I don’t know how many times.

It is something that has been in my life for the last 40 years. When new people come in to do a role, even one I originated, it is an honor and pleasure to give it to them. I just don’t want to say, “Here are the steps, go do it.” It’s about the passion of dancers.

I say, “It’s yours now. You need to feel these feelings.” I’ve taught it as Michael Bennett taught it to us.

I’m starting to feel like it’s time for me to pass the torch. I’ve taught it to people who can take it forward and hopefully keep his legacy alive. The passion of dancers. That's what we want to keep alive. It is my heart, and my heart is shared with all of the original company members.

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CALENDAR KEY

P = preview OP = opening D = discussion S = ASL interpreted O = open captioning AD = audio description SF = sensory friendly PL = prologue H = happy hour W = Wed@1 TBA = to be announced

BRUNCH & BROADWAY STEPS:

December 10 & 17 DINNER & SHOW:

December 13

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December 31 FOOD DRIVE:

Collecting non-perishable food items for those in need. Your generosity is much appreciated.

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FROM BROADWAY’S MAMMA MIA TO SYRACUSE STAGE'S

BY TIONGE JOHNSON “It’s one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever done,” said New York City-based actor Judy McLane on playing the lead role, Diana, in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning rock 'n' roll musical Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey. Diana is a wife and mother who lives with bipolar disorder, a mental disorder that affects over 5.7 million in the U.S. McLane first played Diana during the musical’s regional premiere at the Pioneer Theatre Company in Utah. McLane will be revisiting the role starting January 24 at Syracuse Stage under the direction of artistic director Bob Hupp.

McLane studied music at Ithaca College before pursuing acting in New York 5

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City. However, the actor’s love of music did not end after graduation, as it influenced not only her acting career, but her continued love of performing with symphony orchestras. McLane performed various orchestra gigs while auditioning for Broadway musicals, including performances at Carnegie Hall, Buffalo, Toronto, The National Kennedy Center, and many more. On Broadway, McLane is best known for Mamma Mia, where she became the longest running principle by playing both Tanya and Donna.

“I started off in musical theatre because I have such a love for music,” said McLane.

“My first Broadway musical was actually Chess, which ironically had lyrics written

n JUDY McLANE

“I wanted the role so badly because I knew it was a challenge like no other.”

by Tim Rice, the same guy who wrote the lyrics for Mamma Mia. So in a sense, my involvement in Mamma Mia came full circle. I’ve been involved in a few TV shows (The Blacklist, Guiding Light, Another World) and one cult classic film called Were the World Mine, but overall I’m definitely a theatre person. My experience performing in Chess and Mamma Mia were amazing.”

Mamma Mia is based on the music of ABBA, and tells the story of a daughter who brings back three men from her mother’s past before the daughter’s wedding. McClane was wrapping up her performance in Mamma Mia as Tanya when she heard about auditions for Next to Normal at Pioneer. Though she enjoyed being a part of a Broadway hit, the prospect of playing Diana was something she didn’t want to miss. McLane explained that she’d always had a desire

to play roles that are a complete opposite from her previous performances to help her grow in versatility as an actor. Her previous Broadway and regional performances are varied, with roles ranging from the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods on Broadway to Kate in Kiss Me, Kate at the Westchester Broadway Theatre.

“I wanted the role so badly because I knew it was a challenge like no other,” said McLane. “What I love the most about this role is being able to explore how different parts of my voice can convey what the character’s feeling. How I can color my voice to convey more of Diana’s edgy side or softening my voice during her calmer moments. This was my favorite part of the process.”

“Each person with bipolar disorder has experiences that are individual to them, so this makes the condition open for interpretation when it comes to playing Diana.”

McLane considers playing Diana as one of the most intense and challenging roles she’s done in a musical.

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“My first Broadway musical was actually Chess, which ironically had lyrics written by Tim Rice, the same guy who wrote the lyrics for Mamma Mia. So in a sense, my involvement in Mamma Mia came full circle." n

RIGHT JUDY McLANE AS DONNA SHERIDAN IN MAMMA MIA ON BROADWAY AT THE WINTER GARDEN THEATRE. PHOTO: JOAN MARCUS.

“You have to ask yourself ‘what is the journey of this song I’m singing, and how does the song come across?” she continued. “When it comes to the music in Next to Normal, the emotion of each song varies from almost a soft, indie rock kind of style, to an intense rock ballad. So I really had to go into who Diana was, and how I could express her inner thoughts and emotions on stage through vocal range and intensity.”

McLane researched the effects of bipolar disorder and its various treatments before taking on the role for the first time.

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She spent a majority of her research reading books and watching documentaries about bipolar disorder, as well as reaching out to those who were comfortable enough to share their experiences of living with it. Of all the books she read, An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison proved to be the best textual resource. Jamison is bipolar.

“She really gets into the specifics of what she feels when she’s having an episode,” said McLane. “For instance, there is a part in An Unquiet Mind where she’s talking

NEXT TO NORMAL

“When it comes to the music in Next to Normal, the emotion of each song varies from almost a soft, indie rock kind of style, to an intense rock ballad.

So I really had to go into who Diana was, and how I could express her inner thoughts and emotions on stage through vocal range and intensity.” n

BELOW: JONATHAN RAYSON AS DAN AND JUDY McLANE AS DIANA IN PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY’S PRODUCTION OF NEXT TO NORMAL. PHOTO: ALEXANDER WEISMAN.

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about attending a party and feeling as if she’s the life of the party, but those around her are seeing that she’s having a manic episode. Therefore, she doesn’t just say she’s manic and has episodes, but she actually gets into the details of what’s happening inside her head as she’s experiencing the episode.”

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In the midst of her research, McLane discovered that each person’s experience with bipolar disorder is different.

“Each person with bipolar disorder has experiences that are individual to them, so this makes the condition open for interpretation when it comes to playing Diana,” said McLane.

“How these episodes are experienced for one person, whether manic or depressive may occur once a year, once a month, or every other week.”

McLane also believed it appropriate to cover all facets of Diana’s reactions to bipolar disorder, focusing not only on the emotional reactions, but on the physical as well.

“I think physicality is a huge thing when it comes to knowing someone’s personality and how they carry themselves in the world,” said McLane.

“Especially in this role because Diana is just on a roller coaster the entire

show. She’s either falling into a depression, is super manic, or on medication where there’s nothing going on with her, so it is my job as an actor to figure out how to make that active.”

McLane spoke with excitement about revisiting the role in January. She says she cannot wait to share what she learned at Pioneer with this cast at Syracuse Stage.

“Coming to Syracuse Stage, hopefully I’ll have something to offer having done it once and having researched it quite a bit. I’m very interested to see what this cast will create, and I’m looking forward to exploring Diana’s role with this new cast by my side.”

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A SIMPLE QUESTION IS NEVER SIMPLE

BY JOSEPH WHELAN

When once asked about writers who influenced his work, Tennessee Williams responded: “As a playwright, Anton Chekhov. As a storyteller, Anton Chekhov.” George Bernard Shaw so admired his Russian contemporary he once commented that every time he saw a Chekhov play he wanted to go home and throw all of his own into the fire.

Yet for many audiences, and to be fair actors and directors as well, Chekhov is a challenging writer whose five major plays reflecting Russian life near the turn of 20th century are confusing at best and dull and uneventful at worst.

Even today, when truth is fungible at best and irrelevant at worst, it

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is hard to reconcile these two perspectives. How can a playwright be great and boring at the same time?

What would Chekhov say? The most succinct account of his plays he ever tendered was “Men dine, just dine, and in that instant their fate is decided and their lives are destroyed.” Curious, confusing, but also revealing. Chekhov understood something profound about our little humanity that he captures in his complex and contradictory characters. All the drama of a lifetime shapes and informs the quotidian. A dinner conversation is frequently not just a dinner conversation and a simple question is almost never simple. “Why do you always wear

n ANTON CHEKOV, 1889. PHOTO: V. CHEKHOVSKII. black?” asks a young schoolteacher of the woman he loves. “I am in mourning for my life,” she replies.

It’s easy to imagine Chekhov offstage and standing in the wings gently admonishing, “Be careful what you ask. Did you not see that was a loaded question?”

The young teacher is named Medvedenko. He lives with his mother and several siblings whom he supports. The young woman is named Masha. She is a servant on a country estate and she is passionately in love with a fiery aspiring playwright named Konstantin. He has no time for her. She has no patience for the teacher, whose question is the first line of Chekhov’s

1896 play The Seagull. Is he a fool for asking? Naïve? Desperate?

Hopeful? All of the above are not only possible but likely. Moreover, if Chekhov had never included this exchange in this or any play, he nonetheless knew that always, somewhere, some Medvedenkolike fellow would be summoning the courage to ask some Mashalike young woman some similar query. “Lord, what fools we mortals be!” says Chekhov with equal amounts of mirth and sympathy from his quiet corner in the wings.

To borrow further from Shakespeare, if the purpose of playing is “to hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature,” Chekhov arrived at a

Chekhov understood something profound about our little humanity that he captures in his complex and contradictory characters. All the drama of a lifetime shapes and informs the quotidian. A dinner conversation is frequently not just a dinner conversation and a simple question is almost never simple. moment when the image sought in the theatrical looking glass increasingly reflected the confounding gaze of human psychology.

The playwright is allowed any kind of creative invention, Chekhov once wrote, except where psychological truth is concerned.

He adhered to this rule. For this reason, the noted literary critic Richard Gilman rightly observed that Chekhov’s plays are the most like real life. If we don’t exactly see ourselves in his characters, we see someone we know. “People in the audience will say, ‘I know what that is, she’s that one, and that’s my mom,’” explains Rob Bundy, who directs The Seagull for the Department of Drama.

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Plot, insofar as it exists, is non-linear and not dependent on cause and effect.

This happens and this happens and this happens. Episode follows episode with disconcerting inevitability when seen from the outside. “Nothing happens, but everything is going on.”

Character and relationships are at the forefront of Chekhov’s plays. Plot, insofar as it exists, is non-linear and not dependent on cause and effect. This happens and this happens and this happens.

Episode follows episode with disconcerting inevitability when seen from the outside. “Nothing happens, but everything is going on,” Bundy explains.

The characters in The Seagull are all in some way disappointed. Love is not requited, and aspiration, even when fulfilled, is less than satisfying. The admired actress Arkadina and the popular writer Trigorin are unhappy despite their success. Understanding what’s behind their dissatisfaction is key for Bundy. “What’s the hurt that everybody’s harboring?” he asks.

“What’s that grain of agitation that’s in everybody’s innards that colors how they see the world?”

The answer–or answers–to this question must be excavated.

Sometimes Chekhov has his characters speak their minds directly, such as Konstantin freely expressing himself on his mother Arkadina’s relationship with her latest lover Trigorin. More often, the hurt emerges indirectly in what is not said or in an expectation thwarted. All day Konstantin has been waiting for Nina, with whom

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he is in love, to arrive at the estate.

He is thrilled when he sees her and rushes to kiss her. She fends him off with a question, “What’s that?”

A tree, Konstantin replies, indicating a tree she has probably seen a thousand times. It is an insignificant exchange of monumental significance. Of such minutia, hearts break and families implode.

It is misleading to say nothing happens in Chekhov plays. In The Seagull, a great deal happens, but the big events happen offstage.

Chekhov won’t pander to the audience nor diminish his characters by stooping to melodrama.

He knows all lives are punctuated with a series of events, joyous, tragic, and in between. He knows equally as well, that the bulk of any life is lived in the years and days leading up to those events and in the days and years that follow. How they leave their imprint on the individual psyche, on the human soul, is what concerns him. He won’t give answers, won’t teach lessons. He won’t, like that icon of modernity J. Alfred Prufrock, squeeze the universe into a ball and roll it toward an overwhelming question. The most he might do is quietly whisper to his characters as they await their entrance on the stage: Change what can be changed; what cannot be changed must be endured.

Presented by Syracuse University’s Department of Drama in the College of Visual and Performing Arts | By Anton Chekhov Directed by Rob Bundy | Performed in the Storch Theatre at 820 East Genesee Street | February 23 – March 4 | Tickets are $16-$18, available at 315-443-3275 or by visiting vpa.syr.edu/dramatickets

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COLD READ PLAYWRIGHT AND SOLO PERFORMER ANNOUNCED Associate artistic director Kyle Bass announced that the playwright and solo performer have been selected for the Cold Read Festival of New Plays in April. Liza Jessie Peterson will perform a solo work on April 7. A work by playwright Maurice Decaul will be read on April 8. Details about the artist are below.

Maurice Decaul (Playwright) is a former Marine, a poet, essayist, and playwright, whose writing has been featured in the New York Times, The Daily Beast, Sierra Magazine, Epiphany, Callaloo, Narrative and others. His poems have been translated into French and Arabic and his theatrical works, Holding it Down and Sleep Song, collaborations with composer Vijay Iyer and poet Mike Ladd, have been produced and performed at New York City’s Harlem Stage, Washington DC’s Atlas Intersections Festival, in Paris and in Antwerp.

His play, Dijla Wal Furat, Between the Tigris and the Euphrates, was produced in New York City by Poetic Theater Productions in the winter of 2015. Maurice is a graduate of Columbia University and New York University with degrees in Creative Writing. He began working towards an M.F.A. in Playwriting at Brown University in the fall of 2015.

Liza Jessie Peterson (Solo Performer, Writer) is a renowned actress, poet, playwright, educator and advocate. Liza has written several plays including her most recent one woman

play The Peculiar Patriot, which embarked on a national prison tour where she performed in over 35 jails and penitentiaries across the country. She recently performed The Peculiar Patriot, opening for Angela Davis, at Columbia University’s conference on mass incarceration.

Her plays have been featured in notable theatre festivals and performed in various theatres, nationally and internationally. Also known for her exceptional poetic skills, Liza began her poetry career at the famed Nuyorican Poets Café in the mid-90’s and was a vital member of the enclave of notable poets who were part of the “underground slam poetry/spoken word” movement before it attracted television cameras and became a national obsession. It was this electric group of artists that inspired Russell Simmons to bring “spoken word/ slam poetry” to HBO where Liza appeared on two episodes of Def Poetry. She has shared the stage with luminaries such as Nona Hendryx, Toshi Reagon, Amiri Baraka, The Last Poets, Craig Harris, Vernon Reid, Rakim, Carl Hancock Rux and Sandra St. Victor to name just a few. As an actress

Liza appeared in several feature films: Love the Hard Way (co-starring with Pam Grier and Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody), Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, K. Shalini’s A Drop of Life, (co-starring with Nandita Das which was filmed in Mumbai, India), and Jamie Catto’s One Giant Leap/What About Me, where she was featured and interviewed along with Tim Robbins, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Noam Chomsky and others. Liza has taught theatre and poetry to urban and incarcerated youth for more than 15 years and counting. She created and developed The Urban Folktale Project, where her students created original plays based on their most pressing issues and performed it at several theatres around New York City. The project was so successful that it received a grant from Russell Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. The Urban Folktale Project has successfully produced three plays. Liza remains steadfastly committed to this population of youth (both at Rikers Island and at community based programs) where she has discovered inspiration and light in a dark place.

THURSDAY, April 5

COLD READ KICK-OFF. A cast of Stage stakeholders, board members, local celebrities, and community leaders put the fun in Fundraiser as they “cold read” a comedy script. Former Syracuse Stage artistic director Bob Moss is our honorary director!

FRIDAY, April 6

UNDER CONSIDERATION. Join us for a reading of an exciting new play under consideration for an upcoming season.

Audience talkback follows.

SATURDAY, April 7

SOLO ACT. A workshop production of a new piece by Liza Jessie Peterson. Presented at an exciting alternative venue.

Moderated talkback follows.

SUNDAY, April 8

“DRAFT/PAGES.” A first-ever reading of a brand new play in-progress

by Maurice Decaul. Local craft beers will be available. A talkback with the playwright follows. Come lend an ear and raise a glass to the daring first draft of a new play.

TIMES & LOCATIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED SYRACUSE STAGE |

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NEW & NOTEWORTHY The Backstory program is a live, interactive, and creative history lesson for upper elementary students through adults. Actors visit classrooms and other venues to bring historical characters to life. Audiences have the unique opportunity to interact with the character following the performance. Roughly 45 minutes in length, each performance includes a talkback with the actor(s). Our helpful study guide supports further classroom exploration. Pre-or post-show sessions with our talented teaching artists can also be arranged. Backstory invites students to step back in time for an interactive classroom experience with a featured historical character portrayed by a Syracuse Stage artist-in-residence. For more information contact: Kate Laissle, Interim Director of Education, 315-442-7755, kmlaissl@syr.edu.

ANNE FRANK: MY SECRET LIFE Written by Patricia Buckley Directed by Lydia Kubiniec Touring Feb. 26 - April 26

In the midst of the second great war, while at odds with a racially segregated military and Jim Crow South, a squadron of African-American pilots train at an overpopulated base in Tuskegee, Alabama. When they're called to fly out on their first mission, a mix of personalities transform into a historic beginning.

Tuesday & Thursday mornings.

Her diary, which has been translated into sixty-seven languages, remains one of the most widely-read books in the world.Through the eyes of this remarkable girl, we see into the annex of her father’s office, and in her own voice, hear her dreams for a better world. Monday & Wednesday mornings.

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MICKEY ROWE IN THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. PHOTO: ZACH ROSING.

AIRBORN Written by Evan A. Starling-Davis Directed by Rodney Hudson Touring Feb. 26 - April 26

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Managing Director Jill Anderson Recognized by 40 Under Forty Syracuse Stage managing director Jill Anderson was among the honorees at The Central New York Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty event on November 16 at SRC Arena and Events Center. Anderson is first Syracuse Stage employee to receive this award. 40 Under Forty recognizes 40 ambitious, hard-working, civic-minded individuals, who are under the age of 40. Individuals are honored for their contributions to their workplaces and the community.

Ruby Slippers Ball Family friendly New Year’s Eve celebration in the Sutton Pavilion following the 7 p.m. performance of The Wizard of Oz on December 31. Children can dress like their favorite Oz characters for a costume parade and photos with the cast. Dance the night away with DJ Cyrubiss and countdown to midnight in Oz. Kid friendly fare by Phoebe’s.

Ice cream by Gannons. Complimentary soft drinks and cash bar for adults.

Stay overnight at the Genesee Grande and get the special rate of $149/ room (ask for the Syracuse Stage New Year’s block). Adults $30, children under 18 $20; does not include show ticket.

Audio Described Performance Added audio described performance of The Wizard of Oz: December 21 at 7 p.m.

ANGEL APPEAL Your support matters.

With your contribution we can continue to bring outstanding plays like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time to Central New York.

Please give generously to support the kind of adventurous theatre you can only find at Syracuse Stage.

Make your gift today at www.syracusestage.org

Food Drive In support of the food pantry at Grace Episcopal Church, we will be collecting non-perishable food items in the lobby throughout the run The Wizard of Oz. Please give generously.

EVENTS NOVEMBER 2017 - FEBRUARY 2018 SYRACUSE STAGE The Wizard of Oz

By L. Frank Baum | With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg | Background Music

by Herbert Stothart | Dance and Vocal Arrangements

by Peter Howard | Orchestration by Larry Wilcox Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company | Based upon the classic motion picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros. | Directed by Donna Drake | Music Direction by Brian Cimmet | Choreography by 2 Ring Circus | Co-Produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama November 29 - January 7

John Fricke, who is widely regarded as the world's preeminent Wizard of Oz and Judy Garland historian and author. He is a two-time Emmy Award-winning producer/writer; a Grammy Award nominee; and the annual host/emcee of Oz and Garland festivals nationwide. Fricke has spoken about Oz and Garland everywhere from "The Today Show" (four appearances), to CNN, NPR, Sirius Radio, The Museum of Modern Art, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, and the Deauville Film Festival in France.

Music by Tom Kitt | Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey | Directed by Robert Hupp Choreography by Anthony Salatino Musical Direction by Brian Cimmet January 24 - February 11

Next to Normal Wednesday, January 31 @ 1 p.m.

Speaker: Join Le Moyne College professor Maria DiTullio for a discussion before Next to Normal. Dr. DiTullio's research and teaching interests include grief and loss, death and dying, hospice care, mind-bodyspirit connection, and spiritual and transpersonal psychology. She is also a NYS Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 30 years of clinical experience. *Speakers and topics subject to change

PROLOGUE

ACTOR TALKBACK SERIES

Next to Normal

During the run of each show, join us for free, intimate, pre-show talks led by a member of the cast. One hour prior to curtain, three times during the run of each show.

The Wizard of Oz Sunday, December 3 at 1 p.m.

Saturday, December 9 at 2 p.m.

Thursday, December 14 at 6 p.m.

Next to Normal Sunday, January 28 at 1 p.m.

Saturday, February 3 at 2 p.m.

Thursday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m.

OPENING NIGHT PARTY

Join us for a post-show party with live music and complimentary food following each opening night performance. Performances at 8 p.m.

The Wizard of Oz Friday, December 1 Next to Normal Friday, January 26

A lively discussion with the actors following the 7 p.m. Sunday night performance.

The Wizard of Oz Sunday, December 3 Next to Normal Sunday, January 28 HAPPY HOUR SERIES

Next to Normal Saturday, February 3 at 3 p.m.

AUDIO DESCRIPTION

The Wizard of Oz Saturday, December 9 at 3 p.m.

Thursday, December 21 at 7 p.m.

Next to Normal Saturday, February 10 at 3 p.m.

DINNER & SHOW

Enjoy a buffet dinner with fellow theatre lovers in the Sutton Pavilion. Seasonal fare prepared by Phoebe’s Restaurant followed by great theatre.

The Wizard of Oz Wednesday, December 13 at 5:30 p.m.

Next to Normal Wednesday, February 7 at 6 p.m.

BRUNCH & BROADWAY STEPS

At 11 a.m., take a dance class from a few of The Wizard of Oz cast members and learn some of the choreography from the show. The dance class is free and recommended for all ages and abilities. At 12 p.m., enjoy a special brunch buffet in Phoebe’s atrium dining room, $24 per adult and $12 per child 12 and under. Pre-paid reservations for brunch must be made in advance through the Syracuse Stage Box Office.

Warm up before the show with half-priced drinks, signature cocktails, and complimentary appetizers from fine local restaurants. Located in the Sutton Pavilion at Syracuse Stage.

The Wizard of Oz Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m.

Sunday, December 17, 11 a.m.

The Wizard of Oz Thursday, December 7, 5:30 p.m.

Join us for this family friendly New Year’s celebration following the 7pm performance on December 31.

Fun, food, dancing, appearances by the cast, and a countdown to the New Year in the Land of Oz.

Next to Normal Thursday, February 1, 6 p.m.

OPEN CAPTIONING

The Wizard of Oz Wednesday, December 6 at 2 p.m.

Saturday, December 16 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, December 17 at 2 p.m.

RUBY SLIPPERS NEW YEAR'S BALL

The Wizard of Oz Sunday, December 31 COLLEGE NIGHT

Next to Normal Friday, February 2

WEDNESDAY@1 LECTURES

Pre-show lecture at 1 p.m. in the Sutton Pavilion before the 2 p.m. matinee performance.

The Wizard of Oz Wednesday, December 6 @ 1 p.m.

Speaker: In cooperation with the International L. Frank Baum & All Things Oz Historical Foundation, and the All Things Oz Museum in Chittenango, NY, this special Wednesday @ 1 lecture features

Next to Normal Wednesday, January 31 at 2 p.m.

Saturday, February 10 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, February 11 at 2 p.m.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETED

The Wizard of Oz Saturday, December 9 at 3 p.m.

is published by Syracuse Stage and Department of Drama throughout the season for their subscribers and alumni. Editor: Joseph Whelan (jmwhelan@syr. edu). Designers: Brenna Merritt & Jonathan Hudak.

DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA The Seagull

By Anton Chekhov Directed by Rob Bundy February 23 – March 4 Opening Night: February 24

ROBERT HUPP, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR; JILL A. ANDERSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR; KYLE BASS, ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR; SYRACUSE STAGE. RALPH ZITO, CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA.

SYRACUSE STAGE + DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA |

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820 East Genesee Street Syracuse, NY 13210-1508 www.SyracuseStage.org

n SEPARATED, BASED ON THE EXPERIENCES OF SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN AND OUT OF THE MILITARY, WAS PERFORMED AT THE PALEY CENTER IN NEW YORK ON NOVEMBER 13. FROM LEFT: ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR KYLE BASS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR BOB HUPP, AND CAST MEMBERS KIERSTON WHALEY, NICKLAUS BRINKA, ZACHARY WATSON, BRANDON KEVIN SMITH, ZACKARY CROUCH, JAKE VANMARTER, HALSTON D. CANTY, AND GINGER STAR PETERMAN. SEPARATED WAS DEVISED AND COMPOSED BY BASS AND DIRECTED BY HUPP. PHOTO: BEN GABBE.

SYRACUSE STAGE + DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA |

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