56 SANTAN SUN NEWS | JUNE 15 - JULY 5, 2019
Arts
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Young cast brings energy to ‘Newsies’ musical BY COLLEEN SPARKS Managing Editor
Teens and young adults in Chandler and other parts of the Valley will bring to life a turn-of-the-century story about news boys and girls who fight for their rights in a highenergy musical. Actor’s Youth Theatre, with a cast of 41 actors ages 13 to 20, will perform in Disney’s “Newsies” June 19-23 at Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway. The young cast has been dancing, singing and acting out dramatic scenes during rehearsals at The Tuscany Theatre, 861 N. Higley Road in Gilbert, where Actor’s Youth Theatre is based. “Newsies” is the story of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy who heads a group of teenagers who also sell newspapers to go on strike against unfair conditions in New York City. Jack rallies them to strike when the titans of publishing raise distribution prices, which hurts the “newsies” who hawk the papers for a living. The musical is based on the 1992 movie and a true story inspired it. Tracie Jones, executive director of Actor’s Youth Theatre and co-director and co-musical director of “Newsies” said she loves the musical. “I have loved this show since I was a little girl,” Jones said. “I would sing the stuff over and over. The orchestration’s beautiful, the singing. It’s like a musical theater dream. I love kids. They stand up for themselves and make their own future.” Jones even took students from a
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1) Max Meeker, 14, of Chandler, dances on stage during a rehearsal of Actor’s Youth Theatre’s “Newsies.” 2) Dylan Romero, 20, of Chandler, rehearses a scene as the character Jack Kelly in Actor’s Youth Theatre’s production of Disney’s “Newsies.” 3) Gracie Gamble, 15, of Chandler, plays Hannah, a secretary, as well as a newsie, a nun and one of “The Bowery Beauties,” who are female dancers. (Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer) 4) Zachary Taylor, 14, of Chandler, is a musical theater veteran who will be playing two roles in the performance. 5) Isabella “Peaches” Lesinski, 14, of Chandler, works as an intern for Actor’s Youth Theatre’s production of “Newsies.” 6) Eric O’Dell, 17, of Chandler, plays Seitz, an editor, as well as Mr. Jacobi, who runs a deli; Theodore Roosevelt when he was governor and a goon in a fight scene .
(Kimberly Carrillo/Staff Photographer)
different studio where she used to work to see “Newsies” on Broadway in New York City. She is proud of the real-life young actors, who live around the Valley including in Chandler, Mesa, Apache Junction and Laveen. Jones cast a few more actors than needed because of their enthusiasm. “We had so many awesome kids” audition, she said. “I’m so about education. They’re such a great cast of kids. They work so hard. I think it will be interesting because there will be girls in it.” She said Tempe Arts Center is “such a beautiful theater” and she believes the audience will be blown away when they see the actors on stage. “They’re just going to be impressed because there are kids ages 13 to 20 and
they’re awesome,” Jones said. Bruce Goolsby is co-director and choreographer for “Newsies” and he also is the co-dance director at Actor’s Youth Theatre. Bailey Gorman is stage manager and lighting designer for “Newsies” and works as Actor’s Youth Theatre operations manager. CJ O’Hara is the orchestra conductor for “Newsies” and co-music director. A live orchestra with youths and adults will perform at all the shows. Isabella “Peaches” Lesinski, 14, of Chandler, who will be a freshman at Perry High School in the fall, works as an intern, helping the directors. The star of the show, Dylan Romero, 20, of Chandler, plays Jack Kelly, and he also loves “Newsies.”
“I love how it tells a story,” Romero said. “It kind of gets a sense of (how) you can make friends everywhere; you can make your own family. There is a lot of dancing and singing.” A graduate of a high school in Joseph City, he plans to start classes at ChandlerGilbert Community College in the fall. Romero plans to major in business with a minor in theater and said he would love to be a full-time actor someday. He described Jack Kelly as someone who “tries to be grisly” but really is softhearted. Romero said in the second act, Jack “figures out who he really is” after going through an “inner character struggle.” “He wears his emotions on his sleeve most of the time,” he said. See
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Fox Crossing artist represented in Arizona exhibit SANTAN SUN NEWS STAFF When it comes to the arts, Fox Crossing resident Laurie Fagen has a widfely varied resume. Actress, novelist and mixed media artist are all areas where Fagen has a long list of accomplishments. Starting today, a piece of her fiber art can be seen in the “All Art Arizona” show at Art Intersection, 207 N. Gilbert Rd., Suite 201, Gilbert. Fagen will be displaying a piece from her fiber art collection — a wall art quilt replicating a scene from Glacier National Park. “The image was transferred to fabric, then heavily quilted with a few miles of thread,” Fagen said. “It’s a serene landscape of the mountains, but we were surprised how little glacial snow was left.” Fagen, who also designs jewelry and writes crime fiction mysteries, is the former publisher of the SanTan Sun News. She and her late husband, Geoff Hancock, founded the paper. Her piece at Art Intersection started with a photograph taken on a family vacation. Fagen, whose private studio is called Fagen Designs, is an award-winning multimedia fiber artist who designs and creates contemporary fiber art and wearable art. For her jewelry, she works in fine silver and polymer clay. Her work has been seen in galleries and
nine years and aims to give exposure to “well-known and emerging artists living in our own back yard.” It highlights “the breadth and diversity of art created by Arizona artists” in virtually every medium — including sculpture, glass, photography, painting, Laurie Fagen’s wall art replication of Glacier National Park will be in a special ceramics, wood, exhibition at Art Intersection in Gilbert that features the works of Arizona artists printmaking, (Courtesy Fagen Designs) mixed media, exhibits in Arizona, California, Iowa and artist books, and North Carolina. more,” a studio release said. Fagen also teaches a variety of The opening reception draws artists, classes and workshops, and is available art collectors and art lovers from across to share her classes in surface design the state and is one of Art Intersection’s embellishment, metal clay, polymer clay best attended exhibitions of the year. and other techniques and projects. Visitors also will be able to cast their The Art Intersection shows celebrates vote for the Viewer’s Choice Award, which “the diversity of artwork created by both the studio announces at the end of the well-known and emerging artists in Arizona” exhibition. and opens with a reception for artists and For details about the show, call the public from 5-8 p.m. today, June 15, The 480-361-1118 or visit artintersection. free exhibition runs through Aug. 3. com. For more on Fagen’s art, check out The studio has presented a special FagenDesigns.com. exhibition on Arizona artists for the last All Art Arizona 2019 Featured Artists
Scott E. Adams, Joan Baron & Ali Mariles, David Lloyd Bradley, Iveta Butler, Jerry Cagle, Rebecca Cameron, Tony Celentano, Diana Clauss, Annemarie A Comes, Danielle Conti, Ronald J Cox, Diana Creighton, Joe Dickens, Ximena Echeverria, Sue Eddy, Ariana Enriquez, Laurie Fagen, Jeffrey Falk, Gary A Fife, Tara Gamel, Allen Garns, Rick Gayle and Pam Golden. Also, Gerry C Groeber, Isadora Hale, Brit Hansen, Melanie Harman, Chase Harter, Lisa Hastreiter-Lamb, Art Holeman, Crystal Huckey, John Isner, Jodi Koller-Smee, Jo Kubran, Alex Kutchins, Barbara Kuzara, DC Laroche, Wayne Reed Lougee, Luigi Luccarelli, Sandra Luehrsen, Angel Olegario Luna, Rachael Lyn, Peter Martori, Donald Matthews, Kathryn Maxwell, Judy Mc Cullough, Joan McGue, Terry Melser, Carlos Mendoza, Devon Meyer. Others include Nancy Miiller, Neil A. Miller, Marlene Moore, Jaira Joshue Munoz Zavala, Amy Novotny, Pamela A Pachmayr, Dino Paul, Cyd Peroni, Kirby Plessas, Roy Pope, Michael Pierre Price, Joanna Proffitt, Penelope Quinn, Cheri Reckers, Geoff Reed, Nicole Richardson, Anita Ries, Maureen Rooney, Christina Rosepapa, Susan Rae Ruscetti, Roman Sanchez, Steven Scales, Jon Sharer, Beth Shook, Edlynne M. Sillman, Martina J.Skobic, J.Speer, Rachel Srinivasan, Vicky Stromee, Summer Strother, Ira Thomas, Joseph Trevino, Rosalie Trulli Vaccaro, Brianna Voron, Jeff Williams, Reid Woodward, Angela Yamauchi and Hyewon Yoon.