2009-2010

2009-2010

SEASON

STAFF
Artistic Director – Ron Peluso
Associate Artistic Director – Suzy Messerole
Production Manager – Janet L. Hall
Master Electrician – Mike Pledl
Technical Director – Justin Hooper
Assistant Technical Director – Gunther Gullickson
Artistic Associates – Steve Barberio, Bob Beverage, Michelle Hutchison, Jan Puffer, Sue Scott, Richard D. Thompson
Managing Director – Kathleen Hansen
Director of Development – Barbe Marshall
Administrative Coordinator – Ashley Tackes
Institutional Development Consultant – Betsy Husting
Financial Consultant – Megan Tarnow
Audience Development Director – Chari Hall
Group Sales Manager – Jill Vaughn
Box Office Assistant – Doug Tiede
Front of House Staff – Beth Cashman, Anne Hammel, Marj Hammer, Kevin Martin
ASL Interpreters – Susan Nelson, Bernadette Halverson
Audio Describer – Laura Wiebers
Marketing Director – Rachel Flynn
Graphic Designer – Matthew Foster
Marketing Intern – Barb Jarvis
Photographer – Scott Pakudaitis
Videographer – Gary Bingner and Quasimodo Advertising

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
October 3-November 1, 2009
Written by Alan Janes
Original London production directed by Rob Bettinson

This musical story depicts the remarkable development of Buddy Holly from a West Texas singer-songwriter to an internationally acclaimed recording artist and pop star, all in the course of about three years. The action of the play takes place in Lubbock, Texas, Clovis, New Mexico, New York City and Clear Lake, Iowa between January 1956 and February 1959.

Cast
Buddy Holly – Nicholas Freeman
Joe, bassist for the Crickets – Josh Bourdon
Jerry, drummer for The Crickets – Zach Spicer
Hipockets Duncan/Norman Petty/Ensemble – Charles Fraser
Vi Petty/Mary Lou Sokoloff/Ensemble – Brittany Parker
Maria Elena/Ensemble – Nora Montanez
Candy/Ensemble – Lynnea Monique Doublette
Denzel/Ensemble – Munyaradzi Tirivepi
The 4th Cricket – Brandon Petron
J.P. Richardson (“The Big Bopper”)/Ensemble – James Fairchild
Ritchie Valens/Ensemble – Allen Malicsi
Band Leader/Keyboards – Nic Delcambre
Ensemble – Ben Barna, Shana Berg, John Ensrud, David Hopkins-Hile
Apollo Dancers – Alyssa DiVirgilio, Sanyu Lubogo, Jordan Ukura
Dancers – Shane Larson, Sanyu Lubogo, Alyssa DiVirgilio, Dominic Running, Ryan Spencer, Camille Trocke-Fowler, Jordan Ukura, Shelby Alden

Artistic Team
Director – Ron Peluso
Assistant Director – Max Athorn
Musical Director – Gary Rue
Choreographer – Jan Puffer
Assistant Musical Director – John Kent
Scenic Designer & Technical Director – Justin Hooper
Assistant Technical Director – Gunther Gullickson
Lighting Designer – Chris Johnson
Costume Designer – Lynn Farrington
Assistant Costume Designer – Susan Fick
Sound & Video Designer – Mike Pledl
Properties Designer – Crystal G. Schneider
Stage Manager – Janet Hall
Assistant Stage Manager – Kara Schuette

Musical Numbers
Prologue – Lynnea Monique Doublette

Act I
Rose of Texas – Hayriders
Ready Teddy – Buddy & The Crickets
Frigo Jingle – The Garyettes
That’ll Be The Day – Buddy & The Crickets
Ollie Vee – Buddy & The Crickets
Everyday – Buddy & The Crickets & Vi Petty
Good Times – Candy & Denzel
Party – Candy
True Love – Candy
Not Fade Away – Buddy & The Crickets
Peggy Sue – Buddy & The Crickets
Words of Love – Buddy & The Crickets
Oh, Boy – Buddy & The Crickets

Act II
True Love Ways – Buddy
The Star Spangled Banner – Mary Lou Sokoloff
Why Do Fools Fall In Love – Jack Daws & The Snowbirds
Chantilly Lace – The Big Bopper
Maybe Baby – Buddy & Company
Heartbeat – Buddy
La Bamba – Ritchie Valens & Company
Raining In My Heart – Buddy
Rave On – Buddy & Company
Johnny B. Goode – Company

This show was co-produced with McNally Smith College of Music

Nicholas Freeman

Sisters Of Swing
November 21-December 20, 2009
By Beth Gilleland & Bob Beverage
Musical Arrangements & Continuity by Raymond Berg

This is the musical story about the famous, popular and Minnesota-born Andrews Sisters. The action of the play occurs in the 1930s and onward, in the USA and the USO.

Cast
Patty – Ruthie Baker
Maxene – Stacey Lindell
LaVerne – Patty Nieman
Vic Shoen/Piano – Michael Erickson
The Man – Ari Hoptman
The Woman – Shana Berg

Artistic Team
Director – Ron Peluso & Jan Puffer
Choreographer – Jan Puffer
Music Director – Raymond Berg
Scenic Designer – Erica Zaffarano
Lighting Designer – Pamela Kildahl
Costume Designer – Shannon O’Black
Sound Designer – C. Andrew Mayer
Live Sound Designer – Mike Pledl
Properties Designer – Crystal Schneider
Technical Director – Justin Hooper
Stage Manager – Janet Hall
Assistant Technical Director – Gunther Gullickson

Musicians
Drums – Zach Spicer
Bass – Josh Bourdon
Trumpet – Erik Gustafson
Tenor Sax/Clarinet – Morgan Daniel
Trombone – Ben Link

Musical Numbers
ACT I
Overture – Orchestra & Andrews Sisters
Three Little Fishies – Andrews Sisters
Dinah – Andrews Sisters
Near You – Andrews Sisters
Bei Mir Bist Du Shon – Andrews Sisters
Well All Right! (Tonight’s The Night) – Andrews Sisters
Hold Tight – Andrews Sisters
Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive – Andrews Sisters & Bing Crosby
I Love You Much Too Much – Patty
Norwegian Lullaby (Little Postbud) – LaVerne & Maxene
Beer Barrel Polka – Andrews Sisters & Beer Frau

ACT II
Six Jerks In A Jeep – Andrews Sisters & Company
Corns For My Country – Andrews Sisters
I Can Dream, Can’t I? – Andrews Sisters
All I Want For Christmas – Danny Kaye & Andrews Sisters
Rum And Coca Cola – Andrews Sisters & Carmen Miranda
Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree – Andrews Sisters
I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time – Andrews Sisters
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – Andrews Sisters
The Woody Woodpecker Song – Danny Kaye & Andrews Sisters
Carmen Boogie – Patty & Sisters
Hard Times – Full Company
Count Your Blessings – Andrews Sisters

Sister Kenny’s Children
(World Premiere)
January 23-February 14, 2010
By Doris Baizley

In 1940, the Salk vaccine did not exist and families across America dreaded the possibility of contracting polio. Sister Elizabeth Kenny, who was not a Catholic nun, brought her treatment methods for the disease from Australia and was met with rejection from the majority of the American medical community. But her success eventually earned her the respect of the medical establishment and helped rehabilitate thousands of people.

The play is set in the mind of Sister Kenny, starting near the end of her life in 1952. The audience flashes back in time and place from Australia to Minneapolis and points beyond.

Cast
Sister Elizabeth Kenny – Claudia Wilkens
Mary/Patient – Ashton Schneider
Ensemble of Young Patients – Devin Blanchard, Suzie Cheng, Iman Fears, Andrea Flowers, Molly-Margaret Johnson, Ethan Nienaber, Loren O’Brien, Brandon Reese, Mary Elisa Rosen, Shaadiah Swenson, Alan De Leon Taverna, Scarlett Thompson
Understudy – Kendall Kent

Top to bottom: Ashton Schneider, Claudia Wilkens, Mary Rosen

Production Staff
Director – Ron Peluso
Set Designer/Technical Director – Justin Hooper
Lighting Designer – Pamela Kildahl
Costume Designer – Shannon O’Black
Sound Designer – C. Andrew Mayer
Property Designer – Gunther Gullickson
Stage Manager – Elizabeth R. MacNally
Assistant to the Director – Kellen Hoxworth
Assistant to the Lighting Designer – Peter Aldrich
Master Electrician – Mike Pledl
Board Operator – Mike Lubke

Hiding in the Open
February 27-March 21, 2010
By Kira Obolensky, based on the memoirs of Sabina Zimering

This is the story of how a Polish-Catholic family helped a brave Jewish teenager and her sister obtain false identification papers during WWII. After escaping from a Polish ghetto and posing as Catholics, the girls moved into the lion’s den – Germany. There, Sabina worked for several years at a posh hotel, surrounded by Nazi officers. The time of the play is set between 1939 and 1945.

Cast
Sabina – Elise Langer
Helka – Devon Solorow
Natek – Jonah Harrison & Jack Romans
Father/Herr Czery/Ensemble – Peter Thomson
Mother & Ensemble – Elena Giannetti
Mrs. Justyna/Mrs. Hass/Frau Wittner/Ensemble – Laura Esping
Frank/Ensemble – Kevin Lackaff-Gilligan
Danka/Ensemble – Rebecca Hurd
Irma/Ensemble – Rachel Keller
Anya/Ensemble – Sophie Fiore
Jacob/Joseph/Ensemble – Mike Lubke
Uncle Sam/Nazis/Ensemble – E.J. Subkoviak

Artistic Staff
Director – Hayley Finn
Scenic Designer – Erica Zaffarano
Lighting Designer – Chris Johnson
Sound Designer – C. Andrew Mayer
Costume Designer – Amelia Cheever
Properties Designer – Gunther Gullickson
Choreographer – Colleen McClellan Ueland
Technical Director – Justin Hooper
Stage Manager – Janet L. Hall
Master Electrician – Mike Pledl
Board Operator – David Hopkins-Hile
Deck Manager – True Saenz

Queens of Burlesque (World Premiere)
April 24-May 23, 2010
By David Mann

This show takes place in 1953 at the Gay 90s nightclub on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. We are introduced to the women who dance there and learn that they defy stereotype. They are women with dreams, insecurities, personal histories and fully functional minds.

Cast
Ralphie Zane/Concessionaire/“Second Banana” – Brian Sostek
An unruly patron – Matt Erkel
Gladys Page/Exotic – Greta Grosch
Barbette DeLight/Exotic – Daisy Macklin Skarning
Rose DuBois/Exotic – Emily Rose Skinner
Mack/Bar Manager/Emcee & “Top Banana” – Scott Jorgenson
Blaze Comet/Exotic – Stacia Rice
Chester McGuire/a concerned citizen – Brian Sostek
Margaret Edwards/a concerned citizen – Karen Weber

(L-R): Daisy Mackin Skarning, Emily Rose Skinner, Scott Jorgenson, Stacia Rice

Artistic Team
Director – Ron Peluso
Choreographer – Gina Louise Woods
Costumes & Scenic Designer – Matthew J. Le Febvre
Composer & Music Director – Andrew Cooke
Lighting Designer – Mike Wangen
Sound Designer – C. Andrew Mayer
Property Designer – Gunther Gullickson
Stage Manager – Daniel J. Hanson
Assistant Director – Anya Kremenetsky
Technical Director – Justin Hooper
Master Electrician – Mike Pledl
Board Operator – David Hopkins-Hile
Deck Manager – Elizabeth M. Coleman
The Grabber – Mike Lubke
Spotlight Operator – Mark Rasmussen
Recorded Musicians – Gerard Ahlgren (trumpet), Ben Bussey (trombone), Kathleen Hanson (woodwinds), Daniel Haugh (bass), Zach Spicer (drums)