FLC Music and Theatre Departments Present Diverse Voices

April 23-24, 2021

Cendrillon (Cinderella)

Musical Scenes of Diversity and Inclusion A Note from the Director

There is the widely held perception that theater is a place where anyone can find a home. Despite frequently touted messages of tolerance and inclusion, the Broadway theater district known as the Great White Way has traditionally been exactly that, falling short in terms of representation of race, gender and sexual orientation. Tonight we will celebrate 12 Broadway musicals that helped pave the way to a more inclusive stage. You will enjoy scenes from The Prom – the story of a small-town Indiana prom where the town’s parents want to keep the dance on the straight and narrow. But when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the en- tire town has a date with destiny. Rent - in the early 1990s, friends in Manhattan’s East Village struggle to build the lives of their dreams. Poverty, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, social tension, and political unrest challenge the group physically and emotionally. In the Heights – Nina has just returned to her Washington Heights neighborhood from her freshman year at Stanford, unsure if she plans to go back. Along with her long-time friends and neighbors, they make discover- ies about each other, themselves, and the place they all call home.

Practices such as color-conscious casting and the increased creation of minority driven shows are helping Broadway open its arms to people of all races, genders, and sexualities. These artists are out there, and it is only a matter of time until the Broadway Stage can truly be a place where everyone can find a home.

Suzy DiSanto A Note from Cendrillon’s Musical Director

We are excited to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pauline Viar- dot’s birth with an opening night performance on the same date as Cendrillon’s 1904 premiere, April 23. Setting her own libretto, Viar- dot created a charming rendition of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella. Conceived for chamber performance with piano, it is a unique blend of grand Romantic opera with the comedic wit of operetta popular at the turn of the 20th century. Viardot’s exceptional skill as pianist and singer shines through her composition.

Pauline Viardot (1821-1910) was a member of a leading musical family of the 19th century — her father, Manuel Garcia, was Ros- sini’s preferred tenor; her sister Maria Malibran was an operatic superstar before her early death; and her brother, Manuel Garcia II, became the most celebrated vocal pedagogue in the world, inventing the laryngoscope. Pauline sang as a mezzo-soprano, played piano, composed, and taught many students. She enjoyed the respect of notable composers such as Frédéric Chopin, with whom she collab- orated in piano duet performances, also recomposing several of his piano dance pieces as songs for voice and piano.

Wesley Dunnagan Cendrillon Cast

Cendrillon...... Saylor Sargent La Fee (Fairy Godmother)...... Melody Postoak Prince Charming...... Atlee Beam Comte Barigoule (First Chamberlain to the Prince)...... Forest Rud Baron de Pictordu (Stepfather)...... Camron Nilsen Maguelonne (Stepsister)...... Tayler Smith Armelinde (Stepsister)...... Rhyse Fairchild Olympia (a mechanical doll from The Tales of Hoffmann) ...... Bailey Barnes

Musical Scenes Performers

Vivien Orchid Bakowski Atlee Beam Mat Freeman Tyler Gleason Abby Kerr Camron Nilsen Melody Postoak Saylor Sargent Deuschesne Ventris Sadie Wendt Siena Widen Cendrillon Production Team

Director/Choreographer...... Suzy DiSanto Musical Director...... Wesley Dunnagan Stage Manager...... Alexis Matumeak Scene & Lighting Design/Technical Director...... Andrew Brackett Costume Design...... Jane Gould Piano...... Paula Millar

Musical Scenes Production Team

Director/Choreographer...... Suzy DiSanto Musical Director/Piano...... Paula Millar Stage Manager...... Alexis Matumeak Scene & Lighting Design/Technical Director...... Andrew Brackett Costume Design...... Jane Gould Bass...... Benjamin DeBelina Percussion...... Alec Perotti

Cendrillon English Translation by Rachel M. Harris Presented by arrangement with Scena Music Publishing www.scenamusicpub.com Musical Program

Cendrillon

There will be one 15-minute intermission

Musical Scenes

The Prom “It’s Time to Dance”...... Ensemble Mean Girls “I’d Rather Be Me”...... Saylor Sargent Fun Home “Ring of Keys”...... Sadie Wendt Victor, Victoria “Drag Blues”....Abby Kerr, Vivien Orchid Bakowski Dear Evan Hansen/Hamilton “Found/Tonight” ...... Shane Ventris, Camron Nilson In The Heights “Breathe”...... Melody Postoak Kinky Boots “History of the Wrong Guys”...... Siena Widen Once On This Island “Waiting For Life”...... Camron Nilson Spring Awakening “All That’s Known”...... Atlee Beam Next To Normal “Superboy and the Invisible Girl” ...... Siena Widen, Saylor Sargent, Atlee Beam Cabaret “If You Could See Her”...... Mat Freeman, Abby Kerr Xanadu “Evil Woman”...... Tyler Gleason, Sadie Wendt Rent “La Vie Boheme”...... Ensemble Cast Bios

Vivien Orchid Bakowski is from Syracuse, NY and is a senior Studio Art major at Fort Lewis College. She previously performed in Neighbor- hood 3 Requisition of Doom at Queens Borough Community College.

Bailey Barnes has performed in two European tours with the German opera company, Opera Classica Europa, and on the main stage at Telluride Jazz. She plays and sings jazz, classical and folk music with different venues and organizations around the rural Southwest.

Atlee Beam is from Bayfield, CO and is a senior Vocal Performance major at Fort Lewis College. His previous acting experience includes a high school production of Once Upon a Mattress.

Rhyse Fairchild, from Arvada, CO, is a sophomore Music major at Fort Lewis College. Rhyse performed in the Lakewood High School productions of Honeymoon in Vegas and This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing. She is one of the alto section leaders in FLC choirs and is currently working with Dr. Dunnagan to expand her range as a contralto.

Mat Freeman is from Salida, CO and is a graduating senior at Fort Lewis College. They have acted in FLC’s productions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Gypsy, My Favorite Year, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, and Pirates of Penzance.

Tyler Gleason is from Farmington, NM and is a Theatre K-12 Edu- cation major. Tyler has been the Stage Manager for Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them and Assistant Stage Manager for The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful, Teaching Disco Square Dancing to Our Elders, and Resilience: Laugh, Cry, Persevere. Favorite acting roles include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Two Rooms, Elephant in the Room and My Favorite Year.

Abby Kerr is from Edmond, OK and is a sophomore Theatre major at FLC. Abby has performed in several ballets and started her theatre journey at Fort Lewis College in last year’s production of Gypsy. She also appeared in this year’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Camron Nilsen is from Redondo Beach, CA and is a sophomore in the Music Education program here at Fort Lewis College. He performed in Redondo Beach in the production of Crazy for You and portrayed Ponyboy in the high school production of The Outsiders.

Melody Postoak, from Wichita, KS, is a senior vocal Music Education major at Fort Lewis College. This will be her first FLC Theatre pro- duction, but she has participated in many performances with the FLC Music department since her freshman year.

Nathan (Forest) Rud is from Flagstaff, AZ, and played Joe in The Shadow Box. This semester he gave a Junior Recital at Fort Lewis College alongside Atlee Beam. He would like to dedicate his perfor- mance to his fiancée, without whom he would not be where he is today.

Saylor Sargent is from Denver, CO, and is a senior Music Education major. She was a part of My Favorite Year here at FLC, and has been a part of musical and opera scenes classes at Fort Lewis College for several years.

Tayler Smith, a Durango native and FLC alum, plays Maguelone in Cendrillon. While earning her BA in Music Performance, Miss Smith performed Dido in Dido and Aneas and Mrs. Waters in The Boatswain’s Mate.

Deuschesne Ventris is a junior Theatre major at Fort Lewis College. Shane’s current course for life is to direct in theatre and he loves learn- ing something new with every production in which he’s involved. He performed in last year’s Two Rooms as well as this year’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Sadie Wendt is a Theatre Performance major at FLC who will be gradu- ating this spring. She has worked at many theatres in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area including the Tony Award winning Minneapolis Chil- dren’s Theatre Company. She is also a KCACTF Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nominee for her work in the FLC productions of Gypsy and Two Rooms. Her latest role was in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Siena Widen, born and raised in Durango, is a sophomore at Fort Lewis College. She has been on stage since she was three years old. While she has yet to be in a major FLC production, she is excited to have the opportunity to be performing during COVID. Production Team Bios

Suzy DiSanto (Director): Suzy holds an MA in Dance from Mills College in Oakland, CA, as well as a teaching credential in Laban Movement Studies from the Laban Centre in London, England. Suzy has been teaching all forms of dance at FLC for 20 years. She has also choreo- graphed many of the FLC Theater department’s musicals, including Chicago, Gypsy, Spring Awakening, and Once Upon a Mattress. Over the years, Suzy has choreographed for 3rd Ave Dance Company (she’s the founding Artistic Director), FLC Theater Dept., San Juan College Theater Dept., Diamond Circle Melodrama, Snowdown Follies, Duran- go Performing Arts Company, Sandstone Productions, Durango High School Troupe 1096, Durango Arts Center Theater Series, Merely Play- ers and 20moons Dance Company. Suzy is most proud of the program she founded 15 years ago, “Take the Lead,” a ballroom dance instruc- tion program for 5th graders in Durango schools.

Wesley Dunnagan (Musical Director): Praised for his “unfailing elo- quence” as the Evangelist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, tenor Wesley has performed many roles in opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and as a recitalist. Dr. Dunnagan is Coordinator of Voice Studies at Fort Lewis College, where he also teaches music history and directs the Baroque Ensemble.

Paula Millar (Musical Director/Pianist): Paula has been accompanying in the area for the last 7 years and is currently teaching elementary mu- sic at the Juniper School with Stillwater Music Foundation. FLC credits include Gypsy, My Favorite Year, Pirates of Penzance, Spring Awakening, Urinetown, and Avenue Q.

Andrew Brackett (Technical Director, Scenic and Lighting Designer): Andrew received his BA in Technical Theatre and Architecture from the University of MN, Twin Cities, his MFA in Theatre Design and Tech- nology with a specialization in Lighting Design from Northern Illinois University, and a teaching fellowship with Shenandoah University. An- drew has been an onboard production technician for Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Disney Cruise Lines, a Technical Director and Designer for several high schools, dinner theatres, and local theatres, an IATSE stagehand, and a company member with TEXAS Musical Drama. He is currently the Assistant Professor of Theatre Design and Production at Fort Lewis College. Alexis Matumeak (Stage Manager): Alexis is from Port Angeles, WA, and is a junior Theatre major at Fort Lewis College. She has previously worked the sound board for FLC’s productions of Gypsy, I’m Native and…, and Teaching Disco Square Dancing to Our Elders.

Jane Gould (Costumes): Jane graduated from J. Gibson Fashion Mer- chandising School in Boston, MA and received a BS from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, CA. She has been the resident Costume Designer at Fort Lewis College for the past 12 years, as well as costumer for the Shakespeare Festival at FLC, freelance costume de- signer for the Durango Arts Center for several productions, and design- er for New Face Productions fashion shows. Her passion is design, and being able to mentor students in Costume Design has been one of the highlights of her career.

Benjamin DeBelina (Bass) is a Durango local and Music Performance major at Fort Lewis College. He is principal bass of the San Juan Youth Symphony and the Fort Lewis Jazz band.

Alec Perrotti (Percussion) is in his third year at Fort Lewis College and is pursuing a Music Education degree. Originally from Groveland MA, he now lives in Durango.

Coming this Fall!