April 26, 27, & 28 2012

Home , Ken Page, Sam Levene, The Most Happy Fella, Wild Wild West

Volume XV Issue 3 The Horace Mann Theatre Company's Tri-Annual Publication Spring 2012

Cover Art by Jean Mariano (‘12) 2

Off icers Notes FROM: Thespian Editors Gamblers, showgirls, drunks, preaching “mission dolls,” and Mindy’s cheesecake (or was it stru- del?). What a way to end the year. All the way back in May 2011, we were so excited to hear that the HMTC would perform Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls. The show has fun dancing, a hilarious book, memorable lyrics, and exceptional music. The slapstick comedy and larger-than-life characters translate well into high school theatre, allowing students to step out of their comfort zones whether they’re singing, dancing, acting, or designing. It’s a classic. But there’s something more about Guys and Dolls. Maybe it’s the famous Brooklyn accents. Maybe it’s the homage to a fairytale New York that existed somewhere between 1950 and our imaginations. Or maybe it’s the way sitting in the audience or even listening to the CD can immediately put a huge grin on our faces. Like Clark Field in spring or cotton candy, Guys and Dolls is just plain good. We’re hoping this issue of The Thespian, which of course focuses on Guys and Dolls, captures the musical’s essence of simple delight against a backdrop of American history. Explore the many iterations of Guys and Dolls – from 1950 to today! Check out our spotlight on our new musical director Bill Stanley! And fill out our hilarious crossword puzzle mixingG+D and HMTC trivia! As we wrap up our APs, SATs, and even our high school careers, we can’t think of a better way to launch into summer break than ripping open your Thes- pian and watching us shimmy and sneeze our way through Gross Theatre. As Nathan Detroit would say, so nu?

Happy Reading, Katie Birenboim and Matt Taub FROM: HMTC Presidents FROM: HMDC Presidents Dear HMTC family, Hey Thespians, As Guys and Dolls gets closer, I can only think We’re so proud of the success of our Student Cho- about what a wonderful year it’s been. The company reographed Dance Concert. Thank you to everyone has had amazing success with all of its shows, selling who came and supported us. But now, after two tri- out almost every show in the Black Box and Dance mesters of waiting we finally get to experience the Studio. As both of us perform in Guys and Dolls, it biggest and best show seen in Gross Theatre yet,Guys will be both a farewell to amazing, talented people as and Dolls! Whether shimmying in Havana or strut- well as the rise of an even stronger Theatre family. We ting our stuff in the Hot-Box we’ve been dancing all know that though we say goodbye to Antonio, in the trimester long in preparation. We’re super excited to years to come, both he and the Theatre company will be a part of this show and hope to see you in the audi- move on to be even stronger and more successful than ence. You can catch us on stage April 26th, 27th and it is today. 28th. See you on stage, Happy Tappin! Antonio Irrizary & Rachel Buissereth ShaKea Alston & Chiara Heintz Our 2011-2012 Season 3 La Vida Es Sueño Student Written One Acts November 11th 12th 13th 2011 February 9th 10th 11th 2012 MD Musical: Once Upon A Mattress Guys & Dolls December 8th 10th 11th 2011 April 26th 27th 28th 2012 Student Choreographed Dance Show January 26th 27th 28th 2011 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK HTTP://GOO.GL/AUXNP Theatre & Dance Faculty & Staff Denise DiRenzo Woody Howard Alison Kolinski Emma Laurence Roll Call: Jonathan Nye The Students Behind This Season’s Productions Joel Sherry Joseph Timkó THE CAST Theatre Presidents Nicely-Nicely Johnson – Andrew Levin Toby Teitel Antonio Irizarry Benny Southstreet – Asher Baumrin Hannah Jun Rachel Buissereth Rusty Charlie – Danny Brereton Megan Goldberg Sarah Brown – Rachel Simerka-Smith Libby Smilovici Dance Presidents Arvide Abernathy – Noah Margulis Emma Maltby ShaKea Alston Lt. Brannigan – Wallace Cotton Sophie Mann Chiara Heintz Nathan Detroit – Dan Froot Rebecca Shaw Miss Adelaide – Katie Birenboim Caroline Kuritzkes Student Technical Directors Sky Masterson – Antonio Irizarry Marit Shuman Jessica Azerad General Cartwright – Rachel Buissereth Emma Freisner Kenneth Zhang Big Jule – Sam Torres Kasia Kalinowska Giulia Alvarez Publicity Ensemble: Ali Futter Megan Goldberg Alex Smith Samantha Albstein Noah Margulis Ethan Cain ShaKea Alston Isaac Grafstein Kiki Heintz Technology Coordinator Jacob Bass Gurbani Suri Rachel Simerka-Smith Ken Zhang Alexis-Brianna Felix Lizzy Weingold Anastasia Moroz Thespian Editor-in-Chief Matt Taub Charlotte Sands Seth Arar Valerie Bodurtha Katie Birenboim Will Shore Phoebe Gennardo Thespian Junior Editor Jessica Heller Hannah Ades Matthew Taub Karina Rodriguez Thespian Production Director Aramael Peña-Alcántra 4 The “Oldest Established”... Background on Guys And Dolls Guys and Dolls: the celebrated, energetic, and quintessential musical comedy. Against a backdrop of New York City gamblers, playful showgirls, and reverent missionaries, the leads Nathan Detroit, Sky Masterson, Sar- ah Brown, and Miss Adelaide fall in, out, and back in love again. The original concept for the characters and the plot came from two of Damon Runyon’s short stories—“The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown,” and “Blood Pressure.” Frank Loesser’s musicalized version premiered on Broadway in 1950, directed by George Kaufman and ran for a total of 1,200 performances. It was nominated for and won five 1951 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. A 1955 movie version came out, which included three new musical numbers such as “(Your Eyes Are the Eyes of) A Woman in Love”. With these additions though, five original musical numbers were removed, such as “A Bushel and a Peck” and “My Time of Day.” In 1976, an all-African-American cast performed 239 performances of the show, earning Ken Page , who played the character of Nicely Nicely Johnson, a Theatre World award. In 1982, at London’s National Theatre, a popularGuys and Dolls revival was produced, running for almost four years and garnering four Olivier Awards, including Outstanding Musical. In 1992, the most revered of the Guys and Dolls revivals was performed with 1,143 showings and new orchestrations for some of the classic songs. This version raked in eight Tony Award nominations and won four of them, including Best Revival of a Musical. The cast album also won a Grammy. Through many periods of America’s quickly-changing popular culture, the allure of Guys and Dolls continues to capture audiences around the world. -Sinai Cruz The Man Behind the Music: The Thespian Explores the Life & Times of

FrankFRANK Loesser was perhaps the greatestLOESSER composer of American musicals. Growing up in New York City, Loesser never had formal musical train- ing, but instead taught himself how to read and write music, as well as how to play the piano. He started off his career singing in nightclubs, and then quickly progressed to writing lyrics for The Illustrator’s Show. While the show was not successful on Broadway, shortly afterwards Par- amount and Universal decided to employ him as a lyricist and composer. After World War II, Loesser moved back to New York after having written his second Broadway show, “Where’s Charley”, which opened in 1948. In 1950, he wrote the music and lyrics for Guys and Dolls, which has become without a doubt “the” American musical. Loesser went on to compose both the score and the book for The Most Happy Fella, which ran for two years. After a brief interlude of less successful shows, Loesser wrote the smash hit How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. In addition to his five hit musicals, Loesser also wrote music for over sixty films, as well as singles. Frank Loesser ended his amazing career having received one Pulitzer Prize, two Tony Awards for best musical, and one Academy Award, along with six other nominations. -Phoebe Gennardo HORACE MANN’S CHAIR OF THEATER, DANCE + FILM STUDIES

DIRECTOR OF GUYS & DOLLS

SPEAKS ABOUT GUYS & DOLLS AND HIS TIME AT HORACE MANN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY ISAAC GRAFSTEIN

The Thespian: You’re the official head of the theater department at HM. What’s your main role regarding our school’s theater productions? Woody Howard: I help organize discussions each year about what the next season will be. I try to input my own feelings but I also try to hold the overview of what the season will look like. We do on occasion try to think about where we are in a four year cycle because part of our theory of operation is that if there are kids who would never take a theater course or never be in a production at least if they just came to see the shows, they should have some kind of education through that. We try to have a variety of types of plays over a four-year period. I’m also kind of the producer around most of the productions. I try to troubleshoot, find sources, that sort of thing. I sort of dance around someone else’s production, facilitating things and pushing along the process. Thespian: What was your first job in the theater department at HM? WH: Essentially I came on board to help with the technical stuff. I actually led the technical crew when I first came here twenty-one years ago. I came to do what Joel does, which is ridiculous because I could never do what Joel does but we were at a very different level then. I also taught acting in the middle and upper divisions and only since I’ve been here have I developed my ability to direct and teach appreciation courses. Thespian: Is there a reason why live theater is more special to you then other art forms such as movies? WH: It’s living. It’s there. It’s different every night. Live theater is more dependent on the actual people in front of you than on say, a soundman. You know, it’s real. There’s an immediacy between the living people in the room and the living people on the stage which we have less and less of nowadays because of the technology we have. Thespian: What do you like about Guys and Dolls as a production? WH: It’s a very funny show. It has really over the top characters. They present this bizarre reality with the practicalities of life and it doesn’t get old. Musically, it’s must jazzier than anything we’ve done recently – it’s a different flavor. Thespian: Tell us one thing the school should know about the HMTC, for the students who haven’t involved themselves yet. WH: It’s a very friendly organization and by its nature there is a constant washing in and washing out of participants. It’s unlike a lot of other organizations because it’s not hard to break in. People come for different reasons and can join to do a show as late as senior year. It’s a very special experience that everyone should try out. 6

GuysThrough & the Dolls Ages By Teo Armus-Laski

November 24, 1950 – as crowds piled into the 46th Street Theater, they couldn’t have known they were about to witness a Broadway debut that would change the course of musical theatre: the debut of Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls. Starring Robert Alda, Sam Levene, Isabel Bigley, and Vivian Blaine, the original run lasted for a whopping 1200 performances, garnering five Tony Awards in the process. Only five years later, the show was adapted into a film, featuring three new tunes by Loesser and industry big-shots like Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. Once again a smash hit, Guys and Dolls had the highest box office gross of the year, in addition to the Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy. In 1976, Guys and Dolls returned to the Great White Way with an African-American cast and Motown-style arrangements, while a West End “re-thinking” bowed eight years later which incorporated neon-lit set pieces and an ornate tap finale. 1992 saw Nathan Lane headline a revival that featured revisions to the score and new dances for “Runyonland” and “A Bushel and a Peck.” This revival was critically acclaimed, pushing Faith Prince to Broadway stardom and solidifying Loesser’s place next to the likes of Porter and Berlin in the echelons of musical theatre composers. Earning four more Tonys wasn’t so bad either. Subsequent runs across the globe have showcased stars like Ewan McGregor, Jane Krakowski, Oliver Platt, and Imelda Staunton as they “developed the flu” as Adelaide or gambled the night away as Nathan or Sky. The first timeGuys and Dolls has graced the stage at Horace Mann since 1994, this trimester’s production is sure to exceed high expectations and add to the musical’s lengthy, influential legacy! 7 PART OF YOUR WORLD: CREATING THE STORIED NYC OF GUYS & DOLLS

Creating the set for a show like Guys and Dolls isn’t easy; it takes hard work and imagination. After preparing exten- sively, a group of six students in Joel Sherry’s Theater Production and Design class have found a way to bring the story of Adelaide, Sky, Sarah, and Nathan – New York’s storied gangsters and show girls – to life. The students in this class are given different assignments, beginning with research and creating sketches. They then come back to class to discuss what they discovered. The class is “very research intensive,” Tiffany Wang says. “Model- making, sketching, drafting, rendering, and research are all areas we explore in order to allow students to discover their own way of turning theatrical text into visual space on stage,” says Technical Director, Joel Sherry. In order to design the set for Guys and Dolls, the students started by “reading the play so that we were familiar with the story and what was necessary set-wise,” says ShaKea Alston. The students also did a lot of photographic research. Af- terwards, they began “collecting materials for our color/inspiration board, and the class collaborated on what we thought embodied the feeling of Guys and Dolls,” a show that includes settings as diverse as a Mission house (think the Salvation Army) and a Havana nightclub. “We branched off into different scenes and some people took over the Mission scenes, and others Havana or street scenes,” says Wang. These models are now in the process of becoming painters’ elevations. Many of the pieces are multi-functional, either because “we put our ideas together so that our set pieces were literally combined,” explains Jean Mariano, or because there is limited space. For example, “the largest city-scape flips around to be a dressing room and the archway is used for the sewer, Cuba, and the Hot Box,” says Alston. As expected, there were some challenges involved in designing the set. Since there is not much space to store large pieces, “we had to downsize a bit in terms of the scale of everything,” says Alston. It was also tough, Mariano says, to “make sure that the set is aesthetically pleasing but also flexible for many of the scenes of the show.” As Mr. Sherry says, it is always important to ask the question “‘Can we build it?’ We have limited time and a student crew who is learning by doing. That is always the challenge and what makes it so much fun as well.” -Hannah Ades THE STARS BEHIND THE SCENES: THIRD TRIMESTER CREW Jessica Azerad Lee Ehudin Teddy Reiss Katie Bartel Fredric Fabiano Zoe Ross Sebastian Brunner-Stolovitzky Agatha Hillel Rebecca Segall David Castellanos Alex Hwang Alex Vogelsang Bryan Chen Josh Kwak Tiffany Wang Elliot Chen Richard Lee (Kun Ho) Winta Zaid Sinai Cruz Daniel Lein Kenneth Zhang Danielle Dunn Jean Mariano Adam Egelman Pablo Melana-Dayton Spotlight on: Bill Stanley

Guys & Dolls Music Director The Thespian: What kind of experience have you had as a musician and musical director? Bill Stanley: I started out as accompanist for the college/local theatre company in my home town of Logan, Utah. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in piano performance (classical), I went on some non-union “bus & truck” tours as a pit musician. These tours brought me to 46 states over the next few years, but since we were at most venues only for 1 night, I didn’t see much beyond what could be seen from the bus window. The tours weren’t lucrative financially, but they gave me invaluable experience in dealing with the unexpected. What do you do in Thunder Bay, Ontario when half the cast has laryngitis including Sally Bowles, the leading role in Cabaret? You make adjustments (quickly!), and find a way for the show to go on. I moved to New York and started picking up work as an accompanist for auditions and classes. As I started to get to know other musicians, particularly pianists, they would start to send work my way. Eventually this led to work as Musi- cal Director at Equity theatres like Westchester Broadway Theatre where the Orchestra generally numbers 7-10. Offers to work at major Regional Theatres followed, including North Shore Music Theatre (near Boston), Sacramento Music Circus, and Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars, where I would conduct large orchestras. In 2001, I hit the road again as Musical Director (conducting from the piano) for Smokey Joe’s Cafe starring Gladys Knight. Now THAT was intimidat- ing, working with a music legend like Gladys. She is still a tremendous performer. She and her brother, Bubba, one of the original Pips, rekindled in me the joy of performing. What a tremendous experience. Most recently, I’ve been serving as rehearsal accompanist and Keyboard 1 for the Rockette’s Christmas Spectacular. This presents a different challenge, because the precision in the choreography requires the music to be every bit as exact- ing. So in rehearsal, the drummer and I must hit the perfect tempo every time - and believe me, the choreographers let us know when we don’t! It was terrifying at first, but once I adjusted to their system, it became fun - but always a challenge. 9 Thespian: What music do you love listening to? BS: I enjoy a huge variety of music. Currently I listen to “Lightnin’ Hopkins,” an acoustic Blues legend. I love classical music, especially music of the romantic period (Chopin’s ballads, Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies), but also Beethoven, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Scriabin...too many to name. I love classic rock of the 60’s & 70’s (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin), Jazz (Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan), Rhythm & Blues (Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder), and some- what more contemporary rock, like Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Foo Fighters. My broad musical tastes are one of the reasons I chose Musical Theatre as a profession, because shows can be set in such different time periods and scored with the corresponding musical style. Musicals can be almost classical (Gilbert & Sullivan), traditional (South Pacific), ethni- cally flavored Fiddler( on the Roof), pop (Sideshow), or even rock (American Idiot, The Who’sTommy ). Thespian: Have you ever worked with students before? BS: I’ve been working with students for 25 years, starting in college. It is so rewarding when a student truly dedicates herself/himself to the art! It can be equally frustrating when a student has immense talent, but no work ethic. Fortu- nately, in the Guys and Dolls cast, we have only students of the dedicated variety. I didn’t expect such professionalism at a high school level, so I am thrilled. Thespian: What are your hobbies outside the world of music? BS: I am a comic book geek. Yes, under my bed are long-boxes full of comics, old and new. My prized possession is my copy of the first appearance ofWolverine , Hulk #180 and 181. I’m not ashamed to admit it! I also recently discovered a passion for history, so I’m filling in the gaps in my education by reading historical biogra- phies. And I truly love it. Thespian: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians? BS: Practice, of course! There is no short cut. And think creatively about what your career options are - there are so many niches in the music world that can fulfill you creatively. For instance, it takes a great musician to run the mixing console at a recording studio. And shoot for something you enjoy, above all! -Asher Baumrin HMTC OFFICER TRIVIA: 1. This HMTC officer rocked it out in Static on the Airwaves. 2. These HMTC officers are currently singing “New Girl in Town” from the movie version of Hairspray in the HM spring concert. 3. This HMTC officer can speak in every voice imagineable.

4. This HMTC officer is a competitive skater.

5. This HMTC officer saw The Hunger Games fourTaub times.Matt 5. Simerka-Smith Rachel 4. Goldberg Megan 3. Answers: 1 Antonio Irizary 2. Katie Birenboim, Rachel Buissereth Buissereth Rachel Birenboim, Katie 2. Irizary Antonio 1 Answers: 10 Cast Accounts: First Musical! Gurbani Suri Struts her Stuff as a Hotbox Girl Sexy, bubbly, and so darn cute, the Hotbox girls definitely steal the show in Frank Loesser’s hilarious musical comedy Guys and Dolls. While being a Hotbox girl certainly includes dancing – a lot of it – it also requires serious acting chops. Getting fully into our characters, we have a great time practicing our routines with Mrs. Kolinski till they’re “hotbox ready.” For me, the best part of our dances is the props: ropes, mink fur stoles, and of course our cowboy boots. My favorite moment was on our first day when we went to the costume shop and dug through all the boxes of shoes finding the perfect pair of cowboy boots. As a senior, this experience is especially meaningful for me because I have never been in a theatrical production. I always wanted to give it a shot before I left Horace Mann. I was thrilled to be standing around the piano with Bill and the eleven other hotbox girls practicing our high-pitched singing. “He loves me! He loves me not! He loves me! He loves me not!” Although being a hotbox girl is not traditionally considered a large role, I’m hoping it will be memorable for the audience. I know it will be for me.

Seth Arar Takes a “Gamble” “Sashay, sashay, a little higher! “Go straight to the ‘n’ on down…” “Hold it, hold it… 5,6,7,8!” My head was swimming the first time I heard these instructions while working with Bill Stanley and Alison Kolinski. This is, after all, my first time performing in a high school production, let alone a musical, and I was really thrown in head-first. I missed the first two rehearsals for sports, and as a result had to catch up by myself. Thankfully, however, the skill of the adults and the experience of my fel- low chorus members, made my job relatively easy, and even fun. I enjoy singing in a group, not only because it masks my own singing flaws, but also because we really create powerful harmonies. Dancing is much the same. The whole group pirouetting in front of the large mirror pro- duces the energy and enthusiasm that I find is lacking from many other parts of the day. So far I can say that being in a production is a great experience. I can relax in rehearsal and become part of a family while challenging myself to improve. 11 Curtain Call: Seniors ‘12

Katie Birenboim: Editor-in-Chief of The Thespian I didn’t have the easiest of transitions into the HMTC. As a freshman in 42nd Street, I was intimidated by the tall seniors who waltzed into dance auditions laughing with their friends and calling Ms. Kolinski by her first name. Instead, I slowly but surely found my niche in the Theatre Company, becoming editor ofThe Thespian and performing in 42nd Street, Oliver!, The Apple Tree, two dance concerts, and of course, come April, Guys and Dolls. Editing The Thespian really allowed me to find my way. I was able to interact with students from all grades and sharpen my interest in artistic journalism. I have loved every minute of editing The Thespian – from brainstorming creative article topics, to tracking down late writers (yes, this is par for the course in the HMTC), to watching an interesting, student-written newsletter come to life (my personal favorite part). The Thespian has of course also helped me to develop and deepen relationships with my co-editors, both of whom I look up to and admire immeasurably. But it is impossible for me to separate my experience with The Thespian from my experience with the HMTC as a whole. Looking back on those first42nd Street auditions and looking forward to my final performance on the Gross Theatre stage withGuys and Dolls, I can chart the course of my own theatrical development. My experiences with the HMTC have shaped me into a well-rounded actor – challenging my weaknesses, supporting my strengths, and encouraging my curiosity about theatre beyond performance. More importantly, however, the HMTC has had a huge impact on who I am as a person. I want to thank Jonathan for always lending a helping hand and bringing sunshine to the dark days of “deadline.” I want to thank Alison, whom I now proudly call by her first name, for never giving up on me when I couldn’t get this or that step and for always believ- ing in me as a dancer and as a person. I want to thank Woody for forcing me to grow as an actor, teaching me to be a graceful performer, and for being my friend. And I want to thank all of the members of the HMTC for making my high school experience so meaningful. I love you guys! Megan Goldberg: Publicity Antonio Irrizary: President I have been a part of the HMTC ever since Where do I start? This theater company is unlike any group of people I I came to Horace Mann in my sophomore have ever worked with. The shows change. The company evolves. Sets year all the way from the wild, wild west (also go up and are struck, but the dominating sentiments among actors, known as California). Before joining the crew, dancers, and designers are love and appreciation. As the end of HMTC, I had never been involved in any kind the season approaches, I find it hard to gather the words to express my of theater: I stuck mostly to extra-curricular own love and gratitude for everything I’ve learned. activities involving bats, nets, or goals. Now The theater has been my home since I donned the fuzzy gloves and ears I am a completely converted theater nerd. I to play the big bad Wolf in Into the Woods. Now, as the opening night have made so many friends on the Horace of Guys and Dolls draws closer, I face the bittersweet end of my time on Mann stage and having to say goodbye to stage with the best people I know. Each member of the theater faculty them this year is one of the toughest things I has taught me something profound about the theater and about myself. will have to do when I graduate. Thank you I wish nothing but success to this big theater family. I know that my to everyone who has helped make my HMTC Rachel will continue doing such great work as the senior Co-President experience what it was. in the season to come. Thank you ALL for an amazing four years! 12 ACROSS DOWN 2 The Type of Doll Sarah is 1 Come Againsy Lips Louis From Sky Masterson to Don 3 2 Corleone The Author Who Inspired Take it Back 4 Guys & Dolls 5 What Nicely-Nicely is Big Jule’s Worst Subject in 6 Always Doing 6 School A Cuban Milkshake As Only a Can Be 8 7 For A What is Simultaneously 9 Permanent & Floating? The City that is Also 10 Nathan’s Last Name