PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, November 16, 2011 CONTACT: Patrick Finlon, Marketing Director 315-443-2636 or [email protected]

A Fantastical, Musical Adventure for the Holidays in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

(Syracuse, NY)— London. The war is on and the bombs are falling. Four children – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy – flee the perils of the Blitz to the safety of the countryside. In an old wardrobe they discover a portal to the land of Narnia, where a fearsome White Witch holds the inhabitants spellbound in a winter lasting 100 years. There the children enter a deadly struggle, joining with the great lion, Aslan, to battle the White Witch and her army. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and rarely produced State-side, this thrilling musical adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ inspiring tale delivers excitement for the whole family. Recommended for ages 6 and up.

Running November 25 through December 31, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (LWW) will be performed in the Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage, 820 East Genesee Street. It is co-produced with ’s Department of Drama. Tickets range $18-$50 and are available at the Syracuse Stage Box Office, 315-443-3275 or www.SyracuseStage.org. Sponsors are Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, HSBC, Hiscock & Barclay, and Residence Inn Marriott. Media sponsors are Eagle Newspapers, Syracuse.com, WAER, and WCNY. Syracuse Stage’s 2011-2012 season sponsor is The Post-Standard.

Dramatized by Adrian Mitchell (poet, novelist and playwright) with music composed by Shaun Davey (Tony nomination for James Joyce’s The Dead), LWW will be directed by Linda Hartzell, who directed the show twice for Seattle Children’s Theatre, where she has served as Artistic Director for 27 years.

“I love epic, timeless, ageless stories,” said Hartzell, who believes the highly theatrical nature of the production holds an appeal that will be gratifying for all ages. “There’s a lot of theatrical magic in here with some incredible puppets, a sleigh that moves across the stage, and if not sleight of hand, huge appearances and disappearances that work on stage.”

The 27 member cast includes professionals from around the country and SU Drama students earning points towards membership in the Actors’ Equity Association. Professional cast members include Jordan Barbour as Aslan (last seen at Syracuse Stage in Rent), Stephen Cross as Maugrim and Rumblebuffin, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan as the White Witch, James Judy as Professor Kirk and Father Christmas, Eric Leviton as Beaver, and Jayne Muirhead as Mrs. Beaver and Mrs. Macready. From the 21 student cast members, four will perform as the Pavensie children: Marie Eife as Susan, Charlo Kirk as Edmund, Jenaha McLearn as Lucy, and Amos VanderPoel as Peter.

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As one of Syracuse Stage’s largest productions to date, LWW requires full use of Stage’s resident shops to create the beauty and magic of Narnia. In the Scenery Construction Shop, over nine tons of counterweight will be used to support the flown in scenery and lights, two 5 horsepower motors will drive the automated scenery, and 6 pneumatic cylinders are used to control special effects. In the Costume Shop, technicians produced 75 costumes and 20 headpieces from fabrics that range from neoprene, foam, spandex, plastic, metal, weed whacker line, to wool and silk. In the Props Shop, all props were custom-built including large- scale items such as a stove, a fireplace, a throne, a chandelier made of steel and plexiglass, and a self-propelled Witch’s sledge.

In addition, just for this production, Syracuse Stage has contracted a Master Puppet Builder who will bring to life various creatures of Narnia including an eagle, centaur, bat, squirrels, stretchy, and snozy bosch.

A photo gallery of set models and costume renderings may be viewed here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/syracusestage/sets/72157627927636043/.

Musically, the show requires nine musicians playing keyboards, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, flute, piccolo, recorder, percussion, trumpet, tenor horn, guitar and acoustic bass. Lush and symphonic, the songs borrow from traditional Irish music. Musical directing the show is Dianne Adams McDowell, whose previous Syracuse Stage credits include West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, and Little Women, among others.

While there have been many adaptations of LWW including films and stage productions, the version seen at Syracuse Stage was created in 1998 for the Royal Shakespeare Company. It is regarded as one of the best adaptations, breaking all box office records when it debuted.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first of seven books in C.S Lewis’ magical Chronicles of Narnia, published between 1950 and 1956, which includes Prince Caspian (1951), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), The Silver Chair (1953), The Horse and His Boy (1954), The Magician’s Nephew (1955), and The Last Battle (1956). The books have sold over 100 million copies and have been printed in over 40 languages, solidifying their place as one of the most significant series in the genres of fantasy and children’s literature.

Director Linda Harzell believes the overarching context of the Pevensie children having to be sent to the country to escape the bombing of London offers a way for parents and children to explore the story together. “I think [Lewis] saw the need to write a story for parents and for children to say, ‘There are going to be tough times, there are going to be scary times, but we’re not going to be alone. You have to have resilience. You have to have hope.’”

ONGOING SPECIAL EVENTS & PROGRAMS

LIVE in the Sutton Series: Friday, December 2 following the 8:00 p.m. press opening night.

Wednesday @ 1 Lecture Series: Wednesday, December 7 at 1 p.m., before the 2 p.m. matinee. Speaker: Dr. Miles Taylor, Associate Professor of English at , will discuss “When Literature and Religion meet: C.S. Lewis and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Open Captioned Series: Wednesday, December 7 at 2 p.m. & Sunday, December 18 at 2 p.m.

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Happy Hour: Thursday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. Half-price drinks and live music before the 7:30 p.m. performance.

Welch Allyn Sign Interpreted Performance Series In Memory of Susan Thompson: Wednesday, December 10 at 3 p.m.

Audio-Described Series: Saturday, December 17 at 3 p.m. Patrons who are blind or visually impaired may pick up an infrared audio receiver upon arriving at the theatre, and during the performance a live narrator will verbalize visual details about the actors and scenic elements. Due to limited availability, audio receivers must be reserved in advance at our Box Office, 315-443-3275.

Actor Talkback Series: Sunday, December 18 following the 7:00 p.m. performance.

SYRACUSE STAGE

Syracuse Stage is Central ’s premier professional theatre. Founded in 1974, Stage has produced more than 235 plays in 38 seasons including a number of world, American, and East Coast premieres. Each season 90,000 patrons enjoy an adventurous mix of new plays and bold interpretations of classics and musicals featuring the finest theatre artists. In addition, Stage maintains a vital educational outreach program that annually serves over 30,000 students from 24 counties. A solid core of subscribers and supporters helps keep Syracuse Stage a vibrant artistic presence in . Additional support comes from the government, foundations, corporations and Syracuse University. Syracuse Stage is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and a member of the Arts and Cultural Leadership Alliance (ACLA), the University Hill Corporation and the East Genesee Regent Association. Syracuse Stage is a member of The League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the largest professional theatre association in the country.

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Info Sheet

BASIC INFO

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Dramatized by Adrian Mitchell Music Composed by Shaun Davey Directed by Linda Hartzell Musical Direction by Dianne Adams McDowell Choreographed by Anthony Salatino Co-produced with Syracuse University's Department of Drama

November 25—December 31, 2011 Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage 820 East Genesee Street; Syracuse, NY 13210

SPONSORS

Season Sponsor: The Post-Standard

Show Sponsors: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield HSBC Hiscock & Barclay Residence Inn Marriott

Media Sponsor: Eagle Newspapers Syracuse.com WAER WCNY

TICKETS

Adults: $28-$50 18 & Under: $18 40 & Under: $28

*Senior discounts available all performances except Friday and Saturday evenings.

*Rush tickets day of performance only: $20-$25 general public and $18 with valid student ID, subject to availability.

Online: www.SyracuseStage.org Call: 315-443-3275 In person: 820 East Genesee Street Groups (10 or more): 315-443-9844

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CAST

Kyle Anderson (Ogre, Ensemble) Benjamin Ashe (Griffin, Ensemble) Jordan Barbour (Aslan, Railway Porter) Tara Carbone (Face on Butt, Young Wolf, Ensemble) LilyAnn Carlson (Maid 1, Pig, Ensemble) Kendall Cooper (Beaky, Ensemble) Stephen Cross (Maugrim, Rumblebuffin, Ensemble, Fight Captain) Mara Dale (Maid 2, Bat, Ensemble) Maclain W. Dassatti (Tumnus) Jacquelyn Piro Donovan (White Witch) Marie Eife (Susan) Aisling Halpin (Dryad, Reindeer, Evil Dance 1, Ensemble) Ben Holtzman (Grumpskin) James Judy (Professor Kirk, Father Christmas) Charlo Kirk (Edmund) Katie Lamark (Snozy Bosch, Ensemble) Eric Leviton (Beaver, Air Raid Warden) Jenaha McLearn (Lucy) Jayne Muirhead (Mrs. Beaver, Mrs. Macready, Ensemble) Micah Nameroff (Satyr, Evil Dancer 3, Ensemble) Erin Nishimura (Bull, Ensemble) Marcelo Pereira (Centaur, Ensemble) Elliot Peterson (Eagle, Ensemble) Dan Reardon (Leopard, Ensemble) Jonalyn Saxer (Nyad, Reindeer, Evil Dancer 2, White Stag, Ensemble) Amos VanderPoel (Peter) Joanne Wilkens (Maid 3, Stretchy, Ensemble)

DESIGNERS

Carey Wong (Scenic Designer) Catherine Hunt (Costume Designer) Rick Paulsen (Lighting Designer) Jonathan R. Herter (Sound Designer) Annett Mateo (Master Puppet Builder)

STAGE MANAGEMENT

Stuart Plymesser (Production Stage Manager) Laura Jane Collins (Stage Manager)

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SHOW CALENDAR (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER)

SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT

25 26

8:00 P 8:00 P

27 28 29 30 1 2 3

7:00 7:30 P 7:30 P 8:00 O 3:00 PWYC 8:00

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2:00 2:00 OC 7:30 8:00 3:00 S

7:30 8:00

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

2:00 7:30 8:00 3:00 AD

8:00

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

2:00 OC 7:30 7:30 7:30 2:00

7:00 D 8:00

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

7:30 2:00 7:30 2:00 8:00 3:00

7:30 7:30

PWYC=Pay What You Can Night (Final Dress Rehearsal) P=Preview O=Press Opening, LIVE in the Sutton S=Sign Interpreted AD=Audio Described OC = Open Captioned D=Actor Talkback W=Wednesday @ 1 Lecture

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Syracuse Stage I Producing Artistic Director: Timothy Bond I Managing Director: Jeffrey Woodward 820 E. Genesee St. I Main: 315-443-4008 I Box Office: 315-443-3275 I www.syracusestage.org

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