March TACOMA MUSICAL PLAYHOUSE Non-Profit Org. 2015 U.S. Postage 7116 Sixth Avenue VOLUME XVIII, ISSUE IV Tacoma, WA 98406 PAID 253-565-6867 Tacoma, WA TMP Box Office Permit No. 1317 [email protected] Tue ˗ Fri | 10AM ˗ 6PM 253-565-6867 www.tmp.org THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF TACOMA MUSICAL PLAYHOUSE Order Online www.tmp.org

American Express MasterCard Proud Sponsor of Visa

EVITA No service charges for online or phone orders. What’s Playing at the Playhouse... Tacoma Musical Playhouse’s fourth Mainstage RAFE WADLEIGH (Che Guevara) A music teach- musical of the 2014/15 season is Evita. Win- er at Holy Names Academy in Seattle, Rafe grew ner of seven Tony Awards, and one of the up in a theater household, performing each summer most popular collaborations between Andrew with his family in the summer stock company his Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. father founded at WSU. Past roles at TMP include Nine (Guido Contini), Guys & Dolls (Skye Master- Enriching lives through the art form of musical theater! April 10 – May 3, 2015 son), She Loves Me (Kodaly) and South Pacific Tacoma’s Award-Winning Musical Theater Fridays & Saturdays | 8PM & Sundays | 2PM (Emile). & Saturday Matinees JONATHAN BILL (Juan Peron) April 25 & May 2, 2015 | 2PM Jonathan a high school teacher, is enjoying his second show at TMP, previously appearing in The Sound Of About the Show Music (Capt. Von Trapp). Other favorite roles in the Upcoming TMP Events—Save the Date! EVITA is both inspiring and tragic in that it last several years include Spamalot (King Arthur), The tells of Eva Peron’s unlikely rise from an Ar- Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho), Dirty Rotten Scoun- gentine slum, where she is the child of a single drels (Lawrence), and The Odd Couple (Oscar). May 6, 2015 May 15 - June 7, 2015 June 20, 2015 mother—to her career as an ambitious ac- 11:30 AM Saturday, 8:00 PM BUDDY HOLLY STORY tress—and ultimately to her securing a place in TMP’s last two shows of the season are The BUDDY SPRING AUCTION & The true story of Buddy’s me- THE THREE LOUIES the nation’s seat of power, the Presidential HOLLY STORY (May 15 - June 7, 2015) and WEST LUNCHEON teoric rise to fame, from the Lance Buller presents The Palace. There, the once destitute girl who has SIDE STORY (July 10 - August 2, 2015). Tickets are A fun afternoon to meet new moment in 1957 when “That’ll Three Louies; Louie Arm- become Argentina’s First Lady, wins the ado- still available. people, lunch at La Quinta, in Be The Day” hit the airwaves strong, Louis Prima & Louis ration of her people by displaying concern for Tacoma and have fun bidding until his tragic death less than Jordan. the poor and disadvantaged, despite her own If you didn’t purchase season tickets you can still pur- on various items that you two years later. failing health. Eva’s inability to control her chase a 3-show FLEX pass. This would include Evita, really need! July 5, 2015 greed and ambition, however, lends an overrid- Buddy Holly and West Side Story. Even if you already May 20, 2015 Sunday, 7:00 PM ing element of Greek tragedy to the story, purchased one of these shows tickets, you can still May 10, 2015 7:00 PM BEHIND THE CURTAIN! which nonetheless manages to work as a thor- purchase a 3-show FLEX pass. Sunday, 11:00 PM SWING REUNION WEST SIDE STORY oughly absorbing musical. 3-Show Flex Pass Pricing MOTHER’S DAY ORCHESTRA Attend an entertaining, informa- Adults | $76 CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH Big Band night featuring Taco- tive and free preview presenta- About the Leads ALENA MENEFEE (Evita) Sr./Military/Student | $71 Celebrate Mother’s Day in style ma’s own Swing Reunion Or- tion of TMP’s upcoming produc- Children (12 & under) | $55 at TMP with a lavish brunch and chestra. Come hear your favorites: tion of West Side Story. Alena is a former Navy Band vocalist and life- long performer turned student of speech- wonderful entertainment. Glen Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, But what is a Flex Pass you ask? Flex Passes are just language pathology. While continuing her Duke Ellington, among others. that: flexible! Give us a call 253-565-6867 or e-mail studies at the University of Washington, she our Box Office [email protected] to purchase yours June 19, 2015 July 10 - August 2, 2015 sings in and coaches competitive a cappella today. May 10, 2015 Friday, 8:00PM WEST SIDE STORY groups, and is learning to write and arrange music. Evita is her fifth show at TMP, and she Sunday, 7:00 PM T - TOWN CABARET When Tony goes to support is thrilled and humbled to be working with BEHIND THE CURTAIN! Don’t miss out on this fun the Jets at a school dance he such a fantastic cast and crew. BUDDY HOLLY STORY event including a no-host bar, meets Maria, the sister of the Attend an entertaining, informative appetizers and an incredible Shark's leader, Bernardo, and 2014 ˗ 2015 Season Partners and free preview presentation of evening of cabaret style enter- falls in love. Advanced Stream Broadband Internet Access | Alaska Airlines | Boeing Corporation | The Dimmer Family Foundation TMP’s upcoming production of The tainment. The Florence B. Kilworth Foundation | Horizons Foundation | The Gottfried & Mary Fuchs Foundation | Greater Tacoma Community Foundation Buddy Holly Story. Russell Family Foundation | Pacific Office Automation | Pierce County Arts Commission | IBM | Edward Jones’s Jason Light

News from the Artistic Director’s Chair… THEATER DIRECTORY TMP Cornerstone “Please spell cow!” Audiences Peron. Other cast members in- We have re- by Diana George roared at our production of 25th clude Rafe Wadleigh (Nine), ceived a Annual Putnam County Jeff Barehand (Les Miserables) $10,000 match- Dancing with the Tacoma Stars was a fabu- Did you know when you attend our fundrais- tions and raffles. They’re a wonderful way to Spelling Bee. Some of you as well as a brilliant ensemble. ing challenge grant from Ken lous TMP fundraising event to celebrate with ing events you: give to TMP and support the arts community came three times to see this and Nancy Keiter. This means your love on Valentine’s Day. Thank you to in the South Puget Sound region while hav- clever show. Our talented cast Don’t forget Behind the Cur- that for every dollar our patrons everyone who attended and supported the * help pay for 25% of TMP’s elaborate sets, ing fun. For more information about ways to had to be quick on their feet tain at TMP for Evita. This free give us, they will match up to COME JOIN US Stars and Amateur couples who competed. A costumes and props that you enjoy on the support TMP programs, please call Diana at with all of the necessary im- event gives you a sneak peek at $10,000! Thank you Ken and big THANK YOU to our sponsors Wells 253-565-6867 or [email protected]. Saturday, April 11 mainstage provisation. Every show was the upcoming show. Behind the Nancy for always being such Fargo Private Bank and Courtyard at the 8:00 PM slightly different making it real- Curtain will be on Saturday, generous supporters of TMP. Marriott for their support of the arts in our $25 each ticket * help support the free senior theater pro- ly fun for the actors and our April 4th at 7:00 p.m. This is Help us reach our goal of region. audience. due to Easter on April 5th. Mark $55,000 and put TMP’s name gram-The Young At Heart Players that on your calendar so you up on the marquee and make Congratulations to our Greatest Tacoma Star Our next show, Evita, is an won’t forget. It lasts only an other improvements to the front * give to the youth scholarship program. -Kathy Kluska and our People’s Choice Star- opera-line musical based on the hour and a half. of our theater. With your help, we gave 23 children a Nancy Keiter as well as the Amateur Best life and times of Eva Peron. chance to shine under the stage lights last Couple- Lynnea Tweed and Mike Garello Written by Andrew Lloyd Web- Would you like to see a new It’s not too late to purchase a 3- season and People’s Choice Couple -Jeanne Tran ber and Tim Rice, it is consid- marquee in front of the building show Flex pass for new sub- and John Stray. ered one of their best shows with TMP’s name on it? We scribers. Enjoy the discount of a Speaking of events, the Ladies Fundraising with a challenging and haunt- would! We have contracted a season subscriber for the three Auction and Spring Luncheon is coming up ingly beautiful score. We have local designer to create a new remaining shows of the sea- If you didn’t attend this time, you missed May 6 at La Quinta again. Do you have COME JOIN US some wonderful performances by Ballroom an outstanding cast lined up for marquee and box office sign son—Evita, The Buddy Holly your tickets yet for this very popular event? Saturday, April 18 Youth Teams from around the Puget Sound this show with Alena Menefee that reflects who we are and in Story, and West Side Story. We are also looking for unique and fun as well as many TMP favorites including 8:00 PM (Eponine in Les Miserables) the style of the 1949 Art-Deco items for the live and silent auction. Have some of the best of our Youth Education $40 a couple playing the title role and Jona- building. You can see the new Jon Douglas Rake an idea or an item to donate? We’d love programs. So many people make this event (For couples age than Bills (Captain Von Trapp design in our lobby display. To Managing Artistic Director your help! 40 and under) in The Sound of Music) as Juan date we have raised $16,500. happen each year-thank you to everyone who helped. Please support TMP by attending our fund- raising events and participating in the auc-