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W E S T O N P L A Y H O U S E T H E A T R E C O M P A N Y T H E P H A N T O M T O L L B O O T H 9 1 0 S H O W N O T E S 2 The Phantom Tollbooth 2 Synopsis Even surrounded by dozens of toys, Milo is bored. Nothing interests him at all. The Phantom Tollbooth comes to the rescue! Transported to the Land of Wisdom, Milo is thrust into adventure when told Princesses Rhyme and Reason need rescuing to bring peace between two kings. They are divided over which is more important: words or numbers. Knee-deep in danger, language and math along the way, Milo learns everything has a purpose. Upon his return home, he realizes there is never a reason to be bored in a world full of so many things to discover. Synopsis provided by Musical Theatre International (mtishows.com) About the Authors Sheldon Harnick Born April 30, 1924 and raised in Chicago, Sheldon Harnick began studying the violin while in grammar school. After serving in the U.S. Army for three years, he enrolled in the Northwestern University School of Music, and earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1949. Though his focus had been the violin, Harnick also developed skills as a writer of comedy sketches, songs and parody lyrics, and eventually decided to try his luck as a theatrical lyricist in New York City. A few years into his New York career, Harnick joined up with composer Jerry Bock to write their own musicals. Their first hit, Fiorello! (1959) put the team on the map. Their musical biography of New York City's legendary mayor earned the Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics' Circle Award. Their next musical, Tenderloin (1960), set in the seamy Tenderloin district of late 19th century New York, was followed by She Loves Me (1963), which beguiled audiences with its Central European charm and operatic elegance. In 1964, Bock & Harnick, working with director-choreographer Jerome Robbins and book writer Joseph Stein, created a musical masterpiece that vividly evoked a vanished community while telling a story with universal and timeless appeal. Fiddler On The Roof, based on a series of short stories by Jewish folklorist Sholom Alecheim, earned the Tony Award, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, a gold record (for both its Broadway cast album and film soundtrack recordings) and a platinum record (for the Broadway album.) In 1971, with the Broadway production still running, United Artists released the film version starring Topol. The following year the stage production became the longest-running show in Broadway history, a record it held until 1979. Sheldon Harnick’s career has spanned over 50 years. He is a member of The Dramatists Guild and the Songwriters Guild of America. In addition to his Tonys, Pulitzer and Grammys, his many other honors include: The Johnny Mercer Award presented by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Marc Blizstein Memorial Award for achievement in the creation of opera librettos, presented by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and an Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters awarded by Illinois Wesleyan University, and Muskingum College. Biography provided by rnh.com The Phantom Tollbooth 3 About the Authors Arnold Black Arnold Black was born on May 2, 1923 in Philadelphia. He had cerebral palsy, which restricted mobility in his right side. Despite those resitrictions, Black decided to study the violin, and eventually went on to graduate from The Juilliard School with a major in violin and composition. He played in the Casals Festival and the NBC Symphony and eventually became the Assistant Concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestra. He is best known for founding and directing the Mohawk Trail Concerts in Shelburne Falls, Massachussets, for over thirty years. Black was the composer in residence at the Circle in the Square Theater in the early 1950s, where he Sheldon Harnick worked with the director José Quintero and wrote scores for some acclaimed productions, including Ulysses in Nighttown, based on the James Joyce novel and starring Zero Mostel. He co-wrote, with Eric Bentley, four songs for Bentley’s January 2000 production of Bertolt Brecht‘s Edward II; he also wrote scores for Bentley’s productions of La Ronde, Wansee, Woyzek, Leonce and Lena, and Brecht’s The Exception and the Rule. Other theatre groups for which he composed include the National Shakespeare Company (Oedipus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Trojan Horse) and the Eugene O’Neill Theater (Oblomov). Among his advertising credits are commercials for IBM, Perrier, Estée Lauder, Mobil, and Sunoco. Black collaborated on several films with the noted cartoonist R.O. Blechman, and wrote music for the films River Song, Black Harvest, Empire of Reason, and, with Eric Clapton, Peace for Our Time. Arnold Black Black died on June 25, 2000 at his home in Charlemont, MA. Biography adapted from newmusicusa.org Norton Juster Norton Juster is an architect and planner, professor emeritus of design at Hampshire College, and the author of a number of highly acclaimed children’s books, including The Dot and the Line, which was made into an Academy Award-winning animated film. He has collaborated with Sheldon Harnick on the libretto for an opera based on The Phantom Tollbooth. The musical adaptation, with a score by Arnold Black, premiered in 1995. An amateur cook and professional eater, Mr. Juster lives with his wife in Amherst, Massachusetts. Biography provided by Penguin Random House (penginrandomhouse.com) Norton Juster The Phantom Tollbooth 4 How the Arts Inform STE(A)M Education The Phantom Tollbooth is fundamentally about developing a love of learning—not of math and science or the arts and humanities, but all of the above. While the Kingdom of Wisdom may be quarrelling over numbers and words, Princess Rhyme and Reason help Milo understand the importance of both. Throughout his journey, Milo discovers that to complete his quest, he must harness what he leans in Digitopolis and Dictionopolis, using all of his math, language, and creative skills at once. Exit the Land of Wisdom through the tollbooth and you’ll find that educators around the United States have come to the same conclusion as our princesses—the arts and humanities don’t just inform the sciences but are essential to how they are studied. For years, educators have been highlighting the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs. But more recently, experts have begun advocating for the integration of the arts into core curriculum. Harvey Seifter, the director of Arts and Science Learning project, advocates that schools change STEM to STEAM, the “A” standing for art. Seifter, along with other STEAM advocates, emphasize is that “the arts hold great potential to foster creativity and new ways of thinking that can help unleash STEM innovation.”[1] In fact, history has already proven Seifter right. 2008 study led by Robert Root-Bernstein of Michigan State University found that Nobel laureates in the sciences were 22 times more likely than scientists in general to be involved in the performing arts.[2] Educational experts note that artists have a special ability to problem solve and forge a path to the answer when presented with a complex problem. John Maeda, the president of the Rhode Island School of Design, says, “There is creativity in STEM itself, super genius in it...but in arts education, it really is the raison d’etre to be out of the box, to accept the chaos...[artists] are risk takers, they can think around corners.”[3] Some critics fear that STEAM will take the focus off of the core subjects, but advocates emphasize that approach the sciences through an artistic lens unlock students’ innate creativity and allow for innovation. Approaching the sciences in this way “contributes to the development of essential skills like collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. It also enhances a student’s flexibility, adaptability, productivity, responsibility, and innovation.”[4] Integrating curricula allows students to approach topics from multiple lenses and thrive no matter the subject. Skills learned in the arts create well-rounded students, critical thinkers, and successful career in any area of study. [1] “STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM” by Erik W. Robelen, (https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/01/13steam_ep.h31.html) [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] STEM to STEAM: The “Arts” and Its Importance in STEM Education (https://www.makeblock.com/official-blog/218830.html) The Phantom Tollbooth 5 Designs and Renderings The Phantom Tollbooth takes place in the magical Lands Beyond and introduces us to many magical, fun characters. Take a look at how our designers brought this musical to life. Courtesy of Costume Designer Whitney Locher Courtesy of Scenic Designer Brian Dudkiewicz The Phantom Tollbooth 6 Meet the Cast Now in its nineteenth year, the Young Company program recruits students from some of the country’s best musical theatre programs to spend their summer performing and studying at the Weston Playhouse. Meet this year’s eight YoCo members! "What excites me most about visually expressing Norton Juster's novel on a stage is that it invites audiences to weave their imaginations into the areas that allow for more individual analysis. I am looking forward to discussing the literal, physical approaches on the many life lessons Juster has explored, and passing them to viewers in a clear yet interpretational way." Dominic Dorset, University of Michigan "I am excited to explore the world and depth of Milo’s imagination and how each character adds to his journey of self discovery." Jazley Genovese, Pace University "I am so beyond excited to be telling the story of The Phantom Tollbooth.

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