Behind the Curtain: Jeannette the Musical
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LIVE JAN 22/23, 2020 BEHIND THE CURTAIN: JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL WINTER SEASON BIG SKY MONTANA 2 WMPAC 2020/2021 WINTER SEASON JANUARY 2021 BEHIND THE CURTAIN: JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL Musical Scenes from a Pop Epic 3 WMPAC 2020/2021 WINTER SEASON BEHIND THE CURTAIN JAN 22/23, 5:30PM & 8:00PM GENRE: Music Theatre JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL WMPAC RATING: Blue Square CONNECTIONS: New TICKETS: $10/$25 A continuation of WMPAC’s Written by America’s most produced relationship with a Broadway- playwright, Lauren M. Gunderson, and bound musical about one of pop sensation Ari Afsar, Jeannette Montana’s most celebrated heralds one person’s radical voice in historical figures, this unique America’s ongoing journey toward equal rights for all. The performances weekend features a creative this weekend feature a creative mix of sampling from an in-the-works, script-in-hand book scenes with an all- epic pop musical based on the star regional cast, hot-off-the-press true story of America’s first orchestrations by Grammy and Tony Congresswoman, suffrage winner Todd Sickafoose (Hadestown), activist, social worker, and new choreography by Yusha-Marie Montanan Jeannette Rankin. Sorzano (Alvin Ailey) never-before-seen WMPAC believes in this story, projection design by David Bengali this show, and we want to (Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical), show you an in-process glimpse and bespoke narrative and musical during a unique time. performances by Ari Afsar and Lauren Gunderson. From Montana to Congress to Broadway 4 WMPAC 2020/2021 WINTER SEASON JAN 22/23, 5:30PM & 8:00PM BEHIND THE CURTAIN: JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL ABOUT JEANNETTE RANKIN BY LAUREN M. GUNDERSON An epic pop musical based on the true story of America’s first congresswoman, Jeannette electrifies the life and history of suffrage activist, social worker and Montanan, Jeannette Rankin. Elected to Congress in 1916—three years before women are granted the right to vote—Jeannette finds herself to be the only female voice within the halls of power to vote on women’s suffrage. Written by America’s most produced playwright Lauren M. Gunderson and pop sensation Ari Afsar, Jeannette heralds one person’s radical voice in America’s ongoing journey toward equal rights for all. Historical images made available by the Archives & Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana and the Montana Historical Society Research Center 5 WMPAC 2020/2021 WINTER SEASON JAN 22/23, 5:30PM & 8:00PM BEHIND THE CURTAIN: JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL Our hero, Jeannette Rankin, is as smart as New and original songs by Ari will put us inside a whip, with a Montanan’s penchant for big the hearts of our feminist revolutionaries as dreams and a politician’s penchant for getting well as in the streets marching with thousands, what she wants. She knows how to play the on the campaign trail, in the family home of game. She knows how to get shit done. But in our heroine, and speaking up for women’s her quiet moments she wants what we all want; rights in the halls of Congress. love, intimacy, to be known for who she truly is. She loved women, but always prioritized Congresswoman Rankin boldly paved the way winning over love. Her sister is her rock. As is for resistance through law and government. her rich and powerful brother, who ultimately She was not only the first woman to win a comes to betray her. place in American And though she rejects federal congress, but proposals of marriage JEANNETTE the first woman in the by Fiorello LaGuardia, RANKIN’S STORY democratic Western they prove that deep world to be voted into friendship might be IS UNTOLD. THIS IS national office. She knew better than marriage for how to work the system unshakably ambitious HER TIME. and had to fight like hell people. to make it happen. She didn’t win every fight and she didn’t come out But like all heroes, ours is fallible, vulnerable, a national hero, but she made a difference and lonely. For a pacifist, she really loves a in Congress, in women’s rights, and to the good fight and makes enemies as quickly thousands of women who wrote to her saying, as she can soothe them. Suffragettes don’t “I have never had a woman politician to write resolutely love her either, a fact she can’t to. I think you will understand.” swallow without bitterness. Her only recourse is to do what she’s always done: play the game, never show weakness, get it done and prove them all wrong. 6 WMPAC 2020/2021 WINTER SEASON JAN 22/23, 5:30PM & 8:00PM BEHIND THE CURTAIN: JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL CAST BIOS TSIAMBWOM M. AKUCHU Tsiambwom M. Akuchu is a hip-hop and performance artist based in Atlanta, Georgia whose work has been presented on stages like the kennedy center and joe’s pub at the public. See more at www.Akuchu.Com AILA AYILAM PECK Aila is thrilled to be returning to WMPAC this year to collaborate with these incredible artists from around the country. She is a Chicago-based theatre maker who also works regionally and internationally. She was last seen playing Catherine in David Auburn’s Proof at The Kitchen Theatre in Ithaca, New York. Her regional theatre experience includes work with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Huntington Theatre, American Players Theatre, and CompanyOne. She has also worked extensively in Chicago theatre including Northlight, Steppenwolf, The Gift, Shattered Globe, Silk Road Rising, and many more. She is a proud graduate of UNCSA and School at Steppenwolf. She is represented by Gray Talent Group. DANIELLE SATHER This is Danielle’s second production with WMPAC and she cannot be more thankful to be working with such an outstanding company during these trying times (especially for theatre). She has an MFA in Acting from the University of Montana and an MA in Performance Studies from Texas A&M University. She currently lives in Bozeman, Montana as a local actor and has little to report considering the pandemic, however, you can also find her performing in the Bozeman Actors Theatre’s upcoming production of Polaroid Stories this spring. GONZALO VALDEZ An Idaho native, Gonzalo found his passion for dance as a senior in high school. After the persuasion of a classmate needing a dance partner, he discovered the power of storytelling through movement and was hooked. Gonzalo’s training includes ballet, modern, contemporary, and musical theater. While at Boise State University, Gonzalo joined the in-residence professional contemporary ballet company, Idaho Dance Theatre (IDT). In his decade with IDT, Gonzalo danced, choreographed, toured, and directed its pre- professional dance company. After leaving IDT, Gonzalo got the opportunity to travel and dance around the world with Viking Ocean Cruises. From the Arctic Circle to the Amazon, Gonzalo performed for two years at sea and managed the performing cast onboard. Most recently he is back home in Idaho and enjoys teaching group fitness classes and is a part- time substitute teacher. Gonzalo is beyond excited to be in Montana for the first time working with the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center on the Jeannette Rankin project. 7 WMPAC 2020/2021 WINTER SEASON JAN 22/23, 5:30PM & 8:00PM BEHIND THE CURTAIN: JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL JEANNETTE THE MUSICAL CAST BIOS JENNIFER WATERS HOWELLS Jennifer Waters Howells is a Big Sky-based choreographer, dancer, yoga instructor and dance teacher bringing dance to the community since 2013, when she opened her studio, Dance Big Sky. A graduate of Boise State University, where she studied dance with Marla Hansen, Howells has enjoyed a long and broad career as a choreographer, dancer, teacher and competitive dance coach and judge across the Northwest. She has danced with many regional and local troupes, including the Trey Mcintyre Project, James Sewell Ballet, Montana Ballet Company, Off Center Dance Project, Broad Comedy, IndepenDANCE, Idaho Dance Theater and Roast and Toast Productions. She has also choreographed for multiple productions including the Special Olympics, IndepenDANCE, Big Sky Community Theater, Big Sky Broadway and Broad Comedy. CREATIVE TEAM ARI AFSAR (Composer/Lyricist/Performer) Ari Afsar is a singer/songwriter with placements on ABC, Disney, and an On-Demand feature. A graduate of Ethnomusicology Jazz from UCLA, Afsar just released her debut EP, “Somewhere I Thought I’d Be.” She opened for Michelle Obama at the Shrine Auditorium, performed at the U.S. Institute of Peace, and opened for the ACLU national conference in D.C. She was Eliza Hamilton in Chicago’s production of Hamilton, Miss California 2010, Top 10 at Miss America 2011, and a Top 36 American Idol alum. She has been an advocate/performer/and public speaker for The Women’s March, The Social Innovation Summit, Nexus Global, The University of Chicago, The MoveOn rally on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, and The United State of Women. She is a co-founder of the non-profit Until We Do It, which provides masks to underserved Black and Brown communities. LAUREN GUNDERSON (Bookwriter) Lauren has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015 topping the list twice including 2019/20. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and the Otis Guernsey New Voices Award, a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and John Gassner Award for Playwriting, and a recipient of the Mellon Foundation’s Residency with Marin Theatre Company. She studied Southern Literature and Drama at Emory University, and Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School where she was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.