A Celebration of the Songs of ANDREW LIPPA August 2016 From the Board Chair About TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Volume 48, No. 2 In this Issue “You’ve come a long way, baby.” Once a memorable ad campaign Welcome to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley and our 47th season of award-winning targeted at women, it somehow works to describe the remarkable 2 About TheatreWorks theatre. Led by Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director trajectory of TheatreWorks over these past 47 years. What began as Silicon Valley Phil Santora, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a wide range of productions a theatre arts workshop for high school and college kids has grown and programming throughout the region. Paul Heppner THE 2016/17 SEASON into an internationally acclaimed organization that celebrates the 4 Founded in 1970, we continue to celebrate the human spirit and the diversity Publisher human spirit in everything it does. This accomplishment is clearly Susan Peterson The Life of the Party Party of the Decade of our community, presenting contemporary plays and musicals, revitalizing evidenced by the work you’re seeing tonight. , 6 great works of the past, championing arts education, and nurturing new works Design & Production Director which debuted in London two years ago at the prestigious Menier Coming Next at TheatreWorks for the American theatre. TheatreWorks has produced 66 world premieres Ana Alvira, Robin Kessler, Chocolate Factory, is an extraordinary celebration of Andrew Lippa’s tuneful, heartfelt, 8 and 160 US and regional premieres. In the 2016/17 season, we add the world Shaun Swick, Stevie VanBronkhorst and always entertaining works, and we’re thrilled to mount its American premiere. Confederates Production Artists and Graphic Design The Life of the Party OSKAR! Returns premiere of and four more regional premieres to our résumé. And as you’re enjoying on stage, I want to invite you to 9 Mike Hathaway another party, another premiere actually, off-stage. TheatreWorks’ first ever “Party of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s 2015/16 season included the world premiere of Sales Director the Decade” will take place on Saturday, November 12 at Palo Alto Hills Golf and 10 When Is a Revue More than the musical Triangle, as well as regional premieres of The Country House, Brieanna Bright, Country Club. And because TheatreWorks was founded in 1970, it seems only fitting a Revue? Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, tokyo fish story, Cyrano, and The Velocity of Joey Chapman, Ann Manning that we revisit this decade for our inaugural celebration. Autumn. Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin broke all our box office records, Seattle Area Account Executives At the risk of only mild hyperbole—Nobody parties like theatre people. Come becoming the highest-grossing show in TheatreWorks’ history. In the course of Marilyn Kallins, Terri Reed, Rob Scott revel in the sights, sounds, and raucous nostalgia of the ‘70s. We were wearing colorful the year, shows that debuted here were produced at theatres around the world. San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives bell bottoms, ponchos, and leisure suits while tuning into Charlie’s Angels, M*A*S*H, With an annual operating budget of $8 million, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Brett Hamil and All in the Family. Gloria Gaynor and the BeeGees gave us disco while competing produces eight mainstage productions at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto Online Editor with Blondie, Queen, and James Brown for our listening and dancing pleasure. and the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Sixteen years ago, we Jonathan Shipley Now… imagine reliving all this with some unique TheatreWorks twists. Come enjoy launched the New Works Initiative, dedicating ourselves to the development of Associate Online Editor an elegant reception and dinner as the wine flows throughout the evening. Make a new plays and musicals. The Initiative has since supported over 150 new works Jonathan Shipley run for your table’s favorite dessert during the lively “Dessert Dash,” and bid to buy through retreats, workshops, staged readings, developmental productions, Ad Services CoordinatorENCORE exclusive, one-of-a-kind auction items. You’ll also enjoy some fabulous TheatreWorks and the annual New Works Festival, inspiring The Mercury News to call us “a Carol Yip entertainment and dancing to the oldies-but-goodies ‘70s playlist of The E-Ticket Band. premiere breeding ground for new musicals, which has put the company on Sales Coordinator This is one party you’ll definitely not want to miss. the national map.” Come alone or bring a group—guaranteed fun either way. After all, theatre folks Andrew Lippa PHOTO MATTHEW MURPHY are the friendliest people around! So what are you waiting for? Tickets, tables and TheatreWorks believes in making theatre accessible to the entire Silicon Valley sponsorships are on sale now at theatreworks.org/give/partydecade. I can already see Living a Lippa Life community. Our Education Department reaches on average 25,000 students in 11 you getting your ‘70s on. Come on, admit it. You’re intrigued. You’re ready. It’s your 70 schools in 7 counties annually. It sponsors outreach programs that include turn to be the life of the party! From the Artistic Director the Children’s Healing Project at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, the Young 12 Playwrights’ Initiative, specially-priced student matinees, extensive school 12 From the Director tours, post-show discussions, and theatre camps, classes, and conservatories Paul Heppner for youth. President Barbara Shapiro 13 TheatreWorks Silicon Valley For more information on our 2016/17 season, New Works Festival, and Mike Hathaway presents THE LIFE OF THE PARTY Education programs, please visit theatreworks.org or call 650.463.1960. Vice President Genay Genereux BOARD OF TRUSTEES 15 Who’s Who Accounting & Office Manager Barbara Shapiro, Chair Sara Keats AFFILIATIONS—TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Jayne Booker Derry Kabcenell Lynn Szekely-Goode 18 Contributors operates under agreement between LORT and Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors Marketing Manager Bill Coughran Michael Kahn Ewart Thomas and stage managers in the United States. TheatreWorks is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Ciro Giammona Julie Kaufman Tzipor Ulman Group, Inc., the national organization for the nonprofit professional theatre. TheatreWorks is a member of the Ryan Devlin 21 TWSV Staff National Alliance for Musical Theatre, a national service organization for musical theatre. In addition, Business Development Manager Anne Hambly Robert Kelley Mark Vershel TheatreWorks is a member of Theatre Bay Area, the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, and the Mountain View Judy Heyboer Phil Santora Holly Ward Chamber of Commerce. TheatreWorks’ 2016/17 Season is presented in cooperation with the City of Mountain Larry Horton Loren Saxe Lisa Webster Theatre Tour to London & Dublin View and the City of Palo Alto, Community Services Department, Division of Arts and Sciences. 22 Charlotte Jacobs Nancy Ginsburg Stern Jane Weston Corporate Office Gayla Lorthridge Wood The director is a member of the Society Roy Johnson Debra Summers 22 TWSV General Information of Stage Directors and Choreographers, 425 North 85th Street Seattle, WA 98103 Inc., an independent national labor union. The scenic, lighting, costume, and sound p 206.443.0445 f 206.443.1246 BOARD EMERITUS designers are members of United Scenic [email protected] Artists. This season is supported in part by Nancy Meyer, Founder • William F. Adler • Edward T. Anderson, MD • Doug Barry • Continue the conversation online! an award from the National Endowment 800.308.2898 x105 Lauren Berman • Chuck Bernstein • Sharon Anthony Bower • Michael Braun • Polly W. Bredt for the Arts. www.encoremediagroup.com • Bruce C. Cozadd • Jeff Crowe • Peggy Dalal • Yogen Dalal • Jenny Dearborn • Susan Become our fan on Facebook! Fairbrook • Michael R. Flicker • Peggy Woodford Forbes • Dan Garber • Doug Garland • Aaron Gershenberg • Marcia Goldman • Emeri Handler • Susan M. Huch • Perry A. Irvine • Garden Court is the official J. Lohr is the official wine Follow us on hotel of TheatreWorks. of TheatreWorks. Nancy Lee Jalonen • Lisa Jones • Gina Jorasch • Roberta R. 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Van der Leest, MD • Ronni Watson • Elissa Wellikson 2 THEATREWORKS From the Board Chair In this Issue “You’ve come a long way, baby.” Once a memorable ad campaign About TheatreWorks targeted at women, it somehow works to describe the remarkable 2 trajectory of TheatreWorks over these past 47 years. What began as Silicon Valley a theatre