WAGNER COLLEGE THEATRE, ALEXANDRA ROSE DEANGELIS, ACT II SHOTGUN_____________________________________________________JOSH ROMEO AND DANA RUDNANSKY PRESENT: Made famous by George Ezra “Over last summer I had my first heart break. Sad but true. It was a really confusing time for me as I was feeling a bunch of painful feelings I didn’t really know how to SONGS THAT EMPOWER ME deal with. This song helped cheer me up and take my mind of things. I’d just sit down with my guitar and wail this baby out and dance around.” FALL IN LINE__________________COLLEEN KELLY AND KAMILA ZANDO Made famous by Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato Performing this song makes me feel like a bad b**ch! Not only are the vocals so powerful and emotional, but the lyrics really express independence, and a woman's right to her own body. This song reminds me that I have the mind and strength to pursue my dreams and free myself from society's expectations of women. ROCKETMAN______________________________________DANA RUDNANSKY Made famous by Elton John A concert to benefit The Trevor Project Elton John has been a performer who has been interwoven into my life since conception. To be honest, I was not the crazy fan I am now until about high - FEATURING - school when I started going through major swells of anxiety and doubt, whether that was stemming from my confidence in my body or my dream of GABRIEL ARGATE EMILY BARKOVIC CAITLIN CONRAD being an actor. At the time, this was the only Elton John song I really knew. I would listen to this song and be washed over with emotion knowing that I was not alone feeling trapped in what I was thinking. It always pulled me out of LILA COOPER ALEXANDRA ROSE DEANGELIS KATE destructive thinking and gave me the motivation to work hard and get where I knew I needed to be. After seeing "Rocket Man" this summer, I got to see a DURGIN ALEXA ECHEVERRIA KAYLA FEGELEY whole new dimension of how this song impacted Elton John himself and it finally made me realize that no matter how low you are, you can reach for the CHRISTINA GOVE COLLEEN KELLY MADDIE KENDALL sky and explode into a star. ANDREW KOLAR EMILY LAGACE. LINDY POKORNY GREYSON RILEY JOSH ROMEO FLOR ROSALES DANA RUDNANSKY ALEXANDER ULLIAN EMILY UPTON ROBYN WASSERMAN KIRA WIGGINS MILES WILKE KAMILA ZANDO SATUDAY - FEBRUARY 15, 2020 | STAGE ONE ACTACT I I A CELEBRATIONSONGS OFTHAT THE EMPOWER WOMEN OF ME BROADWAY PIECE BY PIECE_________________________ROBYN produced by ALEXANDRA ROSE DEANGELIS, DANA RUDNANSKY and the WASSERMAN Made famous by Kelly Clarkson THEATRE ADVISORY BOARD casting by “Piece by Piece is a song by Kelly Clarkson that has been inspiring to me for a long time. It reminds me that no matter how gloomy things may seem at the time, there ALEXANDRA ROSE DEANGELIS and DANA RUDNANSKY is always hope of happier times and a successful, triumphant life.” accompanist EUGENE GWOZDZ TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR________________EMILY BARKOVIC Made famous by Taylor Swift THEATRESPECIAL ADVISORY THANKS BOARD “’Teardrops on My Guitar" got me through a time that is heartbreaking for all of us… our first love. In sixth grade I pined for a boy who was in chorus with me, and this crush continued through all of middle school into high school. I would often sing along with the karaoke track to this song when I was home alone after school, belting out each heart wrenching, tortured note (and always replacing the name in the song, Drew, with the aforementioned boy’s name). However, this love story does have a Felicia Ruff – our Honors Thesis Monitor happy ending, as I did end up dating this crush later on in high school!” I’M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING______________________________ANDREW KOLAR From Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs for a New World” Phill Hickox and Sebastian Rametta “I think this song is extremely powerful for a multitude of reasons. The most prominent of these reasons being that this song dares you to have the courage to stand up and say you’re not afraid of ANYTHING in a world that is SO freaking scary. Sometimes it feels like the world is full of people and things that are out to get you, but this song never fails to make me a bit more optimistic that I can take whatever the universe throws at me.” Fran and Dawn Rudnansky – for your constant support, patience, and love Wendy and Stephen DeAngelis – for being empowering forces in my life 2 7 ACT I A CELEBRATION OF THE WOMEN OF BROADWAY 2 7 ACT II ACT II ACTACT I I LIGHT ON_________________________________________________________CAITLIN CONRAD MY MAN________________________________________________________RACHEL MAKSTEIN Made famous by Maggie Rogers From Jule Style’s “Funny Girl” “My freshman year at Wagner was very difficult. I felt lonely, out of place, and so “This song provides me with a great sense of catharsis” homesick so often. Returning after winter break was arguably the time I was at my lowest. Almost exactly a week after returning, Maggie Rogers released her album Heard It in a Past Life. I first heard Light On in a friend’s Instagram story on the day ___ of the release, and I thought it sounded like a fun song. The first time I listened to it I CAN’T MAKE YOU LOVE ME__________________ MADDIE KENDALL in full and paid attention to the lyrics, I felt like someone had put this message out Made famous by Bonnie Raitt into the universe at the exact time I needed to hear it. I had never felt any kind of “I think this song is extremely powerful for a multitude of reasons. The most emotional connection to music or had a specific song speak to me, but the song’s prominent of these reasons being that this song dares you to have the courage to message of finding support and strength through the light others give you when you stand up and say you’re not afraid of ANYTHING in a world that is SO freaking scary. can’t always find the light yourself spoke to me and became an almost daily listen Sometimes it feels like the world is full of people and things that are out to get you, to get me through the second semester.” but this song never fails to make me a bit more optimistic that I can take whatever the universe throws at me.” DANCING_____________________________________________________________EMILY MORRIS “The summer before my senior year of high school, I met a girl who made me realize BREATHE______________________________________________________ALEXA ECHEVARRIA almost instantaneously that I was not straight. This song and four others like it are From Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” about that summer and about that girl. When she ultimately moved away, I found “In 2008, my dad and I surprised my grandparents with tickets to see an amazing musical in myself alone and confused, trying to deal with the aftermath of everything that had Florida, and then surprised them again by showing up in the audience to watch it with them. happened alone. I felt afraid of sharing this part of myself and writing songs was That show was In the Heights, and my grandparents were so moved by the story they were probably the ultimate coping mechanism for me in a time where I felt so absolutely speechless afterwards. My grandparents are immigrants from Cuba, and In the Heights desperate for comfort and resolve.” represented their story on stage in a way they had never seen before. The lives of my family members reflect the characters of this show so closely- I have always been the Nina of my family, the oldest, with the pressure always on to represent my family well and make them proud. This song reminds me to Breathe through the stress and reminds me that my family has my back, para siempre.” ALWAYS BETTER__________________________________________________EMILY LAGACE From Jason Robert Brown’s “Bridges of Madison County” I HOPE YOU DANCE________________________________________________MILES WILKE “Bridges of Madison County is a musical about love and, ultimately, the heartbreak Made famous by LeeAnne Womack that comes with it. When I was struggling to come to terms with my sexuality, I told “Whenever I get depressed, I have a habit of isolating myself. Spiraling often feels myself that it would be better if I pretended that the feelings I was experiencing inescapable, but this song reminds me to look up and out at the world. Even when weren't real. I tried to put that part of myself away, someplace deep, deep down life isn’t giving you the best hand, every day I’m inspired to try to choose wonder and where I could ignore it. "Always Better" touches my soul with its message that no passion and joy. Whenever you get that choice next, I hope you dance.” matter what, love is always the right choice, and it's not always the easiest choice-- but that doesn't make it any less right. Love is always better, and that's something I've tried to carry with me since first hearing this song years ago.” I AM_________________________________LILA COOPER AND LINDY POKORNY Made famous by JoJo RISE UP/SKYSCRAPER/HOW FAR I’LL GO____________FLOR ROSALES “We love this song because of its simple, but powerful message: no matter what happens in our lives, we are beautiful, through and through. Despite all of the hurdles “I am not a victim, I am a survivor.” that we have jumped and obstacles we have faced, we have come back stronger and more confident. We have found a way to be unapologetic in our existence; that in itself, is beauty.” 6 3 .