BOX OFFICE: 269-343-1313 BUSINESS OFFICE: 269-343-2280 WEB: www.KazooCivic.com FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/KazooCivic

NOVEMBER 2014

A Musical Holiday Treat for the Entire Family

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Kalamazoo’s Community Theatre

ASL Interpreted performance

FOR T ICKETS CALL269-343-1313

or visit www.KazooCivic.com

Friday November 28 7:30pmSaturday November 29 7:30pmSunday November 30 2:00pmThursday December 4 7:30pmFriday December 5 7:30pmSaturday December 6 7:30pmSunday December 7 2:00pmFriday December 12 7:30pmSaturday December 13 7:30pmSunday December 14 2:00pm

PERFORMANCE DATES:

Music by Jeanine Tesori Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire

Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig

art romance and part fractured fairy tale, this ogre-sized family musical is

coming to Kalamazoo just in time for the holidays! We hope you’ll join our unlikely heroand his loyal steed Donkey as they embark on their quest to rescue the beautiful (if slightly temperamental) Princess Fiona from a fire-breathing, love-sick dragon. Throw in abad guy with a short temper, a cookie with anattitude and over a dozen other fairy tale characters, and you’ve got the kind of adventurethat calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s oneon hand...and his name is Shrek!

Under the guidance of Director Nicki Poer,Musical Director Cynthia Hunter andChoreographer Georgie Reigel the talentedcast features Civic veterans Helena Baron(How to Succeed in Business Without Really

Trying), Marcus Bechek (I Was a Rat!), RobBradford (Peter Pan), Sharon Bradford (PeterPan), Tess Cargo (Disney’s High SchoolMusical), Robert Cook, Jr. (Les Misérables),Kristin Gustavson (The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr.), Stefanie Holysz (Godspell),Kaia Kaeding (Irving Berlin’s Annie Get YourGun), Tim Kilmartin (Wait Until Dark), MichaelP. Martin (Sherlock Holmes: the FinalAdventure), Lynn Hall McLeod (Annie), ReginaMcLeod (Into the Woods), Nicky Mendelsohn(Into the Woods), Tia L. Pinson (Ain’t Misbehavin’),Sarah Lynn Roddis (The Miracle Worker),Brittin Lee Schumaker (My Fair Lady), BryanAustin Scott (Irving Berlin’s Annie Get YourGun), Todd Spratt (My Fair Lady) and AmethystN. Stewart (Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun).

Making their Civic debuts in Shrek, the

Musical are Andrew Fedewa, Chase Gray,Avery Green, Casady Haines, MeganHenderson, Julianna Hirsch, RichardJohnson, Gregory Jones, Katelyn Langwith,Monica Lichty, Jose Martinez-Chavarra,Audrey Morton, Kirsten Neely, Drew D.Porrett, Mikayla Raney, Jack Reed, BonnieSmith, Courtney Way and Heather Zurowski.

The stage management team is comprised ofStage Manager Mike Artis and Assistant StageManagers Joshua King and Jacki Stahr.

Tickets for Shrek, the Musical playing in theCivic Auditorium, are selling quickly! They canbe purchased online at www.KazooCivic.comor by calling the Civic Box Office at 343-1313.Special rates are available for groups, seniorsand students.

Production Sponsors:

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UPCOMING AT A GLANCE

MY FAIR LADY IN REHEARSALBULK MAIL VOLUNTEER I WAS A RAT! IN REHEARSAL ACADEMY OF THEATRE ARTS

ur season is off to a great start! November is nearly here and with the

first two shows of the season already behind us,we are turning our attention to the holidays.Shrek, the Musical, is in its final weeks ofrehearsal and we are very excited to see Shrekand his storybook friends storm onto our stagethe day after Thanksgiving. Our Senior ClassReader’s Theatre is also producing a fun-filledmusical revue called Grand Ole Music – celebrating the best of the Opry. You won’t wantto miss that production.

On occasion, I have the pleasure of givingtours of our facilities to various groups, for educational or informational purposes. Lastmonth I had this honor and at the end of the tourafter I had answered all of the questions abouthow big the stage was, when was it built, andwho built it, I was asked about the people who participate here – the staff, the volunteers, andthe patrons. Who are they? Where do they comefrom and why do they come here? It was this lineof questioning that reminded me about the mostimportant component of our theatre and the oneyou don’t get to see on a tour – the people. Andof course I can give statistics about how weserve Kalamazoo County and that we have 38staff members and 1,100 volunteers and 38,000patrons in a given year, but the question of whydo people come here, that question stuck withme. My first inclination was that I really couldn’tanswer that. Art and theatre can be very personalexperiences. But in a broader sense, after seeingpatrons, volunteers, and even staff memberswork on and enjoy each production, and becomemore involved with their communities, the whybecomes very easy to answer – to connect.

Each season, we have thousands of opportunities for people to come to the Civic! to be entertained and educated, but more importantly to have these experiences in a

collective setting. Connecting with others isa basic human need that we often overlook.And I am so glad that we have so many opportunities for members of our community toconnect here at the Civic.

We couldn’t offer the kinds of productions or educational opportunities that we do without the support of our community. We have verygenerous volunteers who give their time and talent, but we also have donors who give of theirtreasure, so others may be able to experiencethe great things the Civic has to offer. If you havesupported the Civic in the past, whether it was inthe form of a sponsorship, a personal donation,or a scholarship for classes, you provided themeans necessary for community members of alldispositions to participate here at the Civic.Each season we ask for your assistance to helpus work to keep ticket prices low, make surescholarships are funded, and provide theresources necessary to offer superior theatricalexperiences to anyone who wishes to participate.I would like to take this opportunity to thank youin advance for your support. It is because of yourgenerosity that we are able to accomplish somuch each and every season. – KC

Kristen ChesakManaging Director

Connecting with Our Community

Inside the CivicFREE AUDITION & YOUTH WORKSHOPS

November 1

Lend Me a TenorAUDITIONS

November 9 & 10 at 7:00pm

The Who’s TommyAUDITIONS

November 16 & 17 at 7:00pm

Grand Ole Music (SCRT)OPENS

November 14 at 2:00pm

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I WAS A R

RECEIVE 4 ADMISSIONSFOR ONLY

GIVE THE GIFT OF ANACT II SEASON

SUBSCRIPTION!

$59*

2014-2015 SEASON

TO ORDER CALL 343-1313

W ith an Act II Season Subscription, youhave four admissions — which means

you can see any four of these six shows:

Lend Me a TenorThe Who’s Tommy

Cat on a Hot Tin RoofStepping Out

Richard IIICrazy for You

and you may also use your admissions forour Civic Youth Theatre and Senior ClassReader’s Theatre shows:

The HobbitAnne of Green GablesA Piece of My Heart

OR you and a guest can see any two showsof your choice. To order your Act II SeasonSubscription give us a call at 343-1313 andwe’ll take care of the rest.

*Does not include Special Events

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I WAS A RAT! IN REHEARSALBULK MAIL VOLUNTEER

Lend Me a TenorTICKETS GO ON SALE

December 1 at 10:00am

MY FAIR LADY IN REHEARSALACADEMY OF THEATRE ARTS

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Shrek, the MusicalOPENING NIGHT

November 28 at 7:30pm

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ADVANCED REGISTRATION ISREQUIRED

visit www.KazooCivic.comor call the Director of Volunteers,

Preston Misner, at 269-343-2280 x1006

For detailed production, audition and workshop information or to register online please visit www.KazooCivic.com

I WAS A RAT! BEHIND THE SCENES

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00pm

AUDITON DATESSunday, December 7th at 4:00pmMonday, December 8th at 4:00pm

CALLBACKSWednesday, December 10th at 4:00pm

LOCATIONThe Carver Center – The Muzzi Dance Studio426 South Park St.(Those auditioning are encouraged to arrive thirty minutes prior to audition time.)

CASTINGSeeking a Company (actors and productioncrew) of approximately 50 youth (Foronstage roles and production crewopportunities which may include Props,Costumes/Make-Up, Paint, Lighting, Sound,Assistant Stage Management and aScenery Building crew) ages 9 through aSenior in High School. Students must haveturned 9 on or before the day of auditions.

REHEARSAL/CREW SCHEDULERehearsals will be held and crew will meetMonday through Friday 4:00pm - 6:00pmJanuary 12th through February 19th.

PERFORMANCESFebruary 20, 2015 – February 27, 2015

DIRECTORNicki Poer

REQUIRMENTSThose wishing to audition are required toregister in advance for either the Sunday,December 7th or Monday, December 8thaudition date. By registering in advanceyou will receive your audition paperwork,as well as, all pertinent information viaemail prior to the auditions.• A parent or guardian is required to

attend the first half hour of auditions.• Those auditioning for onstage roles

will be asked to to read from the script.• Those auditioning for crew positions

will be asked to listen to designer presentations, speak to designers/ technicians and indicate interest for specific crews.

• All students auditioning will need to indicate a preference for “Acting Only”, “Tech Only” or “Either/Or”.

AUDITION PREPFREE Inside the Civic Youth WorkshopsSaturday, November 1, 2014 at 1:30pmThe Hobbit Audition Workshop &Technical Workshop: Character Makeup

Meet Our Internsn exciting aspect of our educational programming is our Internship Program,

which was established in 1945. Developed to provide practical “on the job training” for collegegraduates, it was the first of its kind in the country.The first intern hired was a young co-ed fromsouthern California named Betty Ebert. While workingat the Civic, Betty met a young actor named JackRagotzy. In time, they married and founded TheBarn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan.

Over the years, the intern program has grown in scope. Recruitment continues, with candidatesfrom all over the country being interviewed to fill seven internship positions each season. Formerinterns have gone on to stage manage Broadwayproductions, produce films for Disney and work on the design team for the Oprah Winfrey show.Not all interns have had to move away to find success. Our Managing Director, Kristen Chesak, isa former intern.

Our current roster of talented interns picturedabove from left to right, includes in the back rowTyler Brogla (Scenic Design), Jacob P. Brinkman(Lighting and Sound Design), Joshua E. Gallagher(Scenic Design), Ryan C. Burke (Technical Direction),in the front row Emily N. Brink (Costume Design),Savannah F. Draper (Stage Management), andShimra Jaime Fine (Costume Design).

The Hobbit (CYT)AUDITIONS

December 7 & 8 at 4:00pm

A

I WAS A RAT! BEHIND THE SCENES

By J. R. R. Tolkien

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N O N - P R O F I T

O R G A N I Z A T I O N

U S P O S T A G E

PA I DK A L A M A Z O O , M I

P E R M I T N O . 7 1 4

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

COLOR PRINTING PROVIDED BY RIVER RUN PRESS; ART DIRECTION BY BEN ZYLMAN; GRAPHIC DESIGN BY TAMARA DIAMOND

THE KALAMAZOO CIVIC THEATRE

329 South Park Street | Kalamazoo | Michigan | 49007

ASL Interpreted performance

Friday November 14 2:00pmSaturday November 15 7:30pmSunday November 16 2:00pmFriday November 21 7:30pmSaturday November 22 7:30pm

PERFORMANCE DATES:

FOR T ICKETS CALL269-343-1313

or visit www.KazooCivic.com

TICKETS ARE

$7

DUE TO A HIGH DEMAND FOR TICKETS, WE SUGGEST

YOU ORDER YOURS IN ADVANCE.

NOVEMBER 14 – NOVEMBER 22THE PARISH THEATRE | MUSICAL REVUE

SENIOR CLASS READER’S THEATRE

Production Sponsor:

“How-w-w-DEE-E-E-E!” Welcome to our tribute to the Grand Ole Opry and theincredible artists who have called it “home”. Featuring country, bluegrass, gospeland some good old-fashioned comedy, this original musical revue will celebrate thework of country legends like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Minnie Pearl and CharliePride as well as the contemporary chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. You’ll be clapping along as we transform the Parish Theatre into theRyman Auditorium!

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