I feel pretty! Oh so pretty…
THE CARNEGIE CONTINUES ITS 2014-15 THEATRE SERIES WITH WEST SIDE STORYJAN. 9-18 2015
Tyler Kuhlman as Action, Brian Bailey as Riff, and Drew Simendinger as A-Rab. Photo credit: Mikki Schaffner Photography.
(COVINGTON, KY) December 16, 2014 – Shakespeare’s unforgettable love story meets modern-day New York City in The Carnegie’s presentation of WEST SIDE STORY Jan. 9-18, 2015 directed by Brian Robertson. Combining playwright Arthur Laurents’ touching libretto and a masterful score by Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim, America’s most beloved musical is the latest production in The Carnegie’s 2014-15 Theatre Series.
Featuring a 14-piece orchestra under the musical direction of William White, WEST SIDE STORY will include timeless songs “Somewhere,” “Maria,” and “Something’s Coming,” as Shakespeare’s beloved Romeo & Juliet is transformed to tell the tale of two young, idealistic lovers in modern-day New York City. After finding each other, Tony (Marcus Shields) and Maria (Abigail Paschke) are caught between warring street gangs: the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and still relevant musical dramas of our time.
Ticket prices range from $21 to $30 and are available online at www.thecarnegie.com or by calling The Carnegie Box Office at (859) 957-1940 (open Tues-Friday, noon to 5 pm).
WEST SIDE STORY is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 421West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com.
About the cast
Marcus Shields (Tony) – Marcus Shields, baritone, is a native of Charleston, South Carolina and is currently completing his master’s degree at CCM. In February, Shields will be performing the role of Nerone in CCM’s production of “L’incoronazione di Poppea” and this past fall was seen as a soloist in Monteverdi’s Versper’s of 1610. Operatically, Shields has performed leading roles in Britten’s “Albert Herring”, Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”, and Weill’s “Street Scene.”
Abigail Paschke (Maria), who most recently played Maria in The Carnegie’s 2014 production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, has performed and covered main stage roles with Sarasota Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Kentucky Opera, Opera Saratoga, and Cincinnati Opera. Performance credits include Mabel in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Adele (cvr) in DIE FLEDERMAUS, Alice in LE COMTE ORY, Valencienne in THE MERRY WIDOW, Barbarina in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Johanna (cvr) in SWEENEY TODD, Frasquita in CARMEN, Blanche de la Force in THE DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES, Ilia in IDOMENEO, Claudia in NINE, Cosette in LES MISÉRABLES and Petra in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Abigail holds a master’s degree from CCM and a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
Brian Bailey* (Riff) – has just returned to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area after living in New York City for the past seven years. He has performed at the Aronoff Center with the Broadway national tours of CATS (Mungojerrie) and THE WIZARD OF OZ (Ensemble). Favorite credits include: THE WIZARD OF OZ at Madison Square Garden, the New York revival of SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE (Medium/Aunt Monica) with John Michael LaChuisa, THE PRODUCERS (Carmen Ghia), A CHORUS LINE (Swing), and Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Lumiere). He also worked as a costumer for the revival of FOLLIES, The Gershwin’s PORGY AND BESS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, and the puppets for Disney’s THE LION KING on Broadway. Brian is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University’s BFA program and a proud member of Actor’s Equity.
*Actor appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Brian Robertson (Director) is pleased to return to The Carnegie, where his concert stagings of CAMELOT and SOUND OF MUSIC were previously produced. He was recently the director of THE ARABIAN NIGHTS for Northern Kentucky University and wrote and staged an adaptation of CARMEN for the Cincinnati Opera. This past summer, Brian provided fight direction for DEAD MAN WALKING and Peter Brook’s THE TRAGEDY OF CARMEN for Des Moines Metro Opera. Locally, Brian has directed the productions COCKFIGHT and BULL for Know Theatre Cincinnati. Over the past 25 years, Robertson has had an extensive career in film, television, theatre and opera. From 1998 to 2002, he was the principal stage director for Cincinnati Opera’s education department. Highlights include LA CENERENTOLA, OPERACADABRA, an original production which he co-created, and Hans Krasa’s BRUNDIBAR, which was performed at Cincinnati’s prestigious Aronoff Center
in the fall of 2000. He assisted on mainstage productions of AIDA, MADAME BUTTERFLY, THE MAGIC FLUTE, NABUCCO, ERWARTUNG and BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE.
William White (Music Director) is currently in his third season as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra (CSYO); he is also Music Director and Conductor of Cincinnati’s Seven Hills Sinfonietta. White holds degrees from Indiana University and the University of Chicago, and has long-standing associations with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (as a guest lecturer) as well as the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Hancock, ME (as conducting Associate.) White maintains a significant career as a composer and arranger, having recently composed scores for the films Cold Turkey (staring Peter Bogdanovich) and Mulligan and the theme music to WVXU’s “Cincinnati Edition”. His upcoming projects include an orchestral work celebrating the CSYO’s 50th season as well as a percussion concerto. White hails from Bethesda, MD, where he began his musical training as a violist.
Jay Goodlett (Choreographer) Celebrated dancer and choreographer Jay Goodlett made his Carnegie performing debut in 2013 as the MC, in CHICAGO, leading the supporting cast. Goodlett, a Northern Kentucky University faculty member and longtime Cincinnati Ballet dancer, was also the Choreographer for PIPPIN in 2011.
WEST SIDE STORY Cast and Production Team List
Cast:
- Tony – Marcus Shields
- Maria – Abigail Paschke
- Lieutenant Schrank – Eric Vosmeier
- Doc/Dialect Coach – Mike King
- Krupke – Paul Morris*
- Glad Hand – Jeremy Long
- Riff – Brian Bailey*
- Action/Dance Captain – Tyler Kuhlman
- Snowboy – Keaton Eckhoff
- A-Rab – Drew Simendinger
- Baby John – Brandon Huber
- Anybodys – Katie Mock Elliot
- Velma – Kate Mueller
- Graziella/ “Somewhere”- Allison Evans
- Bernardo – Darnell Benjamin
- Chino – Montez Jenkins
- Pepe – Brian Spencer
- Indio – Thomas Boeing
- Luis – Adam Razavi
- Anita – Layan Elwazani
- Rosalia – Tina deAlderete
- Consuelo / “Somewhere” – Kathryn Miller
*Actor appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Production Team:
- Director/Fight Coordinator – Brian Robertson
- Music Director – William White
- Vocal Director – Becky Childs
- Choreographer – Jay Goodlett
- Assistant Choreographer – Liz Smith
- Scenic/Lighting Designer – Wes Calkin
- Costume Designer – Joy Galbraith
- Sound Designer/Engineer – Kevin Semancik
- Stage Manager – Clare Jaymes
- Assistant Stage Manager / Props – Carissa Gandenberger
- Technical Director/Production Manager – Bleu Pellman
- Producer – Margaret Perrino
- Carnegie Executive Director – Katie Brass
Ticket Prices
- $30 Adults
- $27 Carnegie and Enjoy The Arts Members
- $25 Groups of 8 or More
- $21 Students
Performances
WEST SIDE STORY will include eight performances over two weekends:
- Friday, January 9, 7:30pm
- Saturday, January 10, 7:30pm
- Sunday, January 11, 3pm
- Thursday, January 15, 7:30pm
- Friday, January 16, 7:30pm
- Saturday, January 17, 2pm
- Saturday, January 17, 7:30pm
- Sunday, January 18, 3pm
*Please note the addition of an evening performance on Thursday, January 15 and a 2pm matinee performance on Saturday, January 17.
ABOUT THE CARNEGIE: The Carnegie is a multidisciplinary arts venue serving the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. It offers professional theatre, art exhibitions showcasing the best of local and regional artists, and a comprehensive arts education program.
The largest arts venue in Northern Kentucky, The Carnegie is home to the Carnegie Galleries, comprised of more than 6,000 square feet of gallery space; the Eva G. Farris Education Center, which provides arts education to thousands of children; and the 447-seat Otto M. Budig Theatre, which is home to The Carnegie’s Theatre and Concert Series.
The Carnegie receives ongoing operating support from ArtsWave, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, The Cincinnati Wine Festival, The Kentucky Arts Council and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. / US Bank Foundation. For more information, visit www.thecarnegie.com or call (859) 491-2030.
Director and lead choreographer, Jeanne Mam-Luft, says of the performance line-up, “It’s been such a journey these last seven years, here in Cincinnati. Seeing four of our works from the past three seasons, right next to each other, is very illuminating, even for those of us involved. I think audiences will not only see our signature style, but they’ll also see our range. The technique and skills of the dancers amaze me every day, and it is quite a full show of work — very physical, very real. We’re grateful to be revisiting these works and hope Cincinnati will take the opportunity to either see them again in a different form or catch them after missing them the first time around.”
