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2021-03-28
COVID-19, Social Distancing, and College Theater in Thatcher, Arizona
By Lori Dugan/EAC THATCHER — Eastern Arizona College’s Fine Arts Division proudly presents “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” from April 7 – 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium, with the understudy performance taking place on April 8. General admission tickets are $5 for adults and are on sale now at the EAC Ticket Office. Call (928) 428-8228 for more information. EAC employees and students can attend for free. Due to COVID-19, social distancing is in place to accommodate safe spacing. Masks are required. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown synopsis The musical, based on the wildly popular Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, is probably best described as an average day in the life of Charlie Brown. It is made up of little moments, from Valentine’s Day to baseball season, from wild optimism to utter despair. The familiar cast of characters is there, from Lucy and Linus to Schroeder, Sally, and, of course, Snoopy. The production explores what it means to be a good person, prompted by affirmations from Charlie Brown’s friends. These compliments set Charlie Brown on a journey of self-discovery as the audience follows him and his friends through a day of adventure and trials. Musical numbers include “My Blanket and Me,” “The Kite,” “The Baseball Game,” “Little Known Facts,” “Suppertime,” and “Happiness.” The play spans the months between Valentine’s Day and Beethoven Day, following the characters in their optimism and utter despair. “’You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ is a crowd-pleasing classic for all ages,” said Chase Moore, EAC Musical Theatre director. “Anybody who’s a Peanuts fan will relive lots of fun memories from the comic strip.” Behind the production The production is directed by Dr. Dale J. Young, and features set designs by Greg Owen, both EAC associate professors of theater arts. Music is under the direction of Chase Moore. The production is choreographed by Rena De La Cruz, with costumes designed by Timilee McNair. Clark Gesner created the book, music, and lyrics for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, with additional dialogue by Michael Mayer and additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Winner of two Tony Awards, five Drama Desk Awards, and an Outer Critic Circle Award, this production’s musing on life’s ironies and delights continues to resonate with audiences’ hearts. Theatre Arts at EAC You can shine in the spotlight at EAC! In the Department of Theatre Arts, students take part in dynamic shows and emerge as artists for the next step in their careers. “Our graduates are successful all across the country,” said Dr. Dale J. Young. “Some of the roles they hold are teachers, managers, actors, playwrights, directors, administrators, MFA graduate students, and the list goes on.” Students interested in this area of study at Eastern Arizona College enter the Associate of Arts Program in Theatre Arts www.eac.edu/Academics/Programs_of_Study/Theatre/. This program offers dynamic learning opportunities in acting, stagecraft, scene design, stage make-up, costume design, play analysis, and more. This curriculum meets the targeted requirements for the first two years of a bachelor’s degree program at a college or university. -
2021-01-29
Bridgerton: The Musical
While the pandemic has prevented live performances from taking place, it has not stopped musicals from being written. Based on the Netflix hit show “Bridgerton,” two young musicians, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, have written a musical together, which they shared on TikTok. It quickly went viral, starting with a couple songs before expanding into an entire score, and it quickly gained followers and supporters who loved the songs and even posted videos of themselves singing along. The future is unknown for this musical, but it is inspiring to see how young composers and performers are still finding artistic outlets despite being unable to perform in a theater at the moment. -
2020-01-01
Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical
TikTok, an extremely popular social media app that allows users to upload short videos, never fails to showcase creativity. From dances to trends to recipes and more, it seems there is no limit to what its users can create. One of the most seemingly ridiculous examples of this is the “Ratatousical,” now formally known as “Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical.” User Emily Jacobsen began what became a viral movement by posting a short song she made up about the main character of the Disney/Pixar film Ratatouille, and it quickly picked up momentum. Soon more people began writing songs for the characters of the movie, choreographing dances, and designing sets for what became a very detailed crowd-sourced musical. Many joked that it needed to go to Broadway once Broadway reopened, and shared their dream cast for the show, posting song covers and orchestrations for the show. Due to the massive popularity it gained on TikTok, many official Broadway-related and Disney pages and websites began referencing the original song, playing along with the idea of this musical. Much to everyone’s surprise, on December 9, 2020, it was announced that an official virtual production of the show would be presented by Seaview Productions on January 1, 2021, featuring the original songs shared on TikTok with full orchestrations and Broadway actors performing them. The concert benefited The Actors Fund, a charity supporting workers in the performing arts and entertainment, and starred Titus Burgess (of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame) as Remy. Through the sale of virtual tickets and donations, over $2 million was raised for the Actors Fund because of this show, which was met with overwhelming positivity. All of the original creators of the songs featured were compensated and praised, and the collaborative effort brought joy and excitement to performing arts workers and fans alike. What seemed like a silly trend on TikTok quickly brought together hundreds of thousands of people, allowing them to share in what brings them happiness even when still separated due to the pandemic. The money raised through this project will go on to support those who have been out of work from the closure of theatres and the entertainment industry, which has led countless numbers of individuals to be out of work since early in the pandemic. This effort to collaborate and create allowed individuals to return to the feeling of community and support often felt in the performing arts and provided a creative outlet for many. While nothing feels quite the same as seeing a musical live and in person, it is inspiring to know that the performing arts community is alive and well, even in the midst of a pandemic. If you haven’t checked it out, I’d highly recommend it. Here’s to Remy, the rat of all our dreams. -
2020-10-28
My Sister Graduated Year 12 During a Pandemic
My younger sister went through Year 12 (the last year of high school in Australia) in 2020. When she showed me her yearbook, most of the graduation quotes were either TikTok references, sarcastic remarks about being at home for most of their final year of school, or genuine amazement that they made it through a notoriously crazy year in an actually crazy year. Due to the tight restrictions in Victoria for most of 2020, this Year 12 cohort did not get to go to formal, dress up for sports carnivals, have an in-person graduation, or even enjoy the basic senior-year pleasure of having a microwave in the exclusive Year 12 common room. One of her friends summed it up quite well in her graduation yearbook statement – “that was nothing like High School Musical.” -
2020-09-22
The Show Must (Not) Go On!
Senior year of high school: a time when every soon-to-be graduate has the same question of "what comes next?" on their minds. Some were awaiting admissions decisions from top-tier colleges and universities. Some finally became a team captain. Others were preparing for the College Board AP exams. Many had been eagerly anticipating the upcoming prom and graduation ceremony. For me, it was rehearsing for my senior school musical, "The Little Mermaid", in which I was playing Ariel. I was so excited to be playing a role that I had worked so hard to earn over the course of many years in the drama club, playing various ensemble roles, building the set, and fundraising for our shows. After months of rehearsals, practicing the music, learning the choreography, and advertising for the production, I was ready to share the passion and hard work of our cast and crew with the community. However, I was not ready for "what comes next". On opening night, just one hour before our call time to arrive at the high school and begin putting on costumes and makeup, we got the message from our director that our show dates had been cancelled due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. I remember the moment clearly, as my cellphone began ringing and buzzing and creating every notification alert possible from friends and family expressing their sorrow. I was absolutely crushed. I wondered how this could be true, as the school had not even been closed down by the virus yet. In the weeks leading up to opening night, I had heard several stories of my classmates' little cousin or my teachers' grandchildren who were looking forward to coming to the musical and meeting their favorite Disney princess afterwards. The director's message was followed by the news that we would still come into school and perform an "invited dress rehearsal" run of the show to be recorded, with two family members per performer/stage crew/orchestra member permitted to attend. As I walked into the high school that evening, everyone around me had tears in their eyes and had appeared to be quite devastated. We had formed a family, one that stuck together through late-night rehearsals, technical difficulties, and the emotional drain that comes with rehearsing for hours after school everyday; but, within each other we found strength - strength that would bring us closer than we ever could have imagined to pour our hearts and souls into that final performance together. And that is exactly what we did. After two hours of giving our all in every scene, every song, and every dance number, we came together for a company bow that gave our final thank you to the family members who had come to support us, despite the increasing health risk that came along with doing so. Having earned the role of Ariel, I was given the final bow; so as I walked to center stage, wearing my frizzy red wig in a costume-rack wedding gown and surrounded by my best friends, I felt only gratitude to have the opportunity to share one final memory with my fellow seniors who also were performing in their last high school show. Looking back on this night, I consider myself so lucky to have spent my final weeks of high school doing something that I love with the people I love. I am very fortunate to have lost only a high school musical rather than loved ones to the COVID-19 pandemic. Going from constantly running - long school days and late-night rehearsals - to a complete stop during quarantine had been a shock. This slow-down, however, gave me the chance to spend extra time at home with my family before packing up and leaving for college this past August. Now, I consider myself incredibly lucky to be attending a college that is handling the pandemic so well, with all students wearing masks and social distancing. While it didn't seem like it at the time, the show did, in fact, go on. Just not quite in the way that I had expected. -
2020-03-13
six string melancholy
It was Friday, March 13. The last class of the day was interrupted by an announcement, " all after school activities cancelled". Now the musical that id been practicing for over a month was gone. That night we played the show with no audience, ill never forget that day. -
2020-05-14
"The Show Must Go On...Line" Pioneer Theatre Company
Karen Azenberg introduces this week's theme for The Show Goes On...Line! with the cast of "Music Man." It's a large cast, so hang on! Cast members also give a special shout out to ensemble member Michael McArthur from the 2015 production and went on to appear in TV's Smash, and Fosse/Verdon. Michael passed away this month; he will be terribly missed by all of us. Here to kick things off is none other than Lizzie Klemperer who played "Marian Paroo," performing her tribute to Michael with "I Could Have Danced All Night." -
2020-05-01
Pandemic parody
Fourth grade creative writing assignment, create a parody about anything. Obviously with everything that is going on the coronavirus was a very popular topic. Everyone talks about how business is impacted, responders are impacted...But one of our most vulnerable resources, kids, are also being affected. *Brianna - age 10 (4th grade student) *Musical parody -
2020-04-30
Hobart bin night
Musical putting out of rubbish