MAGIC TO DO - sneak preview and fundraiser, SummerStock Austin at Spider House, July 21, 2013

presents

Magic to Do

A Sneak Preview and Fundraiser for Summerstock Austin

Sunday, July 21, 2013, 2:30-4:30pm (Performances will start at 3:15pm)
Spider House Ballroom, 2908 Fruth St., Austin - click for map

SUGGESTED DONATION: $15 for Adults / $10 for Students and Seniors / Children 10 and under are free.

Featuring performances from our upcoming productions of PIPPIN, SWING! and THE BREMEN TOWN MUSICIANS
You and your guests will be dining on array of appetizers while mingling with the stars of this upcoming seasons productions. The feature of the afternoon will be selected performances from all three of our shows. The event will also feature a LIVE AUCTION to benefit our Theatre-for-All Program. There will be a cash bar on site for soft drinks and other liquid refreshments.
NOTE TO PARENTS: This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about SSA and your students involvement in this award-winning program.
TO MAKE RESERVATIONS: Please email us at info@summerstockaustin.org or contact Company Manager Rachael Koske at rachaelkoske@gmail.com or (512) 586-4631.

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

THE BREMEN TOWN MUSICIANS by Allen Robertson, SummerStock Austin at the Rollins Theatre, July 27 - August 11, 2013

presents 

by Allen Robertson

musical direction by Allen Robertson, author
July 27 - August 11, 2013
Rollins Theatre, Long Center, 701 Riverside at South First - click for map
Ticket Prices: Swing - $5-10 will be available via The Long Center boxoffice

The Bremen Town Musicians is part of our Theatre-for-All program, where we offer family friendly entertainment for the young and young-at-heart. The production of this ageless tale was adapted by Austin's own Allen Robertson of PBS's The Biscuit Brothers. It also features Mr. Robertson's original music that narrates the journey of our friendly band of animals

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

PIPPIN, SummerStock Austin at the Rollins Theatre, Long Center, July 25 - August 10, 2013

 presents

Pippin runs July 25 - August 10, 2013

Rollins Theatre, Long Center, 701 Riverside at South First - click for map
Ticket Prices: Swing - $15-25 will be available via The Long Center boxoffice

From the composer of Wicked, Godspell and Children of Eden, PIPPIN is the musical tale of a young man as journeys through life in his quest to find the secret of true happiness & fulfillment. The musical features such songs as Magic To Do, Extraordinary and Corner of the Sky.


(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

SWING! musical, SummerStock Austin at the Rollins Theatre, August 1 - 11, 2013

presents

 

Swing! runs August 1-11 Rollins Theatre, Long Center
Ticket Prices: Swing - $15-25 will be available via The Long Center boxoffice
Swing! will take you back to the 1930's and 40's with the timeless music of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Johnny Mercer and numerous others. It is a non-stop evening of singing and dancing that will take you back to the days of the Andrews Sisters and Cab Calloway.
Swing! is a musical revue featuring hits like “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Harlem Nocturne,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree.” It is truly an exhilarating evening of song and dance. 

“Swing!” could hardly be more exuberant or fun. It’s a sure winner.  -New York Post

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Auditions for SummerStock Austin 2013 Musicals, March 10, 17 and 24

SummerStock Austin, the award-winning educational theatre company, will be opening its 9th season with the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, Jesus Christ Superstar, followed by the Broadway dance hit, SWING! SSA's Theatre-for-All production will be The Bremen Town Musicians by Austin's own Allen Robertson.

Jesus Christ Superstar will be directed by SSA's Ginger Morris (The Producers), choreography for the dance spectacular SWING! will be handled by Broadway vet Vincent Sandavol, and creator Allen Robertson (Zach Scott Theatre, The Biscuit Brothers) will stage and music direct his Bremen Town Musicians.
AUDITION DATES AND TIMES: March 10th (1pm-5pm; Dance Call is 3-4:30pm), 17th (11am-4pm; Dance 1:30-3pm) and 24th (10am-4pm; Dance 1:30-3pm). Ballet Austin Studios, 501 W 3rd St, Austin, TX 78701 Kodosky Studio

WHAT TO PREPARE?: 2 contrasting songs, 16 - 32 bars each
One selection should be pop/rock style. The other should be jazz, musical theatre, etc. Consider the shows you are auditioning for as you select material. Note: Please make sure your music is properly marked, in the right key and is in a book or binder. Please do not bring loose leaf copies.

There will be a dance call each day. Bring dance clothes.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Performers, Stage Managers & Technicians currently enrolled in College and High School

SIGN UP FOR AN AUDITION SLOT: Go to www.summerstockaustin.org and fill out an online application.

If you cannot attend one of the auditions, and would like to upload a video, please email us for more information. info@summerstockaustin.org

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SEASON When: Rehearsals are July 6-24 Performances are July 25-August 11, 2013 There are NO FEES for this program and a select number of College students will be chosen as SSA Mentors in areas such as Marketing, Stage Management, Technical (Lighting, Set and Props), and several others. The Mentors will receive a stipend.

 Go to AustinLiveTheatre.com for more information . . . .

SummerStock Austin 2013 season: Jesus Christ Superstar, Swing! and The Bremen Town Musicians, July 25 - August 11, 2013

SummerStock Austin, the award-winning educational theatre company, will be opening its 9th season with the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, Jesus Christ Superstar, followed by the Broadway dance hit, SWING! (rights pending) SSA's Theatre-for-All production will be The Bremen Town Musicians by Austin's own Allen Robertson. 

Jesus Christ Superstar will be directed by SSA's Ginger Morris (The Producers), choreography for the dance spectacular SWING! will be handled by Broadway vet Vincent Sandoval, and creator Allen Robertson (Zach Scott Theatre, The Biscuit Brothers) will stage and music direct his Bremen Town Musicians.

July 25-August 11, 2013

he Long Center for the Performing Arts

Ticket Prices: $10-25

More SSA Information: www.summerstockaustin.org

More Long Center Information: www.thelongcenter.org

About SummerStock Austin: Since July 2005, college and high school students from across Texas meet to mount several productions with professionals from Austin and around the country in a one-of-a-kind experience. They work as a traditional stock company; each member performs, designs, builds and assists on the various aspects of theatrical productions. Similar programs charge tuition, but Summer Stock Austin offers this experience to all participants virtually free of charge.

The company is led by a host of professionals with experience ranging from Austin to Broadway. Through this work, college students begin making invaluable connections as they embark on their professional careers. High school students will have a similarly unique experience as they gain first-hand knowledge of working in a collegiate setting. Moreover, each student leaves the stock season with pride, knowing that he/she has played an integral part of a professional production.

Summer Stock Austin’s philosophy is to create an environment of shared learning by incorporating high school students, college students and professionals in a fast-paced production series where everyone involved shares in the responsibility of creating high-quality theatre.

Summer Stock Austin is a joint program of Austin Playhouse, Zilker Theatre Productions and The Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Past SSA Productions: Footloose, Much Ado About Nothing, West Side Story, Rumors, The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Stoopid Tales, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Assassins, Oklahoma, Bat Boy, Jack and the Beanstalk, Sweeney Todd, Little Shop of Horrors, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Producers, Urinetown, Legally Blonde, Chess

Opinion: Dan Solomon's Top 10 Arts Events of 2012, Austin Chronicle

In today's weekly Austin Chronicle:

Top 10 Arts Events of 2012

Remembering the year onstage in dynamic acting, atmospheric design, and unexpected beauty

By Dan Solomon, Fri., Jan. 4, 2013

in no order:

Zac Crofford (Trouble Puppet Theatre Co.)

1) FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY FOR 'TOIL AND TROUBLE' (Trouble Puppet Theater Company) Trouble Puppet has proven itself good at everything, and when it pulls off the unexpected – like compelling, well-articulated stage combat – it just serves notice that they're still finding new ways to impress you.

2) NOEL GAULIN IN EVERYTHING Gaulin had a hell of a year – screaming, jumping, moving-as-if-on-strings, and otherwise turning himself into a live-action cartoon character in The Bear, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and Vodka, Fucking, and Television.

3) RACHEL WEISE'S DIRECTION Yeah, my wife wrote one of the lovely plays Weise directed this year, The Man Who Planted Trees. But I also loved her staging of The Bear by Anton Chekhov, and I've never even met him.

4) THE SCRIPT FOR 'MESSENGER NO. 4 (OR ... HOW TO SURVIVE A GREEK TRAGEDY)' (Cambiare Productions) Will Hollis Snider's charming and inventive epic blended Back to the Future, The Matrix, and Euripedes into something altogether new.

5) THE FINAL MINUTES OF 'JUBILEE' (Rub­ber Repertory) Making your cast jump up and down for an interminable amount of time sounds boring, and making boring-sounding things beautiful was what Jubilee did best.

6) THE ATMOSPHERE OF 'DREAM CABINET' (Salvage Vanguard Theater) Few productions set a mood more effectively.

7) EVERYTHING ABOUT 'LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL' (Summer Stock Austin) I'm not made of stone, you guys.

8) BETH BRODERICK IN 'JUST OUTSIDE REDEMPTION' (Theatre en Bloc) Broderick stole every scene by balancing charm, humor, and gravity.

9) KACY TODD IN 'HOLIER THAN THOU' (Poison Apple Initiative) Todd carried the emotional climax of a play consisting of interconnected monologues – no mean feat.

10) SOUND DESIGN FOR 'SPACESTATION1985' (Natalie George Presents) I didn't love the play, but the sound by Buzz Moran made the outer space setting come to life.

Upcoming: SummerStock Austin Does Legally Blonde, Chess, Frog and Toad at the Rollins Theatre, Long Center, July 26 - August 12

 

announces its 8th season featuring

Legally Blonde

Chess (co-produced with Austin Playhouse)

and

A Year with Frog and Toad

July 26-Aug. 12

The Rollins Theatre at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Riverside at South First (click for map)

Ticket Information: Long Center Box Office at www.longcenter.org or (512) 474-5664. 

LEGALLY BLONDE - July 26-August 12
SSA is very excited to open its season with the Broadway hit musical, LEGALLY BLONDE. Based on the hit movie of the same name, Legally Blonde The Musical is the award-winning Broadway sensation that’s an all singing, all dancing, feel good musical comedy and the highlight of your year.
Elle Woods, Emmett, Warner and even Brewster will all be there. So, pack up your (legal) briefs and join us for this fun-packed production.
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD - July 28-August 12
If you missed it last year, you have another chance. The B. Iden Payne Award-winner of Best Play for Youth and an Austin Chronicle Top 10 pick of 2011 is back as part of our Theatre for All initiative. Join Arnold Lobel’s amphibian friends for a morning of tuneful and heart-warming songs, and a story that tells us that friendships really can last forever.
CHESS - August 2-12
SSA is excited to announce its new sponsor, Austin Playhouse, one of the area’s most respected professional theatres. To celebrate this new partnership, the two companies have collaborated to produce the Austin premiere of the musical, CHESS. The production will feature professional actors, SSA Alumni, as well as members of the SSA company.

Click to view full day-by-day production schedule 

and ticket information at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . .

Upcoming: Chess, musical, SummerStock Austin and Austin Playhouse, July 6 - 22

Announcing a new musical for the 2011 -2012 Season!

 

Chess

music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (formerly of ABBA) ,book and lyrics by Tim Rice (lyricist for Evita)

July 6 - 22

Austin Playhouse temporary facility, 1801 1/2 Simond Street (click for map)

Tickets $29.97 adults, $15.48 students including fees; $37.22 for opening night

available on-line through

Austin Playhouse and SummerStock Austin proudly present the Austin Premiere of CHESS!

Performances are July 6 - 22, Thursday - Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm at Austin Playhouse at Mueller.

Set at the height of the Cold War, the story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship. However their greatest battle is for the love of a woman, forming a richly complex romantic triangle all in the context of the larger struggle for world domination between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Featuring music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA and lyrics by Tim Rice, hits from the show include "One Night in Bangkok" and "Heaven Help my Heart."

The hot-headed American champion is played by Jacob Trussell, the Russian champion is played by David Gallagher. Florence, the woman caught in the middle of their rivalry is played by Marita Stryker. Other featured cast members are Josie Yount as Svetlana, Brian Coughlin as Walter, Joe Penrod as Molokov, and Philip Kreyche as the Arbiter. The ensemble includes Joey Banks, Kimberly Barrow, Ryan Borses, Chelsea Duvall, Nick Kier, and Ann Pittman. SummerStock Austin participants will enhance the ensemble.

Michael McKelvey is the music and stage director. Lara Toner serves as Associate Director. Danny Herman and Rocker Verastique are the choreographers. Set design is by Leilah Stewart, costume design is by Glenda Barnes, lighting design for Austin Playhouse at Mueller performances is by Patrick Anthony.

Upcoming: Chess, the musical, SummerStock Austin opening at Austin Playhouse facility, July 6 - 22

Announcing a new musical for the 2011 -2012 Season!

music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (formerly of ABBA), book and lyrics by Tim Rice (lyricist for Evita)

July 6 - 22

Austin Playhouse temporary facility, 1801 1/2 Simond Street (click for map)

Dear friends,

We recently received permission from the city to stay in our temporary facility a little longer to finish out our season. At the same time we are delighted to announce that we've signed on to take over from Zilker Productions as the sponsor of SummerStock Austin.

SummerStock Austin is an incredible program for high school and college performers that provides continued theatre education for all students of the greater Austin area, no matter the economic situation of the participant. One of the productions SummerStock has planned this year is the Austin Premiere of the Tim Rice (Evita) musica, Chess. It's a powerful show and we've decided to close out our season with a co-production of Chess with SummerStock.

We feel this is an incredible opportunity to celebrate this new collaboration and close out our season with an amazing musical! We still believe that Man of La Mancha is the perfect production to open our new theatre. We are moving it from the closing production of our 2011 - 2012 Season to the opening production of our 2012 - 2013 Season.

So, Chess will run for three weeks this Summer at our temporary facility and then transfer to the Long Center with an expanded chorus for its two-week SummerStock run. Subscribers may make reservations for Chess now. Single tickets will go on sale in June. If you have any questions or concerns, please call us at 476-0084.

SummerStock Austin Adds Auditions for Chess,Equity Contracts Possible, April 7

Austin Playhouse and SummerStock Austin are pleased to announce auditions for its co-production, CHESS Saturday, April 7 9am-2pm Where: Carriage House, St. Edward's University We are looking for actors to fill roles and ensemble positions. Actors will be compensated and some Equity Guest contracts may be available. To schedule an appointment: email Michael McKelvey at mmckelvey3@gmail.com.

Austin Playhouse and SummerStockAustin will co-produce the Austin premiere of one of the world's most famous rock musicals, CHESS, composed by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA with lyrics by Tim Rice. The production will rehearse for two weeks in June and play for a three-week run in July at the Austin Playhouse Tent and then move to the Long Center's Rollins Theatre to conclude the SSA season with a reinforced chorus during the first two weeks of August. The production will be directed by Michael McKelvey with Lara Toner.

Click to view descriptions of roles available at AustinLiveTheatre.com

SummerStock Austin Second Call for Auditions: Looking forAdditional Male Actor/Singers and Theatre Techs, March 17, 18, 24, 25

Just received from Michael McKelvey:

SummerStock Austin will be holding its final round of auditions this weekend at Ballet Austin. I would greatly appreciate it if you could help spread the word to your students, friends and anyone else who may be interested. The shows: The Austin premiere of LEGALLY BLONDE, a remount of the award-winning A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD, and a co-production with Austin Playhouse and Austin premiere of CHESS. We are really in need of men, stage management and tech personnel. The sign up information is below. Additional time slots will be posted today. If students are unavailable, they can also submit a video audition to us by contacting, mmckelvey3@gmail.com. We also have 5 more paid mentorships for college students.

Thanks for getting the word out there,
Michael

SummerStock Austin is pleased to announce its auditions for its 8th season, which will present productions of the smash-hit musical Legally Blonde, Chess (featuring the music of ABBA) and a remount of our award-winning A Year with Frog and Toad. Upcoming auditions are on Saturday, March 17 (9am-3pm) and Sunday March 18, (9am-3pm), Saturday, March 24 (1:30pm-6:30pm) and Sunday, March 25 (9am-2pm) at Ballet Austin Studios, 501 W 3rd St, Austin, TX 78701 (click for map). *To reserve an audition time and specific information, please go to www.summerstockaustin.org. If you are unavailable on the audition dates, please contact Michael McKelvey at mmckelvey3@gmail.com and he will give you instructions on how to post an audition video.

Seeking College and High School age Performers, Stage Managers and Technicians. Note to College Students: There will be 8-14 paid mentorships available for the season. See our website for mentorship positions and specifics.

What to Prepare: 2 songs (16 bars of a ballad/32 bars of an uptempo. One selection should be in pop/rock style) and a 60-90 second contemporary monologue. There will be a dance call each day.

SSA is a unique theatrical training program, as well as repertory theatre company, that features the talent of college and high school students under the supervision of theatre professionals. This award-winning program is the only one of its kind in the United States and was founded to serve the students of the greater Austin area. This past season, SSA's production of A Year with Frog and Toad was awarded the B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Production for Youth and its other two productions, The Producers and Urinetown, were both nominated for Outstanding Musical. We welcome all college and high school students to come out and audition for this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

The SSA rehearsal period runs July 5-26 and the performance season runs July 26-August 12. All performances will be at The Long Center for the Performing Arts. Also, Chess may feature some guest SSA alumni and professional actors.)

For further information or specific questions, please contact Producing Artistic Director Michael McKelvey at mmckelvey3@gmail.com.

Auditions for SummerStock Austin's Legally Blonde, Chess and A Year with Frog and Toad, March 17 - 25

SummerStock Austin is pleased to announce its auditions for its 8th season, which will present productions of the smash-hit musical Legally Blonde, Chess (featuring the music of ABBA) and a remount of our award-winning A Year with Frog and Toad.




SSA is a unique theatrical training program, as well as repertory theatre company, that features the talent of college and high school students under the supervision of theatre professionals. This award-winning program is the only one of its kind in the United States and was founded to serve the students of the greater Austin area. This past season, SSA's production of A Year with Frog and Toad was awarded the B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Production for Youth and its other two productions, The Producers and Urinetown, were both nominated for Outstanding Musical. We welcome all college and high school students to come out and audition for this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

Auditions: Saturday, March 17 (9am-3pm) and Sunday March 18, (9am-3pm), Saturday, March 24 (1:30pm-6:30pm) and Sunday, March 25 (9am-2pm).

Where: Ballet Austin Studios, 501 W 3rd St, Austin, TX 78701 (click for map)

Who: College and High School age Performers, Stage Managers and Technicians. ( Chess will also feature some guest SSA alumni.)

Note to College Students: There will be 8-14 paid mentorships available for the season. See our website for mentorship positions and specifics.

What to Prepare: 2 songs (16 bars of a ballad/32 bars of an uptempo. One selection should be in pop/rock style) and a 60-90 second contemporary monologue. There will be a dance call each day.

Note: The SSA rehearsal period runs July 5-26 and the performance season runs July 26-August 12. All performances will be at The Long Center for the Performing Arts.

To reserve an audition time and specific information, please go to www.summerstockaustin.org For further information or specific questions, please contact Producing Artistic Director Michael McKelvey at mmckelvey3@gmail.com.

Urinetown, the musical, SummerStock Austin at the Rollins Theatre, July 28 - August 7

by Brian Paul Scipione

You’re In It Now: Stepping Gingerly into Urinetown: The Musical

Two minutes into the opening number of Urinetown, I felt my heart give a quiet groan: was I really about to witness two straight hours of potty humor? There must have been at least twenty different sweetly sung references to micturition in the first two minutes alone and with "p" being such an easy letter to rhyme, it could go on as long as rest-stop after a four hour car ride.....

Fortunately, this was far from the case. Lyricists Mark Hollmann (who also wrote the music) and Greg Kotis seemed to void themselves on the subject promptly. The plot takes over, rapidly revealed by a narrator who steps out of the story to make sardonic remarks about the play’s aImagection and about the genre of musical theatre. One hardly has time to worry about the plot, for the musical numbers are at the forefront and they frolic and twist through various genres and moods with the playfulness of a child choosing records by the covers alone.

Urinetown is a Tony-award-winning musical that debuted on Broadway in 2001. Its odd title, subject matter, and blatant, yet tongue in check, anti-musical commentary caused the creators some trouble in finding it a home. They succeeded in placing it the New York International Fringe Festival.

[image: Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts]

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Arts Reporting: Robert Faires Interviews Departing Musical Theatre Director Michael McKelvey for the Austin Chronicle

Published in

on July 21:

Mr. Show Busy
Michael McKelvey's just a guy who cain't say no (to musicals)

by Robert Faires


You gotta figure that in Austin's arts community there must be a quintet of McKelvey brothers, all of them, like the sons of George Foreman, boasting the same first name (in this case, Michael). How else to explain the fact that at any given moment in a season you can have a Michael McKelvey directing a musical here, a Michael McKelvey music directing a musical there, one composing music for some play, another performing in a concert, and yet another conducting a choral program?

Well, as difficult as it may be to believe, no band of brothers is shouldering all these musical responsibilities, nor has Dr. McKelvey figured out a way to clone himself. He's doing all this all by his lonesome. An octuple threat (you can add educator and producer to his credit line of singer/actor/director/music director/composer/conductor), McKelvey has for years been making use of his copious talents in, I kid you not, dozens of projects per season, across the length and breadth of the community: St. Stephen's Episcopal School, St. Edward's University, Austin Playhouse, Austin Shakespeare, Zilker Theatre Productions, TexARTS, Penfold Theatre Company, his own Doctuh Mistuh Productions, and the youth theatre training program he co-founded with Ginger Morris, Summer Stock Austin.

This summer provides a classic case study in just how crazy busy McKelvey keeps himself. In June, he directed and music directed Penfold's charming chamber musical I Love You Because. He then directed and music directed the Zilker Summer Musical, Footloose, which opened July 8. Since then, he's been hard at work on the three Summer Stock musicals that open this week and the next: Urinetown: The Musical and A Year With Frog and Toad, both of which he's directing and music directing, and The Producers, which he's just music directing (unless, that is, you factor in that he's co-producing all three shows).

Click to read more, including the interview with Michael McKelvey, at the Austin Chronicle on-line. . . .

Upcoming: A Year with Frog and Toad, SummerStock Austin, July 23 - August 7

Click for ALT review (Highly recommended!)

From information received directly:

presents

A Year with Frog and Toad

a musical adaptation of Arnold Lobel's classic picture story

10 a.m., Saturdays and Sundays, July 23-24, July 30-31, August 6-7

and 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 4

Rollins Theatre, Long Center, 701 Riverside at South First

Click for ticket information

From the show description at www.stjohns.edu:

Arnold Lobel's well-loved characters hop from the page to the stage in Robert and Willie Reale's musical A Year With Frog And Toad. Conceived by Mr. Lobel's daughter, Adrianne Lobel, A Year With Frog And Toad remains true to the spirit of the original stories as it follows two great friends, the cheerful and popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad through four fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation in the spring, they proceed to plant gardens, swim, rake leaves and go sledding, learning life lessons along the way, including a most important one about friendship and rejoicing in the attributes that make each of us different and special.

Upcoming: SummerStock Austin musicals, July - August

Received directly:

SummerStock Austin presents its 7^th Season with three titles sure to offer something for everyone!

• THE PRODUCERS
• URINETOWN and
  
• A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD
• July 21-August 7
• The Rollins Theatre at the Long Center for the Performing Arts
• Tickets: Ranging from $6-25. Special prices for opening and closing nights. Purchase through the Long Center Box Office at www.longcenter.org or (512) 474-5664. Tickets will go on sale through the Long Center Box Office starting in July.
• More Information: www.summerstockaustin.org or (512) 428-1297
  

SummerStock Austin announces its seventh anniversary season with three productions: The Producers, Urinetown and A Year With Frog and Toad. The three shows will play in repertory with The Producers opening July 21 and closing Aug. 6, and A Year with Frog and Toad opening July 23 and closing Aug. 7, and Urinetown opening July 28 and closing August 7. For the further information about SSA and our detailed performance calendar, please see the SummerStock Austin website: www.summerstockaustin.org

The Producers, which won more Tony Awards than any show in Broadway history-including Best Musical of the Year, is based on the Mel Brooks’ film. The production will be directed by Ginger Morris with choreography by Ms. Morris and Madison Piner with additional choreography by Austin Musical Theatre founder Scott Thompson. Musical direction will be by Michael McKelvey with Jordan Cunningham. (Appropriate for audiences 12 years old and up)

SSA’s first Theatre For All (TFA) production, A Year with Frog and Toad is based on the timeless children’s stories by Arnold Lobel. The show original received a Tony nomination for Best Musical. SSA’s production will be directed by Michael McKelvey with choreography by Mikayla Agrella and musical direction by Jordan Cunningham. (Appropriate for all ages)

Urinetown, which won three Tony Awards including Best Score and Best Book of a Musical, will complete the SSA 2011 season. Although the title may give some audience members pause, the show is considered to be one of the witty and original pieces of musical theatre written in the past twenty years. Urinetown will be directed by Michael McKelvey with choreography by Danny Herman and Rocker Verastique and musical direction by Dr. McKelvey with Jason Connor. (Appropriate for ages 10 years old and up)

The productions are performed entirely by a student (college and high school) company, and this year will also feature some student musicians in the orchestra. Student performers and crew are drawn from St. Edward’s University, University of Texas, Texas State University, Baylor University, Milliken University, Oklahoma City University, Chapman University and Otterbein University. High school participants come from over 10 high schools from the Austin, Dripping Springs, Leander, Westlake and Round Rock School Districts. More than 100 students auditioned and interviewed to be part of the sixth season. The applicant pool not only tapped the greater Austin area, but included representatives from Houston and Dallas as well.

SummerStock Austin is a sponsored project of St. Edward’s University, as well as Zilker Theatre Productions. While the shows will be performed at the beautiful Long Center for the Performing Arts, rehearsals, administrative offices and set construction will remain at St. Edward’s University.

Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward's University has been named as one of America's Best Colleges for 2009 by U.S. News & World Report and was selected by The Princeton Review for inclusion in the guide Colleges with a Conscience. St. Edward's is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university of more than 5,300 students located in Austin, Texas. For more information on St. Edward’s University, visit www.stedwards.edu.

About Theatre For All: Theatre For All provides free and significantly discounted tickets to approximately 200-250 young audience members over three weeks of the season. The students are chosen from at-risk and at-need groups from the greater Austin area. As of now, TFA will be hosting children from Dell Children’s Hospital and SafePlace Austin.

Arts Reporting: Austin's Leading Musical Theatre Director Michael McKelvey Will Relocate to Pennsylvania

Just published by Rob Faubion at www.AustinOnStage.com:

Michael McKelvey, Central Texas Performing Arts Leader, Moving to Pennsylvania

Dr. Michael McKelvey - an active performer, musical director, stage director, professor and composer on the Austin theatre scene for more than 18 years - will be leaving Central Texas at the end of the summer to become Head of Voice at Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. McKelvey made the announcement on Tuesday via emails to Austin arts leaders.

"This may come out of left field, but when does anything that I do surprise you anymore," McKelvey said. "Following Zilker Theatre Production's Footloose and the entire SummerStock Austin season, I will be packing up my bags and heading to the arctic regions of the northeast. After 18 years in Austin, I am a little shocked I am making this move, but it is a very exciting and challenging position at one of the country's top musical theatre programs."

Together with Ginger Morris, McKelvey founded Summer StockAustin in 2005. He currently serves as Director of Musical Theatre at St. Edward's University, where he also created the Spotlight on Opera year-round training program.

As a stage director and musical director, his 50-plus regional credits include B. Iden Payne Awards for Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Parade, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Read full text at www.AustinOnStage.com . . . .

Upcoming: SummerStock Austin, July - August 2010

Found on-line:





announces the 2010 season and March auditions for

Rent
Directed by David Valdes

A rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, Rent is based on Puccini's opera La Boheme. The story centers around a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City. Two resident squatters are shocked when a former friend buys their building and demands back rent. This results in the eclectic neighborhood coming together for a Christmas protest after which we follow their lives for the next year.

Although the controversial themes of drugs and HIV set at the end of the 20th century in New York City may not seem timeless, Rent remains fresh for new audiences through its sheer exuberance and its longer running themes of tolerance, understanding and acceptance.

Sweet Charity
Directed by Ginger Morris

Sweet Charity, based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria, was originally choreographed and conceived by Bob Fosse, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon.

Top hats, canes, slinky costumes and Bob Fosse's stunning choreography typically outshine the true heart of this charming musical. The driving force is a young woman trying to find relevance and fulfillment in an America that didn’t readily offer opportunities to women. On a more universal level, it’s also about being trapped; trapped in dead-end jobs, toxic relationships, and the gender roles imposed by a rigid, unimaginative value system.

Featuring well known songs such as "If My Friends Could See Me Now" and "Big Spender," Sweet Charity is an upbeat, touching tale of a young woman's search for Something Better....

AUDITIONS

Auditions are set for March 7, 13, and 14. SummerStock Austin is for students enrolled in high school or college. SummerStock Austin seeks both performing artists and theatre technicial artists. CLICK for further information, schedules and application forms.

Little Shop of Horrors, SummerStock Austin at Rollins Theatre, August 1 - 9

SummerStock Austin's joyous production of Little Shop of Horrors gets extra class credit in recognition for its part in re-Americanizing this reviewer.

After last May's production of the same script by the Georgetown Palace Theatre, I took the liberty to grump that theirs was a "Grade A production of a Grade D musical play."

I did explain that unlike the rest of the audience, I had never been exposed to Audreys 1 or 2, either on film or in the theatre. Little Shop didn't travel to places like the Dominican Republic, my last posting abroad, where the musical theatre tastes ran to Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. So I was a blank slate at that time both for Alan Menken's music and Howard Ashman's book and lyrics.

Last Sunday evening we were sitting in the middle of the front row, exhibiting the naive courage of theatre fanatics, so we took the full blast of SummerStock's music, singing, dancing and highly stylized camp. And, you know, seeing a Grade A production of a Grade D musical play up close and personal is a helluva lot of fun.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .