MY ASIAN MOM 2.0.1.3Coming this summer!

Visit A-Squared Thetare Workshop’s website for all the details:

www.a-stw.org

Melissa Mok Louella Cabalona Ben Albovias Hope Kim Ramona Kywe Samantha Garcia

CASTRosie .......................................................................................................... MELISSA MOKKathy ............................................................................................ LOUELLA CABALONAPierre .........................................................................................................BEN ALBOVIASJohnny ................................................................................................................ HOPE KIMAlligator ..................................................................................................RAMONA KYWEChicken Soup ..................................................................................SAMANTHA GARCIA

THE NUTSHELL BAND

Piano/conductor - Andrew Hodson, Keyboards - Alex J. Berezowsky,Bass - Baron Cabalona, Drums - Patrick Woods

This all started quite some time ago in the Detroit suburbs. I was watching TV and this cartoon came on with this wonderfully raspy voice singing and his group of kids playing outside on a stoop. Being a young child, I didn’t have the words to articulate what or how I felt about Really Rosie the cartoon show but I knew I loved it! Years later, during college, I was reminded about what a terrific show this was and I was surprised when I saw the live version performed on one of our stages. Right? Who knew? Nobody told me. I knew I want to do this show but I didn’t know if I wanted to be in it or direct it. I bought the children’s book with the sheet music and CD with Carole King from the cartoon and I copied the script from the library. I was all set. All I needed was a company, a theater space, a cast, a band and the money to pay for it all. Years later, here we are with this show, which I hope will be as memorable, entertaining, educational and nostalgic... Oh , I just hope your kids have fun! Thanks for coming. I have had a blast bringing this to you. Believe me!

From the director...

About our show...When everybody screams and yells, “There’s nothing to do! There’s nothing to see!” Who dreams up a place they’d like to be? The enchanted one, that’s Rosie.

Rosie, the precocious little city girl, is the undisputed leader of her gang of friends. And she uses her imagination and charm, turning twelve boring hours into a fas¬cinating day. She makes her friends audition to be in the movie of her life, again. Book and lyrics written by Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) and music composed by Carole King (Grammy winning singer/song writer). Songs will be sung, lessons will be learned. Believe me!

WHO’S WHO IN THE CASTMELISSA MOK (Rosie) is excited to be a part of ASTW’s production of Really Rosie! She finds some of her inspiration for Rosie from her nieces and nephew (Hailey, Andrew, and Josette) and enjoys any opportunity to act like a child! Melissa would like to thank all of her friends and family who have supported and encouraged her to return to the stage, especially the hubby, Jason! Nothing says “I love you” like never hearing her sing but assuming she does it well!

BEN ALBOVIAS (Pierre) From his first onstage performance as a Time Monkey, Ben always wanted to evolve into a little boy with a French name. Now he is thankful for the opportunity to do so. He would like to dedicate this performance to all his nieces and nephews (Ben, Sophia, Lucy, Lily, Luke, & Harrison). It’s fun to be a kid and to never grow up!

LOUELLA CABALONA (Kathy) is a theater/TV actress and commercial model who has worked in the Philippines, Singapore and in Illinois. Theater credits include Once on this Island (Asaka), Cinderella the Musical (Stepmother), As You Like It (Phoebe), Himala the Musical (Mrs. Alba), We Will Rock You (Puff Daddy), Oraciones (Cleopatra) among others. She currently performs around Chicago and the Midwest as the lead singer of the Filipino Folk Fusion band, SamaSama Project. The group also performed at the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain.

SAMANTHA GARCIA (Chicken Soup) is a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and has lived and played all over the world. Since making Chicago her home, she has done a lot of cool projects with a lot of cool people. She has been inspired by Really Rosie since she was a tiny baby and is beyond excited to be a part of this show! Thank you Audience for supporting live theatre; without you this is just rehearsal.

HOPE KIM (Johnny) had a swell time being a kid and “playing” with the other kids in Really Rosie. As a music/piano teacher, she has been channeling her wonderful young students for the character choices of Johnny. It’s fun to be a kid and this has provided the space for her to do just that! The songs are fun and she dreams about them in her sleep! Thank you for all of the support. You know who you are!

RAMONA KYWE (Alligator) is excited to be working with A-Squared Theater once again. Her past productions include Bad Seed at Gorilla Tango’s Chicago location, Red and Green with Akvavit Theater, and A-Squared’s last production My Asian Mom. She is a graduate of Columbia College with a BA in Theater.

WHO’S WHO IN THE CASTELENA MAYAH BENJAMIN (Kathy’s Mother) is so happy to be a part of Really Rosie. This is her first theater experience as a voice over actor. She is a great supporter of the theater and was honored to be a part of this show.

MAURICE SENDAK (Book & Lyrics) was an American writer and illustrator of children’s literature. He was best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, first published in 1963. His love of books began at an early age when he developed health problems and was confined to his bed. He decided to become an illustrator after watching Walt Disney’s film Fantasia at the age of twelve. One of his first professional commissions was to create window displays for the toy store F.A.O. Schwarz. He spent much of the 1950s illustrating children’s books written by others before beginning to write his own stories. Sendak’s honors include the Caldacott Medal for Where The Wildl Things Are (1964), Hans Christian Anderson Award for children’s book illustration (1970), National Book Award in category Picture Books for Outside Over There (1982), Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal (1983), National Medal of Arts (1996), and Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for children’s literature (2003).

CAROLE KING (Composer) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, her Tapestry album topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971, and remained on the charts for more than six years. She was most successful as a performer in the first half of the 1970s, although she was a successful songwriter long before and long after. She had her first number 1 hit as a songwriter in 1960 at age 18, with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, which she wrote with Goffin. In 2000, Joel Whitburn, a Billboard Magazine pop music researcher, named her the most successful female songwriter of 1955–99, because she wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. King has made 25 solo albums. She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting.

GHUON “MAX” CHUNG (Director) mainly acted on stage. But he choreographed the dance and fights for ASTW’s first production of Trial by Water. And he directed Chicago’s premiere production of The Wind Cries Mary, also with ASTW. He wrote, produced and directed his one man show Secret Asian Man… a Korean Kabaret. And now he eagerly and excitedly leads this wonderful group of players in Really Rosie. It’s a big bowl of chicken soup for the kid in all of us! Believe me.

WHO’S WHO IN THE CASTANDREW HODSON (Music Director/Piano) has directed many shows including Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz, Little Shop of Horrors, Good News!, Lil’ Abner, and The Music Man. He was most recently seen originating the role of Lee Harvey Oswald in the Procenuim Productions workshop of Kennedy. His Broadway credits include Hairspray, Spring Awakening, and Chicago. He has toured with many shows and dance companies and is a founding member and choreographer for Phoenix Rising Chicago. He would like to thank everyone who has encouraged him to get back behind the piano especially his wife Ali.

ALI HODSON (Costumes/Props) attained her Bachelors of Science in Textile & Apparel Design at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Although most of her experience is designing for dancers, she’s enjoyed the challenge of costuming adults as kids for Really Rosie. She also currently a founding member and Managing Director for Phoenix Rising Chicago, and has enjoyed being in the arts in one form or another since age 3. She would like to thank her husband Andy for the opportunity to be involved in a capacity that doesn’t involve singing. You’re all welcome for that.

MILIE FANG (Illustrations) is a pre-medicine student from the University of Illinois at Chicago. While she may be focused in the sciences, she enjoys the arts--indulging in drawing and graphic design in her free time. She is also a music lover and plays three instruments herself: the piano, violin, and the erhu. She is very excited to have participated in the cover design illustration for Really Rosie and wishes the cast and crew the best in their performance.

GINGER LEOPOLDO (Co-Producer/Mother Voice) aspires to be just like Rosie! She is an actor, director and producer of many productions in her “neighborhood”. Serving as Executive Director of CIRCA-Pintig, this musical is dear to her heart as a long-time family favorite, she can still hear the sweet voices of kids singing-along. She offers undying appreciation to the hard-working production team, cast and crew. Hugs and kisses to her family for supporting ALL projects!

JOE YAU (Co-Producer) has worked with A-Squared Theater Workshop as an actor and director. Most recently, he was the lead director for My Asian Mom, which ran for ten weeks in 2012. He is excited to see how much A-Squared has grown and wants to thank all of you for supporting this theater company. A special thank you to his wife and kids for their love and support over the years.

WHO’S WHO IN THE CASTKAITLYN WIEDEMAN (Set Design), a freelance carpenter, is no stranger to the theater and set design. Kaitlyn’s theatrical debut was at the age of six in the The King & I, and she helped construct her first set at age eight in a Joplin Little Theater workshop. During the day Kaitlyn works for Breaking Ground as a project manager restoring apartments in Chicago, and at night she is a soccer coach for Little Legends and Chicago Magic.

ZACHARIAH WIEDEMAN (Set Design/Lighting Design/Stage Manager) is a ZACH of all trades and a master of FUN. Zachariah’s first experience in the theatre came playing the role of Prince Chulalongkorn in the 1993 Joplin Little Theatre production of The King & I. Since then, Zachariah has been involved with numerous stage productions on both sides of the Mississippi in a variety of roles both in front of and behind the curtain.

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About our company...A-Squared Theatre Workshop is a Chicago based collective that creates an artistic environment of risk taking and growth for Asian American theater artists by dy-namically bringing Asian American stories to the stage for general theater-going audiences. A-Squared is a 501c3, non-profit organization and formed in 2006.

Special thanks to...Mothers of the Nutshell KidsGiau TruongThe Leopoldo FamilyMy Gym SkokiePaul MoyThe Wiedeman Family...and many more!

A-Squared Theatre Workshop is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and a Community Arts Assistance Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.

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A-Squared Theatre Workshop 2001 W. Addison, 2E Chicago, IL 60618

www.a-stw.org