the ucalgary operetta company presents chil ren e en of d · music & lyrics by stephen schwartz...

The UCalgary Operetta Company Presents...

CHIL REN E EN�of D

A musical by Stephen SchwartzThe award winning composer of

the Broadway hit “WICKED”

Book by John CairdMusic & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Directed by Colleen WhiddenOrchestra Directed by Wendy J. Freeman

Choreographed by Jocelyn HooverProduced by Byron Redd

Promotional Concept and Design by Kevin Persaud • www.mrkp.ca

The University Theatre - Craigie HallUniversity of Calgary

200 University Court NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4www.UCalgaryOperetta.ca

Children of Eden • UCalgary Operetta Company

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY OPERETTA COMPANYPresents a musical by John Caird & Stephen Schwartz

Special effects in the production include strobe lights and artifi cial smoke.

Children of Eden is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

BookMusic and Lyrics

ConceptOrchestration

Artistic DirectorProduction Manager

Orchestra DirectorChoreographerStage Manager

JOHN CAIRDSTEPHEN SCHWARTZCHARLES LISANBYBRUCE COUGHLINMARTIN ERSKINECOLLEEN WHIDDENBYRON REDD WENDY J. FREEMANJOCELYN HOOVERMEREDITH JOHNSON

CHIL REN E EN of D

UCalgary Operetta Company • Children of Eden

What did you think of when you heard that The University of Calgary Operetta Company was performing CHILDREN OF EDEN? If such characters as Adam and Eve, the sinister snake, Noah and his family, or the menagerie of animals came to mind, you would be correct. You may have also thought about the show thematically. The themes of good and evil, free will, the responsibility that comes with choice, faith in self, others and a larger force, along with family dynamics would also have been accurate. Stephen Schwartz, with his beautiful and haunting melodies, brings forth all of these characters and themes in a show that features the story of Adam’s family in Act I and Noah’s family in Act II. The creator of WICKED has woven several current and relevant themes through these timeless characters in a show that never stops moving. From the lead characters all the way through to the ever-present Storytellers, every individual is developed with realism and sincerity. If you did not have a chance to think about the production but just came from your busy life to be entertained, you will not be disappointed!

It has been my pleasure, once again, to work with this company on our production of CHILDREN OF EDEN. This cast, made up of university students, alumni, and community members, brings to the stage passion and energy for both this story and for the genre of musical theatre. The students involved in the show come from a variety of faculties including engineering, kinesiology, nursing, commerce, psychology and arts. The alumni and community cast members, with a plethora of backgrounds, add to the richness and depth of the stage experience. The cast has had the pleasure of working with a complete, live pit orchestra, directed by Wendy J. Freeman. The orchestra members come from the university and larger Calgary music community.

Thanks to The University of Calgary Music Department for continuing to support this unique musical theatre venture on campus.

Special thanks to Byron Redd, Meredith Johnson, Wendy Freeman and Jocelyn Hoover who took on many leadership roles in this company and let their passion for the art permeate every endeavor.

ENJOY THE PERFORMANCE!Colleen WhiddenArtistic Director

DIRECTOR’S NOTEDIRECTOR’S NOTE

D


SYNOPSISSYNOPSISACT IThe play opens with the creation story from the Book of Genesis.

Eve is drawn to the tree of knowledge, even though Father (the God-character is always addressed as “Father” by the other characters) has warned her to stay away. Father attempts to distract Adam and Eve by playing a game where Adam and Eve name all the animals. With his children distracted for the time being, everything is right with the newly created world. Eve, however, still hungers for something more than what she has. She meets a snake that tempts her with the fruit from the forbidden tree. Eve eats the fruit, leading to her banishment from the Garden of Eden.

In a twist from the Genesis tale, Adam is portrayed as torn between two choices: either he can stay with Father in Eden, or he can eat the fruit and be banished with Eve. He chooses to stay with Eve, even though it means leaving the garden forever. Adam and Eve are driven out into the surrounding wilderness and have two children, Cain and Abel. Eve realizes that the same fi re that led to her eating the fruit is present in her son, Cain. Cain tells Abel of the problems that Adam and Eve made for them by leaving the garden and says that he intends to fi nd the lost garden.

Adam and Eve fi nd some pleasure in the fact that they have been able to create a life for themselves outside of Eden, but this peacefulness is again shattered when Cain says that he has found a ring of stones, proof that they are not the only humans alive. Adam admits that he had seen the ring of stones and the people who live there before but that he had never mentioned it because he was afraid of the potential consequences. This leads to a fi ght between Adam and Cain, but when Abel intervenes, he is killed, as Cain attempts to kill Adam but hits Abel instead. Father decrees that Cain’s descendants will always bear a mark for the sin of their ancestor.

Act I closes with Eve about to die. She delivers a monologue about Cain’s departure from the family and the birth of another son, Seth, who has since had children of his own. She then prays that her children and her grandchildren will regain the garden that was lost.


SYNOPSISSYNOPSISACT IIThe act opens with “Generations,” a list of the many descendants of

Cain and Seth, all the way down to Noah and his family, whose story comprises the second act’s plot. Father tells Noah that a storm is coming, so Noah must build a boat.

Noah has three sons, and two of them, (Shem and Ham), have wives, but his youngest son, Japheth, is unhappy with the wives Noah has tried to obtain for him. Instead, he wishes to marry the servant-girl, Yonah, a descendant of the race of Cain, and Japheth tells this to his surprised family. However, Noah will not allow Yonah on the ark. All the animals return so that they can board the ark. Japheth comes to say goodbye to Yonah. She sings “Stranger to the Rain,” in which she says that she has always faced the problem of being shunned because she bears the mark of Cain. Japheth decides to sneak Yonah onto the ark. Japheth and Yonah sing “In Whatever Time We Have,” which tells of their love for each other.

The rain comes, and it keeps raining and raining. Yonah releases a dove to fi nd dry land. The rest of the family discovers Yonah, and Shem and Ham wish to throw her overboard, but Japheth intervenes. It escalates into a fi ght, and it is only because Yonah intervenes that one of the brothers is not killed. Noah is unsure as to what he must do. His wife asks him if Father speaks to him anymore, and when Noah answers “No,” she tells him, “You must be the father now.” Noah has to decide what should be done without God telling him what to do. Noah sings of the diffi culties that he has faced in being a father, while at the same time Father sings of the problems he has faced in being a father. Noah calls the family together. He decides to give Japheth and Yonah his blessing. Then the dove returns and the family again sees the light of the stars. Mama leads the family in the gospel song. Father gives humanity the power to control its fate. The family sings of the problems they will face and their desire to return someday to the Garden of Eden.

Children of Eden is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 P: 212-541-4684 F: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com


ACT I• Let There Be – Father & Full Company• Perfect (Part 1) – Storytellers, Father, Adam & Eve• The Tree of Knowledge – Father & Adam• The Naming – Father, Adam, Eve & Storytellers• Grateful Children – Adam & Eve• Father’s Day – Father• Perfect (Part 2) – Storytellers, Father, Adam & Eve• The Spark of Creation – Eve• In Pursuit of Excellence – Snake & Eve• The End of a Perfect Day – Storytellers• Childhood’s End – Storytellers, Father & Eve• A World Without You – Adam, Father & Eve• The Expulsion – Father & Storytellers• The Wasteland – Storytellers• Wilderness Family – Adam, Young Cain & Young Abel• The Spark of Creation (Reprise 1) – Eve• Lost in the Wilderness – Cain & Abel• Lost in the Wilderness (Reprise) – Cain• Close to Home – Adam, Eve, Abel, Young Cain & Young Abel• A Ring of Stones – Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel• Clash of the Generations – Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel• The Death of Abel – Eve & Storytellers• The Mark of Cain – Father & Storytellers• Children of Eden – Eve & Full Company

• INTERMISSION •ACT II• Generations – Storytellers• The Gathering Storm – Noah & Father• A Piece of Eight – Storytellers, Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha• Blind Obedience – Noah• The Return of the Animals – Orchestra• The Naming (Reprise)/Noah’s Lullaby – Storytellers & Noah• Stranger to the Rain – Yonah• In Whatever Time We Have – Japeth & Yonah• The Flood – Father & Storytellers• What is He Waiting For? – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha• Sailor of the Skies – Yonah• The Spark of Creation (Reprise 2) – Mama Noah• The Hardest Part of Love – Noah & Father• Words of Doom – Storytellers• The Hour of Darkness – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha• Ain’t It Good? – Mama Noah & Full Company• Precious Children – Father• In the Beginning – Japeth, Yonah, Noah, Mama Noah, Father, & Full Company

ACTS, SCENES & MUSICACTS, SCENES & MUSIC


Written by Joe Slabe, directed by Mark Bellamy. January 29th to February 9th, 2013 at the Joyce Doolittle Theatre.

MARIA RASPUTIN PRESENTSR

There’ll be puppets and pathos, terror and tap dance, drama and drag queens, and ruinous romance, when...

Tickets: 403-263-0079 www.fortemusical.ca

KevinPersaud

graphic designerwww.MRKP.ca403.613.9496

[email protected]

• w• p• e

• design • layout • branding • art direction

Proudly supporting the UCalgary Operetta CompanyPoster & Playbill Design Courtesy of Kevin Persaud


CHIL REN E EN of D

CHIL RENE EN

of D



MikeJohnson

Father

TyKennedy

Adam

EllenSullivan

Eve

AaronPurdy

Cain

MitchLukinuk

Abel“Generations”

Soloist

DevonOakander

Seth

AlyssaThompsonSeth’s Wife

“Snake” Quintet

IzahaCochranYoung Cain

AlexSmith

Young Abel

StevenMorton

Noah

NaomiNgebulanaMama Noah

DeanLauderdale

Japheth

KevinLeitch

Ham

JamesCowley

Shem

EdenHildebrand

Yonah“Snake” Dancer

MelanieGodbout

Aphra (Ham’s Wife)

“Snake” Dancer

MeghanMcMaster

Aysha (Shem’s Wife)

BrittVanGroningen“Generations”

Soloist“Snake” Quintet

Storyteller Ensemble

CAST MEMBERSCAST MEMBERS


WillTsoi

“Wasteland” Soloist

“Snake” QuintetStoryteller Ensemble

Emily Unterschultz


“Snake” DancerStoryteller Ensemble

JocelynHoover



JohnWhidden


RosannaRedd


IsabelChan


RichardAdams


StefanieLis


AllenCrowleyStoryteller Ensemble

AndrewLeitch


BrianUnterschultz


DannyLi


DavidMottle


DerekDedemusStoryteller Ensemble

JohannWentzelStoryteller Ensemble

MichaelTrew


AleidaWhiddenStoryteller Ensemble

BreannaGray




CeliaNiksic


DanicaPower


DianneTrew


JanessaSchusterStoryteller Ensemble

JulesLyon


LisetteAllan


LizzyPopke


MadaWentzelStoryteller Ensemble

MeaghanHommyStoryteller Ensemble

RebeccaChubb-Way


ShelbyClarke


SuzanneBerg


TheaAllan



Gillian EadyAbby WhiddenMeagan DaviesAlison Frayne

Jaelin CaverhillAngela Kim

Isabelle AssefMathew Collins

Sydnie Smith-SchenkNuha “Noona” Hubaishy

Nicole Arroyo

ANIMAL CHILDREN

*All named characters also play STORYTELLERS in their non-featured act.


ORCHESTRAORCHESTRA

Conductor Wendy J. Freeman

LisaBumstead

Alto Saxophone /

Clarinet

DanielChoBass

JessicaMcLaughlin

Tenor Saxophone /

Clarinet

KevinChoGuitar

SiRimKim

Keyboard

RobRollingsonPercussion

JoanneSampson

Clarinet

LisaGraham

Flute / Piccolo

RyanJansonius

Guitar

JPSalcedoPercussion

TaylorForet

Bassoon

DavidMorin

Keyboard

AmeliaSharpCello

DanielTran

Keyboard

TyStewart

Cello

EricaBaines

French Horn

JaceEagle Bear

Oboe /English Horn


Artistic DirectorColleen Whidden

Production ManagerByron Redd

Musical DirectorColleen Whidden

Orchestra DirectorWendy J. Freeman

ChoreographerJocelyn Hoover

Stage Manager Meredith Johnson

Assistant Stage Managers

Amanda Chubb-Way Jeffrey Redd

Orchestra Assistants SiRim Kim

Lisa Bumstead

Costume Designer Frank MacLeod

Assistant Costume Designer

Donna Barnfield

Costume Construction Frank MacLeodDonna BarnfieldMyrna WeidenAnna Caldwell

Marilyn Buehning

Hair & MakeupJordan SmithJessica Smith

Set Design, Construction &

PaintingSteve Robinson

Laura PurdyBrad Leavitt

James RavenhillSamantha Stemmler

Bill BrownJoanne Morin

Kyle Rice

Properties Master Meghan Skeet

PropertiesReed Francis

Julia Wasilewski Michael Trew

Amanda BoadiClara Lee

Light DesignJohn Whidden

Meredith JohnsonByron Redd

Light Operator University Theatre

Services

Sound Design & Operator

Byron Redd

Running CrewKyle Rice

Nathan TurnerTwila WhiddenKevin McKay Yonas Ogubu Tauran Wood

Rehearsal Accompanists

David MorinSiRim Kim

Jenn Clark Brown

Marketing & Promotions Emily BontjeKevin Leitch

Meghan McMaster Rosanna Redd

Official Photographer Ryan Michelsen

www.dimages.ca

Promotions & Playbill DesignKevin Persaudwww.mrkp.ca

Fight CaptainAaron Purdy

Fight ChoreographerHaysam Kadri

Vocal CoachCaitlin KarpetzRosanna Redd

PRODUCTION TEAMPRODUCTION TEAM

“DiD you see anawarD winning performance?”

Vote for us online at http://www.calgary-acts.com/nomination.php


SPECIAL THANKSSPECIAL THANKSIn alphabetical order by first names

Brad WiebeCalgary Culture - LiveRushCalgary HeraldCalgary SunCappuccino Musical TheatreCBC RadioCherie CaslynD.W. von Kuster Dimages PhotographicDr. William JordanFront Row Centre PlayersGwen McGowanJames TonkinJulia WasilewskiKathleen RenneKeiran JohnsonKevin PersaudLorna JohnsonLouis Hobson

Lynn Calder Mary Lou MendykReed FrancisSHAW CableSheila HarlandSt. David’s United ChurchSteve RobinsonSusan WongTabor CollegeUniversity of Calgary: Drama Department Music Department Program of Dance University Elementary SchoolUniversity Theatre ServicesWichita State UniversityWorkshop TheatreYouth Singers of Calgary

Interested in playing a role in an upcoming production with the UofC Operetta Company? We’re always on the lookout for musicians,

set and costume designers, staging support and prospective cast members for our January and June productions.

For more information, or to schedule an audition, please contact Dr. Colleen Whidden or Byron Redd at

[email protected] or visit our website at

www.UCalgaryOperetta.ca

GET INVOLVED IN UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS!

the ucalgary operetta company presents chil ren e en of d · music & lyrics by stephen schwartz...

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