News University of Northern Colorado

Theatre Arts and Dance Alumni, Students, Faculty Garner Roles, Positions, Awards

Wed, 29 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Graduates, current students and faculty of the University of Northern Colorado's School of Theatre Arts and Dance have advanced their careers during the first few months of 2013.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on May 17, 2013.

Mike Ruckles has been hired for his first Broadway gig, serving as associate musical director of the new musical, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. The show will begin previews in October at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York City.

Don Gilmore will be the technical supervisor for the 2013 Broadway remount of Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays. The show begins a limited run in November.

Cynthia Pohlson performed April 27-28 as a guest artist in a production of Tom Stoppard's play, The Real Thing, at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

Jake Elvig has been awarded a literary internship for next year at the Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago.

Beth Malone is appearing in a production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

Natalie Sachse has been cast in 3D Theatrical's production of Parade May 10-26 at the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton, Calif.

Catherine Pilafis has been cast in Duke City Repertory's production of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Malorie Felt shot a TV pilot in Los Angles titled Up in Smoke.

Andi Davis and Ben Burch have been cast in a production of Almost Maine at the Two Roads Theatre in Studio City.

Scott Kruse and Erin (Watkins) Kruse have been cast in an original musical titled ModROCK at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on April 25, 2013

Nastasia Green is performing on the Theatreworks USA national tour of Martha Speaks.

Andi Davis completed a photo shoot and is now an online model for Ourays's Sportsware.

Emma Cohen has accepted a scenic painting internship for next year at the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

Harrison Butler filmed an episode of the television series Twisted.

Jodi Lynn Thomas filmed a commercial for the Albuquerque Film and Media Experience.

Associate Theatre Professor Anne Toewe completed her doctoral work and was awarded a Ph.D. in Theatre from CU Boulder in May.

New Feelings Time, a sketch comedy group based in Los Angeles featuring UNC theatre alumni Scott Kruse, Kurt Quinn, Keir Kirkegaard, and Erin Watkins, just produced and performed in a video parody that went viral, getting nearly 3 million hits in the first four weeks on their YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/newfeelingstime. Also appearing in the video were alumni Abby Ritt and Andi Davis. Un-credited portions of the video have been used by The Today Show and CNN in news stories about the controversial commercial and the inevitable parodies.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on April 16, 2013.

Eric Eidson was accepted into the MFA Playwriting program at Hollins University.

Jason Watson appeared in the Denver Theatre Center's production of the new musical Sense & Sensibility.

Teya Patt was cast in the new musical Sleepless in Seattle at the Pasadena (Calif.) Playhouse.

Jenny Fellner filmed an episode of the television series Blue Bloods after completing a multi-year run in the Broadway production of Wicked and before joining the second national tour of the blockbuster musical.

Rebecca Noland directed a production of The Sailor's Song for the Patio Playhouse Theater in Escondido, Calif.

Selah Grace created and performed in an original cabaret titled #actorproblems in Chicago. She also played Audrey in the production of Little Shop of Horrors at the Fireside Dinner Theatre in Fort Atkinson, Wisc.

Chris Jones filmed an episode of the television show Blood Relatives.

Tom Littman, Lincoln Hayes, Kevin Sims, Zach Shotwell and Maddy Chilese performed Julius Caesar on March 31 for the Seven Day Shakespeare Company in New York City.

Current student Matthew Fischer was accepted into the New York Powerhouse Theater Sound Internship Program.

Malorie Felt appeared in a short film project titled P.A.Glen Moore appeared in the play Closer for Bad Habit Productions in Boston.

The School of Teacher Education faculty chose Theatre Education major Virginia Jimenez as a College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Undergraduate Scholar.

Mark Kolokoff was selected to receive the UNC Graduate School's Century of Scholars Educator Award.

Andrea Dora Smith and the cast of Motown - The Musical appeared on Good Morning America on April 4.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on March 26, 2013.

Andy Kelso was in the studio this week in New York City to record the original cast album of the new Broadway hit Kinky Boots.

Tiffany (Van Cott) Eaton filmed an episode of the TV series Parks and Recreation.

Stephanie Cowan, who works as a creative producer at b. sweibel presents and Playing Pretend Productions in New York City, is producing a new film for HBO starring James Gandolfini

Arielle Yoder has been accepted into the MFA Acting program at the University of North Carolina at Chappell Hill.

Megan Lloyd Jones and Joelle Montoya have been accepted into the MFA Acting program at Theatre 15 in London, England.

James Rogers has been accepted into the MFA in Technical Direction program at Penn State University.

Jason Veasey participated in the staged reading of a new theater piece called Gumbo - The Musical, about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Steve Wasson, the artistic director of Theatre de l'Ange Fou in London, has created a new International School of corporeal mime that will be known as the White Church Project. The new school is located near Spring Green, Wisc.

Kristin Lazzarini is performing in Bleached Blonde Betty at the Workshop Theatre Company this month in New York City.

Kelsey Hull will be appearing this summer in Footloose and The Sound of Music at Leavenworth Summer Theatre in Leavenworth, Wash.

Beth Lake has taken a summer position as the sound supervisor for the New York Stage and Film School in New York City.

Anthony Reimer filmed an episode of Nurse Jackie and will return for another summer at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival to appear in The 39 Steps.

UNC Names Dean of College of Performing and Visual Arts

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

An associate dean and professor of Music in the College of Music at Florida State University who has extensive experience in arts administration, performance, scholarship and teaching has been appointed dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts at the University of Northern Colorado.

Leo Welch, Ph.D., will begin at UNC on Aug. 15 after having served the past nine years as Associate Dean of Community Engagement in FSU's College of Music. His duties there have included promotional and development activities such as annual giving, coordinating music entrepreneurial activities, managing summer music camps and other community engagement programs in addition to his supervisory and mentoring responsibilities among faculty and students.

"He brings with him an outstanding record of leadership, scholarship, community engagement and development and is a strong advocate for the Arts," Provost and Senior Vice President Robbyn Wacker wrote in an email announcing Welch's appointment to college faculty, staff and students.

Welch has more than 20 years of experience in academia. In addition to FSU, he served in faculty and administrative positions at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. from 1992-2003. Welch's published works include "First Year Guitar: A Classroom Text" and "Second Year Guitar: A Classroom Text" in addition to other method and ensemble books.

"I am thrilled to be joining the community of artist-teachers and scholars within the College of Performing and Visual Arts at the University of Northern Colorado. Throughout the interview process, it was clear to me that the arts are cherished by both the campus and the Greeley community. I look forward to continuing the college's long-standing traditions of excellence within the artistic disciplines of art, music, theatre and dance while also seeking to find new ways to enhance the reach of the arts programs locally, regionally and nationally."

Welch earned his doctor of Music and master of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from FSU in 1995 and 1989, respectively, and bachelor of Music in Music Education from Potsdam State University. He also holds a Music Theory Pedagogy certificate from FSU and has completed postdoctoral studies in classical guitar jazz techniques at Eastman School of Music.

Wacker thanked Vergie Amendola for her leadership and service as interim dean along with the search committee of Tom Smith, Michelle Gaza, David Grapes, Charles Hansen, Gibran Khan, Melissa Malde, Dennis Morimoto, Pete Morrell, Susan Nelson, Katrina Rodriguez, Connie Stewart and Jane Graff.

The committee "had the difficult task of sorting through many fine candidates and engaging as many members of the campus community as possible in the process," Wacker wrote in the campus memo.

New Dean of College of Performing and Visual Arts Named

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Leo Welch, an associate dean and professor of Music in the College of Music at Florida State University who has extensive experience in arts administration, performance, scholarship and teaching, has been appointed dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts.

Welch will begin at UNC on Aug. 15 after having served the past nine years as associate dean of Community Engagement in FSU's College of Music. His duties there have included promotional and development activities such as annual giving, coordinating music entrepreneurial activities, managing summer music camps and other community engagement programs in addition to his supervisory and mentoring responsibilities among faculty and students.

The committee "had the difficult task of sorting through many fine candidates and engaging as many members of the campus community as possible in the process," Wacker wrote in the campus memo.

Magazine Names UNC Jazz Band, Orchestra Among World's Best

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The country's leading jazz magazine has once again recognized a UNC jazz band and the university's symphony orchestra among the world's best.

UNC's Jazz Lab Band I (Best College Big Band) and the University Symphony Orchestra (Best College Classical Ensemble) were winners of DownBeat magazine's 36th Annual Student Music Awards, "Setting the Pace, Raising the Bar."

UNC jazz ensembles have received more than 100 DownBeat awards. UNC Jazz Lab Band I, directed by Dana Landry, has won seven DownBeat awards in the past nine years — four of those awards were for "Best College Big Band." Landry said the following recorded performances were submitted as part of the application for the award:

Everything I Love, composed by Cole Porter and arranged by UNC alumnus Steve Owen.
Wail, composed by UNC Jazz Studies Associate Professor Erik Applegate.
Sneak Out, composed by David von Kampen and published by UNC Jazz Press.

For the University Symphony Orchestra, directed by Russell Guyver, the award marks the 10th time since 1999 the group has been named best college orchestra or classical ensemble. Guyver said they submitted recordings of live performances of excerpts from Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz, and Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements.

"This is an international award, any college classical ensemble is eligible to enter, so this represents a significant achievement for the UNC School of Music," Guyver said.

The winners were announced in Downbeat's June issue available at http://www.downbeat.com/defaultl.asp?sect=magazine.

More online:
- Lab bands: http://www.unco.edu/arts/music/areas/jazz_studies/ensembles.html#lab_bands
- Orchestras: http://www.unco.edu/arts/music/ensembles/orchestras/default.html

Greek Tragedy Medea to Close Out Spring Performing Arts Series

Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Northern Colorado School of Theatre Arts and Dance's spring Performing Arts Series, featuring the schools' top theater majors, wraps up the year May 2, with Medea, a Greek tragedy by Euripides.

Medea, directed by UNC Professor of Theatre Arts Mary Schuttler, plays May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m.; and at 2 p.m. May 5 in Langworthy Theatre in Frasier Hall, intersection of 9th Avenue and 17th Street.

It's rated PG-13 for adult language and mature themes.

For more information, including an overview of the production, visit the Performing Arts Series website.

For ticket prices, call the Performing and Visual Arts Box Office at 970-351-2200.

UNC in Photos: An April Retrospective

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

A slideshow of events and activities on campus.

UNC Receives NEA Grant to Support Research into Student Movement and Arts Institute for K-12 Teachers

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The National Endowment for the Arts today awarded the University of Northern Colorado a $25,000 grant to support research of student movement and professional development for K-12 teachers through the Center for Integrated Arts Education.

UNC was the only university to receive a grant of this kind in Colorado.

The funding supports a two-year study to determine how much school-age children move throughout the school day. In addition, the grant provides funding for the long-running Arts Education Leadership Institute for K-12 teachers.

UNC's Center for Integrated Arts Education annually hosts the institute for Colorado educators. The institute focuses on improving quality of arts programs and arts integration practices in schools.

"The purpose of the CIAE Institute is to bring new awareness of the importance of the arts to our culture and to the education of our children," said Connie Stewart, associate professor of the School of Art and Design and director of the institute.

The NEA grant supports the summer institute in 2014, and the center is planning to accommodate 15 school teams of up to eight members of teachers and administrators in addition to 30 teachers and students attending as individuals.

Registration details for the 2014 institute will be forthcoming. Information for this summer's institute, "Mapping New Terrain: Arts Applied," which features live performance, workshops and speakers, is at: http://www.arts.unco.edu/ciae/institute

In August 2012, the NEA received 1,547 eligible applications for Art Works grants requesting more than $80 million in funding. Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. The 817 recommended NEA grants total $26.3 million and span 13 artistic disciplines and fields. Applications were reviewed by panels of outside experts convened by NEA staff and each project was judged on its artistic excellence and artistic merit.

Acting NEA Chairman Joan Shigekawa said, "The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable opportunities for the public to engage with the arts."

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.

For more on UNC's Center for Integrated Arts Education, visit http://www.arts.unco.edu/ciae/

Faculty Author’s New Book to Offer Roadmap to Successful Acting Careers

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

An accomplished actor and faculty member in the University of Northern Colorado's theatre program interviews 12 award-winning actors in an upcoming book that sheds light on what makes actors successful.

Inside Act: How Twelve Actors Made It and How You Can Too by Ken Womble documents the experiences of the working actors by exploring the choices they made at critical moments in their careers and how those choices led to substantial results.

"The inspiration for the book arises from my work with aspiring professional actors," Womble said. "I've seen there is a chasm between learning how to act and becoming a successful actor, which many talented actors are never able to bridge. That is what this book will do."

The book will include interviews with each actor's "success team," their agents, managers, directors and teachers, to get their perspective on each actor. Each chapter will conclude with an analysis of the keys to each actor's success. The book's final chapter will compare the stories and note the results of each actor to create a master list of keys that every successful actor shares.

Womble teaches acting at UNC, one of the country's top professional actor training programs — with six grads recently on Broadway, dozens more working in film and TV and one-third of graduating actors placed with talent agencies the past three years.

Inside Act will be published by Hansen Publishing Group in late 2013.

Actors interviewed to date include Debra Monk, Richard Portnow, John Tartaglia, Krysta Rodriguez, Robert Clohessy, Gary Beach, Eric Ladin, Tony Yazbeck, James Earl and Jose Llana. Success team members include Jon Jory, Meg Mortimer, Bonnie Monte, Lori Swift, Walt Witcover, Steven Unger, Michael Einfeld, Patrick Welborn, and Penny Luedtke.

For more information on Womble, visit www.arts.unco.edu/pva/faculty/bios/womble.html.

Popular UNC Music Series Concludes with Three Performances This Week

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Northern Colorado School of Music's popular UNC@UCCC Music Series wraps up its spring season next week with three performances of world-class music in the world-class setting of Greeley's Union Colony Civic Center.

Monday, April 1: University Symphony Orchestra
Tuesday, April 2: Vocal Jazz Ensembles
Friday, April 5: University Bands

All performances start at 7:30 p.m.

Single performance tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students, and are available by phone, 970-356-5000, at www.ucstars.com, or in person at the UCCC box office, 701 10th Ave.

The series features performances by students in UNC's top jazz groups, choirs, bands and orchestras every spring and fall semester.

Popular UNC Music Series Concludes with Three Performances This Week

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The School of Music's popular UNC@UCCC Music Series wraps up its spring season this week with three performances of world-class music in the world-class setting of Greeley's Union Colony Civic Center.

Monday, April 1: University Symphony Orchestra
Tuesday, April 2: Vocal Jazz Ensembles
Friday, April 5: University Bands

All performances start at 7:30 p.m.

Single performance tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students, and are available by phone, 970-356-5000, at www.ucstars.com, or in person at the UCCC box office, 701 10th Ave.

The series features performances by students in UNC's top jazz groups, choirs, bands and orchestras every spring and fall semester.

Open Space Festival of New Music Returns to UNC March 28-29

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Northern Colorado School of Music's Open Space Festival of New Music returns for its fifth year March 28-29 featuring internationally renowned experimental music pioneer Alvin Lucier.

The festival will include lectures and informal talks by Lucier and performances of his music by UNC students, alumni and faculty. All are free and open to the public.

Lucier, a composer of experimental music and sound installations that use science to explore acoustic phenomena and auditory perception, earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a master's of fine arts from Brandeis University, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.

He toured internationally as a co-founding member of Sonic Arts Union, the influential collective of experimental musicians that included Robert Ashley, David Behrman and Gordon Mumma.

Lucier taught at Brandeis for eight years before beginning a 40-year career as a professor of music at Wesleyan University, from which he retired in 2011.

His innovative compositions have included using amplified alpha waves detected by electroencephalography electrodes attached to a performer's scalp to vibrate percussion instruments and having performers use hand-held echolocation devices to locate the approximate physical center of a room to deepen their understanding of acoustical perception.

Schedule of Events

Thursday, March 28

Lucier will answer questions about music composition during a "Composer's Talk" from 4:40-5:30 p.m. in Kepner Hall's Milne Auditorium.
"Music & Sound: A Life of Exploration" will include a pre-concert presentation by Lucier at 7 p.m. and a concert of his music at 7:30 p.m. in Milne Auditorium.

Friday, March 29

The School of Music will host a luncheon for Lucier from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in Centennial Hall room in Brown Hall.
The winners of the festival's inaugural composition competition will be joined by the By the Numbers Soundpainting Ensemble, made up of UNC students and alumni, for a concert featuring a wide variety of styles from 5-7 p.m. in Milne Auditorium.

Free parking is available in UNC lots after 5 p.m. and on nearby streets all day.

For more information about the festival, including an extended biography of Lucier, visit the festival's website.

Theatre Arts and Dance Alumni, Students, Faculty Garner Roles, Positions, Awards

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Graduates, current students and faculty of the University of Northern Colorado's School of Theatre Arts and Dance have advanced their careers during the first few months of 2013.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on March 1, 2013.

Kelli Marino is working in Los Angeles as a script supervisor and just completed work on a feature film titled Bullet starring Danny Trejo and Jonathon Banks.

Don Gilmore has completed a number of large projects including serving as production manager for Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty in NewYork City and the UK, the current national tour of Hair and the Laramie Project Cycle at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Tom Litman is appearing in the Cape Fear Theatre/Fayette Symphony Orchestra production of A Midsummer Night's Dream on Feb. 23.

Bergin Michaels appeared in recent episodes of the TV series Fatal Encounters and Deadly Sins. He was also nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre best actor award for his work in the play The Boys Next Door at the Infinity Theatre in NYC.

Liz Porter has taken a new position in the costume shop at The Colorado Opera Company.

Andi Davis just appeared as a featured extra in the film Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant.

Sky Seals is appearing in a production of Flirtation for Marvel Rep Theatre in NYC.

Catherine Pilafas just filmed a regional television commercial for Silver Dollar City Amusement Park.

Jessica Carter Ramsey was featured in a recent episode of Stalked: Someone is Watching Me for the Discovery ID Channel

Stori Heleen is now the lighting designer for the Donald Sewell Ballroom at the Denver Center.

Scott Kruse will be appearing in the new play Complete Feb. 25-March 30 at the Matrix Theatre in LA.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on Feb.11, 2013.

Ryan Dinning just filmed a guest star role on an episode of the Carrie Diaries on the CW Network.

Randy Warshaw has been cast in a touring production of Aladin and His Magic Lamp for the Prairie Fire Children's Theatre of Minnesota.

Jamie Mills and Benjamin Burch have been cast in a production of the new musical The Trouble With Words at the Lost Studio Theatre in Los Angeles. The production runs February 28-March 31.

Matt LaFontaine and Mehry Eslaminia have been cast in Ignite Theatre's production of Cabaret. The production will run in Denver from April 12 to May 12.

Jack Wefso appeared in two television ads for Walmart during the 2013 Super Bowl.

Jason Clark has been cast in a production of Why Hannah's Shirt Won't Stay Down at the Acting Ensemble of Sound Bend, Indiana.

Alexander Stine has been cast in the Queens Players production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Secret Theatre in NYC. The production runs Feb.14-March 2.

Adam Fontana has been cast in the TheatreWorks USA national tour of The Civil War.

Benjamin Klingemann's latest 10-minute play, Model Behavior, has been published by Heuer Publishing.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on Feb.1, 2013.

Greg Germann has completed a number of film projects including Someone Marry Barry, The Little Rascals and Get a Job. He also appeared as a guest star on recent episodes of NCIS, Drop Dead Diva and Wedding Band.Heather Doris has been cast in a production of the Church Basement Ladies running Feb. 22-May 12 at the Boulder Dinner Theatre.

Jason Watson was just featured in a recent episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Billy Marshall Jr. just filmed an episode for the True Crime Bio Channel.

Amanda Spraycar has accepted a props internship with the Denver Theatre Center Company.

Kyle Kastner has been hired as the production stage manager at Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret in Denver.

Ashley Betton is appearing with three others singers in a cabaret review titled Echoes of Etta Feb. 23 at Joe's Pub in New York City and continues to appear in the off-Broadway production of Forever Dusty.

Macleish Day has been cast in the comedy Boeing Boeing at the Repertory East Playhouse in Los Angeles March 15-April 21.

STAD Theatre professor Gillian McNally contributed an essay titled "Creative Spaces: Arts Integration with a Social Justice Focus," and School Director David Grapes contributed photographs for the recently published book Signs of Change: New Directions in Theatre Education (Revised and Amplified Edition) by Joan Lazarus.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on Jan. 22, 2013.

Joshua Buscher has been cast in the ensemble of the new Broadway musical Big Fish, which will preview in Chicago and open early October in New York City at the Neil Simon Theatre. Big Fish will be his third Broadway show since graduating from UNC in 2008. He also appeared in the 2009 revival of West Side Story and was in the original cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Jake Mendes has been cast in the Off-Broadway production of a new musical version of Bunnicula. The musical will begin its open-ended run at the DR2 Theatre in New York City on Feb. 10.

STAD faculty member Ken Womble just signed a contract to have his new book, Inside Act: How Twelve Actors Made It--And How You Can Too, published by Hansen Publishing Group. Publication date is 2014.

Chris Tromboli will be performing the leading role in a staged reading of a new rock opera called The Giver of Dreams in March in New York City

Eva LaPorte is appearing in the January production of Ubu Roi at the Classical Theatre Company of Houston.

Tiffany (Van Cott) Eaton has been cast in The World Goes Round at Downey Civic Light Opera in Downey, Calif.

Rachel Graham has been cast in the February production of No Dogs Allowed in the Children's Theatre Company at the Arvada Center and in the upcoming production of Doubt at the Cherry Creek Theatre in Denver.
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Randy Culpepper has been hired as an audio engineer (A2) for the national tour of Fiddler on the Roof.

Lincoln Hayes appeared in a recent episode of 30 Rock.

Nick Izzo recently completed work on a film project titled Gingerbread House for the New York Film Academy.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on Jan. 9, 2013.

Andrea Dora Smith has been cast in the ensemble of the new Broadway musical Motown, opening March 11 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City. Smith last appeared on Broadway in Disney's Tarzan.

Joshua Buscher will return to the UNC campus in January and February to choreograph Legally Blonde for the School of Theatre Arts and Dance. He recently provided choreography for the national tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Geoff Kent has been cast as Paris in the Jan. 15-Feb. 24 production of Romeo and Juliet at the Denver Theatre Center's Stage Theatre.

Teya Patt has been cast as Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at the Theatre West in Los Angeles.

Mark Peterson just completed background work on two television shows: CSI-NY and Vegas.

Nate Axtell will appear in the Spark Theatre's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opening Jan. 18 in Denver.

Andy Jaramillo has been hired as the drama teacher at Mesa Middle School in Castle Rock, Colo.

Jennifer So has taken a new position in Fort Morgan where she will be reporting the news for Media Logic Radio: KATR 98.3FM; KSRX 97.5FM; KFTM 1400AM; KRDZ 1440AM. She will also broadcast her own Saturday show.

Jennifer Inderlee has been cast in the Minnesota Musical Theatre Company's production of Sunset Boulevard, which plays May 31-June 23 at the New Century Theatre in Minneapolis and August 6-11 at the Theatre L'Homme Dieu in Alexandria, Minn.

STAD faculty members Gillian McNally, Brian Hapcic, Anne Toewe, John Leonard, Matthew Herrick, Monte Black and Tom McNally presented workshops at the Colorado Thespian Conference in December. Anne Toewe, Monte Black, Shelly Gaza and J. David Blatt served as adjudicators. More than 4,000 Colorado high school students attended the conference.

The following information courtesy of STAD Director David Grapes on Jan. 4, 2013.

Jamie Ann Romero has been cast in the ensemble and as the Juliet understudy in the Denver Theatre Center's production of Romeo and Juliet at the Stage Theatre Jan. 25-Feb. 24.

Davey Rosenberg and Brian Crawford Scott can be seen in the national tour of Hair, which will play at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland Jan. 17.

Kevin Rigall left the national tour of A Fiddler on the Roof in December to serve as a stage technician for the new national tour of the musical Flashdance.

Trysten Cain shot another national TV commercial for Cottonelle Tissue.

School Director David Grapes had one of his photographs from UNC's production of You Can't Take It With You selected for the cover of the December issue of Dramatics Magazine. He also premiered his new adaptation of Queen Lear on campus in December.

Greyson Lewis has been cast in the FreeFall Theatre Company's production of An Empty Plate at the Café du Grand Boeuf in Los Angeles. The production is set to run Jan. 25-Feb. 17.

Christopher Jones and Crew Reinstra, two working actors who also front a band called Bones Muhroni in Los Angeles, have released their first CD called Savvy.

Anne Margaret Redding just released her second CD, Trust. She also continues to share her work touring the nation's high schools delivering the motivational message "Live Your Passion." Visit her website at http://raisethevibration.com/.

Erin Sheckler served as assistant to the scenic designer for recent Broadway productions of Edwin Drood and The Performers, and will serve in same capacity for the upcoming Broadway production of Cinderella, Good News at the Goodspeed Opera House, and And Away We Go and King For A Day at Glimmerglass Opera Company in upstate New York. His latest project is a staged reading of the new musical Lost Boy in New York City in February.

UNC's Spring Theater Series Continues with 'Legally Blonde'

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Northern Colorado School of Theatre Arts and Dance's spring Performing Arts Series, featuring the schools' top theater majors, continues March 6, with Legally Blonde, the Broadway musical adapted from the movie of the same name.

Legally Blonde plays March 6-9 at 7:30 p.m.; and at 2 p.m. March 10 in Langworthy Theatre in Frasier Hall, intersection of 9th Avenue and 17th Street.

Directed and choreographed by Theatre Arts Professor John Leonard, the PG-rated production features a student orchestra from the UNC School of Music under the direction of Associate Director of Bands Richard Mayne. Musical direction is by Richard Shore, musical director for the School of Theatre Arts and Dance.

The rest of the series includes:

Intimacies (student dance perfomance) - April 10-13 at 7:30 p.m.; April 14 at 2 p.m., Norton Theatre, Gray Hall
A Year with Frog and Toad (musical) - April 13 at 1 and 3 p.m., Hensel Phelps Theatre, Union Colony Civic Center
Medea (Greek tragedy) - May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m., May 5 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre

For ticket prices, call the Performing and Visual Arts Box Office at 970-351-2200.

For performance descriptions, visit the series' website.

UNC's Spring Theater Series Continues with 'Legally Blonde'

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Legally Blonde plays March 6-9 at 7:30 p.m.; and at 2 p.m. March 10 in Langworthy Theatre in Frasier Hall, intersection of 9th Avenue and 17th Street.

The rest of the series includes:

Intimacies (student dance perfomance) - April 10-13 at 7:30 p.m.; April 14 at 2 p.m., Norton Theatre, Gray Hall
A Year with Frog and Toad (musical) - April 13 at 1 and 3 p.m., Hensel Phelps Theatre, Union Colony Civic Center
Medea (Greek tragedy) - May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m., May 5 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre

For ticket prices, call the Performing and Visual Arts Box Office at 970-351-2200.

For performance descriptions, visit the series' website.

In the Navy

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

When the 60 members of the U.S. Navy Concert Band arrived in Greeley for their March 1 performance at the Union Colony Civic Center, only one of them - its newest member - was looking forward to renewing connections she made while attending and teaching at the University of Northern Colorado.

Adele Mayne knew that she wanted to play the clarinet in a military band even before she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in music from UNC.

The seed was planted when she heard about some of the 20-plus graduates from UNC's music programs known to have gone on to play with one of the nation's military bands. They include Lowell Graham, who in 2002 finished a 30-year career with the U.S. Air Force Band as its conductor.

Then shortly before she finished her bachelor's degree in 2007, she attended a Navy Band concert in Denver with UNC Associate Director of Bands Dick Mayne, who's her father-in-law. The seed germinated.

Adele, who started the clarinet in fifth grade, spent the next three years developing her skills by performing throughout Colorado. She was principal clarinetist of the Boulder Chamber Orchestra and performed regularly with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra and Cheyenne Symphony.

In 2011, the seed bloomed. That's when, after returning to UNC and earning her master's in Instrumental Performance, she was hired as a clarinet instructor in the School of Music and met fellow clarinet instructor and UNC alumna Lauren Jacobson, who'd just completed four years as a member of the U.S Marine Band.

"That's what really had the most impact on my decision," Mayne remembered during a recent telephone interview. "Lauren inspired me to achieve my goal."

So when a rare opening in the Navy Concert Band came up - members receive a permanent duty assignment and most complete at least a 20-year Navy career with the band - Mayne traveled to Washington, D.C., to audition along with what she estimates were 50 other clarinetists.

When she was notified that she'd been selected for the band, Mayne already knew how to find the Navy recruiting office in Greeley and she didn't waste any time enlisting.

But before she could take a coveted seat in the band's woodwind section, she had to pass the same medical physical and go through the same nine-week basic training, or boot camp, required of any Navy enlistee.

Last summer, Mayne and her husband moved to Washington D.C., and she reported for duty at the band's home at the Washington Navy Yard on the banks of the Potomac River. Goal achieved.

In addition to touring one of five designated regions of the U.S. each year, the band performs concerts in the D.C. area, including Virginia and Maryland. Many of them are part of its Music in the Schools program and are held in middle and high schools in the region.

Members of the Concert Band also make up the Navy's Ceremonial Band, which performs music at official military and government events, including funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.

"Playing at Arlington is very special," Mayne said. "It's the best part of my job."

The band's current tour, which started Feb. 12 in Seattle and includes 18 performances in 20 days, included stops at Disneyland and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas before reaching Greeley. It ends with concerts in Denver on March 2 and Longmont on March 3.

It was pure coincidence that Mayne's first tour with the band is bringing her back to Colorado and Mayne is taking advantage of the the opportunity to return to her home state for the first time in nine months. She's scheduled her first leave to start after the tour's final performance and is looking forward to visiting friends, former students and in-laws in Greeley and spending time with the many friends and family members she has in Colorado Springs.

But as soon as the last good-bye is said before flying back to D.C., Mayne will be looking forward with excitement to her next concert.

"I'm proud and happy to be a member of the U.S. Navy," Mayne said. "I hope to be in the band forever; to make a career out of it."

- UNC News Service

Of Note

Because the band is supported with tax dollars, all of its performances are free.
The Concert Band, the premier wind ensemble of the U.S. Navy, presents a wide array of marches, patriotic selections, orchestral transcriptions and modern wind ensemble repertoire.
While it was no coincidence that Adele Mayne's first tour with the band brought her to Colorado, proud father-in-law Dick Mayne set the wheels in motion to bring the group to Greeley by making staff at the UCCC aware of the band's availability.
The band travels by bus when on tour. It's newest member said she's been listening to a lot music to help pass the time.
As of Feb. 27, a few tickets remained for the U.S. Navy Concert Band's 7:30 p.m. performance at Greeley's Union Colony Civic Center on March 1. Free tickets must be picked up in person; call 970-356-5000 to confirm availability.

UNC@UCCC Music Series Continues Feb. 26-27 with Choir, Jazz Band Concerts

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Northern Colorado School of Music's popular UNC@UCCC Music Series continues Feb. 26 and 27 with performances by the school's choirs and jazz bands at Greeley's Union Colony Civic Center.

University Choirs take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, with a concert by Jazz Lab Bands starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27.

The rest of the series, which features the school's top jazz groups, choirs, bands and orchestras performing world-class music in the world-class setting of the UCCC, is:

April 1: University Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m.
April 2: Vocal Jazz, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students, and are available at the UNC Performing Arts Box Office at 970-351-2200 or at the UCCC box office (701 10th Ave.), 970-356-5000 or http://ucstars.com.

UNC's Spring Theater Series Continues with 'Legally Blonde'

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Legally Blonde plays March 6-9 at 7:30 p.m.; and at 2 p.m. March 10 in Langworthy Theatre in Frasier Hall, intersection of 9th Avenue and 17th Street.

The rest of the series includes:

Intimacies (student dance perfomance) - April 10-13 at 7:30 p.m.; April 14 at 2 p.m., Norton Theatre, Gray Hall
A Year with Frog and Toad (musical) - April 13 at 1 and 3 p.m., Hensel Phelps Theatre, Union Colony Civic Center
Medea (Greek tragedy) - May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m., May 5 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre

For ticket prices, call the Performing and Visual Arts Box Office at 970-351-2200.

For performance descriptions, visit the series' website.

Tickets Available for STAD's 'Picasso at the Lapin Agile'

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The School of Theatre Arts and Dance's production of Steve Martin's absurdist,comedy, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, ends its run this week with performances Feb. 15, 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. in Norton Theatre in Gray Hall. The play, which places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904, carries a rating of PG13.

The rest of the series featuring the schools' top theater majors includes:

Legally Blonde (musical) -March 6-9 at 7:30 p.m.; March 10 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre, Frasier Hall
Intimacies (student dance perfomance) - April 10-13 at 7:30 p.m.; April 14 at 2 p.m., Norton Theatre, Gray Hall
A Year with Frog and Toad (musical) - April 13 at 1 and 3 p.m., Hensel Phelps Theatre, Union Colony Civic Center
Medea (Greek tragedy) - May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m., May 5 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre

For performance descriptions and ticket information, visit the series' website.

UNC's Spring Theater Series Opens with 'Picasso at the Lapin Agile'

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Northern Colorado's School of Theatre Arts and Dance's spring Performing Arts Series, featuring the schools' top theater majors, opens Thursday, Feb. 7, with the PG13-rated Picasso at the Lapin Agile, actor and screenwriter Steve Martin's absurdist comedy that places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904. Picasso at the Lapin Agile plays Feb. 7, 8, 12-16 at 7:30 p.m.; and Feb. 9, 10 and 17 at 2 p.m. in the Norton Theatre in Gray Hall. The rest of the series includes:

Legally Blonde (musical) -March 6-9 at 7:30 p.m.; March 10 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre, Frasier Hall
Intimacies (student dance perfomance) - April 10-13 at 7:30 p.m.; April 14 at 2 p.m., Norton Theatre, Gray Hall
A Year with Frog and Toad (musical) - April 13 at 1 and 3 p.m., Hensel Phelps Theatre, Union Colony Civic Center
Medea (Greek tragedy) - May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m., May 5 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre

For performance descriptions and ticket information, visit the series' website.

UNC's Spring Theater Series Now Playing 'Picasso at the Lapin Agile'

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The University of Northern Colorado's School of Theatre Arts and Dance's spring Performing Arts Series, featuring the schools' top theater majors, continues this week with the PG13-rated Picasso at the Lapin Agile, actor and screenwriter Steve Martin's absurdist comedy that places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904. Picasso at the Lapin Agile plays Feb. 13-16 at 7:30 p.m.; and Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Norton Theatre in Gray Hall. The rest of the series includes:

Legally Blonde (musical) -March 6-9 at 7:30 p.m.; March 10 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre, Frasier Hall
Intimacies (student dance perfomance) - April 10-13 at 7:30 p.m.; April 14 at 2 p.m., Norton Theatre, Gray Hall
A Year with Frog and Toad (musical) - April 13 at 1 and 3 p.m., Hensel Phelps Theatre, Union Colony Civic Center
Medea (Greek tragedy) - May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m., May 5 at 2 p.m., Langworthy Theatre

For performance descriptions and ticket information, visit the series' website.