Broadway Theatre League of Utica today announced the creation of a new arts and education program called Students On Broadway. The program will be officially kicked-off next week with the show Memphis, which will be performed in Utica on January 21-23. In addition to having the opportunity to view the show, schools also received a comprehensive Memphis educational packet designed to help teachers in various subject areas, such as Social Studies, English, and Theatre Arts, incorporate a lesson about 1950s America into their existing curriculum. 

Students from 26 schools in Oneida and Herkimer Counties were offered the opportunity to see a matinee performance of Memphis on January 23 for only $5 per student. By attending a performance with their classmates, students are experiencing the power of arts education which opens minds, hearts and doors to their unlimited human potential. By offering a $5 price tag, we believe we are removing barriers to participation, because everyone deserves a serving of the arts regardless of their financial resources.

In addition to a financial commitment from Broadway Theatre League, Students On Broadway has been made possible with the support of:

-PAR Technology Corporation
-The Bernadette Eichler Fund
-The John Winter Family Fund
-John and Mimi Fehlner
-Joan Brown-Hobaica, State Farm Insurance

Broadway Theatre League plans to offer at least one Students On Broadway event per year, and possibly more if additional funding has been secured.

Broadway Theatre League has made it part of its mission to get local young people into the theatre, adding the Bernadette Eichler Youth Ambassador Program two years ago, and now, Students On Broadway. Students are the future of our arts.

For more information on any of our programs, or to become an Students On Broadway donor, call 315-724-7196, or email Programs and Production Coordinator, Erika Heintz, at erika@broadwayutica.com.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, will be performed at the Stanley January 21, 22, and 23 at 7:30 PM! Tickets are now on sale through Broadway Theatre League by calling (315) 724-7196 or visiting www.broadwayutica.com. Tickets range from $24.75-$64.75.

Critically acclaimed MEMPHIS won four 2010 Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro); four Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Music (David Bryan) and four Outer Critic Circle Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Score (David Bryan & Joe DiPietro) and Outstanding Choreography (Sergio Trujillo).

“MEMPHIS is Mighty, Magnificent, Miraculous…ingenious staging and direction,  energizing, fresh, and joyful choreography and an infectious dynamite score!” said the Houston Chronicle and the Toronto Star called MEMPHIS “an explosion of energy, joy and emotion you won’t want to miss!… with singing that rocks your soul and dancing that rocks your world!” “MEMPHIS is a Masterpiece!” exclaimed BroadwayWorld.com

MEMPHIS takes place in the smoky halls and underground clubs of the segregated 50’s, where a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun fell in love with everything he shouldn’t:  rock and roll and an electrifying black singer.  MEMPHIS is an original story about the cultural revolution that erupted when his vision met her voice, and the music changed forever.  Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves — filled with laughter, vibrant choreography and roof-raising rock ‘n’ roll.

Adam Arian will re-create the original direction by Tony nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu), Jermaine Rembert will re-create the original choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys).

The show features a Tony winning score with music by Bon Jovi’s founding member and keyboardist David Bryan and lyrics by Bryan and Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change), who also pens the musical’s book. Bryan and DiPietro also collaborated on the award-winning off-Broadway hit, The Toxic Avenger. MEMPHIS is based on a concept by the late George W. George (producer of the Tony nominated Bedroom Farce and the film My Dinner with Andre).

Scenic Design for MEMPHIS is by Tony® Award winner David Gallo (The Drowsy Chaperone, Reasons to Be Pretty), Costume Design is by Tony nominee Paul Tazewell (In the Heights), Lighting Design is by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Jersey Boys) and Sound Design is by Shannon Slaton.

NETworks Presentations, LLC (Producer). Founded in 1995 by Kenneth Gentry, Seth Wenig and Scott W. Jackson, NETworks has produced and managed over 55 national and international touring productions. Previous productions: Little Women starring Maureen McGovern; Cinderella starring Eartha Kitt and Deborah Gibson; Fosse starring Ben Vereen and Ruthie Henshall; The Light in the Piazza; My Fair Lady co-produced with Cameron Mackintosh; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!; Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake; Annie; Hairspray; The Wizard of Oz, Young Frankenstein, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, La Cage aux Folles starring George Hamilton and many others. Current productions include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Blue Man Group National Tour, Elf The Musical, Flashdance the Musical, The New 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables, Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, The National Theatre of Great Britain’s production of War Horse and We Will Rock You, the musical by Queen and Ben Elton.

Broadway Theatre League invited members of the refugee community to a dress rehearsal of Cirque Dreams Holidaze on Friday, November 15, 2013 at the Stanley Theatre.  For many refugees, being new to the United States and to Utica, this was their first experience seeing a Broadway-caliber show!

This event was made possible through a joint effort between Broadway Theatre League, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, and the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees. In attendance from each organization, included:

• Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Founder, Director, and Producer.
• John Fehlner, Executive Director of Broadway Theatre League.
• Shelly Callahan, Executive Director of the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees.

About Cirque Dreams Holidaze

In CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE, Broadway director Neil Goldberg re-imagines the holiday season with over 300 costumes, 20 acts and 30 performers from 12 countries showcasing an endless variety of imaginative, heart-pounding and gravity- defying feats you have to see to believe. Experience gingerbread men flipping mid air, toy soldiers marching on thin wires along with snowmen, icemen and penguins, balancing, jumping and spinning in disbelief.  The show celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with singers, choreography and exciting production numbers.  Performers twirl, bounce and soar thru the air to original music and seasonal favorites brought to life within a stage setting of gigantic gifts, colossal candy canes and 30-foot towering trees & soldiers creating a wonderland of amazement.

Says Creator/Director Goldberg, “Cirque Dreams Holidaze celebrates our brand of 20 years with this unique holiday stage spectacle for the entire family. There aren’t enough shows today where mom and dad can bring the kids and grandparents, make it a date night, fun time for teens and entertain so many generations with…’how did they do that’, ‘wow’ and ‘amazing’.  This show has something for everyone.”  

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE is a presentation of Broadway Theatre League of Utica and is affordably priced with tickets ranging from $24.75 to $64.75.  Performances will take place at the Stanley Theatre, 259 Genesee Street, Utica, on November 16 & 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available and may be purchased at the door or online by visiting www.broadwayutica.com.

Broadway Theatre League of Utica today announced it has launched a new website designed to promote teching Broadway touring shows in Utica.  The new site, www.TechInUtica.com was showcased in conjunction with We Will Rock You, which is currently teching its first national tour in Utica. 

Teching a show refers to the first time the cast, crew, and set are together in one location.  It is the first time a show or new tour is put together. This requires the cast, crew, and production team to be in town for an extended period of time, creating a significant economic boost for the region. The We Will Rock You crew arrived in Utica on September 26, and preview performances for the show will be held on October 11 & 12.

John Fehlner, executive director of Broadway Theatre League, showcased the site saying:

“This is a marketing tool that we hope will help attract more Broadway touring shows to our area,” said Fehlner. “We designed it in an effort to answer all of the questions a tech show needs to know before selecting a city. It’s like one-stop shopping for producers and presenters, such as NETworks,“ he added.

Seth Wenig, executive producer of We Will Rock You, and executive vice president of production for NETworks, joined Fehlner.

“The Stanley Theatre is a unique venue that is perfectly set up to allow any show the freedom to do the hard work of putting together a whole production. Launching any show is very difficult and tedious, Utica allows the work to get done in a calm environment, without distractions and has a tremendous and dedicated staff,” he said.

The website includes information, such as:

• Hospitality in Utica
• Location of the venue in relation to I-90
• The line set schedule
• The stage size, proscenium opening, and seating in the theatre
• Equipment available for rental or usage from the venue
• Backstage photos of amenities

We Will Rock You is the fourth tech show Broadway Theatre League has presented in Utica in the last two years. Industry standards estimate that each tech show brings $1.2-1.5 million to the region during its stay.

The worldwide smash hit ‘rock theatrical’, Queen and Ben Elton’s We Will Rock You, built around 24 of Queen’s biggest hits, will be presented by the Broadway Theatre League at the Stanley Theatre in Utica, October 11 &12. Tickets are now available to these preview performances, the first in the United States, by calling Broadway Theatre League at (315) 724-7196 or visiting www.BroadwayUtica.com. We Will Rock You is produced by Queen Theatrical Productions, Tribeca Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre Entertainment and NETworks Presentations.

This hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon is created by celebrated British comedian and writer Ben Elton (TV’s “Mr. Bean” and “The Young Ones”), and boasts a fantastic score of Queen’s biggest songs including “Another One Bites The Dust”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “We Are The Champions,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, of course, “We Will Rock You.” 

Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor are musical supervisors to the show, taking an active role in casting the singer/actors and musicians for every production worldwide.

The show is in its 12th year at The Dominion in London’s West End, one of London Theatreland’s biggest theatres, making it the venue’s longest-running production ever. We Will Rock You is now officially the 9th longest running show in the West End and was crowned the UK’s favorite show at the 2011 Olivier Awards, the UK equivalent of the Tony Awards, in a category voted entirely by members of the public.

Outside of the UK, the show has now been seen in local productions in 17 countries, playing to an audience of over 15 million people.

We Will Rock You takes place in a future age on a planet once called Earth that is now controlled by a mighty corporation. Globalization is complete. Individuality is taboo. Everyone watches the same movies, wears the same clothes and thinks the same thoughts. Music is generated by the corporation’s computers, rock music is unheard and all musical instruments are banned. The hope of breaking free rests with an unlikely resistance – an alliance of rebel Bohemians, waiting for a hero to lead the battle to bring the power of rock back to the people.

“This show is all about legend,” says Ben Elton. “We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the mighty corporation who wants to suppress their individuality and their love of music. They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two – the dreamer Galileo, and the sassy rock chick Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?”

“Creating the show with Ben was very much a three-way thing,” says Roger Taylor. “It was great because he was a pleasure to work with and because he has such a fertile mind. He never stops churning out ideas.”

Elton updates his book regularly, keeping the satirical edge of his script totally relevant to the time and location of the production.

Brian May adds, “The amazing bonus is that Ben’s script subtly works as a metaphor too. People definitely come out of the theatre feeling that in a strange way they now know us, Queen, and our struggle, our journey.”

The original production of We Will Rock You is a Phil McIntyre Entertainment, Tribeca Theatrical Productions and Queen Theatrical Productions presentation.  Book and direction by Ben Elton. Music and Music Supervision by Queen/Roger Taylor and Brian May. Musical staging and choreography by Arlene Phillips. Design and Lights by Mark Fisher and Willie Williams. Sound by Bobby Aitken. Costumes by Tim Goodchild.

Queen Theatrical Productions is a production entity created especially by the band’s parent company Queen Productions Ltd to handle the development and production of We Will Rock You.

Headquartered in New York, Tribeca Theatrical Productions was founded in 2001 by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, the acclaimed producers of the Meet the Parents franchise, Analyze This and Wag the Dog. Through Tribeca Theatrical Productions, De Niro and Rosenthal co-produced, along with Queen Theatrical Productions and Phil McIntyre Entertainment, the theatrical musical We Will Rock You, based on the music of Queen.

Since 1995, NETworks has produced and managed over 55 touring productions in the US., U.K. and internationally. Current productions include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Blue Man Group National Tour, Elf The Musical, Flashdance the Musical, The National Theatre of Great Britain’s production of War Horse, Memphis the Musical, and Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.

For more information about We Will Rock You, please visit wewillrockyou.com and schoolswillrockyou.com.

To purchase tickets to one of the upcoming performances of Broadway Theatre League’s presentation of We Will Rock You, call (315) 724-7196 or visit www.BroadwayUtica.com.

Broadway Theatre League (BTL) announced today that single tickets are now on sale for its 2013-14 season! John Fehlner, executive director of Broadway Theatre League of Utica, encourages prospective patrons to call early for the best available seats. Single tickets range from $24.75 to $64.75.

The new schedule, set for the 2013-2014, includes:

• We Will Rock You, October 11 &12, 2013;
• Cirque Dreams Holidaze, November 16 & 17;
• Memphis, January 21, 22, and 23, 2014;
• Peter and the Starcatcher, March 4 & 5, 2014;
• Bring It On, The Musical, March 25 & 26, 2014; and
• Million Dollar Quartet, June 10 & 11, 2014.

Additionally, subscriptions for the new season can still be obtained, and include a choice of either five or all six season shows. A five-show subscription begins at $162.50 per person and includes, We Will Rock You and Cirque Dreams Holidaze, and a choice of three of the other four available shows. A six-show season subscription begins at $192 per person, and includes all regular season shows.

For more information about the Broadway Theatre League’s new season, subscriptions, or to purchase single tickets, call (315) 724-7196 or visit www.broadwayutica.com.

Blue Man Group, presented by Broadway Theatre League of Utica, returns to The Stanley on Sunday, September 1, 2013, for two performances only! Tickets go on sale Monday, July 22, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.  To purchase tickets to the Utica engagement, visit www.BroadwayUtica.com or call (315) 724-7196.  Tickets range from $24.75-$79.75.

The theatrical tour features brand new content highlighted by classic Blue Man favorites.

The new sound, set, and video design centering around a proscenium-sized LED curtain and high-resolution screen create an entirely new, high-impact visual experience for Broadway houses across the nation.

Blue Man Group has received praise from critics across the country. The Baltimore Sun raves, “Blue Man Group packs a wallop. It’s a big, loud, funny, silly, visually arresting production!” The Charlotte Observer says Blue Man Group is “a hugely entertaining show for anyone ages 9 to 90”. The San Antonio Express-News proclaims it’s “an exhilarating, thought-provoking, laugh-yourself-silly evening of percussion-heavy rock music, comedy and playful commentary.”

Blue Man Group creates experiences that defy categorization. Blue Man Group is best known for multi-media performances that feature three bald and blue characters who take the audience on a journey that is funny, intelligent and visually stunning. A live band, whose haunting tribal rhythms help drive the show to its climax, accompanies the Blue Men.

“Our theatrical productions take a humorous look at what we like to call 2.5-D space,” says Blue Man Group Co-Founder Philip Stanton.  “An example of what we mean by this would be emailing or texting the person in the next office rather than walking over to talk to them face-to-face.”

“We say that no matter how high-tech things get, there’s still something human there. We’ll always need others, always need to collaborate. People still need to come together and look each other in the eye.  Through the Blue Man’s connection with the audience, we hope to encourage this human-to-human interaction, while helping people reconnect with their own sense of wonder and discovery, with their own sense of what is possible in their lives.”

Tickets for the Utica presentation will be available on Monday, July 22, 2013, through Broadway Theatre League of Utica. For the best seats, call (315) 724-7196 or visit www.BroadwayUtica.com.

Broadway Theatre League of Utica announced today that it is naming its Youth Ambassador Program (YAP) after late local educator and dedicated community member, Bernadette A. Eichler. As a Board Member of Broadway Theatre League, Eichler was a creative force in the development of the program last summer. In honor of her dedication to education, the program will now bear her name: The Bernadette A. Eichler Youth Ambassador Program.

About Bernadette A. Eichler

Education was not only a career for Bernadette Eichler; it was a passion. She served the Utica City School District for 56 years as a teacher, administrator, director, assistant superintendent, and deputy superintendent.

Throughout her life she never slowed down. Bernadette was involved in various facets of the community including Broadway Theatre League, the Utica
Zonta Club, the Utica Chapter of the American Cancer Society, and Family Services of Greater Utica.

In 2011 Eichler was honored as the Oneida County Historical Society’s Living Legend. She received a number of other additional awards and distinctions throughout her life, including:

-SUNY Oswego’s Alpha Delta Kappa Award,
-An induction in the East Utica Optimists Hall of Fame,
-An induction into the Educator’s Hall of Distinction,
-The Salvation Army’s People First Award,
-The Utica Teacher’s Educator of the Year Award, and
-An award from Women in Business.

“Bernadette didn’t retire until she was 88, and even after that, she was still actively involved. She was very dedicated,” said John Fehlner, executive director of Broadway Theatre League of Utica. “She was a very warm, helpful individual who was always interested in mentoring young people. This is a well-deserved and appropriate honor,” he added.

Eichler passed away in December at the age of 97.

About The Bernadette A. Eichler Youth Ambassador Program

Broadway Theatre League chooses two students from each of the area high schools who will be given Broadway Theatre League season tickets. In exchange for the season subscription, students are required to post their thoughts about each show on Facebook and/or Twitter and submit a short critique of each show to Broadway Theatre League. 

The goal of the program is to engage area teens and encourage their interest in theatre. The students’ interests can be in any area including acting, producing, management, choreography, lighting, sound, costume or set design. 

For more information about the Bernadette A. Eichler Youth Ambassador Program, call Broadway Theatre League at (315) 724-7196 or email application materials to: Erika@broadwayutica.com.

Do you know a high school student interested in theatre?  If so, encourage them to apply to become a Bernadette A. Eichler Youth Ambassador! Broadway Theatre League is once again choosing two students from each of the area school districts who will be given 2013-14 Broadway Theatre League season tickets.  This season’s shows include:

• We Will Rock You, October 11 &12, 2013;
• Memphis, January 21 & 22, 2014;
• The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, February 12 &13, 2014;
• Peter and the Starcatcher, March 4 & 5, 2014;
• Bring It On, The Musical, March 25 & 26, 2014; and
• Million Dollar Quartet, June 3 & 4, 2014.

In exchange for the season subscription, students are required to post their thoughts about each show on Facebook and/or Twitter and submit a short critique of each show to Broadway Theatre League.  Some critiques will be posted on the BTL blog.

The goal of the program is to engage area teens and encourage their interest in theatre. The students’ interests can be in any area including acting, producing, management, choreography, lighting, sound, costume or set design. 

What did last year’s Youth Ambassadors have to say about the program?

“I never thought, going into my senior year, that I would have hands on experience with such amazing Broadway shows,” said Andres Garcia, a senior at Clinton High School. “I learned throughout this experience how magical theatre can actually be. These amazing actors are able to take you out of your daily lives for two hours and bring you into this magical world where basically anything is possible,” he continued.

“What started out as merely attending shows at the Stanley Theater turned into attending GREAT shows with a dynamic group of new friends,” said Lauren Holt, a senior at the Town of Webb High School. “The shows are of Broadway quality and each one left us feeling a little different than we did before.  Whether it was the concept of loyalty in West Side Story, or the determination that burst through the seams of Rock of Ages, the performances were captivating,” she added.

Student Eligibility

• Student must be a junior or senior in high school for the 2013-14 school year.

• Student must have the ability to attend and provide his/her own transportation to the opening night of all (6) season shows.

• Student must reside within an eligible school district: http://www.broadwayutica.com/docs/eligible-high-schools

• Student must have a Facebook and/or Twitter account and be willing to submit their comments through social media.

Application Materials

• Student must have a teacher recommendation.

• Student will be required to submit a short essay explaining why they would like to become a Youth Ambassador, including any experience they’ve had that may pertain to theatre or the purpose of the program.

Applications to become a part of the program are due Monday, July 13. For more information about the Youth Ambassador’s Program, call Broadway Theatre League at (315) 724-7196 or email application materials to: Erika@broadwayutica.com.

Based on the hit DreamWorks film and the incredible true story that inspired it, the first national tour of the high-flying Broadway musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will land in Utica at the Stanley for a limited engagement, June 4 & 5. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is a presentation of Broadway Theatre League of Utica.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN captures the astonishing true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a world-class con artist who passed himself off as a doctor, a lawyer, and a jet pilot—all before the age of 21.  With straight-arrow FBI agent Carl Hanratty on Frank’s trail, we’re off on a jet-setting, cat-and-mouse chase, as a jazzy, swinging-sixties score keeps this adventure in constant motion.  In the end, Agent Hanratty learns he and Frank aren’t so very different after all, and Frank finds out what happens when love catches up to a man on the run.

This engagement follows hot on the heels of the recent Broadway run, where the show received considerable acclaim.  The New York Times exclaims, “Hot diggity!  This portrait of the con artist as a young man comes to ecstatic life.”  WOR Radio calls it “absolutely marvelous” and proclaims CATCH ME IF YOU CAN “a real Broadway musical with showstoppers to enthrall just about everyone.”  And Vanity Fair says “CATCH ME will move you to live life to the fullest and dance past anything standing in your way,” and urges “Get your seats now!”

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is based on Frank Abagnale’s New York Times bestselling autobiography, published by Broadway Paperbacks, and the hit 2002 film of the same name directed by Steven Spielberg with screenplay by Jeff Nathanson and book by Frank Abagnale, Jr.

Nominated for four Tony® Awards and six Drama Desk Awards, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN features a Tony Award-winning creative team, with a book by Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Ragtime), an irresistible score by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman (Hairspray), choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Legally Blonde) and direction by Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

Scenic design for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is by David Rockwell (Hairspray), costume design by five-time Tony Award winner William Ivey Long (The Producers), lighting design is by Tony Award winner Kenneth Posner (Wicked) and sound design is by Peter McBoyle. 

To purchase tickets to the upcoming Utica engagement, visit www.BroadwayUtica.com or call (315) 724-7196.  Tickets range from $36.50-61.50.

For more information about CATCH ME IF YOU CAN visit www.CatchMeOnTour.com.