Minneapolis -This week the 2012 Ivey Award for artistic excellence was presented to Theater Latte Da for its production of Spring Awakening, staged by artistic director Peter Rothstein, with musical direction by Denise Prosek and choreography by Carl Flink, chair of Theatre Arts and Dance at the University of Minnesota. The Ivey Awards at The Historic State Theater, downtown Minneapolis, featured a live performance of Spring Awakening's musical number, "The Bitch of Living " by cast members David Darrow, Tyler Michaels, Grant Sorenson, Jack Tillman, Ross Orenstein, Derek Prestly, James Kennedy, Charles Robison, James Person and Elander Rosser.
"I want to congratulate Peter Rothstein and his entire Theater Latte Da company," commented Carl Flink. "It was a joy to work with him and his creative team as the choreographer for this project. In my capacity as department chair, I am also deeply grateful to Peter for his clear artistic vision, and for reaching out to our Theatre Arts and Dance Department to join him in this extraordinary opportunity to partner with our faculty, student performers, designers, stage managers, and technicians. It is difficult to imagine a more perfect partnership that exemplifies the power of dynamic public engagement between the university and community partner. Thank you for joining us in making this possible."
Latte Da's unique production of Spring Awakening, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's dynamic rock musical hit celebrating the rebellious imperatives of youth, was produced in a partnership with the U of M's Theatre Arts and Dance department and combined the talents of theatre professionals and student performers to comprise the ensemble of twenty. Drawing enthusiastic crowds over its six week run April 12- May 6 to the U of M's Rarig Center, Spring Awakening earned rave reviews and critical acclaim from the Twin Cities press.
The Ivey Awards are based on evaluations performed by more than 150 volunteers who watched more than 1,000 performances in the past year. The eighth annual Ivey Awards presentation occurred September 24, 2012.
