Centennial Showboat's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Postponed One Week Due to Flooding

St. Paul, Minn. - The University of Minnesota announced today that Minnesota Centennial Showboat performances of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have been postponed, June 20 to 28 due to high water on the Mississippi River. Tickets purchased to those performances will be honored for future dates and re-scheduling is preferred by email to info@riverrides.com. The box office phone number, 651 227 1100, can also be used, although call volume is expected to be very high.

"We are making every effort to accommodate our valued Showboat customers during this postponement," said Peg Guilfoyle, Managing Director. "We have reached out by phone or email to individuals, groups, and businesses - everyone who bought a ticket - to let them know about this flooding, and how to re-book reservations. We apologize for this inconvenience. Folks have been very understanding. The Showboat players have never had to postpone due to high water on Harriet Island."

Peter Moore, stage director of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, said "Of course our Showboat Players are waiting in the wings eager to put on this classic melodrama, but you just can't argue with the Mighty Mississippi."

Guilfoyle explained, "We hope the river falls as quickly as it has risen, and plan to resume performances on July 1. We will play through August 16 as previously planned." The Showboat is undamaged by high water, but the flooding threatens essential services on Harriet Island, and access to the Showboat will not be possible. "The safety of our patrons is our primary concern," she said, "but we'll be back!"

"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" with Musical Olios opens June 19 aboard Minnesota Centennial Showboat

St. Paul, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Centennial Showboat presents Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the thrilling tale of a brilliant physician who struggles with dark forces while a series of crimes grip London with fear. The Showboat Players perform June 19 through August 16 on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat, on downtown St. Paul's Harriet Island. Adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde presents a cast of memorable characters driven by a quest to find the monster terrorizing their city, only to discover an unbelievable truth.

Directors Peter Moore and Vern Sutton return to stage the production and musical routines; this same dynamic duo created Showboat's three most recent hits Sweet Revenge!(or No Mother to Guide Her), attracting nearly 13,000 visitors last summer alone, The Vampire! and The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

When asked what audiences can expect stage director Moore quipped, "Secrets, potions, chills, thrills, and a twisted tale of good versus evil- the usual Showboat fun. Where else can you cheer on the hero and hiss the bad guy?"

In addition to melodrama, the Showboat also prides itself as home to olios, vintage musical interludes featuring song and dance. Spiced with fun gimmicks, striking costumes and surprises, these tuneful crowd pleasers are straight from the golden days of vaudeville. The Minnesota Opera veteran, maestro Vern Sutton returns to direct "with a sharp eye these musical vignettes...some poignant, some naughty" (St. Paul Pioneer Press) underscoring the evening's fun.

The Centennial Showboat - a floating palace with a fully air-conditioned 200 seat theater is styled after a vaudeville house, complete with painted scenery, footlights and nineteenth-century stage magic. Docked on the banks of the mighty Mississippi at Harriet Island in downtown St. Paul, the Showboat offers welcoming public spaces, bars and a beautiful upper deck lounge with spectacular views of the city's skyline. Visitors stroll along embankments with wide green lawns shaded by towering cottonwoods as they step aboard.

Owned by the University of Minnesota since 1958, the Minnesota Centennial Showboat proudly presents Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for this 56th summer of fun and laughter. Thousands of guests found "a perfect summer evening" for a first date or family outing. Unsolicited comments by one audience member sums up the response of many. "A talented cast of singers and actors kept me laughing and entertained the whole night...I'm going again and taking others with me." Convenient FREE parking for cars and busses is available. Arrive by bike on the Lilydale Trail or by boat and dock for FREE on the island. The University of Minnesota Centennial Showboat is completely accessible.

The cast includes Christian Boomgaarden (Dr. Jekyll), Bear Brummel (Lanyon), Katherine Fried (Agnes Carew), Kevin Gotch (Newcomen), Nike Kadri (Mrs. Higgins), Katie Kleiger (Mrs. Poole), Zach Margolis (Utterson), Kelsey Peterjohn (Lady Diana), Daniel Piering (James/Constable Wilson), Tori Smith (Marie/Billie). Production set design by Rick Polenek, costumes by Mathew J. LeFebvre, lighting by Kelli Hauangzhen, props by Jennifer Johnson, sound by Montanta Johnson, and stage management by Jane Heer, assisted by Audrey Rice.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde performs 2:30 pm matinees every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; evenings at 8:00pm Wednesday through Saturday June 19- August 16, 2014. Thursday nights feature post-show Talk-backs, informal Q & A sessions with cast members. Ask about Family Fun Special rates for Friday nights and Saturday matinees. Discounts for students with valid ID, seniors 62+ and groups rates for 15 or more are available. Reserve tickets ($20-$25) by calling 651.227.1100 or by visiting www.showboat.umn.edu. for more information.

FAST FACTS
What: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Musical Olios aboard Minnesota Centennial Showboat
When: June 19- August 16, 2014
Where: Harriet Island, downtown St. Paul, Minnesota
Tickets: $20.00-$25.00 showboat.umn.edu or call direct 651-227-1100; ask about
rates for students, seniors, groups 15+ and Family Fun specials.

Santino Fontana (UofM '04) Stars in Tony Award winning "Act One"on Broadway

Santino Fontana, BFA Alum '04, stars in Broadway's Tony Award winning Act One based on theater producer-director Moss Hart's book of the same name and adapted by James Lapine. Nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Play, this critically acclaimed new biographic work brings to life Hart's hilarious and heart- warming rags-to-riches tale of his early life and his astounding collaboration with George S. Kauffman on his first Broadway success, Once in a Lifetime, which would skyrocket these kings of American comedy on the Great White Way. "To watch Mr. Fontana's Hart... [and] Mr. Tony Shalhoub's Kaufman," raves Ben Brantley of The New York Times, "is to witness this season's most electric onstage chemistry."
Fontana is no stranger to important leading roles, critical acclaim, or to Broadway's Tony Awards. In 2006 he became the youngest actor to portray Hamlet on the Guthrie Theater stage. Last year he was recognized at the Tony Awards as a Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical nominee for his portrayal of Prince Topher in Cinderella. Earlier this spring he voiced the antagonist character Hans in Disney's hit animated musical Frozen.
Fontana was actually a member of the first-ever graduating class of the Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program in 2004. "[At the University of Minnesota], they stressed that we're artists first, not just actors," he told Broadway.com. "Our job is to create and also at the same time not limit ourselves. The world is going to limit you. I don't want to limit me." His career is indeed limitless, as he continues to embrace diverse roles as an actor, and to simultaneously pursue directing and composing.

University Dance Theatre Honored at National and Regional American College Dance Festivals; Elander Rosser's Earth Song earns special recognition

Earth Song, choreographed by current undergraduate student Elander Rosser, has been chosen as a first alternate for the National American College Dance Festival. Dance students will get the chance to learn, perform, and network with national peers in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center this June 5 - 7.

Director of Dance Ananya Chatterjea and eighteen of her students participated in research presentations, performances, and master classes with regional peers at the North Central conference this March. "We quickly established a supportive community, even though we were all from completely different backgrounds," says Rosser. "That's why I think Earth Song was chosen to close the Gala: it was kind of a visual representation of what we had all just went through. [It's] about people coming together to achieve a goal."

Earth Song earned glowing praise from the conference judges. They described the piece as "deeply emotional" and marveled that the dancers were "in their bodies, not their brains." Rosser says he is "deeply humbled by the attention" his work is already receiving. He insists that the piece "would be nothing without" his dancers, mentors and the entire production team. "In this process, I became aware of the scope of the community that came together," he reflects. "Earth Song was as much their piece as it was mine, and I'm truly grateful to all of them."

Barbra Berlovitz directs HAMLET, opens April 17 in Rarig's Stoll Thrust

Minneapolis, MN--"Who's there? Stand and unfold yourself." With that opening demand, Shakespeare's Hamlet signals an evening of probing questions and revealing truths. Under the direction of associate faculty member Barbra Berlovitiz (co-founder and co-artistic director of Theatre de la Jeune Lune) this production uses a lean, athletic approach to the text, as the action unfolds in a devastated world within an abandoned, crumbling playhouse. Hamlet will be performed April 17 through 27 on the Stoll Thrust stage, and marks the 450th anniversary of the playwright's birth. For tickets call visit theatre.umn.edu or call (612) 624-2345.

While Hamlet was first performed over 400 years ago, it is a play that stays forever in the present. It asks human questions: What do we do when faced with what seems inevitable? How do we avoid what looks like an inescapable path towards destruction?

"In this production, we have set our play in the near, or is it distant, future," explained director Berlovitz. "Much of what this cast of characters knew of the world is gone--only the bones remain. 'What have we done to the world?' they wonder." A group of actors, the few survivors seeking refuge in what was once a theatre, "take on the task of re-telling the story of Hamlet--the story of revenge, love, hate, murder, death. Maybe this time we will learn something," she paused. "Let's hope so."

Barbra Berlovitz co-founded the 2005 Tony Award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune and served as co-artistic director of the company for 25 years. She is a graduate of Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France, where she also studied at the National Circus School. In recent years she has studied with Patsy Rodenburg and Philippe Gaulier. For Jeune Lune, Berlovitz wrote, directed, acted, and taught. She staged the first American production of a major work by Pavel Kohout, August, August, August and a critically acclaimed production of Thomas Bernhard's The Force of Habit. She also directed a new adaptation of Emile Zola's Germinal, co-written with Paul Walsh. Her acting credits with TJL include Lulu, Arkadina, Medea, Gertrude, Milady, and Antigone. Half of her work at TJL involved creations. In 2009 she wrote and starred in Stories As Told in a Bed. She most recently performed the role of Mother Courage with Chicago's innovative Bricklayer Company.

Ms. Berlovitz has directed and taught at Carleton College, Augsburg College, University of California San Diego, Fairfield University, and the Eugene O'Neill National Theater Institute. As a member of the associate faculty in the Theatre Arts & Dance Department of the University of Minnesota, Berlovitz has directed Romeo and Juliet, The Oresteia, King Lear, Cabaret, and The Suitors. Honored with a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, she has also received a McKnight Fellowship, a Theatre Communications Group/ITI grant, and a Fox Fellowship for Distinguished Actors.

On April 25, English Department Professors Katherine Scheil and Tom Clayton will join director Barbra Berlovitz for a lively informative post-performance panel discussion, which is free and open to the public.

The Hamlet cast includes the following performers: Edward Euclide (Hamlet), Glen Geppert (Polonius), Max Giles (Bernardo/ Priest), John Graves (Player), Sylvia Hill (Ophelia), Alec Lambert (Gertrude), Alec Lambert( Player), Rick Miller (Laertes), Jacob Mobley (Player King), Evan O'Brien (Marcellus/ Osric), Austin Ruh (Francsico/Gravedigger), Bree Schmidt (Horatio), Ashton Schneider (Player Queen), Nico Swenson (Claudius/Ghost), and Jordyn Wick (Player).

The production's creative team creative team includes the following: Elias Arkham (Assistant Director), Carra Martinez (Assistant Director /Dramaturg), Cole Bylander (Costume Designer), Anne Henly (Set Designer), Aaron Preusse (Fight Choregrapher), Elizabeth Nash (Vocal Coach), Devin Nee (Lighting Designer), Kevin Springer (Sound Designer). The production's stage management team includes Katie Henely (Stage Manager), with Andrew Buckholtz (Assistant Stage Manager) and Aviva Gellman (Assistant Stage Manager).
For tickets and information call: U of M Arts/Events Ticket Office at 612 624-2345 or visit theatre.umn.edu Customer parking is available the 21st Ave. Parking Ramp, located across from the Rarig Center, on the University of Minnesota West Bank Campus.

Quick Facts
What: HAMLET by William Shakespeare
Who: University of Minnesota Theatre Arts & Dance
When: April 17-27, 2014
Where: Rarig Center's Stoll Thrust Theatre, West Bank Arts Quarter.
330 21st Avenue South, Minneapolis
Tickets: $6 Students; $11 U of M faculty and staff; $16 General Public.
U of M Ticket Office (612) 624-2345 or online at theatre.umn.edu
Tickets are also available at the door one hour prior to performance.

HAMLET Performance Schedule April 17-27, 2014:
7:30 pm April 17 Opening night
7:30 pm April 18
2:00 pm April 19
7:30 pm April 19

7:30 pm April 24
7:30 pm April 25 Post play discussion
2:00 pm April 26
7:30 pm April 26
2:30 pm April 27

University Theatre Arts & Dance is a laboratory for performance and practice of content taught in the Department's academic programs. In keeping with the University of Minnesota's three public purposes - research, and discovery; teaching and learning; outreach and public service - the mission of the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance is to educate students and audiences about the performing arts, and about the social issues and human emotions the arts speak to so powerfully. We are committed to realizing this mission by creating, producing, and studying works of theatre and dance, and performing them publicly for diverse audiences drawn both from the University and the community at large. Patrons should expect to see performances that challenge the mind and are produced with the highest possible quality.

Mia Jenneman (U of M '02) Featured on HerLife Magazine Cover

Mia Jenneman, University of Minnesota Dance BFA alum, was featured on the cover and in the Inspirations section of HerLife Magazine this February. She is the founder, owner and a teacher at Barre Bliss Studio.

After waiting tables to support herself as a full time student and professional dancer, and then opening her own business, Jenneman more than qualifies as an inspiration already. But the article focuses on her other accomplishments: positive thinking and balance. HerLife Magazine explains that Barre Bliss Studio, the culmination of Jenneman's efforts, "combines the joy of dance with the mind/body practices of yoga."

Jenneman's sister, Nora, is the University of Minnesota Dance Department Coordinator. Passion and dedication run in the family!

The online issue can be found here.

Mark Siegel (U of M '69) to Share His Hollywood Career

Meet visual effects artist Mark Siegel this Friday, March 28th, 2014 at 10:00am at the Regis Center for Art in the In-Flux Gallery.

Siegel's exciting career path started with a Theatre Arts degree at the University of Minnesota. He is now a visual effects artist for major motion pictures and has worked on such monumental films as Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and Pirates of the Caribbean. He was kind enough to share some special images and stories as a sneak preview to his upcoming visit.

"People often ask me what my favorite movie I ever worked on was. And the answer, invariably, is Ghostbusters."

Siegel (in the plaid) sculpted the Slimer's teeth and tongue and was one of the puppeteers.

"Some people know this, but not a lot. Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, when they were creating Ghostbusters, wanted John Belushi to be part of the project, but John Belushi had already passed away and so the intention was that this character, The Slimer... was supposed to embody kind of the spirit of John Belushi, especially his character in Animal House, you know, who's really kind of horrible looking and, you know, stuffing his face all the time, but somehow manages to be charming and funny at the same time."

Photo credit Sean Casey, Photoshop composite by Mark Siegel.

Siegel was asked to create a model of ET for the filming of remastered scenes in the 20th Anniversary Edition of the movie. This project involved a personal meeting with Steven Spielberg. The legendary director was amazingly open, down-to-earth and hands-on. "When he got to talking about some of the sequences and some of the things he wanted to see in the updated animation," Siegel recalls, "he was up on his feet acting things out." A few years later, Siegel's work was featured on one of the US Postal Service "American Filmmaking: Behind the Scenes" stamps. You can see his fingers!

The incredibly passionate and humble U of M graduate is eager to share his stories and advice with the community this Friday.