Opening Night for Amazing Grace in Chicago!!

WOW!

It was a wonderful night in Chicago for Theatre VCU!

Here's what Paul W. Thompson wrote in Broadway World.com:

"Director Gabriel Barre and music director Joseph Church, guided to no small degree by the willingness of producer Carolyn Rossi Copeland to give Smith’s musico-dramatic vision a chance to live, have crafted a complex and moving piece of theater, with thrilling musical moments, stunning visual imagery and roles that actors would give their eyeteeth to sink their molars into. Passion here takes the form of the struggle to live, to love, to be free, to live in peace in community. These are universal themes, and John Newton’s story lends itself well to this passion and these themes."


He also points out:

"exquisite and sexy costumes by Toni-Leslie James"

And references are made to:

"And it’s a highly physical role (gunfights, fistfights, beatings, dancing, falling overboard, all sort of shirts coming on and off)." (Fight Choreography - our own David Leong & Brad Wilcuts.)

Yep, It was a wonderful night - the pictures tell the story!

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, David Leong, Josh Quinn (Assistant Costume Designer - MFA 2012)

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, Matt Armentrout (Assistant Wig Designer - BFA 2012), David Leong, Josh Quinn

Brad Willcuts, Ron Keller, Gabriel Barre (Director - Theatre VCU Guest Director 2014), David Leong, Josh Quinn

Brad Willcuts, David Leong, Vince Oddo (Fight Captain)

Kudos for Toni-Leslie James from VCU News!

VCU News just posted a wonderful article about Theatre VCU's very own Toni-Leslie James - Director of Costume Design/Tech.

"James joined Theatre VCU in 2007, and she has eagerly shared her vast experience, as well as the attendant prestige and opportunity, with her students and colleagues during her tenure, including hiring them to work with her on productions."

Illustrated with her work from Amazing Grace (previewing in Chicago right now) and Bull Durham (in previews in Atlanta), the article talks about how she is giving our students and alumni opportunities to work on shows bound for Broadway.

In the article J. Theresa Bush (theatre VCU MFA, 2011) says: 
“She works in the business, and she trains us to do so,” Bush said. “She also has an impeccable eye, a spot-on intuition and 40 years of experience working at full tilt. She is a woman of discerning tastes and has the highest standards for herself and everyone in her sphere, and she has elevated me to a level that I did not know I could reach.”

Go HERE and read the complete article

Thank you Toni!

A Little Support and Love for all Things Theatre VCU

The great weekend of Macbeth!! Do not miss this beautiful show. Go here to see some of the photos. 

Take a look at this wonderful video made by the Commonwealth Times!







There's also Chicago where David Leong (Theatre VCU Chair) and Brad Wilcuts (Theatre VCU grad student) are designing and polishing the fight choreography of
Amazing Grace
and Toni-Leslie James (Theatre VCU, Director of Costume Design/Tech) with her crew of Theatre VCU alumni, is putting the finishing touches on the extraordinary costumes for the of Amazing Grace - the pre-Broadway, world premiere.  Opening October 9th!!

 Here are some great random photos of rehearsal work with Brad in the top photo; David and Brad looking on the sailors to the left; and Brad firing rifles below.

Five days until opening in Chicago! You guys must be exhausted!!

Theatre VCU is all over town… and if you're a student there are some great ticket deals!

Our very own David Emerson Toney is directing Frederick Knott's 
Wait Until Dark 
at Firehouse Theater. 
Opening Sept. 18 and running until Oct. 18.

An apartment in 1970’s Greenwich Village becomes the site of theatre’s most terrifying game of cat and mouse. Desperate to reclaim a mysterious doll stuffed with illegal drugs, a con man lays a trap to ensnare a blind woman.  With the help of his criminal cohorts and a few clever disguises, he spins a tale to fool the innocent and unsuspecting woman.  But when the doll can’t be found, the situation spirals out of control.   From the author of Dial “M” for Murder, Wait Until Dark proves that what you can’t see can most definitely hurt you.

Also the main character, Susy, is being played by Ciara McMillan (3rd year performance, Arabian Nights)

Other VCU students & alumni  in the cast:
Sam - Saidu Tejan-Thomas (Mass Comm, VCU, Arabian Nights)
Mike - Nicklas Aliff (Theatre VCU alumnus)
Policeman 1 - Jordan Jones (1st year Theatre VCU Performance)

Policeman 2 - Andrew Reid (2nd year, Theatre VCU Performance)

Preview Night (College Night) is this Thursday Sept. 18. All student tickets are $5.00 (with your VCU ID). During the run student tickets will be $16.00


According to Style Magazine:
The powerful "H2O" marks an auspicious debut for 5th Wall Theatre."

Starring two Theatre VCU alumni : Landon Nagel and Liz Earnest.

Here's what Style says about Landon and Liz:

"With his Everyman face and obvious charm, Nagel puts in an effortless performance as Jake."

"In the hands of a lesser actress, the role could easily be seen as supporting and one-dimensional, but Earnest works to show the character's complexity."

Thursday - Saturday at 8PM, Sunday at 4PM at Theatre Gym at Virginia Repertory Center, 114 W. Broad Street

September 4 – 27, 2014
http://www.5thwalltheatre.org/

Contact Billy Christopher Maupin for student ticket information - billychristopher@5thwalltheatre.org.

Opening September 24 at Richmond Triangle Players
Noel Coward's Design for Living

Directed by alumnus Justin Amellio

and featuring alumnus Jeffrey Cole

Sept 24 – Oct 18, 2014

Three bohemian artists grapple with the pleasures and challenges of a ménage à trois lifestyle in this sophisticated and innovative comedy that scandalized two continents when it premiered! Gilda loves Otto, and it’s entirely mutual. But Gilda is rather fond of Leo as well. Leo adores Gilda – but come to think of it, Leo and Otto have a bit of history, too. So which of them will pair off, and who’ll be left out in the cold? Well, why should they have to?  What’s that all-too-common comment on relationships: “It’s complicated?” This one just happens to be rather more complicated than most!  A classic comedy where the morality is in the eye of the beholder.

Meanwhile in NYC David Leong (Theatre VCU Departmental Chair) with the assistance of  Brad Willcuts (Theatre VCU MFA 2015) is choreographing the many complex and exciting conflicts in the Broadway bound Amazing Grace - opening in Chicago this October! How cool is that?

Olivia Luna (Theatre VCU Perfomance Alumnus) was that you we saw on the new ABC dramatic series How to Get Away with Murder? PremieredThurs. Sept. 25.

 Looking great and living the dream!

Congratulations and Break Legs to ALL our Theatre VCU peeps!!

Much goes on…. and on… and on

We've got Man of La Mancha rehearsals starting to percolate - One week in already!

Stage managers  - look at Miss Kat working that ruler.

The cast on the first night of rehearsal. 

Xiolin's costumes are amazing distressed leather 

...take a look at the designer with the armor.

Speaking of Costume Design/Tech…

Lindsay Austria

Toni-Leslie James, head of Costume Design) has been hard at work on two pre-Broadway musical productions slated to open on Broadway in the spring of 2015. Bull Durham and Amazing Grace.

Amazing Grace: A New Musical (music and lyrics by Christopher Smith, book by Smith and Arthur Giron) will have it’s pre-Broadway premiere in Chicago in October. This huge musical has over 160 18^th century costumes. Theatre VCU alumni and current students has been hired to create many of these gorgeous costumes.

Matt Armentrout

The VCU team consists of:

Joshua Quinn – Asst Costume Designer, United Scenic Artists 829 – VCU MFA 2013

Gloria Kim – Costume Illustrator, Shopper, 18^th Century Fan Designer – VCU BFA 2013

Michael Magaraci – Shopper, Men’s 18^th Century Neck Wear Designer - VCU BFA 2012

Neno Russell – Draper, Pattern Maker – Theatre VCU, Director of Costume Technology

Matt Armentrout – Draper Pattern Maker, Asst. Wig Designer, VCU BFA 2012

Theatre VCU current students and alumni have been responsible for the production of 115 Amazing Grace garments. The stitchers include:

Neno Russell

Sophia Choi - VCU BFA 2015

Lindsay Austria - VCU BFA December 2014

Isabela Tavares de Melo  - VCU MFA 2014
Devario Simmons – VCU MFA 2015

Emily Atkins – VCU MFA 2015

Casey Jones – VCU BFA 2016

Willa Piro – VCU BFA 2016

Kiyoshi Shaw – VCU BFA 2014

Anastazia Whittle – VCU BFA 2015

Breanne Levandowshky – VCU BFA 2015

Maura Cravey – VCU Faculty

Also assisting the Theatre VCU Shop Assistants

Grenville Burgess – VCU MFA 2016

Raven Wilkes – VCU BFA 2015

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Bull Durham has over 150 costumes, the majority of which are shopped. The Bull Durham team has been led by J. Theresa Bush (VCU MFA 2013).

Toni-Leslie James believes in our students!