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)

Important stuff you need to know RIGHT NOW if you are Theatre VCU student.

(not necessarily in order of importance)

1 Fabulous Guest Artist Lynn Thomson is here now until Friday! Nationally-known Dramaturg and author. Her Friday workshop on Theatrical Collaboration is open to both grad and undergrad students and should not be missed.

Pearls, people, we are laying pearls before you - 

please take advantage!

Here is her information:

2. There is a Masquerade Ball bakesale right this minute in PAC. Deliciousness (there are homemade Truffles on the table y'all) And HOT cocoa and HOT coffee - come on… you need these things.

3. David Leong is hoping EVERYBODY is coming to B72 at 5:00 today to eat (FREE) pizza this afternoon, and talk about Theatre VCU and you. Very important to your future here, right?

4. Sign-up sheets are UP for the Fall MainStage shows - Macbeth & Man of La Mancha. Get those Macbeth 1 minute monologues polished, and be ready to sing 16 bars. Play the guitar? Then bring it and strum your little heart out.

5. Posters. We are two weeks away from the Opening Night of Arabian Nights. We have hundreds of posters and postcards just sitting here in the office waiting for YOU to hang them up. Don't you have Volunteer Credits you need to earn in order to graduate? This is how you do it baby! Hang up 20 posters and BAM you are DONE!

6. The Ball - 39 Days Away!!! Woo Hoo (Who are you going to be?)

David Leong & Mother Courage - Read what Kathleen Turner has to say!

Kathleen Turner gave an interview On Washington DC's Arena Stage's Blog - GO HERE for the complete interview.

In it she describes the complexity and appeal of Mother Courage and Brecht's work.

She also credits our department chair, David Leong, for his vision and creativity as Movement Director for the production.

Here is what she has to say:

What discovery has surprised you the most during rehearsals?
I’m learning a great deal from our movement director, David Leong. What his creativity through movement is bringing to this production is huge. There are no scripted transitions. The lines are “Scene 1, Sweden, 1624” and then “Scene 2, Poland, 1626.” There has to be something in the movement that gives the audience a sense of the passage of time and distance, and that’s what David is creating. It’s extraordinary. I don’t think I ever realized how powerful that use of movement can be.

Congratulations to David and his crew of Theatre VCU graduate students who have devoted themselves to this production since before Thanksgiving.

We can't wait to see Arena Stage's production of Mother Courage opening january 31st and running through March 9, 2014!