Past Productions
Hansel and Gretel
Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel
A Children's Opera by Arthur Rackel
Thomas Jefferson Community Theater
125 S. Old Glebe Road Arlington, VA
TUESDAY, October 16 at 10 am
WEDNESDAY, October 17 at 10 am
THURSDAY, October 18 at 10 am
SUNDAY, October 14 at 2 pm
SATURDAY, October 20 at 4 and 7 pm
We invite you to download are extensive Teacher's Guide for Hansel and Gretel:
(Part 1)
(Part 2)
(Part 3)
Humperdinck's Opera Hansel & Gretel is known throughout the world as the number one
children's opera. It will be performed not only in Arlington, VA in 2007, but at the
Metropolitan Opera in New York City as well. Kelly Ferjutz writes that "It is wonderfully
simplistic and awesomely complex, all at the same time. Based on a fairy tale by the
Grimm Brothers, to music that could have been written by the great Richard Wagner, it
easily transports the listener to 'once-upon-a-time-land' where magic is the order of the
day." Although the original fairy tale is rather dark, the operatic version lightens the
story, turning it into an adventure.
The Magic Flute
By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
English Version by Donald Pippin
First Produced by Pocket Opera, San Francisco
The Cast
| Keith Hudspeth |
Tamino |
| Kelly Smith |
Pamina |
| Kelly Smith |
First Lady |
| Katherine Osborne |
Second Lady |
| Bailey Whiteman |
Third Lady |
| David E. Prager |
Sarastro |
| Catherine Carlin |
Queen of the Night |
| Robert W. Tudor |
Papageno |
| Katherine Osborne |
Papagena |
The Magic Flute is a real adventure story. It tells the tale of a kidnapped daughter and
a young prince who goes to the rescue equipped with a magic flute. Tamino, the noble
prince, must rescue the beautiful Pamina with the help of his friend Papageno. She has
been kidnapped by her evil mother, the Queen of the Night. And then there is Sarastro,
an elderly wizzard. Is he really evil, or is he trying to help Tamino? Will Tamino rescue
Pamina? Will Papageno get his Papagena? There's magic, there's danger and there's love!
Mozart composed The Magic Flute after his friend Emmanuel Schikaneder asked him to compose
a German opera for the common people to put on in Schikaneder's theater. Mozart was
thrilled at the idea of writing in his native language. The Magic Flute was performed on
September 30, 1791 at Schikaneder's theater. Schikaneder even played the part of Papageno.
Orchestra
| G. Cookson |
Piano |
| J. Hughes |
Violin I |
| S. Kelly |
Cello |
| D. Lonkevich |
Flute |
| L. Smith |
Violin II |
| S. Wetherbee |
Viola |
Production Staff
| J. Niles |
Conducter |
| D. Toulson |
Stage Dir. |
| R. Newman |
Stage Man. |
| A. Fedorcha |
Lighting |
| J. Davis |
Set Design |
| D. Christie |
Set Const. |
| P. MacFarland |
Costumes |
| T. Madison |
Tech. Chief |
| J. Hughes |
Light Board |
Supernumeraries
| Pandora Affemann |
| Caroline Benitah |
| Taylor Barber |
| Lauren Bomgardner |
| Shalonda Hardy |
| Addie Murphy |
| Anne Murphy |
| Anne Norland |
| Abigail Summerville |
Pinocchio
By Carlo Collodi
Opera by Carl Zytowski
Music Adapted from Rossini
The Cast
| Lewis Freeman |
Gepetto |
| Katherine Osborne |
Pinnochio |
| Marlissa Eaton |
Cricket |
| Keith Hudspeth |
Cat |
| Don Phillip Bicoy |
Fox |
| Cynthia Ballentine |
Hostess |
| Amanda Gosier |
Blue-Haired Fairy |
| Colin Eaton |
Owl |
| Michael Nansel |
Crow |
| Eugene Galvin |
Whale |
Pinocchio starts out as a purely free, independent, impersonal spirit, but he has a lot
of learning to do before he can become a real boy. Most of us know the story of Pinocchio
from the Disney movie. While this is a classic, it fails to capture some of the charm of
the original story. The story is not merely about a magical, naughty puppet, but it is
also an allegory about families. Pinocchio runs away, falls in with thieves, fights with
his friends, meets a monster and so much more, all the while, he doesn’t know or care how
much his father, Geppetto, loves him. In the end, Pinocchio realizes this, returns his
father's love and he finally becomes a real boy. Collodi, a 19th century, Italian
journalist, wanted to write a children's story that emphasizes the traditional Italian
value of the importantance of family that he grew up with. “Who understands the beauty
of Pinocchio understands Italy.”
Orchestra
| G. Cookson |
Piano |
| D. Lawler |
Harmonium |
| G. Peachey |
Piano |
| J. Niles |
Conductor |
Production Staff
| E. Galvin |
Stage Director |
| E. Bell |
Stage Man. |
| E. Thomas |
Set Design |
| D. Christie |
Set Const |
| L. Joslin |
Light Design |
| T. Madison |
Tech. Chief |
| J. Hughes |
Light Board |
Waiters & Nurses
| Kitty Baker |
Christina Camacho |
| Maura Cunningham |
Catherine Devlin |
| Kathryn Galvin |
Peter Kentz |
| Jackie Kleger |
Gretchen Lonergan |
| Hannah Lutz |
Margaret McEnery |
| Natalie Minehart |
Adeline Murphy |
| Annie Norland |
Leigh Shannon |
| Robert Skonberg |
Abigail Summerville |
| Colleen Walton |
|
The Araboolies of Liberty Street
By Sam Swope
Opera by Ronald C. Perera
The Cast
| Peter Joshua Burroughs | General Pinch |
| Kathy Hankins | Mrs. Pinch |
| Elizabeth Spies | Joy |
| Katherine C. Osborne | Boboolie Araboolie |
| Cynthia Ballentine | Momoolie Araboolie |
| Don Phillip Bicoy | Popoolie Araboolie |
On Liberty Street, where all the houses look alike, General Pinch and his skinny wife are
in charge. Whenever it appears that anyone is having fun, the general threatens to call in
the army; in this way, he keeps the neighborhood quiet and dull. Enter the Araboolies,
undefinable creatures of lively, fun-loving temperament and psychedelic color combinations.
The Araboolies are "not the neatest people in the world, truth to tell," for they put
furniture in the yard and even watch TV outside. When General Pinch makes good on his
threats and calls in the army to vanquish the group, a girl named Joy resists. Her efforts
pay off; the Pinches are carted off instead of the Araboolies. The many-sided satire on
fascism is wordy and repetitive, and the only focus on a child character--Joy--occurs
two-thirds of the way through. But the messages of freedom, individualism and tolerance are
strong.
Orchestra
| G. Cookson | Piano |
| D. Spinelli | Percussion |
| J. Niles | Conductor |
Production Staff
| L. Durham | Stage Dir. |
| E. Deiss | Stage Man. |
| A. Fedorcha | Light Des. |
| G. Daughtrey | Lighting |
| J. Davis | Set Design |
| D. Christie | Set Const. |
| P. McFarland | Costumes |
| T. Madison | Tech. Chief |
| J. Hughes | Light Board |
| A. Sprague | Wardrobe |
Children's Chorus
| Kitty Baker | Erin Gallagher |
| Carmen Izurieta | Rafaela Izurieta |
| Ana-Beth Lawler | Muriel MacDonald |
| Shannon McGovern | Mariah Murphy |
| Olivia Murphy | Colleen Walton |
| Directed by Judy Richer |
The Cricket In Times Square
By George Seldon
Book and Lyrics by Timothy Mason
Music by Mel Marvin
The Cast
| Ole Hass |
Tucker Mouse |
| Kathryn Hankins |
Mama Bellini |
| Don Phillip Bicoy |
Papa Bellini |
| Muriel MacDonald |
Mario Bellini |
| Emily Marsh |
Chester Cricket |
| Lewis Freeman |
Harry Cat |
| Claire Elizabeth Ross |
Janie Lebovski |
| Carmen Mason |
Mrs. Smedley |
After Chester, a cricket, arrives in the Times Square subway station from his native
Connecticut via a picnic basket, he takes up residence in the Bellinis' newsstand. There
tiny Chester is lucky enough to find three good friends: a little boy named Mario, whose
parents run the unsuccessful newsstand; a fast-talking Broadway mouse called Tucker; and
Tucker's pal, Harry Cat. Between escapades in New York City, the four somehow manage to
bring success to the almost bankrupt newsstand.
Orchestra
| G. Cookson |
Piano |
| D. Spinelli |
Percussionist |
| C. Youstra |
Synthesizer |
| J. Niles |
Conductor |
Production Staff
| N. Canty |
Stage Dir. |
| K. Preissner |
Stage Man. |
| A. Fedorcha |
Light Design |
| T. Madison |
Tech. Chief |
Adult Chorus
| Ingrid Cowan |
Myrtle Farrington |
| Ronnie Hardcastle |
Jonhanna Park |
| Ben Robles |
Joshua Saxon |
Children's Chorus
| Cristina Camacho |
Grechen Lonergan |
| Madeline Lonergan |
Carmen E. Izurieta |
| Rafaela Izurieta |
Patrick Low |
| Vanessa T. Ortega |
Claire Elizabeth Ross |
| Tim Russell |
|
Charlotte's Web
Based on a Children's Classic by E.B. White
Music and Lyrics by Charles Strouse
Book by Joseph Robinett
The Cast
| Sarah Blaze |
Charlotte |
| Joel Weiss |
Wilbur |
| Jennifer Timberlake |
Fern Arable |
| Kathy Hankins |
Edith Zuckerman |
| Ben Robles |
Homer Zuckerman |
| Bon Bicay |
John Arable |
| Samantha Meeks |
Martha Arable |
| Ronnie Hardcastle |
Avery Arable |
Charlotte's Web opens the door to a magical world, which a young girl named Fern finds
herself a part of. Fern spends her free time with Wilbur the pig whom she loves and the
other barn animals who play a large part in the life of Wilbur. Charlotte A. Cavatica, the
large grey spider, befriends Wilbur and helps him deal with the shocking news that his life
will end as bacon on someone’s plate. Charlotte goes as far as coming up with an interesting
plan that only this spider could carry out with the help of Templeton the rat (who never
does anything unless there is something in it for himself) to help Wilbur escape death.
Orchestra
| G. Cookson |
Piano |
| J. Connell |
Percussion |
| G. Fulginin |
Syntheszier |
Production Staff
| J. Christenson |
Staging |
| J. Chiang |
Costumes |
| M. Haws |
Stage Man. |
| D. Coyey |
Light Design |
| J. Hughes |
Light Tech. |
| R. Johnson |
Musical Asst |
| J. Niles |
Conductor |
| M. Wujcik |
Set Design |
Ensemble
| Don Bicoy |
Kathy Hankins |
| Ronnie Hardcastle |
Meredith Megles |
| Tamara Reynolds |
Ron Robles |
Nightingale
Opera by Charles Strouse
Based on a tale by Hans Christian Anderson
The Cast
| Adalsteinn Einarsson |
Storyteller |
| Cathryn Greigg |
Nightingale |
| Jeanne Hisle |
Maid |
| Jim Li |
Emperor |
Emperor of China, sent his servants to find the most exquisite songbird in the world. The
beautiful song from this dull and insignificant looking bird brought a royal tear to the
Emperor's eye. The nightingale was the toast of the royal court until the Emperor of Japan
sent a gift. It was a colorful, jeweled, mechanical nightingale. Was the magnificent toy
bird much better than the real live nightingale and what will be his fate?
Orchestra
| G. Cookson |
Piano |
| C. Youstra |
Keyboard |
| J. Niles |
Conductor |
Production Staff
| J. Christenson |
Stage Director |
| E. Gomberg |
Stage Man. |
| K. Karamadis |
Set Design |
| M. Meadows |
Light Design |
| A. Sprague |
Costumes |
Les Moose
Composer and Lyrics Alan Chapman
The Cast
| Sarah Blaze |
Bullwinkle |
| Doug Bowles |
Rocket |
| Doug Bowles |
Boris |
| Sarah Blaze |
Natasha |
| James Jones |
Male Chorus |
| Melissa Unkel |
Female Chorus |
Orchestra
| G. Cookson |
Piano |
| B. Hunter |
Percussion |
Production Staff
| J. Niles |
Artistic Dir. |
| J. Willen |
Producer |
| J. Christenson |
Stage Dir. |
| J. Broadbent |
Stage Mgr. |
| M. Kachman |
Set & Costum |
| J. Hughes |
Light. Board |
| J. Niles |
Conductor |
| T. Madison |
Electrician |
