Original Broadway Musical Hits Regent Stage

By Rachel Judy

B.A. Isaac Gay as Joseph
Photo by Patrick Wright

The popular story of a boy and his coat of many colors comes to life in Joseph and the Technicolor® Dreamcoat, a family-friendly musical opening on Friday, April 20, at Regent University's Center for Performing Arts. This modern-day telling of the Old Testament story incorporates popular and traditional styles of music, as well as original animation sequences designed by Regent senior Topher Cavanaugh.

Joseph and the Technicolor® Dreamcoat will run April 20-22 and 27-29. Afternoon and evening show times are available. Purchase tickets through the Box Office.

With lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical is familiar to many, but the animation sequences—designed to give audiences a view of the dreams Joseph interprets—are what make Regent's production stand out.

"[The animation] builds on music and themes happening on stage," Cavanaugh explained. "With the animation, we get to show you what [Joseph] is talking about."

Cavanaugh is a student in the animation program housed in Regent's School of Undergraduate Studies (RSU). The lead role of Joseph is played by RSU junior Isaac Gay.

The production tells the story of Joseph from when he is a favored son in his father's household through his slavery and eventual rise to freedom and prosperity in Egypt. The entire production is sung, drawing more comparisons to a "rock opera" than a traditional musical format.

"It's not a traditional musical," said Eric Harrell, chair of Regent's Theatre Department and the play's director. "No matter what style of music you prefer, there's something in there for you."

Church and synagogue group discounts are available.
Purchase tickets through the Box Office. (757)  352-4245

The Lucky One Opens in Theaters tomorrow!

Regent Alum Kendal Tuttle appears in Zac Efron's new movie "The Lucky One" opening in theaters tomorrow.  To read more about the story, check out this alumni update on Kendal.

To hear Kendal's own thoughts on the opening of the movie, read

what he has to say on his own blog.
Congratulations, Kendal!

That's A Wrap!

 This Sunday, April 15^th, at 3:00pm in the Studio Theatre, the B.A. graduating class of 2012 will be presenting their Senior Capstone Performance Project.  Come spend an hour with them as they present several fun, powerful and relevant contemporary scenes exploring different aspects of relationships.  The scenes were directed by Derek Martin, MFA. There are a variety of pieces both comedic and dramatic, three songs, one dance, one movement montage, three scenes, one monologue and one fight scene.The presentation will be followed by That's a Rap, a performance from Regent’s own V.I.P.s (Varsity Improv Players) You don’t want to miss the chance to celebrate the work of these talented artists!

Back row: Ash Arends, Destiny Cyprowski, Beka James, Jared O'Dell, Esther Zara Kestle
Front: Erika Tucker, Kristen Wilson, Gabrielle Davison, Tianna Yentzer

Virginia Beach BASH ’12 Recap

This year’s Virginia Beach BASH, held March 24-25 here on Regent’s Campus, celebrated nine years of combat with a variety of class offerings for all levels of participants. Classes included a wide spectrum of fighting styles and weapons in workshops sanctioned by the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD). Unique to the BASH, the weekend also offered opportunities for filmmakers to learn the art of producing, filming and editing fight action sequences.

The BASH was coordinated by Regent’s own Dr. Michael Hill-Kirkland, assisted by Professor Gregg Lloyd, from the Theatre Department of Christopher Newport University.



Stunt performer and guest instructor
Tim Bell is set on fire as part of a workshop demonstration.

Photo by Jared Beasley



As reported by Regent’s Rachel Judy, one of the highlights of this year's workshop was the opportunity for students to create the illusion of a car accident featuring stunt performer and guest instructor Tim Bell being set on fire. Besides providing a first-hand look at how to set up and safely conduct such a stunt, the "accident" was filmed by Regent cinema-television students under the direction of guest instructor Richard Clabaugh who then edited the sequence for viewing on Sunday. The stunt was coordinated by stunt coordinator, Dale Girard.

Other featured workshop instructors included SAFD fightmasters Richard Ryan (Troy, The Dark Knight, Stardust, Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), Michael Chin and Scot Mann.

"The Virginia Beach Bash features some of the best fight direction talent in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom," Hill-Kirkland explained. "Over this two-day intensive workshop, students had the opportunity to study stage and film combat techniques with some of the best talent in the business and the academy."

MFA Michael McLendon learns about
safe fire stunts

2nd year MFA Ashley Dakin, attending the BASH for the first time, appreciated the opportunity to incorporate film technique with combat. She stated, “My favorite class was Kung Fu for the Camera with Michael Chin because it was fun, easy to learn and because I was able to use my Martial Arts background. Also, the instructor kept the camera on for the whole class and kept showing us how the fight should look on camera. After we learned the fight, we were able to be filmed with our partner and learn the importance of camera angles. If we messed it up, he would let us try again and then all of us observed how our fights looked on camera…(in the future) I hope to see more classes that involve combat for the camera. I really loved working with the CTV students.”

Another first time attendee, B.A. Tianna Yentzer, appreciated the nunchucks and Apache knife fighting classes. She says, “It was awesome being able to learn a skill that is hardly ever seen or used… it teaches coordination and patience. Whether or not I ever become a Nunchuck master it taught me something in a mere hour and a half class I know I will carry with me when approaching any skill I tackle… I joke now that I have found my two inner callings through knife fighting and nunchucks.”

MFA Beth Litwak and MFA Lauren McDonald cross quarterstaffs

Whether planning to pursue Stage and Film Combat as a part of a future career, or attending classes purely for enjoyment, many of the participants recommended the BASH for future students in glowing terms. MFA Marji Peters commented “It’s a good introduction to stage combat if you’re a beginner, and a great way to hone your skills and work on technique under the eyes of people who have proven themselves to be good at what they do.” Ashley Dakin adds “I believe that this workshop has opened my eyes to opportunities that I didn’t even know were out there for stunt work. Something that the instructors would emphasize in every class is not to anticipate the next move when you’re fighting. I have been able to transfer this idea to my acting as well. There are many lessons from combat to be transferred into acting a scene. Finally, people should attend the bash because it is an opportunity to network with other actors and directors.” And B.A. Rachel Albrecht enthusiastically stated, “It is a great opportunity to meet people and to hone your stage fighting skills. Also, IT'S SO MUCH FUN!!”

Get ready for next year – the 10th Anniversary of the Virginia Beach BASH! Coming in March, 2013!

Thanks!

A big thank you to everyone who came out to support MFA Cohort A at An Evening of Jazz! A wonderful time was had by all! Here are a few pictures taken by the talented David Polston, for those of you who weren't able to make it.

MFA Whitney Rappana and MFA Britain Willcock "cut a rug"

The fabulous band

MFAs Jeff Fazakerley and Ashley Dakin

MFA Cohort A
L - R Madeleine Ranson, Britain Willcock, Michael Salsbury, Amy Dunlap, Micaela DeLauro, Whitney Rappana,
Diana Coates, Zachary Bortot, Nathanael Fisher, Jeff Fazakerley

An Evening of Jazz!

On Saturday, March 31, from 7:30pm until 10:30pm, the graduating class of MFA Actors will be holding An Evening of Jazz at Regent University's Ordinary.
Admission is free and includes a free dessert bar! However, the event IS a fundraiser for the MFA Showcase, so your donations are gratefully accepted! All donations will go towards the May showcase, which will take place in Naples, FL. May 16th-18th.

From 7:30 - 8:30, dance lessons will be given by Britain Willcock and Whitney Rappana.  Then from 8:30 to 10:30, you'll have the chance to try out what you've learned by dancing the night away to jazz standards played by a live trio and sung by the graduating actors themselves! The repetoire includes such favorites as "The Way You Look Tonight", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Come Rain or Come Shine" and many, many more.  Come for the dance lessons, come later in the evening just to dance or enjoy the music, come for the free desserts...just COME!!!

Bring a partner, bring the kids, bring your friends...this is an evening you won't want to miss.

Diana Coates, Britain Willcock, Amy Dunlap, Nathanael Fisher
Jeff Fazakerley, Micaela DeLauro, Whitney Rappana
Mike Salsbury, Zach Bortot, Madeline Ranson
MFA Cohort A!

An Evening of Jazz...this Saturday night!

Doubt opens this weekend!

Don't miss Regent's opening weekend of John Patrick Shanley's Doubt: A Parable.  Here are some thoughts by director Mark Paladini.



Mark Paladini


I remember the television replay of Kennedy’s funeral in November of 1964, which is when our play begins. I also remember snippets of the Latin Mass and how excited my mother was about the changes that Vatican II was bringing about. I remember being petrified of the principal of Notre Dame Elementary School, an austere nun with marked similarities to Sister Aloysius in Doubt. When I was older, our pastor, Father O’Connor, always called upon me to serve as an altar boy, but I never experienced any of the problems discussed in Shanley’s play or in headlines today. I have fond memories of another priest, Father Deegan, visiting our home and playing basketball with us, removing the distance previously observed by the clergy. Times, they were a changin’.


Shanley titled his play Doubt – A Parable, because he created a fictional story in order to teach us all a lesson about doubt vs. certainty in a changing world. I believe he chose a more innocent time, because the progressive movement in 1964 seems quaint when compared to our current cultural norms. Many things that appear to be black and white to Sr. Aloysius during the time of the play have been discarded just as the Latin Mass was replaced shortly thereafter. This provides a backdrop for the universal struggle of good vs. evil in conjunction with the battle of doubt vs. certainty. Hopefully, the doubts that arise from the lesson of the parable will give us an opportunity to reflect on our own imperfect natures.

The story asks us all to examine our lives and speculate whether our points of view might seem antiquated 20 years from now. Do we suffer from an inelasticity that we gain as we get older, a disdain for leaving our comfort zone? Is our certainty a vestige of our loyalty to our jobs, cultural norms or political affiliations? Shanley is using a more innocent time to encourage all of us to ask these questions and make distinctions between non-negotiable truths and temporal priorities with a soon-to-be-expiring shelf life.

I have a fond place in my heart for my Catholic upbringing. When researching the play, I discovered that Father O’Connor was subsequently accused of improper behavior at his next parish. Father Deegan left the priesthood and married my brother’s first grade teacher. And one-by-one, the nuns disappeared. I still pray for vocations (men and women who are called to work for the Lord) and know in my heart that these selfless people should not be stained by the few who have stumbled.

- Mark Paladini


Call the box office for tickets at 757-352-4245

Regent Alum Kaja Dunn cast in Brownie Points

From BWW News Desk:

MFA Alum Kaja Dunn

Lamb’s Players Theatre today announced its cast for Brownie Points by Janece Schaffer. Ms. Schaffer is an award-winning playwright living in Atlanta, Georgia, and has had a long relationship with the Alliance Theatre there.

Brownie Points, written 2010, has seen previous productions in Atlanta, Sacramento and Seattle. The production at Lamb’s resident theatre in Coronado will be the play’s Southern California premiere.


The show centers on "five modern-day moms on a campout with their Girl Scout daughters in the pine hills of Georgia when an unexpected storm erupts. With a sharp ear for true conversation and a very funny wit, Schaffer asks which is more powerful – the bond of friendship, the shared experience of motherhood, or the divisiveness of race or religion? Funny, moving and powerful, it is easy to see why this new play has already won awards, and raves from audiences and critics across the country."


Brownie Points is directed by Lamb’s Associate Artistic Director, Deborah Gilmour Smyth, with scenic design by Michael McKeon, costume design by Keith Bonar and lighting design by Nathan Peirson.


The cast features Lamb’s Artistic Ensemble members Cynthia Gerber and Erica Phillips, along with award-winning San Diego actresses Monique Gaffney, Karson St John and Kaja Dunn.


Brownie Points goes into Previews April 13, with Opening Night April 20, running thru May 27.

Read more: http://sandiego.broadwayworld.com/article/Monique-Gaffney-Kaja-Terese-Dunn-et-al-to-Lead-Lambs-Players-Theatres-BROWNIE-POINTS-20120216#ixzz1nE1dFX4H

Graduating MFAs Fundraise in Fun Ways!

Mike and Sandy Salsbury serenade

Elinor Malendoski

Cupid and the Valen-twins, and the Salsburys
deliver a Valentine to Suzanne Morton

If you were passing through the halls of the Com building on February 14th, you may have heard the melodious strains of "You Are My Sunshine", "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" or "Follow My Heart".  Or perhaps you caught a glimpse of the Valen-twin fairies.  If you were really lucky, you may have seen Cupid - as you've never seen him before!



The graduating class of MFA actors held a singing telegram fundraiser on Valentine's Day, and it was a ringing success! Thank you so much to all who participated.

Zach Bortot as Cupid



Whitney Rappana and Jeff Fazakerley
sing "Follow Your Heart"



The next event is being held this very weekend.  On Sunday, February 19th, at 7:30pm, in the Studio Theatre... "They Fight!"

This is an evening of theatrical combat, performed and choreographed by Regent students and alums.  Performances include scenes from Shakespeare, a Kung Fu showdown, Rapier and Dagger in corsets, a warrior goddess dance with broadswords, and much more.  The evening will conclude with a Gladiator match, in which your donations and crowd participation determine the fate of one of the fighters.  Admission is free, but it a fundraiser after all, so donations are gratefully accepted! Please be advised, there is a strong parental advisory due to language and realistic violence. 

Finally, mark March 31st on your calendar now! The MFAs will be holding a jazz night, featuring swing dance lessons, cabaret style entertainment, food, and dancing.  This would be a great date night, or a fantastic evening to hang out with a group of friends.  More details will be coming soon, but make plans now to be there.  You won't want to miss it!

All proceeds from these fundraisers go towards the annual industry showcase, where the graduating actors have the opportunity to have their work seen by casting directors, talent agents and other industry professionals.  It's an important launching pad towards their future careers as Christian artists.  Your support is gratefully appreciated!

Super Bowl Commercial Wins Big!

by Rachel Judy

Adjunct Professor Derek Leonidoff

Most of the time, commercials provide television watchers a chance to step away from the couch. On the biggest sports Sunday of the year, however, they usually provide the motivation to stay put. It was just such a commercial that had Derek Leonidoff, Regent University adjunct professor and coordinator of Regent's Varsity Improv Players (VIPs) troop, and many of his students and colleagues
glued to their seats Sunday night during the Super Bowl.
A Virginia Beach-based actor and drama director at Spring Branch Community Church, Leonidoff recently starred in a commercial titled "Man's Best Friend" produced by Virginia Beach-based Jonathan Friedman. The commercial was entered into the "Doritos Crash the Super Bowl" contest, which gave online voters a chance to select their two favorites from five finalists.

Fans had to watch to see which two Grand Prize winning commercials would air during the Super Bowl XLVI broadcast. On Sunday, Feb. 6, Leonidoff and his canine costar Huff were broadcast nationally during the game's second quarter.

For many of Regent's theatre arts students, seeing Leonidoff on screen and watching his commercial win national acclaim was both exciting and encouraging.

"Theatre is a collaborative art, and the professors in the department do an excellent job of cultivating community," said Sarah Grice, a theatre student in Regent's School of Undergraduate Studies (RSU). "[He] is a mentor and a friend to many of us."

Grice and fellow RSU student Jared O'Dell both agree that Leonidoff's work encourages them as inspiring actors. "It is beneficial to learn from people who are actively participating [in the industry]," O'Dell explained. "Their advice is not just 'this is what worked 20 years ago' but rather what worked last year. Plus, it is exciting to join them in their victories."

"You learn so much by working with actors who have more experience and training than you do," Grice said.

Because the commercial also made it to one of the top three spots (including ties) according to the USA TODAY Ad Meter rankings, Doritos awarded its creator $1 million and a consulting contract with a Hollywood professional with the opportunity to produce an additional commercial.