WAM to Present Musical Trio For Fall Cabaret

Producing Artistic Director Kristen Van Ginhoven and Managing Director Molly Merrihew are proud to announce the musical trio for their Fall Cabaret event: Me and the Sky. The Cabaret will play November 1-4, 2023, at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare & Company. Tickets for this four-night-only event  are on sale now. The accomplished musical trio is comprised of: pianist Chantell McCulloch (Boston Symphony Orchestra, PBS), percussionist Ted Sullivan (Beast Mode), and Jon Suters (Berkshire Music School, Barrington Stage) on strings.


The Fall Cabaret is an evening of empowering Broadway hits that focus on the full array of women's stories. The Cabaret evening is co-created and directed by WAM Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston and Pioneer Valley-based theatre artist and musician Kyle Boatwright (WAM's Miscast Cabaret, Bright Half Life), whose work often centers on uplifting underrepresented voices. 

This celebratory evening of empowering Broadway hits features songs from such hit musicals as: Rent, Come From Away, Shucked, and Waitress. Boatwright explained the impetus for creating the cabaret saying: “In this cabaret, women get to tell the full scope of our stories, going beyond the tropes of the ingenue or the strumpet or the witch and diving fully into what it can mean to be a woman: the passion, the careers, the friendships, motherhood, strife, joy, the relationship with oneself. It all gets to live in this world that we're creating here at WAM.” Kingston agrees, explaining that: "Musical Theatre has the power to connect directly to our hearts. The songs that we are sharing in Me & the Sky center women's lives in all their beautiful complexity, and the talent in the ensemble of creators, singers, and musicians is tremendously inspiring."

WAM is thrilled to welcome three powerhouse musicians to the stage: A fixture in the Berkshire music scene, Jon Suters will be on strings. Jon has played with bands throughout the region and worked with artists such as James Taylor, Charles Neville, and Dr. John, among many others. He also performs as a solo classical guitarist for concerts and private events and has worked with top notch choirs in the region and beyond, as well as performing at Barrington Stage, the Mount and other arts and culture venues in the Berkshires.  

The percussionist for the Cabaret is Ted Sullivan, a Pioneer Valley-based drummer who plays regularly across New England. Specializing in hip-hop, R&B, funk, and jazz, Ted has performed with Boston acts such as The Chicken Slacks, Planet Radio, and The BT/ALC Big Band, as well as his own local trio, Beast Mode. He is also a freelance music educator and has been teaching drum set/marching percussion consistently in the area since 2011. He graduated from UMass Amherst in 2011 and studied under Bob Gullotti and Tom Giampietro. 

Completing the trio is Berkshire favorite pianist, Chantell McCulloch. Chantell is a classically trained artist who transplanted to the Berkshires from Chicago, Illinois. In her early career, Chantell performed on studio albums for PBS and Sesame Street. In 2021, Chantell performed in a concert of encouragement and hope for essential workers featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma and The Boston Symphony Orchestra's Manny Ax. In 2023, Chantell received two nominations and was accepted into the Recording Academy. 

“We hope you will join us the first week of November for this warm musical embrace,” added Molly Merrihew, Managing Director. “After three nights of Broadway hits, our Saturday night performance includes a special benefit celebration of our Founder Kristen Van Ginhoven, who has moved mountains for women and girls over the past 14 years at WAM, with a cocktail party hosted by Jayne Akinston, and dessert reception at the theatre following the show. Grab a friend, and a glass of wine at the bar, and meet us in the theatre for an unforgettable and uplifting evening of song and celebration!” 

Benefit:
On Saturday, November 4th, join our indomitable Founder & Producing Artistic Director for a festive celebration. The evening begins with an intimate and exclusive pre-show cocktail party hosted by Jayne Atkinson, acclaimed actor (Tony Award and Drama Desk Nominee) and longtime WAM Artist. The evening continues with a special benefit performance of Me & the Sky: an Empowering Evening of Broadway Hits and culminates with a decadent dessert reception with the artists and champagne toast for Kristen.

Kristen co-founded WAM Theatre in 2010, inspired by the book Half the Sky. Over the years,  WAM's mission of arts as activism with a focus on gender equity, in particular, creating opportunities for people who identify as women and girls, has deepend.  Kristen, alongside the team and board, has expanded WAM's regional and national significance and reach, while directing many of our hit shows, including What The Constitution Means to Me, Emilie, Ann, and In Darfur. Join us as we look back on more than a decade of growth and opportunity for women and girls. 

For more information on purchasing tickets for this limited ticket event visit wamtheatre.com or contact Managing Director Molly Merrihew at Molly@wamtheatre.com.
 

TICKET INFORMATION:

ME AND THE SKY: AN EMPOWERING EVENING OF BROADWAY HITS
Co-Created and Directed by Kyle Boatwright and Talya Kingston
November 1-4, 2023, at The Elayne Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA
Single Tickets: $25, $50, $75, $100
Special Benefit Evening on Saturday, November 4th: $150, $225

For tickets  and more information about WAM Theatre's 2023 Season, programs, events, and artists, please visit wamtheatre.com or call the box office at (413) 637-3353.
 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Kyle Boatwright (she/her) is a Pioneer Valley-based theatre artist, musician, and educator whose work often centers on uplifting underrepresented voices. Current role with WAM: Co-Creator and Director Previous WAM Theatre Credits:  Bright Half Life (Vicky), MisCast Cabaret Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: As Director: The Building (Silverthorne Theater), Stoop Pigeons (Smith College Dept. of Theater), Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Smith College Dept. of Theater), As Actor: Intimate Apparel (Silverthorne Theater), Bright Half Life (Silverthorne Theater), The Revolutionists (Silverthorne Theater), Love, Loss, & What I Wore (Majestic Theater), Coriolanus (Rebel Kat Productions, Seattle, WA), Seminar (New Century Theater), A Year with Frog and Toad (New Century Theater) Additional artistic credits: Music Director/Music Designer and Composer: Intimate Apparel (Silverthorne Theater), Mr. Burns (Univ. of Mass. Amherst Dept. of Theater), Legacy Boy (Millrose Music, NYC; co-creator), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Onyx Theater, Las Vegas, NV), God is Dead (original musical; Amherst College Dept. of Music and Univ. of Mass Amherst Dept. of Theater) Creative inspiration: It's very, very important that we tell the truth in our art, because I think it makes people feel less alone…What you are doing is illuminating humanity. —Viola Davis Community Engagement/Activist work: Kyle is the co-founder and artistic director of Rise Up Productions MA, an Amherst-based collective performing artists that crafts benefit productions to support local nonprofits that, in turn, support all communities. Selected training: Amherst College, B.A. in music composition; Moscow Art Theatre School USA, Stanislavsky Fellowship 2012. Awards/proudest achievements: Through Rise Up Productions MA, raising over $10k total for organizations such as the Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Tapestry Health, and supporting a local immigrant in sanctuary Final word: In a world where there's every reason not to do the hard thing—do it anyway.

Jess Diaz Griffin (she/her) is a Latina Actress, Director, Educator, Wife, and aspiring beam of light. WAM Theatre:  Overjoyed to be making her WAM Debut! Favorite performance credits elsewhere include: Lucy (Bright Star), Betty Jean (Wonderettes), Nina (In the Heights), Sister Mary Robert (Sister Act), and Jovie (Elf). Additional artistic credits: She comes to the Berkshires after a decade of working professionally as an artist and educator around the country. Creative inspiration: Jess is a Uruguayan-American born and raised in New York, who has worked for various organizations across the US with diverse programming, and a variety of socio-economic populations. Her wide range of experience has reinforced her belief in the power of theatre to unite people. Membership/Affiliations: Jess is a proud member of Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA. Selected training: Jess holds a dual degree in Theatre Education, having studied at NYU and Manhattanville College. Final word: Paciencia y Fe! Connect: Say hello @jemigriff or check out www.jess-griffin.com

Talya Kingston (she/her) is a playwright, dramaturg and educator who is inspired by the live interactions between artists and audiences and how these can be a catalyst for social change. Current Role with WAM Theatre: Co-Creator and Director for the cabaret, Associate Artistic Director. Selected WAM Theatre Credits: dramaturgy (What The Constitution Means to Me, Roe, Lady Randy), direction (The Thanksgiving Play, Paradise, Swallow), playwright (Port of Entry, Campus Unrest). Selected Dramaturgy Credits Elsewhere: Hartford Stage (Necessary Targets), New York Fringe Festival (Helmet), Ko Festival (Seriously..  What Did You Call Me? Written and performed by Onawumi Jean Moss), UMass, Amherst (Gum, Christmas Carol, Bovver Boys, The Last Five Years, Life is a Dream, Late Style).  Playwriting: Circling Suspicion (commissioned by Plays In Place), Port of Entry, Campus Unrest  (finalist in the 2019 Bechtel Test Fest), Wave Goodbye (2020 PLAYground TYA Festival at Northwestern University, semi-finalist for Provincetown Playhouse's New Plays for Young Audiences), Sheryl Addresses the PGO (The New England Monologues Project), Wishing on Satellites, Anxiety Overdrive (upcoming Play by Play Festival). Training: MFA University of Massachusetts, Directing Fellow at Julliard. Memberships/Affiliations: proud member of the Northampton Playwrights Lab, the Play Incubation Collective, the Dramatists Guild and LMDA Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.

Shannon Lamb (she/her) is an accomplished actor and singer who has been blessed to perform on various stages across the country. WAM Theatre: Charlotta Bass in Letters to Kamala. Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: Bertha in  Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and Rachel Twymon Sr in Common Ground Revisited (Huntington Theatre), Marlena Madison in The Buddy Holly Story (Majestic Theater), It Happened in Little Rock, Because of Winn Dixie (Arkansas Repertory Theatre), Temptation in Pendemoniun (Cherry Lane Theatre, NYC - world premiere); Building The Wall (Academy of Music - rolling world premiere); Jar the Floor, Gee's Bend, Mary Poppins, and The Full Monty (Arkansas Repertory Theatre); Smokey Joe's Café, Little Shop of Horrors, and Annie (Murray's Dinner Playhouse). TV/Film Credits Include: Mighty Real, The Dave Chapelle Show, This Revolution, The Empty Hand, and Fight Knight. Memberships/Affiliations:  a proud member of Actors Equity Association. Career highlights include: singing the national anthem at Madison Square Garden and appearing on the cover of American Theatre Magazine for the world premiere of It Happened in Little Rock. Last word: All my love to Gil and our children!

Chantell McCulloch - Pianist- Chantell is a classically trained artist who transplanted to the Berkshires from Chicago, Illinois. In her early career, Chantell performed on studio albums for PBS and Sesame Street.  WAM Theatre: Debut Favorite performance credits elsewhere: In 2021, Chantell performed in a concert of encouragement and hope for essential workers featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma and The Boston Symphony Orchestra's Manny Ax. In 2023, Chantell received 2 nominations and was accepted into the Recording Academy. Additional artistic credits: She will be releasing her first album of original music in 2024 and has performed with celebrated Grammy-nominated artists. Front-lining the Diego Mongue Band, Chantell and her bandmates won the Northeast Blues challenge and will compete in the International Blues Competition this coming January in Memphis, TN.  Final word: Chantell's love for music and people are intrinsic within her melodious vocal arrangements and soulful songwriting. Her music spans multiple genres as she emotes songs of peace and love. 


Ted Sullivan - Percussion (he/him) is a Pioneer Valley-based drummer who plays regularly across New England. WAM Theatre: Debut. Artistic Credits: Specializing in hip-hop, R&B, funk, and jazz, Ted has performed with Boston acts such as The Chicken Slacks, Planet Radio, and The BT/ALC Big Band, as well as his own local trio, Beast Mode. He is also a freelance music educator and has been teaching drum set/marching percussion consistently in the area since 2011. Education: He graduated from UMass Amherst in 2011 and studied under Bob Gullotti and Tom Giampietro. Etc. When not gigging, Ted can be found at Wood and Weather Drum Shop, rehabilitating vintage percussion instruments. 


Jon Suters - Strings (he/him) studied music from the age of 9, starting with violin and then adding piano and double bass. At age 12, he switched his focus to electric bass and classical guitar, studying with private teachers through high school and beyond. WAM Theatre: Debut. Favorite performance credits elsewhere include: Upon graduating high school, Jon opted not to attend music school and jumped into gigging life, playing with bands throughout the region and eventually working with artists such as James Taylor, Charles Neville, and Dr. John, among many others. Jon also performs as a solo classical guitarist for concerts and private events and has worked with top notch choirs in the region and beyond. In 2013-2014, he curated the popular Music After Hours music series at The Mount in Lenox which brought local jazz musicians into contact with sizable audiences in the beautiful manicured gardens at Edith Wharton's former estate. Additional artistic credits: Jon's experience in theater includes stints with Barrington Stage Company as a pit musician in several productions and accompanist with cabarets put on by BSC and Albany Pro Musica. Jon was also assistant musical director of DeSisto School's 1998 off broadway show "Inappropriate", an original musical that was based on student's personal experiences and received many favorable reviews. In addition to performing, Jon has been teaching steadily for the past 30 years, both privately and in institutions including Berkshire Country Day School, Berkshire Music School, Salisbury School, Indian Mountain School, Flying Cloud Institute, and The Austin Riggs Center. Etc. He resides in New Marlborough Massachusetts with his wife and 5 children.

Wendy Welch (she/her) is grateful to be working once again with WAM Theatre, giving voice to women through song. Current Role at WAM Theatre: Cabaret performer. Previous Roles at WAM: MisCast Cabaret singer, ROE Broadway Cabaret at Dewey Hall: Director/Performer, Selected Performance Credits Elsewhere: The Stones (Great Barrington Public Theater) Kate Hamill's Pride and Prejudice (Mrs. Bennet), A Little Night Music (Madame Armfeldt), Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike (Sonia), Caroline, or Change (Rose Stopnik Gellman), The Light in the Piazza (Margaret Johnson), Death of a Salesman (Linda Loman), The History Boys (Dorothy Lintott), Follies (Sally Durant Plummer), The Matchmaker (Dolly Levi), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Storyteller), The Dining Room (Actress #2), Talking Pictures (Mrs. Jackson), Sexy Laundry (Alice). Film/TV: award winning documentary Shatter the Silence, Occupy Texas, Murder Made Me Famous, Upstream Color, Sweet Tornado, Deadline Crime. Numerous Commercials and Voiceovers. Training: B.F.A. Acting S.M.U., Apprentice Chelsea Theater Center NYC Awards: DFW Critics Forum (3) Best Actress, Leon Rabin Award Best Supporting Actress. Et Cetera: Adjunct Professor S.M.U., Richland College, Northlake College, Master Class series, Pulse Studio Musial Theater/ Singing classes, D.A.R.T. at Tanglewood, Private voice/coaching studio. Online: wendywelch.net 

 

ABOUT WAM THEATRE

WAM Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Berkshire County, MA, that operates at the intersection of arts and activism. WAM creates theatre for gender equity and has a vision of theatre as philanthropy. 

In fulfillment of its philanthropic mission, WAM donates a portion of the proceeds from their Mainstage productions to carefully selected beneficiaries. Since WAM's founding in 2010, they have donated more than $90,000 to 26 local and global organizations taking action for gender equity in areas such as girls education, teen pregnancy prevention, sexual trafficking awareness, midwife training, and more. 

In addition to Mainstage productions and special events, WAM's activities include innovative community engagement programs and the Fresh Takes Play Reading Series. To date, WAM has provided paid work to more than 500 theatre artists, the majority of whom are female-identifying.

As a civic organization that embraces intersectional feminism (feminism that acknowledges how multiple forms of discrimination overlap), WAM understands that to address one piece of systemic discrimination means we have to address them all. This is on-going personal and professional work at WAM for the staff and board, detailed in their recently released accountability plan.

WAM Theatre has been widely recognized for having a positive impact on cultural and community development in the region. WAM is the recipient of the Creative Economy Standout Berkshire Trendsetter Award and previously, was named Outstanding Philanthropy Corporation of the Year by the Western MA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Kristen Van Ginhoven, WAM's Producing Artistic Director, was honored by the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association (BTCA) with the prestigious Larry Murray Award, presented at the discretion of the BTCA Board to a person or theatre project that advances social, political, or community issues in Berkshire County. 
 
For more information, visit www.wamtheatre.com

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