NC Theatre Conservatory Presents PIPPIN

North Carolina Theatre Conservatory, North Carolina Theatre's flagship training program offering professional instruction in acting, voice and dance for ages three to adult, is excited to bring to the stage its production of Pippin, July 6-8 at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh.

The show will be performed by the students of NC Theatre Conservatory's Master Summer Theatre Arts School, NC Theatre's four-week summer camp with emphasis on pre-professional training of the highest caliber culminating in a full-scale musical production. Students range in age from middle school to rising college students.

Circus spectacle and Fosse-style choreography explode from the stage in Pippin. With an infectiously unforgettable score, this smash hit sweeps you into the hilarious and poignant quest of young Prince Pippin to find meaning in his life.

Pippin will be directed and choreographed by NC Theatre Conservatory Dance Department Head, Tito Hernandez. With more than 20 years of experience as a professional choreographer, actor, dancer and educator, Hernandez made his Broadway debut in the Tony award winning musical Jerome Robbins' Broadway. Other credits include Bob Fosses' Dancin', Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, the National Tour of Evita and The Gingerbread Lady starring Oscar winner Shelly Winters. Hernandez has had a long history with NC Theatre, including choreographing productions of Evita, (starring Ray Walker and Lauren Kennedy), The King and I (starring Lou Diamond Phillips) and NC Theatre's Summer Theatre Arts School.

NC Theatre Conservatory will produce four performances of Pippin at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater. Performance dates and times are as follows:

Tickets for Pippin start at just $15. To purchase, visit NCTheatreConservatory.com or call 919-831-6941 x6944.

NC Theatre Conservatory is celebrating its 13th anniversary as the flagship education program of the North Carolina Theatre, which has been producing professional Broadway-caliber musicals in Raleigh for over thirty years. The Conservatory is a supportive, challenging and innovative environment where students receive instruction in dance, acting and singing. The teachers are professional working actors that have performed on Broadway and other stages across the country. The Conservatory runs year-round programming in addition to the summer programs. Registration for fall classes are now open. For more information and to register, visit www.nctheatreconservatory.com.

Kalyse Connor (Leading Player) Kalyse is a rising senior, member of the Elite Acting, Dance, and Live On Stage Companies and serves as a teaching assistant. Pippin will be her fourth Master Summer Theatre Arts School production. Her main stage experience includes Jesus Christ Superstar.

Evan Tylka (Pippin) Evan's previous credits include NC Theatre Conservatory's Oklahoma! (Ensemble), Theatre Raleigh's The Wolf, A Midsummer Night's Dream, NC Opera's Approaching Ali (Young Davis) and La Boheme, NC Theatre's Disney's The Little Mermaid, and Meredith Ensemble Theatre's The Sound of Music (Kurt von Trapp).

Gracie De Loache (Fastrada) Gracie's previous Summer Theatre Arts School productions include Crazy For You, Joseph...Dreamcoat, and Oklahoma!, as well as Annie on NC Theatre's main stage.

Cady van Venrooy (Berthe) Cady is a rising senior at Ravenscroft School and has grown up taking classes and performing at NC Theatre. Last summer, she played Ado Annie in the Summer Theatre Arts School's production of Oklahoma!. She was also in previous Summer Theatre Arts School shows including In the Heights, Crazy for You and Jesus Christ Superstar. Her mainstage credits include Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, Evita, Oliver, Annie, and Grease.

Madeline Zucker (Catherine) Madeline is making her Master Summer Theatre Arts School debut in the Conservatory's production of Pippin. She will be attending Florida State University in the fall after seven years at the Conservatory.

Ben Eble (Charlemagne/King Charles) Ben is a rising sophomore at Chapel Hill High School and has been a Conservatory student since 2017.

Joshua Messmore (Lewis) Joshua is making his NC Theatre Conservatory debut is this summer's production of Pippin. Joshua performed in Australian productions including Sebastian in Disney's Little Mermaid, Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Templeton in Charlotte's Web and Centipede in James and the Giant Peach. His non-children's theatre credits include Young Peter Allen in Boy from Oz and Timmy in Jurassic Park: The Musical!. Joshua was featured in Brisbane's Underground Broadway: Autumn. He played lead and supporting roles in several graduate films, and recently played Jack in Raleigh Little Theatre's Beanstalk!

Spencer Fitzgerald (Theo) Spencer lives in Raleigh and is involved in NC Theatre Conservatory's acting, dance, and Live on Stage programs. He previously performed in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Oklahoma!. He will attend Moore Square Magnet Middle School in the fall.

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