SDSU Collaborates on ENCHANTED APRIL, A New Musical Romance
By: A.A. Cristi Nov. 20, 2017
SDSU School of Theatre, Television and Film presents Enchanted April, A New Musical Romance, running Thursday, Nov. 30 - Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 in the Don Powell Theatre. Music is by Richard B. Evans, book and lyrics are by Charles Leipart, and director is Stephen Brotebeck.
Enchanted April, A New Musical Romance is a new production, based on the 1922 novel "The Enchanted April" by Elizabeth von Arnim. The SDSU production is the only second time the piece has been produced.
Brotebeck has been with the show since 2012 during readings in New York, and asked Evans and Leipart to continue their creative process making adjustments to the show while working with SDSU theatre students. The show is presented in its newest and most current version and marks the first time SDSU has produced a fully staged production of a new musical.
"This collaboration has been an unique opportunity for our actors to create brand new characters, and for our designers to create a new world that hasn't yet been fully realized," said Brotebeck.
During the final week of rehearsals Leipart and Evans will be in residence at SDSU, working directly with the students, many of whom have had successful careers in the theatre industry before coming to SDSU for advanced degrees. The cast is led by four strong female characters, three of whom will be played students in the SDSU Musical Theatre MFA program, and the fourth by director/playwright/artist Margaret Larlham. "There are very few musicals that are so female focused," says Brotebeck, "where the women are the driving force in the story."
The plot of Enchanted April finds life and love about to bloom for four London women in 1922 as they rent the castle of their dreams for one magical month on the Mediterranean. Looking for a much-needed respite from their London cares, what they find on the Italian shore awakens them to a world of beauty, ardor, and the joys of living.
Live orchestration is provided by the SDSU Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Michael Gerdes.
Enchanted April runs Thursday, Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 3 in the Don Powell Theatre at San Diego State University. Tickets are $20 General, $17 Students/Seniors and can be purchased online at theatre.sdsu.edu.
ABOUT THE MFA MUSICAL THEATRE PROGRAM
SDSU's Musical Theatre Program has a thirty-four year history of training artist-scholars. The program graduates 8-10 students every two years, with a balanced 60-unit curriculum of performance courses and scholarly seminars. Graduates teach at the university level as well as professionally perform, direct, produce, choreograph, music direct, and write for the musical theatre.
ABOUT THE SDSU SCHOOL OF THEATRE, TELEVISION, AND FILM
The San Diego State University School of Theatre, Television, and Film combines the arts with the traditional roles of the university by teaching the theory, history, literature, and crafts of theatre and film. The School works to benefit the community by providing educational and entertaining arts performances, particularly to San Diego youth. Utilizing innovative curriculum, interdisciplinary initiatives, and research into evolving technologies, the School is committed to preparing the next generation of entertainment arts professionals. The SDSU School of Theatre, Television, and Film provides transformative, experiential learning that prepares students to launch creative careers. For more information, visit ttf.sdsu.edu.
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