SAENGER THEATRE NEW ORLEANS, LA JANUARY 2026
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A Letter from the General Manager DE A R S A ENG ER T H EAT RE GU E ST S, Welcome to Hadestown! We’re thrilled to bring this Tony Award-winning masterpiece to the stage as part of our Broadway in New Orleans season. This spellbinding musical intertwines two timeless love stories—Orpheus and Eurydice, Hades and Persephone—set against a backdrop of haunting melodies and poetic storytelling. From the first note to the final bow, Hadestown invites you on an unforgettable journey to the underworld, where passion and fate collide. With its rich folk-inspired score and breathtaking staging, this production is a celebration of resilience, hope, and the enduring power of love. As we continue this remarkable season at the historic Saenger Theatre, we’re grateful to have you with us. Whether tonight marks your first visit or you’re a cherished member of our Broadway family, thank you for being part of New Orleans’ thriving theatre community. And there’s even more to look forward to! Here’s what’s ahead this season: • Water for Elephants – A breathtaking tale under the big top, brought to life with dazzling stagecraft. • The Phantom of the Opera – The chandelier rises once more as Broadway’s most iconic music fills the theatre. • The Great Gatsby – Experience the jazz age anew in this electrifying new musical adaptation. • SIX – The wives of Henry VIII reclaim their crowns in this bold, pop-fueled sensation. • The Book of Mormon – Still hilariously irreverent, still a must-see. • Monty Python’s Spamalot – Join the silliest quest in musical theatre, full of knights, nonsense, and knee-slapping laughter. Thank you for joining us as we celebrate the power of live theatre. We can’t wait to share the rest of this remarkable season with you. See you at the theatre, David Skinner Director – NOLA Venues Saenger Theatre & Mahalia Jackson Theater New Orleans, LA
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HADESTOWN JANUARY 2026
Hadestown North American Touring Company, 2025. Photo by: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.
C U RTA I N
CALL
THE HEART OF HADESTOWN: ANAÏS MITCHELL AND RACHEL CHAVKIN ON THEIR TONY-WINNING COLLABORATION (Story by Broadway.com Staff) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
IN WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, CIRCUS MOVES AREN’T JUST TRICKS; THEY’RE STORYTELLING (Story by Ruthie Fierberg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 SHOW
I N FO R M AT I O N
Production Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Who’s Who .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
VENUE Staff .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
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Megan Colton (Eurydice) and Jose Contreras (Orpheus) in Hadestown North American Tour, 2025. Photo by: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.
THE HEART OF HADESTOWN: ANAÏS MITCHELL AND RACHEL CHAVKIN ON THEIR TONY-WINNING COLLABORATION STORY BY
BROADWAY.COM STAFF
Hadestown is a musical that stirs deep emotions, blending myth, music and raw feeling into a unique theatrical experience. At the core of its power are two visionary artists: Anaïs Mitchell, the singer-songwriter who conceived the story, and Rachel Chavkin, the director who brought it to life. Their collaboration has resulted in a Tony Award-winning show, earning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Direction of a Musical. Mitchell and Chavkin shared insights into their creative process in a conversation with Broadway.com Managing Editor Beth Stevens. The seeds for Hadestown were planted in an unexpected moment of inspiration. Mitchell recalls, “I was driving in my car, and these lyrics came into my head: ‘Wait for me, I’m coming in my garters and pearls with what melody did you barter me from the wicked underworld?’” While those specific lyrics didn’t make it into the show, the melody for “Wait for Me” stayed with her, becoming one of the musical’s defining songs. When Mitchell and Chavkin first began working together, their discussions were abstract and exploratory. “We met, and it was like, ‘Let’s try to talk about collaboration in abstract ways,’ which is totally impossible,” Chavkin laughs. But the process shifted when Chavkin broke through the formalities. “Finally, I was like,
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‘Can I just tell you what I would do if I was the director?’” she recalls. “Anaïs was like, ‘Oh my God! Please do that!’” From then on, their partnership flourished, laying the foundation for the show’s dramatic pulse. The music of Hadestown blends New Orleans jazz and bigband influences to create a sound that mirrors the show’s emotional journey. Chavkin points to the song “Wait for Me” as a key example, highlighting how its surging chorus embodies themes of longing and determination. “The music has a forward-and-back motion,” she says, “which mirrors the journey of a hero who bends time and space to be reunited with his lover.” Beyond the music, the emotional heart of Nickolaus Colón (Hades) in Hadestown North American Tour, 2024. Photo by: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade. Hadestown lies in its characters, especially the love story between Orpheus and Eurydice, and the complex dynamics between Hades and Persephone. Chavkin describes the show’s ability to move audiences as one of its greatest strengths: “It’s deeply warm and beautiful in a way that is spiritually moving,” she says. “I want everyone singing Hadestown. It cracks my rib cage open every time I see it.” Mitchell shares that her goal was to create a musical that resonates on multiple levels. “Hopefully, as Rachel is saying, it hits you in the heart, but it’s also very kinetic—it moves you physically too,” she explains. “It’s something you can feel in your body.” Chavkin’s vision for the production extended beyond the music to influence the show’s visual design. She worked closely with set designer Rachel Hauck to craft a world that feels both mythic and grounded. “The show begins with the feeling of being in Preservation Hall, but then transforms into an oil drum,” Chavkin explains. “We wanted the set to feel like a place where worlds collide—where the mythic meets the gritty reality of industry.” Hadestown offers a unique experience: “It’s not just a show you watch—it’s a show you feel,” Chavkin notes. “There’s something for everyone in the show,” Mitchell says. “It hits you in the heart, in the body and in the soul.” For more in-depth interviews, up-to-date news and show reviews on Broadway, visit Broadway.com.
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Zachary Keller, Helen Krushinski, and Ella Huestis, Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.
IN WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, CIRCUS MOVES AREN’T JUST TRICKS; THEY’RE STORYTELLING Co-choreographer and circus designer Shana Carroll and co-choreographer Jesse Robb describe crafting the musical’s seamless movement through acrobatics and dance. STORY BY
RUTHIE FIERBERG
It seems obvious to use circus maneuvers to tell a story about, well, a circus. And yet, the circus created in the musical Water for Elephants seems eons away from P.T. Barnum’s tent-set acts made explicitly for spectacle and show. “What is so stunning about the circus movement is that it’s all derived in a movement language and vocabulary as opposed to trick, trick, trick, trick, trick,” said the musical’s co-choreographer Jesse Robb. The musical’s circus elements, while dazzling, serve the narrative — which follows Jacob Jankowski, a man who runs away from a shattered life and accidentally hops a train car of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Yet circus is just one vernacular in the choreographic language of Water for Elephants. Gymnastics, aerial stunts, trapeze, hand-to-hand acrobatics, juggling, tightrope and more combine with traditional dance styles (jazz, swing, lyrical) to tell a collective story through motion. For the most part, circus designer and co-choreographer Shana Carroll crafted the circus sequences and Robb set the dance, “but there’s a Venn diagram,” Carroll said. “There’s fluidity at the center of it.” There’s also a common theatricality. From the moment Carroll fell in love with circus arts at age 18, she was attracted to the form’s expressiveness. “When I work with my acrobats, there’s a lot of talk about intention,” Carroll said. “What is this expressing? If you are going to do a banquine (an acrobatic act with two or more bases and at least one flyer) is this a celebration? If you’re grabbing your rope, is it about the tenacity of the grab?” With Water for Elephants, Carroll determined the types of circus she would use — for example, choosing “corde lisse” (rope work), tightrope and hand-to-hand but eschewing stilts and the complex Russian Swing apparatus. That part is the circus design. But once she decided the modalities, she had to choreograph the
10 | curtaincall beat-by-beat steps. At the beginning of Act 1, for example, the character Marlena (who performs with and cares for the circus’ liberty horses) sings the lullaby “Easy” to her wounded stallion, Star. Embodying Star onstage is a human performer, who performs a “tissu loop” act of delicacy and pain. But Carroll had to decide that tissu loop (in which the actor suspends themself on a pendulum of aerial silk) would be the way to communicate that emotion and then choreograph the routine. “It becomes very engineering brain: the actual length of the fabric to get the type of pendulum we want, etc.,” Carroll said. “Then it’s a lot of playing. The most interesting thing for me was testing the parameters. If we get too far into actually doing a trick, we lose the emotion and the [spirit of the] horse and [Marlena] singing.” “It was constantly showing restraint and pulling back and doing just enough — [like] when he was galloping, saying, ‘Maybe he could do a little kick here and there,’” Carroll continued. “I feel like the work was testing each edge of what’s too much [and] what’s not enough to find just the right amount of circus.” That experimentation led to the consistent, choreographed routines audiences see throughout Water for Elephants. The whole musical is a balancing act of melding narrative and sensation, circus and dance. In fact, fusing these different movement lexicons was one of the greatest overall challenges in choreographing Water for Elephants. “There were three major languages that existed,” Robb explained of his company. “There were actors, who took beats off each other and were able to utilize that for their impetus. There were dancers, who are very linear in eight counts and understand the musicality, and then there were circus artists who were physically taking [cues] off each other when they were ready.” “Somehow, Shana and I were always going, ‘How do those three groups find similar cues and vocabularies that they can utilize in a production number or scene [to get] all three on the same page?” he continued. “Those three different palettes are so unique, in terms of how you gutturally achieve that movement on the beat, that it took so much work.” What resulted are numbers like “Zostán,” which equally conveys the joy of the Benzini Brothers’ performers through high-flying leaps as it does through stomping and jiving, and “The Lion Has Got No Teeth,” which exposes the circus’ deception through handstands and partner throws as well as spins, slides, jumps and pulses. Throughout the show, the ensemble — made up of musical theater and circus talent — moves as a whole. “That was the number-one objective and the idea: creating steps and movement that you basically couldn’t decipher between an acrobat or an actor or a dancer,” said Robb. “It created this world of a collective as opposed to: [dancers] do this and then [acrobats] do this.” But Carroll and Robb both said they could not have built this — or the show — without each other. “I trust his voice and eyes and opinions so much,” Carroll said of Robb. “That level of partnership was such a gift, and I think that it just sharpened us each to our better selves.” Robb agreed, “We bring out the best in each other.” Between all of the choreographic moments, Robb can’t pick one that most resonates. For him, it’s the full picture. “I feel like — in terms of the collaboration for [director] Jess [Stone], Shana and myself — you really do get a chance to explore the extremes of human nature’s physicality and what you can show off and do, but in a playful way that is still diegetic and spur of the moment,” Robb said. “Hopefully, it feels very improv and exciting in that manner because it should.” Even though it’s choreographed within an inch of its daring and remarkable life. BONUS: Hear from the show’s director in the podcast episode “5 minutes with a Tony nominee: Water for Elephants’ Jessica Stone” at BroadwayNews.com.
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14 | encore CAST Hades................................................................................................................... NICKOLAUS COLÓN Orpheus.................................................................................................................JOSE CONTRERAS Hermes............................................................................................................................RUDY FOSTER Eurydice...................................................................................................................... HAWA KAMARA Persephone..................................................................................... NAMISA MDLALOSE BIZANA Fates.................................................GIA KEDDY, MIRIAM NAVARRETE, JAYNA WESCOATT Workers Chorus......................... JONICE BERNARD, RYAAN FARHADI, ERIN McMILLEN, MIRACLE MYLES, JOE RUMI SWINGS RICKY CARDENAS, MICHELLE E. CARTER, JULIA SCHICK, WENDELL SCOTT JR. UNDERSTUDIES Understudies are in alphabetical order and never substitute for the listed performers unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the appearance. for Orpheus—RICKY CARDENAS, MIRACLE MYLES; for Eurydice—ERIN McMILLEN, JULIA SCHICK; for Persephone—MICHELLE E. CARTER, MIRIAM NAVARRETE; for Hades—RYAAN FARHADI, WENDELL SCOTT JR.; for Hermes—JOE RUMI, WENDELL SCOTT JR.; for Fates—JONICE BERNARD, MICHELLE E. CARTER, ERIN McMILLEN, JULIA SCHICK Co-Dance Captains—MICHELLE E. CARTER, JULIA SCHICK Fight Captain—RICKY CARDENAS THERE WILL BE ONE 15-MINUTE INTERMISSION. PERFORMANCE TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS & 30 MINUTES. ORCHESTRA Music Director/Piano—ARMAN WALI MOHAMMAD Assistant Music Director/Violin—JESSIE BITTNER Trombone/Glockenspiel—HAIK DEMIRCHIAN Double Bass—NYA HOLMES Drums/Percussion—LUMANYANO MZI Cello—LYDIA PAULOS Guitar—SAM WADE Music Contractor—KEITH LEVENSON
The use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is strictly prohibited. Please turn off all electronic devices such as cellular phones, beepers and watches
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NICKOLAUS COLÓN
JONICE BERNARD
JOSE CONTRERAS
RUDY FOSTER
HAWA KAMARA
NAMISA MDLALOSE BIZANA
GIA KEDDY
MIRIAM NAVARRETE
JAYNA WESCOATT
RICKY CARDENAS
MICHELLE E. CARTER
RYAAN FARHADI
MIRACLE MYLES
JOE RUMI
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JULIA SCHICK
ERIN McMILLEN
WENDELL SCOTT JR.
16 | encore MUSICAL NUMBERS ACT I “Road to Hell”.................................................................................................... Hermes, Company “Any Way the Wind Blows”................................................................................ Eurydice, Fates “Come Home With Me”............................................. Orpheus, Eurydice, Hermes, Workers “Wedding Song”............................................................................ Orpheus, Eurydice, Workers “Epic I”.................................................................................................................... Orpheus, Hermes “Livin’ It Up On Top”......................................... Persephone, Hermes, Orpheus, Company “All I’ve Ever Known”...................................................................................... Eurydice, Orpheus “Way Down Hadestown”.................................................................................................Company “A Gathering Storm”........................................................ Hermes, Orpheus, Eurydice, Fates “Epic II”....................................................................................................................................Orpheus “Chant”...................................................................................................................................Company “Hey, Little Songbird”..........................................................................................Hades, Eurydice “When the Chips Are Down”............................................................................. Fates, Eurydice “Gone, I’m Gone”.................................................................................................... Eurydice, Fates “Wait For Me”......................................................................Hermes, Orpheus, Fates, Workers “Why We Build the Wall”................................................................................. Hades, Company
ACT II “Our Lady of the Underground”.............................................................................. Persephone “Way Down Hadestown (reprise)”..............................Hermes, Fates, Eurydice, Workers “Flowers”.................................................................................................................................Eurydice “Come Home With Me (reprise)”............................................................... Orpheus, Eurydice “Papers”.................................................................................................................. Hades, Company “Nothing Changes”.................................................................................................................... Fates “If It’s True”........................................................................................ Orpheus, Hermes, Workers “How Long?”.................................................................................................... Persephone, Hades “Chant (reprise)”................................................................................................................Company “Epic III”............................................................................................................. Orpheus, Company “Promises”........................................................................................................... Eurydice, Orpheus “Word to the Wise”................................................................................................................... Fates “His Kiss, The Riot”.................................................................................................................. Hades “Wait For Me (reprise)”..................................................................................Hermes, Company “Doubt Comes In”........................................................... Orpheus, Eurydice, Fates, Workers “Road to Hell (reprise)”.................................................................................Hermes, Company
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WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST
NICKOLAUS COLÓN (Hades). Graduate of UNCSA drama and recent winner of the CT Critics Circle Awards for Featured Actor in a Musical playing Don in Kinky Boots. Credits include national tour: Fiddler on the Roof (Mordcha), Dirty Dancing (Billy Kostecki). NCL: Kinky Boots (Don), Rock of Ages (Dennis) and many more regional productions. JOSE CONTRERAS (Orpheus) is honored to be joining the cast of Hadestown in his touring debut! “Shoutouts to my buddy Zack for teaching me guitar, my mentor Jamon Maple and my team Josh and Aimee at ASA. Endless love to my family Mare, Carlos, Andrea and Pia for always reminding me that ‘stars can’t shine without darkness.’” ;) Follow @jose_contreras_official. RUDY FOSTER (Hermes). National tour: Ain’t Too Proud (226 performances as Otis Williams). Regional: Sister Act (Eddie), Hair (Claude), Les Misérables (Enjolras). “Thanks to Mom and Dad, DDO and the world we dream about. Let’s GROW and let’s GLOW! For Mr. Lees and Mr. Ledford.” @rudy_the_star. HAWA KAMARA (Eurydice) [they/ she] made history by being the first Black actor to play Wendy Darling in the Peter Pan national tour. Recent credits include The Great Gatsby, original Seoul production (u/s Daisy, Ensemble). Much love and thanks to family and friends, Hell’s Kitchen Agency and Whitley and Dunn casting for this dream-fulfilling opportunity! @_hawakamara. NAMISA MDLALOSE BIZANA (Persephone) is an award-winning actor from South Africa. Namisa graduated from UCT with a degree in theater-making. Theater: The Full Monty (NSMT), The Color Purple (The Joburg Theatre), Kinky Boots (The Fugard
Theatre). Readings: Hero (dir. Shariffa Ali), The King’s Wife (dir. Tamilla Woodard). Animation: Monde on Supa Team 4 (Netflix). GIA KEDDY (Fate). National tour debut! Credits: Natalie in Next to Normal (Second Stage Studios), Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical The Musical (The Argyle Theatre) and Cheshire Cat in Alice By Heart (Stage 74). “Thank you friends and family, Mom, Dad, Niko, Vinny, Nina and Evangelina for pushing me to do what I love most (and harmonizing with me when I force you to). I love you guys so much! Huge thank you to Whitley Theatrical! Let’s sing it again!” @giakeddy. MIRIAM NAVARRETE (Fate, u/s Persephone) is overjoyed to be a part of this incredible production. Recent/ favorite credits include Elsa (Disney Cruise Line), Nina (In the Heights). She would like to thank Dottridge Talent, her family and friends for their continuous support. IG: __mimz__. JAYNA WESCOATT (Fate) is excited to join her first national tour! From Honolulu, Hawai’i, she received her B.F.A. from Ithaca College, and recently performed with Princess Cruises. Jayna wants to thank her parents, Jamie and Wren for always cheering her on the loudest. JONICE BERNARD (Worker, u/s Fates) [they/them]. Credits include The Color Purple (Phoenix Theatre Company), Disney Cruise Line, Hong Kong Disneyland, Hearts Beat Loud (MCC Theater). “Much love to PMA, my family, friends and all the black, queer people who came before me.” @jonicebernard. RICKY CARDENAS (Swing, Fight Captain, u/s Orpheus) is so grateful to be making his national tour debut! Credits: Gordon in Rent (The Muny), Mike Costa in A Chorus Line (New
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London Barn Playhouse). He would like to thank his family, friends and agents at Bloc for all their continuous support. @rickyycardenas.
Mukherjee). Pace MT, ’22. “Big love to my team at Take3Talent, my chosen family and most importantly, my mama.” @joe.rumi.
MICHELLE E. CARTER (Swing, Co-Dance Captain, u/s Persephone, u/s Fates). Tours: Cats (Jennyanydots). Select regional: Signature Theatre—A Chorus Line, Legacy Theatre—Julie Andrews’ The Great American Mousical, Barrington Stage Company—The Royal Family of Broadway. Marymount Manhattan College. Take 3 Talent. For Stephen, Mom and Don. @idtapthat03. michelle-e-carter.com.
JULIA SCHICK (Swing, Co-Dance Captain, u/s Eurydice, u/s Fates). Professional: Kiminy in After Pinocchio: A New Musical (Yaya Theatre Company). Educational: Asaka in Once on This Island, Rona in 25th Annual…Spelling Bee (CCM). Touring debut and recent graduate from UC-CCM! @julia.l.schick. julialschick.com.
RYAAN FARHADI (Worker, u/s Hades). National tour: Come From Away (Kevin J/Ali), Lincoln Center’s My Fair Lady. Regional: The REV’s Jesus Christ Superstar, Hunchback. Love to his family, PMA and all the choir teachers who let him sing the bass part in middle school. @ryaanfarhadi. ERIN McMILLEN (Worker, u/s Eurydice, u/s Fates) is delighted to return to Hadestown! Recent credits include Madame Clicquot (world premiere, PCLO) and Jekyll & Hyde (Wolfbane Productions). Endless thanks to Mom, Terry, Sam and her team at The Mine for their support. Follow along @erinmcmillen and erinmcmillen.com! MIRACLE MYLES (Worker, u/s Orpheus) is thrilled to be making his national tour debut! Recent graduate from the University of Northern Colorado (B.F.A. in musical theater, 2023). Credits: Ren McCormack (Footloose), Henri Christoph (Francois & The Rebels), Mark Cohen (Rent). “Love to my friends, family, team and DDO.” IG: @miracle.myles. JOE RUMI (Worker, u/s Hermes) is honored to be making his national tour debut with Hadestown. TV: “Law & Order.” Workshops: Exist (dir. Marina Montesanti), Māyā (dir. Arpita
WENDELL SCOTT JR. (Swing, u/s Hades, u/s Hermes). ATLien excited to head to the Underground! Theater: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (tour), Kinky Boots, Beauty and the Beast. TV: “All The Queen’s Men,” “Caught Up,” “The Resident,” “Dynasty.” “Grateful always for my tribe.” IG: @atlwendell. TikTok: @gonewithwen. ANAÏS MITCHELL (Music, Lyrics & Book) is a Tony and Grammy Awardwinning singer-songwriter whose recordings include the original studio album of Hadestown (2010), Young Man in America (2012), Bonny Light Horseman (2019, as Bonny Light Horseman) and Anaïs Mitchell (2022). She was named to the TIME100 list of the Most Influential People in the World in 2020 and her first book Working on a Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown was published by Plume/ Penguin the same year. She headlines shows worldwide and her music has featured regularly on “Best-Of” lists, including NPR, The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal. Hadestown is Anaïs’s first musical. RACHEL CHAVKIN (Original Broadway Director and Tour Concept) is a Tony Award-winning director, writer and artistic director of Brooklyn-based collective, the TEAM. Hadestown (NYTW, National Theatre, London) has been one of her greatest joys. Tony and Lortel nominations
20 | encore and Drama Desk Award for Dave Malloy’s Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Broadway, Ars Nova, A.R.T.). London: Mission Drift (National Theatre), American Clock (Old Vic). Select New York and regional: Marco Ramirez’s The Royale (LCT; Obie Award, Drama Desk and Lortel nominations), Malloy’s Preludes (LCT3), Bess Wohl’s Small Mouth Sounds (Ars Nova and national tour), Carson Kreitzer’s and Matt Gould’s Lempicka (Williamstown Theatre Festival), The Royal Family (Guthrie Theater) and multiple collaborations with Taylor Mac. Her first film, Remind Me, was an official selection of the Venice and Beverly Hills Film Festivals. 2017 Smithsonian Award for Ingenuity. Proud NYTW Usual Suspect and Member SDC. DAVID NEUMANN (Original Broadway Choreographer). Film: I Am Legend, Marriage Story (Noah Baumbach). Choreography: An Octoroon and Futurity (Soho Rep); Antipodes (Signature Theatre); Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova); Hagoromo and Home (BAM); The Antipodes (Signature Theatre). Collaborator and performer: Laurie Anderson, Big Dance Theater, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Doug Elkins. Director: The Object Lesson (NYTW, BAM). Artistic director, Advanced Beginner Group (P.S.122, NY Live Arts, The Kitchen, Symphony Space, Abrons Art Center, The Chocolate Factory, The Whitney, Walker Art Center, MASS MoCA). Recipient of 2020 Obie Award, 2019 Chita Rivera Award, three Bessie Awards for dance/performance, Tony nominee for Hadestown, Lucille Lortel and Helen Hayes awards nominee. KEENAN TYLER OLIPHANT (Director). Broadway: Hadestown (associate director). Off-Broadway: Terce: a practical breviary, Here Arts; Will You Come with Me?, PlayCo; Oratorio for Living Things, Ars Nova (associate director). Off-
Off-Broadway: To the Ends of the Earth, JACK; Oyster Radio Hour, Little Island; Kyk Hoe Skyn die Son, Clubbed Thumb Winterworks; queen, Dixon Place. Regional: Gatsby, A.R.T Associate Director Drama League Fellow 2021/2022; Clubbed Thumb Directing Fellow 2020/2021. M.F.A. Columbia University. T OLIVER REID (Choreographer). B’way credits include Hadestown; Once on This Island; Sunset Boulevard; After Midnight; Sister Act; Mary Poppins; The Wedding Singer; Chicago; La Cage aux Folles; Never Gonna Dance; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Follies; Kiss Me, Kate. Wrote, directed, and starred in award-winning Drop Me Off in Harlem. Choreographer: Universal’s Bros. Asc. Choreographer: Hadestown and Netflix’s White Noise. Asc. Movement Dir.: Death of a Salesman. Faculty: NYU-Tisch and Rider University. Board of Visitors: UNCSA. Co-Founder: Black Theatre Coalition. @toliverreid. DAVID L. ARSENAULT (Scenic Design). As a designer and associate in theater, opera and dance, David’s work has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally and internationally. Broadway and national tour associate work includes The Color Purple (2015), Jesus Christ Superstar (50th Anniversary Tour). Regional credits include The Kennedy Center, Gulfshore Playhouse, Kitchen Theatre Company, Geva Theatre, Northern Stage and George Street Playhouse. International: English Theatre Berlin and Theatre Royal Bath (upcoming). davidarsenaultdesign.com. RACHEL HAUCK (Original Broadway Scenic Design). Broadway: Hadestown (Tony Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics nominations), What the Constitution Means to Me, Latin History for Morons. Recent work: The Wrong Man (MCC); Hadestown (National Theatre, Citadel, NYTW); Hurricane
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22 | encore Diane (NYTW); Othello, Twelfth Night (Shakespeare in the Park); The Lucky Ones (Ars Nova); You’ll Still Call Me By Name (Sonya Tayeh/ Jacob’s Pillow). Princess Grace, Lilly Awards; Drama Desk, Lortel nominations; Obie Award for Sustained Excellence. “Black lives matter.” MICHAEL KRASS (Costume Design). Broadway: Tony nominations for Hadestown, Noises Off, Machinal and The Constant Wife; plus Charlie Brown, Twelve Angry Men, Heisenberg, new plays by Stephen Belber, Nicky Silver, Elaine May, more, and What the Constitution Means to Me. Off-Broadway: premieres by Edward Albee, Christopher Durang, John Guare, Teresa Rebeck, Sarah Treem, John Kander/Greg Pierce, Will Eno, Lauren Yee, Lisa Loomer, Donald Marguilies, etc. He teaches in the graduate program at Brown University. AJA JACKSON (Lighting Design). Honored to join the Hadestown journey! Off-Broadway: A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet and Rock and Roll Man. Broadway: Fat Ham (associate). Regional (selected): Huntington Theatre Company, American Repertory Theater, The Alley, The Everyman Theatre and Hartford Stage. Dance: Ailey 2, Hubbard Street Dance. Work with Bradley King: Fat Ham, Lempicka, Monsoon Wedding, Goddess. Board Chair of Brighter Boston. Proud member of USA 829. ajajacksonlighting.com. IG: @ajamjackson. BRADLEY KING (Original Broadway Lighting Design). With Rachel Chavkin: Hadestown, The Great Comet, Moby Dick, Lempicka, Preludes and many others. Broadway: Hadestown (Tony, Drama Desk), Flying Over Sunset, Bernhardt/ Hamlet, The Great Comet (Tony, Drama Desk). Off-Broadway: shows for MCC Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic Theater Company,
New York Theatre Workshop, Signature Theatre and many others. Numerous regional theater and opera productions across the U.S. and worldwide. M.F.A.: NYU. On the web at bradleykingld.com. NEVIN STEINBERG (Sound Design). Broadway: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Tony nomination), Hadestown (Tony Award), Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Freestyle Love Supreme, The Cher Show, Bandstand, Bright Star, It Shoulda Been You, Mothers and Sons, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Tony nomination), The Performers, Magic/Bird. Over 30 other Broadway productions with Acme Sound Partners and five additional Tony nominations: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Fences, Hair and In the Heights. JESSICA PAZ (Sound Design). Twelfth Night, Othello, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Miss You Like Hell (The Public Theater); Welcome to Fear City (KC Rep); Burn All Night (A.R.T); A Sucker Emcee, The Muscles in Our Toes (LAByrinth Theater Company); Ugly Lies the Bone (Roundabout Theatre Company); Becoming Dr. Ruth (Westside Theatre); Looking for the Pony (Vital Theatre Company); Women Beware Women (Red Bull Theater); Stretch (a fantasia) (New Georges). Tony, Drama Desk winner for Best Sound Design for Hadestown. CODY OWEN STINE (Music Supervisor) is a composer, songwriter music director and multi-instrumentalist. Resident composer for adult|children collective. Broadway includes Hadestown, The Outsiders, Moulin Rouge!, Spongebob Squarepants, Finding Neverland. Cast albums: Miss You Like Hell, The Robber Bridegroom, Jonathan Larson Project, Liz Swados Project. 2019 Jonathan Larson Grant finalist; 2019 commissioned writer, Williamstown Theatre Festival. codyowenstine.com.
encore LIAM ROBINSON (Music Consultant & Vocal Arrangements). Broadway: War Horse (Songman, original cast); music director and vocal arranger for Hadestown Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop (cast member), Canada’s Citadel Theatre and London’s National Theatre; orchestrator/co-producer National Anthem: Arise! Arise! robinsonandrohe.com. MICHAEL CHORNEY (Arrangements & Orchestrations) leads ensembles from trio to big band that perform his compositions and songs. As an arranger he has created tributes to Sun Ra, Kurt Weill and Paul Bowles. He has made a bunch of records as a leader, producer and instrumentalist. Michael has been a part of Hadestown since its inception in Vermont. TODD SICKAFOOSE (Arrangements & Orchestrations) is a Tony and Grammy award-winning composer, producer, arranger, orchestrator, bandleader and double bassist. He produced, coarranged and performed on the original Hadestown album, co-produced both Hadestown cast recordings and produced and arranged Anaïs Mitchell’s album Young Man in America. Since 2004, Sickafoose has performed internationally with Ani DiFranco. Writing for his band Tiny Resistors, he recently created Bear Proof, a chamber jazz hybrid commissioned by the Doris Duke Foundation. ARMAN WALI MOHAMMAD (Music Director) [he/him] is a music director, pianist, and arranger who is involved in a diverse collection of music making with many international friends and collaborators. He has strong influences from Pashtun and Arabic music, as well as jazz. He recently has recorded with Nate Smith and Chris Potter. Arman has also performed with and arranged for current Broadway artists Abby Mueller, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Stanley, and others, in cabarets over the last few years. He is extraordinarily excited to be on the Hadestown tour!
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KEITH LEVENSON (Music Contractor) is delighted to be working with the Hadestown team. His most recent credit is touring worldwide with The Who. keithlevenson.com. JENNIFER MULLINS (Hair & Wig Design). After over a decade as a wig maker for feature films and episodic television, Jennifer is now designing in the theatrical world. Beginning her career at 15 years old as a licensed hairdresser, Jennifer’s goal has always been to help productions have a visionary experience that brings people together, ignites their imaginations, and assists in creating a world of inclusiveness with diversity of hair on stage and in film. WHITLEY THEATRICAL (Casting). Benton Whitley CSA and Micah Johnson-Levy. Current Broadway/NY: How to Dance in Ohio, Hadestown (Artios Award). Previous B’way/ NY: Life of Pi, Chicago the Musical, Paradise Square, Rock of Ages, The Lightning Thief, The Great Comet of 1812, Elf, On the Town, Pippin, La Cage aux Folles, Radio City Christmas Spectacular. TV/film: Netflix, 20th Century Fox, NBC, Lionsgate, Disney Channel. West End/U.K.: Hadestown, Thriller Live, Menier Chocolate Factory. U.S. tours: Hadestown, Hairspray, Waitress, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, Into the Woods, We Will Rock You. Regional: American Rep, Berkeley Rep, Alley, Shakespeare Theatre Co., Bay Street, For The Record, TUTS, Hollywood Bowl, McCarter, Signature. @whitleytheatrical, and whitleytheatrical.com. CIERA MILLER (Associate Director) [she/her] is a NYC-based director. She is half of the theatrical duo Miller & Harlow. The pair were 2023 Jonathan Larson Grant Honorable Mentions. Ciera seeks out new works and campfire stories of all kinds. @millerandharlow. cieramiller.com.
24 | encore YAEL ‘YAYA’ REICH (Associate Choreographer) [they/them]. An everfluid, trans-non-binary, multi-hyphenate artist, inter-dimensional dreamer and co-creative inspirator, they aim to find collaboration and creative flow in everything they do. Warrior of truth and embodiment, creator of art spanning mediums and timelines; storyteller, healer, activator, advocator, collaborator, performer, composer, producer, poet, philosophizer, etc. @yah__yah__el__. MOLLY GOODWIN (Production Stage Manager). Welcome to the Underground! Inter/national tours: Pretty Woman, Tootsie, West Side Story (Stage Around Tokyo and U.S.); Sister Act (Asia and U.S.); The Wizard of Oz, Ghost, BLAST! and Legally Blonde. Stage and production management for Holland America Line, cruising across the globe. Her favorite credit is Celine Dion’s A New Day: Live in Las Vegas. Goodwin holds a B.A. in theater/dance from Luther College and an M.F.A. in stage management from UNLV. Love to Kith and Kin—thank you for roots and wings! GRIFFIN SPRIGGS (Assistant Stage Manager) [he/him] is grateful to tell this beautiful story for another year. National tour debut! B.A. from UF. Regional: Come From Away (SM) at Revival Theatre Company. He also has an extensive career stage managing in youth theater, most recently at PerryMansfield Arts School and Camp in Colorado. Many thanks to Molly, his Hadestown family, the team at RCI and his mom, dad and sister for their continued love and support. IG: @griffinspriggs. ELISE BROWN (Company Manager) [she/her] is overjoyed to return to RCI and Hadestown after serving as assistant company manager last year. Endless gratitude to Mom, Dad, Sydney, Barb, Alicia, Jeff, Abi and countless others who have supported
her along the way. Proud alum of Point Park University and NYU. MATTHEW WEST GUERBER (Assistant Company Manager) is thrilled to be making his national tour debut with Hadestown and RCI Theatricals! He hits the road having previously been a general management intern at RCI. Matthew holds a B.F.A. in theater management from Emerson College and is originally from Washington, D.C. SIGHTLINE PRODUCTIONS (Production Management). Sightline’s current and recent projects include Hadestown second national tour, Liberation, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Mamma Mia!, Take a Banana for The Ride, The Least Problematic Woman in the World, Archduke, Gypsy, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Joy: A New True Musical, Duke & Roya, Spamalot national tour, 44: The Obama Musical and more. THE BOOKING GROUP (Tour Booking Agency) has represented 27 Tony Award-winning Best Musicals and Plays. Current tours include: Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, The Book of Mormon, 1776, Hadestown, Mean Girls, MJ The Musical, Pretty Woman, Six, Tina, To Kill A Mockingbird, Anastasia, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, Hairspray, My Fair Lady, R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and Tootsie. Future tours include: Almost Famous, Funny Girl, Mamma Mia!, Mrs. Doubtfire, A Strange Loop, The Devil Wears Prada and The Wiz. ALLIED GLOBAL MARKETING (Tour Marketing & Press) is a full-service, integrated marketing agency working with the world’s largest entertainment, consumer and lifestyle brands, including 85+ Broadway shows over three decades. Current tours: Back to the Future, Beetlejuice, The Book of Mormon, Elf The Musical, Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia!, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Notebook, The Outsiders, Some Like It
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26 | encore Hot, Suffs, The Twenty-Sided Tavern. Upcoming tours: The Great Gatsby, Operation Mincemeat, Riverdance. RCI THEATRICALS (General Manager). Current and recent Broadway and touring productions include & Juliet, Hadestown, Shucked, Glengarry Glen Ross, Gypsy, Our Town, Harmony, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Heart of Rock & Roll, Jagged Little Pill, Pictures From Home, Ohio State Murders, Take Me Out, American Buffalo, The Minutes, Ain’t Too Proud, The Inheritance, Oklahoma!, Anastasia. rcitheatricals.com. MARK LUNSFORD (Creative Producer) is a theater and live performance producer. He recently finished his tenure as the producer for the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, where he produced dozens of shows, including the pre-Broadway engagements of Waitress; Jagged Little Pill; Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812; and Gatsby: An American Myth. He teaches courses in producing, leadership and nonprofit management at Florida State University and Harvard University. M.F.A., Florida State University. STAFF FOR HADESTOWN GENERAL MANAGEMENT RCI THEATRICALS David R. Richards Joe Christopher Danielle Karliner Naish Beverly Edwards Kevin Greene Steve Hohne Justin Black Kyle Bonder Gabrielle Johnson-Nieporant Alexander Parra Georgina Ratnatunga Megan Ringeling Bradley Baumhover Isaac Evans Marissa Parrott COMPANY MANAGER ELISE BROWN Assistant Company Manager.....Matthew West Guerber TOUR MARKETING & PRESS ALLIED GLOBAL MARKETING Andrew Damer Jennifer Gallagher Scott Praefke Jessica Cary Davis Anne Waisanen
Adina Hsu Emily Toppen Maria Bonucchi Amenkha Sembenu Kate Wyman TOUR BOOKING AGENCY THE BOOKING GROUP Meredith Blair Rich Rundle Brian Brooks Jonathan Pearson Maryruth Grabez thebookinggroup.com PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT SIGHTLINE PRODUCTIONS Ryan Murphy Hannah Osborne Livia Marcelino Christy Perez Nate Warren CASTING WHITLEY THEATRICAL Benton Whitley, CSA Micah Johnson-Levy, CSA LEGAL COUNSEL LAZARUS & HARRIS LLP Scott Lazarus, Esq. Robert C. Harris, Esq. Carter Anne McGowan, Esq. Diane Viale Patrick Wilcox PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER...... MOLLY GOODWIN Assistant Stage Manager......................Griffin Spriggs Associate Director...................................... Ciera Miller Associate Choreographer.................... Yael ‘YaYa’ Reich Co-Dance Captains......... Michelle E. Carter, Julia Schick Fight Captain........................................Ricky Cardenas Assistant Scenic Designer............. Shivanna Sooknanan Assistant Scenic Designer..................... Ben Hirschfield Associate Costume Designer.................Siena Zoë Allen Assistant Costume Designers.... Brynne Oster-Bainnson, Camille Charara Associate Lighting Designers.............Marcella Barbeau, Paul Jonathan Davis Associate Sound Designer.................... Jarrett Krauss Assistant Sound Designer...................... Connor Wang Production Electrician................... Brandon Hawkinson Moving Light Programmer....................Zachary Connell Production Properties Coordinator..........Emiliano Pares Production Audio..............................Gaven Wedemeyer Music Contractor.................................. Keith Levenson Production Carpenter.......................... Michael Demyan Head Carpenter........................................... John Bone Swing Tech.............................................. Julia Janssen Assistant Carpenter/Flyman............... Shannon Bingham Head Electrician..................................Sophie Smyczek Assistant Electrician...............................Gabe Whitnack Head Props................................................Mak Jordan Head Sound..............................................Brad Sievers Assistant Sound........................................ LaVar Taylor Head of Wardrobe...............................Stacey Juengling Assistant Wardrobe/Wigs.................. Fernando Monzon Assistant Stage Manager Cover.............Ricky Cardenas Physical Therapy.... NEURO TOUR Physical Therapy, Inc. Cultural Competency.....Smith-Soeder Enterprises. LLC/ DeWanda Smith-Soeder Banking............................................City National Bank Insurance............................................Risk Strategies/ Peter Shoemaker, Anthony Pittari
encore Accountant.................................. Withum Smith+Brown/ Robert Fried, Karen Kowgios, Scott Bartolf, Anthony Moore, Lara Waldner, CPAs Comptroller........................................ Steve Hohne, CPA Payroll.......................... Vensure, Payroll Data Processing Trucking................................................... Clark Transfer Travel Agency................................... Road Rebel Global/ Julia Lang, Jana Leighty, Linda Cockrell, Johanna Nagel-Kim Merchandising................................... .The Araca Group/ Emma Kerr, Kerry Krye Production Photographer...................... Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Scenery built, painted and electrified by Hudson Scenic Studios. Props by BrenBri Properties. Lighting and Rigging Equipment from Christie Lites. Sound Equipment from Masque Sound. Costumes executed by Tricorne Costumes, Inc.; Parsons-Meares, Ltd.; Arnold Levine, Inc.; Crystal Thompson, Giliberto Designs, Inc.; Shana Albery; Jeff Fender Studio; Scafati Tailoring, Inc.; Hochi Asiatico. Rehearsed at Pearl and Gibney Studios
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SPECIAL THANKS Arel Studio, Liz Riches and Karakter Worldwide. And an enormous thanks to every member of the Hadestown company, past and present, artist and crew member, onstage and off, from Vermont to Broadway and beyond. HadestownTour.com
The Director and Choreographer are members of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union. Backstage and Front of the House Employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (or I.A.T.S.E.). United Scenic Artists represents the designers and scenic painters for the American Theatre.
WHO’S WHO IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY A guide to the characters that inspired Hadestown. ORPHEUS—Son of the muse of epic poetry, engaged to marry Eurydice. With his golden voice and lyre, Orpheus charmed all living things, even rocks and stones. EURYDICE—A dryad, or tree nymph, engaged to marry Orpheus. On the day of their wedding, she was bitten by a poisonous snake, died, and descended to the Underworld. HADES—God of the dead, ruler of the Underworld, sometimes called “the Wealthy One.” He fell in love with, abducted, and married Persephone. Her mother, goddess of the harvest, refused to bless the earth while Persephone was below. PERSEPHONE—Goddess of the seasons, flowers, fruit, and grain. By arrangement, she spent half the year with Hades in the Underworld, causing fall and winter above. The other half she returned to her mother, bringing spring and summer with her. HERMES—Fleet-footed guide, messenger of the gods, and conductor of souls to the Underworld. In some tellings, it was Hermes who taught Orpheus to play the lyre. FATES—Three goddesses who together determined the destinies of mortals, measuring their lifespans and apportioning their suffering. CHORUS—In ancient Greek theater, the Chorus sang, spoke, and danced in unison. Often representing the voice of the citizens, the Chorus commented on the actions of characters and served as an emotional conduit for the audience.
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SAENGER THEATRE An ATG Entertainment Venue Director, NOLA Venues.................................................. David Skinner Deputy General Manager..........................................Jacques Jackson Senior Marketing Director.............................................. Kym Martinez Director of Marketing - Broadway.....................................Emily Walker Digital & Marketing Manager...........................................Alexis Manuel Marketing Coordinator ..............................................Alexandra Oster Director of Group Sales....................................................Katy Tackett Box Office Manager.................................................... Paddy Brennan Assistant Box Office Manager..........................................Mason Burch Box Office Representatives....................... Lisa Cooks, Glenda Griffin, Victor Griego, Janelle Jefferson, Aiden Keller, Sean McCreavy, Alexis Rey, Tim Sowell, James Wyrtzen Director of Operations............................................................. E.P. Miller Assistant Director of Operations.................................... Bernard Annis House Artist............................................................ Angelie Alciatore Porters............................................ Benjamin Adams, Keith Carter, Terrence L’Herisse, Wendy Koster, Beverly Showers, Renard Fournette, Jonique Johnson House Security...................................Sinatra Jones, Thomas Smith, Joe Smith, Deron Toledano, Phil Williams Production Director..........................................................Harold Heno Technical Director................................................Erin “Jade” Crowley Director of Theater Services.........................................Jennifer Hayes
Assistant Director of Theater Services........................ Chanel Gusman Senior House Manager.........................Kerri Brunson, Amanda Davis House Managers..............Janet Andrews, JoAnn Bland, Tanya Bondy, Alena Boucree, Nathaniel Brooks Jr., Vanessa Chavis, Mary Davis, Zelda Davis, Joshua Dudley, Tracy Duplessis, Elionder Harmon, Angela Jackson, Angel Lawrence, Lindell Lee, Nikita Marshall, Elizabeth McGill, Cynthia Moore, Natalie Polk, Henri Reed, Kenyetta Sewell, Lillie Shelburne, Kimberly Smith, Seritha Spadoni, Evelyn Stanley, Cynthia Stephenson, Catina Stewart, Michelle Stokes, Rachel Swords, Trellis Thomas, Cordelia Townsend, Kimberly Townsend, Dwyn Turner Event Security.................Michael Baker Natisha Beardon, Troy Brown, Richard Colar, Carolyn Craft, Da’Shawn Elliott, Erander Guss, Caleb Haley, Monique Jackson, Adam Jacob, Sinatra Jones, Stacey Mason, Darlene Richardson, Thomas Shelburne, Alex Thompson, Joseph Washington, Tracy Washington, Arthur Watson, Phil Williams IATSE House Crew.......................Glenn Gandolini (Steward), John Davi, John Dunn, Jay Barocco, Chuck Golden, Brantley McClendon Director of Food & Beverage........................................... Dean Phillips Deputy Director of Food & Beverage................Tianne “Tank” Morales Director of Parking..........................................................Keyvon Scott Safety Officer.................................................................. Joe Maumus
ATG ENTERTAINMENT Group Executive Leadership Team Chief Executive Officer......................................................................................................................................................Ted Stimpson Group Content & Creative Director.................................................................................................................................... Michael Lynas Chief Operating Officer and UK CEO..................................................................................................................................... Nick Potter Chief Financial Officer....................................................................................................................................................... John Oldcorn Chief Human Resources Officer......................................................................................................................................... Sofia Fleming Chief Product & Technology Officer...................................................................................................................................Richard Zubrik Chief Marketing Officer...........................................................................................................................................................Phil Lloyd Chief Legal Officer................................................................................................................................................................ Lisa Butler CEO Central Europe..........................................................................................................................................................Joachim Hilke CEO North America................................................................................................................................................................ Lori Hotz ATG ENTERTAINMENT North America Lori Hotz, Chief Executive Officer Kristin Caskey, Chief Content Officer Erica Schwartz, VP, Theatrical Programming Bee Carrozzini, Producer, ATG Productions Jason Miller, SVP, Music, Comedy and Event Programming Adam Ball, Chief Financial Officer Mitchell Klein, VP, Ticketing Stephen Santore, VP, Marketing & Sales David Neves, VP, Hospitality Sandra Toste, VP, Property and Operations Lisa Hauptman, VP, Human Resources John Rogers, General Counsel Josh Fuhrer, VP, Business Development Rainier Koeners, VP, Regional Venues Sally Shen, Chief of Staff