Applause -- Next To Normal, April 3 - May3, 2026

APPLAUSE

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SIGHTLINE

BY JANICE SINDEN

WWelcome to the DCPA!

Thank you for joining us for Next to Norma , Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen, or The Phantom of the Opera. Your presence here not only benefits the actors, artists, and administrators at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, it’s also a boon to our local economy.

In 2024/25 season, the DCPA had a $390 million economic impact on the region. That means hotel stays, full restaurants, busy parking lots, and packed theatres — all of which support jobs and contribute to the vitality of downtown Denver.

Now…let’s do it again! On pages 10–1 1, you will see the announcement of our upcoming Broadway season featuring the most anticipated tours on the road plus some returning favorites.

The lineup features BOOP! The Musical, The Great Gatsby, Buena Vista Social Club™ , and Death Becomes Her. We’ll also present THE BOOK OF MORMON, Legally Blonde - The Musical, Riverdance 30 - The New Generation, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and many more titles to fill your calendar.

Before we leap too far ahead, join us as we round out this season with The Outsiders, Hadestown, MJ, Somewhere, English, The Sound of Music, Beetlejuice, The Who’s TOMMY, and the Colorado debut of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

So much great theatre is in store. Subscribe today and get early access to the best seats, the best prices, and the best shows from Broadway!

Vladimir Script

Warm regards,

Janice Sinden

Janice Sinden, President & CEO

H O N O R I N G O U R E L D E R S

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts honors and acknowledges that it resides on the traditional and unceded territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary Indigenous Tribes and Nations who have historically called Colorado home.

APPLAUSE

VOLUME XXXVI • NUMBER 4 • MAR – MAY 2026

EDITOR: Suzanne Yoe

DESIGN DIRECTOR: Kyle Malone

DESIGNER: Paul Koob

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS: Lucas Kreitler, Kyle Malone

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Amanda L. Andrei, Lisa Kennedy, Collin Van Son

Applause is published six times a year by Denver Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with The Publishing House, Westminster, CO. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Call 303.893.4000 regarding editorial content.

Angie Flachman, Publisher For advertising 303.428.9529 or sales@pub-house.com coloradoartspubs.com Applause magazine is funded in part by

Denver Center for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization that engages and inspires through the transformative power of live theatre.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Ruth Krebs, Chair

Hassan Salem, Immediate Past Chair

Jerome Davis, Vice Chair

David Jacques Farahi, Secretary/Treasurer

Nicole Ament

Marco D. Chayet

Yosh Eisbart

Christopher Hayes

Elizabeth Hioe

Deb Kelly

Robert Kenney

Kevin Kilstrom

Lynn McDonald

Susan Fox Pinkowitz

Manny Rodriguez

Alan Salazar

Richard M. Sapkin

Martin Semple

William Dean Singleton

Sylvia Young

LEARN MORE

IN THIS ISSUE

Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen ......... pg 6

The Phantom of the Opera pg 14

Next to Normal pg 1 8 FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF UPCOMING SHOWS:

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Navin Dimond

Margot Gilbert Frank

Jeannie Fuller

Robert C. Newman

Cleo Parker Robinson

Robert Slosky

Dr. Reginald L. Washington

Judi Wolf

HELEN G. BONFILS

FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Martin Semple, President

William Dean Singleton, Vice President

Kevin Kilstrom, Secretary/Treasurer

Nicole Ament

Marco D. Chayet

David Jacques Farahi

Ruth Krebs

Susan Fox Pinkowitz

Hassan Salem

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

Janice Sinden, President & CEO

Jamie Clements, Vice President, Development

Chris Coleman, Artistic Director, Theatre Company

John Ekeberg, Executive Director, Broadway & Cabaret

Angela Lakin, Vice President, Marketing & Sales

Glen Lucero, Vice President, Venue Operations

Laura Maresca, Chief People & Culture Officer

Lisa Roebuck, Vice President, Information Technology

Charles Varin, Managing Director, Theatre Company

Allison Watrous, Executive Director, Education & Community Engagement

Jane Williams, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

BY LISA KENNEDY

A ALICIA KEYS’ CELEBRATION OF PLACE HELL’S KITCHEN SHARES A VERY DIFFERENT WEST SIDE STORY

A city. A neighborhood. A building. These are the geographies that feed 17-year-old Ali, our guide in Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen, book by Kristoffer Diaz. Hell’s Kitchen is the piquant —and for decades, the rightly earned — name of the West Side Manhattan neighborhood where Ali lives with her mother, Jersey. Their home is in a towering apartment called Manhattan Plaza, a vertical abode Ali introduces in the show’s opener, “The Elevator Prologue.”

“All art has to have an address,” Oskar Eustis offers in Hell’s Kitchen: Making the Dream, a ridiculously instructive and enjoyable making-of book. Eustis, the artistic director of the Public Theater, attributes that quote to the late novelist Bernard Malamud, a Brooklynite. And it was the Public that produced Hell’s Kitchen before it headed to Broadway and 13 Tony nominations.

Given that notion of place, it’s easy to wonder which fanciful yarns about place spin our identities? (How many times have you, dear local, embraced Denver’s “Cowtown” brand?) And which concrete and rebar realities define us? (How many times has a new build downtown rebuffed that same moniker?)

Some beloved musicals evoke a place then deliver something slightly different. Oklahoma! Chicago West Side Story. Although that last one shares some discernable DNA with Hell’s Kitchen, as does Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Washington Heights love letter, In the Heights. But

there’s a special intimacy to Keys’ dynamic musical about a young woman edging toward a deeper understanding of herself.

Like onstage-Ali, Keys grew up in Manhattan Plaza with her single mother, Teresa, and a building filled with artists, theater-makers, musicians. (Famed tenants of that 46-story bastion adjacent to the Theater District include Jane Alexander, Giancarlo Esposito, Angela Lansbury, Dexter Gordon, Mary Jo Slater and her boys, Christian and Ryan; the list is long). Due to federal funding rules, 70 percent of the apartments are earmarked for people making their spare, passionate living in the arts.

Those involved with this hit Broadway musical, however, caution treating it as an autobiography or even that often beloved, and increasingly derided genre, the “jukebox musical.” For a good reason. Hell’s Kitchen is not the story of Keys’ big breaks: of her bold decision to leave Columbia Records for hitmaker Clive Davis and Arista, or Davis’ call to Oprah Winfrey, asking the talk-show diva to consider putting the young, piano-playing phenom on her show. She did and the girl from Manhattan Plaza took flight becoming over time one of the best-selling female artists of all time. No, it’s not that story. But if you want the full saga, brimming with lessons in seeking and finding, Keys’ 2020 memoir More Myself: A Journey is a terrific read — and even better with Keys reading it.

Instead of a career retrospective, Keys, Diaz, and director Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal) foreground a daughter-mother love story against the backdrop of the goings-on at Manhattan Plaza. That Ali and Jersey’s affection is vexed, tenacious, and snappish is par for the course. (Mothers of teenage daughters, can I get a witness? Daughters of cool but protective mothers, a “hell yeah”?) Although absent for too much of his daughter’s life, Ali’s father, Davis, figures into the musical crucially.

In eschewing an autobiography, the creative team also dodged making a show that goes from hit to hit to hit. Keys’ discography presented exciting challenges, recalls librettist Diaz. “There were five or six songs that had to be in the show, right?” he said on a video call in early January. “Where’s ‘Fallin’’ going to be? Where’s ‘No One’ going to be? Where’s ‘Girl on Fire,’ going to be?” Some of them were easy to figure out. “Empire State of Mind,” that hit Keys made with the rapper Jay-Z and then remade as a solo effort, “can only be the opening number of the show or the end number of the show,” he jokes knowing this doesn’t require a spoiler alert.

There were five or six songs that had to be in the show, right? Where’s ‘Fallin’’ going to be? Where’s ‘No One’ going to be? Where’s ‘Girl on Fire,’ going to be? Some of them were easy to figure out. — KRISTOFFER DIAZ, BOOK WRITER

Although Diaz grew up in Yonkers, a city north of the Bronx, he and Keys shared a cultural moment. Hip hop defined their youth and gave New York City its swagger. When Keys wanted to sing the praises of bucket drummers, he knew exactly who she meant. And during their first meeting, when he wondered aloud, gesticulating as he went on about a possible nontraditional structure for the musical, “for some reason the image of Nas’ ‘One Mic’ came to mind, which starts out a quiet verse that crescendos and then gets simple and quiet, crescendos and gets quiet again. We could do something like that.” She got it. Though in the end, they went for something mildly less ambitious. Time period is a place, too, it turns out. And the Manhattan of the 1990s in which the show is set was suffused with the spirit of Hip Hop. The genre was already a couple of generations in when Keys and Diaz were coming of age. But the thing about Hip Hop, especially during that era, was how utterly aware of its antecedents it could be: praising and quoting, sampling forebearers and doing them one better. And it wasn’t just music, it was style, street fashion, tagging, and graffiti. Keys relishes that place and its moment — and all of it gets its due in that city, that neighborhood, that building, this musical.

Read a Q&A with Kristoffer Diaz

ALICIA KEYS’ HELL’S KITCHEN

APR 14 – 26 • BUELL THEATRE

ASL Interpreted, Audio Described, and Open Captioned performance: April 26 at 1 pm

MJ

Michael Jackson’s iconic music and signature moves are taking the Buell stage in 2026. The Tony Award-winning musical MJ offers an insider’s perspective of the artistry that catapulted Michael Jackson to international superstardom and legendary status. MJ was created by Tony Award-winning Director/ Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and playwright Lynn Nottage.

The show takes audiences behind the scenes as Michael Jackson prepares for his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. As the team rehearses the setlist — packed with Jackson’s most famous tunes, including “Thriller,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Bad” — audiences witness the genius of Jackson’s creative process and are transported to pivotal moments in his career.

The Washington Post called MJ “a riveting adrenaline rush of a show.” WGN Radio said, “MJ is one of the best shows ever.” Don’t miss the biggest musical of the decade as it returns to Denver May 13–17. Sing along, dance in your seat, and flashback to the live performance of one of pop music’s most celebrated musicians.

Theatre Classes at the DCPA

CHILDREN, TEENS & ADULTS

MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL

PLAYWRITING

In Refreshed Legacy: The Phantom of the Opera (page 14), Director Seth Sklar-Heyn shares that his first experience with the show was as a teenage volunteer usher. Fast forward and now he’s directing one of the most legendary musicals of all time.

Falling in love with theatre can happen at any age, but aspiring for a career in theatre can be supported through participation (both on and off stage) and exposure to arts at an early age. That’s where DCPA Education comes in.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has offered acting instruction and in-school programs for nearly 50 years and now engages upward of 150,000 students each year.

Of its many programs, Middle and High School Playwriting introduces students to scriptwriting. Now in its 14th year, this program encourages students to explore their own writing, which leads them to discover an aptitude that they didn’t know they possessed.

Finalist Liam McBride (The Grocery and the Clerk) said: “This assignment…gave me a first taste into the real process of independent playwriting at a professional level. I think that would just be so fulfilling.”

Featuring 159 in-school workshops followed by a statewide competition, six winners out of 288 submissions were named in January. The three high school winners worked with DCPA educators to refine their script — just like a professional playwright would work with a dramaturg. Then, these scripts received a reading in front of a live audience as part of the Colorado New Play Summit alongside scripts of four established playwrights.

This year’s winning plays included (high school) Bajo La Misma Luna by Flavia Armas, Number 47 by Carson McConathy and Kaylee Johnson, Scraps by Audrey Flege, and (middle school) The Case of the Missing Jewels (Emery Eun), The Daughter of the All-father (Miyu Hessel), and The Waiting Room (Taylor Hunt).

All six of the winners said that this writing project wouldn’t be their last. Miyu and Flavia are both interested in writing a film; Emery and Audrey each want to publish a novel; Carson, Kaylee and Taylor want to keep expanding their creative reach.

According to Miyu, “I learned that there are ways to express emotions and tell a story through acting, emotion, and engaging with an audience.” Skills, she says, she wouldn’t have learned without the opportunity to write a play.

An opportunity that may one day lead them to Broadway.

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS AND FINALISTS, VISIT DENVERCENTER.ORG/NEWS-CENTER.

CHASE THE SPARK!

Experience the rush of Broadway’s biggest touring hits — from Tony Award-winning sensations to the season’s most electrifying new arrivals — as they burst to life with music, movement, and magnetic storytelling. Each performance delivers a spark worth chasing and a connection worth capturing. Your seat awaits.

SUPPORT IN STYLE

No long programs. No endless speeches.

SATURDAY NIGHT ALIVE

Just pure celebration of the arts and the people who make it thrive.

Step into an evening of glamour and excitement with cocktails, an unforgettable performance, exquisite dining, and a high-energy after-party at the DCPA’s most impactful fundraising event of the year.

Reserve

JUNE 13, 2026

BOOK MY SPOT

REFRESHED LEGACY: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

BY AMANDA L. ANDREI

MMaybe you saw the original performance on Broadway. Maybe you heard the music on a cassette or CD or through streaming — ripped a track to a mixtape or playlist to sing along to in your car. Or maybe a friend or sibling is a fan, wouldn’t stop talking about the chandelier, and brought you to the show. Whatever it may be, you’re swept up in the phenomenon that is The Phantom of the Opera

agency, autonomy, and presence of mind as opposed to just being a victim who’s seduced or manipulated.”

“Phantom has become cultural as opposed to just some theatrical musical event,” muses director Seth Sklar-Heyn. “It’s beyond the stage. It’s incredibly special.”

Since the debut of Cameron Mackintosh’s lavish production in 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s haunting story of the mysterious musical genius and his obsession with a talented young soprano has exhilarated and electrified audiences worldwide. Forty years later, a new cast balances the tension of honoring the original while simultaneously refreshing the experience for today’s spectators.

“There’s an incredible power that comes from nostalgia,” notes Sklar-Heyn, who helms the tour performances, based on original direction by Harold Prince and with choreography by Gillian Lynne. “It doesn’t need to mean dusty or tired — there is something vital about it. And for me, the nostalgia that audiences have for the show increases their own investment in the show. They have their own memory, and it’s incredibly strong.”

Done right, nostalgia has the opposite effect of making something feel outdated or mimicked. “It gives a reason for the performance to feel renewed because people want to see it,” observes Sklar-Heyn. “They want to relive an experience, and hopefully we’re now delivering a production that is enhanced in some way, making it even better than they remember it.”

The challenge of staging Phantom today comes from respecting those memories, while also rejuvenating the experience — all while sparking and tending to the fiery feelings that arise from watching the show.

“People will always have criticisms and make some generalizations about how the show tells the story of a mysterious masked man luring an ingenue to the basement of the Opera House,” Sklar-Heyn relates. “But I can tell you there is more to it and we talk about how to frame these human relationships for today without changing the story. And people have noticed it, such as Christine having more

Part of crafting the experience is through making small, incremental changes that all add up to a different kind of elegance. Little costume changes that feel familiar but new. Hand gestures or postures that emanate differently from an actor’s body. Back stories and names — that the audience might never learn — make the performers more than ensemble dancers at a masquerade.

There’s an incredible power that comes from nostalgia…. For me, the nostalgia that audiences have for the show increases their own investment in the show.

— SETH SKLAR-HEYN, DIRECTOR

Sklar-Heyn tells a story about one ensemble actor who suggested maintaining the identity of a specific character during a scene transition which wasn’t previously in the staging, and how as a result, “He’s creating more story — which means for an audience, you’re not just seeing people put on costumes and letting the costumes be the show. You’re seeing people be these characters and bring this world to life.”

Of the process, he adds, “From day one, we say: Create. Invent.”

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

MARCH 18-APRIL 5, 2026

BUELL THEATRE

ASL Interpreted, Audio Described, & Open Captioned performance: April 4 at 2pm

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

THURSDAY, MAY 7

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JUNE 25 - AUGUST 6, 2026 GET TICKETS NOW

SEASON NO. 39

ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS • JUNE 25 - 28, 2026

DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA • JULY 2 - 8, 2026

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA • JULY 10 - 17, 2026

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC • JULY 22 - 29, 2026

IMMERSIVE SERIES • JULY 13 - 14, 2026

CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES • JUNE 30 - JULY 27, 2026

CLASSICALLY UNCORKED • AUGUST 5 - 6, 2026

Chris Coleman, Artistic Director

Charles Varin, Managing Director

presents

NEXT TO NORMAL

MUSIC BY Tom Kitt

BOOK AND LYRICS BY Brian Yorkey WITH Giuliana Augello, Angélica Concepción, Randy Guiaya, Aidan Joyce, Ethan Peterson, Bryson Pope, James D. Sasser, Aléna Watters

STAGE MANAGERS: Corin Davidson, Malia Stoner

SCENIC DESIGN BY Klara Zieglerova

SOUND DESIGN BY Elisabeth Weidner

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT BY Matthew Campbell and Peggy Carey

COSTUME DESIGN BY Meghan Anderson Doyle

INTIMACY

CHOREOGRAPHY BY Jada Dixon

ORCHESTRATIONS BY Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt

MUSIC DIRECTION BY Jacob Carll

DIRECTED BY Nancy Keystone

LIGHTING DESIGN BY Paul Whitaker

CASTING BY Grady Soapes, CSA and Chad Murnane, CSA Murnane Casting

VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS BY AnnMarie Milazzo

The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.

THE WOLF THEATRE • APR 3 – MAY 3, 2026

Original Broadway Production Produced by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo and Second Stage Theatre

New York Premiere Produced by Second Stage Theatre, New York. February 2008

Carole Rothman, Artistic Director; Ellen Richard, Executive Director Next To Normal was subsequently produced by Arena Stage in November 2008. Developed at Village Theatre, Issaquah, WA Robb Hunt, Executive Producer; Steve Tomkins, Artistic Director

An earlier version was presented in the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Support for the development of Next to Normal was provided by the Jonathan Larson Foundation. Next to Normal is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

CAST

(In order of appearance)

Diana Goodman Aléna Watters

Gabe Goodman Ethan Peterson

Dan Goodman ........................................................................................................................................................... James D. Sasser

Natalie Goodman ......................................................................................................................................... Angélica Concepción

Henry ..................................................................................................................................................................................... Aidan Joyce

Doctor Fine/Doctor Madden/Understudy Dan Goodman Randy Guiaya

Understudy for Diana Goodman and Natalie Goodman Giuliana Augello

Understudy for Gabe Goodman, Henry and Doctor Fine/Doctor Madden Bryson Pope

NEXT TO NORMAL will be performed with one 15-minute intermission.

Associate Music Director ............................................................................................................................................ Dan Graeber

Associate Sound Designer ............................................................................................................................................Ryan Marsh

Disability Consultant Ben Raanan

Stage Manager Malia Stoner

Assistant Stage Manager Corin Davidson

Stage Management Apprentices Sage Goetsch, Dylan Hudson

The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers of the United States.

THE ORCHESTRA

Acoustic/Electric Bass Kim Bird

Acoustic/Electric Guitar Justin Francoeur

Drums/Percussion Shawn King

Cello Erin Patterson

Violin/Synthesizer .......................................................................................................................................................... Naomi Smith

Orchestra musicians are represented by the Denver Musicians Association AFM Local 20-623.

MUSICAL NUMBERS

ACT ONE

Prelude Orchestra

Just Another Day

Diana, Natalie, Gabe, Dan

Everything Else Natalie

Who’s Crazy/My Psychopharmacologist and I Dan, Diana, Doctor Fine

Perfect For You Henry, Natalie

I Miss the Mountains Diana

It’s Gonna Be Good Dan, Gabe, Diana, Natalie

He’s Not Here Dan

You Don’t Know Diana

I Am the One Dan, Gabe

Superboy and the Invisible Girl Natalie, Diana, Gabe

I’m Alive Gabe

Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I’m Falling

Doctor Madden, Dan, Gabe, Diana, Natalie

I Dreamed a Dance Diana

There’s a World Gabe

I’ve Been Dan, Gabe

Didn’t I See This Movie? Diana A Light in the Dark Dan, Diana

ACT TWO

Wish I Were Here

Diana, Natalie

Song of Forgetting Dan, Diana, Natalie

Hey #1 Henry, Natalie

Seconds and Years Doctor Madden, Dan, Diana

Better Than Before

Doctor Madden, Dan, Diana, Natalie

Aftershocks Gabe

Hey #2 Henry, Natalie

You Don’t Know (Reprise) Diana, Doctor Madden How Could I Ever Forget? Diana, Dan

It’s Gonna Be Good (Reprise) Dan, Diana

Why Stay? Diana, Natalie

A Promise Dan, Henry

I’m Alive (Reprise) Gabe

The Break .......................................................................................................................................................................................... Diana

Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I’m Falling (Reprise) ................................................... Doctor Madden, Diana, Gabe

Maybe (Next to Normal) ............................................................................................................................................................ Diana

Hey #3/Perfect for You (Reprise) ........................................................................................................................ Henry, Natalie

So Anyway ........................................................................................................................................................................................ Diana

I Am the One (Reprise) Dan, Gabe Light Full Company

ACTING COMPANY

(In order of appearance)

ALÉNA WATTERS (Diana Goodman) (She/Her). DCPA debut! Broadway: West Side Story (revival) and original Broadway companies of The Addams Family, Sister Act, The Cher Show, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Bad Cinderella. OffBroadway/Touring/Regional: NEWSical!, Pippin (first international), Chicago, Cinderella, Once Upon A Mattress, Come From Away, world premieres of The Prom (pre-Broadway), Ever After, Turn of the Century, Fairy Tale Christmas, Brooklyn (pre-Broadway), five years with USO Show Troupe. Was a Harlette for Bette Midler. Featured in critically acclaimed documentary The Standbys and 2024 release of first electro-swing musical concept album, Whisper Darkly. IG: @sassballchange/alenawatters.com

ETHAN PETERSON (Gabe Goodman) (He/Him) Selected Credits: The Great Emu War (Goodspeed Musicals), Rent (Mark), Newsies (Jack Kelly), Into the Woods (Baker), Grease (Sonny), Sweeney Todd, Trampoline: A New Musical Debut (54 Below). TV/Film: “Elsbeth.” Recently graduated from Penn State with a BFA Musical Theatre. Performing in the PSU vs University of Michigan football halftime performance. Special thanks to his mom and dad for the constant support and a huge thank you to Nicolosi and Co. for being the best agents! @ethanrpeterson

JAMES D. SASSER (Dan Goodman) is an award-winning actor, writer, and producer. Highlights: original cast of Teeth, Broadway’s Riverdance, Jesus Christ Superstar (Pilate), South Pacific (Emile), Sweeney Todd (Sweeney), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Lawrence). TV:

WHO’S WHO

“Succession,” “The Good Fight,” “Madam Secretary,” and more. Writing: musicals include Bottle Shock!, CUBAMOR, Looking for Christmas with Clint Black, and the operetta By Georges! Producing: Won two Tony awards and received 12 nominations for the Great Comet His voice can be heard in hundreds of audiobooks and commercials. Manhattan School of Music, RADA, and NYU-GMTWP for writing. He is thrilled to be at DCPA for the first time. He’s always home near the mountains. More @jamesdsasser.

ANGÉLICA CONCEPCIÓN

(Natalie Goodman) (She/Her) is excited to join the DCPA family for the first time! Originally from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, she recently earned her Bachelor of Music from Florida State University (Go Noles!). Collegiate credits include: 9 to 5: the Musical (Judy Bernly) and The Wolves (#00). Regional theatre credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Belle), Sister Act (Sister Mary Robert), Grease (Frenchie/Dance Captain), and Steel Magnolias (Annelle). She would like to thank Ellery, Eric, and Steph for being the best agents as well as her family for their constant support. @angelicajconcepcion

AIDAN JOYCE

(Henry) (He/Him) is a New York-based theater artist and Mets fan originally from Montclair, NJ. His credits include the world premiere musical A Wrinkle In Time at Arena Stage, Octet at Studio Theatre, Heather Christian’s None: A Practical Breviary at New York Stage and Film, RENT at Southern Plains Productions, and Spring Awakening at Monumental Theatre Company, which earned him a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah University. IG: @aidanjoyyce. Love to Mom, Dad, Cameron, and Maya.

RANDY GUIAYA (Doctor Fine/Doctor Madden/Understudy Dan Goodman) is thrilled be reunited with Nancy Keystone, having appeared in her award-winning production of Next to Normal at East West Players in 2017. Randy is a Los Angeles-based actor and voiceover artist. His voice has been heard on numerous commercials, jingles, narrations, and ADR for film, TV and videogames. Other theater credits: Pacific Overtures and Master Class (East West Players), Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (South Coast Repertory), and The Christians (Mark Taper Forum). TV: “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “9-1-1,” “General Hospital,” and “The Office.” Thanks Alice, Myra, Angela and Deb for shoving me out of my comfort zone.

GIULIANA AUGELLO (Understudy) (She/ Her) is over the moon to be working at the DCPA! Favorite credits: Jesus Christ Superstar 50th anniversary national tour, Bucks County Playhouse, Theatre Aspen (Henry Award nominee), The REV, New Works Provincetown, Axelrod PAC, and Sharon Playhouse. Co-founder of Next Stop Creatives, a multihyphenate production company committed to supporting artists at every stage of their creative process. Graduate of Syracuse University BFA MT and Shakespeare’s Globe Advanced Acting Program. All my love to Cole, blood and chosen family, and my PMA divas. Humbled and grateful. For my matriarchs. @giulianaaugello

BRYSON POPE (Understudy) (He/ Him). Regional credits: Pippin (Casa Mañana), Bridges of Madison County (Watertower Theatre), Million Dollar Quartet (Plaza Theatre Company). Other credits include: Phantom of the

Opera and West Side Story (Shine), The Odyssey and Bright Star (TCU). Currently working on getting his BFA at Texas Christian University. Go Frogs! Ecclesiastes 3:22 @bryson.pope_

PLAYWRIGHT

TOM KITT (Music) is a two-time Tony, two-time Emmy, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winner. As a musical theater composer, he has written the music for six Broadway shows: Next to Normal (Tony Award, Olivier nomination), If/Then (Tony nomination), Almost Famous (Tony nomination), Flying Over Sunset (Tony nomination), High Fidelity, and Bring it On, The Musical. His work for the stage has also been seen OffBroadway at Second Stage (Next to Normal, Superhero), The Public Theater (The Visitor, Shakespeare in the Park) and he has worked at some of the most prestigious regional theaters including The Old Globe, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, The Signature Theater, and ART. In addition, Tom’s Broadway credits as an orchestrator include: Next to Normal (Tony Award), Hell’s Kitchen (Tony nomination), The SpongeBob Musical (Tony nomination), Jagged Little Pill (Tony nomination), Almost Famous, Head Over Heels, Everyday Rapture, and American Idiot.

BRIAN YORKEY (Book and Lyrics) received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2009 Tony Award for Best Score, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Next to Normal and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. He partnered again with the Next to Normal team on If/ Then (Tony Award nominee for Best Score) starring Idina Menzel. Brian co-wrote the libretto for The Last Ship (Outer Critics nomination, with John Logan), with a score by Sting. He wrote lyrics for the Disney Theatricals musical adaptation of Freaky Friday, which also became a Disney Channel Original Movie. Brian most recently served as the Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner for the Netflix series “Echoes.” Prior to that, Brian was the Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner of “13 Reasons Why” for Netflix and Paramount Television. He has also directed for theatre and television. Brian is a graduate of Columbia University, where he was

artistic director of the Varsity Show, an alum of the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild, the WGA, and the DGA.

DIRECTOR

NANCY KEYSTONE is a Los Angelesbased theatre and visual artist, filmmaker, and educator. She is thrilled to return to DCTC after directing Indecent in 2019. The founding artistic director of Critical Mass Performance Group, she’s the ensemble’s playwright, director, and scenic designer. Among her projects with CMPG: Mariology (Mixed Blood Theatre and Boston Court Pasadena), Ameryka (CTG’s Kirk Douglas Theatre), Alcestis, Apollo (CTG and Portland Center Stage), A Jordan Downs Illumination with Cornerstone Theater Company. She is a recipient of a Doris Duke Artist Award, United States Artists Hoi Fellowship, and TCG’s Alan Schneider Director Award among other honors. nancykeystone.com

CREATIVE TEAM

MATTHEW CAMPBELL (Production Manager) is grateful and honored to support, collaborate, and work with our brilliant and outstanding production team, shops, crews, artisans and guest artists to create extraordinary theatre. Previously a stage manager at a few stops in the mid-west as well as numerous Colorado theatres and Assistant Professor of Theatre at Brooklyn College in New York. Joined the DCPA stage management team in 2010 and after several years moved over to the production management team. Every show along the way is a favorite, but some DCPA and Off-Center highlights have been  Sweet & Lucky, The 12, Lord of the Flies, Animal Crackers, Frankenstein, The Book of Will, Rattlesnake Kate,  and  The Chinese Lady.

PEGGY CAREY (Production Manager) is the newest of the PM team, joining as Associate Production Manager in 2022. Before then, she worked at The Public Theater (New York, NY) as an Associate Production Manager where she managed readings, developments, and events, and hired stage management teams. Additionally, she helped to originate the Ithaca Fringe Festival as Production Director and has also

worked at Actor’s Workshop of Ithaca, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Sie Film Center, and the Kitchen Theatre and studied in both London and the National Theatre Institute.

JACOB CARLL (Music Director) (He/ Him). Select Credits include: Mamma Mia (Broadway), Elf (National Tour), She Loves Me (Bucks County Playhouse); White Christmas and A Christmas Carol (Tuacahn Center for the Arts); Little Shop of Horrors (South Coast Repertory), Next To Normal (Barrington Stage), Kinky Boots (Riverside Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (Geva), Side By Side By Sondheim (Northern Stage), South Pacific (Cape Playhouse), and many shows at the Sharon Playhouse in Connecticut. Upcoming credits include: Come From Away (Stages St. Louis) and Frozen (Northern Stage). Previous Faculty in the Musical Theatre departments at New York University and Syracuse University. BM in Vocal Performance from SUNY Potsdam, MM in Vocal Performance from New York University - Steinhardt. Co-founder of Broadway Ensemble Project (@ broadwayensembleproject). Follow at @jacobcarllonthekeys!

JADA DIXON (Intimacy Director) (She/Her) is a newly trained intimacy director dedicated to fostering trust, clarity, and empowerment in the rehearsal room. An accomplished actor, director, and theatre leader, Jada brings strong communication skills, thoughtful collaboration, and a deep commitment to consent-based practices to every project. She is passionate about creating spaces where performers feel supported, heard, and safe to do their best work. Jada has completed professional training with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC) and is committed to advancing ethical, inclusive, and artist-centered storytelling across the performing arts. 28thandmcreativellc.com

MEGHAN ANDERSON DOYLE (Costume Designer) (She/Her). At the DCPA: (30+ productions/19 seasons) with the DCPA. Select credits: Cowboys and East Indians, Sweet & Lucky: Echo, Hamlet, Rubicon, The Chinese Lady, A Doll’s House, A Doll’s House, Part II, American Mariachi, The Wild Party, Sweet & Lucky, Xanadu, and Act of God

Other select credits: Noises Off!, The Drowning Girls, and others (Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities); The Book of Will, King Lear, and others (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); The Secretary, The Cake, The Brother/ Sister Plays, and others (Curious Theatre Company). Special Awards: Henry Award for Outstanding Costume Design – A Doll’s House 2020. Training: BA-University of Denver, MFA-University of Florida. DoyleCostumeDesign.com

CHAD MURNANE, CSA (Casting) is a New York-based creative professional and the founder of Murnane Casting. Previously, Chad enjoyed six years as a casting director at Binder Casting, a renowned office within the theatre industry, where he collaborated on dozens of high-profile projects. Career highlights include casting Into the Woods (Hollywood Bowl), Emojiland (Off-Broadway at The Duke), along with national/ international tours of Lincoln Center Theater’s My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Tootsie, and the Tony Awardwinning revival of The Color Purple On film, Chad worked on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and the reboot of Friday the 13th (Paramount).

GRADY SOAPES, CSA (Casting) is the Director of Casting and Artistic Producer with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Grady has cast over 100 DCPA productions and workshops including Rattlesnake Kate, Theater of the Mind, The Chinese Lady, The Who’s Tommy, and The Wild Party. Choreography credits include A Christmas Carol (3 seasons), Twelfth Night, Goodnight Moon, Anna Karenina, As You Like It, Drag Machine, Lord of the Butterflies, DragON (Denver Center); A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Natasha, Pierre and…, Into the Woods, The Liar (Arvada Center); Comedy of Errors (Colorado Shakespeare Festival). Grady also works as a Casting Director for Sylvia Gregory Casting where he has cast multiple commercials, TV, film, and video game projects.

ELISABETH WEIDNER (Sound Designer). At the DCPA: Little Shop of Horrors Broadway: Funny Girl (Associate Sound Designer). OffBroadway: American Rot (LaMama), White Rose and The Magnificent 7 (Theatre Row), F*ck 7th Grade

(Wild Project - Henry Hewes and Broadway World nominee), Trevor Stage 42 (ASD). Pre-Broadway: Water For Elephants (Associate Sound Designer, Alliance Theatre), Hood (Sound Designer, Asolo Repertory Theatre), Resident Sound Designer/Composer: PCPA-Pacific Conservatory Theatre 2009-2019 (Selected), Watcher In The Woods (Regional Sound Designer, Urban Stages), Anthony Rapp’s Without You (Theater Tokyo), Escape From Peligro Island (First Stage), Avenue Q (The Oregon Cabaret), The 39 Steps (The Ensemble Theatre). Affiliations: Local USA 829 IATSE, TSDCA Vice Co-Chair (2020-2024). Elisabethanneweidner.com.

PAUL WHITAKER (Lighting Designer). At the DCPA: Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf. New York credits include work at The Public Theater, MCC Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company and others. Regional credits include The Guthrie, The Alley, Yale Repertory Theatre, The Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, La Jolla Playhouse, The Children’s Theatre Company, The Long Wharf Theatre, The Huntington Theatre Company, Center Stage, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Minnesota Opera, San Diego Opera, and others. Paul is a Partner at Schuler Shook a lighting design, theatre planning, and audio video design firm. www.schulershook.com www.paulwhitakerdesigns.com

KLARA ZIEGLEROVA (Scenic Designer). At the DCPA: Rattlesnake Kate and Much Ado About Nothing. Broadway: Sister Act, The Farnsworth Invention, Jersey Boys, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. Numerous productions in regional theatres all over the United States. London’s West End: Sister Act and Jersey Boys. Multiple productions in Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy, UK and Ireland. Tony Award nomination (Jersey Boys), The Green Room Award for Best Design of a Musical (Australia), The Best Set Design of the Theatregoers’ Choice Award (London), Drammy Award for Best Set Design (USA), the Carbonell Award for Best Set Design (USA). Lumen Award for New World Stages in NYC.

STAGE MANAGEMENT

CORIN DAVIDSON (Assistant Stage Manager) Over 15 productions at the DCPA including: Sweet & Lucky: Echo, The Reservoir, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, Rubicon, The Color Purple, Theater of the Mind, Choir Boy, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Wildfire, twenty50, Indecent, Corduroy, The Who’s Tommy, The Secret Garden, Sweeney Todd, Lookingglass Alice. At DCPA Cabaret: An Act of God. Other Theatres: Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Seven Devils Playwrights Conference, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, Renaissance Theatre Works, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Training: BFA Stage Management, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

MALIA STONER (Stage Manager) (She/Her). At the DCPA: Godspeed, Little Shop of Horrors, The Suffragette’s Murder, The Lehman Trilogy, Rubicon, The Color Purple, The Chinese Lady, Rattlesnake Kate, A Christmas Carol, A Doll’s House, The SantaLand Diaries, Colorado New Play Summit Other theaters: Mousetrap, Waitress, I Do! I Do!, Million Dollar Quartet (Arvada Center); Aubergine, Small Mouth Sounds, Around the World in 80 Days (TheatreWorks); The Winter’s Tale, One Man, Two Guvnors (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); Beehive the 60’s Musical (Lone Tree Arts Center); Lab 11: You Enjoy Myself (Local Theatre Company); Gypsy, Addams Family, Aida, Godspell (Little Theatre of the Rockies); Coppelia (Colorado Ballet Academy); Nutcracker (Colorado Dance Theatre).

THEATRE COMPANY LEADERSHIP TEAM

CHRIS COLEMAN (Artistic Director) is passionate about the connection between stories and community. He joined the DCPA Theatre Company as Artistic Director in November of 2017 and has directed Cowboys and East Indians, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Hamlet, A Little Night Music, Hotter Than Egypt, Much Ado About Nothing, Rattlesnake Kate, Twelfth Night, A Doll’s House, Anna Karenina, and Oklahoma!. Previously, Chris served as Artistic Director for Portland Center Stage in Oregon for 18 years. Under his leadership, PCS

renovated the city’s historic Armory into a new home, saw annual attendance nearly double, workshopped 52 new plays that went on to productions at over 100 theaters around the US and UK, and became a national leader in how theaters engage with their community.

In 1988, Chris founded Actor’s Express in Atlanta (in the basement of an old church), a company that continues to be a cultural force in the Southeast today. He has directed at major theaters across the country, including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Alliance Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, ACT/Seattle, the Asolo, Pittsburgh Public, 59E59, and New York Theater Workshop. He and his husband, actor/writer Rodney Hicks, live in Reunion. Since moving to Colorado, he has hiked Dominguez Canyon, wandered the Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde, explored a working mine in Creede, and rafted down the Arkansas River.

CHARLES VARIN (Managing Director) and his team are responsible for the administrative, financial, and business operations for Theatre Company and Off-Center productions and other artistic initiatives. Since joining the Theatre Company in 2006, he has played a major role in executing the artistic vision of the organization and facilitating the production of shows such as Theater of the Mind, Sweet & Lucky, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Sense & Sensibility the Musical, The 12, Sweeney Todd with DeVotchKa and many more. Charles is passionate about artistic innovation and firmly believes in DCPA’s long-standing commitment to new plays and new voices.

LICENSING

MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and

dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students. MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City with additional offices in London (MTI Europe) and Melbourne (MTI Australasia).

In addition to DCPA staff, the following crew worked on this production: Tyler Ballow, Jason Bushey, Gabriel Crites, Matthew Dugger, Kai Kramer, Nikki Mayer, Joe Motzkin, Ava Rast, Christina Tracey, Jack Yoder.

The Director and Fight Director are members of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Backstage and Ticket Services Employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada. (or I.A.T.S.E.)

The scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers in LORT Theatres are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is one of the largest non-profit theatre organizations in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, and musicals. In its 2024/25 season, the DCPA offered 988,930 guest experiences, generating a $390 million economic impact.

The Theatre Company is grateful for the funds provided by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Special thanks also to grants from the Helen G. Bonfils Foundation; and contributions from corporations, foundations and individuals. The Theatre Company is a division of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a non-profit organization serving the public through the performing arts.

The Theatre Company operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States; and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. The Theatre Company also operates under an agreement with Denver Theatrical Stage Employees Union, Local No. 7 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada.

The Theatre Company is constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for not-for-profit resident theatre companies.

TAKING PHOTOS AT THE THEATRE

We welcome you to take photos in the theatre before and after the performance. If you post on social media, please credit, and tag the DCPA and the design team:

@denvercenter

Music: Tom Kitt

Book and Lyrics: Brian Yorkey

Director: Nancy Keystone

Music Director: Jacob Carll

Scenic Designer: Klara Zieglerova

Costume Designer: Meghan Anderson Doyle

@mdoyle19

Lighting Designer: Paul Whitaker

Sound Designer: Elisabeth Weidner

Intimacy Direction: Jada Dixon

@jsuzanne_dixon

Casting: Grady Soapes, CSA @grayzvader and Chad Murnane, CSA/Murnane Casting

Photos and the video and/or audio recording during any part of the performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited

PLEASE BE ADVISED

• LATECOMERS and those exiting the theatre are seated at predetermined breaks in designated areas.

• CHILDREN 4+ are welcome in our theatres and must be ticketed.

• ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES, LARGE PRINT PROGRAMS & BOOSTER SEATS are available in most theatres. Ask an usher to direct you.

• BRAILLE PROGRAMS are available with 2 weeks’ notice to accessibility@dcpa.org

The costumes, wigs, lighting, props, furniture,scenic construction, scenic painting, sound and special effects used in connection with this production were constructed and coordinated by the Theatre Company’s Production Staff.

GO BEHIND THE SCENES

Find out how costume designers, set builders, propmakers, and technical specialists create our shows from scratch.

Behind-the-Scenes Tours take place Mondays and Saturdays at 10am

During these walking tours, you will experience recent updates to our storied performance spaces and discover the people and processes that bring theatre to life.

$12 • 2-hour guided tour

A BIG STAGE FOR BIG EMOTIONS BRINGING NEXT TO NORMAL TO THE WOLF THEATRE

BY COLLIN VAN SON

TThere are many things in life that we want to be normal. Morning commutes. Dental exams. Parents when they first meet our significant others. But there are also certain contexts where we like to be surprised — the theatre being one of them. So when director Nancy Keystone admits that “I honestly don’t know what the hell normal is,” that might be a good thing. Especially when directing the emotional, musical, and pharmacological rollercoaster that is Next to Normal

Set in an anonymous American suburb, Next to Normal follows the highs and lows of the Goodman family as they navigate mother Diana’s severe bipolar disorder. For Keystone, who directed an earlier production of the rock musical with the Los Angeles-based East West Players, the story’s volatile mood swings are part of the appeal. “What’s great,” she says, “is there will be a really funny thing, and then it turns on a dime and it’s just devastating…. [It shows how] people in the most dire circumstances find the humor and the absurdity.”

Next to Normal also marks Keystone’s return to the Denver Center, where in 2019 she directed the Paula Vogel play Indecent in the Kilstrom Theatre. This time, however, she is working with a larger — and as she describes it, a more challenging — canvas. “The Wolf Theatre is a three-quarter thrust,” explains Keystone, in reference to the way the stage extends into the audience, “which is, I think, the hardest configuration to work in.”

Compared to the radial symmetry of the Kilstrom, a three-quarter thrust like the Wolf produces very different sightlines for different parts of the audience. Extra care is required to ensure that every seat affords a good view of the action. “I try to figure it out with the actors,” says Keystone. “With the physical bodies in space.”

But it’s not just its shape that sets the Wolf apart from other Denver Center spaces — it’s also its size. “It’s really big for the actors,” says Keystone. “They have to be in wildly different places on the stage and appear and disappear.”

Adding to the difficulty is Next to Normal’s rapid-fire pacing. “A lot of stuff happens simultaneously,” says Keystone. “The scenes have to flow very quickly. There’s not a lot of transition time.” That means mapping out routes that the actors can follow up, down, behind, and under the stage while saving enough breath to launch back into song.

Fortunately, Keystone is no stranger to demanding environments. As the founding artistic director of Critical Mass Performance Group, she’s put on shows in bars, basements, and abandoned military barracks. While the Wolf’s large size may pose its own challenges, Keystone has learned to appreciate the little things. “It already has lights,” she says of the Wolf. “It has a sound system. It has ways to fly things in and out — it’s a theatre.”

As Keystone sees it, the physical scale of the Wolf is a natural fit for the emotional scale of Next to Normal. Though the story takes place against the familiar backdrop of American suburbia, the characters’ interior landscapes are far more sweeping and exotic. “The human psyche is very epic,” says Keystone. “The places that the characters go, especially Diana’s character — she has all these kind of delusions and fantasy sequences…. I love the epicness of the characters’ journeys.”

Finding those journeys, what Keystone calls “each path through the play,” is no small task. “I liken it to sculpting,” she says. “You keep chipping away at detail, and the more you chip the more detail you get.” In this case, however,

Keystone’s tools aren’t chisels but questions: “You keep asking questions, and you keep pushing to find a more truthful moment.”

Much like actual sculpting, it can be a time-consuming process. “I tend to push and push and push and not stop until basically an hour before we open. That’s one of the first things I tell people is we’re going to rehearse on opening night and there might even be changes.”

Changes on opening night? “I mean, probably there won’t be,” admits Keystone. “But you never know. It’s a constant process of discovery.”

Asked what she hopes to discover in her second production of Next to Normal, Keystone points to Diana and the challenges of understanding a character who so often struggles to understand herself. It’s a “psychological, physical, spiritual conundrum,” she says. “She has so many different kinds of moments onstage.”

The human psyche is very epic. The places that the characters go, especially Diana’s character — she has all these kind of delusions and fantasy sequences…. I love the epicness of the characters’ journeys.

— NANCY KEYSTONE, DIRECTOR

Ultimately, however, “it’s as much about the family as it is about Diana.” And among the members of the Goodman family, each struggling and striving in their own ways, Keystone observes that there is no single version of what normal looks like. For daughter Natalie, “it’s like, ‘Can we just have dinner where there’s not a major crisis?’ ” Whereas for husband Dan, a normal life is one where his wife is capable of driving herself around town.

As for Nancy Keystone, director and storyteller, normal may simply be another work of fiction. “I’ve never felt normal in my life,” she says. “The longer I live, the more I really wonder if anything is normal or anybody is normal.”

In other words, feelings of abnormality might just be the most normal thing of all.

NEXT TO NORMAL

APRIL 3 – MAY 3, 2026 • WOLF THEATRE

ASL Interpreted, Audio Described, & Open Captioned performance: April 19 at 1:30pm Stay for a post-show discussion: April 23 & 29

6 CORE VALUES. 1 DENVER CENTER.

1.BELONGING

We build a respectful and empathetic culture through our active commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

2.COLLABORATION

We produce our best possible work together by engaging people with diverse perspectives, lived experiences and talents around our shared goals.

3.COMMUNITY

We cultivate open, responsive, affirming relationships and partnerships for a greater collective impact.

4.CREATIVITY

We embrace innovation and imagination in our daily work to advance our mission.

5.INTEGRITY

We act responsibly, with honesty, accountability and transparency.

6.SUSTAINABILITY

We prioritize the wellbeing of our team, our finances and the environment to ensure our thriving future.

Learn more about what drives the DCPA, and where we’re going, at denvercenter.org/plan

DaVita is a proud member of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and is grateful for the opportunity to support the Theatre for Young Audiences program and the local arts.

PREMIERE ACCESS MEMBER AND PROUD SPONSOR OF THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

HHeadquartered in Denver, DaVita is a health care provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. As a comprehensive kidney care provider, DaVita has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for more than 25 years, caring for patients at every stage of their kidney health journey — from slowing the progression of kidney disease to helping to support transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home.

With more than 20 care locations in the Denver metro area, DaVita is dedicated to improving health for people with chronic kidney disease and fostering vibrant communities in Colorado, across the nation, and around the world. The DaVita Giving Foundation is a national, impact-driven foundation focused on healthcare career pathways, kidney disease prevention and education, and social drivers of health. Its work helps to drive a positive influence on the communities the company serves.

DaVita is a proud member of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and is grateful for the opportunity to support the Theatre for Young Audiences program and the local arts.

PROUD PARTNER OF THE DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

“At CBS Colorado, we shine a spotlight on what’s happening at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and across Colorado’s vibrant arts and cultural communities. We recognize the powerful role the arts play in shaping our state — bringing people together, strengthening local economies, and enriching everyday life. CBS Colorado is proud to support and celebrate the creativity that helps make Colorado a place where people want to live, work, and thrive.

– Kristine Strain VP Station Manager and News Director, CBS Colorado

Breaking News, First Alert Weather & Your Reporters... Covering Colorado First.

IN DOWNTOWN DENVER

Three-course Pre-Theatre Menu for $60 per person with an optional wine pairing for $30

range

Complimentary valet parking and dessert with purchase of entrée

EVENTS

THAT MAKE A

DIFFERENCE

FUNDRAISERS AT DCPA

As a mission-driven non-profit organization, we know firsthand how to craft memorable breakfasts, luncheons, black-tie galas, and retreats.

Take advantage of our special non-profit rates for your organization’s next event.

We are so grateful to our partners and to the thousands of donors and event participants over the years that have helped to improve and enrich the lives of those in our community.

— THE DENVER POST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

PROUD SEASON SPONSOR OF THE DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

TThe Denver Post is proud to support the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, both through sponsorship of its acclaimed theatre productions as well as with grant funding through The Denver Post Community Foundation. The longstanding partnership with DCPA has given countless individuals of all ages, the opportunity to experience and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

The Denver Post Community Foundation believes in giving back to the communities in which it serves and proudly supports hundreds of nonprofits’ programs and events. Support is given in many ways: through The Denver Post Community Foundation, employee volunteering, and inkind advertising.

The Denver Post Community Foundation, a recognized 501 (c)(3) nonprofit agency, raises funds through individual and corporate donations, through its unique Signature Events and Programs and through the annual holiday Season To Share campaign. The overall mission is to improve and enrich the lives of those in the Denver community through support of programs that benefit arts and culture; children and youth; education and literacy; and the provision of basic human services. To date, more than $13,250,000 has been raised and distributed.

• Signature Events and Programs

These well-established events and programs have become staples in the community. They offer partners, participants and volunteers something unique each year. They include: Pen & Podium Literary Lecture Series, Passport To The Arts, and the Colorado State Spelling Bee

• The Denver Post Season To Share

The Denver Post Season To Share holiday fundraising campaign supports metro Denver nonprofit organizations that help low-income children, families, and individuals move out of poverty toward stability and self-sufficiency. Each year, grants are awarded to more than 50 deserving nonprofits with programs focused on children and youth, health and wellness, homelessness, and hunger. These grants are made possible through the generosity of Denver Post readers, the broader community, corporate donors, and our valued partners. Donations are matched and accepted year-round. To learn more, visit seasontoshare.com .

Together We Can Make A Difference denverpostcommunity.com

DCPA TEAM

DCPA

Janice Sinden President & CEO

Donna Hendricks Executive Assistant, President & CEO

Julie Schumaker Manager, Board Relations

ACCOUNTING & FINANCE

Jane Williams CFAO

Sara Brandenburg Director, Accounting Services

Jennifer Jeffrey Director, Financial Planning & Analysis

Kristina Monge Associate Accountant

Jennifer Siemers Director, Accounting

BROADWAY & CABARET

John Ekeberg Executive Director

Administration

Ashley Brown Business Manager

Alicia Bruce General Manager

Lisa Prater Operations Manager

Garner Galleria Theatre

Abel Becerra Technical Director

Jason Begin+, Anna Hookana+ Core Stagehands

DEVELOPMENT

Jamie Clements Vice President

Sarah Darlene Manager, Grants & Reports

Julia Dunn Manager, Donor Engagement & Legacy Giving

Kara Erickson-Stiemke Manager, Annual Giving & Stewardship

Emily Kettlewell Director, Operations

Caitie Maxwell Senior Director, Major Gifts

Marc Ravenhill Director, Donor Relations

Sarah Smith Coordinator

Megan Stewart Associate Director, Special Events

Jazzmin Bonner Yale Management Fellow

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Allison Watrous Executive Director

Stuart Barr Technical Director

Leslie Channell Director, Business Operations

Lyndsay Corbett Teaching Artist & Manager, Bobby G

María Corral Director, Community Engagement

Heather Curran Teaching Artist & Manager, Playwriting

Elliot Davis Evening Registrar & Office Coordinator

Rachel Ducat Executive Assistant & Business Manager

Rya Dyes Registrar & On-Site Class Manager

Gavin Juckette Teaching Artist & Manager, TYA Engagement & Music

Timothy McCracken Head of Acting

Rick Mireles Manager, Community Engagement

David Saphier Teaching Artist & Manager, In-School Programming

Charlotte Talbert Librarian

Rachel Taylor Teaching Artist & Manager, Literary Engagement & Resiliency

Justin Walvoord Teaching Artist & Manager, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

Samuel Wood Director, Education & Curriculum Development

EVENT SERVICES

Tara Miller Event Sales & Operations Director

Brook Nichols Event Technical Director

Aidan Gagner Video Engineer

Michael Harris Lighting Designer

Stori Heleen-O’Foley Event Technical Manager

Shane Hotle Audio Engineer

Kris Lawan, Savannah Singleton Event Captains

Danielle Levine, Blair Quiring Senior Sales & Event Managers

Jacob Noon, Phil Rohrbach Sales & Event Managers

Benjamin Peitzer Event Technical Lead

Kaden Richter Audio Engineer

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Lisa Roebuck Vice President For security purposes, the IT team has been omitted.

MARKETING & SALES

Angela Lakin Vice President

Whitney Testa Executive Assistant, Marketing & Broadway

Communications

Suzanne Yoe Director

Heidi Bosk, Brittany Gutierrez Associate Directors

Todd Metcalf Media Producer

Creative Services

Kyle Malone Director

Sofia Contreras,

Lucas Kreitler Graphic Designers

Paul Koob Senior Graphic Designer

Noelle Norris Traffic Coordinator

Digital

Michael Ryan Leuthner Director

Erin Bunyard Senior Strategist

Harper Anne Finch Manager, Social Media

Hannah Selwyn Manager, Email

Sergio von Kretschmann Manager, Web

Insight & Strategy

Emily Kent Director

Dan McNulty Analyst

Marketing

Claire Graves Director

Emily Lozow Associate Director

Maddie Lamb, Emmy VanLangevelde, Julie Whelan Managers

Mikayla Woods Coordinator

Ticketing & Audience Services

Jennifer Lopez Director

Jessica Alverson*, Zeah Edmonds*,

Lauren Estes*, Amanda Foust*, Jen Gray*,

Noah Jungferman*, Oliver Knight*, Reagan Luchte*, Alix Maulitz*, Claudia Ruizesparza*, Holly Stigen*, Asheala Tasker*, Rob Warner* Ticket Agents

Kirsten Anderson*, Scott Lix*, Liz Sieroslawski*, Greg Swan* Subscription Agents

Jon Collins, D.J. Dennis Manager, Subscription

Edmund Gurule*, Brett O’Neill*

Hayley Solano*, Andrew Sullivan*, Bronwen VanOrdstrand*, Alfonso Vazquez*, Max McCord* Counter/Show Leads

Billy Dutton Associate Director, Operations

Katie Davis, Claire Hayes,

Ella Mann Managers, Box Office

Chris Leech VIP Ticketing Associate

Katie Spanos Associate Director, Subscriber Services

Group Sales

Jessica Bergin Associate Director

Elias Lopez,

Valery Owen Associates, Group Sales & Education

OFF-CENTER

Charlie Miller Founder

OPERATIONS

Sarah Arzberger,

Danielle Freeman Managers

Aaron Chavez Lead

Ruben Cruz, Jordan Latouche Engineers

Simone Gordon Director

Kyle Greufe Senior Analyst

Maria Herwagen Junior Analyst

Brandon LeMarr Associate Director

Alison Orthel, Tara Perticone Analysts

Joseph Reecher Senior Engineer

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Laura Maresca CPCO

Equity & Organization Culture

Seán Kroll Specialist

Human Resources

Brian Carter Senior Business Partner

Andrew Guilder Recruiter & HR Generalist

Michaela Johnson Mailroom Assistant

Paul Johnson Manager, Payroll & Compliance

Jocelyn Martinez Business Partner

Kinsey Scholl Manager, Operations

THEATRE COMPANY

Administration

Charles Varin Managing Director

Emily Diaz Business Admin./ Asst. Company Manager

Jessica Eckenrod Line Producer

Alex Koszewski Company Manager

Ann Marshall General Manager

Artistic

Chris Coleman Artistic Director

Grady Soapes Artistic Producer & Casting Director

Leean Kim Torske Director, Literary Programs

Madison Cook-Hines Literary Assistant

Costume Crafts

Kevin Copenhaver Director

Chris Campbell Assistant

Costume Shop

Janet MacLeod Director/Design Associate

Meghan Anderson Doyle Design Associate

Katarina Kosmopoulos First Hand

Ingrid Ludeke, Carolyn Plemitscher Drapers

House Crew

James Berman+, Will King, Dave Mazzeno+, Kyle Moore+, Heather Sparling+, Matt Wagner+ Stagehands

Joseph Price+, Kelley Reznik+ Technicians

Lighting Design

Charles MacLeod Director

Connor Baker+ Production Electrician

Lily Bradford Assistant

Paint Shop

Kristin Hamer MacFarlane Charge Scenic Artist

Melanie Rentschler, Sasha Seaman Scenic Artists

Production

Jeff Gifford Director

Julie Brou Administrative Assistant/ Office Manager

Matthew Campbell Production Manager

Peggy Carey Production Manager

Prop Shop

Meghan Markiewicz Supervisor

Sara Pugh Associate Supervisor

Bennet Goldberg, Ashley Lawler Artisans

Adena Rice.

Scene Shop

Eric Moore Technical Director

Albert “Stub” Allison, Robert L. Orzolek, Josh Prues Associate Technical Directors

Jeremy Banthoff, Tyler D. Clark, Kyle Scoggins Scenic Technicians

Wynn Pastor Scenic Technician & Purchasing Agent

Louis Fernandez III Lead Scenic Technician

Brian “Marco” Markiewicz Lead Carpenter

Scenic Design

Lisa Orzolek Director

Nicholas Renaud Assistant

Sound Design & Technology

Alex Billman Supervisor

Meagan Holdeman+, Timothy Schoeberl+, Dimitri Soto+ Technicians

Elijah Ruddick Sound & Technology Assistant

Stage Management

Anne Jude Supervisor

Chandra R.M. Anthenill, Wayne Breyer, Corin Davidson, Kristin Dwyer, Elizabeth Ann Goodman, Harper Hadley, Sage Hughes, Nick Mason, Melissa J. Michelson, Christine Rose Moore, Nick Nyquist, Brooke Redler, Malia Stoner Stage Managers

Sage Goetsch, Dylan Hudson, Hannah Iverson, Casey Pitts Apprentices

Wardrobe

Heidi Echtenkamp Supervisor

Robin Appleton^, Amber Krimbel^, Lauren LaCasse^, Lisa Parsons Wagner , Nicole Watts^, Kami Williams^ Dressers

Wigs

Diana Ben-Kiki Supervisor

Abby Schmidt^, Marisa Sorce^ Hair/Wig Technicians

VENUE OPERATIONS

Glen Lucero Vice President

Kristi Horvath Director

Merry Davis Financial Manager

Jane Deegan Administrator

Samantha Egle Manager, Event Operations

Facilities

Craig Smith Director

Dwight Barela, Mark Dill, Bryan Faciane, John Howard, Iver Johnson Engineers

Ana Esparza, Saleem As-Saboor, Adriana Fuentes, Carmen Molina, Juan Loya Molina, Judith Primero Molina, Blanca Primero Custodians

Michael Kimbrough Manager, Engineering

Oscar Fraire Manager, Custodial

Brian McClain Supervisor, Custodial

Patron Experience

Kaylyn Kriaski Manager

LeiLani Lynch, Aaron McMullen, Stacy Norwood, Wendy Quintana, Kelci Rigsby, Valerie Schaefer, Ashli Townsend Managers on Duty

Kelly Breuer, Nora Caley, Robin Lander, Melanie Mason, Barbara Pooler, Ayden Smith House Managers

Safety & Security

Quentin Crump Director

Timothy Allen, Jodi Benavides Lead Security Officers

David Bright, Ariana Cuevas, Acura Holt, Ethan Kemberlin, Jack Leatherwood, Ian Nelson, Glenn Powell, Ashley Skillman, Zach Stemley, Pamela Winston, Tori Witherspoon Security Specialists

Prop Carpenter