NUNSENSE
The Mega
Musical
OPENING JUNE
26 AT 8:30
and playing through JULY
8
Directed
by ERIC PETERSEN
Produced
by BRENDAN RAGOTZY
It’s
habit forming!
(Augusta,
MI) The talented Dan Goggin has done it
again!! The Barn Theatre will opens Dan Goggin’s “Nunsense the Mega
Musical” June 26. This most recent of the “Nunsense” musicals has been
“super-sized” with several additional characters, an updated storyline, new
lyrics, and a new song! The original five nuns are joined in their hilarious
escapades by none other than the infamous convent cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, and by
other characters of the convent school to guide you through a laugh-a-minute
evening of “chatechismic” fun! Scott Burkell will once again portray Sister Mary
Regina the Mother Superior, with Penelope Alex as Sister Hubert. Rounding out the cast will be Lisa Marie
Morabito as Sister Robert Anne, Emily May Smith as Sister Mary Amnesia, first
year apprentice Megan MacPhee as Sister Mary Leo and Mychelle Hopkins as Sister
Julia Child of God, as well as several of the Barn’s apprentice company. The
Little Sisters of Hoboken’s antics, characters, and music will keep you smiling,
laughing, and humming from beginning to end!
Dan Goggin, a former seminarian from
Alma,
Michigan, spent a great deal of his life
around nuns. He first
created a greeting card series
featuring Marilyn Farina portraying Mother Superior which inspired the first
“Nunsense”. He then went on
to great success and wrote “Messahugganuns”, “Nuncrackers”, Nunsations,
“Nunsense II”, “Nunsense Ah-Men” and “Nunsense Jamboree” all of which share with
us “the humor of the nun”!
“Nunsense
the Mega Musical” is directed by Eric Petersen and choreographed by Larry Nye.
The Musical Director is Micah Young. Doug Blickle is
Scenic Designer and Kate Irvine Mills has designed Costumes. Garrylee McCormick
is the Hair/Wig Designer. Properties are designed by James B. Knox and Lights
are designed by Adam Levine. Tim
Crews is the Sound Designer. Technical Direction is by Fred
Gillette.
Performances for “Nunsense the Mega Musical” run through
July 8th and are
Tuesday through Friday at 8:30
PM,
Saturday at 6:00
PM
and 9:00
PM,
and Sunday at 5:00
PM.
Enjoy refreshments in the Rehearsal Shed Lounge with friends before the
show, during intermission and after the show. Enjoy a light snack while being
entertained by the free cabaret-style show in the Rehearsal Shed Lounge after
the main stage performance.
The
Barn Theatre is located on M-96, west of Augusta.
Tickets are $29.00 for all performances and Visa and MasterCard are
accepted. Group prices available. The box office is open daily from
10:00
am-10:00 pm.
For tickets or more information please call (269)
731-4121.
####
Cast List
Reverend Mother Mary
Regina............... SCOTT
BURKELL
Sister Mary Hubert.................................
PENELOPE ALEX
Sister Robert Anne................................. LISA
MARIE MORABITO
Sister Mary Amnesia.............................. EMILY
MAY SMITH
Sister Mary Leo.....................................
MEGAN MacPHEE
Sister Julia, Child of
God........................
MYCHELLE HOPKINS
Sister Mary Brendan............................... COURTNEY
REED
Sister Mary Luke....................................
KATHERINE WEATHERFORD
Sister Mary Wilhelm............................... EMMI
HILGER
Sister Mary Virgil...................................
MALLORY LANE
CAST BIOS
SCOTT BURKELL
– Sister Mary Regina
Scott is celebrating his 25th Barn season
after another eventful year in New
York. Scott
and Barnie Paul Loesel’s new musical, ELLA MINNOW PEA, is now complete and had a
major reading in May.
Burkell/Loesel songs continue to be in-demand for cabaret and concert
artists such as Susan Egan, Rebecca Luker and Kristin Chenowith. Barn favorite Marin Mazzie and her
husband Jason Danieley recorded a couple of selections for their “Opposite You”
CD. Scott also just finished a run
as Cole Porter in RED, HOT,
AND COLE for the Beaufort Performing Arts in
Beaufort, SC.
He also played various roles in the Broadway and First National Tour of the
musical TITANIC. Here in
Augusta his career has been
unforgettable. Some faves include
Molina in KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN, Georg in SHE LOVES ME, Felix in THE ODD
COUPLE, Seymour in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS,
the other half of Tuna, Texas in both GREATER TUNA and A TUNA CHRISTMAS, and
perhaps his all-time gem, Riff-Raff in THE ROCKY HORROR
SHOW.
Scott’s credits last season include starring in 1776, ESCANABA IN DA
MOONLIGHT, co-starring (opposite Joe Aiello) in both GREATER TUNA and OUT OF
ORDER, and directing both
OKLAHOMA! and
GYPSY.
PENELOPE ALEX – Sister Mary Hubert
In
her 21 seasons, Penelope has more than established herself on the Barn
stage. Her resume here is
highlighted by a series of compelling performances: Aldonza in
MAN OF LA MANCHA, Maria in LEND ME A TENOR,
and Janet in our first two productions of THE ROCKY HORROR
SHOW come to mind, as do her own favorites,
such as the Beggar Woman in SWEENEY TODD, Golde in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Aurora
in KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN, and opposite Tom Wopat as Nellie and Annie,
respectively, in SOUTH PACIFIC and ANNIE GET
YOUR GUN. Last season she was seen in OUT OF ORDER and starred as the Wicked
Witch of the West in our sleeper hit THE WIZARD OF OZ. Her longest-running roles are her
dearest- wife and mother to Barn Producer Brendan Ragotzy and their children
Luke (12), Calli (10), Jacob (7), and Melina (3). Over the winter Penelope was seen in a
guest artist capacity as Agnetha in the Whole Art Theatre’s FROZEN and appeared
‘round the region on radio and television commercials for Denooyer, Behavioral
Health Resources, CTS, and was the pale
restaurant customer in the spot for Midnight Tan and Cruise. In addition to her full slate onstage
and at home Penelope serves the Barn as Publicist and coordinates the hiring and
departmental placement of each season’s apprentice company. She’s a native of
San Jose, CA,
and like husband Brendan, is a proud alum of San
Jose State
University.
LISA MARIE MORABITO – Sister Robert
Anne
Lisa
Marie is excited to return to the Barn this summer for her first season as an
Equity resident. As an apprentice,
her credits include Columbia in our
’02 and ’03 productions of THE ROCKY HORROR
SHOW and Catherine in THE FOREIGNER as well
as Jenny Anydots in CATS. As well as being a
member of the Equity company, Lisa also assists Producer Brendan Ragotzy and in
Bar Show Choreography. New York credits include SHINBONE ALLEY with Musicals
Tonight!, CONSUMER BEHAVIOR with Emerging Artists, INTERREGNUM at The Studio
Theatre at Theatre Row, Huck Finn with TheatreworksUSA and NOTHING LIKE A DAME
Broadway Cares Benefit at The Imperial Theatre. Her Regional credits include
Conchita in COPACABANA (National Tour), Rosalia in WEST
SIDE STORY (Human Race Theatre), and Lucy in
YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN (Hot Summer
Nights). She’s also excited about her engagement to fellow actor and Barnie Eric
Petersen, whom she met the summer of 2003.
Their wedding is set for October 20. She thanks God, Eric, her whole family,
and the Ragotzys. You can find Lisa
online at www.lisamariemorabito.com.
EMILY MAY SMITH – Sister Mary
Amnesia
Emily is happy to return to the Barn for her fourth
season and her first as an Equity resident. Barn audiences will remember her
portrayals as Luisa in THE FANTASTICKS, Jemima in
CATS, Jessie in ANNIE
GET YOUR GUN and as a Boylan sister in ANNIE.
Other favorite roles include Winnifred in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS and Puck in A
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. An
Ohio native, Emily now resides in
New York City. Her recent work includes parts in
independent films AL QAREM and SCALPED: THE MOVIE. She also performed in the children’s
theatre national tours of LEWIS AND CLARK and
A CHRISTMAS CAROL for Theatre IV in
Cincinnati. Emily holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal
Performance from Capital
University. This season Emily is excited to add to
her responsibilities in the Barn Publicity department and looks forward to
another great summer!
MEGAN MacPHEE
– Sister Mary Leo
Megan MacPhee is excited to be in the
Midwest making her Barn debut. Hailing from
Maplewood,
NJ, she has just completed a semester abroad
studying at the London
Dramatic
Academy. Megan will be entering her senior year
as a musical theatre major at Catholic University of American in
Washington,
DC.
Last spring she traveled to the
Czech
Republic with CUA’s University Chorus
to sing Verdi’s Requiem in the Prague Spring Festival. Professional credits include the female
swing for Signature Theatre’s MY FAIR LADY directed by Eric Schaeffer starring
Broadway’s Sally Murphy and THE SEX HABITS OF AMERICAN WOMEN in which she
portrayed Katie, NEVERMORE as Virginia, ASSASSINS as Squeaky/Ensemble u/s. She also performed at Papermill
Playhouse in JOSEPH….., and the New Voices Concert 2004. Megan thanks her family, Penelope, and
everyone at the Barn for this opportunity!
MYCHELLE
HOPKINS – Sister Julia, Child of God
Last season’s audiences will remember Mychelle’s
no-nonsense portrayals of Aunt Eller in
OKLAHOMA! and the stripper Electra
in GYPSY. Her previous Barn credits
include Jeanette Burmeister in THE FULL MONTY
and Mrs. Eynsford-Hill in MY FAIR LADY.
Along with her many stage appearances in the area, Mychelle has directed
numerous productions throughout the United
States and
England, where
she received her M.A. from the Shakespeare Institute. Her acting credentials are extensive
too, with productions performed in the
U.S.,
England,
Monaco, and
Greece. Mychelle is an associate member of the
Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, an adjunct faculty member at
Western
Michigan
University, and is Director of
Education and Studio Theatre at
Kalamazoo’s
Whole
Art
Theatre. She is also the proud mother of
Macready, who’s almost three years old.
COURTNEY REED
– Sister Mary Brendan
Courtney is overjoyed to be returning to
Augusta for her second season at the
Barn. She is originally from
Centreville,
Virginia and just recently graduated from
Wright
State
University in
Dayton. At WSU Courtney was seen as
Texas in CABARET, Hymen in AS YOU
LIKE IT, Sleeping Beauty in INTO THE WOODS, as an ensemble member in AIDA,
GREASE, RAGTIME, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, NINE and
URINETOWN in which she was also the associate choreographer. Barn audiences will undoubtedly remember
Courtney as Martha Jefferson in 1776 as well as in the ensemble of GYPSY and THE
WIZARD OF OZ. She would like to
thank her family and friends for their constant support.
KATHERINE WEATHERFORD – Sister Mary Luke
Katherine is elated to be spending her first summer at
the Barn. A native of Houston
Texas, Katherine is a recent graduate of the
American Musical and Dramatic
Academy and is currently attending
the New
School
University in
New York. She recently toured with Periwinkle
National Theatre as Karen HALFWAY THERE. And was an ensemble member in HAPPY
HOUSE at Big Little Theatre in New York
City.
EMMI HILGER –
Sister MaryWilhelm
Emmi
is so happy to be making her debut as a Barnie! She will be entering her senior year at
Northwestern
University, where she is studying
Theatre and Mathematics. Favorite
credits include THE GAME OF LOVE AND CHANCE
and “The Scottish Play” which she performed at Northwestern, THE BACCHAI at
Indiana University, Emily in OUR TOWN, and Catherine in THE FOREIGNER at the
Shawnee Summer Theatre. Emmi is from Grand
Rapids, MI, where selected credits
include RAGTIME, FOLLIES, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. Emmi
send her love to her family for always being there.
MALLORY LANE – Sister Mary
Virgil
Mallory is so pleased to be here at the Barn this summer.
She recently completed her junior year at
Trinity
University in
San Antonio
Texas as a Drama and Speech major. College roles include
Myra in HAY FEVER, Phocion in
TRIUMPH OF LOVE and most recently the Madwoman in THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT. Mallory has spent the last three summers
at The Stage Door Workshop in
Pennsylvania where she taught
speech classes and musically directed numerous children’s productions. She would
like to thank her mom, dad and Adam for their continuous love and
support.
CALENDAR
NEWS:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 15,
2007
NOW
PLAYING:
NUNSENSE THE MEGA MUSICAL is here June 26
– July 8! All the fun of the original NUNSENSE has been super-sized! The
original five nuns are back in this "Mega-Nunsense" and five new characters are
featured including the never-before-seen infamous convent cook, Sister Julia,
Child of God. It would be a sin to pass up seeing NUNSENSE The Mega
Musical!
NEXT: ONE
FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST ~ Adapted from the novel of the same name by Ken
Kesey, the Academy award-winning movie makes its way to the Barn stage July 10 -
22. This gripping, poignant and
powerful piece of theatre is not to be missed. Within the walls of an asylum for
the mentally insane, Randall P. McMurphy manipulates his fellow patients while
he finds himself in a struggle of wills with the oppressive Nurse Ratched – For
mature audiences.
COMING SOON: July 24 – August 5 the
Pinocchio story comes to life on the stage in GEPPETTO
AND SON. A
brand new magical musical from Disney to enchant the whole family! As in the original story, the wooden
puppet dreams of becoming a real boy while learning lessons about telling the
truth. With songs from the animated classic such as the beautiful “When You Wish
Upon A Star” and “I’ve Got No Strings”, as well as “Bravo Stromboli” and
“Pleasure
Island” featuring the Ringleader,
Roustabouts and Delinquent, this new Disney musical is sure to be an instant
stage classic!
The Barn Theatre
Located on M-96 1 mile west of
the village of Augusta.
Box Office Phone
269 731-4121 Open daily from
10:00
am to 10:00 pm
Performance times
Tuesday through Friday at
8:30pm Saturday
(2 shows) 6:00pm
& 9:00
pm
Sunday 5:00pm
(8:30
Added performance, if applicable)
Ticket Prices
$29.00 Each. Any day, any
performance.
Visa and MasterCard
Accepted
Group rates available (10
tickets or more)
Professional Equity
resident summer theatre. Our
62nd season
Listed on the Michigan
Register of Historic Sites – Free and easy parking
Air-conditioned Theatre and
Restrooms handicapped accessible.
Enjoy refreshments and a
light snack in the Rehearsal Shed Lounge
with friends before, during intermission and after the show. WINGS AND NACHOS in
the Rehearsal Shed! Free cabaret-style entertainment follows
main stage performances.
Brendan Ragotzy, Producer.
