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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Weathervane
Playhouse Has<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">‘Magic
to Do’ as Tony Award-Winning<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Musical
‘Pippin’ Closes Out 76<SUP>th</SUP> Season</SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></B> </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">"Oh,
it's time to start living!"</SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Weathervane
Playhouse has “magic to do” as it closes its 76<SUP>th</SUP> season with <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin</I> – the musical re-telling of
Prince Pippin, son of King Charlemagne, who seeks the secret to happiness and
fulfillment in this Tony Award-winning delight.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Pippin</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> was
inspired by history, but it makes no pretense as a historical drama.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The musical
<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin</I> unfolds on stage with the use
of a highly theatrical troupe of “Players,” who are guided by a character known
as The Leading Player.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
musical’s two central characters – namely, Prince Pippin and his father, Charles
the Great (or “Charlemagne,” as he’s more commonly known) – are based on the two
real-life Holy Roman Empire figures. These men lived and reigned during the
early Middle Ages – which places them, roughly, in the years between 750 and 825
(in the common era). <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Because <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin</I>’s aim is not to be a
straightforward biographical piece, these historical characters serve as the
musical’s framing device. Their exploits illuminate the show’s essential intent,
which is the story of the archetypal hero on a great quest for the meaning of
life. Also thrown into the thematic mix in <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin </I>are father-son conflicts,
youthful rites of passage, war, issues of budding sexuality and even questions
about god and religion.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Composer and
lyricist Stephen Schwartz’s musical made a big splash in the 1970s on Broadway.
The show’s energetic pop-rock score was perfectly complemented by the stylishly
sexy choreography and direction of the legendary Bob Fosse. <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin</I> went on to win five Tony Awards,
and it enjoyed a very healthy five-year run on Broadway before closing in 1977.
In the years since, many of <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin</I>’s
memorable songs – such as “Corner of the Sky,” “Magic to Do” and “Morning Glow,”
for instance – were re-recorded and re-popularized by such artists as the
Jackson 5, the Supremes, Dusty Springfield and Petula
Clark.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Directed
and choreographed by Eric van Baars – and with musical direction by J. T. Buck –
Weathervane Playhouse’s production of <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin</I> celebrates the timeless story of
a young man’s journey to find his place in the world.<STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=3>The<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> Pippin </I>Cast and their Ohio
Residences<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H3></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 6pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Jayson
Kolbicz </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">(of
Kent) … The Leading Player<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Connor
Simpson</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of London) … Pippin<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Henry
Bishop</SPAN></B></EM><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Creston) … Charlemagne<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><EM><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Maria
Work</SPAN></B></EM><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Akron) … Fastrada<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Cody
Hernandez</SPAN></B></EM><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Akron) … Lewis<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Karen
Wood</SPAN></B></EM><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Creston) … Berthe<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Samantha
Rickard</SPAN></B></EM><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Ravenna) … Catherine<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Theodore
Mansfield</SPAN></B></EM><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Akron) … Theo<o:p></o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></EM></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Julianna
Blischak</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Akron) … Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Kylie
Casino</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Akron) … Ensemble<B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p></o:p></B></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Allison
Good</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> (of Akron)
… Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Cody
Hernandez</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Akron) … Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Courtney
Hostetler</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Canton) … Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Shannon
Hubman</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Kent) … Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Seth
Hunter</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Kent) … Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Adam
Klusty</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Norton) … Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Mike
L. Glavan </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">(of
Strongsville) … Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Aaron
Reese</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Uniontown) … Ensemble<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<P
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt"
class=MsoNormal><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin</I> Backstage Team and their Ohio
Hometowns<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 6pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Stage
Manager – Jerry Dorton</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> (of
Stow)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Assistant
Stage Manager – Erika Johnson</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> (of Akron)
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Costume
Co-Designers – John S. Catlos </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">and<B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> Jasen Smith</B> (both of
Akron)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Sound
Designer – Dan “D. J.” Jankura</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
(of Cuyahoga Falls)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Properties
Designer –</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Todd Dieringer</B> (of
Wadsworth)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Lighting
Co-Designer – Mike Sferro </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">(of
Medina) and<B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> Jonathon Hunter </B><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(of Akron)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Scenic
Designer/Technical Director – Alan Scott Ferrall</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> (of
Cuyahoga Falls)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Assistant
Technical Director – Kathy Kohl </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">(of
Akron)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">About the
Show’s Director</SPAN></STRONG><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></H3></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 6pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">ERIC VAN BAARS </SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">happily returns to
Weathervane since directing <I>The Sum of Us</I> in 2010 and <I>The Wiz</I> in
2002. He has directed and choreographed productions for Berea Summer Theatre:
<I>The Melody Lingers On </I>and Cain Park: <I>Tintypes</I> and
<I>Grease.</I> As Assistant Artistic director of Porthouse Theatre, his
directorial credits include <I>Pump Boys and Dinettes </I>and <I>Dames at
Sea</I> and choreography for <I>Once On This Island, Big River,</I> and<I> The
25<SUP>th</SUP> Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.</I> Eric choreographed
productions for the Halle Theater: <I>Joseph</I> and <I>A, My Name will Always
be Alice</I>, St. Louis Repertory: <I>Into The Woods</I>, Connecticut Rep
<I>Once On This Island</I>, and Cain Park: <I>Big River, Fiddler on the Roof</I>
and <I>The Sound of Music</I>. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">As a Kent State
faculty member in the School of Theatre and Dance, he has directed <I>Oklahoma,
Cloud Nine, The Diviners, The Wild Party, Working, Honk, </I>and
<I>Lysistrata.</I> Eric also served as co-director for the spring opera program,
<I>One Act Wonders,</I> in the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music. He is a member
of the Society of Directors and Choreographers.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<P
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt"
class=MsoBodyText><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">About the
Musical’s Creation and Production History<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 6pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Pippin</SPAN></EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
originated at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where composer and
lyricist Stephen Schwartz fashioned an original show called <EM>Pippin,
Pippin</EM> as a vehicle for his fellow student members of Scotch'n'Soda, one of
the oldest student theatre organizations in America.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">After
Schwartz graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a B.F.A. degree in drama
in 1968, he continued to work on the show, eventually settling on
<EM>Pippin</EM> as its title. By the time the show opened on Broadway, however,
Schwartz had cut all of the songs he had written for his college
version.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Pippin</SPAN></EM><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
opened in New York City at the Imperial Theatre on Oct. 23, 1972, and ran for a
total of 1,944 performances before closing on June 12, 1977. The show was
directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, who is also credited with co-writing
the show's book with Roger O. Hirson. The original Broadway cast featured Ben
Vereen as The Leading Player, John Rubenstein as Pippin, Jill Clayburgh as
Catherine, Leland Palmer as Fastrada and Irene Ryan as Berthe. <EM>Pippin</EM>
was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won five (Ben Vereen as Best Actor in a
Musical, Tony Walton for Best Scenic Design, Jules Fisher for Best Lighting
Design, Bob Fosse for Best Choreography, and Bob Fosse for Best Direction of a
Musical).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">By
the time the show closed in 1977, <EM>Pippin</EM> ranked as the 10th
longest-running show on Broadway. The original production of <EM>Pippin</EM> was
also notable because it was the first Broadway show to film a TV commercial with
actual scenes from the show. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A London
production of the show (also directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse) opened in
the West End at Her Majesty's Theatre on Oct. 30, 1973 and ran for 85
performances. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">In
1981, a stage production of <EM>Pippin</EM> was videotaped for Canadian
television. Bob Fosse's dance captain for the original Broadway production,
Kathryn Doby, directed this stage production, in which Ben Vereen reprised his
role as The Leading Player opposite William Katt (of the ABC-TV show <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Greatest American Hero</I>) as Pippin.
<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin</I> purists, however, will point
out that this stage version omits several songs and cuts portions of the play.
Even so, this stage version preserved on videotape (and later released on DVD)
highlights much of Fosse's original staging and choreography and employs similar
scenic and costume designs as used in the original Broadway production.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Following
the success of the 2002 motion-picture adaptation of the musical
<EM>Chicago</EM>, Miramax Films acquired the film rights to <EM>Pippin</EM> in
2003 — but cameras have yet to roll for an eventual film version of the
musical.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">In
2009, Deaf West Theatre Company of North Hollywood, California, revived
<EM>Pippin</EM> in a production at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles that
employed both deaf and hearing actors in a co-production with Center Theatre
Group.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<P
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt"
class=MsoBodyText><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">About the
Musical’s Creators<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 6pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">STEPHEN
SCHWARTZ (MUSIC AND LYRICS)</SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
was born in 1948 in New York City, where he studied piano and composition at the
Julliard School of Music (while still in high school). Upon graduating with a
drama degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 1968, he returned
to New York and worked as a producer for RCA Records. Soon, however, he began to
focus his work toward Broadway. One of his first theatrical credits was the
title song he composed for the 1969 comedy <EM>Butterflies Are Free</EM>. At one
point in the 1970s, his musicals <EM>Godspell</EM>, <EM>Pippin</EM> and <EM>The
Magic Show</EM> were all running on Broadway simultaneously. For
<EM>Godspell</EM>, Schwartz won two Grammys and two Drama Desk Awards. For the
musical <EM>Working</EM>, he contributed four songs and directed the
production’s original Broadway production, winning the 1978 Drama Desk Award for
Outstanding Director of a Musical. Schwartz has also composed several songs for
film. With Alan Menken, he collaborated on the scores for the Disney animated
films <EM>Pocahontas</EM> and <EM>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</EM> and the
DreamWorks animated feature <EM>The Prince of Egypt</EM>. His most recent
musical, <EM>Wicked</EM>, has been playing on Broadway and on tour since the
fall of 2003. With the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
(ASCAP) Foundation, he runs musical-theatre workshops in New York and Los
Angeles, and he serves on the ASCAP board; he is also a member of the Council of
the Dramatists' Guild.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">BOB
FOSSE (BOOK CO-WRITER)</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1927. As the second youngest of six children,
Fosse gained attention as a young child through his dancing. Recognizing his
apparently natural talent, Fosse’s parents sent him to formal lessons – and
immediately he immersed himself in tap dancing. By the time he reached high
school, Fosse was a frequent performer in Chicago-area nightclubs and burlesque
houses. Some Fosse biographers have noted that the somewhat seedy and sexually
liberated atmosphere of these performance venues, not to mention his close
contact with the strippers and showgirls who inhabited them, must have inspired
Fosse’s singular style as a future choreographer. Following high school
graduation, Fosse enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1945 and served a two-year tour
of duty right at the tail end of World War II. Following his military service,
Fosse moved to New York City and carved out a career as a performer in variety
shows on stage and television. During his early years in New York, he balanced
work as a dancer with two rocky marriages to dancers Mary Ann Niles and Joan
McCracken. He also won a few major parts in the choruses of a couple of Broadway
shows – but his big break came when he made a brief appearance in the 1953 film
adaptation of the Cole Porter musical, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Kiss Me, Kate</I>. Broadway showman George
Abbott was highly impressed by Fosse’s dance moves in the film and invited him
to choreograph the next show he was directing, <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Pajama Game</I>, which opened on
Broadway in 1954 – and his next one, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Damn
Yankees</I>, which opened in New York in 1955. With <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Damn Yankees</I>, he worked closely with
star Gwen Verdon, with whom Fosse established a lifelong creative and romantic
collaboration (the two were married from 1960 until his death in 1987). Even
following the critical success and popular acclaim of <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Pajama Game</I> and <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Damn Yankees</I>, Fosse struggled frequently
with directors who hired him to choreograph. Not willing to give up his artistic
control or to compromise for popular taste, Fosse realized that he would have to
be both the director and the choreographer to fully realize his theatrical
vision. <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Sweet Charity</I>, which opened
on Broadway in 1966, marked one of his first hits as a combined
director/choreographer, and he also directed the subsequent 1969 film version of
the show. Among his other notable stage credits are <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">How to Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying</I> (1961), <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Little Me</I> (1962)
and <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Chicago</I> (1975). Among his
motion-picture credits, he directed and choreographed <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Cabaret</I> (1972), directed a film about
troubled comedian Lenny Bruce called <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Lenny</I> (1974) and wrote, directed and
choreographed the loosely autobiographical <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">All That Jazz</I> (1979). Among his many
honors, he is a nine-time winner of the Tony Award (eight for choreography, one
for direction), and he was nominated for four Academy Awards (winning one for
his direction of <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Cabaret</I> and thus
beating Francis Ford Coppola for <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The
Godfather</I>). Fosse staged and choreographed a variety show special for NBC-TV
starring Liza Minnelli called <EM>Liza with a Z</EM>, which won Fosse an Emmy
Award and made him the first person to ever win top honors in three
entertainment mediums — stage, film and television – all in the same year
(1973). On September 23, 1987, Fosse died from a heart attack at the age of
60.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in" class=MsoFooter><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">ROGER
O. HIRSON (BOOK CO-WRITER)</SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
was born in 1926 and got his start as a dramatist during television's "golden
age" of the 1950s, during which he wrote many teleplays for such landmark
drama-anthology programs as <EM>The Alcoa Hour</EM>, <EM>Goodyear Television
Playhouse</EM>, <EM>Playhouse 90</EM>, <EM>Studio One</EM>, <EM>The Armstrong
Circle Theatre</EM>, <EM>The DuPont Show of the Week</EM> and <EM>The Philco
Television Playhouse</EM>. For the theater, he wrote the books for the musicals
<EM>Walking Happy</EM> (which played on Broadway for 161 performances between
1966 and 1967) and <EM>Pippin</EM> (which ran for a total of 1,944 performances
between 1972 and 1977). His off-Broadway credits as a playwright include
<EM>World War 2 1/2</EM> (1969) and <EM>Journey to the Day</EM> (1963). His
additional television writing credits include <EM>A Woman Named Jackie</EM>
(1991), <EM>The Old Man and the Sea</EM> (1990), <EM>The Ted Kennedy, Jr.
Story</EM> (1986) and <EM>A Christmas Carol</EM> (1984).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV
style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 4pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div">
<H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><FONT
size=3>Weathervane’s <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Pippin </I>Ticket
and Performance Information<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></H3></DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 6pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Pippin
</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">plays
on the Weathervane Playhouse Founders Theater stage between June 2 and 26,
2011.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoBodyText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The low-cost
preview performance is Thursday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m.; the official opening-night
performance is Friday, June 3 at 8 p.m.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Between June
3 and 26, 2011, performance days and times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays
and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Tickets
for the June 2 preview performance only are $18 each. Tickets for performances
after April 28 are $24 each. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">$21
tickets for seniors and college students are available for Thursday and Sunday
performances. Tickets for children (ages 17 or younger) are $19.50 at all
performances after June 2. Additional discounts for groups of 12 or larger are
also available.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
Weathervane Playhouse Box Office is open Mondays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
Tuesdays through Fridays between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and is also open
beginning one hour before each performance. For tickets, visit or call the
Weathervane Box Office at (330) 836-2626 during Box Office hours or connect
online to <A href="http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com/"><FONT
color=#800080>www.weathervaneplayhouse.com</FONT></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">* *
*<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Weathervane
Playhouse and its dedicated volunteers offer vital performing arts resources for
the people of Northeastern Ohio. We create exciting and thought-provoking shows
with impressive production values. Through educational programs and volunteer
opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds, Weathervane serves the
theater community, our patrons and our volunteers.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage
economic growth, education excellence and cultural enrichment for all
Ohioans.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><U><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Additional
2010-2011 season sponsors<o:p></o:p></SPAN></U></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">89.7
WSKU-FM<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">OMNOVA
Solutions Foundation<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Sisler
McFawn Foundation<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Akron
Community Foundation<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Kenneth
L. Calhoun Charitable Trust<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation</SPAN></I></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Mary
S. and David C. Corbin Foundation<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><STRONG><EM></EM></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Janis Harcar<BR>Director of Advancement<BR>Weathervane
Playhouse<BR>330-836-2323 X16<BR><A
href="http://www.weathervaneplayhouse.com">www.weathervaneplayhouse.com</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>