<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 9.00.8112.16457">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
align=center><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><STRONG>When
Broadway Beckons</STRONG></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
feature article appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Times
</I></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">on
1/24/13<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Every peewee league ballplayer has
fantasized about breaking into the big leagues, just as every young swimmer or
gymnast has envisioned an Olympic podium in the distance.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some high school running backs strike
the Heisman Trophy pose after scoring, but every player wants to.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">What is true about the aspirations of
athletes also applies to artists.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>And, in the theater arts, the fantasy of performing at the highest level
takes place in New York City and on a Broadway stage.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Broadway was certainly the dream of
Orange’s Ben Fankhauser, now 23, and Chagrin Falls’ <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Corey Cott, now 22, when they performed
together throughout middle school and high school at Stagecrafters—a youth drama
program that is part of the Community Education and Recreation division of the
Orange School system.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In fact, they
talked about it often but with no real comprehension that this unrealistic
fantasy would become a reality or that it would do so in such rapid and
astoundingly storybook fashion.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=style156><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Ben
was a wunderkind of sorts; a young performer who had the creativity, drive and
discipline that made him a natural on the community stage.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He immediately grasped and mastered<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>material and owned audiences by way of
his raw talent and the ease with which it turned every performance into
something charming.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=style156><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=style156><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">His
first Stagecrafters production was an unofficial, devised summer staging of the
musical “Newsies” when he was in 3<SUP>rd</SUP> grade.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>According to program coordinator Wendy
Scott-Koeth, “Ben was so talented and had such an incredible work ethic that
[director and husband] Jamie Koeth and I helped set up a Broadway audition for
“Ragtime” a year later.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They loved
him but he was too tall for the role.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>That’s how good he was at such an early age.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Corey came late to the stage, shortly
after his family moved to Chagrin Falls when he was in the 8<SUP>th</SUP>
grade.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Auditioning with
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>a pitchy version of "The Star Spangled Banner," he was assigned to the
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">ensemble of “Les
Misérables” in which Ben played a featured role.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Soon the two were inseparable on stage,
performing together in “Sweeney Todd,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Urinetown”
and, finally, co-starring as Roger and Mark in “Rent” in their final
Stagecrafters collaboration.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>The
Actors’ Equity Association recently reported that only 38% of the professional
actors who make up its membership work at any given time, and they work an
average of 17 weeks a year. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Nearly
70% of these working actors earn $15,000 or less.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Despite the odds of future employment,
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Ben went to Ithaca
College to pursue training in musical theater while Corey attended Carnegie
Mellon University’s School of Drama. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoPlainText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">While a sophomore at
Ithaca, Ben auditioned for and was cast in the first National tour of the
musical “Spring Awakening.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>He returned to college to complete his senior year, acquired an agent and
left for NYC after graduating in May 2011.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Shortly thereafter he landed the role of Davey in the Paper Mill
Playhouse production of—wait for it—“Newsies.”<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“I had the show’s songs in my audition
book since I was nine,” he recently told broadwayworld.com.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Originally a 1992
Disney live-action film, Disney Theatrical Productions developed “Newsies” for
licensing as a stage musical in response to consistent and sustained requests
from professional and amateur theatre groups like Stagecrafters.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Set in New York City
in the late-1800s, the musical tells the tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic
newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged newsies, who dreams of a better
life far from the hardship of the streets. But when publishing titan Joseph
Pulitzer raises distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack finds a cause
to fight for and, with Davey’s help, they rally newsies from across the city to
strike for what’s right.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Paper Mill Playhouse—N<SPAN
class=st>ew Jersey's premier regional theater—hosted </SPAN>the show’s four-week
pilot production in the summer of 2011.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Overwhelming audience response prompted a transfer to Broadway’s
Nederlander Theatre for a limited run, with Ben continuing his portrayal of
Davey.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The show was so successful
that it was extended twice and has since been declared an open-ended
engagement.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ben has been on
Broadway, doing 8 performances a week, for 41 weeks and
counting.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoPlainText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>“The Stagecrafters program gave me confidence in performing,” said Ben
during a recent interview in the </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Nederlander Theatre
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>mezzanine between performances.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>“College is really where I honed my craft, and a summer job performing at
Cedar Point gave me a taste of what it’s like to do theater for a living and how
to take care of myself so that I could perform day after day.”</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">It just so happens that Corey had
auditioned for “Newsies” while still in college and before the show had gone to
Broadway.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Last September he was
brought in to replace veteran performer </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>Jeremy
Jordan in the lead role of <SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Jack Kelly
after the actor joined the cast of NBC’s “Smash.”</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The boys are back at it again, but this
time they are performing together on West 41<SUP>th</SUP> St. and 7<SUP>th</SUP>
Ave.</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>“Having
Ben in the cast was really a dream come true,” noted Corey. “Not only is he a
fantastic performer, he is a good friend. We have that family mindset
established during Stagecrafters.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Ben introduced me to everyone in the cast and it kind of felt like I had
a big brother leading me around for a bit.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>“I
didn’t have anything to do with Corey’s casting,” admitted Ben, “but we had an
immediate connection and old chemistry.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Playing opposite Corey each night is surreal and it definitely adds to
the fun.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>It
shows on stage.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>The
sentimentality that surfaces when sitting in the audience and seeing two
familiar faces on a Broadway stage is, quite frankly, overwhelming.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yet, all that vanishes midway through
their first song together, which is an intense and riveting first act anthem
called “The World Will Know.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>From
then on, the exceptional talent and highly refined stage skills of these two
immensely likable performers take over.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Look closely, though, and you’ll still see that semblance of little-boy
pleasure and passion that got them to where they are in the first place and will
very likely keep them there. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoPlainText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">To date, nearly
400,000 people have attended this Tony Award-winning show.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If that is insufficient evidence of the
show’s success, the cast album was recently nominated for a Grammy Award (to be
announced February 10) and the cast has performed during the nationally
televised Macy’s Day Parade, on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” and at the Walt
Disney World theme park.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At last
count, “Newsies” has </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN>230,323 Facebook friends.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoPlainText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoPlainText><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Both boys are just as
humble as the day they first stepped onto the Orange High School stage.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In fact, Corey’s playbill bio thanks his
fiancée (now wife), family, friends, teachers and God for his success.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The more seasoned and senior
professional, Ben thanks his agents and the show’s creative team.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And his Mom. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>“The
beautiful thing about ‘Newsies,’” adds Corey, “is that the group is a bunch of
young bucks either right out of high school or right out of college. All of our
dreams are coming true.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Every
single night.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p><STRONG> </STRONG></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>