Celebrating a Milestone!

Two years ago the press release read as follows:

(Waterbury, CT) – Naugatuck Valley Community College’s Theatre Arts Department and the Stage Society will present the landmark musical Gypsy April 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. and April 14 at 2 p.m., at the Mainstage theatre, 750 Chase Parkway.

The morning before the last show, at about 3 AM, after the cast party ended – my life changed. For the better? Indubitably! To the one that knows what all this means – Domo arigatogozaimashita! Honto ni! To the future… Here here!

That show changed me more than any other show thanks to the ripples in the water left by a certain someNone. = )

The press release continued with:

Cherished for generations, Gypsy was the second Broadway smash for Stephen Sondheim and his West Side Story collaborator Arthur Laurents, and yet another success for composer Jule Styne. The tale of Vaudeville’s decline of a domineering stage mother’s inadvertent creation of a burlesque stripper, Gypsy introduced such standards as “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Let me Entertain You.”

Drawing from the talents of more than 30 NVCC Fine Arts students and additional young singers, dancers and actors from the community, Gypsy is a full-scale project that combines the college’s classroom training program in musical theatre, theatre practicum course work and the Mainstage performance series.

Featured performers include Adele Russell of Roxbury as Mama Rose, Douglas Sobon of Naugatuck as Herbie and Jillian Wildman of Waterbury as Louise/Gypsy Rose Lee. The performance also features Mary Rosengrant and Alexis Chapman of Litchfield, Sandra Valente of Waterbury, Kevin Batista of Middlebury, Kaitlin Thomas of New Milford, Taylor Crofton of Southington and Samantha Chiappalone of Wolcott.

Theatre arts instructor Ed Wierzbicki, the production’s director, teams up with music director Antonio Biello, choreographer Nikki Sanders, set designer Bill Cone, lighting designer Jonathon Curns and costume designer Linda Valdes.

General admission is $12, $10 for seniors and $7 for students. For tickets or more information please call the box office at 203-575-8193. Tickets also may be purchased prior to each performance. The box office opens at 6:30 p.m.