®

2009 KIDS’ NIGHT ON BROADWAY

C O NT R I B U T O R S
EDITOR: Ben Pesner
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: David LeShay
DESIGNER : Kathie Rokita, Blue Sky Design, Inc.
SPECIAL THANKS: Patrick Berger, Joseph
Gugliemella, TDF Education Director Marianna
Houston, Wendy Leigh, Britt Marden,
D. J. Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shoshana
Parets, Rachel Reiner, David Robison,
Indigo Estevez Eric Leeks Hans Nielsen Julia Rosenfeld, Erica Ryan, Eleanore Speert,
Age 15 Age 16 Age 18 Vance Stringer, Ben Strothmann, Jan
Newark, NJ Tampa, FL Bronx, NY Friedlander Svendsen, Ashley Thomas,
Wayne Wolf, and the staff of the Tampa
Bay Performing Arts Center.

Kids’ Night on Broadway®

is a program of THE
BROADWAY LEAGUE,
the national trade association
for the Broadway industry.
Each year, League members
bring Broadway to 25 million people in New
York and on tour across the US and Canada.
PRESENTED BY

tdf
The 2009 Kids’ Night on
Broadway® Playbill ®
was produced by Theatre
Development Fund, the
OFFICIAL SPONSORS nation’s largest not-for-profit service organization
for the performing arts. TDF’s mission is to fos-
ter works of artistic merit by supporting new
productions and to broaden the audience
for all the performing arts.
© 2009 Theatre Development Fund/The Broadway League
Kids' Night on Broadway is a registered trademark of
The Broadway League Inc.

PARTICIPATING SHOWS
FEBRUARY 2009

ON BROADWAY The American Plan; Avenue Q; Billy Elliot, the Musical; Chicago;
Disney’s The Little Mermaid; In the Heights; The Lion King; Mamma Mia!;
Mary Poppins; The Phantom of the Opera; Shrek The Musical; The 39 Steps; Wicked

OFF BROADWAY Altar Boyz, Stomp

Kids’ Night on Broadway now takes place monthly in NYC.
For an updated schedule, as well as special theatre education resources and info
on KNOB events in cities throughout the US, visit KidsNightOnBroadway.com
A WELCOME FROM
ROSIE O’DONNELL
Dear friends,
I’m so glad you are here at the theatre today. And I’m glad
that like me, you’re a theatre fan. I have been so lucky to have
been involved with several Broadway shows on both sides of
the curtain. Performing live on stage with other great actors
is the best part of show business. At the same time, I would
rather watch a Broadway show than do almost anything.
Why? It’s simple: There would be no such thing as theatre
if it wasn’t for the audience. You are why all of the actors
come to the theatre, why the directors direct, and why the designers dream up great
sets, costumes, lighting, and sound effects. You are why playwrights tell their stories
on stage, and why composers and lyricists write songs that will keep you humming
for days.
In other words, you are the future of Broadway. That’s why all of us at Kids’
Night on Broadway hope you will enjoy this special Playbill. Nearly every word in it
is written by someone your age. As you turn the pages, you’ll learn about many
different elements that go into the creation of a great theatrical experience. Make
sure to take advantage of the resources that will help you find more information
about theatregoing and theatre-making.
On behalf of everyone you see on stage—and everyone else who works behind
the scenes—thank you for coming to the theatre. Enjoy the show!

Rosie
ROSIE O’DONNELL, the 13-time Emmy Award-winning comedian, television talk show host, author,
and film, television, and stage actress, is the National Ambassador for Kids’ Night on Broadway.
She is the founder of Rosie’s Broadway Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free
instruction in music, dance, and drama, as well as a professional theatre experience, to public
schools and students from low-income areas. Visit www.RosiesBroadwayKids.com.
 Hitting the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda
BY HANS NIELSEN
The hit Broadway musical In the Heights
takes place in Washington Heights. That’s
the Upper Manhattan neighborhood a few to any community,” he said. He went to
blocks from where Lin-Manuel Miranda
grew up. Lin is not only
the show’s composer/
lyricist; he also plays
Usnavi, one of the main
characters. He wrote his
first draft of In the Heights
when he was 19. “The
fun of writing a show is
when you’re writing, you
get to play every charac-
ter. I am Abuela, I am
Nina, I am Vanessa, I am
Usnavi, I get to be Benny.
The only thing that I real-
ly have in common with
Usnavi is that he gets
really tongue-tied around Lin-Manuel Miranda (left) and Hans Nielsen someone who never felt
girls. Usnavi is me if I was really smart. I
admire him very much and I’m glad I get to munity has been able to create a commu-
play him every night.”
I met Lin one afternoon in November.
We spoke in the Richard Rodgers Theatre
as the technical crew was testing the sound
and lights for that evening’s performance.
When I asked what inspired him to write
Photo: Joan Marcus
the show, he said, “I wanted to write a full-
length musical that used Latin music and
hip hop music. I wanted to use the music
I loved to tell a story.”
The cast of In The Heights
Lin said that it was important for him
to write about how Washington Heights,
like all of New York City, is changing. He
wanted to capture the culture and commu-
nity in the Heights, so that in the future
when you see an Abercrombie & Fitch
where a bodega used to be, you can
remember the community.
“Growing up I didn’t feel like I belonged
Hunter College High School, a selective
public school on the
Upper East Side. He was
one of the few Puerto
Ricans in his school, but
kids in his own neighbor-
hood treated him like
“the rich kid.” Whenever
he went to Puerto Rico, he
was known as “gringo”
because he spoke Spanish
with an American accent.
Therefore he felt like an
outsider. He believes that
all of these experiences led
to the creation of In the
Heights. “The irony is how
that they were completely part of a com-
nity up on stage.”
I asked what advice he would give
young people interested in theatre. “Write.
Write everything you think of. We had a
Q&A with some students after the show
and a girl raised her hand and said, ‘Aren’t
you worried that this is going to be the
only Latino show?’ And I said, ‘Yes. I am.
Write.’ No one is going to write your dream
show for you. It’s your responsibility to
write your dream show.
That’s the only way we create
more opportunities for our-
selves. If you write you are
creating a new reality. So,
everybody, write.”
Read more of Hans’
interview with Lin at TDF.org/PxP
HANS NIELSEN is a senior at Satellite Academy in
the Bronx. His play Mad Comfortable was
produced in August as part of the MCC Theater
Youth Company’s FreshPlay Festival.
We’re Taking Your Advice
The Broadway League is committed to serving young
audiences through programs that bring kids and teens to the
theatre. To make sure we are on the right track, we decided to
ask for some advice from the experts: you.
Last fall hundreds of kids age 11 to 16 from across the
U.S. applied to join our new KIDS ADVISORY BOARD
(shout out to our friends at ThruTheStageDoor.com who man-
aged the contest!). Congratulations to the winners—and Henry T. (age 15)
thanks to all who sent in application essays. New York, NY
Here are excerpts of some of the winning entries. Kids Advisory
Board Chair

Ryan R. Daniel W. Sabrina S.

(age 14)
Manhasset, NY
I have always
been a theatre
kid. My parents took me
to see The Lion King when
I was four and I got
hooked…I started out
seeing kiddie musicals but
as I grew older, I got to see
dramas and more adult
fare. I started to perform in
musicals…and learned
about the process and the
hard work it took to put
on a show. Then, my mom
got sick with lung cancer
and died. But my dad kept
us going, and going to the
theatre was part of it.
Just like in our lives, the
characters in the shows had
good times and bad times
and somehow made it
through, at least most of
the time.
If selected I would
hope to be able to share
my theatre experiences, my
love of the theatre and how
we can all enjoy, learn, and
grow from the theatre. KidsNightonBroadway.com
(age 16)
Goodlettsville, TN
Theatre, in
my opinion, is
one of the most important
art forms in American
culture. It has the ability
to allow people to escape
their current circumstance
and enter into a different
world of wonderment
and delight or mystery
and excitement. Sports
commentators and fans in
my home town have
remarked that with the
recent 11-1 record of the
Tennessee Titans, our
morale as a community
has been uplifted, [despite]
the recent financial crisis
and the ongoing war
occurring overseas. I feel
that we have an equally
uplifting avenue through
the arts, especially theatre.
For more info about
the Kids Advisory
Board, visit
(age 11)
Dix Hills, NY
I’m not the
best singer in
my school. I am not the
best actress either. I haven’t
gotten the leads in any
school plays. The truth is
I have never even gotten a
part!! I think adults made
up the chorus so that kids
like myself still get to
participate in plays. I know
I’ll never be the star of the
show. I really don’t care.
If being in the chorus is
my way of being able to
participate in theatre, then
chorus it is.
This year I decided that
because the competition
was so tough I would work
backstage. So far I have had
the opportunity to paint
the set and make paper
mâché masks. I can’t wait
till opening day. I am so
excited to see my friends
act, but even more impor-
tant I get to do the lighting.
I love the theatre, and I
will continue to do what I
have to do to be part of it.
 Everyone’s a Critic!
We hope you enjoyed the show you saw during Kids’ Night on Broadway.
But even if you didn’t, your opinion matters. That’s because the most powerful
force in theatre is what’s known in show business as “word-of-mouth.” If you love
a show, tell two or three or twelve of your friends about it. Then they tell their
friends, and their friends tell even more friends, and next thing you know, the
show is a blockbuster hit.
Sometimes it’s difficult to know how to talk about plays and musicals. In
order to help you organize your thoughts, here are some questions to keep in
mind whenever you go to the theatre. Use the chart on the

hi !
opposite page to keep track of what you see.

t
n Who is your favorite character, and why?

sh
n What scene was most memorable to you, and why?

a
n If you could give a special production award to

Sm this show, would you give it for:

• the set?

LOVED IT
• the costumes?
• the lighting?

!
• (for musicals) the songs/choreography?
• specific performers?
Why? What made that element so special?

s te ul
n What character in the show would you like to play?

rf
How would you play the role differently in
Why?

Ma
any way?

n What is the “big idea” of the show? What do

you think the writers want you to think about
after seeing the show?

n If you were the writer or director, what’s one thing you

ENTHRAL
would change about the show?

LI NG
n Choose one character in the show and describe the
challenge they faced to get what they wanted in the story.
What advice would you give that character on how to solve
their problem?

As you get started expressing your opinions about shows, check out what other
kids your age think. Read reviews of shows written by high school students at

I didn’t get it!

PlayByPlayOnLine.org, TDF’s online teen theatre magazine.
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 Here’s how shows like this one you’re attending made the

HOW BROADWAY
transition from original idea to opening night. With a journey like this,
it’s hard to believe that getting there’s only half the battle!

LYRICIST: Writes the

words you’ll soon be COMPOSER: Creates the
singing in the shower. tunes you’ll be loading onto
your iPod.
LIBRETTIST:
Builds the structure
for a musical and
writes all spoken
dialogue.

DIRECTOR: Envisions how the

script will translate from page to
PLAYWRIGHT: stage. Makes crucial decisions about
Gets the idea and staging, and tells actors what to do.
transfers it to paper.

IDEA: The foundation for all

you’ll see and hear. Without it,
nobody has a job.

PRODUCER: Loves the script GENERAL MANAGER:

(hopefully), purchases the rights to Figures out the budget and
stage it. Starts raising money. Hires supervises most of the hiring…
folks who will bring the show to life. and firing (gulp!).

THEATRE OWNER:
Rents the theatre to the producer.
Hopes the show is a hit.
HOUSE MANAGEMENT: BOX OFFICE STAFF/USHERS:
Prevents theatre from crumbling First they sell you a ticket, then they
to the street. Especially during take half of it back. Ushers put you
performances. in your place—literally.
PUTS ON A SHOW

CONDUCTOR: MUSICIANS: Their strings and

Leads the orchestra in horns and drums make musical
tuneful togetherness. notes jump off the page.
CHOREOGRAPHER: “Step, turn,
kick, kick, feet together…again!” Everyone
steps in time thanks to this person.

CASTING: Conducts
auditions to fill roles with
fresh faces or old pros.

DESIGN (Costume, Set, Sound, and

Lights) A team of specialists make sure
that the world of the show looks and ACTORS: On stage,
sounds perfect. they have a flair for the
dramatic (and some-
times off stage, too).
A great actor can make
you believe that he/she
is someone else.

AUDIENCE: You’re the

STAGE MANAGER:
Their work backstage
keeps everything
functioning out front.
ultimate judge of whether all
TECHNICIANS: this work was worth it. If you
Wherever there’s like what you saw, tell a friend
electricity, scenery, or two or seven!
or sound, you’ll find
them ensuring that ADVERTISING/PUBLIC
it’s all working RELATIONS: SEE THIS SHOW!
properly. SEE THIS SHOW! SEE THIS…
(get the picture?)

Original text: Eric Weil

Illustrations: Mike Watanabe

To learn more about what goes on behind the scenes at Broadway shows,
check out the resources listed at KidsNightonBroadway.com!
ON WITH THE SHOW! by Frank Longo
71 With 56-Across, 36 “The Phantom
musical based on a of the Opera”
classic Mel Brooks composer Andrew
comedy
___ Webber
37 Hawaiian island
DOWN
west of Maui
1 Direction op-
posite NNW 38 Put ___ to
2 “Ben-___” (1959 (stop): 2 wds.
Best Picture) 40 Sense of self-
3 ___ Speedwagon importance
(1970s-’80s band)
41 Sprint
4 Rocker ___ Van
Halen 42 Indian restau-
5 Sharp-witted rant bread
6 Hurled harsh 47 What a rubber
verbal abuse at stamp is pressed
7 Arm of the sea into: 2 wds.
8 Jacob’s first 48 Length units
wife, in the Bible equivalent to 39.37
9 ___ disease inches
(illness caused by
a tick) 49 “Who do you
think you ___?”
10 Reply to “No
ACROSS 27 Bohemian 48 “A ___ for All you’re not”: 3 wds. 51 Hairdos in the
1 Musical whose 28 Spanish for Seasons” (1961 musical “Hair”
Broadway play 11 They ___ Be
title character is an “gold” Giants (rock band)
ogre revived in 2008) 52 Sag down
29 Nicky’s room- 12 Dundee resi-
6 “___ Elliot” mate in “Avenue Q” 50 Chinese TV chef 53 With 31-Down,
who “can cook” dents
(musical about a 30 Bullets, BBs Broadway musical
boy who trades his and spitballs 51 Sys ___ (bus. 13 1959 Broadway
musical that’s been full of Abba songs
boxing gloves for 32 Off-Broadway software manager)
ballet shoes) revived four times 54 ___ the Grouch
show featuring 54 “___ the land of
11 Chinese food unusual percussion the free ...” 21 One plus one (“Sesame Street”
additive, for short instruments 22 Gathered collec- character)
55 Britney Spears’s
14 Elvis Presley’s 34 Dept. of Justice “Oops! ... ___ It tions
agency 55 Opening remark
“Blue ___ Shoes” Again”: 2 wds. 23 Guest greeters
35 Swedish woman 57 ___ May
15 In the blink of 56 See 71-Across 24 Brand of lawn
___: 2 wds. in “The Producers” Clampett (“The
who sings “When 60 CD-___ drive care products
16 Extremely cold Beverly Hillbillies”
You Got It, Flaunt It” 25 Cow, when
61 Location daughter)
17 Wear away 39 Richard Green- vocalizing
gradually berg play set in a 62 Popsicle holder 58 Rapper ___
29 Engine measure
Catskills resort in 66 ___-pah-pah shown on a dash- Dogg
18 Shuts forcefully 1960: 3 wds. (tuba’s sound) board, for short
19 Republicans, for 43 Do a laundry or 59 Kids’ guessing
short post-office job 67 “___ Boyz” (Off- 30 “Ugly Betty” game: 2 wds.
Broadway musical network
20 2008 Tony- 44 “Annie Get Your comedy about a 63 Letters on a
winning musical ___” (Old Broadway 31 See 53-Down
Christian boy band) debtor’s slip
featuring Latinos of musical)
northern Manhat- 68 Likely 33 “Children of a
45 Two hearts that Lesser God” Oscar 64 “Larry King
tan: 3 wds. beat ___: 2 wds. 69 Health club winner Marlee ___ Live” channel
23 Nest, for a bird 46 “The ___ King” 70 People coloring
34 Shark part 65 Small barrel
26 In need of a (Best Musical of Easter eggs, for
towel 1998) example

YOU’LL NEVER BE WITHOUT A CLUE. Where will you find the best reviews of all the
hot new shows — and movies, music … and so much more? In The New York Times.
Your family can order convenient home delivery of The New York Times
by calling 1-800-NYTIMES.
For answers to the crossword puzzle above, visit KidsNightonBroadway.com/puzzle
Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
BY INDIGO ESTEVEZ
I love going to Broadway shows. I have
low vision, which means that in order for
me to read, the print has to be super, super
large. When I go to a show I can see the
lights change colors for each scene, which
looks wonderful. When I hear the music I
tap my foot and slap my knee. It’s crazy,
but in a good way!
Last year, I saw Grease with my
school. We went to a performance that
had audio description for blind and
low vision people provided by Theatre
Development Fund (TDF). I enjoyed
the show because the audio description
was excellent. Andrea Day, the woman who We got to touch the
described what happened on stage, was costumes and the masks from the produc-
awesome. She was so enthusiastic about tion. Mustafa’s mask felt very real. I could
the performances in every scene, and I did- tell that his hair was grey, his nose was
n’t miss any information. Without the brown, and his eyes were very colorful.
audio description, I would still have I want other blind and low vision kids
enjoyed the show—but I to know about
Above and below: Indigo
wouldn’t
touches costumes and masks audio description
really have from The Lion King. so they can enjoy
known what Left: Andrea Day provides an Broadway. I hope
was happen- audio desciption of Grease. to go to more
ing. Broadway shows
For the in the future, and
audio descrip- I am thankful for
tion you get a the wonderful
box called a experience pro-
“receiver.” It’s like an vided by TDF!
iPod, but with only
one speaker. You hear For more infor-
the describer with one mation about
ear, and the show TDF’s audio
with the other ear. description
She tells you when programs, visit
the lights go on or www.tdf.org.
off, and if it gets dark
she says, “Blackout.”
She tells you when performers come on INDIGO ESTEVEZ has been a student at Concordia
the stage, and if they are in a pool of light Learning Center at St. Joseph’s School for the
of a certain color. She explains what they Blind in Jersey City, N.J. for 13 years. She lives at
are doing as they speak or sing. Concordia House (the student residence) from
This fall I heard we would be going to Monday through Thursday and goes home on
The Lion King. I was so excited. Two days weekends. She loves everything about Concordia.
before the show, TDF came to my school.
PRESENTS
GRAB
A BOOK!
RESOURCES
Theatre at Your Fingertips
These titles are available at
the Drama Book Shop in
New York City
(www.dramabookshop.com)
and at many libraries,
including the New York
Public Library for the
Performing Arts at Lincoln
Center.
Younger Kids
Discovering Careers for
Your Future—Performing
Arts, 2nd edition
Descriptions of popular
careers in the performing
arts, both behind-the-scenes
and in front of the curtain.
Learn what each job means,
and what role it plays in the
performing arts world.
Shakespeare for Kids—His
Life and Times by Colleen
Aagesen and Margie Blum-
berg (Chicago Review Press).
Inspired by scenes from
Shakespeare’s plays, kids can
invent new words and com-
pose sonnets, make pens,
cook old recipes—just as it
was done in Shakespeare’s
time.
For Teens
Actors at Work, edited by
Rosemarie Tichler and Barry
Jay Kaplan (Faber & Faber).
Conversations with the
American theatre’s most
respected stage and film
actors, revealing how they
approach their calling to the
stage and screen.
Great Monologues for
Young Actors, volume 3,
edited by Craig Slaight and
Jack Sharrar (Smith & Kraus
Books). 79 exciting selections
for actors ages 14–22 from
the contemporary stage, the
classical stage, and literature,
with a concise guide to
today’s audition obstacles
and how to overcome them.
Process—An Improviser’s
Journey by Mary Scruggs
and Michael J. Gellman
(Northwestern University
Press). This story introduces
readers to Geoff, a fictional
young actor taking a class
based on author Michael J
Gellman’s real-life workshop.
We see his discovery that
improvisation is a powerful
tool for actors of any age.
For All Ages
Audition Speeches for 6- to
16-Year-Olds, 2nd edition,
edited by Jean Marlow.
(Routledge/Theatre Arts
Books). Drawn from a vari-
ety of well-known plays and
novels, this collection is a
rich selection of speeches
for kids taking part in drama
competitions, exams, and
auditions.
What We Do by Bo Metzler
(Infinity Publishing). An
explanation of the many
jobs in the theatre world to
help you explain to family
and friends just what it is
you do—or want to do—in
theatre.
Teach Yourself Amateur
Theatre, revised edition, by
Nicholas Gibbs (McGraw-
Hill) A guidebook to
different aspects of the
theatre world, from acting
to directing to producing to
lighting, and more.
ON-LINE
News,
Reference,
and Listings
Playbill® On-Line™
www.playbill.com
A major Internet resource
for theatre news, listings,
features, multimedia,
tickets, reference, and more.
Play by Play
www.tdf.org/pxp
TDF’s theatre magazine and
online Plog written by and
for teens. (See back cover.)
I Love NY Theater
www.ILoveNYTheater.com
The definitive Internet guide
to Broadway shows and the-
atregoing in NYC, accessible
in English, Spanish, French,
German, Portuguese, and
Japanese.
Internet Broadway
Database www.ibdb.com
Database of more than
12,000 Broadway shows and
the people who worked on
them, from 1732 to the
present.
Internet Off Broadway
Database www.iobdb.com
Information on Off
Broadway productions, past
and present.
Theatermania.com
Broadway.com
BroadwayWorld.com
Some of the best sources
for show information and
listings
Young Playwrights Inc.
www.youngplaywrights.org
Organization for writers
age 18 and younger, with
playwriting contests, after-
school workshops, summer
programs, and more.
teachers that provides tools
to introduce young people to
theatre, with show listings,
activities, links, and more.
Rosie’s Broadway Kids
www.RosiesBroadwayKids.com

Other
OffBroadwayOnline.com Theatre trivia, tongue

Resources
www.offbroadwayonline.com twisters, etiquette, and
All about what’s playing more.
Off Broadway.

Theatres for
American Theatre Wing Theatre Development

Kids and
Families
NYC-area theatre companies
that stage works for family
audiences:
New Victory Theater
www.NewVictory.org
TADA! www.tadatheater.com
TheatreworksUSA
www.TheatreworksUSA.org
www.AmericanTheatreWing.org
More than 500 hours of
free audio and video about
the making of theatre,
including career guides
covering many aspects of
theatrical production.
The Broadway League
www.BroadwayLeague.com
Information about Broadway
special events, programs, and
services.
www.TouringBroadway.com
Fund www.tdf.org
Up-to-the-minute info about
NYC theatre, dance, and
music productions, plus info
on school programs,
and TKTS discount ticket
booths—all you need to
plan your next theatre
outing.
The Tony Awards®
www.TonyAwards.com
The official multimedia site
for the American Theatre

Plays and
Spotlighting the Broadway Wing’s Tony Awards®.

Playwrights
shows that visit as many as
240 North American cities
each year, and the theatres
Plays Magazine that host them.
www.playsmag.com
The drama magazine for Generation Broadway
teens. www.GenerationBroadway.com
Thru the Stage Door
www.ThruTheStageDoor.com
Get on-line Study Guides
for Broadway shows, and
learn how a show comes
together.

Family Theatregoing Tips

A site for parents and

We want you and your family to...keep going to the theatre!

Now that you’ve had a taste of Kids’ Night on Broadway, we’re happy to announce that the
program is now available to you and your family all year long, with different shows participa-
ting each month. Check out KidsNightonBroadway.com for more info.
While Kids’ Night is definitely a fun, economical way to see shows, there are many other ways
to find affordable theatre tickets.
If you want great advice to help decide what shows to see, check out PlaybyPlayOnline.com, the
only theatre magazine written for and by teens. You’ll find
reviews, interviews, a blog, videos, student discounts, and more.
Visit the TKTS booth for same-day discounts of up to 50% off.
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information go to tdf.org/tkts.
And for parents and teachers: visit GenerationBroadway.com New TKTS booth at Brodway
or TDF.org for age recommendations, plot summaries, and other resources. and 47th Street
 Conducting the Music of the Night
BY ERIC LEEKS
The warning lights flash rapidly as I
rush to my seat in the beautiful Tampa Bay
Performing Arts Center. The lights fade to
black and thunderous applause
roars through the theatre.
The presence of the
Phantom is felt, but he
is nowhere to be found.
Then the violin sings
its first notes, closely fol-
lowed by the clarinet
and saxophone,
which encourages
the bass, flute, and
guitar to comple-
ment the drums
and piano—all
under the guidance
of the conductor. It is
the conductor who
helps groups of instru-
mentalist and singers
Photo: Cylla Von Tiedmann
a 9-year-old son. “One of the hardest parts
of being on the road is the time away from
my family,” he said. “Not being able to
participate in any other shows is one of
the minor disadvantages. However, while
you are touring the country, the thrill of
every show is phenomenal and hearing the
ravishing applause for your performance is
rewarding. At the end of the day you can
say you helped keep the show afloat.”
For more than 20 years, Phantom has
performed 52 weeks a year both in New
York and on national tour. I was
enthralled by the special effects, the
drama, and the love story in the play, as
well as by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music.
Watching the show gave me a better
insight of how much work it is to conduct
an orchestra. It also helped me understand
that Broadway theatre is not limited to
New York. This experience can be shared
and enjoyed by young and old, rich or
poor. Take a minute and enjoy Broadway

John Cudia and

Trista Moldovan in interpret and perform when a show comes to your city!
the national touring pieces of music. The con-
company of Phantom Eric Leeks is an honors student at Middleton
of the Opera ductor makes sure that all
Magnet High School in Tampa, Florida, who has
the musical notes are pre-
been associated with the Tampa Bay Performing
cise, and the timing is impeccable.
Arts Center’s Patel Conservatory since 2004. He
The national tour of The Phantom of the
loves to entertain. He enjoys acting, dancing,
Opera played Tampa on a Saturday last
singing, rapping, drawing, and all the arts.
November, and after the matinee I had the
honor of interviewing Associate Conductor Eric Leeks (left) and David Robison
David Robison. He conducts twice a week,
plays keyboards for the other six perform-
ances—and he enjoys every performance.
“I become immersed in each tour,” he told
me. “My favorite show is whatever musical
I am a part of.” When I asked the
Cleveland native if he always wanted to
conduct an orchestra, his face lit up.
“I just wanted to play the piano, but
in college I was fortunate to conduct
with the Cleveland Opera, and
everything came full circle.” We
toured the Center’s Patel Conserva-
tory after our interview, and his love
for the piano was evident as he saw
where students of all ages learn to
fine-tune their abilities.
Mr. Robison is married and has
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