Rolando Sanz Named Global Arts Fellow in DeVos Institute of Arts Management

The DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland announces a new cohort of seven international arts managers to its three-year Fellowship program, including Young Artists of America’s Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Rolando Sanz.

The Institute’s Fellowship program serves entrepreneurial executives in the arts and cultural sector who are prepared to look critically at their work, challenge assumptions, and develop rigorous strategies to address the most pressing challenges facing their organizations, regions, and art forms at large. The cohorts will be in residence in Washington, D.C. for a month-long arts management intensive led by DeVos Institute executives, consultants, and experts from the field. Designed for individuals who have dedicated themselves to management, rather than artistic leadership, the program supports leaders in developing, implementing, and refining organizational strategies over a three-year, cohort-based engagement.

The DeVos Institute believes that creative practice is an essential expression of the dignity, aspirations, and achievements of individuals, communities, and societies, and that pro-active support for creative practice as a platform for intercultural, and international, cooperation is required in a healthy global society. Led by Institute Founder, Michael M. Kaiser, and President, Brett Egan, the Fellowship is equally tactical and aspirational in exemplifying these beliefs.

The program emphasizes critical organizational capacities in long-term artistic planning, marketing, fundraising, board development, and financial management; while provoking broader questions of mission, relevance, impact, and the role of art – and the dialogue it provokes – as an instrument of peace. The program emboldens leaders who leverage creative practice to confront injustice, advance social change, and encourage empathy for other perspectives and ways of life. The program acknowledges a historical lack of equity across communities and philanthropic systems and empowers leaders to build equitable and inclusive systems that assure people of every class, race, geography, age, ability, gender, and sexual orientation have equal access to, and representation in, art and creative practice.

Individuals typically engage in the Fellowship at point of inflection in their career, where an infusion of strategic training, mentorship, peer learning, and reflection is necessary to advance both their work in the organization and their role as a leader in their field. All Fellows share a deep commitment to the role of arts, culture, and creative practice in their respective societies and an inquisitiveness that drives them to engage deeply in the immersive and collaborative environment.

To date, the Institute’s Fellowship program has served over 250 arts managers from over 50 countries. DeVos Institute Chairman Michael M. Kaiser launched the Fellowship program in 2001 during his tenure as President of the Kennedy Center. In 2008, the Institute introduced the current, intensive model of one month in residence each summer for three years and transitioned to the University of Maryland from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2014. 2023 DeVos Institute Fellowship 2 The DeVos Institute’s Fellowship program is made possible with the support of the University of Maryland.

About the DeVos Institute of Arts Management

The DeVos Institute of Arts Management provides training, consultation, and implementation support for arts managers and their boards. It operates on the premise that while much is spent to train artists, too little is spent to support the managers and boards who keep those artists at work. At the same time, rapid changes in technology, demographics, government policy, and the economy have complicated the job of the manager and volunteer trustees. These changes continue to accelerate. Organizations that have mastered these trends are flourishing—even leveraging them to their advantage.

For those that have not, however, the sense that “something’s not quite right” can seem unshakable. For too many, these changes have led to less art, decreased visibility, diminished relevance—even financial collapse. These challenges inform our approach. Never has the need to balance best practices and new approaches been so urgent.

Institute leadership and consultants—all arts managers themselves—understand that, in today’s environment, there is no time or resource to waste. Therefore, Institute services are lean, direct, and practical.

The DeVos Institute has served more than 1,000 organizations from over 80 countries since Michael M. Kaiser founded it during his tenure as President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. While environments, objectives, and disciplines vary, each of our clients shares the desire to create, market, and sustain exemplary cultural programs.

The DeVos Institute has designed its services to assist a wide range of institutions, from traditional performing and presenting organizations, museums, galleries, art schools, and libraries, to botanical gardens, glass-making studios, public art trusts, and nonprofit cinemas, to name a few.

In 2014, the DeVos Institute transitioned to the University of Maryland, where it continues to offer support to individuals, organizations, and—in collaboration with foundations and governments—to communities of organizations around the world.

For more information about the DeVos Institute, please visit www.devosinstitute.net.

Not Just a Stuffed Animal

For this season’s fall production of Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland, a modern retelling of Alice in Wonderland, YAA has partnered with Comfort Cases, a nonprofit that provides backpacks filled with comfort items to children in foster care.

At our performance on December 3rd at Strathmore, we are hosting a stuffed animal drive, asking all ticket holders to bring new stuffed animals (12 inches or less in size) to be included in these comfort cases for children in our area’s foster system. 

Why stuffed animals you may ask? Rob Scheer, Comfort Cases’ founder, is 56 years old now and owns nothing from his own childhood. Having entered the foster care system himself as a child and placed in his first foster home at 12, he remembers arriving with a trash bag filled with a few necessities but nothing of sentimental value (watch his inspiring Ted Talk below the break).

“Things keep our memories for us. When you look at, hold, smell a thing from your childhood, you are transported back into a memory.”

“Sure, your connection to people is what matters most,” Scheer says. But he contends that things hold immense sentimental value as well. “Things keep our memories for us. When you look at, hold, smell a thing from your childhood, you are transported back into a memory.” This is why he ensures that each one of the Comfort Cases that his organization distributes to children in the foster care system includes a book and a stuffed animal. “We want all of our children to have something of their own,” Scheer says. He hopes they will hold onto these things for the rest of their lives if they so choose, and it will help them craft their own story.

Rob (back row, second from right), his husband Reese (third from right) and their five children, all adopted from the foster system. (Photo Credit: Canvas Rebel)

Crafting stories is something that Young Artists of America knows a thing or two about. When we mentioned the stuffed animal drive to Kristina Friedgen, YAA’s Director of Education and Stage Director for Wonderland, she connected deeply with the power of childhood items. She explained that for one of the first rehearsals of Wonderland, she had asked the cast to each bring in sentimental items, and many of them brought in items from their childhood. 

Kristina Friedgen directs student (Photo Credit: www.KristinaFriedgen.com)

The purpose? Friedgen was instructing them on Essence Work, a playmaking methodology created by Shana Cooper, used for collective visioning of a script in the rehearsal phase. Essence Work asks the directors and actors to perform an interpretation of the essential truth of the play - the story’s themes, morals, lessons. For this Essence Work, Friedgen asked the cast to use these sentimental items as props in their rehearsal process - allowing the cast to tap into the emotions that come from these items.

“Connecting with these items, the cast tapped into emotional moments from their own experiences with their parents, friends, and loved ones and explored these through Alice’s journey in the script” Friedgen said.

She then filmed these mini-performances and used screenshots of them to inform some of the blocking of the show.

And so, with this stuffed animal drive to benefit Comfort Cases, we are not just asking for things, we are asking for you to help create memories for a child. Who knows, perhaps they will use them in a rehearsal of their own one day!

See you in Wonderland! Get tickets now!

Use Amazon Smile (and choose YAA as your charity of choice) to purchase your stuffed animal and support both YAA and Comfort Cases simultaneously!

WATCH FOUNDER OF COMFORT CASES ROB SCHEER’S TED TALK

Presenting Carol Trawick with YAA's 2022 Mentorship Award

We're so thrilled to be presenting Carol Trawick with YAA’s 2022 Mentorship Award this Sunday at our presentation of AIDA. Past YAA Mentorship Awardees have included Stephen Schwartz and Eliot Pfanstiehl. From YAA’s earliest days, Carol Trawick and The Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation have been instrumental to our organization’s growth.

Carol was YAA’s very first mentor. After meeting Rolando and Kristofer Sanz, she became a true believer in their vision of bringing transformative, innovative, and inclusive performing arts opportunities to the youth in our community.

Carol took a fledgling YAA under her wing, and literally gave us a home— providing office space, advice, encouragement, and key introductions. Her generosity continues to this day. The Trawick Foundation provides annual support for student scholarships to YAA’s Summer Performing Arts Intensives.

Learn More About Carol

Thirty-three years ago, Carol and Jim Trawick started Trawick and Associates, an information technology company that provided IT support services to over 60,000 end users in the federal government.  The Trawicks sold the company in November, 2006, and established the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation.  The Foundation’s mission is to assist local health and human service and arts non-profit organizations to reach more people in need and to encourage and sustain creative activities.  The Foundation has awarded grants to over 90 Montgomery County, MD, non-profits, many receiving multiple grants.

Carol has served the community in which her family, her former business, and now the Foundation have resided. She served as Board Chair of numerous organizations such as the Maryland State Arts Council, Strathmore Music Center, the B-CC Chamber of Commerce, the B-CC Rotary Club, the Glen Echo Park Foundation, the Bethesda Urban Partnership, and the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District.  

Carol was named the Leadership Montgomery 2004 Leader of the Year, the Gazette 2006 Business Leader of the Year, the InterfaithWorks 2009 Humanitarian of the Year, a 2010 Washingtonian of the Year, the 2010 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year, the 2010 County Executive Lifetime Impact Award, the Roscoe R. Nix 2013 Distinguished Community Leadership Award, and was elected to the 2012 Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame. 

A former teacher and high school assistant principal, Carol is especially supportive of programs that benefit youth. The Trawick Foundation focuses on innovative grant making strategies with its annual TeamUp Award. This award requires nonprofits to collaborate with schools on programs for middle school age youth and ninth graders, that will help keep youth connected during their transitional years. Also, Carol initiated and funds 2 art awards for the MD, VA and DC region:  The Trawick Prize for Contemporary Art and the Painting Awards.

Get to Know: Kevin McAllister, Director of AIDA

Helen Hayes Award-Winning Actor Kevin S. McAllister will direct Young Artists of America’s spring production of AIDA on April 3 at Strathmore’s Music Center (tickets on sale 3/14). We caught up with this Broadway (Come From Away, Caroline or Change) superstar to talk about his love for theatre, how he got started, and what he’s most excited about for this production.

Theatre is the culmination of so many people coming together to make, what appears to be, magic happen. 

How did you become a theater director?

I’ve always been fascinated by how many people it takes to make one thing happen.  Theatre is the culmination of so many people coming together to make, what appears to be, magic happen.  As a young actor, I became really enthralled by the tech process when all the costumes, lights, sound, props, and choreography all come together for the first time.  I remember sitting in the back of the house and watching Toby Orenstein and Daniel McDonald, Co-Directors of my first professional show, Ragtime, balancing all the questions coming their way.  They made good decisions.  They made bad decisions and then immediately changed them but all of it came together to make a most beautiful production that everyone who worked on it was so proud of. 

After that production I went to Toby Orenstein and asked her to teach me everything she knew about directing.  She agreed to be my mentor.  She brought me on to teach at her Teen Professional Camp and I was her assistant on an original production of The Phantom of the Opera.  It was great.  I learned a lot. I did a lot.  It changed my life.  I was hired to direct on my own for the next five years and went on to direct many mainstage shows.  From then on, I was hooked and many years later I find myself here with the amazing talent at YAA. 

What's been your favorite thing you've directed?

This is a hard question to answer.  I come away with favorite moments from every show I’ve directed. If I have to choose, I would have to say a production of Dreamgirls I directed with my company, ArtsCentric in Baltimore. It’s a true favorite because it was set in a blackbox space that should not have been able to handle a mammoth show like Dreamgirls.  It was a huge challenge for me as a director but it was such a hit that it ran for almost two months.  It really upped my belief in the idea that anything is possible and whenever I’m presented with something that seems almost impossible, I get really excited because I know our entire team will be super proud when we figure it out. 

What made you decide to direct AIDA for YAA? What is it about the musical that interests you most?

What’s not to love about YAA?  There’s years of commitment to the advancement of young artistry; true artists of all ages with a real commitment to learning and teaching the foundations of great artistry…It doesn’t get any better.  Whatever the show offered, I would have said yes.  It just so happens that it’s Aida, a show I’ve directed five other times.  

Honestly, I’m a huge fan of the three humongously flawed characters that make up this narrative, Aida, Radames, and Amneris.  They all want to be loved by the others in an extreme way.  Each of them controls a nation and yet still battles with self and moral duty over commitment to their people.  It’s an almost impossible decision for anyone to make and yet each of them owns their choices.  They each love and lose with the whole heart.  It’s epic.  So, I come back to direct it time after time because there’s always something new to learn. There’s always a new layer to the piece that I, the director, can discover as well.  It’s just really touching and I never grow tired of it. 

What is it like working with YAA students and faculty compared with professionals?

There’s truly no difference between the work being done at YAA and working with professionals.  If anything, there is more work and preparation and work being done here than by some professionals.  YAA is filled with people excited to create.  It is filled with young minds who are not doing this to pay their bills.  It is filled with people who want to be there, who want to create something magical, and bring their best selves to every rehearsal.  Don’t get me wrong, there are several professionals who do the same thing.  I just think over time we professionals fall into the machine that is auditioning, getting hired, and then doing the work.  If we are lucky that machine never stops but for most there are breaks and instead of refreshing and building on our skills during our downtime we relax or become complacent and hope that our previous work ethic is good enough to compete in an ever changing market.  With YAA you meet young people who haven’t yet ventured into the world of full-time professional artistry so their commitment is because they want to be there.  It is an institution that brings them joy so they choose to be there.  They choose to work on their artistry in their downtime because it is an investment in their artistic future.  I enjoy the atmosphere here so much.  It’s refreshing.  Working with so many amazing young talents reminds me that the highest standards of artistry will be maintained and pushed even higher once this class of young professionals take over. 

Tell us more about the music of AIDA. What makes it different from other musicals you've done? 

Aida is Pop/Rock musical with an eclectic mix of some of Elton John’s best musical theatre compositions.  Easy As Life is an audition staple in the theatre community.  Everyone knows it.  When sung well it is a beautiful composite of great storytelling and melodies that kinda stay with you after the show is over.  

I think this musical is different from other musicals because of the lyrics. Tim Rice, the lyricist, has written lyrics that require thought.  There’s no easy answer to any of the songs.  There’s no one way to sing them.  They are layered pieces.  Many musicals offer the easy when sining.  I’m sad so I’l say I’m sad but this body of work asks the artist and the audience to understand that emotions are made of so many things.  Anger can be made up of so many things like sadness, shock, embarassment or pride.  Elton John and Tim Rice combine all of these ingredients to make a beautiful recipe book of songs.  

What are you most looking forward to for the show?

I’m most looking forward to seeing the audience’s reaction to the pride and power of this amazing company.  Nothing thrills me more than sitting in the back of the house watching a parent see their child do something for the first time; sing that first solo; tackle the choreography; make a confident acting choice. It’s unlike anything else when you see a group of people come together and celebrate the work of so many.  Theatre is not something a director should create for himself.  If done well it should be created with everyone aspect of the production.  The actors, costumes, the lights, the props, the orchestra, the singing, the staging have all come together to create these two hours.  There’s no greater thrill than sharing that with others.  It just happens to be an even more exciting thing when it’s presented to a parent.  

How has theater changed from COVID? Where did you see theater going from here? 

I think is trying to be a little more responsible with stories that are being told and how they are being told.  Theatre is trying to produce stories that they feel need to be told at this point in our society.  COVID has caused everyone to ask themselves, “Do I really need to do that?”, if the answer is no, we stay home, we refund our ticket and we get under the covers.  So, theatre is now meeting some people by only having partially full audiences.  Some theatres are streaming shows on their website for those who just don’t feel comfortable leaving their home. It’s a new world and despite it’s many changes theatre has been here since the beginning of time.  I don’t see it going anywhere.  Storytellers will always find new and inventive ways to share their narratives. It’s a constant thread in the fabric of every culture.  So, I don’t think much will change other than the expansion of how to reach those who do not feel safe coming indoors right now.  Theatre will always find a way.  Always has, always will. 

Tickets available 3/14

Paco's POV

Paco’s POV:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Week 5)

Francisco José “Paco” Cosió Marron

YAA is excited to have the return of a beloved blog column called Paco’s POV. Our wonderful Orchestra Manager, Francisco José “Paco” Cosió-Marron, will be writing these regularly to give you a bit more background on the production we are currently working on, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Check back often to get your fill of Paco’s POV!

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Good morning all!

Here is an interesting tidbit of history evoked by one of MCYO's pieces in the repertoire of this fall's concert that I thought you might find interesting and enjoy. We are doing the overture to Adolphe Adam's opera: Si j'étais roi (if I were a king.)

 If you have had the opportunity to follow the music scene at the Strathmore the past few years, you may remember that the Young Artists of America did a musical, Les Misérables, based on a Victor Hugo novel of the same name that told the story of life in Paris between 1815 and the early 1830s. In many ways, it details the youth of Adolphe Adam and the miseries that he survived to become a prolific composer of operas and ballets. As the saying goes: “that which does not kill us makes us stronger” may well have applied to our composer.

He was a mere 12 year old when Wellington beat Napoleon at Waterloo and brought down the French Empire which caused Paris several years of incredibly difficult economic times and started a series of “revolutions” which culminated in Adam’s life with the 1848 revolt that shut down the theaters and cultural scene in Paris and across France leaving our composer destitute with massive debts that he attempted to pay off in the last eight years of his life. In between these cataclysmic events he wrote many popular numbers for vaudevilles in his early years, a large number of piano arrangements, transcriptions and potpourris of favorite operatic arias, and numerous light songs and ballads as well as several grand operas and ballets.

In France, during Adam's lifetime, Le chalet was his most popular opera. Other operas he wrote included Le postillon de Lonjumeau, Le toréador and Si j'étais roi. The last being a tongue-in-cheek commentary on how life might have otherwise been, if only.....

Although he was a prolific composer of opera, Adam wrote ballet music even more fluently. He commented that it was fun, rather than work. Giselle is the best known though he wrote four others that have survived till today and are performed by ballet companies around the world including La jolie fille de Gand, La filleule des fées and Le corsaire. Little of Adam's religious music has entered the regular repertory, with the exception of his Cantique de Noël, "Minuit, chrétiens", known in English as "O Holy Night".

His greatest operatic success, Le Chalet, actually opened just a year and a half after the barricades of the June rebellion of 1832 that Hugo highlights and uses as the denouement in his novel occurred. That he continued to compose through all that befell him and Paris speaks volumes to his strength of character and his deep creative desire.

The prospects of cross pollination between YAA and MCYO grow as both of these organizations continue to flower and develop.

Enjoy!

P

Paco's POV

Paco’s POV:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Week 4)

Francisco José “Paco” Cosió Marron

YAA is excited to have the return of a beloved blog column called Paco’s POV. Our wonderful Orchestra Manager, Francisco José “Paco” Cosió-Marron, will be writing these regularly to give you a bit more background on the production we are currently working on, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Check back often to get your fill of Paco’s POV!

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My dear YAA Community,

By now you should have heard/listened to a rendition of our Fall production several times to get it in your ears, on your lips and fingers and in your soul. And, I am sure, you are practicing. Here is one YouTube link of the whole opus:

Here are some fun factoids that will give the scale and breadth of impact that our musical and biblical themes have had on humanity and civilization. From Genesis to Judges, there's hardly a story in the books of the Old Testament which hasn't inspired an opera or oratorio, or a verse that hasn't been set to music. It is good to remember that for a greater part of the last five millennia, a majority of people did not know how to read and write and, if they were to be reached by “influencers” of their day, it was done through the arts, paintings, buildings, theater and music. Hence ‘civilization’ is reflected in the pyramids, temples, basilica and cathedrals that were built and adorned with gorgeous art and which served as a venue for the musical compositions that related the stories and ideas to the masses.

Just in the past 500 years, composers created theater and oratorios retelling the stories of the bible in a way their audiences could relate to. Some were born from the “new found” interest in lands and discoveries of their time. Étienne Méhul: La Légende de Joseph en Egypte was written after Napoleon's expedition to Egypt in 1798, when all of France was intrigued by this ancient land and its stories. Méhul’s opera was a critical success and in 1810 it was awarded a prize for the best piece staged by the Opéra-Comique in the previous decade. It was rarely staged however until there was a new French production in Paris to mark the bicentenary of the French Revolution in 1989. This invasion by the French in North Africa rendered a critical clue to our pasts with the find of the Rosetta stone which allowed folks to translate and make comprehensible ancient texts.

The Rosetta Stone is a granodiorite stele inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Memphis, Egypt in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts are in Ancient Egyptian using hieroglyphic and Demotic scripts respectively, while the bottom is in Ancient Greek. The decree has only minor differences between the three versions, making the Rosetta Stone key to deciphering the Egyptian scripts.

Our story was taken up about two centuries prior to these events by Handel who wrote an oratorio titled: Joseph and his Brethren which was based on Joseph’s complicated filial relationships, as told in the final thirteen chapters of the Book of Genesis, contains all the makings of good theater: jealousy, violence, sexual predation, trickery, imprisonment, mistaken identities, deception, and an exotic locale. Handel and his librettist, James Miller, made the story too complicated to be recounted in a single musical evening, and the glorious music of Handel’s oratorio on the subject, Joseph and His Brethren, is seldom played.

Webber and Rice knew their target audience very well and created an opus with lyrical themes to cover most popular interests and kept the story clipped and short which is why this production continues to be performed. Now PRACTICE.

See you soon.

Paco

Paco's POV

Paco’s POV:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Week 3)

Francisco José “Paco” Cosió Marron

YAA is excited to have the return of a beloved blog column called Paco’s POV. Our wonderful Orchestra Manager, Francisco José “Paco” Cosió-Marron, will be writing these regularly to give you a bit more background on the production we are currently working on, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Check back often to get your fill of Paco’s POV!

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Greetings YAA Community!

I am loathe to distract you from what 'I am sure' is a day of study, reading and PRACTICE but since Mr. Sanz raised the question yesterday which made it a bit evident that you hadn't read the script synopsis before practice, I thought I would break down some of the queries he posed. He asked if anyone could name the colors on Joseph's gold lined 'technicolor' coat. As you don't have the script/score here they are:

The colors of Joseph’s coat: “It was red and yellow and green and brown and scarlet and black and ochre and peach and ruby and olive and violet and fawn and lilac and gold and chocolate and mauve and cream and crimson and silver and rose and azure and lemon and russet and grey and purple and white and pink and orange and red and yellow and green and brown and blue. 

Did you know that Jacob and his sons are mentioned and honored in all three great religions of the “book” (the stories of the Torah, Pentateuch, and Koran): Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Muslims hold as a holy site Jacob’s well in Nablus as well as the home of Abraham in Hebron. They know Jacob as Yaqub ibn Ishaaq ibn Ibrahim (Jacob son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham.) Jacob’s twelve sons lend their names to the twelve tribes of Israel and, as Mr. Sanz was most interested in listings yesterday at rehearsal, here are the 12 brothers in order of birth: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Nepthali (sometimes spelled with an a instead of the e), Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was the first born of Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel (he had four wives: Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, and Rachel) who bore her two sons (Joseph and Benjamin) late in Jacob’s life.

I hope this will tickle your interest today. Remember the original story of Joseph can be found in most bibles in Genesis 37:2 thru 50:26.

Enjoy a restful and mentally stimulating day.

Paco

Paco's POV

Paco’s POV:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Week 2)

Francisco José “Paco” Cosió Marron

YAA is excited to have the return of a beloved blog column called Paco’s POV. Our wonderful Orchestra Manager, Francisco José “Paco” Cosió-Marron, will be writing these regularly to give you a bit more background on the production we are currently working on, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Check back often to get your fill of Paco’s POV!

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My Dear YAA Community,

It was a pleasure getting together with you and hearing you "live." We have a very interesting musical adventure ahead of us and not much time to get the material under thumb, breath, heart, mind and soul so please take the time to read the synopsis below, listen to the musical and practice. We have only 10 rehearsals and just under 7 weeks to get this prepared (and three of those rehearsals will be with the singers) which is a very compressed time frame. I am sending you the synopsis again so that you can know the story that you are telling through music.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (often colloquially known as Joseph) is a musical comedy with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. The show has only a few lines of spoken dialogue; it is almost entirely sung-through. Its family-friendly story, familiar themes and catchy music have resulted in numerous stagings.

The original story of Joseph can be found in most bibles in Genesis 37:2 thru 50:26

Synopsis of the script and score of this musical is from Wikipedia

Act I

A Narrator opens the show by introducing Joseph, the dreamer ("Prologue"). Joseph sings an inspiring, but seemingly meaningless song to the audience ("Any Dream Will Do"). The Narrator then draws the audience's attention to Joseph's father Jacob and his 12 sons ("Jacob and Sons"). Jacob favors Joseph over his other sons, and he gives Joseph a multi-colored coat to show his affection for him. Joseph is ecstatic about this gift ("Joseph's Coat"), while his brothers look on with jealousy.

The brothers’ jealousy is compounded by Joseph's dreams, which suggest that he is destined to rule over them ("Joseph's Dreams"). To stop this from happening, they try to kill him by throwing him down a well, before changing their minds and selling him as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites. The Narrator comments on how powerless Joseph was to stop this ("Poor, Poor Joseph").

To hide what they have done, Joseph's brothers and their wives tell Jacob that his beloved son has been killed. As proof, they show him Joseph's coat, which they have torn to pieces and covered in goat's blood ("One More Angel in Heaven"). When the devastated Jacob exits, the brothers and wives cheerfully celebrate Joseph's departure (“Hoedown”).

Meanwhile, Joseph is taken to Egypt, where he is bought as a slave by the wealthy Potiphar. He works hard and is promoted, eventually running the household. Joseph catches the eye of Mrs Potiphar and although he turns down her advances, Potiphar sees them together and jumps to the wrong conclusion ("Potiphar"). Heartbroken, he throws Joseph in jail.

A miserable Joseph laments his situation ("Close Every Door"). Two prisoners, both former servants of the Pharaoh, are put in his cell. Joseph interprets their strange dreams and predicts the Butler will return to Pharaoh's service, while the Baker will be executed. As Joseph questions his predictions, the other prisoners encourage Joseph to follow his own dreams ("Go, Go, Go Joseph").

Act II

The Narrator opens the second act with news that there's a glimmer of light for Joseph in jail: Pharaoh himself had a run of crazy dreams and nobody can interpret them (“Pharaoh Story”). Pharaoh's (now freed) Butler tells him of Joseph's skills deciphering dreams ("Poor, Poor Pharaoh"). Pharaoh has Joseph brought to him and describes his dream involving seven fat cows, seven skinny cows, seven healthy ears of corn, and seven dead ears of corn ("Song of the King").

Joseph deduces that there will be seven plentiful years of crops followed by seven years of famine ("Pharaoh's Dreams Explained"). Impressed with what he hears, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of preparations for the famine and the former slave becomes the second most powerful man in Egypt, Pharaoh's right-hand man ("Stone the Crows").

Meanwhile, Joseph's family back home is now starving and poor, having lost their farm and living off of scraps in a brothel. Joseph's brothers regret what they did to him and how they lied to their father, thinking that things might have turned out differently if Joseph was still with them ("Those Canaan Days"). Hearing that Egypt still has food, they travel there to beg for supplies ("The Brothers Come to Egypt").

In Egypt, the brothers beg for food from Joseph, not realizing who he is ("Grovel, Grovel"). Joseph gives them sacks of food, but plants a golden cup in the one belonging to Benjamin, his youngest brother. When the brothers attempt to depart, Joseph stops them, accusing them of theft. Each brother empties his sack ("Who's the Thief?”), and when the cup is found in Benjamin's sack Joseph accuses him of stealing. The other brothers beg Joseph to take them prisoner instead and let Benjamin go free ("Benjamin Calypso").

Joseph sees that his brothers have changed and reveals who he really is ("Joseph All the Time"). Joseph sends for his father Jacob ("Jacob in Egypt"). Upon meeting Jacob for the first time in years, Joseph sings "Any Dream Will Do" again, and the lyrics are revealed to be a vague overview of the story. Jacob gives Joseph his coat back ("Give Me My Colored Coat")

Thank you for your enthusiasm and cooperation today as we got most administrative issues resolved. See you on Thursday. Remember, according to the COVID protocols YAA administration has set up and presented in the informational meeting Friday evening, if you are absent for "any illness" that may have similar symptoms to COVID you must get a negative result PCR test before being allowed back in to rehearse. These often take 48 to 72 hours for the results to return, so plan accordingly.

Biblical stories have served as the basis or platform for many musicals including Webber and Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell, The Prince of Egypt and Children of Eden, Richard Rodgers and Martin Charnin’s Two by Two (Danny Kaye played Noah), King David by Menken and Rice, Les Dix Commandements, a French-language musical comedy written by Élie Chouraqui and Pascal Obispo just to name a few. The tradition goes back to before Handel’s The Queen of Sheba and has been a staple of both the theater and church productions ever since.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (often colloquially known as Joseph) is a musical comedy with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Torah, Qur’an, and the Bible's Book of Genesis. The show has only a few lines of spoken dialogue; it is almost entirely sung-through (think popular or comic opera). Its family-friendly story, familiar themes, and catchy music have resulted in numerous stagings.

The original story of Joseph can be found in most bibles in Genesis 37:2 thru 50:26

Synopsis of the script and score of this musical is from Wikipedia

Act I

A Narrator opens the show by introducing Joseph, the dreamer ("Prologue"). Joseph sings an inspiring, but seemingly meaningless song to the audience ("Any Dream Will Do"). The Narrator then draws the audience's attention to Joseph's father Jacob and his 12 sons ("Jacob and Sons"). Jacob favors Joseph over his other sons, and he gives Joseph a multi-colored coat to show his affection for him. Joseph is ecstatic about this gift ("Joseph's Coat"), while his brothers look on with jealousy.

The brothers’ jealousy is compounded by Joseph's dreams, which suggest that he is destined to rule over them ("Joseph's Dreams"). To stop this from happening, they try to kill him by throwing him down a well, before changing their minds and selling him as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites. The Narrator comments on how powerless Joseph was to stop this ("Poor, Poor Joseph").

To hide what they have done, Joseph's brothers and their wives tell Jacob that his beloved son has been killed. As proof, they show him Joseph's coat, which they have torn to pieces and covered in goat's blood ("One More Angel in Heaven"). When the devastated Jacob exits, the brothers and wives cheerfully celebrate Joseph's departure.

Meanwhile, Joseph is taken to Egypt, where he is bought as a slave by the wealthy Potiphar. He works hard and is promoted, eventually running the household. Joseph catches the eye of Mrs Potiphar and although he turns down her advances, Potiphar sees them together and jumps to the wrong conclusion ("Potiphar"). Heartbroken, he throws Joseph in jail.

A miserable Joseph laments his situation ("Close Every Door"). Two prisoners, both former servants of the Pharaoh, are put in his cell. Joseph interprets their strange dreams and predicts the Butler will return to Pharaoh's service, while the Baker will be executed. As Joseph questions his predictions, the other prisoners encourage Joseph to follow his own dreams ("Go, Go, Go Joseph").

Act II

The Narrator opens the second act with news that there's a glimmer of light for Joseph in jail: Pharaoh himself had a run of crazy dreams and nobody can interpret them (“Pharaoh Story”). Pharaoh's (now freed) Butler tells him of Joseph's skills deciphering dreams ("Poor, Poor Pharaoh"). Pharaoh has Joseph brought to him and describes his dream involving seven fat cows, seven skinny cows, seven healthy ears of corn, and seven dead ears of corn ("Song of the King").

Joseph deduces that there will be seven plentiful years of crops followed by seven years of famine ("Pharaoh's Dreams Explained"). Impressed with what he hears, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of preparations for the famine and the former slave becomes the second most powerful man in Egypt, Pharaoh's right-hand man ("Stone the Crows").

Meanwhile, Joseph's family back home is now starving and poor, having lost their farm and living off of scraps in a brothel. Joseph's brothers regret what they did to him and how they lied to their father, thinking that things might have turned out differently if Joseph was still with them ("Those Canaan Days"). Hearing that Egypt still has food, they travel there to beg for supplies ("The Brothers Come to Egypt").

In Egypt, the brothers beg for food from Joseph, not realizing who he is ("Grovel, Grovel"). Joseph gives them sacks of food, but plants a golden cup in the one belonging to Benjamin, his youngest brother. When the brothers attempt to depart, Joseph stops them, accusing them of theft. Each brother empties his sack ("Who's the Thief?”), and when the cup is found in Benjamin's sack Joseph accuses him of stealing. The other brothers beg Joseph to take them prisoner instead and let Benjamin go free.

Joseph sees that his brothers have changed and reveals who he really is ("Joseph All the Time"). Joseph sends for his father Jacob ("Jacob in Egypt"). Jacob gives Joseph his coat back ("Give Me My Colored Coat").

Getting this show into our ears, minds and souls is going to take very focused time and effort. As that is the one thing we are short of, TIME, please take a moment to listen to the music and become familiar with the story before rehearsal tomorrow.

We are so looking forward to seeing, hearing and evolving with you this fall. It will be an amazing experience.

Paco

Paco's POV

Paco’s POV:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Week 1)

Francisco José “Paco” Cosió Marron

YAA is excited to have the return of a beloved blog column called Paco’s POV. Our wonderful Orchestra Manager, Francisco José “Paco” Cosió-Marron, will be writing these regularly to give you a bit more background on the production we are currently working on, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Check back often to get your fill of Paco’s POV!

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My Dear YAA Community,

Welcome to the marvelous adventure we will prepare (live and in person) this fall for presentation at the The Clarice in November. As we are on a short schedule, we have to hit the ground running!

There is much to be said about this show including talking about the fun that Webber and Rice had creating it. They used several "styles" of music including the Rock and Pop of the King, French cabaret, western ballad, and more. If you have not yet listened to the show, there are several renditions available on YouTube including the one below:

Biblical stories have served as the basis or platform for many musicals including Webber and Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell, The Prince of Egypt and Children of Eden, Richard Rodgers and Martin Charnin’s Two by Two (Danny Kaye played Noah), King David by Menken and Rice, Les Dix Commandements, a French-language musical comedy written by Élie Chouraqui and Pascal Obispo just to name a few. The tradition goes back to before Handel’s The Queen of Sheba and has been a staple of both the theater and church productions ever since.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (often colloquially known as Joseph) is a musical comedy with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Torah, Qur’an, and the Bible's Book of Genesis. The show has only a few lines of spoken dialogue; it is almost entirely sung-through (think popular or comic opera). Its family-friendly story, familiar themes, and catchy music have resulted in numerous stagings.

The original story of Joseph can be found in most bibles in Genesis 37:2 thru 50:26

Synopsis of the script and score of this musical is from Wikipedia

Act I

A Narrator opens the show by introducing Joseph, the dreamer ("Prologue"). Joseph sings an inspiring, but seemingly meaningless song to the audience ("Any Dream Will Do"). The Narrator then draws the audience's attention to Joseph's father Jacob and his 12 sons ("Jacob and Sons"). Jacob favors Joseph over his other sons, and he gives Joseph a multi-colored coat to show his affection for him. Joseph is ecstatic about this gift ("Joseph's Coat"), while his brothers look on with jealousy.

The brothers’ jealousy is compounded by Joseph's dreams, which suggest that he is destined to rule over them ("Joseph's Dreams"). To stop this from happening, they try to kill him by throwing him down a well, before changing their minds and selling him as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites. The Narrator comments on how powerless Joseph was to stop this ("Poor, Poor Joseph").

To hide what they have done, Joseph's brothers and their wives tell Jacob that his beloved son has been killed. As proof, they show him Joseph's coat, which they have torn to pieces and covered in goat's blood ("One More Angel in Heaven"). When the devastated Jacob exits, the brothers and wives cheerfully celebrate Joseph's departure.

Meanwhile, Joseph is taken to Egypt, where he is bought as a slave by the wealthy Potiphar. He works hard and is promoted, eventually running the household. Joseph catches the eye of Mrs Potiphar and although he turns down her advances, Potiphar sees them together and jumps to the wrong conclusion ("Potiphar"). Heartbroken, he throws Joseph in jail.

A miserable Joseph laments his situation ("Close Every Door"). Two prisoners, both former servants of the Pharaoh, are put in his cell. Joseph interprets their strange dreams and predicts the Butler will return to Pharaoh's service, while the Baker will be executed. As Joseph questions his predictions, the other prisoners encourage Joseph to follow his own dreams ("Go, Go, Go Joseph").

Act II

The Narrator opens the second act with news that there's a glimmer of light for Joseph in jail: Pharaoh himself had a run of crazy dreams and nobody can interpret them (“Pharaoh Story”). Pharaoh's (now freed) Butler tells him of Joseph's skills deciphering dreams ("Poor, Poor Pharaoh"). Pharaoh has Joseph brought to him and describes his dream involving seven fat cows, seven skinny cows, seven healthy ears of corn, and seven dead ears of corn ("Song of the King").

Joseph deduces that there will be seven plentiful years of crops followed by seven years of famine ("Pharaoh's Dreams Explained"). Impressed with what he hears, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of preparations for the famine and the former slave becomes the second most powerful man in Egypt, Pharaoh's right-hand man ("Stone the Crows").

Meanwhile, Joseph's family back home is now starving and poor, having lost their farm and living off of scraps in a brothel. Joseph's brothers regret what they did to him and how they lied to their father, thinking that things might have turned out differently if Joseph was still with them ("Those Canaan Days"). Hearing that Egypt still has food, they travel there to beg for supplies ("The Brothers Come to Egypt").

In Egypt, the brothers beg for food from Joseph, not realizing who he is ("Grovel, Grovel"). Joseph gives them sacks of food, but plants a golden cup in the one belonging to Benjamin, his youngest brother. When the brothers attempt to depart, Joseph stops them, accusing them of theft. Each brother empties his sack ("Who's the Thief?”), and when the cup is found in Benjamin's sack Joseph accuses him of stealing. The other brothers beg Joseph to take them prisoner instead and let Benjamin go free.

Joseph sees that his brothers have changed and reveals who he really is ("Joseph All the Time"). Joseph sends for his father Jacob ("Jacob in Egypt"). Jacob gives Joseph his coat back ("Give Me My Colored Coat").

Getting this show into our ears, minds and souls is going to take very focused time and effort. As that is the one thing we are short of, TIME, please take a moment to listen to the music and become familiar with the story before rehearsal tomorrow.

We are so looking forward to seeing, hearing and evolving with you this fall. It will be an amazing experience.

Paco

First YAA Alumnus Elected to Board of Directors

Last June, YAA’s Board of Directors unanimously elected Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf, a Broadway producer, entrepreneur, and HR professional currently working for The New York Times, to serve a three-year term as a full member of the Board. Jamie is the first YAA alum ever to serve in this capacity. 

Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf

“Jamie will bring to the board vital skills in professional theatre production and human resources,” said YAA Board President Ollen Douglass. “She will also be able to share her unique perspective as a former student.”

Jamie made her Broadway co-producing debut on Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune starring Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, double majoring in Theatre and Sociology with certificates in Marketing, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship.

”I’m thrilled to be able to give back to YAA, which taught me so many important life lessons when I was in high school,” said Jamie. “Plus I’m excited to serve as a liaison between the Board of Directors, the Alumni Advisory Board, and all YAA alums.”

Jamie served on the inaugural YAA Alumni Advisory Board, where she was instrumental in launching the alumni podcast “The Reprise,” which features interviews with former YAA students and is available wherever you get your Podcasts. She will now be an Ex-Officio member.

“As we enter our tenth season, the time is right to include a young alum in this leadership role,” noted YAA Producing Artistic Director Rolando Sanz. “Our alumni community is an essential part of our vision for YAA’s next ten years.”

Leave a congratulatory message for Jamie below! 

Young Artists of America Named One of the Best Nonprofits

YAA Named ‘One of the Best’ Nonprofits by the Catalogue for Philanthropy

As it Celebrates its 18th Anniversary Working in the Greater Washington Region, the Catalogue for Philanthropy is Proud to Honor YAA

After an intentional application and selection process, the Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington has selected Young Artists of America to be part of the Class of 2021-22. Young Artists of America has undergone a rigorous review process conducted by a team of 170+ local community advocates, and has been found to be a critical local nonprofit. Potential donors can be confident that the nonprofits in the Catalogue are worthy of their support. 

This year, the Catalogue’s volunteer review team helped select 87 nonprofits to feature in the print edition, almost half of which are new to the Catalogue this year. Over 70% of the organizations are women-led, and over 40% are BIPOC-led. The network now includes 400+ vetted nonprofits working in the arts, education, environment, and human services sectors throughout Greater Washington.

“People want to get involved in their community—they want to make a difference, close to home. Based on our rigorous review process, we believe that YAA is a critical local nonprofit in our region,” says Matt Gayer, Co-Executive Director of the Catalogue for Philanthropy.

The Catalogue believes in the power of small nonprofits to spark big change. And they believe in YAA to continue to further that positive change, working each day to lift up, strengthen, and enrich our local community.  

Leayne's POV: Into the Woods

BY LEAYNE DEMPSEY, YAA’S DRAMATURG FOR INTO THE WOODS

In advance for this weekend’s premiere of Into the Woods, Leayne Dempsey, our production Dramaturg, brings us this fascinating take in her blog column, Leayne’s POV. Read it below and get your tickets for this weekend’s premiere at www.yaa.org/tickets.

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Into the Woods

This spring, Young Artists of America entered into the fairytale world of Stephen Sondheim’s, Into the Woods. This “fairytale musical quest,” introduces us to two new characters: The Baker and his Wife, who journey alongside timeless classics such as: Cinderella, Jack in the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood. 

As the dramaturg for this show, my responsibility was to provide historical context for our company of performers. From learning about the Brothers Grimm Museum and the Grimm’s fairy tales, to a virtual fairy tale tour of Rapunzel’s tower in Germany, to Sondheim’s musical composition style, we used our virtual setting as an opportunity to explore what the world had to offer to this creative process.

Exploring “Happily Ever After” in 2021

At the start of the show, the audience is introduced to the three main storylines all at once. Immediately, the audience learns of each character’s desire, the thing they wish for more than anything. Sondheim seamlessly uses the music to transition between characters and the commencement of their journeys. This is the moment, he describes, when the audience is at, “the edge of the diving board, and ready to go.” As their worlds collide in the woods, we quickly realize that this “fairytale quest” is not what we thought it was, and we are taken on a journey of what it means to live happily ever after.

So, what does it really mean to live happily ever after? Does it mean that we get what we’ve wished for? Do we need others to get to our happily ever after, or can we get there on our own? In 2021, these questions have become even more prevalent as we live our lives through a historic pandemic. The changes in our everyday routines, the interrupted plans of our celebrations, and the postponement of opportunities we felt were once in a lifetime, make the idea of being “out of the woods” and into our “ever after” even more palpable, and possibly even more desirable.

Learning that We’re All Connected

And maybe, it’s the second act that we need to see and hear the most. (Don’t worry, no spoilers here.) It’s the moment when we realize it takes more than ourselves to get to where we want to be. The moment when one becomes two, and when your dreams and wishes become as important as my own. Into the Woods is a beautifully woven musical that reveals that we  are all connected, and despite our ambitions to succeed alone, we have to take the journey together.

This creative team has worked tirelessly to create this production. All of the rehearsals, sound mixing, filming, and editing have culminated into a stellar debut of shear talent. So I invite you to come into the woods with us, let yourself be as enchanted with this story as we have been this spring. Who knows, you may even find that you too wish for something more than anything.

Sincerely, 

Leayne C. Dempsey

Dramaturg, YAA production of Into the Woods

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Cited Source: 

Hobson, F. (2016, May 30). Into The Woods: Composer Stephen Sondheim Interview. Retrieved from https://thecarousel.com/beauty/fashion/celeb-style/woods-composer-stephen-sondheim-reveals-score-lyrics-behind-musical-masterpiece/

Thank You to The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation!

YAA is proud to be a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation 2021 Good Neighbor Grant recipient! We are so grateful for their generous $35,000 grant which in part will help make our “Raise the Curtain” program possible and provide scholarships and support for our YAAStudio program.

THANK YOU to The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded over $220 million in scholarships to over 2,800 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $115 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. More can be found at www.jkcf.org.

YAA Stands Against Hate

Dear Community,

Young Artists of America (YAA) condemns racism and all expressions of hate and discrimination. We stand up now to state clearly that the recent xenophobic attacks on the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander community are horrific and unacceptable. Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the senseless violence. As a next step, we will reach out, both inside and outside our network, to listen and learn how YAA can best support the AAPI community.

Sincerely,

Ollen Douglass, Board President
Lisa Larragoite, Executive Director
Rolando Sanz, Producing Artistic Director
Kristofer Sanz, Music Director
Terry Eberhardt, Associate Artistic Director

Announcing Guest Mentor & Narrator for INTO THE WOODS, Eleasha Gamble

Professional performer Eleasha Gamble will be joining Young Artists of America as a Guest Mentor, appearing as the Narrator in YAA’s Spring 2021, site-specific production of INTO THE WOODS. Eleasha is well known throughout the DC theatre scene, having starred in numerous professional productions around town, including Laurey in Oklahoma! at Arena Stage, and multiple roles in the most recent tour of INTO THE WOODS (including a stop at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts).

Eleasha is no stranger to YAA, having been YAA’s first guest mentor 10 years ago in May 2011 for the YAA Inaugural Concert singing our show’s uplifting anthem, Children Will Listen.

Eleasha, the entire cast, chorus, and orchestra (over 100 participants!) have all recorded their musical contributions to the show virtually from home. Eleasha will join the cast both virtually and in-person to film her role in the production.

As YAA approaches its 10th anniversary, it is only fitting that we come full circle to welcome back our friend and first Guest Mentor, Eleasha, to work alongside our students and tell this touching important, and timely story about community overcoming adversity.

YAA LIVE on FOX5 Morning News & Good Day DC

If you were tuned to Fox5 this morning, you would have seen us LIVE from The Chrysalis at Symphony Woods being interviewed by Kevin McCarthy about our upcoming Spring Production, Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS. In case you missed it, check out the three spots below! Enjoy!

Learn more about our upcoming production here.

The Chrysalis Campaign

Friends,

Thanks to your support, Young Artists of America (YAA) has overcome the challenges of the pandemic and prouced a year filled with innovation and growth.

We are proudly leading the way in the new digital musical theatre space, including this month’s premiere of our most diverse and collaborative production to date — SOPHISTICATED LADIES, a digital production featuring the YAACompany dancing and singing the Duke Ellington songbook, along with performances YAA has commissioned from leading arts organizations across the region, including: ArtsCentric (Baltimore), Capitol Tap (Takoma Park), Divine Dance Institute (Capitol Heights), and Edge School of the Arts (Queens, NY).

Moving into 2021, YAA’s goal is to provide more students opportunities to safely create art in-person whenever possible. To accomplish this, we are literally taking our students INTO THE WOODS — presenting Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's classic at The Chrysalis at Symphony Woods in Columbia, MD. Utilizing this outdoor concert space will allow YAA to stage and film in person while maintaining health guidelines.

However, the costs associated with this outdoor performance opportunity are significant— and that’s where you come in. We are asking you to join

The Chrysalis Campaign to help fund the myriad of production elements needed, like:

• hand sanitizer, masks, thermometers

• tents

• outdoor heaters

• lighting equipment

• audiovisual equipment

We have set an ambitious goal of raising $25,000 by the end of the year. YAA has received a generous gift from three angel donors that will match individual contributions. So for every dollar you give before January 1st, YAA will receive two.

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to “The ChrysalisCampaign” today to help YAA’s student performers emerge from this unprecedented year and take flight in 2021!

With Gratitude,

Rolando Sanz, producing artistic director

Kristofer Sanz, music director

Lisa Larragoite, executive director

PS: Watch a sample of what our students are accomplishing (during a pandemic!) in our upcoming Sophisticated Ladies.

PPS: Everyone who donates will be entered to win an iPad mini Wi-Fi 128GB Space Gray.

Leayne's POV: Remote Revue of Music by Duke Ellington

YAA is excited to bring you a new blog column called Leayne’s POV. Our wonderful Dramaturg for our fall production of Sophisticated Ladies, will be writing regularly to give you a bit more background on the production we are currently working on. Check back often to get your fill of Leayne’s POV!

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An entirely remote revue of music by iconic jazz composer Duke Ellington

It is my honor to welcome you to the wonderful world that is Sophisticated Ladies. My name is Leayne Dempsey, and I am the dramaturg for this fall’s digital music revue of Sophisticated Ladies. What is a dramaturg, you ask? Put simply, I’m the “history nerd” of the show. My research helps our young performers grasp the music and language of the 1920s and 1930’s and, maybe more importantly, understand how the events of that time influenced the work of one of the most important jazz composers of all-time.  

Sophisticated Ladies explores, celebrates, and investigates the musical legacy of DC-native Edward Kennedy, also known as Duke “The Duke” Ellington. Did you Ellington received the nickname “Duke” from his friends because of his classy mannerisms (he was also a great dresser!)?

There is no better time to celebrate Duke Ellington on the Young Artists of America stage. Frankly, the world needs a little jazz these days. Sophisticated Ladies’ music score and book reminds our nation of the resilience of the African-American community, which has always found a way in the midst of oppression to see, “Gray skies as just clouds passing over.” And perhaps, it reminds us all of the same in this unprecedented year.

The setting of Sophisticated Ladies is nestled within the Harlem Renaissance and the early days of Harlem, New York’s renowned and White-patron only Cotton Club. It was a time of jazz and a moment when the African-American community migrated to Harlem in search of new opportunities.

Some of the greatest African-American minds of the 1920’s came from Harlem during this time. The country was treated to W.E.B. DuBois’s ideas about the The Talented Tenth; Zora Neale Hurston’s classic novel Their Eyes Were Watching God; Billie Holiday’s renowned song Strange Fruit; Jelly Roll Morton’s The Red Hot Peppers; and, of course, Duke Ellington’s beloved and groundbreaking music: It Don’t Mean A Thing (If it Ain’t Got that Swing), Take the ‘A’ Train, and Mood Indigo.

The Harlem Renaissance was more than just a moment in our nation’s history, it was an imprint pressed into the very DNA of American history and culture. 

As a virtual production, we’ve been working hard to provide the most innovative instruction we can for our YAACompany students. Many members of our YAACompany are in virtual classrooms all day, and the last thing I wanted to do was present more electronic folders and files for them to excavate. 

In addition to the dramaturgical presentation the students have received during rehearsal, I’ve created interactive Bitmoji classrooms for the students to explore and to engage with historical videos and artifacts of the time. The Bitmoji classroom provides a multidisciplinary learning experience to bring our company members closer to the world of Sophisticated Ladies and the Harlem Renaissance and beyond.

Interact with the presentation below by clicking on the various images to view the YAA Sophisticated Ladies dramaturgical rooms.

So far in our process, the students have explored four “rooms”: 

1. Room one: An introduction to “The Duke”, the Harlem Renaissance, and the history of “Black Broadway” which was located on U Street in Washington, D.C.

2. Room two: A history of tap and its origins in style and technique by famous African-American tappers: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers, Howard “Sandman” Sims, Buster Brown, Jimmy Slyde, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, and the director YAA’s production, our very own Baakari Wilder.

3. Room three: Etiquette and social graces. Here, we explore the fashion and gender roles and norms of the time, and it even includes an original etiquette book written in the 1920s.

4. Room four: The history of the Cotton Club and its origins, examining everything from being owned by a mobster, to its White-only patron and all Black entertainer rules, to its role in the Harlem club and speakeasy ecosystem of the 1920s.

The entire creative team has been working hard to bring this production to life, and it is truly going to be a celebration of “The Duke”. The once closed doors of the Cotton Club are now virtually opened for all to enjoy the work of an American legend, Duke Ellington. And perhaps more importantly, it will be a celebration of the YAACompany’s journey through jazz: they’ve learned, they’ve listened, and they have found their voices, and I cannot wait for you to hear them.

Sincerely, 

Leayne C. Dempsey
Dramaturg, YAA production of Sophisticated Ladies

We Chat with Our President

With the presidential election on everyone’s mind, we figured we’d learn a bit more about our own president…Board President that is! Prior to being elected this year, Ollen Douglass was first a proud YAA parent (to Vinny Douglass, ‘19), then a Board Member, and then Board Treasurer. We sat down with him (at a distance) last week to learn a bit more about his life and his vision for YAA. Here’s what he had to say…

YAA: What was your biggest motivating factor to become Board President?

Ollen: I have no artistic talents of my own. But, I help to run a successful venture capital investment firm called Motley Fool Ventures that invests in mostly tech start-ups. I love business and wanted to offer my finance skills to an incredible arts organization like YAA to help it grow and continue to succeed.

YAA: Venture capitalism, huh? Like Shark Tank?

Ollen: Ha! Kind of but more money and less attitude!

YAA: Fair enough! So, why us? What do you love about YAA?

Ollen: Ever since my son Vinny (Douglass) was involved with YAA I have admired how YAA embodies their mission of artistry, excellence, mentorship and equity. The way YAA’s faculty and staff interact with their students, helping them develop and reach their full potential is of the highest caliber.

YAA: We know you said you’re not artistic, but you clearly are an arts-lover. What’s your favorite Broadway musical?

Ollen: Ooo! Fun question. I’ll give you a hint…”I got the horse right here, The name is Paul Revere, And here's a guy that says if the weather's clear, Can do, Can do!

YAA: Guys & Dolls!

Ollen: That’s the one!

YAA: Great choice. YAA has not done that one yet. What about your favorite YAA production?

Ollen: I’d say it’s a tie between In the Heights and Les Mis!

YAA: Great choices! So, when you’re not working, being a husband and father of three, watching YAA productions, and volunteering your time to us, what are you doing?

Ollen: I’m sleeping!

YAA: Ha! So what can we expect from your tenure? What are your top priorities?

Ollen: I want to make sure that YAA is prepared for the next generation. We have all been thinking about the changing landscape we are finding ourselves in with COVID. We are seeing that technology is playing a bigger role in our lives every day. I want to make sure that we are on the forefront of musical theatre education no matter what that looks now and in the future. How can we ensure we are always offering the next level of quality for those involved in our programming? That’s the question I want to make sure we’re always asking and successfully answering.

YAA: It’s not only technology that interests you though. You and your wife Julia have generously added a new scholarship fund to YAA’s scholarship options, this one specifically for students of color. Can you tell us more about this?

Ollen: Indeed! We are offering a scholarship for students of color and partnering with schools in our area to get the word out about it. We want to help expand the reach of YAA’s programming and ensure that its level of excellence is available to as many people as possible no matter your race, economics or creed. We do not want students to miss out just because of financing or lack of access. We want to find and grow great talent wherever it is.

YAA: Perhaps on a related note, what role do you see YAA having in the fight for racial equity in our community and beyond?

Ollen: I’ve always admired YAA’s leadership for how they expand opportunities for their students through the roles they cast and the programming they offer. I believe that YAA’s role during this time is to state the obvious - when we say Black Lives Matter it is not a political statement. It is a statement standing for human rights. In order for all lives to matter, Black lives must matter as well. We should all be working to ensure we have a fair and equitable world for everyone, and YAA can do this from where they stand as conveners, leaders and educators in our community.

YAA: Indeed! Anything else you'd like to share with us?

Ollen: I’m just so excited to be in this role as Board President. I’m super grateful to our community that supports us and I am fully committed to deliver the highest quality program for those that go through the program.

YAA: Well, we are very grateful to have you. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us and for all your work for YAA.

Ollen: Certainly!

We Won Best Summer Camp by Washington City Paper!

We are so pleased to announce that thanks to all of you, we are Washington CIty Paper Best of D.C. win!