The Staying Power of Les Misérables

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  By Theresa Kellar-Tonner Les Misérables has been performed thousands of times in over 40 countries, 438 cities, and has been translated into 21 languages, and yet audiences seem to always want more. When Les Misérables was performed at The Phoenix Theatre Company in 2009, it became the highest-grossing show in the theatre’s history at…

The Art of Looking Real: Creative’s Conversation with Cari Smith, Dear Evan Hansen Costume Designer

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  By Elizabeth Montgomery   Dear Evan Hansen costume designer, Cari Smith, talks through costuming a modern-dress show, the character whose playlist she had on repeat, and how to honor an iconic striped polo.     Q: How challenging was it to find the right shirt for Evan? Smith: In the first production meeting, I asked Michelle, “So do we use the polo??”   Both of us…

From the Runway to the Stage: How The Phoenix Theatre Company Guild Has Supported Theatre in Phoenix for Over 70 Years

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  By Elizabeth Montgomery   In 1953, a group of volunteers came together to support The Phoenix Theatre Company, and they haven’t stopped since.    The Phoenix Theatre Company Guild has spent more than 70 years raising funds for the nonprofit theatre, growing from a small volunteer organization into one of the Company’s most steadfast community…

Summer of Dance Director Molly Lajoie Builds Community Through Movement

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  By Elizabeth Montgomery   Molly Lajoie doesn’t remember a time before dance. She was two-and-a-half when her mother enrolled her in her first ballet and tap class, and she’s been dancing ever since.   Now, Lajoie is one of the valley’s most accomplished choreographers and Director of The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Summer of Dance program.    With credits spanning Arizona Opera,…

Director’s Download: Michelle Chin on Dear Evan Hansen, Coming-of-Age Stories, and the Power of Being Found

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  By Elizabeth Montgomery   Dear Evan Hansen takes the stage at The Phoenix Theatre Company this summer, directed by Michelle Chin in what she describes as a bucket-list production.  Featuring a score by newly minted EGOT winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the musical has become one of the defining works of contemporary musical theatre,…

Dear Evan Hansen and the Evolution of Contemporary Broadway

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  By Matt Schaefer   Dear Evan Hansen has become a modern classic of the musical theatre cannon for a reason. Its story connects with people across the demographic spectrum.    There are musicals built around spectacle, nostalgia, or familiar stories, and then there are shows that leave audiences emotionally altered long after the curtain falls. Dear Evan Hansen belongs firmly in the…

Not a Cinderella Story, A Human Story

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  By Matt Schaefer   At first glance, Ever After appears to be another retelling of Cinderella: a cruel stepmother, a mistreated young woman, a prince, a ball, a lost shoe. But the story’s lasting emotional power comes from the fact that it refuses to operate primarily as a fairy tale.    Instead, it becomes a story about grief, dignity, class,…