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,…
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,…
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…
By Elizabeth Montgomery The world of Ever After may begin with a beloved film, but what audiences see on stage is the result of hundreds of creative choices. The Phoenix Theatre Company’s production has assembled artists whose work stretches from Broadway and the West End to film, television, and some of the country’s most respected…
By Elizabeth Montgomery It’s no small thing to take a beloved story and make it new. Currently on stage at The Phoenix Theatre Company is Ever After, a musical inspired by the 1998 film starring Drew Barrymore. The show introduces a brand-new score audiences are hearing for the very first time (and falling…
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,…
By Elizabeth Montgomery If you’ve ever struggled to find a gift for the theatre lover in your life, the Phoenix Theatre Company boutique is a good place to start. Our boutique has always been a place to find something a little different. From show-themed gifts to one-of-a-kind prints, you can find unique theatre-themed items you won’t find anywhere else. This…
By Elizabeth Montgomery Ethan Rogers* has spent years inside the world of Les Misérables. He’s traveled the country with the national tour, understudying both Enjolras and Jean Valjean, learning the role under acclaimed actor Nick Cartell, who Phoenix audiences may remember as Marius in The Phoenix Theatre Company’s original production of Les Misérables. Now, Rogers takes center stage as Valjean in…
By Elizabeth Montgomery Before the ball and the glass slipper, there was a woman with a future she was determined to shape. Ever After, the new musical inspired by the beloved 1998 film starring Drew Barrymore, is a show that director Marlo Hunter has spent the last five years bringing to the stage. Running May 6 – June 14, 2026, in the Dr.…
By Brenda Foley This past week was the culmination of months of planning and preparation for The Phoenix Theatre Company’s annual New York City donor trip, Broadway Bound. A sea of red lanyards and palpable excitement set the tone at the departure gate at Sky Harbor, launching a trip full of adventure, artistry, tears, and laughter. I lived in…
Amanda D’Archangelis and Sami Horneff met in the world-renowned BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Recent work includes: THE RADIUM GIRLS, co-written with Lisa Mongillo and directed by Tony-Winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, which is eyeing a world premiere production in the 26-27 season (also a 2022 NAMT Finalist, a 2019 Eugene O’Neill NMTC Semi-Finalist, and five-time winner at The 2021 National Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival); SINGLE RIDER (Off-Broadway 2018); COMING ATTRACTION (Wilbury Theatre Group 2019); and THE BREAK (Omaha Creative Institute 2018). Upcoming: BANDIT QUEEN, a new pop-Americana musical about Pearl Hart, the Wild West’s most notorious female bandit, which has been developed through artist residencies at The Legacy Theatre in Branford, CT and Drama Club Camp in Mount Vernon, ME; PANDORA IN BLUE JEANS with book by Adam Morrison, which explores the life of controversial “Peyton Place” author Grace Metalious; and PSYCH, a 90’s spin on the myth of Cupid & Psyche commissioned by Wichita State University. Amanda and Sami’s songs have also been performed at concert venues and educational institutions across the country. They are proud to be 2019 York Theatre Company New/Emerging/Outstanding Writers, 2024 Playbill Songwriter Series Featured Artists, and 2025 Write Out Loud Contest grand prize winners! For more, visit: @darchangelisandhorneff on instagram | www.amandadarchangelis.com and www.samihorneff.com
