By Elizabeth Montgomery Some songs never age. Loch Lomond is one of them. Its melody has been softened by time, sung sweetly at gatherings, remembered as a tune of parting lovers. But its roots are darker. A Jacobite song of defeat, written for those who would never return home alive. That duality of beauty…
By Elizabeth Montgomery Some stories have a way of finding their way home. For Chelsea Cree Groen, Anna in Frozen is one of them. After touring nationally in Wicked and Hello, Dolly! and performing in regional theatres across the country, she’s returning to Phoenix for the first time since high school to play the Disney…
By Elizabeth Montgomery Caelan Creaser knows Elsa better than most. After touring the country with Disney’s Frozen for more than four years, she’s returning to the icy boots for a landmark production. This fall, the curtain rises on a new era marking a history-making moment for The Phoenix Theatre Company. Frozen will run September 24–October…
By Jen Barraza This fall, something remarkable is happening at The Phoenix Theatre Company. On Saturday, November 8, The Phoenix Theatre Company will celebrate the opening of the Dr. Stacie J. and Richard J Stephenson Theatre at our Applause! Gala 2025. This event marks the official grand opening of this state-of-the-art venue designed to usher…
By Elizabeth Montgomery It’s loud, layered, and raw. Let the Good Times Roll lets the soul of New Orleans take the stage. Director and choreographer Sara Edwards joined us for a Director’s Download conversation about the making of this vibrant new musical. She shared how a cast of six, a courtyard bar, and a…
By Jen Barraza Phoenix may be far from New Orleans, but this August, the unmistakable soul of the Big Easy is taking center stage right here in the Valley. Opening this week at The Phoenix Theatre Company, Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Gumbo is a brand-new musical that blends history,…
Left: The 2024 Richard P Stahl Festival of New American Theatre cast of Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Gumbo (Photo by Jen Barraza)Right: Gina Guarino* as Wanda, Scott Davidson* as Captain, Carmiña Monserrat* as Liza Jane and Tre Moore* as L.D. (Photo by Brennen Russell) By Elizabeth Montgomery Before there were…
By Jen Barraza As The Phoenix Theatre Company brings its 105th season to a jubilant close, the spotlight turns to Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Gumbo, a world premiere musical infused with jazz, resilience, and the brilliance of Broadway’s finest. Opening August 8 in the Hormel Theatre, this vibrant production is…
By Shelina Elyse At The Phoenix Theatre Company, we believe theatre is more than entertainment – it’s a powerful tool for building community. Through our patrons’ generous support, we are able to extend that belief beyond the stage with Summer Camp, the Professional Apprenticeship Program, and Community Nights. These programs reach people where…
By Shelina Elyse The Partners That Heal are a highly trained six-member team of improvisational actors with a repertoire of well over 250 patient interventions, including interactive games, songs, puppetry, instruments and dance. Not only do they bring joy and relief through this powerful program, but you may recognize some of them from recent appearances…
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
