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,…

Meet the Artists Bringing Original Work to the Boutique at The Phoenix Theatre Company

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  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…

Meet the Actor Playing Jean Valjean in Les Misérables at The Phoenix Theatre Company

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  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…