The 25th Annual Festival of New American Theatre

Onward and Upward

Based on the play Up (The Man in the Flying Chair) by Bridget Carpenter

Music by Charlie Romano

Lyrics by Will Wegner

Book by Will Wegner and Charlie Romano

Directed by Michael Barnard

Music Directed by Jeff Kennedy

Dramaturge John Perovich

Stage Directions Cydney Trent

April 14, 2023 to April 16, 2023
Hormel Theatre

In 1983, Walter Griffin made national headlines after tying a cluster of weather balloons to a lawnchair and flying 16,000 feet into the sky. Nearly two decades later, Walter is still searching for his next great invention, but he struggles to get his ideas off the ground. His wife, Helen, encourages him to find a steady job, while their son, Mikey, searches desperately for recognition of his own. After a surreal encounter with his idol, high-wire artist Philippe Petit, Walter believes he's found his ticket to success and goes to extreme lengths to fund his new prototype. Meanwhile, Mikey finds an unlikely friend in a pregnant classmate, Maria, who soon lands him a job at her Aunt Chris’s questionable small business. Helen is overjoyed at her family’s newfound stability, but she soon discovers that their situation is more precarious than it seems, threatening to topple down off the wire at any moment.

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The Artists

Charlie Romano
As Composer/Book Writer
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Will Wegner
As Lyricist/Book Writer
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Bridget Carpenter
As Playwight - Up (The Man in the Flying Chair)
View Bio
Jeff Kennedy
As Music Director
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John Perovich
As Dramaturge
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Rebecca Ulbrich
As Stage Manager
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Cydney Trent
As Stage Directions
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María Amorocho
As Aunt Chris
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Cassie Chilton
As Helen Griffin
View Bio
Sam Primack
As Mikey Griffin
View Bio
D. Scott Withers
As Walter Griffin
View Bio
Toby Yatso
As Philippe Petit
View Bio

The Artists

Charlie Romano
As Composer/Book Writer
View Bio
Will Wegner
As Lyricist/Book Writer
View Bio
Bridget Carpenter
As Playwight - Up (The Man in the Flying Chair)
View Bio
Jeff Kennedy
As Music Director
View Bio
John Perovich
As Dramaturge
View Bio
Rebecca Ulbrich
As Stage Manager
View Bio
Cydney Trent
As Stage Directions
View Bio
María Amorocho
As Aunt Chris
View Bio
Cassie Chilton
As Helen Griffin
View Bio
Sam Primack
As Mikey Griffin
View Bio
D. Scott Withers
As Walter Griffin
View Bio
Toby Yatso
As Philippe Petit
View Bio