Firestone Theatre to Present
Akron-Area Premiere of The Color Purple
Powerful Tuner Sure to be a Hit with
Students and Community
(Tuesday, September 25, 2012 – Akron,
OH) -- Firestone High School is set
to be one of the very first high schools to present The Color Purple – The Musical. This popular show was recently made available
for amateur and school performances and Firestone Theatre is among the first
Ohio schools to present it starting at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.
Additional performances of The Color Purple – The Musical will
be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 11, Friday, October 12, and Saturday,
October 13, 2012. A single matinee will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October
13, 2012.
General
admission tickets for all performances cost $8.00 in advance and $10.00 at the
door. Reserved, VIP seats are available for The Color Purple – The musical at a cost of $14.00. Advanced tickets
for The
Color Purple – The Musical can be purchased by mail. A ticket order
form is available for download at www.FirestoneTheatre.com.
Advanced tickets can also be purchased online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com
and in the school commons from app. 11:00 a.m. to app. 1:00 p.m. on school days
starting no later than Monday, October 8, 2012. All seats for the Wednesday
evening performance cost $8.00 and are available in advance and at the door. Call the Firestone Theatre
office at 330.873.3408 for ticket information.
The Color Purple – The Musical is an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable
story of a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over
adversity and discover her unique voice in the world.
This musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning novel (and popular 1985 Steven Spielberg film) spotlights Celie,
a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over the course of 40 years
forms the arc of this epic story.
With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African
music, and blues, The Color Purple is a story of hope, a testament to the healing
power of love and a celebration of life. With a
book by Marsha norman and music and lyrics
by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, The Color Purple – The Musical
premiered at the Alliance Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and opened on
Broadway on November 2005. It was nominated for eleven 2006 Tony Awards,
including Best Musical, best Book, and best Original Score.
The Firestone
Theatre production of The Color Purple – The Musical is
under the direction of theatre director Mark
A. Zimmerman. Guest artist Cassandra
Capocci is the show’s choreographer. Guest Artist Ron Hazelett serves as the music director. Guest artist Randie O. Sass is the production’s
costume designer. Guest artist Elynmarie
Kazle serves as production manager. Guest artist Christopher Pepe is the sound designer. Guest artist Dennis Dugan serves as the lighting
designer.
The cast of The
Color Purple – The Musical is
lead by seniors Deandre Hairston (Ol’
Mister), Gregory Hill (Buster), Jacob Jones (Mister), Jalen Mitchell (Harpo), and Sabryna Washington (Church Soloist).
The remaining cast of
The
Color Purple – The Musical includes juniors Arrik Brown (African Chief/ Minister), Dana Green (Shug), Louis
Harmon, Jordan James, Bichelle Jeffries, Lakisha Kirkland, Wynter
Mason (Celie), Francine Parr (Jarene), Kari Rodgers (Sophia), D’Angelo Sanders (Grady), and Alex Wescott (Doris). The cast also includes sophomores Brielle Burley (Squeek), Haley Dickerson (Darlene), Jordan Euell (Pa), Alexis Gattis, Carlton
Kibber, Dara Perry (Nettie), Nalani Rodgers, and Greggory Williams.
Student technical
staff for The Color Purple – The Musical includes junior Tayler Trheatt and as stage manager. She
is assisted by juniors Samantha Lewis
and Rikayla Wright. Senior Ben Wilson serves as the student scene
shop foreman. Senior Imokhai Okolo
is the student sound designer. Senior Lilith
Freed serves as the student
electrician. Junior Alex Friess
is the student costumer. Junior Zoe
Domonkos serves as student make-up and hair designer.
