The Newman University Theatre Department will present the musical “Pippin” at 8 p.m. on March 8, 9 and 10, and at 2 p.m. on March 11, in Performance Hall of the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus.
Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 for seniors, $5 for students (college age and below), and free for Newman students with ID. Tickets will be available at the door 45 minutes before each show. Tickets are also available online.
The musical “Pippin” featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Musical in 1973. Pippin, who is played in the Newman production by student Matt Riedl, was a soldier in the army of his father, King Charlemange, but was upset by the killing and murders and wanted his father to stop the war. When Pippin becomes king he finds that he is unsure about what he wants in life.
“This spring play is going to be a great recruiting tool and will further establish the Theatre Department at Newman,” said Director of Theatre Mark Mannette, who is charged with bringing the theatre program back to Newman after an absence of several years. “‘Lend Me A Tenor,’ the first official production of the revived theatre program at Newman, was a great starting point and went very well. We’re expecting ‘Pippin’ to go just as well and bring in many potential theatre students.”
Newman University is now offering theatre as an academic program. Newman began offering classes this fall that lead to a minor in theatre. Beginning in the spring 2013 semester, the university plans to offer a major in theatre for the first time in the institution’s history.
Newman University students participating in the musical “Pippin” as cast members are listed below, by hometown:
Andover, Kan.
Matt Riedl
Bel Aire, Kan.
Andrew Hild
Haysville, Kan.
Katy Costello
Kansas City, Kan.
Miguel Torres
Kingman, Kan.
Blake Boswell
Newton, Kan.
Francisco “Pancho” Fields
Wichita, Kan.
Kayla Beckham
Tara Eicher
Haley Hungate
Lucas Katzenmeier
Allison Lamm
T.V. Nguyen
Hayward, Calif.
Chris Hansen
Arnold, Mo.
Brittany Jonas
Blue Springs, Mo.
Maggie O’Neal
Dewey, Okla.
Rusty Carbaugh
Dallas, Texas
Zaul Covarrubias
Lewisville, Texas
Courtney Holbrook
Dunstable, Bedfordshire, Great Britain
Megan Birdsey
Benjamin Mannette, 10 years old, is also in the cast. Mannette is from Wichita.
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