Music by Jerome Kern
Book by Meg Ledford
directed by Calvin Atkinson
Columbia University School of the Arts presents Sally, a directing thesis production by current student Calvin Atkinson.
Sally is a reworking and reimagining of Jerome Kern’s forgotten 1921 gem that queries the iconic “rags to riches” story and examines the early American musical itself. Featuring a new book by playwriting student Meg Ledford and new orchestrations by New School MM composer Calvin Hitchcock, the show interrogates the American Dream as it seemed to be in the 1920s, from today’s vantage point, as envisioned by directing student Calvin Atkinson.
Showtimes
Thursday, October 3 @ 8 PM
Friday, October 4 @ 8 PM
Saturday, October 5 @ 2 PM
Saturday, October 5 @ 8 PM
Sunday, October 6 @ 2 PM
Run Time
2 hours and 15 minutes, including intermission
Featuring
Ember Rice – SALLY
Eli Neslund – CONNIE
Zofia Weretka – ROSIE
Ty McQuiston – OTIS
Maximilian Tapogna – BLAIRE
Maxwell Gregory – POPS
Grace Rundberg – MARCIA
Valentine d'Arabian – CHORUS / DANCE CAPTAIN
CHORUS
Walter Higginbotham
Sarah Nandola
Jackson Poulin
Production Team & Crew
Director Calvin Atkinson (current student)
Producer Joel Edwards (current student)
Producer Melissa d’Arabian (current student)
PSM Zoe Feng (current student)
ASM Sam Grocock (current student)
ASM Carina Jiang (current student)
Dramaturg Mo Holmes (current student)
Music Director Calvin Hitchcock
Book / Adaptation Meg Ledford (current student)
Scenic Designer Emily Tucker
Costume Designer Dezi Tibbs ‘23
Lighting Designer Annie Garrett-Larsen
Company Manager Seth Pecore (current student)
Operations Manager Zachary Hedner (current student)
Music Jerome Kern
Lyrics Clifford Grey
Original Book Guy Bolton
Additional Lyrics Buddy De Sylva, Anne Caldwell, P. G. Wodehouse
About the Director
Calvin Atkinson (he/him | Director-Choreographer) is a freelancer in New York City currently completing his MFA in stage directing at Columbia. Formative past projects include Perish in the Flood (CU), Troilus and Cressida (Under St. Marks), Rosencrantz... Are Dead (Hampshire Shakespeare), Bat Boy: The Musical (U Penn). Up next: assistant directing with Anne Bogart on Carousel at Boston Lyrics Opera. @calvinatk on IG
Interview with Director Calvin Atkinson
Why did you decide to do this particular production for your thesis project?
I actually picked this show with my team of collaborators, and not fully on my own! I had the idea to take an old, forgotten, public domain musical and to revive and reimagine it. Meg Ledford and Calvin Hitchcock - my two primary collaborators - and I loved Jerome Kern’s music and felt that the story had something urgent to say today, and with the right adjustment, we could find the way to say it. Read more ==>