A CHORUS LINE takes Firestone Theatre stage Six Times In April

Firestone Theatre presents the school edition of the seminal musical A Chorus Line. Evening performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11, 2020. A single matinee performance will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 5, 2020. General admission tickets are $10.00 in advance, and $12.00 at the door. A reserved seat is available online for $14.00 and a premium VIP seat is $17.00. Tickets are available online now at FirestoneTheatre.com. Hard tickets will be available at the school between 11 and 1:00 p.m. starting Monday, March 23, 2020. Tickets for A Chorus Line will also be available at the door on the evening of performance.

A Chorus Line is a stunning concept musical that captures the spirit and tension of a Broadway chorus audition. It presents the sacrifice and emotion that drives performers to dance, tapping into the universal need to follow one's passion. A Chorus Line focuses on 17 dancers who are all desperate to earn a part dancing in the chorus of a new Broadway show. Each brings with them a lifetime full of struggle and joy, setting up life-changing stakes at this single audition. With music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban, A Chorus Line was a smash hit from the beginning. When it opened in 1975 at The Public Theatre, the whole Off-Broadway run sold out within minutes. The musical relocated to Broadway after just a few months, finding a new home at the Shubert Theatre, and ran for fifteen years. A Chorus Line

Swept the Tony Awards and snagged the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The original production was conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett. The book was written by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante. The school edition was adapted from the original by iTheatrics under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald.

The cast of A Chorus Line is led by seniors Morgan Bedilion (Val), Ariel Brinker (Cassie), Christian Douglas (Paul), Bryton Ellis (Richie), Aliyah Evans (Sheila), Jonathan Green (Al), Oscar Laakso (Zach), Abigail Lyman (Connie), Jeanne Luster (Maggie), Alexandria Meyer (Lori), juniors Leonardo DiRenzo (Mark), Connor McFalls (Mike), Armani Ponder-Keith (Diana), and sophomores Ali Kirschbaum (Bebe), Peter Kolodziej (Greg), Avery Linn (Kristine), Derrick Martin (Don), Jada Pledger (Judy), and Jamir Thompkins (Bobby). Other cast members include senior Nastassja Minson; juniors Terrence Bailey, Lauren Beeson (Vicki), Aidan McLaughlin, and Alison Lohr (Tricia); sophomores Beth Gornell, Ilona Kitchen, Jonathan Raber, and Max Smith (Frank); freshmen Jackson Bird, Fiona Coughlin, Faith Stephenson, and Jamie Zickefoose.

The pit orchestra is under the direction of Ms. Kacy Albright. It includes Alyssa St. John (piccolo, flute), Josephine Basile (flute), Lydia Olin-Hitt (clarinet), Tristan Dyer (alto sax), Kenderick Xongmixay (tenor saxophone), Donovan Shaffer (bari saxophone), William Forcey (trumpet), William Davidson (trombone), Emmitt Tarr (trombone), Rilend Geniec (baritone), Richard Orr (percussion), Darrell Williams (percussion), Olivia Roberts (keyboard), and Wesley Howell (keyboard). The pit orchestra also includes guest artist Steven Stavnicky.

A Chorus Line is under the direction of Mark A. Zimmerman. Mr. Chad Pittman serves as music director. Ms. Emelia Sherin provides the choreography. Ms. Kacy Albright is the conductor and instrumental music director. Ms. Kelsey Tomlinson serves as the costume designer. Ms. Elynmarie Kazle serves as the production manager. She is assisted by senior Jillian Foster. Mark A. Zimmerman is the lighting designer. He is assisted by seniors Grant Crawford and Sarah Sterns. Senior Ethan Korvne is the sound designer. Senior Airiuana Weber and sophomore Constance Hairston are hair and make-up designers. Junior Emma Fickes-Reich serves as the property master. James Welch serves as the technical director. Senior Hannah Burford serves as the stage manager. She is assisted by sophomores Lanese Lewis and McKenna Midcap.

Firestone Theatre is the award-winning play-production component of the Akron School for the Arts housed at Firestone High School. Firestone Theatre was named an "Outstanding School" by the Educational Theatre Association in 2013. The curricular track of Firestone Theatre is accessible to all rising ninth-grade students via open enrollment and a formal audition.