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Life is brief. But usually we do have some chances to enjoy
its wonders, whether they are friendships we make or beauty we discover or opportunities to do
something we can feel good about. In The Butterfly’s Day, butterflies
have been cursed following defeat by the moths so that they will only live one
day. But they can be free of this curse if one butterfly can discover and
achieve its purpose during its short existence. There are whispers throughout
the garden that one new butterfly may be the one who can break the spell – that
she’ll find her purpose.
Elysha Nemeth is the kind and hopeful Butterfly, her
voice, optimism, and determination all working perfectly for the role as she
discovers her purpose and goes for it. But she’ll need that determination with
her equally determined antagonists. The Gypsy Moth Queen has no intention of
letting butterflies gain their freedom, with Melanie Heredia trying to
crush the Butterfly’s hope with cruel words and some great vocals as a rock
diva and as a honky tonk diva. Jacqui Notorio embodies evil as the Demon
seeking to take a Little Girl’s soul, doing so with great attitude, hair,
costume, and makeup (the makeup designed by herself, with Jacqui doubling as
the show’s makeup designer). But no matter how evil she is, there are certain
rules that must be followed, with Cassie Daly dutifully keeping the
letter of the law as the Dream Master.
Haley Johnson is the sweet but sick Little Girl in a
coma, her frightened soul trapped in a subterranean dreamland, joining with the
Butterfly in That’s What a Friend Can Do, and sharing a couple beautiful
numbers with her Mother played by Margaret Stuart, who also shines in
her solo Mother.
The garden is populated with many colorful critters who seem
totally into their insect personas. Haley Cohn and Alicia McCullough
are the constantly bickering, sassy sisters Katy Did and Katy Didn’t who
somehow make their two standard lines hilarious in all their scenes using great
timing, expressions, and a variety of sisterly fighting. Alex Partida
and Shayna Moellenberg are a hoot as two silly and lazy worker bees. Savannah
Tate is the more sensible and helpful of the bugs as the ladybug. Maggie
Barton provides lovely vocals as the Garden Angel who hopes the ancient
curse can be reversed. While Lauryn Martin as Black and White and Maria
Lewandowski as Singer of Forgotten Songs try to help the Butterfly and her
friends navigate dreamland.
The ensemble of moths and other garden insects sing and
dance to a great variety of music, from rock to hip hop to country-western and
more. It all takes place within an amazing set designed by Doug Brauer, Terry
Helland, and Phil Manning. We are drawn into the garden thanks to
the paintings around the perimeter of the walls and on the stage floor, and
flowers that climb along pillars at the corners where other impressive settings
are perched like the Little Girl’s room and the cavern where the Little Girl’s
soul is trapped – deep in the ground where the Butterfly saw her before she
bloomed into a butterfly.
The show holds a special place in the heart of Desert
Stages Theatre in Scottsdale. Their late artistic director and writer of many
of their original productions, Gerry Cullity, wrote the musical in just
four days, inspired to help his grieving wife who had recently lost her mother.
During the previous run of the show four years ago, Gerry died. His story and
his gifts to the world live on. As he put it in his beautiful musical, “we’re
always with each other if we look into our hearts.”
Performs February 20 - March 22, 2009
Rob Hopper
National Youth Theatre
~ Cast ~
Butterfly: Elysha Nemeth
Doctor: Jeremy Kozura
Little Girl: Haley Johnson
Mother: Margaret Stuart
Garden Angel: Maggie Barton
Gypsy Moth Queen: Melanie Heredia
Sleazy: Kristin Alba
Slimy: Connor Baker
Sluggy: Jessy Brenner
Sneaky: Vassiea Hurt
Moths: Lacey Bookspan, Eila Elton, and Carly Evans
Ladybug: Savannah Tate
Bumble: Alex Partida
Fumble: Shayna Moellenberg
Katy Did: Haley Cohn
Katy Didn't: Alicia McCullough
Black and White: Lauryn Martin
Singer of Forgotten Songs: Maria Lewandowski
Dream Master: Cassie Daly
Ensemble:
Lucie Anderson
Annie Barget
Ellie Barget
Jack Brenner
Emma Brown
Ava Buck
Delaney Buck
Jade Chotin
Lylah Defibaugh
Ashleigh Edwards
Kaleigh Feuerstein
Tucker Greene
Helene Hart
Chase Hiatt
Lillie Irvin
Mitra Matin
Sara Matin
Sophia Matin
Terra Meyer
Ross Nemeth
Corinne Niezgodski
Dasan Orligh
Sarah Pansing
Kailie Plotnik
Gigi Powers
Hollan Powers
Lauren Pimack
Emily Ref
Alexis Rudney
Vayda Sarpy
Katelyn Subia
Lauren Subia
Julia Wanger
Director: Jessica Graham
Musical Director: Terry Temple
Choreographer: Tiffany Atkinson
Set Design/Artist: Doug Brauer, Terry Helland, Phil Manning
Lighting Design: Jonathan Bowersock, Chris Caracciolo
Sound & Lights: Chris Caracciolo, Michael Lewandowski, Katherine Pansing, Tanner Van Parys, Joe Sanchez, Dillon Vaughan
Costume Coordination: Joann Margulies
Make-Up Design: Jacqui Notorio
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