Marie and Rosetta
By George Brant
Directed by Rob Lutfy
Low-priced Previews Jan 16 - Jan 19, 2019
Get your front-row seat to music history in the making! Bringing fierce guitar playing and swing to gospel music, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a legend in her time and a huge influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, and Ray Charles. Marie and Rosetta chronicles her first rehearsal with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duos in music history. This story of letting loose, finding your voice, and freeing your soul is a soaring music-theatre experience chock full of roof-raising performances.
“Wonderful, touching, and empowering!” -The Daily Beast
Cast
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Amaiya Holley
Amaiya Holley
Marie KnightAmaiya Holley is a recent graduate of Bowie State University where she received a Bachelors of Science in Theater Arts. During her matriculation at Bowie State, she’s appeared in the following productions: The Drummer, Crowns, Ten Minute Play Festival,The Fourth of April, and Godspell. In addition, she made her professional debut in Black Nativity at Theater Alliance in Washington D.C. Now, a resident of New York City, Amaiya has lofty aspirations of tackling the biggest stage of them all, Broadway. Amaiya thanks her HBCU and family for the unconditional support.
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Noël Simoné Wippler
Noël Simoné Wippler
Sister Rosetta TharpeNoël Simoné Wippler is a Soprano, multi-instrumentalist, actor, songwriter born and raised in Harlem. A recent graduate of Nyack College- Manhattan Campus , a pupil of Dr. Dana Talley where she received Bachelor’s of Music in June 2017 in Classical Vocal Performance. Noël has shared the stage with the likes of Blues , Latin and Jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock, Houston Pearson , Geri Allen , Marc Carey, Roy Hargrove , Bobby Sanabria and many more. Noël works in a theater production of “Aint Misbehavin” with Irving Street Rep , where she plays the character known from actress Charlayne Woodard.Noël Simoné Wippler won the 2017 Siena Jazz Vocal Scholarship in Italy, Outstanding in Jazz 2017 and 2016 from Nyack College, Grand Prize in the 2016 Jazz of America: Mid-Atlantic Vocal Jazz Competition and Second Place Prize in the First Annual Duke Ellington Vocal Jazz Competition in 2014.
Amaiya Holley
Amaiya Holley is a recent graduate of Bowie State University where she received a Bachelors of Science in Theater Arts. During her matriculation at Bowie State, she’s appeared in the following productions: The Drummer, Crowns, Ten Minute Play Festival,The Fourth of April, and Godspell. In addition, she made her professional debut in Black Nativity at Theater Alliance in Washington D.C. Now, a resident of New York City, Amaiya has lofty aspirations of tackling the biggest stage of them all, Broadway. Amaiya thanks her HBCU and family for the unconditional support.
Noël Simoné Wippler
Noël Simoné Wippler is a Soprano, multi-instrumentalist, actor, songwriter born and raised in Harlem. A recent graduate of Nyack College- Manhattan Campus , a pupil of Dr. Dana Talley where she received Bachelor’s of Music in June 2017 in Classical Vocal Performance. Noël has shared the stage with the likes of Blues , Latin and Jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock, Houston Pearson , Geri Allen , Marc Carey, Roy Hargrove , Bobby Sanabria and many more. Noël works in a theater production of “Aint Misbehavin” with Irving Street Rep , where she plays the character known from actress Charlayne Woodard.Noël Simoné Wippler won the 2017 Siena Jazz Vocal Scholarship in Italy, Outstanding in Jazz 2017 and 2016 from Nyack College, Grand Prize in the 2016 Jazz of America: Mid-Atlantic Vocal Jazz Competition and Second Place Prize in the First Annual Duke Ellington Vocal Jazz Competition in 2014.
Creative Team
Matthew Bantock
Previous credits include: Miracle On 34th Street (2016, 2017), Pump Up The Volume (SDMT), Among Us, Home Of The Brave, Escape To Margaritaville, #SuperShinySara, Miss You Like Hell, Tiger Style (La Jolla Playhouse), An Octoroon (The Wilma), Estuary: an artist/mother story (Kimmel Center), We Are Proud To Present… (Philly FringeArts), Poof! (She Directs), Finn The Fearless, 2015 Polyphone Festival, Godspell, Ordinary Days, Places of Pilgrimage, and The Rocky Horror Show (UArts). Matthew is a graduate of The University of the Arts, where they majored in Directing, Playwriting, and Production.
George Brant
George Brant’s plays include Grounded, Marie and Rosetta, Elephant’s Graveyard, The Mourners’ Bench, Into the Breeches!, Any Other Name, Salvage, Grizzly Mama, Three Voyages of the Lobotomobile, and Dark Room. An Affiliate Writer at the Playwrights’ Center, his scripts have been produced internationally by the Public Theater, the Atlantic Theater Company, Cleveland Play House, the Alley Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company, the Studio Theatre, City Theatre, the Gate Theatre of London, Page 73, and the Traverse Theatre, among others. His plays have received a Lucille Lortel Award, an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, a Kennedy Center National Playwriting Award, the Smith Prize, an Edinburgh Fringe First Award, a Creative Workforce Fellowship, three OAC Individual Excellence Awards, and the Keene Prize for Literature. He has been awarded writing fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the McCarter Theatre Center, Blue Mountain Center, Hermitage Artists’ Retreat, the Djerassi Resident Artist’s Program, and the Michener Center for Writers. He is published by Samuel French, Oberon Books and Smith & Kraus.
TJ Fucella
TJ is grateful and excited to return to Cygnet as a sound designer. He has been working in San Diego as a sound designer and mix engineer for the last 3 years. Recent credits include Gypsy, On The 20th Century, Shockheaded Peter, A Little Night Music, and Spamalot (Cygnet Theatre), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Guadalupe in the Guest Room (New Village Arts), Father Comes Home From The Wars, and Perfect Arrangement (Intrepid). He’d like to thank all of his friends at Cygnet Theatre, as well as his amazing fiancée Julia for their love and support.
Rachel Hengst
Rachel is delighted to work with Cygnet Theatre again. Recent prop design credits include Lamb’s Players productions You Can’t Take It With You, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, West Side Story, Mixtape, The Wizard of Oz, Dinner with Marlene, The Miracle Worker, American Rhythm, and Equivocation. Other credits include Cygnet Theatre productions of On the 20th Century, Bad Jews, A Christmas Carol, The Rocky Horror Show, Stupid F**king Bird, and Gypsy. She also contributes to Lamb’s Players Theatre and Cygnet Theatre as an Assistant Stage Manager/Production Assistant. She thanks her family for their endless support and for God’s guidance in her life.
Peter Herman
Cygnet Theatre: Costumes and Wig/Makeup Design for Shakespeare’s R&J, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Wigs/Makeup Design for HIR, Spamalot, The Last Wife, Shockheaded Peter, On the 20th Century, Bad Jews, Seven Guitars, King Hedley II, Gypsy, Stupid F**king Bird, The Rocky Horror Show, When the Rain Stops Falling, Hay Fever, The Vortex, Dogfight, My Fair Lady, Sons of the Prophet, Pageant, Fool for Love, True West, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Spring Awakening, Maple and Vine, The Importance of Being Earnest, Travesties, Company, Assassins, A Christmas Carol, Gem of the Ocean, Mistakes Were Made, Man of La Mancha, Dirty Blonde, Parade, A Behanding in Spokane, The Glass Menagerie, Little Shop of Horrors, Our Town, Cabaret, The Norman Conquests, Private Lives, Sweeney Todd. Elsewhere: Peter has designed hair and wigs for over 300 productions, including the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Rep, San Diego Opera and Disneyland. Peter currently teaches wig and makeup at SDSU.
Rob Lutfy
Rob is the Associate Artistic Director at Cygnet Theatre. Cygnet Theatre: HIR, Every Brilliant Thing, The Wind and the Breeze, The Last Wife, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Shockheaded Peter, Bad Jews, Stupid F***ing Bird, When the Rain Stops Falling, Hay Fever, Sons of the Prophet, The Motherf**ker with the Hat. Elsewhere: Clown Play, NYC International Fringe Festival; The Gin Game, Anacostia Playhouse; The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Threshold Repertory; The Sunset Limited, 3M Productions; Time Stands Still, Collaborative Arts, Bodas de sangre, Grossmont College. He has worked on plays in development at The Kennedy Center, The O’Neill Theatre Center, Burning Coal Theatre, The Hub Theatre and The Rensing Center. He has assisted directors at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center and Marin Theatre Company. He was the 2014-2015 National New Play Network Producer-in-Residence at Marin Theatre Company, and the 2012-2013 William R. Kenan, Jr. Directing Fellow at The John F. Kennedy Center. Rob is a graduate of the directing program under Gerald Freedman at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Chanel A. Mahoney
Chanel A Mahoney is thrilled to be making her costume design debut with Cygnet. She is a proud fashion design student of San Diego Mesa College, a licensed cosmetologist, and an experienced hair and makeup artist. Production credits include: A Doll’s House Part 2, Fun Home, Hand to God (San Diego Repertory Theatre); Persuasion, Beau Jest, Shadowlands, Silent Sky, Big Fish (Lamb’s Players Theatre). Chanel has also been a makeup artist for San Diego Fashion Week, MODA Fashion Show, and the short films Grandpa’s Fish and Desert Rose. She is grateful to Robby and to the whole Cygnet family for the opportunity. Enjoy the show!
Anne E. McMills
Anne E. McMills’ career extends across the many facets of the lighting world—from theatre (including Broadway and the West End) to television and theme parks to architectural lighting, industrials, concerts, cruise ships, award shows, dance, and opera. In addition to designing her own work, Anne has assisted many Tony Award-winning Broadway designers, mounting productions throughout the world. Anne is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829, as well as the author of The Assistant Lighting Designer’s Toolkit and 3D Printing Basics for Entertainment Design. She is also the Head of Lighting Design at San Diego State University. Recent work includes Noel Noel with the San Diego Symphony, All is Calm with the San Diego Opera, Sense and Sensibility with South Coast Rep, and Beachtown with the San Diego Rep. For further information, visit www.annemcmillslighting.com.
Leonard Patton
Leonard has worked as a professional singer, musician, actor, and composer in San Diego for many years and has been a familiar face in many Lamb’s Players Theatre productions including San Diego’s longest running original musical MIXTAPE, Hello Dolly, Godspell, Boomers, Festival of Christmas, and Pump Boys and Dinettes. Recently, Leonard was a part of the acclaimed and award-nominated play, Father Comes Home From The Wars with Intrepid Theatre. Leonard holds the first master’s degree in jazz studies from SDSU as a vocalist. Leonard is currently working with two-time Grammy winning producer, Kamau Kenyatta (Gregory Porter), on a new recording project. On August 8, 2017, Leonard, along with his group, attempted and broke the Guinness world record for the most concerts in 24 hours (70)…all to garner attention for his new nonprofit, Jazz Vocal Workshop.
Elizabet Puksto
Elizabet Puksto is a scenic and production designer that received her BFA in Design & Production from University of North Carolina School of The Arts. For years she has been working as a freelancer for many major companies in United States and Europe designing sets and productions for theatres, TV shows, music videos, photo shoots, commercial installations and advertising.
Recent completed projects: Ariadne Auf Naxos, La Rondine, Gianni Schicchi, Peter and Wolf, Chamberian, Moncler installation, Pips Island, Pink – “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken”, Solange – “Metatronia” Partnership with Uniqlo, Kali Uchis – “Just A Stranger” ECPI University, Comedy Central, Preme – “Coastline”, Kilo Kish , “Void”.
Elizabet is also a visual artist & sculptor. She recently did an exhibition working with Charles Long at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.
Designer Showcase
- Jan 22nd @ 6:30PMTheatre on Tap
- Jan 25th @ 7:00PMSan Diego MLK Choir Partnership Performance
Jan 26th @ 2:00PM
Museum of Making Music Partnership Post show Talk Back
Jan 30th @ 7:30PM