Page 6 – Herberger Theater Center

The Herberger Theater Center is pleased to announce the appointment of five new board members, Becky Gonzales with Metromile, Kaaren-Lyn Graves with NABEDC, Monica Greenman with Transwestern, Greg Marshall with Snell & Wilmer, and Trish Niemann with Cable One, Inc.

“We are excited to begin working with our new board members as we enter this long-awaited fall season,” said Mark Mettes, President & CEO of the Herberger Theater Center. “These new members are bringing with them excellent skillsets that will help the theater continue its pursuit of providing quality and accessible arts experiences to all.”

Becky Gonzalez is the Vice President, Strategic Finance at Metromile, where she oversees financial planning, analytics, and strategy. She brings more than 15 years of accounting and finance experience across various industries, including manufacturing, technology, and financial services. Prior to joining Metromile, Becky served in various financial leadership roles with Trax Group and General Electric.

Kaaren-Lyn Graves serves as the Project Director for NABEDC (pronounced “Nah Bed See”), a project serving the business needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians who reside in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and on the Navajo Nation. In addition to serving as the Project Director for NABEDC, she also owns her own business, and is the Executive Business Consultant, Technical Writer, and Grants Manager for the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; one of the largest Chamber’s in Arizona.

Monica Greenman is an Associate Broker with Transwestern. In addition to managing over 2M square feet in downtown Phoenix properties, several of Monica’s properties have been awarded Energy Star Labels, LEED EB Gold Certifications and BOMA TOBY awards. Monica also serves as a Board Member for BOMA – Greater Phoenix Chapter and the Downtown Phoenix Partnership.

Greg Marshall is a 20-year lawyer and partner at the law firm of Snell & Wilmer, where he currently co-chairs two of the firm’s litigation practice groups. As the former chair of the firm’s pro bono committee, he oversaw approximately 20,000 hours every year of attorneys donating their time and energy to a variety of community organizations like the Herberger Theater and enjoys doing his part to make Phoenix a great community to live.

Trish Niemann is Senior Director, Corporate Communications & Brand Marketing for Cable One, Inc. Cable One, Inc. (NYSE: CABO) is a leading broadband communications provider serving more than 950,000 residential and business customers in 21 states through its Sparklight®, Fidelity Communications, ValuNet Fiber and Clearwave™ brands. In this role she sets the vision and direction for internal and external communications, oversees public relations, corporate social responsibility, brand marketing, and social media.

The Herberger Theater announced the launch of its new identity and website redesign this week (HerbergerTheater.org). Long known for its ‘H’ with draping curtains, the theater’s new identity features the iconic rotunda which is the literal and figurative heart of the building where audiences converge to enjoy art on one of the theater’s three stages.

The new branding elements seen across the website and marketing applications feature a wide variety of colors that pay tribute to Arizona’s desert landscape and colorful sunsets while more subtle elements attribute themselves to a physical theater.

The Herberger Theater established a new mission statement during the rebranding: We are Arizona’s center stage, engaging the community through diverse arts experiences that ignite emotion, stimulate conversation and inspire connections to the arts. The theater’s new mission statement and values remain at the core of the rebrand including its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. By offering support to the artists who perform and exhibit in the space, the Herberger Theater helps ensure the values it holds are showcased through the work that enters its space.

“This rebrand moves the theater into the modern age and strengthens our focus to bring audiences and art together on Arizona’s Center Stage,” said Mark Mettes, President & CEO of the Herberger Theater. “The theater had outgrown its original identity and we were looking to capture the modern essence of the Herberger Theater in a way that showcased who we are today and who we strive to be in the future. We play an essential role in bringing the timeless classics of the American stage to our community as well as works by new and venerable artists alike. We have a role in today and tomorrow — with our outreach, community and education programs — to foster a deep appreciation and respect for the arts in people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds.

The new website includes scheduled shows for the upcoming 2021-2022 season including seasons from Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, and Childsplay. Single tickets for shows are expected to go on sale in June.

The Herberger Theater Center is launching a special campaign to raise funds essential to not only raising the curtain again for live performances in Phoenix, but to supporting the continuation of the Theater’s unique outreach programs for low-income children and teens across the Valley.

In this multi-year campaign, the Herberger Theater aims to grow its donor base to 1,000 active donors over a 1,000-day period through its “1,000 Friends in 1,000 Days” challenge. The campaign will run from May 26, 2021 to February 20, 2024 and funds will be dedicated to nourishing the theater as it recovers from massive financial loss experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between performance cancellations and stage closures, the pandemic’s effect on the Herberger Theater community has been staggering. From March through November 2020, the Herberger Theater lost 90% of its earned revenue.

Despite these losses, the Herberger Theater worked to find imaginative solutions to safely raise the curtain again, including its outdoor stage, The Pavilion. With new creative plans in place, the Herberger Theater is turning to avid supporters of the performing arts to help it recover from the pandemic and return to bringing life and culture back to the Phoenix community.

“The pandemic upended the arts world, and the Herberger Theater was no exception to that disruption,” said Mark Mettes, President & CEO of the Herberger Theater. “Our 90 percent loss in earned revenue means 90 percent less funding to foster diverse performing arts experiences; 90 percent less funding to sustain outreach programs that allow children from throughout the community to express themselves through theater and the arts; and 90 percent less funding to contribute to the cultural and educational development of the Valley. The 1,000 Friends in 1,000 Days campaign will ensure the survival of these initiatives and help preserve the magic of live theater in Arizona.”

Through performances and outreach programs, the Herberger Theater is dedicated to bringing people together, inspiring imagination, and fostering important conversations.

For more information about the 1000-day fundraising campaign, visit HerbergerTheater.org/donate-now/

Questions may be directed to Laurene Austin at 602-254-7399 x105 or 1000Challenge@herbergertheater.org.

Created in response to the inability to host shows indoors, Chandler Center of the Arts put their spin on virtual performances in a series called CCA Anywhere.

The series highlights high-quality performances on their stage that audience members can view ‘anywhere’ like the title implies.

As many venues and production companies have come to learn, free online performances boast a critical and new way to reach audience members. Many companies have been forces to pivot their offerings to the community, particularly with virtual or streamed performances. Virtual performances are not new, but the Center’s spin on them is – framing the series as a group of performances meant to be viewed anywhere, anytime, at your leisure.

The concept of virtual performances has, for the past year, meant viewing them at a certain time on a certain day. CCA Anywhere is innovative in that the website constantly showcases the series and previous performances if you were to miss it live. With 30+ diverse performances to watch ‘anywhere,’ the collection of videos showcases the width of the arts and the resiliency of the arts community.

Find more information on the series here: https://www.chandlercenter.org/anywhere

In an ever-changing and innovative digital landscape, one company has stood out to me the most – Arizona Theatre Company (ATC). From their initial approach to cancellations and pay-per-view performances to their Hang & Focus Live Podcast, the company has managed to keep theater-goers and arts enthusiasts happy with the wide range of content the company is producing for free consumption.

“As someone who grew up in Arizona, [the podcast] is a great way to share the work that we do,” said Sean Daniels, podcast host and Artistic Director for Arizona Theatre Company, “[We] really use[d] this moment to re-envision ourselves.”

One of the most interesting and captivating pieces the company has been releasing is their Hang & Focus Live podcast which has managed to host some of the most prominent performing arts figures in the country. Recently, the company sat down with Tony Award Winning Director, Kenny Leon.

Kenny and Sean shared a mutual respect and admiration in the podcast, both crediting each other’s incredible feats in the arts community. Kenny Leon goes on to share what his experience has been in navigating a COVID-19 shutdown world of Broadway, which we won’t spoil.

Arizona Theatre Company’s innovation in this podcast has allowed it to connect with some truly amazing people in the arts and has given listeners and viewers the chance to hear candid conversations with some of their most valuable contributors to the arts community, from local playwrights to Broadway stars.

Chanel Bragg, Associate Artistic Director for ATC and podcast co-host explains, “It is our responsibility to reflect what is going on in the world.”

Check out the podcast here.

Blood, meat pies, a barber, and the NFL? In 2018, Arizona Broadway Theatre and the Herberger Theater were co-producing Sweeney Todd, a Tony award-winning musical about the Fleet Street barber. The show, in its Arizona Broadway Theatre rendition, lent itself to a spotlight walk-on role. While many of these roles came to be auctioned off or gifted to donors, one performance welcomed Rob Nkemdiche to the stage.

Although currently a free agent, Nkemdiche was drafted in 2016 as the 29^th overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals. His star seasons as Mississippi landed him NFL first-round pick status after three years at University of Mississippi.

The walk-on role was simple: have your throat slit and bleed out before being dropped from the barber chair to the first-floor bakery. At least, that was the plan…

At 6’4”, 296 pounds, Rob Nkemdiche is a big guy. Far bigger than the average actor. This meant that the chute intended to drop customers from the barbershop to the bakery was far too small for the Cardinal’s star. Plus, Rob’s agent was concerned about Rob being injured as he slid through the chute. A small workaround and a switch of scenery allowed Rob to escape off the stage without being seen.

When he arrived, Rob was put into costume and makeup. The only potential problem was his size 14 shoes, but luckily Arizona Broadway Theatre had a pair that fit perfectly.

“Would you say you are more nervous to have your head chopped off on stage or play against the Rams?” asked Katherine Fitzgerald.

“My head chopped off, for sure,” replied Nkemdiche.

Rob, though never having been a professional actor, managed to put on an all-star performance that elicited many laughs from the crowd as he accentuated the blood pouring from his neck more than the role may have intended. Nkemdiche credited his performance to his days in drama class.

The experience was a hit, earning Nkemdiche and the Herberger Theater sports channel coverage by FOX sports, AZ Central, and a handful of football writers.

Judy Rollings has been working with the Herberger Theater Center since its early days. Currently the Director of Art Education and Outreach, Judy directs Lunch Time Theater and the Arizona Young Artists’ Competition.

If you have ever attended a Lunch Time Theater show, you know Judy’s famous curtain speech, which she executes precisely and consistently three days a week. Many Lunch Time Theater regulars recognize Judy and applaud her as she makes her entrance to the Kax Stage.

The idea for Lunch Time Theater came from Judy’s realization that the Herberger Theater stages were just too full to feature new artists. The most prominent artists in the scene were taking many of the dates on the big stages. This meant that in order to fulfill her passion for outreach, Judy needed to come up with a solution. Thus, Lunch Time Theater was born.

In 2001 the rehearsal hall was reimagined and equipped to do theatre performances. The first LTT show took place in February that year. However when the Herberger Theater was renovated in 2008, it completely converted what was once its rehearsal hall/black box theatre into a space solely intended for intimate performances. This renovation set the stage for Lunch Time Theater as it operated for 20 seasons as a program originally intended for downtown workers to enjoy their lunch breaks.

It wasn’t all this easy though. For many years, Judy Rollings worked tirelessly with her associates, Dee Rich, Cherie Donahue, and most recently the amazing Mary Robinson, to build the program. Together, their efforts have made Lunch Time Theater a successful outreach program and enrichment experience for guests, while allowing up and coming artists to showcase their work in a professional environment.

Judy looks forward to continuing Lunch Time Theater with her new associate, Elizabeth Broeder. Elle has been seen on stage with iTheatre Collaborative among other companies, as a summer intern with Lunch Time Theater, and in the Herberger Theater box office!

Judy is also one of the founding members of the Arizona Young Artists’ Competition, a scholarship competition for young performing artists. As one of the members of the program committee, Judy has helped evolve the program into the massive success it is today, managing the drama portion of the event and overseeing the outreach to schools and artistic studios.

Judy is a founding member of Actors Theatre of Phoenix and served as the Artistic Director for over eight years. During her tenure, they won the Critics Circle Award for Innovative Programming – Brown Bag Theater and the Best Professional Theater Award.

Throughout her tenure in Arizona, Judy has received a number of awards that include Best Director of a Drama, Arizoni Lifetime Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theater, and the 2010 Actors Equity Association Theatre Service Award.

As an actor herself, Judy innovated and ran the successful STAGES actor training program. Her current acting credits include Spinning Into Butter, The Death Bite, her own one-woman show Starring Judy from Chicago, Light Up The Sky, Suocera, Over The River and Through the Woods, The Velocity of Autumn, Ripcord and Love or Money. Current directing credits include Collected Stories, Sudz, Honor, Eleemosynary, The Road to Mecca, Nureyev’s Eyes, Doubt, Great Falls, And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little, The Herd, Trying and Rathmines Road.

Judy is a member of the Board of Directors of the Theatre Artists Studio where she acts in and directs performances as well.

If you ever see Judy in the theater, make sure to say hello!

While Broadway may not be opening until the Fall, their national tours are beginning to take shape across the country, especially here in Phoenix. In January, ASU Gammage became one of the first major venues to release their upcoming 2021-2022 live schedule. Announced almost a full year after the remainder of the 2019-2020 season was canceled, many of these postponed shows have found their way into the newly announced Broadway series.

The shows in the upcoming 2021-2022 Broadway series include Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! (August 17–22, 2021), Hamilton – (September 8–October 3, 2021), Mean Girls (October 19–24, 2021), My Fair Lady (December 7–12, 2021), The Band’s Visit (February 8–13, 2022), Tootsie (March 15–20, 2022), Hadestown (April 19–24, 2022), and Come From Away (June 14–19, 2022). The production of Disney’s The Lion King is currently slated for Summer 2022 with official dates yet to be announced. A few shows from their original seasons such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Frozen, and Jersey Boys unfortunately could not be rescheduled as their national tours fell through.

ASU Gammage will also be reopening with a wide variety of new safety precautions such as requiring masks for all patrons and staff, employee health checks, sanitizing of ticket scanners, frequent sanitizing of high touch points, additional hand sanitizing stations, and closing the stage door. These protocols have been designed to comply with CDC and ASU specific COVID-19 regulations.

ASU Gammage certainly hasn’t been quiet throughout the last year of the pandemic. While we eagerly wait for the Broadway series to kick off in August, they have plenty of virtual content to check out. Their concert series The Local has brought local Arizona artists to their stage for a series of virtually streamed performances. They have also hosted numerous virtual masterclasses, demos, K-12 virtual field trips, and other performances through their Digital Connections series targeted to audiences at home looking for the taste of the arts. These virtual performances have been offered free of charge as ASU Gammage strives to fulfill their mission of connecting communities to the arts, albeit in a more virtual format for now.

While shows have not returned in a traditional sense, there are still some places you can catch shows in the coming months as restrictions lessen and companies begin to produce indoor shows.

Arizona Broadway Theatre has been hosting live performances indoors for some time now, limiting capacity and enforcing mask policies when guests are not eating or drinking. In addition, the space is ensuring proper sanitation and air filtration systems are in place to protect guests. The venue’s 2021 season is scheduled through September with some fan favorites set to hit the stage this upcoming fall including Nunsense and Godspell. As of now, their plans for next season are yet to be announced.

The historic Orpheum Theater is currently selling tickets for performances in August 2021 through December 2021 including performances by Manuel Mijares and Trixie Mattel.

As of March 2021, Mesa Arts Center is selling tickets for a variety of online events, but their first live event scheduled for the theater is set for November 11, 2021. The show, Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats, is the first scheduled show of their 2021-2022 season and will be an exciting re-entry to live events for the space.

Tempe Center for the Arts has yet to make any official announcements about their upcoming season, but the venue continues to produce online content for viewers.

Symphony Hall is gauging interest and comfort from guests about their upcoming 75^th anniversary season. This past spring, a group of performers furloughed from the Phoenix Symphony performed a series of three outdoor concerts on the Herberger Theater outdoor stage.

ASU Gammage plans to begin their year-delayed season this coming August. The venue’s lineup features major hits including Rodger & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, world-renowned Hamilton, Mean Girls, and My Fair Lady. The lineup for 2022 includes The Band’s Visit, Tootsie, Hadestown, and the hit new musical, Come From Away.

Phoenix Theatre is currently hosting their Outdoor Season on their open-air stage constructed last fall. Guests can catch an outdoor show through May 23. My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra is their newest show to hit the outdoor stage. In the show, Frank Sinatra’s story is told through the combined range of four virtuoso vocalists, performing the best of his songs in an intimate nightclub setting. As of now, their plans for indoor events have not been released.

Chandler Center for the Arts is currently hosting limited-capacity outdoor events and showcasing a variety of artists in their CCA Anywhere series, which is a free, online series.

Theater Works at Peoria Center for the Arts is yet to make an announcement about their upcoming season, but are expected to put on postponed shows Rex’s Exes and Pump Boys and Dinettes when the space reopens.

There are a handful of companies across the valley looking to enter into live theater once again come fall, specifically Arizona Theatre Company, Childsplay Theatre, Valley Youth Theatre and Arizona Opera. A few of these companies have made tentative announcements about their upcoming seasons.

In 2015, a committee of staff and board members came together to create a new fundraising event for the Herberger Theater. Board member Theresa Dwyer suggested that we expand on Gourmet Theatre, an event that Actors Theatre had held for 20 years. Actors Theatre graciously allowed us to take on the event and make it our own. And that we did!

Plated & Staged… A Herberger Theater Experience was born with the first event taking place on April 24, 2016. The event is a blend of fine dining and arts. Guests attend a cocktail reception, silent auction and program at the Herberger Theater. Dinner follows but we don’t tell guests which fabulous Valley restaurant they are going to until it’s announced after the program. The element of surprise makes the event unique and fun.

“Awesome event! Fun people and conversations, great food, art, entertainment and a silent auction… all this and helping others.” Plated & Staged attendee.

The event has continued to grow and in the last five years we have entertained approximately 850 guests and worked with 35 restaurant partners. Since 2016, an estimated $400,000 has been raised to benefit the Herberger Theater’s youth education and outreach programs.

The latest news, premiering in your inbox

Our Sponsors & Benefactors