Gary W. Blackman and Mark A. Blackman
Executive Producers
Greg Gunning
Artistic Director
present
DOG LOVES BOOKS
Based on the book by Louise Yates
with
Eddie Andrews Daley Browning
Brittany Lacey Nikki Miller
Tom Kordenbrock
Stage Manager
Adapted and Directed by Greg Gunning
Music and Orchestrations by John Forster and Richard DeRosa
Lyrics by Greg Gunning and John Forster
Choreography by Nicole DiVincenzo
Costumes by Fred Sorrentino Incidental Music by Ron Drotos
DOG LOVES BOOKS
Written and illustrated by Louise Yates.
Published by Alfred A. Knopf and Company, New York, NY.
Presented under an exclusive arrangement. All rights reserved.
CAST
Dog …………………………………………………………………………Brittany Lacey
Louise & Others…………………………………...... Nikki Miller
Mr. Wilson & Others…………………………..…………...…………….. Eddie Andrews
Narrator & Others …………………………………………………………Daley Browning
Stage Manager…………………………………………………… ………Tom Kordenbrock
MUSICAL NUMBERS
Dog’s Work Song………………………………………………………… Dog
Grand Opening……………………………………………………….….. Dog & Cast
You Can’t Judge A Book by Its Cover………………………………..... Cast
You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover (Reprise)……………………….Dog
Next…………………………………………………………………………Cast
Me and My Dinosaur……………………………………………………...Cast
Build………………………………………………………………………...Cast
Dog’s Work Song (Reprise)………………………………………………Dog
Little Blue Riding Hood……………………………………………………Cast
Dog’s Work Song (Reprise)………………………………………………Dog
Can’t Stop Dancing” & Dance Sequence……………………………….Cast
Can’t Stop Reading………………………………………………………..Cast
Dog Loves Books Who’s Who
EDDIE ANDREWS (Mr. Wilson & Others) is super thrilled to make his touring debut with ArtsPower!Favorite regional: Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), ...Spelling Bee (Leaf), The Drowsy Chaperone (Robert Martin), My Way (Man #2), andA Catered Affair (Ralph).Stephens College alum. Love to my family, onstage and off.Enjoy the show!
DALEY BROWNING (Narrator & Others) graduated from Auburn University with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Her most recent credits include Julie in Julie and Eddie and Friends, Cappie in Talking Trash and appearances in Cranky Cabaret and CloseUp Cabaret in NYC. This summer, she worked as the Associate Producer of The Puzzle: Marble's Festival of Theatre and as the Production Assistant for the Sanguine Theatre Company. She is so excited to be working on Dog Loves Books and wants to thank her family and friends for their love and support!
BRITTANY LACEY (Dog) is thrilled to be hitting the road again as Dog in ArtsPower's Dog Loves Books, after originating the role last spring! She was last seen as Little Bo Peep at Story Land in New Hampshire. Favorite past credits include: Mills Entertainment's Clifford the Big Red Dog Live! (Female Swing), Kiss Me Kate (Lois/Bianca), Next to Normal (Natalie), RENT (Mimi), Rugrats: A Live Adventure (Angelica), Goodnight Moon (Mouse), and title roles in Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Alice in Wonderland. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from SUNY Stony Brook. Many thanks to my amazingly supportive family and Evan.
NIKKI MILLER (Louise and Others) is thrilled to be touring with ArtsPower's Dog Loves Books! This past spring she graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Acting. She has previously performed with Hunterdon Hills Playhouse, Interlakes Summer Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The York Theatre, and Centenary Stage Company where she most recently performed as Wendy in Peter Pan. In addition to the stage, Nikki has done independent film and television work as well. She is beyond grateful for this experience and would like to thank Greg for this incredible opportunity.
TOM KORDENBROCK (Stage Manager) is a California-raised, Boston-educated transplant to New York City. He is so excited to be touring with this awesome company! Broadway:Les Misérables; Off-Broadway:A Night with Janis Joplin;Regional:Camelot(New Repertory Theatre),Cinderella(Tabard Theatre, London UK),The Sun Experiment (Helikon Repertory Theatre),Gaga: The Musical(ToUch Performance),Blood Knot(Boston Center for American Performance). B.F.A. in Theatre Arts from Boston University.
GARY BLACKMAN (Executive Producer) co-founded ArtsPower in 1985 with his identical twin brother, Mark, and serves as ArtsPower's managing director. Gary received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Columbia College, Columbia University and earned a Master's degree in Music Education from the College of Music at Florida State University. In 2013, he was appointed as a council member to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts by Governor Christie. He is also a graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute. Gary, his wife Amy, and their daughter Emma live in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
MARK BLACKMAN (Executive Producer) is ArtsPower’s founding co-director and currently serves as director of development. He is a graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University and received his Master’s degree in Music Education from Florida State University's College of Music. He is also a graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute. Mark is responsible for ArtsPower’s fundraising and marketing efforts. In a former life, Mark was a jazz saxophone player who was a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study for a year with jazz recording artist Eddie Daniels. Mark and his wife, Leslie Sutton-Smith, are very proud of their daughters, Alyssa Blackman and Kelly Sutton-Skinner.
GREG GUNNING (Artistic Director) hails from Chicago, Illinois and is the man behind ArtsPower’s on-stage magic. He has written every ArtsPower production since 1989. Greg auditions and rehearses ArtsPower’s theatre companies each semester in addition to creating at least one new production each year. A graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and a former actor, Greg has performed in 38 states across the country.
JOHN FORSTER (Co-Composer, Co-Lyricist, and Co-Orchestrator) is an award-winning songwriter, humorist, and record producer whose work encompasses the worlds of singer-songwriting, musical theater, and children’s entertainment.John’s debut album, “Entering Marion,” received an Indie Award HM for Best Comedy Album in 1994. Many of his songs have been featured on NPR’s “Morning Edition.” His songs have been recorded by Christine Lavin, Judy Collins, Rosanne Cash and the late Dave Van Ronk, among many others. As a writer and producer of music for children, John has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, most recently for the Tom Chapin album, “Some Assembly Required.” Other children’s albums written with Tom include, “Family Tree,” “This Pretty Planet,” “Billy the Squid,” and a dozen more. His stage musicals include, Four Score and Seven Years Ago for ArtsPower, the regional theater favoriteEleanor-An American Love Story, How To Eat Like A Child, and Into The Light on Broadway. He also wrote the lyrics for Freaky Friday with composer Mary Rodgers.
RICHARD DEROSA (Co-Composer & Co-Orchestrator) orchestrated the scores to ArtsPower's Fourscore and Seven Years Ago, Olympic Spirit: The Jesse Owens Story Beyond the Miracle, and The Silent Boy. He composed and orchestrated the scores to ArtsPower's Jigsaw Jones, Anne of Green Gables, Laura Ingalls Wilder: Growing Up on the Prairie, Terrifically Tilly, A Little Princess, Caddie Woodlawn, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Salem Justice, Are You My Mother? Anastasia Krupnik, Highlights for Children, Hans Brinker & the Silver Skates, Lily's Crossing, The Little Engine That Could Earns Her Whistle, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Mike Mulligan & His Steam Shovel and The Rainbow Fish, Amber Brown is Not A Crayon, My Heart in a uitcase and Harry the Dirty Dog. Richard is a respected jazz drummer and arranger and has toured and recorded with jazz legend Gerry Mulligan, Susannah McCorkle, Jackie and Roy, and many other world-class jazz musicians. He recently joined the music faculty at University of North Texas in Denton where he teaches composition, arranging, and jazz improvisation. Richard is also affiliated with Jazz at Lincoln Center as an arranger for Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. In 2014, Rich was named chief conductor of the WDR Big Band, one of the most prestigious jazz orchestras in Germany.
FRED SORRENTINO (Costumer) has designed and built the costumes for ArtsPower’s Beyond the Miracle, Laura Ingalls Wilder: Growing Up on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, Hans Brinker & the Silver Skates, A Little Princess, Terrifically Tilly, Salem Justice, Caddie Woodlawn, Are You My Mother? Anastasia Krupnik, Highlights for Children, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Lily’s Crossing, The Little Engine That Could; Earns Her Whistle, From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Mike Mulligan And His Steam Shovel, and The Rainbow Fish, Amber Brown is Not A Crayon, My Heart in A Suitcase, and Harry the Dirty Dog. Fred is a gifted musician having earned a Bachelor’s degree in voice from Jersey City (NJ) State College. A veteran performer in both operatic and musical theatre productions, Fred now maintains a busy schedule designing and building costumes.
ARTSPOWER NATIONAL TOURING THEATRE Celebrating our 30th anniversary season in 2015-16, ArtsPower is one of America's largest and most respected producers of professional theatre for young and family audiences. Founded by twin brothers Gary and Mark Blackman in 1985, ArtsPower has created 28 original musicals and plays that have been presented for more than 13 million people throughout 49 states and the District of Columbia. Based in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, ArtsPower hopes you enjoy today’s performance and invites you to share your comments with us at .
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