Troupe America, Inc, Curt Wollan –Executive Producer Present RING OF FIRE The Life and Music of Johnny Cash Created by RICHARD MALTBY, JR. Conceived by WILLIAM MEADE Orchestration by STEVEN BISHOP and JEFF LISENBY Ring of Fire was originally produced on Broadway by William Meade, CTM Productions, Bob Cuillo, GFour Productions, and James B. Freydberg Featuring ED AVILA TIM DRAKE PEGGE JAMIESON DELOZIER STEVE LASITER CANDICE LIVELY AMBERLY ROSEN CHAD WILLOW CHET WOLLAN Swings ANDY CARROLL CARI DOWNING BEAU HAYS Understudies never substitute for performers unless announced prior to the performance. Music Director CHAD WILLOW Costume Design KATRINA BENEDICT Lighting Design JIM EISCHEN Scenic Design SUSAN HOLGERSSON Sound Design THOMAS BOTHOF Choreographer WENDY SHORT HAYS Assistant to the Choreographer LEXIE WOLLAN - SWENSON Production Stage Manager TRICIA HOFELD Directed By CURT WOLLAN Exclusive Tour Direction: AWA Partners The operating of cameras or recording devices is strictly prohibited by copyright law. Ring of Fire is presented through special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide 570 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10018, www.theatricalrights.com Exclusive Tour Direction AWA Partners L. Glenn Poppleton • Robin Mishik-Jett Glenn White • Sean Mackey • Jalaina Ross Jessica Francis • Nicole Hatcher Chanelle Dompig • Serena Sretenovich www.AWA-Partners.com • info@AWA-Partners.com • (212) 586-7777 PRODUCTION STAFF TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MASTER ELECTRICIAN SOUND ENGINEER WARDROBE SUPERVISOR HAYES OʼBRIEN DANA KLEIMAN KAY RICHARDSON CARI DOWNING WHO’S WHO IN PRODUCTION RICHARD MALTBY, JR. (Creator) Broadway credits include: Conceived/directed Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1978 Tony, NY Drama Critics, Outer Critics and Drama Desk Awards. Also Tony Award for Best Director); Fosse (1999 Tony, Outer Critics and Drama Desk Awards). Lyricist: Miss Saigon (Evening Standard Award 1990, Tony Nomination for Best Score 1991). Director and co-lyricist of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song & Dance, 1986 (Tony Award for star Bernadette Peters). With composer David Shire: director/lyricist Baby, 1983 (book by Sybille Pearson; seven Tony Award nominations); Lyricist: Big, 1996 (book by John Weidman. Tony nomination: Best Score).OffBroadway credits: director/lyricist Starting Here Starting Now, 1977 (Grammy Award nomination); Closer Than Ever, 1989 (Outer Critics Circle Awards: Best Musical, Best Score). Contributes devilish crossword puzzles to Harpers Magazine. WILLIAM MEADE (Creator) began his career as a musician. He has been a featured soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Zurich Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonic, and Jacksonville Symphony. He has produced concerts throughout the U.S. and Europe with artists ranging from Arlo Guthrie to BB King. Television: “The Miss America Pageant”, “The Super Bowl Half Time Show”, “Sex and The City”, “Love Monkey”, and “Sesame Street.” On Broadway, he has been involved with more than 50 musicals. He is a Grammy-nominated record producer with a wide range of theatrical releases to his credit, from Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing to Elegies by William Finn. CURT WOLLAN (Producer/Director) is the President and Executive Producer-Director for Troupe America, Inc. He has directed many National Tours including The Odd Couple starring M*A*S*H’s Jamie Farr and William Christopher, the National Tour of Moon Over Buffalo starring Gavin MacLeod, the National Tour of The Sunshine Boys starring Dick Van Patten and Frank Gorshin and Same Time, Next Year starring Mackenzie Phillips and Adrian Zmed. At Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, he directed Cotton Patch Gospel starring WKRP in Cincinnati’s Gary Sandy. In the last four years, Curt has directed 25 productions of Church Basement Ladies, two starring M*A*S*H’s William Christopher as the Pastor and one starring Barry Williams of The Brady Bunch. Curt has been based at the Plymouth Playhouse since 1979, and has directed most of its productions, notably the musical comedies Church Basement Ladies, Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping, Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas, The Church Basement Ladies in A Mighty Fortress Is Our Basement, How To Talk Minnesotan The Musical, I love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and Diamond Studs which won the Twin Cities “Kudos” Award for Best Direction, Best Choreography and Best Musical. This past season, Curt had the pleasure of working with Dolly Parton on her musical, My People and will direct Dolly in her rendition of A Christmas Carol where she will appear as a hologram ghost. curtwollan.com. KATRINA BENEDICT (Costume Designer) is delighted to be a part of Ring of Fire. She works as a draper at the Guthrie Theater and a freelance costume designer at various theaters in the Twin Cities area. Her most recent designs include The Church Basement Ladies in A Mighty Fortress Is Our Basement, Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas, Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping and the national tours of all four versions of the musical comedy. Other designs include Kirby! for the History Theater, Sherlock’s Last Case for Minnesota Centennial Showboat and various productions at Normandale Community College. JIM EISCHEN (Lighting Designer) holds a BFA in Theatre, Design/Technical from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Jim has designed numerous productions at the Duluth Playhouse, Duluth Playground, Duluth Festival Opera, UMD Theatre, UMD Opera, UMD Stage II and Sieur Du Luth. Jim was a national finalist at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) with his design for South Pacific in 2011, and was awarded a fellowship in lighting at the Eugene O’Neill Center in Waterford, Connecticut. Jim was the Master Electrician for the Troupe America National Tour of Miracle on 34th Street. WENDY SHORT HAYS (Choreographer)has been connected with Troupe America for over thirty years. She created the choreography for the original production of Church Basement Ladies as well as subsequent tours and productions. She has choreographed such favorites as Nunsense, Pump Boys and Dinettes and Diamond Studs for which she earned the Twin Cities Drama Critics Award for Best Choreography. She was on the writing team for The Lovely Liebowitz Sisters and her original choreography for Pump Boys and Dinettes has been produced locally, on National tour and for an extended run at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Wendy is the Artistic Director of VISTA Productions which was chosen to represent Minnesota at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her work has also been seen on the stage of The Medora Musical, Hey City Stage, History Theatre and numerous national tours. Her directing credits include West Side Story, Wings, Children of Eden, Lost In Yonkers, Into The Woods, A Christmas Carol and Beehive. SUSAN HOLGERSSON (Scenic Design) recently had the pleasure to work with Curt Wollan on Southern Crossroads at Circa 21 and Christmas On the Ranch, A Cowboy Musical at the Plymouth Playhouse. Over the past several decades, she has worked on numerous projects as Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist with many theaters and shows. Her favorite sets include Peter Pan, Death of A Salesman and Sound of Music. Commercially, she has created the scenic art for the Putnam Museum exhibits: Native America, Ocean Experience, Titanic, and Niabi Zoo’s Rainforest. Future projects include the Clinton County Conservation Exhibit. LEXIE WOLLAN-SWENSON (Assistant Choreographer) This past summer, Alexis was Assistant Choreographer and Assistant Director for The Medora Musical , and previously spent nine seasons there as a Burning Hills Singer. Other credits include Assistant Choreographer and performer for Troupe America’s National Tour of A Christmas Carol, performing in ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas at Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood and Ring of Fire at Circa 21. Most recently, she was Movement Coordinator for Christmas On the Ranch, A Cowboy Musical at the Plymouth Playhouse and Company Manager for Troupe America’s National Tour of Away in The Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas. AWA PARTNERS (Exclusive Tour Direction) represents the joint forces of AWA Touring Services, Off Broadway Booking/OBB and AVID Touring Group. The new roster includes Green Day's American Idiot, A Christmas Story—the Musical, Chaplin the Musical, Mandy Patinkin in Concert, An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!—the Musical, The Aluminum Show, Celebrity Autobiography, among many others. Past projects include The Phantom of the Opera, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, DreamWorks Madagascar Live and Monty Python’s Spamalot. www.AWAPartners.com WHO’S WHO IN THE CAST ED AVILA (Ensemble) Ed Avila hails from North Plainfield, New Jersey and is thrilled to be part of Ring of Fire. As a bassist with over 25 years experience, he's played the bars of the Jersey Shore to the clubs of NYC in various original and cover bands. He enjoys playing all styles of music including rock, country, funk, blues, and motown. Ed also loves to travel and has worked as a showband bassist on various cruise lines. This past summer, he was the bassist in the popular Medora Musical in Medora, North Dakota. He thanks all his family and friends and gives a special thanks to Curt Wollan for the opportunity to work with this wonderful cast. ANDY CARROLL (Ensemble, Swing) Andy is a Minneapolis bassist who plays in two old school country bands, Tree Party and Calamity and the Owl. As well as playing in Honky Tonks, Andy has played for a variety of musical theatre shows including The Medora Musical, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, Hank and My Honky Tonk Hero’s, Rent, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and recently appeared in Christmas On The Ranch, A Cowboy Musical at Plymouth Playhouse. He feels lucky to be working with such talented people, and is thankful for having a loving family and the best wife and child ever! TIM DRAKE (Ensemble) Tim is pleased to have completed his fifteenth production at the Plymouth Playhouse in Minneapolis, a run of shows that began in 1981. Ring of Fire is his first extended national tour. At the Plymouth Playhouse, he has appeared in Diamond Studs; Pump Boys and Dinettes; A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline; How To Talk Minnesotan The Musical; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; Guys On Ice, The Ice Fishing Musical all four versions of the musical comedy Church Basement Ladies and recently completed the run of Christmas On the Ranch, A Cowboy Musical. PEGGE JAMIESON DELOZIER (Ensemble) Born in Ontario, Canada, she was raised in Rochester Hills, MI. She attended William Tyndale College, Farmington, MI, for her BA Music/Vocal Performance and traveled with the Tyndale Chorale. Post college, her credits include leads in Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Brigadoon and Never Too Late. She was chosen to sing for an event honoring former Detroit Tigers’ Major League Baseball player, Frank Tanana, and had a spotlight performance for the Motor Racing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on ESPN. After moving to Sevierville, TN she has performed in several area theaters. She has had the privilege of performing with Dolly Parton at her theme park, Dollywood, and also with Lee Greenwood, Louise Mandrell, and several other artists. This is her first national tour, and she is eternally grateful to her family for their undying love and support throughout this amazing opportunity. Bear Hugs! CARI DOWNING (Ensemble, Swing) Cari is delighted to be returning to Ring Of Fire after her summer in Medora, North Dakota performing the Greatest Show in the West, the Medora Musical! Other favorite roles include Cathy in The Last Five Years, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, and Doris in Same Time, Next Year. No stranger to touring, Cari always enjoys seeing our country while getting to do what she loves. Cari would like to thank her incredibly supportive parents back home in Illinois and her loving and talented boyfriend, Steve. "For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide". BEAU HAYS (Ensemble, Swing) Beau is happy to be back with Ring of Fire after many seasons as Russ Renner in How To Talk Minnesotan The Musical. Other favorite roles include Deke in Vampires! Horror! Joey Vitale in Tony and Tina’s Wedding, Kanute in A Don’t Hug Christmas Carol, Seth in UBETCHA, The Making of A Minnesotan Boyband, and as a Burning Hills Singer in The Medora Musical. Beau is also very proud of his occasional contributions to the writing staff of Dan Cole’s The Common Man Progrum at KFAI Radio. IALTO. Beau would like to thank his wife Katy, and his wonderful children, Joey and Vivian. STEVE LASITER (Ensemble) Steve is thrilled to be traveling the country playing the music of Mr. Johnny Cash. Hailing from the Southeast Texas town of Beaumont, he has been seen around the country singing and playing for just about anybody who will listen. Favorite roles include Buddy Holly in the Buddy Holly Story, Frank N Furtur in the Rocky Horror Show, Willis in Southern Crossroads, and many others. Thanks to the love of my life, Cari, for always being there for me. Enjoy the show folks! Sing along if you know the words!! CANDICE LIVELY (Ensemble) Candice, originally from Strawberry Plains, TN, is thrilled to be a part of Ring of Fire for a second time! Previously, she has been seen in Pigeon Forge, TN singing and dancing in several theaters in the area, including The Smoky Mountain Opry, The Black Bear Jamboree Dinner Theatre, and several shows at Dolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood. She has also traveled abroad as a featured singer on Norwegian Cruise Lines, and toured the US on Troupe America's national tour of Miracle on 34th Street. Most recently, she has been seen as a Burning Hills Singer in the Medora Musical. Many thanks to Troupe America, and much love to her always supportive family and Chet. Enjoy the show. AMBERLY ROSEN (Ensemble) Amberly is thrilled to be joining the national tour of Ring of Fire! Known for her eclectic musical repertoire and contagious smile, Amberly has been playing violin since the age of three. As a graduate from the Berklee College of Music, she has performed styles of music including classical, American fiddle, Celtic, Balkan, Mediterranean, and Scandinavian folk music. Her desire to share these musical traditions has led her to study and perform in Ireland, Greece, Bulgaria, Japan, Poland and across the United States. Her most recent tour was in the Netherlands with Orla Fallon, a former member of Celtic Woman. She will be selling her CD, Fiddly, at the end of the show so please come say hi! amberlyrosen.com! CHAD WILLOW (Ensemble/Music Director) Chad Willow has worked as musical director, conductor, and pianist and banjo player on national and international productions, including Southern Crossroads (Circa 21), Ring Of Fire (Plymouth Playhouse), Don Giovanni (Minnesota Opera), Scarlet Pimpernel (Candlewood International), Medora Musical (Stagewest Entertainment), Miracle On 34th Street, Babes In Toyland, Guys on Ice, and A Christmas Carol (Troupe America), Menopause, the Musical – Minneapolis and National Tours (GFour Productions). Chad is also in the midst of writing and recording a mountain music album at Outpost North Studios. And now the Ring Of Fire tour, where I will be riding this railroad train along side the man in black himself. CHET WOLLAN (Ensemble) Originally from the Minneapolis area, Chet is excited to be a part of the National tour of Ring of Fire. This is Chet's second experience with the show. He had the privilege of performing in the show at the Plymouth Playhouse last winter in Minneapolis. Before he headed back north, he had called the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, home. While there, he was seen at Dolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood. Credits there include Dreamland Drivein, Babes in Toyland, and Twas the Night Before Christmas. Chet also had the opportunity to play "Judge Harper" in Troupe America’s National Tour of Miracle on 34th Street. Most recently he was seen returning to the Badlands of North Dakota as a Burning Hills Singer in The Medora Musical. Chet would like to thank his family for all the support they have given him and of course his wonderful girlfriend, Candi, for being by his side on all these great adventures. (Please note: The authorship needs to be 50% the size of the title by contract ) (Song List is on following page) ACT I BOYHOOD YEARS Country Boy (John R. Cash) © House of Cash, Inc. Straight A’s In Love (John R. Cash) © 1958 (Renewed) Chappell & Co., Inc. (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission Flesh and Blood © Song of Cash, Inc. / House of Cash, Inc. Five Feet High and Rising (John R. Cash) © 1959 (Renewed) Chappell & Co., Inc. (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. Big River (John R. Cash) © House of Cash, Inc. Far-Side Banks Of Jordan (Terry Smith) © 1975 (Renewed) Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. Daddy Sang Bass (John R. Cash and Carl L. Perkins) © Universal Cedarwood Publishing . OPRY & FAME Old Rugged Cross (George Bennard /Public Domain) Cry, Cry, Cry (John R. Cash) © House of Cash, Inc. (BMI) Admin. by Bug. I Still Miss Someone (John R. Cash, Roy Cash Jr.) © 1958 (Renewed) Unichappell Music, Inc. (BMI) All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission Get Rhythm (John R. Cash) © House of Cash, Inc. Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart (Jack H. Clement) © Universal Songs of Polygram, Inc. Egg Suckin’ Dog (Jack H. Clement) © Universal Songs of Polygram, Inc. Oh Come Angel Band (John R.Cash) © Song of Cash, Inc. If I Were A Carpenter (James Timothy Hardin) © Allen Stanton Productions Ring of Fire (Written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore) Used by Permission of Painted Desert Music Corp. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Jackson (Jerry Leiber & Billy Edd Wheeler) © Bexhill Music Corp., Sony/ATV Tunes, LLC ACT II Entr’Acte DARK YEARS I’ve Been Everywhere (Geoff Mack) © 1962 (Renewed) Belinda Music (Australia) Pty. Ltd. (APRA) All Rights Administered By Unichappell Music, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down (Written by Kris Kristofferson) Published by Combine Music Corp. Going to Memphis (John R. Cash) © 1960 (Renewed) Unichappell Music, Inc. (BMI) All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. Delia’s Gone (John R. Cash, Karl M. Silbersdorf & Richard Toops) © Song of Cash, Inc. Cocaine Blues (Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston) © Woody Guthrie Publications (BMI) Admin. by Bug. Orleans Parish Prison (Dick Feller) © Cyberphonic Publishing Folsom Prison Blues (John R. Cash) © House of Cash, Inc. Man in Black (John R. Cash) © Song of Cash, Inc. REDEMPTION and CELEBRATION Tennessee Flat-Top Box (John R. Cash) © Anne-Rachel Music Corp. All Over Again (John R. Cash) © 1958 (Renewed) Chappell & Co., Inc. (ASCAP) All Rights Administered By Chappell & Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. I Walk the Line (John R. Cash) © House of Cash, Inc. Ragged Old Flag (John R. Cash) © Song of Cash, Inc. (ASCAP) Admin. by Bug. Why Me Lord (Written by Kris Kristofferson) Published by Resaca Music Publishing Co. Hey Porter (John R. Cash) © House of Cash, Inc. A Boy Named Sue (Words & Music By Shel Silverstein) TRO – Evil Eye Music, Inc. – (ASCAP)