Street Scene
Music by Kurt Weill, Book by Elmer Rice, Lyrics by Langston Hughes
Directed by Tazewell Thompson
Scenic Design by Caleb Stroman
Lighting Design by Robert Figueira
Costume Design by Kelly Vogel
German composer Kurt Weill took Elmer Rice’s 1929 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, added the lyrical poetry of Lawrence native Langston Hughes, and wrote a score mixing jazz, blues, and spirituals with a little Rogers and Hammerstein thrown in to create an "American opera," which earned him the first Tony Award for Best Original Score. Street Scene, a simple story of everyday life in New York City in 1946, is a tale of love and passion, greed and death, and shows a cross-section of urban characters, hopeful immigrants, bigoted neighbors, poor families, angry socialists, romantic students. A creative fusion of traditional European opera and Broadway musical theatre, Street Scene was a groundbreaking show for its time and still has a message for today’s audiences. The noted stage director, actor, and playwright Tazewell Thompson direct this production, featuring the KU Symphony Orchestra.
Character | Cast Member | |
| Abraham Kaplan | Elliott B. Metz | |
| Greta Fiorentino | Olivia Betzen | |
| Carl Olsen | Troy Clifford Dargin | |
| Emma Jones | Meaghan Deiter | |
| Olga Olsen | Kerry Gotschall | |
| Shirley Kaplan | Tali Beth Friedman | |
| Henry Davis | Chris McBride | |
| Willie Maurrant | Jayke Scott Workman | |
| Anna Maurrant | Sylvia Stoner | |
| Sam Kaplan | Charles Martinez | Daniel Buchanan | Andrew Ashley |
| Frank Maurrant | John Dalton Frederick | |
| George Jones | Joe Hager | |
| Steve Sankey & Voice | Matthew R. Elliot | |
| Lippo Fiorentino | Benjamin Cleveland | |
| Jennie Hildebrand | Callie Schlegel | |
| Third Graduate | Claire Vowels | |
| Mrs. Hildebrand | Anna Louise Hoard | |
| Charlie Hildebrand | Rebecca Burmingham | |
| Mary Hildebrand | Caitlin Johnson | |
| Grace Davis | Nora Woolpert | Rose Maurrant | Amy Cahill |
| Harry Easter | Garrett Lawson | |
| Mae Jones | Cassandra Hollmann | |
| Dick McGann | Christopher Trepinski | |
| Vincent Jones | Jeff Welch | |
| Dr. Wilson | Evan Kilgore | |
| Officer Murphy | Sean Hall | |
| City Marshall | Dennis Crowl | |
| Fred Cullen | Jakob Joseph Wozniak | |
| First Nursemaid | Jacquelyn Venetia Kelley | |
| Second Nursemaid | Erin Reilly | |
| Policeman | Sam Beasley | |
| Music Pupil | Julie Bayliff | |
| Medical Intern | Jeremy Ims | |
| Ambulance Driver | Blake Benton | |
| Married Couple Woman | Janet Summerfelt | |
| Married Couple Man | Jordan Gouge | |
| First Workman | Michael Austin | |
| Joan | Samantha M. Lenz | |
| Neighbor & Second Graduate | Allison Chase | |
| Grocery Boy | Luke Kanter | |
| Office Girl | Lucy Conklin | |
| Office Girl | Mary McNulty |
Ticket Prices
- Public: $20
- Senior Citizens & KU Faculty/Staff: $19
- All Students: $10
- November 7, 2008 - 7:30 p.m. - Stage Too!
- November 8, 2008 - 7:30 p.m. - Stage Too!
- November 9, 2008 - 2:30 p.m. - Stage Too!
- November 13, 2008 - 7:30 p.m. - Stage Too!
- November 14, 2008 - 7:30 p.m. - Stage Too!
- November 15, 2008 - 7:30 p.m. - Stage Too!
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