Message from Colleen (Exec. Director of ASU Gammage)

(Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Executive Director of ASU Gammage)

Recently returned from NYC to see more shows as part of my duty as Arizona’s Tony Award voter, I have 60 to season this season!

It’s fall and time for Tony season and football! No, this is not a mistake for this new season on Broadway the two go hand in hand. LOMBARDI the new play on Broadway about the legendary coach and the namesake of the Super Bowl trophy is playing at Circle in the Square. Call it kismet, but following a trip to Lambeau Field and watching my husband’s beloved Packers I flew to NYC to see LOMBARDI. Dutifully attired in my Packer jersey (#12) I ran into Thomas Kai, the director in the lobby. (You will remember that Tommy was the director for IN THE HEIGHTS and came to ASU GAMMAGE to help Lin Manuel Miranda work back into the show, Tommy even joined us for our TalkBack).

Tommy was delighted to see me in my Packer jersey and commented that it helped to set the correct tone. The play focused on Vince the coach and home life with his indomitable wife Marie. The PACKER National was in full attendance. This play marks another first on Broadway; one of the producing partners is the NFL. The NFL was so excited about LOMBARDI that there are plans for other Broadway shows. Hmmm. …CARDINALS the musical. We’ll see.

Inspiration abounds with the PITMEN PAINTERS at the Manhattan Theatre Club at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. This is a great story of British miners who discover their talent and love for culture and they proceed to capture the attention of the visual art world. A true story that underscores that creativity is not the sole province of one class. These fine actors came from across the pond in the West End where PITMEN PAINTERS is a huge success.

Cherry Jones dominates the stage and gets a hold of you and does not let go in MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION. The play is about the business that Cherry’s character is in and her conservative daughter coming to grips with it. While the play feels long in the run and does bog downed in parts, seeing Cherry Jones is worth it.

Always keeping an eye out off Broadway, plus following up on a rain check performance of Edward Albee’s ME, MYSELF & I at Playwright’s Horizons which closed out my trip. The first time I was scheduled to see the show one of the leads who plays a twin was out sick. So the theater graciously rerouted us to later performances. The story of a twin trying to separate himself from family was Albee-lite, but I do love the fact that Playwrights Horizons invests in new work and is the most patron accommodating theater.

Already planning my next trip as TONY letters await for BRIEF ENCOUNTER, LIFE IN THE THEATRE and TIME STANDS STILL (which I saw last year but it must have missed the Tony nom deadline). See you at ASU GAMMAGE or on ole Broadway.

- Colleen Jennings-Roggensack

ASU GAMMAGE - TYPE A MARKETING APPOINTS EXECUTIVE MICHAEL PORTO

ASU Gammage announced today that Michael Porto will leave his post as Director of Marketing & Communications to become Executive Vice President of Type A Marketing in New York City. Victor Hamburger, Director of Marketing for Wharton Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan State University will assume the role in November previously held by Porto.

Porto will work closely with Anne Rippey, President of Type A on the marketing of its slate of Broadway and National Touring productions.

Porto’s work over the past six years has been a factor in ASU Gammage becoming one of the top Broadway touring markets in North America. ASU Gammage’s mission of “Connecting Communities” informs the innovative promotional, interactive and grassroots marketing strategies that have yielded record sales and media exposure for the ten Broadway productions annually.

Hamburger comes to ASU Gammage with more than 11 years experience at Wharton Center, rising from student graphic designer to Director of Marketing. He currently manages marketing, subscriptions, advertising and interactive media for Wharton which presents more than 180 productions annually, including Touring Broadway.

“Michael has been a tremendous asset to ASU Gammage and we know he will excel at Type A and continue to be a leader in the Broadway industry,” stated Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, ASU Gammage Executive Director. “We are delighted to bring Victor on board to replace Michael in this key marketing role. He is a known player in the industry and his consistent marketing leadership will help us remain one of the Road’s top-producing touring markets,” she added.

Porto and Hamburger are both active in The Broadway League and serve as Co-Chairs of the Road Marketing Committee.

“Michael has been instrumental in shaping the marketing of Broadway on a national level, with his strategic, innovative and sophisticated campaigns. That success has made him a bona fide industry leader. It is a privilege to have him on board. He will be an asset not only for Type A Marketing, but for the entire Broadway community,” says Anne Rippey, President of Type A.

Located on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University, ASU Gammage is among the largest university-based presenters of performing arts in the world. ASU Gammage is the home theater of the PROGRESSIVE® Broadway Across America – Arizona and Beyond series. Its mission is connecting communities by providing artistic excellence and educational outreach to the public. ASU Gammage is an historic hall designed by internationally-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. asugammage.com

Type A Marketing is an independent entertainment marketing company that specializes in Broadway and National Touring productions. Marketing Direction services include strategic partnerships, inventory management, group sales management, media and non-media trade, grassroots campaigns and oversight of advertising and publicity campaigns. Current and upcoming Broadway productions include American Idiot, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, La Bête, Million Dollar Quartet, Promises, Promises, The Addams Family, The Phantom of the Opera and Yank. Current and upcoming National Tours include A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, The Phantom Of The Opera and The Addams Family.

VALLEY RESIDENTS SELECTED TO REVIEW ASU GAMMAGE BROADWAY PRODUCTIONS

Top L-R: Dick Foreman, Bill Hiniker, Kara Smith
Middle L-R: Therese Kerbey, Austin McKenzie, Sarah Ambrose, Ellen Claycomb
Front L-R: David Moxley, Baruch Koritan, Pamela Plaza, Donny Dunow, Patricia Bush

ASU Gammage has selected 12 Broadway theater lovers to become part of the 2nd
annual Gammage Goers program for the 2010-2011 Season. The 12 Valley reviewers
will have an opportunity to review shows throughout the blockbuster Broadway
season. The Goers were chosen from a pool of more than 250 applicants who
completed a comprehensive survey of their interests and background and desire to
review Broadway shows at ASU Gammage.

“We were looking for a way to better engage the patrons at ASU Gammage. The way
people receive information and make entertainment buying decisions has changed,”
says Michael Porto, ASU Gammage Director of Marketing & Communications who
conceived the program. “This program was a huge success last year as it gave
Gammage patrons a chance to see what educated-theater goers thought of the shows
first. We were overwhelmingly happy with the turn out, having more than 6,000
people visit the Goer section of our website,” he added.

Gammage Goers will create video reviews at MyStudio in Arizona Mills Mall and
they will be posted on the ASU Gammage website by Thursday during a run of a
show. Each Goer will review approximately three shows per Gammage season.


The 12 Goers include:

Sarah Ambrose, 16, High School Student

Patricia Bush, 48, Registered Nurse

Ellen Claycomb, 31, Marketing Manager
Donnie Dunow, 31, ER Nurse

Dick Foreman, 56, Registered Principal Lobbyist

Bill Hiniker, 57, Freelance Writer

Therese Kerbey, 46, First Sergeant of the 108th Army

Baruch Koritan, 62, Voice Teacher

Austin McKenzie, 17, High School Student

David Moxley, 40, Commercial Real-Estate Agent

Pamela Plaza, 24, ASU Theater Student

Kara Smith, 36, Director of Sales and Marketing