Press Release

1. 1
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS CONTACT:
Mariclare Hulbert
Director of Marketing and Communication
413.243.9919 x130
mhulbert@jacobspillow.org
-or-
Toni Bolger
Public Relations Coordinator
413.243.9919 x132
tbolger@jacobspillow.org
A JAZZ HAPPENING BRINGS
THE BEST OF BROADWAY TO THE BERKSHIRES
A ONE-NIGHT-ONLY
BENEFIT FOR THE SCHOOL AT JACOB’S PILLOW
PRESENTATION OF THE
LORNA STRASSLER AWARD FOR STUDENT EXCELLENCE
TO AMDA CERTIFICATE GRADUATE THERESA MURRAY
August 17, 2012 (Becket, MA) – The sixth annual A Jazz Happening will take place this week in the
Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival on August 19 at 8pm. This one-night-only
benefit event celebrates the timelessness of jazz and musical theatre dance as participants from The
School’s Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program perform alongside an exciting lineup of guest
Broadway stars. All proceeds from this event support The School at Jacob’s Pillow, one of the most
prestigious pre-professional dance programs in the United States.
A Jazz Happening is the culmination of three weeks of rigorous dance and vocal training under the
direction of Program Director Chet Walker, conceiver of the Tony Award-winning hit Fosse. This
year’s 24 Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program participants hail from the U.S., Norway, Serbia,
France, China, Japan, Argentina, and Gambia with current artistic affiliations ranging from The
Juilliard School and Steps on Broadway to Fundación Julio Bocca and Institut Supérieur des Arts de
la Scène Rick Odums. The evening opens with the presentation of the Lorna Strassler Award
for Student Excellence to program participant Theresa Murray.
ABOUT A JAZZ HAPPENING
A Jazz Happening guest performers include Malcolm Gets (Merrily We Roll Along), Marc Kudisch (9
to 5), Shannon Lewis (Mystery of Edwin Drood), and members of WALKERDANCE (a musical
theatre jazz dance company). Malcolm Gets is a Tony and Drama Desk Award-nominee for his
work in the Broadway production Amour. He is also a two-time Obie Award winner for his work in
Merrily We Roll Along and Two Gentlemen of Verona and starred in the sitcom Caroline in the City
from 1995–1999. Marc Kudisch is a three-time Tony Award nominee, a four-time Drama Desk

2. Award nominee, and a two-time Outer Critics Circle Award nominee; his Broadway credits include
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Shannon Lewis has performed most
recently in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which starred Daniel Radcliffe, Nick
Jonas, and Darren Criss. She will take part in the upcoming Mystery of Edwin Drood on Broadway at
Studio 54.
Also performing are the members of Chet Walker’s company WALKERDANCE. The cast includes
Emanuel Abruzzo, Andrew Fitch, Philip Northington, and Joshua Schulteis. The all-male cast is in
honor of Jack Cole, one of Ted Shawn’s Men Dancers, and all men dancers. WALKERDANCE was
the producer for this spring’s premiere Queens Theatre production called Heat Wave: The Jack Cole
Project; a tribute show to Jack Cole, the father of American jazz theatre dance and one of Ted
Shawn’s Men Dancers. WALKERDANCE will perform a Jack Cole nightclub number “Sing Sing
Sing” restaged for Heat Wave: The Jack Cole Project.
Emanuel Abruzzo, Assistant to Program Director Chet Walker and four-time alum of The School at
Jacob’s Pillow, is currently a member of WALKERDANCE and performed at the Pillow with Les
Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo in 2010 and during this season with The Men Dancers: From the
Horse’s Mouth. He has also performed with Julio Bocca’s Ballet Sub-16, Les Ballets Grandiva,
Baardar Danseteater, Cuba Ballet Rosario, and Compañía Internacional de Teatro Musica.
Andrew Fitch, an alum of The School’s Jazz on Broadway program in 1999, has most recently
appeared in the first National Tour of Billy Elliot; the Broadway production and national tour of Monty
Python’s Spamalot; Follies and Girl Crazy at New York City Center Encores!; and the Radio City
Christmas Spectacular in Radio City Music Hall. Philip Northington’s recent appearances include
Paper Mill Playhouse’s On the Town, directed by Bill Berry, with choreography by Patti Colombo;
The Fireside Theater productions of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat. Joshua Schulteis has performed in the 50th Anniversary International Tour
of West Side Story and the North American tour of CATS. He also appeared in the film Step Up. All
four of these male performers were in the cast of Heat Wave: The Jack Cole Project.
Longtime Broadway performers, choreographers, and directors AC Ciulla, Patti Colombo, Matt
Williams, and Chet Walker have staged Broadway numbers or choreographed original works on the
24 male and female students of The School for A Jazz Happening. The students will perform the
opening number of the musical Footloose, set on them by AC Ciulla, a Tony-Award nominee for his
choreography in the Broadway production. He is also an Emmy Award-winner for Outstanding
Choreography of a Television Special for his work on the Olympic figure skating champions who
performed in Stars on Ice. Patti Colombo, choreographer for the Tony Award-nominated Broadway
production of Peter Pan, has staged a number on the students from the classic musical Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers. Original musical numbers were created on the dancers by
choreographers Chet Walker and Matt Williams, whose recent choreographer credits include Tony
Award-nominated You’re Welcome America, starring Will Ferrell. Chet Walker’s number features a
medley of classic show tunes such as “Moonglow” (Blackbirds),”The Steam Train” (Songs for a New
World) and “Oh, What a beautiful morning” (Oklahoma!). Several of the numbers during the evening
will feature students on vocals.
All numbers will be accompanied by an onstage band working under the direction of John Fischer,
Music Director of the Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program. He has previously served as the Music
Director for Broadway’s Rising Stars and Broadway Originals concerts at The Town Hall in New York

3. City, as well as the recent revival of West Side Story. Dan Gross, a New York City-based drummer
and percussionist who has served as music faculty with Fischer, has theater credits including
Grease, Les Misérables, and Chicago The Musical. Guest musicians include Jeremy Clatyon on
reeds and Saadi Zain on bass. Clayton has toured the country with Oklahoma! and The Drowsy
Chaperone, among others. Zain is a freelance bassist who currently performs with jazz artists for
Broadway shows and with classical orchestras and ensembles.
Proceeds from ticket sales for A Jazz Happening will support all programs of The School at Jacob’s
Pillow. The School was established in 1934, just one year after the Festival itself, when Ted Shawn
began teaching classes with his company of Men Dancers. Shawn’s comprehensive educational
approach in creating The School arose from his full embrace of all dance forms and continues to this
day, through four professional advancement programs; Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary,
and Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance.
ABOUT THE LORNA STRASSLER AWARD FOR STUDENT EXCELLENCE
Each year, a student is chosen to receive the Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence
following The School’s competitive audition and application process. Selection is based on a DVD,
resume, and written statement that demonstrates advanced technical abilities, superior performance
skills, a strong work ethic, and exemplary dedication to the art of dance. The Strassler Award makes
a significant difference in the lives and careers of those who have received it, many of whom go on
to join prestigious companies throughout the world. Previous awardees include Calvin Royal III
(American Ballet Theatre), I-Fen Lin (freelance dancer/choreographer and faculty member of the
University of Utah Modern Dance Department), Lindsey Holmes (Philadanco! company member),
Shannon Kline (freelance jazz/musical theatre artist), Min Li (Scapino Ballet Rotterdam company
member), Avichai Scher (Artistic Director of Avi Scher & Dancers), Winston Dynamite Brown (former
Pilobolus Dance Theatre company member), and Craig Black Jr. (Aspen Santa Fe Ballet).
The Award enables one student each year to attend one of the professional advancement programs
of The School on a full scholarship, giving them the opportunity to excel in their area of study.
Awardees also receive a $2,500 cash stipend. The ninth annual recipient of the Lorna Strassler
Award for Student Excellence will be presented to Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program participant
Theresa Murray at A Jazz Happening.
This year’s awardee, Theresa Murray, is a participant in the 2012 Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance
Program. At age 22, she has established herself as a well rounded performer excelling in her pursuit
of dancing, singing, and acting. Murray completed the certificate program at American Musical and
Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, California. She has previously studied at The Joffrey Ballet
School in New York City and Ballet Pacifica in Orange County, California. She recently spent over a
year performing in Music Rhythms at Tokyo Disney, Japan.
“In just three weeks, I’ve been able to study from Broadway’s top choreographers and work with
students from around the globe! In addition to seeing amazing Festival performances every week, I
have gained so much exposure in such a brief amount of time,” Murray exclaimed. “I know this
incredibly valuable experience will remain with me as I advance in my career.” In response to

4. receiving the Strassler Award, Murray said, “This generous Award will empower me to achieve my
artistic goals, and I’m so grateful to the Strasslers and Jacob’s Pillow.”
Lorna Strassler, Board Member Emeritus, was a member of the Jacob’s Pillow Board of Directors
from 1988 to 2011. The Lorna Strassler Award was established by David Strassler in 2004 to honor
his wife’s long-held passion for dance education at the Pillow. The Strasslers are residents of Great
Barrington, Massachusetts.
ABOUT THE JAZZ/MUSICAL THEATRE DANCE PROGRAM
This year marks Chet Walker’s thirteenth year as Director of The School at Jacob’s Pillow
Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program and sixth year directing A Jazz Happening. Walker has
performed on Broadway since the age of 16, appearing most prominently in the Bob Fosse musicals
The Pajama Game, Pippin, Dancin’, and Sweet Charity. An international director and choreographer,
his nonprofit musical theatre dance company WALKERDANCE performed at the Pillow in 1999,
2001, and 2004. He conceived the choreographic collaboration The Seven Deadly Sins, which
premiered at the Pillow in 2001. This spring, his company participated in a Creative Development
Residency at Jacob’s Pillow to work on Cole Technique for the production of Heat Wave: The Jack
Cole Project. Currently he is working on a new production of Pippin and was most recently the Fosse
Consultant for Pippin in London, Cabaret in Oslo, and Chicago in Atlanta. He also served on the jury
for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts YoungArts Week in Miami and Expression
’11 in Florence, Italy, and led residencies at the University of Tulsa and in Houston. Walker has
served as a Cultural Envoy for the U.S. State Department Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs
in Serbia and Italy.
In addition to classes in ballet, body conditioning, jazz technique and daily dance rehearsals by the
choreographers and faculty involved in A Jazz Happening, the students also have extensive voice
training with three renowned Broadway performers who are also master teachers. Andy Gale, an
original cast member of the national tour of Les Misérables and CATS, is also a director who
recently staged the Australian premiere of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. As a vocal
soloist, he has appeared with The Joffrey Ballet in Drums, Dreams, and Banjos. Teri Ralston is
known for performing in the original productions of Stephen Sondheim’s Company and A Little Night
Music. Since then, she has performed and directed in eight additional Sondheim works, most
recently appearing in Marcy in the Galaxy with Transport Group and Good Old Girls at Roundabout
Theatre Company. Ric Ryder has been on Broadway in The Music Man, Grease, and Blood
Brothers; as well as the national tour productions such as The Fantasticks. He is currently on the
faculty of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in addition to his private studios in New
York City and Baltimore, Maryland. All have been previous guest performers for A Jazz Happening.
The School at Jacob’s Pillow prepares pre-professional and professional dancers for the demands
of a dance career. The curriculum offers conservatory-style training led by acclaimed faculty
members six days a week. Dancers also prepare work for weekly showings for the Inside/Out
performance series every Saturday evening at 6:15pm and special events such as the Season
Opening Gala and A Jazz Happening.

5. The School’s curriculum also includes the opportunity to watch rehearsals and performances of
professional dance companies performing at the Festival, attend PillowTalks given by the field’s
leading artists, authors, and scholars, take Master Classes led by Festival artists, and study in the
Pillow’s extensive Archives of videos, books, photographs, and other materials. Students learn
career-building strategies, performance skills, and the history of their particular field while also
deepening their personal artistry. More than 3,500 dancers audition across the U.S. and Europe,
with only 95 dancers accepted to The School each year. Over half of these students require and
receive scholarships which are made possible in part by benefit events, such as A Jazz Happening.
Alumni of The School at Jacob’s Pillow include MacArthur “Genius” Grant-winner Meredith Monk;
Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet and former New York City Ballet principal dancer Nikolaj
Hübbe, who served as a faculty member for the 2008 Ballet Program; and So You Think You Can
Dance judge and choreographer Mia Michaels. Alumni are frequently seen performing and
choreographing at Jacob’s Pillow, on Broadway, in films, and with leading dance and touring
companies worldwide, including American Ballet Theatre, the Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet,
Batsheva Dance Company, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Merce Cunningham Dance Company,
Mark Morris Dance Group, Munich Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Tania Pérez-Salas Compañía
de Danza, Twyla Tharp, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Luna Negra Dance Theater, and Trey
McIntyre Project. Forty-two alumni have appeared with Festival companies throughout our 80th
Anniversary Season.
Performance and Ticket Information
Ted Shawn Theatre
Sunday, August 19, 8pm
Tickets are $60 or $100. $100 tickets include a post-show reception catered by DreamAway
Lodge with the evening’s performers. All proceeds benefit The School at Jacob’s Pillow.
Tickets now on sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745 or in person at the
Jacob’s Pillow Box Office.
Box Office hours: Monday and Tuesday 10am-6pm, Wednesday through Saturday 10am–
8pm, and Sunday 11am–5:00pm.
Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member call 413.243.9919 x125.
Jacob’s Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket, MA, 01223 (10 minutes east on
Route 20 from Mass Pike Exit 2). The Jacob’s Pillow campus and theaters are handicapped-
accessible.
For more information about the Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence or The School at
Jacob’s Pillow Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program and Jacob’s Pillow, visit jacobspillow.org.
The School at Jacob’s Pillow is one of America’s most prestigious training centers for dance, encompassing four professional
advancement programs in Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance. An integral part of Jacob’s
Pillow, The School draws program participants and acclaimed artist faculty from all corners of the globe and is one of only five
organizations in the United States selected for the Talented Students in the Arts Initiative award, a collaboration between the Doris
Duke Charitable Foundation and the Surdna Foundation, Inc. Through this initiative, the Pillow has been able to establish The Fund
for Jacob’s Pillow School Endowment to ensure the availability of scholarships, world-class faculty, and free access to all Festival
performances and events for all faculty and students. Alumni of The School include dance luminaries such as Nikolaj Hübbe,

6. Meredith Monk, Jonah Bokaer, Mia Michaels, Robert Swinston, and So You Think You Can Dance winner Joshua Allen. Others
appear in Dance Magazine's "25 To Watch," on Broadway, and in major companies worldwide. For more information, visit
www.jacobspillow.org/education/school.
Jacob’s Pillow, celebrating its 80th Anniversary Festival in 2012, is a National Historic Landmark, recipient of the National Medal of
Arts, and home to America's longest running international dance festival. The Festival includes more than 50 national and
international dance companies and 300 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, classes, exhibits, and events. The School at
Jacob’s Pillow, one of the most prestigious professional dance training centers in the U.S., encompasses the diverse disciplines of
Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in various departments of
arts administration and production. The Pillow’s extensive Archives, open year-round to the public, chronicle more than 80 years of
dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and video. Year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of
children and adults through public classes, residencies in area schools, and more than 200 free public events. Through Jacob’s
Pillow Curriculum in Motion®, a nationally-recognized program, artist-educators work with Berkshire County teachers and students
grades K-12, transforming existing curricula such as biology, literature, and history into kinesthetic and creative learning
experiences. Creative Development Residencies, in which dance companies are invited to live and work at the Pillow and enjoy
unlimited studio time; choreography commissions; and the annual $25,000 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award all support visionary
dance artists and choreographers. Virtual Pillow is aimed at expanding global audiences for dance and offers the opportunity to
experience dance and Jacob's Pillow from anywhere in the world via online interactive exhibits, global video networks, and mobile
social media. As part of the Virtual Pillow initiative, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive, is a curated online video collection of dance
highlights from 1936 to today. On March 2, 2011, President Obama honored Jacob’s Pillow with a National Medal of Arts, the
highest arts award given by the United States Government. Jacob’s Pillow is the first dance presenting organization to receive this
prestigious award. For more information, visit www.jacobspillow.org.
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