Falls Church, VA – Creative Cauldron opens its 2018-2019 season with Nevermore, the hauntingly beautiful musical written by resident composer and director, Matt Conner and writer, Grace Barnes. Nevermore draws from the poetry and short stories of the iconic Edgar Allan Poe. After its premiere at Signature Theatre in 2006, The Washington Post hailed Nevermore for its “romantic music, ablaze with feeling.” Following its 2011 run at Creative Cauldron, Nevermore earned Creative Cauldron its first Helen Hayes Award recommendation. This imaginative musical delves deep into Poe’s psyche and explores his gripping obsession with the pivotal women who seemingly haunt his tortured existence. The production will run through October 28 at Creative Cauldron, Falls Church, 410 South Maple Avenue. Performances are Thursdays at 8:00PM, Fridays at 8:00PM, Saturdays at 8:00PM, and Sundays at 2:00PM & 7:00PM. Press night for Nevermore is Saturday, October 6 at 8:00 pm. PLEASE RSVP BY SEPT 26
 
Conner has more than 15 years of experience working as a musical director, performer and teaching artist in the DC metropolitan area. It was Nevermore that launched his career as a musical theater composer. In 2008, he was one of six composers to receive Signature’s American Musical Voices: The Next Generation award funded by the Shen Family Foundation. Conner’s newest work Witch, written and composed by both Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith, premiered at Creative Cauldron this past May, in the fourth installment in Creative Cauldron’s “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” five-year commissioning project. Most recently, Conner received two Helen Hayes Award nominations at Creative Cauldron for Outstanding Direction in a Musical in 2018 for Blues in the Night and for Outstanding Direction in a Musical in 2016 for The Turn of the Screw in collaboration with Smith.
 
The Nevermore cast will feature writer and Helen Hayes Award winning actor Stephen Gregory Smith in the role of Edgar Allan Poe. Smith has played an integral part, alongside his life partner and artistic partner, Matt Conner, in Creative Cauldron’s “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages.” Previous “Bold New Works” credits include The Turn of the Screw (2015), Monsters of the Villa Diodati (2016), and Kaleidoscope (2017). Performance credits for Smith include Arena Stage, Wolf Trap, the Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theater, Signature Theater, Metro Stage, Roundhouse Theatre and Olney Theater in both leading and supporting roles. Additionally, Smith wrote the book for, and directed, Creative Cauldron’s musical revue, Cole Porter: You’re the Top! (2012), and directed Thunder Knocking on the Door (2013). Portraying the women in Poe’s life are Erin Granfield (Elmira), Katherine Riddle (Mother), Sara Hurley (Virginia), MaryKate Brouillet (Whore), and Jennifer Lyons Pagnard (Muddy).
 
National YoungArts Foundation Award winner, Erin Granfield, joins the cast as Elmira. Granfield most recently played the role of Francesca Johnson to critical acclaim in the DC/Baltimore regional premiere of The Bridges of Madison County. Other credits include Pallas Theatre Collective: Crazy Mary Lincoln (Mary Harlan Lincoln), Lost in Wonderland (March Hare), and a national tour of The Music Man (Marian). Glimmerglass Festival alum Katherine Riddle returns to Creative Cauldron in her first principle role as Mother. Her recent DC/MD/VA credits include UrbanAria's: Florida; Metrostage, Christmas at the Old Bull and Bush, as well as soloist appearances with the American Pops Orchestra, Fairfax Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, and Vladimir Symphony Orchestra in Yekatrinburg, Russia. Sara Hurley makes her Creative Cauldron debut as Poe’s 13-year-old cousin, Virginia. Hurley has most recently appeared in Catholic University of America’s production of City of Angels (Mallory Kingsley) where she is currently studying musical theatre. Returning to Creative Cauldron is Jennifer Lyons Pagnard as Muddy. Her stage credits include Creative Cauldron - A Christmas Carol Memory (Ellen/Mrs. Cratchit); 1st Stage - Floyd Collins (Miss Jane); The Keegan Theatre - Parade (Sally Slaton); National Tour - Amazing Grace (Mrs. Catlett); DC Source Festival - Perfect Arrangement (Kitty Sunderson); The Little Theatre of Alexandria: Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett). Soprano MaryKate Brouillet, fresh off her run as Marian in The Bridges of Maddison County at Keegan Theatre, appears as the Whore. A frequent performer at the award-winning Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, MD, Brouillet’s performance credits include Newsies (Katherine), Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), Peter Pan (Peter Pan), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), and Seussical (Mayzie LaBird) at Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts.
 
During Nevermore’s run, Creative Cauldron will present artwork by Torpedo Factory artist, Guy Jones, in its gallery. His work, which features micro pen and scratchboard techniques on the surface of animal skulls and bones, will be on display for all of Nevermore’s performances.
 
 
 
On Saturday, October 6 Creative Cauldron will host “Once Upon a Midnight Dreary,” a gala fundraiser in conjunction with the show. Patrons will delight in a pre-show reception featuring Ten Tastes of Falls Church, highlighting small bites from local restaurants and libations, in honor of Creative Cauldron’s 10th Season of award-winning theater and music. Tickets will also include seating at the 8:00 pm performance of Nevermore and a post show dessert reception and party with the cast. Tickets are $100 per person.
 
Tickets for Nevermore can be purchased on-line at creativecauldron.org or by calling 703-436-9948.

Who/What:  Creative Cauldron Production of Nevermore
                        Music by Matt Conner, Lyrics adapted from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe,
​                        Book by Grace Barnes
When:            October 4 through 28, 2018
                         Thursday 8:00PM, Friday 8:00PM, Saturday 8:00PM, Sunday 2:00PM & 7:00PM
Where:           Creative Cauldron
                        410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046   
Ticket Info:   Adults $32 |Seniors $28 | Military $28 | Students $20 | Groups of 10 or more $20
                        www.creativecauldron.org or 703-436-9948

Free Parking is available in the 410 and 400 South Maple Building Garages

                                                                                                CONTACT: Elizabeth Meade
                                                                                                           703-436-9948
                                                                                                info@creativecauldron.org
                                                                                                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Creative Cauldron Presents Annual Summer Cabaret and Concert Series
July 6th – September 15th, 2018 at Creative Cauldron
 
[June 19, 2018] Falls Church, VA – Creative Cauldron’s Annual Summer Cabaret and Concert Series will be held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from July 6th through September 15th at Creative Cauldron, 410 South Maple Avenue. The Summer Cabaret and Concert Series treats audiences to performances by some of the finest musical theatre talent in the Washington, DC-Metro area. Tickets range from $18 to $22 and can be purchased online at www.creativecauldron.org or by calling 703-436-9948. 
 
Summer Cabaret and Concert Series Lineup
 
Two For a Song
Friday, July 6th and Saturday, 7th, 2018 at 8 PM
They're back for another two nights of beloved tunes at the Cauldron with Tin Pan Alley Hits and American Songbook Standards in new, fresh, authentic interpretations.  Pianist Alex Hassan boasts an archival sheet music collection of more than 40,000 titles, thoroughly immersing himself in the musical style of the 20s and 30s. And Tenor Doug Bowles has performed around the world in nearly every genre from Opera to Pop! Beloved tunes, exciting discoveries, a few tears, and a lot of outrageous laughter – now THAT’S a good way to spend a Friday and Saturday night!
 
Katherine Riddle "More Than Just a Pretty Face: a tribute to the hardworking ingénue”
Friday, July 13th, 2018 at 8 PM
We can all spot an ingénue: those young, beautiful, naive, wholesome leading ladies of musical theater who dream and sing about snagging the perfect beau and living happily ever after. Hard enough if you’re a princess. Harder still if you are living in the real world. Come celebrate Sarah, Nellie, Marian, Amalia and more… those hardworking gals who toil all day and get their man, too!
 
SUSAN DERRY "Days and Dazed"
Saturday, July 14th, 2018 at 8 PM and Sunday, July 15th. at 7 PM
​Fresh from Creative Cauldron's critically acclaimed "Bold New Works for Intimate Stages" world premiere musical, Witch,  soprano Susan Derry opens the musical cabaret series with a feisty evening of theatre standards, unexpected gems and the occasional random pop song!
 
 
Jade Jones “Killin’ Em Softly – A 70s Soiree”
Friday, July 20th and Saturday, July 21st, 2018 at 8 PM         
"Authentic, endearing, humble, genuinely funny" -- just a few bits from Broadway World's Review of Jade Jones when she performed at the 2016's Summer Cabaret series.  She's back this summer with a seventies soiree that will leave this year's audience cheering for another encore! 
 
Shenandoah Run
Friday, July 27th, 2018 at 8 PM
Fan favorite Shenandoah Run returns to the cauldron for one night of top notch folk musicianship and a passionate performance that will have the audience cheering and clapping throughout the night!
 
Will Stevenson “Simply Musical”
Saturday, July 28th, 2018 at 8 PM & Sunday, July 29th at 7 PM
Will Stevenson returns to take us on a walk down his musical theatre memory lane -- singing songs from shows he had the pleasure of performing in and those he only wished he had!  ​This season, Stevenson appeared as Wilbur in Charlotte's Web and as Captain Crewe/Carrisford in A Little Princess.  Stevenson’s other roles at Creative Cauldron include Fagin in Oliver Twist (2016) and Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol Memory (2017). He has appeared regionally as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd at Red Branch Theatre and Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit at Adventure Theatre.
 
Kathy Halenda “The Brassy Broads of Broadway”
Friday, August 3rd & Saturday, August 4th, 2018 at 8 PM
“The Brassy Broads of Broadway” is a musical tribute to the larger than life characters of American musical theatre- the gutsy gals who put the ‘Broad’ in Broadway! Ms. Halenda takes you on a frisky frolic of why we love these characters and what a broad really is- strong, brazen, often inappropriate, yet also loving, warm and achingly vulnerable.  The ‘broads’ include: Mame Dennis from “Mame”, Mama Rose from “Gypsy”, Fanny Brice from “Funny Girl”, Dolly Levi from “Hello Dolly”, Reno Sweeney from “Anything Goes”, Miss Mona from “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”, Annie Oakley from “Annie Get Your Gun”, and Sally Bowles from “Cabaret”.  From wistful ballads to show stopping Broadway classics, Ms. Halenda combines her powerful vocal style and energetic personality to create a performance that will touch as well as tickle you. So come on...travel a Broad!
 
A Place to Be (Music Therapy) "Coming of Age"
Friday, August 10th & Saturday, August 11th, 2018 at 8 PM
​Enjoy and be enlightened by a night of talented teens from the award winning Music Therapy Center, " A Place To Be." This show will feature songs about the struggles that teens go through, from anxiety, bullying and depression, to having that uncomfortable talk with your parents about romantic intimacy. This cast most recently performed "A Will to Survive" a rock opera about teen suicide prevention at the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center. This night will be inspiring, educational and enlightening. recommended for families and High School Freshman and beyond.  Mature content.
 
Jim Van Slyke "Sedaka is Back!" & "Just Me and The Boys"
Friday, August 17th & Saturday, August 18th, 2018 at 8 PM
Award winning singer, songwriter and recording artist Jim Van Slyke sings the songs of pop music icon Neil Sedaka! A new twist on Jim’s critically acclaimed and wildly popular “Sedaka Show”. Jim celebrates the music of the Pop Music legend. Neil Sedaka himself exclaims “I’ve seen many singers over the years do my songs, but nobody has moved me more than Jim”. Come enjoy the classics sounds of Sedaka and such treasured hits as “Laughter in the Rain”, “Calendar Girl”, “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do”, “The Hungry Years” and some truly wonderful surprises! Regis Philbin, having seen Jim perform, hailed the Sedaka tribute as “The most remarkable hour and a half of show I have ever seen!”  and featured Jim on the Regis and Kelly show. On his second night, Jim Van Slyke debuts his brand new show paying tribute to four of pop music’s most iconic voices: Mel Torme, Nat King Cole, Bobby Darrin and Sammy Davis Jr.  Come enjoy a night of classic songs made famous by these legends.  Who can forget such classics as “When I Fall In Love”, “Blue Moon”, “Straighten Up and Fly Right”, “Beyond the sea”, “Unforgettable”,  and many more!
 
Ines Nassara "Electric Lady"
Friday, August 24th, 2018 at 8 PM
Ines Nassara’s outstanding vocal and acting ability have landed her among the best emerging actresses in the DC area. Nassara recently graduated from Towson University where she performed extensively in the school’s musical theatre productions. Nassara was nominated for a 2015 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical for playing Ronny in The Keegan Theatre’s production of Hair. She has garnered critical acclaim for her powerful vocals, energy, and passion that she brings to the stage, driving the ensembles around her to new heights!
 
Catherine Purcell "A Mixtape for Heroines"
Saturday, August 25th, 2018 at 8 PM
In her first solo show, Catherine Purcell walks through her literary history, exploring the stories of her fictional heroines through folk, rock, jazz, and musical theatre standards. From Ludwig Bemelman’s Madeline to Shakespeare’s Hermione, Purcell hopes to revere and celebrate some of literature’s most treasured women through song.
 
 
 
 
 
Stephen Gregory Smith "Inspired By"
Friday, September 7th & Saturday, September 8th, 2018 at 8 PM
Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith have written over a dozen shows together, and in this evening of cabaret, Stephen will shine a light on the things that inspired each of these shows, tracing threads throughout their shared history together, and the life moments that became musical numbers in their shared career.
 
Alan Naylor "Spring and Love, Loss and Dreams"
Friday, September 14th & Saturday, September 15th, 2018 at 8 PM
Alan Naylor returns to the Cauldron with collaborator Barbara Wilkinson for a program that harkens back to his award-winning cauldron debut in Jacques Brel.  The Romantic program of Art Song and four-hand piano music centers on the drama and experience of the poet-lover.  Schumann's iconic Dichterliebe will inspire you with visceral highs and lows of love and loss, but no need to brush up on your Deutsche... if English is your only language you will still leave with your heart filled and your eyes teary.
 
Fact Sheet
 
Who:                Creative Cauldron
What:               Annual Summer Cabaret and Concert Series
When:              July 6th – September 15th, 2018
Where:             Creative Cauldron
         410 South Maple Avenue
                         Falls Church, VA 22046
Ticket Prices:    $22 Adults   $20 Seniors/Military   $18 Students
                        $110 Table for 4 with bottle of Wine
                        $55 Table for 2 with 2 glasses of Wine
Info/Tickets:    www.creativecauldron.org       (703) 436-9948
 
Creative Cauldron programs are funded in part through grants from the Arts Fairfax, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Little City Catch Foundation.  Creative Cauldron also receives generous support from individual donors and corporations.

                                                                      MEDIA RELEASE
                                                                      CONTACT: Elizabeth Meade
                                                                       703-436-9948
                                                                                                emeade@creativecauldron.org
                                                                                            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
   Creative Cauldron Presents Musical Adaptation of E.B. White Classic Charlotte’s Web May 24 through June 17

Falls Church, VA – Creative Cauldron presents a beguiling new version of E.B. White’s beloved classic story Charlotte’s Web with music and lyrics by Broadway composer Charles Strouse (Annie, Bye Bye Birdie) and a book adapted by national award-winning playwright, Joseph Robinette.  E.B. White’s classic tells the story of Wilbur, a little pig who becomes famous with the help of his clever friend Charlotte the spider and their animal friends.   The beautiful lessons of friendship and loyalty embedded in the story have made this tale one of the most famous classics of children’s literature. Press night for Charlotte’s Web is Saturday, May 26, 2018 at 8:00 PM at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church, VA.

Charlotte’s Web is directed by Matt Conner and features a professional cast that includes Will Stevenson as Wilbur and Abby Middleton as Charlotte.  Stevenson appeared last season as Captain Crewe/Carrisford in A Little Princess, and Abby appeared as Diane de Poitier in The Mistress Cycle.  Stevenson’s other roles at Creative Cauldron include Fagin in Oliver Twist (2016) and Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol Memory (2017). He has appeared regionally as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd at Red Branch Theatre and Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit at Adventure Theatre.  Middleton’s regional credits include: Magnolia in Showboat at Toby’s Dinner Theatre and Some Enchanted Evening at Riverside Dinner Theatre. Sophia Manicone will play the role of Fern Arable, the precocious young girl who intervenes and saves Wilbur from the ax.  Manicone appeared last season as Tina Denmark in Ruthless the Musical, and as the granddaughter in the world premiere musical Kaleidoscope.  She received a 2017 WATCH nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Play for her role as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird at Providence Players.

Fern’s mother (Martha Arable) will be played by Izzy Smelkinson and her father (John Arable) will be played by Sylvern Groomes Jr. Smelkinson made her debut last season as the irascible Miss Minchin in A Little Princess. Groomes recently appeared as Nick in Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day at Adventure Theatre, and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at Riverside Center for the Arts. Fern’s aunt and uncle, Homer and Edith Zuckerman will be played by Garrett Matthews and Anna Philips Brown.  Matthews has been a regular performer with the In Series professional cabarets and recently appeared as Oliver in the Rainbow Theatre’s production of The Doma Diaries.  Brown is a student in the musical theatre program at Catholic University who is currently appearing as Aunt March in Little Women.  She claimed the title of first runner up in Signature Theatre’s “Signature Voice” program in 2016.

Participants from Creative Cauldron’s Musical Theater pre-professional training program will play ensemble roles in Charlotte’s Web.  After an eight-week workshop process that provides instruction in dance, voice and acting technique, participants are then invited to join the professional cast of Creative Cauldron’s final production of the season. The program was launched last season with The Wizard of Oz. Ensemble members include:  Madeline Aldana, Morgan Beltson, Libby Brooke, Miri Brooke, Talia Cutler, Mai Gabra, Leif Hernandez, Emma Hill, Nora Hill, Alyson Kentner-Leary, Amelia Magee, Constance Meade, Alessandra Simmons-Robles, Gabriela Simmons-Robles, Owen Thiebert and Arianna Vargas.

Helen Hayes Award nominated director Matt Conner (The Turn of the Screw and Blues in the Night) will be joined on the creative team by resident scenic, costume and puppet designer Margie Jervis, Lighting Designer, Lynn Joslin and Music Director, Amy Conley.
​
Tickets for Charlotte’s Web can be purchased at creativecauldron.org or by calling 703-436-9948.  

 
#####
FACT SHEET
Who/What:   Creative Cauldron’s Musical production Charlotte’s Web
                        Based on the book by E.B. White
                        Adapted by Joseph Robinette
                        Music and Lyrics by Charles Strouse
When:           May 24 through June 17, 2018
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
and Sundays at 2:00 pm
Press Night is Saturday, May 26 at 8 pm
Where:         Creative Cauldron at ArtSpace Falls Church
                      410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046         
Ticket Info:   Adults: $30| Seniors/Military: $26 |Students $20  Groups of 10 or more $18
                        Children under 12 $15
                      www.creativecauldron.org or 703-436-9948
                      Free Parking is available in the 410 and 400 South Maple Building Garages
​
About Creative Cauldron
Creative Cauldron is an award-winning non-profit theater and educational arts organization whose innovative programs in the performing and visual arts embody collaboration, experimentation and community engagement.  Creative Cauldron was founded by Producing Director Laura Connors Hull in 2002.  In June of 2009, Creative Cauldron acquired a permanent home in ArtSpace Falls Church, a 3,000 square foot flexible arts space that provides a venue for year-round classes, live performances of theater, music and dance and visual art exhibits. Programs are presented in part through grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church and the Little City CATCH Foundation. Generous corporate and individual sponsors also support creative Cauldron’s programs. 
 
                                                                        #######
​

                                                                                MEDIA RELEASE
                                                                                CONTACT: Elizabeth Meade
                                                                                703-436-9948
                                                                                emeade@creativecauldron.org

                                                                                                
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
                         Creative Cauldron Presents Bold New Works Musical Premiere:  Witch
                         Music by Matt Conner and Book and Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith
Falls Church, VA – Creative Cauldron presents Witch, the fourth installment in its “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” world premiere musical series written and composed by the internationally recognized creative team Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith. “Witch channels the zeitgeist of the current “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” movements while examining the cultural roots of misogyny and inequality across centuries and cultures,” stated Producing Director Laura Connors Hull.  “Matt and Stephen have given us perhaps their most insightful, provocative work to date.  It celebrates the feminine spirit and those who have dared to challenge the traditional order, while providing us a fascinating and entertaining evening of musical theater.” Press night for Witch is Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 8:00 PM at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church, VA.
Broadway veteran Florence Lacey and Helen Hayes Award-winning actress Iyona Blake return to Creative Cauldron to portray Becky and Destiny, the subjects of compelling and complex stories of women who have been labeled as witches from the Salem Witch trials to modern day politics. Lacey and Blake are joined by Helen Hayes nominated actress Susan Derry and Catherine Purcell as Maggie and Molly. Creative Cauldron veteran student actors Sophia Manicone, Samaria Dellorso and Arianna Vargas round out the cast as Fiona, Mary, and Marie, respectively.

Florence Lacey starred in last season’s critically acclaimed Bold New Work, Kaleidoscope.  Lacey is best known for replacing Patti LuPone as Eva Peron in the original 1979 run of Evita – a role she would go on to perform over 3,000 times on Broadway and multiple world tours. Lacey also appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables as Fantine (1987), in Hello, Dolly! as Irene Molloy (1978 and 1995 revivals), and most recently in Follies as Sandra Crane (2011 revival). Locally, Lacey has appeared in Signature Theatre’s A Little Night Music (2017), Titanic (2016), Sunset Boulevard (2010) and Nevermore (2006).

Iyona Blake won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, for her performance as Caroline Thibodeaux in Caroline or Change (2016) and the BroadwayWorld DC Award for Best Actress in a Musical – Small Theatre Production.  Blake recently received a 2018 Helen Hayes nomination for her performance in Creative Cauldron’s Blues in the Night, and won critical raves for her riveting performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill this February. She also appeared Once on This Island (2014), and Thunder Knocking on the Door (2013).  At Signature Theatre she appeared as Gran Mimi in Jelly’s Last Jam (2016), and Carolyn Neville in Titanic (2016).

Witch will also mark a return for veteran actress Susan Derry who has appeared in all three of Creative Cauldron’s previous Bold New Works: as Miss Giddens in The Turn of the Screw (2015), Mary Shelley in Monsters of the Villa Diodati (2016), and as the Director in Kaleidoscope (2017).  Derry appeared on Broadway in Wonderful Town and in 11 City Center Encores! Performances.  In the DC area she has appeared in Ragtime, Mame, Camelot, My Fair Lady and Leonard Bernstein’s Mass at the Kennedy Center, Kiss Me Kate! at the Shakespeare Theatre, and Sunset Boulevard, Saturday Night, Showboat and A Little Night Music at Signature Theatre.

Catherine Purcell appeared in both Monsters of the Villa Diodati and Kaleidoscope at Creative Cauldron. She has performed at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre and at the Kennedy Center in Heart and Soul: The Music of Frank Lesser. The cast also includes student actors Sophia Manicone, who played the lead in Creative Cauldron’s production of Ruthless! The Musical (2016) and the Girl in Kaleidoscope (2017), and Samaria Dellorso and Arianna Vargas. Strauss Award winning artist and resident scenic designer, Margie Jervis will design the set for Witch.  Alison Johnson will design costumes and James Morrison lights.
​
Conner and Smith are a Helen Hayes Awards © Nominated duo whose critically-acclaimed musicals have been produced internationally. In addition to their multiple “Bold New Works” premieres with Creative Cauldron, Conner and Smith recently premiered their original musical Silver Belles (written with Allyson Currin) at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. Matt Conner’s other musical compositions include Nevermore, The Hollow, and Crossing. He is one of six recipients of Signature Theatre’s “American Musical Voices Project: The Next Generation.” Stephen Gregory Smith is a Helen Hayes Award © winning local actor, director and writer. He has performed at Arena Stage, Wolf Trap, the Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theater, Signature Theater, Metro Stage, Roundhouse Theatre and Olney Theater in both leading and supporting roles. Smith wrote the book for, and directed, Creative Cauldron’s musical revue, Cole Porter: You’re the Top! (2012), and directed Thunder Knocking on the Door (2013). Together, Conner and Smith received a 2015 Helen Hayes Awards © Nomination for Outstanding Director of a Musical – HELEN Production for Creative Cauldron’s The Turn of the Screw. Matt Conner recently received a Helen Hayes nomination for his direction of last season’s Blues in the Night.
Tickets for Witch can be purchased at creativecauldron.org or by calling 703-436-9948.  
#####
FACT SHEET
Who/What:   Creative Cauldron’s Musical Premiere Witch
                         Music by Matt Conner, Book and Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith
When:           April 12 – May 6, 2018
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm, 
Press Night is Saturday, April 21 at 8 pm
Where:          Creative Cauldron at ArtSpace Falls Church
                       410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046         
Ticket Info:     Adults: $30| Seniors/Military: $26 |Students $20  Groups of 10 or more $18
                        www.creativecauldron.org or 703-436-9948
                        Free Parking is available in the 410 and 400 South Maple Building Garages
About Bold New Works
The inspiration for “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” came from the experience working in ArtSpace Falls Church, Creative Cauldron’s intimate performance venue.  The limitations of the space are obvious—there are no wings, a very small backstage area and only 92 seats in the house. It’s really not suitable for large-scale theater productions or casts. Yet the intimate size is precisely what audiences have come to love about their experience at Creative Cauldron.  As a work of art unfolds before them, the customary barrier between artist and audience seems to melt away, and audiences are keenly aware that they are an integral part of this moment of creation.  
Previous Bold New Works premieres: The Turn of the Screw (2015), Monsters of the Villa Diodati (2016), Kaleidoscope (2017).
​
About Creative Cauldron
Creative Cauldron is a non-profit theater and educational arts organization whose innovative programs in the performing and visual arts embody collaboration, experimentation and community engagement.  Creative Cauldron was founded by Producing Director Laura Connors Hull in 2002.  In June of 2009, Creative Cauldron acquired a permanent home in ArtSpace Falls Church, a 3,000 square foot flexible arts space that provides a venue for year-round classes, live performances of theater, music and dance and visual art exhibits. Programs are presented in part through grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church and the Little City CATCH Foundation. Generous corporate and individual sponsors also support creative Cauldron’s programs. 
 
                                                                        #######
 

                                                                    

MEDIA RELEASE
CONTACT: Elizabeth Meade
703-436-9948                                                                                               emeade@creativecauldron.org
                                                                                               
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Creative Cauldron Presents The Snow Queen
March 9 – 25, 2018 at ArtSpace Falls Church
Falls Church, VA – Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater Ensemble presents an original adaption of The Snow Queen, Hans Christian Andersen’s longest and most highly acclaimed tale of a young girl’s journey to rescue her friend from the clutches of the Snow Queen.  Featuring a book by Ellen Selby, music by Matt Conner and lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith, The Snow Queen is a classic tale of bravery and friendship that has inspired  numerous films and adaptations from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to Disney’s Frozen. Directed by Ellen Selby and Creative Cauldron Producing Director Laura Connors Hull, The Snow Queen will run from March 9th through 25th, 2018 at ArtSpace Falls Church.  Press night for The Snow Queen is Saturday March 10, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.
 
The Snow Queen features students from the following Arlington, Fairfax County and Falls Church City schools: Belvedere Elementary, British International School of Washington, George Mason High School, Glasgow Middle School, Haycock Elementary, Kent Gardens Elementary, Marshall High School, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, Montessori School of Northern Virginia, Saint Agnes Catholic School, Saint James Catholic School, Shrevewood Elementary, Thomas Jefferson Elementary, Timber Lane Elementary, Trinity at Meadowview School, and the Westminster School.
 
Info/Tickets:  www.creativecauldron.org   (703) 436-9948
Friday 7:30PM, Saturday 2:00PM & 7:30PM, Sunday 2:00PM & 4:00PM
Adults $18, Seniors $16, Military $16, Students $14, Groups $12.
Creative Cauldron is a non-profit theater and educational arts organization whose innovative programs in the performing and visual arts embody collaboration, experimentation and community engagement.  Creative Cauldron was founded by Producing Director Laura Connors Hull in 2002.  In June of 2009, Creative Cauldron acquired a permanent home in ArtSpace Falls Church, a 3,000 square foot flexible arts space that provides a venue for year-round classes, live performances of theater, music and dance and visual art exhibits. Programs are presented in part through grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church and the Little City CATCH Foundation. Creative Cauldron’s programs are also supported by generous corporate and individual sponsors.

                                                                        #######
​

                                                                                               MEDIA RELEASE
                                                                                               CONTACT: Elizabeth Meade
                                                                                                703-436-9948
                                                                                                emeade@creativecauldron.org
                                                                                                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Creative Cauldron Receives Falls Church Arts and Humanities Grants
 
December 15th, 2017, Falls Church, VA – Creative Cauldron has announced that it has received a $5,000 FY 2018 Project Grant and a $10,000 FY 2018 Operational Grant from Falls Church City’s Arts and Humanities grant programs.
 
“We are so grateful for Falls Church City’s commitment to helping our mission of providing performing and visual arts that are both affordable and accessible.” Said Laura Connors Hull, Founder and Producing Director.  “As a non-profit theater, we really could not keep our ticket prices low or provide inclusive arts opportunities to less fortunate families in our community without this essential funding.”
 
The project grant will help fund Creative Cauldron’s Bold New Works original world premiere “Witch”, a musical that examines the complex and compelling stories of women who have been labeled as witches throughout the centuries.  And the operational grant will allow the Cauldron to continue to provide affordable, inclusive and enriching arts opportunities to City residents.
 
More information can be found at http://www.creativecauldron.org/news.
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                        #######
​

Falls Church, VA – Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater Ensemble presents an original adaptation of A Little Princess Sara Crewe, the beloved children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  Featuring a book by Ellen Selby, music by Matt Conner and lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith, A Little Princess captures the spirit of the novel and its salute to the power of imagination.  Directed by Ellen Selby and Creative Cauldron Producing Director, Laura Connors Hull, A Little Princess Sara Crew will run from November 3rd through 19th, 2017 at ArtSpace Falls Church.  Press Night for A Little Princess is Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 7:30 PM.

Download full press release here.

Falls Church, VA   Creative Cauldron has received a 2018 Arts Council of Fairfax County Operating Support grant in the amount of $26,584.99.  Operating Support grants provide funds for the basic operation of arts organizations in Fairfax County in recognition of the valuable programs and services they provide to County residents.

Falls Church, VA – The 2017-18 Season will mark Creative Cauldron’s ninth year producing and presenting live theater and music at ArtSpace Falls Church. The season includes a diverse range of programming for adults and families alike. Highlighting the season will be a world premiere musical, Witch written by internationally produced duo Stephen Gregory Smith and Matt Conner. Witch is the fourth installment of Creative Cauldron’s five-year “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” initiative. The season’s theatrical offerings are complemented by live music throughout the year by two concert series: the “Passport to the World Festival” and the “Summer Cabaret Series.” Tickets are on-sale now, and can be purchased by visiting www.creativecauldron.org or calling 703-436-9948. Creative Cauldron offers two flexible season pass options for performances throughout the season.
 
“The resilience and resistance of the feminine spirit burns through our 2017-18 season” says Producing Director Laura Connors Hull. “We follow the journeys of women who have made difficult bargains, plucky girls who have followed their own voices, and wise elders who have been demonized for exerting their power and influence.  We are excited about sharing these vivid and moving stories with our audience in our intimate venue.  This is a season that will be remembered.”
​
Download full press release here.