Next to Normal at Arena Stage

There's so much talk out on the blogosphere these days about the "Richmond Cultural Census" and the general public's apathy toward the theatre, that one might just end up feeling down and saddened about the state of theatre in our area. I know it certainly doesn't put a smile on my face to read these dissapointing results so I thought I'd take this opportunity and this blog to discuss something that really is inspiring and exciting.






Two evenings ago, I took a trek up to Crystal City, just outside of Washington, D.C., where Arena Stage is currently producing a re-vamped and re-worked production of the off-Broadway musical, Next to Normal. Next to Normal was originally at Second Stage Theatre in NYC. Second Stage is a non-profit theatre company in New York devoted to producing premieres and new interpretations of the best contemporary American theatre. In recent years they have launched Broadway transfers of shows such as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Mary Zimmerman's Metomorphoses.

Friday was actually my second time seeing Next to Normal at Arena. Before this, I'm embarrassed to say, I had never been to see anything at Arena Stage. I guarantee now, that I will try to see everything produced by this cornerstone of the American Theatre. Next to Normal is truly a remarkable piece of theatre. It is a true example of what the combination of a new and interesting story, a near-perfect rock score, smart, insightful lyrics and a cast of Broadway veterans that embody the material with ablomb can do. In a theatre world where most "new" musicals are carbon-copies of "hit" movies, star-driven revivals of classics, or jukebox shows, its quite resfreshing to see a purely original show about issues that everyone can relate to.

If the future of the American musical theatre is something you care about, Next to Normal is a show for you and if artists like Tom Kitt, Brian Yorkey and Michael Greif continue to put their heart and soul into work like this, the future of the theatre looks bright indeed.

--Chase Kniffen

The Amazing Transformation

As the lights went out on our 08/09 Inaugural Season Opener, Tick, Tick...BOOM!, I stood in the light booth looking out over a packed house who'd all just had a rockin' good time, and I remembered what our incredible space looked like just five months ago. It wasn't until April of 2008 that Stage 1 was even an idea. I saw an amazing space that was serving Shuffles Dance Center as a dance studio, and thought that it would make a perfect black-box space. When I pitched the idea to Peggy Thibodeau, Owner and Operator of Shuffles and now volunteer Managing Director of Stage 1, the ideas started flowing. Each day, the idea and vision of Stage 1 became clearer and clearer. What we had was a unique idea and a perfect space to do it. When I come across and idea that I think has some real worth, I can't help but get started immediately. At this point we gathered together some trusted friends and pitched this idea to them. When we let them know that our goal was to be up and running with our first full production in November, '08, most of them looked at us like we had lost our minds. Well, maybe that is the case - it probably is - but none the less, I sit here today, incredibly proud of what we have accomplished in the past 6 months. I am very grateful to everyone who has offered smart ideas, hands-on work and enormous moral support as we have created and continue to create and organization that I believe will become a very important part of our arts community.

I thought it would be fun to share with you some of the photos and stories from our 6 month construction of Stage 1. Enjoy. This image above was taken the evening of Jun 20, 2008. This is the first day we purchased the lumber from Home Depot to begin out stage building. I believe it was around 5 pm when I was driving in the car and decided that was the night to start the project. Very little pre-planning or scheduling went into that decision. We didn't have anything to do that night...Why not build a stage?Above, you can see the first frame of our stage floor. This is the farthest UL corner of the Stage. It was incredible exciting when this first piece was laid down and legged up. I guarantee you, however, the fourteen remainging pieces weren't nearly as exciting as this one. This was an exciting day. We had a real stage - well, kind of. As we laid the last piece of masonite, the realization was - Wow! What an incredible space. This was when it all started to become a reality. There was a real stage! Next step...Black Paint...Lots and lots of black paint!! Here you can see the beginnings of the black paint...Its starting to get messy, as well. The above photo was literally taken at 3 AM. Determination was key in the creation of Stage 1. I think it was about midnight, when we ran out of black paint and, for some reason, determined it was a completer necessity to finish the painting project that night. We proceeded to take a field trip to Wal*Mart at midnight to purchase 7 gallons of Black Paint. It sure looked good at 3 AM. Unfortunately, the next morning, the missed spots showed up in the sunlight. It was time for coat 2. Surprisingly, this is the next photo I have in the process. I think we missed about a month of documentation in there somewhere. In this photo we have completed the seating area, as well as begun hanging the lighting grid. From this point forward, there were many more projects to complete. Unfortunately, this is just about all the documentation of the creation of the space that we have. You'll have to visit us for one or all of the remaining productions in our 08/09 Season to see the finished product. You really have to see it to believe it.

Click here to visit our home on the web for more information.


Thanks for being an important part of the Stage 1 Family. --Chase K.

Tick, Tick...BOOM! - FOUR MORE SHOWS

Audiences and critics alike are having a blast at Stage 1's 08/09 Inaugural Season Opening, Tick, Tick...BOOM!

Below are some great review quotes from two more raves for Tick, Tick...BOOM!, as well as links to all four great reviews for this show.

Visit www.stage1va.org or call 804.427.7548

DATES/ TIMES
Thursday, November 20 @ 8 PM
Friday, November 21 @ 8 PM
Friday, November 21 @ Midnight (Special $12 @ 12 Ticket Price)
Saturday, November 22 @ 8 PM

**Performances are approaching sell-out. Reserve now to avoid disappointment.**

Stage 1 is conveniently located just off Chamberlayne Ave. 1/2 mi North of the I-295 Interchange Just 10 minutes from Richmond City and 20 minutes for Short Pump

"It's energetic, lively, inspiring, fun, sincere, and honest. The local production succeeds in bringing out all of those qualities through the talents of the cast and crew."
-Dan Sherrier, Herald-Progress

"In his winning portrayal of struggling playwright Jon, Brett Ambler certainly mines his boyish charm for many laughs. But this is a character facing his 30th birthday with fear and frustration — hence the ticking sound he keeps hearing in his head. Thanks in no small part to the guidance of wunderkind director Chase Kniffen, Ambler embodies Jon’s internal struggles with a mature confidence."
-Dave Timberline, Style Weekly

"Stage 1 begins its life with a musical about making a musical, and it foreshadows great things to come. If the company managed to start off at this high level of quality, then the future of Stage 1 looks bright indeed."
-Dan Sherrier, Herald-Progress

"Somewhat astounding is how Kniffen, also Stage 1’s artistic director, has created a top-notch new performance space from scratch — something it takes most companies years to accomplish. With its first production, Stage 1 has hit the ground running."
-Dave Timberline, Style Weekly
"On opening night of the musical “tick.tick…boom!” Stage 1Theatre Company proved it’s going to be a major player in Richmond’s professional theatre community. The fledgling operation pulled off its first production with style and finesse."
-Joan Tupponce, Richmond.com

"The Stage 1 production is carefully realized and artistically satisfying. Kniffen, who directed, has a vocally perfect cast in Brett Ambler (Jonathan), Audra Honaker (Susan) and Durron M. Tyre (Michael), and musical director Sandy Dacus leads an energetic and exciting band of four."
-Susan Haubenstock, Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Kniffen's staging takes full advantage of the youthful cast's energy; they dance, they do patter songs, they belt, and they catch furniture as it rolls on and off stage at breakneck pace."
-Susan Haubenstock, Richmond Times-Dispatch

Click here for more information about Stage 1 and Tick, Tick...BOOM!

Click here for Susan Haubenstock's full review in the Times-Dispatch
Click here for Dave Timberline's full review in Style Weekly
Click here for Joan Tupponce's full review on Richmond.com
Click here for Dan Sherrier's full review in the Herald-Progress

The Critics Have Spoken - Its a Hit!!

It has been an absolutely crazy and exciting week at Stage 1. We opened our 08/09 Inaugural Season with a hit production of Tick, Tick...BOOM! The days leading up to our opening were nothing short of miraculous. Working against the clock and what seemed like never-ending technical difficulty - we were able to open with our Pay-What-You-Will Preview on Friday Night with a full house and very few hardly-noticeable issues.

That can simply be attributed to our amazing cast - Brett Ambler, Durron Tyre and Audra Honaker - our amazing designers, musical director, and our rockin' band. Everyone kept their cool - We all walked around simply saying "It will all work...It has to."

This can do attitude got us to an incredibly successful opening...

At least according to audience response, and some very positive notices.

"Carefully realized and artistically satisfying.
-Susan Haubenstock, Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Kniffen brings a fresh approach to the stage that embraces the spirit of the performance."
-Joan Tupponce, Richmond.com


"Brett Ambler...His honest performance captures the playfulness of the character as well as his anxiety and doubt. Vocally, Ambler is always a pleasure to hear."
"(Audra) Honaker's skillful timing and ability to convoncingly slip into each character make her a joy to watch. Honaker...nails her vocal numbers."
"Durron M. Tyre...also delivers a strong performance."
-Joan Tupponce, Richmond.com


"Kniffen's staging takes full advantage of the youthful cast's energy; they dance, they do patter songs, they belt, and they catch furniture as it rolls on and off stage at breakneck pace."
-Susan Haubenstock, Richmond Times-Dispatch

If you haven't purchased tickets yet, do so now. Don't take out word for it - See it for yourself.

Visit www.stage1va.org or call 804.427.7548 today!

See you at Stage 1.

- Chase K.

Stage 1 Season Preview Video

At Stage 1, we are always looking for new and interesting ways to market and promote ourselves to an internet-obsessed generation of theatergoers. Ask anyone - The internet is the best marketing tool any Non-Profit organization can use to get your message and your vision out. You are able to reach and incredibly large and diverse group of people at the drop of a hat.

On our 08/09 Inaugural Season Page of the Stage 1 web-site, you may have noticed our 08/09 Season preview video. I just wanted to take a moment to recognize some very talented individuals who helped to make this video happen.


Stage1 Theatre Company Season Promotion from Amy K on Vimeo.

First off, you may recognize one of Richmond's finest actors, Jill Bari Steinberg, as our voice over artist. JB is perhaps best known for her stellar one-woman tour de force performances in The Syringa Tree and Shirley Valentine, but I will always remember her as Wendy in Peter Pan at Theatre IV back in '96. I thought she was the greatest, as I still do. When determining who the right person for the VO was, Jill Bari was the first person to pop into my head. She's been extremely supportive of Stage 1, and I couldn't be happier that she was willing to offer her talents for this project.

Now let me tell you a little bit about how this video idea came about. I had been thinking it would be really cool to show some type of "season preview" video at the Ragtime concert. I was planning on something very simple - Some music from the shows and the show posters - Something easily put together on iMovie. Then Amy Kaeberle approached me saying she would like to help put together a commercial for the theatre - I don't think she was planning on doing it the next week, but none the less - She jumped right in and did an incredible job designing and putting together the video that we are all quite proud of. Amy is a dancer and performer in town and has been seen on stage in Joseph... and Once Upon a Mattress at the Mill and CATS for SPARC. She is now at VCU and working on video editing - It looks like she's got a great career ahead of her.

Thank you so much to these very talented individuals for donating their time to make Stage 1 a leading theatrical force in the Richmond area. Take a look at the video if you haven't already and if you like what you see, consider purchasing an 08/09 Season Subscription to Stage 1 so you can be part of all the excitement.

Trust me, you won't want to miss a moment.

See you at Stage 1.

- - Chase K.

Meet the Cast of Tick, Tick...BOOM!

At Stage 1 , we find it extremely important to bring to our audiences the highest quality talent Richmond has to offer. That was certainly clear in our Ragtime: In Concert event and our season opener, Tick, Tick...BOOM! is no different.

When selecting the Stage 1 opener, I definitely had an idea of which actors I wanted to be in the three-person cast. I am thrilled to say that I was fortunate enough to land all three of those actors - Brett Ambler, Audra Honaker, and Durron M. Tyre. Each of these performers have already made quite a name for themselves on the boards in Richmond and having the opportunity to work with each of them is a dream come true for any Artistic Director.

I thought you might want to get an idea of who each of these individuals are - I am sure that is you have ever seen theatre in Richmond, you have come to know them very well. You won't want to miss a moment of their work here at Stage 1.

Brett Ambler has been working in Richmond theatre since christmas of 2004 when he appeared in The Man Who Came To Dinner with many notables at Barksdale Theatre. Since then he has played The Cat in The Hat (Seussical The Musical) and Snoopy (You're A Good Man Charlie Brown) on Theatre IV's Empire stage. In addition to performing 5 different showsBusch Gardens Williamsburg he performed in The Drawer Boy (Miles) on the Barksdale Stage and has also held many roles at Swift Creek Mill Theatre including Peter Van Daan (The Diary Of Anne Frank), Sparky (Forever Plaid/Plaid Tidings), Jesus (Cotton Patch Gospel), Joseph (...Dreamcoat), and Bobby Strong (Urinetown). Brett is honored and excited to be a part of the debut performance at Stage 1. Brett wishes to thank his parents and family for their continued support.

Audra Honaker Regional credits include Once Upon a Mattress, There Goes the Bride, Urinetown: The Musical, Steel Magnolias, The Miracle Worker, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Taffetas, Lucky Stiff (Swift Creek Mill Theatre); The Secret Garden, Sing Down the Moon, Seussical: The Musical, The Jungle Book (Theatre IV) The Importance of Being Earnest (Theatre at Bolling-Haxall House); Swingtime Canteen (Barksdale Theatre Hanover Tavern) The Crucible, The 1940's Radio Hour, Anything Goes, Where's Charley?, Brooklyn Boy, Into the Woods (Barksdale Theatre Willow Lawn). Audra is honored to be a part of the premiere production of Stage 1. Please enjoy the show.

Durron M. Tyre is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a BA in Theate Performance. Durron was last seen as Paul in Richmond Triangle Players production, Four Queens in Hawaiian Shirts. Durron had the privilege to tour with Theatre IV's children's theatre in Songs from the Soul, A Christmas Carol, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He is delighted to working on the first production at Stage 1. Favorite Roles: Ferdinand in The Tempest (URTheatre), Billy Crocker in Anything Goes (Hampton Theatre Co.), Tank in Zanna Don't (Richmond Triangle Players), Seymour Krelbourn in Little Shop ofHorrors (Dogwood Dell), and Jinx in Forever Plaid and Plaid Tidings (Swift Creek Mill Theatre). In the day, he is currently a teacher for SPARC.

I couldn't be more thrilled to be working with each of these mega-talents. Please help us in being able to continue bring to our stage the best and brightest of talents in the area by purchaing your 08/09 Subscription today! You won't want to miss a moment of their newest and freshest theatrical works anyone has to offer

At only $70 for all four shows, its certain to be the best deal in town.

See you at Stage 1!

- Chase K.

Our First Rave

Boy is it exciting when your company receives a positive review. It is even more exciting when you receive a rave on your first time out of the gate. This is exactly what happened for us following our concert staging of Ragtime. Dan Sherrier, of the Herald-Progrss, was kind enough to publish his thoughts on Ragtime in the Thursday, October 9 issue of the paper. Below are some highlights from his glowing review.

"Impressed a nearly full auditorium"
"Even without any staging, the performers mesmerized the audience with their stunning powerful vocals for nearly three hours."
"By the end, the cast and orchestra more than earned the standing ovation they received"
"Based on this enjoyable sample, Hanover-and the entire Richmond are-is in for a treat when Stage 1 begins producing local, regional and world premieres"
"A complete success."
-Dan Sherrier, Herald-Progress

I certainly hope that we can continue to impress critics and audience alike. Artistic excellence is and will always be at the front of every decision we make. As we move into our 08/09 Inaugural Season, we look forward to continuing to bring to Richmond high-quality productions of local, regional and world premiers.

With the Opening Night of tick, tick...BOOM! just around the corner, we are well underway in bringing you just that.

See you at Stage 1

- Chase K.

An Unforgettable Evening

Over the past few weeks, I have had the incredible pleasure of working with some of my dearest and most talented friends on the enormous undertaking of mounting a concert version of the musical Ragtime in three - that's right three - rehearsals. Anytime you mount any production, you spend days saying "If only I had ONE more week of rehearsal, I could make this really great!". Of course with only three rehearsals, I was certainly thinking this...That is up until I heard the beautiful first notes of the perfect Ragtime score last night. As each actor stepped forward with confidence and grace to introduce their character to the audience, all I could think was, "Boy - I have incredibly talented friends"; and Richmond has an unbelievable array of talent. I am so grateful for every artist on stage last night - All of whom donated their time to help make Stage 1 a reality. To help us be able to bring to Richmond the work we are so excited about. To watch these artists who I have admired since I was 10 years old - which is not all that long ago - pour their hearts and souls onto that stage must have been one of the most thrilling theatrical experience of my life.

Additionally, I am incredibly grateful for every single person who attended last night's performance. The audience has the power to become another character in each and every production, and last night was no exception. From where I was sitting, each and every audience member was directly connected to the characters on stage - Laughing, crying and coming along for the stunning journey that is Ragtime. This is a testament to the unbelievable talent of these actors and musicians, as well as the near-perfect words and music of Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, Terrence McNally and, of course, E.L. Doctorow. Thank you all for your amazing support as Stage 1 enters the Richmond theatre scene.



We hope that you will continue to join us for our 08/09 Inaugural Season. Trust me, you won't want to miss a moment.

See you at Stage 1.

Chase K.

Ragtime Rehearsal Up-Date

All day yesterday, I listened to one of the greatest musical scores ever written played and sung by a full orchestra and a choir of over 40 incredible voices. Needless to say, I was thrilled. We spent the afternoon rehearsing a 16 piece orchestra - And boy were they incredible. Very rarely does Richmond get the opportunity to hear a full orchestra - 2 Trombones, 2 Trumpets, 2 French Horns, 3 Reeds, 2 Keyboard, 2 Percussionists, a Violin and a Cello and Bass. The nature of this ONE-NIGHT-ONLY event gives us the unique opportunity to gather together some of the best Instrumentalists the Richmond area has to offer. I left that rehearsal confident that hearing that instrumentation the way it was meant to be played was worth the $50 ticket price alone.

The evening hours brought even more excitement. Our ensemble began showing up ready to work. We only had three hours to sing through all of the numerous ensemble numbers in the show. It was more or less Ragtime Boot Camp as we quickly moved from number to number. The intricate music of Ragtime is challenging, but out principal cast and ensemble tackled it with no problem. Hearing this score performed by this number of talented individuals just singing their brains out promised to be an absolutely stunning evening.

See for yourself by playing the brief rehearsal video below. If these guys sound this good at their first rehearsal together, imagine what to expect next week.

See what I mean? If you haven't purchased your tickets yet, please do so now. I spent the entire day yesterday thinking about how important it was for every theatergoer in Richmond to be part of this event.

Click here to purchase you tickets today.

We find it critical to present high-quality productions of socially relevant works. I can't imagine a more relevant show than Ragtime. Three distinctly different families at odds with each other, who come together to be completely accepting and understanding of each other. I think great theatre has the power to entertain and elighten humans, and this show is the more that great art - It is perfect!

I am confident that Stage 1 has the potential to become a leading theatrical force in the Richmond area, bringing high-quality productions of the newest and most original American Plays and Musicals that anyone has to offer. It is with your support at events like Ragtime that will get us there.



See you at Stage 1.



--Chase K.

Ragtime In Rehearsal

Yesterday, we had our first rehearsal for Ragtime: The Musical In Concert, and boy what a thrill it was. From Debra Wagoner's electric interpretation of "Back to Before" to the stunning trio "Journey On", performed by Debra, Richard Koch and Michael Hawke, the afternoon was full of beautiful music and loads of fun. Who wouldn't want to spend an afternoon haning out with Debra Wagoner, Michael Hawke, Robyn O'Neill, Mark Persinger, Lillie Izo and Eric Pastore? This rehearsal only solidified the fact that this event is going to be like nothing else Richmond has seen - All of this talent on one stage for one night only.

I was also thrilled to find out from our incredible Musical Director, Sherri Matthews, that the "Full Orchestra" has now grown to a whopping 19 pieces. When do we get to hear these voices sing with that size orchestra. Simply to hear this score played by a full orchestra would be worth the ticket price alone.


Putting together an evening of this scale surely take a small army. For instance, copying and distributing the scripts and scores to our 50-person ensemble and 19-piece orchestra took a full week of effort from about 5 different individuals. That is only one element of this enormous undertaking - Add full lighting and sound, projections, video editing and simple set up - Then we will have the extraordinary event you will come to expect from Stage 1.

If you have any interest at all in the musical theatre, this is an event you won't want to miss. Trust me. Don't miss this ONE-NIGHT-ONLY event and purchase your tickets now. Thank you for your continued support.

See you at Stage 1 .

Chase K