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March 22 – April 28, 2019
(Opening night: Friday, March 29)
Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage
Old Globe Theatre
Conrad Prebys Theatre Center
Book, music, and lyrics by Britta Johnson
Directed by Barry Edelstein
Choreography by Ann Yee
Music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Lynne Shankel
Grieving the recent loss of her famous father, 16-year-old Alice begins to question the events surrounding his death and sets out to uncover what really happened on the night that changed her family forever. Britta Johnson’s Life After is a bittersweet, witty, and life-affirming new musical that explores the mess and beauty of loss and love. Through the vivid imagination of a young woman looking for the facts, we find a more complicated truth instead. The Old Globe’s Barry Edelstein directs the American premiere of this rapturously beautiful and stirring new musical from a composer the Toronto Star calls “a startlingly talented emerging voice.” BroadwayWorld dubs Life After “musical theatre perfection…exquisite from start to finish.”
Running time: One hour and 35 minutes. There is no intermission.
Production Sponsors
Karen and Donald Cohn
Jean and Gary Shekhter
Karen and Stuart Tanz
The Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Fund
Vicki and Carl Zeiger
Artist Sponsors for Barry Edelstein (director)
Sandy and Arthur Levinson
Britta Johnson (Book, Music, and Lyrics) is a writer, composer, and lyricist based in Toronto who is thrilled to be making her American debut at The Old Globe. Life After premiered in Canada in 2017 (co-produced by Canadian Stage, The Musical Stage Company, and Yonge Street Theatricals) and went on to win six Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Outstanding New Musical and Outstanding Production. Her other writing credits include, with her sister Anika Johnson, Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life, Brantwood, Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang, and Trap Door; with Sara Farb, Kelly v. Kelly and Reframed; and with Katherine Cullen, Stupidhead! Ms. Johnson was the librettist for choreographer Robert Binet’s adaptation of The Kreutzer Sonata with Ballet Moscow. She is the inaugural Crescendo Series Artist with The Musical Stage Company in Toronto, which includes a commitment to produce three of her shows in three years.
Barry Edelstein (Director, Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director) is a stage director, producer, author, and educator. He has directed nearly half of the Bard’s plays. His Globe directing credits include The Winter’s Tale, Othello, The Twenty-seventh Man, the world premiere of Rain, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Hamlet, and the world premiere of The Wanderers. He also directed All’s Well That Ends Well as the inaugural production of the Globe for All community tour. In January he oversaw the Globe’s inaugural Classical Directing Fellowship program. He most recently directed The Tempest with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall. As Director of the Shakespeare Initiative at The Public Theater (2008–2012), Mr. Edelstein oversaw all of the company’s Shakespearean productions as well as its educational, community outreach, and artist-training programs. At The Public, he staged the world premiere of The Twenty-seventh Man, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, Timon of Athens, and Steve Martin’s WASP and Other Plays. He was also Associate Producer of The Public’s Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino. From 1998 to 2003 he was Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company. His book Thinking Shakespeare, which was rereleased in a second edition in June, is the standard text on American Shakespearean acting. He is also the author of Bardisms: Shakespeare for All Occasions. He is a graduate of Tufts University and the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.
Ann Yee (Choreography) trained at Boston Conservatory of Music, Harvard Summer Dance Center, and The Ohio State University. Her theatre work includes Sunday in the Park with George (The Hudson Theatre), Oklahoma! (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), The Taming of the Shrew (The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park), Shakespeare Trilogy (Donmar Warehouse, King’s Cross Theatre, St. Ann’s Warehouse), and Woyzeck (St. Ann’s Warehouse, Gate Theatre). Her international work includes The American Clock and The Duchess of Malfi (The Old Vic), Caroline, or Change (West End, Hampstead Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre), Julie, She Stoops to Conquer, and The Comedy of Errors (National Theatre), Blurred Lines (The Shed at National Theatre), War Requiem and Wozzeck (English National Opera), The Threepenny Opera (Salzburg Festival), Urinetown (St. James Theatre, Apollo Theatre), Mr. Burns, a post-electric play (Almeida Theatre), How to Hold Your Breath, Birdland, and Oxford Street (Royal Court Theatre), The Commitments (Palace Theatre), The Color Purple (European premiere), Macbeth and Bent (Trafalgar Studios), Philadelphia, Here I Come! and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Donmar Warehouse), Angels in America (Lyric Hammersmith, U.K. tour), and Hair (Gate Theatre).
Lynne Shankel (Music Supervision, Arrangements, and Orchestrations) has written orchestrations and arrangements for everyone from Chita Rivera, The New York Pops, and Raúl Esparza, to Tony Award winner and Bon Jovi member David Bryan, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She was music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator for Allegiance and was the first woman to solely orchestrate a new musical on Broadway. Her other Broadway credits include music director and arranger for Cry-Baby, and resident music supervisor for the Tony Award–winning revival of Company. She was music director and arranger for the Off Broadway hit Altar Boyz, for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination for her orchestrations. Ms. Shankel received a second Drama Desk nomination for Burkell and Loesel’s The Extraordinary Ordinary. Her other recent credits include Snow Child (Arena Stage), and Chasing the Song (La Jolla Playhouse). Her previous credits at The Old Globe include Allegiance (Craig Noel Award) and original music for Red Velvet. As a composer, her credits include Bare: The Musical, Postcard American Town,and HoT.
Neil Patel (Scenic Design) is a New York–based scenic and production designer. His recent film and television includes “The Village” (NBC), Aardvark (Universal), “The Path” (Hulu), Little Boxes (Netflix), Dil Dhadakne Do (Excel Entertainment), Some Velvet Morning (Tribeca Film), and Billy & Billie (DirecTV). His recent theatre and opera credits include India Pale Ale (Manhattan Theatre Club), An Ordinary Muslim (New York Theatre Workshop), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre Company), Time and the Conways (Roundabout Theatre Company, The Old Globe), Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) (Royal Court Theatre), Mughal-E-Azam (NCPA Mumbai, New Delhi, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore), The Lion (U.S. national tour), Alcina (Washington National Opera), Norma (LA Opera), Born for This (The Broad Stage, ArtsEmerson), and Shadowland (Pilobolus, tour through Europe, Asia, and the Middle East). Mr. Patel also created exhibition design and historical reproduction for Space Force Construction (V-A-C Foundation, 2017 Venice Biennale).
Linda Cho (Costume Design) is thrilled to return to The Old Globe, where she most recently designed A Thousand Splendid Suns, October Sky,and The Comedy of Errors. This is her 15th show here since 2002. She maintains a highly successful career with opera and theatre companies in the United States and abroad. Among her successes in theatre have been theBroadway productions of Anastasia (Tony Award nomination), The Lifespan of a Fact, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Tony Award), and The Velocity of Autumn. Ms. Cho’s work has also been seen Off Broadway and at numerous American regional theatres and opera companies. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut earlier this season with Samson et Dalila. She recently received the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for A Thousand Splendid Suns at American Conservatory Theater. She is also the proud recipient of the TDF Irene Sharaff Young Master Award and the Ruth Morley Design Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women, and she is on the Advisory Committee of the American Theatre Wing. Ms. Cho is an alumna of McGill University and holds a master of fine arts degree from Yale School of Drama. lindacho.com.
Japhy Weideman (Lighting Design) previously designed the Globe productions of October Sky, Bright Star, Bethany, The Rainmaker, and August: Osage County. His recent Broadway projects include Lobby Hero, Significant Other, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His other Broadway credits include Dear Evan Hansen (2017 Tony Award nomination), The Visit and Airline Highway (2015 Tony nominations), Of Mice and Men (2014 Tony nomination), Macbeth (Drama Desk Award nomination), Bright Star, Sylvia, Old Times, The Snow Geese, Cyrano de Bergerac, and The Nance (2013 Tony nomination). His other regional credits include American Conservatory Theater, Arena Stage, Alley Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Houston Grand Opera, Huntington Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Santa Fe Opera, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Internationally, Mr. Weideman has designed at Edinburgh International Festival, West End in London, Royal Shakespeare Company, Ancient Theater of Epidaurus in Greece, National Theater of Korea, La Scala in Milan, Opéra de Lyon, and De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam. His awards and nominations for lighting design include Tony, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Hewes Design, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, and San Diego Craig Noel Awards.
Ken Travis (Sound Design) previously designed The Old Globe’s productions of American Mariachi, Rain,and The Last Goodbye. His Broadway credits include In Transit, Aladdin, Jekyll & Hyde, A Christmas Story The Musical, Scandalous, Newsies, Memphis, The Threepenny Opera, Barefoot in the Park, and Steel Magnolias. His Off Broadway and regional credits include The Public Theater, The New Group, The Civilians, Atlantic Theater Company, Soho Rep., Classic Stage Company, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theatre Company, Mabou Mines, A Contemporary Theatre, The 5th Avenue Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Guthrie Theater, McCarter Theatre Center, and Paper Mill Playhouse.
Sven Ortel (Projection Design) designs projections and imagery for theatre, opera, dance, musicals, and beyond. His select Broadway credits include The Little Mermaid, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Wonderland, and Newsies (Tony Award nomination). His West End credits include Marguerite, Jumpers, and The Woman in White, among others. He has also designed A Disappearing Number (world tour), Measure for Measure (world tour), Tiefland (Zurich, Barcelona), Rebecca (Vienna, Stuttgart), The Three Musketeers (Berlin, Stuttgart), Richard II (The Old Vic), Swan Lake (San Francisco), and The Ring Cycle (St. Petersburg). Mr. Ortel’s Off Broadway credits include Hamlet, Party People, Carrie, and Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He has designed regional productions of A Confederacy of Dunces (Huntington Theatre Company), Mary Page Marlowe (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Roman Holiday (SHN Golden Gate Theatre), Mat Franco – Magic Reinvented Nightly (The Linq), and Ever After (Alliance Theatre). Mr. Ortel also leads the M.F.A. program in Integrated Media and an undergraduate track in Projection, Lighting, and Interactivity at The University of Texas at Austin.
Chris Kong (Music Director) is thrilled to return to The Old Globe, where he previously served as Associate Music Director for the world premiere of Allegiance in 2012. His Broadway credits include Disney’s Frozen, Mean Girls, Pretty Woman, The Prom, Miss Saigon, Allegiance, Kinky Boots, Fiddler on the Roof, and Disney’s Newsies. His Off Broadway favorites include Carrie, SILENCE! The Musical, and Altar Boyz. Mr. Kong traveled the country under the chandelier with the 25th anniversary North American tour of The Phantom of the Opera. His other regional credits include Once on This Island (Paper Mill Playhouse), [title of show] (George Street Playhouse), and Venice (Kansas City Repertory Theatre). Mr. Kong is a San Francisco Bay Area native and graduate of the Conservatory of Music at University of the Pacific.
Anika Johnson (Dramaturg) is an award-winning Toronto-based writer and performer who has been working on Life After with her sister Britta Johnson for its entire development. She and Britta have co-written music for shows including Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life (The Musical Stage Company), Brantwood (Theatre Sheridan), and Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (Young People’s Theatre). Ms. Johnson’s other original works, with collaborator Barbara Johnston include Blood Ties (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, featured on BBC America’s “Orphan Black”) and One Small Step (Toronto Youth Theatre). She received a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her performance in the 2017 world premiere of Life After (Canadian Stage, The Musical Stage Company, Yonge Street Theatricals), and she can be seen on stages around the world as a member of Corpus Dance Projects and Wannabe: A Spice Girls Tribute.
Tara Rubin Casting (Casting) has cast the Globe’s The Heart of Rock & Roll, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Guys and Dolls, Othello, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Dog and Pony, A Room with a View, and others. Their select Broadway credits include Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of The Temptations, King Kong, The Band’s Visit, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Prince of Broadway, Bandstand, Indecent, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale The Musical, Cats, Falsettos, Disaster!, School of Rock, Gigi, Bullets Over Broadway, Aladdin, Les Misérables, The Heiress, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Billy Elliot: The Musical, Shrek The Musical, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, Spamalot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, and The Phantom of the Opera. Their Off Broadway credits include Clueless, The Musical; The Band’s Visit; Here Lies Love;and Love, Loss, and What I Wore. They have also cast regionally for Yale Repertory Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Anjee Nero (Production Stage Manager) has previously worked on The Old Globe’s world premiere musicals Clint Black’s Looking for Christmas, The Heart of Rock & Roll, Benny & Joon, October Sky, Bright Star, Dog and Pony, Allegiance, A Room with a View, and Kingdom. Some of her additional credits include The Tempest; The Wanderers; The Importance of Being Earnest; King Richard II; Picasso at the Lapin Agile; Kiss Me, Kate; The Twenty-seventh Man; The Winter’s Tale; Be a Good Little Widow; and Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show. Ms. Nero worked on the Broadway production of Bright Star and launched the first national tour. Her select La Jolla Playhouse credits include Sideways directed by Des McAnuff, Ruined directed by Liesl Tommy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Christopher Ashley, and Herringbone directed by Roger Rees and starring BD Wong. Ms. Nero has worked with several prominent regional theatres including The Kennedy Center, Center Theatre Group (Ahmanson and Kirk Douglas Theatres), Hartford Stage, SITI Company, Huntington Theatre Company, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, to name a few, including having toured both nationally and internationally with several dance and music companies.
Hannah May (Assistant Stage Manager) is a local San Diego stage manager who graduated from San Diego State University in 2015. She has worked on The Old Globe’s productions of Barefoot in the Park, Ken Ludwig’s Robin Hood!, The Blameless, The Last Match, Full Gallop, and Meteor Shower, as well as four Globe for All Tours, most recently A Midsummer Night’s Dream in fall 2018. Her other work has included Stupid F***ing Bird, Shockheaded Peter,and The Wind and the Breeze (Cygnet Theatre Company)and the 2017 POP Tour (La Jolla Playhouse).
Amanda Salmons (Assistant Stage Manager) has previously worked at The Old Globe on Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; The Heart of Rock & Roll; The Tempest; American Mariachi; The Importance of Being Earnest; Benny & Joon; King Richard II; The Blameless; October Sky; Macbeth; Rain; The Metromaniacs; Kiss Me, Kate; The White Snake; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; The Last Goodbye; Globe for All (2014–2015); the Summer Shakespeare Festival (2011–2013); Somewhere; Lost in Yonkers; I Do! I Do!; and The Price.Her other credits include Blueprints to Freedom: An Ode to Bayard Rustin (La Jolla Playhouse), Kiss Me, Kate (Hartford Stage), The Foreigner, miXtape, See How They Run, The Music Man,and The Rivalry (Lamb’s Players Theatre), The Gondoliers, The Pirates of Penzance, Candide, Trial by Jury (Lyric Opera San Diego), and SummerFest (La Jolla Music Society).
Sizzle Reel for Life After.
Sophie Hearn and composer Britta Johnson singing "Poetry" from the new musical Life After.
This series provides Old Globe patrons with an opportunity to closely connect with productions both onstage and backstage. A panel selected from the artistic company of each show (playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and/or technicians) engages patrons in an informal and illuminating presentation of ideas and insights to enhance the theatre going experience. Each Insights Seminar takes place 90 minutes before curtain time on the Tuesday after performances begin, and includes an informal reception 30 minutes before the start. FREE; no reservations necessary.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
Join us after the show for an informal and enlightening question-and-answer session with cast members. Get the "inside story" on creating a character and putting together a professional production. Post-show forums are scheduled after select Tuesday and Wednesday evening performances. FREE; no reservations necessary.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Explore the ideas and issues raised by a production through brief, illuminating post-show discussions with local experts, such as scientists, artists, historians and scholars. Subject Matters will ignite discussion, bring the play's concerns into sharp focus, and encourage you to think beyond the stage! Subject Matters discussions follow select Saturday matinee performances. FREE; no reservations necessary.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
