From Wind to Wonder! A Princeton Playhouse Ensembles Concert

Third Reprise is a genre-bending, community-bridging band that plays showtunes like you’ve never heard them before. Highlighting the musicianship of instrumentalists and vocalists from both the Broadway and R&B/funk/soul scenes in NYC, Third Reprise launched online as a video series in 2023 to the applause of theater and music lovers alike. It’s the brainchild of arranger, music director and pianist Daniel Rudin, whose arrangements for the group marry contemporary musical flavors such as “yacht rock” and “synthwave” with rich instincts for storytelling. Third Reprise is a celebration of the musical theater canon, refracting beloved classics through a sonic kaleidoscope to bridge the familiar and the unknown.

Thank you for joining the Playhouse Ensembles for their Berlind Theatre concert premiere: From Wind to Wonder! This musical celebration unites music theater storytelling, performance, composition, arranging, direction, and choreography while featuring the work and leadership of current Princeton students and alumni. Playhouse is joined by several Broadway performers and musicians, including the viral, genre-bending Broadway ensemble Third Reprise and guest soloists Mykal Kilgore, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Kuhoo Verma. Tonight, you’ll hear brand new student-written compositions alongside selections from the musicals Waitress, Wicked, In the Heights, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen, Sunday in the Park with George, Seussical, and more. We hope you enjoy this exciting night of music, wonder, and world premieres!
— Solon Snider Sway

“What’s Inside”

• From Waitress (Sara Bareilles)
• Choreography by Aaron Ventresca ’24
• Soloists: Angela Kwon ’26, Shauna Contrerras ’26, and Nada Elfazary ’24

“It’s Possible”

• From Seussical (Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, arr. Matt Cline ‘27)
• Conductor: Matt Cline ’27
• Choreography by Aaron Ventresca ’24
• Soloists: Aaron Ventresca ’24, Sydney Mullin ’24, Charlie Roth ’25, Madeleine LeBeau ’24, and Ava Kronman ’26

“Breathe”

• From In the Heights (Lin-Manuel Miranda, arr. Matt Cline ’27)
• Conductor: Matt Cline ’27
• Choreography by Carrington Johnson ’24
• Soloists: Carrington Johnson ’24 and Melat Bekele ’24

“Caution to the Wind”

• From Striking 12 (Val Vigoda ’87, arr. Halle Mitchell ’23)
• Guest Conductor: Halle Mitchell ’23

“In the Wind”

• Original Composition by Kenyon Duncan and the 2022-23 Playhouse Choir
• Conductor: Solon Snider Sway
• Choreography by Carrington Johnson ’24 and Kate Stewart ’25
• Soloists: Kate Stewart ’25 (dance); Matt Cline ’27 (vocals) and Jessica Wang ’26 (vocals)
• Spoken word by Destine Harrison-Williams ’26
• Last year, the Playhouse Ensembles performed, purely by coincidence, a number of pieces related to the wind. Embracing this, as we brainstormed topics for the group’s first collaborative composition with our amazing collaborator and composer Kenyon Duncan, we settled on the theme of the wind. Kenyon led multiple group discussions and workshops to collect poetry, images, memories, and other ideas from students. This piece, built from lyrics and poems written by members of the choir, was the next step in that process, which we hope to continue with a studio recording later this spring!

Music by Guest Ensemble Third Reprise

• Selections will be announced from the stage!
• Soloists: Mykal Kilgore, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Kuhoo Verma
• Third Reprise is a genre-bending, community-bridging band that highlights the musicianship of instrumentalists and vocalists from both the Broadway and R&B/funk/soul scenes in New York City and launched online as a video series in 2023. Third Reprise was founded by arranger, music director, and pianist Daniel Rudin, whose arrangements for the group marry contemporary musical genres such as “yacht rock” and “synthwave” with a focus on storytelling. The group is known for reinterpretating well-known musical theater classics, aiming to connect audiences with familiar tunes while exploring new sonic dimensions.

“I Know a Place/Somewhere”

• From the band MUNA and West Side Story (Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPhearson & Leonard Bernstein, arr. Daniel Rudin)
• Conductor: Solon Snider Sway
• Soloists: Christina Kim GS, Kimberlynn Bjurstrom ’26, Kate Stewart ’25, Parker Blumenberg GS, and Kuhoo Verma

“You Will Be Found”

• Conductor: Madeleine LeBeau ’24
• Choreography by Carrington Johnson ’24
• Program note: Last Spring, The Playhouse Choir was lucky to be able to work with Michael McElroy, the Tony-winning and Grammy-nominated founder of The Broadway Inspirational Voices, a group that has helped form the vision for The Playhouse Ensembles. Michael worked with soloists from Playhouse on musical theater performance skills and led the group in a workshop rehearsal of this arrangement that he did for the Broadway Inspirational Voices. We are excited to share some of that work with you through Michael’s deeply imaginative arrangement of the closing number from Act 1 of the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen.

“The Quest”

• Mitch Leigh, arr. Griffin Strout
• Conductor: Solon Snider Sway
• Program note: As the Playhouse Chamber Orchestra enters its third year, we are excited to share this world premiere arrangement of themes from the musical Man of La Mancha’s thrilling song “The Impossible Dream.” This arrangement explores phrasing, form, texture, and stamina, experimenting to see if a beloved song, when reordered and reimagined, might become a sort of concerto for chamber orchestra. We hope you enjoy it!

“Ice Cream Sunday”

• Original Composition by Matt Cline ’27
• Conductor and Cornet Solo: Matt Cline ’27
• Choreography by Aaron Ventresca ’24
• Featured Dancers: Aaron Ventresca ’24, Kimberlynn Bjurstrom ’26, Rachel Edelstein ’26, Madeleine LeBeau ’24, Drew Comstock ’26, Kate Stewart ’25, Sydney Mullin ’24, and Carrington Johnson ’24

“Sunday”

• From Sunday in the Park with George (arr. Michael McElroy)
• Conductor: Matt Cline ’27
• Choreography by Carrington Johnson ’24
• Soloist: Mykal Kilgore

“The Smallest World”

• Original Composition by Kyle Brenn and the 2023-24 Playhouse Choir
• Conductor: Solon Snider Sway
• Soloists: Matt Cline ’27 (Trumpet); Christie Davis ’27, Rachel Edelstein ’26, Sydney Mullin ’24, Jessica Wang ’26, and Christina Kim GS (Vocals)
• Program Note: I’m deeply indebted to Solon and the Princeton Playhouse Choir, whose notes on the role of wonder in our everyday lives deeply inspired the words of my piece. I noticed many students wrote that wonder is most precious in small moments; that these small moments are often taken for granted in our constant bustling need for the ‘next thing’; that we desire to reach back to the childlike self that finds newness and renown in each experience. “The Smallest World” moves through time, beginning with a memory of early life’s open heartedness and transporting to the present, where we experience the stark binaries of what we wish to feel versus what we allow ourselves to feel. As each of us works to experience true wonder for the littlest things, I hope this piece creates a space in which all participating can live fully within each sound, each word. — Kyle Brenn

“More/That’s the Way of the World/If It’s Magic”

• Lawrence, Stevie Wonder, and Earth, Wind, & Fire, arr. Kenyon Duncan
• Conductor: Solon Snider Sway
• Choreography by Carrington Johnson ’24

The Playhouse Choir

Melat Bekele ’24
Kimberlynn Bjurstrom ’26
Parker Blumenberg GS
Evan Cantwell ’27
Jeffery Chen* ’25
Matt Cline ’27
Drew Comstock ’26
Xander Constantine* ’27
Shauna Contrerras ’26
Christie Davis ’27
Rachel Edelstein* ’26
Nada Elfazary ’24
Tharuka Gamage ’26
Destine Harrison-Williams* ’26
Carrington Johnson* ’24
Fatmagül Katmer GS
Christina Kim GS
Ava Kronman* ’26
Angela Kwon ’26
Madeleine LeBeau* ’24
Julie Levey ’24
Jonathan Marty ‘GS
Sophie Miller ’27
Sydney Mullin ’24
Laura Reyes ’25
Karolina Rokka ’27
Charlie Roth* ’25
Lingzhi Shi GS
Kate Stewart* ’25
Michelle Tang ’26
Lana Utley ’24
Aaron Ventresca* ’24
Jessica Wang ’26
Liam Wang ’26
Ruyu Yan GS

The Playhouse Orchestra

Student Conductor: Matt Cline ’27
Piano/Keyboards: Otto Trueman ’27
Violin: Isabella Khan GS and Allison Jiang ’26
Viola: Divya Raghunathan GS and Abigail Rabieh ’25
Cello: Mark Serkin
Flute: Suzanne Francis
Clarinet: Jacob Neis GS
Clarinet & Soprano/Alto/Tenor Saxophone: Jacob Jackson ’26
Oboe: Anya Anand ’27
French Horn: Helen Brush ’24
Trumpet: Hannah Ulman ’24 and Matt Cline ’27
Trombone: Kevin Casey
Percussion: Kyle Brenn
Guest Conductor: Halle Mitchell ’23

The Playhouse Officer Team

President: Aaron Ventresca* ’24
Student Choreographer: Carrington Johnson* ’24
Student Conductor: Matt Cline ’27
Performance Director & Student Conductor: Madeleine LeBeau* ’24
Social Media, Publicity, and Community Coordinator: Christie Davis ’27
Manager: Karolina Rokka ’27
Social Co-Chairs: Sydney Hwang* ’24 and Sydney Mullin ’24

Third Reprise

Piano/MD: Daniel Rudin
Guitar: Chris Peters
Bass: Jon Toscano
Drums: Skyler Fortgang

Production Team

Music Director: Solon Snider Sway
Lighting Designer: Tess James
Stage Manager: Milan Eldridge
Sound Engineer/Assistant Sound Designer: Kay Richardson
Assistant Stage Manager: Charlie Roth* ’25
Berlind Electrician: Michelle Poulaille
Berlind Run Crew: Dylan Harris, Tyshaun “Tone” Williams
Run Crew: Andrew Duke* ’25
A2: Marc Gamboa
A3: Ryan Gonzalez

*denotes a certificate student in the Program in Theater

Andrew Barth Feldman (Guest Soloist) is a multi-talented actor and musician known best for his Broadway role as the title character in the Tony Award–winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. He can be seen as the breakout star of the summer in the comedy No Hard Feelings alongside Jennifer Lawrence, which was released in June 2023. After winning the 2018 National High School Musical Theater Award (the Jimmy Award) as a high school sophomore, Barth Feldman made his Broadway debut and quickly rose to fame with his talent and charisma. He later went on to star on-screen in Netflix’s A Tourist’s Guide to Love with Rachael Leigh Cook and the Disney+ hit show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alongside Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett. When he’s not on stage or on-screen, he’s a passionate musician; he is currently working on his debut album, with his song “College Break-Up” recently released to rave reviews. Barth Feldman runs a theater company, Zneefrock Productions, which he founded when he was just 12 years old to raise money for charity. Since then, it has produced several shows, including an original Star Wars musical, SW: A New(sical) Hope, The Last Five Years, Be More Chill, and more. Barth Feldman’s most recent passion project has been the five-part improv murder mystery series Foul Play, which he created alongside Alex Boniello and Matthew Barth Tinkelman.

Mykal Kilgore (Guest Soloist) is an award-winning actor and a Grammy and NAACP Image Award nominated singer/songwriter. His debut album, A Man Born Black, is a gumbo of American roots music and modern feels that highlight his ability to go from Broadway Showtune Storytelling to Soul and Jazz scatting to Gospel. Mykal was most recently seen performing at Goodspeed Musicals performing as Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls. His theater credits include The Witch in Into The Woods at Barrington Stage Company, The Who’s Tommy at The Kennedy Center, Songs For A New World at Encores! Off-Center, Motown the Musical and Hair on Broadway, as well as Book of Mormon (1st National Tour.) Mykal has also appeared in TV/Film with roles in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar and The Wiz Live and Collateral Beauty. He has graced stages from the O2 in the UK to the Met Gala. In addition, Mykal has garnered more than 10 million views on social media with his videos including his viral “Reclaiming My Time” video. #blacklivesmatter #translivesmatter #loveoneanother

Kuhoo Verma (Guest Soloist) is a New York City based artist who revels in works made for diverse audiences. You can see Kuhoo as the lead of Hulu’s film Plan B, streaming now. His other film credits include Murder Mystery 2 (Netflix), The Big Sick (Amazon), and the upcoming Space Cadet (Amazon). She previously starred in Dave Malloy’s Octet at the Signature Theatre (Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble). She enjoys workshopping new musicals and doing operas in Paris. Discover @therealkuhoo on Instagram

Halle Mitchell (Guest Conductor) is a recent graduate from Princeton and is excited to be back to join the Playhouse Choir in this performance! While at Princeton, Halle was very involved in music and theater groups on campus, and was the Student Conductor of Playhouse Choir and the Conductor of Triangle Club. As a music major, she wrote an original musical called Three Loves that was produced at Princeton, which she hopes to revisit and bring to new audiences soon. Halle currently lives in New York City, where she balances working in the music and theater industries with a full-time consulting position, including as a music director for an upcoming 10-minute musical festival.

Griffin Strout (Guest Orchestrator) is a New York-based music director, pianist and orchestrator. His recent projects include Beauty and the Beast (City Springs Theatre), Out of Myself: Songs of Peter Foley (Symphony Space, associate Music Director and additional orchestrations), Merton of the Movies (The York Theatre). Griffin serves as a staff pianist for the Young People’s Chorus of NYC and NYU Steinhardt. A frequent collaborator on new works, he has also orchestrated and music directed several full-length musicals. He is a graduate of Yale University.

Kyle Brenn (Guest Composer/Percussionist) is a Brooklyn-based music and theater artist. His work has been performed at Carnegie Hall and on the Bang on a Can Marathon, and his theatrical concept album the shape of a child is set for release on Cantaloupe Records in 2024. Recent projects include orchestration/music direction for Alex Wyse’s Picking Up Speed (Off-Off-B’way); Robin de Jesús (Cabaret Project St. Louis); Beth Golison’s Lottie and the Deep Blue Sea (Ars Nova ANT Fest) and here i fall up (New Ohio Ice Factory); film score for Thaw (Tribeca, Outfest). As an actor his credits include West Side Story (2009 Broadway revival), Leap of Faith (Broadway), and Sweeney Todd (Live From Lincoln Center). He has worked closely with Jeanine Tesori as music copyist/assistant for Kimberly Akimbo (Atlantic Theater, Broadway) and her opera Grounded (Kennedy Center, upcoming at the Met). He graduated from NYU in 2020 with a B.M. in Music Composition, where he studied with Michael Gordon.

Kenyon Duncan (Guest Composer) is a composer-performer, conductor, and producer from Northern California. Grounded in the sonic traditions of the Black diaspora, Kenyon’s creative practice engages questions of embodiment and placemaking. Recent commissions include works for iSing Silicon Valley Girlchoir, Touch of Blue: New American Vocal Ensemble, and the Yale Undergraduate Chamber Orchestra. His sound installation Music for Strangers was featured at the Yale Center for Collaborative Arts and Media. Kenyon was recently an artist-citizen-in-residence with the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music in Mendocino County, California. Kenyon’s experience as an ensemble leader has led to the production of 3 award-winning albums, bringing him around the world to lead workshops on vocal performance and ensemble technique. He spent a year directing The Whiffenpoofs, programming over 200 concerts across 25 states and 26 countries. Kenyon holds a B.A. in Computing & The Arts from Yale University, where he studied composition, computer music, and conducting.

About the Princeton Playhouse Ensembles

The Princeton Playhouse Choir is an ensemble housed jointly with the Lewis Center’s Program in Theater & Music Theater and the Music Department, focusing on repertoire beginning in a broad range of theatrical traditions and expanding into a realm of experimental and innovative music-making. The core of the group’s repertoire is music connected to theater and reimagined for creative ensemble configurations through new arrangements and interdisciplinary collaborations. Playhouse incorporates large and small ensemble singing, a cappella and accompanied singing, vocal solos, dance, spoken word, new music commissions, and collaborative projects with artists across departments to facilitate a vibrant and inclusive rehearsal environment.

The Princeton Playhouse Orchestra is an instrumental chamber ensemble specializing in the performance of new music commissions, music theater repertoire, popular song, and film music.

Established in 2021, the Playhouse Ensembles were formed in an effort to celebrate music theater repertoire, build community, foster new arrangements and compositions, facilitate student leadership opportunities, and connect the Music Department and Lewis Center for the Art’s Program in Theater & Music Theater through collaborative, co-curricular ensembles.