Abbey Players Celebrate 60 Years

On Saturday, Feb. 21, students joined forces with alumni on the stage and behind the scenes as the Anselmian Abbey Players celebrated 60 years on the hilltop with an alumni revue, Once a Player, Always a Player.

An audience of around 300 faculty, staff, students, friends, and alumni packed the Dana Center's Koonz Theatre to see more than 40 alumni return to the stage.

The cast performed selections from past Abbey Players performances including Pippin (spring 2006), Anything Goes (spring 2008), Godspell (spring 1996), and Carousel (spring 1997).

Mike Theall '63 and Louise Provencher Theall '66 returned to perform "Colorado Love Call" from Little Mary Sunshine which they originally sang in the spring of 1963.

Current students also performed a medley from the upcoming spring musical, Seussical the Musical, which draws from many of the classic and colorful tales of Dr. Seuss. The current Abbey Players will perform the full musical March 27 and 28 and April 3 and 4.

Alumnae Jen Coburn '99, Mandy O'Neil '06, and Liz McEvoy '08 performed songs from Mamma Mia and The Full Monty as part of a Choreographers' Tribute to Peter Bridges, who passed away in June 2006. Bridges was the former musical director for Guys and Dolls, A Funny Things Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

As part of the finale, Abbey Players, past and present sang "Seasons of Love" from Rent which Landis Magnuson said was dedicated to all Abbey Players over the years, "We look upon the six decades of seasons as all seasons of love."

"I think it's a testament to the group that even after all this time they can still come back and put on a great show that people really enjoy," said former Abbey Player Ryan Burns '07.

The alumni revue was organized by a steering committee of eight alumni and English professor, Landis Magnuson. It was directed Mandy O'Neil '06 and produced by Magnuson.

Photo top: Students performing spring musical, Seussical the Musical

Photo 2 (l-r) Ryan Burns '07 and Mandy O'Neil '06 performing "Right Track" from Pippin

Photos by Gil Talbot