Bud Coleman, Theatre & Dance Department Chair and Mall-Mart: The Musical! Choreographer. (Photo courtesy Theatre & Dance Department)

Curious Theatre Company in collaboration with the department of theatre & dance will produce the World Premiere of Mall-Mart, The Musical! with book by Joan Holden and music and lyrics by Bruce Barthol. Generously supported by the Roe Green Foundation, Mall-Mart is a unique collaboration between an outstanding professional theatre company and a stellar academic theatre program, and this innovative partnership will support the commission, development and production of this musical.

The premiere will be directed by Curious Artistic Director Chip Walton and choreographed by CU theatre & dance department chair Bud Coleman. The cast of Mall-Mart will include five professional actors and eight chorus members. The production design and creation will also be shared collaboratively, with scenic and costume designers from the faculty (Bruce Bergner and Markas Henry), and sets and costumes to be built by CU students. Curious will also bring veterans Shannon McKinney, lighting designer, Brian Freeland, sound designer, and Dee Covington, associate director, to the production team. 
Initially opening at CU-Boulder's Mainstage Theatre April 12-22, the production will then transfer to Curious in Denver for a seven-week run.

From the playwright of Nickel and Dimed comes this comic musical about a "real go-getter" - the best businessman ever - who returns from World War II to revolutionize retail sales. Mall-Mart is a fast-paced epic comedy with dark undertones which makes us share the joy of selling more of everything cheaper, while also asking us to explore the "price" involved in getting the "best deal possible." This project also represents another chapter in the ongoing artistic partnership between Holden and Walton, having previously collaborated on the World Premieres of The Imaginary Invalid and Paris On The Platte, as well as the critically acclaimed Regional Premiere of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. In addition to being in residency at Curious for the project, both Holden and Barthol will work directly with CU students during the development process for this exciting new musical.

Other upcoming productions include Danceworks 2007 - a wonderful variety of contemporary dance ranging from modern and performance art to hip hop, featuring new choreography by dance faculty Michelle Ellsworth, Onye Ozuzu and a collaborative piece by Nada Diachenko and guest artist Nancy Spanier. Nationally and internationally renowned guest artists Gabe Masson and Rennie Harris will create new works for the faculty and students. We also have the BFA Dance Concert and the Student Dance Concert as well as Roulette & Medea. For more information, including show times and ticket prices, visit the website or call the box office at (303) 491-8181.