FUSE Productions

06/21/2022

Our Farewell FUSE Cabaret is this Sunday, June 26th at 6 pm at Singing Onstage. ($10 suggested donation)

Here are the performers signed up so far. It's going to be amazing!

Christopher Cook, Parker Cook, Jesse Moore, Matthew Loewen, Dylan Henderson, Lucy Snyder, Julie Foster, Sarah Rito,
Sally Best, April Staab, Madeline Biever, Fiona Mulley, Abbie Jensen, Stacy Tibbetts, Megan Irwin, Doug Irwin, Olivia Biever, and Rose Hanahan.

05/20/2022

The reviews are pouring in for MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG!
"Want an entertaining and fun Friday night? Go see Merrily We Roll Along at the Boal Barn!"
"What an amazing show!!! These kids blew me away!"
"Wonderful performances by all! My granddaughter and I really enjoyed every minute of the show!"
"Amazing show! So well done. See it if you can."
"5/5 stars!"
"Kudos to you and those BRILLIANT kids for totally captivating me tonight! I'm a cynical native New Yorker so believe me when I say I never give compliments I don't mean."

FINAL PERFORMANCE TONIGHT (Friday) at 7 pm.
Boal Barn Playhouse.
$10 (Venmo ) or check or exact change at the door.
Show rated PG-13. (swearing, alcohol and drug use, sexual situations)

05/13/2022

Singing Onstage proudly presents
Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

May 19th and 20th. 7 pm
Boal Barn Playhouse
163 Boal Estate Drive, Boalsburg, PA

To reserve seats: Venmo $10 per seat (noting which performance, May 19th or 20th) to . NOTE: Due to limited seating, we recommend reserving in advance. If seats are available, you can purchase at the door via Venmo or exact change.

Merrily We Roll Along begins in the present and moves backwards, tracing the lives of wealthy, jaded composer, Franklin Shepard, and his two estranged friends through each milestone of their personal and professional lives (good and bad). The show ends with a touch of rueful irony, as the three best friends at the start of their careers face a bright future: young, talented and enthusiastic about the worlds waiting to be conquered.

Featuring Logan Glaze, Al Eburne, Olivia Biever,
Madeleine Christopher, Spencer Hardyk, Anna Marcovitch, Brooke Shellenberger, Hannah Smith, Eliza Marcovitch,
Hannah Bloom, Hadley Milhomme, Lizzy Stoner

03/29/2022

We highly recommend seeing Fallout: a new play by Mary Gage at The State on Wednesday or Thursday. FUSE produced the first reading of the play and we're thrilled it's bejng fully produced!

A new play by Mary Gage

03/26/2022

Big changes are happening for the Biever family!

We don’t need to tell anyone that the last two years have been a lot. A lot of time to think, a lot of time for things that needed to be dealt with to be dealt with. In addition to making major adjustments for Covid at Singing Onstage and essentially closing down FUSE Productions, we lost Heidi’s mom in May of 2021.

But much good has happened: continued growth in enrollment at Singing Onstage, a full time position for Rich at Penn State and being elected to borough council, Madeline starting classes in the BA program at PSU, Olivia coming to the end of her high school years, and much more.

In the midst of all this, Rich received an offer of a professorship at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Not only that, Heidi will be a teaching artist for Music Theatre Wichita, a major regional theatre. Which of course means we’ll be leaving State College.

It’s a big deal and we weren’t sure how it could happen. But after the initial shock of considering this move, things began to fall into place. Interest came from a former student to take over Singing Onstage and purchase our home. And best of all, both Madeline and Olivia will be joining us in Wichita!

Every single person we met at Wichita State and Music Theatre Wichita are stellar humans. They are kind, thoughtful, and progressive. Rich will be teaching performance and directing classes in the BFA musical theatre program, as well as directing and music directing main stage shows. His future colleagues (almost all women!) are among the most welcoming, collegial, and progressive I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Amy Baker Schwiethale is head of the program and is already proving to be a marvelous colleague. Cheyla Clawson Chandler is the Director of the School for Performing Arts and is an incredibly progressive and forward thinking artist.

Heidi will be helping to develop and grow the education program for Music Theatre Wichita with managing director Angela Cassette and a whole new group of budding musical theatre performers will get to work with Miss Heidi!

We’re absolutely thrilled for the opportunities and the graciousness and flexibility of folks at both organizations. That doesn’t mean we’re thrilled to leave State College. Heidi was born and raised here and we live and work in the house her parents built and taught in for 55 years. One doesn’t leave all that without much thought and prayer.

But now seems the right time. We are hopefully on the other side of the pandemic and in that time we’ve changed. For Rich, it’s now much more about teaching than making theatre. And for Heidi, it’s moving more toward teaching others to teach, and being a part of a larger organization will give her that opportunity.

If you are sad that FUSE and Singing Onstage will no longer exist, don’t be! We have exciting news about the continuation of this important part of the State College arts community but we can’t announce it just yet. Stay tuned!

To say we’re grateful for all that we’ve received while in State College seems totally inadequate. But we are indeed grateful beyond words. The town’s support is incredibly humbling. We started on a wing and a prayer and State College went with us wherever we decided to go.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Rich and Heidi

03/14/2022

Reserve your seat for The Fox Sisters!
It is a joy to announce that FUSE Productions is producing a reading of a brand new musical, called THE FOX SISTERS. Based on the true story of Katie, Maggie, and Leah Fox, it's the story of how the Spiritualism movement began in upstate New York in the mid-1800s.
The show has a book by Jessica Penzias, music by Anthony De Angelis, and lyrics by Christyn Budzyna, the authors of our 2019 children's show THE PRINCE'S NEW PET.
The reading will be on Sunday, March 20, 3 pm at Singing Onstage Studios.
We have approximately 25 seats available. ALL SEATING MUST BE RESERVED. Please respond here below with number of seats needed. Or email [email protected]. First come, first served! We will confirm your seat in the next few days.

Thank you!

02/28/2022

After an exceptionally long hiatus, it's such a joy to announce that FUSE Productions is producing a reading of a brand new musical, called THE FOX SISTERS. Based on the true story of Katie, Maggie, and Leah Fox, it's the story of how the Spiritualism movement began in upstate New York in the mid-1800s.

The show has a book by Jessica Penzias, music by Anthony De Angelis, and lyrics by Christyn Budzyna, the authors of our 2019 children's show THE PRINCE'S NEW PET.

The reading will be on Sunday, March 20 at Singing Onstage Studios. More info about reserving a seat will come soon.

Our amazing cast:
Katie Fox ………………………….………………………...……....Nora Goudie
Maggie Fox……………………….………………………...…...... Olivia Biever
Leah Fox ………………………….…………………..…........…Rose Hanahan
Elisah Kane/Townsman…………………….…………….....… Logan Glaze
Mrs. Fox……………………………………….………….……...… Abbie Jensen
Rebecca Hyde/Clergywoman/Woman 2………...... Bethanie Louise
Mr. Fox/Committee Member 1/Man 1…………....... Jeff Buterbaugh
Mary Redfield/Woman 1/Reporter 1/Lily…….....…..Madeline Biever
Charles Redfield/Host/Man 2……………………................ Chris Hirsh
Hannah Duesler/Reporter 2/Mary/Spirit ..……………… Cat Rokavec
Artemas Hyde/ William Duesler...............…….. Connor Henderson

02/15/2022

Hey State College!
You have a few more chances to see a BRAND NEW MUSICAL! (How often do we get to do that?!?)

Penn State School of Theatre presents NOSTALGIA NIGHT, featuring an amazing cast of BFA musical theatre students, music directed by the one and only Richard Carsey, choreographed by the wonderful Kikora Franklin, and directed by the master John Simpkins, who is also Head of the BFA musical Theatre program.

The show plays tonight (Tuesday) through Saturday and you can purchase 2 for 1 tickets with the code NIGHT here:
https://am.ticketmaster.com/psuarts/buy?filterType=7

Go support these wonderful students and new musical theatre!

01/31/2022

AUDITON NOTICE!
NOTE: To schedule an audition, email director Elaine Meder-Wilgus: [email protected]

Open casting announced for Fallout, a new play that tells the real-life story of Major Claude Eatherly, a pilot driven mad by the horror of Hiroshima and his role in the bombing. This production moves through time and place with abstract sets, staging, and live musical score, using ensemble members to set the scenes. This is a new work, previously staged as a reading in 2019.

Full production slated for State College, PA, March 30-31, 2022. Written by Mary Gage and directed by Elaine Meder-Wilgus, Fallout will play in a house with a potential of 2000+ tickets. Actor will receive an honorarium.

Before auditioning, please confirm that you are available for in-person rehearsal in State College, PA from Sunday, March 13th through March 27th, followed by the TECH/show dates (non-negotiable) March 28-31. Tentatively scheduled with 4 performances, including 2 matinees. SUBJECT to CHANGE due to COVID concerns.

Fallout is one-act, about 90-minutes in length with much ensemble work, so plans are for 2 weeks of in-person rehearsals prior to tech/run dates. Prior to the beginning of formal in-person rehearsals, the following will happen virtually:

Full cast read-thru (1)

Table talks (2-3 with various actors)

COVID safety protocols in place:

Vaccination and boosters required

Rehearsal space has adequate ventilation

Social distancing, masks during majority of rehearsals

Testing during Tech and Run week

Production Dates for FALLOUT 2022:
Monday, March 28th:

Load-In and TECH at the theater

Cast called for cue-to-cue at the theater in evening

Tuesday, March 29th:

DRESS rehearsal, invited preview

Wednesday, March 30th:

School matinee (this is not confirmed) w/ talkback

Opening Night: 7:30pm curtain

Thursday, March 31st:
Matinee: 2pm

Closing Night: 7:30pm curtain

Load-Out

CAST:

Claude Eatherly (Buck) – imaginative, romantic and naïve Texan, to play ages 16 to 40. Major role.

Joe Eatherly – Buck’s brother. Solid, dependable and Texan, actor in 40’s to play ages 28 to 60. Major role.

Concetta Margetti/ensemble Buck’s wife – starlet from California. 25-35. Ethnicity: Latino/Hispanic

Jack Bivans/ensemble sergeant, from Chicago, assistant flight engineer on Straight Flush, 20s

‘Baldy’ Baldasaro/ensemble radio operator on Straight Flush. Italian American, 30s

Paul Tibbets/ensemble Buck’s commanding officer, 30 to 45

Hideko/ensemble a young Japanese girl

Dr. Frank/ensemble Ukrainian psychiatrist at Waco Veterans Hospital, in his 50s

Gunther Anders/ensemble German Jewish philosopher and moralist, mid 40s

Ralph Yarborough/ensemble Texan Senator - progressive Democrat, late 50s

Nate A modern Missileer, will be double cast from ensemble

Judge – live voice over. Can be cast from ensemble
Cast can also perform the role of judge, reporters, mental patients, and chorus.

NOTE: To schedule an audition, email director Elaine Meder-Wilgus: [email protected]

11/30/2021

State College Friends! An amazing performance opportunity from the Centre for Performing Arts:
Dear Friends,
The CPA invites local participants to become a part of the cast of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s new work What Problem? scheduled to be performed at Eisenhower Auditorium on Friday, February 11, 2022. The work requires 25 local cast members. We are hoping to create an ensemble reflective of the diversity of our campus and larger community and will be accepting nominations (self-nominations highly encouraged!) representing diversity along many dimensions, including but not limited to: race, gender, age (minimum of 18 years), socio-economic status, education level, and sexual orientation among them. Below is information on the company’s expectations of a cast participant. Please share this email with anyone you think might be interested in this opportunity, including but not limited to your students and colleagues. We will choose the final cast from among the total nominations.
Cast Participants Information
While dance or other performance experience or training is not necessary, cast participants will be required to comfortably perform for a public audience, sit down on the floor, quickly stand back up, and run onstage. For more information on What Problem? please visit the following link:
https://cpa.psu.edu/events/billtjones
In the week leading up to the performance, participants will rehearse with the professional cast as follows:
Monday, February 7: Rehearsal 6-9
Tuesday, February 8: Rehearsal 6-9
Wednesday, February 9: Rehearsal 6-9
Thursday, February 10: Rehearsal 6-9
Friday, February 11: 2:30-5:30 Tech Rehearsal with the performance at 7:30. Call time TBD.
You must commit to attending all rehearsals, which are tentatively to be held at Eisenhower Auditorium. There will be no unexcused absences or exceptions made to full adherence to the schedule above. If you know you will not be able to meet this complete schedule, please refrain from nominating yourself.
To be considered, each potential applicant must complete the attached brief application form:
Community Cast Participation Survey
This form at the above link is to be completed by December 8.
Please reach out to Cheri Jehu at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Thank you for considering this opportunity.

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company What Problem? 7:30 pm Friday, February 11, 2022 Eisenhower Auditorium What Problem? explores the tension between belonging to a community and feelings of isolation that many people have during these divisive political times. Bill T. Jones adapted What Problem? for pr...

11/28/2021

Can't think of a better way to honor Stephen Sondheim than to share moments from our productions. The breadth and variety of his work is astounding!
Thanks to Jennifer Marcovitch for pulling together some clips from the Sondheim shows we produced.
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
Directed by Emmy Frank Levine, Choreography by Donna Dunmire, Music Direction by Richard Biever, Set by Lino Toyos, Lights by Tyler Sperrazza , Costumes from the Arden in Philly, designed by Richard StClair, Stage Manager: Jessica Fleischman
Cast included: Jonathan O'Harrow, Asher Dubin, Talia Suskauer, Miranda Gelch, Johnny Link, and Alex Dorf.
SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM (Singing Onstage)
Cast: Olivia Biever, Hannah Bloom, Anna Marcovitch, Al Eburne, and Logan Glaze
ASSASSINS
Directed by Richard Biever, Choreography and SM by Jill Brighton, Music Direction by Garrett Martin, Set by Molly White, Lights by Tyler Sperrazza and Ethan Vail, and Costumes by Jenny Kenyon, ASM: Rachel Charney
The cast included Mike Waldhier, Tyler Sperrazza, Jonathan O'Harrow, Cat Rokavec, Kat Shondeck, Kyler Sherman-Wilkins, Steve Travis, James McCready, Justin Shondeck, Tim Vetere, Madeline Biever, Susan Chiovarou Burlingame, John Nichici, Chris Hirsh, and Leighton Smithwick
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
Directed (and Music Directed) by Richard Biever, SM and Choreographed by Jill Brighton, Set by Michael Benson, Lights by Tyler Sperrazza, Costumes by Julie Snyder, Sound by Michael Blake, ASM: Rachel Charney
The cast included: Tyler Sperrazza, James McCready, Madeline Biever, Katie Kensinger, Leah Mueller, and Jonathan O'Harrow
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
Directed by Richard Biever, Music Director Alex Shields, Set by Lino Toyos, Lights by Tyler Sperrazza, Projections by Andrew Haag, Costumes by Julie Snyder, Sound by Michael Blake, Stage Manager: Gail McCormick, ASM: Rachel Davis-Charney
Cast included J.D. Daw, Leah Mueller, Joyce Robinson, Norman Spivey, Martha Traverse, Abbie Jensen, James J Ruth, Sarah Rito, Jackson Pavlik, Bethanie Louise, Michaela Tloczynski, Jeff Buterbaugh, Connor Henderson, Susan Chiovarou Burlingame, Avalina Brannen, and Dylan Henderson.