Friday, February 20, 2009

DFW theatre professionals collaborate on Big River

By Pegasus News wire

Award winning artists Mark Mullino (Dallas) and Paula Morelan (Garland) are currently collaborating with Brad Baker, Chair of Theatre at Collin College, for the Collin Theatre Center production of Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Mr. Mullino is a professional director, musical director, teacher, pianist, artist and actor having worked at virtually all of the professional theatres in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He has directed, musical directed and/or appeared at Collin Theatre Center Theatre, Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre, Casa Manana, WaterTower Theatre, Uptown Players, Plano Repertory Theatre, Theatre Arlington, Theatre Three, Lyric Stage and many others throughout the USA. Big River is his first time to direct at Collin College, having been musical director on the last five musicals (Lil Abner, Don't Rock The Jukebox, The Rocky Horror Puppet Show, Bat Boy and Assassins).

Ms. Morelan holds a BFA from Texas Christian University and studied with Nathalia Krassovska, Victor Moreno, and Fernando Schaffenburg. She has worked with Garland Summer Musicals, Music Theatre of Wichita, Kincaid Theatre (in Kentucky), WaterTower Theatre, Uptown Players, Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre, Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, Theatre Three, Dallas Repertory Theatre, Lyric Stage, Dallas Theatre Center Teen/Children’s Theatre, Vivid Theatre Ensemble, Plano Repertory Theatre, and Dallas Children’s Theatre. Ms. Morelan has completed numerous original works with Vivid Theatre Ensemble, Celebrate Plano ’95 and GCT’s Children on Stage.

Big River is a musical with lyrics by Roger Miller and book by William Hauptman adapted from the novel by Mark Twain. This heartfelt American musical follows a young Huck in pre-Civil war America, and features the story of Huck’s journey downstream with the runaway slave Jim.

“I hope audiences will find the power and passion in this story,” says Mullino. “It is a deeply emotional play about a pivotal moment in our nation’s history and its way of thinking.”

Big River will be presented by the Collin Theatre Center at Collin College, in the John Anthony Theatre in Plano. Performances are March 5-7, March 11-14 at 8 p.m., with matinees on March 8, 14-15 at 2:15 p.m. Tickets are $15 for General Admission, $10 for Students and Senior Citizens (55+). Group rates are available. For tickets and other information call the Collin Theatre Hotline at 972.881.5100 or visit us on the web at www.collintheatrecenter.com.

NOTE: A TTY information line for deaf patrons is available at 972.881.5117. Performances on Sunday, March 8 at 2:15 p.m. and Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. will be sign-interpreted for patrons who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing.

Source: Collin Theatre Center

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