Message from the Artistic Director
Carla S. Gibbs-Zellmer
Welcome one and all to the performance today!
This presentation is brought to you by the MPAC Dance Company, which is a select assemblage of the greater student body of Milford Performing Arts Center. Company members are a dedicated group of students who put in a lot of extra time and hard work, beyond their regular, weekly dance classes. The payoff for their sacrifice and determination is they are placed into the lead roles during the annual Nutcracker, and they get to perform a Company-only show each spring.
This year, we're bringing back one of our favorite story ballets, Coppelia. We first premiered our version of this ballet in 2007, and then brought it back to the stage in 2017. We're excited to introduce yet another generation of dancers and MPAC families to this staple in our reparatory.
As always, I am super-proud of the students and what they have been able to achieve. Please show your appreciation throughout the performance. They not only deserve it, but it also helps bring a positive energy to the venue that helps elevate the entire experience for all.
Again, thank you for coming and supporting our dancers, and we look forward to seeing you again on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, for our annual Spring Recital, which features the entire MPAC student body.
Sincerely,
-Carla
Prior MPAC casts of Coppelia
2007
2017
Story Adaptation by : Torres, Woods, Zellmer and Zellmer
SYNOPSIS
~~~ ACT I
The curtain opens to reveal a small European village at early morning. Franz & Swanilda are kissing and flirting. The town dollmaker, Dr. Coppelius, appears on her balcony putting her newest doll, Coppelia, out for the day. Swanilda flees in embarrassment. Seeing the lovers, Dr. Coppelius gets the idea to see if she can make Franz fall in love with Coppelia.
The town awakens and the square comes to life. Dr. Coppelius brings Coppelia down into the square and everyone wonders who this beautiful girl is. All of the boys immediately vie for her attention as Swanilda and her friends get jealous of the boys’ attentions to Coppelia and they leave.
Later that afternoon, all of the boys serenade Coppelia. That evening, Dr. Coppelius returns Coppelia to her place in the shop, and after she leaves, the jealous girls break into the doll shop to find out more about the new girl in town. They explore the doll shop and its interesting accoutrements before they realize that Coppelia is just a doll. The girls find Coppelia and turn her mechanism on so she dances. Then they turn on other dolls they find (Chinese, Spanish, Scottish and Soldiers) and they each dance until one of the girls hears a noise outside and they all hide amongst the dolls and doll parts.
Dr. Coppelius and Franz enter and they tour the workshop, but Franz is only interested in seeing Coppelia. At last, Dr. Coppelius reveals her prize doll, Coppelia, who is now really Swanilda dressed-up like Coppelia. Still thinking Coppelia is a real girl, Franz vows his true love to Coppelia and he takes her hand and they dance. Neither Dr. Coppelius nor Franz recognize Swanilda until her fan is moved away from her face. Franz tries to hide from Swanilda and Dr. Coppelius tries to apprehend the imposter-intruder.
During the chase, Swanilda’s friends are forced out of hiding and they all overwhelm Dr. Coppelius. The girls trample Franz and carry out the real Coppelia doll before fleeing. Ashamed, Franz follows.
*** INTERMISSION ***
~~~ ACT II
The curtain opens to reveal the village on the next day. Everyone is out preparing for the marriage of Franz and Swanilda. However, Swanilda is crying. Franz tries to apologize but Swanilda rejects him and a fight ensues between the boys versus the girls.
Feeling bad for causing such troubles, Dr. Coppelius makes the couple resolve their differences and make-up. The festivities continue and Dr. Coppelius retrieves Coppelia and returns her to her shop. Swanilda and Franz dance together until Franz discovers that he is dancing with a doll. Puzzled, he looks high and low for Swanilda. Finally, he sees his lover up on Dr. Coppelius’ balcony along side Dr. Coppelius, waving.
Cast
In Alphabetical Order
Andrea Boronow - (Village Teen)
Andrea is 16 years old and is a sophomore in DVHS where she just completed her wrestling season. Her favorite style of dance is lyrical. Andrea is excited to be dancing in the show with her sisters Julia and Lydia. Andrea hopes to some day work in the field of education.
Julia Boronow - (Village Teen/Spanish Doll)
Julia is 15 years old and in the 9th grade. She has been dancing for 5 years. Julia enjoys musical theater and is a member of the Drama Club at DVHS. She is currently enjoying working with their director, Ms. Fitzkee on their upcoming production of Mamma Mia. Julia is super excited to be performing in this company show!
Lydia Boronow - (Village Child)
Lydia is 11 years old and has been dancing for 3 years. Her favorite color is lavender. Lydia absolutely loves dancing and is so excited to be going en pointe after this show! She hopes to one day have a big role in a MPAC production.
Kyle Czekaj - (Franz’s Friend)
Kyle is 16 years old and is a Junior at DVHS. He is a member of the DV Drama Club and has performed in multiple musicals both in and out of school. Kyle is an Honorary Company Member and is very excited to be in his first MPAC production.
Halie Decker - (Village Child/Rag Doll)
Halie is 12 years old and is in the 7th grade. Her favorite subject is Math. In her spare time she likes to paint and sing. Halie’s favorite styles of dance are lyrical and jazz. She is a teacher’s helper and her favorite colors are lavender and baby blue.
Averi Dunn – (Swanilda)
Averi is 17 years old and has been dancing for 16 of them! She attends DVHS where she is the manager for their football team and the boys lacrosse team. Her favorite styles of dance are ballet and tap. Averi is MPAC’s senior apprentice. Her favorite animal is an Aye-Aye.
Sarah Edwards-Ronning - (Village Teen)
Sarah is 16 years old. She will be attending Ballet Magnificat’s Summer Intensive program for the month of July. Sarah has been dancing at MPAC for 6 years. In her free time, Sarah enjoys reading, watching movies and hanging out with family and friends.
Jaydin Erickson - (Swanilda’s Friend)
Jaydin is 16 years old and is a junior at DVHS where she is a boys lacrosse manager. Her two favorite colors are orange and yellow. This will be Jaydin’s 15th year with MPAC and she loves lyrical and tap. Jaydin hopes to be a doctor someday. Her favorite animal is a Star Faced Mole.
Ashley Failace - (Village Teen/Chinese Doll)
Ashley is almost 14 years old and has been dancing since she is 9. Her favorite style of dance is ballet. She attends New Life Christian School. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys playing the piano. She is also a teacher’s helper.
Joy Failace - (Swanilda’s Friend)
Joy is 17 years old and a junior in HS. Her favorite style of dance is lyrical. In her spare time, Joy enjoys playing the guitar. Her favorite animal is a Yak.
Phoenix Failace - (Franz’s Friend)
Phoenix is 11 years old and is in the 5th grade. His favorite subject in school is history and his favorite style of dance is jazz. This is Phoenix’s first company show. He loves the color green and his favorite holiday is Christmas. Phoenix can’t wait for summer to come because it’s his favorite season!
Georgia Gelderman - (Swanilda’s Friend)
Georgia is 17 years old and is a senior at High Point Regional HS where she is in the marching band. She will be attending Mount Holyoke College this fall where she will be majoring in Chemistry. Her favorite color is green. Georgia has been dancing for 15 years and her favorite style of dance is lyrical. Her favorite animal is a Hadal Snailfish.
Margo Hillmann - (Magician Coppelius)
Margo is 16 years old and is a sophomore at Scranton Prepratory School. Her favorite color is green. Margo has been dancing at MPAC for 14 years and her favorite style of dance is ballet. Margo's favorite music to listen to is country. Her favorite animal is a Sea Pig.
Kira Kniess - (Village Teen)
Kira is 17 years old and is a senior at Sussex County Technical School. She will be attending Sussex County Community College in the fall where she will be studying Business Management. In her spare time, Kira likes to draw and paint.
Emma Kostic- (Village Teen/Harlequin Doll)
Emma is 15 years old and hopes to one day get her esthetician license as well as a master’s degree in psychology. When she’s not dancing, Emma loves to hang out with her friends. She also enjoys watching South Park.
Kaitlin Kostic - (Swanilda’s Friend)
Kaitlin is 17 years old and is a senior at Minisink Valley HS. In the fall, she will be attending Mount Saint Mary College where she will pursue a degree in nursing. This is Kaitlin’s first (and last!) company show. Her favorite animal is a Mealworm.
Abigale Majewicz - (Village Child)
Abigale is 10 years old and attends DDES. Her favorite style of dance is ballet and she loves the color purple. Abby is excited to be in company and hopes to be a dance teacher when she grows up.
Mackenzie Morgan - (Village Child)
Mackenzie is 7 years old and attends Shohola Elementary. She has been dancing for 5 years. Mackenzie’s favorite subject is art. In her free time she loves to play with her toys. This is her first company show. Mackenzie hopes to be a dancer when she grows up.
Rylee Nitecki - (Swanilda’s Friend)
Rylee is 13 years old and attends DVMS where she participates in track. She has been dancing for 11 years and her favorite styles of dance are ballet and contemporary. Rylee is currently a MPAC apprentice and hopes to be a professional dancer when she grows up. Her favorite animal is an anteater.
Hannah Olivier- (Coppelia)
Hannah is 16 years old and is a sophomore at DVHS where she is the football and boys lacrosse manager. Her favorite colors are pink and pastel yellow. Hannah’s favorite style of dance is lyrical. Her favorite animal is a Megalodon Shark.
Brielle Ortiz - (Village Child)
Brielle is 9 years old and is in the 4th grade at Shohola Elementary where her favorite subject is math. Her favorite style of dance is lyrical. This is Brielle’s first company show. She really enjoys reading and when she grows up, Brielle wants to be a teacher.
Makayla Riker - (Village Child)
Makayla is 10 years old and goes to Montague Township School. Her favorite style of dance is ballet and this is her first company show. Makayla loves ice cream and her favorite color is purple. When she grows up, Makayla would like to be an artist.
Caylee Julie Roa - (Village Child)
Caylee is 10 years old and attends Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Middletown, NY. She loves the color pink and anything tie dyed! Caylee’s favorite styles of dance are Jazz and Ballet. She has been dancing for 6 years. In her spare time, Caylee likes art and practicing dance.
Rachel Sandor - (Village Teen)
Rachel is 13 ½ years old. She has been dancing since she was 9. Rachel has been homeschooled all her life. She enjoys playing the violin in her spare time. Rachel is a teacher’s helper.
Olivia Webb - (Village Teen/Scottish Doll)
Olivia is 16 years old and is homeschooled. She loves country music and likes to cook in her spare time. This is Olivia’s first company show. She has been dancing with MPAC for the past 5 years.
Avangeline Zellmer - (Village Child)
Avangeline is 9 years old and attends Shohola Elementary School. Ava has been dancing for 7 years. Her favorite color is pink. Ava loves being a company member and dancing in their productions.
Colin Zellmer – (Franz’s Friend)
Colin is 12 years old and in the 6th grade at DVMS where he participates in chorus, band and orchestra. His favorite style of dance is jazz. Colin has been dancing since he was 2. He is currently a teacher’s helper. In his spare time, Colin enjoys drawing.
Everett Zellmer – (Franz)
Everett is 16 years old and is a sophomore at DVHS. He is a member of the DVHS Drama Club and is hard at work preparing for their production of Mamma Mia this April. Everett is a MPAC apprentice and his favorite style of dance is lyrical. His favorite animal is a Muskrat.
Acknowledgements
PRODUCED BY: Milford Performing Arts Center
* Bryan Zellmer, Executive Producer
* Carla Gibbs-Zellmer, Artistic Director
TEACHING STAFF
* Jessica Sudano: Modern Dance and Intermediate Tap
* Melissa Thomas: Advanced Tap and Theater Dance
* Carla Zellmer: Ballet, Lyrical, Combos, Company, etc.
APPRENTICES
* Averi Dunn
* Rylee Nitecki
* Everett Zellmer
TEACHER'S HELPER
* Halie Decker
* Ashley Faillace
* Rachel Sandor
* Colin Zellmer
LIGHTS
* Bryan Zellmer
AUDIO
* Devin Zellmer
SET DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION/CREW CHIEF
* Dan Torres
BACKSTAGE CREW
* Dan Davis
* Ashley Torres
* Gabe Torres
* Gideon Torres
BACKSTAGE COORDINATOR
* Barbara Sudano
SEAMSTRESS & CHECK-IN
* Janet Gibbs
COSTUMES
* Carla Zellmer
* Janet Gibbs
* James Campistrous
* Lorelei Davis
* Barbara Sudano
FRONT OF HOUSE
* Christine Williams
* Allison Dunn
* Kevin Dunn
* Camille Diaz
* Sue Olivier
* Jen Moore
* Elena Nitecki
PHOTOGRAPHY
* Thomas Duncan Photography
VIDEO
* The Davis Family
OTHER THANK-YOUS & MENTIONS
* Thanks to DVHS for use of their theater
* Insurance provided by: State Farm Insurance
* Special THANKS to all of the Parents, Ushers, Load/Clean-up Crews, Scholarship Committee and all else who helped with this show!
* A huge THANK YOU to all of the MPAC Families!
Notables (rules)
* Applauding during a dance IS acceptable (and appreciated)
* Please pickup after yourselves; don’t leave anything behind in the theater, whether you want it or not (use a trash can)...we want to be invited back for future shows!
* Please set your cell phones to vibrate; don’t text during the show; and don’t answer/talk on the phones in the theater (use the lobby if it cannot wait)
* While photography IS permitted, please DO NOT USE A FLASH during the show, and please be mindful of the people around/behind you with how and where you hold your device, and with the brightness of your screen turned down low.
* Live penguins are not permitted in the building. Please leave them at the zoo, public aquarium, or in their wild habitat. Thank you!
Thank You!
Thank You
...for your financial support!
For those in the position to do so, thank you for your support! Donations help us in three ways: to support tuition scholarships (based on financial need), college scholarships (for graduating company members), and general operating support (to help us keep our doors open while we still continue to rebuild from the devastating impacts of the pandemic).
We will be accepting donations by check (made out to "MPAC") and cash, in-person during performances, and we welcome digital donations as well, at any time:
Via Zelle (preferred): carla@mpaconline.com
Via Venmo:
@carla-zellmerMPAC
THANK YOU!!!!!