Next week, the timeless rags-to-riches tale of a charismatic young woman from Argentina will live on at University Park with help from two Penn State alumnae.
Next Wednesday and Thursday, Eisenhower Auditorium will be home to the Broadway touring production of Evita, the musical biography of the late, great Eva Peron.
Two company members responsible for bringing the show to State College, stage manager Patty Grabb and dance captain Lisa Schale, are recent Penn State graduates.
Grabb graduated in 2005 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in stage management. Since her departure from State College three years ago, she has been a part of five national touring companies.
"I have been touring the country and basically working my way up," Grabb said. "This industry is all about who you know and putting yourself out there."
Grabb has been a part of the Evita tour since September. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice collaborated in 1976 to produce the epic story of an ambitious girl from Buenos Aires who captures the hearts of Argentineans.
Laura Sullivan, marketing director for the Center of Performing Arts, credited the choice of Evita to a delicate balancing act between newer shows and the classics. Sullivan called the show's creators, Rice and Lloyd-Webber, "Broadway's dynamic duo."
"We pick shows with the highest quality that we know our vendors will enjoy," Sullivan said.
Grabb said the tour has been fun but the schedule gets to be a little grueling after constantly performing each night and packing up to move on the next day. As a crewmember, she travels separate from the cast.
"We arrive at 8 a.m., put up the sets all day, have the show at night," she said. "Sometimes we have to take it down that night, get back on the bus, sleep the whole way, wake up and do it again."
Grabb said the hectic schedule tends to get a little overwhelming but that it's part of the fun.
"We aren't in an environment for more than a couple of days and we are constantly adapting," Grabb said. "Some stages are smaller than others and we have to cut things, like ensemble dancers or sets."
Grabb said it is her job to control the communications. She has to be in touch with every department and know the show inside and out.
"It is a business, we get to artistically produce each night, but this is a job," Grabb said.
She finds returning to Eisenhower "incredibly exciting." She has come back to visit, like any dedicated alumna, but this is her first time coming back to show off what she has accomplished.
"I got my big dream, I'm out here doing what I want to do," Grabb said.
Upon her return, she will be giving current students in stage management classes a tour of the behind-the-scenes production of Evita. She plans to advise the students to push themselves once they've graduated.
"Go out there and meet people, make contacts," Grabb said. "It's going to be a while for people to get back to you but keep doing it."
While Grabb learned how to handle situations backstage at University Park, Penn State taught Schale how to perform on stage. Schale graduated in 2003 with a degree in musical theater. Since then, she has been touring with a children's theater company and then was on a national tour for Cats, also written by Lloyd Webber.
"Most of my career out of college has been touring," Schale said.
For the two years Schale was on stage with Cats, she played more than six roles in the company, including a significant role, Rumpelteazer, and dance captain.
Schale said the audition process is always tough.
"I went to the open call for Evita and they called me back four times for singing and dancing," Schale said. "I just kept getting called back."
She said each actor has his or her own course of action for auditioning,
"Some people have worked for the company before and others know someone on the inside," Schale said. "In this industry, each actor has their own process for getting roles."
Since the beginning of the Broadway tour of Evita, Schale said she has been visiting regions all over the United States, but is looking forward to returning to her alma mater.
"I loved Penn State," Schale said, "Me and Patty talk about going back all the time."
Schale hasn't returned to Penn State since 2004 and has an itinerary planned for the visit.
"Visiting my favorite bar with all my friends is a must," Schale said. She also plans to visit her old theater and dance professors and has been asked to return to some theater classes to lecture the students on life in the real world.
"I just plan on telling them to keep their spirits up. Auditions are a lot different from college -- you get a lot of 'no's and 'thank you very much's," Schale said. "You have to keep training because you're never done and you should find a good support group."
Choosing Penn State for its theater program was a personal choice for Schale. She praises the school for its ability to train students in all three aspects of musical theater -- singing, dancing and acting.
"Professors have the experience and knowledge to push you to do better," Schale said. "I don't think I would be where I am today if it wasn't for Penn State."
