Westfield resident Melissa Sosnowski is convinced “Light on the Horizon” is a great way for Civic Theatre to return to live performances.
The performances, set for April 29 to May 15 at The Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, will be the first shows since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a lockdown. Attendance will be restricted for social distancing. There is a livestream option as well.
Most of the songs are from the 2021-22 season or shows Civic Theatre officials plan to present in the future.
“I love that this format is giving audiences a taste of what is to come for the season, and it gives us a chance to perform in numbers that we would otherwise not be able to do,” Sosnowski said “The first half is very high energy with a lot of dancing and group numbers, and the second half has more of a focus on individual features or smaller numbers. The entire cast is incredibly talented, and I am so happy to be a part of this show.”
A 2007 Carmel High School graduate, Sosnowski is on stage for all of the group numbers. She has a dance feature in “You Should Be Dancing” and is a member of the quartet doing “Go Into Your Dance.”
“I was in rehearsals for a show when everything got shut down,” Sosnowski said. “I have not been on stage since Civic’s performance of ‘Elf’ in December 2019. To say I was eager to get back is definitely an understatement. Civic is my home away from home, and I have never gone this long without being on stage at The Tarkington. It feels so good to finally be returning to normal.”
Carmel High School senior Emily Chrzanowski has performed in one production since the pandemic began. The show was “Holiday Lights,” which was Civic Theatre’s virtual holiday cabaret.
“But this will be my first time performing for a live audience since the pandemic, which I am absolutely thrilled about,” she said.
Chrzanowski sings “Journey to the Past from the musical “Anastasia.” In addition, she a part in various group numbers.
“The thing I most like about the format of this show is the ability to tell a beautiful and unique story without the songs being from the same show,” said Chrzanowski, who will attend Ball State University as a musical theater major in the fall. “We get to welcome the audience back to live theater and show them all of the productions to look forward to in the amazing upcoming season.”
Zionsville resident Mikayla Koharchik will sing “Loud” from “Matilda the Musical.” She was cast in the role of Mrs. Wormwood in “Matilda,” which has twice been postponed. It is now scheduled for the spring of 2022. Koharchik also sings “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid” as a duet with Bridgette Ludlow. Koharchik said it will be special to perform before a live audience in more than a year.
“It is a preview of the excitement to come. However, the songs have been changed just a bit to give the show more of a cabaret feel,” she said. “There will be mashups and some new arrangements, too. The audience also will hear a couple of well-known tunes which are given a new twist to honor being back in theater.”
Koharchik said the pandemic created some unique opportunities for her to perform. In October 2020, she was a part of Civic’s “Ghost Light Cabaret,” a livestream production.
“I also had the opportunity to be a part of a completely virtual sitcom written by a Civic performer Virginia Vasquez Vought,” she said. “Artists have found unique ways to create, but there is nothing that can replicate a live audience. There really aren’t words to express how excited I am for the arts to come back, not just as a performer but also as someone who finds joy in watching other artists perform.
“It’s really beginning to feel like there is truly a light on the horizon.”
The performances are at 7 p.m. April 29-30, May 7-9 and May 14-15. There is a 2 p.m. matinee May 2. For more, visit civictheatre.org.
