By Mike Greife,
February 5, 2018
WARRENSBURG, MO – The Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Central
Missouri will host the opening of “The GAP Project,” a cabaret performance of music
by Gershwin and Porter, commissioned from and directed by Kip Niven, the Meridith
Harmon Sauer Guest Artist for the Department of Theatre and Dance.
“The GAP Project” runs Feb. 8-10 in the Nickerson Black Box Theatre. Curtain is at
7:30 p.m., with doors open at 7 p.m. All tickets are $5 general admission. Children
under the age of 5 are not admitted to mainstage and studio productions
In November 2017, Niven, a former Broadway and Hollywood actor and a current mainstay
in Kansas City theatre, came to UCM to teach a master class in musical theatre acting.
During his three-day residency he taught UCM Theatre and Dance students his David
Craig technique and used the master class as an audition for the Gershwin and Porter
(GAP) project.
Brant Challacombe, from The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, serves as musical
director and accompanist for the cabaret. The cast of 12 includes six women, Jessica
Arnold, Emily Coffin, Alexandria Poindexter, Jacquelyn Price, Danielle Sachse and
Maya Strickland, and six men, Connor Bosworth, Omari Collins, Tristan Jordan, Zachary
Kujath, Grant Lesher and Adam Segura. The cabaret is stage managed by Nehemiah Campbell
and is technically directed and lighting designed by Cody Nelson.
Each member of the cast will sing either a ballad or an up-tempo piece, as well as
a duet. Gershwin and Porter provide a number of internationally well-known songs which
will be featured in the cabaret. Some of those include “I Get A Kick Out Of You,”
“They All Laughed,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” “Embraceable You,” “You’re The
Top,” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”
“The GAP Project” promises to be a walk down memory lane and a celebration of two
of America’s greatest composers.
