UNK’s Music, Theatre and Dance Department is preparing for their final production, “and Happily Ever After,” a revue that marks the end of an era. After 30 years, the program is being cut due to budget constraints, making this spring’s show not only the last of the semester, but the last ever.
What stands as a goodbye, instead, shines as a celebration of everything the program has stood for.
“This show is our goodbye letter,” said Janice Fronczak, director of “and Happily Ever After,” and theatre professor. “Theatre’s not going to die just because it died here, it’s just been taken away from us. We’re going out in a positive way.”
The musical is conceived and directed by Anne Foradori, music professor, along with director Fronczak. They have worked together for 24 years.
Instead of staging a traditional book musical, “and Happily Ever After” is an original musical revue made up of 22 hand-selected songs to reflect the program’s history and legacy.
Half of the cast is made up of alumni, some of whom have returned from as far as New York, Washington and Arizona. These alumni are still active in the arts and are paying their own way to participate in the last production.
“We put out a call to our alumni and the response was overwhelming,” Foradori said. “These are performers we nurtured here, who are now professionals, and they still care enough to come back and give us this gift of time and talent.”
Each song has been carefully chosen to showcase the voices and stories of the performers. Many alumni are repeating songs they once sang 20 years ago.
Chris Terry, one of the returning alumni, said the UNK theatre program sparked a renewed passion for performing.
“The UNK theatre program helped rekindle my love for theatre after a long break from performing,” Terry said. “I started with a one-act that was directed by a friend, met a lot of new friends who I’d eventually perform with and had a ton of fun. After the one-act, I did my first musical in years with UNK’s ‘Mirette.’ Thanks to UNK theatre, I’ve now been heavily involved in shows at Kearney Community Theatre. I am performing with Crane River this summer and plan to always continue doing theatre in some capacity in the future.”
The alumni unable to attend in person are participating in a virtual choir featuring 25 alumni from across the country, singing “Seasons of Love.” The production also includes short video segments from six alumni sharing how their time in the theatre program has shaped their professional careers, honoring the program’s impact.
Foradori said the cast, crew and live band consists of nearly 50 people. Every performer appears in multiple pieces, and Foradori said students have poured their hearts into making the show unforgettable.
Makayla Strosnider, a junior majoring in visual communications and minoring in theatre, said the emotional weight of this being the final production hasn’t fully hit her yet.
Strosnider said it feels like just another show right now. She said it will hit once the stage is cleared and the cast hears the final speech. She hopes people remember what they’ve accomplished, not only in performance but in the messages they’ve shared through theatre.
“No one wants this to be the final production,” Foradori added. “It’s a big loss for the community and for western Nebraska. But we’re proud of what we’ve done, and we’re ending on a high note.”
“and Happily Ever After” is free to attend, with tickets available at the box office. Performances are at the Miriam Drake Theatre, May 2 through 4, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
“The strongest voice we have is the voice we make in our art,” Fronczak said. “When you come to the theatre and see students who can sing, dance, act and know they were trained here, that’s my voice speaking.”
