Elmira College Presents Term III Musical on May 19 and 20

by Elmira College

Elmira, NY (05/03/2023) — The Elmira College Theatre Program will close out the academic year with the musical performance of Edges: A Song Cycle. The public is welcome to attend on Friday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday, May 20, at 2:00 p.m. in the Gibson Theatre of Emerson Hall on the Elmira College campus.

Admission is $5. Tickets are available for pre-purchase via www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5769227, or available at the door via cash, Venmo or Paypal. Tickets are complimentary for children 12 and under, current EC students, faculty, and staff with an ID. Proceeds will go toward future Elmira College Theatre performances.

Rebecca Rich, the show's director and Director of the Elmira College Theatre Program, said, "The composer and lyricist team of Pasek and Paul have been on my radar for a while. Their music resonates with me and our students, and I believe audiences will find both connection and entertainment as they experience the show, too! I'm proud of our students and our entire team for all of the work they've accomplished this season. This is a great showcase for our students and theatre program to close the year!"

Edges is a coming-of-age story about people in their 20s. It is written as a song cycle, which means there is no dialogue. Cycles are made up of a large group of songs meant to be sung in a sequence to make a complete unit. It was written by the American songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who won Golden Globe and Academy Awards for their music in La La Land and The Greatest Showman.

Pasek and Paul wrote Edges while they were attending Michigan State University. They were unhappy with the roles they were assigned in the musical theatre productions at the school.

Kevin Silfee '23, a senior Psychology major, has participated in a production almost every term since his freshman year.

"Being a part of theatre has been a great outlet for creativity and fun at Elmira," Silfee said. "Edges will be my last show. It has beautiful and exciting music and it's been wonderful to work with my peers and create one last show together!"

EC was excited to hire Filomena Jack as a Costume Coordinator and Designer. Filomena is a phenomenal multi-talented artist working in many areas of the Elmira community.

"I'm new to working in the EC Theatre Department and I can't express enough how impressed I am with the team," Jack said. "Magic happens both behind the sets and on the stage. Our community is made more lovely by the contributions of the students and staff! I'm excited to work on Edges with this talented group!"

The production cast is:

Kevin Silfee '23
Jasmine Denny '24
Alleney Klunk '25
Melody Buckley '26
Alyssa Camilo '26
Ayden Herreid '26
Dillon Tyler '26

Direction by Rebecca Rich; Music Direction by Randy Cornell; Scenic, Lighting and Sound Design, and Technical Direction by Scott McGuire; Costume Design by Filomena Jack; Stage Management by Emma Gentry '25

Questions? Email theatredepartment@elmira.edu.

ABOUT ELMIRA COLLEGE

Founded in 1855, Elmira College is a private, residential, liberal arts college offering 25-plus majors, an honors program, 17 academic societies, and 16 Division III varsity teams. Located in the Southern Finger Lakes Region of New York, Elmira's undergraduate and graduate student population hails from more than 20 states and nine countries. Elmira is a Phi Beta Kappa College and has been ranked a top college, nationally, for student internships. The College is also home to the Center for Mark Twain Studies, one of four historically significant Twain heritage sites in the U.S., which attracts Twain scholars and educators from around the world for research on the famous literary icon. Proud of its history and tradition, the College is committed to the ideals of community service, and intellectual and individual growth.