BUSYMOM
Vocals by Amalia Tollas

SPEEDILY A TALE IS SPUN
Vocals by Andreanna Buccheri, Maria Hanley, Kimmy Immanuel, Jonah Kramer, Max Meyers, Lizzie Perkins, Amanda Pinto, Gwynne Richmond, & Amalia Tollas
Accompaniment by Milton Granger

COME OUT OF THE CAGE
Vocals by Amalia Tollas

DO YOU LIKE IT?
Vocals by Erica Aubrey, Sandy Binion, Brynne O'Malley, Merrill Grant, & Jasmin Walker
Accompaniment by Milton Granger

TETHERBALL
Vocals by Merrill Grant & Jasmin Walker
Accompaniment by Milton Granger

KODIAK IN HIS NEW HOME
Vocals by Andreanna Buccheri, Maria Hanley, Kimmy Immanuel, Jonah Kramer, Lizzie Perkins, Amanda Pinto, Gwynne Richmond, Christopher Staskel, & Hannah Zimmerman

MY BEDROOM IS A GARDEN
Vocals by Andreanna Buccheri, Catherine Geller, Emily Goldman, Maria Hanley, Kimmy Immanuel, Jonah Kramer, Max Meyers, Lizzie Perkins, Amanda Pinto, Gwynne Richmond, Amalia Tollas, & Hannah Zimmerman

HOW IM GOING TO KILL EVRYONE
Vocals by Andreanna Buccheri, Catherine Geller, Maria Hanley, Kimmy Immanuel, Jonah Kramer, Max Meyers, Lizzie Perkins, Amanda Pinto, Gwynne Richmond, Amalia Tollas, & Hannah Zimmerman

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER
Vocals by Hannah Zimmerman & Amalia Tollas

THE NOTE (REPRISE)
Vocals by Sandy Binion & Brynne O'Malley
Accompaniment by Milton Granger

THE FIREBIRD

Music by LISA WHITSON BURNS
Words by CHRISTOPHER STASKEL

Based on real events, The Firebird is the story of 34-year-old Paige Maynard who, against her mother Annette’s wishes, adopts a nine-year-old Russian boy named Kodiak, a social orphan taken away from his alcoholic mother at the age of four. As Paige struggles to be a good mother and Kodiak struggles to adapt to his new home, Annette outwardly resents the boy’s intrusion upon her close, near-exclusive relationship with her daughter. When Kodiak’s increasingly violent behavior becomes unmanageable, Annette convinces Paige to send the boy back to Russia with a one-way ticket, alone.

The events of the story are presented through Paige and Kodiak’s alternating dreams, which are heavily influenced by “The Firebird,” a Russian fairy tale they would read together before bedtime. True to life, the language of each dream is specific to the dreamer. Paige’s dreams are more realistic, and contain structured songs and spoken dialogue, while Kodiak’s are painted with broader strokes, brought to life through narrative modern dance and choral singing.

The Firebird is about two broken individuals struggling to forge a connection with one another. Though they come from separate cultures and speak different languages, both Paige and Kodiak are fighting to overcome the near-paralyzing psychological damage wrought by their mothers and to find hope and love in a new mother-child relationship.

Photos by Jake Nathanson

"Kodiak Becomes the Firebird"
7/26/13 Dance Workshop

Choreography by FRANKLIN BAREFOOT
Dancers: ASHLEIGH CLAIRE MILLER, LAUREN KRAVITZ, LARA GEMMITI, JONAH KRAMER, JUSTIN RIVERA, & MOLLY McSHERRY
Piano: MAX MAMON & BRIAN CAVANAGH-STRONG