Matt O’Connor: President/Editor-In-Chief
On Saturday, October 3rd. The OnStagers Dramatic Society put on their one night cabaret style performance of Love Notes. Directed by the talented trio of Frankie Sheffield, Mira deJesus- Israel and Grace Ganim for their senior capstone project, the production starred an unforgettable cast whose performances left the audience lovestruck.This one night only show was filled with numerous songs delving deep into the emotional themes and countless meanings of love.
The Cast
Dasia Allen: A stellar performer who’s starred in many different musicals and acted in productions adapted the works of Shakespeare.
Fiona Angelone: She’s been starring in performances ever since 6th Grade and her absolute favorite musical is Into The Woods.
Furat Ashkouri: He previously starred as an ensemble member in CADA’s Bright Star and as Alfred in the OnStagers’ production of Alice By Heart.
Hana Coppenrath: A frequent OnStagers star whose previous work includes roles in A Chorus Line, Urinetown and Alice By Heart.
Ally Forbes: A performer with a nine year career who played both the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland and the Stepmother in Into The Woods.
Adrienne Moore: She was the assistant student choreographer for Alice By Heart and a performer in Ditty Rotten Scoundrels.
Emma O’Shea: Love Notes is her first college production and she’s appeared in shows like Puffs and Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief.
Jaiden Peguero: He has a passion for music and appeared in both Alice By Heart and Bright Star. Love Notes was his musical lead debut.
Trinity Reyes: A very talented and experienced OnStagers member with Love Notes being her 4th lead performance.
Madeline Rolfe: In addition to her contributions to Marching Band and WMCK, Love Notes was her very first OnStagers show.
Xioley Sanchez: She’s been performing for 12 years and previously played Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible.
Erica Sheffield: She’s performed in both Bright Star and Alice By Heart. She’s also Frankie’s younger sister.
Terron Thompson: Love Notes was his big debut for OnStagers and his very first live theatre production.
Jay Wright: He’s been a star across many productions at Merrimack and returned once more for another senior capstone in Love Notes.
The Directors
Grace Ganim: As the OnStagers President, Grace made her directorial debut with Love Notes. This production has been a long time passion project for her.
Mira de Jesus-Israel: A theatre expert and frequent theatre star whose visions were instrumental to the production of this capstone piece.
Frankie Sheffield: He’s had a 14 year long career in directing and choreography, with Love Notes helping him expand his knowledge of light boards and lighting cues.
Production Team
Alongside the talent on stage, this performance featured the contributions of many students and staff members as part of the production team. Love Notes wouldn’t have been possible without Hailey O’Brien as Production Stage Manager, Phil Naroian as Music Director, Charlotte Smith as Light Board Operator, Owen Eckelkamp on Sound Design, Luke Eckelkamp on Spotlight Operations, Patrick Murphy and Angelina (Bee) Rivera Sound/Run Crew, and Leanne Centola, Kenzzie Eidens and Caid Rightmyer as Ushers.
Emcees
As the main hosts for the night, Gabrielle Volpe and Kate Breeden entertained the audience and made sure that every single performance was love at first sight. Kate is the Secretary for the OnStagers E-Board and Gabrielle also served as Assistant Musical Director.
Songs
Love Notes was composed of 18 different songs from thematic movies and theatrical productions with each one having its own OnStagers flavor to it. Additionally, the song “Give You The World” is an original piece written for this performance written by Grace Ganim and Gabrielle Volpe.
“Seasons Of Love” (Rent) – Fiona Angelone, Jaiden Peguero, Madeline Rolfe, Cast
“Being Alive” (Company) – Erica Sheffield, Jay Wright, Cast dialogue
“Give You The World” – Jaiden Peguero, Xioely Sanchez
“I Can’t Lose You” (Frozen The Musical) – Hana Coppenrath, Jay Wright
“Evermore” (Beauty And The Beast) – Furat Ashkouri
“No One Is Alone” (Into The Woods) – Dasia Allen, Fiona Angelone, Furat Ashkouri, Hana Coppenrath, Ally Forbes, Adrienne Moore, Trinity Reyes, Madeline Rolfe, Erica Sheffield, Jay Wright
“Forever” (Shrek) – Xioely Sanchez with Fiona Angelone, Ally Forbes, Emma O’Shea, Jaiden Peguero, Madeline Rolfe, Terron Thompson, Jay Wright
“Without Love” (Hairspray) – Trinity Reyes, Erica Sheffield, Terron Thompson, Jay Wright
“For Good” (Wicked) – Dasia Allen, Trinity Reyes
“Once In A While” (The Rocky Horror Show) – Emma O’Shea, Madeline Rolfe
“My Junk” (Spring Awakening) – Cast
“Unsuspecting Hearts” (Carrie) – Fiona Angelone, Erica Sheffield
“What I did For Love” (A Chorus Line) – Dasia Allen, Hana Coppenrath, Ally Forbes
“By My Side” (Godspell, 2012) – Furat Ashkouri, Adrienne Moore, with Fiona Angelone, Xioely Sanchez, Erica Sheffield, Jay Wright
“What Would I Do If I Could Feel” (The Wiz) – Jaiden Peguero, Terron Thompson, with Dasia Allen, Furat Ashkouri, Xioely Sanchez
“Maybe This Time” (Cabaret) – Erica Sheffield
“I Don’t Need Your Love REMIX” (Six) – Xioely Sanchez, with Ally Forbes, Adrienne Moore, Emma O’Shea, Madeline Rolfe, Erica Sheffield
“The Flesh Failures/Eyes Look Your Last/Let The Sunshine In” (Hair) – Jaiden Peguero, Xioely Sanchez, Jay Wright, Cast
The OnStagers are a talented team who continue to put on incredible productions with a yearly play in the fall and a musical in the spring. With their dazzling talent, the group always knows how to put on a wonderful show.
