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Show C-2 The Park Record Wed/Thurs/Fri, March 21-23, 2018 Ziegfeld turns it ‘Footloose’ Poet has some choice words Musical opens for his Park City audience March 22 at the Egyptian Theatre SCOTT IWASAKI The Park Record Ziegfeld Theatre Company’s “Footloose,” which will open Thursday and run two weekends at the Egyptian Theatre, is important today because of the current social and political situation that faces the United States and around the globe, said director Dee Tua’one. “I think that art and expression is what the world needs right now,” he said. “With ‘Footloose,’ I wanted something that addresses racism and sexism, and that comes into play because there are so many times in this show when the women are swept under the rug.” That’s the theme of Herbert Ross’s original 1984 musical film “Footloose.” “I did have a few people tell me that they didn’t want my casting...” Dee Tua’One, Ziegfeld Theater Company’s “Footloose” director Story aside, the film struck a chord with the people of Utah. The film -- which is about music lover and dancer named Ren, who moved to a small town -- was filmed in Lehi, Payson and American Fork. Secondly, it was about a community that had banned dancing and rock music, which mirrored an idea that eventually led to the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center, noted for creating the Parental Advisory sticker, a year later. Four years after its theatrical premiere, a musical, by composer Tom Show and lyricist PHOTO BY KAARE IVERSON Park City Institute will present award-winning spoken-word artist, poet, author, TEDx speaker, musician and filmmaker Shane Koyczan on Saturday at the Eccles Center. Koyczan is known for his honest and V direct approach to bullying, cancer and death. o COURTESY OF THE ZIEGFELD THEATER COMPANY Aathaven Tharmarajah, left, plays Ren and Shelby Hovley is Ariel in Ziegfeld Theater Company’s production of “Footloose” that will open Thursday and run for two weekends at the Egyptian Theatre. Dean Pitchford, opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. While the musical has been performed countless times throughout the years, director Tua’one said the Ziegfeld production will stand out amongst the others. “One of the things is that I feel like people are expecting something fluffy, but there is more to this musical and story than that,” he said. “I wanted to bring the story out above the dancing.” Tua’one relied on his cast to do this. “I had the luxury of being presented with a huge, talented audition process, and most of what I wanted to do was get- ting the cast to connect to each of their characters,” he said. “I wanted everyone to think about the story they were trying to tell, and I wanted them to think of the journeys the characters are going through.” Ren, who will be performed by Aathaven Tharmarajah, is a “fish out of water,” Tua’one said. “He’s someone who doesn’t understand the culture of this small town,” he explained. “And Aathaven, who plays Ren, is, in reality, someone who is new to Utah.” Tharmarajah, who is of Sri Lankan descent, fits that description, because he is also Please see ‘Footloose,’, C-10 FOR YOUR INFORMATION Meetings ALATEEN (801)205-2130 AL-ANON Theresa (435)640-3421 | (435)659-9667 Saddleview Office Bldg. B, 2200 Park Ave. St. Lukes Episcopal Church, 4595 N. Silver Springs Dr. Creekside Christian Fellowship, 1314 Bitner Rd. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (AA) (English) Recording (435)649-0022 or Larry V. (435)9011197 (Spanish) Llame a Jose (435)602-0373, Art (435)7149025, Abel (435)602-9362 121 Park Ave. Park City | www.parkcityaa.com CAREGIVERS NIGHT OUT Linda (435)783-5708 Oakley-Elk Meadows Assisted Living Center, 4200 North 400 West. | Wasatch Senior Center. Coalville-Denise’s Home Plate restaurant. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT GROUP Does your partner control your money, activities and relationships? Do you need resources or information about Domestic Violence? Peace House offers free support groups Mondays and Tuesdays. Please call 647-9161 for more information. HANDY HANDS EMPLOYMENT TRAINING (649)2260 | Christian Center 1100 Iron Horse Dr., Park City | www.handyhands.org LDS ADDICTION RECOVERY PROGRAM 2300 Monitor Drive - in small building just east of the LDS Church | parkcityaahelp@gmail.com LDS ADDICTION RECOVERY MEETING IN KAMAS Thursdays 7:00 p.m Francis Ward House 387 W. Last Frontier Lane, Francis Contact Sherm at 801-598-9517 for more info. MAN TO MAN PROSTATE CANCER EDUCATION AND SUPPORT (801)483-1500 | (800)234-0533 NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS (NA) 8pm Sunday, Monday, & Wednesdays St. Lawrence Church center St & 100 W, Heber City | (435)2004814 | https://sasquatcharena.org | bigfootareana@ gmail.com 6pm Tuesdays. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church - 4595 Silver Springs Rd. Park City 8pm Tuesdays & Thursdays at Worship Center, 1400 North Hwy 40 Heber City 6:30pm Thursdays at 85 North Main Street, Kamas 7pm Fridays at St. Lawrence Church Center St & 100 West, Heber City. SUMMIT COUNTY PARENTS AND ADVOCATES OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES 655-2968 GRIEF SHARE PROGRAM 647-5855 | Mountain Life Church, 7375 N. Silver Creek Rd. WASATCH GROUP Saturday Evening: 5:30 to 6:30 PM | Wasatch Crest Recovery - 425 Moulton Lane (First street north of the UVU entrance off of Hwy 40) Enter thru garage at North end of facility. Closed Meeting (Alcoholics only) Shane Koyczan will speak at the Eccles Center SCOTT IWASAKI The Park Record Shane Koyczan is a Canadian award-winning spoken-word artist, poet, author, TEDx speaker, musician and filmmaker who is known for his honest and direct approach to bullying, cancer and death. He’s coming to Park City on Saturday, March 24, for a Park City Institute presentation at the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts. Koyczan, who performed his poem “We Are More” at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, said the Park City appearance will be composed mostly of his stories and poetry that express his innermost thoughts. “When people come see my show, I picture myself as a curator of a museum, which is me,” he said. “But I also think people are surprised that the show is as funny as it is. I need levity in my life to balance out the dark. There is a lot of dark.” Koyczan’s first published collection, “Visiting Hours,” was the only work of poetry selected by both the Guardian and The Globe and Mail for their lists of books of the year in 2005. The writer and poet followed up this success with “Stickboy,” a novel in verse that chronicles the dark and lonely journey of a bullied child who is in the throes of the rage he develops from his feeling of helplessness. This is just a tip of Koyczan’s creative iceberg. He wrote a graphic novel in 2014 called “Silence Is a Song I Know All the Words To,” and included a poem called “Troll,” which is about cyberbullying. Koyczan didn’t think his writings and poetry were anything special when he first started out. “I don’t think very many people get into the spoken word and poetry with the thought that they are doing to have the same impact that The Beatles did,” he said. “Not to put myself on that level, but writing and spoken word is a very personal thing. You’re mining your own experience for the things to share.” Koyczan’s realization that spoken word and poetry could be as powerful as music came to him through other people’s letters and emails. “I become aware of it when letters start showing up in my mailbox,” he said. “I become aware of it when these people want to start sharing their own stories with me.” Those letters opened Koyczan’s eyes. “The part that is the most rewarding for me is to discover that all of the pain, shame, hurt and guilt that I write about, that I thought were just me, are actu- “I wanted to share my thoughts and that’s how I did it. I started writing to battle my inner loneliness...” Shane Koyczan, award-winning poet, speaker and filmmaker ally universal,” he said. “While it’s rare that someone will have the exact same experience I had, there are many people who have had parallel experiences that they can draw from and relate to my works.” Koyczan’s creative road began with journaling. “I started writing very young and I became very familiar to not having an outlet, not talking to people, because I grew up without friends,” he said. “Most of the writings I did back then weren’t poetry. They were just things I wanted to say, but couldn’t because throughout my youth I heard words like ‘Sit down,’ and ‘Shut up,’ or ‘Nothing you think has value,’ from all of these people in school who project narratives on me, rather than find out what my narratives were.” Words became Koyczan’s real friends and kept him company throughout the dark times. “I wanted to share my thoughts, and that’s how I did it,” he said. “I started writing to battle my own inner loneliness.” That changed when Koyczan began attending Okanagan College in Kelowna, British Columbia. “I found there was a difference between what’s valued in high school versus what’s valued in higher learning,” he said. “When you get to university, your acumen, your ability to learn and your knowledge -- everything that you’re made fun of in high school -- is revered.” The change helped Koyczan feel comfortable enough to share some of his writings. “That’s when I found people who were very much on the same page that I was,” he said. “I got to a point where I figured there are two people in life: There are the people who do things, and there are the people who talk or ridicule the person who did something.” Koyczan said there is a difference between criticism and cruelty. “Criticism is an important part of growing up because that’s how you learn and that’s how you challenge yourself,” he said. “But with social media these days, you can put something online and 600 trolls will come out of the woodwork and tear you apart. I mean how do you navigate that?” Koyczan’s solution is to keep moving on to new projects. “It became more important to do things and Idecided it didn’t matter if I got judged,” he said. “I look at what I’m doing as leaving monuments to show that I was here, because I’m not going to be here forever.” This is the message that Koyczan wants to give. He also wants people to know that there are plenty of opportunities for people to venture into if they can Please see Koyczan, C-4 Faith Congregations BAHA’I FAITH (435)729-9577 | www.usbahai.org CALVARY PARK CITY Non denominational Meet Sun 6pm at the Creekside Church 1400 Bitner Rd. Kimball Jct. | www.calvarychapelparkcity.com CROSSPOINT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (PCA) (435)565-1236 | www.crosspointpca.org CHRISTIAN CENTER OF PARK CITY (435)649-2260 | www.ccofpc.org CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Park City Stake Bldg., 2300 Monitor Drive, Jeremy Ranch Bldg., 3010 Saddleback Rd. Trailside Bldg., 510 Silver Summit Pkwy. CREEKSIDE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (435)658-4687 | www.creeksidepc.com FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST (435)940-0224 | www.christianscienceparkcity.com 605 Main St. Suite 200 | Services: 9:30 Sun. & 7:00 Wed. Sunday School: 9:30 Sunday MOUNTAIN LIFE CHURCH (435)647-5855 | www.mountainlife.org THE BRANCH-A VINEYARD COMMUNITY (435)649-8301 | www.thebranchvc.org PARK CITY BAPTIST CHURCH www.parkcitybaptist.org | (435) 649-0407 Pastor Sam Burton: (801) 815-1094 PARK CITY COMMUNITY CHURCH (PCCC) (435)649-8131 | www.parkcitycommunitychurch.org PARK CITY INTERFAITH COUNCIL President, Tyler Walton (435)513-0186 | Vice-Pres, Mike Lennon (435)640-1959 ST. JOHN’S ANGLICAN CHURCH 2024 Sidewinder Drive | (435)655-7994 | www. stjohnsanglican.org ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH | (435)649-4900 | www.stlukespc.org ST.MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH (435)649-9676 | www.stmarysparkcity.com SHEPHERD OF THE MOUNTAINS LUTHERAN CHURCH (435)649-2233 | www.shepherdofthemountains.org TEMPLE HAR SHALOM (PC Jewish Center) (435)649-2276 | www.harshalomparkcity.org UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER (435)658-0886 | www.unityofparkcity.com Update your info by calling Jennifer at 435-649-9014 ext. 125 or email classads@parkrecord.com PERRY • STEWART REAL ESTATE TEAM JUDY PERRY ASSOCIATE BROKER (435) 655-5767 Judy@PSRealEstateTeam.com SUSAN STEWART ASSOCIATE BROKER (435) 901-4545 Susan@PSRealEstateTeam.com FOR MARKET CONDITIONS AND ALL THINGS REAL ESTATE CONTACT US WITH NO OBLIGATION FOR: » The Current Value of Your Property » Free Consultation and Staging Advice » Neighborhood Market Conditions Whether you are buying or selling property, we would be happy to provide informative, detailed information at no obligation to help in the decision making process. www.P S R E A L E STAT E T E A M .com |