The Floorshow - a new play with original music arrangements and dance
A troupe of tap dancing showgirls in a 1951 New York City nightclub dream of stardom. But when events take an unfortunate turn, the bonds that tie this tight-knit group together are tested.
Katherine is such a wonderful addition to team Floorshow, and has been working with us for over a year reading various roles and assisting Avi in pre-production. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Katherine is a 2019 graduate of NYU’s Tisch New Studio on Broadway with a BFA in Drama. Credits include: Sleepy Hollow (Off-Broadway); Anything Goes, Fun Home, Urinetown, Tuck Everlasting, Medusa (NYC); Damn Yankees (Lola), The Murder Room, The Music Man, La Cage Aux Folles, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors (Regional). Shevil, Chicago, The 39 Steps, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Fame, Singin’ In The Rain, Les Miserables, The Drowsy Chaperone (Toronto). Choreography credits include: The Wives of Henry The Eighth, Defying Gravity, Despite The Dark, Lousie, Feelings: A song cycle, Chicago, Shevil, Annie, Joseph..., Metamorphoses, Fame. Katherine is the Assistant to the Artistic Producer of Eclipse Theatre Company under Chilina Kennedy, an assistant with The Verdon/Fosse Legacy LLC, and an assistant to Josh Prince at Dance Lab New York. Thanks to Avi, Dan, Rachel and the entire team for telling this fabulous story! katherine-winter.com
Aaaaaaand We're Over $8,000!
We Couldn't Be More Excited
Technically we reached TWO milestones in one day (thanks to our matching campaign), but each of these women are so important that we wanted them to have their own individual updates. It's time to meet one of the most important members of team Floorshow:
Colleen Roberts (Associate Choreographer/Dance Captain/Swing)
This incredible woman will not only assist Avital in the creation of our thrilling tap numbers, she'll also help run rehearsals, record steps and formations, and learn MULTIPLE roles. Colleen is thrilled to be working with Avi on The Floorshow and is honored to be a part of the creative process of such an important story. Favorite credits include the national tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Holiday Inn, 42nd Street, White Christmas, West Side Story, and the world premiere special presentation of The Storm the Musical in NYC. Colleen earned a Bachelor of Music from Rider University and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Colleen-Roberts.com
Over $7,000!
What an exciting matching campaign!
We raised over $2,000 last week during our matching campaign - what an exciting week! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed. You're now a big part of The Floorshow's story.
Yes, our producer extraordinaire will also be on the stage! Rachel is delighted to be a part of the world premiere of The Floorshow after joining the production in its infancy. She made her New York debut last year in the Off-Off-Broadway play, Raison d'Étre: An Evening of Pirandello. Favorite regional credits include Velma Kelly and Hunyak in two separate productions of Chicago, Luisa (The Fantasticks), Lou Ann (Hairspray), and the Assistant Choreographer and Swing for White Christmas. Rachel was involved with the Texas Musical Theatre Workshop for several years where she had the opportunity to perform in new musicals being developed by prominent writing teams. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association www.racheljamesactor.com
$6,000 - Halfway There!
We Made It Halfway
And we're SO excited to be here! To celebrate, let's introduce you to another cast member!
This is the absolutely stunning Beth Koepp! Beth is a Texas native who has lived in NYC for 5 years. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Texas State University, and has worked regionally in theatres across the country. Favorite credits include White Christmas (Judy), Spring Awakening (Ilse), and Sweet Charity (Nicki). Beth is excited to continue her journey with The Floorshow and the incredibly strong women in the cast, as well as their fictional counterparts. For more information, visit www.bethkoepp.squarespace.com
We're at $5,000!
We Reached Another Milestone
And now we're above $5,000 - just $1,000 away from the halfway point! Time to meet another cast member:
This is our tap dancer extraordinaire, Alyssa Fuhrman! Alyssa is super excited to bring Mary to life in The Floorshow. She has worked with Floorshow creator Avital Asuleen on many projects, most notably the immersive dance theatre piece Ephemera. Some favorite performing highlights include dancing on Good Morning America, Live! with Kelly and Ryan (and Kelly and Michael) and a live televised event in Shanghai, sailing through the Caribbean dancing with Carnival Cruise Lines, performing in paradise on the island of Guam, and singing at Carnegie Hall, as well as working with such notable choreographers as Al Blackstone, Derek Mitchell, Sidra Bell, Mike Esperanza, and JT Horenstein. Alyssa feels fortunate everyday to use her talents as a vessel to bring a vital part of the human experience to life, and to make meaningful connections with audience members to spur further dialogue; something that is paramount in today's society. She can't wait to share The Floorshow with all of you!
We Reached $4,000!
Time to Meet Another Cast Member
We made it over the $4,000 mark, which means we're 1/3 of the way to our goal! It also means you get to meet another cast member:
Playing our fictitious dance captain and leader of the Floorshow ladies, meet Desiree Justin! Desiree is thrilled to continue her journey with this production after the past reading, and is ecstatic to be able to help tell a story about strong women in the theatre (more specifically women who dedicate their lives to the passion of dance). Her theatre and dance career began in New England, training and dancing with Boston Ballet and Festival Ballet, RI, and choreographing and teaching across MA and RI. Her favorite credits include Cassie (A Chorus Line) Peggy Sawyer & Anytime Annie (42nd Street), Lilly St. Regis (Annie), Les Miserables, and her favorite credit of all…loving wife and mom to 3 American Dingo fur babies.
We Reached $3,000!
Another $1,000!
We reached another milestone, and you know what that means: a new cast member to meet!
Meet the absolutely delightful Beth Conley! Beth is so thrilled to be part of the first full production of The Floorshow. She has been involved with this play from the beginning, and she is honored to be able to bring her character, Bess, to life. A native of Rochester, NY, Beth began singing and dancing from the age of three, going on to graduate from Wright State University (Dayton, OH) with a BFA in Acting/Musical Theatre. Since moving to NYC, she has been blessed with wonderful opportunities, one of her favorites being I'll Say She Is: The Lost Marx Brothers Musical (Off-Broadway, NYTimes Critics' Pick) where she met the creator of The Floorshow, Avital Asuleen. Last summer, she was chosen as one of the dance captains at Post Playhouse (Crawford, NE), where she performed in 42nd Street, Urinetown, The Little Mermaid, Footloose, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in rep. If you'd like to know more, check her out at bethconley.com!
We Raised Over $2,000!
First Milestone Reached
We are SO excited to reach our first milestone: the first $2,000! For every $1,000 we raise between now and the end of the campaign, we'll share something new and exciting about the show, starting with cast introductions:
This is the ridiculously talented Kacie Burns. Originally from Michigan, Kacie graduated from Pace University with her BFA in Commercial Dance and minor in Arts & Entertainment Management. Since then, she has had the opportunity to perform in NYC in the off-Broadway productions of Bells Are Ringing and Funny Face, as well as in regional theaters across the U.S. Fresh off of her run as Cassie in A Chorus Line, some of her favorite credits include Chicago (Roxie), West Side Story (Graziella), and Cats (Bombalurina). Kacie is thrilled to be a part of The Floorshow and can’t wait to keep telling this amazing story with this wonderful group of women.
The Floorshow is an original play with music and dance that explores the way we react to events in our own lives and the lives of those closest to us. The play asks us to examine our own reactions to adversity as a group of women grapple with the tenuous nature of female friendship.
This play, written by Dann Berg and Avital Asuleen, was originally conceived as a response to the ongoing deficit of well-rounded female roles in contemporary theatre. According to the NY Times, only 40% of Off-Broadway Speaking roles currently go to women. The Floorshow provides six fully realized female characters to women who more often than not find themselves playing the third chorus girl to the right.
The Floorshow will have an AEA showcase production this fall - September 26th-29th - at Theatre 71 in New York City.
We've already booked and paid for our theatre, but we need to raise an additional $12,000 to bring this production to life. This money will cover the cost of our rehearsal space, actor stipends, designer stipends, production design, and everything in between.
Avital Asuleen (Director/Choreographer): Avital is a director and choreographer of elegant and timeless musicals, plays, and devised works. Favorite NYC credits include: Steel Magnolias (Gallery Players) The Queen Bees (Queens Theatre in The Park), and Ephemera (The Elektra). Associate: Jasper in Deadland, Nymph Errant (Prospect Theater Company), Men With Money (Muse Festival). Regional credits include: Tarzan, The Music Man (Berkshire Theatre Group), Gypsy (White Plains Performing Arts Center’s Teen conservatory program), Dames at Sea, The Threepenny Opera. Avital was the choreography Observer for the Encores! production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Avital is the creator and curator of The Choreography Lab, now in its 6th Season at New York Theatre Barn. www.Asuleen.com
dann-berg-avatar.JPG 34.03 KB Dann Berg (Writer): Dann is a playwright based in New York City. His play “Diary: A One Act Play” was part of Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Spring One Act Competition in 2015. A former freelance journalist, his writing has appeared on MSNBC, Fox News, The Verge, Mashable, Laptop Magazine, and Tom’s Guide. Dann attended Hofstra University, studying Creative Writing with a concentration in Playwriting. He lives in Brooklyn and works on the engineering team at Datadog, an infrastructure monitoring and analytics company. http://dannberg.me
Deniz 1 8x10, 300 dpi.jpg 53.15 KB Deniz Cordell (Music Arranger): Deniz has worked internationally as a music director, pianist, composer, and conductor. He works regularly with David Shire & Richard Maltby, Jr., Gary William Friedman & Stevie Holland, and Charles Strouse, and is a consultant to the Vernon Duke estate. An expert on the music of Leonard Rosenman, Deniz works extensively in film music advocacy and restoration. Recent credits include score reconstruction and musical direction of the New York premiere of Lolita, My Love (York Theatre Company); guest conducting the Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga; Love, Linda (Triad Theatre); and concerts at Feinstein's/54 Below. Deniz also works with PS Classics, writes liner notes for various record labels, and is a one-time Jeopardy! loser.
Rachel Lauren James Simple copy.jpg 45.21 KB Rachel Lauren James (Producer, Carol): Rachel is a multi-hyphenate artist and indie producer. A native Texan, Rachel ran a small film production company in Austin where she produced several short films, including the internationally award-winning stop motion short, Action Bill. The Floorshow is Rachel’s NYC producing debut, and she couldn’t be more excited to work with Combustion Collective on such an important story. Rachel is passionate about bringing women’s stories to life through the media of theatre and film, and believes that entertainment is an effective tool we can use to educate and to heal. www.racheljamesactor.com @racheljamesnyc
Rob.jpeg 46.74 KB Roberto Di Donato (Associate Producer): Roberto is a Venezuelan-Italian-American theatre artist. His work across disciplines has been seen at New Victory Theatre Lab Works, the Broadway Bound Theatre Fest, the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Fest, Leslie Lohman Museum, Abron Arts Center, Theatre 71, The Jack, and Cantina Royal. Roberto is Assistant Artistic Director and producer for Frank Wo/Men Collective which has been discussed in American Theatre Magazine, Arts and Culture Magazine Texas, listed as Top 10 thrills in Austin 2017, and nominated for Outstanding Ensemble in Austin. Roberto is an alumnus of UT Austin and pursuing his MFA at Ohio University. www.robertdidonato.com
And as a thank you for being such a great friend, we’ll list your name on the Combustion Collective website.
One For My Baby
Donate $35.00 or more
Amount over $15.00 is tax-deductible.
A solo night at the theatre is nothing to be sad about! Get a single ticket to the performance of your choosing, and we’ll list your name on the Combustion Collective website.
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $5.00 is tax-deductible.
You get to own an EXTREMELY limited, first-edition poster signed by the world premiere cast of The Floorshow, and we’ll list your name on the Combustion Collective website.
Luck Be A Lady
Donate $50.00 or more
Amount over $5.00 is tax-deductible.
Wanna try your luck? We’ll put your name in a drawing for 2 tickets to opening night! Even if you aren’t the lucky winner, you’ll still get your name listed on the website. (Drawing will take place on or around August 1st)
Let's Do It
Donate $75.00 or more
Amount over $30.00 is tax-deductible.
We’ll list your name on the website, and you get 2 tickets to the performance of your choice. Let’s fall in love!
So Far Away
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $15.00 is tax-deductible.
You won’t be in NYC for our show, but you still want to contribute? With this tier, we’ll put your name on the website and in the program, and we’ll send you a copy of the play signed by Avi and Dann!
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours
Donate $100.00 or more
Amount over $30.00 is tax-deductible.
We’ll list your name on the website and in the program, you’ll get 2 tickets to the performance of your choice, plus an EXTREMELY limited, first-edition poster signed by the world premiere cast of The Floorshow.
Let's Get It On
Donate $200.00 or more
Amount over $30.00 is tax-deductible.
Not only will we list your name on the website and in the program, but you’ll also get 2 VIP tickets to the performance of your choosing, plus a round of pre-show drinks for two at a bar near the theatre. If that’s not the start of a great night, we don’t know what is!
Physical
Donate $300.00 or more
Amount over $100.00 is tax-deductible.
Get your sweat on during a 45-minute customized training session with The Floorshow Creator/Director/Choreographer extraordinaire Avital Asuleen. We’ll list your name on our website and in the program, AND you’ll get 2 VIP tickets to a performance of your choosing. Now let’s get physical! (NYC contributors only)
Hostess With The Mostess
Donate $500.00 or more
Amount over $200.00 is tax-deductible.
Wanna treat your friends in style? At this contribution level, you’ll get 6 tickets to the performance of your choosing, your name listed on the website and in the program, and the first round of pre-show drinks for you and your 5 guests at a bar near the theatre! Who says you don’t know how to throw a party?
You're The Top
Donate $1,000.00 or more
Amount over $100.00 is tax-deductible.
With this kind of support, you deserve a one-of-a-kind, no-one-else-has-this sort of thank you. Luckily, we’re ready for that! Sure, you’ll get your name listed on the website and in the program, but you’ll also get 4 VIP tickets to the performance of your choosing, AND a disposable camera containing behind-the-scenes photos belonging to you and only you! You will be the proud owner of exclusive photographs that you can cherish through the ages. What better way to say that you’re the “Nose of the Great Durante”?
