A large cast performs William Finn's "Elegies," which will be available online from Youngstown State University Theatre beginning Nov. 13. (Submitted photo)

William Finn’s “Elegies” wasn’t originally on the 2020-21 theater schedule for Youngstown State University.

At the beginning of the year, Maria Fenty Denison, program coordinator of musical theater, expected to spend the fall directing the musical “Godspell.”

The world had other plans, and the middle of a pandemic wasn’t the day (by day) for a large cast musical with a lot of interaction among the performers.

“‘Godspell’ is just too much of a behemoth to do the way we envisioned,” Denison said. “I spent all this time storyboarding a live theater musical. At that point for me to wrap my head around doing it completely different, it was better to scrap it and look for something better.”

“Elegies,” written by the composer best known for the musicals “Falsettos” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” was better suited both thematically and technically for the times. The work debuted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and drew inspiration from that event and the AIDS crisis in the ’80s.

“That’s a 20-year period, and here we are almost another 20 years later and we’re in a global pandemic,” Denison said. “With the pandemic, we have that feeling of being stopped in our tracks (like 9/11).”

“Elegies” originally was performed by a cast of five and is filled with solo and small group numbers. Denison and music director Amanda Beagle expanded the cast significantly, but it still allowed them to work with the actors one-on-one or in small clusters, an important consideration since research has suggested that the aspiration while singing can accelerate the spread of COVID-19.

Students had to audition online. Denison said she worried because that situation isn’t “a level playing field.” Students who are more tech savvy or have better equipment and a better web connection are at an advantage. But Denison said her familiarity with many of the students auditioning helped offset some of those imbalances. And online / video auditions are likely to continue in the theater world, even after the conornavirus is contained, so it’s training and experience that theater students need.

The student cast includes Torrance Bajuszick, Leah Beckert, Savannah Bell, Lexi Cerny, Machiah Davis, Lexi Denney, Adrienne Day, Adam Dominick, Belle Elliot, Lacey Farina, Samantha Gurd, Erica Hays, Cassidy Hopkins, Kyle Hudson, Morgan LaCamera, Noah Landry, Destiny Magee, Mia Matthews, Sydney Moore, Taryn Patterson, Hannah Rosser, Donovan Rubante, Kamryn Rudolph, Dagmar Stahl, Destinee Thompson and Haley Tura.

They are joined by YSU faculty member Kivie Cahn-Lipman and two local theater veterans, Maureen Collins and James McClellan. Collins is co-founder of Youngstown’s Easy Street Productions, and McClellan has worked with several Mahoning Valley arts organizations over the years, including Easy Street Productions, Ballet Western Reserve, Youngstown Playhouse, Oakland Center for the Arts and YSU Theatre.

“When I listened to ‘Elegies,’ two of the songs in particular, my feeling was I wanted someone who really represented the communities from which those songs came, and I felt we had them in our community,” Denison said. “Jimmy and Maureen are Youngstown royalty, and I wanted to honor that.”

Considering the subject matter, many of the songs have a sad, serious bent, but the show also includes uplifting and funny songs, and Denison said she tried to embrace that spirit in her staging.

“Sometimes it needs something funny, something off the beaten path, and my job as director is to hear something and see something in that piece and go with it,” she said.

That something can be “wacky,” or it can be “something honest, something that unites us all.”

The production will be available to view online beginning Nov. 13. YSU will use the same format as its September production of “The Glass Menagerie,” where theatergoers will buy a ticket for one of six scheduled performances instead of purchasing access to a line that can be viewed any time.

The move online also expanded the technical crew for the show with a video production and sound team joining the staff normally required for a stage show.

Amy A. Wright is the choreographer, and the rest of the technical staff includes Todd Dicken, scenic designer; Ryan Fitzpatrick, production manager and technical director; Jack Ciarniello, sound recording engineer; Tim Grich, lighting designer; Ryan Donchess, video production supervisor; Miles Douglas Garrett, video production coordinator; Katherine N. Garlick, costume and makeup designer; and Wendy Akers, properties manager.

——–

WHAT: Youngstown State University Theatre — “Elegies”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-14 and 20-21 and 2 p.m. Nov. 15 and 22

WHERE: Online

HOW MUCH: $10 for single viewer, $25 for group viewing / watch party and free for YSU students, faculty and staff with banner ID. Tickets are available online at www.showtix4u.com/events/YoungstownStateUniversity