Hear Broadway Tales And Stories From The Road In Croswell Opera House Speaker Series

A costumer for the hit musical HAMILTON, a Tony Award-nominated scenic designer, and a Broadway actress who also performed in a national tour of WICKED will speak about their experiences in an upcoming series of events at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian.

All three were involved in Croswell productions early in their careers. During the day, they will speak to area high school and college students about careers in the performing arts, and events for the general public will take place in the evening.

The series is titled "A Life in the Arts."

Heather Yerrick, who is the wardrobe supervisor for the Chicago production of HAMILTON, will speak at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19. Yerrick, a graduate of Adrian High School, was involved with Croswell productions as a teenager. Before her current job, she spent more than a decade on the road with shows like AVENUE Q, MOTOWN, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, and MAMMA MIA! She also worked on Broadway with the cast of Cirque du Soleil. Yerrick will share stories from her life on the road and display several costume pieces from HAMILTON.

Tobin Ost, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his work on the musical NEWSIES, will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1. Ost came to the Croswell as a teenager, originally hoping to gain experience that would help him become an architect, and ended up apprenticing himself to longtime artistic director Bob Soller. He designed many sets at the Croswell during the 1990s, including some Opera!Lenawee productions, and now is an accomplished costumer and scenic designer with more than 15 Broadway credits to his name.

Cassie Okenka will give a talk and cabaret performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 19. Longtime Croswell audiences may remember Okenka from roles in 2002's GEORGE M! and 2004's BIG RIVER. She toured nationally with the musical WICKED, understudying and performing in the roles of Glinda and Nessarose, and she has been part of the Broadway cast of SCHOOL OF ROCK since it opened in 2015. Okenka will combine tales from backstage with songs from roles she has played during her career into a cabaret-style performance.

Jere Righter, the Croswell's artistic director, said that Yerrick, Ost and Okenka are among the hundreds of Croswell alumni who have gone on to careers in the performing arts.

"People who started their careers at the Croswell are working in theaters, concert halls and soundstages across the country and around the world," Righter said. "This series is a great opportunity for people in our community to hear about their experiences, and for students to learn about what it takes to make a living in the performing arts."

Tickets are not being sold for the evening events; instead, donations will be accepted at the door. The suggested donation for Yerrick's and Ost's talks will be $10 per person. The suggested donation for Okenka's cabaret performance will be $20 per person.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the daytime talks for students can call 517-264-7469 or email jrighter@croswell.org.

For more information about the speaker series, go to croswell.org/speakers.

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