Photo Flash: BE MORE CHILL Enters Final Week At The Selma Arts Center

BE MORE CHILL makes its Central Valley premiere at the Selma Arts Center with performances running from July 19-27. Directed by SAC guest artist Miguel Gastelum, BE MORE CHILL tells the story of Jeremy Heere, an average teenager who is given a chance to become one of the cool kids when he finds out about The Squip, a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most, including a date with Christine, an invite to the raddest party of the year, and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. When The Squip suddenly begins to make drastic changes to his life, Jeremy must decide if being the most popular guy in school is worth the risk.

Based on the young adult novel by Ned Vizzini, BE MORE CHILL is a sci-fi musical with a big and vibrant score by Joe Iconis and an endearing book by Joe Tracz. "This is the ultimate celebration of misfits," says Director Miguel Gastelum. "It's a story that allows its characters to be unapologetically themselves." The musical, which first opened Off Broadway to a sold-out run, was propelled to mega-fandom by a devout social media following. The album became one of the most streamed on Spotify, receiving over one million streams a month before opening at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway. The Selma Arts Center was able to secure exclusive licensing rights to the production and is one of a very few companies performing the musical while it currently runs on Broadway.

The ensemble cast features Ian Jones, Teya Juarez, Josh Plowman, Sean Hopper, Marissa Brandon, Emma Raymond, Gio Adaoag, Jessica Meredith, Daniel LaJune and Randall Kohlruss with vocal direction by Shannah Estep, choreography by Connor Barton, scenic design by Aaron Lowe, costume design by Heather Sisk, hair and makeup design by Logan Cooley, lighting design by Regina Harris, and projection design by Dominic Grijalva. The production features a live band conducted by Frank Velasco that includes Abrianna Gomez, Michael Talty, Kyle Lowe, Daniel Townshend, and Ellis Flowers.

Tickets are available by calling 559.891.2238, by visiting selmaartscenter.com or at the Selma Arts Center box office located at 1935 High Street, Selma, CA 93662.

Ian Jones
Gio Adaoag and Daniel LaJune
Marissa Brandon, Jessica Meredith, and Emma Raymond
Teya Juarez and the cast of BE MORE CHILL
Ian Jones and the cast of BE MORE CHILL
Teya Juarez
Gio Adaoag
Ian Jones and Josh Plowman
Randall Kohlruss
Sean Hopper
Emma Raymond and Marissa Brandon
The cast of BE MORE CHILL
Ian Jones and Marissa Brandon
Josh Plowman
Sean Hopper, Jessica Meredith, and Ian Jones
The cast of BE MORE CHILL
Randall Kohlruss
Sean Hopper
A scene from BE MORE CHILL