GENESEO, N.Y. -- Three SUNY Geneseo musical theater students and a recent alumnus from the program are in the cast of the current production of “A Christmas Carol” at Rochester’s Geva Theatre Center through Dec. 24. The musical director of the production is Don Kot, director of Geneseo’s Musical Theatre Program.
Students in the production are seniors Rebecca Leville and Ben Reiner, junior Kimberly Cole and recent graduate Jacob Stewart, who also performed in the production as a Geneseo student.
“This is a very exciting experience for our students,” said Kot. “My 16-year relationship with the Geva Theatre Center affords our students some special opportunities to work with the artistic director of Geva, Mark Cuddy, and professional directors like Melissa Rain Anderson. This allows our students to establish connections with professional actors and designers and to experience first-hand what it is like to perform in a professional production.”
Recent Geneseo graduate CJ Roche ’15 is currently performing in Japan as part of “Disney on Classic,” owing in large part, said Kot, to the connections he made during his time at Geva’s “A Christmas Carol.”
Two other musical theater students, senior Nicole Eras and junior Jessica Murphy, were featured in Geva’s recent production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” with Kot as musical director.
Geneseo’s musical theater program continues to grow under Kot’s direction, presenting a small musical in the fall and, along with other students on campus, a winter and spring musical. This year, Kot will be musical director for both “Carrie: the Musical” (based on the Stephen King thriller) Jan. 18-22 in Wadsworth Auditorium and “Gypsy April 5-9 in Alice Austin Theatre.
All of Geneseo’s musical theater majors performed a late-night cabaret at Geva Theatre Center in October, coinciding with recent renovations at the theater.
In photos (l to r) are musical theater students Ben Reiner, Kimberly Cole and Rebecca Leville, who are performing in the Geva Theatre Center's production of "A Christmas Carol."
Media Contact:
David Irwin
College Communications
(585) 245-5529
Irwin@geneseo.edu