She’s the woman behind “Avenue X” and “Avenue Q” and hundreds of other new musicals she’s helped bring to life as the co-founder of the O’Neill Theatre Center’s Music Theatre Conference in Waterford, Conn.
Musicals like “Nine” and Broadway’s upcoming “In the Heights.”
She’s Paulette Haupt — but if you knew her at Cherry Creek High School and the University of Denver in the 1960s, you knew her as Houpt.
“My family name is H-o-u-p-t, but over the course of my career, it was misspelled and mispronounced so many times I fell into the trap of allowing it to become H-a-u-p-t professionally,” she said.
Haupt, who got her start as a rehearsal pianist for Central City Opera, has come home to work for the first time in four decades as music director and conductor of the Denver Center’s holiday musical, “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” playing through Dec. 30 at the Buell Theatre.
“It’s a wonderful story, and the score is just brilliant. But the biggest gift here, for myself and the cast and certainly for the audience, is the 23-piece orchestra,” she said. “You just don’t get that in touring companies or even on Broadway anymore.”
Haupt has worked from Alaska to China to India. She was the first woman to conduct the San Francisco Opera and remains the only woman to have ever performed in the New York cast of “Forever Plaid.”
In 1978, she was asked by the O’Neill Theatre Center to start a development program for new musicals of all genres. Authors and composers are given actors and whatever resources they need to get their work on its feet. “The creative process is very much at work up there,” Haupt said.
“Nine” was the conference’s first breakout hit, but the string of successes includes “Violet” and an operatic version of “Desire Under the Elms.”
“Avenue X” was a hard-hitting a capella musical about racial tensions. “Avenue Q” was a hard-hitting musical about puppets that won the Tony Award. Can “Avenue Y” be far behind?
“Probably not,” Haupt said with a laugh.
Haupt is in the process of creating a new genre of musicals she calls “musicalogues” — monologues set to music. She got the idea watching Alan Bennett‘s “Talking Heads.”
Her New York company, called Premieres, has commissioned four teams of composers and playwrights who will set original monologues to music. The results will be unveiled this spring.
Haupt is discouraged with the state of the American musical because composers have such a hard time getting their work heard by the right people, and because Broadway has become so expensive and void of risk.
“But I’m also encouraged there are so many theaters around the country, including Denver, that are really enhancing the body of work that’s coming out of new writers. But it is still a very difficult journey for most writers and composers.”
Fire takes stage manager’s apartment
An early morning fire at an apartment house at 1448 Madison St. has left Melanie Smith temporarily homeless. She’s the stage manager for Miners Alley Playhouse’s “A Tuna Christmas.” And like most freelance artisans, she’s uninsured. Gifts in her name can be sent to 1050 17th St., Suite 2500, Denver, 80265-2080.
DCTC 2008 Summit readings
The Denver Center Theatre Company’s 2008 New Play Summit (Feb. 14-16) will include staged readings of four new works, three of which are DCTC commissions: “Perilous Night,” by Lee Blessing, “Shooting Star,” by Denver native Stephen Dietz and “Inana,” by Michele Lowe. The fourth title is “Dusty and the Big Bad,” by Cusi Cram.
Briefly …
The Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company is going to need some sleep soon. Its first “Festacular” convened at 7 p.m. Saturday with the goal of creating three original, holiday- themed plays in 24 hours. At the toll of the 25th hour — 7 tonight — the public can see the plays performed by an ensemble including luminaries such as Colorado Shakespeare Festival artistic director Philip Sneed and wife, costumer Clare Henkel, directors Jane Page and John Thornberry, and Boulder Daily Camera critic Mark Collins. $24, Dairy Center, 2590 Walnut St. (303-444-7328) …
Denver is one of Disney’s favorite places to launch its musicals, but Chicago gets the first national touring production of “Mary Poppins.” Expect to see it in the 2009 Denver season …
Theatre Aspen, now under the guidance of Broadway actor Paige Price, will stage “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Rounding Third” and “Crimes of the Heart” next summer. Denver auditions are Monday and Tuesday at the Mizel Center. Call 970-925-9313, ext. 3, for an appointment.
This week’s openings
Thu.- Dec. 23. El Centro Su Teatro’s “Á Colorado en una Noche de Navidad” (at the King Center)
Thu.-Dec. 16. Castle Rock Players’ “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (at Douglas County Fairgrounds)
Fri.-Dec. 30. Jesters Dinner Theatre’s “Scrooge.” Longmont
Fri.-Dec. 30. Grand Theatre’s “A Christmas Tuna.” Winter Park
This week’s closings
Today. Shadow’s “A Rose Among Thorns” (at University of Denver).
Today. New Denver Civic’s “Depth of Illusion” (magic show).
Today. Wolf Theatre Academy’s “Cabaret” (at the Mizel Center).
Sat. Curious’ “For Better ”
Sat. Denver Center Theatre Company”s “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
Sat. Denver Center Theatre Company’s “Pride and Prejudice.”
Sat. E-Project’s “The People’s Cadillac.” Lakewood
Sat. Theatre Company of Lafayette’s “Sabrina Fair.”
Sat. Festival Playhouse’s “The Man Who Rented Christmas.” Arvada
Sat. Stage Left’s “The Happy Holidays Collection.” Salida
Dec. 16. Germinal Stage Denver’s “More Stately Mansions.”
Dec. 16. Lake Dillon’s “Miss Witherspoon.”
Dec. 16. Longmont Theatre Company’s “The Long Christmas Dinner” and “The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden.”
John Moore: 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com
Theatre 3 more
“A Child’s Christmas in Wales”The Colorado Shakespeare Festival stages a faithful new adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ short story about growing up in the 1920s. 75 minutes, with traditional holiday songs. 7 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, 6 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, through Dec. 24 at the University of Colorado mainstage theatre, Boulder. $10-$54 (303-492-0554, ).
“A Rose Among Thorns” Ella Joyce performs her own dramatic tribute to Rosa Parks for the Shadow Theatre Company. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday at the University of Denver’s Newman Center, 2344 E. Iliff Ave. $48 (303-871-7720 or ).
“The SantaLand Diaries.” Gary Culig returns for his ninth annual holiday staging of David Sedaris’ story about working as a Macy’s elf. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, then daily Dec. 12-23 except Mondays. Also 2 p.m. Dec. 16 and 23, 8 p.m. Dec. 26 at the Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St. $20-$26 (303-477-9984 or ).
Weekly podcast
Running Lines with … Paulette Haupt: John Moore talks with the esteemed Denver native who has come home as music director for the Denver Center’s “White Christmas.” Listen by
