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West Coast Premiere

MIDNIGHT AT THE NEVER GET

Book, Lyrics and Music by Mark Sonnenblick
Conceived by Sam Bolen, Max Friedman and Mark Sonnenblick
Directed by Stephen Brotebeck

October 24 – November 24, 2024 
Opening November 2, 2024

Season Subscriptions start at $55!
SINGLE SHOW TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW STARTING AT $10! 
DECADE SPONSOR: Joann Clark
SEASON SPONSOR: Ted Callam, Randy Clark & Tom Maddox
PRODUCTION SPONSOR: Rob Granat & Al Mazur

About the Show


It’s 1965 in Greenwich Village. In an illegal backroom cabaret called The Never Get, lovers Trevor and Arthur perform an act that unabashedly celebrates gay romance for like-minded audiences. As they croon their way toward the end of a revolutionary decade, facing the conflicting promises of professional success and personal liberation—will their relationship survive? Featuring a lush and seductive score inspired by the Great American Songbook, Midnight at the Never Get is a dreamy musical meditation on memory, personal and political courage, and the enduring power of love.

Prebys Foundation Access-for-All Tickets:  For each production in our Season 39 and Season 40, at least 10 tickets for each open-to-the-public performance will be offered at a special Access-for-All rate of $10, generously funded by a two-year grant from the Prebys Foundation. These tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, as soon as single-show tickets for each performance go on sale to the public.

**Please note that these tickets are intended for those who need an alternative to full-price tickets. If you are able to continue supporting Diversionary through the purchase of full-price tickets, we encourage you to do so!**

Low-Cost Previews: October 24 – November 1

First Friday for the Military: October 25, 8:00 PM
Complimentary tickets for active duty and veterans.

Post-Show Event Backstage Thursday: Director’s Happy Hour: Thursday, October 31st – 8:45pm
Join Director Stephen Brotebeck and other members of Midnight at The Never Get artistic team in the Clark Cabaret for a chance to chat about their creative vision, after the show! Enjoy the discussion with a drink as Happy Hour prices will be in effect at the bar! Post-show event begins at 8:45pm, after the 7pm performance.

Opening Night: November 2, 8:00PM

Post-Show Event Dramaturg’s Corner: Sunday, November 3, 3:45pm
Join Director Stephen Brotebeck and other members of Midnight at The Never Get artistic team in the Clark Cabaret for a chance to chat about their creative vision, after the show! Enjoy the discussion with a drink as Happy Hour prices will be in effect at the bar! Post-show event begins at 8:45pm, after the 7pm performance.

Student Matinee: November 6, 10:30 AM
Free tickets for students.

Post-Show Event Backstage Thursday: Designer Spotlight:  Thursday, November 7, 8:45pm
Join us in Clark Cabaret before the show to meet the Design Team and hear the influences and process involved. A fun pre-show experience! The pre-show event starts at 6:00pm before the 7pm performance

Pay-What-You-Will & Industry Night: November 11, 7:00 PM

Daily: Before and after performances
Come to the show early to enjoy our Clark Cabaret, open one hour before the show time and will remain open after the show.

Stephen Brotebeck (Director) is an established Artistic Director, Professor, Choreographer, and Director, having led productions both across the nation and globally, including as the Interim Artistic Director at Diversionary Theatre for the 2023 – 2024 season. Notable Directorial credits include Diversionary Theatre: Girlfriend, Head Over Heels; The Old Globe: Pushing the Envelope, New Musical Voices; NY Fringe Festival: Breaking the Shakespeare Code, St. Francis; Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival: The Shark Play, The Maltese Walter; Robert Moss Theatre: Greasemonkey; VOICETheatre: The Space Behind Your Heart; NYC Reading: Pickwick’s Haunted Christmas. Currently, Stephen is the Interim Director of the School of Theatre, Television, and Film at San Diego State University, and Treasurer/Executive Committee member of the Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance.

Mark Sonnenblick (Book, Music, Lyrics, Conception) is an Emmy and Drama Desk-nominated writer. He’s written songs for Theater Camp (Searchlight Pictures, also arranged and produced album), Spirited (Apple TV+), Lyle Lyle Crocodile (Sony Pictures), and Midnight at The Never Get (York Theatre Company; Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel and OCC nominations; MAC Award, Bistro Award) Other projects include Saturday Night Seder ($3.5 million raised for the CDC Foundation), Independents (“Best Production” FringeNYC), Ilana Glazer’s Comedy on Earth (Comedy Central), Dragons Love Tacos (TheatreworksUSA), Stompcat in Lawndale (Ars Nova), and Wheel of Misfortune (Denver Center for the Performing Arts). He’s received the Jonathan Larson Grant (American Theatre Wing) and the Harold Adamson Lyric Award (ASCAP).

Yi-Chien Li (Scenic Design) is a San Diego-based set designer working in theatre and film. She has worked with regional theatres including Diversionary, Center Rep, Cygnet Theatre, East West Players, Backyard Renaissance, Moxie, San Diego Rep, New Village Arts, Flint Rep, Music Theatre Heritage, Roustabouts, and Old Globe Theatre. Design credits in Diversionary included: Girlfriend, Eighty-Sixed, TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix, Dragon Mama, The High Table, A Kind of Weather
https://www.yichienlee.com/about

Nayeli Bailey (Lighting Design) (she/her) is a Mexican-American lighting designer from Los Angeles. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from California State University Los Angeles and has a background in themed entertainment. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Fine Arts in Lighting Design at San Diego State University. While in San Diego, she has designed for works at various venues including The Weight of Dreams and, Ziggy Stardust & Me at San Diego State University. Peter and the Starcatcher at University of San Diego and Notes On Killing Seven Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board Members at MOXIE Theatre. In addition to this she has had the opportunity to work with Radiance Lightworks Inc. and instructs undergraduate students at SDSU. Through her work she hopes to inspire and support other first generation students and artists. Gracias a mi familia y amigos por todo su apoyo. ¡Los amo!

Claire Peterson (Costume Design) (she/they) is a Costume Designer for both Theatre and Film with an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from San Diego State University. Originally from a small town in Montana, she found interest in art through theatre and design. With a main focus in theatre for social change, Claire strives to create a space where all people have the opportunity to feel safe and represented. She currently is working as a Costume Design Assistant at La Jolla Playhouse, along with doing freelance design around the country. Some design credits include Man and Moon at MOXIE Theatre, The Fog (Montana Repertory Theatre, The House of Bernarda Alba (SDSU), Cabaret (SDSU), Spring Awakening (University of Montana), A Year with Frog and Toad (University of Montana).

Janine Rose (Sound Design) (she/they) is thrilled to make her sound designing debut at Diversionary theater. After serving as the A1 for TL;DR Thelma and Louise; Dyke Remix earlier this year, they were invited to apply years of audio experience to the world of sound designing for musical theater. Other work includes audio engineering at Amplified Studios in Carlsbad, recording and performing her own music, and teaching audio production with a focus on uplifting queer, BIPOC, and women’s voices. Find out more about her work at jeanaudio.com.

Ron Councell (Music Supervisor & Vocal Coach) is an accomplished musical director and accompanist, performs at many of the theatres in San Diego, which include the The Old Globe, The La Jolla Playhouse, the Civic Theatre, Lyceum, and most recently North Coast Repertory Theatre. Previously, Ron taught for the Grossmont College Theatre Department for 15 years, co-teaching Music Theatre Workshop classes and having directed seven productions. In addition, Mr. Councell was the musical director and arranger for the internationally acclaimed Celtic-rock dance show, Celtic Fusion which toured in the United States, South America, Australia, and Scotland. Currently, he is the Music Director for Unity San Diego (20+ years). He is also the Vocal Coach and staff accompanist for the MFA in Musical Theatre at San Diego State University where he musical directed productions such as Hi, My Name is Alice and Spring Awakening, and continues to workshop new musicals.

Jesse Marchese (Production Dramaturg) is a queer theater administrator, writer, scholar, historian, director, and dramaturg. For Diversionary, Jesse served as Production Dramaturg on The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam. Previously, Jesse served as Executive Director of Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) in Queens, where he produced acclaimed productions of Follies and Caroline, or Change, and premiere productions of Madhuri Shekar’s Queen and Monet Hurst-Mendoza’s Veil’d. Prior to APAC, Jesse served as Associate Director of Off-Broadway’s award-winning Mint Theater Company where he helped to produce nearly fifteen productions, two of which he also directed: The Lucky One by A.A. Milne and The Fatal Weakness by George Kelly (nominated for two 2015 Drama Desk Awards). His work has also been seen in San Diego at UC San Diego (Epicene: A Queer Extravaganza and Napoli), and in New York City at The Civilians, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York City Children’s Theater, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, York Theatre Company, New World Stages, Theater for the New City, Gallery Players, Village Light Opera Group, and Marymount Manhattan College. He received his BA in Theatre Arts at Marymount Manhattan College and his MA in Theatre at CUNY Hunter College.

TREVOR
Bryan Banville (he/him/his): Bryan is grateful for the opportunity to return to Diversionary to tell this heart-aching love story. He was previously seen on the Diversionary stage as a murderous maid and others in The Mystery of Irma Vep (Craig Noel Nominee) and all the boyfriends in Significant Other. Other select credits include – Old Globe: The Heart of Rock and Roll (pre-Broadway) & Camp David; Cygnet Theatre: (Resident Artist) Spamalot (Craig Noel Winner), Rock of Ages, On the Twentieth Century, and Assassins; Moonlight Stage Productions: Beautiful, Memphis, Something Rotten, Titanic, Music Man, Spamalot, Mary Poppins, and Catch Me If You Can; Backyard Renaissance: Tarrytown (Craig Noel Nominee); Welk Resorts: Elf, Plaid Tidings; SDMT: The Producers, Ragtime; North Coast Repertory: The Sunshine Boys; Farmer’s Alley Theatre: Forever Plaid. All my love to Katie, Juni, and Sulley. “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” ~ Lord Tennyson

ARTHUR
Cody Bianchi (they/them/he): Cody is a San Diego transplant and they are thrilled to be joining such a talented creative team and cast for their first show with Diversionary. With their BFA in Musical Theatre from California State University Fullerton, some favorite credits include: Charlie In Pieces (Teatro San Diego), Ursula in The Little Mermaid and Simeon in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Candlelight Pavilion), Thalia in Xanadu and Purser/Moonface U/S in Anything Goes (SDMT), and Burrs in The Wild Party (CSUF). When they are not on stage, Cody teaches musical theatre at Mounarath Powell Dance. They would like to thank their family and friends for all of their unconditional support. Keep up with them by following @codychris @codybianchi

We are no longer requiring masks in our theater. Masks are still encouraged to help keep our performers and audience members safe, but they are not required.

NOTE: This policy is subject to change at any moment to reflect changing local, state, and federal regulations. Please return before your scheduled performance date to see our most recent policy.

About Season 39:

Connections

Decade Sponsor: Joann Clark

Each production in Season 39 is a testament to the transformative and unifying force of love, showcasing the beauty of acceptance, understanding, and empathy. As we come together to experience these powerful stories, we invite our community members to join us on a journey of exploration and connection, celebrating the rich tapestry of human experiences.

Connections Season 39 a rainbow color array, and spiraling lights and lines
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