BGSU brings Broadway to Falcon Family Weekend

Students and families are invited to the free event in the Thomas B. and Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre, celebrating musical theater

Bowling Green State University is bringing Broadway to Falcon Family Weekend this year. “The Phantom of the Opera” actress Ali Ewoldt and two-time Grammy-nominated music director Phil Reno will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 in the Thomas B. and Kathleen M. Donnell Theatre at the Wolfe Center for the Arts.

The event is free and open to the public, and guests are invited to an evening of Broadway music celebrating musical theater and featuring numbers from legendary stage productions. The performance is part of more than a dozen events during Family Weekend, an annual tradition that brings parents, family members and supporters to campus to visit, create memories and explore the University and local community.

"We are very excited to bring two acclaimed Broadway artists to the stage at BGSU," said Kirsten Osbun-Manley, director of Arts for All. "This is not only an amazing opportunity for our students, families and community, but also a chance to enjoy an evening of Broadway music."

Ewoldt played Christine in “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway for two and a half years, including the show’s 30th-anniversary celebration. Other New York credits include the first Broadway revival of “Les Misérables,” the Tony Award-winning revival of “The King and I” at Lincoln Center and the role of Luisa in the off-Broadway production of “The Fantasticks.”

Reno has served as music director and conductor for numerous Broadway shows, including “Something Rotten!,” “Promises, Promises,” “Elf!,” “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Cats” and more. On television, Reno was the music director for CBS’s “Broadway Under the Stars” from 2002 to 2006 and for “Tree Lighting in Bryant Park” on CBS from 2006 to 2011. In total, he has contributed to 10 original cast recordings and has been nominated twice for a Grammy Award.

This event will mark the second time in a matter of weeks a Broadway star will be on campus. Tony Award-winning songwriter and performer Shaina Taub will be on campus Oct. 1 as part of the Edwin H. Simmons Creative Minds Series. Taub created and is the star of the Broadway musical "Suffs," which shines a light on the American suffrage movement and the ongoing conversation about women's rights. 

For a full rundown of Falcon Family Weekend events, visit bgsu.edu/familyweekend.