Be More Chill | theregals

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Our production of BE MORE CHILL has been nominated in the 2020 BroadwayWorld Australia Awards! If you loved the show you can VOTE FOR US NOW here!

CONGRATULATIONS to the 9 nominations across 7 categories!!!

Best Musical - Amateur/Community
BE MORE CHILL

Best Actress in a Musical - Amateur/Community
Katie Vials

Best Actor in a Musical - Amateur/Community
Joe Dinn & Vincent Huynh

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical - Amateur/Community
Jo Nalty & Jono Lukins

Best Sound Design - Musical - Amateur/Community
Birdie Productions

Best Director - Musical - Amateur/Community
Kenney Ogilvie

Best Choreographer - Amateur/Community
Tracey Michelle

#GetSQUIPED #BeMoreChillREGALS 📷 @chloelambert_photography

Meet our INCREDIBLE cast !

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS & CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Photo Credits: Chloe Lambert / Chloe Snaith Photography

SAM HAMILTON - Jeremy Heere

JEREMY HEERE - Your average, nothing-special teenager at Middleborough High in nothing-special New Jersey. Sincere, self-obsessed, awkward. Every dorky 80s movie protagonist rolled into one. He’s completely unremarkable and yet - the world of the story revolves around him. He strives for popularity and feels resentment over his parent’s divorce. Jeremy regularly expresses how he’s head over heels in love with Christine, a girl he’s never talked to. He’s willing to sign up for drama class and ‘upgrade’ with the SQUIP to win her affection (or even to be noticed by her). He even turns his back on his best friend, Michael to achieve it.

SAM HAMILTON
Sam is currently studying a Diploma of Musical Theatre at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). His previous training includes, vocal tuition under the guidance of Diana Rouvas (Winner of The Voice 2019), and a Bachelor in Musical Theatre at AMPA. He has been involved in many theatre productions in the Illawarra and Sydney regions. His theatre credits include, Ugly Honk! (RTC); Evan Goldman, 13: The Musical (RTC); Bobby. C, Saturday Night Fever (RTC); Gremio, Kiss me Kate (RTC); Lefou, Beauty and the Beast (So Popera); Teen Angel/Johnny Casino, Grease (IYAP); Charlie Brown, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Phoenix Theatre); Flounder, The Little Mermaid (So Popera); Lefou, Beauty and the Beast (Miranda Musical Society); Leo Bloom, The Producers (Miranda Musical Society); Marius, Les Miserables (Manly Musical Society); Jack, Into the Woods (So Popera); Tommy, The Who’s TOMMY: A Rock Opera (Phoenix Theatre); Aaron Schultz, Legally Blonde (So Popera). In 2016 Sam was a part of the ISER vocal company as a featured artist where he performed in Southern Stars the arena spectacular. Sam is really exciting to doing this bucket list show with an incredible team, and hopes the audience enjoy it as much as we have putting it together.

Sam says; "This is my first show with The Regals! I have followed the making of Be More Chill since the workshops and readings of the show, and thought it was a really neat idea for a musical. I instantly became obsessed with the work of Joe Iconis and totally nerd out with his music. Cut to a few years later and I’m actually in the show now!"

Photo Credit: Chloe Lambert / Chloe Snaith Photography

KATIE VIALS - Christine Canigula

CHRISTINE CANIGULA is a diehard theatre kid and through the male gaze of Jeremy, the perfect girl-next-door. Sweetly dorky, kooky, an introvert. Performing on stage is the platform which Christine can express her inner confidence. She expels excitable energy within the rehearsal room and connects with people who she feels understands who she is inside. In her song “I Love Play Rehearsal” she enthuses that “I love play rehearsal, cuz you are equipped with directions and text. Life is easy in rehearsal, you follow a script, so you know what comes next”.

KATIE VIALS
Katie is a theatre loving nerd much like her character Christine. This is Katie’s first lead role and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to perform with such a talented, enthusiastic and supportive cast. Katie loves to perform. She has previously appeared in ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Cinderella’ and was cast in a featured role as an Alabama Lamb in ‘Big Fish’ with Engadine Musical Society. Most recently, she has performed in ‘Kinky Boots’ with Rockdale Musical Society.

Katie has always loved all things musical. She has had over 10 years of vocal training and has spent 6 years studying drama. She works part time as a music teacher at a local music studio, teaching students of all ages how to play guitar and piano, as well as teaching them how to sing. When she is not performing in musicals she is studying. Katie is currently completing a Bachelor of Communication and Media and a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Wollongong majoring in Marketing and Management.

Katie says; “I am so excited to be able to introduce Christine to everyone, and hope that you all enjoy the show as much as the cast have enjoyed performing it! This is not only my first production with Regals Musical Society, but is also my first lead role. I’m loving every single moment of rehearsals as everyone is so fun and uplifting to be around. My favourite song is 'Voices in My Head'.”

Photo Credit: Chloe Lambert / Chloe Snaith Photography

VINCENT HUYNH - Michael Mell

MICHAEL MELL - Jeremy's best friend, the other half of their Two-Player Game'. He is considerate, unique, loyal and endearing. Unlike any other character in this musical, Michael not only understands who he is- but also celebrates it.
Michael is a fan of the 80s, music from before he was born and pop culture. He proudly identifies as a stoner.

VINCENT HUYNH
Be More Chill will be Vincent’s first show with The Regals Musical Society, as well as his first ever lead role! Currently studying for his Bachelor of Music Theatre at the Australian Institute of Music, Vincent’s love for music knows no bounds, having previously participated in CaSPA (Catholic Schools Performing Arts) as a high school student, where he had the opportunity to work personally with the likes of James Long and Jennifer Murphy.

Vincent’s love for music also includes his keen interest in musical directing. After having lessons from the age of six, Vincent hopes to be able to put his piano skills to good use as a musical director, having done so for smaller cabarets and performances at his university. His ultimate ambition is to one day musical direct a Stephen Sondheim musical and survive.

Other notable performances include Wicked (WOFTAM, featured dancer), Heathers (Rising Arts Productions), 42nd Street (HMTC, Mac and The Thug), A Chorus Line (BTC, Richie Walters) and The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! (AIM, Mr. Jütter). Vincent is beyond excited to be adding Michael Mell to his list of credits!

Vincent says: "I have never felt more “seen” or “represented” in a musical than when I saw George Salazar perform as Michael in Be More Chill. I hope to live up to that image."

Photo Credit: Chloe Lambert / Chloe Snaith Photography

Jeremy Heere - Sam Hamilton

Michael Mell - Vincent Huynh

Christine Canigula - Katie Vials

Chloe Valentine - Dani Caruso

Brooke Lohst - Jamieson Raabe

Jenna Rolan - Emily Moudanidis

Jake Dillinger - Jono Lukins

Rich Goranski - Byron Leitch

The SQUIP - Hannah Barn

The SQUIP - Joseph Nalty

Scary Stockboy - Darcy Noack

Mr Reyes - Daniel O'Connell

Mr Heere - Joe Dinn

with Jordan Berry, Alyssa Bishara, Anthony Halpin, Alannah Heinecke, Jordan Koulos, Isabel Kratz, Jessica Luth, Jeremy Salmon, Sidney Udrea, Lucy Vella.

See more cast photos, videos & takeovers on:
Facebook @TheRegalsMusicalSociety
& Instagram @regalsmusicalsociety

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Only 4 days of performances!

Wednesday 11th March 2020 @ 8:00pm
Thursday 12th March @ 8:00pm*
Friday 13th March @ 8:00pm
Saturday 14th March @ 2pm
Saturday 14th March @ 8:00pm

Running time approx. 2 hours & 30 minutes

Adults $35
Concession $30 (Children under 12 or Pensioners)

[ *GET SQUIPED THURSDAY - ALL TIX $25 ]
for Thursday, March 12 only

(NB: Coarse language, adult themes.
Read more below)

St George Auditorium

4-16 Montgomery Street, Kogarah, NSW 2217 Parking Public Transport

For information about Disabled Access
please contact St George Auditorium Concierge

#CastAnnouncement #GetSQUIPED #BeMoreChillREGALS #TheRegals2020

AdultThemes

Note to Parents
Be More Chill contains references to sex & drug use, teenage drinking and features some coarse language. The production is suitable for ages 12+.

If your child is under 12, they may still be a big fan of the musical ! If you would like to know what to expect - check out this review by a mother who took her 10 year old son to see the Broadway production:
https://www.nyctechmommy.com/taking-the-kids-to-see-be-more-chill/

L > R

Michael Mell - Vincent Huynh

Christine Canigula - Katie Vials
Jeremy Heere - Sam Hamilton

Production Photographs
Photo Credits: Chloe Snaith Photography

Facebook Gallery

BE MORE CHILL, presented by The Regals Musical Society, is a rocking new sci-fi musical about growing up, high school, and what we will do to get what we want.

Jeremy Heere is just your average, dorky teenager at nothing-special Middleborough High.
That is, until Jeremy discovers THE SQUIP - a supercomputer inside a tiny grey pill he swallows with Mountain Dew that promises him EVERYTHING he desires: a date with Christine, an invite to the raddest Halloween party of the year and a chance to survive life in his suburban New Jersey high school. Being. More. Chill.

But, as he ‘upgrades’ in popularity, and starts to get the girls, The SQUIP takes control of everything he says and does, and deletes everything important to him, including his best friend, Michael - Is this what Jeremy really wants?

It’s just your not-so-typical science fiction pop-rock love story. Guy likes Girl, Girl likes theatre, Supercomputer likes world domination!… with zombies!

Both hilarious and heart-felt, according to The New Yorker, “If you fed 'Dear Evan Hansen' and 'Mean Girls' to the 'Little Shop of Horrors' plant, you'd get BE MORE CHILL.”

BE MORE CHILL IS PRESENTED THROUGH SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH
ORiGiN™ THEATRICAL ON BEHALF OF R&H THEATRICALS www.rnh.com

BE MORE CHILL
Music and Lyrics by Joe Iconis
Book by Joe Tracz
Based on the Novel by Ned Vizzini

#BeMoreChillREGALS

THE SQUIP - Joseph Nalty & Hannah Barn

CHARACTERS
JEREMY HEERE - awkward high school junior.
CHRISTINE CANIGULA - high school theatre girl, sweetly dorky.
MICHAEL MELL - Jeremy's 80's music-obsessed best friend.
JAKE DILLINGER - high school awesomeness personified.
RICH GORANSKI - total teenage bully.
CHLOE VALENTINE - the hottest girl in school, crass and confident.
BROOKE LOHST - the second hottest girl in school, insecure.
JENNA ROLAN - the girl who knows everyone's business, the smartphone gossip.
SCARY STOCKBOY - His front is selling shoes in a department store, but he also sells The SQUIP to main characters under suspicious circumstances.
Mr. REYES - eccentric drama teacher.
Mr. HEERE - Jeremy's Dad, recently divorced, never wears pants.

THE SQUIP - The "Super Quantum Unit Intel Processor" - a microchip in a tiny pill that Jeremy swallows with green Mountain Dew and implants in his brain to become popular. Often played in the likeness of Keanu Reeves.

SONGS

More Than Survive - Jeremy, Michael, and Students
I Love Play Rehearsal - Christine
The SQUIP Song - Rich and Ensemble
Two-Player Game - Michael and Jeremy
Be More Chill - SQUIP, Jeremy, Brooke, Chloe and Ensemble
Do You Wanna Ride? - Brooke and Chloe
A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into - Christine and Ensemble
Upgrade - Brooke, SQUIP, Jeremy, Jake, Christine, and Ensemble
Halloween Party - Ensemble
Do You Wanna Hang? - Chloe
Michael in the Bathroom - Michael
The Smartphone Hour (Rich Set A Fire) - Jenna, Chloe, Brooke, and The Girls
The Pitiful Children - SQUIP and Ensemble
The Pants Song - Mr. Heere and Michael
The Play - Ensemble
Voices in My Head - Jeremy and Ensemble

READ & WATCH more about BE MORE CHILL

"Everything You Need to Know When Taking the Kids to See Be More Chill on Broadway" - NYC Tech Mommy, 14-06-2019

"Be More Chill Is a Candy-Colored Musical for the Internet Age" - TIME, 21-03-2019

London Opening Review - "Glorious misfit musical for the age of oddballs" - The Guardian, 09-02-2020

"Be More Chill and Dear Evan Hansen: how teens made the musicals go viral" - The Guardian, 11-02-2020

Be More Chill's fandom phenomenon and London 'upgrade' - BroadwayWorld, 29-09-2019

Be More Chill: The word of mouth hit - BBC, 30-09-2019

Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz on Crafting Be More Chill
BroadwayDirect, 27-11-2018

Joe Tracz takes on high school in writing Be More Chill
ByKennethJones, 10-06-2015

Be More Chill (musical) - Wikipedia

VIDEOs
VIDEO: The Regals cast - What's it all about?

VIDEO: The making of the original Be More Chill cast recording

VIDEO: "Michael in the Bathroom" featuring George Salazar - Be More Chill (Original Cast Recording)

LOCAL NEWS & REVIEWS

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Hannah Barn as The SQUIP, Dani Caruso as Chloe Valentine

St George and Sutherland Shire Leader
https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6666519/teen-who-got-all-he-wanted/

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Inner West Times
https://www.localnewsplus.com.au/?p=20068

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Canterbury Bankstown Torch
https://www.localnewsplus.com.au/?p=20046

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Liverpool City Champion
https://www.liverpoolchampion.com.au/story/6670821/when-teen-dreams-come-true/

Illawarra Mercury
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6669901/illawarra-performers-to-feature-in-chilled-out-theatre-production/

Byron Leitch as Rich Goranski

An energetic contemporary pop musical
"Overall, The Regals should be commended on a tight, well-directed and energetic production featuring young performers who no doubt have a bright future on the musical theatre stage."
- BE MORE CHILL Review by Emma Jane Explores (Emma Caldwell)

CHOOKAS: The Podcast
Episode 2 - Be More Chill
March 12, 2020
Interviews with the cast and a review of Opening Night.
- on Spotify (requires log-in)

REVIEWS of the 2018 Broadway production of BE MORE CHILL

"A high-energy, imaginative, well-crafted world premiere musical!" - The Star-Ledger

"A vibrant, inventive musical that makes the most of every moment!" - BroadwayWorld

"If you have a teen, know a teen or can rent a teen, take them to see a show all about them. It might even start a larger discussion afterward." - TheaterCues.com

"With its easily relatable characters, clever twists and ebullient songs, it engages you from beginning to end. An effervescent, feel-good musical." - NJAsrts

"Sharp and smart, the musical perfectly balances the tragedy and hilarity of high school!" - Tri City News

"Hip, energetic, vibrant and young!" - The Social Media Chef

BE MORE CHILL PRODUCTION TEAM
Director - Kenney Ogilvie
Musical Director - Amanda Jenkins
Choreographer - Tracey Rasmussen

Assistant Director - Flynn Crewes

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Kenney Ogilvie, Director of The Regals Musical Society's production of BE MORE CHILL, writes;

"Be More Chill speaks to a younger generation of theatre lovers. It has brought so many teens and young adults away from Netflix and into the world of theatre. Like Dear Evan Hansen, SIX, & Juliet and Hamilton... Be More Chill is part of this exciting new shift in Musical Theatre on Broadway that connects with audiences outside the theatre in genuine ways. There's incredible support for the LGBTQ+ community from this show and it speaks volumes to the themes of inclusivity present in the material.

Be More Chill explores the dangers of early smart phone adoption and alienation. Teens struggling to discover who they are in a crucial part of growth in their lives. Striving for and battling against the illusion of perfect lives that platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok cultivate.

The characters on one hand are struggling to discover who they are, while with the other hand are pushing down anyone that stands in their way. And I think young people are fed up with this way of life. Be More Chill is about breaking free from that, discovering who you truly are and lifting up the people who support you - being your best self.

Also, it's just such a delightful comedy. Humour is such an important skill young people learn to communicate with, and this show delivers important themes through a language similar to meme culture and sarcasm.

If there is a teen in your life or family, this is the perfect production to share with them."

HISTORY
Be More Chill is based on the 2004 debut young adult novel of the same name by Ned Vizzini, who drew on his own experiences of depression and his responses to the rollercoaster ride of high-school pressures. It was developed into a musical as part of a new play development program, with original music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, and a book by Joe Tracz, who sought to honour Vizzini’s vision. After its first regional theatre production at Two River Theatre, New Jersey (May—June 2015) it received mixed reviews.

So it wasn’t until an original cast recording was released online and went viral, with over 150 million streams in the USA alone, worldwide fan art world wide and dedicated teenage fan clubs, that it entered Billboard Cast Album chart’s Top 10 in July 2017, and was picked up again commercially to premiere off-Broadway in 2018. A Broadway production began previews in February 2019, officially opened in March 2019, and closed in August 2019, becoming a Tony Award nominee for Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award nominee for Outstanding Musical, Music, Lyrics and Orchestration, Broadway.com Audience Award winner for Favorite New Musical, and Theatre Fan's Choice Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Choreography as well as several other nominations and winnings in various categories in 2019.

Be More Chill’s Broadway cast recorded a new soundtrack – by now the show had undergone script changes that chimed with fans’ feedback – and the total streams for both Be More Chill albums have now reached 350 million. An off-West End production at The Other Palace, London, opened just this month on 18 February 2020. A Chicago production is set to open April 2020. A film adaptation is currently in development.

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