Spring Awakening Makes a Wish Come True

Curtain Call for Wish Child Jesse!

ROCHESTER, NY (Feb. 10, 2010) – Wish child Jesse Pardee, an eighteen-year-old from Camillus, NY diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, will be performing in the Spring Awakening national tour during the Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13 performances at the Rochester Auditorium Theatre.

Pardee’s original wish was to audition for the Spring Awakening national tour. This wish was fulfilled on January 20, 2010 in NYC when she auditioned in front of the Spring Awakening creative team, which included the director, Michael Mayer, the music supervisor, Kimberly Grigsby, and the associate choreographer, JoAnn Hunter. The team was so impressed with her talent and personality that they invited her to perform in Rochester as part of her wish experience.
During the evening performance on Friday, February 12 and the matinee and evening performances on Saturday, February 13, Pardee will be performing as part of the ensemble in the “chair of rock” role.
Spring Awakening, the 8-time Tony Award® winning Broadway musical, is based on the 1891 Frank Wedekind play of the same name, and features an electrifying score by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater, direction by Michael Mayer, and choreography by the award-winning Bill T. Jones.

Set against the backdrop of a repressive and provincial late 19th century Germany, Spring Awakening tells the timeless story of adolescent self-discovery and budding sexuality as seen through the eyes of three teenagers. Haunting and provocative, Spring Awakening celebrates an unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, a poignancy and a passion you will never forget. For more details about Spring Awakening visit SpringAwakening.com.

Tickets for Spring Awakening at the Auditorium Theatre in Rochester are available at www.ticketmaster.com, 800.745.3000 and at the Auditorium Theatre Box Office.

Please join us share in the power of a wish as Jesse’s wish comes true!

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 188,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.