PRAIRIE FIRE THEATRE 1998-2024
ABOUT PFT
Prairie Fire Theatre is a unique musical experience. Founded by local artist Robert Mangialardi, Prairie Fire is a theatrical group dedicated to bringing professional, first-rate musical theatre and light opera to the local community. Prairie Fire has staged three to four musical theatre events each year since incorporating in 1998, and has produced the works of such composers and librettists as Gilbert and Sullivan, George and Ira Gershwin, and Irving Berlin.
All Prairie Fire events are performed and directed by local talent, drawing from a largely untapped but highly skilled pool of professional artists many of whom are affiliated with Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University. The majority of Prairie Fire Theatre’s performances are held on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University, but the company takes pride in taking musical theatre to non-traditional community settings.
Our mission:
To bring professional, first-rate music theatre and light opera to people of diverse ages and backgrounds in Bloomington-Normal and the surrounding community
Our goals:
- Produce 3-4 scheduled musical theatre productions each year
- Provide a venue for local professional musical talent
- Work with local schools to promote musical theatre and light opera.
- Sponsor an annual K-12 student talent award.
- Host a musical variety fund raising event each year.
- Provide a vehicle for the performance of original works of local artists.
- Bring musical theatre into non-traditional community settings, such as churches, schools, festivals, and individual homes.
Founding Board Members
Kathleen Smith Whitman, President
Lloyd Farlee,Vice President
Galen Crow, Treasurer
Robert Mangialardi, Artistic/Managing Director
Anne Schade Uhe, Business Manager
Members
Nancy Brokaw
Larry Eggan
Mary Hanson
Russell Mangialardi
2021 BOARD MEMBERS
Swat Khanna, Co-President
Kate Rodriguez, Co-President
Larry Eggan, Treasurer
Stewart Winger, Secretary
Members
Michelle Vought
Katie Henderson
Ken Solem
Rosie Hauck
Blake Miller
Holly Pfister
Staff
Bob Mangialardi, Founder & Artistic Director
Mindy Mangialardi, Business Manager
Lloyd Farlee Student Award Winners
2001 – Angela Basolo
2002 – Kate Tombaugh
2003 – Michael Henderson
2004 – Shane Irvin (tie)
2004 – Melissa Basolo (tie)
2005 – Alexander Preller
2006 – Joshua Ramseyer
2007 – Allison Crane
2008 – Matt Skibo
2009 – Mitchell Crain
2010 – Chelsey Coombs
2011 – Brittany Ambler (tie)
2011 – Allison Lokenwitz (tie)
2012 – Emily Honzel
2013 – Anna Prenzler (tie)
2013 – Tessa Eckley (tie)
2019 – Nate Carmichael
PRODUCTIONS
2022
Opera Under the Stars
Learning To Be Me
The Emperor’s New Threads*
2021
Our Gala, Your Gathering (live stream)
Save the Dragons!*
2019
Showcase of Stars Champagne Gala
Gypsy
HMS Pinafore
How To Be a Superhero
2018
Baobob
And the World Goes ‘Round
The Secret Garden
Showcase of Stars Campagne Gala
2017
The Last Book on Earth*
The Most Happy Fella
Starting Here, Starting Now
Champagne Gala
2016
There’s a Martian in the Opera House!*
Oklahoma!
One for the Road
Champagne Gala
2015
W.O.O.S.H! Web of Opera Super Heroes!*
Pirates of Penzance
An Evening of Big Band Music
Champagne Gala
2014
Who Stole B-Flat?*
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
My Fair Lady
Champagne Gala
2013
The Sky is Falling and I’m Not Even Kidding!*
A Little Night Music
It Just Takes One
Champagne Gala
2012
Tortoise and Hare’s Big Race!*
Tell Me on a SundayDamn Yankees!
Back to Bacharach & David
Champagne Gala
2011
Ugh the Duck*
HMS Pinafore
Breakin’ Up is Hard to Do
Champagne Gala
2010
Three Little Pigs*
Fertile Ground
I’ll Be Seeing You – The Best of Lloyd Farlee
An Evening with Gilbert & Sullivan
Champagne Gala
2009
Pinnochio*
Let’s Misbehave
The Gondoliers
Suds
Champagne Gala
2008
Red’s Day Off*
Coming to America
The Pirates of Penzance
Forever Plaid
Champagne Gala
2007
Billy Goats Gruff*
Songs for a New World
Annie Get Your Gun
The Story Goes On
Champagne Gala
2006
Jack and the Beanstalk*
I Love a Piano
HMS Pinafore
Be My Love – Remembering Mario Lanza
Champagne Gala
2005
Three Little Pigs*
With a Song in My Heart
Ruddigore
Are We There Yet?
Champagne Gala
2004
Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing*
I’ll Be Seeing You Again
Iloanthe
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Champagne Gala
2003
Red’s Day Off*
I’ll Be Seeing You
The Mikado
Babes in Toyland
Champagne Gala
2002
Pirates of Penzance
The Fantasticks
An Evening with the Heartland Philharmonic
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Champagne Gala
2001
Closer Than Ever
HMS Pinafore
La Boheme
The Brothers
Champagne Gala
2000
An Evening with Gilbert & Sullivan
Romance, Romance
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Champagne Gala
1999
Oh Coward
Merrily We Go Along
1998
Baby
*Denotes children’s opera.
Highlights of the past two decades
- Worked with some of the most talented singers, actors, directors, set designers and builders, lighting designers, writers and board members in the Midwest.
- During the pandemic of 2020-2021, presented a live YouTube Gala Concert and Fundraiser, “Our Gala, Your Gathering”, as well as video productions of “Opera Under the Stars”, “The Emperor’s New Threads”, and “Save the Dragons!”.
- Commissioned and premiered ten original children’s operas by the extremely talented author/playwright/librettist Nancy Steele Brokaw:
- The Emperor’s New Threads (2021)
- Save the Dragons! (2020)
- How to be a Superhero (2019)
- Baobob (2018)
- The Last Book on Earth (2017)
- There’s a Martian in the Opera House! (2016)
- O.O.S.H! Web of Opera Super Heroes! (2015)
- Who Stole B-Flat? (2014)
- The Sky is Falling and I’m Not Even Kidding! (2013)
- Tortoise and Hare’s Big Race! (2012)
- Premiered six other original shows:
- Learning To Be Me by Brittany Ambler
- It Just Takes One by Kate Tombaugh
- Fertile Ground by David Vayo and Nancy Steele Brokaw
- I’ll Be Seeing You by Lloyd Farlee
- I’ll Be Seeing You Again by Lloyd Farlee
- With a Song in My Heart by Lloyd Farlee and Nancy Steele Brokaw
- Performed shows written by nationally successful writers from central Illinois:
- Ray Roderick, Bloomington (I Love a Piano, 2006; Are We There Yet? 2005)
- Thomas Booth, Galesburg (Remembering Mario Lanza, 2006)
- Collaborated with Heartland Theatre on “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” (2004)
- Grew from performing our children’s opera at about 10 schools in 2003 to performing almost 50 shows for approximately 9000 children and adults at schools, libraries and non-traditional venues in 2019.
- Since 2011, have worked with Dr. Katie Steele Brokaw, professor at the University of California-Merced (Merced Opera in the Schools) to bring our annual children’s opera to 3,500 children in underserved communities in Merced County.
- Secured grants enabling us to perform our annual children’s opera at a reduced cost to local schools.
- Established the Lloyd Farlee Student Award in honor of Dr. Farlee, a dear friend of Prairie Fire Theatre, and awarded scholarships to 16 vocally talented high school students.