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Centralia, by Adam Chanler-Berat and Julian Hornik

From Penn State Musical Theatre’s New Musicals Initiative

January 8, 2026

CENTRALIA: A New Musical by Adam Chanler-Berat and Julian Hornik, directed by John Simpkins, commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre, and featuring the Class of 2026. Music direction by Darren R. Cohen.

Penn State is the proud home of one of the preeminent training programs in musical theatre. Led by Head of Musical Theatre John Simpkins, it is also home to a New Musicals Initiative where each year writers are commissioned. The writers visit Penn State to meet a group of third-year students – they share work and discuss timely issues. They return the following year and workshop/ develop the show with a Penn State creative team and the students who are now in their fourth year. Opportunities exist to continue into production at Penn State and professionally.

Previous commissions include Love in Hate Nation (Joe Iconis), The Last Day (Mike Reid/ Sarah Schlesinger), The Lucky Boy (Kirsten Childs), Dust and Embers (Sam Salmond), Nostalgia Night (Sofya Levitsky-Weitz/ Matthew McCollum), Make It All Better (Gilbert Bailey), Me and My Friends Killing Nazis (Alexander Sage Oyen, Lauren Marcus, James Presson), In-Gauged (Christian Thompson, Maria Wirres), The Morris & Essex Line (Joshua Salzman, Ryan Cunningham), and Trampoline (Deborah Abramson/ David Kirshenbaum).

This year’s concert is Centralia, a new musical by Adam Chanler-Berat and Julian Hornik, directed by John Simpkins.

Featuring:

Katie Abt
Zayna Darres
Gavin Ditz
Zach Doran
Johnny Fenton (national tour of Disney’s Newsies)
Alex Iozzio
Ricky Kessler
Riri Kuroki
Andre Lajevardi
Kayla Louison
Maddie Palmer
Michael Reed
Antonio Urrutia III
Nat Wiley

Please note that all artists and acts are subject to change at any time.

Featuring

Adam Chanler-Berat, a young man with short, curly brown hair and light facial hair, looks directly at the camera. He wears a light blue turtleneck and a patterned shirt against a vivid yellow background and fabric, creating a striking contrast.

Adam Chanler-Berat

Book
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Julian Hornik, a young man with short dark hair and round glasses, looks to his left. He wears a colorful, patterned button-up shirt in yellow, red, and purple hues against a solid blue background.

Julian Hornik

Music & Lyrics
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John Simpkins

Director
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Darren Cohen, a man with short brown hair, wearing black glasses, a black blazer, and a black shirt, smiles at the camera. He is seated indoors in front of a dark wall, with a bouquet of white flowers in the background.

Darren R. Cohen

Music Director
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A young woman with wavy, light brown hair, wearing hoop earrings and a teal strappy top, smiles warmly at the camera against a plain gray background. Her skin is lightly freckled and she appears relaxed and happy.

Katie Abt

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A young woman with medium-toned skin and dark, tightly curled hair poses against a brown background. Zayna Darres wears a brown top, gold earrings, a heart pendant necklace, and natural makeup with red lipstick as she looks at the camera.

Zayna Darres

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A young adult with fair skin and blue eyes smiles at the camera. He has short, curly brown hair and wears a dark maroon V-neck shirt. The background is a plain, warm brown color. The lighting is bright and even.

Gavin Ditz

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A young person with wavy blond hair and fair skin smiles at the camera. They are wearing a dark green, textured collared shirt. The background is plain white, and the person is posed at a slight angle, facing forward.

Zach Doran

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Jonathan Fenton, a young man with curly dark hair and blue eyes, smiles warmly at the camera. He wears a navy blue

Johnny Fenton

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A young person with short, dark curly hair and blue eyes smiles warmly. They wear gold hoop earrings, a gray t-shirt, and a blue button-up shirt. The background is softly blurred, suggesting a window or indoor setting with natural light.

Alex Iozzio

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A woman with long, wavy dark hair smiles softly. She has light skin, blue eyes, and wears natural makeup with pink lipstick. Sporting a nose ring and a light blue v-neck top, she stands before a softly blurred gray background—photographed by Ricky Kessler.

Ricky Kessler

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A young woman with long, straight brown hair and fair skin smiles warmly at the camera. She wears a bright green top and a delicate gold necklace. The background is a plain, light blue, drawing attention to her friendly expression.

Riri Kuroki

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A young person with short, curly brown hair and blue eyes looks at the camera with a neutral expression. Wearing a black tank top, Andre Lajevardi stands against a solid dark gray background, the even lighting highlighting their face and shoulders.

Andre Lajevardi

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Kayla Louison, a young woman with long, dark, twisted locks, smiles warmly at the camera. She wears a blue top and stands indoors against a softly blurred gray background, creating a natural and inviting portrait.

Kayla Louison

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Madison Palmer, a young woman with long, wavy red hair and fair skin, smiles gently. She wears a dark green top and a gold necklace with a small heart pendant. The softly blurred background keeps the focus on her face.

Maddie Palmer

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Michael Reed, a young man with short hair and stud earrings, smiles warmly at the camera. He wears a dark, henley-style shirt and is posed against a plain, light-colored background with bright, even lighting for a cheerful portrait.

Michael Reed

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Antonio Urrutia III

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A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiles warmly at the camera. She has blue eyes and wears a sleeveless magenta knit top with blue denim overalls. The background is a soft, light blue, creating a friendly and approachable atmosphere.

Nat Wiley

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Pricing

  • $40.50 (includes $5.50 in fees) – $51.50 (includes $6.50 in fees)
  • VIP Seating: $62.50 (includes $7.50 in fees)
  • Premiums: $84.50 (includes $9.50 in fees)
  • Prices shown are only valid for online purchases. Additional $6 in fees for all seating sections if purchased at the box office.
  • $25 Food & Beverage Minimum

Times(show / doors open)

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The image features the logo of "54 Below," a renowned cabaret and dining club. The logo uses an elegant serif font with the number "54" prominently displayed and the word "BELOW" situated underneath. The text is gold on a dark brown background with a gold border surrounding the design.
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