Colleen Jennings Roggensack and Arizona theater

Colleen Jennings Roggensack is the heart and soul of theater in Arizona. Without her guidance, Arizona would not even be on Broadway’s radar. A classically trained dancer and choreographer, Roggensack is the Executive Director of the Gammage Theatre. She served on the National Endowment for the Arts and brought her enthusiasm and love of theater and her amazing Rolodex to Arizona in 1992. She is Arizona’s only Tony voter and is responsible for revitalizing the theater scene and bringing some of Broadway’s most beloved and celebrated musicals to Arizona including Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, and Kinky Boots. We’ll talk with this Arizona icon about the pressure and love of putting Arizona on the theater map and how her passion drives her to keep going in a world where the emphasis on arts in the community is dwindling. Learn more about ASU Gammage at https://www.asugammage.com/.

Watch more episodes from “Art in the 48” here.