We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up

In This Program

• About the Show
• Credits
• A Note from Adam Immerwahr, Artistic Director
• Musical Numbers
• Who’s Who
• The Future, In Development
• A Century Spinning: Village Theatre Opens 2026-2027 Season with Ragtime
• Sponsor Spotlights
• Print Edition
• More About Village Theatre

About the Show

ADAM IMMERWAHR, Artistic Director

DEREK WATANABE, Managing Director

Book, Music, and Lyrics by

Gregg Hammer and Louis Pardo

Developed with and Directed by 

Scott Weinstein

Francis J. Gaudette Theatre
MAY 19–JUN 21, 2026 

Everett Performing Arts Center
JUN 27–JUL 19, 2026

Set Designer
Paige Hathaway

Costume Designer
Esther Garcia

Lighting Designer
Jennifer Fok

Sound Designer
Robertson Witmer

Projections Designer
Ahren Buhmann

Music Supervisor
Tim Symons

Stage Manager
Miranda Mikolaizik*

Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

World Premiere Production Presented by The Phoenix Theatre Company
Michael Barnard, Producing Artistic Director
Vincent VanVleet, Executive Director

Setting

The mid 1960’s-ish to the early 1990’s-ish.

Season Sponsors

4Culture
Artsfund
Boeing
Microsoft
Enzo's Bistro & Bar
Hook & Cleaver | Lombardi's Italian Restaurant and Bar

Producing Sponsors

Everett, WA
City of Issaquah Arts Commission
Seattle NorthCountry, made possible in part by assistance from the Snohomish

Show Sponsor

Columbia Bank

Credits

*The Actors and Stage Managers are members of the Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. 

Special Thanks

Rod “Red” Gibson, Christie Lites Seattle
Phoenix Theatre
Totem Lake Shoe Repair

Dear Patrons,

Since nearly our founding, brand-new musicals have been an essential part of Village Theatre’s DNA. Whether through development programs, public workshops, or Mainstage productions, the future of musical theater is being written right here. You can read more about our New Works program and this show’s unexpected journey on page 12 of this program.

I first encountered We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up: The Hymon and Parfunkel Musical while selecting shows for our 2024 Festival of New Musicals. Director Scott Weinstein had helmed our 2018 production of Million Dollar Quartet (itself a musical that premiered at Village) and through a later production of that show, connected with a pair of writers producing hilarious, tuneful duets. Together, the three began crafting those songs into a musical — the story of a fictional famous folk duo who have made their very own jukebox musical (a show built from an existing artist’s catalogue, like Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Million Dollar Quartet, or Jersey Boys). So, what we have here is a new musical at Village, built on relationships forged by another Village new musical, that lovingly mocks the very musicals Village is known for. Plus, it’s a hilarious buddy comedy. How could I possibly say no?

We’re deep in shaping our next season, and I can’t wait for you to experience it. Ragtime, Dear Evan Hansen, and Come From Away represent some of the finest musical theater of our era. Add in Agatha Christie’s deliciously sinister And Then There Were None and the world premiere of Love Is Dead (a romantic comedy!), and it’s sure to be a season of glorious music, unforgettable performances, powerful stories, and the joy of experiencing high-quality, professional theater right in your own community.

I hope to see you there!

Yours,

Adam Immerwahr       
Artistic Director              

Musical Numbers

“Overture/Wir Werden Uns Niemals Trennen”

“Move On” 

“Shotgun with my Buddy” 

“See Ya, Mia!”

“Tragic Heartbreak” 

“Shotgun with my Buddy (Reprise)” 

“San Francisco” 

“Come Ye, Faithful” 

“You Might Be Shocked” 

“Half Wet, Half Not Wet” 

“Finding Our Hit Montage” 
 a. Waterslide
 b. Turkish Bath
 c. Renaissance Fair
 d. Finding Our Hit II
 e. Jomantha
 f. Dial 8
 g. Finding Our Hit III
 h. Oh, Yippie! Mom’s a Hippee!
 i. Finding Our Hit IV

“We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up” 

“Fortunate Song” 

“By My Side (So Far Away)”

“Dylan Letter”

“Henry, the Hawk” 

“Moment of Silence” 

“I’m Fine” 

“Some Guys Just Get Lucky Medley” 
 a. The Man in (the) Black (Turtleneck)
 b. Salty Carolyn
 c. Some Guys Just Get Lucky (Reprise)

“Dylan Letter II”

“Schoolhouse Folk Theme Song” 

“A Laundry Rap” 

“Meaning of Life” 

“San Francisco (Reprise)”

“We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up (Reprise)”

Who’s Who

Cast

GREGG HAMMER, (Book, Music, Lyrics, and Saul Hymon). Originally hailing from Bothell, WA, Gregg is overjoyed to bring Hymon and Parfunkel back to the PNW after a smash performance at Village Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals in 2024. Gregg’s poignant storytelling and melodies often remind audiences of the golden era of singer-songwriters, while still maintaining a unique and fresh sound. His musical We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up: The Hymon & Parfunkel Musical had its world premiere at the Phoenix Theatre Company in September 2024, and he is currently at work on a few new projects. As an actor and musician, Gregg originated the role of Johnny Cash in the world premiere of Million Dollar Quartet Christmas and has toured over 50 countries while performing in several hit musicals and Broadway National Tours including Jesus Christ Superstar and Million Dollar Quartet. He has performed at notable venues including: The Kennedy Center, Greek Theatre (An Evening with Kristen Chenoweth) and Hollywood Bowl (Camelot, Les Misérables). Gregg’s voice can also be heard as a ‘Drunken Beerstein’ in the Germany pavilion of Epcot at Disney World. Thanks and love to Anna, Crosby, Louis, Scott, Adam Immerwahr (who is so great), and Luke/William Morris Endeavor. IG: @hymonandparfunkel & @gregghammer

LOUIS PARDO, he/him (Book, Music, Lyrics, and Bart Parfunkel) is a Mexican-Italian musical theater composer and playwright from Southern California. Having spent a lifetime as a performer, he is elated to jump to the other side of the table to craft this comedic, heart-warming piece about the difficulties of fame and friendship. Pardo loves taking his inspiration from the joy, heartbreak, and oddity of life. Albums: Mystic Pizza: The Musical, West Side Story with the San Francisco Symphony *Grammy Nominated*. Favorite Credits: Jesus Christ Superstar (National Tour), Hair (Hollywood Bowl), Mystic Pizza: The Musical (Papermill Playhouse), The Break: A New Musical (Constellation Stage and Screen), Bonnie and Clyde (Rubicon Theatre), A Year with Frog and Toad (South Coast Repertory), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (McCoy/Rigby). Thanks to the team at ATB Talent, Luke Virkstis at WME, the Chance Theater and Phoenix Theatre Company for supporting this baby as it learned to walk. Brandon Ivie, Paige Hathaway, our design team, and the entire Village staff including Adam Immerwahr, who is so great and deeply appreciated. Special thanks to Gregg, Scott, Luke, Lindsay, Avery, and all Pardos old and young. Finally, a thanks to all of you for spending some time with Hymon and Parfunkel. IG: @louispardo, @hymonandparfunkel

Understudies

CHRISTOPHER CLARK, he/him (u/s Saul Hymon) is a Seattle-based actor, last seen on Village Theatre’s stage wielding an electric guitar in Jersey Boys. Now, acoustic in hand, he is happy touring the stylings, albeit with a wink, of another iconic band. Other recent credits: Taproot Theatre, ACT Theatre, and other local playhouses. Thank you for supporting theater, and for creating with us so many unforgettable moments. Thanks especially to Mary and Marlette and Wayne for making this particular one possible.

BRANDON RIEL, (u/s Bart Parfunkel). Village Theatre debut! Favorite credits include Snowed In (Again) (ArtsWest), The Hello Girls, and Till We Have Faces (Taproot Theatre). Additional work includes The 5th Avenue Theatre, Harlequin Productions, and other regional companies. Brandon holds his MFA from the University of Washington School of Drama. Grateful to be here and for the path that led him.
—Proverbs 16:9

Creative Team

SCOTT WEINSTEIN, (Director/Developer) is an award-winning director and writer based in New York City. He is thrilled to return to Village Theatre where he previously directed Million Dollar Quartet. Favorite credits include Into the Woods (Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera) starring Carolee Carmello and Patti Murin; the regional premiere of Something Rotten! (Marriott Theatre - Jeff Nomination); Come From Away (Engeman Theatre); Always…Patsy Cline (Jeff Award) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Drury Lane Theatre - Jeff Nomination); Ragtime (Griffin Theatre - Jeff Award); Rent (Theo Ubique - Jeff Award); South Pacific and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (The Rev Theatre); She Kills Monsters (Steppenwolf Theatre) and the First National Tour of Million Dollar Quartet Christmas. He is a frequent director of new work including the first productions of Murder for Two and was the Associate and Resident Director for the Broadway National Tour, Las Vegas and Chicago productions of the hit musical Million Dollar Quartet, which he has directed around the world. Graduate of Northwestern University and proud union member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Developing We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up with his close friends, Lou and Gregg, for the past five years, has been one of the true highlights of his professional career, and he hopes you enjoy watching it as much as they have all enjoyed making it. Scottgweinstein.com

PAIGE HATHAWAY, (Scenic Designer). Village Theatre: 9 to 5, Dial M for Murder, Becoming Dr. Ruth. Regional: Deceived (The Old Globe Theatre); The Mirror Crack’d (Alley Theatre); Rent, Assassins (Arden Theatre Company); Noises Off (Pioneer Theatre Company). DC area: Strategic Love Play, HAIR, Penelope (Signature Theatre); Sister Act, Little Shop of Horrors (Ford’s Theatre); Disney’s Frozen (Olney Theatre); Dawn, Art, Primary Trust (Everyman Theatre). Education: BFA in scenic design from University of Oklahoma; MFA in scenic design from University of Maryland. USA 829. @paigehathawaydesign, paigehathawaydesign.com

ESTHER GARCIA, she/her (Costume Designer) has designed for opera, modern dance, theater and burlesque, including Village Theatre’s 9 to 5, Jersey Boys, Hello, Dolly!, She Loves Me, Million Dollar Quartet and The Fantasticks. Esther has a BFA from the University of Oregon with an emphasis in costume design. She has designed for Taproot Theatre, Eugene Opera, Lord Leebrick Theater, Lane Community College Theater and Dance Department, University of Oregon School of Music. Favorite designs include The Fantasticks, Hello, Dolly!, She Loves Me, Million Dollar Quartet, Pagliacci, Carmen, A Little Night Music, and HMS Pinafore. 

JENNIFER FOK, (Lighting Designer) is a Chinese-American designer based in New York City. Her work centers on reimagining established works, developing new plays and musicals, and collaborating with interdisciplinary artists in dance and music. She is thrilled to be making her design debut with Village Theatre. She has a BFA in theater production and design from Ithaca College. USA 829.
@jenniferfoklighting, jenniferfok.com

ROBERTSON WITMER, (Sound Designer) is a composer and sound designer from Seattle, WA. Previously at Village Theatre: Camelot, Once on This Island, The Color Purple. Other recent credits include: Fancy Dancer (Seattle Rep); Enemy of the People (ACT Theatre); Peril in the Alps (Laguna Playhouse); Kevin Kling: Unraveled (Merrimack Repertory Theatre) and Go, Dog Go • Ve, Perro Ve! (Chicago Children’s Theatre). Rob is a member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association and USA 829.  

AHREN BUHMANN, (Projection Designer) is a Lighting and Video designer based in Seattle. His previous shows include Jersey Boys, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, MISS STEP and Eastbound (Village Theatre); Legally Blonde: The Musical (Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE); The Moors (Seattle Public Theater); Or, Nonsense and Beauty (Theatre22); Solaris and My Antonia (Book-It Repertory Theatre); White Noise, The Good Book, Angels in America and Out of Character (Berkeley Repertory Theatre); and Carefree (New Jersey Performing Arts Center). Ribbet.

TIM SYMONS, he/him (Music Supervisor) is the Resident Music Supervisor at Village Theatre. Select credits include Grease, Brigadoon, The Color Purple, Legally Blonde: The Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Hart Island, Billy Elliot, The Who’s Tommy (Village Theatre); Rock of Ages, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion (The 5th Avenue); Assassins (ACT Theatre); Man of La Mancha, Xanadu (Arizona Theatre Company). Original scores for Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Village Theatre. Love to Taylor, Cedar and Winslow!

MIRANDA MIKOLAIZIK, she/her (Stage Manager) is so excited to be working on this show! She is also grateful to be serving as the theatre’s Resident Stage Manager. Miranda has worked on a number of shows at Village since 2014 including Dreamgirls, Matilda, Songs for a New World, Legally Blonde: The Musical, The Color Purple, 9 to 5 The Musical and Grease. She also stage manages for The 14/48 Projects whenever possible and loves lifting heavy things. All the love to Chris and the kittens. 

ANNIKA EVENS, (Assistant Stage Manager) is excited to be back at Village Theatre. Past credits include: Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Brigadoon, Jersey Boys, Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot, The Fantasticks, and Sense and Sensibility. Other experience includes work at Seattle Shakespeare Company, The 5th Avenue Theatre, The New London Barn Playhouse, and KÀ by Cirque du Soleil. Additionally, she enjoys mentoring students through Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE and Intiman Theatre’s STARFISH Project. Annika is a graduate from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in stage and production management. 

ADAM IMMERWAHR, (Artistic Director) is responsible for season selection and also oversees the  artistic, education, and production departments. He recently directed Village’s productions of Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Dial M for Murder, and Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot. He previously served as Artistic Director of Theater J, the Associate Artistic Director at McCarter Theatre, and the Resident Director of Passage Theatre. Adam’s producing credits include new works by Edward Albee, Christopher Durang, Danai Gurira, Fiasco Theater, Will Power, Stephen Wadsworth, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Ken Ludwig, several of which have transferred to Broadway or off-Broadway. As a director, Adam’s work has been seen from Aspen to Zimbabwe, including at some of the top theaters in the country: The Public and Theater Row (both for Summer Play Festival), Ensemble Studio Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, McCarter Theater, Cleveland Play House, Drury Lane Theatre, Lyric Theater of Oklahoma, Theater J, Passage Theater, Hangar Theater, Bristol Riverside, and many others. He serves on the Board of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce and is an inaugural member of the Drama League Director’s Council.

DEREK WATANABE, (Managing Director) has served as the Managing Director of Village Theatre since the beginning of the 2024-25 season and oversees the marketing, finance, fundraising, patron services, operations, and facilities areas of the organization. He has been a long-term champion of Village Theatre, as subscriber (27 years), Board member (15 years), Village Originals member, KIDSTAGE parent, and donor. During his tenure as Board President, he helped lead Village through the construction of the Watjen Technical Studios, Hunt Family Theatre and Cope Gillette Theatre. Originally from Honolulu, Derek moved to the west coast to pursue his bachelor’s and graduate degrees at Pomona College, UCLA, and USC. He and his wife, Anne, have lived in Issaquah for 28 years, where they raised their 3 children. He can be reached at derek@villagetheatre.org.

The Director is a member of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

All stage work performed by members of IATSE Local 15.

All costume construction and hair/make-up work is performed by employees represented by IATSE TWU Local #887.

All scenic painting work is performed by employees represented by IATSE Local 488.

United Scenic Artists represents the designers and scenic painters for the American Theatre.

The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

The theatre operates under an agreement with Local 76-493, American Federation of Musicians, AFL-CIO, representing the musicians.

Village Theatre proudly participates in the Theatre Puget Sound presented Gregory Awards for Excellence in Local Performing Arts.

The Future, In Development

By Ellen Morgan Peltz

The future of musical theater is being built at Village Theatre—and has been for decades. Beginning in 1980, when few theatres were investing in new musicals, Village chose not just to produce new work, but to nurture it. The results speak for themselves: musicals developed at Village include Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal, Tony Award-winning Million Dollar Quartet, and Drama Desk Award-nominated It Shoulda Been You. 

The theatre’s new work ecosystem includes not only Mainstage productions of new musicals, but also Village Originals (pre-world-premiere productions, readings, commissions, workshops, and residencies) and the Festival of New Musicals, where many writers hear their shows out loud for the first time. 

Village’s choice to focus on developing new musicals rather than new plays is rooted in the institution’s formative years. “Musical theater has the unique ability to inspire people or even cause them to change their mind about things,” says Robb Hunt, who spent 43 years leading Village. “From very early on, I found real gratification in working alongside musical theater writers with the shared objective of trying to make things better in this world.” 

This partnership-focused approach to development is one of the things that has long differentiated Village from its peers. Musicals require a different kind of development than plays, and not every theatre is equipped to provide artistic teams with the specialized tools and environments they need to succeed. “You can’t just give folks a room and a computer and expect them to write a musical,” says Associate Artistic Director Aislinn Frantz-Nava. “You need musicians, collaborators—sometimes a choreographer, a music director. The process has to be customized.” 

This year’s production of We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up: The Hymon & Parfunkel Musical by Gregg Hammer and Louis Pardo is the latest in a long line of new musicals to benefit from Village Theatre’s developmental support—but with a twist. 

It’s not a world premiere. 

As is the case for most musicals, the path to production for We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up was a winding one. Hammer and Pardo met as college freshmen and later toured together in Jesus Christ Superstar, where they began writing songs from their hotel rooms at tour stops all over the country. 

The idea of turning their just-for-fun-songwriting into a full-fledged musical came just over four years ago when future director and collaborator Scott Weinstein encouraged the duo to go down the route of a bio-musical satire. “So,” says Pardo, “we threw these two lovable rascals into their own musical, and we have been trying to build a better mousetrap ever since.”

In the fall of 2024, after a developmental workshop at Village’s Festival of New Musicals, We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up premiered at Phoenix Theatre in Arizona. “We learned a lot from our first production,” says Pardo. “The problem was, the show froze after opening.”

Cue Village Theatre. The show was offered a second production, a rare but invaluable opportunity for further development that few new musicals are allotted, preceded by a writer’s retreat in which the collaborators reworked two major sections of the show. This customized commitment to a project exemplifies one of Village’s core beliefs: that a musical’s value isn’t just in its premiere, but in its potential.

“You can’t just give folks a room and a computer and expect them to write a musical”
—Associate Artistic Director Aislinn Frantz-Nava

Looking ahead, Village sees its continued investment in new musical development as a way to expand who gets to tell stories – and who gets to hear them. The Festival is just $10 per show to attend and Village’s submission policy invites voices that might otherwise go unheard. “I do not yet know which works we will be developing,” says Artistic Director Adam Immerwahr, “but I do know that they will be the future of musical theater in America.”  

A Century Spinning:

Village Theatre Opens 2026-2027 Season with Ragtime

By Ellen Morgan Peltz

Director Joe Calarco has a theory about attics. You may keep things you treasure up there, but you also keep things you want to hide. It’s a haunted place. And that, he says, is exactly the right setting for Ragtime.

Village Theatre’s upcoming production of the Tony Award-winning musical—with a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens—will open the 2026-27 season this fall. Ragtime weaves together three separate communities in 1906 New York—represented by an affluent white family from New Rochelle, a Black couple from Harlem, and a European Jewish immigrant and his daughter from the Lower East Side— whose stories collide with consequences that are at turns joyful and devastating.

Calarco is no stranger to Ragtime. He first directed it in 2017 at Barrington Stage Company in the Berkshires, and he saw the original 1998 Broadway production five times. (“That cast was one of the greatest ever assembled for any show ever,” he says, with the certainty of someone who has thought about this a lot.) Despite his familiarity with the story, his directorial approach has continued to evolve. “Everything I do, I try to look at as if it hasn’t been done before,” he says. “How do you approach it in a way that allows people to lean in differently?” For this production, that approach is the attic: a space full of nooks and crannies, where what’s hidden matters just as much as what’s on display.

“The American Dream is complicated and dangerous and powerful and hopeful but it’s not the same for everyone, nor is it fair for everyone. Our history is complicated.”
—Ragtime Director Joe Calarco

In preparation for this production, Calarco also went back to E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 source novel, also titled Ragtime. The tone of the book is harder, he says, and more complicated than the musical’s. It reinforced what he most wants audiences to take away from the show. “The American Dream is complicated and dangerous and powerful and hopeful,” he says, “but it’s not the same for everyone, nor is it fair for everyone. Our history is complicated.”

Despite its weighty themes, Calarco is emphatic that Ragtime is, at its core, a deeply rewarding night of theater. “These are three of the greatest writers of all time,” he says of the show’s creators. “They know how to give the audience a satisfying, emotional experience and yet also make them question the world they’re living in.” 

An attic doesn’t offer simple answers. Instead, it holds the complicated remnants of lives lived and lost. Calarco intends for his production of Ragtime to do the same, leaving audiences to reckon with both ghosts and treasures long after they find their way back downstairs.

ArtsFund is proud to support Village Theatre’s mission as they continue to produce dynamic programming that highlights innovative artists in the Pacific Northwest. ArtsFund’s support of local arts organizations is only possible through the contributions of donors in this community, and we are immensely grateful to the generous individuals and businesses who have supported ArtsFund as well as Village Theatre. We will continue to support arts organizations, like Village Theatre, that elevate the voices of Washington state through our leadership, advocacy, and grantmaking programs. We are excited to see what will be performed throughout this season!

The Boeing Company is committed to improving the quality of life within the communities where our employees live and work. Our Global Engagement programs implement Boeing’s philanthropy through local charitable investments, volunteerism, employee drives, personal giving, disaster response, and other integrated programs. Boeing is proud to be a supporter of Village Theatre’s productions and musical theatre education programs, and we are pleased to welcome you back to live theatre. Enjoy the show!

Microsoft is pleased to sponsor Village Theatre’s 2025–2026 Season, and to welcome you to this production of We Ain’t Ever Gonna Break Up: The Hymon and Parfunkel Musical. Village Theatre is a favorite among our employees and their families, and we are delighted to support a vibrant community arts organization that brings high quality entertainment to the Eastside. We encourage employee engagement and volunteerism in the community throughout the year and through support of great organizations like Village Theatre, we aim to foster a strong community culture where the arts will thrive for generations to come. Enjoy the show!

Lombardi’s Italian Restaurants & Catering is honored to be a long-time Village Theatre sponsor! Lombardi’s delights diners at their three locations: at the scenic Everett Marina, the bustling Bellingham Marina, and their newest culinary venture, Hook & Cleaver, in Mukilteo. Date night or any night, experience Lombardi’s classic and contemporary Italian cuisine from all around Italy. Sip your favorite Washington and Italian wines, savor a handcrafted cocktail, or enjoy one of the many local brews with your meal. Village Theatre and Lombardi’s, the perfect pairing!

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