A Circus Story Inspired by the Music that Changed America
Three performance times:
February 14 @ 3pm
February 14 @ 7pm
February 15 @ 1pm
Venue: Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122
(located in Seattle’s Capital Hill neighborhood)
Welcome
Welcome to The Day the Music Died, a circus-theatre experience inspired by Don McLean’s American Pie and the artists who shaped — and forever changed — American music. Through aerial arts, acrobatics, dance, and live storytelling, this show traces the rise, fall, and rebirth of a community centered around a small diner called The Sacred Store.
This story is not just about loss — it is about what comes after. What happens when the music stops? And how do we grow when it starts again?
The Story, At A Glance
Part I: The Sacred Store
Set in the late 1950s, Part I introduces The Sacred Store, a bustling diner and sock-hop hub run by a devoted cook and her carefree waitress. Newsies deliver papers, young lovers flirt, and the jukebox spins hits by Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Sam Cooke.
Circus skills become dance: swinging bodies replace jitterbug steps, pitching and lifting mirror social spins, and aerial acts rise alongside the diner’s success. Everything builds toward a Valentine’s performance meant to save the diner — until devastating news arrives.
On February 3, 1959, the music dies.
The diner closes. Childhood ends.
Intermission
Part II: Ten Years Later
Part II opens a decade later on a rooftop fundraiser — a nod to the Beatles’ final performance. The former Newsies return as adults, no longer messengers but makers of their own futures.
Each character faces who they’ve become: some hardened, some hopeful, some transformed by grief and time. Through aerial hoop, hand-to-hand acrobatics, juggling, unicycle, and fabric, they reconnect, rebuild relationships, and reclaim the joy that once lived inside the diner.
The Sacred Store is reborn — not as it was, but as something new.
Show Order
Part I
Sacred Store
Sock Hop
Soda Break!
Closing Time
After Hours
Dancing the Night Away
Moving On
Day the Music Died
INTERMISSION
Part 2
Rooftop Fundraiser
Hold My Hand
Tasty Freeze
Pinball (Note: flashing lights)
Reunited
The King
Changing Times
Characters & Bios
The Newsies
Lenin
Lyla Goldman (she/her)
A bubbly unicyclist whose joy dims after the day the music dies. Lenin’s coming-of-age arc transforms her into a bold, rock ’n’ roll force — sass, strength, and attitude. Lyla Goldman is a circus artist whose practice began early—learning to unicycle in kindergarten before ever riding a bicycle. She grew up training at SANCA as part of the youth performance program and later attended circus school in Finland. One of her most memorable performance experiences was performing aerial silks suspended from a barge on the Danube River for an audience of over 100,000.
Dylan
Mo Helton (she/her)
Observant and inquisitive, Dylan is always balancing and juggling — literally and figuratively. She grows into a reflective thinker, shaping the future with clarity and curiosity. Dyan is played by Mo Helton who grew up in SANCA’s youth performance companies and now passes her love of circus on to her students. She has performed locally in Seattle at events like Folklife, the Moisture Festival, Acrobatic Conundrum and Cascade Juggling Festival.
The Sacred Store Diner
The Chef, Peggy Sue
Sara Haverkamp (she/her)
The heart of the diner. Inspired by Sam Cooke, the Chef brings warmth, rhythm, and grounding energy, later partnering to rebuild what was lost. Sara Haverkamp discovered circus arts in college and never looked back. She has been learning, performing, and teaching for over 15 years in a variety of circus disciplines, but her one true circus love is German Wheel. Sara particularly loves teaching her German Wheel classes and other circus arts, but it's been an exciting and rewarding change of pace to be back on stage and working with an ensemble to create this show!
The Waitress
Gabby Leiva (she/her)
From bubble-gum-blowing flirt to focused business owner, the Waitress undergoes the most dramatic transformation. Her story is about responsibility, courage against all odds, and reinvention. The waitress is played by Gabby Leiva who has been doing circus training in aerial, tumbling, flow arts, handstands, and acrobatics. She has performed throughout Washington with well-known circus companies including Chrysalis, Maison De V, EnJoy Productions, and Acrobatic Conundrum. In her free time, she enjoys painting and cuddling with her two adorable senior pups.
Love Stories
Diane
Jessie Wellington (she/her)
A sock-hop sweetheart who evolves into a late-’60s rock ’n’ roll woman, navigating love and independence. Diane is played by Jessie, who was a competitive gymnast which led to her finding partner acrobatics over a decade ago. She has performed around Washington with her partner, Adrian, for almost a decade. She is looking forward to more adventures traveling the world but Paris will always hold a special place in her heart.
Jack
Adrian Hillyer (he/him)
Awkward, earnest, and romantic, Jack’s journey with Diane is one of patience, timing, and finally getting the dance right. Jack is played by Adrian, who is a handbalancer and partner acrobat and coach. He has been training and performing around Washington with his partner, Jessie, for almost a decade.
Icons & Archetypes
The King
Orville Zharoff (he/him)
Elvis meets Fonzie — cool, calm, and magnetic. The King represents stability, confidence, and the music royalty of the era. The King is played by Orville who is a coach at the School for Acrobatics and New Circus Arts and has been teaching circus arts along with performing Partner Acro since 2009. Aside from Circus Arts he current interests are Archery, hiking, partner dances (Swing, Blues, Fusion), and board games.
The Jester
Aslan DaVault (he/him)
Bob Dylan meets James Dean. A rebel poet and provocateur who challenges authority and steals the spotlight when the world shifts. Aslan DaVault is a Seattle-based partner acrobat and movement artist. With a long-standing passion for movement, dabbling in parkour, tricking, and calisthenics, Aslan has most recently spent the past two years performing partner acrobatics. Now working as a freelance circus artist, Aslan focuses on creating grounded, dynamic performances that highlight clean movement and strong partnerships. Outside of performing, Aslan is also a sports performance trainer, a role that keeps him deeply connected to the body, movement, and longevity.
Girl Who Sang The Blues
Lisa Bregman (she/her)
A free spirit who floats between worlds, evolving from sock-hop gal to Janis Joplin–inspired hippie. She embodies connection, emotion, and soulful truth. Lisa Bregman is a Seattle-based circus artist specializing in standing partner acrobatics, with an expanding focus on aerial disciplines including duo trapeze. With roots in gymnastics and college cheerleading, she brings dynamic skills and playful musicality to her work, living for the moments in the air—flipping, flying, and finding flow in motion. A latecomer to circus, Lisa began training less than four years ago and now performs regularly while teaching at workshops and festivals.
Production Team
Producer/Director: Adrian Hillyer
Lighting Design: Coyote
Front of House Manager: Eric Eliacin
Rigging: Mason Noyes
Stagehand: Colton Paul
Stage Manager: Philomeana Schnoebelen
Assistant Stage Manager: Callaghan Crook
Make-Up Design: Vivian Tam (Chrysalis Circus)