Ad Astra Music Festival

06/17/2026

Meet one of the iconic humans working to bring Prince Hat Underground to life......Terrence!

Terrance Volden is a Kansas native who holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Design and Production from UMKC with a specialization in Technical Direction and Production Management. Throughout their years of freelance design work, they contributed to numerous productions for Russell High School and the Russell Arts Council. They also spent three seasons working with the Ad Astra Music Festival, notably designing the set for the 2021 Ad Astra/Prairiesta production of Our Trudy. While teaching technical theatre in Indiana, Terrance was recognized nationally, receiving the 2017 Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Now based in Madison, Wisconsin, they served for two years as the Scenic Production Manager for PBS Wisconsin and are currently the Facilities Planning Manager at Wisconsin Public Media where they oversee the statewide portfolio of studios and towers for both WPR and PBS Wisconsin.

06/17/2026

For those of you craving more information about Prince Hat Underground, our lovely playwright, Catherine Trieschmann, has prepared a press release. Take a look! 👀

" /> By  Catherine MillerAd Astra Music FestivalRUSSELL—Ad Astra

06/16/2026

Harmonies? Locked in. 🎶

Character work? Superb. 🎭

A room full of talented artists bringing a brand-new musical to life? Absolutely.

The cast of Prince Hat Underground continues to put in the work as we move closer to opening night. We can't wait for you to experience this world premiere production.

06/13/2026

And with that... 🎭 rehearsals are officially underway for Prince Hat Underground!
After months of writing, planning, and preparation, it’s finally time to get this story on its feet. We are so excited to begin the journey with this incredible cast and creative team.
Follow along for rehearsal updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and a few surprises along the way. 👑🎶

🎟️Get your tickets: https://www.adastramusicfestival.org/tickets/prince-hat-underground

06/09/2026

🎶 Join us in welcoming this season's Orchestrator! 🎶

Angela Steiner — Orchestrations

Angela Steiner is an accomplished orchestrator, arranger, composer, music director, and conductor with extensive experience developing new musical theatre works. Her credits include Ghost Girl, Influence/Her, Amelia's Big Idea, and Rattlesnake Kate at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to her work in musical theatre, Angela has composed and arranged numerous choral works performed throughout the United States.

As a music director, she has collaborated with respected regional theaters including Asolo Repertory Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, The Old Globe, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Geva Theatre, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Angela earned her bachelor's degree in piano from Wichita State University and a master's degree in collaborative piano from University of Northern Colorado. She specializes in creating and collaborating on new musicals and currently serves as the full-time Music Director and Organist at The Church of St. Patrick in Sarasota.

If you want to see Angela's work come to life, come and join us June 26-28 at the Russell Elks Lodge!
Tickets available here: https://www.adastramusicfestival.org/tickets

06/08/2026

🎭✨ Meet the Creators: Alex and Catherine ✨🎭
We're excited to introduce the creative team behind Prince Hat Underground!

Alex and Catherine have been writing partners for four years and have written over a hundred songs together. Catherine is an award winning playwright whose published plays include Crooked (NY Times Critic's Pick), How the World Began and The Most Deserving. An accomplished choral conductor, Alex received his master's degree in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College where he sang regularly at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Spoleto Festival USA. Their first musical Ghost Girl received an honorable mention from the Relentless Prize, the largest prize in the country for musical theatre. They recently premiered a new work, Collisions, at the FHSU New Music Festival, featuring Broadway actor Julie Foldesi and opera soloist Katelyn Mattson. When not writing songs together, they lead the music and theatre programs at Hays High School and Fort Hays State University respectively.

Join us in celebrating these talented creators and the incredible work they've brought to our stage!

Get your tickets today: https://www.adastramusicfestival.org/tickets

06/05/2026

✨ Be among the first to experience the world premiere of Prince Hat Underground at the Ad Astra Music Festival! Based on a story by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, this magical new musical follows Gary on an unforgettable journey through underground tunnels, talking snakes, and fantastical realms to rescue his husband, Prince Hat, from the Queen of Hell.✨

📅 June 26–28
📍 Russell Elks Lodge
🎟️ Tickets: $30 (includes one drink)
https://www.adastramusicfestival.org/tickets

Featuring Broadway and TV talent alongside local artists, this is a one-of-a-kind theatrical event you won't want to miss.