West Valley teacher earns theater award nomination

By Mary Goldmeer
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 For Kathleen Berger, the text message arrived during the joyful chaos of a Peter Piper Pizza night with her children. It was her choreographer sending congratulations. Berger's initial confusion quickly turned to elation: she had been nominated for an ariZoni Award for her music direction of Fountain Hills Theater’s production of "Ragtime."

The AriZoni Theatre Association states it has been a cornerstone of the Phoenix-area theater scene for over 30 years, aiming to elevate and support theater in Maricopa County through its annual awards ceremony. Each year, nearly 100 trained adjudicators attend and review over 200 productions ahead of nominations. 

This isn't Berger's first brush with the prestigious Valley theater awards; she's been nominated twice before as a performer. But this nomination, for the ceremony taking place Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, holds a particular significance.

"The special thing about being nominated for this particular show is that I think it's the best work I've ever done," Berger said. "It is definitely the thing I am most proud of, and that includes my performances."

"Ragtime," a musical set in the early 1900s, intertwines the stories of African Americans in Harlem, Eastern European immigrants, and an affluent white family in New Rochelle, alongside historical figures. The musical explores themes of racial injustice, societal change and the pursuit of the American dream.

“It's a huge cast. It is very difficult music to learn and perform. And if you do it right, it impacts the audience enormously,” Berger said. “They walked in knowing half the music, which was amazing."

Berger said a standout moment from "Ragtime" was one of many that earned her and others from the Ragtime team their nominations. 

"At the end of the first act, the love interest of the protagonist, a Black character, has just been beaten to death by the police, it takes place at her funeral. The song is kind of a hymn of where to find hope when you're hopeless."

Berger described the emotional build of the scene: "It builds in size and in volume until the entire cast is on stage singing it, and there's a moment when everything stops and then they sing the last few lines, and every single night, when they stopped, you could just hear the audience hold their breath. That's special."

The power of that moment was palpable for Berger as well.

 "At that time, I had to conduct the entrance.  It was so hard to do because every night, I had tears streaming down my face. It was incredible."

The impact of "Ragtime" extended beyond the stage, resonating with the community in an unexpected way.

 "It unintentionally ended up being very timely," Berger noted, explaining it ran just before the last election, when she said she saw heavy social divides past political parties. 

Beyond her work at Fountain Hills Theater, Berger is also a music teacher, just starting at Estrella Vista Elementary School in Avondale.

"My overarching theme for the year is that music is the one thing that all civilizations, societies, and cultures have in common since prehistoric humans," she said. "Especially in 2025, when there is so much focus on hating others and dividing everybody.  Music is the opposite of that. It brings us together and makes us understand things that we didn't understand before."

Burger said she finds teaching rewarding, describing it as energizing. While the administrative aspects pose a challenge, the connection with her students fuels her.

 "I always come home with this huge endorphin rush,” Burger said. 

Berger’s journey into the world of music and theater began early. Her parents took her to her first opera at the age of three, an experience that left a lasting impression.

 "Apparently all the way home, I told my mother and my sister that I was going to (sing opera)  when I grew up,” she said. 

Berger grew up in Litchfield Park and from piano and dance lessons as a child to her first role in a local theater production of "West Side Story," Berger immersed herself in the performing arts. That early experience connected her with Peter J. Hill, a director who became a mentor. "Any time he calls me, I say yes," she said. She recently music directed "Wizard of Oz" at Fountain Hills, a project that drew her back to work with Hill.

After pursuing vocal studies in college and spending years singing opera in New York and Madrid, Berger returned to live in Goodyear. A series of life events, including an economic downturn in Europe,  a call to family caretaking and the arrival of her twins, led her to new paths, including completing a bachelor's and master's degree and eventually finding her way into teaching.

Looking ahead, Berger is returning to Fountain Hills Theatre to music direct "The Secret Garden," one of her favorite shows. She will be working with the same production team that put on “Ragtime.”

As for the AriZoni Awards ceremony, Berger is looking forward to celebrating with her peers. "I can't wait to see everybody," she said. With her husband accompanying her and a pre-ceremony dinner planned, she said she  expects it to be a special night regardless of the outcome.