Last night, I had the opportunity to perform in the opening number (The Ballad of Sweeney Todd) at New Repertory Theatre's Annual Gala, celebrating 25 years of presenting thought-provoking and entertaining theatre to Boston-area audiences. The event was also a farewell to long-time artistic director Rick Lombardo, who will be dearly missed. I have had the opportunity to work with Rick in two shows at New Rep -- Moby Dick: An American Opera, andAndrew Lippa's The Wild Party. I also appeared in another Rick-Lombardo-directed show: Overture Productions' concert-staging ofStephen Schwartz's The Baker's Wife, at Boston's John Hancock Hall, starring Judy Kuhn. All the actors who have worked with Rick -- myself included -- wish him all the best in his new position as artistic director at San Jose Repertory Theatre. I also want to send out a break-a-leg to New Rep's new artistic director, Kate Warner, who comes to Boston from Dad’s Garage Theatre in Atlanta.