Several New Mexico State University Music Department alumni came together this spring for the musical “We Are Enron,” a Dona Ana Lyric Opera/Mark Medoff production about the rise and fall of Enron.

“We Are Enron” ran in February at the NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. It featured a cast of 37, nine of whom were NMSU alumni, a production team of 16, three of whom were alumni and an orchestra with about three alumni.

“When you work with people you’ve worked with before, there is a sort of short hand; everyone knows what is going on and knows what to do,” says Megan McQueen ’02, director of “We Are Enron,” who graduated with a bachelor’s in music performance.

Justin Raines ’07, who graduated with a bachelor’s in music theory and composition and is one of three writers of the musical, says “We Are Enron” brought together the best of NMSU past and current students.

“It was a huge production,” Raines says. “The production was surrounded with buzz from the very beginning and a lot of people wanted to be on board.”

Alumni in the cast included Brandon Brown ’97, Dave Edwards ’75, Bobby Harrison ’71, Kristie Medina ’08, Gabe Morrison ’05, Cindy Murrell ’86, Johanna Royo ’05 and lead characters Della Bustamante ’01 and Isaac Quiroga ’04. NMSU alumni in the orchestra were Stephen Moore ’06, Jared Collins ’07 and “We Are Enron” conductor Shawn Robinson ’07.

“I was so excited to be included in such an important step for NMSU in the music world,” says Bustamante, who received a bachelor’s in music education and a master’s of music from NMSU. “I’m so proud of what our university has done with this show and I hope that it goes all the way to Broadway.”

“We Are Enron” sold out every night and had to turn people away the last two nights, Medoff says. He added that after the production, $5,000 was left in the DALO account for the next director.

Raines and McQueen say they are currently looking for other ways to produce “We Are Enron,” including submitting it to other theater companies and creating CDs and DVDs of the musical.

“It’s a whole new can of worms now,” Raines says.

McQueen credits the university with giving music students the opportunity to perform and participate in several different activities, which for her included directing and producing. NMSU offered them opportunities that they wouldn’t have received at a larger university.