SHAKES UP YOUR SUMMER: FIRST FOLIO THEATRE'S HENRY V JULY 10 - AUGUST 18

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar:

Oak Brook Theater Celebrates 23 Years of Shakespeare-under-the-Stars

FIRST FOLIO THEATRE PRESENTS 

HENRY V

 JULY 10 - AUGUST 18

Ending its 23rd season outdoors, First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83.) presents HENRY V for its classic Shakespeare-under-the-Stars series. Directed by Artistic Associate Hayley Rice, HENRY V focuses on one of England’s most beloved rulers as he fights to save England and prove himself the rightful heir to the French throne. Audiences will thrill to the battle scenes as they experience the play the way it was intended to be performed – outside.  Nothing beats being part of the action with the great Band of Brothers as Henry V leads them against an army ten times their own size at the Battle of Agincourt. One of Shakespeare’s most popular rousing adventures, HENRY V previews July 10 – 12, opens July 13 and will run through August 18, 2019.

“We are excited to be exploring new angles of Shakespeare’s Henry V for our 28th production on our outdoor stage,” said director Hayley Rice. “With non-traditional casting and an emphasis on the intersection of antiquity and modernity, we at First Folio Theatre are proud to be sharing this with our audiences. As this will be the final production performed on the original stage my parents built, there is an extra opportunity to play with the set and stage in a way that has never previously been possible. It is very bittersweet for all of us, but we invite audiences to leave their preconceived notions of Shakespeare and Henry V and see the story in a brand new way this summer.”

First Folio has announced that this will be the final production on its current outdoor stage, which has served First Folio since 1997. In order to properly address the needs of its aging stage structure, First Folio will be taking a hiatus from producing a summer show in 2020. After 23 seasons, the current structure is coming to the end of its usefulness and the theater needs to ensure that they have the time and funds to replace it properly. First Folio’s summer shows will return in 2021 with a new stage and they will continue on with the same quality Shakespeare-under-the-Stars, which launched First Folio back in 1997.

Starring in HENRY V are First Folio Artistic Associates Diana Coates as King Henry V and Lydia Berger Gray in the dual role of Chorus and Alice. The cast also features Robert McLean (Duke of Exeter and Mistress Quickly), Arielle Leverett (Mountjoy), Derek Jeck (Bardolph), Morgan Manasa (Fluellen), Mark Lancaster (Bishop of Canterbury and Gower) and Sean Sinitski (Pistol and the King of France). The ensemble includes Todd Douglas, Esther Fishbein, Madison Merkel, Shane Richlen, and Austyn Williamson. The production and design staff includes Angela Weber Miller (Scenic Design), Christopher Kriz (Original Music and Sound Design), Rachel Flesher (Stage Combat and Intimacy Design), Julie Ballard (Lighting Design), Stefanie Johnsen (Costume Design), Vivian Knouse (Properties Design) and Carrie Hardin (Vocal Design). The stage management team is led by Miranda Anderson (Stage Manager), with Sophie Goddard and Nikki Konomos as assistant stage managers.



Performances take place at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, located at 1717 31st St., off Rt. 83, in Oak Brook. First Folio is easy to get to via the East-West Tollway (I-88) or the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). Free parking is available on the grounds. Preview tickets are $25. Regular priced tickets are $34 Wednesdays and Thursdays (seniors and students are $29), and $44 on Fridays through Sundays (seniors and students are $39). Special $10 tickets are available for children 14 and under for all summer shows. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by calling the box office at 630.986.8067 or online at www.firstfolio.org.

REVIEW: THE BOOK OF MERMAN Via Flying Elephant Productions at Stage 773 Through January 6, 2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar 

Flying Elephant Productions 

Presents the Return of the Hit Musical

THE BOOK OF MERMAN

Book by Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro

Music & Lyrics by Leo Schwartz

Directed by DC Cathro

Music Direction by Tyler Miles

Choreography by Jenna Schoppe

(left to right) Michael Idalski, Nicole Frydman and Sam Massey in Flying Elephant Productions’ revival of THE BOOK OF MERMAN. All Production Photos by Evan Hanover.

November 24, 2018 – January 6, 2019 at Stage 773

Review

by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Flying Elephant Productions has done it again, launching a creative, high energy new musical that's now playing an open-ended off-Broadway run. Happily, they've not forgotten their roots, and Chicago gets treated to a playful remount at Stage 773 as well! 

This cleverly written tribute to Ethel Merman includes a fun stand off ala Annie Get Your Gun, reworded nods to Gypsy, and an overarching narrative that has two door to door Mormon missionaries bumbling through their sexual crushes, secret creative endeavors, and life choices. 

Nicole Frydman (Ethel Merman) is a dynamic dame with powerhouse vocals, and a joy to see in action. Michael Idalski and Sam Massey are the perfect combination of enthusiasm and wide eyed naivete.

More of the songs are solidly based on Merman musicals and have less to do with The Book of Mormon. I was hoping for a bit more camp and humor like Spamilton, which lampooned not only Hamilton but a bevy of Broadway hits, and was laugh out loud funny throughout. Still, THE BOOK OF MERMAN has a sweet, uplifting message and hilarity ensues when things take a turn for the modern, with a hip-hop rendition of Pirates of Penzance ala Merman. 

THE BOOK OF MERMAN has a chance encounter changing everyone involved for the better, right down to the last plot twist. Ultimately this production is a fun night out for musical theatre lovers that's likely to bring on the jazz hands and bring out the diva and the thespian in all of us. Recommended.

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based writer-theater critic-photographer-videographer-actress-artist-general creatrix and Mama to two terrific teens. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

Flying Elephant Productions is pleased to present the return of the hit musical comedy THE BOOK OF MERMAN, featuring a book by Leo Schwartz and DC Cathro, music and lyrics by Leo Schwartz, direction by DC Cathro, music direction by Tyler Miles and choreography by Jenna Schoppe. THE BOOK OF MERMAN will play November 24, 2018 – January 6, 2019 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at stage773.com, by calling (773) 327-5252 or in person at the Stage 773 Box Office. The press opening is Saturday, December 1 at 8 pm.

The new Chicago production will feature Nicole Frydman, Michael Idalski and Sam Massey.

Two Mormon missionaries ring Ethel Merman’s doorbell and hilarity ensues. It’s a diva driven journey of self-discovery with an original score of comedy songs, power ballads and mash-up standards. 

THE BOOK OF MERMAN is also enjoying its off-Broadway debut this fall. The production opened on October 5, 2018 for an open-ended run at St. Luke’s Theatre (308 West 46th St.). For additional information on the New York run, visit www.bookofmermanmusical.com. THE BOOK OF MERMAN has also played in Portland, OR, Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN and Washington, D.C., and Birmingham, AL.

THE BOOK OF MERMAN debuted with Pride Films and Plays in January 2015. Following a successful run at Mary’s Attic, the production transferred to Chicago’s Apollo Theater for an additional three months.

The production team for THE BOOK OF MERMAN includes: Nicholas Schwartz (scenic design), Rachel Sypniewski (costume design), Jaysen Kralovetz (props design) and Jack Rhea (stage manager).

Location: Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Saturday, November 24 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, November 25 at 7:30 pm, Monday, November 26 at 7:30 pm (Industry Night), Thursday, November 29 at 7:30 pm and Friday, November 30 at 7:30 pm.

Press performance: Saturday, December 1 at 8 pm

Regular run: Sunday, December 2, 2018 – Sunday, January 6, 2019

Curtain Times: Wednesdays, Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3:30 pm. 

Tickets: Preview $30. Regular run $40. 

Industry Night: Monday, November 26 at 7:30 pm. Tickets $10.

Tickets are currently available at stage773.com, by calling (773) 327-5252 or in person at the Stage 773 box office.

About The Creative Team

Leo Schwartz (Book, Music, Lyrics) is a multi-disciplined and award-winning composer of stage and screen. He is the producer and writer of the Off-Broadway musical The Book of Merman. His musical Till, about Emmett and Mamie Till, won the Mainstreet Musical Theatre Festival in 2016. His musical Under A Rainbow Flag, won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Work in 2013. His musical song cycle, We The People: Songs of the Resistance was premiered by Flying Elephant Productions in January of 2018 in Chicago. His works have been performed in Europe, the New York Musical Theatre Festival, at the York Theatre and across the United States. He is Executive Director of Flying Elephant Productions and his work can be heard and seen at www.leoschwartz.com. 

DC Cathro (Book, Director) is a playwright, actor and director from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. His musical Till, written with award-winning composer Leo Schwartz, is one of three winners in the 2016 Main Street Musicals Festival, selected by Gregory Mosher. In 2014, he became the only playwright to have two shows in the Pride Films and Plays Festival in Chicago: Pen, A Musical (also written with Schwartz) and Family Holiday. DC's works have been performed and read at theatres and festivals across the U.S., including The William Inge Festival in Independence, Kansas, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and Greenhouse Ensemble Theatre in New York City.

Tyler Miles (Music Director) is a Chicago composer, teacher, music director and performer. He has written songs and incidental music for over a dozen film and theatre pieces. Currently, in addition to teaching over two dozen students, both young and adult, Tyler is working as a music director in the Chicago theatre scene where he is also in the process of developing an original musical with and about the successful cabaret singer Honey West. Tyler holds a bachelor’s degree in Music from Northeastern Illinois University.

Jenna Schoppe (Choreographer) is proud to help Flying Elephant Productions bring The Book of Merman back to the stage. Her previous choreographic endeavors include Yank: A World War II Love Story (PFP – Jeff Award-Best Choreography), Shrek (Windy City Performs), Oliver (Windy City Performs), The Producers (NightBlue Performing Arts), Now. Here. This. (Brown Paper Box Co.) and Bobbie Clearly (Steep Theatre). You can catch her dancing most weekends at The Kiss Kiss Cabaret at Uptown Underground.

About Flying Elephant Productions

Nothing is more challenging than getting a creative career off the ground. In many ways, it would be easier to get an elephant to fly. Flying Elephant Productions is dedicated to presenting new works, musicals and plays, that are dynamic, impassioned, and, in our belief, prone to fly. We not only give them first voice, but will also work with the creators to market and promote their work further. Our success at production and our entrepreneurial experience make us a uniquely qualified voice in theatre. For additional information, visit www.flyingelephantproductions.com.

Welcome five new American Blues Theater Ensemble members

Welcome five new American Blues Theater Ensemble members

Elyse Dolan, Jared Gooding, Philip Earl Johnson, Chuck Smith, and Wandachristine,

 and new Artistic Affiliate Zachary Stevenson

American Blues Theater announces the addition of five new Ensemble members and one new Artistic Affiliate to the Blues family. Joining the Ensemble is director, designer and Associate Producer Elyse Dolan, who directed several works in past Ripped and Blue Ink festivals; designer Jared Gooding, lighting designer of Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story; actor Philip Earl Johnson, who is slated to appear in the upcoming Chicago premiere of Steven Dietz’s On Clover Road; director Chuck Smith, director of the recent American Blues production of Pearl Cleage’s Flyin’ West; and actress and playwright Wandachristine, who won many awards for her solo performance Beauty’s Daughter. Actor Zachary Stevenson has been named an Artistic Affiliate. Stevenson recently made his Chicago debut as “Buddy Holly” in American Blues Theater’s Joseph Jefferson Award-winning musical Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story, in which he also won a Jeff Award for Performance in a Musical.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of these incredible artists into the Ensemble and Artistic Affiliates. We’ve enjoyed amazing collaborations with all of these artists over the years and are so excited to deepen our commitment to making great art together. We look forward to the amazing work we have planned with this extremely talented group in upcoming seasons,” comments Gwendolyn Whiteside, Artistic Director of American Blues Theater.

About the Artists

ELYSE DOLAN is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater where she is also the Associate Producer. She has directed several short plays in past Ripped festivals, staged readings in the annual Blue Ink Festival, and has been Assistant Director on a handful shows including Six Corners (dir. Gary Griffin) and Little Shop of Horrors (dir. Jonathan Berry). Her directing work has been seen across Chicago at The New Colony (where she is also their Director of Education), Broken Nose Theatre, Prop Thtr, Commission Theatre, Babes with Blades, 20% Theatre Company, Pride Films & Plays, and more. She has also served as Assistant Director on productions at Raven Theatre, Oracle Theatre, 16th Street Theater, and Redtwist Theatre. She also does set dressing and properties design for the annual production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! Elyse holds a B.A. from Denison University.

JARED GOODING is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater where he has designed lighting for Flyin’ West, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, This Wonderful Life, Beauty’s Daughter, and The Columnist. His other design credits include the Associate Design of Lookingglass Alice (Lookingglass Theatre Company), serving as the Lighting Assistant for The Wiz Live on NBC, designs for Victory Gardens Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, UIC Theatre, Writers Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, The Hypocrites, TimeLine Theatre, Madison Children's Theatre, Definition Theatre, Windy City Playhouse, Sideshow Theatre, First Floor Theater, About Face Theatre, MPAACT, Pegasus Theatre, Next Theatre, Congo Square Theatre, Citadel Theatre, ETA, and Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre. He is a company member with MPACCT. He spends his off time managing a DJ company for Chicago area bars.

PHILIP EARL JOHNSON is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater where he performed in David Auburn’s Chicago premiere of The Columnist and upcoming Chicago premiere Steven Dietz’s On Clover Road. He has appeared Goodman Theater in Enemy of the People, Talking Pictures, The Actor and Brutality of Fact. Other Chicago credits include: A Christmas Story at The Paramount Theatre; Danny Casolaro Died For You at TimeLine Theatre Company; The Dance of Death and Old Glory at Writers Theatre; The Royale and The Big Meal (Jeff Award for Best Ensemble) at American Theatre Company; Tartuffe, Skylight, James Joyce's The Dead and The Mystery Cycle at Court Theatre; Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Conquest of The South Pole at Famous Door Theatre. He was in the first national tour of Angels in America: Millenium Approaches and Perestroika, launching at The Royal George Theatre. He has spent 10 seasons at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival appearing in many productions including the title roles in Macbeth, Cyrano De Bergerac, Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. Other regional credits include A Moon for The Misbegotten at Laguna Playhouse and Just Men at Stella Adler Theatre. Recent television credits include “Empire”, “Chicago Med”, “Chicago Fire”, and “Mind Games”. When not in Chicago, he tours the country with his European-style clown act MooNiE: Juggler Ropewalker, Foolish Mortal!

CHUCK SMITH is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater where he directed Pearl Cleage’s Flyin’ West and Leroi Jones’ Dutchman. He is a member of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees and is Goodman Theatre’s Resident Director. He is also a resident director at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in Sarasota, Florida. Goodman credits include the Chicago premieres of Pullman Porter Blues; By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; Race; The Good Negro; Proof; and The Story; the world premieres of By the Music of the Spheres and The Gift Horse; James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner, which transferred to Boston’s Huntington Theatre Company, where it won the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award for Best Direction; A Raisin in the Sun; Blues for an Alabama Sky; August Wilson’s Two Trains Running and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom; Objects in the Mirror; Having Our Say; Ain’t Misbehavin’; the 1993 to 1995 productions of A Christmas Carol; Crumbs From the Table of Joy; Vivisections from a Blown Mind; and The Meeting. He served as dramaturg for the Goodman’s world-premiere production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. He directed the New York premiere of Knock Me a Kiss and The Hooch for the New Federal Theatre and the world premiere of Knock Me a Kiss at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater, where his other directing credits include Master Harold... and the Boys, Home, Dame Lorraine, and Eden, for which he received a Jeff Award nomination. Regionally, Mr. Smith directed Death and the King’s Horseman (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Birdie Blue (Seattle Repertory Theatre), The Story (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Blues for an Alabama Sky (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), and The Last Season (Robey Theatre Company). At Columbia College he was facilitator of the Theodore Ward Prize playwriting contest for 20 years and editor of the contest anthologies Seven Black Plays and Best Black Plays. He won a Chicago Emmy Award as associate producer/theatrical director for the NBC teleplay Crime of Innocence and was theatrical director for the Emmy-winning Fast Break to Glory and the Emmy-nominated The Martin Luther King Suite. He was a founding member of the Chicago Theatre Company, where he served as artistic director for four seasons and directed the Jeff-nominated Suspenders and the Jeff-winning musical Po’. His directing credits include productions at Fisk University, Roosevelt University, Eclipse Theatre, ETA, Black Ensemble Theater, Northlight Theatre, MPAACT, Congo Square Theatre, The New Regal Theater, Kuumba Theatre Company, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Pegasus Players, the Timber Lake Playhouse in Mt. Carroll, Illinois, the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He is a 2003 inductee into the Chicago State University Gwendolyn Brooks Center’s Literary Hall of Fame and a 2001 Chicago Tribune Chicagoan of the Year. He is the proud recipient of the 1982 Paul Robeson Award and the 1997 Award of Merit presented by the Black Theater Alliance of Chicago.

WANDACHRISTINE is a proud Ensemble member of American Blues Theater. She has starred on many stages throughout the country in such notable productions as the touring company of Fences, The Vagina Monologues, Gees Bend, and Thyestes just to name a few. She was recognized for her work in the acclaimed production of Old Settler; for which she was a Supporting Actress nominee for the prestigious Joseph Jefferson Award and a Best Actress nominee for the noted Ruby Dee/Black Theater Alliance Award as well. Once again she was recognized for her work in another acclaimed production, produced by American Blues Theater, Beauty’s Daughter and this time she won the Ruby Dee/Black Theater Alliance Award for her solo performance.  Earlier this year she toured in Dani Gurira’s (“Black Panther” and “Walking Dead”) production of Familiar.  Now she’s hard at work appearing in the new staging of A Wonder in My Soul at Baltimore Center Stage. On film she’s worked alongside of Whoppie Goldberg in “Clara’s Heart”, starred in the hit comedy as Mrs. Jones, in the film “Me and Mrs. Jones” with Kym Fields, and Birdie on “Chicago PD”.  Her voice can be heard daily in numerous television and radio commercials, along with a few animated characters, for such shows as “The PJ’s”, “The Justice League” and “Scarface” the video game. She’s written her first fiction novel, “I LOVE YOU MORE…THAN SHOES!”, which is about four actresses over 50 still trying to make it in Hollywood. As a playwright, she now has two plays that will be produced soon; “One Day?” and “Sammy, Harry, Oscar and Me…Morris”, this one will be directed by another Blues Ensemble member Chuck Smith.

ZACHARY STEVENSON is a proud Artistic Affiliate of American Blues Theater who recently made his Chicago debut as “Buddy Holly” in American Blues Theater’s Joseph Jefferson Award-winning musical Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story, in which Zach also won a Jeff Award for Performance in a Musical. Originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, Zach recently relocated to Chicago after spending the last few years being based in Kansas City, MO. Select credits include: Million Dollar Quartet (Paramount Theatre – “Carl” U/S), Hair (CanStage), Ring of Fire (Chemainus Theatre Festival / Western Canada Theatre), Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave (Blue Bridge Repertory), Urinetown (Belfry Theatre), Red Rock Diner (Arts Club Theatre), Assassins (Quintessence), and over ten productions of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story throughout the US and Canada, for which he’s been nominated for a Jessie Richardson Award and Ovation Award. Zachary has also had the pleasure of music directing several productions, including Million Dollar Quartet (Arts Club), and Ring of Fire (Chemainus Theatre Festival), as well as performing in countless headlining concerts across North America. Off stage, Zach is busy writing a one-man show about the 1960s folksinger and activist, Phil Ochs.

About American Blues Theater 
Winner of the American Theatre Wing’s prestigious 2016 National Theatre Company Award, American Blues Theater is a premier arts organization with an intimate environment that patrons, artists, and all Chicagoans call home.  American Blues Theater explores the American identity through the plays it produces and communities it serves. 

The diverse and multi-generational artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago.  The 33-member Ensemble has 600+ combined years of collaboration on stage. As of 2018, the theater and artists received 195 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and over 35 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. The artists are honored with Pulitzer Prize nominations, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades.   

American Blues Theater programs and activities are made possible, in part by funding by The MacArthur Funds for Arts & Culture at Prince, the Shubert Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, SMART Growth Grant, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Anixter Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, and the Chip Pringle Fund. ComEd is the Season Lighting Sponsor.

REVIEW: Hell in a Handbag Productions' World Premiere of SnowGirls – The Musical Through December 30, 2018 at Mary’s Attic

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar:

World Premiere!

Hell in a Handbag Productions Presents 

SnowGirls – The Musical

Book by Derek Van Barham

Music by David Cerda, Scott Lamberty & Jeff Thomson

Directed by Jon Martinez

Music Direction by JD Caudill

(pictured) Harper Leander in Hell in a Handbag Productions’ world premiere of SnowGirls – The Musical. All Production Photos by Rick Aguilar Studios.

November 15 – December 30, 2018 

at Mary’s Attic

Guest Review:
by D'Arcy Mies

If you are looking for looking for an adult-themed holly-jolly good time this holiday season, Snowgirls will not disappoint!  Not your mama’s Christmas show, this raunchy, silly, and high-spirited musical features all your favorite yuletide characters:  pole-dancing reindeer, foul-mouthed elves, and a horny Santa.

(left to right) Amelia Bell, Harper Leander and Sharon Rae Ryan 

Mary’s Attic, aglow with pink and red lights, serves up hot toddies and other holiday spirits to a laughing and appreciative crowd. 

Photo Credit: D'Arcy Mies

Photo Credit: D'Arcy Mies

Photo Credit: D'Arcy Mies

The show opens with an energetic musical number introducing small-town reindeer Snowmi Malone. Snowmi hitchhikes her way to the North Pole to become a dancer, and sexy hilarity ensues!  Snowgirls delivers catchy musical numbers, clever one-liners, and a sexy villainess who wouldn’t be out of place as the wicked queen in a (very twisted) Disney movie.

(pictured) Erin Daly

Don’t expect any plot-twists as Snowgirls closely parodies the 1995 movie Showgirls, but do expect full-frontal reindeer nudity, theatre-in-jokes, and a scene-stealing Mrs. Claus. References to “Saved by the Bell:”, Rankin and Bass Christmas specials, and even a bit of puppetry round out this naughty-but-nice addition to the Holiday theatre season.


Photo Credit: D'Arcy Mies


Photo Credit: D'Arcy Mies


Photo Credit: D'Arcy Mies

D'Arcy Mies is a Montessori teacher, mom, and long time theater lover who lives in Chicago burb, Franklin Park. She drives a "Tardis Blue" car decked out like Dr. Who's time machine and can often be found at pop culture events.

(left to right) Brittani Yawn, Marissa Williams and Patrick Stengle

(left to right) Brittani Yawn, Harper Leander and Grant Drager 

Hell in a Handbag Productions rings in the holidays with the world premiere of SnowGirls – The Musical, a parody of the classic cult film Showgirls. Featuring a book by Derek Van Barham, music by Artistic Director David Cerda* with Scott Lamberty and Jeff Thomson, direction by Jon Martinez and music direction by JD Caudill. SnowGirls will play November 15 – December 30, 2018 at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at brownpapertickets.com or by calling (800) 838-3006. 

(clockwise from left) Sharon Rae Ryan, Amelia Bell, Sydney Genco, Marissa Williams and Patrick Stengle 

SnowGirls – The Musicalfeatures Ensemble Members Sydney Genco*, Grant Drager* and Terry McCarthy* with Amelia Bell, Erin Daly, Harper Leander, Max McKune, Sharon Rae Ryan, Patrick Stengle, Marissa Williams and Brittani Yawn.

Snowmi Malone is a rebel who dreams of becoming a dancer. Her quest leads her to the cold cruel world of the North Pole, where she’ll stop at nothing to fulfill her fantasy. SnowGirls explores what happens at the North Pole the other 364 days of the year – and it isn't always pretty.

Harper Leander and Brittani Yawn 

The production team for SnowGirls – The Musical includes: Kate Setzer Kamphausen (costume design), Cat Wilson* (lighting design), Keith Ryan* (wig design) and Drew Donnelly (stage manager).

*Denotes Handbag ensemble member.

Cast (in alphabetical order): Amelia Bell (Ensemble, Dancer), Erin Daly (Mrs. Claus), Sydney Genco* (Ice Krystal), Grant Drager* (Zip), Harper Leander (Snowmi Malone), Terry McCarthy* (Santa, Tony), Max McKune (Rudolph, Ensemble), Sharon Rae Ryan (Ensemble, Dasher), Patrick Stengle (Ensemble, Herbie), Marissa Williams (Gay, Ensemble, Dance Captain) and Brittani Yawn (Jolly). 

(left to right) Sydney Genco, Brittani Yawn and Harper Leander

Location: Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago

Dates:Previews: Thursday, November 15 at 7:30 pm, Friday, November 16 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, November 17 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 18 at 6 pm.

Regular run: Sunday, November 25 – Sunday, December 30, 2018

Curtain Times: Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 6 pm. Please note: there will not be a 6 pm performance on Sunday, December 2 due to the Handbag Gala.

Tickets: Previews $17. Regular run $27 in advance, $30 at the door. Group rates $24 for 10 or more. $20 senior and student rates. 


About the Artists    

Derek Van Barham (Book) is the Associate Artistic Director of Pride Films & Plays and a member of the Red Tape Theatre ensemble. For PFP, he has directed Perfect Arrangement, Angry Fags (Steppenwolf Garage), Songs from an Unmade Bed (Jeff nomination), and (co-directing) PRISCILLA, Queen of the Desert: The Musical. He also wrote BITE: A Pucking Queer Cabaret and Kill Your Boyfriends. Other directing credits include The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre), Three Days of Rain (Boho), Miracle! by Dan Savage, Skooby Don't (Hell in a Handbag), and HOT PINK (New American Folk Theatre). Choreography credits include The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier (Permoveo/PFP), Nevermore, Shockheaded Peter, Coraline (Black Button Eyes) and Salonathon. He was named one of Windy City Times 30 Under 30, recognizing Chicago's LGBTQ+ community. Up next: directing When Adonis Calls and Poseidon! An Upside Down Musical and choreographing Evil Dead the Musical.   

David Cerda (Music) is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Hell in a Handbag Productions. Cerda has written or collaborated on POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical, Caged Dames, Sexy Baby, Lady X: The Musical, Christmas Dearest, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, SCARRIE-The Musical, and many others. He has also worked as a songwriter with Amazon Studios and as an actor around Chicago. In 2016, Cerda was in inducted into the Chicago GLBT Hall of Fame and in 2017 he received a Lifetime Achievement Jeff Award for his contributions to the Chicago theater community and philanthropic efforts.

Jeff Thomson (Orchestrations) is a recipient of the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award as well as the Dramatist Guild Musical Theatre Writing Fellowship. Jeff’s original musical Trails was performed in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Tokyo, winning him the NYMF award for Best Music, as well as the Stage Entertainment Development Award. Other projects include Virtually Me for TheatreworksUSA, and a club musical adaptation of the cult film Jawbreaker, an arena rock musical adaptation of Allan Moyle's Pump Up the Volume (book and lyrics by Jeremy Desmon). He was commissioned by Broadway Across America to compose the music to the children’s musical Mad Libs Live!, which premiered Off-Broadway. Jeff was selected by Amazon Studios to write the music for the animated movie musical, Midnight with lyricist David Cerda. Most recently, Jeff was selected by Simon & Schuster to pen the score to a new Broadway musical based on the iconic and beloved sleuth, Nancy Drew. www.JeffThomsonMusic.com 

Scott Lamberty (Arrangements, Tracks) has collaborated with David Cerda on several Handbag musicals including Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical, SCARRIE – The Musical, Sexy Baby and Lady X The Musical. Scott has also worked extensively with Corn Productions on the Tiff and Mom shows, The Bad Seed The Musical and Jesus Camp – The Musical, among many others.

Jon Martinez (Director) is excited to make his Handbag debut! Credits include: The Buddy Holly Story (American Blues Theatre), The View Upstairs (Circle Theater), In The Heights (Civic Theatre), On A Clear Day… (Porchlight Music Theater), It’s Only a Play, Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Joseph Jefferson Award nomination) (Pride Films & Plays), Rock of Ages (Timberlake Playhouse), Tonya & Nancy The Rock Opera (Chicago Premiere – Underscore); 3C (Red Orchid); We’re Gonna Die (Haven Theater/Steppenwolf). Jon also directed the Theater On The Lake remount of Bailiwick Chicago’s Jeff Award-winning production of Murder Ballad. He also has served as assistant/associate director/choreographer on LIZZIE (Firebrand), Xanadu (American Theater Company); Carrie, Murder Ballad (Bailiwick Chicago). His first ballet, Le Apache, premiered in 2016 at The Harris Theater in Chicago. Jon is a company member of Underscore and Firebrand Theatre. 

JD Caudill (Music Director) is a Chicago-based director, music director and performer. Since coming to Chicago in 2014, JD has performed onstage with The New Colony, Hell in a Handbag Productions, New American Folk Theatre, Forks and Hope and Hobo Junction, and directed for over 15 companies, including Broken Nose Theatre, The New Colony and Haven Theatre. JD is a company member of Hell in a Handbag and Haven Theatre (where they are also marketing director), and an associate company member of Broken Nose Theatre.

(left to right) Harper Leander and Grant Drager

About Hell in a Handbag Productions
Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit.

REVIEW: Miss Saigon at Cadillac Palace Through Saturday, December 8, 2018

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

THE NEW NATIONAL TOUR OF CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S

DYNAMITE BROADWAY REVIVAL OF BOUBLIL AND SCHÖNBERG’S LEGENDARY MUSICAL

MISS SAIGON

AT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE

running time is 2 hour and 40 minutes with an intermission

Review 
by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

I had the great pleasure of catching Miss Saigon's Chicago press opening and the special effects lived up to their reputation. The evacuation of Saigon, featuring a helicopter and gate storming desperation was impressive, and the massive scale dance numbers alone make this a must see. I particularly loved the reunification celebration with a dragon, masked dancers and plentiful acro moves.

EMILY BAUTISTA is a delight as Kim, and we were rooting for her till the bitter end. ANTHONY FESTA'S Chris is eye candy with talent, and we're not complaining. RED CONCEPCIÓN is also impressive as greed incarnate, The Engineer, a hustler as amusing as he is despicable.

The score is a tear jerker, with beautiful, power numbers, and the story telling is superb in this touring cast's capable hands. It's poignant and eye opening to see the multimedia incorporation of the baby byproducts of the Vietnam war, the rejected and orphaned half American/half Vietnamese children of soldiers. I do like that Miss Saigon doesn't glorify war, and brings up the still timely topics of children in cages, refugees desperate to flee their ravaged homelands, and women as victims of armed conflict. 

That said, this is likely one of the least feminist musicals I've seen in recent years. Part of me hates to see the same trite tale of a stripper with a heart of gold, women forced to choose between prostitution and starvation, the titillation of exploitation, and war victims as scantily entertainment. Furthermore, men need to stop thinking it's justifiable to threaten a woman's child to bully her into an unwanted relationship, no matter how powerful they are. At least Kim's response to this ploy was cathartic! Still, despite her strength, smarts, and fiercely protective love for her son, she ended up in a horrific position, in forced prostitution in brothels in Bangkok. 



I found it far fetched and depressing that we're still idealizing the storyline of a woman pining away for 3 years, waiting to be rescued by her baby daddy, a man she fell hopelessly in love with after knowing for literally one night. It also makes me a bit queasy that Kim is seen as a heroine for making the ultimate sacrifice for her son. Desperate single mothers need resources and choices, not more tragic, romantic figures. Still, Miss Saigon is a classic, and this production tells the story well. If you're fond of star crossed lovers, wrenching choices, tragic missed connections, and large scale Broadway style spectacle, Miss Saigon is an excellent choice. 

Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical MISS SAIGON is now playing a limited engagement at Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph St) through Saturday, December 8, 2018.

MISS SAIGON tells the story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim, who is orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American G.I. named Chris, but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years, Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son. This new production features stunning spectacle and a sensational cast of 42 performing the soaring score, including Broadway hits like “The Heat is On in Saigon,” “The Movie in My Mind,” “Last Night of the World” and “American Dream.”

Cameron Mackintosh said “It’s hard to believe that it has been over 27 years since MISS SAIGON first opened in North America but, if anything, the tragic love story at the heart of the show has become even more relevant today with innocent people being torn apart by war all over the world. This brilliant new production, directed by Laurence Connor and featuring the original dazzling choreography by Bob Avian, takes a grittier, more realistic approach that magnifies the power and epic sweep of Boublil and Schönberg’s tremendous score. Of all my productions, despite its popularity, MISS SAIGON is the one that the public has had the least chance to see as it requires such a huge international cast of Asian and Western performers and a vast array of visually stunning sets.

Now, for the first time in 17 years, as it continues to wow audiences in major cities around the world, theatregoers across America will be able to see one of the most spectacular musicals ever written in all its glory, in a new production that critics in London and on Broadway have embraced.

MISS SAIGON has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French lyrics by Alain Boublil, with additional lyrics by Michael Mahler. The new production is directed by Laurence Connor with musical staging by Bob Avian and additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt. Production design is by Totie Driver and Matt Kinley based on an original concept by Adrian Vaux; costume design by Andreane Neofitou; lighting design by Bruno Poet; projections by Luke Halls; sound design by Mick Potter; and orchestrations by William David Brohn. Music supervision is by Stephen Brooker and James Moore, with casting by Merri Sugarman for Tara Rubin Casting.

Since its London premiere in 1989, Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s epic musical MISS SAIGON has become one of the most successful musicals in history. The original Broadway production of MISS SAIGON opened on April 11, 1991 with what was the largest advance sale in Broadway history ($37 million). The show went on to play for nearly ten years with 4,111 performances and was seen by more than 5.9 million people. MISS SAIGON has been performed in 32 countries, over 350 cities, in 15 different languages, has won over 70 awards including 2 Olivier Awards, 3 Tony Awards and 4 Drama Desk Awards and been seen by over 36 million people worldwide.

The new production of MISS SAIGON opened in London in May 2014 to record-breaking advance sales and critical acclaim. The Daily Telegraph wrote, “This thrilling new production spills out beyond theatre and speaks directly to the times we live in—magnificent performances.” The Daily Mail said, “The greatest musical of all-time just got even better!” The London Times called the production “thrilling, soaring and spectacular.” NY1 proclaimed “the new Miss Saigon soars to the rafters!” And The New Yorker called Miss Saigon “a dynamite Broadway revival!”

Cameron Mackintosh announced in 2015 that the production would transfer for a limited Broadway run from March 1, 2017 to January 14, 2018 before launching its national tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI in September 2018.

The new production of MISS SAIGON, currently on tour around the UK, will also play at venues in Germany and Switzerland over the next year. New productions will also open during the next few years in Asia.

The full backstage story of how the new production was created, The Heat Is Back On, is now available on DVD by Universal and is one of the most comprehensive insights into how a big musical is put together that has ever been filmed.



Official show site: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram:
https://www.miss-saigon.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MissSaigonUS/ https://twitter.com/MissSaigonUS https://www.instagram.com/MissSaigonUS/
    
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesdays at 7:30PM
Wednesdays at 2:00PM & 7:30PM
Thursdays at 7:30PM (no performance on Nov. 22)
Fridays at 7:30PM (added 2:00PM matinee on Nov. 23)
Saturdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM
Sundays at 2:00PM (added 7:30PM evening performance on Nov. 18)

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets are currently on-sale to the public and range in price from $35-$120 with a select number of premium seats available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 18 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

CAST BIOGRAPHIES
NOVEMBER 2018

RED CONCEPCIÓN (The Engineer). Credits: Miss Saigon (U.K./Ireland Tour), The Secret Garden, Equus, Sleeping Beauty, Sweeney Todd, The Fantasticks, Mulan Jr., Altar Boyz, Hamlet, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Godspell, A Grand Night for Singing, West Side Story, Hairspray, Into the Woods. Film/TV: Incredible Tales: The Hex, The Boston: The Kitchen Musical, All Things New. Aliw Award – Best Actor in a Musical; Gawad Buhay! Award – Outstanding Male Performance in a Musical. @red_concepcion

EMILY BAUTISTA (Kim) is so thrilled to be playing the role of Kim out on the road. She recently understudied the part in the 2017 Broadway revival of Miss Saigon before joining the North American touring company of Les Misérables as Éponine. She is so grateful to the whole creative team, everyone at Tara Rubin casting, her agents at Avalon Artists, as well as her family and friends for all of their support. Instagram: @em_bautista

ANTHONY FESTA (Chris). National tours: Wicked, Finding Neverland. West End/International/U.K. tour: West Side Story (Tony). NYC: Bare (New World Stages), Desperate Measures (York, New World Stages), I Am Harvey Milk (Avery Fisher Hall), How Deep Is the Ocean (NYMF). Regional: Rent, Rock of Ages, Billy Elliot, South Pacific, Hairspray. Thanks to NETworks, Merri Sugarman at Tara Rubin Casting and David Krasner at Nani Saperstein Management. To my Mother, Sister, Mila/Daniel. For Dad. Instagram: @Festafied; Twitter: @anthonylfesta

STACIE BONO (Ellen). Off-Broadway: Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman/Pirelli), Avenue Q (Kate Monster/Lucy T. Slut). Regional highlights: Guthrie Theater: The Music Man (Marian); Tuacahn: Les Misérables (Fantine); Denver Center: Sense and Sensibility (Lucy); Flat Rock Playhouse: My Fair Lady (Eliza). Awards: NHTA Award (Best Actress in a Musical, The Apple Tree). Training: MA in Acting – Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, BFA from NYU Tisch. This one’s for you, DSR. Twitter/Instagram: @stacie_bono

J. DAUGHTRY (John). Broadway: The Color Purple, Beautiful. Backup singer: Anthony Brown and Group TherAPy, Patti LaBelle, Donald Lawrence, Bobby Jones Gospel, Kirk Franklin. Tours: Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Motown: The Musical. TV: Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order SVU, Elementary, Orange is the New Black. Universal Studios Japan, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Recipient of the Grady- Rayam Prize. His mother is his inspiration and influence, along with pastors and motivational speakers who have seeded his faith and vision.

JINWOO JUNG (Thuy). Off-Broadway: K-Pop (A.R.T/NY, Oracle). Regional: La Cage Aux Folles (East West Players, Jean Michel) and The Christians (Mark Taper Forum, Choir). Film/TV: Glass. MFA Acting: University of Southern California. Many thanks to team Miss Saigon, Merri Sugarman/Tara
 Rubin Casting and team Mcgowan/Rodriguez. Endless love to Bumindong/Jeju family, Mom, Dad and my amazing wife, Hosoo Lee. @jinu108

CHRISTINE BUNUAN (Gigi). National tour: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Regional: Writers Theatre, Silk Road Rising, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf, Marriott Theatre, TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre and more. Visit christinebunuan.com for more information. Special thanks to this incredible artistic team, her family and husband, Sean. Dedicated to Mom and Dad.

EYMARD CABLING (Ensemble, The Engineer at certain performances, u/s Thuy). Tours: Miss Saigon in North America and the international tour of The King and I in Asia. Regional: Allegiance (Frankie Suzuki/Mr. Maruyama), The King and I (Lun Tha), Once on This Island (Daniel), Me...Jane at the Kennedy Center and She Loves Me (Arpad) at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Carnegie Mellon University B.F.A. My love, Veronica, thank you for being my balance and my light. I love you.

MYRA MOLLOY (Ensemble, Kim at certain performances) is a songwriting major at Berklee College of Music. Theatrical credits: Reya – The Musical (young Reya), Dracula: Blood is Life (Lucy). In 2016, Myra performed the songs and voice for Disney’s Thai version of Moana (Moana) and starred in HBO’s Halfworlds 2 (Wish). In 2011, at age 13, Myra won the premiere season of Thailand’s Got Talent, and in 2014 she made the final six on ABC’s Rising Star. @myramolloy

ALEXANDER AGUILAR (Ensemble). Broadway: Miss Saigon, Lysistrata Jones. National tour: Memphis. CCM Graduate. Many thanks to this team for giving me this opportunity.

ERIC BADIQUÉ (Ensemble, u/s The Engineer). Regional: Mary Poppins, Starlight Express, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Miss Saigon, White Christmas, Anything Goes, The King and I and 1776 (Oguma Playhouse). BFA Musical Theatre from AMDA LA. Big thanks to the Company, ATB Talent and Tara Rubin Casting. Love to Mom, Dad, Arlene, Elissa, Sarah and Lisa. Mabuhay! @ericbdk

BRANDON BLOCK (Swing, Dance Captain) is thrilled to be with Miss Saigon. He has been seen in the pre-Broadway tryout of Roman Holiday (Golden Gate Theatre), in the upcoming feature film Isn’t It Romantic and as Jake in Oklahoma! (Muny, St. Louis). Love to blocNYC, his OUMT family, and his beautiful mother, Maria, and sister, Tiffany. Boomer!

JOVEN CALLOWAY (Swing). National/International Tours: Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan, The Aluminum Show. Regional: Damn Yankees (Goodspeed), Miss Saigon (TUTS, Riverside Theater), Evita, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Yankee Doodle Dandy (Musical Theater West), Frozen, Aladdin (Disney’s California Adventure). Huge thanks to the creative team, Tara Rubin, DDO, his family, Brian, Mayla and Gus! @jkabobs

RAE LEIGH CASE (Swing) first saw Miss Saigon when she was 8 and has been in love ever since. Credits: Jesus Christ Superstar, A Chorus Line, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, White Christmas, Saturday Night Fever, Curtains, Shrek, Swing, The Color Purple, Spamalot, Mary Poppins, Cats, Peter Pan, Sweet Charity. Love to the best TEAM! TERRY!

JACE CHEN (Tam) is thrilled to reprise the role of Tam, which he played throughout the 2017 Broadway revival of Miss Saigon. Jace is in first grade and loves dancing, skiing and swimming. Many thanks to family, CP Talent Management, JGD Agency and Tara Rubin Casting for this amazing opportunity. @mrjacechen

KAI AN CHEE (Ensemble, u/s Kim, u/s Gigi). Professional debut! Third culture kid from Penang, Malaysia. BFA NYU Tisch (Fall ’17). Educational Credits: Xanadu (Thetis, Dance Captain), Medusa (Steno). Thanks to cast, creatives and Tara Rubin Casting. To Mum, Dad, Kai Qi and Josiah for their love and support. Look what God has done. Philippians 4:7. kaianchee.com

MAX B. EHRLICH (Ensemble, Acrobat). National Tours: The King and I, Mamma Mia!. Regional: Seven Brides... (Nu Puppis), Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike (Company of Fools). Education: BFA Virginia Commonwealth University. Interests: Martial Arts, Chocolate, Space Jam. Thanks to ATG, my family and loved ones! @ikaika.ehrlich

JULIE EICHER (Ensemble, u/s Ellen). National Tour: The Phantom of the Opera (Corps de Ballet, Meg u/s). Regional: Lise in An American in Paris (Ogunquit Playhouse), Rob Ashford’s Carousel (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Theatre by the Sea, Houston Grand Opera. Ballet Companies: Nashville Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Ballet Neo, Artisan Dance Co. Proud graduate of CCM (Ballet), Interlochen. @julie.eicher

MATTHEW DAILEY (Ensemble) is thrilled to join Miss Saigon! National Tour: Jersey Boys (Tommy). Regional: Viva Vegas (Elvis), A Chorus Line (Mike), Singin’ in the Rain (Don Lockwood), Cats (Rum Tum Tugger). From Denver, CO. Thanks to the Miss Saigon team, family and friends, as well as Paul and Alann. “This is for you, Dad.” @matthewdailey88

NOAH GOULDSMITH (Ensemble, Acrobat). Favorite Credits: Isn’t it Romantic, Saturday Night Live, Flashdance (First National Tour), Bad Boys of Dance, Radio City Summer Spectacular, Disney’s Newsies (Fulton Theatre), Oklahoma! (Marriott Theatre). Endless love to my family, friends and everyone at Bloc NYC. @noahgouldsmith

ADAM KAOKEPT (Ensemble). Broadway credits: Miss Saigon (The Engineer/Thuy u/s), Aladdin (Original Broadway Cast). Off-Broadway: Radiant Baby, Zanna, Don’t!. National Tours: Mamma Mia! (Pepper), Flower Drum Song, Bye Bye Birdie. Regional: Pacific Overtures, Cloudlands, Jesus Christ Superstar. TV: Master of None, General Hospital. Love to my tribe! adamkaokept.com

RYDER KHATIWALA (Tam) is delighted to be making his national tour debut on Miss Saigon. He is in Pre-K, and loved ballet, hip hop, and soccer. You will often find Ryder singing, while cooking dinner for his dinosaurs.

MADOKA KOGUCHI (Ensemble) couldn’t be more thrilled to be living in the Dreamland! Credits: Night Beats Revamped, A Chorus Line, Rent, MOTHER-A mother of Kamikaze, Tome Torihama. Recent graduate of AMDA NY. Proud native Tokyoite. Thanks Danny at Hudson Artist Agency! For my incredible husband, mom, brother and family in Japan and the U.S.

NANCY LAM (Swing) is overjoyed to be living this dream. Some favorites: Miss Saigon (Macau, China), Frozen: Live at the Hyperion (Disney California Adventure), Beijing Spring (East West Players), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Madison Square Garden). Love, Respect, and Gratitude to the Saigon team, DDO, family and friends, Terence. @nancylam

BRIAN SHIMASAKI LIEBSON (Swing). National Tour: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (The Footman). Select Regional: Jerome Robbins’ Broadway (The Muny), A.R.T., Ogunquit, MSMT, Gateway. Proud graduate of Olin College with a BS in Robotic Engineering. All my love to this team, cast, Tara Rubin and Mom. Thrilled to be a part of Miss Saigon. @LiebsonBounds

GARRICK MACATANGAY (Ensemble). First National Tour: Bombay Dreams. Regional: The King and I (Sacramento Music Circus), Sweet Charity (Center Rep), White Christmas (FCLO), Guys and Dolls (AMTSJ). Thanks to Bloc! Much love to my family and friends with their abundant love and support. Love you Mom, Dad, Glenda, Gio, Maui and Cruz!

JONELLE MARGALLO (Ensemble, u/s Ellen, u/s Gigi). Broadway: Miss Saigon (Dominique). Other favorite credits include: Here Lies Love, West Side Story, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, A Chorus Line, Women on Fire and Imelda, The Musical!. BFA, Boston Conservatory. Endless gratitude and love to family, friends and Jackson! For Mom and Dad. Love you! @jonellemargallo

FIN MOULDING (Tam) is thrilled to be on tour with Miss Saigon, which is her first tour and first show ever. Fin is four years old and lives with her mommy in New York City and sometimes Los Angeles. Fin loves dancing, singing and books. Thank you to grandparents, family, friends who are like family, and mommy. https://backstage.com/finmoulding

JACKIE NGUYEN (Ensemble) is proud to be a Vietnamese American actor telling this story. National/International Tours: Miss Saigon (Kim), My Fair Lady (Swing), Hair, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Swing, Asst. Choreographer/Director). Dedicated to my family who escaped Vietnam over 30 years ago. Con thuong me nhieu. Thanks to Craig, creatives and my husband, Nate. @jackienguyenhuntley

MATTHEW OVERBERG (Ensemble). Originally from Australia, Matthew graduated with a BFA (Dance) in 2014. He has since danced with Royal Caribbean International and appeared in the Australian company of The King and I (Ensemble) and U.S. national tour of Cabaret (Swing). Sending love to my friends, family and husband, Ryan. @dearmatt

MELANIE RAMIREZ (Tam) is making her national tour debut alongside her twin sister, with the support of her parents, big brother Jay and Shirley Grant Management. The girls were recently in a Hyundai commercial that aired during the Superbowl. She is very excited to be on stage with this amazing cast! @ramirez_twins1017

SARAH RAMIREZ (Tam). With the support of her parents, her big brother Jay and Shirley Grant Management, Sarah is making her national tour debut alongside her twin sister. The girls were recently in a Hyundai commercial. She is thrilled to be joining such an amazing cast! @ramirez_twins1017

EMILIO RAMOS (Ensemble). Broadway: The King and I (Lincoln Center). Off-Broadway: West Side Story (Carnegie Hall). Tours: The King and I (First National), West Side Story. Regional: The Muny, Houston Grand Opera, Ogunquit Playhouse, The Ordway, ZACH Theatre. Big love to Lucille, the Saigon team and my family. For Lusiya, Gabriella and my Mum. @lilporkbunz

ADAM ROBERTS (Ensemble, u/s Chris) is elated to be a part of this beautiful show! Broadway: Spider- Man: Turn Off The Dark and Pippin. He has been seen in the national tour of Dirty Dancing, Off- Broadway in Standard Time and as Cornelius in Ozark Actors Theatre’s Hello, Dolly!. He just finished associate directing and choreographing Broadway Backwards.

CASEY LEE ROSS (Ensemble, Acrobat). Broadway: Miss Saigon. Theater: Wicked, Chess, Children of Eden (w/ Jon Jon Briones). Film: Step Up, The Other Guys. TV: Lip Sync Battle. Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Flight of the Conchords, America’s Got Talent. Dance double for Josh Groban, Bill Gates, Mark Wahlberg and Brad Pitt.

MICHAEL RUSSELL (Ensemble). National tour debut! Regional: Rocky Mountain Repertory: West Side Story (Riff), Mamma Mia! (Pepper); Uptown Players: A Chorus Line (Mike Costa); The Arvada Center: Joseph (Napthalie/Apache Dancer); Cortland Repertory: Saturday Night Fever (Tony Manero); Casa Mañana: Spamalot. Much love and thanks to my family, Rob, Mike and Ginner. IG: @itsm_russell itsmichaelrussell.com

PAUL SCHWENSEN (Ensemble, u/s Chris). Regional: All Shook Up (The Muny), Joseph...Dreamcoat (Arvada Center), Mamma Mia! (ACT of Connecticut), Footloose (Porthouse Theatre). Concerts: West Side Story, Guys and Dolls (Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Guangzhou, China). BFA from CCM. Thanks to Mom and Dad, the Tara Rubin team and CGF! @paul_schwensen

JULIUS SERMONIA (Ensemble, u/s Thuy, Fight Captain). Broadway: Miss Saigon (u/s Club Owner), The King and I (u/s Lun Tha), Doctor Zhivago (Dance Captain), Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats (Mistoffelees). National Tours: The King and I, Contact, Cats. Selected: Yoshimi (La Jolla), Miss Saigon (PCLO), Funny Thing...Forum (Mirvish), Seven seasons with Stratford Festival. @JuliusSermonia

EMILY STILLINGS (Ensemble). Broadway: Lincoln Center Theater’s The King and I. LA: David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s Soft Power. TV: Saturday Night Live (Lin-Manuel Miranda, Saoirse Ronan, Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Hart), Lip Sync Battle (LL Cool J, John Krasinski). So much love for you, Mom. Thank you for being my biggest supporter always. @emilystillings

TIFFANY TOH (Ensemble). Broadway: Miss Saigon (OBC). National/International Tours: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast. Other: Legally Blonde (Pilar), South Pacific (Liat), The King and I, Lil’ Kim Australia Tour (backup dancer). SUNY Buffalo graduate in Political Science. Proud Malaysian. For Mum, Jie and Mark! @littletoh

NICHOLAS WALTERS (Ensemble, u/s John) is thrilled to be joining the cast of Miss Saigon. Credits: Lusty Lil’s Wild West Revue (Cedar Point Live Entertainment), Hair (Three Rivers Music Theatre). Proud graduate of Ball State University’s BFA Musical Theatre program. Much love to my wonderful friends and family.

MICHAEL WORDLY (Ensemble, u/s John). Off-Broadway: Spamilton. Tours: The Color Purple (First Revival National Tour), The Little Mermaid (u/s Sebastian, 5th Avenue Theatre). Regional: Memphis (Gator), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Adrian) and Hairspray (Seaweed). Giving honor and thanks to God for all His blessings! Many thanks to my family, Gregg Baker Management and Tara Rubin Casting. WakandaForever.

ANNA-LEE WRIGHT (Ensemble, Assistant Dance Captain). Broadway: Miss Saigon. Tours/International: Miss Saigon (u/s Gigi), The Venetian, Macau (opera singer). TV/Film: MTV’s Ladylike (series regular), Love is a Broadway Hit (Bridgette Wu). Love to Eddie at Take3, TR Casting, T and the entire creative team.



CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES
NOVEMBER 2018

ALAIN BOUBLIL (Book & Lyrics). Librettist/original lyricist of the musicals La Révolution Française, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre and The Pirate Queen with Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Marguerite with Michel Legrand. Co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced the movie soundtrack of Golden Globe–winning Les Misérables (Academy Award nomination, Best Song). Author: plays The Diary of Adam and Eve and Manhattan Parisienne, prize-winning novel Les Dessous de Soi. Awards: two Tony, Grammy and Victoires de la Musique awards; Molière, Evening Standard and Olivier awards; special Grammy honor; honoree of NY Pops at Carnegie Hall (2016). Producer: Boublil/Schönberg Do You Hear the People Sing worldwide symphonic concerts. Member, Board of Directors, NY Pops.

CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG (Concept, Book & Music). Co-book writer and composer of La Révolution Française, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Martin Guerre and The Pirate Queen. Co-wrote Marguerite in collaboration with Alain Boublil, Michel Legrand, Herbert Kretzmer. Supervised overseas productions and co-produced international cast albums of his shows. Composed the ballet scores for Wuthering Heights and Cleopatra for Northern Ballet. Co-wrote the screenplay and reconceived the music for the Les Misérables musical movie. Golden Globe and several times Tony and Grammy winner, Oscar nominee, 2016 honoree of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall with Alain Boublil. Appointed visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford University.

CAMERON MACKINTOSH (Producer). For over 50 years, Cameron has been producing more musicals than anyone else in history, including the three longest-running musicals of all time: Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Cats. His co-production with Disney of Mary Poppins continues to sprinkle its magic worldwide. He, with Working Title, enjoyed huge success with the film of Les Misérables. He owns eight London theatres, including the Victoria Palace, which after a major rebuild and refurbishment, has re-opened with the award-winning musical Hamilton, co-produced with Jeffrey Seller. This year, Cameron will have 22 productions running around the world, including 5 in London’s West End. His new productions of Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon are currently touring North America to great acclaim. Cats will also launch a U.S. tour in early 2019. Cameron was knighted in 1996 and is the first British producer to be elected to the Theater Hall of Fame; and the recipient of the 2017 Stephen Sondheim Award.

RICHARD MALTBY, JR. (Lyrics). Broadway: conceived and directed two Tony Award Best Musicals: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1978, also Best Director); Fosse (1999). Ring of Fire (2006). With composer David Shire: director/lyricist: Baby (1983); lyricist: Big (1996). Co-lyricist: Miss Saigon (1989); The Pirate Queen (2007). Director/co-lyricist: Song & Dance (1986). Director: The Story of My Life (2009). Off- Broadway: director/lyricist: Starting Here, Starting Now (1977); Closer Than Ever (1989). Director: Just Jim Dale, Roundabout (2014), London (2015). Regional: lyricist: Take Flight, Chocolate Factory (2010), McCarter (2012); book/lyrics, Waterfall, Pasadena, Seattle (2015). Film: screenplay, Miss Potter. Contributes cryptic crossword puzzles to Harper’s. Son of well-known orchestra leader. Children: Nicholas, David, Jordan, Emily, Charlotte.
MICHAEL MAHLER (Additional Lyrics) is the Chicago-based composer/lyricist of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, October Sky, Hero, Something in the Game, Painted Alice and others. He served as premiere English lyricist for Boublil & Schönberg’s La Revolution Française and contributed lyrics to Russell Watson’s album Only One Man. Projects in development include Secret of My Success and Gravediggers’ Hamlet. michaelmahler.com

WILLIAM DAVID BROHN, 1933–2017 (Orchestrations). For Cameron Mackintosh: Miss Saigon; Mary Poppins; Oliver!; Barnum; Half a Sixpence; Betty Blue Eyes; My Fair Lady; Carousel; Hey, Mr. Producer!; Witches of Eastwick and Oklahoma. Further commissions included: Wicked, South Pacific, Crazy for You, Porgy and Bess, The Secret Garden and Show Boat. Bill Brohn was a respected collaborator for many productions and celebrated a thirty-year history alongside Cameron Mackintosh and his creative teams.

LAURENCE CONNOR (Director). Theatre: School of Rock (Broadway, West End, U.S. tour), Les Misérables (Broadway, West End, worldwide, U.S. tour), Miss Saigon (West End, U.S and U.K. tours, worldwide), Jesus Christ Superstar (U.K. arena tour, Australia), the entirely new stage production of The Phantom of the Opera (U.S., U.K. tours), Oliver! (U.K. tour). Concerts: The Phantom of the Opera 25th anniversary (Royal Albert Hall, worldwide cinema streaming, DVD), Les Misérables 25th anniversary (O2 Arena, worldwide cinema streaming, DVD), Miss Saigon 25th anniversary (cinema release, DVD). Awards: Miss Saigon West End (Best Direction – WhatsOnStage, Broadway World awards), Miss Saigon Australia (Best Director of a Musical – Green Room Awards), Les Misérables Korea (Best Director of a Musical).

BOB AVIAN (Musical Staging) began his career as a dancer in more than a dozen Broadway shows including West Side Story and Funny Girl. He then became an integral part of every Michael Bennett production for the next 20 years, working as associate choreographer and/or assistant director on Company, Follies, Twigs, Seesaw and God’s Favorite; co-choreographer of A Chorus Line (Tony Award); co-choreographer/co-producer of Ballroom (Tony Award); and producer of Dreamgirls. London: Follies, Miss Saigon and Sunset Boulevard (both also Broadway), Martin Guerre (Olivier Award), The Witches of Eastwick. Additional Broadway: Putting It Together, A Chorus Line (director, revival, also at London’s Palladium).

GEOFFREY GARRATT (Additional Choreography). Musical staging: Les Misérables (Broadway). Assoc./Additional Choreography: Broadway: Mary Poppins. West End: Miss Saigon; Mary Poppins; The Witches of Eastwick; Betty Blue Eyes; Oliver!; Hey, Mr. Producer!; South Pacific. Dance Captain: Martin Guerre, Cats. U.K. tours/international: Les Misérables, Mary Poppins, The Witches of Eastwick, Oliver!, Miss Saigon. Choreography: Jack and the Beanstalk, Blues in the Night, Fascinating Aïda, A Doll’s House, Little Shop.

TOTIE DRIVER (Set Design) has 25 years’ experience working on the stage designs for the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Donmar Warehouse, Theatre de Complicite, Glynedebourne and London’s West End. She is a visiting lecturer on Stage Design at Nottingham Trent University. For Cameron Mackintosh: stage designer for Oliver! U.K. tour, Ghent and Antwerp; Miss Saigon U.K. tour 2002 and subsequently Korea, Australia, Japan, Brazil and Utrecht. For the 2014 return to the West End, she collaborated with Matt Kinley, winning 2015 WhatsOnStage Best Set Design.

MATT KINLEY (Set Design) graduated from the Motley course in 1994 and spent the next decade working in The National Theatre and West End. As part of a long working partnership with Cameron Mackintosh, he has adapted and designed productions of My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Phantom and Les Misérables all over the world amongst the design of numerous other international shows. In 2013, Matt worked alongside Totie Driver to redevelop Miss Saigon ahead of its London revival. They have continued their relationship to bring you this new version.

ADRIAN VAUX, 1936–2012 (Design Concept), studied design at the Slade School. London: house designer at Mermaid Theatre (1964–1970), Leicester Phoenix/Haymarket (1971–1980), Old Vic (1980– 1982); West End credits including My Fair Lady, Cause Célèbre, Tomfoolery. He began working in Israel in 1968, amassing extensive credits including the original production of Ghetto. Recent work: international tours of Miss Saigon and Oliver!; August: Osage County for Habimah in Israel.

ANDREANE NEOFITOU (Costume Design). Theatre includes Les Misérables (Tony nomination) and Miss Saigon (worldwide); Once in a Lifetime, Nicholas Nickleby, Hedda Gabler, The Merchant of Venice, Fair Maid of the West, The Changeling (all Royal Shakespeare Company); Peter Pan (National Theatre); Grease (West End); Miss Julie (Athens); Carmen (Royal Albert Hall); Timon of Athens with David Suchet (Old Vic); Martin Guerre (Guthrie); Nabucco (The Met); Jane Eyre (Broadway, Outer Critics Circle nomination). Film includes Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, directed by Tom Stoppard.

BRUNO POET (Lighting Design) works extensively across theatre, opera, dance, music and live events. He won the Olivier Award for his lighting on Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein at the National Theatre and a Knight of Illumination Award for his lighting on Sigur Ros’ 2012–2013 world tour. He subsequently designed the lighting for their current 2016–2017 world tour. His international work includes productions for the National, RSC, Royal Opera House, Los Angeles Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Bregenz Festival, English National Opera, Royal Danish Opera, The Royal Ballet and in the West End.

LUKE HALLS (Projections) is a video designer for theatre, opera, dance and music. He has received a Knight of Illumination Award for Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House and a BAFTA for his work on ITV’s The Cube. Luke has designed internationally for music artists including, most recently, Beyoncé (Formation world tour), Adele (2016 world tour) and U2 (2015 world tour). His theatre work includes Half a Sixpence (West End), Man and Superman (National Theatre) and Hamlet (Barbican) starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

MICK POTTER (Sound Designer) has designed the sound for over 100 musicals worldwide including Broadway and West End productions of School of Rock (Drama Desk Award nominee), Les Misérables (Tony Award nominee, Helpmann Award), The Phantom of the Opera (Parneli Award), Miss Saigon, Evita, The Woman in White (Olivier Award), Bombay Dreams, Saturday Night Fever, Sunset Boulevard, From Here to Eternity, Betty Blue Eyes, The Wizard of Oz, Love Never Dies (Green Room Award), Sister Act, Joseph..., Zorro, The Sound of Music, Half a Sixpence and Cats.

STEPHEN BROOKER (Musical Supervisor). Conductor/Musical Director: Les Misérables film. Supervisor: Les Misérables (NY, London, Tokyo), Half a Sixpence, Barnum, Oliver!, Mary Poppins, Miss Saigon, Cats, My Fair Lady, The Secret Garden, South Pacific, Chess, The Woman in White, Saturday Night Fever, The Phantom of the Opera. Conductor: symphonies and choirs worldwide including Royal Choral Society for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Composer: Walt Disney, Coca-Cola, Ford Motors, BMW Motor, Jaguar Cars. Produced recordings of Les Misérables, Oliver!, Mary Poppins, South Pacific. Conducted the 85th Academy Awards.

JAMES MOORE (U.S. Musical Supervisor). Broadway: On the Town, Gigi, Follies, South Pacific, Ragtime, Steel Pier, Company. National tours: The Producers; Kiss Me, Kate; Crazy for You; And the World Goes ‘Round—The Songs of Kander and Ebb. Regional: Signature Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Paper Mill, The Muny. Symphonic: National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, The Santa Barbara Symphony. Recordings: On the Town, Follies. Education: Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

SETH SKLAR-HEYN (Associate Director/Executive Producer). Broadway: Miss Saigon, Les Misérables (Executive Producer); The Phantom of the Opera (Production Supervisor); Miss Saigon,
Evita, A Little Night Music, Finian’s Rainbow, Good Vibrations (Associate Director); Mary Stuart, Rock’n’Roll, Frost/Nixon (Assistant Director); The Coast of Utopia (Assistant to the Director). National Tours: Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera (Executive Producer and Associate Director); Billy Elliot (Resident Director). Seth directed the national tours of Frost/Nixon and Evita (2012 revival). Seth serves as Executive Producer for Cameron Mackintosh Inc. in NY. Graduate of Vassar College.

JESSE ROBB (Associate Choreographer). Broadway: 2017 Revival of Miss Saigon (Associate Choreographer) and The Cher Show (Associate Choreographer). Toronto: We Will Rock You (Resident Choreographer), Dirty Dancing (Resident Choreographer), The Lord of The Rings (Dance Captain). Vegas: Cirque Du Soleil’s Zumanity (Dance Captain). Jesse recently choreographed Elizabeth Cree for Opera Philadelphia and Ragtime at the Ogunquit Playhouse. He has served as associate director/choreographer at 5th Avenue Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, and Berkshire Theatre Group, among others.

WILL CURRY (Music Director/Conductor). Broadway: My Fair Lady (LCT), Miss Saigon, Fiddler on the Roof, Les Misérables. National Tours: Les Misérables. Cast Albums: My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, John & Jen. Education: Northwestern University Bienen School of Music. For my family and Sebastian. @wjcurry.

RYAN EMMONS (Resident Director) is the founding co-artistic director of No.11 Productions. Directing credits with No.11 include Quest for the West, Coosje and Friends Call Me Albert. Broadway resident/assistant credits: Ghost, Matilda the Musical and Groundhog Day. Ryan was also the resident director for the 1st National Tour of Matilda the Musical. Thanks Jane! www.ryanemmonsdirects.com

TARA RUBIN CASTING (Casting). Selected Broadway: King Kong, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Indecent, Bandstand, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale, Cats, Falsettos, Disaster!, School of Rock, Les Misérables, The Heiress, The Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, ...Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys. Off-Broadway: Smokey Joe’s Café; Jersey Boys; Here Lies Love; Love, Loss and What I Wore. Selected Regional: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Asolo Rep. www.tararubincasting.com

JOHN MILLER (Music Coordinator). Over 100 Broadway shows. Recent: Hello, Dolly!; Indecent; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; A Bronx Tale; The Great Comet of 1812; Waitress; Something Rotten!; Beautiful; Jersey Boys. Musician (bass): Leonard Cohen, Eric Clapton, Bette Midler. His album Stage Door Johnny—John Miller: Takes on Broadway is available on PS Classics. johnmillerbass.com

JACK STEPHENS (Company Manager) has hit the road with many great touring productions, including The Magic of David Copperfield, Blue Man Group (North America and Latin America), Into the Woods, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, A Chorus Line (North America and Tokyo), Finding Neverland, Shrek The Musical (Asia) and Rent, among others. He resides in Denver and Las Vegas.

JUSTIN T. SCHOLL (Associate Company Manager) is proud to be joining the Saigon family. Broadway: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (Assistant to CM). Tours: Gentleman’s Guide, R&H’s Cinderella, Shrek The Musical (International), Beauty and the Beast (International), Elf, Flashdance, and Broadway Rox. Thanks for everything Mom, Dad, Sydney, my Human and Cookie.

JOVON E. SHUCK (Production Stage Manager). A proud member of AEA and graduate of Michigan State University, Jovon’s credits include the national tours of: Waitress, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King and Monty Python’s Spamalot. Much love to Sheila Marie, always.

MICHELLE DUNN (Stage Manager). Broadway: The Lion King, Jumpers, Bridge and Tunnel, Dance of the Vampires. National Tours: The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Dreamgirls, Hairspray. Other credits include: Houston Ballet and Disney Cruise Line. Love and thanks to my family for your never-ending support. For Dad.

STEPHANIE HALBEDEL (Assistant Stage Manager). Credits include the most recent national tours of Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Dirty Dancing and Blue Man Group, as well as shows throughout the Northeast and New York. All love and thanks to my dear family.

RACHAEL WILKIN (Assistant Stage Manager). National Tours: Waitress, Fiasco Theater’s Into the Woods, Pippin. Regional: Edinburgh and NY Fringe Festival, RWCMD. Scenic fabrication/painting: The Humans (Broadway).

BROADWAY BOOKING OFFICE NYC (Tour Booking, Engagement Management, Press and Marketing) is a leading theatrical tour booking, marketing and press company representing award- winning musicals and plays. Currently: Jersey Boys, Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, A Bronx Tale, Falsettos, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Sound of Music, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies. bbonyc.com

NICHOLAS ALLOTT (Executive Producer) joined Cameron Mackintosh in 1981 as Executive Producer for Cats and subsequently Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, Oliver! and Mary Poppins, amongst others. Executive Producer of the feature film of Les Misérables. Since 2000, Managing Director of Cameron Mackintosh Ltd. Chairman of Soho Theatre, Trustee of the Roundhouse, Patron of Shakespeare Schools Festival and U.K. Business Ambassador for the Prime Minister’s Office. Awarded an OBE for services to theatre and charity by the Queen in 2014.

SETH WENIG (Executive Producer) has been with NETworks since its inception in 1995. He spearheaded the international tours of Fosse starring Ben Vereen and Ruthie Henshall. Seth has produced the Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific and the National Theatre production of War Horse. Together with Cameron Mackintosh, Seth served as Executive Producer for both the U.S. and U.K. tours of the National Theatre’s My Fair Lady, the 25th Anniversary U.S. Tour of Les Misérables, the new The Phantom of the Opera tour, Miss Saigon and A Bronx Tale. He is most proud of his greatest productions – Marlo and Camden.

NETWORKS PRESENTATIONS (Producer), from its inception over 20 years ago, has been an industry leading producer and manager of touring musical theatre productions and remains committed to delivering quality entertainment to audiences worldwide. Having toured over 70 productions internationally, NETworks’ current and upcoming touring productions include Cameron Mackintosh’s The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Elf the Musical, Finding Neverland, The Sound of Music, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I, The Band’s Visit, A Bronx Tale, Falsettos, Fiddler on the Roof and Cameron Mackintosh’s Miss Saigon.


ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks