Tag Archives: Aaron Bower

MARCIE GORMAN to Direct THE VICTORY DOLLS 2021-2022 Season

26 Tuesday Oct 2021

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“When smart, talented women work together for the greater good, nothing can stop them.”
~ Excerpt from The Victory Dolls Mission Statement

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

October 26, 2021

BOCA RATON, FL:  In addition to continuing to serve as MNM Theatre Company’s Producing Artistic Director, Marcie Gorman will take on another role this season – that of Director for the popular 1940s era singing group The Victory Dolls. 

The Victory Dolls is a company of enormously talented and award-winning local singer/actresses whose nostalgic style is reminiscent of the sophisticated vocals and precise harmonies of the Andrews Sisters. Their vintage look, tight choreography, and lively original musical arrangements combine to create a dazzling All-American show that appeals to audiences of all ages. 

The Victory Dolls have added a number of new faces to their roster this year.  Ann Marie Olson, Mallory Newbrough, Elizabeth Sackett, Jessie Dez, Laura Yanez, and Molly Anne Ross will join Shelley Keelor, Sabrina Lynn Gore, Leah Marie Sessa, Jeanine Levy, Aaron Bower, and Jinon Deeb to make up an even ‘Dozen Dolls’.

Carbonell and two-time Silver Palm Award-winning music director, piano accompanist and vocal coach Caryl Fantel will serve as the group’s music director.  Musical arrangements are by Phil Hinton.

Marcie Gorman has had extensive directing experience – she produced and/or helmed numerous musical productions at A.W. Dreyfoos School for the Arts during her years as a volunteer/instructor there.  Prior to founding MNM, Gormanwas an educator, successful entrepreneur, and philanthropist.  Under her leadership and guidance, the award-winning MNM Theatre Company has been delighting audiences with their productions of beloved American musicals since its debut in 2014.  The company will produce three musicals in the coming season at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) and one at the Mizner Park Cultural Center.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be working with this wonderful group of women on such a worthwhile project – paying tribute to our veterans – who have taken such great care of our country, and countries all over the world,” Gorman says.  “I have worked with almost every one of these talented ladies before at MNM Theatre Company, and I know we are going to produce a show that will honor, inspire, and entertain everyone who sees it.”

“We are very excited to bring on such a unique talent as Marcie Gorman as our Director,” says Kevin Barrett, the Founder and CEO of The Victory Dolls. “We have brought together some of the top names in the South Florida theater community to grow The Victory Dolls brand over the next few years. Our mission is to honor Veterans all over the South Florida community, city by city, and keep the music from the 1940s alive for all to enjoy with our incredible production and our unique harmonies and arrangements.” 

For booking information, contact Kevin Barrett at (954)234-5982 or email at kevinbarrettgm@gmail.com.

For more information about The Victory Dolls (https://thevictorydolls.com) and/or Marcie Gorman please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

The Victory Dolls – 2021-2022
  • Shelley Keelor
  • Sabrina Lynn Gore
  • Molly Anne Ross
  • Mallory Newbrough
  • Leah Marie Sessa
  • Laura Yanez
  • Jinon Deeb
  • Jessie Dez
  • Jeanine Levy
  • Elizabeth Sackett
  • Ann Marie Olson
  • Aaron Bower
  • Marcie Gorman
  • Caryl Fantel

MNM Theatre Company’s Innovative Virtual Production of CLOSER THAN EVER Extended Through January 10th, 2021

22 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by in Clients, MNM Theatre Company

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Theatre in the Time of COVID!

MNM Theatre Company Proudly Extends

Maltby & Shire’s
Closer Than EverThe Critically Acclaimed Production
Is Now Available for Streaming
On Demand
Through January 10th, 2021

Innovation is the key for MNM Theatre Company’s production of Closer Than Ever.

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

December 22, 2020

BOCA RATON, FL:  MNM Theatre Company’s cutting-edge production of Maltby and Shire’s Closer Than Ever will now be available for streaming on demand through January 10th, MNM Producing Artistic Director Marcie Gorman announced today.

Marcie Gorman

“We are so proud of this project,” Gorman explains, “and we want to make sure everyone who would like to see Closer Than Ever has the opportunity to do so.  Our director, Jonathan Van Dyke, came up with an incredibly creative and innovative way to make live theatre during the pandemic, using video, audio, and projections.  Our cast and crew stayed safe and healthy throughout the entire creative process, and their dedication to this project is another reason why we want to ensure their work remains available for a while longer. Plus, of course,” she adds, “The reviews by both audiences and critics alike have been nothing less than stellar, so it’s a popular demand extension, too!”

Closer Than Ever has received universal praise since it began streaming on November 27th, including glowing endorsements from both composer David Shire (“The performances were honest and great, the musical direction, staging, production design, choreography all first rate, and [your] direction and overall conception of how to present CTE and keep it “Covid-safe” was truly impressive.”) and lyricist Richard Maltby Jr. (“The performances were all on the money and very true, Surprisingly, that isn’t usually the case with this show. Your staging ideas and your filming ideas were very very clever. It was an actual film version of the show, which was daring to attempt. Clearly you approached the show with a great deal of love and a great deal of respect for the material. I heard every word, and the vocals were glorious.”)

Closer Than Ever features self-contained songs which deal with such diverse topics as security, aging, mid-life crisis, second marriages, working couples, and unrequited love. Maltby and Shire based many of the songs on real-life experiences of their friends, or stories told to them.

Closer Than Ever stars Aaron Bower, Johnbarry Green, and Carbonell Award-winners Shelley Keelor, and Elijah Word, each of whom have worked with MNM Theatre Company in the past.   The technical crew, almost all of whom are also MNM alumni, includes Eric Alsford as the production’s Musical Director, and Emily Tarallo as the show’s Choreographer.  Lighting Designer is Clifford Michael Spulock, Sound Designer is Mike Kelly, Scenic Artist is Cindi Taylor, and Scenic Designer is Jordon Armstrong.  Johnbarry Green serves as Technical Director, Cliff Burgess as Videographer, Michael Joseph as Assistant Videographer and Wig Design is by Justin Lore of Tease & Floof Custom Wig Boutique.  Amber Mandic and Andrea Guardo are the production’s co-Stage Managers and co-Props Mistresses.

Closer Than Ever will be available On Demand through January 10th, on Music Theatre International’s (MTI) streaming platform www.ShowTix4U.com via MNM Theatre Company’s website www.mnmtheatre.org.  Once tickets are purchased, patrons will receive a link to view the production.  The link will be active for 48 hours from the first click.  Tickets are $20.

MNM Theatre Company is an award-winning not-for-profit 501(c)(3) theatre company whose mission is to produce high quality professional live theatre that inspires audiences and enriches the cultural life of the community while creating Florida based jobs in the Arts.

For more information about Closer Than Ever and MNM Theatre Company please visit www.mnmtheatre.org/ .  To speak with Marcie Gorman or Jonathan Van Dyke, please contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~~

Closer Than Ever
Streaming On Demand
Through January 10th, 2021
Music by David Shire
Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr.
Conceived by Steven Scott Smith
Directed by Jonathan Van Dyke
Tickets: $20
Tickets available at https://www.mnmtheatre.org/
Direct ticketing link:  https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/41307

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

MNM Theatre Company to Stream Maltby & Shire’s CLOSER THAN EVER On Demand – November 27 – December 31

09 Monday Nov 2020

Posted by in Clients, MNM Theatre Company

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Creating Theatre in the Time of COVID!
MNM Theatre Company’s Innovative Production of
Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever
Will Be Available for Streaming on Demand
November 27 – December 31

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

MNM develops a cutting edge and creative way to move forward with
 Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever.

November 9, 2020

BOCA RATON, FL:  Rehearsals and filming have been completed for MNM Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Closer Than Ever, David Shire and Richard Maltby Jr.’s fascinating song cycle that explores the everyday struggles of love in the modern world.  The production will begin streaming on November 27th and be available through December 31st.

Director Jonathan Van Dyke has developed an innovative theatrical hybrid that marries live performances with video, audio, and projections.  “The result,” says MNM Producing Artistic Director Marcie Gorman, “is an exciting and creative way to make live theatre during this horrendous pandemic.” 

Marcie Gorman

“We rehearsed at our warehouse in Boca Raton, and filmed there as well,” Gorman explains.  We followed extremely strict protocols throughout the process and were constantly mindful of the health and well-being of our cast and our crew.  COVID testing, masks, cleaning, and sanitizing – we did it all constantly.   But what’s so wonderful is that we are created and performed live theatre and we will be able to share it with a worldwide audience.

“And Jonathan’s concept, which involves integrating live performances with projections, is brand new.  It’s what will separate this production from just being a filmed play – it’s a hybrid with three components, not just two, and as far as we know, no one has ever done anything like it before.”

Jonathan Van Dyke

“This concept was developed to allow us to create theatre during the pandemic, but it can and will be implemented for a live production,” Director Jonathan Van Dyke explains.  “The integrated projections allow for intimate onstage moments; the actors were each green-screened separately and the results were edited for projection, so they appear to interact with one another.”

                      Shelley Keelor and Aaron Bower in Closer Than Ever
“They never held hands… they were just edited that way!”  Jonathan Van Dyke
Photo credit:  Jonathan Van Dyke

Closer Than Ever features self-contained songs which deal with such diverse topics as security, aging, mid-life crisis, second marriages, working couples, and unrequited love. Maltby and Shire based many of the songs on real-life experiences of their friends, or stories told to them.

Closer Than Ever stars Aaron Bower, Johnbarry Green, and Carbonell Award-winners Shelley Keelor, and Elijah Word, each of whom have worked with MNM Theatre Company in the past.   The technical crew, almost all of whom are also MNM alumni, includes Eric Alsford as the production’s Musical Director, and Emily Tarallo as the show’s Choreographer.  Lighting Designer is Clifford Michael Spulock, Sound Designer is Mike Kelly, Scenic Artist is Cindi Taylor, and Scenic Designer is Jordon Armstrong.  Johnbarry Green serves as Technical Director, Cliff Burgess as Videographer, Michael Joseph as Assistant Videographer and Wig Design is by Justin Lore of Tease & Floof Custom Wig Boutique.  Amber Mandic and Andrea Guardo are the production’s co-Stage Managers and co-Props Mistresses.

Closer Than Ever will begin streaming on November 27th and will be available On Demand through December 31st on Music Theatre International’s (MTI) streaming platform www.ShowTix4U.com via MNM Theatre Company’s website www.mnmtheatre.org or on the company’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/mnmtheatrecompany . Once tickets are purchased, patrons will receive a link to view the production.  The link will be active for 48 hours from the first click.  Tickets are $20.  

MNM Theatre Company is an award-winning not-for-profit 501(c)(3) theatre company whose mission is to produce high quality professional live theatre that inspires audiences and enriches the cultural life of the community while creating Florida based jobs in the Arts. 

For more information about MNM Theatre Company please visit www.mnmtheatre.org/   To speak with Marcie Gorman or Jonathan Van Dyke, please contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244..

Please feel free to forward this article.  Thank you!

~~

Closer Than Ever
Streaming On Demand
November 27 – December 31
Music by David Shire
Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr.
Conceived by Steven Scott Smith
Directed by Jonathan Van Dyke
Tickets: $20
Tickets available at https://www.mnmtheatre.org/ ,
www.facebook.com/mnmtheatrecompany or
Direct ticketing link:  https://www.showtix4u.com/events/closerthanever 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

MNM Theatre Company to present Maltby & Shire’s CLOSER THAN EVER on Demand!

13 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by in Clients, MNM Theatre Company

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MNM Theatre Company will present

Maltby & Shire’s
Closer Than Ever
Correctly Socially Distanced!
Available for Streaming on Demand
November 27 – December 31

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

October 13, 2020

BOCA RATON, FL:  MNM Theatre Company, like almost every theatre company around the world, has been drastically affected by COVID-19. All scheduled productions have either been cancelled or postponed indefinitely, with no re-start date in sight.  However, the company’s Producing Artistic Director and CEO Marcie Gorman and Director Jonathan Van Dyke have come up with an innovative way to provide audiences with theatre, and the company’s first production Maltby and Shire’s Closer Than Ever will debut on November 27th and be available for On Demand streaming through December 31st.

“Since we haven’t been together for a long time, we knew it was time to be Closer Than Ever,” Gorman says. “Just the name of this show seemed to be a perfect fit for these times – so many of us are still so far apart and yet in many ways, Closer Than Ever. 

“And Jonathan has developed a safe and incredibly creative way to present it to audiences”, she continues.  “I’m excited about this on so many levels, not the least of which is to provide work for our actors and technical people, most of whom haven’t worked for months, and are so looking forward to once again ‘making theatre’”.  

Closer Than Ever will be filmed at MNM’s Boca Raton warehouse/studio, which will be cleaned and sanitized regularly. Maximum safety precautions will be observed from the start of rehearsals through the final performance: Individual show segments will be filmed separately; actors and tech crew have been asked to observe COVID protocols and remain as isolated as possible unless rehearsing or performing. They will be COVID tested frequently; their temperatures will be taken each time they enter the building; and they will be required to hand sanitize multiple times every day.  They will maintain at minimum a 6-foot social distance whether on stage or off; and masks will be worn at all times unless the actor is on stage or being filmed.  A very small invited audience will be present at one taping – but everyone will have his or her temperature taken, audience members will also be properly socially distanced, and each audience member must be part of the show’s participants’ ‘bubble’.

Closer Than Ever is a nonstop exploration of everyday struggles in the “modern world”. Topics ranging from unrequited adoration… to aging… to Muzak are tackled with resounding sincerity and precisely placed hilarity. Each song is a unique story told by a new character, taking audiences into the minds of the individuals facing these completely relatable challenges. Lyricists Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire based many of the songs on real-life experiences of their friends, or stories told to them.  The show won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical.

“Knowing what we are facing in live performance logistically and what would resonate artistically, for me the choice was Maltby & Shire’s Closer Than Ever,” says Jonathan Van Dyke who will direct and stage the production.   “The title alone says so much of where we are. While unable to be close physically, in our hearts and minds we are Closer Than Ever.

“Working with MNM and our integrated video concept, we hope to have found a way to navigate safety measures and still execute some intimate moments in an artistic way,” he continues.  “The humanity and honesty of the songs delivers such a layered theatrical experience. Maltby and Shire have created over a dozen Broadway shows, film and television scores, and are the recipients of Grammy, Tony and Academy Awards.  I’m so looking forward to working on this material with this team.”

Closer Than Ever will star Johnbarry Green, Aaron Bower, and Carbonell Award-winners Shelley Keelor, and Elijah Word, all of whom have worked with MNM Theatre Company in the past.   The technical crew, also all MNM alumni, includes Eric Alsford as the production’s Musical Director, and Emily Tarallo as the Choreographer, as well as Lighting Designer Clifford Michael Spulock, Sound Designer by Mike Kelly, Scenic Artist Cindi Taylor, and Scenic Designer Jordon Armstrong.  Johnbarry Green will serve as Technical Director, Cliff Burgess as Videographer, Michael Joseph as Assistant Videographer, wigs by Tease & Floof Custom Wig Boutique, and Amber Mandic and Andrea Guardo will be the production’s co-Stage Managers and co-Props Mistresses.

The award-winning duo, lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr. (Miss Saigon, Fosse, Ring of Fire) and composer David Shire (film scores include The Conversation, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, All The President’s Men, and parts of Saturday Night Fever), began working together as students at Yale University. Their first Broadway credit as a team was in 1968, when their song “The Girl of the Minute” was used in the revue New Faces of 1968. Their shared credits include Baby (1983), Big (1996) and Take Flight (2007).  Richard Maltby conceived and directed the only two musical revues to win the Tony Award for Best Musical:  Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1978) and Fosse (1999). David Shire won the Oscar for the theme song to Norma Rae “It Goes Like It Goes”; as a pianist Shire played for the original productions of both The Fantasticks and Funny Girl.

Closer Than Ever will begin streaming on November 27th and will be available On Demand through December 31st on Music Theatre International’s (MTI) streaming platform www.ShowTix4U.com via MNM Theatre Company’s website www.mnmtheatre.org or on the company’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/mnmtheatrecompany . Once tickets are purchased, patrons will receive a link to view the production.  The link will be active for 48 hours from the first click.  Tickets are $20.  

MNM Theatre Company is an award-winning not-for-profit 501(c)(3) theatre company whose mission is to produce high quality professional live theatre that inspires audiences and enriches the cultural life of the community while creating Florida based jobs in the Arts. 

For more information about MNM Theatre Company please visit www.mnmtheatre.org.  To speak with Marcie Gorman or Jonathan Van Dyke, please contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

Closer Than Ever
November 27 – December 31
Music by David Shire
Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr.
Conceived by Steven Scott Smith
Directed by Jonathan Van Dyke
Tickets: $20
Tickets available at https://www.mnmtheatre.org/  and/or  www.facebook.com/mnmtheatrecompany or
https://www.showtix4u.com/events/closerthanever  

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Opens November 23rd in the Rinker Playhouse

11 Monday Nov 2019

Posted by in Clients, MNM Theatre Company

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MNM Theatre Company and the Kravis Center
co-present
A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to the Forum
Opening November 23rd in the Rinker Playhouse
“Something familiar… Something peculiar…
Something for everyone:  A comedy tonight!”

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

November 12, 2019

WEST PALM BEACH, FL:  The cast and crew of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum are deep into rehearsals and preparation for the show’s November 23rd opening.  Forum, an MNM Theatre Company co-presentation with the Kravis Center, will run in the venue’s Rinker Playhouse through December 8th.

Light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent, and completely politically incorrect, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is one of the funniest musicals ever written. Based on the works of the Roman playwright Plautus (254 – 184 BCE), whose comedies are the earliest Latin literary works to have survived in their entirety, the show focuses on Pseudolus, a crafty slave who struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan named Philia for his young master Hero in exchange for freedom. The plot twists and turns and is filled with cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors, and a showgirl or two. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum allows MNM’s terrific ensemble of comedic actors to shine.

Jonathan Van Dyke

The production’s director, Jonathan Van Dyke is extremely enthusiastic about the show: “I am so enjoying taking this riotous trip to the Forum with MNM and I know this cast would make Titus Maccius Plautus proud!” he says.  “They’re all welcoming this material with open arms and are going to supply our audiences their denarius worth of hilarity!”

“This is the first musical for which Stephen Sondheim wrote both the music and the lyrics,” Paul Reekie, Forum’s musical director explains.  “Some people find Sondheim’s later works more difficult to enjoy because they are musically dissonant,  but Forum has traditional harmonies and many of the songs are eminently hummable! MNM is again proud to have an amazing six-piece band for the show.”

Johnbarry Green

“It’s a farce, effortlessly shifting the audience from humor to biting social commentary on a dime all while throwing lyrics and lines as speedily as it can,” says Johnbarry Green, who plays A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’s Pseudolus  “It’s the reason I love the piece and why it’s so challenging.  Every moment has to be carefully constructed to walk that delicate edge, otherwise they can fail contextually.  That’s why it’s such a crowning achievement when it works.”

Along with Green as Pseudolus, the Forum cast includes Michael Scott Ross* as Hysterium, Aaron Bower as Domina, J Savage* as Hero, Terry Hardcastle* as Marcus Lycus, Troy Stanley as Senex, Sean William Davis as Miles Gloriosus, Paul Thompson as Erronius, and Meg Frost as Philia.  Other cast members include Victoria Joleen Anderson, Lauren Cluett, Alexandra Dow, Stephen Eisenwasser, Frank Francisco, Elijah Pearson-Martinez, Meredith Pughe, Ashley Rubin, and Alexandra Van Hasselt.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will run from November 23 – December 8. (There will be a preview performance on November 22nd.) The production will take place in the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center.   Tickets are $39 – $55 and are on sale now.  For tickets and information call 561-832-7469; online: kravis.org or mnmtheatre.org.  For group rates and sales call 561-651-4438.

MNM Theatre Company attained not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status in 2018. They are an award- winning theatre company based in the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. For more information about MNM Theatre Company please visit mnmtheatre.org or contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

*Appearing through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

~

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
November 23 – December 8
(Preview performance November 22 at 7:30)
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
For Tickets: mnmtheatre.org / kravis.org / 561-832-7469
Performances:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30 pm (no Thanksgiving night performance)
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 pm
Tickets:  $39 – $55
All performances in
Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center
701 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Like Us on Facebook!

About the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts:        
The Kravis Center is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, FL. The Center’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach County by presenting a diverse schedule of national and international artists and companies of the highest quality, by offering comprehensive arts education programs – serving approximately 2.5 million schoolchildren since its inception; by providing a Palm Beach County home for local and regional arts organizations to showcase their work; and by providing an economic catalyst and community leadership in West Palm Beach, supporting efforts to increase travel and tourism to Palm Beach County. To enhance and elevate the customer experience, the Center has embarked upon a $50 million capital campaign to support a campus redesign and facility expansion that will create a more accessible, comfortable and pedestrian-friendly venue for the community. Aptly named Kravis 2020: The Future is Now, this campaign is at the heart of the Kravis Center’s vision for the future. For information, please visit kravis.org or call the Box Office at 561.832.7469.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

MNM Theatre Company Announces the Cast of A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM

09 Tuesday Jul 2019

Posted by in Clients, MNM Theatre Company

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MNM Theatre Company
Announces the Cast of
A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to the Forum

November 22 – December 8

“This brazenly retro Broadway musical, inspired by Plautus, is
almost as timeless as comedy itself.”
Vincent Canby, The New York Times

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

July 9, 2019

WEST PALM BEACH, FL:  The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and MNM Theatre Company are pleased to announce that casting is complete for their upcoming co-production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which will run from November 22 –  December 8 in the Kravis’ Rinker Playhouse.

“Forum is such a fun show,” MNM’s Executive Producer/Artistic Director Marcie Gorman said recently. “And we’re incredibly lucky to have found a cast who can sing and dance and deliver the comedy – and what comedy! The script is hilarious and clever, and often extremely politically incorrect… and of course the music is Sondheim’s…we can’t wait to share it all with our audiences!  Once again, our entire cast is local and we’re very proud of that.”

Dom Ruggiero, who directed I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, and My Way-A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra for MNM last season, will helm A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Ruggiero has cast Johnbarry Green as Pseudolus, Michael Scott Ross* as Hysterium, Aaron Bower as Domina, Terry Hardcastle* as Marcus Lycus, Troy Stanley as Senex, Sean William Davis as Miles Gloriosus, Paul Thompson as Erronius, and Meg Frost as Philia.  Other cast members include Victoria Joleen Anderson, Lauren Cluett, Alexandra Dow, Stephen Eisenwasser, Frank Francisco, Joshua Graham, Meredith Pughe, Ashley Rubin, and Alexandra Van Hasselt.

Paul Reekie will serve as Forum’s Musical Director, and Laura Plyler will provide additional choreography.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will run from November 22 – December 8. The production will take place in the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center.   Tickets are $39 – $55 and are on sale now.  For tickets and information call 561-832-7469; online: www.kravis.org or mnmtheatre.org.  For group rates and sales call 561-651-4438.

MNM Theatre Company attained not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status in 2018. They are an award- winning theatre company based in the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

For more information about MNM Theatre Company and/or Marcie Gorman, please visit mnmtheatre.org or contact Carol Kassie at Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Photos, graphics, and additional head shots and bios available on request.

*Appearing through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

~

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
November 22 – December 8
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Performances:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30 pm (no Thanksgiving night performance)
Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 pm
Tickets:  $39 – $55
All performances in
Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center
701 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
mnmtheatre.org
Like Us on Facebook!
~

Johnbarry Green (Pseudolus) appeared as King Arthur in MNM’s production of Monty Python’s Spamalot.  Other credits include Rock of Ages with Slow Burn Theatre Company as Dennis, Spitfire Grille at Palm Beach Dramaworks as Caleb, and West Side Story at Maltz Jupiter Theatre as Officer Krupke.  Occasionally you’ll find him hamming it up on the streets at various ren faires or giving walking tours in Massachusetts when he isn’t in a show.

Michael Scott Ross* (Hysterium) has appeared in several previous MNM productions including Monty Python’s Spamalot, The World Goes ‘Round, Avenue Q, and I Love You, You’r perfect, Now Change.  He has also performed throughout South Florida at Zoetic Stage, The Adrienne Arsht Center, The Wick Theatre, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Island City Stage, The Alhamba Theatre and Dining, The Winter Park Playhouse, TheatreZone, and most recently the Gulf Coast Symphony.  Michael can be seen portraying Dick Van Dyke in The Music of Julie Andrews, as well as in his cabaret show My Broadway: The Roles I Could Play.  Proud member of AEA, Wagner College Alum, and native New Yorker!

Aaron Bower (Domina) was recently seen as Irene in Crazy for You and Grace in
Annie at the Wick Theatre.  She received a 2018 Carbonell nomination for her portrayal of Murial in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Stage door Theatre.  Other credits in Florida include Frau Kost in Cabaret at Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street at The Wick, Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at The Wick, and Tess in Crazy for You at the Maltz.  She has traveled the world in three national tours and one European Tour.

Terry Hardcastle* (Marcus Lycus) is a three-time Carbonell Award-winner. His regional theatre credits include Actors’ Playhouse: Beauty and the Beast, Doubt: A Parable.  Zoetic Stage: Sweeney Todd.  Palm Beach Dramaworks: Side by Side by Sondheim, Sweeney Todd.  Florida Stage: End Days, Sisters of Swing. Mosaic Theatre: In a Dark, Dark House, True West.  Cumberland Theatre: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.  As a Professor of Theatre, he’s taught Acting and Public Speaking at Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Pittsburgh, New World School of the Arts, and Broward College.

Troy Stanley (Senex) played Eduoard Dindon in MNM’s production of La Cage aux Folles.  Other credits include West Side Story (Doc) and Disney’s Newsies (Mr. Jacobi/Mayor) at Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1776 (McKean/Hewes) at Palm Beach Dramaworks, Big River (Pap Finn) and Titanic (Isador Straus) for Slow Burn Theatre Company, Who Killed Joan Crawford? (Harvey) and Perfect Arrangement (Theodore Sunderson) for Island City Stage, Victor/Victoria (Squash) and The Rothschilds (William/Metternich) for Broward Stage Door, and eleven shows at the Wick Theatre including Funny Girl (Tom Keeney/Mr. Rinaldi), Annie with Sally Struthers (Drake), Brigadoon (Andrew MacLaren), Beauty and the Beast (Maurice), Oklahoma (Andrew Carnes) and Man of La Mancha (The Governor) among others.

Stage Door Theatre presents DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS at LPAC – October 12 – November 4

24 Monday Sep 2018

Posted by in Clients

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stage Door Theatre
presents
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
October 12 – November 4
at their new venue
Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Carol Kassie
Carol@CarolKassie.com / 561-445-9244

September 25, 2018:

LAUDERHILL, FL:  Stage Door Theatre’s move to the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) has proved to be the right one, according to the company’s Executive Producer, Derelle Bunn.  “Our patrons’ responses have been totally positive,” she says.  “They love the venue, the ambiance, and the conveniences LPAC offers them.  They’ve all promised they’ll be back, and that they’ll be bringing their friends!”

Stage Door’s second production in their new state-of-the-art home should definitely entice their audiences –returning and new:  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is an award-winning musical comedy based on the hit movie of the same name.  It will open at on October 12th and run through November 4th. 

Lawrence Jameson makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money.  Freddy Benson more humbly swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories about his grandmother’s failing health.  After meeting on a train, they attempt to work together, only to find that their small town isn’t big enough for both of them. They agree on a settlement – the first one to extract $50,000 from their mutual target, young heiress Christine Colgate, wins, and the other must leave town.

Sophisticated, suave, and with a good dash of mischief, this thoroughly entertaining musical features a delightfully jazzy score and was nominated for eleven Tony Awards.  The music is by David Yazbek (The Full Monty, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and this year’s Tony Award winner for Best musical, The Band’s Visit).  The show’s book is by Jeffrey Lane (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown).

Clayton Phillips

The production will be directed by Clayton Phillips: “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a perfect example of an escapist piece of musical theatre,” he explains.  “It does not take itself too seriously, and it has a wonderfully jazzy score.  I guess if there is a message in it at all, it is that greed does not pay (or does it?). The show is full of twists and turns and is a real comedy from start to finish.  I love this musical because it is smart and funny and entertaining,” he says.  “And what more could we want these days?!”

Cast in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are Michael Cartwright as Lawrence Jameson, Matthew Kurzyniec as Freddy Benson, and Sabrina Lynn Gore as Christine Colgate. Also in the cast are Aaron Bower, Austin Carrol, Marty Craft, Alexandra Nicole Garcia, Sebastian Goldberg, Chris Hendricks, Michael Kruetz, Cat Pagano, Vincent Pelligrino, Sarah Rose, Laura Titus, and Alexandra Van Hasselt.

David Nagy will serve as the production’s Musical Director, Choreography is by Danny Durr, Scenic Design is by Daimien Matherson, Lighting Design is by Ardean Landhuis, and Costumes are by Jerry Sturdevant.  The production’s Stage Manager is Nancy Clay.  

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will run from October 12 – November 4 at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC). The theatre is located at 3800 NW 11th Place, Lauderhill (33311), in the Central Broward Regional Park on the North East corner of Sunrise Boulevard and 441 (State Road 7).  

Tickets for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and for all Stage Door productions remain at $48. (LPAC charges a $5 service fee per ticket, however if a package of four Stage Door shows is purchased the service fees will be waived.) Group rates are available, as are student prices (with valid ID). Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at www.stagedoorfl.org or on the LPAC website at https://lpacfl.com.

For more information about Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and/or Stage Door Theatre, please visit www.stagedoorfl.org, or contact Derelle Bunn Executive Producer/Artistic Director, at DerelleBunn@yahoo.com / 954-344-7765 or Carol Kassie (carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244).

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
October 12 – November 4, 2018
Book by Jeffrey Lane
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek
Tickets:  $48
Tickets:  954-344-7765 / www.stagedoorfl.org
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm,
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
All performances take place at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL 33311
www.stagedoorfl.org
Like Us on Facebook!