Tag Archives: Ashley Rubin

Photos: MNM Theatre Company’s DISENCHANTED Opens May 12 at the Kravis Center

12 Friday May 2023

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And they lived happily ever after.
Well… not exactly.

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

May 12, 2023

WEST PALM BEACH, FL: Below are production photos from MNM Theatre Company’s Disenchanted, which opens May 12th at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The production will run through May 27th.  

Disenchanted is an irreverent, clever, funny, and definitely PG-rated reimagining of what happened to all those fairy tale princesses after ‘they lived happily ever after, the end’!

The production, directed by Jonathan Van Dyke stars seven of South Florida’s top musical theatre actresses:  Aaron Bower, Jinon Deeb, Kat Gold, Shelley Keelor, Ashley Rubin, Leah Sessa, and Vallery Valentine.  The show’s Musical Director is Bobby Peaco. 

Photo credit: Amy Pasquantonio.

If you would like to see Disenchanted, speak with anyone involved in the production, or would like more photos, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Carol

~
Marcie Gorman and MNM Theatre Company present
Disenchanted
May 12 – 27, 2023
Book, Music, and Lyrics:Dennis T. Giacino
Developed with: Fiely Matias
Performances: Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 pm
Ticket prices: $55 – $65
For tickets: mnmtheatre.org / kravis.org / 561-832-7469
All performances in
Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
701 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Click on each image to enlarge:

The Cast of Disenchanted
Ashley Rubin, Kat Gold, Shelley Keelor
Shelley Keelor, Ashley Rubin, Aaron Bower
Jinon Deeb
Vallery Valentine
Ashley Rubin
Kat Gold
Aaron Bower
Leah Sessa
Leah Sessa
Shelley Keelor
The Cast of Disenchanted

Marcie Gorman and MNM Theatre Company to present The South Florida Premiere of DISENCHANTED

03 Wednesday May 2023

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Marcie Gorman and
MNM Theatre Company
to present
The South Florida Premiere of
Disenchanted
at The Kravis Center

May 12 – 27

“And they lived happily ever after.  Well… not exactly.” 

“An absolute joy!  Sass-fueled enjoyment!  Empowering and truthful! 
One not to be forgotten!  4 stars!”
London Theatre Reviews, England, UK

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

May 3, 2023

BOCA RATON, FL:   Rehearsals are underway for MNM Theatre Company’s upcoming production of the South Florida premiere of Disenchanted, an irreverent, clever, funny, and definitely PG-rated reimagining of what happened to all those fairy tale princesses after ‘they lived happily ever after. The end’!  The award-winning musical will run from May 12 – 27 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.

Directed by Jonathan Van Dyke and musically directed by Bobby Peaco, Disenchanted stars seven of South Florida’s top musical comedy actresses:  Aaron Bower will play Sleeping Beauty, along with Jinon Deeb as Pocahontas and Princess Badroulbadour, Kat Gold as Mulan and Rapunzel, Shelley Keelor as Snow White, Ashley Rubin as Cinderella, Leah Sessa as The Little Mermaid and Belle, and Vallery Valentine as the Princess Who Kissed the Frog.

Tickets for Disenchanted are on sale now and can be purchased online at kravis.org, or by calling. 561-832-7469 or 800-572-8471. Tickets range in price from $55 to $65.  For information regarding group rates call 561-651-4438 or 561-651-4304.

To speak with someone involved in the production, or to arrange for tickets, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244. For more information about MNM Theatre Company or Disenchanted,visit mnmtheatre.org.

Please note:  Disenchanted contains some adult material.  It is not suitable for children under the age of 13.      

In the attached photo, taken at a May 2nd rehearsal:
Jinon Deeb, Vallery Valentine, Ashley Rubin, Shelley Keelor, Aaron Bower, Kat Gold, Leah Sessa. 

~

Disenchanted
May 12 – 27, 2023
Book, Music, and Lyrics: Dennis T. Giacino
Developed with: Fiely Matias
Performances: Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 pm
Ticket prices: $55 – $65
For tickets: mnmtheatre.org / kravis.org / 561-832-7469
All performances in
Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
701 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

A South Florida Premiere! The Musical Comedy DISENCHANTED to Run at the Kravis Center – May 12 – 27

28 Tuesday Mar 2023

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Marcie Gorman and
MNM Theatre Company
to present
The South Florida Premiere of
Disenchanted
at The Kravis Center
May 12 – 27


“A warped bunch of stories masterfully crafted and full of inappropriate etiquette…Fun music and even funnier characters will have you laughing all the way to the palace.”  
Tom Williams ~ Chicago Critic

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

March 28, 2023

Marcie Gorman

WEST PALM BEACH, FL: Poisoned apples! Glass slippers! Who needs ’em?! Not Snow White and her posse of disenchanted princesses in this ‘musical comedy for grownups’ that’s anything but Grimm. Marcie Gorman and MNM Theatre Company will present the South Florida premiere of Disenchanted, a fun-loving, subversive, and definitely ‘not-for-the kiddies’ musical revue proving that happily-ever-after can be a ‘royal pain in the ass!’  The show will run in the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts from May 12 – 27.

“This one is just so much fun,” Gorman said recently.  “These princesses have so much to say about almost everything!  It’s very funny, very clever, and a little bit raunchy for sure, but as we all know, there can be a lot of truth in comedy, and in satire.”

Disenchanted debuted Off-Broadway in 2014 and played to sold out houses and rave reviews. The show garnered a number of award nominations including ‘Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical’ (Outer Critics Circle Awards), ‘Best New Off-Broadway Musical’ (Off Broadway Alliance Awards), and two Lucille Lortel Award nominations. It has played in multiple languages in13 countries on 5 continents, including an extended 16 week run at the Straz Theatre in Tampa.

Jonathan Van Dyke

“It is such a pleasure to be reunited with this wonderful show and introduce it to south Florida audiences,” says Disenchanted director Jonathan Van Dyke. Van Dyke originally cast the show when it ran in Tampa, and eventually became that production’s company manager.  “Although it’s a raucous, feel-good, uproarious musical,” he continues, Disenchanted also delivers plenty of honesty and poignancy, culminating in a true celebration of all women. In fact, in my opinion women and men will embrace and connect with this empowering material.”

MNM’s mission has always been to hire South Florida talent, and Van Dyke has assembled a stellar cast of local princesses:  Aaron Bower will play Sleeping Beauty, along with Jinon Deeb as Pocahontas and Princess Badroulbadour, Kat Gold as Mulan and Rapunzel, Shelley Keelor as Snow White, Ashley Rubin as Cinderella, Leah Sessa as The Little Mermaid and Belle, and Vallery Valentine as the Princess Who Kissed the Frog.

MNM is also one of the very few companies in South Florida that continues to use live musicians:  MAC and Bistro Award-winner Bobby Peaco will serve as Disenchanted’s Musical Director and pianist and will lead the production’s musical team of Julie Jacobs on Drums and Robert Ziawinski on Bass.

Disenchanted’s Production Stage Manager is Francesca Barioli; the Assistant Stage Manager is Randall Swinton. Lighting Design is Karalyn Fitzgerald, and Sound Design is by Justin Thompson. Penny Williams is the production’s Costume Designer, Wigs are by Justin Lore (Tease & Floof Theatrical Wig Boutique), Props are by Abby Rasmussen and Scenic/Set Design is by Jordon Armstrong.

Tickets for Disenchanted are on sale now and can be purchased online at kravis.org, or by calling. 561-832-7469 or 800-572-8471. Tickets range in price from $55 to $65.  For information regarding group rates call 561-651-4438 or 561-651-4351.

For more information about MNM Theatre Company or Disenchanted,visit mnmtheatre.org or contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.        

Please note:  Disenchanted contains some adult material.  It is not suitable for children under the age of 13.      

Disenchanted
May 12 – 27, 2023
Book, Music, and Lyrics:Dennis T. Giacino
Developed with: Fiely Matias
Performances: Friday & Saturday at 7 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 pm
Ticket prices: $55 – $65
For tickets: mnmtheatre.org / kravis.org / 561-832-7469
All performances in
Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
701 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

  • L-R: Vallery Valentine, Jinon Deeb, Shelley Keelor, Aaron Bower, Ashley Rubin, Leah Sessa (missing – Kat Gold)
  • Jonathan Van Dyke
  • Aaron Bower
  • Jinon Deeb
  • Shelley Keelor
  • Ashley Rubin
  • Leah Sessa
  • Vallery Valentine
  • Bobby Peaco
  • Marcie Gorman

GUYS AND DOLLS Opens at LPAC on April 1st!

09 Wednesday Mar 2022

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MNM Theatre Company
The City of Lauderhill and
North End Theater Company

present

April 1 – April 16, 2022

“If you have ever searched Times Square to find that vanished Broadway of lovable gangsters, wisecracking dolls and neon-splashed dawns, you must not miss … Guys and Dolls.”
~ Frank Rich, The New York Times

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

March 10, 2022

LAUDERHILL, FL:  Sky Masterson, Nathan Detroit, Sarah Brown, and of course Miss Adelaide… these names are often familiar to Broadway aficionados of all ages.  Guys and Dolls, the third joint production to be presented by MNM Theatre Company, the City of Lauderhill, and North End Theater Company will bring these iconic characters (along with Nicely Nicely Johnson, Harry the Horse, Angie the Ox, and others) to life on the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) stage from April 1st through April 16th. 

Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, and considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys and Dolls has won multiple Tony, Drama Desk, Olivier, and Critics’ Circle awards since it debuted at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre). With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Most Happy Fella) and the book by acclaimed humorist Abe Burrows and award-winning writer Jo Swerling, the show received unanimous rave reviews when it opened on November 24th, 1950.

“There is only one defect – but a serious one – about the musical, Guys and Dolls, which opened at the 46th St. Theatre last evening,” John Chappman of the New York Daily News wrote on November 25, 1950. “And I might as well report it now and get on to happier things: The big trouble with Guys and Dolls is that a performance of it lasts only one evening, when it ought to last about a week.”

The story focuses on gambler Nathan Detroit as he tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Meanwhile his girlfriend, nightclub performer Miss Adelaide, laments that they have been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the strait-laced missionary Sarah Brown as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually, everyone ends up right where they belong. 

Marcie Gorman

“This show has been on my bucket list for a long time,” says MNM Theatre Company’s Producing Artistic Director and CEO Marcie Gorman. “The music, the characters, the book, Runyon’s New York – Guys and Dolls is ‘theatrical Nirvana’.  And I’m so thrilled we can present it to a brand-new audience at LPAC.”

Jonathan Van Dyke

“Guys and Dolls for me is the quintessential NY theatrical experience,” says the production’s director, Jonathan Van Dyke. “The score and characters are so vibrant, and I have really been looking forward to putting this together with MNM.”

Van Dyke’s talented South Florida-based cast includes Sean Davis as Sky Masterson, Caiti Marlowe as Sarah Brown, Leah Sessa as Miss Adelaide, Larry Buzzeo as Nathan Detroit, Tommy Paduano as Nicely, Nicely, Geoffrey Mergele as Benny Southstreet, Alexandria Thomas as Rusty Charlie, Michael Kreutz as Arvide Abernathy, James Skiba as Lt. Branigan, Norita Bandel as General Cartwright, Kat Gold as Agatha, Michael Materdomini as Harry the Horse, Manny Zaldivar as Angie the Ox, Randall Swinton as Joey Biltmore, and Colleen Pagano as Big Jule.

Rounding out the Guys and Dolls cast are Ashley Rubin, Amanda Eisele, Alex Van Hasselt, Alison Podolsky, and Michael Harper.

Bobby Peaco is the production’s Music Director, and Jonathan Van Dyke and Jonathan Eisele are the show’s Choreographers.  Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist is Cindi Blank Taylor, Lighting Designer is Guy Haubrich, Sound Designer is Justin Thompson, Costume Designer is Penny Williams, Props are by Jamie Brothman, and Wigs are by Justin Lore.  Guys and Dolls’ Technical Director is JB Green, Production Manager is Jordon Armstrong, Stage Manager is Amber Mandic, and the Assistant Stage Manager is Andrea Guardo.

Guys and Dolls will run from April 1st through April 16th, 2022.  Tickets are $45 to $65 and are available online at www.lpacfl.com or by calling 954-777-2055.

Lauderhill Performing Arts Center recommends that masks be worn in the building.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located at 3800 NW 11th Place (33311), in the Central Broward Regional Park on the Northeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7.  For more information about LPAC visit https://www.lpacfl.com.

For more information about MNM Theatre Company (www.mnmtheatre.org/) and North End Theater Company and/or the Broadway at  LPAC series, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

~

Guys and Dolls
April 1 – 16, 2022
Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Based on the Idyll of Sarah Brown and characters by Damon Runyon
Tickets: $45-$65
For tickets:  www.lpacfl.com or www.mnmtheatre.org or
Call 954-777-2055
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm
All performances at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL  33311

  • Sean William Davis, Caiti Marlowe
  • Leah Sessa, Larry Buzzeo
  • Tommy Paduano, Alexandria Thomas, Geoffrey Mergele
  • Geoffrey Mergele, Larry Buzzeo, Tommy Paduano
  • Sean William Davis, Caiti Marlowe
  • Tommy Paduano
  • Leah Sessa, Caiti Marlowe



  • Jonathan Van Dyke
  • Marcie Gorman
  • Larry Buzzeo
  • Colleen Pagano
  • Geoffrey Mergele
  • Ashley Rubin
  • Michael Materdomini
  • Allison Podolsky
  • Tommy Paduano
  • Alexandra Van Hasselt
  • Caiti Marlowe
  • James A. Skiba
  • Manny Zaldivar
  • Michael Kreutz
  • Norita Bandel
  • Leah Sessa
  • Michael Harper
  • Amanda Eisele
  • Randall Swinton
  • Alexandria Thomas
  • Sean William Davis
  • Jessie Dez

SISTER ACT (A Divine Musical Comedy!) at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center February 18 – March 6, 2022

02 Wednesday Feb 2022

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MNM Theatre Company
The City of Lauderhill and
North End Theater Company

To present

February 18 – March 6, 2022

“This is a musical that hits all the right spots, achieving something close to Broadway grace.”
~Mark Kennedy, Associated Press

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

February 2, 2022

LAUDERHILL, FL:  Musical theatre audiences love big, splashy musical numbers. And what could be better than those? Big splashy musical numbers… with nuns!  Sister Act, which will open at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) on February 18th and run through March 6th, is chock full of both! The show is the second joint production of MNM Theatre Company, the City of Lauderhill, and North End Theater Company, following their recent critically acclaimed production of Grease.

After witnessing her gangster boyfriend commit murder, Disco Diva Deloris Van Cartier is put into protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won’t be found – a struggling Philadelphia convent.  Disguised as a nun, but constantly at odds with the rigid lifestyle and old- fashioned Mother Superior, Deloris eventually takes on revamping the convent’s out of tune choir, with energizing and surprising results.  

Based on the 1992 hit film and featuring music by Tony Award-winner and eight-time Academy Award-winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors, Newsies) and lyrics by Glenn Slater, Sister Act’s musical numbers run the gamut from old fashioned Broadway-type show tunes, to Gospel Music, to 70s R & B, to early disco, to rap.

Michael Ursua

“With a fantastic score by Alan Menken and all the beloved characters from the film, Sister Act is the perfect show to welcome audiences back to the theatre,” says the show’s director Michael Ursua.  “It’s a beautiful story about coming together. It reminds us that we as human beings are more similar than we are different. With a cast of 25, fabulous sets and costumes and an 8-piece band, this uplifting musical comedy will leave you happy and hopeful… Can I get an amen?!” 

Vallery Valentine

Ursua’s talented South Florida cast includes Dalia Alemán as Mother Superior, Ariela Pizza as Sister Mary Robert, Heather Simsay as Sister Mary Patrick, Colleen Pagano as Sister Mary Lazarus, Bill Brewer as Monsignor O’Hara, Don Jose as Curtis Jackson, James White III as Eddie Souther, Allan Napier as TJ, Joshua Roland-Bramkamp as Joey, Charlie Alguera as Pablo, Javonda Carter as Michelle, Meg Frost as Tina, and Vallery Valentine as Deloris Van Cartier.

“I am extremely excited to play the role of Deloris, and to work with MNM,” Valentine says. “Being an independent R&B artist for the past 15+ years, I can relate to Deloris’s character and her story (the hardships of trying to “make it” in this industry). Also, it’s just a really fun role. I actually think our personalities are almost 100% identical – I get to show my comedic side – not only my voice. For me to be offered this role was truly divine intervention!”

Rounding out the Sister Act cast are Sahid Pabon who will act as the show’s dance captain, Elissa Solomon, Casey Sacco, Geoffrey Mergele, Elizabeth Sackett, Kate Delaney, Karen Hagerty Cohen, Gabriella Saramago, Francine Birns, Ashley Rubin, Alexandra Dow, and Nia Bourne.

Anthony Campisi is the production’s Music Director and Alex Jorth is the show’s Choreographer.  Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist is Cindi Blank Taylor, Lighting Designer is Clifford Spulock, Sound Designer is Justin Thompson, Costume Designer is Penny Williams, Props are by Jamie Brothman, and Wigs are by Justin Lore.   Sister Act’s Technical Director is Johnbarry Green, Production Manager is Jordon Armstrong, Stage Manager is Amber Mandic, and the Assistant Stage Manager is Andrea Guardo.

Sister Act will run from February 18th to March 6th, 2022.  Tickets are $45 to $65 and are available online at www.lpacfl.com or by calling 954-777-2055.

Lauderhill Performing Arts Center requires that masks be worn
in the building at all times.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located at 3800 NW 11th Place (33311), in the Central Broward Regional Park on the Northeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7.  For more information about LPAC visit https://www.lpacfl.com.

For more information about MNM Theatre Company (www.mnmtheatre.org/) and North End Theater Company and/or the Broadway at  LPAC series, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

This press release, along with the show logo and actor headshots, can be viewed online at TBA

~

Sister Act
February 18 – March 6
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner
Additional Book Material by Douglas Carter Beane
Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture, Sister Act, written by Joseph Howard
Tickets: $45-$65
For tickets:  www.lpacfl.com or www.mnmtheatre.org or
Call 954-777-2055
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm
All performances at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL  33311

  • Nia Bourne
  • Alexandra Dow
  • Alex Jorth
  • Ariela Pizza
  • Bill Brewer
  • Colleen Pagano
  • Dalia Aleman
  • Gabriella Saramago
  • Geoffrey Mergele
  • Heather Simsay
  • James White III
  • Sahid Pabon
  • Michael Ursua
  • Vallery Valentine
  • JaVonda Carter
  • Francine Birns
  • Elizabeth Sackett
  • Allan Napier
  • Ashley Rubin
  • Karen Hagerty Cohen
  • Joshua Roland-Bramkamp
  • Don Jose
  • Kate Delaney
  • Meg Frost
  • Charlie Alguera
  • Elissa D. Solomon
  • Anthony Campisi
  • Dalia Aleman
  • Sister Act
  • Sister Act
  • Vallery Valentine
  • Vallery Valentine, Bill Brewer, Dalia Aleman
  • Sister Act
  • Dalia Aleman, Vallery Valentine

GREASE to Run at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center January 21 – 30, 2022

15 Wednesday Dec 2021

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MNM Theatre Company
North End Theatre Company and
The City of Lauderhill
to present

January 21 – 30, 2022

“Perhaps more than any other musical, Grease embodies those seven words most commonly heard in the theater just before the curtain rises: ‘Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.’”
 ~ Syracuse.com

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

December 16, 2021

LAUDERHILL, FL:  Grease, the rollicking rock ‘n roll musical that is both an homage to the idealism and the music of the 50s, and a satirical look at teenagers’ universal and age-old desire to be provocative and rebellious, is the first joint production of MNM Theatre Company, North End Theatre Company, and the City of Lauderhill.  Grease will open on January 14th at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) and run through January 30th.  

At Rydell High School the ‘T-Birds’ are acting tough and stealing hub caps, and their gum-snapping, chain-smoking ‘Pink Ladies’ are looking hot in bobby sox and pedal pushers. But at the heart of Grease is the romance between top Burger Boy hot-rodder Danny Zuko and sweet ‘new girl in town’ Sandy Dumbrowski.   Can Danny maintain his ‘cool dude’ status and still make Sandy his girl?!

Grease has become one of the world’s most popular musicals and has a cult-like following – especially among teens. The show’s book, music, and lyrics are by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, and the show features such iconic classics as “Summer Nights”, “Hopelessly Devoted to You”, “Beauty School Dropout”, “Greased Lightning”, and “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee”. 

The show debuted Off-Broadway on February 14, 1972, at the Eden Theatre in New York City, and transferred to Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre, and later to the Royale Theatre, closing on April 13, 1980 after a record-breaking 3,388 performances. The film adaptation of Grease premiered in 1978 and over forty years later remains on the list of the top 10 highest grossing movie musicals of all time.  

Jonathan Van Dyke

“Grease is still the word, and I can’t wait to take everyone back to 1959 and Rydell High,” says the show’s director, Jonathan Van Dyke. “We are so excited about this dynamic cast and sharing this nostalgic show with fans and perhaps introducing patrons to their first Grease experience.” 

Van Dyke has populated Rydell High with an impressively talented cast:  Dorian Quinn will play Danny Zuko and Jessica Fernandez has been chosen to play Sandy Dumbrowski.  Other cast members include Jordan Gonzalez as Rizzo, Ashley Rubin as Frenchie, Caiti Marlowe as Patty Simcox, Kat Gold as Jan, Meg Frost as Marty, Ryan James as Kenickie, Brian Piedra as Doody, Michael Harper as Roger, Michael Materdomini as Sonny, Alexandra Dow as Cha-Cha, Eytan Deray as Eugene, Jennifer McClain as Miss Lynch, and Larry Buzzeo as Vince Fontaine.

Marcie Gorman

“I love this show!”, says MNM Theatre Company’s Producing Artistic Director and CEO, Marcie Gorman. “Grease, to me, is the perfect way to begin our new relationship with North End Theatre Company and LPAC.  It’s upbeat, it’s fun, the songs are so recognizable, and it appeals to audiences of all ages.  It’s ‘greased lightning!’”

Desorae Giles-Smith, City Manager for the City of Lauderhill agrees: “The City of Lauderhill is looking forward to an amazing 2022 Broadway season in partnership with MNM Theatre Company and North End Theater Company,” she says.  “We are so pleased to be a part of bringing our community high-quality musicals and entertainment, and Grease is sure to continue that tradition when it opens at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in January.”

Carbonell and Silver Palm Award-winner Caryl Fantel is Grease’s Music Director and Angela Morando Taylor is the show’s Choreographer.  Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist is Cindi Blank Taylor, Lighting Designer is Clifford Spulock, Sound Designer is Justin Thompson, Costume Designer is Penny Williams, Props are by Jaimie Brothman and Jacob Altman, and Wigs are by Justin Lore.   Grease’s Technical Director is Johnbarry Green, Production Manager is Jordon Armstrong, Stage Manager is Amber Mandic, and the Assistant Stage Manager is Andrea Guardo.

Grease will run from January 21st – January 30th, 2022.  Tickets are $45 to $65 and are available online at www.lpacfl.com or by calling 954-777-2055. Subscriptions to the Broadway at LPAC series (Grease, Sister Act, and Guys and Dolls) are also on sale, and various subscription packages are available.

Lauderhill Performing Arts Center recommends that face coverings be worn.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located at 3800 NW 11th Place (33311), in the Central Broward Regional Park on the Northeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7.  For more information about LPAC visit https://www.lpacfl.com.

For more information about MNM Theatre Company (www.mnmtheatre.org/) and North End Theater Company and/or the Broadway at  LPAC series, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244

Grease
January 21 – 30, 2022
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Tickets: $45-$65
For tickets:  www.lpacfl.com or www.mnmtheatre.org or
Call 954-777-2055
Performances:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 pm
All performances at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL  33311


  • Jonathan Van Dyke
  • Caryl Fantel
  • Eytan Deray
  • Larry Buzzeo
  • Michael Materdomini
  • Michael Harper
  • Brian Piedra
  • Jessie Dez
  • Jordan Gonzalez
  • Ryan Michael James

DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at the LPAC – February 20 – March 8

06 Thursday Feb 2020

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Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) in Collaboration with
Broadway Palm presents
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
February 20 – March 8, 2020

“As Broadway musicals go, Beauty and the Beast belongs right up there with the Empire State Building, F. A. O. Schwarz and the Circle Line boat tours.”
~ David Richards, The New York Times, April 19, 1994

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

February 6, 2020

LAUDERHILL, FL: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center and Broadway Palm’s final production of their inaugural season, will open on February 20th and run through March 8th.

Based on the beloved Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast is filled with magical moments, spectacular costumes, and of course, a classic love story.  The award-winning musical, which played for thirteen years on Broadway, can be described as the perfect family entertainment – and a marvelous introduction to theatre for children of all ages.

This ‘tale as old as time’ tells the story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end, and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out, and if the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

Beauty and the Beast will be directed and choreographed by Amy McCleary.  Her work on Kinky Boots, which is just finishing its successful LPAC run garnered rave reviews and standing ovations. The show’s musical director is Lizzie Webb. 

McCleary’s cast includes James Arthur Douglas as the Beast, Rebecca Kelley as Belle, Jesse Luttrell as Gaston, Travis Brown as Lumiere, Frank Hughes as Cogsworth, and Shannon Connolly as Mrs Potts. South Florida actors Eytan Deray will play LeFou, Peter Librach will play Maurice, and Colleen Pagano will be Wardrobe. Young locals Jaxon James and Samson Poland will share the role of Chip.  Other South Floridians cast are Brandon Santos, Robert Alaya, Tyler Counts, Jennifer Fain, Bailee Cudmore, Lauren Cagnetta, Ashley Rubin, Erica Seelig, Lyla Chaubal, and Lila Drowos.  Sam Lariviere, Joel Libed, “Scoob” Decker, Kiersten Benzing, and Megan Urz are also cast.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will run from February 20th – March 3rd. Ticket prices range from $35 – $55 and are available online at https://lpacfl.com or by calling 954-777-2055.  Performances are on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm.

The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC) has hosted numerous theatrical events and productions since it opened its doors in January 2016 and has grown its audiences to include theatre patrons from not only Broward County, but Miami/Dade and Palm Beach counties as well. The theatre is located at 3800 NW 11th Place (33311), in the Central Broward Regional Park on the Northeast corner of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7.  For more information about LPAC visit https://lpacfl.com.

For more information about  Disney’s Beauty and the Beast please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

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Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
February 20 – March 3
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
Book by Linda Woolverton
Tickets:  954-777-2055 / https://lpacfl.com/
Performances:  Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 2 pm
Tickets:  $35 – $55
All performances at
The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center (LPAC)
3800 NW 11th Place
Lauderhill, FL 33311
https://lpacfl.com/
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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

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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.

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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
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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.

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

09 Tuesday Jul 2019

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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.