Tag Archives: Eric Alsford

The Pompano Players’ I DO! I DO! Opens May 23

08 Thursday May 2025

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The Pompano Players’
I Do! I Do!
Opens May 23rd
at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center

A delightful, sentimental, funny, and moving musical exploration of one couple’s life together.

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

May 8, 2025

POMPANO BEACH, FL: The Pompano Players final production of their inaugural season is I Do! I Do! – an intimate and nostalgic look at a marriage by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones (The Fantasticks).  The production will open on May 23rd at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center and run through June 1st.

I Do! I Do! was written as a star vehicle for Mary Martin and Robert Preston; the original production received seven Tony Award nominations.   The two-person musical focuses on Michael and Agnes, beginning on their wedding day, and follows them as they navigate the ups and downs of their 50 year marriage.  Set to a delightful and tuneful score, I Do! I Do! is a lovely story of two soulmates navigating the realities of a life together.

The production, directed by Carbonell Award-winner Andy Rogow, will star another Carbonell Award-winner – Lindsey Corey – as Agnes, and Silver Palm Award-winner Alex Jorth as Michael.

“Although growing up I had a huge collection of hundreds of original cast albums, I never owned I Do, I Do! nor had I ever seen a production of it. So, when I was asked to direct this production it was completely new to me,” Rogow says. “It is such a charming, intimate piece, with a score that is lovely and full of melodies that I find myself humming throughout the day. It’s very similar in those ways to Schmidt and Jones most famous musical, The Fantasticks, which I directed this past fall. I Do, I Do! is also a show that relies on its star power, and we certainly have that with Lindsey Corey and Alex Jorth. They are both true triple threats and audiences are going to fall in love with them.” 

The I Do! I Do! creative team includes Music Director Eric Alsford; Amanda Lopez is the show’s Choreographer, Claudia Smith is the Scenic Designer, Lowell Richard is the Lighting Designer, Penny Williams is the Costume Designer, and Elizabeth Guerra will take care of Props. Jeremy Quinn will serve as the production’s Stage Manager.

I Do! I Do! will run May 23 – June 1 at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center.  The theatre is located at 50 West Atlantic Boulevard, in Pompano Beach (33060)

Tickets for I Do! I Do! range in price from $45 to $65.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://pompanobeachculturalcenter.com or by calling 954-501-1910.

For more information about I Do! I Do!, to speak with anyone involved in the production, or to arrange to see a performance, please contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

~

I Do! I Do!
May 23 – June 1
Book by Tom Jones
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics by Tom Jones
Based on The Fourposter by Jan de Hartog
For tickets:  https://pompanobeachculturalcenter.csstix.com/event-details.php?e=625  or
Call:  954-501-1910
Performances:
Fridays & Saturdays at 7 pm
Saturdays & Sundays at 2 pm
All performances will take place at
The Pompano Beach Cultural Center
50 West Atlantic Blvd.,
Pompano Beach, FL  33060

(Click on each image to enlarge it, then right click on the enlarged image and ‘save image as’ or ‘copy image’)

Production Photos by Amy Pasquantonio

All photos: Lindsey Corey and Alex Jorth

Andy Rogow
Lindsey Corey
Alex Jorth


MNM Theatre Company presents THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE – December 2 – 18

14 Monday Nov 2022

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MNM Theatre Company
to present
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
at the Willow Theatre

December 2 – 18, 2022

“…Hilariously F-U-N-N-Y (enjoyment, amusement or lighthearted pleasure) and delightfully Q-U-I-R-K-Y (characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits) night of theatre.”   Ilene Chalmers – DC Metro Theater Arts

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

November 14, 2022

BOCA RATON, FL:  MNM Theatre Company will present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at The Willow Theatre December 2 – 18.  This will be the award-winning company’s first production at the popular Boca Raton venue.   

Nominated for six Tony Awards, and winning 2, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee features an eclectic group of sixth graders (played by adult actors in uproariously comical caricatures), who arrive at a fictional spelling bee set in the geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School to vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime; the Bee is run by three equally quirky grown-ups. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter – one speller leaves! At least the losers get a juice box!

Marcie Gorman

“We are so pleased to be making our Willow Theatre debut with ‘Spelling Bee’”, says Marcie Gorman, MNM’s CEO and Producing Artistic Director. “This show is fun, funny, and heartwarming all at once.  It’s a bit ‘raunchy’, that’s true – so it’s not for very young audiences – but we think it will appeal to theatre patrons of just about any age.  And there’s even some audience participation – it’s very possible someone will be invited onstage and asked to spell ‘syzygy*’!”

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be directed by Johnathan Van Dyke, who will also do the show’s musical staging: “I am so excited about digging into this gem of a show,” he says. “The content is so strong and a rare gift for actors to sink their teeth into such fulfilling material.  The humor, music, and poignancy are all so relevant to the human condition I think audiences are in for a wonderful time at the theatre.” 

Spelling Bee’s cast consists of Jen Chia as Marcy Park, Mikayla Cohen as Olive Ostrovsky, Jinon Deeb as Rona Lisa Perretti, Michael Harper as Chip Tolentino, Michael Materdomini as William Barfee, Geoffrey Mergele as Leaf Coneybear, Leah Sessa as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere, Troy J. Stanley as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, and James White lll as Mitch Mahoney.

As in the past, the production will be accompanied by a live band led by Musical Director Eric Alsford, with Rick Kissinger on woodwinds, Tim Kutcha on drums, Eden Marte on synthesizer, and Madalina Marcovel on cello.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’s Production Stage Manager is Francesca Barioli. The show’s Assistant Stage Manager is Anna Schulman, Production Manager/Set Design is Jordon Armstrong, Technical Director is Johnbarry Green, who will share Sound Design duties with Jordon Armstrong.  Penny Williams is Costume Design, and Abby Rasmussen is Props.

Tickets for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee are on sale now and can be purchased on line at www.willowtheatre.org, or by calling 561-347-3948.  Tickets are $45; a group rate of $35 is available if 6 or more tickets are purchased in one transaction.

For more information about MNM Theatre Company or The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, visitwww.willowtheatre.org or contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.        

Please note:  The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee contains ridiculously childish adult material!  It is not suitable for children under the age of 13.      

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
December 2 – 18, 2022
Music & Lyrics:  William Finn
Book: Rachel Sheinkin
Conceived by: Rebecca Feldman
Additional Material by: Jay Reiss
Performances:
Friday and Saturday at 8 pm
Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm
Prices:  $45 ($35 for 6 or more tickets purchased in a single transaction)
For tickets:
Online: www.willowtheatre.org or mnmtheatre.org
Phone: 561-347-3948
All performances take place at
The Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 South Military Trail
Boca Raton, Florida  33486

*The straight line configuration of three celestial bodies.


  • Geoffrey Mergele, Leah Sessa, Michael Materdomini
  • Leah Sessa
  • Michael Materdomini
  • Jen Chia
  • Mikayla Cohen
  • Jinon Deeb
  • Geoffrey Mergele
  • Leah Sessa
  • James White III
  • Jonathan Van Dyke
  • Marcie Gorman
  • Spelling Bee Cast
  • Jen Chia
  • Jinon Deeb & Troy Stanley
  • Leah Sessa
  • Michael Harper
  • Michael Materdomini
  • Mikayla Cohen & James White lll
  • Geoffrey Mergele
  • Spelling Bee Cast

STREAKIN’ THRU THE 70S – A Musical Flashback to the 1970s – at Mizner Park Cultural Center February 4 – 20, 2022 

27 Wednesday Oct 2021

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MNM Theatre Company &
Arts Center Management
to present

February 4th – 20th, 2022
Tickets on Sale Now!

“It’s like stumbling onto a jukebox full of your favorite 45s. It leaves no pet rock unturned!”
~ The New York Daily News

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

October 27, 202

BOCA RATON, FL:  A kaleidoscopic flashback through game shows, sitcoms, disco, earth shoes, pet rocks, and lava lamps, Streakin’ Thru the 70s is an outrageous, mind-blowing dash through the much maligned ‘Me Decade’.  The show, presented by MNM Theatre Company and Arts Center Management, will run from February 4th through February 20th at the Mizner Park Cultural Center, and is filled music, comedy, and memories and features over 40 hit songs.

Streakin’ Thru the 70s began as a workshop by creators/writers James A. Rocco and Albert Evans, who were responsible for the off-Broadway hits Pageant and Nite Club Confidential.   A six-week tryout in a small theatre in Wichita Kansas turned into a five-month run, and the enthusiastic reaction to the show, its iconic music, and uniquely 70s catch phrases and images – “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature”, “How would you like a nice Hawaiian Punch”, hot pants, polyester pantsuits, and the Village Person – plus the popularity of the Broadway mega-hit Mamma Mia, emphasized the universal appeal of both mocking and simultaneously embracing the ‘what were we thinking’ culture of the 1970s. 

“I am so looking forward to presenting this groovy good time and reminding audiences of what a special decade the 70s was,” says the show’s director Jonathan Van Dyke. “With all the laughs, music, fabulous fashion, and fun in this show, it will be a ‘dy no-mite’ theatrical event whether you lived it or not!”

Eric Alsford will serve as Streakin’s music director; the cast includes Shelley Keelor, Dorian Quinn, Ellie Roddy, and Ryan Michael James.

James A. Rocco is an award-winning director, writer, and theatrical consultant whose work has been seen on Broadway, off-Broadway, throughout the United States, and in London, Paris, and Tokyo.  In 2013 he was recognized by the Broadway League and the Coalitions of Broadway Unions and Guilds for 25 years of dedication, craft, and contribution to theatre.

Albert Evans wrote the music for the off-Broadway hit Pageant, chosen by Time Magazine as one of the year’s ten best entertainment events.    His lyrics are featured in a new performing edition of The Merry Widow, seen at New York City Opera, and televised on Live from Lincoln Center (PBS).  He was the Composer in Residence for ten years at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse and is currently Artistic Associate at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle.

Streakin’ Thru the 70s will run at the Mizner Park Cultural Center from February 4th through February 20th, 2022. Ticket prices range from $45 to $65 and can be purchased online at miznerparkculturalcenter.com.

Masks must be worn in order to attend.

The Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center is located at 201 Plaza Real, in Boca Raton (33432)

For more information about Streakin’ Thru the 70s or the Mizner Park Cultural Center, contact Carol Kassie at carol@carolkassie.com / 561-445-9244.

Streakin’ Thru the 70s
By James A. Rocco and Albert Evans, with Heidi Karol Johnson
February 4 – 20, 2022
Tickets: $45/$55/$65
For tickets: 
Call 844-672-2849
Online: miznerparkculturalcenter.com/events/streakin-thru-the-70s/2022-02-04
Performance Days & Times:
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday at 2 pm
Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 pm
201 Plaza Real, 2nd Floor
Boca Raton, FL 33432

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

09 Monday Nov 2020

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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 

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

13 Tuesday Oct 2020

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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  

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