WEST PALM BEACH, FL: Five Guys Named Moe, Marcie Gorman and MNM Theatre Company’s production ofplaywright Clarke Peters exciting, exhilarating, and exuberantly loving tribute to Jazz legend Louis Jordan and his music opens tonight at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. The production will run through September 24th in the venue’s Rinker Playhouse.
Five Guys Named Moe showcases Jordan’s hits wrapped into one ‘smooth, jumpin’, jivin’ life lesson’, for Nomax, who’s down on his luck and stuck with the blues, until Five Guys Named Moe: Big Moe, Little Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe, and Four Eyed Moe mysteriously emerge out of nowhere in Nomax’s apartment, with dance and songs like “Caldonia,” “Azure Te,” “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie,” and many more to help him get his life back on track.
Tickets for Five Guys Named Moe are on sale now and can be purchased online at mnmtheatre.org, kravis.org, or by calling 561-832-7469 or 800-572-8471. Tickets range in price from $45 to $55. 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.
Photo credit: Amy Pasquantonio
Five Guys Named Moe September 8 – 24, 2023 Book by Clarke Peters Music and lyrics by Louis Jordan Performances: Friday & Saturday at 7 pm Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 pm
Ticket prices: $45/$50/$55 Student Rush tickets – ½ price if purchased 1 hour before curtain. A valid student ID must be presented. For tickets: mnmtheatre.org or kravis.org / 561-832-7469 For Group Sales: 561-651-4438 or 561-651-4304. All performances in The Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts 701 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Doriyan Caty, TJ Pursley, Don Seward, Michael Wallace, Leo Jasper Davis
Doriyan Caty, TJ Pursley, Don Seward, Michael Wallace, Leo Jasper Davis (2)
BOCA RATON, FL: Rehearsals are now underway for Five Guys Named Moe, Marcie Gorman and MNM Theatre Company’s production ofplaywright Clarke Peters exciting, exhilarating, and exuberantly loving tribute to Jazz legend Louis Jordan and his music. The show will run from September 8th through September 24th in the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.
Five Guys Named Moe showcases Jordan’s hits wrapped into one ‘smooth, jumpin’, jivin’ life lesson’ for Nomax who’s down on his luck and stuck with the blues, until Five Guys Named Moe: Big Moe, Little Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe, and Four Eyed Moe mysteriously emerge out of nowhere in Nomax’s apartment with dance and songs like “Caldonia,” “Azure Te,” “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” and many more to help him get his life back on track.
Directed and choreographed by Dreyfoos School of the Arts alumnus Jacquez Linder-Long, with musical direction by Bobby Peaco, the show will star James White III as Nomax, Don Seward as No Moe, Doriyan Caty as Eat Moe, T.J. Pursley as Little Moe, Michael Wallace as Four-Eyed Moe, and Leo Jasper Davis as Big Moe. Desir Dumerjuste is the show’s swing.
Tickets for Five Guys Named Moe are on sale now and can be purchased online at mnmtheatre.org, kravis.org, or by calling. 561-832-7469 or 800-572-8471. Tickets range in price from $45 to $55. 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.
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Five Guys Named Moe September 8 – 24, 2023 Book by Clarke Peters Music and lyrics by Louis Jordan Performances: Friday & Saturday at 7 pm Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 pm Ticket prices: $45/$50/$55 For tickets: mnmtheatre.org or kravis.org / 561-832-7469 For Group Sales: 561-651-4438 or 561-651-4304. All performances in The Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts 701 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Desir Dumerjuste, Michael Wallace, Leo Davis, Don Seward, T.J. Pursley, Doriyan Caty, James White III, Jacquez Linder-Long
Doriyan Caty, Michael Wallace, Leo Davis, Don Seward, T.J. Pursley, James White III, Jacquez Linder-Long
Jacquez Linder-Long
TJ Pursley
Michael Wallace
Leo Jasper Davis
James White III
Doriyan Caty
Don Seward
Desir Dumerjuste
Clarke Peters
Louis Jordan (1950)
Doriyan Caty, Michael Wallace, Leo Davis, Don Seward, T.J. Pursley, James White III
Doriyan Caty, Michael Wallace, Leo Davis, Don Seward, T.J. Pursley, James White III, Jacquez Linder-Long
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
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.
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 Actis 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 18thto 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
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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
Entr’Acte Theatrix
to present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the PGA Arts Center June 22 – July 2
“…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
May 30, 2017
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL: Entr’Acte Theatrix will present The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the PGA Arts Center in Palm Beach Gardens from June 22 – July 2.
“We are happy to be aligning ourselves with the PGA Arts Center, and veteran producers Dana Matthow and Philip Roy, helping to grow their new venue and their audience base to become a popular destination for theatre in mid and north Palm Beach County,” says Entr’Acte Theatrix founder and Executive Producer Vicki Halmos. “Entr’Acte has an excellent reputation as a launching pad for emerging talent in the County; several of our alumni are Carbonell Award-winners, and a number of others have gone on to receive their Equity cards, and to work on and off Broadway and in national touring companies. With Spelling Bee Entr’Acte will bring a more traditional theatrical choice to the Center’s audiences – it’s a ‘tongue in cheek’ parody – and a rollicking, funny, and heart-warming musical that will appeal to theatre patrons of all ages and stages; it will put adults in touch with their inner child, and will bring back memories of their own youth. And the audience participation aspect of the show will add another layer of enjoyment for our audiences – who knows – they might be asked to come on stage and spell s-y-z-y-g-y.*”
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!
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be directed by Entr’Acte alumnus Carlo-Rufino Sabusap. Sabusap has been with the company for10 years, and recently directed their production of Peter and the Star Catcher.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is one of my all-time favorite shows,” Sabusap says. “It’s got a small cast, but a big heart, and tells so much about the experience of growing up, and the different types of relationships kids have with their parents. Our production will hold on to the classic moments and themes of the show, while introducing some new things here and there that I haven’t seen in other productions. Our amazing cast is sure to deliver a fun, hilarious, but touching experience for our audiences.”
Spelling Bee’s cast consists of Robyn Eli Brenner as William Barfee, Mary Grace Tesoriero as Olive Ostrovsky, Greg Halmos as Leaf Coneybear, Rosseroni Parris as Chip Tolentino, Rachel Ihasz as Marcy Park, Amanda Ruggiero as Logan Schwartzandgrubenierre, Lissen Ellington as Rona Lisa Peretti, David W. Lamphier as Douglas Panch, James White III as Mitch Mahoney, Megan Cires as Olive’s Mom and Others, and Patrick Kolta as Carl-Dad and Others. The production’s Musical Director is Anneliesa Tretheway, and the show’s Stage Manager is Sean Smyth.
Tickets for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee are on sale now and can be purchased on line at www.entractetheatrix.org, or www.pgaartscenter.com or by phone at: 855-448-7469. Tickets are $38; student tickets are $15.
For more information about Entr’Acte Theatrix or The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, visit www.entractetheatrix.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. Not suitable for all audiences.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee June 22 – July 2 Music & Lyrics: William Finn
Book: Rachel Sheinkin
Conceived by: Rebecca Feldman
Additional Material by: Jay Reiss
Performances:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 pm
Saturday at 2:30 pm
Sunday at 3 pm
Prices: $38 ($15 for students with ID)
For tickets: On line: www.entractetheatrix.org or www.pgaartscenter.com
Phone: 855-448-7469
All performances take place at
The PGA Arts Center
4076 PGA Boulevard,
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 www.pgaartcenter.com Directions to the PGA Arts Center:
On PGA Blvd heading East, (& RCA Blvd) take first right at Shell Gas Station, and then take the 2nd right into the shopping center driveway. The theater is on the left. Formerly the Cinema 6 Movie Theater inside the former Loehmann’s Plaza. This is less than 1/4 mile off of the PGA Blvd. Exit of 95 North.
*The straight line configuration of three celestial bodies.
Carol Kassie 