PRESENTS A ‘THRILLIFYING’ LIVE PERFORMANCE BY WICKED CAST MEMBERS AND AUTOGRAPH SESSION ON SATURDAY, JUNE 5
PLANO, Texas, May 14, 2010 – On Saturday, June 5 at 11:00 a.m., two members from the cast of Wicked,Broadway’s biggest blockbuster, will present a free live performance at The Shops at Willow Bend. The performance will feature two songs and will be held in Grand Court near Neiman Marcus.It will be followed by an autograph session with the cast members.
The June 5 event is part of the partnership between The Shops at Willow Bend and Wickedwhich is now playing through Sunday, June 27th at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas.
In addition to the live performance, the spellbinding specials at The Shops at Willow Bend include:
• “The World of Wicked” display in the mall’s Grand Court now through June 13, where visitors can walk through Glinda the Good’s bubble, view the “Behind the Emerald Curtain” museum display and take a photo in Oz;
• Wicked shopping deals via the “Passport to Oz,” offering discounts and/or specials from more than 30 participating retailers at The Shops at Willow Bend (“Passports” available at the Wicked set in Grand Court or at Concierge Center).
• Weekly drawings for Wickedprizes; shoppers simply drop their “Passport to
The Shops at Willow Bend Wicked Performance/2
Oz” into the Wicked Witch cauldron for a chance to win dozens of weekly prizes. Drawings take place Sundays, May 23 and 30, June 6 and 13;
• Giveaways courtesy of the Wicked Street Team, who will visit The Shops at Willow Bend every Friday morning and afternoon, and all day Saturday and
Sunday [through Sunday, June 13], to hand out free Wicked-themed products such as lip balm, picture frames, music downloads and more;
• Wicked merchandise (T-shirts, hats, accessories, etc.) will be available for purchase at The Concierge Center.
Winner of 35 major awards, including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, Wickedis the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
WICKED is now playing through Sunday, June 27 at the Music Hall in Dallas; for a complete schedule of performances, please visit www.dallassummermusicals.org.Great seats are still available.Tickets can be purchased at the Ticketmaster retail outlet in the Concierge Center, located on the lower level near Macy’s.For more information, please call 972-202-7110 or visit dallassummermusicals.org.
The Shops at Willow Bend is one of several Taubman-owned malls around the country to feature the Wicked production and related promotional offerings over the next year and a half.Taubman’s portfolio of regional and super-regional shopping centers is recognized as the finest and most productive collection of upscale shopping centers in the United States.
The Shops at Willow Bend is located at the northwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and West Park Boulevard and features more than 150 stores, restaurants and services plus four anchors: Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Dillard’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. For more information about stores, restaurants or events at The Shops at Willow Bend, call 972-202-4900 or visit www.shopwillowbend.com.
Written by DSM Columnists on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Ashford to Co-Direct SHREK Tour; Cast Announced
by BWW
Producers DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. are thrilled to announce casting for SHREK THE MUSICAL. Native Chicagoan, Eric Petersen will lead the First National Tour cast as Shrek. The Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning SHREK THE MUSICAL will launch its national tour in Chicago beginning July 13 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.). Tickets are currently on sale.
In addition, Chris Jones of The Chicago Tribune has revealed that PROMISES, PROMISES director/choreographer Rob Ashford will co-direct the production alongside Jason Moore, who helmed the Broadway installment.
The role of everyone's favorite swamp-dwelling ogre, Shrek will be played by Eric Petersen, who joins the tour from the Broadway production. He recently appeared as the socially challenged Barfee in the National tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Haven Burton, also from the Broadway Company will play the feisty Princess Fiona. Haven previously played Margo the Dog Whisperer on Broadway in Legally Blonde and understudied Elle Wood. Alan Mingo, Jr. is Shrek's lovably annoying best friend Donkey. He was an original company member of The Little Mermaid where he played the role of Sebastian, and prior to that played the role of Tom Collins in RENT on Broadway.
Rounding out the cast of misfit fairy tale characters, the peoples of Duloc and Far, Far Away are: Joe Abraham, Holly Ann Butler, Carrie Compere, Emily Cramer, Tyrone Davis, Jr., Sandra DeNise, Aymee Garcia, Brian Gonzales, Justin Greer, Lisa Ho, Benjamin Howes, Mara Newbery, Denny Paschall, Sarah Peak, Morgan Rose, Blakely Slaybaugh and David F.M. Vaughn.
"The touring cast is particularly strong, with several members joining from the Broadway Company. We are delighted that the title character Shrek will be played by Chicago native Eric Petersen, who expects audiences full of friends and family throughout the run," said Bill Damaschke, President of DreamWorks Theatricals.
An entirely new musical, SHREK THE MUSICAL is based on the story and characters from William Steig's book Shrek!, as well as the DreamWorks Animation film Shrek, the first chapter of the Shrek movie series.
SHREK THE MUSICAL tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that real friendship and true love aren't only found in fairy tales.
SHREK THE MUSICAL features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize® winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole), music by Olivier Award-winner Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline, or Change), and is directed by Tony Award® nominee Jason Moore (Avenue Q) and Tony and Emmy Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Promises Promises). SHREK THE MUSICAL has set and costume designs by Tony Award® winner Tim Hatley (Private Lives, Spamalot), lighting design by Olivier Award winner Hugh Vanstone (A Steady Rain), sound design by Peter Hylenski (Rock of Ages); choreography by Josh Prince, music supervision by Tim Weil, music direction by Andy Grobengieser, and orchestrations by Danny Troob & John Clancy.
SHREK THE MUSICAL was initiated when Sam Mendes, a big fan of the first Shrek film, suggested the idea of creating a musical to DreamWorks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg around the time the second film was in production. The musical is produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, President of DreamWorks Theatricals and Co-President of Production for DreamWorks Animation) and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. (principals Sam Mendes and Caro Newling).
Individual tickets to SHREK THE MUSICAL are $25 - $90 and are on sale now. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St. and 18 W. Monroe St.); the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000; all Ticketmaster retail locations (including Hot Tix and select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores); and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Groups of 10 or more should call (312) 977-1710.
DALLAS, TX…LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, a new musical based on the beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder series of classic American books, will be presented by Dallas Summer Musicals May 11-23 at the Music Hall at FairPark. Melissa Gilbert, who rose to fame as a child playing ‘Laura’ in the hugely successful NBC television series “Little House on the Prairie” during the 1970s, now continues her legacy ‘on the prairie’ by taking on the role of Ma.LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE will also star Steve Blanchard as Pa and Kara Lindsay as Laura.
Single tickets for the Dallas Summer Musicals engagement of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE are priced from $15-$71, and are on sale now at The Box Office, 542 PrestonRoyalShopping Center, and all Ticketmaster locations; tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 214-631-ARTS (2787).For groups of 15 or more call 214-426-GROUP.
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL with Gilbert, Blanchard and Lindsay, had its world premiere production in August, 2008 at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, where it shattered all box-office records and sold-out for 12 consecutive weeks.Initiated for the stage by Adrianne Lobel (Frog and Toad) and Francesca Zambello, the show is directed by Zambello (Disney’s The Little Mermaid), with music by Academy Award® winner Rachel Portman (Emma), lyrics by Donna di Novelli and a book by Tony Award® winner Rachel Sheinkin (The 25TH Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). Michele Lynch is choreographer and Kevin Stites is musical supervisor.
The producers of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL are Ben Sprecher, Amy Sprecher, Louise Forlenza, Bob Boyett, Jay Harris, William Franzblau, Tony Fusco, Larry Feinman, Peter W. Bezemes, Friendly Theatrical LLC, Jon B. Platt, Wendy Federman, Michael Filerman, Marc Schwartz, Karl Sydow and Nelle Nugent, in association with Bob Reich and Sharon Carr.
The production includes scenic design by Adrianne Lobel, lighting design by Mark McCullough, costumes by Tony Award winner Jess Goldstein, sound design by Carl Casella and wig/hair design by Charles LaPointe. Richard Carsey serves as music director, orchestrations are by Larry Hochman and dance and incidental music arrangements are by Michael Dansicker, with additional vocal and incidental music by Kevin Stites.
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL is the uplifting story of an American family forging a new life amidst the mighty challenges, heartbreaks, joys and triumphs that face them in the newly-settled heartland.It is also the story of young Laura Ingalls, as she begins her life as a young woman, finding purpose, and finding love.Above all, it is the celebration of the pioneering spirit and the core values on which this country was founded – a spirit that still resonates today.
MELISSA GILBERT (Caroline “Ma” Ingalls).Theatre: Off-Broadway: A Shayna Maidel (Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards); Regional: Love Letters (Canon Theater, LA); The Glass Menagerie (Chautauqua Theater Company); The Miracle Worker (Royal Poinciana Playhouse, Palm Beach); Bus Stop and Love Letters (Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville); Little House on the Prairie, the Musical (Guthrie). Television: Series lead in “Little House on the Prairie,” starred in more than 40 movies for television, including Emmy Award-winning The Miracle Worker, and more than a dozen television series, including “Nip/Tuck,” and “Sweet Justice.” Ms. Gilbert served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001–05, and is currently the Standing Board Chair and Spokesperson for the Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition. Ms. Gilbert is also a New York Times best-selling author with the recent publication of her autobiography, Prairie Tale - A Memoir, from Simon & Schuster.
STEVE BLANCHARD (Charles “Pa” Ingalls).Broadway: Beauty and the Beast, Camelot, A Christmas Carol, The Three Musketeers; Off-Broadway: Frankenstein, Johnny Guitar, An Oak Tree; National tours: Camelot, Phantom of the Opera, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Repertory Theatre of St. Louis: Esmeralda; Baltimore’s CenterStage: Sleep of Reason; Charles Playhouse, Boston: The Threepenny Opera; Ford’s Theatre, Washington, D.C.: Hot Mikado, Godspell; Guthrie: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical; Paper Mill Playhouse: Chess; Theatre Under The Stars, Houston: Chess. Film/TelevisionLaw at Randado, Rapmaser Ronnie, Warlords 3000, “Third Watch,” “Law and Order,” “Ed,” “Police Story,” “Sunset Beat,” “One Life to Live,” “Guiding Light,” “Another World.”Original cast recordings Johnny Guitar, Sundown, Frankenstein; debut solo CD Northbound Train.
KARA LINDSAY (Laura Ingalls).Theatre: DenverCenter for the Performing Arts: Quilters; Guthrie: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical; 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle: Lone Star Love; West Virginia Public Theatre:Thoroughly Modern Millie, Beauty and the Beast, Cats, Hello, Dolly!; CarnegieMellonUniversity: Side Show, After Miss Julie, Hello Again, Oresteia. Training B.F.A., Acting/Musical Theater, CarnegieMellonUniversity
FRANCESCA ZAMBELLO (Director).Theatre Broadway: Disney’s The Little Mermaid; London: Royal Albert Hall: Showboat; West End: Napoleon; Raimund Theater, Vienna: a new musical based on Rebecca; Seattle Children’s Theatre: Tibet Through the Red Box; Bregenz’s floating stage: West Side Story; Guthrie: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical. Old Globe: First Wives Club, Skylight Music Theater: artistic director, 1984-91; Opera: Metropolitan Opera: An American Tragedy (world premiere), Cyrano de Bergerac (with Placido Domingo), Les Troyens; Teatro alla Scala: Cyrano; Washington National and San Francisco Operas: The Ring, San Francisco Opera: artistic advisor; Royal Albert Hall: La Bohème; The Bolshoi: Fiery Angel; Chicago Lyric Opera: Salome; Royal Opera House: Carmen, Don Giovanni; Paris Opera: Boris Godunov, War and Peace, Billy Budd, William Tell;Film War and Peace (ORF), Amahl and the Night Visitors (BBC), The Little Prince (BBC/PBS). Awards: Three Olivier Awards; two Evening Standard Awards for best musical and best opera; two French Grand Prix des Critiques; Japanese Golden Prize; Helpmann Award; Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres; Russian Federation’s medal for Service to Culture; the Palme d’Or in Germany; the Golden Mask in Russia. Education: ColgateUniversity; MoscowUniversity. www.francescazambello.com
RACHEL PORTMAN (Music). Theatre: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical. Film: Grey Gardens,The Duchess, Emma, The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Infamous, The Manchurian Candidate, Oliver Twist, The Lake House, Nicholas Nickleby, Hart’s War, The Human Stain, Life is Sweet, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Beloved, Home Fries, Addicted to Love, Marvin’s Room, Only You, The Road to Wellville, Sirens, Benny & Joon, The Joy Luck Club, Used People, Smoke, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Where Angels Fear to Tread.Opera/concert:The Little Prince,The Water Diviner’s Tale. Awards: Academy Award for Best Original Score for Emma; Academy Award nominations for The Cider House Rules and Chocolat; British Film Institute’s Young Composer of the Year Award.
DONNA DI NOVELLI (Lyrics).Musical Theater/Opera: Little House on the Prairie, the Musical (lyrics); Florida (book and lyrics) Lyric Opera Cleveland, Public Theater’s New Work Now, New York City Opera’s VOX; No God but Yearning (book and lyrics) Public Theater’s New Work Now, Joe’s Pub. Theater: The First Eff(stage play) Mark Taper Forum, Duende Arts. Dance: Twelve Dancing Princesses (text) Los Angeles Modern Dance and Ballet. Commissions:San Francisco Opera; Chanticleer; BBC.Publications New Monologues For Women by Women (Heinemann Press), NuMuse,BrownUniversity. Awards: Manhattan Theatre Club Fellowship, Rockefeller Foundation residency in Bellagio, Italy; National Musical Theater Conference residency, the Mac Dowell Colony and the AtlanticCenter for the Arts. Professional Affiliations: ASCAP, Dramatists Guild. Teaching: Bookwriting, Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYUTischSchool of the Arts; Playwriting, National Theater Institute, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center; Visiting professor, BrownUniversity. Training: M.F.A., Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYUTischSchool of the Arts (Ira Gershwin Fellow); A.M., BrownUniversity.
RACHEL SHEINKIN (Book)Recent work includes Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Tony, Drama Desk awards); Off Broadway: Striking 12 (Lucille Lortel nomination), off-off: Serenade. Regional: Guthrie, Little House on the Prairie, the Musical; Center Theater Group, Sleeping Beauty Wakes (Los Angeles Ovation Award); London: Blood Drive.Residencies, fellowships, commissions include: Eugene O’Neill National Theater Center, Baryshnikov Dance Foundation, MacDowell Colony, Manhattan Theatre Club, Deaf West, McCarter Theatre, Playwrights Horizons. Rachel is a volunteer mentor for TDF’s Open Doors program, a visiting instructor at Yale School of Drama, and adjunct faculty member of NYU’s Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program.
MICHELE LYNCH (Choreographer). Paper Mill Playhouse: Happy Days. Broadway: The Coast of Utopia (Choreographer), Hairspray and The Full Monty (Associate Choreographer), Urinetown (Asst. Choreographer). Off-Broadway: Everyday Rapture (Second Stage), NYMF: Idaho; Yale Rep: Rough Crossing; Guthrie: Little House on the Prairie; Asolo Theatre: Pride & Prejudice; Mark Taper Forum: 13; St Louis MUNY: Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Stanford Center for the Arts: Empire; North Carolina Theatre: South Pacific; Ford Center: Leading Ladies; has traveled around the world setting companies of Hairspray and The Full Monty. Film: CAMP. Awards: ConnecticutCritics Circle Award for Happy Days at Goodspeed Opera House; Garland Award for 13.
KEVIN STITES (Music Supervision, Additional Vocals, Incidental Music). Broadway: Tale of TwoCities, Color Purple, Titanic, Sunset Boulevard, Pamela’s First Musical, Children and Art, Les Misérables, Threepenny Opera, Fiddler, Nine, Oklahoma!, On the Town. National tours:Color Purple, Martin Guerre, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Titanic. Guest conductor: Grant Park Symphony, Guys and Dolls and Les Miserables at Hollywood Bowl. TV/Film: “Rosie Live,” Reefer Madness and others.
Little House on the Prairie, the Musical with Melissa Gilbert as “Ma,” will open Tuesday, May 11 at 8 p.m. All performances are at the Music Hall at FairPark, with the following performance schedule:
TuesdayMay 118 p.m.
WednesdayMay 128 p.m.
ThursdayMay 138 p.m.
FridayMay 148 p.m.
SaturdayMay 152 and 8 p.m.
SundayMay 162 and 8 p.m.
TuesdayMay 178 p.m.
WednesdayMay 188 p.m.
ThursdayMay 198 p.m.
FridayMay 202 and 8 p.m.
SaturdayMay 212 and 8 p.m.
SundayMay 222 p.m.
Next up for Dallas Summer Musicals will be WICKED, May 26-June 27; DREAMGIRLS, June 30-July 18; and the State Fair of Texas musical, SHREK THE MUSICAL, September 28-October 17, 2010.
Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica Bank, are WFAA TV Channel 8 and American Airlines.Now celebrating its 70th season, Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) is the largest producer of live theatrical entertainment in the Southwest, the second oldest summer theater organization in the United States, and the sixth largest non-profit theater company.DSM has been entertaining North Texas audiences with the finest in live, musical theatre entertainment since 1941.In addition to presenting national Broadway tours, DSM also produces shows on Broadway, presents and tours local productions, and is involved in developing new works.Dallas Summer Musicals’ affiliates include DSM Management Group, Inc. (DSMMGI), which manages the Music Hall at FairPark.
As a non-profit organization, DSM relies on a variety of funding sources to bring the Best of Broadway to Dallas at affordable ticket prices, as well as to preserve the beautiful historic theatres, educate young audiences and create important community programs.DSM’s Seats for Kids program provides a meaningful arts education experience to thousands of low income, at-risk and special needs children. DSM and the Dallas Police Department partner together to provide positive incentives for youth that are at risk for gang membership through the Stage Right program. In addition, the DSM Academy of Performing Arts offers professional theatre arts training and scholarships to talented students in need. Ticket sales alone do not sustain these endeavors.Only support from committed businesses, foundations and individuals make these programs possible. For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica Bank, visit their website at www.dallassummermusicals.org or call (214) 421-5678.
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For media information about this show or the Dallas Summer Musicals, and for videotape, photos, interviews or reviewer’s passes, please call Jo Ann Holt at 469-363-7371 or send inquiries to joannholt@gmail.com.
They've turned lots of old movies into musicals. Xanadu sets the record for improvement; it's the best musical from the worst film.
The 1980 Olivia Newton-Johnstinkeroo did produce a lot of hits by Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynneand the star's favorite songwriter, John Farrar. Two seasons ago, a stage version opened on Broadway with a new book by comic playwright Douglas Carter Beane (who penned Give It Up! for the Dallas Theater Center earlier this year). It was a surprise hit with critics and audiences alike. The national tour hit the Dallas Summer Musicals on Tuesday with an explosive bang.
This company belongs to the growing number of tours that actually play better on the road than they did on the Great WhiteWay. Many Broadway producers seem to feel they must cast names recognizable to New York audiences, and that's a limited pool of talent. You can't really call many of these performers stars in the old sense, and the shows surely aren't tailored to them. Fortunately for us out here in the sticks, the producers feel free to use less-familiar faces, sometimes much more able in their roles, on tour.
Thus, the gorgeous Anika Larsen, as the muse Clio who falls in love with a California painter, really looks like a goddess and sounds like one, too. As the clueless artist, Danny, Max von Essenis funnier and more consistent in his Valley Boy accent (and a more secure singer) than his Broadway predecessor.
The superiority in this production continues pretty much all the way down the line. Natasha Yvette Williams and Annie Golden are especially delicious as the comic villains. As the aging owner of the building Danny wants to turn into a roller derby, Larry Williamsturns a dreary role into a lovable one.
Xanadu played in the smallest house on Broadway, but it feels liberated, rather than dwarfed, in the immensity of Fair Park Music Hall. The audience catches all of Beane's well-crafted in-jokes. This is one self-reflective musical that doesn't take itself too seriously, or seriously at all.
Thanks to Christopher Ashley's witty direction and Dan Knechtges' inventive choreography, Xanadu might just be the best time you have at a musical this season.
PLAN YOUR LIFE: Through April 18 at Fair Park Music Hall. Runs 100 mins. $15 to $71. Ticketmaster at 214-631-2787, www.ticketmaster.com
To see the review on The Dallas Morning News' website, follow this link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-xanadu08_0408gd.State.Edition1.41785f7.html
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