Spotlight On…A Christmas Story: The Musical!

Upcoming Spotlight Night features songwriters, actors and a profile of an American humorist and raconteur at The 5th Avenue Theatre

SEATTLE, WA –The 5th Avenue Theatre’s next installment of our popular Spotlight Night series focuses on our upcoming production of A Christmas Story: The Musical!. Spotlight Night features the show’s hot young composer/lyricist duo, an introduction to the show’s cast and a behind-the-scenes look at Jean Shepherd, the legendary radio raconteur whose stories inspired the film on which the musical is based.

Hosted by The 5th’s Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, this popular free event gives theater patrons a peek behind the curtain at the history, lore and creation of Musical Theater, with a special focus on upcoming shows at The 5th.

The evening features an interview with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriters for A Christmas Story: The Musical!, and known as the “first Musical Theatre stars of the YouTube generation.” After meeting as undergraduates at the University of Michigan in 2005, the two collaborated on their first musical, Edges, which went from a college workshop to more than 100 productions across the US and Canada. The show also won the pair the prestigiousJonathan Larson Award, making them the youngest artists to ever be so honored. Pasek and Paul will talk about the process of creating new music for a well-loved story and will perform songs from Edges, A Christmas Story and their upcoming projects James and The Giant Peach and Dog Fight.

This is also an opportunity to meet the remarkable cast of A Christmas Story: The Musical!, including 5th Avenuefavorite Anne Allgood, who plays Mother in the show, and Broadway veteran John Bolton, whose career includes roles in Spamalot, Curtains, Contact and Titanic. The children of the show will also make appearances, including Clarke Hallum, the Olympia youth who was chosen to play Ralphie Parker after a nation-wide search.

Armstrong will also provide a brief recap of the life and work of Jean Shepherd, a complex and fascinating humorist, writer and performer. Shepherd found early fame in radio, collaborated with jazzman Charles Mingus and filmmaker John Cassavettes, was the inspiration for the protagonist of Herb Gardner’s play A Thousand Clowns and Shel Silverstein’s song “A Boy Named Sue,” and co-wrote and narrated the film A Christmas Story, which to his delighted surprise became a modern American classic.

Spotlight Night begins at 7:00 PM on Tuesday November 9. The event is free, but attendees must reserve their tickets. They can do so over the phone by calling 206-625-1900/toll-free 888-5TH-4TIX (584-4849), in person at the box office at 1308 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, or online at 5thavenue.org.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol: Highly-anticipated world premiere, delayed by arson, finally comes to the stage

Play by Seattle’s John Longenbaugh opens at Taproot Theatre on November 26

SEATTLE – October 19, 2010 – One year after the October 2009 arson that forced Taproot Theatre to postpone its world premiere production of Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol, the theatre finally brings this holiday mystery to the stage in November and December. Underscoring the anticipation for this premiere by Seattle playwright John Longenbaugh, tickets are selling fast; two performances are already sold out, and Taproot has added an additional senior matinee. Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol—directed by producing artistic director Scott Nolte—opens on November 26 and runs through December 30, with low-price previews on November 19 and 20, plus a pay-what-you-can performance on November 24.

These then are the facts: The year, 1894. The date, Christmas Eve. The location, 221B Baker Street. After being presumed dead for three years, a hardened Sherlock Holmes resurfaces, turning his back on the people who need him most. Three unexpected callers arrive on Christmas Eve uncovering clues from the detective's past, present and future. Can they save Holmes and his world from a dire end? They must "do it all in one night" to accomplish the task.

Longenbaugh—a director and playwright with over 20 years of theatre experience—conceived the idea forSherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol out of a desire to see a holiday production that offers all the joys of classic stories such as Dickens’ oft-produced A Christmas Carol, but with some surprises mixed in. Having worked with Taproot Theatre in the past for the premiere of his play The Man Who Was Thursday (2002), Longenbaugh approached Nolte in 2007 about sitting in on a reading of the play. From there the two worked out a plan for getting the script ready to premiere at Taproot Theatre in November 2009.

However, on October 23, 2009, just four days after the first rehearsal, an arsonist set fire to the building adjacent to the theatre, forcing Taproot to temporarily relocate and postpone the play. Since then, Longenbaugh’s My Time with the Lady, co-written with Ron Richardson, premiered at the Little Red Studio in August, followed by Arcana, the collected evening of shorts, staged at Open Circle in September.

This holiday season the original cast from the planned 2009 production of Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol returns, with acclaimed actor Terry Edward Moore as Sherlock Holmes, along with David Dorrian, Aaron Lamb, Pam Nolte, Jesse Notehelfer, Eric Riedmann and Alex Robertson. Stephen Grenley joins the cast as Watson. The production team includes scenic and sound designer Mark Lund, costume designer Sarah Burch Gordon and lighting designer Jody Briggs. Britney Smallwood serves as stage manager, Shanna Ridenour as dialect coach and Judy Naegeli as dramaturg.

Seattle Men’s Chorus Delivers Loads of Holiday Glee. Gleeks and Non-Gleeks Flock to Benaroya Hall 11/27 – 12/20.

Broadway Leading Lady Kelli O’ Hara Performs with the Chorus November 27-28 Only

For the 2010 Seattle Men’s Chorus (SMC) Holiday Concert, Holiday Glee, the Chorus will take a few cues from the wildly popular TV series Glee. “For over 30 years the gay choruses in particular have been doing what the show Gleeis doing now,” said artistic director Dennis Coleman. “This show has just made it popular. But, it does call attention to choral music and singing, and however that happens, it’s wonderful!” SMC pays homage to Glee, but with a twist. The show’s unofficial anthem, “Don’t Stop Believin” has been re-worked as a parody with holiday-themed lyrics and individual Chorus members will represent several of the main characters including Kurt, the openly gay student at McKinley High. Coleman continues, “There’s a lot of ‘camp’ to Glee, and camp is a gay art form. Everything about the show screams ‘gay chorus!’” The concert will be funny, but also serious. The Chorus will celebrate different American holiday traditions focusing on the music and style of Las Vegas, Nashville, Broadway, and the Southwest (especially Arizona). And SMC’s beloved rendition of Silent Night and other traditional holiday tunes will not disappoint.

Guest artist Kelli O’ Hara will join the Chorus for the first two performances on November 27 at 8pm and November 28 at 2pm. O’Hara has her own personal connection the TV show Glee; she starred opposite Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester the Glee Club’s fearless leader) twice on Broadway, in the Lincoln Center revival of South Pacific (2008) and in The Light in the Piazza (2005). She has been nominated for a Tony Award 3 times and is returning to Seattle after an extended stay back in 2003 when A Light in the Piazza was in development at Intiman Theatre.

Meet the Parkers—And All of their Neighbors!

Olympia, WA-based actor lands the role of Ralphie!

SEATTLE, WA –We are pleased to announce the cast for A Christmas Story: The Musical!, the 5th Avenue Theatre’s upcoming holiday production. The roster features an impressive array of Seattle area talent, as well as three actors from New York.

After a coast-to-coast search that included auditions in New York, Seattle and Los Angeles, as well as video submissions from across the country, Olympia, Washington-based actor Clarke Hallum was chosen to play the lead role of Ralphie Parker. The 11-year-old Hallum has most recently appeared at the Capital Playhouse as Charlie in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

“I’m proud, but not surprised that, after a nationwide search, we found our Ralphie right here in the Pacific Northwest,” says 5th Avenue Theatre Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong. “Casting Clarke -- as well as the many other children who will be featured in this exciting production -- says a lot about the incredible talent pool of performers of all ages who live here in the Puget Sound.”

The adults in A Christmas Story: The Musical! include several familiar faces, as well as performers new to 5th Avenue audiences. The principals are John Bolton (The Old Man), Anne Allgood (Mother), and Frank Corrado (Jean Shepherd). Featured performers include Carol Swarbrick (Miss Shields), Orville Mendoza (Elf/Waiter), Eric Polani Jensen (Pierre), and Matt Wolfe (Santa).

The rest of the children in the cast have also primarily been drawn from the Puget Sound area. They include Keenan Barr (Grover Dill), Ashton Herrild (Scut Farkus), Matthew Lewis (Randy Parker), and Dexter Johnson (Flick). River Aguirre (Schwartz) joins us from New York. The ensemble includes Walker Caplan, Wilder Cufley, Larson Eernissee,Drea Gordon, Shaye Hodgins, Olivia Mora, Erich W. Schleck, Cameron Washington, and Mira Wellington.

More About the Cast

John Bolton is a New York-based actor who has originated roles in several Broadway productions including Curtainsand Spamalot. Anne Allgood has performed locally at ACT, Seattle Rep, Intiman, Village Theatre, and of course at The 5th, where she was seen in a bravura turn as The Old Woman in last season’s critically-acclaimed Candide. Frank Corrado, a veteran of the Seattle theater scene, last appeared at The 5th Avenue in White Christmas as General Waverly. He is joined by Carol Swarbrick, who also appeared in White Christmas as Martha Watson. Orville Mendoza is based in New York and his work has included a Drama Desk-nominated performance in Adrift In Macao.Eric Polani Jensen, another 5th Avenue regular, was last seen behind an astonishing moustache as The Governor inCandide. And Matt Wolfe graced our stage in Catch Me if You Can.

Rounding out the cast are Seattle-based performers (and 5th Avenue favorites) Jadd Davis, Candice Donehoo, Brandon O'Neill, and Billie Wildrick as the Radio Quartet. Joining them are Krystle Armstrong, Jared Michael Brown, Sarah Davis, Aaron Finley, Frances Leah King, Jenny Shotwell, and Ty Willis as members of the Ensemble.

More about A Christmas Story: The Musical!

Based on the stories of radio humorist Jean Shepherd and adapted from the hilarious 1983 family holiday film, A Christmas Story: The Musical! follows young Ralphie Parker, as he schemes his way towards the holiday gift of his dreams -- a Red Ryder 200 Shot Carbine Action Air Rifle. With its sparkling original score by Broadway’s hottest young composer/lyricist team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, its wicked wit, and its heart of pure gold, A Christmas Story: The Musical! is a yuletide delight for the whole family.

Tickets for A Christmas Story: The Musical! are available by calling 206-625-1900 or toll-free at 888-5TH-4TIX (584-4849). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.5thavenue.org and in person at the box office located at 1308 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101. Box office hours are Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-5:30 PM.

Special thanks to 5th Avenue Theatre’s 2010-11 season co-sponsors Safeco Insurance and US Bank, and to production sponsors Boeing and 4Culture.

Sheila Daniels makes Seattle Rep directing debut with Dancing at Lughnasa

Seattle, WA – An all-star Seattle cast teams with inventive director Sheila Daniels to revisit Brian Friel’s touching Irish family drama Dancing at Lughnasa, playing at Seattle Repertory Theatre Nov. 12-Dec. 5, 2010.

Tickets are available now through the Seattle Rep Box Office at 206-443-2222 as well as online atwww.seattlerep.org.

Well regarded for her work in the Seattle fringe theatre scene, Sheila Daniels is making her Seattle Repdirectorial debut with Dancing at Lughnasa. Daniels became associate director at Intiman in 2007, and helmed two of their most exciting productions in recent years: A Streetcar Named Desire and Crime and Punishment. She was also recently heralded for her work on Electra at Seattle Shakespeare Company and Breaking the Code for Strawberry Theatre Workshop.

“I’ve been wanting to bring Sheila to the Rep for a while now, and this is the perfect piece for her,” said Seattle Rep Artistic Director Jerry Manning. “She has her own Irish heritage, and she will bring a deep respect and a fresh perspective to this beautiful play.”

Continuing Manning’s commitment to Seattle artists, the cast is comprised of entirely Seattle actors: Mari Nelson, Gretchen Krich, Linda K. Morris, Cheyenne Casebier, Elizabeth Raetz, Todd Jefferson Moore, Ben Harris, and Troy Fischnaller.

Creating the world of Donegal, Ireland, 1936—when the play takes place—is imaginative set designer Etta Lilienthal (Betrayal, Opus); costumer designer Constanza Romero, who recently received a Tony nomination for her design of Broadway’s Fences (written by her late husband August Wilson); lighting designer L.B. Morse; and composer Paul James Prendergast, who is also creating music for the Rep’sThree Tall Women.

The play is set in the rural kitchen of the five fiercely proud Mundy sisters, a place for talking, laughing, and lively dancing—moments that defy the hardships of their daily life. Their brother, a missionary, has just returned from Uganda, and the sisters find themselves each on the brink of momentous change. Friel's Tony-Award-winning play captures a beautiful and exuberant sliver of these women's lives, a summer where love—and everything else—seemed possible.

Seattle Rep last produced Dancing at Lughnasa in 1995. “I love this play, and I really wanted the opportunity to bring it to a new generation of theatre-goers,” Manning said.

SPECIAL EVENT Whiskey & Fiddle: Irish Night at Seattle Rep, Saturday, Nov. 20, 6 p.m.
Come early to the Saturday evening performance (show at 7:30 p.m.) for Irish dance lessons from TheBaile Glas Irish Dancers, music by Mooncoyne, and food and drink tastings. Dance and music free withtheatre ticket; food and drinks available for a small additional charge.

Performance Details: Performances of Dancing at Lughnasa are at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with 2 p.m. matinees on most Saturdays and Sundays and select Wednesdays. There is aCaptioned Performance on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.; an Audio-Described performanceSaturday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.; and an American Sign Language (ASL)-interpretedperformance on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. Post-play discussions will be held after the performances on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. The Pay-What-You-Can Performance is Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m. There will be no performances on Thanksgiving, November 25.

2009 Arson Spree: One Year Later

One year after arsons, Taproot Theatre renews commitment

to Greenwood neighborhood, commemorates victims

SEATTLE – October 14, 2010 – With the one-year mark since the October 23 arson approaching, Taproot Theatre Company’s leadership, board and staff renew their commitment to the neighborhood and commemorate those affected and devastated by the fires.

“We planted our roots solidly in Greenwood when we bought the early-1900s theatre 22 years ago, and we love the vibrancy and creativity that surround us everywhere,” said producing artistic director Scott Nolte. “We want the neighborhood to know that we’re here to stay, that this is where we want to be.”

Production manager Mark Lund echoes Nolte’s sentiment.

“Taproot seems as much a part of Greenwood as Greenwood seems a part of Taproot,” he said. “I’ve spent the past 19 years of my career working at Taproot, and can say with confidence that the positive changes I’ve witnessed here in Greenwood over the years are at least partly due to Taproot’s presence in the neighborhood.”

The string of arsons began in summer 2009 and continued into November of that year, until the arsonist was caught. Many people who lived and worked in the area went about their days in fear, not knowing if and when the arsonist would strike again, and if they could be next. This fall, on any given day, Greenwood teems with commuters, shoppers, artists and business owners going about their daily routines with a sense of normalcy.

The Green Bean Coffeehouse—one of the four businesses housed in the Eleanor Roosevelt Building (E.R.B.) until the October 23 fire—has relocated to its new permanent home in the former McDonald’s building within a block of its old site, and other businesses, including Rosewood Guitar, have reopened as well. Some scars remain, reminding people of the attacks. Some businesses were devastated and never returned, including C.C. Teriyaki, Szechuan Bistro and Pho Tic Tac, the other three businesses housed in the E.R.B. A mural still stands at the former building’s site, serving as a constant reminder of what happened, but offering a bright image of hope for the neighborhood’s continued recovery and rebuilding. Taproot Theatre is working on a plan for the site.

Taproot Theatre is thankful for the support of countless other artists, arts organizations, businesses, foundations, firefighters and friends that made it possible to persevere and finally reopen in early 2010.

The theatre celebrates a heroic year on October 22 with Taproot Uncorked, a special fundraising event featuring a presentation on heroic wines by Patrick Anderson, owner of Greenwood’s Vineyard Wine Shop. Anderson defines heroic wines as “wines which are victorious in their endeavor to survive all odds,” a fitting metaphor for Taproot’s experience over the past year. Taproot Uncorked takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Upper Crust’s Greenwood Square. Tickets are $45 and are available online at www.taprootuncorked.com. Advanced registration is required. Taproot Uncorked is made possible through generous partnerships with The Vineyard Wine Shop and The Upper Crust Catering.