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THE RASCALS ARE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN 
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS

STARRING THE ORIGINAL BAND MEMBERS
FELIX CAVALIERE, EDDIE BRIGATI, DINO DANELLI & GENE CORNISH

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, SOLD-OUT BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT OF

4 PERFORMANCES ONLY AT THE BOSTON OPERA HOUSE JUNE 25, 26, 28, 29
TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, MAY 10 AT 10:00AM!

BOSTON, MA — Producers Steven Van Zandt and Maureen Van Zandt, Marc Brickman, Larry Magid and BASE Entertainment are thrilled to announce that following its critically acclaimed sold-out Broadway engagement, THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM will embark on a tour across North America beginning this May and will play four performances only at the Boston Opera House, June 25 & 26 at 7:30pm and June 28 & 29 at 8:00pm as part of the 2012-2013 Lexus Broadway In Boston Season.

Tickets for the Boston engagement will go on sale to the public on Friday, May 10 at 10am and may be purchased through an authorized ticket seller found only at Ticketmaster 1-800-982-2787, or by visiting www.BroadwayInBoston.com. Tickets will also be sold directly at the Boston Opera House Box Office, 539 Washington Street, Boston, MA during normal business hours (Monday through Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 12pm-6pm). Broadway In Boston Season Series patrons interested in tickets should call 1-866-523-7469 and for Member tickets please call 1 866-551-7469. Groups of 10 or more should contact the Broadway In Boston Group Sales office directly at 617-482-8616 or email Groups@broadwayinboston.com.

A hybrid of a rock ‘n’ roll concert and a Broadway show, THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM marks the first time The Rascals, America’s classic blue-eyed soul band, have played together since 1970. Original band members Felix Cavaliere (keyboard & vocals), Eddie Brigati (vocals), Dino Danelli (drums) and Gene Cornish (guitar) will present a complete concert performance including songs that captured the spirit of America in the 1960’s, such as their smash hits “Good Lovin’,” “Lonely Too Long,” “It’s a Beautiful Morning,” “How Can I Be Sure” and “Groovin’.” The production will also feature the history of the iconic group told through archival footage, narration, and dramatic film segments viewed on the latest LED screen technology. THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM made its debut at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Originally scheduled to play three performances in December 2012, an additional three shows had to be added to accommodate the demand for this unique concert experience.

THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM, premiered on Broadway to critical acclaim this spring selling out 15 performances. The show is directed by Steven Van Zandt and Marc Brickman, with music by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati. THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM has stage, video and lighting design by Brickman and has music production and is written by legendary guitarist Van Zandt. Performances began Monday, April 15th at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street), and play through Sunday, May 5th. Opening night was Tuesday, April 16th.

For the latest news, announcements and “backstage” access on all of our upcoming shows become a fan of Broadway In Boston at www.Facebook.com/BroadwayInBoston, follow us on Twitter @BroadwayBoston and on Instagram @BroadwayBoston.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
May 24-27 – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Hollywood, FL)
May 30 – Ruth Eckerd Hall (Clearwater, FL)
May 31 – Moran Theater (Jacksonville, FL)
June 5, 6 and 8 – Academy of Music (Philadelphia, PA)
June 14 – Koka Booth Amphitheatre (Cary, NC)
June 15 – North Charleston Performing Arts Center (North Charleston, NC)
June 17 – Ovens Auditorium (Charlotte, NC)
June 19-22 – Cobb Energy Center (Atlanta, GA)
June 25-30 – Boston Opera House (Boston, MA)
July 5 – Jones Beach (Wantagh, NY)
July 6 – PNC Bank Arts Center (Holmdel, NJ)
Note: Additional tour cities and dates to be announced shortly.

BIOGRAPHIES:

THE RASCALS, formerly known as The Young Rascals, are one of the most influential, and artistically important American bands in Rock and Roll history. In a time dominated by the English rock acts of the British Invasion, The Rascals not only survived but thrived. The post-twist New York, New Jersey, and Long Island club scenes bred the band, an outfit whose sound grew more sophisticated as time went on but stayed rooted in the blue-eyed soul that was its first reason for being. At first a hard-hitting band reminiscent of the early Animals, the Rascals drew from the same well that fed the then-burgeoning garage rock scene. They would go on to lead the way for Blue Eyed Soul to Folk Rock to Protest to Civil Rights, blending white Pop melodies with black soul and R&B muscle. Though they never brandished their politics like some bands, the Rascals truly lived theirs, fighting discrimination by demanding that a black act appear on the bill at each of its concerts. Their music would span the entire decade from the early Go-Go dance parties right through the psychedelic era – and beyond. The band released numerous top ten singles in the mid- and late-1960s, including “How Can I Be Sure”, “Come On Up”, “You Better Run”, “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long”, “Beautiful Morning”, and the #1 hits “Good Lovin’”, “Groovin’”, and “People Got to Be Free”. They went their separate ways in the early 70′s, finally reuniting for one night in May of 1997 when Steven Van Zandt inducted them into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

And now the day music historians never thought would happen, The Rascals’ original lineup—Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish, Eddie Brigati and Dino Danelli—have reunited for their first public performances in 40 years with “Once Upon A Dream,” a combination concert/theatrical event produced and directed by Steven Van Zandt and lighting/projection wizard Marc Brickman. Ladies and Gentleman….THE RASCALS ARE BACK!

STEVEN VAN ZANDT (Producer / Writer / Director / Music Producer) is a Musician, Songwriter, Performer, Arranger, Record Producer, Actor, Writer, Human Rights Activist, and International Radio DJ. He is a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and an original principal cast member of The Sopranos. Steven’s current projects include Starring, Co-Writing, Co-Producing, and Co-Scoring “Lilyhammer”, which was chosen as the first original programming for Netflix, America’s first digital network. He is Music Supervisor, Music Producer, Music Arranger, and Executive Producer of David Chase’s (creator of Sopranos) first film Not Fade Away. He continues to host his internationally syndicated Rock and Roll radio show Little Steven’s Underground Garage (now broadcast in over 180 countries with over 1 million listeners in North America alone), and is touring the world with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Steven has also founded The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation (www.rockandrollforever.org) dedicated to the development, preservation, dissemination, and continuing support of Rock and Roll, past, present, and future – which is currently developing an online curriculum on the history of Rock and Roll and its role in American culture to both provide music education and defeat America’s High School dropout epidemic with a pilot program set to launch in schools in 2013.

MAUREEN VAN ZANDT (Producer) is co-founder of the With Out Papers Theatre Company, where she produced and acted in numerous productions. She appeared as Gabriella Dante in the HBO series The Sopranos for six seasons. She is also the creator and choreographer of the dance group Garage Girls A Go Go, who have worked extensively in video, tv and onstage. Maureen recently served as dance supervisor on the upcoming David Chase film, Not Fade Away. She is currently working on a production of a new play, 40 CPS, with Sopranos and theatre company colleagues Vincent Pastore and Robert Funaro. She would like to thank Stevie Van Zandt because without him there is no dream.
MARC BRICKMAN (Producer / Director / Staging / Video / Light Design) is a world renowned visual designer/director whose work and profile have been featured in publications and broadcasts including the New York Times, the television program “48 Hours” and others. Recognized as a cutting edge creative force and innovator in the industry, Brickman’s awards and accolades include Emmy Awards and Cable Ace Award nominations for production design and best director. His work with Pink Floyd is legendary having been viewed by millions worldwide. Other projects include the worldwide expansion of The Blue Man Group. Artists Keith Urban, McCartney, Springsteen, Cirque Du Soleil “Viva Elvis,” and The Black Eyed Peas all have called on Brickman’s talent.

LARRY MAGID (Executive Producer) has been involved with over two dozen Broadway shows, beginning with Bette Midler’s “Clams On The Half Shell”. He is a two time Tony Award winner with 4 Tony nominations, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Off Broadway, 5 Bar Area Drama Awards and a Heppleman Award (Australian Tony). Currently, he is co-producing “I Will Eat You Last”, starring Bette Midler, and will be bringing “Diner, The Musical” to Broadway next fall. In 2005, his production of Billy Crystal’s “700 Sundays” not only won a Tony, but set a record for the largest grossing non-musical in Broadway history. In addition, Larry Magid is considered an architect and leader of the modern concert business. With over 16,000 concerts to his credit and still counting. He has produced national and international tours for Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder, Robin Williams, Kristin Chenoweth, Earth Wind & Fire, YES, Il Divo, The Allman Brothers Band, Patti LaBelle, and Grover Washington Jr. In 1985 Larry Magid co-produced the American portion of Live Aid. In 2005 he was the producer of Live 8. His book, My Soul’s Been Psychedelicized, came out in 2011. And in 2012, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate, from Temple University, in Humane Letters.

BASE ENTERTAINMENT (Executive Producer) develops, produces and manages intellectual properties generated for live entertainment stages in North America, South America and Asia. BASE’s current production activity in Las Vegas includes the following: Peepshow at Planet Hollywood, Rock of Ages at The Venetian, Jersey Boys at Paris, Absinthe at Caesars Palace, Defending the Caveman and Million Dollar Quartet at Harrah’s. Previous production activity in Las Vegas includes: Phantom at The Venetian, Wayne Brady – Making It Up at

The Venetian, and Stomp Out Loud at Planet Hollywood. In addition, BASE operates the Showroom and PH Live at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. At Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, BASE programs both the Grand Theater, previously home to both The Lion King and Wicked, and the Sands Theater, where Jersey Boys recently launched a world tour (in partnership with Dodger Properties and Showtime). In Brazil, BASE, in partnership with Geo Eventos, recently produced Priscilla Queen of the Desert in Sao Paulo. Currently presented at Discovery Times Square in New York City, Spy: The Secret World of Espionage represents the premiere museum quality exhibition developed and presented by BASE. Beginning February 2014 in Toronto, BASE will also present the world premiere of the tango rock musical Arrabal. BASE Entertainment’s headquarters are in New York, and its founders include industry veterans Brian Becker and Scott Zeiger. For more information please visit www.BASEentertainment.com.

PERFORMANCES ARE: June 25 & 26 at 7:30pm
June 28 & 29 at 8:00pm
(Please note: No performance June 27)

TICKETS STARTING AT: Starting at $48

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for THE RASCALS: ONCE UPON A DREAM will go on sale to the public on Friday, May 10th at 10am and may be purchased through an authorized ticket seller found only at Ticketmaster 1-800-982-2787, or by visiting www.BroadwayInBoston.com. Tickets will also be sold directly at the Boston Opera House Box Office, 539 Washington Street, Boston, MA during normal business hours (Monday through Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 12pm-6pm). Broadway In Boston Season Series patrons interested in tickets should call 1-866-523-7469 and for Member tickets please call 1-866-551-7469. Groups of 10 or more should contact the Broadway In Boston Group Sales office directly at 617-482-8616 or email

Celebrity Series of Boston
May 2013 Events

Contact: Stephanie Janes, (617) 598-3240, sj@celebrityseries.org
Press room and High-resolution photos: http://www.celebrityseries.org/CS_aboutus/press.htm

Susanna Phillips, soprano and Joseph Kaiser, tenor
Two of the brightest young stars in the opera world – both regulars at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Mostly Mozart Festival, among others – find time to come together to present a rare joint recital featuring art songs as well as opera arias and duets. Part of the Debut Series.

“Susanna Phillips…demonstrates rare stylistic fluency, canny pathos, and dynamic finesse. Susanna Phillips. Remember the name.” – Financial Times

“[Joseph Kaiser] is a singer of unnerving ability, blessed with a muscular but flexible sound, plenty of tonal color and technical proficiency—not to mention a full helping of charismatic good looks.” –The San Francisco Chronicle

Wednesday, May 1, 8:00pm
Pickman Hall
(617) 482-6661
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard Square
Tickets: $40 and up
Link to high res images: http://www.celebrityseries.org/Photo_Galleries/1344-Susanna_Phillips_and_Joseph_Kaiser_Gallery.htm

Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet
Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet is the first permanently established wind quintet in the history of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the pinnacle of clarity, unity, and expressiveness.

“Wonderfully detailed colourations, prismatically rich and transparent, as well as a near orchestral range of expression.” – Berliner Tagesspiegel

Friday, May 3, 8pm
NEC’s Jordan Hall
(617) 482-6661
MBTA: Green Line “E” Train to Symphony
Tickets: $35 and up
Link to high res images: http://www.celebrityseries.org/Photo_Galleries/1345-Berlin_Phil_Wind_Quintet_Gallery.htm

Terry Gross – All I Did Was Ask
As the host of Fresh Air, National Public Radio’s popular weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, Terry Gross’s interviews are heard by more than four and a half million people on nearly 500 public radio stations.

“[Terry Gross is] a trusted voice and arbiter in the cultural landscape.” – The New York Times

Friday, May 10, 8pm
Sanders Theatre
(617) 482-6661
MBTA: Red Line Train to Harvard Square
Tickets: $30 and up
Link to high res images: http://www.celebrityseries.org/Photo_Galleries/1346-Terry_Gross_Gallery.htm

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
They are among the greatest dancers in the world. The Ailey company’s Spring visits to Boston are must-see events.

“A company whose worldwide popularity is rivaled only by the magnificence of its dancing.” – San Francisco Chronicle

May 16-19
Citi Wang Theatre
Thursday, 7:30pm
Friday, 8pm
Saturday, 2pm | 8pm
Sunday, 3pm
1-866-348-9738
MBTA: Green Line to Boylston
Tickets: $30 and up
Link to high res images: http://www.celebrityseries.org/Photo_Galleries/1347-Alvin_Ailey_American_Dance_Theater_Gallery.htm
About Celebrity Series of Boston
The Celebrity Series of Boston is New England’s leading presenter of music, dance and the performing arts from around the world. Now in its 73rd season, the Celebrity Series brings performances by instrumental and vocal soloists, orchestras and chamber ensembles, dance companies, jazz, folk and ethnic artists and ensembles to Boston’s major concert halls, reaching an audience of some 100,000 each year. Through the Arts, Education and Community Program, the Celebrity Series reaches thousands of youngsters annually with opportunities to experience and participate in the performing arts through concerts and workshops. For more information

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
The Flying Dutchman opens April 26th!
BLO’s new production will be the US Premiere of the 1841 critical edition. Explore Wagner’s early masterpiece with these upcoming events.
…….. Signature Series: Ocean, Thou Mighty Monster ………..Explorations on The Flying Dutchman

.
Journey with us as we plumb the depths of the human heart and navigate the violent, breathtaking, and tumultuous Sea through the eyes of 19th century poets, artists, and composers. In addition to Wagner, works by Coleridge, Melville, Schubert, Turner, and others will be presented.

Featuring performances by:
Tommy Derrah
Michelle Trainor, soprano
Christopher Burchett, baritone
Omar Najmi, tenor

April 7, 2013, 2:00 pm
Remis Auditorium

To purchase tickets visit the MFA’s website, or contact BLO’s Development Associate Heather Coulter at hcoulter@blo.org
…..Opera Night at the BPL

David Angus at Wagner Society of NY, March 2013
BLO Music Director David Angus presents the music of the 1841 critical edition of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. In this dynamic presentation with live and recorded music demonstrations highlighting the composer’s original orchestration, be among the first to hear music from the US Premiere of Wagner’s early masterpiece, presented in honor of his bicentennial.

April 17, 2013, 6:00 pm
Rabb Lecture Hall
Boston Public Library, Central Branch

Free Community Event!

TUCK EVERLASTING; MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET; WE WILL ROCK YOU;
A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL; I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE; ONCE;
AMERICAN IDIOT; FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL; BLUE MAN GROUP
AND THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

SLATED FOR THE UPCOMING
2013-2014 LEXUS BROADWAY IN BOSTON SEASON

Boston, MA – Broadway In Boston is pleased to announce the upcoming 2013-2014 Lexus Broadway Season which will include ten spectacular theatrical productions at the Boston Opera House, the Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre, the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre and the Charles Playhouse. “We remain committed to ensuring that Boston continues to be the pre-eminent destination for all Broadway productions,” said Rich Jaffe, President of Broadway In Boston. “The variety of our Season reinforces our commitment to developing a deeper sense of community and expanding the diversity of our programming and audiences.”

In partnership with the Citi Performing Arts Center, Broadway In Boston’s commitment to keep the lights shining bright at the Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre continues with four productions scheduled. Launching the upcoming 2013-2014 Season at the Citi Emerson Colonial Theatre is the highly anticipated World Premiere Pre-Broadway engagement of TUCK EVERLASTING which continues the long-standing tradition of the Pre-Broadway tryout at this historic theatre. Audiences are invited to relive the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for one of the greatest jam sessions of all times when MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET arrives in Boston this Fall. The film defined a generation and became a pop culture phenomenon and now, FLASHDANCE – THE MUSICAL dances its way onto the stage of the Citi Emerson Colonial Theatre next Spring. Also scheduled, is the new production of I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE, a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience that will transport Boston theater-goers back to 1952 as part of a live TV studio audience reminding us all – whether young or old – that everybody really does LOVE LUCY!

The Boston Opera House will play host when WE WILL ROCK YOU, the worldwide smash hit musical by Queen and Ben Elton featuring the legendary British rock group’s greatest songs, comes to Boston this Fall. Kicking off the New Year is Broadway’s 2012 Tony Award winning Best Musical ONCE, an original Broadway experience that features an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, which will be unforgettable for Boston audiences in every way. Back by popular demand is the moving and emotionally-charged AMERICAN IDIOT, based on Green Day’s Grammy Award-winning multi-Platinum album featuring some of their biggest hits. Rounding out the Broadway In Boston Season is Cameron Mackintosh’s stunning new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s internationally acclaimed THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which premieres in Boston following its sold out UK tour.
A new holiday tradition is coming to Boston! Follow young Ralphie’s hilarious journey for the perfect gift in the upcoming production of A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL which comes to the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre this holiday season! Broadway In Boston is also pleased to announce that Subscribers will experience the international entertainment phenomenon BLUE MAN GROUP, complete with electrifying music, sensational technology, and their signature interactive, audience experiences, as part of the upcoming 175th Anniversary of the Charles Playhouse.

Over 500 people from around the city gathered to celebrate today’s announcement including Broadway In Boston’s Premiere Season Ticket holders, group leaders, Arts and business leaders, city officials, partners from around the city, sponsors and the Boston media. Highlights from the day included special live performances from the casts of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET and I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE.

Broadway In Boston is also pleased to announce that for the tenth consecutive year, Lexus will continue as the official name-in-title sponsor of the Broadway In Boston Season. Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service from its dealers. Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader, offering five hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and first-class luxury. When it began, Lexus offered two models of vehicles. Now, more than 20 years later, Lexus offers variations of 10 vehicles, from the sporty CT 200h hybrid to the V10 supercar, the LFA.

In addition to Lexus, Broadway In Boston welcomes back Eastern Bank as its official bank, Jordan’s Furniture, the official furniture and mattress store, JetBlue Airways, the official airline as well as Tufts HealthPlan, the official HealthPlan of the 2013-2014 Season.

The 2013-2014 Lexus Broadway In Boston Season (in date order):

Pre-Broadway World Premiere of TUCK EVERLASTING
July 28 – August 18, 2013
Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre
If you could live forever, would you? That’s the eternal question of TUCK EVERLASTING. In a small New England town, a young girl dreaming of adventure stumbles upon a family with a fabulous secret. Their chance encounter sends them on an unforgettable journey that will test everything they believe about love, life, and what it means to truly feel alive. Based on the beloved best-selling, award-winning novel by Natalie Babbitt, TUCK EVERLASTING comes to life on stage in a wholly original production, directed and choreographed by Tony Award® winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, The Drowsy Chaperone, Spamalot), featuring a book by Tony® Award nominee Claudia Shear (Dirty Blonde) and music and lyrics by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen (The Burnt Part Boys). This world premiere musical begins its pre-Broadway engagement at Boston’s celebrated Citi Emerson Colonial Theatre this July. For more information please visit www.TuckEverlastingMusical.com.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
October 8 – 20, 2013
Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is the Tony® Award –winning Broadway musical, inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n’ roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. On December 4, 1956, these four young musicians gathered at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions ever. MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET brings that legendary night to life, an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring a score of rock hits including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “That’s All Right,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Walk the Line,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Who Do You Love?,” “Matchbox,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Hound Dog” and more. This thrilling musical brings you inside the recording studio with four major talents who came together as a red-hot rock ‘n’ roll band for one unforgettable night. Don’t miss your chance to be a fly on the wall of fame…at MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET! For more information please visit www.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com.

WE WILL ROCK YOU
November 5 – 10, 2013
Boston Opera House
From London’s West End, the worldwide smash hit musical by Queen and Ben Elton comes to Boston for a limited engagement! WE WILL ROCK YOU features the greatest hits of the legendary British rock group, Queen. Now in its 11th year in London and seen by a staggering 15 million people worldwide, this hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon boasts a fantastic score of killer Queen tunes that you just can’t resist singing along to, such as “Another One Bites The Dust,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Are The Champions,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, of course, “We Will Rock You.” It’s the world champion of musicals and the show that rocks harder than any other, so don’t miss the party! For more information please visit www.BroadwayInBoston.com.

A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL
November 20 – December 8, 2013
Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre
Ralphie Parker wants only one thing for Christmas: An Official Red Ryder® Carbine-Action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle. A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL is the hilarious account of Ralphie’s desperate quest to ensure that this most perfect of gifts ends up under his tree this Christmas. Directed by Tony Award®-winner John Rando and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, this new musical based on the classic 1983 movie, which itself was based on stories by legendary radio humorist Jean Shepherd, features funny and heartfelt songs by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul and a faithful yet inventive book by Joseph Robinette. The New York Times says, “I WAS DAZZLED” and the Associated Press calls it, “A CHARMING TRIUMPH INFUSED WITH UTTER JOY.” A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL captures holiday wonder with such deliciously wicked wit that it is sure to delight children and grown-ups alike! www.AChristmasStorytheMusical.com.

I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE
December 3 – 22, 2013
Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre
I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE is the brand-new hit stage show adapted from the most beloved program in television history! It’s 1952 and you are a member of the Desilu Playhouse studio audience awaiting the filming of two hilarious and oh-so-familiar I LOVE LUCY® episodes. A charming host entertains and enlightens you to the behind-the-scenes filming process of this brand new thing called “television,” the Crystaltone Singers perform advertising jingles in perfect 50s style harmony and the sidesplitting antics of America’s favorite foursome – Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel – are presented live on stage and in color for the very first time! It’s a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience TV Guide’s William Keck calls “the most entertaining stage production I’ve seen in years – including Broadway!” The truth is in the title – whether young or old, everybody really does LOVE LUCY!
ONCE
January 7 – 19, 2014
Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre
Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, ONCE is a truly original Broadway experience. Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights… but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, ONCE draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It’s an unforgettable story about going for your dreams… not living in fear… and the power of music to connect all of us. For more information please visit www.OnceMusical.com.

Green Day’s AMERICAN IDIOT
February 7 – 9, 2014
Boston Opera House
A critical sensation on Broadway and in London, the smash-hit musical AMERICAN IDIOT tells the story of three lifelong friends, forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Based on Green Day’s Grammy Award®-winning multi-platinum album and featuring the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the blockbuster title track, AMERICAN IDIOT boldly takes the American musical where it’s never gone before. With direction by Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), choreography by Steven Hoggett (Once) and orchestrations and arrangements by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), the result is an experience Charles Isherwood of The New York Times declares “thrilling, emotionally charged, and as moving as any Broadway musical I’ve seen this year!” PARENTAL ADVISORY: Contains explicit language. For more information please visit www.AmericanIdiottheMusical.com.

FLASHDANCE – THE MUSICAL
March 11 – 23, 2014
Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre
Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the pop culture phenomenon of FLASHDANCE is now live on stage. With electrifying dance at its core, FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder by day and a bar dancer by night with dreams of one day becoming a professional performer. When romance with her steel mill boss threatens to complicate her ambitions, Alex learns the meaning of love and its power to fuel the pursuit of her dream. FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL features a score that includes the biggest hit songs from the movie, including the Academy Award-winning title song “Flashdance – What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “Gloria,” “Manhunt,” and “I Love Rock & Roll.” In addition to these hits, 16 brand new songs have been written for the musical with music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Robert Cary and Robbie Roth. FLASHDANCE-THE MUSICAL features a book by Tom Hedley (co-writer of the original screenplay), and Robert Cary with direction and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis). For more information please visit www.FlashdancetheMusical.com.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
June 11 – July 20, 2014
Boston Opera House
Following an acclaimed sell-out tour of the United Kingdom, Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s phenomenal musical success, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, will make its premiere in Boston as part of a brand new US National Tour. Hailed as “Stunning, intense and spectacular” by the Sunday Express, this production features a brilliant new design by Paul Brown, costumes by the much missed Maria Björnson, a new staging by Laurence Connor – director of the recent acclaimed 25th anniversary celebration at the Royal Albert Hall – and new choreography by Scott Ambler. The production is overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh. For more information please visit www.ThePhantomOfTheOperaTour.com.

BLUE MAN GROUP
Ongoing
Charles Playhouse
BLUE MAN GROUP is a global phenomenon with theatrical and digital media operations across three continents, permanent live performance installations in six cities, an ongoing theatrical tour of the USA and Canada, and a highly acclaimed show on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Epic. Here in Boston, BLUE MAN GROUP continues to pack the Charles Playhouse by showcasing ingenuity and technology while uniting the audience in primal, collective exhilaration. Theatergoers 7 to 70 will enjoy the show’s unique combination of theatre, percussion, music, art, science and humor. For more information visit www.blueman.com/boston.

SEASON TICKET INFORMATION:
Series Tickets are now on sale for the series that includes: TUCK EVERLASTING, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, BLUE MAN GROUP, ONCE, FLASHDANCE – THE MUSICAL AND THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. To order Season Tickets please visit www.BroadwayInBoston.com or call 866-523-7469. The Season specials are WE WILL ROCK YOU; A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL; I LOVE LUCY®! LIVE ON STAGE and AMERICAN IDIOT and are only currently available with the purchase of Season Tickets.

Please Note: Member tickets and single ticket on-sales for all shows to be announced at a later time. Public on-sales to be announced at a later date.

GROUP SALES INFORMATION:
For more information on Group Sales please visit www.BroadwayInBoston.com, email Groups@BroadwayInBoston.com or call 617-482-8616.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN BOSTON:
Broadway In Boston is Boston’s leading theatrical presenter and producer of Broadway since 1984. For the past 29 years, more than six million theatergoers have experienced over 250 Broadway In Boston productions in many of the city’s historic theatres including the Boston Opera House and the Citi Emerson Colonial Theatre. Long-running sensations and Boston favorites, Blue Man Group and Shear Madness continue their successful runs at the Charles Playhouse, a Broadway In Boston venue. Broadway In Boston is part of the Broadway Across America network. For more information please visit www.BroadwayInBoston.com.

BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA part of the Key Brand Entertainment family of companies which includes Broadway.com and is operated by British theatre producer John Gore (Owner & CEO). Broadway Across America presents first-class touring musicals and plays across 40 North American cities and, under the supervision of Beth Williams (CEO – Theater Division), is dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse theatre. Recent and current Broadway productions include Hands on a Hardbody; Million Dollar Quartet (Broadway, off-Broadway, West End, US Tour, Las Vegas); Pippin; The Testament of Mary; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Memphis; One Man, Two Guvnors; The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; and the Toronto production of War Horse. Upcoming: Tuck Everlasting, Little Miss Sunshine, Big Fish, and The Blonde Streak. Broadway.com is the premier theater website for news, exclusive content and ticket sales. For more information please visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com and Broadway.com.
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Award-winning singer Brian De Lorenzo swings into Scullers to celebrate the artistry and remarkable career of one of America’s favorite singers, Nat King Cole. De Lorenzo presents songs for which Mr. Cole is well known – songs such as “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” and “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” – plus stories and anecdotes about Mr. Cole’s personal and professional lives. De Lorenzo will also interweave memories and anecdotes from his own experiences of Nat King Cole’s music.

As we approach the 40th anniversary of the passing of this wonderful entertainer, De Lorenzo feels that Mr. Cole deserves to be honored for his talent as a singer and for his importance to entertainment and race relations in the 20th Century. Cole also has connections to Massachusetts and Boston as a performer and through family members. Boston-area audiences will find those connections to be extremely interesting.

LIESL TOMMY RETURNS TO THE HUNTINGTON TO HELM “A RAISIN IN THE SUN” – POWERFUL FAMILY CLASSIC ABOUT DEFERRED DREAMS BEGINS MARCH 8
(BOSTON) – Fifty-four years after its Broadway premiere, the Huntington Theatre Company presents A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry’s landmark family classic about deferred dreams. Liesl Tommy (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ruined – IRNE Award for Best Director and Production) returns to the Huntington to helm the production that features Leroy McClain (the title role in Hamlet at California Shakespeare Theater) as Walter Lee Younger and Kimberly Scott (Molly Cunningham in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone – Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations) as matriarch Lena Younger.
“Whenever we’re approaching a classic, we do so with the director in mind,” says Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois. “Liesl Tommy’s powerful Ruined and her fresh approach to Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom are two of the most artistically exciting productions of recent memory at the Huntington, and I look forward to her bringing her perspective to one of the greatest American plays ever written.” Hear more from Peter DuBois about the production at huntingtontheatre.org/peter-raisin.
Hailed by The New York Times as “a play that changed American theatre forever,” A Raisin in the Sun is a fiercely moving portrait of the Younger family – Walter, his wife Ruth, son Travis, mother Lena, and sister Beneatha – packed into a tiny apartment on Chicago’s South Side. They yearn for a better life, and an impending insurance payment could be the key: for Beneatha, an education; for Walter, a business of his own; for Lena, the stability and legacy of homeownership. When Lena takes steps to buy a house in an all-white neighborhood, a racist representative offers to pay the family not to move, and Walter is faced with the choice of erasing past financial mistakes or finally seizing the American Dream so long deferred.
“My father was an urban planner who worked on low-income housing in Boston, and we often talked about how destructive to family life tiny apartments can be,” recalls director Liesl Tommy. “With this production, I’m looking to explore just how desperate poverty can make you when you don’t have the space to be yourself.”
Hansberry’s groundbreaking classic was inspired by her father Carl’s battle to move his family to an all-white neighborhood of Chicago in 1938. After the family took up residency, their neighbors fought to remove them by citing a restrictive covenant they had signed to keep African-Americans out. When the Illinois Supreme Court ruled against the family in 1940, Carl appealed to the US Supreme Court in 1940. The Court’s ruling secured the Hansberrys’ residency, but unready to address the underling civil rights issue, was silent on the legality of restrictive covenants.

A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by an African-American or directed by an African-American to premiere on Broadway. Despite first touring to successful reviews, it took producer Philip Rose more than a year to raise the money to mount it. The production received four Tony Award nominations in 1960 (Best Play, Actor, Actress, Direction) and has been revived and adapted for the screen to great acclaim. It received the 1959 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Play. Having been in continuous production for more than 50 years, the play has become a cultural trope for how we think about the American Dream.
“A Raisin in the Sun asks us to examine the human condition and what it means to be human,” says Joi Gresham, Executive Director and Literary Trustee of The Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust. “How much can we distance a man or a woman from their dreams and aspirations – for themselves, for their children – and still expect them to maintain their dignity and humanity?”
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Leroy McClain (the title role in Hamlet at California Shakespeare Theater) as Walter Lee Younger and Kimberly Scott (Molly Cunningham in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone – Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations) as Lena Younger lead the cast that also features Corey Allen (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at the Huntington) as George Murchison; Jason Bowen (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Ruined at the Huntington) as Joseph Asagai; Ashley Everage (Fen and In the Blood at Rutgers Theater Company) as Ruth Younger; Will McGarrahan (Next Fall and The Drowsy Chaperone at SpeakEasy Stage Company) as Karl Lindner; Maurice E. Parent (The Mountaintop at the Underground Railway Theater) as Bobo; and Keona Welch (Moony’s Kid Don’t Cry at the Drama League DirectorFest 2012) as Beneatha Younger. Cory Janvier and Zaire White alternate as Travis Younger. Calvin Braxton and Christian Roberts are the Moving Men.
Lorraine Hansberry (Playwright) was a playwright, essayist, poet, and leading literary figure in the civil rights movement.
A Raisin in the Sun won the 1959 New York Drama Critics Circle Award and made her the first black, youngest person, and fifth woman to win that prize. Her play The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window was produced on Broadway in 1964.
Ms. Hansberry left a number of finished and unfinished writings that indicate the breadth of her social and artistic vision. Robert Nemiroff, whom she had divorced in 1964 but designated as her literary executor, adapted some of her writings for the stage under the title To Be Young, Gifted, and Black. He also edited and published an anthology of her work (reissued in 1994) that included Les Blancs, The Drinking Gourd, and What Use Are Flowers?. She died from pancreatic cancer in 1965 at the age of 34. A Raisin in the Sun, the first play by an African-American woman produced on Broadway, has become a classic of the American theatre and has enjoyed numerous professional revivals.
Liesl Tommy (Director) returns to the Huntington having previously directed Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Ruined. Her recent credits include the world premieres of Party People by Universes (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), The White Man — A Complex Declaration of Love by Joan Rang (DanskDansk Theatre, Denmark), Peggy Pickett Sees the Face of God by Roland Schimmelpfennig (Luminato Festival/Canadian Stage), Eclipsed by Danai Gurira (Yale Repertory Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and McCarter Theatre), The Good Negro by Tracey Scott Wilson (The Public Theater/NYSF and Dallas Theater Center), A History of Light by Eisa Davis (Contemporary American Theatre Festival), Angela’s Mixtape by Eisa Davis (Synchronicity Performance Group, New Georges), A Stone’s Throw by Lynn Nottage (Women’s Project), and Misterioso 119 by Koffi Kwahule (Berkshire Theatre Group and Act French Festival/Lark Theatre). Her productions have won numerous awards for directing, acting, and design. She has taught master classes in acting, directing, and new play development internationally and taught at The Juilliard School, Trinity Rep/Brown University, The Strasberg Institute, and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is an artistic associate at Sundance Theatre Institute, a native of Cape Town, South Africa and a graduate of Newton North High School and Trinity Repertory Conservatory.

WHAT: CLYBOURNE PARK
WHERE: SpeakEasy Stage Company
Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End.
WHEN: MARCH 1-30
TICKETS: 617-933-8600 or www.SpeakEasyStage.com.

How would you like to see a play that won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the 2011 Olivier Award for Best New Play, and the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play? You are in luck as the SpeakEasy Stage Company presents the Boston-area premiere of CLYBOURNE PARK.

Often Boston versions of New York or London plays miss the original finesse of the acting or directing but not so with this Boston premiere. I can’t imagine any actor doing more with the dual roles of Russ and Dan than Thomas Derrah. He didn’t play these men, he became these men. Joining him with excellent performances were Michael Kaye, Marvelyn MacFarlane, Philana Mia, DeLance Minifee, Paula Plum, and Tim Spears. This is a play that will have your brain cells milling about with more questions than answers. Another bravo shout-out to Cristina Todesco for her scenic design. The convertible nature of the set, set the mood for each act. Bruce Norris, author of Clybourne Park constructed a play that had depth, great dialogue, challenged the audience and was constructed perfectly.

Written by Bruce Norris, author of The Pain and the Itch, The Unmentionables, and A Parallelogram, CLYBOURNE PARK is a bold new work about race, real estate, and the volatile values of each. Inspired by Lorraine Hansberry’s classic play A Raisin in the Sun, this acclaimed work explodes in two outrageous acts set 50 years apart. Act One takes place in 1959, as nervous community leaders anxiously try to stop the sale of a home in a white community to a black family. Act Two is set in the same house in 2009, as the now predominantly African American neighborhood battles to hold its ground in the face of gentrification.

M. Bevin O’Gara, whose recent local credits include You for Me for You, Love Person, Matt & Ben, and The Pain and the Itch, will make her SpeakEasy directorial debut with the production.

CLYBOURNE PARK premiered Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons on February 21, 2010, where it ran for one month. Directed by Pam MacKinnon, the cast featured Frank Wood, Annie Parisse, Jeremy Shamos, Crystal A. Dickinson, Brendan Griffin, Damon Gupton and Christina Kirk.

The play had its UK premiere in August 2010 at the Royal Court Theatre in London directed by Dominic Cooke, the theater’s artistic director. It later transferred to Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End, winning the 2011 Olivier Award for Best New Play.

After productions in Providence and Philadelphia, CLYBOURNE PARK opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on April 19, 2012, for a 16-week limited engagement, which was later extended. The Off-Broadway cast reprised their roles. The play was nominated for several Tony Awards, winning for Best Play. CLYBOURNE PARK also won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2011 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.
BRUCE NORRIS (Playwright) is the author of Clybourne Park, which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2012, the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards (London) for Best Play, 2011, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 2011. Other plays include The Infidel (2000), Purple Heart (2002), We All Went Down to Amsterdam (2003), The Pain and the Itch (2004), The Unmentionables (2006), and A Parallelogram (2010), all of which had their premieres at Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago. Two new plays, titled The Low Road and Domesticated, will premiere in 2013 at the Royal Court Theatre, London and at Lincoln Center Theatre, New York, respectively. His work has also been seen at Playwrights Horizons (New York), Lookingglass Theatre (Chicago), Woolly Mammoth Theatre (Washington, D.C.), Staatstheater Mainz (Germany) and the Galway Festival (Ireland), among others. He is the recipient of the Steinberg Playwright Award (2009), and The Whiting Foundation Prize for Drama (2006) as well as two Joseph Jefferson Awards (Chicago) for Best New Work. He lives in New York.

M. BEVIN O’GARA (Director) has previously directed You for Me For You and Love Person (Company One), Matt and Ben (Central Square Theater), The Pain and the Itch (Company One, IRNE Award nomination for Best Director and Best Ensemble), Two Wives In India and Gary (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Elliot Norton Award nomination for Best Production), 2.5 Minute Ride (Downstage @ New Rep, IRNE Award nomination for Best Solo Performance), Othello and The Crucible (New Rep On Tour), Melancholy Play (Holland Productions), Bat Boy: The Musical (Metro Stage), Tattoo Girl, Painting You, and Artifacts (Williamstown Theatre Festival Workshop), and ANTI-KISS (3 Monkeys Theatrical Productions). Other companies include New Repertory Theatre, the Gaiety Theatre of Dublin, and the Actors Centre of Australia. Ms. O’Gara is Associate Producer at the Huntington Theatre Company. She has a BFA from Boston University in Theatre Studies.

About the Cast

THOMAS DERRAH* (Russ/Dan) returns to SpeakEasy Stage, having earlier acted in Red, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Fuddy Meers. He is a founding member of the A.R.T and has performed in 120 productions there. Mr. Derrah has performed on Broadway in Jackie: An American Life (23 roles) and Off-Broadway in Big Time, Johan Padan, and Oliver Twist. He has performed regionally in theatres in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Houston, and has toured extensively to theatres and festivals in Europe and Asia. Recently he has been performing the title role in Julius Caesar on several tours throughout France for the Centre Dramatique National d’Orléans. Mr. Derrah has also appeared locally at the Huntington, New Rep, Commonwealth Shakespeare, and ASP. He has several IRNE and Norton Awards for acting, including the Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence. He was also awarded the 2010 Brustein Award and a Los Angeles DramaLogue Award. Mr. Derrah appeared in Julie Taymor’s film “Fool’s Fire”, and several programs on CBS, A&E, and PBS. Other film credits include “Mystic River” and “Pink Panther II.” He teaches acting at Harvard and is a graduate of The Yale School of Drama.

MICHAEL KAYE* (Karl/Steve) is thrilled to be making his SpeakEasy debut with this production. Some of Michael’s regional theatre credits include appearances at the Huntington Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Lyric Stage, New Repertory Theatre, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and Boston Center for American Performance. Michael is an Assistant Professor of Acting at The Boston University School of Theatre, where he received both a BFA and MFA in Acting and Theatre Education respectively.

MARVELYN McFARLANE (Francine/Lena) is thrilled to be back in Boston to make her SpeakEasy debut! She spent the past two years developing and performing ESL children’s musicals in South Korea. Boston credits include Huntington Theatre: A Civil War Christmas (u/s for Uzo Aduba); Wheelock Family Theatre: The Little Mermaid; Company One: The Good Negro; Voyeurs de Venus; Articulation; The Bluest Eye; and Our Place Theatre Project: Mother G; Feathers On My Arms. She is a three time IRNE nominee and is so grateful to the Boston theatre community! marvelynmcfarlane.com
PHILANA MIA* (Betsey/Lindsey) is pleased to make her SpeakEasy debut. Philana has appeared at Stoneham Theatre in I Capture the Castle; Central Square Theater in Matt & Ben; Company One in The Pain and the Itch; Apollinaire Theatre in The Wonderful World of Dissocia; and the workshop at Williamstown Theatre Festival in Far Away and Project: Identity. Her film credits include Whaling City, winner of the 2007 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Production Grant and the 2005 Alfred P. Sloan Screenwriting Award; and Silver Circle. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

DeLANCE MINAFEE* (Albert/Kevin) is excited to return to Boston for his SpeakEasy debut. Boston credits include: A Civil War Christmas at the Huntington Theatre; Donnie Darko at the American Repertory Theatre; and Trigger, Phoenician Women, and Pinter’s The Room with ART/MXAT Institute. New York credits include: Dust (u/s) (Off-Broadway), The A-Train Plays (Neighborhood Playhouse), and Cabaret Émigré (Negro Ensemble Company). Regional Credits include: Amistad Voices (Chicago Shakespeare), Death in Venice (Chicago Opera Theatre), HomeBound (Congo Square Theatre/Chicago), Holes (Walden Media/Denver), Smokey Joe’s Café (Playhouse on the Square/Memphis – Nominated for “Best Actor in a Musical” Ostrander Award), A Soldier’s Play, Dreamgirls, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Anything Goes, Damn Yankees, Dracula, and The Wizard of Oz (Arkansas Repertory Theatre). He holds a BA in Theatre Arts, with Minor studies in Dance, from Henderson State University in Arkansas, and an MFA in Acting from The American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theatre-Institute for Advance Theatre Training at Harvard University. More info available at www.delance.net

PAULA PLUM* (Bev/Kathy) SpeakEasy: The Divine Sister, Body Awareness, Reckless, The Savannah Disputation, The History Boys and The New Century. Lyric Stage: 33 Variations, Blithe Spirit, Miss Witherspoon, Three Tall Women; The Goat…or Who is Sylvia?, The Heiress, and Sideman. A founding member of the Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Paula has played Cleopatra in Antony & Cleopatra, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Margaret in Richard III, and Lady Macbeth. She has appeared in Wit for Lyric West; Faith Healer, Molly Sweeney, Happy Days, and Breath of Life for Gloucester Stage; and No Exit, Ivanov, Mother Courage, and Lysistrata at the American Repertory Theater. She has been honored with three Elliot Norton Awards, four IRNES and, in 2003, was named a Distinguished Alumna of Boston University’s School for the Arts. A recipient of the Fox Actor Fellowship, Paula is currently in the third of a three-year actor residency with SpeakEasy Stage. Her play, What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, will be given a staged reading at SpeakEasy on April 29. She is married to actor Richard Snee.

TIM SPEARS* (Jim/Tom) is excited to be making his SpeakEasy debut. Credits in NYC include A Question of Mercy (Potomac Theatre Project): Realism, JUMP! (The Exchange); Jasper Lake (NY Fringe Festival). Regional: Monster, House, Good, and A Question of Mercy (BCAP); Mister Roberts (New Rep); and In the Mood (Olney Theatre Center). Tim earned his BFA in Acting at BU School of Theatre where he is currently a staff member and a part-time graduate student.

\The Boston Conservatory Dance Ensemble, under the artistic direction of Cathy Young, presents Winter. Dance!, a varied program featuring a wide range of aesthetic and technical approaches, including works by contemporary dance giants. Performances take place Thursday–Saturday, Feb. 21—23 at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 23 and 24 at 2 p.m., at The Boston Conservatory Theater, 31 Hemenway Street, in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. Tickets are $30 premium seating, $25 general admission, $15 for senior citizens and $10 for all students with valid ID. Tickets are available through The Boston Conservatory Box Office: (617) 912-9222 and www.bostonconservatory.edu/tickets.

Winter. Dance! features Ezekiel’s Wheel by jazz dance choreographer Danny Buraczeski and Light Rain by Gerald Arpino, which was a signature work of the Joffrey Ballet for many years. In addition, the program introduces two new works by West Coast artist Robert Moses (Wake) and faculty member Diane Arvanites (Shadowed).
Artistic Director Cathy Young received her B.A. in sociology and women’s studies from Harvard and her M.F.A. in dance from the University of Illinois. She is nationally recognized as a master teacher and has taught classes at more than 30 colleges around the country, as well as at the Bates Dance Festival, Florida Dance Festival and the International Open Look Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. As a performer, Young has danced with a number of companies, including Zenon Dance Company and Danny Buraczeski’s Jazzdance! She has also toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe, and she has performed in prestigious venues such as the Joyce Theater in New York and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

About The Boston Conservatory

The Boston Conservatory trains exceptional young performing artists for careers that enrich and transform the human experience. Known for its intimate and supportive multi-disciplinary environment, The Boston Conservatory offers fully accredited graduate and undergraduate programs in music, dance and theater, and presents more than 200 performances each year by students, faculty and guest artists. Since its founding in 1867, The Boston Conservatory has shared its talent and creativity with the city of Boston, the region and the nation, and continues to grow today as a vibrant community of artists and educators. For more information, visit www.bostonconservatory.edu.

To Friend or Not to Friend, That is the Question

People who say that older people, who need people, are the luckiest people in the world are right. I love doing things with people and I can do most things that younger people can do. At 70 plus a lot of months, I teach aerobics and muscle conditioning, I can bound stairs in a single leap, and I can take naps that make infants seethe with jealousy. And yes, I can even mount a dream project that I have been obsessed with for years.

Let me start at the beginning. I have been a life long devotee of Broadway musicals as a musical theatre actor, a director and an adoring audience member. Why, I can see musicals 5 or 6 times without blinking. I just love them and they have no calories. And the actors have to be triple threats. They have to sing, dance and act. Take Hugh Jackman who starred in Oklahoma, The Boy From Oz and now is going to hit the big screen in Les Miz. Amazing!

What I always knew was that this uniquely, quintessentially American art form was created mainly by the Jews. Yes, Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and the list goes on.

As a former TV host and producer, I knew the impact of telling a story on television, so I decided that I was going to put together a film, a documentary on the Jewish legacy of the musical. I cleverly called it , Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy. I immediately named myself creator and executive producer (because I was the creator and executive producer,) hired the best of the best Michael Kantor as director, producer and writer (he has shelves of Emmys many of which are for his film Broadway: The America Musical and others) and we were off and running.

Fast forward to today, three plus years later. The film is completed and being aired on PBS Tuesday January 1, 2012 at 9:30 PM in most markets. So far so good.

Here’s where my age starts playing out in an all too familiar scene. I heard that people use social media to get their message out. I wasn’t sure what social media was but I thought that it must be Facebook. However, I don’t know how to use Facebook so I hired a PhD candidate and Fulbright scholar to do it for me. I instructed her to cover my immediate universe. She did and here’s the personal letter that I wrote as the header to the press release.

Letter #1
Dear Friends,

The film that I have been working on with Michael Kantor, Al Tapper and Jan Gura for over 3 years is finally finished. I am so excited and would like to share the good news with you.

Best,
Barbara Brilliant

PBS Great Performances
Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy
Narrator Joel Grey
Tuesday, January 1 at 9:30 p.m. (Check local listings)

The next morning as I was getting in the elevator in my apartment building a neighbor said, “Barbara, I was so delighted to get your invitation and do you mind if we bring our son.”

Embarrassed to say no, I said “of course. I’ll see you downstairs in the library on Tuesday. “ Knowing that my other friends in the building would be insulted not to have been invited, I dashed off an e-mail inviting people in the building to come to Dessert, Decaf and Documentary at 9 PM on Jan. 1.

Later that day, my friend Willa called me and said, Barbara, where do you have room to put all of those people? I know that you’re excited about the film but doesn’t your library hold max 50 people?”
“Yes, that’s right, “ I answered innocently.
“Well Newt (her husband) read his e-mail invitation from you today and there are over 200 people coming to your house on the first.”
I panicked. OMG, it is against fire regulations to say the least. Help! What was I to do?

Breathlessly, I called my Fulbright scholar. “ I guess that I shouldn’t have sent it out as an invitation, “ she said. “Not to worry, “ she said. She would come over gratis in the evening and would send the following note.
My husband drove me the 15 miles to pick her up, because we didn’t want her to take the subway at night.

Letter #2
The aim of this invite was to formally announced that my movie project I was working on will be aired on PBS channel on Tuesday, … I apologize for any confusion or misunderstanding if this electronic invite event let some of you to believe that there is an actual party or event at my house. However, I would really appreciate and will be very happy if my friend and family can watch my movie on PBS.

“No, no.” I said. So I rewrote the letter for her.

Letter #3
Dear Friends of Barbara Brilliant,
Since Barbara doesn’t know how to use Facebook, she hired me to tell you about her upcoming film. I mistakenly sent it out as an invitation instead of as a notice. I am so sorry for the confusion. Barbara sends her apologies as well and hopes that you enjoy the film on PBS Tuesday night at 9:30 PM.
Thank you for understanding,
S.G. for Barbara Brilliant

So far so good, however what happened next was that the people in the apartment building also got this letter and thought that they were uninvited so I had to write the following.

Letter #4
Although you may have heard about the Facebook mix up, be assured that you are invited for Dessert, Decaf and a Documentary. Come as you are, pajamas are fine.
Tuesday Jan 1, 2013
9:00 PM Film at 9:30PM
Library

Denying that my age has limitations is like saying that I can play professional baseball even though I am old, have astigmatism and am not athletic. A kid of 8 would have not made this mistake; she would not have had to hire someone to use Facebook. She would have stopped her letter writing at #1.

Anyhow on Tuesday January 1, 2013 at 9-11 PM, I might be having a small intimate gathering to view the film, or an extravaganza of people with not enough food, chairs and fire marshals breaking up the illegal gathering dressed in PJs.

I don’t blame my former Facebook friends to dump me after this debacle. Do you want to go out for dinner? I’ll need some new friends since I’m through friending.

Barbara Brilliant

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Barbara Brilliant is a television producer and host, songwriter, speaker, and AFAA fitness professional.