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PRESS RELEASE: “THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST” WINS HOLLYWOOD FRINGE PRODUCER’S ENCORE AWARD — 3 PERFS ADDED

2014 HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL
PRODUCER’S ENCORE AWARD!

QUEER CLASSICS PRESENTS
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
BY OSCAR WILDE
DIRECTED BY CASEY KRINGLEN

THREE PERFORMANCES ONLY
JULY 12, 13 &14
LET LIVE THEATRE AT THE ACTORS COMPANY

Mason & Boone backstageQueer Classics re-imagines one of the most popular comedic plays ever written — Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, by presenting the four lovers in the story as dashing gay men. Winner of a 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival Producer’s Encore Award, Earnest will play three additional performances only on Saturday, July 12 at 9pm; Sunday, July 13 at 7pm; and Monday, July 14 at 8pm.

Two couples fight for the right to be engaged in this masterful satire written by Oscar Wilde, arrested in 1895 for “gross indecency with men.” This timeless story galavants through a world obsessed with appearances, money and social-status. By presenting the four lovers as gay men, the parallels with today’s Hollywood and American culture make for searing fun. Running time is 90 minutes.

Mason-Casey-Philip-Boone“Each of these talented actors mined new meaning into the script, creating more laughter throughout the play than I have ever experienced before,” raves Shari Barrett at BroadwayWorld.com. Rob Stevens of HainesHisWay.com calls the production “… delirious fun,” and Toby Jacobs at NeonTommy.com says, “… everyone seems to have a real blast onstage, and it shows in their performances. It is hard to recall a version of Earnest that was quite this much fun.”

Directed by Casey Kringlen, the cast features (in alphabetical order) Eric DeLoretta, Jeff Elam, Grant Jordan, Nancy La Scala, Mason McCulley, Philip Orazio, Boone Platt, and Megan Soule. Lighting design is by Dan Weingarten and stage manager is Caitlin Leong.

Queer Classics is dedicated to sharing classic stories re-imagined through a queer lens — art for the LGBTQ community and its supporters. This production of Earnest was part of the City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, which this year celebrated marriage equality. For more, visit www.weho.org/pride.

Seats for the Producer’s Encore Award performances of The Importance of Being Earnest are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets may be obtained online at www.hollywoodfringe.org or by phone at (323) 455-4585.

The Let Live Theatre at the Actors Company is located at 916 N. Formosa Avenue in Los Angeles, 90036. Street and lot parking are available.

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06-30-14

Photo 1: L to R — Mason McCulley, Boone Platt.

Photo 2: Front to back — Mason McCulley, Casey Kringlen, Philip Orazio, Boone Platt.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF QUEER CLASSICS.

PRESS RELEASE — TONY AWARD-WINNER JENNIFER HOLLIDAY HEADLINES ‘BROADWAY UNDER THE STARS’ SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

CHRIS ISAACSON PRESENTS
JENNIFER HOLLIDAY
STARRING IN
BROADWAY UNDER THE STARS
ALSO FEATURING ERICH BERGEN, ROGELIO DOUGLAS, JR.,
DANNY GURWIN AND CHAD KIMBALL

DIRECTED BY DAVID GALLIGAN

ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 AT 8PM
JOHN ANSON FORD AMPHITHEATRE

Following up the triumphant Night After the Tonys With Linda Eder, Chris Isaacson Presents has announced a one-night-only concert event at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on Saturday, August 16 at 8pm. Broadway Under the Stars will star Tony Award-winner Jennifer Holliday and will also feature (in alphabetical order) Erich Bergen (Jersey Boys, stage and film), Rogelio Douglas, Jr. (In the Heights), Danny Gurwin (Little Women) and Tony Award-nominee Chad Kimball (Memphis).  David Galligan will direct, and the music director is Gerald Sternbach.

Broadway Under the Stars Cast

Broadway Under the Stars will feature songs from some of the most beloved musicals of our time, including Cabaret, Jersey Boys, Pippin, The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Les Misérables, and Wicked, along with new favorites from the 2013-14 Broadway season including Aladdin, Rocky, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

With one of Broadway’s greatest voices, Jennifer Holliday’s immeasurable range and artistry have long stood in a class by themselves. She was honored with the 1982 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Effie Melody White in Dreamgirls. Through the years, she has appeared on television, in many other stage productions, and as a soloist with Symphony Orchestras all over the country. Holliday has performed for four U.S. Presidents.

Erich Bergen is best known for his stage portrayal of Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys, a role he played in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and in the First National Tour. Bergen was tapped by director Clint Eastwood to reprise his performance in the Warner Bros feature film, which opened in June. (www.ErichBergen.com).  Rogelio Douglas, Jr. has appeared on Broadway in The Little Mermaid and In the Heights. (www.rogeliodouglasjr.com)

Danny Gurwin’s Broadway credits include Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Kismet, and A Little Night Music at the New York City Opera. He repeated his acclaimed performance in that production at the Los Angeles Opera and the Kennedy Center. (www.dannygurwin.com) Chad Kimball is a 2010 Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for his role in Memphis. Other Broadway credits include Lennon, Into the Woods (2002 revival), The Civil War, and Good Vibrations. (www.chadkimball.com)

David Galligan has directed countless stage productions in Los Angeles, New York, and many other major American cities. He is the recipient of the LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Award for Lifetime Achievement and has produced and directed Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event directed for the past 30 years. It is the longest running AIDS benefit in the world.

Broadway Under the Stars is at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Hollywood, for one performance only on Saturday, August 16 at 8pm. Tickets are $40, $55, and $95; for students and children, tickets are $20. VIP packages are available (includes premium seating and a post-show reception with the artists). Purchase by August 2 and save $5! Discount tickets are available at FordTheatres.org or by calling 323-461-3673. To learn about discounts for groups of eight or more, call 323-769-2147.

A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit The Actors Fund, a national human services organization that helps everyone — performers and those behind the scenes — who works in performing arts and entertainment, serving more than 17,000 people annually. Programs include social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and employment and training services. www.actorsfund.org.

For more information about this and other CIP events, including scheduled performers, showtimes, and tickets, visit www.ChrisIsaacsonPresents.com.

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06/23/14

 
 

PRESS RELEASE — COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS “ANDRONICUS” — OPENING JULY 12 AT LYRIC-HYPERION THEATRE & CAFE

COEURAGE THEATRE COMPANY
LA’S ‘PAY WHAT YOU WANT’ THEATRE COMPANY
 PRESENTS
ANDRONICUS
ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY JEREMY LELLIOTT
OPENS SATURDAY, JULY 12
AT LYRIC-HYPERION THEATRE & CAFE

Coeurage Theater Company LogoCoeurage Theatre Company, LA’s ‘Pay What You Want’ Company, has announced the second production of its 2014  season, Andronicus, adapted and directed by Coeurage artistic director Jeremy Lelliott. There will be one preview performance on Friday, July 11 at 8pm and opening is set for Saturday, July 12 at 8pmAndronicus will play through August 17 at Coeurage’s new home, the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Cafe in Silver Lake.

Deliciously twisted humor gives way to unexpected poignancy in this bold take on William Shakespeare’s original horror play The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus. Reveling in the darkest corners of human nature, Andronicus is a streamlined adaptation of Shakespeare’s most violent play; the bard’s masterful dramatic structure and brutal tale of revenge have been carefully preserved.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Brian Abraham, Anthony Mark Barrow, Ted Barton, Gabriel Di Chiara, Kaitlyn Gault, Doug Harvey, Mark Jacobson, Zach Kanner, John Klopping, Nardeep Khurmi, TJ Marchbank, John McKetta, Katie Pelensky,Paul Romero, Chris Salazar, and Rebekah Tripp.

Scenic design is by Dean Cameron, lighting design is by Tito Fleetwood Ladd, costume design is by Kara McLeod, and sound design is by Joseph V. Calarco. Choreography is by Tiffany Cole with fight choreography by TJ Marchbank. Stage manager is Emily Goodall.

Andronicus will play one preview performance on Friday, July 11 at 8pm and opening is set for Saturday, July 12 at 8pm. The regular running schedule is as follows — Fridays, July 18, 25 and August 1, 8, and 15 at 8pm; Saturdays, July 26 and August 9 at 8pm; Sundays, July 20 and August 3 and 17 at 7pm through August 17. All seats are available on a Pay What You Want basis, and may be reserved online at www.coeurage.org/tickets or by calling (323) 944-2165.

The Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Cafe is located at 2106 Hyperion Avenue in Los Angeles, 90027. Street parking is available.

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06-19-14

**The Coeurage PAY WHAT YOU WANT Policy**

Pay What You Can is based on a person’s ability to pay.

Pay What You Want is based on a patron’s desire.

It is a value placement as well as an economic decision, designed to eliminate cost as a factor in attending theatre. Each patron decides what a theatre experience is worth to him or her, and some decide it is worth more than they initially paid.

For that reason, the box office is kept open during intermission and after performances.