NEWS RELEASE — CONSTANCE JEWELL LOPEZ WILL STAR IN “SISTER ACT” AT MUSICAL THEATRE WEST

CONSTANCE JEWELL LOPEZ
SET TO STAR IN SISTER ACT
AT MUSICAL THEATRE WEST
APRIL 8—24

Critically acclaimed actress and singer Constance Jewell Lopez has been set to star in the leading role of Deloris Van Cartier in the Musical Theatre West production of Sister Act, running April 8—24 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of CSU Long Beach. Opening is set for Saturday, April 9 at 8pm.

Constance Jewell Lopez was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. She started out as a vocalist in cabarets and soon joined forces with rapper Lyrics Born and traveled with him nationally as a vocalist for 15 years. She also performed as a backup singer for Huey Lewis and the News. Her first show as a professional actress was in a production of Oklahoma! at Woodminster Amphitheater in Oakland, CA. Constance was then cast in American Girls Revue in Los Angeles and performed in the show for two years. Following that, she became a company member at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga. Most recently, her performances as Sofia in The Color Purple at Celebration Theatre and as Effie in Dreamgirls with DOMA Theatre Company garnered both popular and critical acclaim. On television, she has appeared on Melissa & Joey, The Office, and in a national AT&T commercial.

Based on the 1992 film comedy of the same name, the Broadway production of Sister Act ran for 562 performances and was nominated for five Tony Awards. The Musical Theatre West production will be directed by two-time Ovation Award-winner Michael Matthews, with musical direction by David Lamoureux. Tickets for Sister Act may be purchased online at www.musical.org or by phone at (562) 856-1999, ext. 4.

For more on Constance Jewell Lopez, visit www.constancejewelllopez.com.

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03-08-16

^{Constance Jewell Lopez. Photo by Neil Reinhold.}

NEWS RELEASE — HEATHER PROVOST NAMED PRODUCING DIRECTOR OF HOLLYWOOD’S BLANK THEATRE

HEATHER PROVOST
NAMED PRODUCING DIRECTOR
OF HOLLYWOOD’S BLANK THEATRE

Heather Provost has been named The Blank Theatre’s new Producing Director, it was announced today by Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director and Noah Wyle, Artistic Producer.

Heather Provost is a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award-nominated producer. Critically acclaimed hits on Broadway include Reasons To Be Pretty by Neil LaBute (three Tony nominations including Best Play), and the musical [title of show] (Tony Nomination for Best Book of a Musical). She produced the hugely successful Under My Skin segment of ‘The Pink Campaign’ on Broadway for which all proceeds went to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and she also produced and directed the California Theatre’s acclaimed productions of Driving Miss Daisy and Love Letters. Provost produced the short film Harmony starring Jason Alexander and just wrapped the feature film Racing Colt which she produced and co-directed. She is currently producing the Broadway-bound play Coffee Stains and the musical V-V-Voice. Current feature films include Among, Harmony, and A December Destiny. Other credits include Page To The Stage, History of Musical Theater, Reality Check, Who Knew?…The In-the-Know Travel Show, and Chix 6. She is founding partner at Provost Entertainment Inc., and was on the faculty at The Commercial Theater Institute in New York City.

Said Founding Artistic Director Daniel Henning, “I am so looking forward to beginning this new journey with Heather as the Producing Director of The Blank. She is the perfect fit for our cutting-edge new work. Her sensibilities and experience will help The Blank reach new heights and new audiences. We are lucky to have her on our team for this exciting time in our history.”

“We are thrilled to have Heather joining us at The Blank,” said Artistic Producer Noah Wyle. “Her energy, creativity, and experience make her a perfect fit for The Blank’s numerous programs. I’m really excited to see what we can create together in the coming years.”

The Blank’s upcoming world premiere production of A Singular They by Aliza Goldstein begins previews on March 19. Directed by Christopher J. Raymond, the cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Nick Ballard, Lily Nicksay, and Hannah Prichard. Preview performances begin on Saturday, March 19 at 8pm and continue on Sunday, March 20 at 2pm, and Tuesday through Friday, March 22—25 at 8pm. Opening is set for Saturday, March 26 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm through May 1. Tickets are $25 for previews and $30 for regular performances and may be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com or via phone at (323) 661-9827. The Blank’s 2nd Stage Theatre is located at 6500 Santa Monica Boulevard (on Theatre Row at Wilcox), in Hollywood, 90038.

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03-08-16

NEWS RELEASE — “VARLA JEAN MERMAN’S BIG BLACK HOLE” — THREE NITES ONLY AT LALGBT’s RENBERG THEATRE APRIL 1, 2, & 3

The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s
Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center
Presents
Varla Jean Merman’s
Big Black Hole
Written by Jeffery Roberson and Jacques Lamarre
With Gerald Goode on piano
Directed by Michael Schiralli

Friday & Saturday, April 1 & 2 and Sunday, April 3

The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced the return of the extraordinary Varla Jean Merman to the Renberg Theatre. Long a favorite with Renberg audiences, Varla (the drag persona of New Orleans native Jeffery Roberson) will take the stage again after a 10-year absence during which the acclaimed performer did extensive research in outer space. Her new solo show, the science fiction-themed Varla Jean Merman’s Big Black Hole, is the culmination of this long and grueling research. It will play for three nights only at the Renberg Theatre on April 1, 2 and 3.

Described as “a warp-speed, warped tour of outer space” (Provincetown Magazine), Big Black Hole combines story, song, and video in “an inventive night of theatre, full of high-class production, vaudevillesque low-brow humor, and the vocal prowess of a grand dame of the stage.” (ibid.) The show also features the piano stylings of accompanist and Varla-foil Gerald Goode.

As Varla Jean Merman, Jeffery Roberson has filled cabarets and concert halls across the world including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the New York Public Theater, London’s Soho Theatre, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre. He wrote and starred in the short Improve Your History with Varla Jean: Stonewall for the launch of the MTV television network logo, and was also seen in their One Night Standup: Dragtastic special. Varla starred in the new musical Lucky Guy opposite Leslie Jordan in New York at the Little Shubert in the spring of 2011, receiving rave reviews. Roberson has also guest-starred on Ugly Betty, Project Runway Season 5, appeared as Mary Sunshine in the revival of Chicago on Broadway, and recurred as lady-of-the-evening Rosemary Chicken on the classic ABC soap opera All My Children. For his role in the cult camp hit Girls Will Be Girls, Roberson won both Best Actor and Best Actress awards (Outfest, Aspen HBO Film Festivals). For more information about Varla Jean Merman, visit varlaonline.com.

General admission tickets are $25 and may be purchased online at www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre or by phone at (323) 860-7300. The performances on Friday 4/1 and Saturday 4/2 are at 8pm, and on Sunday 4/3 the curtain will rise at 7pm. Net proceeds from all ticket sales will support the full range of free and low-cost programs and services offered by the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre is located at 1125 N. McCadden Place (one block east of Highland, just north of Santa Monica Boulevard), in Hollywood, 90038. Free onsite parking is available.

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03-07-16