Photographs: The Temperamentals (The Blank Theatre Company)

Photographs by Greg Gorman

Announcing: Blank Theatre Company’s ‘The Temperamentals’ Cast Set; Rehearsals Underway; Previews Begin April 9

CAST ANNOUNCED AND REHEARSALS HAVE BEGUN
FOR THE BLANK THEATRE COMPANY’S WEST COAST PREMIERE OF THE TEMPERAMENTALS BY JON MARANS
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL MATTHEWS

FINAL PRODUCTION OF THE BLANK’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON WILL FEATURE ERICH BERGEN, DENNIS CHRISTOPHER,
PATRICK SCOTT LEWIS, MARK SHUNOCK AND JOHN TARTAGLIA

PREVIEWS BEGIN APRIL 9; OPENING SET FOR APRIL 16
AT 2nd STAGE THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD

Casting is complete and rehearsals have begun for The Blank Theatre Company’s final production of its 20th anniversary season, the West Coast premiere of The Temperamentals. Directed by Michael Matthews, The Temperamentals will begin preview performances on Saturday, April 9, 2011 and is set to open on Saturday, April 16 at 8pm. The engagement will run through Sunday, May 22.

The cast, in alphabetical order, is Erich Bergen (Jersey Boys, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for Reprise, Venice at the Kirk Douglas Theatre), BAFTA Award-winner Dennis Christopher (Deadwood, Profiler, and returning to The Blank where his performance as Alan Turing in Breaking The Code won him LA Weekly and LADCC Awards), Patrick Scott Lewis (American Dreams, Zodiac), Mark Shunock (Timon in The Lion King), and John Tartaglia (Tony Award nominee for Avenue Q; the original cast of Shrek The Musical). Director Michael Matthews has worked extensively on Broadway, internationally, and in Los Angeles and Chicago. Recent highlights in Los Angeles include the critically acclaimed productions of Haram Iran!, The Women of Brewster Place, and Take Me Out at Celebration Theatre; Dead End at the Ahmanson Theatre, and The Cherry Orchard (starring Annette Bening) at the Mark Taper Forum. He has also directed The Jazz Age and The Santaland Diaries for The Blank.

In 1950s Los Angeles, tired of police harassment, back alley bars and living in fear, a few brave souls set out to change their world and claim their civil rights. In a time when nothing could be spoken in the open, notorious communist Harry Hay and cultural icon Rudi Gernreich fell in love while building a movement. This is their story. “Temperamental” was code for “homosexual,” part of a secret survival language created by gay men in the pre-Stonewall United States.

Of the recent smash off-Broadway production, The New York Times called The Temperamentals “Intellectual, emotional, and sexual.” “Combines savvy context and ascending flights of bittersweet fabulousness,” said New York Newsday. And the Associated Press called it, “Fascinating, entertaining, and emotionally affecting.” Playwright Jon Marans is well known for his play Old Wicked Songs, which was a 1996 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, and has been produced throughout the United States and translated and produced in a dozen countries around the world. Other plays by Marans include A Strange and Separate People, Child Child, and Jumping for Joy.

The design team for The Temperamentals includes set by Kurt Boetcher, lighting by Cameron Zetty, costumes by Lauren Tyler, and sound by Warren Davis. Matt Wolpe serves as music director, and producers are Daniel Henning, Noah Wyle, Matthew Graber and Angel Parker. The production stage manager is Marcedes Clanton.

The Temperamentals begins previews on Saturday, April 9 at 8pm. Previews will continue on Sunday, April 10 at 2pm and Tuesday, April 12 through Friday, April 15 at 8pm. Opening night is Saturday, April 16 at 8:00. Admission is $26 for previews and ranges from $26-$30 for regular performances. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by visiting www.TheBlank.com, or by calling (323) 661-9827. A speakeasy-style bar will be open to ticket holders at the Dragonfly Club (adjacent to the 2nd Stage) before evening performances, as well as at intermission.

The Blank’s 2nd Stage Theatre is located at 6500 Santa Monica Boulevard (at Wilcox), in Hollywood. Secured valet parking is available.

Photographs:
The cast of “The Temperamentals,” L to R: Erich Bergen, Dennis Christopher, John Tartaglia, Patrick Scott Lewis.  Missing: Mark Shunock. PHOTO BY MATTHEW GRABER.
L to R: Dennis Christopher, Erich Bergen and John Tartaglia during the first read-through of “The Temperamentals” (The Blank Theatre Company production) on Tuesday, March 1, 2011. PHOTO BY MATTHEW GRABER.

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03-02-11

Announcing: Erich Bergen Brings Club Act to SF’s Rrazz Room Mon 2/7

FORMER “JERSEY BOYS” STAR ERICH BERGEN
BRINGS HIS NEW CLUB ACT TO SAN FRANCISCO
CELEBRATING FIRST SOLO CD RELEASE
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7 AT THE RRAZZ ROOM

In celebration of his first solo CD release, former Jersey Boys star Erich Bergen brings his new club act to San Francisco at the Rrazz Room at the Hotel Nikko on February 7 at 8pm.

Of Bergen’s appearance at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles in September, 2010, BroadwayWorld.com said, “Taking the stage with the gusto akin to a tornado or blazing brushfire, this young dynamo captivated the packed house from the moment he opened his mouth.” Added BlogCritics.org, “Erich Bergen is one hell of a performer!” “Savvy, classy, hip … a razor-sharp sense of humor,” said LATalkRadio.com.

Erich Bergen recently completed a three-year run starring as Bob Gaudio in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Jersey Boys, beginning with the year-long San Francisco engagement at the Curran Theatre (2006-2007). He also appeared in the Los Angeles, First National Tour and Las Vegas companies. Other recent credits include Gossip Girl (CW Network), White Christmas (Pantages Theatre), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Reprise), and Venice (Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre). He also co-produced, directed, and served as musical director for Las Vegas Celebrates the Music of Michael Jackson, a benefit concert which raised $118,000 for Music Education in Nevada public schools.

Bergen’s CD, titled The Vegas Sessions, features new studio recordings of original compositions in the pop genre, along with live tracks recorded during three sold out Las Vegas appearances at the Liberace Museum in April, 2009. The disc will be available for purchase at the Rrazz Room concert, and is also available at Amazon.com, CD Baby, iTunes and other digital music outlets.

Bergen’s San Francisco appearance at the Rrazz Room is on Monday, February 7 at 8pm and the Hotel Nikko is located at 222 Mason Street. Tickets are on sale now at $25 and $50 (VIP package that includes a copy of the CD, a post-show reception, meet-and-greet, and a champagne toast), and can be purchased at www.therrazzroom.com or by calling TicketWeb at (866) 468-3399. Admission to the Rrazz Room is limited to those over 21 years of age.

Visit Erich Bergen at www.erichbergen.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/erichbergenfans, and follow Erich on twitter @erichbergen.

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01-18-11