PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 6, 2009
Media Contact: Michelle Sanders, Public Relations Manager
(425) 392-1942 x124
www.villagetheatre.org
WORLD PREMIERE of NEW MUSICAL Stunt GIrl
At Village Theatre
Written by tony nominee and disney composer
Everett and Issaquah, WA – Village Theatre produces the World Premiere new musical Stunt Girl; a fast and funny account of the true adventures of Nellie Bly (1864-1922), New York’s first female investigative journalist. Stunt Girl will be on stage in Issaquah March 18-April 26, 2009 and in Everett from May 1-24, 2009.
Stunt Girl was conceived by composer David Friedman with book and lyrics by two-time Tony award nominee Peter Kellogg (Anna Karenina). Friedman has composed hundreds of popular songs, notably for Diana Ross and Barry Manilow, and has been a frequent vocal arranger and conductor for Disney in the animated musicals Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Barry Manilow comments, “Your songs continue to get the most emotional response of all the sings I’ve ever done. Please never stop writing. Your #1 fan, Barry Manilow.”
This musical has had two readings in New York, was part of the Village Originals Festival of New Musicals in 2005 and received a subsequent workshop in 2006. In 2008, Stunt Girl received a staged reading at American Century Theater in Washington DC. Village Theatre’s Mainstage production of Stunt Girl marks the first full production and World Premiere of this incredible new musical.
Stunt Girl traces the rise of investigative journalist Nellie Bly through some of her most legendary exploits including the “stunt” that got her committed to the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island in order to write an exposé on the deplorable conditions there. The show also chronicles her antic personal life and relationships with the likes of Joseph Pulitzer and millionaire manufacturer Robert Seaman.
Single tickets are currently available for the Issaquah run, and tickets go on sale in Everett on March 25, 2009. Group tickets are available now in both locations; groups of 10 or more qualify for the group ticket discount. Please contact the Village Theatre Box Office for more information—Issaquah at (425) 392-2202 or Everett at (425) 257-8600.
Village Theatre’s production of Stunt Girl is directed by Steve Tomkins (Village Theatre: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA, The King and I); scenic design by Scott Fyfe (Village Theatre: Million Dollar Quartet); lighting by Alex Berry (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Who’s TOMMY); and costume design by Melanie Burgess (Village Theatre: The King and I).
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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Michelle Sanders, Public Relations Manager at (425) 392-1942 x124 or . Pre-production photos are currently available at www.villagetheatre.org. Production photos will be available after March 17, 2009.
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About The Creators:
Peter Kellogg (Book and Lyrics) has two Tony nominations for book and lyrics to a musical of Anna Karenina (composer Dan Levine). AK was performed most recently in Japan. The CD is available at Amazon.com. With David Friedman, he created the musical Chasing Nicolette (based on the French romance Aucassin and Nicolette), first produced at Westport Playhouse, then at the Prince Theatre in Philadelphia; Stunt Girl, based on the life of Nellie Bly; and Desperate Measures, a 6-person western, loosely based on Measure for Measure.
David Friedman (Music) Songs: We Can Be Kind, Listen to My Heart, Help is on the Way, Rich, Famous & Powerful, hundreds more. Film: Conductor/Vocal Arranger Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Hunchback. Composer: Trick, Lizzie McGuire (platinum), Disney’s Bambi sequel. Record producer: Nancy LaMott (CD’s being reissued). Songwriter: Diana Ross (quadruple platinum). Upcoming: Chasing Nicolette (Village Festival), Stunt Girl (production, spring 2009), Listen to My Heart Revue, opening around the country. Songbook, CD’s, info available at www.MIDDER.com.
Steve Tomkins (Director) As a director and choreographer, Steve’s regional work has been seen at The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Arizona Theatre Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre, ACT, and TAG. He has directed and choreographed numerous productions at Village Theatre including: Joseph…, The Ark, Annie, West Side Story, Peter Pan, Oklahoma!, Damn Yankees, South Pacific, Play It By Heart, The Music Man, CATS, Girl of My Dreams, Hello, Dolly!, EVITA, Bye Bye Birdie, …Jersey, The King and I, AIDA, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
What: Stunt Girl
Music by David Friedman
Book and Lyrics by Peter Kellogg
Where: In Issaquah: Francis J. Gaudette Theatre
303 Front Street North
Issaquah, WA 98027
In Everett: Everett Performing Arts Center
2710 Wetmore Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
When: Issaquah Dates: March 18–April 26, 2009 – ON SALE NOW
Wednesdays through Saturdays: 8:00 PM
Sundays and selected Saturdays: 2:00 PM
Selected Tuesdays: 7:30 PM
Selected Sundays: 7:00 PM
Everett Dates: May 1–24, 2009 – ON SALE: 3/25/09
Wednesdays through Saturdays: 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 2:00 PM
Selected Sundays: 7:00 PM
Tickets: Issaquah:
$22-$58, Box Office (425) 392-2202 or (866) 688-8049
Everett:
$16-$51, Box Office (425) 257-8600 or (888) 257-3722
www.villagetheatre.org
Student & Military Rush: ½ price 30 minutes prior to curtain for any available seat. Group discounts available for groups of 10 or more.
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About Village Theatre
Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining quality productions for the entire family since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's best-attended Equity theatres, with over 18,000 subscribers and 170,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having launched over 80 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow’s audiences through its youth education programs, Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving over 54,000 young people, families, and schools annually.
Village Theatre season sponsors are The Boeing Company, Continental Airlines, Microsoft, and Lombardi’s
Village Theatre is also funded in part by 4Culture, ABODA, ArtsFund, ArtsUnited, Cascade Bank, City of Everett, City of Issaquah /Issaquah Arts Commission, Encore Arts Program, Frontier Bank, The Herald, Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter, National Endowment for the Arts, Overlake Hospital and Medical Center, PONCHO, Port Blakely Communities/Issaquah Highlands, Standing Ovation, WARM 106.9 FM, and Washington State Arts Commission. Village Theatre is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and Theatre Puget Sound.
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