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From NorwalkPlus.com Local
This production is generously sponsored by The Private Bank of Bank of America. “All About Us” is produced in association with Jacki Barlia-Florin. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 5, 10 a.m. “All About Us” is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “The Skin of Our Teeth” by Thornton Wilder. Book is by the legendary Joseph Stein, author of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Music and lyrics are by John Kander and Fred Ebb, one of the foremost songwriting teams in Broadway history. The famed duo wrote a string of long-running musicals, including “Cabaret” and “ Chicago .” Kander and Ebb are winners of Tony, Grammy and Academy Awards, in addition to being recognized for their contributions to theatre and music with the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. “All About Us” is one of their final collaborations prior to lyricist Ebb’s death in 2004. The new musical has a dazzling profusion of themes, including the importance of family. A wild, humorous, poignant and emotional journey, “All About Us” is the story of the bewitched, befuddled and becalmed Antrobus family who have survived a thousand calamities by the skin of their teeth. The musical is a tribute to their indestructibility and a testament of faith in humanity. Eartha Kitt to Play the Fortune Teller: Eartha Kitt will play Esmeralda, the Fortune Teller. Ms. Kitt has an enduring international career that spans theatre, cabaret, television, and the recording industry. She is one of only a handful of performers to be nominated for an Emmy Award, twice for a Grammy Award and three times for a Tony Award: for the title role of “Mrs. Patterson,” a part she later played at Westport Country Playhouse in 1957, “ Timbuktu !” in 1978 and “The Wild Party” in 2000. In 2003, Ms. Kitt dazzled Broadway audiences as Liliane Le Fleur in the revival of “Nine, The Musical.” Miss Kitt’s distinctive voice has enthralled an entirely new generation of fans in the role of Yzma, the villain, in Disney’s animated feature “The Emperor’s New Groove,” (2001 Annie Award for Best Vocal Performance/Animated Feature), and through her on-camera performance as Mme. Zeroni in the Disney adaptation of the classic children’s book, “Holes.” Ms. Kitt has enthralled New York nightclub audiences during her extended stays at The Café Carlyle and made a triumphant return to this epitome of chic with a sold out run last summer. That performance has been captured in her newest recording, “Eartha Kitt, Live at The Carlyle.” On February 10, 2007, Ms. Kitt made her most recent appearance at Westport Country Playhouse with Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, Charles Grodin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joanna Gleason and Chris Sarandon in “Come Be My Love…Love Spoken Here,” an evening of love poems, conceived and directed by Tazewell Thompson to benefit the Playhouse’s education programs.
Shuler Hensley will play Mr. Antrobus. Hensley was cast as Jud Fry in Trevor Nunn's London revival of " Oklahoma !" in 1998, receiving the Olivier Award for his performance. He continued to play the role on Broadway where he won the 2002 Tony Award, the 2002 Drama Desk Award and the 2002 Outer Critics Circle Award. Hensley began his stage career in the early 1990s with roles such as Pitkin in "On the Town," Joe in "The Most Happy Fella" and Miles Gloriosus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." He has also sung in the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas "Pirates of Penzance" and "Patience." In addition to an early " Oklahoma !" casting as Jud Fry at Boston 's North Shore Music Theatre, Shuler played Curly at Milwaukee 's Skylight Opera Theatre. In 1996, he went to Germany to perform the title role in "The Phantom of the Opera" in German. Hensley played Inspector Javert for a year in the Broadway production of "Les Miserables" and appeared in the country-rock and blues musical, "The Great American Trailer Park Musical." In May 2006, he opened in the Disney musical "Tarzan," as Kerchak.
Cady Huffman will portray Sabina, the Maid. For her role as Ulla in Mel Brooks' "The Producers,” Ms. Huffman won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and the 2001 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. She was nominated for a 1991 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for "The Will Rogers Follies." She also appeared in Broadway’s "La Cage aux Folles" and "Big Deal," the last show directed by Bob Fosse. Ms. Huffman made her film debut in the 1992 movie "Hero" starring Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis and Andy Garcia, and was seen in the 2005 film "Romance & Cigarettes" starring James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, Kate Winslet and Mandy Moore. She appeared as herself in several guest spots on the television show "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Director and Production Team: Gabriel Barre will direct “All About Us.” Barre was a nominee for the 1989 Tony Award for best actor in a Musical for his role in “Starmites” and the 2000 Drama Desk Award for outstanding director of a musical for “The Wild Party” at Manhattan Theatre Club. The production team includes Christopher Gattelli, choreographer. Gattelli was a nominee for the 2005 Drama Desk Award for outstanding choreography of "Altar Boyz." Most recently he was choreographer for "High Fidelity" and "Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me." Musical director is Patrick Vaccariello, who is music director of Broadway's current production of "A Chorus Line." He was also music director for "The Boy from Oz" with Hugh Jackman, and "Cabaret" with Alan Cumming and Natasha Richardson, and was music supervisor of "Gypsy" with Bernadette Peters. James Youmans, set designer, was a nominee for a Drama Desk Award in outstanding set design for "The Petrified Prince" and "Bella, Belle of Byelorussia." Ken Billington, lighting designer, received a 2006 Tony nomination for his lighting of "The Drowsy Chaperone." He has designed more than 80 Broadway and 70 Off-Broadway shows, winning a Tony and Drama Desk Award for Kander and Ebb’s "Chicago." Ann Hould-Ward, costume designer, has costume designed Broadway shows including the current production of "Company." She received the 1994 Tony Award, American Theatre Wing’s Design Award, Ovation Award and Oliver nomination for "Beauty and the Beast," and Tony, Drama Desk nominations, Outer Critics Circle nomination and L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for "Into the Woods." Sound designer Brian Ronan's Broadway projects include the current "Spring Awakening," in addition to " Grey Gardens ," "Pajama Game," "Twelve Angry Men" and many others. Others on the production team are Steven Yuhasz, assistant director, John DeMoos, associate lighting designer, and Binder Casting, casting. More about 2007 Playhouse Season: Westport Country Playhouse 2007 season continues with “Souvenir,” a comedy based on a true story by Stephen Temperley, directed by Vivian Matalon, May 31 through June 16; “Mary’s Wedding,” a love story by Stephen Masicotte, directed by Tazewell Thompson, June 21 through July 7; “Relatively Speaking,” a romantic comedy by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by John Tillinger, July 12 through July 28; “Sedition,” a political intrigue by David Wiltse, directed by Tazewell Thompson, August 2 through August 18; “Sondheim Meets Shakespeare,” a new musical revue with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, conceived and directed by Billy Porter, additional text by William Shakespeare, August 23 through September 8; and “The Turn of the Screw,” a thriller adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the story by Henry James, directed by Davis McCallum, October 11 through October 27. Playhouse Information: The rich history of the Westport Country Playhouse dates back to 1931, when New York theatre producers Armina and Lawrence Langner created a Broadway-quality stage within an 1830s cow barn. Now celebrating its 77th season, the Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 35 of which later transferred to Broadway, and has welcomed more than 4 million audience members. Its roster of actors reads like a "Who's Who" of the American theatre. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse is open year-round. On its legendary stage are theatrical productions, educational programming and special events, including music, comedy, film, readings of short fiction and new plays, and a Family Festivities series. Westport Country Playhouse serves as a treasured home for the performing arts for audiences and artists alike, and as a true cultural landmark for Connecticut . 2007 Westport Country Playhouse season sponsors are The Private Bank of Bank of America, (“All About Us”), Cohen and Wolf, P.C. (“Relatively Speaking”), Westport Resources (“The Turn of the Screw”), Northern Trust, SPECS (“A Christmas Carol”), Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, National Endowment for the Arts, Balducci’s, Castle Wine & Spirits, Mitchells of Westport, Moffly Publications, Steinway Piano Gallery Westport, The Westport Inn, and Playhouse board members Howard J. Aibel, Darlene F. Krenz, Laurie Lister and Judd Burstein, Elisabeth and Stanley Morten, Jody Robbins, Ann Sheffer and Bill Scheffler, Barbara and John Streicker, and Sharon Sullivan and Jeff Kindler, and Joanne Woodward. The Playhouse is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. Performance Schedule and Ticket Information: The performance schedule for “All About Us” will be Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Opening night, including a post-performance party, will be on Saturday, April 14. Sunday Symposium on April 15 will bring authorities on the themes of the play to provide the audience with insights on historical and dramatic context. On TalkBack Thursday, April 26, members of the company will return to the stage after the performance for a lively discussion with the audience. Subscription ticket packages to Westport Country Playhouse’s 2007 season are on sale now. Subscriptions range from $133.75 to $388 each for 5-play, 6-play and 7-play series. “All About Us” is included in the 6- and 7-play series. Subscriber benefits include discounted ticket prices, preferred, renewable seating, ticket discounts on additional ticket purchases and for select special events. Subscribers also receive advance notice and priority seating to special events, advance notice of casting and invitations to subscriber-only events. Subscribers are seated on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about subscribing or to receive a brochure, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit the box office at 25 Powers Court , off Route 1, Westport. Information about the 2007 season and the Playhouse is also available at www.westportplayhouse.org. Students and educators are eligible for 50% discounts. Groups of 10 or more save up to 30% off the regular ticket price. For group sales information call (203) 227-5137, x120.
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