Going on for Warner! - Seattle part 3 of 3

Week 8 - SEATTLE! (Part 3 of 3)

Going on for Warner!
or "It's Time to Get Serious"

by Jason Kappus, Legally Blonde cast member, Seattle native

It's happening! I was hoping that I would get to on as Warner at some point before we leave Seattle, and with just a couple days to spare, here we are! I'm going on tonight (Friday) for the first time as Elle's initial love interest. Should be fun! (Although thinking about it, I like my normal track so much, I'll actually kind of miss it.)

In other news for the week, Lucia Spina makes her debut as Paulette this weekend, while Natalie Joy Johnson is on vacation. We also have Sara Shepard (an LB tour vet) coming back to play Mom starting this weekend (Yay!). And we're on our last three days of shows in Seattle (Boo!). It has been magical to be here, and be a part of this amazing show. The audiences have been great, the experience un-paralleled and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. If you haven't caught the show yet, you've got time! Ladies, bring your friends, Moms, daughters! Guys, you'll like it, too! There's sports (watch closely for football, golf, and a whole jump rope number), rockin' music, and girls dancing around in various states of undress! Everybody I've talked to has loved the show - don't miss it right here in Seattle!

And if you're free tonight, I'll sing a rock ballad just for you! =)

**

click the Jason Kappus tag below to read all of Jason's backstage blog entries!

Is this the Face of Harvard Law? - Seattle part 2 of 3 by Jason Kappus

Week 6 & 7 - SEATTLE! (Part 2 of 3) or "Is This the Face of Harvard Law?" By Jason Kappus, Legally Blonde The Musical cast member, Seattle native It's obviously nice when we spend more than one week in any city because we get a REAL day off, instead of just a day to travel. It just so happens that I'M lucky enough here in Seattle to spend that whole day off at home with my wife and cats - heaven! =) It was particularly nice to come to the day off because we have been spending a LOT of time in rehearsal. That's partly for me, because I have still been learning the two tracks that I cover (Dad and Warner), and also because there have been a number of full cast rehearsals to clean both music and dances. Everybody knows that Seattle is a big theatre town, so the producers came out to see the show here, and the creative team wanted to make sure that the show was in great shape. As I mentioned in the last blog, I got to go on for a new track in the middle of week one in Seattle. The man who plays Dad/Winthrop/Reporter was in Hawaii on vacation, so Barry and I combined to cover his track for the week. (Every person in the show is covered by at least two people - three for Elle.) It was a little nerve-wracking, as I sort of feel somewhat new to my OWN track, but especially after the first performance (where I was largely concerned about just making sure I wasn't in anyone's way) it was a lot of fun... especially because within the span of four shows as Dad, I ended up having two different daughters and two different wives - never a dull moment! Speaking of which - here's a tour fun fact. As you can tell, we end up with swings and understudies on pretty regularly, as people have vacations, take personal days, or are sick or injured. So far, I have done 31 shows with this tour, and I have yet to do a show with the full cast. We've always been missing at least one person - keeps it interesting! =) Also in our second Seatte week, I got to participate in my first understudy rehearsal, where I played both Dad and Warner. The Dad stuff was pretty easy as I'd just done it in the show, and it was great to get to run through the show as Warner, which I have not yet gotten to do yet. Here's hoping I get to go on for Warner this last week before we leave Seattle! If I find out, I'll post it on here right away! More soon! *** For all blog entries by Jason Kappus, click on his name in the tags below!

5th Avenue star returns to Seattle - on tour! Pt 1.

by Jason Kappus, Ensemble, Legally Blonde The Musical (Seattle-native)

Week 6 - SEATTLE! (Part 1 of 3)
The Return or "Let's Go Home Before Someone Cries"

Week 5 was great, and Portland's a great town, so we had a good time. After a few weeks away from home and my wife, though, I was READY to be home. Lucky me, that's exactly where we were headed. Since it's so short, we took two buses instead of flying for this trip. It was really nice not having to deal with security, baggage weight, or keeping your elbows to yourself. I couldn't keep a stupid grin off my face as we rolled past Olympia, Tacoma, finally hit Southcenter and then Seattle proper. How cool is this?! Not only do I get to do a national tour, but I get to do it AT HOME for three weeks! I was a little worried that I may have talked the town up too much to the rest of the cast - but of course, the city did not dissapoint. Everyone LOVES it here (duh).

The coming home feeling I got driving up I-5 was just enhanced the first day at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Especially after the amazing experience I had here this summer with Catch Me If You Can, I was ecstatic to be back.

A few unique things about the 5th Avenue:

1) I had been telling everyone about how beautiful the theatre is, and it was fun to watch everyone taking in this gorgeous house on the first day. The bulk of the theatres we play are more multi-purpose performing arts center types. This theatre, as most of us here know, has more class and character than most you come across, including a lot of the theatres in New York.

2) A somewhat less well-known fact is that the backstage area at the 5th Avenue is particularly small. In fact, a lot of the national tours specifically take this theatre into account when planning their sets, as we have one of the smallest backstage spaces they will come across. Our tour is not particularly set-heavy, but even so, everyone really has to work hard to fit backstage!

3) The audiences here are FANTASTIC. I heard happy comments from a number of cast members on opening night, and it hasn't quit since then. The good ol' PacNW theatre goers are theatre savvy, but know how to show their appreciation! Makes for a fun show on our end!

I could ramble on forever about how great it is to be back here on tour. I've had friends at EVERY performance so far, get to work in the heart of my FAVORITE city, and sleep in MY OWN BED every night. Are you KIDDING ME?! And as if things weren't fun enough, I got to make my debut in a new track in the middle of week one. More on that in part 2, coming soon!

Don't miss Legally Blonde The Musical - it closes in just over a week on March 14! Tickets and info, here.

LAST WEEK of Legally Blonde offer

Legally Blonde The Musical closes March 14th, which means we are fast approaching the LAST WEEK of performances. The last week to catch the show that critics are raving about - the last week to cheer with the Delta Nu's - the last week of Bruiser, the UPS guy and Elle!

We would like to extend a LAST WEEK offer to all our social media fans.

Use promotion code PINK to receive $25 off tickets to March 9th & 10th performances.

Buy tickets online, over the phone at 206-625-1900 or in person at the box office!
Click here for more info on the show.

To receive this discount enter promotion code PINK when signing in to your account or creating a new account. Not valid on previously purchased tickets or in conjunction with any other offer. Not valid on Pearl, Upper Balcony or Side Balcony seats.

Omigod, it's a Dream Come True!

by Jason Kappus, Legally Blonde ensemble, Seattle Native.
Week 4: Denver (continued)

Wednesday, Feb 10th was my opening night! Show number one for me, show number 500 and something for the company. I remember when former Seattle and 5th Avenue actor Steven Taylor was joining the Broadway cast of The Lion King, he said it was weird because it was his Broadway debut, but for everyone else, it was just another day at work, so it didn't feel like the big celebration it maybe should be. I thought my experience might be similar, but everybody in the cast and crew made a BIG DEAL about my first show. They were very excited, encouraging, and happy for me throughout the whole day.

We had a put-in rehearsal in the afternoon, for both Michael Rupert and myself, so that we both got to practice all our scenes (and costume changes) once through with the cast before our first show. That was actually a little bit more nerve-racking than the actual show, since all eyes were on me during my scenes and it was the first time a lot of my new friends/colleagues were seeing me work. But the put-in went very smoothly - I discovered a couple helpful things about quick costume changes, and how some on-stage traffic works with people actually there.

When I got to the theatre for the show that evening, there was a lovely opening night present from some of the boys in the cast, as well as some flowers from my wife - both very nice surprises. I went over everything in my head during half-hour, got dressed and ready (WAY earlier than I needed to - ha) and then all of a sudden, the overture was starting, and we were underway. My first night on my first national tour. Wow.

Q 13 Video with Elle & Bruiser

Check out this video with Q13 interviewing Becky Gulsvig (Elle) and Roxie (Bruiser)and great clips from the show

 

Video: Actors who play Elle and Bruiser on King 5 TV

Check out this great video to see interview with Becky Gulsvig (Elle) and Roxie (Bruiser understudy) on King 5 TV. The dogs in the show were rescued and are trained and owned by Bill Berloni who trained the original Sandy in Annie.

"Back in the Game, Back in the Fray!"

by Jason Kappus, Ensemble, Legally Blonde The Musical



Week 3 - Denver, CO

First of all - Denver's cool! (Figuratively and literally - the first snow I've seen all winter - finally!) Neat city, good vibe, but the altitude does some pretty funny things to people. I was lucky in that I got a week of hanging out in the city rehearsing before having to actually do the show, so I had more time to acclimate. But with less oxygen around, there are definitely some extra challenges to singing, dancing, jumping rope, and sleeping.

That said, the show goes on, and the Denver audiences LOVE it - I watched it a few more times here and people have so much fun at this show. It's nice to see first hand the effect this show has on people. It makes it very exciting to start.

Oh, and did I mention that my first performance will also be the first performance of Michael Rupert as Callahan? If the name doesn't ring a bell, Michael, who won a Tony in the revival of Sweet Charity, originated the role of Professor Callahan on Broadway. So, while he and I are the "new guys," he's a step or two ahead of me. Ha!

I continued rehearsals in Denver, and started to get a little anxious to go on. And I thought I might go in early for a while, as the cast was dealing with a little round of injuries. In fact, I don't think there was one show the first week in Denver that had the same configuration of cast members. Keeps things interesting!

Alas, didn't get to go on early - but now I only had two days to wait!

Learning The Show (or "Time to Study!")

by Jason Kappus, Ensemble, Legally Blonde The Musical

My first week was spent rehearsing during the days, watching the shows during the evening, and going out at night with the cast to meet everyone and start putting names to faces.

I spent the days with one of the dance captains who taught me the show either on stage or in the theatre lobby if the stage was being used. This is one area where an actor's imagination is very helpful, because although you're on a bare stage, you have to envision as many as twenty other people, where they are, and where they're going. Not an easy task, but luckily, a good dance captain (like the ones we have) can tell you exactly where each of those people are and your relationship to them - which I always find impressive.

It's a pretty quick and dirty process in a situation like this. I had one session with the music director to "learn" the music, where we basically went through every song once, or twice if necessary. He gave me all the specifics, like cut-offs/dynamics/etc. and from that day on, I was just expected to have it down. Similarly, we got through the staging of the show in about two days, and the next day, it was time to run the show. Luckily, I had taken the time to do my homework at the hotel, and had also paid close attention while watching the show, so this went pretty smoothly.

At the end of the week, I was pretty confident in what I'd learned, and felt that if there was an emergency, I could go on early if they needed me to (which apparently is more common than not). Interestingly, we then had the layoff week, so it was back to Seattle for a week. This was a blessing and a curse: great to be home for a week, but I also had to make sure to retain on my own everything that had been crammed into my head in the last 6 days.

Back to Seattle! Wheee!

Legally Blonde discount for our social media fans!

We're so thrilled you're a fan of our blog, Twitter and Facebook!
As a thank you, we'd like to offer you $25 off tickets to performances February 23 - 26!

Use code word SOCIAL when buying tickets online, over the phone at 206-625-1900 or in person at the box office!

Not valid on previously purchased tickets or in conjunction with any other offer. Not valid on Pearl, Upper Balcony or Side Balcony seats. Valid for performances Feb 23 - 26.

Click here for more info on the show and to order tickets!

Here's what the reviewers have been saying:

“SO MUCH FUN IT OUGHT TO BE ILLEGAL!”
-Boston Metro

“If you are looking for a guilty pleasure, Legally Blonde is what you're looking for.”-Philadelphia Inquirer

“Blonde, Brainy and Tuneful”
-Philadelphia Inquirer

“GUYS – A GREAT show to bring a date to!

GALS – Grab a girlfriend and GO!
PARENTS – Your daughters will LOVE it!”
- CBS-TV St. Louis

“At a time when the world seems bent on making everyone feel crummy, LEGALLY BLONDE is clever, feel-good fun. Why were musicals invented anyway?”- Houston Chronicle

Oh My God - This is Happening! By Jason Kappus

by Jason Kappus, Legally Blonde The Musical (Ensemble)
The First Week on Tour- Tucson, AZ

I left on a rare sunny Seattle Tuesday morning, and headed for an overcast drizzly Tucson, Arizona - how's that for ironic? I had the luxury of only packing for six days to start because the second week of my contract was a layoff week: back home - yay!

I got there just in time for the weekly company meeting (first day in each new city) where they go over any specificities of the theatre, hotels, and the city. The theatres vary greatly in size and space week to week, so sometimes there are backstage traffic changes or even some cut set pieces in very small spaces.

Also, at this particular meeting, I was a point of order as they officially introduced me to everyone ("Jason, meet 75 people - Go!"). Stage management made sure to connect me with Nick, who I was to replace. He was very welcoming and gracious, insisting I let him know if I had any questions or needed anything.

After that, we also do a sound check before the first show in each city, so I got to watch and listen to that. They do almost half of the music in the show while they try to nail down the mix in the new space.

Then, I got my comp ticket (front and center) to that night's show, found my seat, and had my first second to stop and think about where I was and what I was doing.

Midway through the first number of the show, the girls sing "Oh my God, this is happening..." and I said to myself "Yeah it is."

An "Elle" of a Party!

An “Elle” of a Party at Swink Style Bar!

Thursday February 25 6pm - 8pm

When Swink Style Bar, Legally Blonde The Musical, Julep Nail Parlor, and Betsey Johnson come together in one big event, it’s An “Elle” of a Party!

Sip pink champagne at Swink Style Bar and celebrate with your girlfriends at this super stylish event!

Enjoy free polish changes and hand massages from Julep Nail Parlor (value $18)

Enter to win two tickets to the March 3rd performance of Legally Blonde The Musical (playing The 5th Avenue Theatre Feb 23 – March 14)

Experience Swink Style Bar hairstyling at a special $20 rate.

Enter to win a free handbag by Betsey Johnson!

Pink Champagne sponsored by Dish-it-Up. Light hors d’oeuvres sponsored by The Wandering Cafe.

Fabulous Gift bags for the first 25 through the door!

You DON'T want to miss this “Elle” of a Party! Limited Space Available so RSVP now directly to us at rsvp@swinkstylebar.com

Spread the word with our facebook event page: http://bit.ly/dtpOe7

Photo credit Becky Gulsvig by Joan Marcus

How I Got The Job (part 2)

How I Got the Job - Part 2: Keeping the Faith
or "You Gotta Fight to be Legally Blonde"
For Part 1, click here.

After the summer, I had a couple months off before my next project, which was playing John Truitt in Meet Me in St. Louis at Village Theatre. As I had no idea when, or really… IF a call would come for Legally Blonde The Musical, I moved on with things as usual in Seattle, while at the same time trying to put myself in a good position to get the job whenever the call came. This meant familiarizing myself with the show, continuing my training, and getting whipped into the best shape possible. You’ll see when the show gets to Seattle - these boys are FIT.

The call did eventually come, though not for a while. It was early December, midway through the run of St. Louis, when they called and said they wanted me to come to New York in about four weeks. This was actually much more advance notice than I had expected, so that was nice).

And as luck would have it, they wanted me to come in right in the middle of a three day break from St. Louis, so I didn’t even have to deal with a conflict I started to feel at that point that perhaps some stars were aligning for this.

So my wife and I got two cheap plane tickets (yay!) to New York and took a mini business/leisure trip. I realized before the audition that Jerry Mitchell would not be able to be there as he was in the middle of putting up Legally Blonde on London’s West End (which has now gone over as a huge hit and is already extended into 2011!). So I sent him a message, told him I was excited for the opportunity, and thanked him for calling me in. He responded and said he would make sure to give a call to the folks doing the casting and put his two cents in. Now, considering that Jerry’s two cents is more like the whole dollar, this was an exciting thing to hear. The producer, Hal Luftig, who also produced Catch Me, who you may have seen at Spotlight Night, also said he would speak on my behalf: Woah.

A couple days before the audition, I got a call from the casting agency, Telsey & Co., asking if I could come in an hour before my appointment to have a private session with Justin, the casting director. Justin and I had become friends over the summer and fall, and he wanted me to get a chance to run through the material in the room before the team showed up – awesome! That portion went very smoothly, and helped reduce my nerves for the real thing. Consequently, the real thing went very well. Part of the job is covering (or understudying) the role of Warner, so they had me sing his song, “Serious,” and also read a scene from act two. They said things like “That was great!” “Thanks Jason” “Really good.” which in truth, are pretty standard responses, but there did seem to be a tone of sincerity to their compliments, so I felt good. I was asked to come back for the dance call, so I knew things were going well so far.

I hung out around Times Square for a couple hours and then returned for the dance call. I hadn’t had a good sense yet of how many other guys were called in for this spot, but however many they started with, there were seven of us total at the dance call. Not the best odds in the world, but again, I felt like I might have a slight cosmic edge, so I was going in with a good amount of confidence.

We did a short combination from “What You Want,” one of the big dance numbers in the first act. This was brief as they just wanted to get a sense of how everyone moved. The real test was to follow. This particular track we were auditioning for involved a heavy dose of jumping rope (yes, jumping rope). There is a number in the show that is basically a live workout video, and there are four guys who do a whole jump rope routine. So we proceeded to jump rope for over an hour: Woah. Not knowing we were going to be doing that, and therefore not being fully stretched or prepared, I ended up straining my left calf, which luckily was completely healed by the time I joined the tour! This was a unique audition challenge, but luckily I had done a good bit of jumping rope in college (thank you, Fight Class!).

We finished up, and everyone chatted a little in the lobby as we got our stuff together to leave. I was completely exhausted, physically and mentally, and walked back up to Times Square, where I just sort of wandered for a little bit, taking in the city, and processing my day. After about fifteen minutes, I got a text from Justin that said “Let’s talk about today. Meet me at the Starbucks at 43rd and 9th?”. My heart leapt, but then quickly sank, because that message sounded like I was in for a “Hey, you did great today/Keep up the good work/Maybe next time” sort of talk. So with my stomach in knots I walked past about eight Starbucks to get to Starbucks.

I walked in, saw Justin, headed toward him, and he stood up and said “I just wanted to tell you in person…” (oh crap, here we go) “…congratulations.” (wait… what?!). “Oh and by the way, they want you to start in six days.”

I can’t really articulate the emotions that were happening for the next few hours – ranging from elation, to anxiety about having to leave my current show, Seattle, and most importantly, my wife for the better part of seven months – but over the top of it all, was the realization that I had just booked the biggest job of my career so far. Luckily, the tour was able to wait one extra week, which gave me the time I needed to get all my stuff in order .

I got a chance to correspond with Jerry a little more after I had gotten the job, and he congratulated me and let me know that he indeed had put in the good word he said he would. This whole process, from summer to winter, really drove home for me that in this business (just like in most others) it’s about who you know, and more importantly, what kind of a reputation you have. There is so much luck and random circumstance that plays into casting, that the best thing you can do for yourself is to make sure everyone loves to work with you, and knows that you’ll do a good job. Most of the rest of the stuff you can’t control.

"You Gotta Fight to be Legally Blonde!"

by Jason Kappus, Ensemble in LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL

How I Got the Job - Part 1: The Real Audition
or "You Gotta Fight to be Legally Blonde"

My life changed at the Starbucks on 43rd and 9th in Manhattan... but that's jumping a little far ahead.

This past summer, I had the amazing privilege of spending most of the beautiful Seattle sunny days in basement rooms rehearsing Catch Me if You Can at The 5th Avenue. Spending two months working with some of the best in the business (on both sides of the table) was a dream come true and stands out as a highlight of my Seattle career.

Our choreographer for Catch Me was the brilliant Jerry Mitchell, one of the foremost Broadway choreographers today - who had recently made his Broadway directorial debut with Legally Blonde The Musical (he also did the choreography).

Jerry and I had a couple of talks over the summer about my career: about my "type," some advice, some ideas on projects and roles for which I should angle. In one of these talks, he mentioned that I could be a good fit for the national tour of Legally Blonde. I said "That would be awesome!" or something similarly ecstatic while trying to sound calm and cool.

Now, I was already determined to do a good job and make a good impression with "the New York folks" coming into Catch Me, so now with some extra motivation, well... needless to say, I worked my butt off. (Literally. I lost almost 10 pounds just doing Jerry's crazy-fast high-energy choreography.)

As any of you who saw Catch Me can probably imagine, we had a blast. The whole process was an amazing experience, and everyone's hard work and love paid off in many ways. For my part, Jerry and I talked a couple more times about New York and the future, and he referred me to the casting director for Legally Blonde (one Justin Huff). Through talking with the both of them, it became pretty clear that they were interested in looking at me for the show, and that I would get a call to come to NY to audition once the right spot opened up.

Then Catch Me ended, we all went our seperate ways, and I waited...

(to be continued...)

Spotlight Night Tuesday 1/5 - South Pacific & Legally Blonde!

Don't miss the next Spotlight Night at The 5th Avenue Theatre!
These popular free events take you behind the scenes of our upcoming production.

Reserve your tickets in advance by calling 206-625-1900 or stopping by the box office.
You can also reserve your tickets online here:http://bit.ly/8NBVpA

Three of the most important people of the American Theatre will be on our stage for this special free evening: songwriter Laurence O'Keefe, Tony-Award winning producer Hal Luftig and Seattle's Own Tony-award winning director, Bartlett Sher.

ACT 1: “Oh, My God You Guys!”
Meet the Co-Composer/Lyricist and the Lead Producer of Legally Blonde The Musical.

Legally Blonde songwriter Laurence O’Keefe and Tony Award-winning producer Hal Luftig will take us behind-the-scenes of the creation of this big, hit Broadway musical based on the popular film. O’Keefe will play and sing excerpts from his musicals (including the cult favorite Bat Boy) and Luftig will share experiences of his 20-year career as the producer ofBroadway hits such as Thoroughly Modern Millie, Movin’ Out, the current Broadway revival of West Side Story and the upcoming Catch Me If You Can.

ACT 2: “Some Enchanted Evening”
The Rebirth of a Classic Musical

Director Bartlett Sher’s smash-hit Tony Award-winning revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific brought spectacular new life to a musical that hadn’t been revived on Broadway since its original production in 1949. Join Sher—the outgoing artistic director of Seattle’s Intiman Theatre and resident director at Lincoln Center Theatre—as he discusses how he and his team made a classic come alive for a new generation.ACT 3: “A Grand Night for Singing”The Art and Artistry of Rodgers & HammersteinSouth Pacific’s creators, Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II, revolutionized the American musical by creating what they called “the musical play.” The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong will tell the story of this legendary team, from their early shows with other collaborators to their historic partnership, their timeless shows and their enduring effect on the musical theater. Featuring musical performances by some of Seattle’s finest singers including Patti Cohenour, Jessica Skerrit and Eric Ankrim performing selections from Oklahoma!, Carousel, Flower Drum Song, Cinderella, The King and I and The Sound of Music.

Spotlight Night is sponsored by US Bank.
Performances and guest appearances are subject to change.
Facebook event page here: http://bit.ly/7OUODv

LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical - PRESALE!

Come see why Time Magazine calls

LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical

"An Elle of a show!"

Blog readers, facebook fans and twitter followers are invited to purchase pre-sale tickets TODAY, before they go on sale to the general public!

Musical comedy is now in session, and everyone’s favorite heroine is strutting her stuff, singing her heart out, and taking the world by storm – in style! Take the hilarious journey with Elle Woods, from the malls of Malibu to the halls of justice, as she proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style. Don’t miss your chance to see the show that conquered Broadway and became an MTV sensation!

LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical runs February 23 – March 14, 2010

Tickets onsale to general public Thursday, December 10.


To purchase pre-sale tickets before they go onsale to the public:

- Click here to purchase online

- Sign into your existing account(or create a new one if you have not purchased online before).

-On this page, enter promotion code SOCIAL to be able to purchase pre-sale tickets.

- Choose your dates and seats and proceed to checkout!


Offer is valid online only. Offer is not valid on previously purchased tickets or in conjunction with any other offers. Service fees apply. Once purchased, tickets are nonrefundable. All sales are final. All performances will be held at The 5th Avenue Theatre located at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle.

Holiday Shoppers: Tickets to White Christmas, Sing-A-Long Sound of Music, and Tony-Award winner South Pacific are all on sale now! Tickets or gift certificates to The 5th Avenue Theatre make great gifts!

The 5th’s 2009-2010 Season: A Full-Color Palette of Comedy, Drama, and Gorgeous Music!

The 5th’s 2009-2010 Season: A Full-Color Palette of Comedy, Drama, and Gorgeous Music!

Seattle’s premiere home of musical theater celebrates its 29th Season with an exciting mix of the contemporary and the classic

SEATTLE – The 5th Avenue has announced the seven productions that make up their 2009–2010 Season, which include the company’s trademark mix of world premieres, the hottest shows direct from Broadway, and classics from the Golden Age of musicals featuring Seattle’s favorite performers and artists.

The season opens with the exciting World Premiere musical Catch Me If You Can, based on the acclaimed Steven Spielberg film and the incredible true story that inspired it, and featuring a blockbuster creative team that includes many of the amazing talents who gave us Hairspray. With music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Terrence McNally, this brand new musical follows the unlikely adventures of a young man who creates an astonishing array of identities—airline pilot, doctor, lawyer—none of which he has any qualifications for! Directed by Jack O’Brien with choreography by Jerry Mitchell, this new musical is certain to be the theatrical event of the year. And once again Seattle will see it first!

Next up is the first ever 5th Avenue Theatre production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s contemporary classic Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. With music that runs the gamut from Pop to Country to Calypso to Rock & Roll, the musical re-tells the Biblical tale of Joseph, his many brothers, and that spectacular coat, in a vibrant and sometimes hilarious new way that gives new life to a perennial family favorite.

Then just in time for the holidays returns one of our most popular and beloved productions ever, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. The story of two ex-soldiers who pursue a pair of lovely ladies right to the lodge that their ex-commanding officer is running is a song-and-dance extravaganza featuring dazzling sets, gorgeous costumes and a timeless hit parade of toe-tapping Irving Berlin tunes including “Blue Skies,” “Sisters, “Count Your Blessings” and, of course, the immortal title song. This show played to large and enthusiastic audiences here in its premiere in Seattle back in 2006, and had a similar reception on Broadway this past winter. Now it returns in a brand-new production with all of your old favorites still intact.

If you’ve still got any winter blues left over, than prepare to banish them with the national tour of one of the most acclaimed revivals in Broadway history, the Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, directed by Intiman Theatre’s Artistic Director Bartlett Sher. This production was awarded seven 2008 Tonys (including Best Revival and Best Director) and has been playing to sold-out audiences in New York since March of last year, and now Seattle audiences get their first glance at a show of which New York Times critic Ben Brantley said “I know we’re not supposed to expect perfection in this imperfect world, but I’m darned if I can find one serious flaw in this production.” With an extraordinary score including “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Bali Ha'i,” “There Is Nothin' Like A Dame,” and “A Wonderful Guy,” South Pacific is also a deeply felt drama. Its portrayal of American soldiers living in a beautiful but alien paradise is as relevant today as when it first thrilled audiences in 1949.

Next up we “think pink” with the Seattle premiere of Legally Blonde The Musical, a high-energy rush of sheer adrenaline and excitement. Inspired by the hilarious movie, this recent Broadway hit follows the trail from sorority house to hallowed halls of justice blazed by Elle Woods, one of the brightest and blondest heroines ever to grace a musical comedy. With its dazzling production, kinetic dancing and pop infused score, this is a great show for the entire family.

This year the 5th celebrates an American master with not one but two great works by Leonard Bernstein. First up, and the centerpiece of a city-wide Bernstein Festival (which includes events by the Seattle Symphony and many other leading performing arts groups and organizations), is his first remarkable musical On the Town. With book and lyrics by the great Broadway and Hollywood writing team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green (Singin’ In The Rain), this show follows the adventures of three sailors on leave in New York City as they cram a lifetime of romance and excitement into just one day. With such classic songs as “New York, New York!,” “I Can Cook, Too” and “Some Other Time,” this production will be directed by the 5th’s Associate Artistic Director Bill Berry with choreography by Patti Colombo (7 Brides For 7 Brothers), featuring Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Theatre.

Part sophisticated operetta, part Monty Python comedy, Bernstein’s Candide follows the comic adventures of a hopelessly optimistic young man as he seeks his true love on a wild journey around this “best of all possible worlds.” Adapted from Voltaire’s wickedly satirical novel, this landmark musical features a sharp and clever book by Hugh Wheeler (Sweeney Todd) and John Caird (Les Miserables), as well as droll lyrics by an amazing sextet of literary talent -- Stephen Sondheim, Richard Wilber, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Bernstein himself! The show’s celebrated score includes the famous “Overture,” “Glitter And Be Gay” and the stunning “Make Our Garden Grow.” The 5th’s Artistic Director David Armstrong helms this great though little-seen classic.

Catch Me If You Can
July 23 – August 14, 2009 (World Premiere)
Cast and Creative Team
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
Based on the Paramount Pictures film and the autobiography by Frank Abagnale Jr. and Stan Redding

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
October 13 – November 1, 2009 (5th Avenue Theatre Production)

Cast and Creative Team
Music By Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics By Tim Rice
Directed and Choreographed by James Rocco

White Christmas
December 1 – December 20, 2009 (5th Avenue Theatre Production)

Cast and Creative Team
Music and Lyrics By Irving Berlin
Book By Paul Blake & David Ives

South Pacific
January 29 – February 18, 2010 (Tour)

Cast and Creative Team
Music By Richard Rodgers
Lyrics By Oscar Hammerstein II
Book By Joshua Logan & Oscar Hammerstein II
Directed by Bartlett Sher

Legally Blonde
February 23 – March 14, 2010 (Tour)

Cast and Creative Team
Music and Lyrics By Laurence O’Keefe & Nell Benjamin
Book By Heather Hach

On The Town
April 13 – May 2, 2010 (5th Avenue Theatre Production)

Cast and Creative Team
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Book and Lyrics By Betty Comden & Adolph Green
Based on an Idea By Jerome Robbins
Directed by Bill Berry

Candide
May 25 – June 13, 2010 (5th Avenue Theatre Production)

Cast and Creative Team
Music By Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics By Richard Wilbur
Additional Lyrics By Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, John Latouche, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein
Directed by David Armstrong