WICKED Lottery for $25 Orchestra Seats

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today's date: August 31, 2011

Contact: Veronica Corpuz, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

WICKED announces lottery for $25 seats

September 7 - October 2, 2011 - Benedum Center

A day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of orchestra seats will be held daily for WICKED, which will be performing from Wednesday, September 7 through Sunday, October 2, at the Benedum Center. Each day, 2½ hours prior to show time people who present themselves at the Theater Square Box Office, 655 Penn Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh will have their names placed in a lottery drum and then thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person.

WICKED, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Disney’s Enchanted, Academy Award winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman (“My So Called Life,” “Once And Again” and “thirtysomething”), is based on the 1995 best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire. The musical is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues)and features musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed…). WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One – born with emerald green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

WICKED features set design by Tony Award winning Eugene Lee (Ragtime,Show Boat, Candide, Sweeney Todd), costume design by Tony winner Susan Hilferty (Spring Awakening, Into the Woods, Assassins), lighting design by Tony nominee Kenneth Posner (Tony Award winner for The Coast of Utopia, Hairspray) and sound design by Tony Meola (The Lion King). Stephen Oremus is the show’s music director. Orchestrations are by William David Brohn, with dance arrangements by James Lynn Abbott.

WICKED has “cast quite a spell” (Washington Post) throughout North America, breaking box office records in every city that it has played, including Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston to name a few.

Called “a cultural phenomenon” by Variety, WICKED continues to thrill audiences around the world. There are currently seven productions of WICKED worldwide, including two North American tours, a Broadway production, London production, a Japanese-language production, a German-language production and Australian production. A Dutch-language production of WICKED will open in November 2011.

The return engagement of WICKED, Wednesday, September 7-Sunday, October 2, at the Benedum Center, is a season special, part of the PNC Broadway Across America – Pittsburgh series, a presentation of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Broadway Across America and Pittsburgh Symphony.

The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, September 8, there will be a 1 p.m. matinee.

Tickets are selling fast and many performances are close to selling out. Best availability is for weeknight performances and the Thursday matinee. For ticket information call (412) 456-4800 or visit www.pgharts.org.

*As a note to all calendar listing editors, the title of the show is WICKED (not WICKED: A New Musical or WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz).

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Girls Night: The Musical at the Byham

Mix a bit of Desperate Housewives with Sex and the City and Mamma Mia!, and you’ve got the hit, Girls Night: The Musical!” - Las Vegas Round the Clock

GIRLS NIGHT: THE MUSICAL

comes to Pittsburgh’s Byham Theater for 3 performances.

PITTSBURGH, PA – Coming to the Byham Theater on November 5 & 6 for three performances, it’s GIRLS NIGHT: THE MUSICAL!

Audiences will share fun and laughter at this hilarious, feel-good comedy as five girlfriends go from heartbreak to happiness during a wild night at a karaoke bar. You don't need an excuse for a good time...so grab your sisters, friends and coworkers and prepare to dance in the aisles!

Girls Night: The Musical has earned rave reviews playing packed houses throughout the United Kingdom since 2003. It premiered in the U.S. in May 2007 and has toured across the country since then. It has been described as “Desperate Housewives meets Mamma Mia!” (Applause Magazine), “a boisterous, bust-out, bawdy musical revue,” (Wisconsin State Journal), “an infectious, exhilarating sense of intoxication!” (Hollywood Reporter) and “As funny and outrageous as ‘Sex and the City!” (The Advocate). Hilarious and touching, Girls Night: The Musical follows five friends in their 30s and 40s during a wild and outrageous girls night on the town.

Friends since their teens, they have all had their fair share of heartache and tragedy, joy and success. Among the characters are Carol, the party girl; blunt Anita who tells it like it is; Liza, with her marital (and eating) issues; boring Kate, the designated driver, and Sharon, the not-so-angelic angel who just couldn’t resist tagging along. Together, they reminisce about their younger days, celebrate their current lives and look to the future, all while belting out an array of classic anthems including “I Will Survive,” “Lady Marmalade,” “It’s Raining Men,” “Man, I Feel Like a Woman,” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

Performances of GIRLS NIGHT: THE MUSICAL at the Byham Theater are November 5 at 8:00 p.m. and November 6 at 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. All tickets are $48. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit pgharts.org or call 412-456-6666. Groups of 10 or more call 412-471-6930 for discounted tickets.
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South Pacific Touring Cast Evokes Passion and Emotion

The Seven-time 2008 TONY AWARD®-WINNING LINCOLN CENTER THEATER Production of

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S SOUTH PACIFIC

Directed by BARTLETT SHER

Announces Casting for Benedum Center in Pittsburgh

Bob Boyett and NETworks Presentations announce casting for the National Tour of The Lincoln Center Theater Production of Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein’s prize-winning musical SOUTH PACIFIC, directed by Bartlett Sher playing the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, November 2-7, 2010. SOUTH PACIFIC ispart of the PNC Broadway Across America – Pittsburgh Series, presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony and Broadway Across America. For more information on the production, please visit www.SouthPacificOnTour.com.

Tickets start at $20 and are available at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, by phone at 412-456-6666 or online at pgharts.org. For group ticket sales (10 or more), please call 412-471-6930. SOUTH PACIFIC will play Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The National Touring Company of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC will be led by David Pittsinger (Emile de Becque) and Carmen Cusack (Nellie Forbush), with Anderson Davis (Lt. Cable), Timothy Gulan (Luther Billis), Jodi Kimura (Bloody Mary), Gerry Becker (Capt. Brackett), Peter Rini (Cmdr. Harbison), Sumie Maeda (Liat), Rusty Ross (Professor), original 2008 Broadway cast member Genson Blimline (Stewpot), Christina Carrera (Ngana) and CJ Palma (Jerome).

The ensemble will include Christopher Carl, Christian Carter, Eric L. Christian, Jacqueline Colmer, Alexis G.B. Holt, Rashaan James II, Chad Jennings, Christopher Johnstone, Kristie Kerwin, Joe Langworth, Cathy Newman, Julia Osborne, Diane Phelan, John Pinto Jr., Bret Shuford, Kristen J. Smith, Matt Stokes, Gregory Williams, Victor J. Wisehart and Amos Wolff.

Critics laud high praise for the National Tour:

- “Electric! This is the South Pacific we’ve been waiting for.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

- “It is a tribute to the sublime beauty of this musical, filled with gorgeous voices and astonishing emotional depth.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

- “Bartlett Sher’s staging of South Pacific reveals, intensifies and clarifies the work of Rodgers & Hammerstein.” (Seattle Times)

- “Superbly sung and powerfully acted, the touring cast of the magnificent Lincoln Center Theater restoration of South Pacific is the equal of the New York team.” (Houston Chronicle)

- “One of the theatrical highlights of the year!” (Los Angeles Times)

-“I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love with a wonderful show!” (Toronto Star)



Carmen Cusack “is a sublime “knucklehead” Nellie” (Palm Beach Arts) as she “achieves a delicious balance of sweet and smart” (San Francisco Examiner); and “evokes the spirit and style of the original, Mary Martin” (Dallas Morning News).

As Emile de Becque, David Pittsinger (who performed the role on Broadway) is “sincere and vocally thrilling” (Chicago Tribune) with “an easygoing, even delicate charm that makes for an appealing leading man” (Denver Post).

Anderson Davis is “rich in exposed passion” (San Francisco Chronicle) as Lt. Joseph Cable and his “clear tenor has strength and innocence” (Charlotte Observer). Jodi Kimura is “equal parts fierce and haunting” (Cincinnati Enquirer) as Bloody Mary, giving a “hypnotic performance of ‘Bali Ha’i” (Grand Rapids Press).

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC swept the 2008 Tony Awards®, winning seven honors including Best Musical Revival and Best Director for Bartlett Sher. This breathtaking new production completed a sold out 2 ½ year run at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on Broadway on August 22, 2010 (after playing 1,000 performances) and was recently featured on PBS’ ‘Live from Lincoln Center’ series.

Based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize winning book Tales of the South Pacific, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIChas music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan.

Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples -- US Navy nurse Nellie Forbush and French plantation owner Emile de Becque and Navy Airman Joe Cable and a young local native girl Liat -- and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. Considered by many the finest musical ever written, the score’s songs include such classics as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Ha’i,” “There is Nothin’ Like A Dame,” “This Nearly Was Mine” and “A Wonderful Guy.”

The lavish new production features a cast of 34, musical staging by Christopher Gattelli, sets by Michael Yeargan (winner of the 2008 Tony Award®), costumes by Catherine Zuber (winner of the 2008 Tony Award®), lighting by Donald Holder (winner of the 2008 Tony Award®), sound by Scott Lehrer (winner of the 2008 Tony Award®) and music direction by Ted Sperling. A full orchestra of 26 members – the largest orchestra of any touring Broadway production – will perform the original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett (winner of a Special 2008 Tony Award®) and dance and incidental music arranged by Trude Rittmann.

For more information on the production, please visit www.SouthPacificOnTour.com. Become a fan on Facebook (South Pacific on Tour).

BIOGRAPHIES

BARTLETT SHER (Director) Lincoln Center Theater: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, South Pacific (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards), Awake and Sing (Tony nomination), The Light in the Piazza (Tony nomination). Artistic Director of Seattle’s Intiman Theatre; credits there include: the world premieres of Prayer for My Enemy and Singing Forest by Craig Lucas (both also Long Wharf Theatre) and Nickel and Dimed; plays by Chekhov, Wilder, Shakespeare, Goldoni and Tony Kushner. Opera: Roméo et Juliette (Salzburg Festival), The Barber of Seville (Metropolitan Opera), Mourning Becomes Electra (Seattle Opera and New York City Opera). New York: Cymbeline (2001 Callaway Award for Best Director; first American Shakespeare at the Royal Shakespeare Company), Waste (2000 Best Play Obie), Don Juan (all TFANA). He is a member of the TCG Board.

DAVID PITTSINGER (Emile de Becque) Broadway: South Pacific (Lincoln Center). Metropolitan Opera: Tosca (also live HD cinemacast), Hamlet, Lulu, Die Zauberflöte, Don Carlo, Rake’s Progress, Giulio Cesare, La Bohème, The Magic Flute. NYCO: Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Nozze di Figaro (Figaro), Orlando (Zoroastro). U.S. & International credits include: Don Quichotte (Don Quichotte/Vienna, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires), Tosca (Scarpia/FGO), Nozze di Figaro (Count/La Opera) Faust (Mephistopheles/L’Arena Sferisterio, L’Opera de Montreal), Mefistofele (Mefistofele/I Solisti Veneti, Pittsburgh), Rake’s Progress (Nick Shadow/Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, Bordeaux,), Carmen (Escamillo/Montpellier, Santa Fe). Orchestral appearance include: Vienna Philharmonic,, Salzburg Festival, Dresden Festival, NY Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, ENO, St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra. Discography includes: Charles Ives Songs, La Calisto, Carlisle Floyd’s Susanna. Awards: “Artist of the Year” Awards from NYCO and Pittsburgh Opera. MM: Yale.

CARMEN CUSACK (Nellie Forbush) Carmen is from Houston, TX, has spent the last two years playing Elphaba in Wicked (US National tour, Chicago and Australia productions). Her career prior was based in England. Recent West End credits include: Les Misérables (Fantine; UK, US & Shanghai), The Secret Garden (Rose; Royal Shakespeare Company), Personals (Kim), Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens (Chesty Prospects), Over the Rainbow (Eva Cassidy; UK & Ireland) and The Phantom of the Opera (Christine; UK National Tour). http://www.carmencusack.net/

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For interviews and photos, please contact Zach Stevenson and Kent McIngvale, national press representatives, at the Broadway Booking Office NYC: zach@bbonyc.com, kent@bbonyc.com or 212-792-9550

High-resolution art available at http://pressroom.pgharts.org/?p=560

Pittsburgh International Children's Theater Season Schedule

Citizen's Bank 2010 - 2011 Season

Pittsburgh International Children's Theater

Horray, horray! Pittsburgh International Children's Theater subscriptions are the perfect way to enthrall the youngest members of your family. With a lineup like this you won't want to miss a moment of professional children's theater brought right to your community!


OCTOBER 17-24 TheatreWorksUSA

An all-new musical revue featuring mini-musicals based on best-selling children’s books: Fancy Nancy, Duck for President, Babymouse: The Musical, I Have To Go!, Leonardo, the Terrible Monster, and Pirates Don’t Change Diapers.

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NOVEMBER 14-21 Emerald City Theare Co. (USA)

Based on the best-selling book by John Sciezka and Lane Smith. Every story has at least two sides and Alexander Wolf says his is the truth. According to Alexander Wolf, he went visiting the pigs in search of a neighborly cup of sugar so he could bake a cake for his granny. But a poorly timed sneeze caused disaster.

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JANUARY 23-30 Vital Theatre Company (USA)

Angelina Ballerina is a little star with big dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. This feisty little mouse works hard to reach her goal and along the way, always learns from her mistakes. When little girls share in Angelina’s experiences, they’re inspired to go after their big dreams too.

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FEBRUARY 13-20 TheatreWorksUSA

Hooray, hooray! It’s the bestest musical ever! This musical (that is a play all jumbled together with singing and dancing) is all about Junie B. Jones! Get ready for four famous adventures from the pages of Barbara Park’s best-selling series, including Junie B., First Grader (at Last!), Junie B., Boss of Lunch, Junie B., One-Man Band and Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal.
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The tour of Circa is made possible by a grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

MARCH 12 & 13 CIRCA Queensland, Australia

The name says it all. With their beeline approach to high-flying fun, the cheeky Aussies of Circa push their own limits as they barrel, bolt and balance at breakneck speed. From awesome acrobatics to fantastic free-falls, the competitive camaraderie of four unbelievably skilled performers fuels awe and adoration in this “breathless barrage and banquet of circus pandemonium” (City News, Brisbane). Warning: All laughter, applause and cheering must take place off the clock!


As always, Pittsburgh International Children's Theater takes place at the Byham Theater downtown along with schools north, south, east and west of the city so that the best of children's programming comes right to you! Visit pghkids.org for more information on when the shows will be in your area.

Subscriptions are just $42 for all five shows! Flex ticket options are also available.

Online at pgharts.org

Call 412-456-1390

Groups 10+ Tickets & School Groups 412-471-6930

Single tickets go on sale Monday, September 13.


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Phase 3 Productions Finds Home in Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh

Phase 3 Productions 5314 Butler Street, Suite 2 Pittsburgh PA, 15201 Theatre. Evolved.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa Hill Grande
Melissa.grande@gmail.com
740-350-6456

In Search of a Serial Killer
Phase 3 Productions opens 2009-2010 season with Roberto Zucco


Pittsburgh, PA – October 29, 2009. Phase 3 Productions has located a performance venue and announces their production of Roberto Zucco, the first play in their 2009 – 2010 season. The company lost their performance space when the Brew House (located on Pittsburgh’s South Side) was condemned in September.

Roberto Zucco will be performed in downtown Pittsburgh, at 125 7th Street, on the 6th floor. The play is a compelling look at the world through a criminal’s eyes. After escaping from prison, Zucco is pursued by both the police and a mysterious girl. Even if they do capture him, can anyone hope to contain the elemental force that is Roberto Zucco?

The play is inspired by the exploits of a real man who was Public Enemy Number One in France, Italy and Switzerland in the 1980s, and is directed by Dek Ingraham. It was written by Bernard-Marie Koltes and translated by Martin Crimp.

The production features Douglas Baker as Zucco, with Fredi Bernstein, Emily Cordes, Josh Inklovich, James Masciovecchio, Matthew McNear, Sajith Pillai, Joe Roots and Jamisa Spalding. Fight direction is by Tonya Lynn, with production design by J.R. Shaw and costume design by Rachel Parent and Melissa Hill Grande.

Roberto Zucco previews on Friday, November 6th, opens on Saturday November 7th, and runs through November 22nd at 125 7th Street on the 6th floor, downtown. (Elevator available.)

Douglas Baker plays the role of Roberto Zucco. Baker’s recent Pittsburgh credits include George Gibbs in Our Town (Prime Stage), and Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost (Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks). He also recently participated in the MFA New Playwrights' workshop at the Kennedy Center in D.C.

Ingraham’s Pittsburgh directing credits The Moustrap (Heritage Players) and The Seahorse (South Park Theatre). He also served as Associate Director for the London premiere of The Guys (Rosemary Branch Theatre) and helmed the North American premiere of The Master's Boy (Friederich Theatre).

The play is the first show in Phase 3’s 2009-2010 season, which features the theme of violence. The community partner for the season is the Pittsburgh Center for Victims of Violence and Crime. Zucco looks at crime through the perspective of the violator; the second play of the season, Irish playwright Frank McGuinness’ Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, uses the perspective of victims to spark discussion. The final play of the season, Lion in the Streets by Canadian playwright Judith Thompson, shows the aftermath of crime in a community.
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me runs Feb. 26 - March 14, 2010, and tells the story of an Irishman, an Englishman and an American who are being held hostage by terrorists in Lebanon. Will they be able to maintain their essential humanity under these horrifying conditions? Lion in the Streets runs June 4 through 20, 2010, and follows Isobel, the ghost of a young Portuguese immigrant who observes the lives of her former neighbors years after her murder.

Phase 3 Productions is comprised of Executive Director Rachel S. Parent, Managing Artistic Director Dek Ingraham, Artistic Director Melissa Hill Grande, and Production Manager J.R. Shaw. The company’s central mission is to include relevant social awareness in their productions.

The Pittsburgh Center for Victims of Violence and Crime (CVVC) provides victim advocacy and support services, crisis intervention, counseling and community education programs that address the causes and impacts of all types of violence and crime. Their website is www.cvvc.org.

Roberto Zucco previews November 6th at 8 p.m., opens November 7th at 8 p.m., and continues with performances November 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st at 8 p.m., with a closing matinee performance on November 22nd at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $12 for students, senior citizens, and persons under 25. Previews are $12 for adults and $10 for students, senior citizens, and persons under 25. Tickets are available through ShowClix at 1-888-71-TICKETS or online at http://www.showclix.com/display_events.php?sid=478.

For more information visit the Phase 3 website at www.phase3productions.org.

Roberto Zucco Fact Sheet

Roberto Zucco by Bernard-Marie Koltes
Directed by Dek Ingraham

125 7th Street, 6th floor, downtown Pittsburgh

Cast: Douglas Baker, Fredi Bernstein, Emily Cordes, Josh Inklovich, James Masciovecchio, Matthew McNear, Sajith Pillai, Joe Roots and Jamisa Spalding

Designers: J.R. Shaw (Production design), Rachel Parent and Melissa Hill Grande (Costumes)

Fight Direction: Tonya Lynn

Stage Manager: Jen Atwood

Performance Dates and Times:

First Week: Friday, November 6, PREVIEW, 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 7, OPENING, 8 p.m.

Second Week: Friday – Saturday, November 13 - 14, 8 p.m.

Third Week: Friday-Saturday, November 20 - 21, 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 22, 2 p.m.

Ticket Prices: $15 for Adults
$12 for Senior Citizens, Students, and Under-25s

Preview tickets: $12 for Adults
$10 for Senior Citizens, Students, and Under -25s


For Tickets, Call ShowClix at 1-888-71-TICKETS or visit the ShowClix website at http://www.showclix.com/display_events.php?sid=478

For more information, visit www.phase3productions.org
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