42nd Street Moon - Red Hot and Blue

Red Hot and Blue! (1936)

Cabaret star Klea Blackhurst joins us for a special season opening -- a rare production of Cole Porter’s 1930s screwball comedy! Klea stars in Ethel Merman’s role as a New York socialite involved in a decidedly daffy caper with ex-cons, DC senators, and Manhattan’s most perennial debutantes.

The Porter song classics include It’s DeLovely, Down in the Depths on the 90th Floor, Ridin’ High, Ours, and Red Hot and Blue.

WHERE:
Eureka Theatre
215 Jackson (between Battery and Front), San Francisco, CA

WHEN:
Previews: September 22-23
Opens: Saturday September 24, 2005
Closes: Sunday, October 16, 2005

SHOWS:
Previews: Thursday, and Friday at 8pm
Regular Performances: Thursday and Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 6pm;
Sunday at 3pm

Discussion with Director & Cast Sunday Sept 25th
Early Curtain Wednesday: Oct 5th @ 7pm

Biographies

		TIFFANY-MARIE AUSTIN (Luella Van Duinwyck) is excited to be making her “red hot” debut at 42nd Street Moon. Tiffany-Marie was most recently seen at Woodminster in Oklahoma! and in Hello, Dolly! Other Bay Area credits include the original revue Are We Almost There?, Broadway By the Bay’s My Fair Lady, Bye-Bye Birdie, Funny Girl; The Mountain Play’s Annie; PASCo.’s Oh, Kay!,Promises, Promises, and Miss Sally’s Burlesque Revue at The Belrose. She received her BA in Theatre from the University of Southern California, is an acting coach, costume designer, member of Theatre Bay Area, and director of her own Japanese-pop cover group.

		KEN BAGGOTT (Wardenet et al) is a 40-year veteran of theater, television, and film. He appears on a number of local and national television and radio spots. He was seen last season at 42nd Street Moon as Robert LeMonteur in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and as Hilaire Jussac in Can-Can. Other recent roles include Jack Blessington in Solid Gold Cadillac (Willows Theatre); Michael in I Do! I Do! (Empress of the North Showboat); Yvan in Art (Hayward Little Theater); Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly! (Altarena Playhouse); the long-running New Wrinkles in San Francisco, and Felix in The OddCouple (Hillbarn Theatre). He holds a Theater Arts degree from Sacramento State.

		KLEA BLACKHURST (“Nails” O’Reilly Duquesne) is best known for her tribute to Ethel Merman, Everything The Traffic Will Allow. Her latest show, Autumn in New York: Vernon Duke's Broadway just completed a sold-out engagement at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater. Klea recently made her Carnegie Hall debut with Michael Feinstein celebrating composer Jule Styne. Next up, Jazz at Lincoln Center with the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Sixteenth Annual Cabaret Convention. Klea made her London debut at Royal Albert Hall singing Ado Annie in a special concert version of Oklahoma! celebrating composer Richard Rodgers’ centenary. Theatre credits include Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven; the Off Broadway productions of Oil City Symphony and Radio Gals. Television and radio: The RosieO'Donnell Show, Sesame Street, and A Prairie Home Companion. Her latest CD Autumn in New York: Vernon Duke's Broadway was recently released on the Ghostlight Records label. www.kleablackhurst.com

		BRANDY COLLAZO (Kay) is appearing in her fourth show with 42nd Street Moon, and is very glad to be here again! Credits include: West Side Story (Anybodys), The Boyfriend (Dulcie u/s Polly), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel). She has danced in the ensembles of My Fair Lady, Evita, The Music Man, Pippin, and Joseph…Dreamcoat (twice!). Also a talented voice-over artist, Brandy is featured in several video games, including the lead role in Sega’s House of the Dead, III. “Thanks to Mom, Sisters, and Phil!”

		MIKE FIGUEIRA (Mulligan et al) is very happy to be making this his seventh show as a performer with 42nd Street Moon. His last two appearances, as Aegean, in The Boys from Syracuse, and Quibb, the piano tuner, in TheCabaret Girl, are his favorites. Since his first show with the company, Paint Your Wagon (2003), Mike has always felt that the casts are filled with fun, creative, and genuinely nice people, and Red Hot and Blue! is no exception. Thank you all!

		MICHAEL PATRICK GAFFNEY (Fingers) had the great pleasure of performing in 42nd Street Moon’s Cole Porter Gala this past May. You might also remember him from past Moon productions including: Minnie’s Boys, Hooray for What!, The Cabaret Girl, Fifty Million Frenchmen, and Finian’s Rainbow, in which he played the title role. He has also worked with the Encore Theatre Co., Unconditional Theatre, Broadway By the Bay, The Shee Theatre, California Conservatory Theatre, and many more.

		RUSS LORENSON (Reynaldo et al) returns for his third show with 42nd Street Moon (Finian’s Rainbow, Minnie’s Boys). In San Diego, he appeared with Starlight Musical Theatre (The Wizard of Oz, Phantom), Lyric Opera San Diego (Rose Marie, The Desert Song), Diversionary Theatre (Ten Percent Revue, C’est La Guerre), and the National Theatre for Children. Russ is a proud member of Theatre Bay Area. Most recently, Russ was seen in New York alongside Nathan Lane…until the restraining order was enforced! Visit him at www.russlorenson.com.

		ALLISON McGINNIS (Grace) is honored to be making her 42nd Street Moon debut. A Bay Area native, Alli has recently returned from New York City where she has been studying and performing for the past five years. Regional credits include: Cabaret (Fraulein Kost), A Chorus Line (Bebe), Anything Goes (Hope), Footloose, Phantom, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Locally, Alli has been seen in Some Like It Hot, Damn Yankees, Guys and Dolls, Hello Dolly, Kiss Me Kate and many others! Thanks to friends, family, and her extremely supportive newlywed husband Patrick!

		LISA-MARIE NEWTON (Vivian Schuyler) is thrilled to be making her debut with 42nd Street Moon. Lisa-Marie has performed at City Lights Theatre, Exit Theatre, Vallejo Music Theatre, The Willows, and the Phoenix Theatre, where Backstage West called her performance as Callie in the award-winning Southern Lights “particularly appealing”. Other favorite roles include Christine in Maury Yeston’s Phantom, Rose in Meet Me in St. Louis, and Yum Yum in The Mikado. She holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and University of Arizona.

		DEIRDRE O’NEIL (Peaches LaFleur) is excited to be performing again after a brief child-bearing hiatus. Theatrical credits include the Broadway and National touring companies of Grease (Marty), the European and National touring companies of Hair (Sheila/Tribe), as well as many regional productions and workshops. Deirdre’s television credits include Suddenly Susan, Veronica's Closet and Sunset Beach. Lila and Fiona are the productions of which she is most proud!

		STEVE RHYNE (Bob Hale) grew up on Air Force bases both in the U.S. and abroad, but has called the Bay Area his home since earning his degree in Architecture at UC Berkeley. Since 1997, Steve has proudly performed in 11 productions, four concerts, and three recordings for 42nd Street Moon, among them Do I Hear a Waltz? (Eddie), Nymph Errant (Alexei/Ben), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (Warren), Out of This World (Mercury), Roberta (Huck), and Leave It to Me! (Buck). Steve’s varied Bay Area resumé also includes roles in Titanic, Passion, Taking Sides, The Subject Was Roses, and Love! Valour! Compassion!

		ROBIN STEEVES (Senator Malvinski) is happy to return to 42nd Street Moon. Previous performances include: Fiorello (Marie), Let’s Face It (Cornelia Pigeon), Do I Hear a Waltz? (Edith), Nymph Errant (the Cocotte et al), Redhead (Tillie), and various characters in Jubilee and High Spirits. She has also appeared in several Lamplighters’ productions and earned a SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award nomination for her role as Charlotte in A Little Night Music. Other favorite roles include Yvonne/Naomi (Sunday in the Park with George), The Baker’s Wife (Into the Woods), Ella (Bells AreRinging), and Dorothy Parker/Bella Spewack/Hedda Hopper (Red Hot & Cole).

		KALON THIBODEAUX (Policy Pinkle) is thrilled to return for his third production with 42nd Street Moon after appearing last season as “Harpo”/Adolph in Minnie's Boys and Dromio of Syracuse in The Boys from Syracuse. He is originally from the New Orleans area where he worked as an actor, director, teacher and stage manager for many gulf-south groups such as Southern Repertory Theatre, Jefferson Performing Arts Society and The Dixie Theatre in Apalachicola, Florida. He just finished co-directing Aida for Peninsula Youth Theatre in Mountain View. Kalon holds a B.A. in Drama and Communication from University of New Orleans and is a member of Theatre Bay Area.

		CAMERON WESTON (Flap-Ears Mitelli et al) is excited to be making his 42nd Street Moon debut. Most recently he appeared as Simon Hutton in What’s Wrong with Angry? at the New Conservatory. Other Bay Area roles include Joe Frisco in Dirty Blonde, George Bush in Bye-Bye, bin Laden!, Fredrik in A Little Night Music, Benjamin in Animal Opera, Senex in A Funny Thing…, and Megapong in Rocket Girl. He also performed in TheatreWorks’ production of Shakespeare in Hollywood. Please visit him at www.cameronweston.com.

•••

GREG MacKELLAN (Director, Moon Producing Artistic Director), arrived in San Francisco in 1992 for a short stay and still hasn’t gone home to Los Angeles. He co-founded 42nd Street Moon in 1993, which may explain the delay. Credits with Moon as a director have included the recent NEA-sponsored restoration of Arlen and Harburg’s Hooray for What, as well as I Married an Angel, Paint Your Wagon, Do I Hear a Waltz?, The Cat & the Fiddle, last June’s Kern Gala with Rebecca Luker, and 2003’s I Remember It Well with Leslie Caron. Also in 2003, he survived an onslaught of Von Trapp kids when he ventured south to direct The Sound of Music for Broadway by the Bay. Last summer Greg hopped over to England, where his revised script for Cole Porter’s Out of This World was produced to great acclaim at the Chichester Festival. In addition to the Moon cast albums of Leave It to Me! and Something for the Boys, Greg has produced seven CDs of rare theatre music with performers like Andrea Marcovicci, Patricia Morison, Judy Kaye, Douglas Sills and Jason Graae. Greg’s pre-Moon life included projects as an actor, director, and producer too numerous to mention, so he won’t, but the memory does warm the cockles of his heart.

DAVE DOBRUSKY (Music Director) is enjoying his ninth year at 42nd Street Moon where favorite productions include Minnie’s Boys, Can-Can, The Cabaret Girl, Fifty Million Frenchmen, Oh, Captain!, Finian’s Rainbow, Paint Your Wagon, Peggy Ann, By Jupiter, Leave It to Me (recorded), …It’s Superman!, Dear World, Out of This World, Babes in Arms, Call Me Madam, Girl Crazy, Jubilee, and Louisiana Purchase. Other Bay Area credits include The Fantasticks (Shakespeare at Stinson); The Boyfriend, Whispers on the Wind (Playhouse West); Passion, Chess (New Conservatory Theatre); Violet, Side Show (TheatreWorks); and youth productions of Titanic and Les Miserables (Musical TheatreWorks).

JAYNE ZABAN (Choreographer) started her career with the Atlanta Ballet Company. As Co-owner and Director of Ballet at Dance Arts Center in San Mateo, Jayne has instructed many students who now have professional careers in theatre and dance. This is her ninth season with 42nd Street Moon. Jayne has choreographed for many regional and community theatres throughout the Bay Area including productions with Diablo Light Opera, Contra Costa Musical Theatre, Lamplighters, and Hillbarn. Awards and nominations: Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Garland, Dean Goodman, and Shellie.

AMY LOUISE COLE (Costumes) has designed costumes, built props, dressed stages and ran set crew at several Bay Area theatres including San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Theatre in the Woods, and Broadway By the Bay. She is Managing Director of El Gato Del Diablo Theatre Company in San Francisco and served as Art Director on their inaugural smash hit production, The Rise and Fall of the Monkey King. Ms. Cole is a graduate of The University of Washington School of Drama.

MIKE FIGUEIRA (Costumes) has served as an actor, production manager, pseudo-set designer, house manager, and costumer with 42nd Street Moon. As a result, he has learned to wear many hats. And therefore, as art imitates life, he discovered, after working on costumes for last season’s Minnie’s Boys, with Amy Louise Cole, that in a Moon show, the costumes are all about the hats, as well. As he continues costuming, Mike might actually learn to sew, so he thanks his sister Diane for her help with that.

SHAWN FERREYRA (Stage Manager) is the co-founder of El Gato Del Diablo Theatre Company, where he recently directed the World Premiere of The Rise and Fall of the Monkey King. As a publicist, he has worked for Carla Befera & Co. on the San Francisco company of Stomp, TheatreWorks, Aurora Theatre, the Best of Broadway productions of Cabaret, Contact, Fiddler on the Roof, and many others. He also serves as publicist for the Encore Theatre Company.

ELLEN BROOKS (Lighting Director) has designed 16 productions for 42nd Street Moon – including Once Upon a Mattress, Hooray for What!, Can-Can and the 2003-2005 Galas atthe Herbst Theatre. She is a frequent designer for the internationally acclaimed Lamplighters at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (upcoming: The Pirates ofPenzance and Jerome Kern's Show Boat). This summer she designed Two Gentlemen of Verona, Knight of the Burning Pestle and Romeo and Juliet for the Marin Shakespeare Company at Forest Meadows and El Barberillo de Lavapies, for the Jarvis Conservatory in Napa.

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