42nd Street Moon - GAY DIVORCE

GAY DIVORCE (1932)

Music & Lyrics by COLE PORTER
Book by DWIGHT TAYLOR

Directed by GREG MacKELLAN
Musical Director DAVE DOBRUSKY
Choreographed by JAYNE ZABAN

The classic Fred Astaire musical (filmed as The Gay Divorcee) finds dashing American novelist Guy Holden on vacation in Brighton, England on a search for the mystery woman who’s stolen his heart. His romantic quest is complicated by a case of mistaken identity.

The songs include Porter’s great standard Night and Day, as well as How’s Your Romance?, After You, Who?, I’ve Got You On My Mind, and Mr. and Mrs. Fitch.

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

WHEN:
APRIL 12th – MAY 6th, 2007
Early Curtain Wednesday: April 25th @ 7pm
Discussion with Director & Cast: Sunday April 15th & 22nd
Low-Priced Previews: Thur-Fri, April 12th & 13th @ 8pm
Regular Performances: Thur & Fri at 8pm; Sat at 6pm; Sun at 3pm

BIOGRAPHIES

		CARLA BEFERA (Hortense Howard) has been seen at 42nd Street Moon as Aunt Cissy in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Nomination), Mrs. Meshbesher in Face the Music, and the Queen in Jubilee. She has appeared on Bay Area stages, in television, and radio for many years. Favorite roles: Edith, The Women, (MTC /Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle Award); Janey, West Coast premiere Isn’t It Romantic? tap-dancing Maxine, Stepping Out (TheatreWorks); Agnes Gooch, Mame (Marin Civic Light Opera); Connie, West Coast premiere Harvey Fierstein’s Spookhouse (Theatre Rhino/Bette Award), Emma, Spoils of War (Magic Theatre/BATCC Nomination).

		DON CIMA (Robert/Pratt) has appeared in leading or featured roles in, among others, The Pajama Game, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Harvey, The Music Man, Singin’ In the Rain, The Royal Family, Kiss Me Kate and The Boyfriend. This is Don’s twelfth production with 42nd Street Moon; he last appeared here as King Sextimus in Once Upon a Mattress. Regional credits include Once Upon a Mattress (King Sextimus) and The Wizard of Oz (Professor Marvel/The Wizard) with Music Theatre of Wichita.

		MICHAEL DOTSON (Guy Holden) is making his 42nd Street Moon debut. This past summer Mr. Dotson completed his seventh season and 23rd show with the Sacramento Music Circus. Favorite roles include Don, Bobby and Mike in A Chorus Line, Prince Charming in Cinderella, Jesus in Godspell and Frankie in Forever Plaid. Directing credits include productions of Cinderella, Forever Plaid and The Fantasticks. Michael received his BFA in Theater from the University of Southern California (USC). He is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and serves as a Councilor on its National Governing Board.

		JENNIFER GRAHAM (Edith) returns to 42nd Street Moon for her second show with the company. Recent credits include Joby in Anton in Show Business (Act Now!), an eight-month run in Shopping! The Musical (Morris Bobrow), and Ellen in Miss Saigon (Diablo Light Opera Company) for which she won the 2007 Shellie Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. She holds a BA in Drama and a Minor in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College in New York. Jennifer is a proud member of Theatre Bay Area and studies at Studio ACT.

		RUDY GUERRERO (Tonetti) has previously performed in 42nd Street Moon’s productions of Once Upon a Mattress, The Golden Apple, and Can-Can. Other regional theater credits include performances at the Alcazar Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, Connecticut Repertory Theater, Foothill Music Theater, Magic Theater, Marin Shakespeare Company, Marin Theater Company, Pacific Alliance Stage Company, TheatreWorks, Willows Theater Company, and Word for Word. Stage awards include numerous Goodman Choice Awards and a Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award. Television credits include Secrets (Emmy Award). Rudy has a BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory and a MFA in Acting from American Conservatory Theater. He is a proud member of Actor’s Equity.

		NINA JOSEPHS (Mimi Pratt) is back for her fifth show at 42nd Street Moon where she has appeared as Frieda in Pardon My English, Appassionata in L’il Abner, Circe in The Golden Apple and the title role in Miss Liberty. Other regional credits include Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Anna Held in Tintypes and Lady Larken in Once Upon a Mattress (Dean Goodman Award). Ms. Josephs is the recipient of the Bob Fosse Talent Award in dance, studies voice with Jane Randolph and holds a Bachelor’s of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

		JULIE KURTZ (Iris) has performed locally with the San Francisco Shakespeare Company, Bus Barn Stage Company, and The Mountain Play. In the Seattle area, she enjoyed several summerstock seasons with Leavenworth Summer Theatre, playing Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Eliza in My Fair Lady, and Anita in West Side Story. She trained at American Conservatory Theater’s Summer Training Congress and holds a degree in music from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. Off-stage, Julie teaches Shakespeare and music to children, works for Theatre Bay Area, and wastes hours in church history and hike books.

		CHRIS MACOMBER (u/s Hortense Howard) returned to singing several years ago after a long federal government career. With 42nd Street Moon she just appeared in Plain and Fancy, and has also been Madame Roberta in Roberta, Gladys Cooley in Fifty Million Frenchmen (Dean Goodman Choice Award); Mrs. McNish in Minnie’s Boys, Countess in Miss Liberty and Mrs. Preston et al in Pardon My English. At Lamplighters, Ms. Macomber has sung “old dame” roles in Showboat, Yeoman of the Guard, Mikado and more. Chris recently appeared in her first play--Twelfth Night--as Malvolio with Woman’s Will. She is also a violinist in The Exeter String Quartet.

		AMY NIELSON (Babs) was most recently seen in Contra Costa Musical Theatre's production of Guys and Dolls (Hot Box/Adelaide u/s). Favorite roles include The Professor/Harpo Marx in Animal Crackers (Contra Costa Civic Theatre), and Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown (CCMT). Ms. Nielson holds a BFA in Performing Arts from Marquette University and a MFA in Dance (Choreography and Performance) from Mills College. This is her 42nd Street Moon and San Francisco debut.

		KALON THIBODEAUX (Teddy Egbert) is making his sixth appearance with 42nd Street Moon, after playing Harry Toukarian in Flora the Red Menace earlier this season. Originally from the New Orleans area, he has worked as an actor, director, teacher, and radio personality for many different groups over the last 19 years. In his short time in the Bay Area he has also been seen on stage in I Hate Hamlet (California Conservatory Theatre), and Steve Martin's The Underpants (Dragon Productions), as well as offstage as a director and teacher of productions such as Aida and Wonderland for Peninsula Youth Theatre in Mountain View.

		STEPHEN VAUGHT (Waiter) returns for a second appearance at 42nd Street Moon after performing in Pardon My English last fall. Recent stage appearances include Twelve Angry Men, Eastern Standard (Tokyo Int’l Players), A New War (68 Cent Theatre), and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Blackship Productions). Mr. Vaught has also appeared in Jerry Bruckheimer’s National Treasure, on TNT’s The Closer, andon Warner Brothers’ The Gilmore Girls.

		ELISE YOUSSEF (Joyce) is making her 42nd Street Moon debut. Most recently, she was seen in Shakespeare Santa Cruz's production of Sleeping Beauty, as the Clinging Vine, and understudy to Belladonna. Ms. Youssef has also performed in The Little Witch of Wichita as Peek-a-Boo-tree (Geffen Playhouse). She also did a workshop of Itamar Moses’ Yellow-jackets, where she read the roles of Alexa and Jose (Berkeley Rep). Other Shakespeare Santa Cruz credits include: Engaged (Maggie Macfarlene); The Winter's Tale (Hermione), Princess and the Pea (Princess Pretencio), Cinderella (Fairy Godmother and u/s to Mrs. Baden-Rotten), and Gretel and Hansel (Magic).

•••

GREG MACKELLAN (Director) co-founded 42nd Street Moon in 1993, which turned a short visit to San Francisco into an extended stay. His directing credits for the company have included such well-received shows as Li’l Abner, Minnie’s Boys, Paint Your Wagon, Roberta, Do I Hear a Waltz?, I Married an Angel, and a quartet of Cole Porter delights, Nymph Errant, Silk Stockings, Something for the Boys, and Jubilee. Greg’s revised script for Cole Porter’s Out of This World was produced to great acclaim from the London critics at the Chichester Festival in 2004, and will be done in Los Angeles in April, 2008. He also guided the recent NEA-sponsored restoration of Arlen and Harburg’s Hooray for What, as well as the June 2004 Kern Gala with Rebecca Luker and 2003’s I Remember It Well with Leslie Caron. 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, Paige O’Hara, Douglas Sills, Ann Morrison, and Jason Graae.

DAVE DOBRUSKY (Musical Director) has been 42nd Street Moon’s Music Director for 11 years. Favorite productions include Pardon My English, The Golden Apple, Red Hot and Blue!, Minnie’s Boys, Can-Can, Finian’s Rainbow, Paint Your Wagon, By Jupiter, Leave It To Me! (recorded), Dear World, Call Me Madam, Girl Crazy, Jubilee, and Louisiana Purchase. Other Bay Area credits include: Putting It Together (San Francisco Playhouse); The Fantasticks (Shakespeare at Stinson); The Boyfriend, Whispers on the Wind (Playhouse West); Passion, Chess (New Conservatory Theatre); and youth productions of Titanic and Les Miserables (Musical Theatre Works). Dave is also musical director and arranger for cabaret performer Kristopher McDowell's new show, The Anthony Newley Project.

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

LOUISE JARMILOWICZ (Costumer) is costuming her fifth show for 42nd Street Moon, having costumed Flora the Red Menace last fall. Ms. Jarmilowicz has been costuming around San Francisco for many years. Previous groups with whom she has worked, designing and constructing costumes, include the African-American Shakespeare Co., Children's Fairyland, Stage Door Conservatory, The Lamplighters, the Dark Room Theater, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and many other local artists.

AMY LOUISE COLE (Stage Manager) has been teaching, directing, designing, and performing at theaters around the Bay Area for over two decades. She has been working with 42nd Street Moon since 1998 and is Managing Director of El Gato Del Diablo Theatre where she directed their critically acclaimed production, The Legendary and Fabulous Passion Play. elgatotheatre.org

ELLEN BROOKS (Lighting Design) has designed many productions for 42nd Street Moon – including Mack & Mabel, Golden Apple, Red Hot and Blue!, Paint Your Wagon and our Galas atthe Herbst and Alcazar Theatres. For the past seven seasons she has also designed for The Lamplighters at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Napa Valley Opera House, Dean Lesher Center in Walnut Creek and more. She is also the Resident Lighting Director for Marin Shakespeare Company. Her most recent work includes Maria Muldaur's concert and video lighting for The Love Songs of Bob Dylan and A Few Good Men, directed by James Dunn.

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