Lyric Stage Presents Jerome Moross and John Latouche’s THE GOLDEN APPLE, an opera for Broadway October 24-November 2, 2014
Irving, Texas (PRWEB) October 17, 2014 -- Lyric Stage Founding Producer Steven Jones announced the complete cast and crew of the company’s newest production THE GOLDEN APPLE the Jerome Moross/John Latouche musical. The performances will be held on October 24, 25, 30, 31 and November 1 at 8:00 PM and October 26 and November 2 at 2:30 PM in the Irving Arts Center’s Carpenter Performance Hall, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX.
The premiere production, that opened at the Phoenix Theater in New York City in April 1954 and then moved to Broadway one month later, was considered a critical smash hit and received the New York Drama Critics’ Award for Best Musical. Lyric Stage mounted the musical for its 2014-15 season in celebration of THE GOLDEN APPLE's 60th anniversary of its world premiere. The Moross-Latouche collaboration is a seminal work in the history of the American musicals as one of the earliest works to be created in the sung-through genre, the non-spoken style that dominates Broadway musicals today.
While THE GOLDEN APPLE has enjoyed several revivals with large casts and orchestras, the Lyric Stage production will be the first revival to feature a full 36 piece orchestra and 43 member cast playing Jerome Moross and Hershy Kay’s original orchestrations.
Tickets are available by calling the Irving Arts Center box office at 972-252-2787 or online at lyricstage.org.
- In writing about the original performance, Robert Coleman, The Daily Mirror, said, "THE GOLDEN APPLE might be described as a folk opera, a musical satire or what you please. Anyway, it's a magnificent achievement. A sensational success. Quite the most original and imaginative work of its kind to blaze across the theatrical horizon in many a moon.”
- John Chapman, the Daily News said, "THE GOLDEN APPLE is the best thing that has happened in and to the theatre in a very long tune. Every part of it—music, lyrics, staging, scenery, costumes and company—is refreshing, tangy, delightful and intelligent."
- William Hawkins, the New World Telegram said, “THE GOLDEN APPLE is an out and out triumph."
THE GOLDEN APPLE will be directed by Stefan Novinski with choreography by John de los Santos. Lyric Stage Music Director/Conductor Jay Dias will conduct the 36 piece orchestra playing Jerome Moross and Hershy Kay’s original orchestrations. Scenic design is by Donna Marquet, costumes are by Jen J. Madison, lighting design is by Julie Simmons and sound design is by Bill Eickenloff.
Lyric Stage’s 43 person cast includes Andy Baldwin, Russell Batchelor, Jason Bias, Alex Bigus, Kim Borge, Debrorah Brown, Sarah Comley Caldwell, Alexandra Cassens, Hayden Clifton, Vicki Dean, Christopher J. Deaton, Jacqueline Doke, Joey Donoian, Corrie Donovan, Danielle Estes, Doug Fowler, Brendon Gallagher, Shannon Garcia, Martin Guerra, Preston Isham, Jackie Kemp, Kristen Lassiter, Gerard Lucero, Janelle Lutz. Lissie Mays, Ian Mead Moore, Mark Oristano, Diane Powell, Sarah Powell, Julie Rhodes, Neil Rogers, Kate Rose, Daniel Saroni, Jād Saxton, Joshua Sherman, Rachel Starkey, Jenny Tucker, Christopher Wagley, Keith J. Warren, Dennis Wees, Brandon Wilhelm, James Williams and Seth Womack.
Set in Angel’s Roost near the town of Rhododendron, Washington State, the story relocates the mythical tale of Penelope and Ulysses to the first decade of the 20th Century.
Ulysses has been fighting in the Spanish /American War but is now on his way home to be reunited with his beloved Penelope. Paris is a salesman who lands by balloon at the county fair and promptly falls in love with local farmer’s daughter, Helen. They decide to elope to Rhododendron but unfortunately Helen is already married – to the local sheriff, Manelaus. Ulysses sets out on a ten year journey to find Helen. Eventually he reaches Rhododendron where the local mayor, Hector, tries to distract him with earthly pleasures, including the attention of enchantresses Circe and Siren.
Ulysses is not distracted however, and, after a fight with Paris, brings back Helen to Angel’s Roost and her husband and he is reunited with his wife Penelope.
Premiering the role of Helen in the original production, Kaye Ballard became well-known for the show’s breakout hit song, “Lazy Afternoon,” which was subsequently recorded more than 150 times, including vocal legends Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, and Julie Andrews.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
DANIELLE ESTES (Helen) is a graduate of Oklahoma City University. Her previous Carla in Nine, Sura in Pleasures and Palaces, and Gertie in Oklahoma!
KRISTEN LASSITER (Penelope) has recently been seen as Margot in The Desert Song with Lyric Sage. Kristen was a regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (2013, 2012).
CHRISTOPHER J. DEATON (Ulysses) has 60+ regional credits, including The Desert Song and The Human Comedy with Lyric Stage. He is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association. G.M. of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical (North American Tour), and VP of Wishing Star Productions, LLC.
HAYDON CLIFTON (Paris) returns for his third show with Lyric! Originally from Ft. Worth, he now lives in NYC after attending Otterbein University. Regional: Gateway Playhouse, Arrow Rock Lyceum, Music Theatre Wichita, Casa Manana.
STEFAN NOVINSKI (Director) joined the faculty of the University of Dallas Drama Department in the fall of 2009 after spending almost a decade directing theatre in Los Angeles. He has worked in multiple Tony-award winning theatres including the La Jolla Playhouse, Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre and South Coast Repertory. At SCR he directed eight shows including a critically acclaimed production of A Little Night Music starring Stephanie Zimbalist, Mark Jacoby and Terri Ralston. He has worked on several Broadway-scale productions for Disney Creative Entertainment, including a musical adaptation of Toy Story.
JAY DIAS (Lyric Stage Music Director/Conductor) for Lyric Stage: Fiddler on the Roof , Titanic (also scene work), Blue Roses, The Desert Song in concert (1926 version; music & libretto restoration; also direction & musical staging), Nine at Dallas City Performance Hall, The Sound of Music (original version), The Music Man, Too Many Girls, Pleasures and Palaces (restoration), 1776, The Most Happy Fella (complete version restoration), Oklahoma!, Kismet in concert, Rags, Gypsy (original version restoration), Oliver!, My Fair Lady, Bye, Bye Birdie! (original version), Show Boat in concert (1927 version; music & libretto restoration), Funny Girl , The King and I, West Side Story, Carousel , Sweeney Todd in concert at Meyerson Symphony Center, and two concerts with the Irving Symphony Orchestra: programs of works by Rodgers & Hammerstein, and the music of Jule Styne and Harold Arlen-all featuring the original Broadway orchestrations.
ABOUT STEVEN JONES, Founding Producer
AND LYRIC STAGE
STEVEN JONES founded Lyric Stage in July of 1993. Dedicated to the development and preservation of the American musical, Lyric Stage aims to insure the continuation of this uniquely American art form. During its first 21 seasons, Lyric Stage has produced 19 world premiere musicals, two Off-Broadway productions, and restored eight American musical classics. Due to the huge success of Lyric Stage’s Carousel, the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization selected Lyric Stage to premiere the newly restored The King and I, featuring the original Broadway orchestrations with a full 35-piece orchestra. R&H then allowed Lyric Stage access to their archives to recreate the original 1927 Show Boat, which Lyric Stage presented in concert with a cast of 69 and a 40-piece orchestra featuring material that had never been heard. After seeing Lyric’s production of his Bye, Bye Birdie!, composer Charles Strouse asked Lyric Stage to produce the premiere of the new version of Rags, a musical Strouse wrote with Joseph Stein (Fiddler On The Roof) and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked). Lyric Stage also restored the original orchestrations of Gypsy and the production was the first since the 1959 original Broadway production to be performed with a full 39-piece orchestra playing the original orchestration including the lost acoustic guitar part. Lyric Stage’s restoration of West Side Story was the basis of the 2010 Broadway revival. Most recently, Lyric Stage Music Director Jay Dias worked with the Frank Loesser estate on the restoration of Loesser’s Broadway masterpiece The Most Happy Fella. Lyric Stage has been instrumental in the restorations of classic American musicals The King And I, West Side Story, Gypsy, Show Boat, Funny Girl, Bye, Bye Birdie and The Most Happy Fella. Without Lyric Stage, these classic Broadway musical would not be seen and heard the way their creators intended for them to be. TheaterJones.com’s Mark Lowry says “Going to a Lyric Stage show is more than just a night at the theatre, it’s an event.
Stephen Belth, Arts Marketing Network, http://artsmarketing.net, +1 (516) 359-2548, [email protected]
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