Christine Andreas, Jo Ann Cunningham, et al. Join York Theatre Company's COLETTE COLLAGE, Now thru 4/29

York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director), celebrating the legendary librettist and lyricist Tom Jones with Musicals in Mufti: The Tom Jones Festival, presents the fourth musical in the spring series: Colette Collage, with Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones and Music by Harvey Schmidt. The limited engagement will play 5 performances tonight, April 27 through April 29 at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).

Directed by Michael Montel, the cast features Tony nominee Christine Andreas (La Cage aux Folles) in the title role, Jo Ann Cunningham (Anna Karenina) as Sido, Peter Land (York's Oh, Coward) as Jacques, Patrick Lane (Tales of the City) as De Jouvenal, Anne Markt (Hair) as Colette De Jouvenal, Bill Nolte (York's The Road to Qatar)as Willy, Vanessa Reseland (Sunset Boulevard) as Missy, Nicholas Rodriguez (Tarzan) as Maurice, Carrington Vilmont (The Phantom of the Opera) as German Officer, Sasha Weiss (York's The Grand Tour) as Pauline, and Scott Willis (State Fair) as Captain Colette.

The joys, fears and loves of the celebrated French writer Colette are at the center of the poignant and insightful Colette Collage. Sensual, witty and entirely unconventional, this intimate, highly theatrical musical captures the essence of one of the most liberated women of all time. The life of the legendary author unfolds over a period of sixty years in this classic bio-musical from Jones and Schmidt, which premiered Off-Broadway at the York in 1983.

The performance schedule for Colette Collage is: Fridays at 8:00 p.m., *Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and *Sundays at 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. (*Talkbacks follow all matinee performances).

Tickets are priced at $39.50 and are available online at www.yorktheatre.org, by calling (212) 935-5820, or in person at the box office at the York Theatre at Saint Peter's (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), Monday through Friday (12:00 -6:00 p.m.).

Musicals in Mufti: The Tom Jones Festival will conclude with The Game of Love (May 11-13). Casting for both shows will be announced shortly.

York's acclaimed Musicals in Mufti Series of musical theatre gems in staged concert performances has presented over 80 shows from the past in simply-staged concert format. Mufti means: "in street clothes," without the trappings associated with the original productions.

Musicals in Mufti: The Tom Jones Festival launched the spring series with The Show Goes On, a portfolio of theater songs by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, directed by Pamela Hunt, and featured Tom Jones, Graham Rowat, Stephanie Umoh and Susan Watson, followed by Roadside, with Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones and Music by Harvey Schmidt, direction by David Glenn Armstrong and featured original Roadside cast member Ryan Alexander, Erick Devine, Janine DiVita, Jamie LaVerdiere, Daniel C. Levine, Ed Watts and Nick Wyman. The third in the series was the New York premiere of Harold and Maude, with Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones and Music by Joseph Thalkin, based on the screenplay by Colin Higgins with direction by Carl Andress The cast featured original Harold and Maude cast members Donna Lynne Champlin and Donna English with Matt Dengler as Harold, Cass Morgan as Maude and Steve Routman.

The York Theatre Company is the only theater in New York City-and one of very few in the world-dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past. Over the past two seasons, York productions and artists have been nominated for a combined 19 Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Off Broadway Alliance, AUDELCO and Callaway Awards (and its productions of Yank! A WWII Love Story and Enter Laughing, The Musical have both been announced for Broadway). For over four decades, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and neglected classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Under the guidance of Producing Artistic Director

James Morgan since 1997, the York has focused exclusively on new musicals in its Mainstage Series-most of them world, American, or New York premieres-by some of the field's most esteemed creators, and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Over 35 cast recordings from The York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, and commercial transfers of such York premieres as The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Souvenir, Jolson & Company, and its acclaimed revivals of Sweeney Todd and Pacific Overtures have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs.

For more information, please visit www.yorktheatre.org.