Tony Award Winner Chuck Cooper and Broadway veteran Adinah Alexander have joined the cast of The
Last Starfighter, presented as part of the New York Musical Theatre
Festival.
Chuck Cooper won the Tony Award for his performance in The Life, and has been part of many
Broadway casts including Caroline, or
Change; Chicago; Lennon; Passion; and Getting Away
With Murder. Adinah Alexander was
part of the original Broadway casts of The
Wedding Singer; Wicked; Urban Cowboy; and Parade.
"Cooper will play Otis Wright, a character similar to the
Stage Manager in Our Town, genially
guiding the musical's audience through the day-to-day activities in an idyllic
town, but with an intergalactic twist," explain press notes, "Alexander will
play Mrs. Miriam Rogan, the manager of Starlite Starbrite Trailer Park, mother
of title character Alex Rogan, holding down more jobs than she can handle while
being the confidante for Alex's cherished girlfriend Maggie."
Cooper and Alexander are joined by previously announced cast
members Joseph Kolinski (Centauri), Danny Binstock (Alex Rogan), Janet Carroll
(Granny), Tom Treadwell (Rylan), Mary Ellen Ashley (Elaine), Michael Cone
(Hugh), Jesse JP Johnson (Marty), Jonathan Richard Sandler (Jerry), Lauren
Marcus (Darlene), Ryan Jesse (Blake/Zur), Natalie Hall (Jenny) Sean Montgomery
(Toby) and Jessica Blair (Lynn).
"From Jonathan Betuel's screenplay for the beloved 1980s
sci-fi film comes the cosmically entertaining romantic musical fantasy The Last Starfighter," declare press
notes, "It's Spring 1983 in a Sierra Nevada
trailer park. High school senior Alex
Rogan's hardworking, unrewarded life takes an unexpected turn when he breaks a
video game record and is spirited away by the game's inventor, the alien
huckster Centauri, to fight for the Star League in a faraway galaxy. Centauri
leaves behind Beta, a body double droid of Alex, to cover Alex's absence with
his mother, brother and beloved girlfriend Maggie while Alex is off fighting
the evil Zur and the Ko-dan Armada.
Beta's comic mishaps on Earth with Maggie and the neighbors in the
trailer park, and shape-shifting alien assassins in pursuit of Alex on his home
turf, alternate with Alex's heroic starfighter achievements. Alex must reach inside himself to discover
his true potential ? the universe and his life depend on it!"
The Last Starfighter is directed by Elizabeth Lucas,
featuring music and lyrics by Skip Kennon and a book by Fred Landau. The design
team includes lighting design by Herrick Goldman and costumes by Mark Richard
Caswell. Choreographed by David Eggers.
All performances are at The Theater at St.
Clements located at 46th St
(btwn 9th and 10th Aves). Show times are
Friday September 28 at 8PM; Saturday September 29 at 1PM; Wednesday October 3
at 9PM; Friday October 5 at 1PM; Saturday October 6 at 9PM; and Sunday October
7 at 4PM.
Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at www.nymf.org or by telephone at (212) 352-3101.
Now in its 4th year, The New York Musical Theatre Festival
is the largest musical theatre event in America. NYMF premiered 99 new musicals during its
first three seasons, with more than a dozen of these shows transferring to
successful off-Broadway and regional productions.
