D.B. Bonds Leads Goodspeed's CITY OF ANGELS 9/23-11/27

Goodspeed Musicals delves into the sultry and shadowy world of 1940s film noir with their clever production of City of Angels. Promising lots of laughs and plenty of jazzy tunes, this witty musical comedy will run from September 23 - November 27 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn. City of Angels will be sponsored by Liberty Bank and Connecticut Light & Power. 

Swinging, sexy, smart, and funny! An ingenious spoof of 1940s Hollywood and whodunit films with side-by-side stories about the "real" world of a detective fiction writer and the "reel" world of his fictional gumshoe hero. One balances romance and rewrites, while the other slinks through a film noir netherworld of thugs and femmes fatales. Winner of tons of Tony Awards, it's a witty detective thriller with a jazzy score that really kills.

City of Angels features Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by David Zippel, and Book by Larry Gelbart.
The killer cast will be led by D.B. Bonds who will play Stine. Bonds appeared in Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. Stone will be played by Burke Moses of Broadway's The Frogs; Kiss Me, Kate; Beauty and the Beast and Guys and Dolls and Goodspeed's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The roles of Bobbi and Gabby will be played by Laurie Wells who appeared in Broadway's Mamma Mia! and Goodspeed's 42nd Street. Liz Pearce will play Alaura Kingsley and Carla Haywood. Ms. Pearce was seen in Broadway's Billy Elliot: The Musical and Goodspeed's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and George M!.

Donna and Oolie will be played by Nancy Anderson whose credits include Broadway's Wonderful Town and A Class Act , the Goodspeed's Sweeney Todd as well as Fanny Hill, Dorian and By Jeeves at The Norma Terris Theatre. Buddy Fidler and Irwin Irving will be played by Jay Russell who appeared in The Play What I Wrote on Broadway. Jeffrey David Sears will play Jimmy Powers. Gregor Paslawsky will play Luther Kingsley and Werner Krieger.

Lt. Muñoz and Pancho Vargas will be played by Danny Bolero of Broadway's In the Heights and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Allen E. Read will play Peter Kinglsey and Gerald Pierce. Kathleen Rooney will play Mallory Kinglsey and Avril Reins.

Dr. Mandril and Gilbert will be played by Michael Keyloun. Big Six will be played by Jerry Gallagher. Spencer Rowe will play Sonny. Josh Powell will play Officer Pasco, Del Dacosta, and Gene. Robert J. Townsend will play Mahoney. Christina Morrell will play Margaret and Anna.
The Angel City 4 will be played by Mick Bleyer, Vanessa Parvin, Sierra Rein, and Adam West Hemming. All four actors are members of the 2010 Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) award-winning a capella group, Marquee Five which has been described as "top-notch," with a spunky intelligent flair and tight harmonies. The swings will be Becca Pesce and Adam Bastien.
City of Angels will be directed by Darko Tresnjak who was recently named the new Artistic Director for Hartford Stage. Mr. Tresnjak returns to Goodspeed where he previously directed Carnival!, Amour, and A Little Night Music. Choreographer for this production will be Jennifer Paulson Lee. Ms. Lee's Goodspeed Opera House credits include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Finian's Rainbow and Houdini in addition to Dear World and Just So at The Norma Terris Theatre.
Scenic design will be by David P. Gordon of Goodspeed's Carnival!, Amour, and A Little Night Music. Costumes will be designed by Tracy Christensen. Ms. Christensen's numerous Broadway Credits include Costume Designer for Souvenir and Associate Costume Designer for A Little Night Music, Shrek The Musical, The Little Mermaid, Fiddler on the Roof, and Beauty and the Beast. Lighting design will be by John Lasiter who served as Lighting Designer for Goodspeed's Show Boat, Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun, Camelot, Big River, and 1776 as well as Broadway's High and A Grand Night for Singing. Projection design will be by Shawn Boyle who was Associate Projection Designer for Broadway's The People in the Picture and Impressionism. Sound design will be by Jay Hilton who is in his 26th season at Goodspeed.

The Music Director for City of Angels will be Michael O'Flaherty who is in his 20th season as Goodspeed's Resident Music Director. William J. Thomas will be assistant music director. Orchestrations will be provided by Dan DeLange, who created the orchestrations for Goodspeed's Show Boat, My One And Only, How To Succeed..., Carnival!, Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun, 42nd Street, High Button Shoes, Singin' in the Rain, The Boy Friend and many more. City of Angels is produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price.

On Monday, November 21, Goodspeed will hold its Annual Food Drive to benefit the East Haddam Food Bank. Staff volunteers will be collecting donations pre-show in the hopes that they will have another record-breaking year for participation. Goodspeed Musicals is offering a special buy one ticket, get one free to patrons who bring a generous donation of non-perishable foods to the November 21st 2:00 matinee or the 7:30 p.m. performance. The East Haddam Food Bank is in need of many non-perishable food items, especially "the basics" such as soups, pastas, canned fruits and vegetables, and cereals, as well as paper goods and personal toiletries.

Thanksgiving week performances will take place on Monday, November 21, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm; Friday, November 25, at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm; Saturday, November 26, at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm; and Sunday, November 27, at 2:00 pm and 6:30 pm (Final Performance). Collection bins will be placed in the main lobby during the final week of performances.

City of Angels will run September 23 through November 27, 2011 [Official Press Opening October 19, 2011]. Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00 p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.).

Tickets are available through the Box Office (860.873.8668), open seven days a week, or on-line at goodspeed.org. For show highlights, exclusive photos, special events and more visit us at goodspeed.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre, Goodspeed Musicals produces three musicals each season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn., and additional productions at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals. The first regional theatre to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement), Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre. Goodspeed gratefully acknowledges the support of Assisting Production Sponsor Liberty Bank; Sennheiser, the official audio sponsor; Continental, the official airline; and Hoffman Audi, the official auto sponsor of Goodspeed Musicals. Goodspeed is supported in part by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.