Theresa Anne Swain Named LA's Next Great Stage Star 2009

By: Jan. 30, 2009
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Upon the January 27th Finale of six, sold-out nights of competition among 18 contestants at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, CA, the vivacious Theresa Anne Swain was named LA's Next Great Stage Star 2009. The annual talent search has become the most high profile stage competition in Los Angeles since its inception in 2006.

Ms. Swain was awarded a $1000 cash prize and a paid headlining engagement at Sterling's Upstairs. As the event's Gold Sponsor, the Sheraton Universal Hotel, located adjacent to Universal Studios, will provide the talented redhead with dinner for two at the hotel's noted "California's Restaurant," and an overnight stay in a beautifully appointed suite to coincide with her return to Sterling's on a date to be announced prior to May, 2009.

Ms. Swain is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. Credits include the Los Angeles premiere of White Christmas at the Pantages Theatre; Tess/Polly u/s in the national tour of Crazy for You; Guys and Dolls at Long Beach, CA's Music Theatre West and The Rubicon in Ventura, CA; the world premiere of Ginger and Me in Palm Springs, CA, and Joan in the west coast revival of Dames at Sea. She has also appeared throughout the country as both Millie and Miss Dorothy in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Carrie in Carousel, Anytime Annie in 42nd Street, Portia in Cinderella, Grizabella in Cats, Irene in Hello, Dolly! (Sierra Repertory Theatre); and had leading roles in Footloose, Joseph..., Ruthless, Beauty and the Beast, and Annie Get Your Gun (starring Tom Wopat). Ms. Swain is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory.

The event's first runner-up was Heather Lindell, who not only appeared on Broadway in Hairspray, but for two years co-starred as "Jan Spears" on the daytime hit series Days of Our Lives. Melissa Mitchell, Erin Zaruba and Shaun Samaro rounded out ...Stage Star's 2009 top finalists.

Professional Judges included:

Adam Epstein - Tony Award winning Producer (Hairspray, Cry Baby, The Wedding Singer and more)

Allee Willis - Emmy and Grammy Award-winning composer and Tony Award nominated composer (The Color Purple)

James Blackman - 2008 Los Angeles Ovation Award winner and Executive Artistic Producer/Director - The Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
David Galligan - 2005 Los Angeles Lifetime Ovation Award winner
Ms. Rae O'Day - Producing Artistic Director - Performance Riverside at the Landis Performing Arts Center
Lewis Wilkenfeld - 2008 Los Angeles Ovation Award nominee and winner - Artistic Director/Cabrillo Music Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
Peter Matyas - Associate Casting Director - Michael Donovan Casting (Theatre, TV, Film, Commercials)

Daniel Solis - Casting Director - Disney Entertainment Productions
Bob Garrett - Veteran Broadway performer and distinguished vocal coach to the stars

Steven Dry - West Coast Senior Theatre Agent - Schiowitz, Connor, Ankrum, Wolf, Inc.

Victoria Morris - Executive Vice President - Theatre Talent Agent - Kazarian, Spencer, Ruskin & Associates

Dave Secor - Associate Theatre Agent -The Daniel Hoff Agency
Julio Martinez - Theatre Critic - Daily Variety and KPFK Radio (90.7 FM) - Theatre Critic and Host - "Arts in Review" - Pacifica Radio Network

STERLING'S UPSTAIRS at Vitello's is produced by Michael Sterling of Michael Sterling & Associates (MSA), the Studio City-based entertainment public relations company (www.msapr.net). Since 1980, Sterling has represented such stellar clients as ElizaBeth Taylor, Lance Armstrong, Scott Hamilton, David Copperfield, Joan Collins, Alan Thicke, David Brenner, Andy Gibb, and Robert Goulet. Aside from his celebrity clientele, Sterling has represented various National Theatre and arena tours, Los Angeles theatre productions, Emmy Award-winning television specials, celebrity books, albums and CD's. Sterling is also a critically-acclaimed director of musical theatre in Los Angeles, and has produced various theatrical events and productions throughout southern California. On January 7, 2009, Sterling and Monsour opened Broadway in Concert! at The Canyon, a weekly, Wednesday night series of intimate concerts at the legendary Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA (www.canyonclub.net; www.myspace.com/broadwayinconcertatcanyon)

Tony Monsour of Michael Sterling & Associates serves as Associate Talent Producer for Sterling's Upstairs. As a freelance producer with MSA for three years, Monsour is also a trained actor and singer with an impressive resume in television, film and musical theatre including appearances on Heroes, Criminal Minds, and this season's TV hits Privileged, The Starter Wife and Trust Me. Starring roles in west coast musical theatre include "Conrad Birdie" in Bye Bye Birdie, "Pharaoh" in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and "Ben" the Bounder in The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Since its June 9, 2006 opening, Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's has hosted some of the most prominent Broadway and Nightclub performers in Los Angeles. Among them veteran award-winning Broadway Star Rachel York (www.rachelyork.net), Broadway star Kevin Earley (www.kevinearley.com), co-star of A Tale of Two Cities and Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway and a frequent guest soloist at the Hollywood Bowl; and Ilene Graff (www.ilenegraff.com) - multiple Broadway star, Grammy nominee and co-star of the ABC hit series Mr. Belvedere to name but a very few. For additional information on performers at Sterling's Upstairs, please visit the club's web site (www.myspace.com/sterlingsupstairs).



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