Joan Ellison to Honor Judy Garland at TheatreZone in 2016

Artistic director Mark Danni today unveiled that actress and singer Joan Ellison will perform a one-night-only concert Love Finds Judy Garland, Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 8 pm.

The swelegant evening features Ms. Ellison performing signature "Judy" tunes along with veteran crooner Mark Flanders (appearing as a radio host), accompanied by MGM pianist Jason Aquila, singing standards like "The Trolley Song," Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," Listen, Darling (1938), "You Made Me Love You," Broadway Melody in 1938 (1937), and of course, "Over the Rainbow" The Wizard of Oz (1939).

The cabaret-styled concert takes place in TheatreZone's 250-seat G&L Theatre, located on the campus of The Community School of Naples. Tickets cost $50 via www.theatrezone-florida.com/tickets or call the box office at (888) 966-3352.

Danni also announced that Ms. Ellison has been cast in the role of 'Judy Garland' in TheatreZone's February 2016 production of The Boy From Oz, the musical about Australian singer/songwriter Peter Allen. Allen was discovered by Ms. Garland when he was singing in a Hong Kong hotel lounge. He opened for her show in New York and was briefly married to her daughter Liza Minnelli.

About Joan Ellison

In July 2015, Joan will release a new album, "Retrophonic Gershwin," with duo-piano accompaniment. The album is mixed by Grammy award winning engineer Robert Friedrich. Upcoming performances include Get Happy! Judy Garland in Hollywood with the Wheaton Symphony and "Music of WW II" with the Lakeside Symphony.

In 2005 Ms. Ellison made her Severance Hall debut with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra opposite Broadway baritone William Michals and has since sung a dozen times with the ensemble. Recent symphonic appearances include "Music of Richard Rodgers" and holiday concerts with the Erie Philharmonic as well as Garland concerts with the Lakeside Symphony, Cleveland Women's Orchestra, and Tuscarawas Philharmonic.

In addition to touring the country with the retro-radio-style shows Love Finds Judy Garland and Gershwin On the Air, Joan has trod the boards as Julie in Carousel, Nellie in South Pacific, Lizzie in 110 in the Shade, Eliza in My Fair Lady (in concert), and Claudia in Nine.

Her debut album, "A Date With Judy! Joan Ellison Sings Judy Garland," receives frequent airplay on WKHR 91.5. She earned M.M.T. and B. Mus. degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, currently serves as Teacher of Popular Voice at The Cleveland Institute of Music and Visiting Guest Artist with the CWRU/Cleveland Play House M.F.A. Program, and is a member of Actors' Equity Association. www.joanellison.com

About TheatreZone

Operating under the guidelines of the Actors' Equity Association and small professional theatres contract, TheatreZone is in residence and performs in the intimate 250-seat G&L Theatre housed on the magnificent campus of The Community School of Naples, one block north of Pine Ridge Road at 13275 Livingston Road.

Call TheatreZone at 1-888-ZONE-FLA, 1-888-966-3352 or purchase online at www.theatrezone-florida.com. Season 11 tickets subscriber series (four shows) and a mini series (3 shows) are available. Individual tickets are priced at $48 - $53 plus a $2 per ticket fee.

A bonus to TheatreZone's next season is the October 1 - 10, 2015 production of Xanadu, starring Tony-nominated actor Eddie Mekka (Carmine "the Big Ragu" from Laverne & Shirley). The musical is the second pairing of professional actors (members of the Actors Equity Association) with FGCU's Bower School of Music and The Arts professors, and theatre/music students. Based on the infamous film, Xanadu was penned by playwright Douglas Carter Beane and uses songs from John Farrar and Jeff Lynne's (E.L.O. - Electric Light Orchestra) film soundtrack. Individual tickets to Xanadu (staged in the 90-seat Theatre Lab on the FGCU campus) cost $45 and $40 each and are not included in the series subscriptions.

TheatreZone is also teaming with Gulfshore Opera to present Brigadoon, the enchanting tale of two American tourists who stumble upon a little Scottish village that reawakens for one day every 100 years, then goes back to sleep for another century while Brigadoon itself vanishes in the mists.

Brigadoon will be staged Friday, November 20, 2015 at 8 pm in the Charlotte Performing Arts Center in Port Charlotte, FL and Saturday, November 21 at 8 pm in the First Christian Church in Ft. Myers, FL. A third location and date in Collier County will be announced shortly. Tickets to Brigadoon (ranging in price from $25 - $75) go on sale August 1, 2015 through www.gulfshoreopera.org.

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