Butler, Cerveris, Garber, Hawke & More Sing for Jack O'Brien 11/8

Sonnet Repertory Theatre announced their Ninth Annual BENEFIT & CABARET HONORING Jack O'Brien to be held Monday, November 8th at Joe's Pub, to be hosted by Jerry Mitchell with Musical Direction by Dan Lipton and featuring performances by John Behlmann, Kerry Butler, Michael Cerveris, Victor Garber, Ethan Hawke, Carly Jibson, Andrew Lippa, Duncan Sheik, Joe Allen Players.

The evening's cast will perform music by Mark Bennett, Bob James, Andrew Lippa, Dan Lipton, Will Reynolds, Marc Shaiman, Duncan Sheik, Ben Toth and Scott Wittman.

Sonnet Repertory Theatre's mission is dedicated to classic theatre for the modern planet. As a non-profit organization, SRT seeks to promote classic theatre to a contemporary audience by producing insightful and relevant interpretations, while also providing diverse and challenging creative opportunities. Jack O'Brien is a strong proponent of Sonnet Rep's mission: classic theatre for the modern planet. All funds collected from ticket sales go towards enabling Sonnet Repertory Theatre to continue producing exciting, accessible theater in 2011 and to enrich their ever growing educational initiatives, designed to nurture arts and classical language appreciation among our city's school children.

Sonnet Repertory Theatre's Ninth Annual Benefit & Cabaret will take place Monday, November 8th at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, between Astor Place and West 4th). Doors open at 6:00 pm, with performances set to begin at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $60 seated, $40 standing (advance reservations), $100 at the door (In addition to the ticket price, there is a $12 dining minimum per person at tables. Please note that lounge and bar seating, as well as standing, requires a two-drink minimum or $12 dining minimum per person). To purchase tickets, please visit the Joe's Pub website.

One of the most respected theater artists in the country, Jack O'Brien began his long and distinguished career on Broadway as the assistant director of revivals of You Can't Take It With You (1965-67) and The Cherry Orchard (1968), sometimes contributing additional lyrics to songs. His earned his first directing credit on The Comedy of Errors at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego (1969), and then took the director's chair on Broadway's Cock-A-Doodle Dandy revival later that year. O'Brien wrote the book and lyrics for the short-lived The Selling of the President (1972) and returned to directing for a revival of The Time of Your Life (1975) and a revival of Porgy and Bess (1977), for which he received his first Tony nomination.

After directing dozens of Shakespeare plays and other works at The Old Globe, O'Brien became the Artistic Director of in 1981, continuing to direct productions there, including a revival of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth, which was televised live to open the 1983 season of PBS's "American Playhouse" series. As Artistic Director, O'Brien co-produced Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods (1987-89), Rumors (1988-90) and the drama The Piano Lesson (1990-91), for which he won his first Drama Desk Award. Occasionally directing television, O'Brien spent he next decade directing and producing a myriad of theatrical productions including Two Shakespearean Actors (1992), Hapgood (1995, winning the Lucille Lortel Award for Direction), and The Little Foxes (1997 revival).

O'Brien had a hit with The Full Monty, which he directed and produced (2000-2002), and critical success with the drama The Invention of Love (2001) for which he won the Drama Desk Award for direction. In 2002, he directed the world premiere of the Nora Ephron play Imaginary Friends, which then transferred to Broadway. That same year he directed Hairspray, which marked his first Tony Award win and another Drama Desk Award. In 2002, he was honored with the prestigious "Mr. Abbott" Award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation.

O'Brien went on to direct Tom Stoppard's trilogy of plays The Coast of Utopia (2006-07) at Lincoln Center, winning both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards. He then directed Giacomo Puccini's trilogy of operas Il trittico for the Metropolitan Opera. Other opera productions have included Mozart's The Magic Flute for the San Francisco Opera, Verdi's Aida for Houston Grand Opera, and Kurt Weill's Street Scene for New York City Opera, which was televised on "Live from Lincoln Center." On television, O'Brien directed six movies for "American Playhouse," including An Enemy of the People, I Never Sang For My Father, All My Sons, and Painting Churches.

O'Brien's recent directorial efforts at The Old Globe include Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Chekhov's The Seagull (in a new version by Stoppard), and Brendan Behan's The Hostage. In stepping down as Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre at the end of 2007, O'Brien said, ""I consider myself truly blessed to have been able to enjoy such a full and varied career at the Globe. I have had the enviable opportunity to direct everything from Shakespeare to new American works to Broadway-bound musicals, all under the supportive and watchful eye of an enthusiastic San Diego community."

He has most recently directed several workshops of the musical adaptation of Catch Me if You Can (Broadway-bound) and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies, sequel to The Phantom of the Opera (West End) and the premiere of the Michael Jacobs play Impressionism, starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons.Jerry Mitchell is a Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning choreographer and director. Mitchell began his career as a performing in Broadway productions including Brigadoon and The Will Rogers Follies. His first production as sole choreographer was the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which he followed with the Jack O'Brien directed The Full Monty (Tony and Drama Desk nomination). Mitchell and O'Brien would go on to collaborate on a variety of Broadway productions, including Hairspray (Tony and Drama Desk nomination), Imaginary Friends, and are currently working on Catch Me If You Can.

Mitchell created and for many years directed the annual Broadway Bares benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. In addition to the theatre, he has choreographed for films such as Camp, In & Out, and Drop Dead Gorgeous. He garnered an Emmy Award nomination for his work on "The Drew Carey Show."

In 2003, Mitchell was named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch." His most recent project, he served as both director and choreographer for 2007's Legally Blonde: The Musical (Tony nomination for Best Choreography, Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Direction of a Musical).

PERFORMERS

Numerous talented and award-winning performers are slated to appear in 2010's Benefit & Cabaret including: John Behlmann (Off-B'way: 39 Steps; Film: Revolutionary Road; TV: "The Good Wife"), Kerry Butler (B'way: Rock of Ages, Xanadu - Tony award nomination, Hairspray - Drama Desk nomination), Michael Cerveris (B'way: In the Next Room, Lovemusik - Tony and Drama Desk nomination, Sweeney Todd - Tony and Drama Desk nomination, Assassins - Tony award), Victor Garber (B'way: Present Laughing, Two Shakespearean Actors, Damn Yankees - Tony award nomination; Film: The Town; TV: "Alias"), Ethan Hawke (Directing Off-B'way: A Lie of the Mind - Drama Desk nomination, Things We Want; Acting B'way: The Coast of Utopia - Tony award nomination, The Cherry Orchard and A Winter's Tale - Drama Desk nomination; Film: Before Sunset - Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, Training Day - Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor), Carly Jibson (B'way: Cry-Baby, Hairspray), Andrew Lippa (B'way: The Addams Family - Tony and Drama Desk nominations, The Farnsworth Invention, The Wild Party - Drama Desk award), Duncan Sheik (B'way: Spring Awakening - Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk Awards), Joe Allen Players (Broadway Bombs).

COMPOSERS

Dan Lipton (B'way: The Coast of Utopia, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty) will serve as the Musical Director for the 2010 Benefit & Cabaret, which features the work of many gifted composers including: Mark Bennett (B'way: Driving Miss Daisy, A Steady Rain, The Coast of Utopia - Drama Desk Award, The Cherry Orchard and The Winter's Tale - Drama Desk nomination), Bob James (B'way: Impressionism, The Little Foxes, Two Shakespearean Actors), Andrew Lippa (B'way: The Addams Family - Tony and Drama Desk nominations, The Farnsworth Invention, The Wild Party - Drama Desk award), Will Reynolds (The Greenwood Tree),
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (B'way: Catch Me If You Can, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me - Drama Desk nomination, Hairspray - Tony Award), Duncan Sheik (B'way: Spring Awakening - Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk Awards), Ben Toth (film and theater composer).

Sonnet Repertory Theatre

Sonnet Repertory Theatre 2010 season featured a sold out run of Richard II (a co-production with Matchbook Productions) and a critically acclaimed production of Twelfth Night, which the New York Times called a "solid, talent-filled production." Sonnet Repertory Theatre is headed up by Co-Artistic Directors Tiffany Little Canfield (Casting Director at Telsey + Company in New York City with credits that include: Baz Luhrmann's production of Puccini's La Boheme on Broadway, the films Dan in Real Life, Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, Sex and the City (both films), the ABC Pilot Ugly Betty and many Broadway shows and commercials) and Todd Loyd (numerous on and off Broadway credits as actor, director and everything in-between include: the Broadway productions of La Boheme, The Color Purple; works at The Kennedy Center, The Eugene O'Neill Playwright's Conference, Lincoln Center Institute, Cedar Lake Dance, PCPA Theaterfest, The Belt Theatre; such festivals as NYMF and NAMT).

www.sonnetrepertorytheatre.org

Sonnet Repertory Theatre's Ninth Annual Benefit & Cabaret will take place Monday, November 8th at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street, between Astor Place and West 4th). Doors open at 6:00 pm, with performances set to begin at 7:00 pm. Tickets: $60 seated, $40 standing (advance reservations), $100 at the door (In addition to the ticket price, there is a $12 dining minimum per person at tables. Please note that lounge/bar seating, as well as standing, requires a two drink minimum or $12 dining minimum per person). To purchase tickets, please visit the Joe's Pub website.