Cooper & Alexander Fly into Cast of NYMF 'Last Starfighter'

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.