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Eden Espinosa Makes East Coast Solo Debut with 'ME' at Joe's Pub 3/22 - 3/24

By: Feb. 11, 2009
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After three sold out standing room only engagements at Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles, Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel proudly present Broadway star and Los Angeles native Eden Espinosa (Broadway: Wicked, Brooklyn, Rent) in her hit solo debut entitled Eden Espinosa - Me.

Directed by Broadway/Recording star Billy Porter with James Samplinger set to Music Direct. 

Eden Espinosa recently returned to close the Los Angeles production of Wicked in Southern California, where she was born and raised. She has performed the role of Elphaba to critical acclaim on Broadway, the San Francisco stop on the national tour, and in the Los Angeles production from its opening through December 2007.

Following her stint in Wicked, Eden performed the title role in Flora, the Red Menace for Reprise! in Los Angeles, and then joined the final Broadway company of Rent as Maureen at the Nederlander Theatre in New York. She created the title character in Brooklyn the Musical and performed it from the original workshop, on through its Broadway run. You may have heard her on such recordings as Hair (BCEFA benefit recording), The Maury Yeston Songbook, Bright Lights, Big City, John McDaniel Live at Joe's Pub and Scott Alan's Dreaming Wide Awake. 

Billy Porter is a native of Pittsburgh PA. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University where he received a B.F.A. in drama. Film and Television credits include: Sundance Film Festival features "The Broken Hearts Club" (Sony Pictures) and "Intern". "Noel" (with Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams), "Shake Rattle & Roll"-Little Richard (CBS mini-series), "Another World" (recurring), "Twisted", "A Very Rosie Christmas" (ABC), The Tonight Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, In The Life and multiple appearances on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show". Broadway credits include: Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe, Grease (all original cast), Smokey Joe's Café, Dreamgirls (20th Anniversary Broadway Concert and LA Ovation Award) and HAIR. Off Broadway and regional credits include: Romance In Hard Times, The Merchant of Venice, House of Lear and Radiant Baby @ (The New York Shakespeare Festival), Birdie Blue (Second Stage starring S. Epatha Merkerson) Angles in America (Actors Theatre Of Louisville), Going Native (The Long Wharf), Topdog/Underdog (City Theatre), Jason Robert Brown's Songs For A New World, Jesus Christ Superstar, Antigone, A Chorus Line, Chicago. His concerts credits include: Opening Act for Rosie O'Donnell and Aretha Franklin. Carnegie Hall, John McDaniel and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, as well as The Buffalo Philharmonic, Peter Nero and The Philly Pops, soloist for President Bill Clinton, Vanessa Williams and various AIDS benefits throughout the U.S. His recordings include: Debut solo CD "Untitled" on A&M records, A Very Rosie Christmas, Jim Brickman "Destiny" (top ten AC hit), Grease (revival cast album), Adam Guettel's Myths & Hymns, Gershwin and Sondheim Benefit Albums, Hercules (Disney) and Anastasia (Warner Bros.), Liz Callaway - The Story Goes On, Alvin Ailey/Revelations, Broadway Cares Home For The Holidays, Dreamgirls in Concert (featured as James Thunder Early), HAIR (Actor's Fund Benefit recording), Great Joy: A Gospel Christmas (with The Broadway Inspirational Voices) and The Human Rights Campaign's Love Rocks . Billy is also a graduate of The Professional Program In Screenwriting at UCLA and is an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University's School Of Drama, where he has directed productions of Company and Letter's From ‘Nam. He also directed a critically acclaimed recreation of The Wiz and conceived a musical revue entitled Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Music Of Stevie Wonder, which starred Chaka Khan and ran at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas in the spring of 2002. Billy's other directing projects include: Being Alive: The Soul Of Sondheim, which premiered at The Westport Country Playhouse in the summer of 2007 transferring to The Philadelphia Theatre Company, Once On This Island for Reprise Theatre Company, and the upcoming Twilight In Manchego for The New York Musical Theatre Festival. His one-man show, Ghetto Superstar: The Man That I Am debuted at The Public Theater in NYC in the winter of 2005 transferring to City Theatre in Pittsburgh. The show was nominated for a 2005 Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical and Distinguished Performance as well as a GLAAD Media Award. His sophomore CD, At The Corner Of Broadway + Soul - "LIVE" from Joe's Pub is available for purchase at www.sh-k-boom.com and on iTunes, and his song "Time" was featured on the second season of "So You Think You Can Dance."

TICKETS ON SALE Tuesday, 2/17 at 3 PM, Online at joespub.com, Phone 212-967-7555,

In Person At the Public Theater Box Office (1 PM to 6 PM), or at the Joe's Pub Box Office from (6 PM to 10 PM) both located at 425 Lafayette Street, NYC

For table reservations please call 212-539-8778. Purchase of tickets does NOT guarantee a table reservation; you must call to reserve seats. Seating, as well as standing-room, is available only on a first-come, first-served basis for all shows without a dinner reservation. Two drink or $12 food minimum per person is standard. Tickets $30.

 




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