The Irish Repertory Theatre's new critically acclaimed production of George M. Tonight!, featuring Jon Peterson, will be preserved on a cast recording to be released on June 13th. The album will be released on the Ghostlight Records division of the Sh-K-Boom Label, which is dedicated to classic musicals, old and new, and contemporary vocalists and composers.
George M. Cohan stars Peterson (who also choreographed the show) as the flag-waving performing and songwriting icon, who became a star at the turn of the last century. The show is written, arranged, and directed by Chip Deffaa. Music and Llyrics are by Cohan with additional material by Deffaa. Sterling Price-McKinney is the musical director.
"George M. Cohan may well have been the single most talented figure in American theatrical history. He gave Broadway its pace, its beat, its snap. He wrote, directed, and produced scores of shows; penned hundreds of songs; and became the most popular musical comedy star of his era. Critics called him 'The First Actor' and 'The Man Who Owns Broadway.' Starting out as a poor Irish-American kid from Providence, RI, Cohan never spent more than a few weeks in school. Nevertheless, he remade the American songbook, and made America - not Europe - the standard-setter for musical theater," state press notes.
Peterson, who won Back Stage's "Bistro Award" for his portrayal of Cohan, has appeared in musicals such as
42nd Street, A Chorus Line, Dames at Sea and
She Loves Me in his native London. He starred as the emcee in Sam Mendes' and
Rob Marshall's acclaimed production of Cabaret for two years in the U.S. national tour before covering the role on Broadway.
Sh-K-Boom Records was founded by
Kurt Deutsch in 2000 with the mission of bridging the gap between pop music and theatre. The label is committed to giving a voice to the new generation of Broadway composers and stars. Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight was recently honored with three 2006 Grammy Award nominations for Best Musical Show Album:
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hair (The Actors' Fund Of America Benefit Recording) and
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.In the past eighteen years, The Irish Repertory Theatre has presented major works by O'Casey, Synge, Shaw, Wilde, Dion Boucicault, Brendan Behan, Dylan Thomas, and Samuel Beckett, as well as the contemporary artistry of Hugh Leonard, Frank McCourt, Tom Murphy, Brian Friel, Peter Sheridan, Patricia Burke Brogan, Pat McCabe, Geraldine Aron, Jennifer Johnston, Tommy Makem, Shivaun O'Casey, Enda Walsh and Harold Prince. The Irish Repertory Theatre received the 2005 Lucille Lortel "Outstanding Body of Work" award and won the New York Drama Desk Award for "Excellence in Presenting Distinguished Irish Drama." In 1995, The Irish Repertory Theatre moved to its present location on West 22nd Street, New York City. It is currently undertaking an eight million dollar capital campaign to purchase its theatre, rehearsal studio, and administrative offices.
George M. Tonight will be presented at the Irish Rep through May 14th (the show was recently extended). Visit
www.irishrep.org for more information and tickets. Visit
www.sh-k-boom.com for more information on Sh-K-Boom Records.
