Mayor Deems 10/19 MEMPHIS Day; Tour to Launch at Memphis' Orpheum

The winner of four 2010 Tony awards including Best Musical, MEMPHIS celebrates its one year anniversary on Broadway Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at the Shubert Theatre. The Mayor's office has deemed tomorrow - Tuesday, October 19th MEMPHIS Day! The mayoral proclamation will be read directly after the curtain tomorrow on the show's year anniversary. In addition, one lucky audience member will win a trip for two to Memphis, Tennessee to see the opening night of MEMPHIS on tour at the Orpheum Theatre.

In addition, the principal actors of MEMPHIS will continue to blow the roof off of Broadway for yet another year. Tony nominees Chad Kimball and Montego Glover, with Derrick Baskin, J. Bernard Calloway, and James Monroe Iglehart have extended their contracts through September 2011. Cass Morgan and Michael McGrath will also continue in their roles.

Critically acclaimed MEMPHIS won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro), Best Book (Joe DiPietro), and Best Orchestrations (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS won four Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Performance by an Actress (Montego Glover), Outstanding Music (David Bryan) and Outstanding Orchestration (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS has also won four Outer Critic Circle Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Score (David Bryan & Joe DiPietro), Outstanding Actress (Montego Glover) and Outstanding Choreography (Sergio Trujillo).

MEMPHIS features a Tony-winning score with music by Bon Jovi's founding member/keyboardist David Bryan and lyrics by Bryan and Tony-winner Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change), who also pens the musical's book. MEMPHIS is based on a concept by the late George W. George (producer of the Tony nominated Bedroom Farce and the film My Dinner With Andre), with direction by Tony nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu) and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys).

MEMPHIS takes place in the smoky halls and underground clubs of the segregated 50's, where a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun (Chad Kimball) fell in love with everything he shouldn't: rock and roll and an electrifying black singer (Montego Glover). MEMPHIS is an original story about the cultural revolution that erupted when his vision met her voice, and the music changed forever.

MEMPHIS will launch a U. S. national tour in Memphis, TN, beginning in October, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre (203 South Main Street). Additional cities, dates and casting will be announced at a later date. The national tour will be booked by The Booking Group, contact MerEdith Blair (212) 869-9280 www.thebookinggroup.com.

Scenic Design for MEMPHIS is by Tony Award winner David Gallo (The Drowsy Chaperone, Reasons to Be Pretty), Costume Design is by Tony nominee Paul Tazewell (In The Heights), Lighting Design is by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Jersey Boys) and Sound Design is by Ken Travis (The Threepenny Opera).

MEMPHIS is produced on Broadway by Junkyard Dog Productions, Barbara and Buddy Freitag and Kenny and Marleen Alhadeff with Latitude Link, Jim and Susan Blair, Demos Bizar Entertainment, Land Line Productions, Apples and Oranges Productions, Dave Copley, Dancap Productions, Inc., Alex and Katya Lukianov, Tony Ponturo, 2 Guys Productions, and Richard Winkler in association with Lauren Doll, Eric and Marsi Gardiner, Linda and Bill Potter, Broadway Across America, Jocko Productions, Patty Baker, Dan Frishwasser, Bob Bartner/Scott and Kaylin Union, Loraine Boyle/Chase Mishkin, Remmel T. Dickinson/Memphis Orpheum Group and ShadowCatcher Entertainment/Vijay and Sita Vashee.

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