Rudetsky Moderates Post-Show Fanny Hill Panels, Feb. 4 & 11

By: BWW News Desk Feb. 03, 2006

York Theatre Company, Dennis Grimaldi Productions & Nick Cavarra will host 2 special post-show panel discussions following the 2:30 matinee performances of the new musical Fanny Hill on Saturday, February 4th and Saturday, February 11th. Both panel discussions will be moderated by Seth Rudetsky.

The New York premiere of Fanny Hill, a new musical by Ed Dixon, based on John Cleland's eighteenth century naughty novel (also known as Memoirs of A Woman of Pleasure), is currently playing at Saint Peter's Theatre (located on 54th Street just east of Lexington Avenue). The musical, directed by James Brennan, officially opens on Tuesday, February 14 and is scheduled to run through Sunday, March 26.

On Saturday, Feb. 4th, the cast and creative team behind Fanny Hill will share experiences and answer questions about the show. Writer Ed Dixon, director James Brennan, stars Nancy Anderson, Emily Skinner, Tony Yazbeck, and others will participate. Then on Saturday, Feb. 11th, Rudetsky--of Seth's Broadway Chatterbox and Actors' Fund benefit concerts fame--will chat with some of New York's most beloved ingénues, divas and vamps (participants to be announced shortly).

Nancy Anderson (Wonderful Town, Kiss Me, Kate, A Class Act) plays the title role in the musical, which also features Tony Award-nominee Emily Skinner (Side Show, The Full Monty); Patti Allison (Orpheus Descending, Angel); David Cromwell (Julius Caesar, The Scarlet Pimpernel); Michael J. Farina (In My Life, Seussical); Gina Ferrall (Big River, Jane Eyre); Adam Monley (Mamma Mia!); Christianne Tisdale (Triumph of Love, Beauty and the Beast) and Tony Yazbeck (Oklahoma!, Gypsy).

The musical "is the story of a beautiful young girl who travels to London to make her fortune and ends up making a great deal more. . . the army, the navy, and most of Parliament. Fanny becomes the foremost practitioner of the world's oldest profession, proves that crime really can pay, and gives new meaning to the expression, 'making it!'," according to notes on the York's website. Fanny Hill, which features book, music and lyrics by Dixon, will be directed by James Brennan, while Michael Bottari and Ronald Case will design the sets and costumes. Phil Monat is the lighting designer.

"Considered the first 'erotic' novel, the witty tale was written in 1749 while Cleland was in debtor's prison in London, and it has also gone on to become a byword for the battle of censorship of erotica. After the book was first published, The Church of England asked the British Secretary of State to stop the progress of the book, 'an open insult upon Religion and good manners,' and as a result, Cleland was arrested. Nonetheless, copies of the book were sold underground and the book eventually made its way to the United States where, in 1821, it was banned for obscenity. In 1963, G. B. Putnam published the book, and it was once again banned for obscenity. The publisher challenged the ban in court, and in a landmark decision in 1966, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Memoirs v. Massachusetts that the banned novel did not meet the standard for obscenity. The novel is still banned in Australia," according to press notes.

Tickets to Fanny Hill are $45 during previews (performances from February 1 – 13) and $55 (from February 14 – March 26). Tickets can be purchased at www.SmartTix.com or by calling (212) 868-4444. Student rush and senior rush tickets will also be available.

For more information, visit www.fannyhillmusical.com or www.yorktheatre.org.

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Rudetsky Moderates Post-Show Fanny Hill Panels, Feb. 4 & 11

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