Skinner, Von Essen & Balgord Join 'Jerry Springer The Opera' Concert

Further casting has been announced for the two night only concert version of the smash hit London musical Jerry Springer The Opera which will play Carnegie Hall (881 7th Avenue) for two nights only on January 29 and 30, 2008.

Joining Harvey Keitel as "Jerry Springer" are Max von Essen (Les Miserables) as "Tremont," a transsexual involved in a love quadrangle, and Tony Award Nominee Emily Skinner (Side Show) as "Andrea," whose diaper-loving husband is having an affair with Baby Jane.  Also joining the cast are Linda Balgord (The Pirate Queen) as "Zandra, Irene & Mary," Lawrence Clayton (Bells are Ringing) as "Montel & Jesus," Luke Grooms as "Dwight & God," Sean Jennes as "Chucky," Sam Kitchin (Frozen) as "Steve," Patricia Phillips (The Phantom of the Opera) as "Peaches" and Laura Shoop (Bernarda Alba, Fiddler on the Roof) as "Baby Jane." Full casting will be announced shortly.

The ensemble for Jerry Springer The Opera – In Concert will feature Katie Banks, Kristy Cates, Katrina Rose Dideriksen, Patty Goble, Chris Gunn, Celisse Henderson, Robert Hunt, John Eric Parker, Eddie Pendergraft, Richard Poole, Soara-Joye Ross, Tory Ross, Roland Rusinek, John Schiappa, Michael James Scott, Dennis Stowe, Edwin Vega, Sasha Weiss, Betsy Werbel, Jim Weitzer and Lauren Worsham. 

Directed by Tony Award nominee Jason Moore (Avenue Q) and with musical direction by Stephen Oremus (Wicked), Jerry Springer The Opera – In Concert features music by Richard Thomas and book and lyrics by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas. 

Jerry Springer The Opera is the historic four-time winner of London's Best Musical prizes (Olivier Award, Critic's Circle Award, Evening Standard Award and What's On Stage Award) - no other show in West End history has achieved this distinction.  

Jerry Springer The Opera is inspired by America's most lurid TV talk show host who brought worldwide television audiences episodes including "Pregnant by a Transsexual," "Here Come the Hookers" and "I Refuse to Wear Clothes." The show opened in London to unprecedented rave reviews. The production originally premiered in London at The National Theatre on April 29, 2003, where it broke all box office records for a new musical.  Following its engagement at the National, the show transferred to the Cambridge Theatre in London's West End, where it opened on November 10, 2003.

The complete live original cast recording of Jerry Springer The Opera is available on Sony Music UK.

Tickets for Jerry Springer The Opera – In Concert are $175.00 - $59.00 and are available now through CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800 or www.carnegiehall.org or by visiting the Carnegie Hall box office (57th Street & 7th Avenue).  Performances are Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 8PM and Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 8PM

Harvey Keitel's (Jerry Springer) stage work includes the original Broadway and Off-Broadway productions of Hurlyburly directed by Mike Nichols, George C. Scott's staging of Death of a Salesman and Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind.  As a young actor in NYC, Keitel studied under Frank Corsaro, Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler eventually leading him to roles Off-Off and Off-Broadway before meeting a young filmmaker named Martin Scorsese who cast him in his student film Who's That Knocking at My Door?.  Since then, the duo has worked on numerous films together including Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and The Last Temptation of Christ.  In 1991, Keitel appeared in Bugsy, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of "Mickey Cohen."  He followed his much lauded performance in Bugsy with another gritty, acclaimed performance as the titular role in Bad Lieutenant, for which he was awarded Best Actor by The Independent Spirit Awards.  In 1996, he was awarded the prestigious Italian David di Donatello award for Best Foreign Actor for his role in Smoke.  Keitel also appeared in director Quentin Tarantino's debut feature film, Reservoir Dogs followed by riveting performances in the Academy Award winning films The Piano and Pulp Fiction.  All four iconic films had a major impact on popular culture and filmmaking.  Mr. Keitel is co-president of the Actor's Studio.  

Max von Essen (Tremont). Broadway: Les Misérables  revival (Enjorlas), Dance of the Vampires (Alfred), Les Misérables (Jean Prouvaire), Jesus Christ Superstar (Disciple/Jesus). Off-Broadway: Desperate Measures (Johnny, NYMF), Finian's Rainbow (Woody), The Fantasticks (Matt). Tours: Chicago (Mary Sunshine), West Side Story (Tony), Liza Minnelli in Concert. Regional: Mame (Patrick), The Baker's Wife (Dominique), Pirates of Penzance (Frederic), Dorian (Dorian Gray), Cabaret (Emcee), Hair (Claude). TV: MTV, "Rosie O'Donnell Show," "Tony Awards," commercials, sang the National Anthem at the World Series.

Emily Skinner (Andrea) recently starred on Broadway as Miss Mona in the Actor's Fund concert of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at the August Wilson Theater. She also starred in the original Broadway productions of Side Show (Tony nomination, Drama League Award), Jekyll & Hyde, James Joyce's The Dead, The Full Monty, and Dinner At Eight (Outer Critics circle nomination). National Tour: Disney's On The Record.  New York's City Center's Encores: No Strings, Pardon My English, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Broadway Bash. Off-Broadway: leading roles at the WPA Theater, Playwright's Horizons, Manhattan Theater Club, York Theater, The Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden. Regional: multiple shows at The Kennedy Center, McCarter, Long Wharf, The Old Globe, Ford's Theater, St. Louis MUNY, TheaterVirgina and The Signature Theatre. In concert she has appeared with New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the Pittsburgh Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony, Merkin Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Symphony Space. She has directed and performed in numerous Broadway By the Year concerts at NYC's acclaimed Town Hall. Recordings: countless cast albums and audio books; Duets; Unsuspecting Hearts; Skinner/Ripley Raw at Town Hall (all with Alice Ripley); Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens; The Stephen Sondheim Album; Wall to Wall Sondheim; Believe: The Songs of The Sherman Brothers; The Stephen Schwartz Album; 20^th Century Fox's animated feature Anastasia, her self titled solo CD.

Linda Balgord (Zandra / Irene / Mary) created the role of Queen Elizabeth I in The Pirate Queen. She was honored with a Drama Desk Award Nomination for that performance. On Broadway she has also appeared as Grizabella in the final company of Cats, as Mme. Dindon in the revival of La Cage aux Folles and in the original company of Passion.  She starred as Norma Desmond in the first national tour of Sunset Boulevard and as Rose Vibert in the national tour of Aspects of Love. For those performances she earned Joseph Jefferson and Helen Hayes Award nominations. Regionally she has appeared as Violet in The Fix, Fanny in Funny Girl and Aldonza in Man of La Mancha.  She has previously performed in concert at Carnegie Hall and Whitehall Palace.

Laura Shoop (Baby Jane) most recently appeared in Sherlock Holmes: The Early Years at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (2007 Award for Excellence – Outstanding Individual Performance). She originated the role of the Young Maiden in Michael John LaChiusa's Bernarda Alba at Lincoln Center (original cast recording) and appeared on Broadway as Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof with both Alfred Molina and Harvey Fierstein. Other Broadway: Oklahoma!. National Tour: Thoroughly Modern Millie. Regional: Belle in Beauty and the Beast (Alabama Shakespeare), A Funny Thing...Forum (Sacramento Music Circus), Carousel (Paper Mill Playhouse), Lady In The Dark (Prince Music Theater). TV: "Guiding Light," "As the World Turns," "Late Night with David Letterman," "Martha." Laura is a graduate of The Juilliard School.

Patricia Phillips (Peaches) is honored to be the first woman of African-American descent to perform the role of Carlotta on Broadway. She was most recently seen on the HBO series "The Sopranos."  She appeared in the original cast of Baz Luhrmann's Broadway production of Puccini's La Boheme and also appeared in the original Broadway casts of The Secret Garden and The Sound of Music. Other credits include the title role of Motherbone at The New Dramatists Guild, the national tour of Carousel (Nettie) and regional theatre appearances including Aldonza in Man of La Mancha. Her concert work includes solo performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and Virginia Symphony.

Sean Jennes' (Chucky) theatrical credits include Roller Derby: The Musical at this year's NYMF festival, Marcus Hummon's American Duet at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, At Least It's Pink at Ars Nova, Berger in Hair at the Actor's Theatre Of Louisville, the world premiere of Almost Heaven: Songs and Stories of John Denver at the Denver Center Theatre Company and national tours of The Who's Tommy (Pinball Lad) and the 25th Anniversary production of Hair (Woof).  He is the lead singer in the Doug Flutie Band (featuring the legendary quarterback), Anything For Loaf - America's premiere Meat Loaf tribute band (although we're fairly sure there's only one) and Groove Buffet, a 9 piece classic R&B/Soul revue.  He has done about a zillion voiceovers and jingles for products you probably used this morning, and he lives in NJ with his wife and daughter, who are both very pretty.

Sam Kitchin (Steve). Broadway: Frozen.  Off-Broadway: Frozen (MCC), The Trip To Bountiful (Signature).  Regional: The Night of the Iguana (Berkshire Theatre Festival), Oscar and Felix (Seven Angels Theatre), Don't Dress for Dinner and The Garden of Frau Hess (Caldwell Theatre), Brigadoon, Man of La Mancha and Evita (Actors Playhouse/Coral Gables), Happy Hour and The Rainmaker (12 Miles West), Evita (Arkansas Repertory), Lend Me a Tenor and Captains Courageous (Cumberland County Playhouse), Greater Tuna (Florida Playwrights Theater).  Film: Across The Universe, No Reservations, The Hoax, The Truman Show, Holy Man.  TV: "The Late Show," "The Sopranos," "30 Rock," "Whoopi," "Third Watch," "Law & Order," "One Life To Live," "All My Children," "Guiding Light" and over 70 (but who's counting?) national and regional commercials.  Proud member of Actor's Equity. 

Luke Grooms (Dwight / God) recorded the role of Leon in Thomas Pasatieri's Signor Deluso with the Opera Company of Brooklyn. He made his Opera North debut as Albert Herring in the summer of 2006.  Last summer he sang Elvino in La Sonnambula with the Opera Theater of Lucca, while he looks forward this season to covering the role for Opera Orchestra of New York and singing in several of their concerts in addition to joining the Metropolitan Opera roster covering The Gambler.  The young tenor's work has mainly been focused in the New York City area where he has sung La Boheme with Cantiamo Opera and with Opera Company of Brooklyn where he has sung the Duke in Rigoletto and Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore.  He has a BA in Music from Emory and Henry College and a Masters in Music from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory. He is a recipient of Mario Lanza Scholarship, as well a semi-finalist in the Belle Voce Competition and an encouragement award from the Tennessee Metropolitan National Council Auditions.   He will make his Carnegie debut in December with OONY in their production of I Due Foscari, singing Fante.
.

Lawrence Clayton (Montel / Jesus) is an accomplished singer/actor whose talents have been featured on and off-Broadway.  He has toured the USA as well as Canada, China, Europe, Japan and Africa performing in theaters, festivals, and concert events.  Some of his Broadway credits include Dreamgirls, Bells are Ringing, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, The Civil War and Once Upon a Mattress.  Favorite roles include "Judas" in Jesus Christ Superstar, "Sportin'Life"in Porgy and Bess and "The Man" in the award winning Crowns.  On the small screen Lawrence has appeared in episodes of  "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," "One Life To Live," "All My Children," "As the World Turns," "Another World," "Deadline," the made for TV movie "Mary and Rhoda," and lent his voice to the award winning Rankin-Bass animated Christmas special "Santa Baby" starring Vanessa Williams, Gregory Hines and Eartha Kitt.  He can also be heard on the Santa Baby soundtrack singing Silent Night.  Other recordings include Broadway cast albums of Bells Are Ringing, Once upon a Mattress, and Adam Guettel's Myths and Hymns and a collection of the Sherman Brother's music released on Fynsworth Alley recordings.

Jason Moore (Director).  Broadway credits include: Steel Magnolias, Avenue Q (Tony nomination, Best Director). Off-Broadway credits include: Avenue Q,  The Crumple Zone. Associate director: Les Misérables (Broadway, national tour), Ragtime (Vancouver). Writer: The Floatplane Notebooks (Charlotte Repertory Theatre). TV: episodes of "Dawson's Creek," "Everwood" and "One Tree Hill." Upcoming projects: Shrek: The Musical for Dreamworks Animation and Sam Mendes's Neal Street Productions on Broadway in 2008. Jason is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Stephen Oremus (Musical Director). Music Supervisor/Arranger of Wicked; Music Supervisor/Vocal Arranger/Orchestrator of Avenue Q;  Music Supervisor/Vocal Arranger/co-Orchestrator of All Shook Up; Vocal Arranger of High Fidelity. Off-Broadway: Music Supervisor/Vocal Arranger/Orchestrator of tick, tick...BOOM!; Music director of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party at Manhattan Theater Club and Rent (National Tour).  Music Director/Conductor for Rufus Wainwright (singing Judy Garland's famous concert) at Carnegie Hall; The Palladium, London; and the Olympia, Paris. Music Director and arranger of Broadway Meets Country in New York and Nashville.  Music Supervisor /Vocal Arranger of Signed Sealed Delivered- the music of Stevie Wonder starring Chaka Kahn (Las Vegas). Graduate of Berklee College of Music, Boston.