Jonathan Melo and Woody White Lead the Kitchen's GIRLFRIEND

Kitchen Theatre Company is beginning its 28th Season with a musical! Girlfriend, with book by Todd Almond and music & lyrics by Matthew Sweet, takes place in the summer of 1993 in small town Nebraska. Mike and Will have just graduated from high school and couldn't be more different: Mike is an athlete, headed off to college in the fall. Will is a quiet boy who doesn't know where he's headed next. But when they start to get to know each other that summer, everything changes for both of them. Based on the album of the same name by Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend captures the thrill of first love-and how we discover each other and ourselves through the mixtapes we make.

Girlfriend features a creative team full of Kitchen Theatre newcomers. Jonathan Melo*, who plays Will, is an actor, singer-songwriter and dancer who recently graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BA in Acting and a minor in Musical Theatre. His recent credits include the 2018 Super Bowl commercial 'Every Day Athletes' and roles on television and stage: CBS's Blue Bloods; the new play Alexandria by Vince Gatton (actor in Kitchen Theatre productions of c*ckand Clean Alternatives); and the National Tour of the musical SkippyJon Jones: Snow What?!byEmmy Award Winner Kevin Del Aguilar. Woody White, playing Mike, is an actor, singer and dancer with a deep passion for both stage and film. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a BFA in Music Dance Theater and has since been seen performing in the New York Theater Festival's production of The Suicide Journals after finishing a contract with the Disney Cruise Line. Favorite roles include Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Franklin Shepard in Merrily We Roll Along and Fernand Mondego in the U.S. Premiere of Frank Wildhorn's The Count of Monte Cristo.

Directing the play is Kitchen Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director M. Bevin O'Gara. O'Gara says, "Girlfriend is all about falling in love for the first time and all the things that are impossible to say to each other. In casting this show, I knew we needed to simply fall in love with Mike and Will, and as soon as Jonathan and Woody walked into the room I knew it was right. You'll fall in love with the two young men at the heart of this story and you'll be humming along to the music they connect through. I'm so looking forward to kicking off our season with this charming and sweet musical."

The music director and pianist, Mason McDowell, is a songwriter, actor, and wearer of many hats. Regional credits include The Grapes Of Wrath, The Sound of Music, and Fiddler On The Roof, all at Syracuse Stage. In NYC, he has performed at Rockwood Music Hall, Arlene's Grocery, The Shrine, and as a featured songwriter in the New York Songwriters Circle in Greenwich Village. Choreography is by Ms. Harmony Malone, an Ithaca College alum who has choreographed pieces for people of all ages throughout Tompkins County since 2007, most recently Hairspray and Songs for a New World for Running to Places Theatre Company. Completing the creative team are lighting designer Bridget K. Doyle, Scenic Designer Daniel Zimmerman, Sound Designer Sean Woods, costume designer Megan Parker, and a four-piece band that's onstage.
The Show Co-Producer for Girlfriend is Viva Taqueria. The appearance of Jonathan Melo is made possible with generous support from Elissa Cogan and Barry Chester. The Media Sponsor is Cayuga Radio Group.

*member, Actors' Equity Association

Tickets are available for $20-$45. Purchase them online at kitchentheatre.org, by phone at 607-272-0570, or in person at the Kitchen offices (409 W. State St.) Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm and at the theatre (417 W. State St.) Saturday - Sunday 12pm to 4pm. The first two performances are Pay What You Can nights. $20 student tickets are available at every performance, and $15 student rush tickets are available one hour before showtime every night. The play is recommended for ages 14 and up.

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