Bailiwick Chicago to Stage MURDER BALLAD This Spring

Bailiwick Chicago will conclude its 2014-15 season with the Chicago premiere of the intense off-Broadway rock musical MURDER BALLAD, conceived by and with book and lyrics by Julia Jordan, music and lyrics by Juliana Nash, directed and choreographed by James Beaudry with musical direction by Nicholas Davio. MURDER BALLAD will play April 2 - May 9, 2015 at the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at bailiwickchicago.com. The press opening is Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30 pm.

MURDER BALLAD will feature Amanda Horvath, Chris Logan, Matt W. Miles and Camille Robinson.

A love triangle gone wrong, MURDER BALLAD centers on Sara, an Upper West Sider who seems to have it all, but whose downtown past lingers enticingly and dangerously in front of her. This sexy, explosive, rock musical explores the complications of love, the compromises we make and the betrayals that can ultimately undo us. Following a sold out, Off-Broadway run at Manhattan Theatre Club, Bailiwick Chicago is pleased to present the Chicago premiere of this critically acclaimed new work.

"Murder Ballad will be a thrilling, fun, immersive environmental production," comments Bailiwick Chicago Artistic Director Lili-Anne Brown. "You'll go to a divey bar, have a couple drinks, there's a rock band playing, and this story happens around you. It's sexy and intimate; you'll feel a little voyeuristic. You'll get so wrapped up in the love triangle drama, you almost forget: someone's a killer. Someone's gonna die."

The production team for MURDER BALLAD includes Megan Truscott* (scenic designer), Raquel Adorno (costume designer), Charles Cooper* (lighting designer), Patrick Bley* (sound designer), Jon Martinez* (asst. director/dramaturg), Emily Boyd (asst. scenic designer) and Kate Black (stage manager).

*Denotes Bailiwick Chicago Staff/Company Member/Associate Artist/Resident Artist.

MURDER BALLAD, conceived by, book and lyrics: Julia Jordan, with music and lyrics: Juliana Nash, will be directed and choreographed by James Beaudry, with music director Nicholas Davio.

Tickets: Previews: $15. Regular run: $30; $40 on-stage seating. Tickets are currently available at bailiwickchicago.com. $25 tickets are available for groups of 10 or more by calling (773) 969-6201.

CREATIVE BIOGRAPHIES:

James Beaudry (Director/Choreographer) is the Artistic Director of Timber Lake Playhouse. In addition to staging over 50 productions for Timber Lake, his credits include the world premieres of Mark Twain's Blues (Off-Broadway) and Jason & Ben (New York Musical Theatre Festival). Chicago credits include: Meet John Doe, Miracle on 34th Street and Best Musical! (Porchlight Music Theatre), Aspects of Love and Pump Boys & Dinettes (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre), Concert stagings of Lucky Stiff and Triumph of Love (The Music Theatre Company), The Wedding Singer (Haven Theatre). Additional directing and choreography credits include West Side Story (CUNY 50th Anniversary Production), Cosi (The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute), Sunset Boulevard, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, The Wiz, Into the Woods, Anything Goes, Pippin and The Secret Garden. Concert dance: Eleanor Rigby Died in a Church (Renaissant arts NYC), Rite of Spring/Left of Center and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Xenophobia! (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco). Peer reviewer: Oxford University Press, Music and Dance Division. MFA, Mills College. BA, The College of Wooster.

Nicholas Davio (Music Director) is a Chicago based music director, multi-instrumentalist and teaching artist who holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Millikin University (vocal performance emphasis). Notable theater credits as Music Director include: The David Bowie Variety Hour (MCA Chicago). Frederick and A Year with Frog and Toad (Chicago Children's Theatre), Alien Queen (Scooty and JoJo), Rent (Columbia College Chicago), Big River (Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, Jeff Nomination for Musical Direction) and The Spitfire Grill and The Robber Bridegroom (Chicago Academy for the Arts). Current teaching artists positions are held at The Old Town School of Folk Music and Chicago Children's Theatre. Nicholas is also the rehearsal guitarist at Million Dollar Quartet.

Bailiwick Chicago is a non-profit professional company with a mission to produce contemporary musicals and plays, reinvent classic musicals and develop new work, while sharing a powerful, intimate theatrical experience. The company celebrates and engages our community through diverse programming, artistic partnerships and outreach opportunities. In its first four seasons Bailiwick Chicago has garnered 65 award nominations, including eight Non-Equity Jeff Award Nominations in its 2013-14 Season. For additional information, visit bailiwickchicago.com.

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