Photo Flash: First Look at Porchlight's A CLASS ACT

A Class Act, nominated for three Drama Desk Awards and five Tonys including "Best Musical," is a "musical about musicals" based on the life of one of the award winning collaborators of A Chorus Line, Composer–Lyricist Edward Kleban, who died at the age of 48 in 1987. Kleban's friends Linda Kline and Lonny Price created the story from Kleban's work that was never produced and found after his death.

Providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how a musical is created and the forces behind its creation, A Class Act, uses flashbacks to retrace the high and low points of Kleban's amazing career and explores how an artist's personal life can inspire or interfere with professional pursuits. The show integrates songs, which Stephen Sondheim said he "wished he'd written," from widely different Kleban projects into the narrative, with the topics ranging from the tricks of songwriting to personal/professional relationships to self-critical examination. Each number establishes a particular moment of insight creating a study of a lost era in show business.

A Class Act stars Bill Larkin as Ed Kleban with John Francisco, Bobby/Michael Bennett; Michael Glenn, Lehman Engel; Tina Gluschenko, Sophie; Sharriese Hamilton, Felicia; Jessica Joy, Mona;; Zach Spound, Charley/Marvin Hamlisch/Dr. Nodine/Jean-Claude Chevray; Dana Tretta, Lucy and understudies Eli Branson, Amanda Kayla Kahn, Alex Newkirk and Khaki Pixley.
The production team for A Class Act includes Bil Ingraham, assistant director; Doug Peck, music supervisor Patrick Fries, production manager; Christopher Tisone, stage manager; Bill Morey, costume designer; Dustin L. Derry, lighting designer, Julia Eberhardt, properties designer, Angela Miller, set designer and Victoria (Toy) Delorio, sound designer.