MEMPHIS Comes to Cleveland, 2/28-3/11

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony® Award Winner for Best Musical, opens at PlayhouseSquare on Tuesday, February 28 for a limited engagement.

Tickets are currently on sale at The PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office (1519 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland), online at www.playhousesquare.org or by calling 216-241-6000. Group orders of 15 or more may be placed by calling 216-664-6050.

Critically acclaimed MEMPHIS won four 2010 Tony® Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro), Best Book (Joe DiPietro), and Best Orchestrations (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS won four Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Performance by an Actress (Montego Glover), Outstanding Music (David Bryan) and Outstanding Orchestration (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS has also won four Outer Critic Circle Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Score (David Bryan & Joe DiPietro), Outstanding Actress (Montego Glover) and Outstanding Choreography (Sergio Trujillo).

MEMPHIS takes place in the smoky halls and underground clubs of the segregated 50’s, where a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun fell in love with everything he shouldn’t: rock and roll and an electrifying black singer. MEMPHIS is an original story about the cultural revolution that erupted when his vision met her voice, and the music changed forever. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves -- filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock 'n' roll.

The show features a brand new Tony winning score with music by Bon Jovi’s founding member and keyboardist David Bryan and lyrics by Bryan and Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change), who also pens the musical’s book. Bryan and DiPietro also collaborated on the award-winning off-Broadway hit, The Toxic Avenger. MEMPHIS is based on a concept by the late George W. George (producer of the Tony nominated Bedroom Farce and the film My Dinner With Andre), with direction by Tony nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu) and choreography by Sergio Trujillo, who is currently represented by two shows on Broadway (Memphis and Jersey Boys).

Scenic Design for MEMPHIS is by Tony® Award winner David Gallo (The Drowsy Chaperone, Reasons to Be Pretty), Costume Design is by Tony nominee Paul Tazewell (In The Heights), Lighting Design is by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Jersey Boys) and Sound Design is by Ken Travis (The Threepenny Opera).

David Richardson of WOR Radio calls MEMPHIS “The biggest hit on Broadway” while Charles Isherwood of the New York Times says, ““David Bryan evokes the powerhouse funk of James Brown, the hot guitar riffs of Chuck Berry, the smooth harmonies of The Temptations, the silken, bouncy pop of the great girl groups of the period.” The New York Post raves “Of such thrills, Broadway is made,” Newsday calls the show “A smash! An extraordinary show,” the Daily News promises that MEMPHIS will “Blast you out the door humming and happy” and NY1’s Roma Torre cheers, “MEMPHIS ROCKS!”

The national tour of MEMPHIS will be produced by Junkyard Dog Productions, Barbara and Buddy Freitag, and Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff, with Latitude Link, Jim and Susan Blair, Demos Bizar Entertainment, Land Line Productions, Richard Winkler, Alex and Katya Lukianov, David Copley, Dancap Productions, Inc., 2 Guys Productions, Patty Baker, and Dan Frishwasser, in association with Eric and Marsi Gardiner, Linda and Bill Potter, Broadway Across America, Memphis Orpheum Group, Vijay and Sita Vashee, Apples and Oranges Productions, Brian and Betty Dovey, John Yonover and Ron Yonover, Loraine Boyle/Chase Mishkin, Remmel T. Dickinson/Shadowcatcher Entertainment, Jocko Productions/Scott and Kayla Union.
www.memphisthemusical.com

MEMPHIS will be at the Palace Theatre at PlayhouseSquare for 16 performances, February 28 – March 11, 2012. Performances are Tuesday – Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:00 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale at The PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office (1519 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland), online at www.playhousesquare.org or by calling 216-241-6000. Group orders of 15 or more may be placed by calling 216-664-6050.

The Cleveland engagement of MEMPHIS is part of the KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare. KeyBank is the title sponsor of the KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare. For more information, visit www.key.com.

To enrich the experience of the theatergoers, The PlayhouseSquare Community Engagement & Education Department creates an in-depth online newsletter, the Buzz Extra, and presents free Broadway Buzz events to complement KeyBank Broadway Series shows. Broadway Buzz Pre-Show Talks, providing behind-the-scenes insight, are held in the Idea Center at PlayhouseSquare one hour prior to each performance of MEMPHIS. On opening night, February 28, the Pre-Show Talk airs live on WCLV 104.9 FM at 6:30 p.m. and streams live on www.wclv.com. On Thursday evenings, March 1 and 8, guests are invited to stay in the theater for a post-show chat with members of the cast. Broadway Buzz events are made possible by the generous donors and sponsors that support PlayhouseSquare’s not-for-profit mission.

The Buzz Extra newsletter and more information about Broadway Buzz events and activities can be found online at www.playhousesquare.org/broadwaybuzz.

This performance engagement is also part of the Smart Seats program at PlayhouseSquare that offers smart entertainment at a smart price. For more information on Smart Seats, visit www.playhousesquare.org/smartseats.

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