Pat Sajak Stars in CRT's THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Now thru 6/15

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present The Drowsy Chaperone, starring Pat Sajak as the Man in the Chair, as the first of its three-show Summer Nutmeg Summer Series, tonight, June 6 - 15 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Storrs. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

The 2013 Nutmeg Summer Series will kick off with Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, returning from his performance last summer as Felix Ungar in The Odd Couple, to play The Man in the Chair in the hit Broadway musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. He will be joined by Tony-Nominated Broadway performer Liz Larsen, who will play The Drowsy Chaperone. Ms. Larsen played one of the Pigeon Sisters in last summer's popular production of The Odd Couple.

The Drowsy Chaperone is a wonderful opportunity to see iconic television legend Pat Sajak, now in his 30th season on Wheel of Fortune, with marvelous Broadway performers in the intimate, 480-seat Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, where no one is very far from the action!

The Drowsy Chaperone runs tonight, June 6 - June 15, 2013, featuring Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre. For tickets and information call 860-486-2113, Mon. - Fri., noon - 5 p.m. Tickets available online at www.crt.uconn.edu.

If you've ever sat in a dark theatre and thought, "Dear Lord in Heaven, please let it be good," then The Drowsy Chaperone is for you!Pat Sajak, returns to Connecticut Repertory Theatre as the fervent musical theatre fan who plays his favorite cast album from the roaring twenties on his record player, which causes the frothy jazz age musical to burst to life around him in his living room. It tells the charming, bubbly, and slightly wacky tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love. This five-time Tony Award-winning musical will also star, as "The Drowsy Chaperone," Tony Award-nominee Liz Larsen, who CRT audiences loved last year as a Pigeon sister in The Odd Couple. With one show stopping song and dazzling dance after another, it is no wonder New York Magazine called The Drowsy Chaperone "The Perfect Broadway Musical."

THE CAST

Pat Sajak (Man in the Chair) has been the host of TV's Wheel of Fortune for more than 30 years. His other television credits include the late-night CBS talk show, The Pat Sajak Show, as well as guest appearances on The Commish, Open All Night and The Larry Sanders Show, and he has guest-starred on dozens of other talk and game shows. Pat co-starred in last season's The Odd Couple at CRT (where he reprised the Felix Unger role he had performed ten years earlier at Honolulu's Hawaii Theater). He has also appeared on stage in The Honeymooners and The Boys in Autumn.

Liz Larsen (Drowsy Chaperone) portrayed Jessica Reed on Law & Order. She has appeared on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof, Hairspray, Annie, Damn Yankees, The Rocky Horror Show, as well as off-Broadway in A New Brain, Company, and Bingo. She was nominated for the Tony Award as Best Actress in a Featured Role - Musical for portraying Cleo in the 1992 revival of The Most Happy Fella. Other awards include a LA Dramalogue Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a NY Fringe Festival Performance Award and a NY Musical Theatre Festival Award. She has been nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk Award.

Adam Heller (Feldzieg) Broadway: Elf; Baby It's You; Caroline, or Change; A Class Act; Victor/Victoria; Les Miserables. Off Broadway: Fiorello (Encores); Wings; Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn; The Immigrant; Endgame; Merrily We Roll Along; Normal. Tours: Titanic; Falsettos. Regional: St. Louis Rep; Old Globe; Arden; Round House; Goodspeed; Kennedy Center; Hartford Stage and Theaterworks; Alley. Film/TV: Isn't She Great; Law & Order (all); The Sopranos; Oz; Submissions Only. BFA, NYU/ Tisch.

Jan Neuberger (Mrs. Tottendale) Broadway: Five original casts including Wicked (many turns as Mme. Morrible) and the 1974 revival of Gypsy. Off-Broadway: Many Forbidden Broadway's, All in the Timing, etc. Regional/stock: Peter Pan (Cincinnati Playhouse, the 80's), Letitia Peabody Primrose (On the 20th Century, Goodspeed), Penny Sycamore (You Can't Take It With You, Pittsburgh Public), Lee Green (Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Shakespeare & Co.). Concert halls: Carnegie and Royal Albert with Kristina. Cabarets: Boomer Girl, A One (Middle-aged) Woman Show, written and performed by Jan Neuberger with music by Ben Cohn. Trinity College, 2013, B.A. Creative Writing.

Jay Rogers (Underling) Favorite NYC roles: Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly (Drama Desk nominee) and Whoop-De-Doo!, Mignon Mullen in My Deah!, Archy in Archy and Mehitabel, Mr. Charles (U/S) in The Lincoln Center production of Paul Rudnick's The New Century, Roscoe in the original company of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens and Trey in The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. Recent regional appearances: Arthur, The Angel, in It's A Fabulous Life at Broward Center and Uncle Fate in Idaho! (NYMF "Best Of Fest") at Forrestburgh Theatre. Jay has won multiple MAC and Backstage Bistro Awards for his hit one-man cabaret shows.

Stephen Brower, Gino Antonio Chaviano, Kristin Devine, Amani Dorn, Alex Gibson, Devin Johnson, Kevin Jones, Ethan Kasnett, Zach Miller, Alix Paige, Ryan Phillips, Scott Ripley, Courtney Romano, Ian Saunders, Gianna Yanelli, Kate Zulauf.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

Vincent J. Cardinal (Co-Director) was the Chair of Theatre at the University of Miami and the Artistic Director of the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre. He served as the Director of the School of Theater and Head of the MFA Playwriting Program at Ohio University and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Adelphi University. Cardinal was the Director of off-Broadway's Circle Repertory Company School of Theater. He was also an Associate Artist with The Circle Repertory Company and a member of its LAB. He graduated in Playwriting from the Yale School of Drama where he was honored with the ASCAP-Cole Porter Award for Best-Collected Work. His plays have been produced internationally. He has directed more than 80 productions from coast to coast including 22 world premieres. Most recently, he directed Romeo & Juliet for CRT

Cassie Abate (Co-Director, Choreographer) Regional and University directing and choreography credits: Guys and Dolls and Seussical at CRT, Pirates of Penzance at the Stephen Sondheim Center, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Music Man, Moby Dick: the Musical, Little Women, and Zanna, Don't!. Regional and Tour performing credits: Sophisticated Ladies at Arena Stage starring Maurice Hines, National Tour of Urban Cowboy (Bubbles), My Fair Lady at CRT, 42nd Street at North Shore (Lorraine), West Side Story (Maria u/s), Pirates of Penzance (Mabel), Singin' in the Rain (Kathy Selden), The Boyfriend (Polly) and Little Women (Beth). Cassie will begin in the fall as Head of Dance in the Musical Theatre Program at Texas State University. AEA & SDC (assoc.).

NDavid Williams (Music Director) is thrilled to return this summer to CRT after serving as musical director for last summer's shows. He is the head of and the music director for the University of Miami Department of Theatre Arts and the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, as well as the music director of the Adirondack Lakes Summer Theater Festival. Mr. Williams is a well-known classical pianist and accompanist who works throughout the world. His professional musical theatre credits include: Sunday in the Park With George, Rent, A New Brain,The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, etc. He has served as guest pianist with the San Francisco Ballet, Florida Grand Opera, the Miami City Ballet, Maximum Dance and is the founder of several interNational Theatre summer programs.

Michael Anania, Scenic Designer; Lisa Loen, Costume Designer; Michael Cybowski, Lighting Designer; Nathan Leigh, Sound Designer.

Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now. Please call 860-486-2113 for tickets or for more information. Please call or visit the box office for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change. Tickets available online at www.crt.uconn.edu.

Weeknight evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Weekend evening performances start at 8 p.m. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m.

Three-show subscription package prices range from $30 to $99. Single ticket prices range from $10 to $45.

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