WaterTower Theatre Announces ROCKIN’ CHRISTMAS PARTY Cast

Terry Martin, Producing Artistic Director for WaterTower Theatre today announced casting details for Rockin' Christmas Party at the Addison Theatre Centre November 26-December 18, 2011. The all-star cast of this all-new production directed by Terry Martin features Gary Lynn Floyd, Denise Lee, Markus Lloyd, Amy Stevenson, Sara Shelby-Martin, and Jenny Thurman.

The creative team includes Michael Sullivan (set design), Michael A. Robinson (Costume) and Jason S. Foster (Lighting).

About the Cast

Gary Lynn Floyd is excited to return to WaterTower Theatre after last being seen as Gould in Grey Gardens. Some of his favorite roles include Next To Normal (Dan) and AIDA (Radames) with Uptown Players, The Full Monty (Jerry) and Crimes Of The Heart (Doc) with Theatre Three, and Pumpboys & Dinettes (L.M.) with Contemporary Theatre of Dallas. He is a prolific singer/songwriter, and he recently released his latest CD, Then + Now. This fall, Gary will be featured on the CW network's music documentary, TroubadourTx.

From stage, television and film, Denise Lee is a one-woman powerhouse of talent. A Dallas-based actress and musician, Denise is starred in the recent NBC television series Friday Night Lights as Chandra Hall. Denise was also featured in the motion picture Mad Money with Diane Keaton. Denise maintains a busy stage career performing with the Dallas Theater Center, WaterTower Theatre and on stage in various live music venues as an R&B/jazz vocalist. Denise is equally gifted on stage having starred in numerous productions from A Raisin In The Sun alongside Irma P. Hall to her intimate cabaret performance as Lady Day at Emerson's Bar showcasing her amazing vocal skills. She has opened for such performers as Joan Rivers and was invited to sing for Dr. Maya Angelou when she received the 2008 Voices of Peace Award in Dallas. She recently co-starred with Dick and Jerry Van Dyke in The Sunshine Boys. At WaterTower Theatre, Denise has performed in Doubt, Intimate Apparel, A Brief History of White Music, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues and three productions of Rockin' Christmas Party.

Markus Lloyd has performed at WaterTower Theatre many times including performances in Violet, Man of La Mancha, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues, Little Shop of Horrors and Working. Markus has performed in theaters all over the country and has made television appearances on The Young & the Restless and The Bold and The Beautiful. His film credits include Campus Confidential, Serving Sara, Kushi, The Extra Mile and the Dragon Ball Z Movie. Away from the stage Markus works as a Children's Minister and runs a non-profit that connects local resources to local needs. Markus is a graduate of Texas Christian University and is represented by the Horne Agency.

Sara Shelby-Martin has previously been seen in WaterTower's production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Urinetown the Musical, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, The Spitfire Grill and Nuncrackers and in Rockin' Christmas Party (2007). A prolific actress, Sara has performed in Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre's City of Angels, Songs for a New World; Contemporary Theatre of Dallas' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and A...My Name is Alice; Uptown Players' The Who's Tommy, The Wild Party and The Last Session (where she can be heard on the cast recording); Bat Boy at Quad C Theatre; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change! at Theatre Three; and Lyric Stage's The Most Happy Fella. Sara has been nominated for multiple Leon Rabin and Column Awards, receiving a Leon Rabin for her performance in The Most Happy Fella. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette.

Amy Stevenson performed in WaterTower Theatre's Rockin' Christmas Party from 2000 to 2003. Her many other theatre credits include Beauty & the Beast and Carmen at Bass Hall, The Merry Widow at the Music Hall and many other roles at various theaters in the area. In 2000, she was nominated for a Leon Rabin Award for Best Lead Actress-Musical for Songs for a New World at Plano Repertory Theatre. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Baylor University and Master's Degree in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. By day she is an elementary teacher in Irving and on Monday nights she loves being Mama at Mama's Party!

This will be Jenny's Thurman's seventh appearance at WaterTower, having previously performed in Rockin' Christmas Party (original cast), Always...Patsy Cline, for which she won a Leon Rabin Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Das Barbecue, The Full Monty and Just a Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. Her other experiences include Midlife the Crisis Musical at Theatre Three; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change for Circle Theatre; Grease, at Casa Manana; Our Love Is Here to Stay for the Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Miss Firecracker Contest, The Rocky Horror Show, and Pump Boys and Dinettes at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas; Ruthless! The Musical, Uptown Players; Oliver!, Lucky Stiff, Angry Housewives, Annie Get Your Gun, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, at Theatre Arlington. An Anne Weeks Jackson Musical Theatre Award Winner, Jenny earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Texas Wesleyan University.

About the Production
WaterTower Theatre's rock-n-soul holiday spectacle, Rockin' Christmas Party, returns bigger, brighter and merrier than ever! Many of the "original" WaterTower Theatre Rockin' cast members return this year to put the Christmas spirit in your heart as they shake, rattle and roll down Santa Claus Lane! Featuring some of WaterTower Theatre's all-time greatest vocalists - Gary Lynn Floyd, Denise Lee, Markus Lloyd, Amy Stevenson, Sara Shelby-Martin and Jenny Thurman -- this year's version has a brand new concept conceived and directed by Terry Martin.
Rockin' Christmas Party opens on Saturday, November 26 running through Sunday, December 18. Press/Media night is Saturday, November 26 at 8:00 pm.

Rockin' Christmas Party is generously sponsored by Frost Bank.

Rockin' Christmas Party
Written by Dave Steakley
Director, Terry Martin
Set Designer, Michael Sullivan
Costume Designer, Michael A. Robinson
Lighting Designer, Jason S. Foster
Stage Manager, Heidi Shen

Performance Schedule:

November 26 - December 18, 2011
Opening night: Saturday, November 26 @ 8:00 PM

Performances: November 26, 27, 30, December 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

Performance Times:
7:30 PM Wednesday &Thursday
8:00 PM Friday & Saturday
2:00 PM Sunday

How/Where to buy tickets: www.watertowertheatre.org or 972-450-6232 or in-person at
WaterTower Theatre Box Office (Tuesday - Friday, 12 pm to 6 pm)
Addison Theatre Centre
15650 Addison Road
Addison, Texas 75001

 

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