Lampkin Music Group Presents McKechnie In MY MUSICAL COMEDY LIFE 11/7

Tony Award winning star of A CHORUS LINE is regarded internationally as one of Broadway's foremost dancing and singing leading ladies. She began this summer performing in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and has just completed her first tour of Australia with MY MUSICAL COMEDY LIFE, before taking it to NY and a sold out crowd at the Laurie Beechman Theater.

Ms. McKechnie's other Broadway credits include: HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, (National tour) THE EDUCATION OF H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, SONDHEIM - A MUSICAL TRIBUTE (which she also choreographed), ON THE TOWN, PROMISES-PROMISES, COMPANY and STATE FAIR, for which she received the Fred Astaire Award for Best Female Dancer for the 1996 season.

She has starred in numerous productions in London's West End including PROMISES-PROMISES, COMPANY, NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY (which she also choreographed), Cole Porter's CAN-CAN and Steven Sondheim's FOLLIES.

Bob Fosse invited Ms. McKechnie to play the lead in his last production, a National tour of SWEET CHARITY, for which she was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. Her regional credits include IRMA LA DOUCE, CABARET, THE IMAGINARY INVALID, THE GOODBYE GIRL, FOLLIES, MACK and MABEL, GYPSY, I DO-I DO!, MISALLIANCE, SHEBA, STEPPING OUT,GIRL'S ROOM, and INSIDE THE MUSIC (her one woman musical with text by Christopher Durang).

Donna has performed extensively on the concert stage, in cabaret and with symphony orchestras. She has appeared as a guest star in numerous television musical specials and dramatic series including FAME, CHEERS, FAMILY TIES, HULLABALOO, TWIRL, and DARK SHADOWS. She also portrayed The Rose in the film THE LITTLE PRINCE.

Her recently released memoir, TIME STEPS, MY MUSICAL COMEDY LIFE, was published by Simon and Schuster. Last summer she choreographed the highly acclaimed GUYS AND DOLLS at the Hollywood Bowl, directed by Richard Jay-Alexander.

Donna was featured in the documentary film, EVERY LITTLE STEP, which was released last year.

DIRECTOR Richard Jay-Alexander: Richard directed the off-Broadway play, A SAFE HARBOR FOR ELIZABETH BISHOP, starring Amy Irving, at the Primary Stages Theatre and has worked with some of the world's greatest entertainers, including Bette Midler (KISS MY BRASS Tour), Barbra Streisand (TIMELESS Tour and the most recent STREISAND Tours of the U.S and Europe, also serving as a co-writer), Ricky Martin, Polly Bergen, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Salonga, Sam Harris, Rosie O'Donnell, Hayley Westenra, Mary Cleere Haran, Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker, Will & Anthony Nunziata, Betty Buckley, Johnny Mathis, Debby Boone, Jane Monheit, Lea Michele, Julie Andrews, Russell Watson and Bernadette Peters, the latter two having also been telecast on PBS. He also directed the multi-media extravaganza, STORM, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas and the workshop production of the Broadway-bound musical based on GREAT EXPECTATIONS (starring Cloris Leachman), as well as a number of commercials and videos. Over the last two summers have found him at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, where he directed star-studded productions of LES MISERABLES and GUYS & DOLLS, the latter having the distinction of being choreographed by Donna McKechnie. He was recently in the studio with Melissa Errico finishing her highly anticipated Michel Legrand recording and is putting finishing touches on a TV Special and DVD for Bernadette Peters, which was filmed in Australia, and recently celebrated a #1 DVD release of Barbra Streisand's recent appearance at The Village Vanguard, which promoted her latest #1 album, LOVE IS THE ANSWER, which went gold and platinum.

MUSICAL DIRECTOR Alex Rybeck:

Alex Rybeck is a pianist, composer, and arranger well-known for his work in theater, cabaret, and on recordings. Broadway credits include Sondheim's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Tommy Tune's GRAND HOTEL, and the hit revival of DAMN YANKEES with Jerry Lewis and Bebe Neuwirth. He played and conducted the world premiere of WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW, which earned him the praise of Burt Bacharach. He is perhaps best known for his work with singers in concert and cabaret, including Tommy Tune, Faith Prince, Liz and Ann Hampton Page
TWO - LAMPKIN PRESENTS MCKECHNIE:

Callaway, Donna McKechnie, Lee Roy Reams, Tovah Feldshuh, David Campbell, Jason Graae, Jeff Harnar, Anna Bergman, Rita Gardner, "Voice of Hollywood" Marni Nixon, Metropolitan Opera star Roberta Peters, and the legendary Kitty Carlisle Hart, among many others. His recordings for such stars as Victoria Clark, Karen Mason, and Liz Callaway have won international critical acclaim.
Original songs include "What a Funny Boy He Is", recorded by Nancy Lamott and "Bless Your Heart", recorded by Faith Prince.
A graduate of Oberlin College and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, he was taught and mentored by Hal Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Comden & Green, Stephen Schwartz. He is a member of ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild, and lives in New York City.

PRODUCER: RALPH LAMPKIN JR/LAMPKIN MUSIC GROUP

Lampkin Music Group has produced concerts/cabarets/special events cross the country at entertainment venues like: include: Feinstein's at the Regency, Carnegie Hall/Weill Hall, Don't Tell Mama's, Danny's Skylight Room, 88's, King Kong Room in NY, Bailiwick Repertory Theater, Davenport's, North Shore Performing Arts Center and the Press Club in Chicago, Trio's Restaurant and Jazz Club, Palais Royale, South Bend Regional Museum of Art, South Bend Civic Theater, Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend and Sterling's at Vitello's in LA.

In 2006, Lampkin Music Group and MBG Productions, Inc received a "Best Play of the Year" nomination from A.D.A, (Artistic Director Achievement - LA) for Alexandra Billings' autobiographical "Before I Disappear", which ran at the Avery Schreiber Theater for 8 weeks. "Before I Disappear" was also produced in Chicago, Michigan and Off Broadway.

The plethora of musicians/performers LMG has produced/presented, whether in cabaret/concert or in the studio, includes: Montreux Jazz Winner Dan Tepfer, Randy Kelly, R&B Jazz Icon Norman Connors, Tony Award Winner Hinton Battle, saxophonist Danny Lerman, Alexandra Billings, dance icon Linda Clifford, William Blout, Chicago jazz great Von Freeman, jazz singer Spider Saloff, Broadway/jazz singer Devin Richards, pop singer David Gurland, pop singer Patti Morabito, cabaret singer Tom Michael, arranger/singer Beckie Menzie, jazz singer Cory Jamison, Tony nominee Amy Morton, jazz singer Martha Lorin, Atlantic recording artist Kristen Gustafson, dance diva Suzanne Palmer, songwriter/singer Robin Kay and Broadway/Cabaret star Karen Mason, to name a few.
LMG is well known for hiring the most highly respected musicians in concert accompanying LMG artists or in the recording studio, they include: Larry Gray and Leon Joyce from the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Eric Schneider (Count Basie, Earl Fatha Hines), Bobby Schiff (Ruth Pointer, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme), Darryl Tidaback (Spider Saloff, IUSB educator), violin legend Johnny Frigo and Fareed Hague.
The label, LMGMUSIC, has released/produced recordings of such talents as Grand Auto Theft 1V Broadway/Jazz mainstay vocal talent Devin Richards, Alexandra Billings, Bob Solone, Ester Hana, Tyler Stephenson, Martha Lorin, Robin Kay and Carlo Chapelle.
These CDs have been heard on NPR (reaching number 1 on several stations), DMX radio, Discover Radio (reaching number 1 on the jazz chart), Everything Old is New Again - N.Y, National Dance Pool Chart (reaching the top #25). "Being Alive" the CD debut form Alexandra Billings was in the top 15 CDs on Amazon.com for nine months.

Lampkin Music Group has been sponsored by CW25 (currently), Shirk's Piano and Organ, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, International Chicago Film Festival, ESPN and WAUS.
Lampkin has been called "Producer Extradinaire" by the Chicago Reader; "Cabaret's Guru" by Andrew Patner of WMFT, Chicago and Chicago's "premier cabaret producer" by writer/critic, Jonathan Abarbanel.

"My Musical Comedy Life" is sponsored by Duley Press, CW25 and Flint Dance Studio.

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