New Musical BRIGHT SIDE to Play Art Square Theatre, 5/19-6/5

Fighting cancer takes guts and tenacity - and a strong support system - something the lead character learns in "Bright Side", a new musical about a macho military man diagnosed with male breast cancer. The play runs May 19-June 5 at the Art Square Theatre and features Broadway veteran actors and local talent.

Written by local playwrights and produced by Cockroach Theatre Company, "Bright Side" explores how the lead character, Richard, fights breast cancer while hiding the diagnosis from his family and friends. His wife, Shelly, is an Airforce officer who is deployed before learning about Richard's secret, and his teen son, Aiden, struggles under his father's strong hand.

Playwright Ernie Curcio and songwriter Jolana Sampson developed the original story. Sampson is the lyricist and co-composer along with Martin Kaye, who is currently starring as Jerry Lee Lewis in "Million Dollar Quartet". Curcio, who wrote the book, was intrigued by how someone who saw himself as a tough, hard-driving man would be impacted by a cancer diagnosis most often associated with women. Men comprise less than one percent of the breast cancer diagnoses each year, and most are aggressive cases due to a delay in diagnosis.

"We wanted to understand how such a devastating and shocking diagnosis would impact a family who had dedicated their lives to military service and physical strength," Curcio said. "There is humor in the story, but also the struggle to beat a disease that impacts so many families in our country every year."

Contributions from key sponsors Cirque du Soleil and Steinberg Diagnostic Medical Imaging are helping bring "Bright Side" to life. Steinberg Diagnostic offers preventative and proactive diagnosis of breast cancer through 3D mammography technology.

"Our strategic partnerships carry a unique opportunity to explore the struggle of breast cancer from the very beginning of its arduous journey," said director Will Adamson. "Cancer has become such a common thing in our lives that most of us have been affected by it or know someone impacted by it. If our musical can inspire audiences to be proactive about their health, then we have done our job."

The "Bright Side" creative team also has partnered with Susan G. Komen Nevada, and the cast will perform songs from the musical at the May 7 "Race for the Cure" downtown.

The play features Tony Award-nominated actor Robert Torti as Richard (Currently in "Rock of Ages"; Greaseball in "Starlight Express" and the Pharoah in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" on Broadway); Victoria Matlock as Shelly (Currently Dyanne in "Million Dollar Quartet" at Harrah's Las Vegas; Elphaba in the "Wicked" Broadway tour); and Marcus Weiss as the Doctor (Currently the clown in "Le Reve" and one of the original cast members of the "Blue Man Group"). Maverick Hiu, a senior theater major at the Las Vegas Academy, joins the veteran cast as son Aiden.

Cockroach Theatre Company presents "Bright Side" in a collaborative project with the Nevada Conservatory Theatre. The musical runs May 19-June 5 at the Art Square Theatre (1025 S. First St.). Thursday-Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16 and $20. For more information, visit cockroachtheatre.com.

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