Sarrah Strimmel, Jamie LaVerdiere and More to Lead Northport SWEET CHARITY

Charity Hope Valentine, with a shoulder bag and a heart tattooed on her left arm, works as a dancer-for-hire in a Times Square Dance Hall but longs for love. Charity finally meets a nice young man to romance her away, but loses her nerve about telling him what her real job is. This Neil Simon musical, with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, is about the romantic ups-and-downs of an ever-hopeful dance hall hostess, despite endless disappointments and bad luck with men. It features musical hits such as "Big Spender", "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now".

Sweet Charity is produced by RICHARD T. DOLCE, the theater's Producing Artistic Director.

Alan Souza, the Director, has made works recently for New Jersey Repertory, Arkansas Repertory, Walnut Street Theatre, The New Theatre, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Virginia Musical Theatre, The Human Race Theatre, Texas Shakespeare Festival, and this Theater. He was nominated for the 2008 Carbonell Award and has received multiple Edgerton Foundation grants for his new works.

AL BLACKSTONE, Choreographer, recently choreographed Happy We'll Be at the Roseland Ballroom. Favorite performing credits include Wicked (Broadway and 1st National Tour), Carousel (Barrington Stages). He is the recipient of the 2011 Capezio A.C.E. Award for Excellence in Choreography.

James OlmSTEAD, Music Director, most recently served as assistant music director at NYU Steinhardt and Tisch for The Most Happy Fella and Violet. Other assistant credits include North Shore Music Theatre (Footloose), Cape Playhouse (Legally Blonde), PCPA (Ragtime, Hot Mikado), and the Arkansas Rep (Hello, Dolly!). He also music directs several cabarets in the city at the Laurie Beechman Theater, The Duplex, and Don't Tell Mama.

Kevin Judge (Scenic Designer) recently designed Irena's Vow (Walter Kerr Theatre). Lovesick, The Revival and FUBAR (Project Y), A Splintered Soul (Mint Theatre), Two Rooms (Lion Theatre), Irena's Vow (Baruch Center for the Performing Arts), The Color of Flesh (St. Luke's Theatre), Frankenstein (37 ARTS), Duse's Fever (Kirk Theater), Safety (Urban Stages).

John Davenport (Costume Designer) has been designing costumes all over the United States for over ten years. He first began his professional career in Philadelphia, designing dance costumes for Ballet X and working under the Pennsylvania Ballet. He has also worked on the national tour of Hairspray as well as for Royal Carrabin Cruise Lines. This is John's second time working with John W. Engeman as a costume designer.

TODD WREN (Lighting Designer) credits include: 59e59 (The Fall to Earth), Pantheon Theatre (A Dash of Rosemary), Center Stage NY (Harry and Pep) Regional Credits: John W. Engman Theater (Debut), Coconut Grove Playhouse (Marjorie, Carbonell Nomination), Palm Beach DramaWorks (The Chairs and Copenhagen, Carbonell Nomination), Casa Manana, Goodspeed Musicals, Florida Repertory Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Gainesville Theatre Alliance, Seaside Musical Theatre, Flat Rock Playhouse, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Theatre in the Square, Festival Stages, Charlotte Repertory Theatre, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Western Carolina University, Davidson College.

CRAIG KAUFMAN (Sound Designer) Recent credits at The John W. Engeman Theater include Fiddler on the Roof, Run for Your Wife, Cabaret, Hairspray, A Wonderful Life, The Sunshine Boys, 42nd Street and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Recent off-Broadway credits include Things To Ruin, Rewrite: The Musical and The Black Suits. Other recent credits include Sunday in the Park with George at Porchlight Theatre in Chicago; Bye Bye Birdie for the American Musical Theatre Project; Perez Hilton the Musical at The New York City Fringe Festival and The Encore Series; My Pal George, Mornings at Seven and Two Headed at the Berkshire Theatre Festival.

Mark Adam Rampmeyer (Hair and Make-Up Designer) is the Associate Artistic Director at the John W. Engeman Theater. He has directed a number of the John W. Engeman Productions including last Season's 42nd Street and several Youth Theater Series productions including Pinkalicious, Rapunzel, Alice in Wonderland and Frosty. As a stylist his work has been seen on Broadway in Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and All Shook Up to name a few. His design work was seen in Lysistrata Jones, West Side Story and The Farnsworth Invention. Mark is a 2010 recipient of a special Drama Desk award for his contributions to the creative team for Horton Foote's Orphan's Home Cycle at Signature Theatre last season.

SCOTT WOJCIK, GAYLE SEAY and GRETCHEN FERRIS(Casting Directors) is the partnership of Scott Wojcik and Gayle Seay. Off -Broadway: Triassic Parq, CHIX 6, National Pastime, The Last Session, 666 and the upcoming Tennessee Williams' The Two Character Play. Tours: Joseph...Dreamcoat, The Presidents-starring Rich Little, Oklahoma! and upcoming A Chorus Line. Regional: Riverside Theatre-FL, The Arvada Center-CO, Stages St Louis-MO and Theatre Aspen-CO. Other clients include Theatre of the Stars- GA, Hot Summer Nights- NC, Midtown Direct Rep-NJ and Astoria Performing Arts Center-NY. Other projects include: TV pilot "Upstate" Web series: "Expert Witness". Film: "Prologue". Commercials and Print for numerous products and services. www.wscastingonline.com

The Production Stage Manager is ROSE RICCARDI, the Assistant Stage Managers are JASON WEIXELMAN and MICHELLE LYNN HINES.

The Cast of SWEET CHARITY features: Sarrah Strimel (CHARITY HOPE VALENTINE) who appeared in the original Broadway cast of Catch Me If You Can, she was also seen in Rock Of Ages (Constance Sack), Young Frankenstein (Inga U/S) and The Producers (Ulla U/S). She was also in the National Tours of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Jolene U/S) and The Producers. Some Regional credits include Follies (Ahmanson Theatre), Minsky's (Ahmanson Theatre), Hedda Hopper in Sammy (Old Globe Theatre), Bombalurina in Cats (TUTS), Anytime Annie in 42nd St (TOTS), Stupyfying Jones in Lil Abner (Goodspeed Opera House), The Producers (Hollywood Bowl). Some TV/Film credits include "Smash" and "The Late Show with David Letterman." Jamie LaVerdiere (CHARLIE / VITTORIO / OSCAR) Broadway/Tours credits include The Producers (St James), Pirate Queeen (Hilton), Urinertown (First National), A Chorus Line (Europe). Some Off Broadway are I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Westside), This Side Of Paradise (St Clements), We The People (Lucille Lortel), Cam Jansen (Lambs), Gold Rush (Danny Kaye). Most Recent credits include As Bees In Honey Drown (Cape Playhouse). Lisa Karlin (NICKIE) appeared on Broadway in The Addams Family (Saloon Girl, Wednesday Addams U/S), Ragtime (Emma Goldman U/S). She was also in the International Tour of Cats (Demeter, Grizabella U/S). Some Regional credits include MUNY, Sacramento Music Circus, The Arvada Center, KC Starlight, North Carolina Theate, Velma Kelly in Chicago, Eva Peron in Evita and Florence Vassy in Chess. Debra Walton (HELENE) some Broadway shows include Pajama Game and Street Corner Symphony. Her Off Broadway highlights include Cookin' At the Cookery the Life and Times of Alberta Hunter, in which Debra created her award winning roles earning her a Drama Desk Nomination and a Barrymore Award. National tours include, Annie Get Your Gun and Chicago, playing multiple roles including Mama Morton! Danny Bolero (HERMAN) credits include Broadway: In The Heights (Kevin, Piragua U/S), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Napthali, cast recording). His Regional roles include The Drowsy Chaperone (Adolpho), Ed Begley's Cesar and Ruben (Cesar Chavez), Evita (Che), Zorba (Manolakos), The Fantasticks (El Gallo), Nine (Guido), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Jasper), Pacific Ovetures (Manjiro), World Goes Round, Side By Side, and the award winning NYMF show Stuck (Ramon). Lisa Donmall-REEVE (URSULA) some roles include Velma Kelly in Chicago (West End) and Ulla in The Producers (West End). Lisa has appeared in shows such as Chicago, The Producers, Cats, Crazy For You, My Fair Lady, Sweet Charity, The Rat Pack, 42nd St, A Chorus Line, The Opera Show and Anything Goes in London's West End and Internationally touring. David Glaspie (BIG DADDY) prior works include the National Tour of Sweet Charity (starring Molly Ringwald), Fame on 42nd St. (off Bwy), The Wiz, A Chorus Line, Aida and Chicago.

The Cast also includes: Andy Geary; Danielle Kelsey; ADAM LENDERMON; Kelly Marteney; LUKE McCOLLUM; KHORI MICHELLE; KATE SCOTT and Nick Varricchio.

Press Opening is Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 8:00 pm

SWEET CHARITY will play the following performance schedule: Wednesdays through Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

IN ADDITION, there will be a special matinee on: Wednesday, October 17 at 2:00pm.

Tickets are ON SALE and are $65. Tickets may be purchased by calling (631) 261-2900, by visiting www.engemantheater.com, or at the Engeman Theater Box Office at 250 Main Street, Northport. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted. To purchase Season Tickets and Gift Cards please contact the Box Office directly. For group rates or to host an event at the John W. Engeman Theater, please contact the Group Sales Department at 631-261-2900. For information on advertising in our Programs or in our Lounge, please contact the Advertising Sales Department at 631-261-2900. The Theater is also home to the John W. Engeman Theater School of the Performing Arts, offering classes and camp programs for children; please contact the Director of Youth Programming for more information at 631-261-2900.

The John W. Engeman Theater at Northport is Long Island's only year round professional theater company, casting our actors from the Broadway talent pool. From curb to curtain, we have made it our business to provide affordable, quality theater in an elegant one-of-a-kind location with outstanding facilities and extraordinary service. The renovated Theater offers stadium-style seating, state-of-the-art lighting and sound, a full orchestra pit, and a classic wood-paneled piano lounge with full bar.

For a complete show schedule and more information contact the theater directly at 631-261-2900, visit the box office at 250 Main Street, Northport or visit www.EngemanTheater.com

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