Actors Co-Op presents Ahrens and Flaherty's LUCKY STIFF
By: A.A. Cristi Apr. 14, 2017
Actors Co-op (Ovation Award-Winner 2014 Best Intimate Theatre Musical for110 in the Shade) presents the fifth and final show in its celebratory 25th Silver Anniversary season, the killer musical from the writers of Ragtime and Once On This Island, LUCKY STIFF, book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty, choreography by Julie Hall, musical direction by Taylor Stephenson and directed by Stephen Van Dorn. LUCKY STIFF will preview on Wednesday, May 10 & Thursday, May 11 at 8pm and will open on Friday, May 12 at 8pm and run through Sunday, June 18 at the Actors Co-op David Schall Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St. (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood) in Hollywood.
Wanna make six million dollars the easy way? (Okay, maybe not so easy.) The Tony Award-winning writing team of Flaherty/Ahrens (Ragtime, Once on this Island) has created a hilarious musical murder mystery farce mixing diamonds, mistaken identities and a body in a wheelchair (oh, and puppies!), in this all singing, all dancing, killer musical comedy! In fact, you'll die laughing!
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST
Lynn Ahrens (Book and Lyrics) Lynn Ahrens won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards and received two Grammy nominations for the score of Broadway's Ragtime. For Twentieth Century Fox's animated feature film "Anastasia," she was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes. Broadway credits include: Once On This Island (London Olivier Award, Best Musical; Tony nominations, Best Book and Score); Seussical (Grammy nomination); Madison Square Garden's "A Christmas Carol" (composer, Alan Menken); Rocky; My Favorite Year; Chita Rivera--The Dancer's Life; and Anastasia, which arrives on Broadway this spring. Other theater: Lincoln Center Theater premieres of Dessa Rose, The Glorious Ones((both Drama Desk-nominated); and A Man of No Importance (Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Musical); Lucky Stiff; and Little Dancer, which premiered at the Kennedy Center. For her numerous film and television credits, which include "A Christmas Carol" (teleplay, NBC- TV); "Camp" (IFC Films); "Lucky Stiff;" and the renowned animated series "Schoolhouse Rock" (ABC-TV), she received the Emmy Award and four nominations. She is the first Lilly Award recipient for Lyrics. In 2014, she and longtime collaborator Stephen Flaherty received the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement, and in 2015 they were inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. They serve on the Dramatists Guild of America's Council and co-founded the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program for Emerging Writers.
Stephen Flaherty (Music) is the composer of the Broadway musicals Ragtime (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC Awards, two Grammy nominations), Seussical (Grammy, Drama Desk nominations), Once on This Island (Tony nomination, Olivier Award, Best Musical) and Rocky. Additional Broadway includes Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life (original songs) and Neil Simon's Proposals (incidental music). Stephen has also written four musicals at Lincoln Center Theatre: The Glorious Ones (OCC, Drama Desk nominations), Dessa Rose (OCC, Drama Desk nominations), A Man of No Importance (OCC, Best Musical, Drama Desk nomination) and My Favorite Year. Other theater includes In Your Arms (Old Globe), Little Dancer (Kennedy Center), Lucky Stiff (Playwrights Horizons) and Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein (Chicago's Jefferson Award, Best New Musical.) Film includes "Anastasia" (two Academy Award and two Golden Globe nominations), the documentary "After The Storm" and "Lucky Stiff. Mr. Flaherty's concert music has premiered at the Hollywood Bowl, Boston's Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum and Symphony Space. This year celebrates Stephen's 32-year collaboration with lyricist-librettist Lynn Ahrens. Stephen and Lynn are members of the Dramatists Guild Council and co- founders of the Dramatists Guild Fellows Program. In 2015 they were inducted into the Theater Hall Of Fame. Upcoming: the stage adaptation of Anastasia. AhrensAndFlaherty.com.
Stephen Van Dorn (Director) Lucky Stiff is Stephen's second main stage production at Actors Co-op. He also directed The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, which garnered multiple Ovation Award nominations, including Best Production of a Music (Intimate Theatre). Previous directing credits include, Much Ado About Nothing, The Freddy Wyatt Bixby Petroleum Variety Hour Christmas Spectacular Extravaganza Show, What Happened Was..., 27 Wagons Full Of Cotton, and The Sweetest Swing In Baseball. Stephen has been a proud member of Actors Co-op since 1998, and has appeared in numerous productions, including Edith Stein, The Hasty Heart, The Foreigner, Bullshot Crummond, As You Like It, 1776, Tales Of Tinseltown, The Glass Menagerie, The Learned Ladies, Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, Lend Me A Tenor, Drood and Dancing At Lughnasa. In 2012, Stephen played serial killer Buffalo Bill, in Silence! The Musical, directed by Tony Award Winner Christopher Gatelli, at The Hayworth Theatre. Stephen is an LA Weekly Award winner, as well as receiving several other awards and honors, including the Inland Valley Theatre League Award for Best Performance in a musical. Soli Deo Gloria.
JULIE HALL (Choreographer) previously choreographed Actors Co-op productions of Dancing At Lughnasa, The Baker's Wife, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood (Ovation Award Nominee, Best Musical - Intimate Venue), 110 In The Shade (Ovation Award Winner, Best Musical - Intimate Venue), The Matchmaker, The Learned Ladies, 1940's Radio Hour, Big River, Trails, and Yours, Isabel. A graduate of the Florida State University School of Music, Julie also enjoys sharing her love of musical theater with the next generation of performers by teaching at various schools and theater camps throughout the country.
Taylor Stephenson (Musical Director) is a music director, composer, actor, and teacher based in Long Beach. He graduated from UCI with a degree in drama where he studied voice and conducting from his mentor, Dr. Gary Busby. He is thrilled to be making his debut at the Actors Co-op with this production of Lucky Stiff. Past productions include: Next To Normal, Dogfight, Bonnie And Clyde, She Loves Me, and many others. In 2013, he won the L.A. Ovation Award for Best Musical Direction for his work on Triassic Parq. He is a founding member of the a capella group Nothing Diminished.
The Cast of LUCKY STIFF will feature (in alphabetical order): Claire Adams, David Atkinson, Gina D'Acciaro, Brian Habicht, Alastair James Murden, Brandon Parrish, Rory Patterson, Selah Victor, José Villarreal and Vito Viscuso.
LUCKY STIFF has assembled an award-winning design team. Set Design is by Lex Gernon. Lighting Design is by Lisa D. Katz. Costume Design is by Vicki Conrad. Hair and Make-up Design Krys Fehervari. Sound Design is by Warren Davis. Properties Design is by Nicholas Acciani. Dialect Coach is E. K. Dagenfield. The Stage Manager is Leticia Gonzalez. LUCKY STIFF is produced by Catherine Gray.
ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING
LUCKY STIFF will preview on Wednesday, May 10 & Thursday, May 11 at 8pm and will open on Friday, May 12 at 8pm and run through Sunday, June 18 at the Actors Co-op David Schall Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St. (on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood) in Hollywood.
Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:30pm (with Saturday Matinees scheduled for Saturday, May 20 and June 17 at 2:30pm).
Ticket prices are $34.00 for all Performances. Seniors (60 and over) - $30 and Students - $25.00 - with Student Rush Tickets available at Friday performances (excluding opening nights) on a first-come, first-serve basis subject to availability. Rush tickets are priced at 1/2 off regular adult tickets price.
Tickets may only be purchased 45 minutes prior to curtain at the box office window. Valid Student ID must be shown. One ticket per ID. Cash only, please. To learn more about Student Rush Tickets, please call the box office at (323) 462-8460. Group rates are available for parties of 6 or more. Tickets may be purchased by phone at (323) 462-8460 or visit www.ActorsCo-op.org.
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