Alexandra Billings and Joanne Gordon Team Up for STOP THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET OFF

CSULB Theatre Arts Department's University Players' presents Stop the World, I Want to Get Off with book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, directed by JoAnne Gordon. This quirky British musical features Alexandra Billings from Amazon's Transparent as Evie and plays in the Studio Theatre on the CSULB campus October 7, 2016 through October 16, 2016.

Alexandra Billings, currently appearing in Amazon's Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated series Transparent, plays Evie in Stop the World, I Want to Get Off. Her autobiographical show Before I Disappear ran Off-Broadway at The Producer's Club. S/He & Me, her autobiographical cabaret directed by JoAnne Gordon, was named "Best of 2015 for Los Angeles Theatre" by Broadway World. Billings' screen credits include How to Get Away with Murder, Nurses, E.R., and Grey's Anatomy, which won a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Episode.

Director JoAnne Gordon's accolades include five Drama- Logue Awards, a Los Angeles Critics Choice Award and "Best of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times for Shadowlands at the Long Beach Playhouse. She is best known for her work on Stephen Sondheim and Charles Bukowski.

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off follows Littlechap, a man who dreams of success, wealth, and power in his circus of a career. On his way to success, his world is turned upside down when he begins a relationship with Evie, his boss's daughter. Despite the challenges he faces, he continues to find personal and professional fulfillment, even if it means hurting those close to him. Director JoAnne Gordon says that this production provides the audience with insight into their own priorities: "remember that life is a circus. We all know our tricks. We all want to entertain, and ultimately we all fall flat on our faces."

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off was the song-writing duo Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley's first collaboration, where the song "What Kind of Fool Am I" won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1963. They wrote several musicals together including Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Sweet November, and The Good Old Bad Old Days. Bricusse and Newley were inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989 for their contributions to music on the stage and screen.

Stop the World, I Want to Get Off opens Friday, October 7, 2016 and closes Sunday, October 16, 2016. Performances run Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8pm, with additional matinees Saturdays at 2pm, and a closing performance on Sunday, October 16 at 2pm. Performances take place in the Studio Theatre on the CSULB Campus, accessible via East Campus Drive. Tickets are $17 for general admission and $14 for students, seniors, and military (with valid ID). Convenient parking is available next to the theatre for $7. For tickets and additional information, please call (562) 985-5526 or visit calrep.org.

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