Cabrillo Music Theatre Presents THE PRODUCERS 4/8-17

Cabrillo Music Theatre proudly announces its brand-new production of the riotous musical by Mel Brooks, THE PRODUCERS. Marking the first time this show has been produced exclusively in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, THE PRODUCERS opens on Friday, April 8, and plays until Sunday, April 17, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

Based on the classic film of the same name, which won Mel Brooks an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, THE PRODUCERS went to Broadway with a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, and new songs by Brooks himself. The show nabbed a whopping 12 Tony Awards on Broadway, followed by a long New York run, National Tours, and a new movie based on the show. Now the Ovation Award-winning Cabrillo Music Theatre mounts its own production, filled to the brim with wild comedy, splashy production numbers, and a manic energy that will leave audiences laughing and cheering.

THE PRODUCERS tells the story of two down-on-their-luck producers who decide to make a financial killing by putting on the world's worst musical - a show guaranteed to flop! Along the way, they encounter a flamboyant director, an author with a passion for the Third Reich, and a smorgasbord of colorful characters that could only spring from the mind of Mel Brooks! Songs include the classic from the movie, "Springtime for Hitler," plus new songs such as "When You've Got It, Flaunt It," "Keep It Gay," and "The King of Old Broadway."

Bringing THE PRODUCERS to life is a collection of Southern California's brightest theatre talents. Starring as "Bialystock & Bloom," are Michael Kostroff and Larry Raben. Kostroff, a veteran of THE PRODUCERS Los Angeles and tour productions, is well-known to television audiences as a regular on "The Wire," and "Sonny With A Chance." Raben, who played Leo Bloom on Broadway and in Las Vegas, returns to Cabrillo after his performance in last season's THE ANDREWS BROTHERS, and after winning an Ovation Award for directing Cabrillo's SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. They are joined by Los Angeles theatre favorite David Engel, a six-time Ovation Award winner, as Roger de Bris, and Sarah Cornell, in her Ovation Award-winning role of "Ulla." They are joined by a cast of 22 and the 17-piece Cabrillo Music Theatre Orchestra. Directing is Steven Glaudini, Musical Theatre West's Artistic Director. Matthew Vargo provides the choreography, while Darryl Archibald serves as Musical Director and Conductor. The production will be overseen by Cabrillo Music Theatre's Artistic Director, Lewis Wilkenfeld.

THE PRODUCERS performs April 8th through the 17th at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Due to some language and mature subject matter, THE PRODUCERS is recommended to audiences 13 and up.

ABOUT THE STAFF

Steven Glaudini (Director) makes his Cabrillo directing debut with The Producers. Steve serves as the Artistic Director for Musical Theatre West in Long Beach where he directed The Producers in 2009 winning two L.A. Stage Ovation Awards for
Featured Actor and Actress. Steve also is an Award-winning director and cites these shows as favorites: MTW's recent hits Annie (starring Andrea McArdle), Little Shop of Horrors, All Shook Up (Ten 2008 L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards Nominations including Best Director and Best Musical), The Full Monty (Four 2007 Ovation Nominations), The Pirates of Penzance, and The Pajama Game.
Other favorites include: Miss Saigon, Les Misérables (Southern California Regional Premiere - 2008 San Diego Theatre Critic's Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical), West Side Story (2007 San Diego Theatre Critic's Circle Award for Outstanding Regional Musical), Cats, A Little Night Music, Cabaret, Triumph of Love, Company, Children of Eden, Sweet Charity, She Loves Me, Carousel, and the Los Angeles Premiere of My Favorite Year for the Musical Theatre Guild. As an actor, Steven was honored to receive the 2004 Ovation Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of John Adams in 1776 (a role he recently recreated at MTW). Upcoming projects include Hairspray for Moonlight Stage Productions and Monty Python's Spamalot for Musical Theatre West.

Matthew J. Vargo (Choreographer)'s prior productions of the show have graced the stages of Musical Theatre West (two Ovation Awards), Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Gateway Playhouse, Westchester Broadway Theatre and The MUNY of St. Louis. Other credits include Assistant Director/Choreographer to David Bell for Pittsburgh CLO's production of The Desert Song. Matthew has held instrumental positions for numerous industrials, including State Farm's National Conventions, as well as serving as the Associate Director/Choreographer for a Pediatric Oncology Benefit in Pittsburgh, PA. A three-time Dance Captain for Susan Stroman, Matthew's extensive performance credits include the Broadway companies of CATS (Longest Running Show Record-Breaking Cast) and Alan Menken's A Christmas Carol (Original Cast Recording). His National Touring credits include Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, White Christmas, The Producers and Kiss Me, Kate. Matthew is a proud member of SDC as well as Actor's Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild.

Darryl Archibald (Musical Director/Conductor): Dreamgirls national tour (Associate Conductor); Disney's The Lion King Broadway tour (Vocal Coach/Assistant Conductor); Wicked at the Pantages Theater (Substitute Conductor); Jonathan Dove's Innocence (Banff Centre) Nightmare Alley - workshop (The Geffen Playhouse); Loving Repeating (ICT); Swing! (Sacramento Music Circus); Smokey Joe's Café, Serrano - workshop directed by Joel Zwick (El Portal Theater); A Chorus Line, The King and I with Deborah Gibson (Cabrillo Music Theatre); The Buddy Holly Story (McCoy/Rigby); Merry Me A Little - revised version (Celebration Theater); Two By Two with Jason Alexander and Faith Prince, How To Succeed In Business... with John O'Hurley, Carousel with M. Emmet Walsh, The Fantasticks with Eric McCormack, Once On This Island with Ledisi, Li'l Abner with Cathy Rigby and Fred Willard, Merrily We Roll Along with Teri Hatcher, I Do! I Do! with Diana Canova and Harry Groener (Reprise); Great Expectations, My Fair Lady, 1776, Little Shop Of Horrors, Camelot, and Forever Plaid (Utah Shakespearean Festival); The Fix, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, Lady In the Dark, and Sail Away (Musical Theatre Guild). Arrangement and orchestration credits include: the prime-time television special A Hollywood Holiday Celebration (ABC), The Fountain Show and Christmas Trolley Show (The Grove Los Angeles).

ABOUT THE CAST

Michael Kostroff (Max Bialystock) is best known for his five seasons on HBO's "The Wire," and his current role on Disney's "Sonny with a Chance." His many TV credits include "The Middle," "Cold Case," "Weeds," "The Closer," "Without a Trace," "Brothers and Sisters," "Eli Stone," "Studio 60," "Boston Legal," "ER," "West Wing," etc. Kostroff initiated the 1st national tour of The Producers, understudying "Max Bialystock"-a role he's since played all over the country, most recently for Musical Theatre West (Garland Award, LADCC nomination). Recent stage credits include Li'l Abner, ...Forum, and How to Succeed... for Reprise, Guys and Dolls for Sacramento Music Circus, and Carnival at Goodspeed. He's a member of LA's Musical Theatre Guild and the author of the popular book, Letters from Backstage. He's on loan to Cabrillo from the new, 25th anniversary tour of Les Misérables-coming to Los Angeles this June-in which he plays the comically villainous "Thénardier."

Larry Raben (Leo Bloom) is thrilled to return to Cabrillo after playing Patrick in The Andrews Brothers (Ovation Award) and directing Singin' In The Rain (Ovation Award). Recent performances include "Felix" in The Odd Couple (Norris Theatre), "Lt. Frank Cioffi" in Curtains (MTWichita), and "Hysterium" in ...Forum (Reprise). He starred as "Leo Bloom" in The Producers on Broadway, the entire Las Vegas run, and in LA at Musical Theatre West. Favorites: Off-Broadway hits I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (also The Coronet in LA), Forever Plaid (original NY, London, and LA companies-Ovation and LA Drama-Critics Awards), Forbidden Broadway (MTW-Ovation nomination), "Ross" in Bright Ideas (Laguna Playhouse), "Ens. Pulver" in Mr. Roberts (Old Globe Theatre). Film/TV: "Forever Plaid, The Movie" (which will be shown on PBS this spring and released on DVD), "Lost & Found", "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead", "General Hospital", "Party Of Five", "Caroline In The City". In New York, Larry recently directed a new Off-Broadway musical, Falling For Eve by Tony winner Joe DiPietro (MEMPHIS) and choreographed by Lee Martino and is a founding member of a new Palm Springs based theatre company Coyote StageWorks.

David Engel (Roger DeBris) is a six-time winner of the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award. Cabrillo's audiences will remember David in The Andrews Brothers, White Christmas, and as the Gene Kelly role in Singin' In The Rain. He has appeared on Broadway opposite Carol Burnett in Putting It Together, as well as the original Broadway productions of Seussical: The Musical and La Cage Aux Folles. David created the role of Smudge in the original New York production of Forever Plaid and again in Plaid Tidings. He and his fellow original Plaids filmed Forever Plaid which will have a national PBS airing this spring in conjunction with its DVD and CD release... Finally! Other shows in which David has starred in are Crazy For You, Kiss Me Kate, Never Gonna Dance, The Full Monty, and Pasadena Playhouse's Can-Can. In addition, Mr. Engel shared an on-screen romance with RuPaul in the award winning musical short film Zombie Prom. He is a proud longtime member of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional stage actors.

Sarah Cornell (Ulla) received the 2009 Ovation Award for playing "Ulla" at Musical Theater West. Previously she played the role on Broadway and in the original Toronto Production (Dora Award nomination). Other theater credits include: "Audrey" Little Shop of Horrors, "Annie/Shelly" Evil Dead the Musical (Dora Award nomination), "The Actress" The Review (The Second City National Touring Company - Toronto/Chicago). Film/Television: "Comedy Inc." (writer/performer), "Howie-Do-It -
The New Howie Mandell Show," "At the Hotel..."(Irina), "The Jon Dore Show", "Producing Parker," "Chicago Hyatt." Sarah's first comedy short film, Planet Sun, which she wrote, produced and starred in, was an official selection at many of the 2009 film festivals including Bel Air, Mammoth, Slamdance, Maryland, and The LA Comedy Shorts.

ABOUT THE PRICING AND SCHEDULE

THE PRODUCERS will open on Friday, April 8th, 2011 and run through Sunday, April 17th. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30PM (note this new time), Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm. A post-show discussion with cast, staff and audience will follow the Saturday, April 9th, 2:00pm performance.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Box Office located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks or through any Ticketmaster location or by phone (800) 745-3000. For groups of 10 or more, please call Group Sales, Cabrillo Music Theatre at (805) 497-8613. Ticket prices range from $30-$76. For ticket and theatre information, call (805) 449-ARTS (2787).

CABRILLO MUSIC THEATRE's 2010-2011 season concludes with THE SOUND OF MUSIC (July 22-31, 2011).

CABRILLO MUSIC THEATRE performs at the Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Bank of America Performing Arts Center, at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

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