Civic LIght Opera of South Bay Cities Presents 1940's Radio Hour

Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities and Executive Producer James A. Blackman III proudly closes their 19th season with Walton Jones' musical holiday tribute to the swing era. The 1940's Radio Hour will begin performances on Wednesday December 1 (with a gala press opening on Friday Saturday December 4, 2010) and will run through Sunday December 19 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Swing into the 1940's with the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities. It is December 1942, and radio was king. The Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade is presenting their broadcast for the troops overseas. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong, but through it all, the show must go on, and the Cavalcade performs such classics as Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Blue Moon, I'll Be Seeing You, Rose of the Rio Grande, I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo, Blues in the Night, Strike Up the Band, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. This zany, heartwarming musical is perfect holiday fare for all ages.

The cast features Kim Arnett as Ann Collier, Dane Biren as Wally Ferguson, Misty Cotton as Ginger Brooks, Ryland Dodge as Biff Baker, Karole Foreman as Geneva Lee Browne, Richard Israel as Lou Cohn, Christopher Newell as Johnny Cantone, Hannah Simmons as Connie, Estevan Valdes as B.J. Gibson, Harrison White as Pops Bailey, and Sam Zeller as Clifton Feddington.

Directed by Stephanie A. Coltrin, Set Design by Christopher Beyries, Lighting Design by Darrell Clark, Costume Design by Christa Armendariz, Sound Design by John Feinstein.

All performances are held at the 1475 seat REDONDO BEACH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER located at 1935 Manahattan Beach Blvd. Redondo Beach, Ca 90278. There is ample parking and valet parking is available nightly.

Tickets range from $30-$65 and can be purchased by calling 310-372-4477 or by visiting Civic Light Opera's website at www.civiclightopera.com. Student, senior, and group discounts are available by calling the box office.

Performances Tuesday-Saturdays at 8pm, Matinees Saturday December 11, Sunday December 12, Saturday December18th and Sunday December 19 at 2pm. Sunday evening performances on December 12th and 19th at 7pm.

CAST BIOS
Kim Arnett (Ann Collier) Kim returns to CLOSBC for her 13th production! She was the Dance Captain for the 1st National Tour and original Las Vegas company of Mamma Mia! for 3 1/2 years. Before that, Kim was in the Broadway/National Touring company of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby, which was then filmed for A&E. Kim has also toured Europe with productions of My Fair Lady and 42nd Street. Most recently, she worked with Sacramento Music Circus in 42nd Street (Anytime Annie), Funny Girl (Mrs. O'Malley), and Oklahoma. Shows with CLOSBC: Evita (2 times), Will Rogers Follies, Peter Pan (Tiger Lily), Crazy For You (Mitzi), Cabaret, GiGi, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (Ruth), Best Little Whorehouse... (Shy), 42nd Street (Phyllis), and Singin In The Rain.

Dane Biren (Wally) Dane is excited to return to CLOSBC where he has been seen as the puppy Rocks in Bark, Benjamin in Joseph, and Nick in The Hermosa Beach Playhouse's Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? Dane was most recently seen in Happy Days The Musical playing Ralph Malph at Cabrillio Music Theatre. Favorite credits include Violet (Virgil) with the Musical Theatre Guild, Wait Until Dark (Sam Hendrix) at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse, Aspects of Love with the Musical Theatre Guild and Picnic (Bomber) at A Noise Within. Other Credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Oklahoma, Seussical, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Comet), Shadow of a Gunman (Tommy Owens), Il Ventaglio (Crespino), and Mad Forest (Angel). Dane can also be seen in the season one finale of the web series Leaving Bliss. Dane holds a BFA in acting from The California Institute of the Arts.

Misty Cotton (Ginger Brooks) Misty is thrilled to return to CLOSBC after having last been seen in their productions of Beehive and The Full Monty. She has been involved in many South Bay productions some of which are Annie Get Your Gun (Annie), Miss Saigon (Ellen), Sophisticated Ladies (Soubrette), Oliver (Nancy) and Jekyll & Hyde (Lucy). She has been involved in numerous companies of The Marvelous Wonderettes including the successful off Broadway run as well as most recently at the Sacramento Music Circus. Broadway/National Tours- Miss Saigon (Ellen), Les Miserables (Eponine) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator) opposite Donny Osmond. Some favorites roles and shows are- Side Show (Violet) Colony Theatre-Ovation,Garland and Robby Awards, Little Night Music (Petra) SCR- LADCC Award-best featured actress, Last Five Years (Cathy) Pasadena Playhouse , Spitfire Grill (Percy) Laguna Playhouse & Utah Shakespearean Festival, Triumph of Love (Leonide) ICT & Performance Riverside, Anyone Can Whistle (Fay), Company (Marta), Macbeth , Johnny Guitar , Children of Eden (Eve/Mama Noah) , Andrew Lippas Wild Party (Kate) MTG. She has originated roles in two other Roger Bean productions being Honky Tonk Laurndry (Katy Lane) and Winter Wonderettes (Missy).

Ryland Dodge (Biff) Ryland Dodge is thrilled to be a part of this AMAZING production! This is his first production with CLOSBC. Favorite roles include: Charley in Merrily We Roll Along, Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, David in Boy In The Bathroom, Jack in Into The Woods, Willard in Footloose!, Matt in The Fantasticks and Dickon in The Secret Garden. Ryland holds a BFA in Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory.

Karole Foreman (Geneva Lee Browne) Karole last appeared at CLOSBC as a 1960's version of herself in Beehive and Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. Earlier this year she appeared in Sacramento at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret in MY WAY: A TRIBUTE TO Frank Sinatra. Other shows include Parade at the Mark Taper Forum, Thoroughly Modern Millie at Sacramento Music Circus and Lawrence Welk, The Good Body, Josephine Tonight!, Crowns, Restless Spirits, King Lear, Merchant of Venice, Cabaret, The Whole World is Watching and Little Shop of Horrors at The San Diego Rep, Jelly's Last Jam at the Mark Taper and ALLIANCE THEATREs and as Tanya in the Las Vegas premiere of Mama Mia! in Las Vegas. With the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company she appeared as Isabella in Measure for Measure, Cassio in Othello and Benvolio in Romeo & Juliet. For two seasons she performed at the Oregon Shakespeare festival. Shows included Comedy of Errors, Blood Wedding, From the Mississippi Delta, Emma's Child and Strindberg in Hollywood.
Other Theaters include: The Goodspeed Opera House, Northshore Music Theatre, San Jose Rep, AMT of San Jose, Denver Center, Portland Center Stage, The Pasadena Playhouse, La Mirada Theatre and North Coast Rep.
Karole received a Suzi Bass Award for her performance as Anita in the Alliance's production of Jelly's Last Jam, a Garland for Alexa Vere de Vere in As Bees in Honey Drown, Robby Nomination for Carla, and Drama Logue Awards for Minamata, The Illusion and The Whole World is Watching.
TV shows include Medium, Becker, Third Watch, Law & Order, The Bold & The Beautiful, Strong Medicine, and numerous commercials.

Richard Israel (Lou) Favorite roles include the Defendant in David Mamet's Romance (Mark Taper Forum), Motel in Fiddler (CLOSBC and Sacramento), Radioman Bride in Titanic (CLOSBC), Max in Lend Me A Tenor (Norris Theatre) and Eugene in Life Could Be A Dream (Milwaukee Rep). He has also appeared as Harlequin in Triumph Of Love (Starlight Musical Theatre), Ugly in Honk (ITC) and Charley in Merrily We Roll Along (West Coast Ensemble Theater). For Reprise!, Richard has appeared as David in Company, Prince Nikki in My One And Only, and Max Jacobs in On the 20th Century. For the Hollywood Bowl, he has appeared in Mame, Bernstein's Mass, My Fair Lady and The Music Man. For the Musical Theatre Guild, he has appeared as Skeets Miller in Floyd Collins, Artie in Saturday Night and Charley in Where's Charley? In addition to his work onstage, Richard is a theatre director and producer and is the Co-Artistic Director of Hollywood's West Coast Ensemble Theatre.

Christopher Newell (Johnny Cantone) 1940's Radio Hour marks Chris's first stage production as a West Coast Resident. A native New Yorker Chris comes to LA, with a long stage history. A few of his favorites in NYC include: Broadway: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Off-Broadway: David O. Selznick in Moonlight & Magnolias; Ferdinand in The Tempest and Judas Iscariot in For Christ's Sake. Regional favorites include: Marius in Les Miserables; Joseph Wykowski in Biloxi Blues; and Lon Smith in Meet Me In Saint Louis. Numerous TV and commercial projects have inspired the move West and Chris is very excited to be a part of this vibrant community of artists! A proud co-founder of The Grey Wolf.

Hannah Simmons (Connie) This is Hannah's debut at CLOSBC, and she couldn't be more excited. Recent stage productions include Hello Dolly (Minnie Fay), All Shook Up (featured dancer), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Wife/Apache Dancer), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Dorkus), and Bye Bye Birdie (Kim Macafee). She has been seen in Disney's Electrical Parade, Pixar Play Parade, and Celebrate! A Street Party. She recently portrayed Barbie, from Barbie and the Rockers at the 50th Barbie Convention.

Estevan Valdes (B.J.) is thrilled to be making his CLOSBC debut! He was most recently featured in Happy Days The Musical as Chachi with Cabrillo Music Theatre. Favorite roles include: Mungojerrie/Genghis in CATS and Liver Lips Louis in Guys And Dolls (Cabrillo Music Theatre), Marius in Les Miserables and Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story (Performance Theatre for Young Artists). Estevan will complete his BFA at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2011. He would like to sincerely thank Stephanie, Gary, Heather and this extraordinary cast and crew for this fabulous experience.

Harrison White (Pops) is thrilled to return CLOSBC. Last seen here in Bark, Seussical, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Full Monty, Miss Saigon (Winner: 2008 LA OVATION Award Best Musical), and Ain't Mis'Behavin. Broadway, LA & National Tour: The Lion King, Sarafina (Winner, NAACP Theatre Awards Best Musical). London's West End: Smokey Joe's Cafe (nominated: Laurence Olivier Award). Pre-Broadway: Starmites. Other Regional Credits: Gulls (nominated: 2009 NAACP Theater Award), Ray Charles Live (Winner: 2008 NAACP Theater Award Best Ensemble), Sister Act The Musical, It's A Wonderful Life, Purlie(Winner: 2005 OVATION Award Featured Actor In a Musical), Five Guys Named Moe , Once On This Island. Film: I Got the Hookup, SE7EN, Doom Asylum. Television: Modern Family, Better With You, Days of Our Lives, and Viva Laughin. Internet: Venice the Series, Republicrats and Home Purchasing Clubs. Soundtrack: Tears of the Sun, The Power of One and Sarafina.

Sam Zeller (Clifton) Sam has been seen at South Bay as Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Horton the Elephant in Seussical, Bugs Moran in Twice Upon A Time, Spencer Trigg in the world premiere of Dale Wasserman's Western Star, Caleb in Seven Brides..., Jigger in Carousel, and was recently honored with an Ovation Nomination for his work as Jud in last season's Oklahoma! Sam's most recent credits include Jean Valjean in Les Miserables , Kerchak in the regional premiere of Disney's Tarzan, and Old Deuteronomy in Cats. Other credits include Dozer in the Broadway workshop of Mask (directed by Richard Maltby Jr.); The Hollywood Bowl productions of Amadeus (starring Michael York and Neil Patrick Harris) and South Pacific (starring Reba McEntire and Brian Stokes Mitchell); A reading of Hollywood Arms (starring Linda Lavin, Michelle Pawk, and Donna Lynne Champlin); The international tour of Cameron Macintosh's Hey, Mr. Producer; The West Coast premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's The Wild Party; The Los Angeles premiere of the David and Amy Sedaris comedy The Book of Liz, and Goodspeed Opera's world premiere of the musical Dorian. His Broadway debut was the Tony nominated, Emmy Award-winning revival of Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby. National tour and regional credits include: Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Che in Evita, Voltaire/Panglos in Candide, Berowne in Love's Labour's Lost, Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard, Owen in The Foreigner, Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing...Forum, Tom in The Time of Your Life, and The Boatman in Sunday In the Park With George (directed by Jason Alexander).
Film credits include The Dukes of Hazzard 2, Peter Pan, Never Say Macbeth, Mystery Monsters, Chasing Tchaikovsky, and the upcoming Tick Tock Boom Clap. Television credits include Lt. Ch'targh on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, NUMB3RS, Hannah Montana, Lovespring International, Happy Hour, Days Of Our Lives, General Hospital: Nightshift, Phil of the Future, and the Emmy Award-winning The Imagination Movers on the Disney Channel.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM
STEPHANIE A. COLTRIN (Artistic Director/Director) has served as Artistic Director for Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities and the Hermosa Beach Playhouse for three years. She has directed CLOSBC's productions of Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar, Oklahoma, Seussical and Bark!. Miss Saigon garnered eleven Ovation nominations (including a nomination for Best Director) and won the award for Best Musical. At the Hermosa Beach Playhouse, she has directed Moonlight and Magnolias, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Spit Like a Big Girl, Sylvia, Steel Magnolias, Blithe Spirit, Fully Committed, Wait Until Dark, Quilters, Godspell, The Green Room, Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. Stage Scene LA named her Director of the Year this year, and was one of the recipients for Best Director of a Musical for Jesus Christ Superstar the previous year. She has also been nominated for a Garland award for her direction of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Previous to serving as CLOBSC's Artistic Director, she was Associate Producer and Production Manager. Before working at Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, she served as Production Manager at the Odyssey Theatre, and was also a freelance production stage manager, working with such theatres as Reprise, McCoy/Rigby, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, LA Women's Shakespeare, the San Fernando Valley Playhouse, the Blank, the Tiffany and many others.

CHRISTOPHER BEYRIES (Set Designer) has been a member of the CLOSBC/Hermosa Beach Playhouse team for six years. For CLOSBC, he has designed sets for Beehive, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Full Monty, Bye Bye Birdie, Kiss Me Kate, Sophisticated Ladies, Ain't Misbehavin', Grease, Bark! and Twice Upon a Time. For the Hermosa Beach Playhouse he has designed Moonlight and Magnolias, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Wait Until Dark, Dial M for Murder, Quilters, Godspell, Steel Magnolias, Tracers and Blithe Spirit, and many others. Prior to his work at CLOSBC/Hermosa Beach Playhouse, he served as the technical director for the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, as well as Santa Monica Playhouse, where he oversaw the building of a new theatre, and created the Behind the Scenes Workshop. His work has been seen on Princess Cruises, NBC television, and theatres coast to coast.

CHRISTA ARMENDARIZ (Costume Designer) most recently designed Beehive, Oklahoma, Bark, Fiddler on the Roof, and Jesus Christ Superstar, The Full Monty for CLOSBC. For the Hermosa Beach Playhouse, she has designed Blithe Spirit, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woof, Wait Until Dark, and Sylvia at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.

KEVIN GOOLD (Sound Designer) has been the sound designer for CLOSBC since it's inception. He won the Ovation award for sound design for Miss Saigon.

DARRELL CLARK (Lighting Designer) has designed many shows at Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, including Oklahoma, Jesus Christ Superstar, Oliver, Annie Get Your Gun, Bark!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Seussical, Bye Bye Birdie, Kiss Me Kate and Miss Saigon, for which he won the Ovation Award for lighting design.

The Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities has received four Ovation Awards for Best Musical, and is preparing to launch its 20th Anniversary season with She Loves Me, Light in the Piazza, Company and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

 

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