Espinosa & Felciano to Star in Reprise! 'Flora the Red Menace'

The 2007-2008 Reprise! Broadway's Best season will end with Flora, the Red Menace, John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb's first Broadway musical. Kander and Ebb went on to become among American musical theatre's most important creators.   Eden Espinosa stars as Flora, opposite Manoel Felciano as Harry.

Eden Espinosa is best known to Los Angles audiences for her critically acclaimed performance as Elphaba in both the Broadway and Los Angeles productions of Wicked. Tony nominated Manoel Felciano, (for his portrayal of Tobias in the 2005 revival of Sweeney Todd) also starred in last season's Reprise Production of Sunday in the Park with George.

Flora, the Red Menace is directed by Philip Himberg; choreographed by Christopher Pilafian; and the musical director is Gerald Sternbach. Reprise! Broadway's Best is lead by its artistic director Jason Alexander.

"Flora is set in 1935, the year that President Franklin Roosevelt started the New Deal to help pull the country out of the depth of the Depression.  Flora, an optimistic and headstrong young woman, is looking to make her way in New York as a fashion designer when she finds herself falling for the shy Harry, a WPA artist who convinces her to join the Communist party.  In this version, this story is being performed as a play within a play - with nine actors playing twenty-five parts - in the famous Federal Theatre Project, which was part of the WPA," describe press notes, "After landing a dream job (paying $30 a week) at Garrett and Mellick's, an important fashion company in New York, Flora finds that the demands of the Communist party become too much to handle, especially when it begins to interfere with her romance with Harry and her new job.  As Flora's involvement with the party progresses, she realizes she must choose between her love for Harry and her own personal beliefs. This charming and passionate musical, features 'All I Need (Is One Good Break),' 'Sing Happy,' and the beautiful 'A Quiet Thing,'" describe press notes.

Flora was originally brought to Broadway in 1965 and had book and direction by George Abbott. The production brought its star, Liza Minnelli, her first Tony Award.  In 1987, the Vineyard Theatre in New York created a new version of the show with book by David Thompson, which Reprise! is performing.

Flora, The Red Menace will perform Tuesday, May 6-18 (opening May 7) at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. For tickets, please call the UCLA Central Ticket Office at 310/825-2101 or visit www.reprise.org.

Eden Espinosa (Flora) made her Broadway debut as a member of the original cast of Wicked, where she was the standby for Elphaba and Nessarose, and later played Elphaba to great acclaim in the San Francisco engagement of the show's national tour, before assuming the role on Broadway, and most recently, to critical acclaim in the Los Angles production.  Espinosa also starred as the title character on Broadway in Brooklyn, the Musical, a role she created in the workshop, played through the first production at the Denver Civic Theatre, and on Broadway.  Espinosa is from Southern California.  She can be heard on recordings of the Actors' Fund Benefit of Hair, "John McDaniel Live at Joe's Pub," and "The Maury Yeston Songbook."

Manoel Felciano (Harry) received a 2006 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Tobias in Sweeny Todd. Other Broadway credits include Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Brooklyn, the Musical. Felciano is originally from San Francisco, California. Reprise! audiences will remember him from his starring role last season in Sunday in the Park with George.  In addition to being heard on the 2005 Original Cast Recording of Sweeney Todd, Felciano recently released his debut solo CD "Moonshot."

Eden Espinosa and Manoel Felciano

To post a comment, you must register and login.