Havok Theatre Co Presents THE STORY OF MY LIFE, Previews 2/25/2010

Following its five 2008/09 L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Nominations for its critically-acclaimed production of Kiss of the Spider Woman (including Best Musical Production - Intimate Theatre), Havok Theare Company is thrilled to announce its first production of 2010, the Broadway musical THE STORY OF MY LIFE with music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and Book by Brian Hill, directed by Havok's Artistic Director and Ovation Award-winner (and nominated this year for Kiss of the Spider Woman), Nick DeGruccio. Nominated for four Drama Desk Awards, THE STORY OF MY LIFE will begin previews February 25, 2010 at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood.

The Story of My Life tells the story of two childhood friends and how their friendship profoundly defined their lives. Thomas Weaver is a best-selling, award-winning author. Alvin Kelby was his best friend for thirty years. But time can test the bonds of friendship, and when it does, Thomas calls on the only resource he has - his stories of Alvin - to learn where things went wrong. A richly melodic musical, The Story of My Life is a soaring tribute to the power of friendship and the people who change our lives forever.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Neil Bartram (Music and Lyrics) is the recipient of a Dramatists Guild Jonathan Larson Fellowship, a Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, and was a finalist for the 2007 Fred Ebb Award. He is the composer/lyricist of The Story of My Life which was developed at NAMT and Goodspeed before debuting on Broadway in February 2009 (Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.). Neil also wrote the music and lyrics for Somewhere In The World (5 seasons at the Charlottetown Festival), and The Nightingale and the Rose. With bookwriter Brian Hill, Neil is currently developing a musical based on Timothy Findley's novel Not Wanted On The Voyage (at Northwestern University with director Amanda Dehnert) and an original musical Clara's Piano (workshopped by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival with director and conceiver Susan H. Schulman). Cast albums include Somewhere In The World and The Story Of My Life (PS Classics). Neil is a member of the Dramatists Guild, ASCAP, and is an alumnus of the BMI Lehman Engel Music Theatre Workshop. In 2009 Neil was a double Drama Desk Award nominee for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics for The Story of My Life.

Brian Hill (Book) In collaboration with composer/lyricist Neil Bartram, Brian has written the book for a number of musicals including an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose and Somewhere In the World, which was a hit for five seasons at the Charlottetown Festival. Not Wanted on the Voyage, an adaptation of the provocative Timothy Findley novel, is in development with the AMTP and Northwestern University under the direction of Amanda Dehnert. Clara's Piano, conceived and directed by Susan H. Schulman, was developed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. The Story of My Life gained recognition through the NAMT Festival of new musicals and received a workshop production at Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris Theater and had its Broadway premier in February of 2009 directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. and starring Malcolm Gets and Will Chase. Brian received a 2009 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Book for The Story of My Life.

Nick DeGruccio (Director) is the Artistic Director, Havok Theatre Company and a three-time recipient of the LA Ovation Award for Direction and has received the 2008 LADCC Joel Hirschhorn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre. He has received the 2009 BackStage Garland Award for Direction for an Outstanding Season of Work. Nick most recently directed Kiss of the Spider Woman (4 LADCC Nominations, LADCC Award for Choreography) and the LA Premieres of Thrill Me (2 LA Ovation Award Noms, LADCC Award for Lighting) and Dog Sees God (2 LADCC Noms, 3 LA Weekly Noms, GLAAD Media Nom) for Havok Theatre Company's inaugural season, Zanna, Don't! at West Coast Ensemble (LADCC Award for Direction, 2007 LA Ovation Nomination for Direction, Production), The Andrews Brothers for Musical Theatre West, Bad Apples, a World Premiere Play for The Rubicon Theatre Company and Beehive at the El Portal Theatre (5 2006 LADCC Award nominations including Direction/2 2007 LA Ovation Award Nominations) as well as Jekyll & Hyde for Cabrillo Music Theatre and Altar Boyz for The Welk Resort.

He also directed The Laramie Project for the Laguna Playhouse having directed the LA premiere at The Colony Theatre, which received 3 LA Ovation Awards for Best Play, Best Direction, Best Ensemble and has raised over $36,000.00 for the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

He directed the LA premiere of Side Show, which received 8 Ovation Nominations including direction and was voted One of the Top 10 Plays of 2002 by The Los Angeles Times. He directed the production of 1776 at Performance Riverside receiving the 2004 LA Ovation Award for Direction and the production garnered 5 LA Ovation Awards including Best Musical. Also, recently he directed The Last Five Years and I DO! I DO! in rep at The Pasadena Playhouse, The Full Monty for San Diego Music Theatre's inaugural production and I Left My Heart...a tribute to Tony Bennett for the Welk Resort, San Diego. He directed the LA Premiere of A Man Of No Importance for MTG, which was nominated for 3 2006 Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Awards as well as a GLAAD award for production. He directed Side By Side By Sondheim at the Rubicon Theatre which was moved to The Pasadena Playhouse (2004 LA Ovation Nominations for Production and Ensemble). He directed the west coast premiere of The Spitfire Grill at The Laguna Playhouse receiving the OC Award for Best Musical as well as My Way for McCoy-Rigby Entertainment at the La Mirada Performing Arts Center and for the Welk Resort in San Diego. He directed Guys and Dolls for Musical Theatre West which was nominated for 4 2005 LA Ovation Awards including Direction of a Musical and the The Fantasticks at Performance Riverside. He also directed a staged concert of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party at the Alex Theatre (MTG), Basic Training at 2nd Stage receiving an NAACP nomination for direction and La Cage Aux Folles for Musical Theatre West (which received 2 2004 LA Ovation Nominations). He directed the Colony Theatre Company productions of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, City of Angels (LA Ovation Award for Best MusicAl Smaller Theatre), the West Coast Premiere of Sondeim's Putting It Together, (Garland Award and LA Ovation Award nomination for Direction) and Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer.. Other directing credits include: Pippin for the BCLO, Two By Two and How Now Dow Jones for the Musical Theatre Guild at the Pasadena Playhouse, Happily Ever After...After All (voiceovers by Angela Lansbury), Jack & the Giant, Secret Garden, Oz! and Sleeping Beauty for the 9 O'clock Players, The Foreigner and The History of The Musical Theatre in 44 Minutes and 28 Seconds for MTG which is touring LA Schools. Nick is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Theatre Director's Lab West.

Chad Borden (Producing Director, Havok Theatre Company) has been working in Los Angeles and Regional theatre for fourteen years. As an actor, he has performed at Pasadena Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, Rubicon Theatre, La Mirada Theatre, South Bay CLO, Reprise!, Hollywood Bowl, Musical Theatre West, Cabrillo Music Theatre, Santa Barbara CLO, Sacramento Music Circus, and AMT of San Jose. Chad has received five Ovation nominations over the years (3 as an actor and 2 as a producer). His most recent was a Lead Actor in a Musical nomination for his performance as Molina in Havok's Kiss of the Spider Woman.

As a six-year member of the Colony Theatre Company, Chad was a member of the Ovation Award-winning ensemble of the L.A. Premiere of The Laramie Project and was also Ovation nominated for his performance in How to Succeed in Business... For the Colony Second Stage, he produced Eastern Standard and directed and choreographed A...My Name Is Alice. After graduating from Northwestern University with honors, Chad did two national tours and performed regionally at theatres such as Cincinnati Playhouse, Chicago's Marriott Lincolnshire, and Boston's Merrimack Repertory.

Chad produced Havok's first three productions, the Los Angeles premieres of THRILL ME: The Leopold and Loeb Story (Ovation nomination - Best Intimate Theatre Musical Production 2007/08) and DOG SEES GOD: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead (GLAAD Media Award nomination and LA Drama Critics' Circle Award nomination for Best Production 2008), as well as the Los Angeles Intimate Theatre Premiere of Kiss of the Spider Woman (Ovation nomination - Best Intimate Theatre Musical Production 2008/09).

More information on this production with specific dates, times and prices to follow.

Havok Theatre Company's mission is to produce Los Angeles Premieres of Broadway, Off-Broadway and Regional plays and musicals, World Premieres of new works, and revivals of rarely-produced critically-acclaimed pieces. Our top priority is creating the highest quality artistic experience possible. We will strive to contract LA's best union actors and designers and give voIce To new playwrights, composers and lyricists. With a passionate, fresh and edgy approach to both art and business, we will bring our audiences highly entertaining and thought-provoking theatre.

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