LAUGHING MATTERS Ends Pasadena Playhouse 'WOMEN' Previews 11/4

Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director, Ken Novice, Interim Managing Director, Tom Ware, Producing Director) announced today that LAUGHING MATTERS, a world premiere musical featuring a book and lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart (author of the international best-selling novel "Beaches"), music by Mike Stoller (Smokey Joe's Café) and Artie Butler (Feelin' Alright by Joe Cocker), and directed by Leonard Foglia (Broadway's Thurgood starring Laurence Fishburne), will be the final production of the 2009 Season entitled WOMEN: The Heart and Soul of Theatre. The new musical comedy, in the spirit of the Yiddish theatre, is about three generations of Jewish women and the history, humor, and music that binds them together. Preview performances begin November 4, 2009 with the official press opening on November 13 at Pasadena Playhouse (39 S. El Molino Avenue).

It is the 1970's in New York City and Raisel ("Bubbie"), a former star of the Yiddish Theatre, is now living with her daughter Red and her granddaughter Jenny. Jenny is desperate to know about her Bubbie's past - especially her life in pre-World War II Poland. Red, a television comedy writer, does not want her daughter to be burdened with the dreadful memories of that horrific era, and most importantly, does not want to remember her own childhood in Warsaw. Through an often funny, sometimes painful journey through their collective history, the women strive to build a bridge between them that will serve as a soulful foundation for generations to come.

"Iris Rainer Dart's wonderful story about three generations of mothers and daughters is an incredibly fitting way for us to conclude our hugely successful celebration of WOMEN: The Heart and Soul of Theatre on the stage of The Playhouse," said Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps. "This new musical is wildly theatrical, funny, wide ranging, culturally diverse, and very moving. I know that our audiences will appreciate the opportunity to see it here first. I am thrilled that we will have the opportunity to collaborate on this world premiere with an exciting creative team and that we continue to bring the best of the new works to our stage and to our audiences."

The single-ticket on-sale date for LAUGHING MATTERS will be announced at a later date. A special discounted subscription package is now available.

Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 South El Molino Avenue in Pasadena. Tickets are available by calling the Pasadena Playhouse at 626-356-7529, by visiting the Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, open from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. daily excluding holidays and online at www.Pasadenaplayhouse.org. Group Sales (15 or more) are available by calling Group Sales Manager, Paul Millet at 626-737-2861.