Laguna Playhouse to Present LOUIS & KEELY: LOVE AT THE SAHARA Opens 2/27

The Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Hershey Felder Presents are thrilled to announce the fourth show in the Laguna Playhouse 2015-2016 season, Tony Award-winner Anthony Crivello and Vanessa Claire Stewart starring in LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA, written by Vanessa Stewart, Taylor Hackford & Jake Broder, choreography by Vernel Bagneris and directed by Taylor Hackford. "Our subscribers and audiences are about the have the time of their lives as we transport them to 1950's Las Vegas and beyond and the incomparable song-stylings of Louis Prima and Keely Smith," says Wareham. LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA will begin previews on Wednesday, February 24; will open on Saturday, February 27 and will run through Sunday, March 27, 2016 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA is the compelling story of Louis Prima and Keely Smith, who were an American musical sensation in the 50s and 60s, pioneering the Lounge Act in Las Vegas. Featuring many of the duo's greatest hits including "That Ol' Black Magic," "Hey Boy Hey Girl," "What is This Thing Called Love," even Frank Sinatra appears in this dramatic new American musical, featuring a hot seven-piece live band that is guaranteed to bring down the house.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

TAYLOR HACKFORD (Director/Co-Author/Producer) began his entertainment career at KCET, the Los Angeles public television affiliate, where he produced, wrote or directed documentaries, investigative reports and music performance programs. In 1979, Taylor turned his focus to narrative filmmaking and won an Academy Award in the category of Best Live-Action Short Film for his first dramatic effort, Teenage Father. He then proceeded to make his feature directorial debut in 1980 with The Idolmaker. An Officer and a Gentleman, starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger, was Taylor's second film and a commercial and critical hit in1982. It received five Academy Award nominations and brought home Oscars for Louis Gossett, Jr. as Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Song. Taylor subsequently produced and/or directed Against All Odds, White Nights, the acclaimed documentary Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock n Roll, Everybody's All-American, Blood In, Blood Out (Best Director Award, 1993 Tokyo Film Festival), Dolores Claiborne, and Proof of Life. Taylor, who has been fascinated by all things Latino since his stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in South America, developed and produced La Bamba, the Richie Valens biography, still the most successful Latin-themed feature film in history. In 1996, Taylor discovered some unreleased documentary footage of the legendary Ali/Foreman title fight in Zaire shot by filmmaker Leon Gast. Taylor shot new interviews with Norman Mailer, George Plimpton and Spike Lee, and then restructured the original footage, virtually creating a new film, When We Were Kings, winner of the 1997Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In 1998, Hackford directed the critically acclaimed, worldwide hit The Devil's Advocate, starring Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves. This film also introduced newcomers Charlize Theron and Connie Nielsen. Hackford struggled for nearly fifteen years to make Ray, a dramatic film portrait of American musical icon, Ray Charles, starring Jamie Foxx. His passion paid off when this film received critical raves and was nominated for most major film awards in 2005, including six Academy Award Nominations. Mr. Foxx won for Best Actor. More recently, Hackford produced and directed Love Ranch, starring his wife Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci; as well as Parker, based on Donald Westlake's celebrated literary character, starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez.

He is currently prepping The Comedian, starring Robert DeNiro and Jennifer Aniston. Mr. Hackford has been an active member of the Directors Guild of America for over 30 years, serving in various leadership positions, including two terms as President of the DGA.

VERNEL BAGNERIS (Choreographer) Vernel wrote, directed and starred in the musical One Mo' Time, which spawned even touring companies, national and international. The show ran Off-Broadway for three and a half years, moving to Broadway in 2002 and followed by an extended run in London's West End and a Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II. Vernel also wrote and starred in the musical Jelly Roll! playing at the47th Street Theatre in Manhattan with three touring companies. He received an OBIE, Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk Award. Vernel's most notable film roles are the Accordion Man in Herbert Ross' Pennies From Heaven and Preston in Jim Jarmusch's Down By Law. He has been a guest star on American Horror Story, Memphis Beat and others, as well as a recurring role as Judge Williams on the HBO seriesTreme. He choreographed Taylor Hackford's film Ray, HBO's Bessie starring Queen Latifah and the Joel Silver film The Nice Guys scheduled for release in 2016.

ANTHONY CRIVELLO (Louis Prima) received Broadway's Tony Award, Chicago's Jefferson Award, a Carbonelle Award and three Jefferson Award nominations, two Canadian Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations, L.A.'s Ovation, Drama Critics, Robbie, Garland Award, and Friends of New York Theater Award Nominations. Broadway: Golden Boy, Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Toronto, London), Marie Christine, Evita, LES MISERABLES, The News, Measure For Measure, Heathers: The Musical. Toronto: Jane Eyre. L.A.: Steve Martin's The Underpants (Geffen Playhouse), Expecting Isabel, Do I Hear a Waltz. Chicago: Louis& Keely: 'Live' at the Sahara, The House of Martin Guerre, A Flea in Her Ear, Evita(National Tour), Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? (Original Chicago Company). Las Vegas: Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular. Films: "Emma's Chance," "The Mark" (short), "Henry Toy" (short), "Fame" Us, "Trade," "Material Girls," "Texas Rangers," "Independence Day," "The Glass Jar," "Jane Austen's Mafia!," "Slaves of New York," "Spellbinder," "Shakedown," "Crocodile Dundee II." Television: "Behind The Candelabra," "Seinfeld," "CSI: NY," "Frasier," "In-Laws," "Law and Order," "Normal Ohio," "Dillinger and Capone," "The Lost Capone," "Miami Vice," "Geppetto," "Murder in Black and White," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Babylon 5," "Alien Hunter," "The Glass Cage," "919 5th Ave.," "The Bet" (short), Great Performances (three times), "LES MISERABLES in Concert" (Royal Albert Hall/London), "One Life to Live," "Wheel Of Fortune."

VANESSA CLAIRE STEWART (Keely Smith/Co-Author) Vanessa started co-writing and starring as Keely Smith in Louis & Keely: 'Live' at the Sahara at her home base, 99-seat Sacred Fools Theater Company (Ovation Award for Best Actress and Best Musical, LA Weekly Award for Best Musical). Afterwards, Louis & Keely moved onto successful runs at the Matrix, the Geffen Playhouse and (with the help of new producer Hershey Felder) the Royal George Theater in Chicago. Proving lightning can strike twice, she also wrote Stoneface starring French Stewart first for Sacred Fools and then moved it to the Pasadena Playhouse. Currently, Vanessa is writing book and lyrics for an original musical entitled Deadlyabout serial killer HH Holmes, which was recently workshopped at Sacred Fools and Chance Theater. She recently hosted the L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards with her husband French Stewart. Favorite stage roles: Alex, A Clockwork Orange (LA Weekly Award for Best Actress); Olivia,Twelfth Night; Louise, Gypsy; Beth, Little Women; Hodel, Fiddler on the Roof; Laura, A Glass Menagerie, (Peter Bennett, director).

JAKE BRODER (Co-Author) Jake trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and lived and worked there for fifteen years. In New York, he studied Saxophone with Lee Konitz and went to the New England Conservatory and Tufts University. Jake co-wrote and originated the role of Louis in Louis & Keely: 'Live' at the Sahara, winning Ovation, LADCC, Garland and LA Weekly awards for Best Actor and Best Production. As an actor, Jake's other theater credits include: Mozart in Amadeus directed by Sir Peter Hall (West End London, Broadway, L.A.),When Harry Met Sally with Alyson Hannigan and Luke Perry (West End), Lord Buckley in His Royal Hipness Lord Buckley (Off Broadway, Off West End, L.A.); Ophelia & Juliet in the Reduced Shakespeare Company's Complete Works of Shakespeare show in London. Film includes: Bad Milo!, Kevin Spacey's Beyond the Sea, Shadow Dancer, L'entente Cordiale, In A Day and The Barn (for which he was awarded the 2004 BIFA award) The Chicago 8, as well as the 2015 thriller Sleepwalker with Richard Armitage. Television includes a recurring role on Silicon Valley, Company Town, The Cleaner, How I Met Your Mother, Keen Eddie, Roman Mysteries, Strange, Line of Beauty, Broken News, Auf Weidersein Petand The Eagle (Denmark; winner of a 33rd International Emmy). His writing includes the produced plays Louis &Keely as well as His Royal Hipness Lord Buckley and Our American Hamlet in development with Chicago's Goodman Theatre. His first feature film, The Barn, was the winner of the 2004 British Independent Film Award.

The Cast of LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA will also feature: Erin Matthews and Paul Perroni.

LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA has assembled the following design team. Set Design is by Trevor Hay & Hershey Felder. Lighting Design is by Christopher Ash. Sound Design is by Erik Cartensen. Costume Design is by Melissa Bruning. The Stage Manager is Rebecca Peters.

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