Leslie Jordan Leads FRUIT FLY At Celebration Theater

Celebration Theatre presents in association with Billy Miller the second show of its 2011-2012 Season, Leslie Jordan starring in the World Premiere of FRUIT FLY, written and performed by Leslie Jordan and directed by David Galligan. FRUIT FLY will preview on Thursday, January 5 open on Friday, January 6 and will perform through Sunday, February 18 at Celebration Theatre, 7051B Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood.

Do gay men become their mothers? That is the question asked in Leslie Jordan's hilarious and touching new romp, FRUIT FLY. Mr. Jordan travels back in time using show-and-tell to take the audience on the ride of a lifetime. Childhood recollections combine with perilous teenage shenanigans. From the day a teenage Leslie sits down with his poor, clueless mother to inform her that he has decided to forego college to become a female impersonator, all the way to a Gay Alaskan Cruise on which a 53-year-old Mr. Jordan witnesses his aging mother's astounding metamorphosis (and whose only real concern about a gay cruise to Alaska is that she doesn't want to go ice fishing), Mr. Jordan is in his element. His storytelling skills abound and will make for an evening of fun and thought-provoking theater.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Leslie Jordan stepped off a Greyhound bus in 1982 from the hills of Tennessee, said “hello” to Hollywood and has never looked back. With hundreds of television shows, films and commercials to his credit, he has become a familiar face on the entertainment scene. Leslie is the 2006 Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his delicious portrayal of “Beverley Leslie” on “Will and Grace.” Television audiences will also remember him for his recurring roles on “Boston Legal,” “Ugly Betty,” and “Reba.” Feature film audiences will recognize Leslie from his performance as “Brother Boy” in Del Shores’ adaptation of his play “Sordid Lives’” with Olivia Newton-John, Delta Burke and Beau Bridges. He continued the role in “Sordid Lives… the Series” for the cable network Logo, which starred Rue McClanahan, Caroline Rhea and Bonnie Bedelia among others. On stage, Mr. Jordan won the Ovation Award, The Garland Award and The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his portrayal of “Preston Leroy,” the aging, sodden barfly in Del Shores hit play Southern Baptist Sissies. In addition to acting, Mr. Jordan is also an author and writer. His book “My Trip Down the Pink Carpet” for Simon and Schuster formed the basis of a 90-minute one-man show, which had a 45 city book-signing performance tour and a successful twelve-week Off-Broadway run in 2010. A DVD of the show shot during performances in Atlanta is now available. . In addition to My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, Leslie’s autobiographical one-man shows Like a Dog on Linoleum, Full of Gin and Regret and From Whence I Came have been performed to audiences across the country. Mr. Jordan’s play Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far ran to sold-out houses in Los Angeles and had a successful seven month run Off-Broadway at The Playhouse on Van Dam in New York City. His screenplay Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel won the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival’s Production Grant Award, winning the competition from over 600 other scripts. Subsequently, it was made into an independent feature film distributed by Northern Arts Entertainment.

Recent projects include an Off-Broadway run of the Nashville-musical romp Lucky Guy (Spring 2011) and a supporting role in the long awaited screen version of the New York Times Best Seller sensation “The Help” produced by Steven Spielberg where Jordan will join an all-star line up of film greats, past and present including Allison Janney, Mary Steenburgen, Cecily Tyson, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard And Emma Stone.

David Galligan (Director) most recently directed the off-Broadway and London productions of My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, written by and starring Leslie Jordon. Other credits include Songs, Tyne Daly’s rave reviewed nightclub debut at Feinstein’s in New York City, as well as The 2nd Time Around, which kicked off Feinstein’s 10th Anniversary Season. Among past efforts are productions of, Falsettos for the Actor’s fund and Leslie Jordon’s solo piece, Like a Dog On Linoleum. He directed the world premiers of Scott Martin’s Children Of The Night and Tim Turner’s Out Late in Los Angeles. He wrote and staged Valarie Pettiford’s one-woman shows, Hear My Soul and Finding My Voice. Past works include Always Patsy Cline with Sally Struthers, and Rod McKuen in Concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall. He co-created and directed the musical review Blame It On The Movies, which played off-Broadway. He later repeated the staging for a Pasadena Playhouse production. Other Playhouse productions include Lettuce and Lovage, with Jane Carr and Mary Jo Catlett, Alone Together with Nancy Dussault, The Lion in Winter with Carole Cook and Tom Troupe, The Gay 90s Musical (Celebration), Blame It On The Movies II, Cabaret, Angry Housewives, A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening, Fortune And Men’s Eyes, Slings and Eros, Filumena, Trouble In Tahiti, Triplets In Uniform, Jesus Christ Superstar, Falsettos, Gifts Of The Magi and Lullaby Of Broadway. He is the recipient of the Los Angeles State Alliance Ovation Lifetime Achievement Award. David has produced and directed Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event for the past 27 years; the longest running AIDS Benefit in the world. David recently directed Rita Moreno’s one person show, My Life Without Makeup at Berkeley Rep.

FRUIT FLY features an award-winning design team. Scenic and prop design is by Michael O’Hara. The Lighting Design is by Matthew Brian Denman. The production team is being led by the Artistic Director, John Michael Beck, and Executive Director, Michael C. Kricfalusi.

SCHEDULE AND PRICING

FRUIT FLY will preview on Thursday, January 5 at 8pm and will open on Friday, January 6 and run through Saturday, February 18 at Celebration Theatre, 7051B Santa Monica Blvd (1/2 block east of La Brea) in Hollywood.

Performances are Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $34. For tickets, please call (323) 957-1884 for details and group rates or visit www.celebrationtheatre.com 24 hours a day to purchase tickets online or to view a complete schedule.

The previously announced Noel Coward's Design for Living (directed by Standing On Ceremony creator Brian Shnipper) will now close our 29th season and will run in July and August, 2012. All ticket holders for Design For Living should contact the theatre to reschedule their reservations. They can call 323-957-1884 or email reservations@celebrationtheatre.com.

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