Matt Merchant To Join SPAMILTON: AN AMERICAN PARODY as King George at Musical Theatre West

Musical Theatre West will welcome a familiar face to take on the iconic role of King George for the final weekend of Spamilton: An American Parody. The spectacular Spamilton cast of six will welcome their lucky number seven in a special cameo from Musical Theatre West alum Matt Merchant. Merchant, an actor and stuntman known for his work in Vice (2018) and Valentine's Day (2010), plans to make the already larger than life role even more memorable! Passing the torch of crowd-favorite King George to Merchant is his previous co-star, Jason Graae, who delighted crowds during the first two weeks of Spamilton's run. The two were last seen on stage together in the 2018 Musical Theatre West production of Nice Work If You Can Get It. Audience members can expect to get straight to the laughter when this fabulously comedic character comes onstage. Tickets for the final five performances featuring Merchant in Spamilton, April 7 - April 10, 2022, are available now at musical.org.

Spamilton was written and created by award-winning writer and director Gerard Alessandrini, who is best known as the brains behind the musical send-up series Forbidden Broadway, which spawned 12 albums, was nominated for five Drama Desk Awards, and earned Alessandrini a Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre. With Spamilton, Alessandrini has tackled musical theatre's juggernaut, and he has not thrown away his shot. In addition to parodying Broadway's biggest hit, Spamilton takes on top talent from the Great White Way, including Stephen Sondheim, Liza Minelli, and Barbra Streisand. Audiences will "want to be in the room where it happens" to see the show full of celebrity satires, pop culture zings, new and original material written specifically for Musical Theatre West Audiences!

CAST:

• Dedrick Bonner - Man 4 (George Washington/Stephen Sondheim/Ben Franklin/Genie)

• Marqell Edward Clayton - Man 3 (Daveed Diggs/Thomas Jefferson/Phantom)

• Summer Greer - Woman 1 (The Schuyler Puppets/Elphaba)

• Cornelius Jones Jr. - Man 2 (Leslie Odom Jr.)

• Andrew Puente - Man 1 (Lin-Manuel Miranda)

• Trisha Rapier - Woman 2 (Patti LuPone/Liza Minelli/Julie Andrews/Barbra Streisand)

• Matt Merchant - Man 5 (King George/Harry Potter)

WHEN:

• April 7, Thursday: 7:30 pm

• April 8, Friday: 8:00 pm

• April 9, Saturday: 2:00 pm / 8:00 pm

• April 10, Sunday: 1:00 pm

WHERE:

• Carpenter Performing Arts Center at Cal State Long Beach, 6200 E Atherton St, Long Beach, CA 90815

TICKETS:

• Tickets are available now and range from $20 - $96.

• $15 Student rush tickets available at Box Office 30 minutes prior to showtime with ID.

• Purchase online at musical.org or call 562-856-1999

ABOUT MUSICAL THEATRE WEST

The story of Musical Theatre West is the 70-year journey from a group of volunteers performing in a high school auditorium to one of the largest and most respected theatrical production companies in Southern California. Utilizing professional talent, and producing regional and even world premiere musicals while continuing to honor the tradition of classic musical theatre, MTW is the largest arts producer in the Long Beach area. The company continues to receive critical acclaim and national recognition - and many performers who cut their teeth on the MTW stage have gone on to successful careers on Broadway and in television and film. Just as importantly, stage and screen veterans now come to Musical Theatre West to perform, finding it to be one of the friendliest and most fun venues to work in. A key aspect of the company is its dedication to education, and the Education and Outreach Programs of Musical Theatre West bring the joy and magic of musical theater to over 17,000 children each year through special morning performances, traveling shows and school assemblies, and the Summer Youth Conservatory. Musical Theatre West has a mission to enrich the community with Broadway-quality productions, preserve musical theatre as a unique American art form, and expose people of all backgrounds to the excitement of musical theatre. We hope you'll join us.

ABOUT THE CREATOR

Gerard Alessandrini - Spamilton: (Creator/ Writer): New York, London, Chicago, Los Angeles, National Tour. Forbidden Broadway (creator/ writer/director): 25 editions all over the world. Also Forbidden Hollywood (writer/director), Madame X: The Musical (NYMF) (co-writer/director), The Nutcracker & I (lyrics), Maury Yeston's review Anything Can Happen in New York. Television: special material for Carol Burnett, Angela Lansbury and Bob Hope. Film: Aladdin, Pocahontas (vocals). Recordings: 12 Forbidden Broadway cast albums, Forbidden Hollywood & Spamilton cast albums. Special Lyrics: Barbra Streisand Duets 2. Awards: Drama League Lifetime Achievement Award, Obie Award, 2 Lucille Lortel Awards, 7 Drama Desk (2 Best Lyrics, 2 Special Achievement, 3 Best Musical Revue), and a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre. Special thanks to husband Glenn Bassett for contributing his many talents to Spamilton.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director/Choreographer Gerry McIntyre
Music Director Wilkie Ferguson III
Scenic Designer/Technical Director Kevin Clowes
Costume Designer Dustin Cross
Lighting Designer Jean-Yves Tessier
Sound Designer Julie Ferrin
Production Stage Manager John "JP" Pollard
Assistant Stage Manager Alyssa Escalante

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