New Musical DREAMLAND Set for NoHo Arts Center This Weekend

Dreamland, a new musical conceived, written, composed by 14-time Emmy Award winner John Francis Smith with daughter Asia Ray Smith, will have its first ever "off-book" staged performances at the NoHo Arts Center Friday, June 17 at 8:00 pm; and Saturday, June 18 at 2:00 and 8:00 pm. The production is also produced by Smith. Robert Arnold directs, with musical direction by Christian Regul and Jake Anthony (who also serves as vocal director).

A new modern Golden Age musical, which boasts comedy and romance while spinning the tale of an aspiring young actress from the Midwest, the ins and outs of Hollywood's cutthroat television industry, and the unexpected consequences of dreams coming true.

In 2006, John Francis Smith had just received his 10th Emmy Award as head writer and co-executive producer of The Young and the Restless (Y&R), the cornerstone of CBS's daytime programming. He'd been with the show for over twenty years, had helped create and write the popular spinoff, The Bold and the Beautiful, and had even composed a number of songs that were performed on both shows. But outside his longstanding career in television, Smith's first love was family; his second was theatre.

In January of that year, his son, Dylan, was diagnosed with stage four cancer. While sitting together in a hospital room after a round of chemotherapy treatment, Dylan suggested that his dad make good on his lifelong dream to write a musical. After Dylan passed away that summer, Smith committed to follow his son's advice. He took leave from Y&R and began the process of bringing a musical to life; and that musical was Dreamland.

Smith, who already had the story in his head, composed the music and lyrics first. "The libretto came easily," he said; "and writing drama and heartbeat for years, I knew how to move an audience." Perhaps... but theatre and television are two distinct genres. Following previously on-book, non-staged readings in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, the libretto and most of the music was rewritten and restructured with the help of Smith's daughter, Asia.

"Dreamland is a tribute to my son and my daughter," added Smith. "Dylan provided the inspiration. Asia was indispensable in bringing it to life."

THE CAST:

Asia Ray Smith (Mary) is familiar to television audiences for her recurring role as Sierra Hoffman in the CBS daytime drama "The Young and The Restless". She has also been featured in regional musical theatre productions of "West Side Story", "Guys and Dolls", and "Fiddler on the Roof; and was a member of Loyola Marymount's Concert Singers, and UCSB's Women's Chorus.

Tyler Scherer (Jeff) National Tours: Beauty and the Beast (US Beast and Gaston) and High School Musical at Pittsburgh CLO (Ensemble). Regional credits: Tarzan (Tarzan) West Side Story (Diesel). Point Park University graduate: Evita (Ché), A Chorus Line (Zach) and She Loves Me (Kodaly). TV/ Film: HBO's West World Season 1 coming out next year. Playhouse West student.

Aaron Scheff (Todd) is thrilled to be a part of "Dreamland"! His career has taken him to perform Off-Broadway

in a show called "One Day" the musical. His favorite rolls include, Cinderella's prince in "Into the Woods"

and Mark in "Altar Boyz".

Tanya Wilkins (Ashley) is a Los Angeles native. She is a Masters graduate of GSA conservatoire in the UK. Notable credits include: The Killjoys (Quiet Rebel Films) coming soon in 2016, Lost in Radioland (Theatre Palisades), God of Carnage (Hollywood Fringe), and The House of Yes (Theatre 68). She also has trained in advanced Stage Combat in the UK and has been fight choreographer for several shows in Los Angeles.

Alana Gospodnetich (Shelly) is a Hawaiian-born Croatian-American writer/performer who got her start on the stages of UCB and The Groundlings. Presently Alana has just completed writing her first comedy pilot and is wrapping up her first feature script. See her performing with her sketch team "These Are My Friends" at UCB, online at www.alanagospo.com or pumping up the crowd Tuesday nights with the LA City Municipal Dance Squad.

Adrienanne Perez (Sierra) received her BFA from AMDA (The American Musical and Dramatic Academy / Los Angeles) in 2010. Theatre credits include playing "Roxanne" in Cyrano, "Maria" in The Sound of Music, "Gilda" in Rigelleto for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and "Belle" in Beauty and the Beast. Film experience includes The American't Dream, The Toy Soldiers, Awake, All I Need, The Last Act, and meet Bill.

Joseph Odom (Trent) is thrilled to be a part of Dreamland! Past credits include: New York: Orpheus & Eurydice. Regional: A Willow Grows Aslant (La Jolla Playhouse), The Butterfly Who Became a Coccoon (Buzz the Bee), Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck), Original the Musical (Interviewer), Pinocchio (Pinocchio). Commercial: Chubbies, Panera. BA from UCSD. This fall he will be pursuing his MFA at Columbia University.

Pat Towne (Simon) is an award-winning director, actor, and Los Angeles theatre veteran of 20 years who performed at the Pasadena Playhouse in Kiss Me Kate and Stoneface, and he directed Exorcistic: The Rock Musical Parody Experiment received the Best Musical and Best of Fringe Awards at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. He also created the role of Greg in the Chicago production of The Real Live Brady Bunch at the Annoyance Theatre, and went on to direct the show Off-Broadway. TV credits include: Transparent, Mad Men, Boston Legal, Desperate Housewives, Las Vegas, and Gilmore Girls, among others. He has performed on stages globally and across the U.S., and taught at the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago, Tulane University in New Orleans, and Second City LA.

John McLaughlin (Art) has enjoyed over fifty years of theatrical roles in productions including "Guys and Doll", "Carousel", "Beauty and the Beast", "Old Friends" and now as "Art", an uncle with a big heart and a special outlook on the world. He is most grateful to be part of Dreamland with such a dedicated group of professionals.

ROUNDING OUT THE CAST:

David Babich, Mark Peterson, Jonathan Lovo, Bonne Sludikoff, Deborah Mickelson, Tamarah Ashton, Robyn Pucay, Dennis Ruelas, Brenda Garcia, and Valeria Lopez.

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