NoHo ACE Premieres SCARY MUSICAL THE MUSICAL Tonight

Lexikat Artists and MB Artists in association with the multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE) are thrilled to present a world premiere musical, SCARY MUSICAL The Musical, book by Richard Hochberg, music and lyrics by Richard Hochberg and Michael Paternostro, musical direction by Brent Crayon, orchestrations by Kenny Seymour and directed and choreographed by James J. Mellon. SCARY MUSICAL The Musical will begin previews tonight, September 12 at 8pm; will open on Friday, September 19 at 8pm and run for eight weeks through Sunday, November 9, 2014 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

Someone is killing off the Drama Club of Vera Miles High School, everyone is a suspect and you decide who the killer is! Combining a slasher movie plot with a rock 'n roll score, pop-culture humor and an homage to classic horror film clichés, SCARY MUSICAL The Musical has all the elements of your favorite "Scary Movies" with an added twist - the teenagers sing and dance - before, during and sometimes after getting killed! The setting is the quiet coastal village of Hidden Secrets, USA. On the night before the opening of the Vera Miles High School Drama Dept's production of SCARY MUSICAL The Musical a brutal double murder takes place. We soon learn that a Crazy Mental patient has escaped from the Hidden Secrets Psychiatric Hospital and all "musical" HELL is about to break loose.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM:

RICHARD HOCHBERG (Book, Music and Lyrics) Writing credits: Town Without Pity The Love Songs Of Gene Pitney, Good Bad But Beautiful The Music Of Shirley Bassey, Peggy Lee And Vicki Carr. Currently working on new musical Biting Broadway. Regional directing credits include: Rent, High School Musical, The Full Monty, Beehive, An Inspector Calls, Little Women The Musical, The Rocky Horror Show. Los Angeles directing credits include: The Normal Heart(nominated by GLAAD as Production of the Year and Also at Hound Dog A Hip Hopera nominated for 5 LA Weekly Awards including Musical of the Year and Direction of a Musical. A Bicycle Country by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Nilo Cruz, Come Back To The 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Christmas With The Crawfords. His stage production of Mayo Simon's Walking To Waldheim received 8 Drama Logue Awards including Production and Direction. He directed a short based on it starring Doris Roberts, John Randolph and Kaye Ballard. It has been screened in numerous Film Festivals including the Hollywood Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival and The American Film Institute. Richard has staged readings for GLASS and The Victory Fund, The Boys In The Band with Michael Jeter, Greg Louganis, Bruce Villanch and Valley Of The Dolls with Joely Fisher, Larraine Newman, Donna Mills, Wilson Cruz, Alec Mapa, Douglas Sills and Sharon Lawrence. Mr. Hochberg studied both as a director and actor with Jose Quintero, Elizabeth Swados, Andrei Serban, Wilford Leach, Viveca Lindfors, Estelle Parsons, Julie Bovasso and John Braswell. As an actor he has appeared in numerous plays and musicals including tours of The Heidi Chronicles, Little Shop Of Horrors, Fiddler On The Roof, The Perines, And End Of The World Party.

MICHAEL PATERNOSTRO (Music and Lyrics) has had a full career as a Broadway performer as well as a Musical Director / Conductor. On Broadway, he has performed in the '93 Revival of Guys And Dolls starring Nathan Lane, the original company of Fosse (Tony Award Best Musical), Sweet Smell Of Success and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, both with the brilliant John Lithgow, DJ Monty in Saturday Night Fever, Greg in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line and most recently Moisheleh/Milt in Soul Doctor. In Los Angeles, he played both Lumiere and LeFou in Disney's Beauty And The Beast with the original leading cast. He has done numerous productions ofThe Producers as Carmen Ghia, including the 1st National Tour (Ovation Award). He played Frank in Showboatat the Hollywood Bowl with the wonderful John Mauceri conducting and sang at Carnegie Hall in Sondheim: A Celebration At Carnegie Hall for Paul Gemignani. These are just some of the highlights of his acting career. Musical Director/Supervisor credits: Havok Theater Company's Kiss Of The Spider Woman, Story Of My Life, and the Los Angeles premier of Thrill Me. In Los Angeles, the launch of Roger Bean's Life Could Be A Dream for which he won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award and Backstage's Garland Award. At Musical Theater West,Rent, and played their debut of Forbidden Broadway. At Cabrillo MusicTheater's Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, he had the privilege to play for Neil Sedaka as he joined the band after he show! Suds and Bingo for Sacramento Music Circus. Bernstein's Trouble In Tahiti at New York University, Reprise's Kiss me Kate starring Tom Hewitt and Lesli Margherita (LA Drama Critics Circle Nomination). In 2010 Michael conducted the LA WEEKLY AWARDS. Pianist/Actor credits: Oscar in 42nd Street, Sidney Cohn in On Your Toes, and John Guare's Landscape Of The Body. Assistant Director credits: How The Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe for Benjamin Endsley Klein, and Vices at the Zipper NYC for Glenn Casale.

JAMES J. MELLON (Director/Choreographer) James J. Mellon is proud to be the Artistic Director of The NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE), the resident theatre company of The NoHo Arts Center, in Los Angeles, California. His extensive background in the entertainment industry covers theatre, television, film, recording and dance. As an actor he made his Broadway debut as Riff in West Side Story, directed by Jerome Robbins, and performed in many plays and musicals including, A Chorus Line (Broadway), 42nd Street (National Tour), The Fifth Of July(Regional) and Jesus In Jesus Christ Superstar (Chicago). He has worked at such theatres as The Goodspeed Opera House, The New York Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Playhouse, The Kennedy Center, The Folger Theatre in Washington D.C., as well as The Williamstown Theatre Festival. For NoHo ACE, Mr. Mellon directedJeruselem, A Boy Called Lizard (Ovation nomination - Original Musical), Feed (LA Weekly nomination - Direction), The Ghost And Mrs. Muir (Ovation nomination, LA Weekly nomination - Original Musical), Bush Is Bad(LA Weekly Award - Acting Ensemble, nomination - Best Musical) and Pest Control (LA Weekly Nomination - Best Musical), The Red Room and The Light Bulb (Both World Premiere Plays). He is also the director/writer/co-composer of ACE's seasonal yuletide hit, Yo Ho Ho! A Pirate's Christmas.

As a writer, Mr. Mellon adapted Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" into the World Premiere Musical, Dorian, which premiered at The Denver Center's Buell Theatre in the fall of 2004. It subsequently opened The NoHo Arts Center's first season in 2005 and went on to receive Ovation, LA Weekly, Backstage and Drama Critics nominations. It is currently being translated into Dutch and will receive its premiere in Amsterdam in the fall of 2015. James adapted The Ghost And Mrs Muir from the novel of the same name as well as A Boy Called Lizard from the Dennis Covington novel, "Lizard." His original musical, An Unfinished Song, was nominated for numerous awards and has been produced in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Maine and Sydney, Australia.

His one-man show, Sissyboy, will premiere in the fall of 2014. Samuel French has recently published two of Mr. Mellon's original musicals: Yo Ho Ho! A Pirate's Christmas and A Boy Called Lizard. The later received the 2012 AATE Award (American Association for Theatre and Education) for best adaptation of a musical. James is the Spiritual Director of the Global Truth Center and shares his life with his husband Kevin Bailey and their children William and Nora. Their production company, MB Artists, Inc., was the Executive Producer of the Holland Taylor play,Ann, which went from North Hollywood to Broadway's Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. Ms. Taylor went on to receive a Tony Nomination for her performance as Governor Ann Richards of Texas, as well as numerous other awards and accolades. Mr. Mellon is the author of the book, "Mental Muscle, 16-Weeks Of Spiritual Boot Camp" and lectures throughout the United States and Canada.

BRENT CRAYON (Musical Direction) has had the privilege to work with such notable artists as Stephen Schwartz, Daisy Prince, John Caird, Scott Schwartz, John Bucchino, and Richard Maltby, Jr.. Favorite theatrical productions include the West Coast premieres of "Songs For a New World" and "Tick, Tick...BOOM!" and the world premiere productions of Stephen Schwartz's "Snapshots", John Bucchino's "It's Only Life", and "Bubble Boy, The Musical". An accomplished and multi-faceted musician, Brent has been a featured soloist in ensembles throughout Southern California, including Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra, the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, and the Ventura Chamber Orchestra.

KENNY SEYMOUR (Orchestrator) Broadway/Off-Broadway: Tony Award Winning Best Musical Memphis (Music Director/Conductor), Amazing Grace (Orchestrator), Tallest Tree In The Forrest (Music Director/Arranger/ Incidental Music), The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (Co- Composer & Lyricist, Orchestrations),Big Maybelle: Soul of the Blues (Music Supervisor/Orchestrator), The Wiz (Dance Music Arranger), Hot Feet: The Music of Earth, Wind & Fire (Synth Programmer). Film/TV: "Talking with the Taxman About Poetry" (Composer & Recipient of the 2013 Global Music Award for Best Original Score),"Oya: Rise of The Suporisha" (Composer) "The Fringe" (Composer). Music Arranger/Orchestrator for the Inaugural Ball for President Barack Obama. Mr. Seymour has performed around the world, from the Legendary Apollo Theatre and Carnegie Hall to the Montreux Jazz Festival.

KEVIN BAILEY - MB Artists/The NoHo Arts Center (Producer & General Manager) is a Los Angeles based producer and general manager with his company MB Artists, founded with partner James J. Mellon. In 2013 he served as the above title Executive Producer for the Broadway play Ann, starring Holland Taylor, which he spearheaded from the play's inception. Ann played at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater and garnered a Tony Nomination for Ms. Taylor as "Best Actress." MB Artists produced and represented Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard and their four highly successful plays in the Greater Tuna cycle, and continues to represent and produce the new works of Mr. Williams. The world premiere of Mr. Williams' fourth solo play will premiere this summer in 2014. In 2012, Mr. Bailey and MB Artists General Managed and locally produced the highly successful and critically acclaimed production of The Gronholm Method, that was presented at The Falcon Theater, in Los Angeles. Prior to that, MB Artists produced the world premiere of I Heard That, at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston, Texas. Since 1992, MB Artists has been developing and producing theatrical, film, television and industrial productions worldwide. In their twenty-year history MB Artists has created and general managed over 50 theatrical productions, three films and dozens of industrials. Just completed was the world premiere of Scott Carter's acclaimed landmark play, The Gospel According To Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord. MB Artists uses its Los Angeles home, the award winning NoHo Arts Center, as a launching pad for many of their theatrical and media productions and is thrilled to be adding Scary Musical - The Musicalto its growing list of world premieres.

VICTORIA MORRIS - Lexikat Artists (Producer) is President of Lexikat Artists. After being widely regarded as one of the theater communities most respected talent agents, Victoria recently chose to establish a management company to further her interests in developing artists and projects in a more intimate and hands-on capacity. She was one of Los Angeles' inaugural dance agents prior to focusing on directors and choreographers and producing new works, which has become her passion. Victoria believes in the power of imagination and the creative process of nurturing talent and Artistry. She is dedicated to developing well-rounded, diverse, and lucrative careers and projects through her management company Lesikat Artists. When she can, Victoria enjoys lecturing to aspiring graduating senior acting majors on how to effectively and creatively enter the Entertainment Industry through her class "What's Next."

ABOUT THE CAST AND DESIGN TEAM

The Cast of SCARY MUSICAL The Musical will feature: Jennifer Bennett as Teena Louise, Candi Milo as Leeza Courtney Fox, August Emerson as Norman Hates, Frank Authello Andrus, Jr. as Freddy Loussier, Leigh Golden as Carrie Beige, Matthew Tyler as Mr. MacGuffin, Jane Papageorge as Jamie Lee Leigh and Keir Kirkegaard as Jason Cravin.

SCARY MUSICAL The Musical has assembled an award-winning design team. The Set Design is by Ovation Award-winner Desma Murphy (The Woman In Black, Dracula). The Lighting Design is by Ovation Award-winner Luke Moyer (Dracula, Elizabeth Rex). The Sound Design is by Tony Award-nominee Cricket S. Myers (Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo, The Marvelous Wonderettes). The Costume Design is by Ingrid Ferrin ("American Horror Story," "Batman Forever," Exit The King).

SCARY MUSICAL The Musical will preview on Friday, September 12 at 8pm; Saturday, September 13 at 8pm;Sunday, September 14 at 3pm & 7:30pm; Thursday, September 18 at 8pm and will open on Friday, September 19 at 8pm and will run for eight weeks through Sunday, November 9, 2014 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm. Ticket prices are $35.00 for all performances. For tickets or Group rates, please call 818-508-7101 ext. #6 or visit www.nohoace.com. For further information on the play, visit www.scarymusicalthemusical.com.

THE NOHO ARTS CENTER and THE NOHO ARTS CENTER ENSEMBLE was created in 2004, when theatre veterans James J. Mellon and Kevin Bailey partnered with Doug Hutchinson. The Center's resident company - the multiple award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE) - is comprised of actors, directors and writers, galvanized into a passionate ensemble that creates new plays and musicals, adopting as their vision statement "Theatre for Its Own Sake."

THE NOHO ARTS CENTER has garnered three Ovation Awards and 19 nominations; two Garland Awards, along with 10 nominations; eight ADA Awards (including Best Director and Choreography for A BOY CALLED LIZARD) and 24 nominations; three LA Weekly Awards and five LA WEEKLY nominations; and three LADCC Award nominations. Most recently, the NoHo Arts Center was represented on Broadway with Holland Taylor's critically-acclaimed ANN at Lincoln Center and in its North Hollywood theatre with THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, CHARLES DICKENS AND COUNT LEO TOLSTOY: DISCORD (which will be playing the Geffen Playhouse next year). In addition, A BOY CALLED LIZARD and YO HO HO, A PIRATE'S CHRISTMAS have been published by Samuel French, with A BOY CALLED LIZARD garnering the 2012 AATE (American Association of Theatre and Education) award for Best Adaptation of a Musical.

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