Pasadena Playhouse Announces Cast and Creative Team for BABY IT'S YOU World Premiere, Opens 11/13

Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Stephen Eich, Executive Director) announced casting today for their upcoming production of BABY IT'S YOU! by Colin Escott (Grammy for The Complete Hank Williams, and author of Broadway-bound Million Dollar Quartet) and Floyd Mutrux (Broadway-bound Million Dollar Quartet and the award-winning film American Hot Wax). Performances run November 6 - December 13, 2009 with the official opening on Friday, November 13.

Rehearsals are underway for the world premiere musical directed by Mutrux. Presented by Pasadena Playhouse, by special arrangement with American Pop Anthology, Jonathan Sanger, Jerry Katell, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Joan Stein, and in association with Universal Music Group, BABY IT'S YOU! tells the story of New Jersey housewife Florence Greenberg, who in the early 1960's, discovered The Shirelles and built one of the most successful independent record companies with African-American songwriter Luther Dixon.  

"I am very pleased that our theatre will be involved in the next step of development for Baby It's You!. This fascinating story of one woman's personal and professional journey is the perfect way to end our cross season celebration of Women on our stage. It promises to be not just a great history lesson about an unknown hero in the development of American popular music, but also a hugely entertaining evening of well-known songs, which have great emotional resonance," said Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps. "I look forward to working with all of the creative staff as the show evolves into the completely satisfying evening of theatrical and musical delights that I know it can be."

Wrapped in the sensational songs of the 60s, BABY IT'S YOU! is the new musical about the groundbreaking girl group, The Shirelles and Florence Greenberg, the New Jersey housewife who discovered them. With the help of African-American songwriter, producer Luther Dixon, who became her lover, Florence took on a male dominated industry and revolutionized pop music. Her company, Scepter Records, created the most important songs in the golden era of rock 'n' roll, from artists including The Isley Brothers, The Kingsmen, Chuck Jackson and Dionne Warwick.

Mutrux directs a cast of eleven featuring:

Erica Ash as Micki/Shirelle (MAD TV, The Lion King)

Berlando Drake as Shirley/Shirelle (Raelette in the Ray Charles Orchestra)

Geno Henderson as Jocko Henderson/Ron Isley/Chuck Jackson/Gene Chandler (Performed with The Gap Band, Sly Stone, The Pointer Sisters, The 5th Dimension)

Meeghan Holaway as Florence Greenberg (Off-Broadway's Dinner with Friends)

Adam Irizarry as Stanley/Mr. Bass Man/Burt Bacharach, Co-Musical Director ("The Piano Man" in Broadway's Movin Out)

Paulette Ivory as Beverly/Shirelle/Dionne Warwick (Pasadena Playhouse's Purlie, National Tour of Aida, West End's The Lion King)

Crystal Starr Knighton as Doris/Shirelle/Millie (Background Singer for Jessica Simpson, Kanye West, Smokey Robinson)

Allan Louis as Luther Dixon (Ragtime, Stomp the Yard, Marco Giordani in CW's Privileged)

Matt McKenzie as Marvin Schlacter (Broadway's Monday After the Miracle, Academy Award-winning film Gods and Monsters)

Barry Pearl as Bernie Greenberg/Milt Gabler (Broadway's Bye Bye Birdie, Oliver!)

Suzanne Petrela as Mary Jane/Lesley Gore (Pasadena Playhouse's Mask, Center Theatre Group's Post Office)

Joining the creative team with Escott and Mutrux are Richard Perry (music director/arranger), Birgitte Mutrux (choreography), Anna Louizos (scenic design), Lizz Wolf (costume design), Howell Binkley (lighting design), Martin Carrillo (sound design), Carol Doran (wig and hair design), Jason H. Thompson (projection design), Adam Irizarry (co-music director/additional arrangements), Michael Donovan (casting), Joan Stein (general management), Ronn Goswick (production stage manager), and Lea Chazin (assistant stage manager).

BABY IT'S YOU! plays at Pasadena Playhouse, 39 South El Molino Avenue in Pasadena from November 6 - December 13, 2009 with the official press opening on Friday, November 13, 2009. Performance schedule is Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets to BABY IT'S YOU! are currently available to Pasadena Playhouse subscribers and groups of 15 or more will go on sale to the general public on October 6, 2009. Subscriptions may be purchased by calling the Pasadena Playhouse at 626-356-7529 or by visiting the Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, open from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. daily excluding holidays and online at www.Pasadenaplayhouse.org.

 

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