Photo Flash: Sierra Rep Serves Up Non-Stop Fun With ROUTE 66!

Take a dollop of Grease, mix in some Pump Boys and Dinettes and add a generous dose of Forever Plaid, and you've got the high-octane fun of Route 66! Roger Bean's Route 66 is a jukebox comedy about a gang of rowdy Chicago service station attendants who take an imaginary road-trip from Chicago to L.A. singing tunes by Willie Nelson, Woody Guthrie, Roger Miller and The Beach Boys, just to name a few. They sing, they dance, and they "act up" in this fast-paced, dynamic show for the entire family.

Songs include "Dead Man's Curve", "King of the Road", "Little Old Lady from Pasadena", "Beep Beep", "Six Days on the Road", "Little GTO", "Fun, Fun, Fun" and many more. Roger Bean is the creator of the long-running off-Broadway smash hit The Marvelous Wonderettes, that has played in hundreds of theaters around the world.

Mr. Bean also created two popular sequels for the song leaders from Springfield High: The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns and the holiday celebration Winter Wonderettes. Additional jukebox hits from Mr. Bean include Summer of Love, The Andrews Brothers, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, and the doo-wop hit Life Could Be a Dream, recipient of the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award, the L.A. Weekly Theatre Award and the Backstage Garland Award for Outstanding Musical.

Sierra Rep's production of Route 66 will be directed and choreographed by Adam Estes, who appeared as Miss Texas in last year's Pageant, with music direction by John Jay Espino who has provided music direction for many SRT productions such as The Andrews Sisters: Christmas of Swing and The Taffetas.

Serving up the non-stop funThe cast of Route 66 features Griffin Barr (Pageant, My Fair Lady), Jerry Lee* (Intimate Apparel, Man of La Mancha), and Stephen Markarian* and Miguel Ragel Wilson* both making their Sierra Rep debuts.

*Member, Actors' Equity Association

"This show is truly a tour de force for four actors. It's a high energy, all singing, all dancing, comedic joy ride," says Estes. "The audience can expect to be singing and toe-tapping along with hit song after hit song, as well as delighted by a few songs they might be less familiar with, but equally entertained. I was a part of the original production of Route 66 at Milwaukee Rep in 2010 which was directed by the author, Roger Bean. It will always be one of the highlights of my career."

Sierra Rep's Route 66 production team also includes the design talents of (SRT's first mother-and-son design team) Diana Newington (costume designer) and Jay Newington (scenic designer), Josh Hemmo (lighting designer), and Lucas Michael Chandler (properties designer). Maggie Braun is the production stage manager.

Route 66 opens Friday, March 15 and runs through April 21, 2019, at The Historic Fallon House Theatre in Columbia State Park - 11175 Washington St., in Columbia, CA. For tickets, call the box office at (209) 532-3120, or purchase them online at www.SierraRep.org?, or visit the East Sonora Theatre Box Office (Tuesday through Saturday, 11am-5pm), located at 13891 Mono Way in Sonora. The Fallon House Theatre Box Office is open two hours before each performance. Performance times are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm. Ticket prices range from $32 to $47. Discounts for seniors, veterans (w/ID), children, and students (18 and over with student ID) are available for all performances. Special discounts for groups of 20 or more are also available. Route 66 is Rated G.

Photo by Rich Miller Photography.

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