Shelley Fisher's THE HEBREW HILLBILLY to Play Santa Monica Playhouse, 10/12-11/3

Written and performed by singer songwriter Shelley Fisher, it is a one woman musical which chronicles Ms Fisher's Hollywood odyssey that begins in the heart of the Mississippi Delta in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll, Blues and Bar-b-cue. Growing up Jewish in the deep South with a flamboyant mother who frowned on her dating the local redneck boys, The Hebrew Hillbilly begins singing as a little girl and never stops. From her early years as a blonde bombshell, through her current incarnation as The Memphis Belle of L.A., Ms Fisher has been on a show business rollercoaster that slows down just long enough for her audience to climb on board this deeply personal, yet universally appealing and hilarious ride. The production is directed by Rory Mitchell with 14 original songs written by Shelley Fisher, Kenneth Hirsch (musical director), and Harold Payne. The Hebrew Hillbilly will be shown at the Santa Monica Playhouse, (1211 4th St, Santa Monica) October 12 - November 3.

SHELLEY FISHER (Writer and Performer) Recorded a solo album on Fantasy Records, rocked the disco charts with her hit rendition of 'Wonder Woman' on Roadshow Records, and wrote 'Disgorilla', the sequel to Rick Dees 'Disco Duck'. Live performances include, The Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center, BB Kings on Beale Street, Harvelle's, The Marina City Club, Moonshadows Malibu and Sandals Resorts Jamaica. As creator and star of the romantic comedy cooking show, 'ForkPlay,' Shelley has appeared on many national TV shows including 'Style Court' on the Style Network, 'The Dream Team', and with Dick Clark on NBC's 'The Other Half' as well as on Canadian 'Breakfast TV' in Vancouver, Canada.

RORY MITCHELL (Director) is a theater director and filmmaker. He has previously worked at the Los Angeles Theater Center, The Elephant Stages, and the Rehearsal Hall at the Foxwoods Theater on 42nd street in New York. His most recent play,Unmoderated: Readings from the Eastsider LA Comment Section premiered at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June and won "Best of Fringe." His documentary series on the history of Los Angeles can be seen at valleyspringlane.tumblr.com.

Ken Hirsch (Music and Musical Dirctor) attended Juilliard School of Music Mentored by the legendary Doc Pomus, Hirsch was musical director and pianist for Bette Midler. Some of his hits include, "I've Never Been To Me" for Charlene, "Two Less Lonely People In The World" for Air Supply, "No One In The World" for Anita Baker and "If I Could" for several artists including Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles and Celine Dion. His songs have also been recorded by numerous other artists including Grammy award winners Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Gladys Knight, Harry Connick Jr., Dolly Parton, B.B. King, and Placido Domingo. His songs have been featured in several motion pictures including Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Bowfinger and Shrek the Third. His most recent effort was the score to the musical version of An Officer and a Gentleman, co-written with Robin Lerner, directed by Simon Phillips, which premiered in Sydney, Australia. It was nominated for 5 Helpmann awards (Aussie Tony) including Best Musical and won for Best Supporting Actor.

HAROLD PAYNE (Music ) is a multi-platinum songwriter He has written songs for such diverse artists as Rod Stewart, Patti LaBelle, the Temptations & Kelly Rowland-literally from Peter Paul and Mary to Snoop Dogg. His most recent project with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Bobby Womack' ("Bravest Man in the Universe") just won 2012 "Best Album of the year" for the prestigious Q awards in the UK. .

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