The Production Company Presents AMADEUS, Opens 6/18

"I murdered Mozart!" rings out across Europe from Composer Antonio Salieri on his death-bed. Salieri had been the toast of Europe. He had been a devout Catholic all his life. He made a pact with God that he would be the vessel through which God's music would spring. All was good until Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arrives in Vienna. In horror Salieri determines that it is Mozart instead who is his God's chosen voice. Mozart's music proves it; God had broken their pact. Salieri now makes a terrible new vow: to block God on earth and teach Him a lesson, using Mozart as the means to that end.

A thrilling tale of fame, passion, and vengeance, Peter Shaffer's Tony Award-winning ‘Best Play' AMADEUS returns to Los Angeles in a ferocious new production directed by August Viverito and featuring a truly white-hot cast including London favorite Peter Swander as Salieri (in his Los Angeles premiere performance), and last year's ‘Equus' star, Patrick Stafford as Mozart. AMADEUS opens on Friday, June 18th, 2010 and runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM at The Production Company's home, The Chandler Studio Theatre, 12443 Chandler Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91607. Tickets are $25. and may be purchased at www.theprodco.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006.

"A total iridescent triumph ... of complexity of thought, emotion and dramatic power."-N.Y. Post
AMADEUS premiered on Broadway in 1980 with Ian McKellen as Salieri, Tim Curry as Mozart and Jane Seymour as Constanze. It ran for 1,181 performances and was nominated for seven Tony Awards (best actor for both McKellen and Curry, best director for Peter Hall, best play, best costume design, lighting, and set design for John Bury), of which it won five (including a best actor Tony for McKellen). The play was revived in 2000, and received Tony Award nominations for best revival and best actor (David Suchet). In July 2006, the Los Angeles Philharmonic presented a production of the latest revision of the play at the Hollywood Bowl. Neil Patrick Harris starred as Mozart, and Michael York as Salieri. Leonard Slatkin conducted the Philharmonic Orchestra.

The 1984 film adaptation won an Academy Award for Best Picture. It starred F. Murray Abraham as Salieri (winning the Oscar for Best Actor for this role), Tom Hulce as Mozart, and ElizaBeth Berridge as Constanze.

AMADEUS returns to Los Angeles on Friday, June 18th, 2010 and runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM at The Production Company's home, The Chandler Studio Theatre, 12443 Chandler Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91607. Tickets are $25. and may be purchased at www.theprodco.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006.

THE DIRECTOR

AUGUST VIVERITO (Director) is the Artistic Director of The Production Company for which he has produced 19 plays yielding substantial acclaim for his company. He directed the recent Ovation Recommended productions of Michael Frayn's Copenhagen and Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize-winning How I Learned to Drive, Peter Shaffer's Equus (Winner: Best Revival and Best Actor from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Winner: Best Revival from LA Weekly, as well as Ovation and additional nominations for Best Play and Best Director), Mrs Warren's Profession (Two LA Weekly Award Nominations), Spring Awakening, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, John Gay's Diversions & Delights, and the world premiere of Nicholas Nickleby for The Production Company. Mr. Viverito served as the Artistic Director for the Attic Theatre Ensemble, was on the Executive Board of The Knightsbridge Theatre, and was founder of The McCormick House Theatre back on the East Coast. He is currently also serving as Communications Manager for West Coast Ensemble. For the Attic, Mr. Viverito directed hit productions of the World Premiere of Richard Martin Hirsch's Peripheral Vision, BackStage West ‘Critic's Pick' The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, and Studz Terkel/Stephen Schwartz/Nina Faso's Musical Masterpiece Working. For other stages he has directed productions of The Rainmaker, Beautiful Bodies, Little Women, Godspell, Our Town, Jesus Christ, Superstar and many others including numerous original works. As a stage performer he has appeared in leading roles in many acclaimed productions including Assassins, Blood Brothers, Pippin, Merrily We Roll Along, How to Succeed In Business..., and Sweet Charity.

THE AUTHOR

Peter Shaffer (Playwright) had his first great theatrical success with Five Finger Exercise, which won London's Evening Standard Drama Award and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. A number of short plays include The Private Ear and The Public Eye, The Merry Roosters Panto (1963) and Black Comedy (1965). Shaffer had begun writing screenplays in 1963, collaborating with Peter Brook on Lord of the Flies, and added The Pad (and How to Use It) in 1966; Follow Me! in 1971, and The Public Eye in 1972. His next great stage success occurred with The RoyAl Hunt of the Sun (1964). Shaffer had a resounding hit with Equus in 1974, which ran for over 1,000 performances in London. In 1975 it won the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award. He received an Academy Award nomination for the film adaptation in 1977. Even more successful was the 1979 drama Amadeus. Like Equus this work ran for over 1,000 performances in London, won the Evening Standard Drama Award and the Tony Award. The film won an Oscar award for Best Film in 1984. Lettice and Lovage was written as a gift for Maggie Smith, opened in 1987 and ran for three years in London, with a shorter run in New York. Shaffer received the William Inge Award for Distinguished Achievement in the American Theater in 1992. He was appointed Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University in 1994.

THE CAST

DAN ALEMSHAH (Count Orsini-Rosenberg / Venticello) was awarded the Ovation Award for Best Featured Actor in a play for his portrayal of Claudia Vestibule in The Fat of the Land. Most recently, Mr. Alemshah played Tennessee Williams in Tennessee in the Summer and co-wrote and appeared in the comedy, Sketch Education. Some other favorites include the West Coast premiere of Jason Grote's 1001 directed by Michael Michetti, also The Book of Tom and Unwanted Pounds, both Off-Broadway. Dan also co-wrote and starred in a new translation of Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters, which ended a two-year run at the Edinburgh Festival.

DANIELLE DOYEN (Constanze Weber) is excited to make her debut with The Production Company! Earlier this spring, she could be seen as Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing at A Noise Within. Danielle has worked with The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum appearing in Macbeth, The School for Scandal and As you Like It. She appeared in Why Factor: Proportion Distortion with LOFT and in Shakespeare Live! with GCT. Danielle is a member of A2 with the Antaeus Company, and recently shot a short film To Those Who Wait, which is being submitted to several festivals. Danielle is seeking theatrical representation.

DAVID ROBert May (Emperor Joseph II / Venticello) is thrilled to be appearing with the Production Company once again after playing Christopher Morcom in last season's Breaking The Code. After his experience in Code, he decided to become a proud member of the Production Company. As a member he produced and appeared in Racing Demon and Proof for the Members Forum Reading Series. He is a graduate of Pepperdine University with a B.A. in Theatre and has appeared in numerous productions as well as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Television credits include CSI and Crossing Jordan.

Barry Saltzman* (Baron Van Swieten / Venticello) L.A. credits include: Breaking The Code and Mrs. Warren's Profession (The Production Company), Twelfth Night, The Two Gentlemen Of Verona and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Classical Theatre Lab), The Lark (Company Of Angels), Screwballs (Odyssey), The Shadow Box (Attic Theatre), Creator/Host of The Beachwood Palace Jubilee featuring Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, Jane Lynch, etc. Off-Broadway and L.A.: What's My Line? - Live On Stage with Nanette Fabray, Rose Marie, Fred Willard, etc. National tours: The Real Live Brady Bunch. Television/film: General Hospital (recurring/supporting), Danny Roane: First Time Director, etc. Barry graduated from Indiana University.

DAVID STIFEL* (Chancellor Von Strack / Venticello) has been performing on stages across the US since 1963. He has worked in Colorado, Idaho, the Pacific Northwest, New Haven, Northern and Southern California. David is making his debut with The Production Company. Favorite recent LA roles include Claudius in Hamlet, Jim Casy in Grapes of Wrath, and Marat in Marat/Sade. Other LA credits include four seasons with the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum and one season with A Noise Within. An actor who sings, David was last heard singing as Mr. Sowerberry in the Cabrillo Music Theatre production of Oliver! Notable film and TV credits include The Number 23 (with Jim Carrey), The OC, Sleeper Cell, Gods and Generals, Minority Report (Lycon, the eyeless drug dealer), ER (Live Broadcast). David may be seen 24/7 at Disneyland as the face and voice of a Pirate audio-animatronic in the Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.

PETER SWANDER* (Antonio Salieri) is a California native who went east for college and further east for acting. Trained at the Moscow Art Theatre then at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Theatre credits include: When Harry met Sally at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Prayer Room at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival, Farragut North (understudy for Chris Pine) at the Geffen Playhouse. Films include: The Tiger and the Snow directed by Roberto Benigni, The Marksman. BBC Radio includes: Death at the Desert Inn, An Englishman Abroad with Simon Callow
B.A. Wesleyan University

PATRICK STAFFORD (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) is honored to make his return to The Production Company/The Chandler Studio Theater after starring as Alan Strang in Equus (LA Weekly, LADCC Award Best Revival). NYC Credits: Eric Bogosian's Humpty Dumpty and The Hand That Feeds You. Regional Credits: Big River, Assassins, The Rivals. Mr. Stafford recently made his TV debut on ABC's hit comedy: Modern Family as Jeff. Patrick received his BFA in Theatre from The Boston Conservatory. He would like to thank the cast, his agents at CESD, Mike and Atil at Principal Entertainment, The Taylor's and his family for their continued support. Special thanks to August and TL for this opportunity. AFTRA.

THE STAFF

T L KOLMAN (Assistant Director/Producer) is a critically acclaimed actor, director and producer. Directing credits for The Production Company include the critically-acclaimed The Diviners, The Twilight of the Golds (StageSceneLA's Outstanding Direction of a Play), Clear As Day, True Blue, and Scrub My Tub. Other directing credits include The Shadow Box (One of the Top Ten Plays of 2004), Agnes of God, and Ordinary People. His producing credits include the world premiere of Nicholas Nickleby, Equus (Multiple Award-winner), Sweeney Todd, M. Butterfly, Wit (Ovation Nomination, Best Play), Spring Awakening, In On It, A Good Smoke, Diversions & Delights, Dancing at Lughnasa, and Working. As an actor he most recently was seen here at the Chandler Studio Theatre in Mrs. Warren's Profession and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. Other favorite stage appearances include the world premiere of Buddies at Celebration Theatre, Sunday in the Park with George at West Coast Ensemble (Ovation Nomination, Best Musical), Insurrection: Holding History, Medea, The Elephant Man, Love! Valour! Compassion! and Nicholas Nickleby. He is best known for his role as the Xyrillian Engineer on Star Trek: Enterprise. Mr. Kolman can be heard as the singing voice of Ratha Sam on the CD recording of Cambodia: The Musical. He has served as Managing Director for the Attic Theatre & Film Center, and is a current member of West Coast Ensemble, AEA and SAG

Shon LeBlanc (Costume Design) has designed over 600 productions in L.A. and around US. He has been recognized for his work with 9 Drama-Logue awards, 6 garland awards, 2 Drama Critics Circle Awards, an L.A. Weekly award, the Ovation, for Theatre Neos' "The Women", and the LAVC, and Garland award for "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" with James Barbour and Lynne Wintersteller at NOHO Arts, And a NAACP nomination for The Bluebonnet Court. Most recently Mr. LeBlanc won the LA Drama Critics Circle award for "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore", at the Fountain Theatre. In 2006 Mr. LeBlanc had the privilege to design 6 world premier productions, including, "Manor of Trust", "Equinox", "One Way Ticket to Hell", "Lizard", "Conjunto", "Bluebonnet Court", and the west coast premiere of "Friends like These" with Donna Mills. Last June Mr. LeBlanc was featured in Spotlight Magazine as one of the people "making theater happen in LA" and also just finished designing "No God, No Master" a feature film starring David Strathairn about the bombing of Wall Street in 1920. Mr. LeBlanc is the owner of Valentino's Costumes Inc. in Van Nuys, and divides time between L.A. and San Francisco, where he teaches Costume Design at the Academy of Art University.

BOB BLACKBURN (Sound Designer) Recent productions include The Road To Saigon, How I Learned To Drive, Ruby, Tragically Rotund, Some Kind Of Love Story, Sea Change, Hillary Agonistes, The Concept of Remainders and M. Butterfly. He is currently involved in shepherding along a new musical based on the life of Ed Wood. He is a three time Ovation Award nominee and two time winner, for Request Concert in 1998 and Street Stories in 2002.

THE PRODUCTION DETAILS

AMADEUS will open on Friday, June 18th, 2010 and runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at www.theprodco.com or 1-800-838-3006. Credit cards are not accepted at the door. Tickets are $25. For further information, call The Production Company at (310) 869-7546. The Chandler Studio Theatre Center - 12443 Chandler Boulevard - North Hollywood, CA 91607

THE COMPANY

THE Production Company'S 2009-2010 season: critically-acclaimed productions of SWEENEY TODD, HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, THE DIVINERS, COPENHAGEN, ...and opening in June: Peter Shaffer's smash-hit AMADEUS.

The Production Company is the recipient of 2 LA Drama Critics Circle Awards and an LA Weekly Theatre Award for 2009 wiht a total of 11 Ovation Award Nominations, 13 LA Weekly Award Nominations, 30 StageSceneLA Commendations, & a 2009 Best Season Commendation from LAStageBlog. It is the resident theatre company at The Chandler Studio Theatre, and a 501c3 non-profit theatre organization. Our humbling recognition includes numerous ‘Best Play', ‘Best Director', and ‘Best Actor' nominations, many ‘Critic's Pick' designations, and a ‘Best Season' commendation this past year. The Company's mission is to provide our community with highly thought-provoking, extraordinary performing arts experiences through live, Broadway-caliber performances of some of the world's greatest, most engaging and most evocative plays.

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