Portland Ovations Presents National Tour of MEMPHIS, 3/14

Portland Ovations heats up this winter with its' presentation of the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis at Merrill Auditorium on Saturday, March 14 for two performances 4pm and 8pm.

Inspired by actual events, Memphis, the Musical is set in the places where rock and roll was born in the 1950s: the seedy nightclubs, radio stations and recording studios of the musically- rich Tennessee city of Memphis. With an original score, it tells the fictional story of DJ Huey Calhoun, a good ole' local boy with a passion for R&B music and Felicia Farrell, an up-and-coming black singer that he meets one fateful night on Beale Street. Despite the objections of their loved ones (Huey's close-minded mama and Felicia's cautious brother, the club owner), they embark on a dangerous affair. As their careers rise, the relationship is challenged by personal ambition and the pressures of an outside world that is just unable to accept their love. Will their love be able to withstand the trials of separation, greed and fame? This hot and bothered Broadway musical is filled with heart, soul and energy to burn!

Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, Memphis played pre-Broadway at the La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre and features a Tony®-winning book by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) and a Tony®-winning original score with music by Bon Jovi's founding member David Bryan.

Daniel S. Hines plays the high-energyrole of Huey. His New York and National Tour credits include the second national tour of Memphis last season, Gary in Layla and Bob and Will in In The Cards. His regional theater credits include Will Parker in Oklahoma!, Duke in Big River, Chris in Miss Saigon, Bob Wallace in White Christmas, Lt. Cable in South Pacific, Jigger Craigin in Carousel and Claude in Hair. www.danielshines.com

Zuri Washington will light up the stage as Felicia and is fresh off the Second National Tour of Bring It On tour where she played the role of Danielle. Other professional credits include 'Swonderful as Nina, Yolanda in the regional tour of Crowns, as well as two productions of Hairspray.

Keith McCoy plays the role of Felicia's domineering brother, Delray. Originally from Virginia, Keith has performed with regional theatres, summer stock companies, national tours, and theme parks throughout the United States. His performance credits include: Les Miserables (Javert), A Raisin In the Sun (Walter Lee), Dreamgirls (Curtis), Big River (Jim), Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey II), Oklahoma (Jud) and The Full Monty (Horse).

Pat Sibley will reprise her role of Mama, which she played last tour season. Originally from Los Angeles, Pat now resides in Seattle. For the past ten years she has toured with five different Broadway shows: Aunt Eller in Oklahoma!, Mrs. Pugh in Annie, Wicked Witch of the West in Wizard of Oz, Frau Blucher inYoung Frankenstein and Mama in Memphis. For Prather theatres she has played Mrs. Higgins in My Fair Lady and Widow Corney/Mrs. Bedwin in Oliver.

Rendell DeBose will portray Bobby. Rendell is a New Orleans native and a graduate of Circle in the Square School and New Orleans Center of the Creative Arts. His regional performance credits include for Prather Entertainment Group Shrek (Donkey), Spelling Bee (Mitch Mahoney), Big River (Jim), andLittle Shop of Horrors (Audrey 2) at Derby Dinner Theatre and The Civil War (Fredrick Douglass) at the Roxy Theatre.

Jonathan David Randle will reprise his role of Gator that he recently performed in a production ofMemphis at Toby's Dinner Theatre. His other credits regionally are The Wiz, Smokey Joe's Café and Dreamgirls.

Amy Marie McCleary serves as the Director and Choreographer for this production. She has been working with Prather Entertainment Group for over a decade as an actress, choreographer and director. Her highlights as a director/choreographer include productions of Hairspray, Joseph, CATS, 9 to 5, The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical and I Love A Piano. Her other director/choreographer credits include The Music Man, 9 to 5 (Little Theatre on the Square) Ain't Misbehavin' and Spamalot(Herb Strauss Theatre). She also choreographed the second national tour of The Wedding Singer.Favorite choreography credits include High School Musical, Footloose, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Annie,Legally Blonde, The Drowsy Chaperone and The King and I. Amy graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Samantha Hewes Cramer serves as the Assistant Choreographer. Her choreography credits includeCrazy For You (PEG), Nutcracker (Fulton), Gypsy (Fulton), Assistant Choreographer Cats with director McCleary (PEG) and A Chorus Line (Fulton).

Memphis, The Musical is a Prather Touring production. Prather Touring is owned and operated by William T. Prather. Memphis is the eighth national tour as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is also on tour this season. Prather Touring previously toured Beehive, the 60s Musical in 2007, the 10th Anniversary tour of Footloose in 2008/2009, The Wedding Singer in 2010, All Shook Up in 2011, Blast in 2012 and Fiddler on the Roof in 2013.

Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves - filled with laughter and roof-raising rock 'n' roll, and experience all the exuberance and the emotion... the beauty and the controversy... of a wondrous, defining time in our history. This hot and bothered Broadway musical is filled with heart, soul and energy to burn!
Tickets for Memphis range from $63 to $40.50 for Ovations' Members and $70-$45 for the general public.. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org call PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

Corporate support is provided by Bath Savings Trust Company and media support is provided by Dispatch Magazine.

About Portland Ovations
Each year since 1931, Portland Ovations brings a dynamic season of exceptional performing artists from around the world to Maine including classical music, jazz, opera, dance, theater, and Broadway national tours. In addition to live performances, Ovations brings the exhilaration of the performing arts out into our community with season-long educational and outreach activities known as Ovations Offstage. A Maine-based non-profit, Portland Ovations contributes to the cultural, social and economic well-being of our community by presenting an array of high quality performing artists from around the world and creating diverse educational experiences that bring the enjoyment, energy and enrichment of the arts to all.

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