Boiler Room Theatre Presents BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, Opens May 7

The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT), Williamson County's resident professional theatre company, continues its 10th season with Neil Simon's comedy Brighton Beach Memoirs opening May 7, 2010 at the theatre, located in the historic Factory at Franklin (230 Franklin Rd., Building Six, Franklin) for a run through May 29, 2010.

Brighton Beach Memoirs is the first chapter of Simon's semi-autobiographical trilogy (commonly referred to as the Eugene Trilogy), a portrait of the writer as a young teen in 1937 living with his family in a crowded, lower middle-class Brooklyn walk-up. Dreaming of baseball and girls, Eugene must cope with the mundane existence of his family life in Brooklyn: formidable mother, overworked father, and his worldly older brother Stanley. This bittersweet memoir evocatively captures the life of a struggling Jewish household where, as his father states "if you didn't have a problem, you wouldn'tbe living here."

Brighton Beach Memoirs premiered on Broadway in 1983 with Matthew Broderick in the leading role who won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for the same year. Broderick later starred in the film adaptation of Biloxi Blues, the second part of Simon's "Eugene Trilogy."

"I am very excited to be directing Brighton Beach Memoirs at the Boiler Room. Having directed Biloxi Blues at Belmont University a year ago it's a treat to go back to the beginning of Eugene's story," said Show Director and BRT Resident Director Laura Skaug. "Neil Simon is such a great writer; he uses humor to reach the audience while giving us memorable, believable characters. Brighton Beach Memoirs is a coming-of-age story that impresses upon the audience the importance of family. It is a lot of fun but it also delivers a lot of meaning, and that is what makes the play so memorable."

BRT's production of the play stars Daniel Meyerowitz as Eugene and features Dan McGeachy, Debbie Kraski, Vicki White, Jeremy Maxwell and Gina D'Arco. Stage Management is by Paul Cook and Katie Gant. Melissa Cannon is the show's Costume Designer.

Brighton Beach Memoirs contains mature subject matter and adult language. As such, parental guidance is suggested.

Performances will be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays (May 13, 27 only), Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with discount Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on May 16 and 23.

Ticket prices are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors (age 60 and up) and students (age 13 through college with valid ID), and $19 for children ages 3 through 12 (parental guidance suggested). Matinee prices are $2 less respectively. Tuesday shows are two-forone ($25 for two tickets; no other discounts apply) and tickets for "Thrifty Thursday" shows are $15 (no other discounts apply). Tickets may be purchased by calling the Boiler Room Theatre at 615-794-7744 or ordered online at BoilerRoomTheatre.com. The balance of BRT's 10th Anniversary season includes Nine - The Musical, Les Miz 2: A Tale of 2 Cities, Rent, and Christmas Belles.

The Boiler Room Theatre (BRT) is Williamson County's first and only resident professional theatre company, established in 2000, launching its inaugural season in March 2001. A 501 (c) (3) non-profit arts organization, BRT's mission is to present intimate stagings of classic Broadway musicals, area premieres of recent off-Broadway plays and musicals, and original works by local playwrights and composers. BRT's Youth Educational Programs (YEP!) has provided theatre arts instruction to more than 10,000 children since its inception in 2001.

For more information, visit www.BoilerRoomTheatre.com.

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