Cy Coleman's 'The Life'

Cy Coleman's pulsating musical The Life is bringing some sizzle back to the South Florida theatre scene this spring.  The award winning musical will begin previews at the newly refurbished Wilton 26th Street Theatre in Wilton Manors (near downtown Fort Lauderdale) on March 25th, and will open for a limited run on April 1st. 

Coleman, along with lyricist Ira Gasman created a score full of intense and emotional songs depicting The Life on the Times Square streets of the 1980s - where everything had a price -  especially sex. With a book by David Newman, Coleman and Gasman, the play follows the harrowing experiences of a good-hearted hooker named Queen, her cocaine-addicted boyfriend Fleetwood, her friend and fellow street-walker Sonja, hustler JoJo, crime boss Memphis and a host of other characters who have seen better days.  Coarse language and sexual inferences add to the reality and grittiness of the play.

The Life opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in the spring of 1997 under the direction of Michael Blakemore. It ran for 450 performances and won several awards for "Best Musical" of 1997, including the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Award, and the Drama League.

The 26th Street Theatre production is directed by Gary Waldman, who along with his partner, Jamison Troutman also serves as a producer of the show.  They were the team behind The Life's last visit to Florida - an extremely successful, eight month sold out run at the Atlantis Playhouse in 2004. That Waldman/Troutman production received positive reviews and garnered 19 regional awards.

The Life's Musical Director Phil Hinton is well known to South Florida audiences.  He served as musical director of the musical Respect: A Musical Journey of Women at the Cuillo Centre for the Arts in West Palm Beach. He has arranged and conducted over 250 albums for artists such as Elton John, Paul McCartney, Shirley Bassey, and Andrew Lloyd-Webber.  Hinton and Waldman have collaborated on over 20 musical-theater productions.

Choreographer Alessandro Pellicani has 'raised the choreography of the show to a whole new level,' says director Waldman.  Pellicani's background includes choreographing productions in Europe as well as the U.S.A.  He has been Guest Teacher for various companies and dance schools in Italy, Spain and Switzerland, Florida International University and University of Miami.

Waldman and Troutman have assembled a talented cast of professional actor/singers, including Jasmine Torres (Queen), an active Off-Broadway performer, Jonathan Juarbe (JoJo) who appeared on Broadway in Paul Simon's Capeman and frequently performs as a back-up singer for Elton John, and Miami's Asher Williams.

The Life will run Wednesdays through Sundays at 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.  Tickets are $35 for preview performances (March 25th - March 30th) and $40 after April 1st. Group rates are available.

Tickets for all performances are on sale now and can be purchased through the Wilton 26th Street Theatre box office at 954-727-8551 or online at www.WiltonManorsTheater.com.

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