Jennifer Leigh Warren Leads Mpls Premiere of VENUS at The Ritz 5/3

Jennifer Leigh Warren has been cast as the lead in Chan Poling's new musical VENUS.

A regular performer at Joe's Pub, Mr. Poling is the founder of the seminal 80's punk/pop The Suburbs and composer of Tony Award-winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune's award-winning "Children Of Paradise" among other shows.

Ms. Warren, fresh from her run in "The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea" at The San Diego Repertory Theater will play Dr. Margaret Kennedy and her mysterious alter-ego Venus in this brand new romantic musical comedy fantasy. Opens at The Ritz Theater in Minneapolis May 7th.

Press notes state, "VENUS is a brand new musical comedy written by Minneapolis music legend Chan Poling (The Suburbs, The New Standards...) and helmed by multi-award-winning director/choreographer Myron Johnson. Previews start May 2nd. With a creative team consisting of the Twin Cities top-notch luminaries and a cast to drool over, VENUS will be the Twin Cities' theatrical event of 2009. See it in the intimate atmosphere of The Ritz Theater situated in the charming, up and coming - and affordable - neighborhood of NE Minneapolis... before it goes off to Broadway!"

Previews begin May 3rd. Others in the cast include Guthrie Theater stalwarts Shawn Hamilton seen recently there in "Little House On The Prairie" and Ian Holcomb ("A Midsummer's Night Dream").

Jennifer Leigh Warren made her mark on the New York stage scene in an off-Broadway musical with B-movie roots that quickly turned into a timeless cult classic, Little Shop of Horrors, as one of the original Urchins, Crystal. After performing in the Alan Menken and Howard Ashman tuner, Warren made her Broadway debut in Big River, as Alice's Daughter.

For more information visit, www.venusmusical.com.