TITLE OF SHOW & World Premiere of LEVITY Come to Warren Miller Performing Arts Center

The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center (Executive Director John Zirkle) in Big Sky, Montana announced today it will present the world premiere of LEVITY, featuring Tony Award winner Michele Pawk as "Connie," for three performances January 19 through January 21, 2018. Written by Stephanie DiMaggio and directed by Stella Powell-Jones, this new play was developed during WMPAC's summer acting workshop and is the first world premiere production ever to premiere in Big Sky.

In addition to Pawk, the complete cast includes David Alford (Spardie), Carolyn McCormick (Elizabeth), John P. McGinty (Adam), and Stephanie DiMaggio (Dawn).

About LEVITY: Is our most powerful legacy what we have built or what we have chosen to destroy?Dawn and Adam are trying to grieve their father in peace, but peace is hard to come by when your father was music icon Rick Hayes and millions of fans grieve alongside you. Further complicating their dilemma, the Hayes children receive a surprise visit from his first wife and former bandmate, Connie, who has come in search of closure... and cash. The one-time-rock-goddess-turned-recluse claims to have a shocking story about their famous father they simply won't believe. Or will they? Now all those left behind must face the real cost of Rick Hayes' creativity and the consequences of protecting it.

The creative team for LEVITY includes scenic design by Courtney Smith, costume design by Christopher Metzger, lighting design by Alejandro Fajardo, and sound design by Reid Loessberg.

Following the world premiere of LEVITY the regional theater will feature its first-ever professional musical [title of show] for three nights, February 16 through February 18, 2018. Directed by Danny Sharron, the show will feature George Salazar, Rachel Wenitsky, Ned Riseley, BB Arrington and Sharron Kenny.

Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. With nothing to lose, the pair decides to try to create something new with their friends Susan and Heidi. [title of show] - taken from the space on the festival's application form which asks for the [title of show] - follows Hunter and Jeff and their friends on their journey through the gauntlet of creative self-expression.

The creative team for [title of show] includes scenic design by Courtney Smith, costume design by Christopher Metzger, lighting design by Isabella Byrd, sound design by Reid Loessberg, and choreography by Ben Hobbs.

In addition to the WMPAC theatrical season, six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will be joined on stage with multi-platinum recording artist Vanessa Williams, Jessie Mueller and Abby Mueller, Norm Lewis, and Andrea McArdle with Broadway XM host Seth Rudetsky for a two-night concert event on December 27 and 28 to support the mission of Concert for America - raising funds for human rights, civil rights and the environment.

The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center opened its doors to the public in 2013, bringing an array of world class productions to the Big Sky community. Past theatrical performances at WMPAC include The Winter's Tale, adapted and directed by Laura Savia and featured Hoon Lee, Bhavesh Patel, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Stephanie DiMaggio, and Brendan Dalton.

Tickets for all season events are on sale now. For tickets and more information about the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center please visit www.warrenmillerpac.org.

Support for the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center is provided by the Big Sky Resort Tax, The Big Sky Real Estate Company and Big Sky Resort.

ABOUT Warren Miller PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center (WMPAC), is located in Big Sky's Gallatin Canyon, at Big Sky's Ophir School campus. It is a collaborative initiative of the Big Sky School District #72, the Friends of Big Sky Education (FOBSE) and the Big Sky community. The Center's namesake, ski movie icon Warren Miller, and his wife Laurie spend half of their time in Big Sky. The Arts Center was named in honor of Miller in part due to his involvement in the community, and also because his legacy demonstrates a bridge between skiing and the arts. The Art Center's mission is to establish and maintain a clear and stable artistic infrastructure to grow a community of confident performers and inspired audiences.

WHO'S WHO, LEVITY

Stephanie DiMaggio (Dawn /Playwright) is thrilled to be back to be back in Big Sky with Levity, a play she first developed during the inaugural Big Sky Theater Workshop in 2015. As an actor, she recently starred in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway revival of Stephen Adly Guirgis' Jesus Hopped The A Train at Signature Theatre, directed by Mark Brokaw. Stephanie originated the role of Myrna Minkoff opposite Nick Offerman in the world premiere of A Confederacy of Dunces, the Steven Soderbergh produced stage adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, directed by David Esbjornson. Broadway: A Free Man of Color Off-Broadway: Love's Labour's Lost (The Public Theater), Exile (The Cherry Lane), 17 Orchard Point (The Beckett). Regional: The Winter's Tale (WMPAC), Italian American... (Long Wharf Theatre ), All My Sons (The Huntington Theatre Co.), Bloody Mary and Haroun...both at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. TV / Film: "The Good Wife," "Person of Interest Rubicon," "Cupid," "Law and Order," "The Kosher Cucina" (Web-series) and the films The First Born and Generation Um. As a writer, her play 17 Orchard Point (co-author) had its world premiere Off-Broadway in 2014 starring Tony Award winner Michele Pawk, directed by Stella Powell-Jones. Her additional plays have been developed at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Lark and the Atlantic Theater Co. Stephanie received her B.A in Theater from Fordham University at Lincoln Center, where she currently serves on the acting faculty, and her MFA from the NYU Graduate Acting Program. She is also the proud Program Director of the Big Sky Theater Workshop.

Stella Powell-Jones (Director) is a theatre director working in the United Kingdom and the United States. Recent credits include the world premiere of Samuel D. Hunter's The Healing for Theater Breaking Through Barriers, Bathsheba Doran's The Mystery of Love and Sex for Signature Theater, VA, the West Coast Premiere of Nick Jones' Trevor for Circle X, Stephanie DiMaggio and Anton Dudley's 12 Orchard Point at Theater Row, Robin Hood for Williamstown Theatre Festival, plays by Lauren Morelli, Brian Watkins and Marco Ramirez for Lesser America's Just Right Just Now. Stella has developed work with Colt Coeur, Clubbed Thumb, The Huntington Theatre, The Kennedy Center, New York Stage & Film, Playwrights Horizons, Playwrights Realm & Primary Stages among others. Stella was recently the Associate Director on the West End transfer/national tour of Florian Zeller's The Father (directed by James MacDonald). In the United Kingdom she has directed world premieres for Renegade Theatre at the Bush Theatre, London & Painted Filly Theatre Co, Dublin.

Michele Pawk (Connie)'s Broadway credits include: Hairspray, Losing Louie; Mamma Mia!; Hollywood Arms (for which she won the Tony Award); Chicago; Seussical; Cabaret (receiving Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations); Triumph of Love; Crazy For You (Drama Desk nomination); and Mail. Off-Broadway she appeared in Picnic, 17 Orchard Point, Giant, A Small Fire (Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations), Mahida's Extra Key To Heaven, Flyovers, Prayer For My Enemy, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, The Paris Letter (Drama Desk nomination), Reefer Madness, After the Fair, Hello Again, Merrily We Roll Along, Jon & Jen, A Little Night Music. Regional favorites include: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; Bounce (Helen Hayes nomination); The Blonde, The Brunette, and the Beautiful Redhead; and The Gig. Television appearances include: "Madam Secretary," "Law & Order" (7x), "The Golden Girls" "Dear John" and "Quantum Leap." She can be heard on 14 Original Cast Albums and several books on tape. Directing credits include: My Queer Youth and The Disney Diaries at the Beechman Theatre in NYC; West Side Story at Creighton University in Omaha, NE (nominated for Best Direction and Best Musical Awards); Carapace Isle at Manhattan Rep; Picnic for the William Inge Center; and Seussical, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rent, LIttle Shop of Horrors, Merrily We Roll Along, A Chorus Line for Wagner Theatre. Michele is a proud faculty member in the Theatre Department at Wagner College.

JOHN P. MCGINTY (Adam) is thrilled to be making his debut in Big Sky! NY (selected): Fêtes de la Nuit (New Ohio Theatre), Veritas (The Representatives), Samuel Hunter's The Healing (Theater Row). Regional (selected): Children of a Lesser God (Berkshire Theatre Group; The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Sacramento Music Circus and La Mirada Theatre); Tribes (Guthrie Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Everyman Theatre); Pippin (Center Theater Group, Deaf West). Film (selected): Wonderstruck with Todd Haynes, Award-winning Sign. TV/Web Series (selected): "High Maintenance" (HBO), "Don't Shoot the Messenger." Upcoming: Broadway revival of Children of a Lesser God.

David Alford (Spardie). For the last five seasons David has appeared as Bucky Dawes in the ABC/CMT series "Nashville." Other screen credits include 'The Blacklist" (NBC), The Last Castle (Dreamworks), A Death in the Family (PBS/Masterpiece Theatre), and

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