VWA Theatricals' THE LAST FIVE YEARS Opens Tonight at Darkhorse

VWA Theatricals has found its Cathy and Jamie for the upcoming production of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years: Delaney Amatrudo and Luke Denison. Amatrudo and Denison will lead the cast for the musical, which opens tonight and runs through August 22 at Nashville's iconic Darkhorse Theater. Amatrudo currently studies at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and Denison is a recent graduate of Indiana University.

Audrey Johnson and Andrew Cannata will be stand-bys for the leading roles in the production, which will be directed by veteran Nashville director Jeffrey Ellis (Picnic, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Company, The Rocky Horror Show, Gypsy, Damn Yankees and La Cage Aux Folles), with musical direction by Micah Snow and vocal direction by Lisa Van Wye. Van Wye will produce with Ed Amatrudo; Van Wye and Amatrudo are the principals in VWA Theatricals.

"We saw some of Nashville's most talented performers during auditions for this, our first show for VWA Theatricals," says Van Wye. "And we couldn't be happier with the actors we've cast as our leads and stand-bys."

VWA's production of The Last Five Years will feature live music performances prior to each performance, featuring some of Music City's up-and-coming musicians, Ed Amatrudo explains: "It's our way of introducing some remarkable young musicians to the theater community and vice-versa."

Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. for each performance, with pre-show music starting at 7 p.m. at Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Avenue in Nashville.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

The Last Five Years is a musical written by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon in Vegas). It premiered at Chicago's Northlight Theatre in 2001 and was then produced off-Broadway in March 2002. Since then it has had numerous productions both in the United States and internationally.

The story explores a five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress. The show uses a form of storytelling in which Cathy's story is told in reverse chronological order (beginning the show at the end of the marriage), and Jamie's is told in chronological order (starting just after the couple have first met). The characters do not directly interact except for a wedding song in the middle as their timelines intersect.

THE CAST:

Delaney Amatrudo (Cathy Hiatt) is thrilled to make her return to the Nashville stage in VWA's inaugural production of The Last Five Years. She is perhaps best known locally for her role as Patrice in Circle Players' production of 13 the Musical. Some other favorite roles include: Emily Webb in Our Town, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Lucy in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Janet Van De Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone. Delaney is studying musical theatre at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where she made her theatrical debut as Vivienne in Legally Blonde this past spring. Most recently, Delaney originated the role of Jen Talbot in an early reading of the new musical Among the Hidden. She was a 2013 First Night Most Promising Actor. Delaney would like to thank her friends and family for their continued support, as well as everyone at VWA for giving her this incredible opportunity.

Luke Denison (Jamie Wellerstein) recently graduated from Indiana University where he earned a degree in Musical Theatre. While at IU he undertook a number of roles in shows such as Spring Awakening (Melchior) and The Three Musketeers (Aramis). Luke is a native of Nashville, and a graduate of Hume-Fogg Academic High School where performed numerous times in musicals and shows throughout his four years there including Les Miserables (Valjean), Into The Woods (Baker) and Beauty and The Beast (Gaston). Other notable credits include Fiddler On The Roof (Perchik) at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre and The Truman Show at the Bloomington Playwrights Project. Luke is an LGL Emmy nominee for his work on The Friday Zone, a children's television show that can be seen every Friday on PBS channels throughout the Midwest.

Andrew Cannata (Jamie stand-by) has starred as Motel in Fiddler on the Roof and as Albert in Bye, Bye Birdie, both at Nashville's The Larry Keeton Theatre. A recent Nashville transplant from Austin, Texas, he has also played J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for Archangel Theatre, the Balladeer in Assassins for Soubrette Productions, Matt in The Fantasticks for JCC Rep, Marius in Les Miserables for Zach Theatre, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors for Zilker Theatre Productions and Younger Brother in Ragtime for Zach Theatre. He was named winner of the Austin Critics Table Award for 2014 Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.

Audrey Johnson (Cathy stand-by) is thrilled and humbled to be a part of the telling of this beautiful story. Favorite credits include Dogfight (Rose) and Memphis with Street Theatre Company, Carrie: The Musical (Carrie) for Austin Theatre Project, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear) for Soubrette Productions, Closer Than Ever (Woman 2) for RWCMD and The Wedding Singer (Julia) and The Winter's Tale (Perdita) for Webster Conservatory. Training: BFA Musical Theatre, Webster Conservatory; MA Musical Theatre, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Thank you times infinity to my Family and Friends who have been there to support me always. Especially to Andrew and Cado J. LOVE.

THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Jeffrey Ellis (director) is a Nashville-based writer, editor and critic, who has been covering the performing arts in Tennessee for more than 30 years. He is the recipient of the Tennessee Theatre Association's Distinguished Service Award for his coverage of theatre in the Volunteer State and was the founding editor/publisher of Stages, the Tennessee Onstage Monthly. He is a past fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center and is the founder/executive producer of The First Night Honors, held during Labor Day Weekend, which honor outstanding theater artists in Tennessee in recognition of their lifetime achievements and includes The First Night Star Awards and the Most Promising Actors. Further, Ellis directed the Nashville premieres of La Cage Aux Folles, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and An American Daughter, as well as award-winning productions of Damn Yankees, Company, Gypsy and The Rocky Horror Show, with Ellis honored by The Tennessean as best director of a musical for both Company and Rocky Horror. He directed Picnic earlier this year for Circle Players and will direct Beth Henley's The Miss Firecracker Contest next spring for The Larry Keeton Theatre. He is senior contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com, the world's largest theatrical website.

Micah Snow (musical director) is an accomplished pianist in Nashville and the greater-middle Tennessee area. He holds a Master's Degree in Collaborative Piano from Middle Tennessee State University ('13). Known for his skilled and versatile playing, Snow serves as a freelance pianist and staff musician for the MTSU School of Music and Department of Theatre and Dance, respectively. He performs frequently in Nashville and throughout the southeast with Music City's #1 ranked wedding and event band, The Downtown Band, and also holds the title of pianist and organist at Vine Street Christian Church. His most recent credits include assistant musical director for MTSU's production of La Cage Aux Folles and The Drowsy Chaperone, as well as work with country entertainer Steve Azar.

Cody Rutledge (scenic and lighting designer) is currently pursuing his BFA in Theatre with a double emphasis in Musical Theatre and Scenic Design at the University of Memphis after transferring from M.T.S.U. Recently, he spent his summer working as a Scenic Artist at Central Piedmont Summer Theatre in Charlotte, NC, working on such shows as Oliver, Anything Goes, Beauty and the Beast Jr., Boeing Boeing, and Young Frankenstein. After interning at Cumberland County Playhouse for a time,Cody came back to M.T.S.U. to become the Scenic Charge there while also performing in A Year with Frog and Toad and Drowsy Chaperone. He recently designed West Side Story at the Center for the Arts and Bring It On at the Arts Center of Cannon County. Other design credits include: Gruesome Playground Injuries at University of Memphis, Tarzan and Shrek at the Arts Center of Cannon County, and Once on this Island and Joseph at Siegel High School. He would like to thank Jef for giving him this opportunity to work with the Nashville Theatre scene, Darryl Deason for teaching him what a flat is, and Luke and the Rice Family for their love and support!

Blandina Vergara-Cruz (production stage manager) Has played many roles being behind the scenes over the last few years. I recently had the pleasure of directing the show Catch Me If You Can at Pull Tight Theatre. I also serve on the Pull Tight Board and advise the Teen Youth Actors Guild. I have always wanted to work with Jeffery Ellis and I am so excited to finally have that opportunity with this show. Thank you, Jef, for this wonderful experience. I love being a part of a new theatre company and working with our wonderful cast and crew.

Lisa Van Wye (producer/vocal director) is a vocal coach in Nashville, who has worked with country recording artists from Sony, Arista, Giant and Capitol Records as well as jazz, pop, and rock and theatrical artists. Her techniques increase range and power, reduce strain and helps perfect pitch. She's very excited to co-produce VWA's first theatrical production!

Ed Amatrudo (producer) is perhaps best known as Glenn Goodman, Juliet Barnes' long-suffering manager on ABC's hit television series Nashville. Yet Amatrudo may well be better known as a real estate magnate in Music City USA and the surrounding area, as well as one of the region's most sought-after film, television and stage actors. He played George in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, directed by Michael Roark for ACT 1.

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