THE MUSICAL OF MUSICALS: THE MUSICAL Comes to MCCC's Kelsey Theatre 8/14

Broadway takes center stage in the hilarious spoof, "The Musical of Musicals: The Musical," coming to Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre. The Pennington Players presents this affectionate satire on Fridays, Aug. 14 and 21 at 8 p.m.; Saturdays, Aug. 15 and 22 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, Aug. 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. Kelsey Theatre is located on the college's West Windsor campus at 1200 Old Trenton Road. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on Aug. 14.

First presented Off-Broadway in 2005, with music by Eric Rockwell and lyrics by Joanne Bogarte, "The Musical of Musicals" pays tribute and pokes a little fun at old Broadway. In each scene, four actors recreate roles typically found in Broadway shows: the hero, the villain, the ingénue and the matron. According to the show's director, Kyrus Westcott of Hamilton, all the scenes have roughly the same plot: "I can't pay the rent!" This traditional melodramatic storyline echoes the popular musical Rent, while other references draw on such classics as Oklahoma and The King and I, and more contemporary musical megahits like Chicago, Cats, A Chorus Line and Evita. Musical numbers parody the styles of various American and British composers, including Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Featured in the cast are: David Destro of Polonia as Willy; Vicky Czarnik of Hamilton as Abby; Andrew Young of Old Bridge as Jitter; and Katie Sheffer-Vicari of Allentown as June. The ensemble includes Talia Shumsonk of Bristol, Pa., and Rachel Tovar of Trenton. In addition to direction by Westcott, the production staff includes producer Frank Ferrara, musical director Wayne Irons and choreographer Talia Shumsonk. According to Westcott, the cast is "highly talented, very theatrical and a joy to work with."

Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and $12 for students. Free parking is available next to the theater. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333. Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible and provides assisted listening devices upon request.

Kelsey Theatre has announced its 2009-2010 season. Tickets for subscription packages offering savings of up to 45% are now on sale. Tickets for all individual shows go on sale August 25.

Photo: Katie Sheffer-Vicari, Rachel Tovar, Andrew Young, Talia Shumsonk, Vicky Czarnik and Dave Destro. Photo by Krese Juraga.

 

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