Casting Announced for NYC and Tour Companies of Vital Theatre Company's FANCY NANCY: SPLENDIFEROUS CHRISTMAS

Vital Theatre Company is pleased to announce casting for the New York City and Tour companies of FANCY NANCY: SPLENDIFEROUS CHRISTMAS. Based on the New York Times bestselling picture book by Jane O'Connor with illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser, the musical has a book by Cara Lustik and Matthew Hardy, music by Randy Klein and lyrics by Matthew Hardy and directed and choreographed by Sam Viverito. The NYC production will play at Theater at Blessed Sacrament, on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, Saturday, November 19th though Saturday, December 31, 2016. Tickets are $49.50 for regular seats and $59.50 for premium seats. For reservations and information visit www.vitaltheatre.org or call (212) 579-0528. Theater at Blessed Sacrament is located at 152 West 76th Street, Just east of Broadway. The Tour will head out to Pennsylvania Friday, November 5th then continue on to upstate New York, Virginia, Louisiana, Kentucky and Michigan. For tour details visit www.FancyNancyChristmasLive.com.

What could be fancier than Christmas? Presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles - and who could forget the tree? After all, there is no such thing as too much tinsel. Ooh la la! This year, Nancy is especially excited. After selling some of her old gowns and accessories, Nancy has enough money to buy a brand-new sparkly tree topper. She can't wait to decorate the Christmas tree. But when things don't turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous? Appropriate for ages 2 to 7.

Featured in the New York City company are Hallie Brevetti, Robyn Michele Frank, Sean R. Jones, Garrett Lawson, and Alexa Lebersfeld.

Featured in the tour company, visiting upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Louisiana, Kentucky and Michigan, are Sarah Mae Banning, Amber Dickerson, Jonny Rouse, Cole Smith and Samantha Rose.

Cara Lustik (Book) has written the book for Flight School, The Musical and Twinkle Tames a Dragon, The Musical. She has over 15 years in the entertainment, branding and licensing industries. Previously, she worked with HIT Entertainment for its preschool properties including Thomas the Tank Engine. Cara has worked with Production, Home Entertainment, Creative, Live Events, Broadcast and Digital teams on live events and stage productions, new characters, and digital initiatives. www.lustikink.com

Matthew Hardy (Book & Lyrics) hails from Houston, Texas. He has written the book and lyrics for the new musical comedies Flambé Dreams, Bling!, The Rubberers and lyrics for the children's musical Ever Happily After. Matthew received an Honorable Mention for Excellence in Lyric Writing at The New York Musical Theatre Festival 2012, is an Anna Sosenko Trust Recipient (2012), and a Jerry Boch Award finalist (2011). As an actor, he has performed with the National Tour of Fosse, toured with Jane Comfort & Co., presented his own cabaret act entitled Songs for the Dysfunctional, and worked at many regional theaters across the nation. Matthew is a proud member of Actor's Equity, a graduate of the William Esper Acting Studio and a member of The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. www.matthewhardy.org

Randy Klein (Composer) is an award-winning composer and pianist with four Emmy Awards and two Gold Records. His Musical Theatre Works include: Flambé Dreams 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival; Ever Happily After, a children's musical, 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival; Move!, a dance musical commissioned - Royal Theatre Carre', Amsterdam; I Don't Do Club Dates, staged readings Victory Theater, by the National Musical Theater Network and John Harms Arts Center. Recipient of the Simons Fellowship at the Hall Center for the Humanities, University of Kansas, he is an Anna Sosenko Trust Recipient; BMI Foundation Jerry Harrington Award for Achievement in Musical Theatre, nominated for the Jerry Boch Award for theater composition. Composer of the choral works For My People, Facing It and Dear John, Dear Coltrane. Numerous solo improvised piano recordings. Member of The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, The Dramatists Guild. Randy is an Exclusive Steinway Artist. www.randyklein.com

Sam Viverito (Director) has directed and choreographed internationally in such diverse places as South Korea (Hairspray, Bat Boy, Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, King & I, Quiz Show and the 1st American company of A Chorus Line), Canada (A Touch of Broadway, Angelina Ballerina, Garden Brother's Circus), Malaysia and Japan (Charles Bach's Wonder), and England (Brighton Cares). New York audiences have seen his work in Cut the Ribbons (starring Donna McKechnie, Georgia Engel and Barbara Feldon), Duplex, Bag Fulla Money, Angelina Ballerina, Angelina Ballerina The Very Merry Holiday Musical, and Fancy Nancy. He has directed and choreographed national tours of A Chorus Line, Man of la Mancha, Angelina Ballerina, Fancy Nancy and Gypsy. His work regionally includes: La Cage Aux Folles, Funny Girl, Sweet Charity, Annie, 42nd Street, Evita, Buddy, Broadway Bound, Opa!, Corps of Discovery, and for the last 21 years, the Shoji Tabuchi Show, in Branson, MO. His company, VIVO, Inc. is now involved with developing original works. He has written, with co-writers Wendy Biller and Chris Hawthorne, An Intolerant Vaudeville, based on a visit to The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. He is currently Artistic Director of Circus Rainbow and Co-Producer/Artistic Consultant on The Naked Magicians, which just completed a run on "the Strip", in Las Vegas, NV.

Sets are by Kyle Dixon and costumes are by Amanda Jenks. Annessa Marie is the musical director. Frances Hughes and Alex James is the stage manager.

Vital Theatre Company is dedicated to producing entertaining and educational theatre for young audiences and commissions three to five musicals for children each season. Since its founding in 1999, Vital Theatre Company has been honored with the 2012 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Family Musical, two Awards for Excellence by the Off-Off Broadway Review, and has received high acclaim from audiences and critics alike for being "a wonderful place for parents to introduce their kids to the glories of Live Theatre, done well and at modest prices" (Off-Off Broadway Review). Entering its 18th season, the company has presented over 96 original productions for over 500,000 children and their families.

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