GEORGIE: MY ADVENTURES WITH GEORGE ROSE Opens Off-Broadway Tonight

The New York premiere of the critically acclaimed Signature Theatre production of Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose, the new play written by and starring Ed Dixon (Sunset Boulevard, LES MISERABLES) with direction by Eric Schaeffer (Follies, Million Dollar Quartet), opens tonight, February 1, 2017, for a limited engagement through April 15, 2017 at The Loft at The Davenport Theatre (354 West 45th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues).

It has been said that theatre at its most basic is great storytelling. Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose is an exhilarating story, and indeed brilliantly told. Two-time Tony Award-winning character actor George Rose (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, My Fair Lady, The Pirates of Penzance), a bon-vivant with a flair for the dramatic and the eccentric, starred on the Broadway and London stages alongside luminaries like Katharine Hepburn, Noel Coward, Dame Edith Evans, Richard Burton, and Laurence Olivier in a storied career that met an unexpected end.

In this giddy, humorous, and moving celebration, Ed Dixon recounts his own tale of how he came to know and admire George over a twenty-year friendship until the unimaginable changed everything. Georgie introduces us to the greatest stars of the London and Broadway stage with laughs and surprises, tantalizing anecdotes, and flashes of song and dance. Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose is as hilarious and captivating as it is poignant and powerful. An amazing journey for all who love theater.

"I wrote Georgie because it's one of the largest events I've ever experienced in my life," shared Ed Dixon. "It covers more than twenty years, several countries, and a passel of famous people." He goes on to add, "Why tell his story now? He died in 1988. Because the moment I started writing it, I just knew it had to be told. What I didn't realize was that the story was so large it took years for me to mature enough to be able to tell it." He ended by saying, "I don't think a person is likely to have more than one story of this magnitude in a lifetime...Georgie is mine!"

Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose, directed by Eric Schaeffer, received its world premiere at The Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, in January 2016. This roller coaster ride of a show captured audiences in Washington like none other, and the critics raved: "A stunner! He tells juicy stories with impish delight," said The Washington Post, while DC Metro Theatre Arts simply stated, "Deeply profound. A delightful story about a great actor and a flawed human being. It will linger with you after the lights go up...I will never forget it!" DC Theatre Scene declared "FIVE STARS!...See the hilarious and riveting Georgie to laugh until you cry and cry until you laugh." BroadwayWorld Washington exclaimed, "Dixon's talent is remarkable. A powerful and passionate production." With The New York Times stating, "Mr. Dixon morphed from one character to another, delivering incisive impersonations and well-timed punch lines."

Director Eric Schaeffer, had this to say, "It has been nothing but pure joy working with Ed Dixon to bring this special story to life. Not many artists would be able to shed layer after layer of emotion to expose the deep feelings of life and this extraordinary journey like he does on stage night after night." Schaeffer went on to add, "He is truly one of our great character actors working today in the American theatre, and Georgie lets him use all of his hidden talents to bring this story to life in a unique and original way." He concluded by stating, "The end result is an amazing night in the theatre for anyone who loves life in and beyond the footlights."

The creative team for Georgie: My Adventure with George Rose includes Eric Schaeffer (Scenic Design), Chris Lee (Lighting Design) and Megan Coutts (Production Stage Manager).

Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose will play the following performance schedule: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 3:00pm & 8:00pm, and Sunday at 3:00pm. There are no Wednesday performances except on January 25th, February 1st at 7:30pm and April 12th at 7:30pm.

Tickets for Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose are priced at $69/$79 (including a $2 facility fee) and may be purchased through Telecharge.com, or by calling (212) 239-6200. Student rush tickets for $25(25 and under with ID), will be available 30 minutes prior to curtain. For additional information, please visit the website at www.GeorgieThePlay.com.

Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose is produced by Martin Platt and David Elliott, with Mary Cossette, Jamie deRoy, Richard Winkler and Mike Blank.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Ed Dixon (Performer/Playwright) is the author/composer/lyricist of Shylock (The York Theatre) which garnered him his first Drama Desk Nomination. He wrote Richard Cory with A. R. Gurney, on a Steinberg Grant from Playwrights Horizons. It was nominated for a Leon Rabin Award for best new work and won the NYMF Festival Award and the Audience Prize. Cloak and Dagger, his four-person musical recently opened at the Signature Theatre in DC, helmed by artistic director, Eric Schaeffer. Dixon's Fanny Hill was presented by the York Theater where it won a Dramalogue Award, two Dean's List Awards and was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards. Cather County which opened at Playwright's Horizons won him a Leon Rabin Award at Lyric Stage in Dallas where it was also named best new theater work of 2000. Dixon's grand farce, L'Hotel was given its premiere at Pittsburgh Public Theater last year by Producing Artistic Director, Ted Pappas. Ed's comic thriller, Whodunit... The Musiical has had countless productions all over the United States and he is the author of the highly successful book, "Secrets of Life Onstage...and Off."

As an actor, Ed made his Broadway debut in 1971 with No, No, Nanette starring Ruby Keeler and directed by Busby Berkeley. Six months later he was opening the Kennedy Center in Washington DC as a soloist in Leonard Bernstein's Mass, a role he reprised on the recording and at the Metropolitan Opera. Other Broadway credits include Belasco in King of Schnorrers, Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers, Thenardier in the original company of Les Miserables (a role he played more than 1700 times) the Baker in Cyrano:The Musical, Ozzy in The Scarlett Pimpernel, General Wetjoen in The Iceman Cometh (with Kevin Spacey), Senator Carlin in The Best Man (he also went on for Charles Durning as President Hockstader), Mister in Sunday in the Park with George, Max, in How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Admiral Boom in Mary Poppins, and the Captain in Anything Goes. On tour he was Mssr. De Rougement in David Merrick's Very Good Eddie, Charlemagne in Pippin with Ben Vereen, Max in Sunset Boulevard, the Governor of Texas in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Ann-Margret, Albert Blossom in Doctor Doolittle, the Director in Curtains, Max in The Sound of Music and Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Off-Broadway he teamed up with Leonard Bernstein again (as well as Comden and Green) for By Bernstein, played opposite Bebe Neuwirth in Here Lies Jenny, joined Len Cariou and Roberta Maxwell in The Persians, and starred in Oliver Quade, Hotel Broadway, Identity and Shylock, all of which he wrote. He has received a Helen Hayes Award, and been nominated for a Drama Desk, a Joseph Jefferson, and an Irne.

Eric Schaeffer (Director/Set Designer) is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. Under his leadership, the Theatre was honored with the 2009 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater in America, as well as 90 Helen Hayes Awards over the years, with an additional 340 nominations for theater excellence in Washington, DC.

At Signature, he has directed numerous productions that include Elmer Gantry; Cloak and Dagger; Beaches; Crossing; Miss Saigon; Spin; Hello, Dolly! (Ford's Theatre co-production); The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; Brother Russia; Hairspray; Sunset Boulevard; Chess; Show Boat; First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb; The Hollow; LES MISERABLES; ACE; Kiss of the Spider Woman; Glory Days; The Witches of Eastwick; Saving Aimee; Into the Woods; My Fair Lady; Nevermore; The Highest Yellow; One Red Flower; Allegro; Twentieth Century; 110 in the Shade; Hedwig and the Angry Inch; The Gospel According to Fishman; Grand Hotel; The Rhythm Club; Over & Over; The Fix; Working; The Rink; Cabaret; First Lady Suite; Wings; Poor Superman; Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love; and the Sondheim musicals Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George (Arena Stage co-production), Passion, Into the Woods, Company, Assassins, Sweeney Todd, Follies and Pacific Overtures, among others.

On Broadway, Mr. Schaeffer directed Gigi, the critically acclaimed revival of Follies, as well as the Tony Award-winning Million Dollar Quartet, Glory Days and Putting It Together. His national tours include Million Dollar Quartet and Big. Off-Broadway, he has directed Sweet Adeline (City Center Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert) and Under the Bridge. His West End credits include Million Dollar Quartet and The Witches of Eastwick.

George Rose (February 19, 1920 - May 5, 1988) was a two time Tony winning Broadway star (who had a total of five Tony nominations, and numerous other awards and nominations). Born in England, Mr. Rose came to the US in 1946 on tour with the Old Vic, and returned fifteen years later as The Common Man in Robert Bolt's A Man For All Seasons - and never left. His 41-year Broadway career included 25 plays and musicals.

Martin Platt and David Elliott (Producers) are co-founders of Perry Street Theatricals, an award-winning, independent theatrical producing and general management company based in New York City, offering a full breadth of GM and Consulting services for plays and musicals and/or act as Executive Producers for other Producers. They were Tony® Award winning producers of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and recently represented on Broadway with Dames At Sea. Under their partnership, they have produced or co-produced over fifteen productions, including the London West End production of Lend Me A Tenor The Musical (Gielgud Theatre) and award-winning Off-Broadway productions such as Bedlam's Hamlet and Saint Joan, an oak tree (Barrow Street), In The Continuum (Perry Street, U.S. and International Tour), and My Life is a Musical (Bay Street). In addition to receiving a Tony Award (and 6 other Tony Award nominations), they have won the Drama League Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, New York Theatre Critics Award, Obie Award, Off-Broadway Alliance Award, as well as Astaire Award and Oliver Award nominations. Lorna Mulvaney joined the company as Associate General Manager in summer 2016.

Co-Directors, David Elliott and Martin Platt founded their company in 2003. Under their management in 2016 were Bedlam's smash hit Sense & Sensibility (Gym at Judson), Missed Connections (New Ohio), and currently running is Jonathan Rockefeller's That Golden Girls Show! (DR2).

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