METROPOLITA(I)N Plays Last Performance Tonight, Cast Recording To Be Made

Metropolita(i)n, the bilingual, socio-political musical revue with songs & sketches that explore the similarities and differences between NYC/aris and their people ends its limited engagement Tonight - Monday, November 22nd at 7pm at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street.

Written by Parisian Christophe Mirambeau and New Yorkers Ken Bloom and Barry Kleinbort, the show features an international cast from Broadway and Paris that includes Edwin Cahill, Caroline de Fauw, Simon Fortin, Vincent Heden, Liza Michael and Caroline Roelands. It is directed by the authors and produced by David Conte. Paul Greenwood is the musical director; with Tom Hubbardon bass; with Musical Staging by Caroline Roelands and Sound and Lighting Design by Matt Berman; Lights Technician - David Colbert;Casting by Mark Simon Casting and the Stage Managers are Christopher Johnson & Jennifer Perito. The Logo is by Scott Citron. $25 admisssion & $15 food/drink minimum. Reservations (212) 695-6909.

Metropolita(i)n asks important questions like: Is it polite to kiss a French woman on one cheek, two cheeks, three or more? If a Frenchman uses an ipod, eats at McDonalds and loves Star Trek, does that make him an American? Is cheese better sliced and wrapped in plastic or wrapped in vine leaves? Is Mamaroneck a suburb of New York City or the latest creation by Christian Dior? Coca-Cola versus wine as the greatest national drink. Obama and Sarkozy, the flanneur and the tourist, the Apple Store and the local fromagerie, Wall Street and the Bourse, kissing and hugging, all are explored with laughs and even tears. The peoples of France and USA do not agree on everything, but all agree on two things: Metropolita(i)n is the greatest bilingual, socio-political musical revue ever presented on stage and Metropolita(i)n is the only bilingual, socio-political musical revue ever presented on stage. It enjoyed sold-out performances as part of the Diva Festival in Paris performing at the historic Opera Paniche Theatre. A cast recording is going to be made this week.

Ken Bloom, a leading authority on American popular song and musical theatre, who's books AMERICAN SONG, HOLLYWOOD SONG, and TIN PAN ALLEY are seminal works on stage, film and popular songs. His BROADWAY: AN ENCYCLOPEDIC GUIDE TO THE HISTORY, PEOPLE AND PLACES OF TIMES SQUARE was followed by Jerry Herman: THE LYRICS: A CELEBRATION and BROADWAY MUSICALS: THE 101 GREATEST SHOWS OF ALL TIME, written with Frank Vlastnik. Some other books are AMERICAN SONGBOOK: THE SINGERS, THE SONGWRITERS, AND THE SONGS; REMEMBER THAT I LOVE YOU, written with Jerry & Elaine Orbach and his newest is HOLLYWOOD MUSICALS: THE 101 GREATEST SONG AND DANCE FILMS OF ALL TIME. Ken hosted a weekly musical theatre show on Sirius and was a programmer for United Airlines' inflight entertainment. For 15 years was the co-host of Musical Theatre Today (WKCR-FM). He has produced and directed benefits with Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Marc Antony, Paul Anka, Wynona Judd, Jerry Orbach, and Duncan Sheik. As President of the 26-year-old Harbinger Records, he has produced more than twenty albums and is Executive Producer of Michael Feinstein'S AMERICAN SONGBOOK (PBS).

Barry Kleinbort has worked as a director, composer, lyricist, and librettist over the last twenty five years, earning these Awards: Edward Kleban Foundation (Lyric Writing); Gilman-Gonzalez Musical Theatre Commendation ('02, ‘03); ASCAP Foundation Jamie deRoy; two Back Stage Bistros, ten Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC), and two Cable "Telly". Throughout the country and Europe, he has directed and/or written material for such show biz luminaries as Kaye Ballard, Regis Philbin, Marcia Lewis, John Barrowman, Mary Cleere Haran, Penny Fuller, Brent Barrett, Sylvia McNair, Anita Gillette, Rodney Gilfry, Karen Mason, Rita Gardner, Harolyn Blackwell, Heather MacRae, and many others. Besides the countless cabaret shows, Mr. Kleinbort has conceived and directed topical revues and intimate Theater Productions as well as lavish special event evenings for New York City Opera and the Brooklyn Academy Of Music. Over the past few seasons, he has performed writing duties for six PBS broadcasts of Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops and, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops. He created the enthusiastically acclaimed evening of his theater songs, BIG CITY RHYTHM.
David M. Conte has worn a number of theatrical hats over the past thirty-something years. He is the manager of the Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway. Prior positions have been company manager of touring musicals (A Chorus Line, Annie) and general manager of The Joffrey Ballet and the general manager for the U.S. tours of The Kirov Ballet, Bolshoi Opera and Bolshoi Ballet. He has owned and operated a children's theatre company and is the co-author of "Theatre Management: Producing and Managing the Performing Arts," considered the bible of arts administration texts.

 

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