Musicals Tonight! to Present Marvin Hamlisch & Howard Ashman's SMILE; Full Cast Announced

Musicals Tonight! the Obie-winning company dedicated to the revival of neglected musicals continues its 2013-14 season with a 16-performance run of Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Ashman's 1986 musical SMILE (October 22 - November 3) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by David Bishop.

SMILE featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch and book and lyrics by Howard Ashman is a satirical portrait that follows the intrigue and exploits onstage and behind-the-scenes as Santa Rosa, California plays host to the Young American Miss Pageant.

The cast features Patti-Lee Meringo (Robin), Jenna Pastuszek (Doria), Jeanette Fitzpatrick (Brenda), Tom Lucca (Big Bob), Jeffrey Arnold Wolf(Dale), Christopher De Angelis (MC), Sarah Joy Ledtke (Sandra-Kay), Francheska Gomez (Maria), Sarah Ziegler (Shawn), Erica Wilpon (Cookie),Jessica George, HANNAH OWENS, Chandler Reeves, Russell Saylor (Tommy), Jaron Frand (Little Bob), Alex Goley (Freddy), Thom Caska, andAmber Nicole Guest.

Songs from the Hamlisch/Ashman score include: "Disneyland"; "Smile". "In Our Hands," "Very Best Week of Your Lives," and "Dear Mom."

Considered one of the underrated Broadway musicals of the 1980s, Smile opened November 24, 1986 at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre with a cast that featured Jodi Benson, Veanne Cox, Anne Marie Bobby, Marsha Waterbury, and Jeff McCarthy running 48 performances. Based on the 1975 television film, Smile featured Barbara Feldon, Bruce Dern, Annette O'Toole, Melanie Griffith, and Michael Kidd.

Under the leadership of Founder/Artistic Director Mel Miller, Musicals Tonight! performs two-week runs Tuesday through Sunday at the Lion Theatre at Theatre Row Studios, 410 West 42nd Street. Single tickets on sale now. Tickets are $25 (plus $1.25 facility fee) and available through Telecharge at 212-560-2186 or www.telecharge.com. For more information visit www.musicalstonight.org.

Musicals Tonight! also hosts the popular At This Performance! concert series designed to showcase talented Broadway standbys and understudies to sing their shows' current musical hits. The 2013-24 series dates of At This Performance! are October 27, March 10, 23, and April 7 at 7pm at the Lion Theatre. Tickets are $25.

The 2013-14 season includes Will Holt's Come Summer (March 4 -16) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by James Stenborg; George & Ira Gershwin's For Goodness Sake (March 18 - 30) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by David Bishop; and Rodgers & Hart's America's Sweetheart (April 1 - 13) directed by Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by James Stenborg.

For more information on the season, tickets and subscriptions, www.musicaltonight.org.

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