Peter Bartlett Joins Pittu In Atlantic's 'What's That Smell' Starting 9/2

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) is proud to announce that Peter Bartlett (The New Century, The Drowsy Chaperone) will star opposite two-time Tony Award® nominee David Pittu (Is He Dead?, LoveMusik), in the world premiere production of  WHAT'S THAT SMELL: THE MUSIC OF JACOB STERLING, featuring original music by Randy Redd.

The new comedy, conceived by Pittu and co-directed with Atlantic Artistic Director Neil Pepe, will begin previews Tuesday, September 2nd, open Wednesday, September 10th, and play a limited engagement through Sunday, September 28th, 2008 Off-Broadway at Atlantic Stage 2 (330 West 16th Street). A three character ensemble will be announced shortly.

WHAT'S THAT SMELL: THE MUSIC OF JACOB STERLING is a satire with music that charts the career of eternally up-and-coming (and fictitious) musical theater composer Jacob Sterling (Pittu). A rare, up close and personal visit with an artist of questionable gifts who performs from his songbook and shares his human struggle to keep musical theater alive and well in the 21st century. Bartlett will play the host of a musical theater talk show who interviews Pittu's character.

The "comedy with vocal selections" marks the first production of Atlantic Stage 2's 2008-2009 season at its second stage theater, where two new works are staged each year. Last season, the hit world premiere of Academy Award® winning film maker Ethan Coen's Almost an Evening, directed by Neil Pepe, played a sold out engagement at Stage 2 prior to a commercial Off-Broadway transfer. Playwright Annie Baker also made her acclaimed Off-Broadway debut with the world premiere of Body Awareness, directed by Karen Kohlhaas.

A second new play will be announced for the 2008-2009 Stage 2 season.

Veteran character actor Peter Bartlett makes his Atlantic debut in the new comedy that he developed with Pittu during the Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival this summer. Bartlett was most recently seen on the New York stage in Paul Rudnick's collection of short comedies The New Century at Lincoln Center Theater, and on Broadway in the hit musical The Drowsy Chaperone. Other Broadway credits include The Frogs, Never Gonna Dance and Beauty and the Beast, and Off-Broadway in the Rudnick comedies The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told; Mr. Charles, Currently of Palm Beach; Rude Entertainment and Jeffrey. On television, he has played "Nigel" on "One Life to Live" for the past fifteen years.

Atlantic Company Member David Pittu most recently appeared at Atlantic in Harold Pinter's Celebration and The Room, for which he received Drama Desk and Lortel Award nominations. Last season, his acclaimed performance in the Mark Twain comedy Is he Dead? earned him his second Tony Award® nomination, after being nominated the previous year for the Kurt Weill musical LoveMusik. He has appeared on Broadway in The Coast of Utopia and Never Gonna Dance, for City Center Encores! in Of Thee I Sing, and Off-Broadway in Stuff Happens, The Fourth Wall and The Lights. As a director, Pittu staged Atlantic's hit production of the George S. Kaufman comedy The Butter and Egg Man.

Atlantic Artistic Director Neil Pepe most recently directed a double-bill of Atlantic founder David Mamet's plays - The Duck Variations and the world-premiere of Keep Your Pantheon at the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles. Last season, he staged the world premiere of Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song at Atlantic and the world premiere of Ethan Coen's Almost an Evening at Stage 2, followed by its commercial transfer. He will direct the upcoming Broadway revival of Mamet's Speed-the-Plow at the Belasco Theatre this season.

Composer Randy Redd's most recent performance credits include the Broadway musical Ring of Fire and Terrence McNally's play Some Men Off Broadway. He made his Broadway debut in the musical Parade and also appeared in Andrew Lloyd Webber's By Jeeves. Original compositions include writing music and lyrics for the musicals The Deep End, Touche with Blair Ross and Dream Big!; music for the plays Composition and The Neon Bible, and the original score for the film Hold. His credits as a playwright include Mississippi Sugar and Quick Mud.

The design team for WHAT'S THAT SMELL: THE MUSIC OF JACOB STERLING will feature scenic design by Takeshi Kata, costume design by Martin Pakledinaz, lighting design by Matthew Richards, sound design by Jill DuBoff, projection design by Dustin O'Neill, and production stage management by Alison DeSantis

The world premiere Off-Broadway staging of WHAT'S THAT SMELL: THE MUSIC OF JACOB STERLING is a testament to Atlantic Stage 2's mission to develop new works. It began as a short piece as part of the one-act festival 10 X 20, the inaugural production of the second stage theatre in 2006. This past June, an expanded developmental reading with David Pittu and Peter Bartlett was featured in the 11th annual Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

David Pittu (Writer/Jacob Sterling/Co-Director).  As an Atlantic Company Member David Pittu has written, directed, and acted in countless Atlantic productions, most recently Pinter's Celebration and The Room (Drama Desk and Lortel nominations). Last season, he received his second Tony Award® nomination for his performance in the Mark Twain comedy Is He Dead? as well as an Outer Critics Circle nomination. Broadway:  LoveMusik (Tony Award® and Drama Desk nomination; Outer Critics Circle Award), The Coast of Utopia, Never Gonna Dance. Off-Broadway: Stuff Happens (Drama Desk Award: Outstanding Ensemble), Of Thee I Sing (Encores!), The Fourth Wall, Sympathetic Magic, The Lights, Hot Keys, The Butter and Egg Man (as director), and, as co-author, The Audience (Drama Desk nom.: Outstanding Musical). Regional/National tour: Parade (National Broadway Award: Best Actor in a Musical), Titanic, Company (Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration).  Recent film:  This Side of the Truth (Ricky Gervais), King Kong (Peter Jackson).  TV:  "Rescue Me," "Sex and the City," "Third Watch," "The Sopranos," all of the "Law & Order" series.

Neil Pepe (Co-Director) most recently staged the world premiere of Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song at Atlantic and the world premiere of Ethan Coen's Almost an Evening at Atlantic Stage 2, followed by its commercial transfer to The Theatres at 45 Bleecker Street. In May, he directed a double-bill of Atlantic founder David Mamet's plays - the world-premiere of Keep Your Pantheon and The Duck Variations at the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.  Recent credits include Harold Pinter's first and most recent plays, The Room and Celebration at Atlantic, the world premiere of David Mamet's comedy Romance at Atlantic as well as the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the world premiere of  Howard Korder's Sea of Tranquility, Jez Butterworth's Mojo and The Night Heron and Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange all at Atlantic, Further Than the Furthest Thing by Zinnie Harris (Manhattan Theater Club), Eric Bogosian's Red Angel (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Mamet's American Buffalo starring William H. Macy (Donmar Warehouse in London and Atlantic), Tom Donaghy's The Beginning of August starring Mary Steenburgen (South Coast Rep. and Atlantic) and Jessica Goldberg's Refuge (Playwrights Horizons); Hilary Bell's Wolf Lullaby, Clean by Edwin Sanchez, Shaker Heights by Quincy Long, Five Very Live by David Van Matre and Call of the Wile E. by Patrick Breen, all at Atlantic.  In February, Neil will be directing the world premiere of Parlour Song by Jez Butterworth at Atlantic. Neil has been the Artistic Director of Atlantic Theater Company since 1992. He will direct the upcoming Broadway revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow at the Belasco Theatre this season.

Peter Bartlett. Broadway: The Drowsy Chaperone, The Frogs, Never Gonna Dance, Voices in the Dark, Beauty and the Beast, Boom Boom Room, A Patriot for Me. Off-Broadway: The New Century, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told (Drama Desk nomination); Mr. Charles, Currently of Palm Beach; Jeffrey; Rude Entertainment; The Lady in Question. City Center Encores!: Call Me Madam, A Connecticut Yankee. Regional: La Jolla (The Importance of Being Earnest/ Drama-Loque), Williamstown (Light Up the Sky), Theatre-in-the-Square (Jeffrey/ Drama-Loque, Bay Area Critics Circle Award). Film: Disney's The Princess and the Frog (upcoming), Meet the Parents, Jeffrey, Get Well Soon. TV: 15 years as Nigel on "One Life to Live," "Ed", "Law and Order C.I." Actors Equity member since 1966.

Randy Redd (Composer). Performing credits include Parade directed by Harold Prince (Lincoln Center Theater, national tour), Some Men (Second Stage) directed by Tripp Cullman, Smoke On The Mountain, Pump Boys and Dinettes (20th  Anniversary), Forever Plaid, Blood Brothers, One Man Band and Andrew Lloyd Webber's By Jeeves directed by Alan Ayckbourn. Regional: Actor's Playhouse, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, Kennedy Center, Goodspeed-at-Chester, Cape Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse, Pittsburgh CLO and others. Television: "The Wright Verdicts," "Tony Awards," "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade." Film: After the Storm directed by Hilla Medalia, Kinsey. CD: Parade (Original Cast Recording), Ring of Fire (Original Cast Recording), Lucky Stiff (York Theatre Company) and Wearing Someone Else's Clothes (Jason Robert Brown). Concert: Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, Joe's Pub, Joe's Pub in The Park with Jake Shears and Justin Bond, Live from the Bluebird Cafe, Alan Light's Live From Home, Symphony Space, St. John the Divine, The Knitting Factory, Cooper Union. Original works include Mississippi Sugar, Composition by Tim McCracken, Quick Mud, The Deep End with Lance Horne and Touche with Blair Ross.

ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Managing Director) is the award winning Off-Broadway theater dedicated to producing great plays simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble. Atlantic believes that the story of the play and the intent of the playwright are at the core of the creative process. Atlantic's acclaimed world premiere production of its first musical Spring Awakening, with music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater and direction by Michael Mayer, won 8 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical. In 2006, Atlantic was awarded the Lucille Lortel Prize for Outstanding Body of Work and its lauded production of Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, directed by Wilson Milam, transferred to the Lyceum Theatre, where it was nominated for five 2006 Tony Awards® including Best Play.

Atlantic has produced five world premiere productions last season: Academy Award® winning film maker Ethan Coen's comedy Almost an Evening, directed by Neil Pepe and featuring Academy Award® winner F. Murray Abraham and Mark Linn-Baker; Peter Parnell's Trumpery, directed by David Esbjornson and featuring Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Michael Cristofer and Tony Award® nominee Manoel Felciano; Lucy Thurber's Scarcity, directed by Jackson Gay and featuring Emmy Award® winner Kristen Johnston, Jesse Eisenberg and Michael T. Weiss, Jez Butterworth's Parlour Song, directed by Neil Pepe and featuring Chris Bauer, Jonathan Cake and Emily Mortimer and Annie Baker's Body Awareness, directed by Karen Kohlhaas and featuring Academy Award® nominee JoBeth Williams, Peter Friedman and Mary McCann.

The critically acclaimed New York premiere production of Oliver Award® winning and Tony Award® nominated playwright Conor McPherson's play Port Authority, directed by Henry Wishcamper and featuring Tony Award® nominee Brian d'Arcy James (Sweet Smell of Success), Tony Award® winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening) and Tony Award® winner Jim Norton (The Seafarer) concluded an extended engagement in June.

During he 2006-2007 season , founder David Mamet's smash hit adaptation of The Voysey Inheritance, directed by David Warren and starring Michael Stuhlbarg and Fritz Weaver, was extended an unprecedented three times, the first time in Atlantic's history. The world premiere production of Atlantic's second musical 10 Million Miles, featuring music and lyrics by Grammy Award® nominated singer/songwriter Patty Griffin, a book by Keith Bunin and direction by Tony Award® winner Michael Mayer also played an extended limited engagement.

Since it's inception in 1985, Atlantic has produced more than 100 plays including the Tony Award® winning production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane, the world premieres of Woody Allen's A Second Hand Memory and Writer's Block, the acclaimed world premiere of David Mamet's Romance, Jez Butterworth's Mojo, Tom Donaghy's Minutes From The Blue Route, Edwin Sanchez' Trafficking in Broken Hearts and the American premieres of Blue/Orange, Dublin Carol and The Night Heron, the New York premieres of The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow and The Cider House Rules, the revivals of American Buffalo, Edmond, The Hothouse and Hobson's Choice.  Atlantic maintains an ensemble of acclaimed actors, writers and directors including David Mamet (playwright and director) and William H. Macy (Academy Award® nominee for Fargo), who founded Atlantic over twenty years ago in 1985.

WHAT'S THAT SMELL: THE MUSIC OF JACOB STERLING will play Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00pm, Saturday matinees at 2:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm. All tickets are $35.00 and available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 (www.ticketcentral.com).

ATLANTIC STAGE 2 is located at 330 West 16th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues).  For membership information, wheelchair seating, and/or group sales call Ticketcentral at 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com.

www.atlantictheater.org

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