Tweiss Productions Presents Hell's Belles, Closes 10/2

Tweiss Productions will present the revival of Hell's Belles, a satirical musical comedy featuring famous women in Hell. John Znidarsic directs a cast of four including Omri Schein*, Oakley Boycott, Kristen Mengelkoch*, and Laura Daniel*. Eight performances will be held at The Midtown Theatre, 163 West 46th Street in New York City on Saturdays and Sundays at 5pm from September 10-October 2, 2011. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by calling 866-811-4111 or by visiting http://www.hellsbellesthemusical.com. *Member, Actors' Equity Association.

A pop star has been the unfortunate victim of a freak accident. As she arrives in Hell, iron-hoofed Lester, a musical-loving devil, introduces her to a series of historically-infamous women who strut the stage satirizing everything from women's rights to motherhood to the criminal justice system. Salome, Lady Godiva, Lizzie Borden, Joan Crawford, and Janis Joplin are included among the notorious females being forced to perform in an eternal musical revue. Will the pop star accept her fate and join the chorus, or will she stage a revolution? And what's Eleanor Roosevelt doing here? Hell's Belles is a tour de force for three actresses who play over 20 roles, with crazy costumes, quick changes, tuneful melodies, and social satire.

John Znidarsic (Director) has dedicated his career to nurturing and developing new theater. The majority of his work is done through Arts and Artists at St. Paul's in New York City where he serves as Artistic Director. Its most successful program, the Songbook Concert Series, is held monthly at The Donnell Library Theater and features music of today's newest and most exciting songwriters. He has also served as Producing Director for The National Music Theater Network where he launched the successful Broadway Dozen Play Reading Series. As a director/choreographer John has worked extensively in New York and regionally. For seven years he produced, directed, and hosted the popular "In Celebration of Life" Broadway concerts to benefit Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS and also produced a CD featuring highlights of those concerts. John has served on the faculties of New York University, Marymount Manhattan College, Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, New York High School of Performing Arts, and Manhattan School of Music. Recent and upcoming projects include a new musical Fast Breaks - The Comings and Goings at Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal and David Bryan of Bon Jovi, the award-winning new revue This Life: The Songs of Portia Nelson, and Fatima. John is Chairman of the annual Michael Stewart Musical Theater Foundation Awards.

Bryan D. Leys (LyricistLibrettist) was raised on fire and brimstone near Buffalo, New York. He spent a few hellish years at The University of Connecticut where he received his MFA in playwriting, directing, and other forms of mortal sin. Slouching down to New York, he provided book & lyrics for Midsummer Nights; Between the Lines; Murder on Broadway; Gabriel, Blow Your Horn; Kid Dakota; Fortune and Fate; The Forgotten Film of Dorian Grayand the libretto for Hoodwinked. Current projects include La Ribalta (The Spotlight) with Richard Cohen, The Sugar Hill Boyswith Roosevelt Credit and How to Marry a Divorced Man with Clare Cooper. Bryan has always had an unhealthy curiosity about the afterlife.

Steve Liebman (Composer) has contributed music, book and/or lyrics to eight published shows including The Great Gilly Hopkins which played to sold out houses at the New Victory on 42nd Street, Bridge to Terabithia (Kennedy Center), and The Wonder Years: Off Broadway. With Mr. Leys he has co- authored Hoodwinked and a musical version of Dorian Gray. He has recently completed the score for Tiny Tim's Christmas Carol with Dr. Steven Tay. As an actor, Steve has performed for more than 35 years Off-Broadway and extensively throughout the country.

Tweiss Productions (Producer) is led by sisters Sharon and Eileen Weiss. Sharon Weiss co-produced with Eileen Hell's Belles (West End Theatre), A Short Wake by Derek Murphy (1st Irish Theatre Festival 2009); Between the Lines (Luna Stage); and the NY revival of Goodtime Charley (ArcLight Theatre). They have also been involved with developing several new musicals, including the upcoming Musical Mondays reading of How to Marry a Divorced Man. Previously, Sharon worked in script editing and film production for Palomar Productions and with a small theatrical Production Company that presented musical revues Off-Off Broadway. B.A. in Drama from UNC-Chapel Hill. Eileen B. Weiss worked for Broadway producers: Michael Harvey; Lee Guber/Music Fair Group; The Shubert Organization; and Cameron Mackintosh. She worked for HBO; the Women's Project & Productions; and Actors Theatre of Louisville. In addition to the above projects with Sharon, Eileen co-wrote and produced Same Difference (West End Theatre) and Tickets Please, a documentary demo about Broadway usherettes. She co-founded Jews Against Genocide/NYC Coalition for Darfur. Eileen attended the University of London and received a B.A. in Theatre and Dramatic Literature from Dickinson College.

Hell's Belles will be performed at The Midtown Theater, 163 West 46th Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues), New York, NY 10036 from September 10-October 2nd on Saturdays and Sundays at 5pm.

Hell's Belles is produced by Tweiss Productions. Director: John Znidarsic; Music Director: Mary Feinsinger; General Manager: Laura Heller; Costume Designer: Gail Cooper-Hecht; Stage Manager: Ernie Fimbres*; Marketing: Katie Rosin/Kampfire Films PR; Publicist: Paul Siebold/Off Off PR; Graphic Designer: Daryl Boling.

For more information on Hell's Belles or for tickets, visit www.hellsbellesthemusical.com.

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