Award Winner Stephen Stahl Directs SOUVENIR, Opens Tonight At New hope Arts Center

Florence Foster Jenkins, the quirky and popular female soprano, who became famous in the 1940's for her lack of musical ability, will take center stage in Souvenir, the funny, yet touching play by Stephen Temperley. The play explores Florence Foster Jenkins' rise to fame, culminating in her sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall in 1944, proving that "practice doesn't always make perfect."

Directed by New Hope's award winning playwright, producer, director and filmmaker, Stephen Stahl, Souvenir will be the first professional theatrical production to be held at The New Hope Arts Center, 2 Stockton Avenue (corner of Stockton Avenue and Bridge Street ) since it opened its doors six years ago. Souvenir began previews on Thursday, August 20. Opening night is tonight, Friday August 21, at 8:00 p.m. The play will run every Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. through September 6, with Sunday matinees at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $30.00.

Grant Waldman is the show's producer and is co-owner of Wildflowers Restaurant in New Hope. No stranger to the arts, he produced the play Woman Behind Bars in 1995, and wrote In Lieu of Flowers, which was staged in the Towpath Theatre and restaurant in New Hope. He is also the founder of an animal rescue and shelter in Chiang Mai Thailand called THE ARK, where he rescues abandoned dogs and cats, keeping them for life, or until they are adopted. All of the net proceeds from the play will go to THE ARK, and photos of local animals that are up for adoption will be available at the theatre. He graduated from New York University with a degree in journalism.

Casey Molino Dunn is known for his rich baritone voice plus his range of dramatic and musical performances. He has appeared with Manhattan's Dicapo Opera Theatre, Mercury Opera/Rochester Philharmonic, and the Eastman Opera Theatre. Performances have also taken this Kunkletown, Pennsylvania native throughout the eastern United States as well as to Italy and China. In addition to opera, his repertoire embraces roles in Assassins, Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar, and other musicals and plays. On the concert stage he has often sung as a soloist with orchestra, including many oratorio performances. A multi-faceted musician, he is active as a keyboardist and this past year became the Director of Music at Rutherford , New Jersey's Congressional Church. He recently received a Master of Music degree from the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music and is also a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .

Stevens, a Bucks County resident, is an actress, choreographer and director, and also a trained dancer. She toured professionally with the Fort Worth Dance Theatre as its female soloist. Her major roles have been as Anita in West Side Story, Leading Player in Pippin, Miss Scarlet in Clue, Ms. Darbus in High School Musical, Joanne in Godspell, and many others. Stahl directed Stevens before, when she played the role of Rosa Gonzalez in Tennessee William's Summer and Smoke. Most recently she played the role of Costanza, speaking only Italian in Enchanted April at Town and Country Players. A former broadcaster, Stevens has had exclusive interviews with former U.S. Presidents, national sports figures, celebrities, and area heroes, including those who survived the aftermath of September 11.

In addition to the cast, noted lighting designer Ryan O'Gara will provide the lighting for Souvenir. O'Gara has done the lighting for many Broadway plays including: Gypsy; The Jersey Boys; West Side Story; and Avenue Q, among others.

Tickets are available through SmartTix.com, 877-238-5596, or at the box office.

For more information, visit www.newhopearts.org.

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