It's November 21, 1963. On the eve of their deployment to a small but growing conflict in Southeast Asia, three young Marines set out for one final boys' night of debauchery, partying and maybe a little trouble. But when Corporal Eddie Birdlace meets Rose, an awkward and idealistic waitress he enlists to win a cruel bet with his fellow recruits, she rewrites the rules of the game and teaches him the power of love and compassion.
Dogfight, with music and lyrics by 2017 Tony Award winners Benj Pasek & Justin Paul and book by Peter Duchan is based on the Warner Bros. film and screenplay by Bob Comfort.
"In Dogfight we are transported back to the 1960s by the narrative of Eddie Birdlace, a U.S. Marine returning from Vietnam...and one who has been fractured and broken by the extreme nature of war," explained Brelby Artistic Director and Dogfight director, Shelby Maticic. "We have the opportunity to see him as a young and idealistic boy in 1963 through flashbacks to the infamous evening of the show's major event, the dogfight."
"This show weaves through some incredibly difficult topics and we're working hard to portray them with care and precision," Maticic continued. "From the emotional and physical repercussions of war to the way our society has treated women over the past several decades, there has been a magnitude of complicated content to address," she said.
"Despite the heavy nature of some of the themes, the show is beautifully written and composed. Pasek and Paul have been one of my favorite songwriting teams for years, and I'm excited to finally bring one of their productions to life at Brelby. Dogfight is an impactful story, and our entire team is honored to be presenting the Arizona premiere in Glendale this summer," Maticic concluded.
Dogfight opens July 14 at 7:30pm. Subsequent performances are July 15, 21-22, 28-29, August 4-5 at 7:30pm and July 16, 23, 30 at 2PM.
Brelby partners with local downtown Glendale businesses to offer more options for audience members. By showing their digital ticket, audiences can receive 10% off of their bill at the Hop Stop Diner, 10% off of any entrée at Haus Murphy's Restaurant, and 10% off of a customer's bill at the Olde Towne Glendale (OTG) Beer & Wine Bar or the Gaslight Inn.
Tickets are available by visiting the official website, brelby.com/tickets. General admission is $25 per performance. Admission is included in the benefits of Brelby's ShowGO subscription: brelby.com/showgo. The Brelby Playhouse is located at 7154 N 58th Dr, Glendale, AZ 85301.
The Dogfight cast:
Rose Fenny - Kinsey Peotter (Brelby stage debut)
Eddie Birdlace - Joshua Lindblom (Brelby stage debut)
Bernstein - Ryan Malikowski (Brelby stage debut)
Boland - Nicholas Gearing (Brelby stage debut)
Marcy - Amelia Huot (Brelby stage debut)
Fector - Jack Taylor (Brelby stage debut)
Stevens - Karson Cook (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)
Gibbs - Ricco Machado Torres (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)
Lounge Singer - Kevin Fenderson (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)
Ensemble Women - Kendra Schroeder (Brelby stage debut), Melody Chrispen (Be a Good Little Widow,Ghost the Musical), Allison Bauer (Cold War Kids, Ghost the Musical) , Sophia Chavez (Brelby stage debut), Jaqueline Anderson (Brelby stage debut)
The Dogfight Production team:
Director/Choreographer - Shelby Maticic (Ghost the Musical, Little Women the Musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell)
Asst. Director - Zachary Arnold (Ghost the Musical, Little Women the Musical)
Music Director - CJ O'Hara (Ghost the Musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Miscast Concert)
The Stage Management Team - Anabel Olguin & Rylee Garvine
Scenic Design - Brian Maticic
Lighting Design - Chelsea Jauregui
Sound Design - Clayton Caufman
Hair & Makeup Design - Jessie Tully
Costume Design - Marina Sharpe
Prop Design - Megan O'Connor
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