Powerhouse Creative Team Drives Arizona Theatre Company Production Of THE MUSIC MAN

When Arizona Theatre Company (David Ivers, Artistic Director; Billy Russo, Managing Director) brings the iconic The Music Man to Tucson and Phoenix, a powerhouse behind-the-scenes creative team will dramatically shape the on-stage experience for both patrons and performers.

As part of ATC's Arizona Artist Initiative celebrating Arizona artists, three of Broadway's most renowned designers, scenic design Tony Award-winner Scott Pask (The Pillowman, The Coast of Utopia, The Book of Mormon); Tucson native and pioneering sound designer Abe Jacob, whose achievements include the groundbreaking rock-and-roll sound system for the 1969 Broadway hit Hair; and fellow Tucson native and legendary lighting designer Philip Rosenberg (Pretty Woman: The Musical, The Elephant Man, Gentleman's Guide to Love an Murder)will play key roles.

"To bring a team with this incredible talent to Tucson and Phoenix is a major coup for Arizona Theatre Company because you rarely see professionals of their stature working regional theater productions, particularly at the same time," said Ivers, who will direct The Music Man. "That Scott, Abe and Philip have strong connections to Arizona is an added bonus that we are very excited about."

They will join costume designer Margaret Neville (American Conservatory Theater, The Guthrie Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theater, The Public Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Musical Director Gregg Coffin (Arizona Theatre Company, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Shakespeare Santa Cruz) and choreographer Jaclyn Miller, (Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston, the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Gammage). Glenn Bruner is the Stage Manager.

The Music Man will be on stage at Tucson's Temple of Music & Art from Dec. 1-30 and at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix from Jan. 5-27, 2019.

Pask, who lives in Tucson's Catalina Foothills and whose home was featured in The New York Times Style magazine, has designed more than 50 Broadway productions and is currently represented with five Broadway shows. This season, he received Tony Award nominations for The Band's Visitand Mean Girls. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture and received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from UofA in 2014.

Jacob's credits include the original Broadway productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, The Who's Tommy, A Chorus Line, Chicago, Evita, The Rocky Horror Show and Cats, among others. He also did sound for the Mamas & The Paps, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Paul and Mary and the Beatles' last touring concert. Honored twice by the United States Institute for Theater Technology, he is credited with bringing sound design to theater's creative elements.

Rosenberg, whose grandfather was an ATC board member and interim CEO, has contributed to productions on and off-Broadway, in regional theaters nationwide and on the West End in London. Before launching his own design career, he was associate lighting designer on more than 35 Broadway plays and musicals. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona Theatre Arts Program.

Tickets for The Music Man are now on sale at www.arizonatheatre.org or at the Temple of Music & Art and Herberger Theater Center box offices.

The 2018/2019 season is dedicated to Geri Silvi, ATC's long-time Box Office Manager in Phoenix. The season is sponsored by I. Michael and Beth Kasser.

ATC has standardized curtain times in Tucson and Phoenix. Performance times will be: Tuesdays through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. and all matinees will be held at 2:00 p.m.

For more information about season-ticket subscription, go to www.arizonatheatre.org or call the box office in Tucson at (520) 622-2823 or in Phoenix at (602) 256-6995.

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