WAISTWATCHERS THE MUSICAL Opens This Week for 4-Week Run at Herberger Theater Center

After last summer's successful runs in Sacramento, Walnut Creek, and San Jose, Alan Jacobson's WaistWatchers The Musical! returns to the Herberger Theater Center from Jan. 24-Feb. 25.

WaistWatchers The Musical! takes a hilarious and lighthearted look at four women dealing with food, friendship, love, life and sex!

"There was a man behind me laughing SO hard and my 20-somethings were loving it, too!" - Sacramento audience member

"If I had known it was going to be that great, I would have gone earlier so I could go AGAIN!!" - San Jose audience member

"A fun show; the performers sell it with appealing enthusiasm."- San Jose Mercury News

"Infectious musical numbers and crazy workout choreography will have you coming back for more!" - Walnut Creek Magazine

"Singing beautifully while getting a serious gym workout!" - Arizona Republic

"You'll Burn Off Pounds Just Laughing!" - Los Angeles Times

If you struggle with managing your busy schedule, making it to the gym, and maybe just can't say no to that giant chocolate chip cookie with your name on it, you aren't alone!

"WaistWatchers the Musical!" follows the lives of four "over forty-something" women as they dish on food, diets, exercise, friendship, love and sex. The show's topics appeal to women - and men - of all ages.

In the same energetic and fun spirit as "Menopause the Musical," you'll find fun upbeat songs such as "Viagra" and "I Went to the Buffet Line," set to new original music from Vince Di Mura. The show takes place inside Miss Cook's Women's Gym in which the four women share their marital pitfalls, a "little more to love" body size issues and weakness for sweet treats.

"When I first wrote 'WaistWatchers The Musical!' I was looking to create a fun show that people of all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles could enjoy," explained the show's creator Alan Jacobson. "I couldn't think of anything more universal and topical than food. I truly don't know anyone who doesn't eat it! And people sure talk about and obsess over it. What has given me the greatest satisfaction is seeing how people respond to the show-not only with laughter and pleasure, but how so many people identify with the struggles, and are inspired to lead healthier lives. And to me, that is what theater is all about."

Alan Jacobson has produced more than 80 shows around the country and has had two, 'If You Ever Leave Me I'm Going With You" and "Down the Garden Paths," reach Broadway and Off Broadway. Not only does he fill the rolls of producer, actor, director and coach, but recently, playwright, as he wrote 'WaistWatchers The Musical." The show (which was originally titled "Food Fight") premiered in 2007 and has continued to tour nationally.

"We just finished a 40-week national tour of the show, and though very successful, we still envision greater things," said the show's creator Alan Jacobson. "Together with our director, Matt Silva, we decided we would inject the show with Vince Di Mura's new, original music set to my existing lyrics, incorporating more variety and a style all our own, and which would free us up to be more inventive with our staging and choreography."

Producers Dana Matthow & Philip Roger Roy of Playhouse Productions are currently producing national tours of "My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm In Therapy!" "You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!," and "RESPECT - A Musical Celebration of Women.".

KILEY L. MCDONALD (Carla) While calling New York City home, Kiley has had the opportunity to perform all over the world. In 2013, Kiley premiered a new show for Tokyo Disney called "Mickey & Company," where she was the lead female vocalist. Other favorite roles include "Cabaret" (Sally Bowles), "The Legend of Julie Taymor or The Musical That Killed Everybody!" (Star Actress), "Legally Blonde" (Pilar), "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" (Woman 2), "HAIR" (Crissy), "The Three Musketeers" (Milady De Winter), "The Who's Tommy" (Mrs. Walker) and "Top Girls" (Marlene).

STEPHANIE GENOVESE (Cindy) Stephanie hosted her own television series ("Hit The Road: Texas") on the Weather Channel and has performed in venues such as The Bushnell and Lincoln Center. She has performed a range of characters in an array of productions including Shakespeare's "Tempest" (Stephano), "The Mikado" (Yum-Yum), "Shrek" (Dragon/Mama Ogre/Mama Bear), "The Who's Tommy" (Naughty Nurse) and more. She is a proud graduate of the Hartt School where she received her BFA in Musical Theater

Krissy Johnson (Cheryl) Krissy's New York credits include "Murdered by the Mob," "Forgotten Broadway" and "The WWOW Radio Mystery Hour." Regional Credits include "Houdini" at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut; "Zorro, "David Dances" and "A Christmas Carol" at the Burt Reynolds Theatre in West Palm Beach, Florida. Currently Krissy is a resident of the Philadelphia area, where she has performed leading roles in "Man of La Mancha," Big River," "High School Musical," Footloose," "Ragtime," "The Sound of Music," "Noises Off," and many more. In addition to musical theatre, she presents classical recitals and performs one woman shows at nursing and retirement homes. She received a Bachelor of Music from Trinity University in San Antonio, followed by a Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Houston.

Meagan Michelson (Swing/ASM) is elated to join the fierce broads of Cook's Women's Gym. She recently made her New York solo cabaret debut with her original, one-woman show, "Mother Mary Says to Me" at Feinstein's/54 Below. Regionally, Meagan has wreaked shrewish havoc as Domina in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" at Priscilla Beach Theatre, cross-dressed and discoed as Mia/Oberon in American Repertory Theatre's "The Donkey Show," decked the halls in Hanover Theatre's A Christmas Carol, and caused a stir as busybody Mirala in Barrington Stage Company's Fiddler on the Roof. She also toured the country as a gospel-belting octopus in ArtsPower's The Rainbow Fish. Meagan holds her M.F.A in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory and her B.A. in English from Harvard. Oh, and she can do one heck of a Cher impression.

Robin Lounsbury (Connie) is thrilled to be joining WaistWatchers The Musical! Her credits include Engeman Theatre, NY (Rosie in "Mamma Mia"), Paper Mill Playhouse, NJ (Miss Lark in "Mary Poppins"), Pittsburgh CLO, PA ("Widow Corney in "Oliver!"), North Shore, MA ("My Fair Lady"), Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, SC ("Beauty & the Beast"), Fulton Theatre, PA ("Sister Act"), Barrington Stage, MA ("Kiss Me, Kate"), Westport Country Playhouse, CT ("She Loves Me"), Proud AEA member.

ALAN JACOBSON (Creator, Book & Lyrics) is a producer, actor, director, acting coach, and with "WaistWatchers The Musical," added playwright to his resume. Alan has produced more than 80 shows around the country, and two of his shows moved to New York: "If You Ever Leave Me I'm Going With You" starring Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna to Broadway, and "Down the Garden Paths" starring Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, Off-Broadway. Mr. Jacobson has written, produced and directed over 50 cabaret shows, and is a co-founder of Broadway Theatre Cruises, a company specializing in theme packages with Broadway stars.

"Waistwatchers the Musical" was originally titled "Food Fight," which Alan wrote in 2007 and set to existing songs. The show premiered at The Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Florida in October 2007 and subsequently played in numerous cities under the original title, including Atlanta, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Birmingham, Sarasota, and on a mini-national tour in 2010. In 2013, Alan changed the title to "WaistWatchers The Musical," and productions included a six-month run at the Plaza Theatre in Manalapan Florida and three months in Coral Springs, Florida. He then turned over the producing to Playhouse Productions, and in 2016, "WaistWatchers The Musical" played three months in Phoenix and San Diego, two months in Philadelphia, three months on a California tour, and five weeks in New Jersey.

This new version of Waist Watchers features new and original music by Vince di Mura added to the show, premiering at the PGA Arts Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Alan envisions a New York run, as well as many more stops nationally and internationally.

VINCE DI MURA (Composer) is a composer, arranger, Jazz pianist and musical director. He has appeared on concert stages and theatres throughout North America, Canada, Europe and Latin America. He currently serves as the Resident Composer and Musical Director for the Lewis Center of the Arts at Princeton University. He has conducted theatre seasons at many venues, including at The Bethesda Nederlander Theatre, Laguna Playhouse and El Portal Theatre in California, The Asolo Theatre Company, Florida Studio Theatre and American Stage in Florida, The American Theatre Group, and The Little Theatre in the Rockies.

Best known for his arrangements of "My Way: A Tribute to the Music of Frank Sinatra," (with over 600 productions nationally), Vince has musical directed productions at the Blowing Rock Stage Company and Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina, Western Michigan's Cherry County Playhouse, The Barter Theatre in Virginia, and Arkansas Repertory Company in Little Rock. In 2005, Vince co-created, arranged and musical directed American Stage's production of "I Left My Heart: A Tribute to Tony Bennet," which has enjoyed multiple productions of "I Left My Heart", including successful runs at the Laguna Playhouse, Welk Resort Theatre in Escadido CA, Merry Go Round Theatre in New York, and The Phoenix Theatre in Arizona. He holds composition and jazz fellowships from the William Goldman Foundation, Temple University, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, among others

When, Where, Tickets, Etc.

WHEN: Jan. 24-Feb. 25, 2018

WHERE: Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix

PERFORMANCES: Wednesdays at 2 pm; Thursdays at 2 pm and 7 pm; Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm.

TICKETS: $50-$58 (other fees may apply) and are available by visiting www.WaistWatchersTheMusical.com or 1-855-448-7469 (1-855-HIT SHOW) or at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix, (602) 252-8497.

RUNNING TIME: 90 Minutes with No Intermission.

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