FUNNY GIRL Closes 8/15 Sacramento Music Circus, WONDERETTES Opens 8/17

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of "Spamalot," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "The Marvelous Wonderettes" and new stagings of "Oklahoma!," "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "42nd Street" and "Funny Girl," the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

By popular demand, "Funny Girl," the 1964 musical biography of Vaudeville legend Fanny Brice, will return to Music Circus for the first time in 18 years August 10-15. The celebrated musical comedy includes extravagant Ziegfeld-style production numbers as well as intimate songs like "People" as it follows Brice's career from ugly duckling to headliner. Artistic Director Glenn Casale, who directed the 1992 Music Circus production starring Laurie Beechman, will direct the 2010 production.  "Funny Girl" will star Vicki Lewis, best known for the sitcom NewsRadio, as Fanny Brice.  It will also feature Brad Little as Nicky Arnstein, along with Alix Korey (Mrs. Brice), Helen Geller (Mrs. Strakosh), Michael Paternostro (Eddie Ryan), Ron Wisniski (Florenz Ziegfeld, Junior), and Jennie Scott (Mrs. Meeker).

The original creative team of the recent New York hit "The Marvelous Wonderettes" will recreate the magic  along with members of the original off-Broadway cast August 17-22. This Music Circus premiere will take the audience back to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where they will meet the Wonderettes, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their voices. Nearly every song from the era that was made famous by a girl group or female vocalist is highlighted in this cotton candy-colored blast from the past, including "Lollipop," "It's My Party" and "It's In His Kiss." Creator Roger Bean will direct.  The production will star Lindsey Mendez (Betty Jean), Lowe Taylor (Cindy Lou), Misty Cotton (Missy), and Bets Malone (Suzy).

The season will close with "42nd Street" August 24-29. The stage adaptation of the 1933 movie musical is being produced at Music Circus for the first time since 1999 and only the third time ever. The winner of the 1981 Tony Award® for best musical, "42nd Street" is famous for its show-stopping precision tap dancing, its unforgettable Harry Warren songs like "We're in the Money," "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" and "Lullaby of Broadway," and for being the quintessential chorus-girl-becomes-a-star backstage musical.  The production will star Patrick Ryan Sullivan (Julian Mars), Dee Hoty (Dorothy Brock), Zachary Berger (Billy Lawlor), Melissa Lone (Peggy Sawyer), Susan Cella (Maggie Jones), James Patterson (Bert Barry), Kim Arnett (Anytime Annie), Ron Wisniski (Mac/Thug/Doctor), Gordon Goodman (Pat Denning), and Lew Lloyd (Abner Dillon).

Music Circus was founded in 1951 as the first professional musical theatre in the round west of the Mississippi. Until 2002, its first-class summer stock productions were presented under a canvas tent, the last of its kind in the country. In 2003, the company introduced its new, modern tent-theatre, the Wells Fargo Pavilion, which combines the traditional Arena Stage with improved audience comfort. Music Circus is the largest, continually operating musical theatre-in-the-round in the country, making it a landmark in the professional theatre community. Music Circus operates under a contract with Actors Equity Association, the union for professional actors in the United States, and the majority of the principal and ensemble cast have extensive Broadway and national tour credits.

Season-ticket reservations can be made by phone at (916) 557-1999. The seven-show packages are $299 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $235 for Thursday matinee and $285 for all other performances.

Discounts are available for groups of 12 or more by calling the group sales department at (916) 557-1198. Groups can reserve seven-show or single-show packages.

Single show tickets are $53 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $41 for Thursday matinee and $50 for all other performances. All ticket prices include a facility fee.  Three-show Mini-Series ticket packages are also available.

For more information, visit the theater's website at http://www.californiamusicaltheatre.com/

 

Photo Credit: Linda Lenzi

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