David Brannen, Leo Daignault Lead PLAID TIDINGS At The Old Globe 11/27-12/26

Executive Producer Lou Spisto today announced the complete cast and creative team for The Old Globe's special engagement of Plaid Tidings - A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid. Written, directed and choreographed by Stuart Ross, the musical will run in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre Nov. 27 - Dec. 26. Previews run Nov. 27 - Dec. 1. Opening night is Dec. 2 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office.

Plaid Tidings - A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid continues the story of the singing group whose lives were lost in an accident involving a busload of teens en route to see "The Ed Sullivan Show." Encouraged by a heavenly phone call from Rosemary Clooney, the high-spirited boys of Forever Plaid - Frankie, Sparky, Jinx and Smudge - are transported from the ethereal cosmos to stage a nostalgic holiday extravaganza for world-weary mortals on Earth. Stuffed with such "Plaid-erized" Christmas standards as "Mr. Santa," "Let It Snow" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Plaid Tidings is one holiday treat that is truly heaven-sent.

The cast of Plaid Tidings - A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid features David Brannen (Sparky), Leo Daignault (Jinx), Jason Heil (Smudge) and Michael Winther (Frankie).

The creative team includes Sean Fanning (Scenic Design), Charlotte Devaux (Costume Design), Chris Rynne (Lighting Design), Paul Peterson (Sound Design), Don LeMaster (Music Director), Steven Withers (Associate Music Director) and Liz Stephens (Stage Manager).

Forever Plaid was presented at The Old Globe in the summer of 1991 and became the must-have ticket of the season. Directed by Ross, the show proved such a success that, due to overwhelming popular demand, the production returned for a second two-month engagement the following November. For years afterwards, the Globe's costume facility created the show's unique Plaid jackets for revivals of Forever Plaid across the United States.

Running concurrently with Plaid Tidings is the Globe's 13th annual production of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The long-running holiday evergreen has become a San Diego holiday tradition and has introduced thousands of children to the joy of live theater. This year's edition runs from Nov. 20 through Dec. 26.

David Brannen has previously been seen at the Globe as The Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas ('03 and '04). He has appeared regionally as Bobby Child in Crazy for You, Bill Snibson in Me and My Girl, both Don Lockwood and CosMo Brown in Singin' in the Rain, Huck Finn in Big River, Dick in Dames at Sea, the Fiddler in Fiddler on the Roof, Frank Schultz in Show Boat, Mike in A Chorus Line and Benjamin in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Leo Daignault is a proud member of the Actors' Equity Association and lives in New York City. He returns to the Globe having previously appeared as The Grinch in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! ('05). He has appeared on Broadway in Avenue Q and has been featured in the National Tours of Avenue Q, The Full Monty, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Miss Saigon. A Plaid veteran, Daignault originated the role of Jinx in Plaid Tidings at Pasadena Playhouse and in Forever Plaid in Boston, San Diego, Tokyo and Chicago, where he won an Ollie Award for best vocal performance by a male. His regional theater credits also include Jim Henson's Emmet Otter and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (Goodspeed Musicals), Miss Saigon (The Muny), Come Rain or Come Shine (Mark Taper Forum), A Little Night Music (Apple Tree Theatre) and My Three Angels (Center Theatre). His film and television credits include How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale, "The Sopranos," "Silk Stalkings" and "Pensacola: Wings of Gold." He was also one of Rosie's Broadway Boys appearing on "The View" and "The Rachael Ray Show."

Jason Heil is proud to be making his Globe debut. His New York and regional credits include 31 Bond (Brooklyn Lyceum), Cabaret (Arkansas Repertory Theatre), The Taming of the Shrew and Dracula (Tennessee Repertory Theatre), James Joyce's The Dead (American Conservatory Theater), Richard III, Henry IV Part 1, Henry VIII, The Three Musketeers, My Fair Lady and 1776 (Utah Shakespearean Festival), Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival), Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It and Cyrano de Bergerac (Marin Shakespeare Company) and The Winter's Tale and The Learned Ladies (A Noise Within). Heil has appeared in San Diego in Lucy Simon's Zhivago (La Jolla Playhouse and New York/London readings), Noises Off (Cygnet Theatre Company), A Christmas Carol (San Diego Repertory Theatre), Three Days of Rain (Compass Theatre), Dracula (North Coast Repertory Theatre), The Goodbye Girl (Moonlight Stage Productions) and is an Associate Artist at Lamb's Players Theatre.

Michael Winther has previously appeared at the Globe in King Lear, Damn Yankees and Forever Plaid. His Broadway credits include 33 Variations, Mamma Mia!, The Crucible, 1776, Artist Descending a Staircase and Damn Yankees. He has appeared Off Broadway in Songs from an Unmade Bed (New York Theatre Workshop/CD on Ghostlight Records, 2006 Drama Desk and Drama League nominations), Radiant Baby (New York Shakespeare Festival and The Public Theater) and Hapgood (Lincoln Center Theater). His recent regional credits include Band Geeks! (Goodspeed Musicals), Grey Gardens (TheatreWorks, Palo Alto), Most Wanted (La Jolla Playhouse), Falsettos (George Street Playhouse), The Boys from Syracuse (CENTERSTAGE) and The People's Temple (Guthrie Theater and PerseveranceTheatre). Winther has recently been featured in the concerts of William Finn's Songs By Ridiculously Talented Composers... (Barrington Stage Company) and The Songs of Fred Hersch and Hear and Now (Lincoln Center's American Songbook). His recent film and television credits include Meet Dave, Jumper, The Break-Up, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, "Leverage" and "Law & Order."

Stuart Ross directed the original New York production of Forever Plaid and many of the long-running productions around the world. He also helmed Forever Plaid: The Movie, which is slated for release in the spring of 2011. The Sound of Plaid, the coed glee club version of Forever Plaid, has been performed in schools and colleges around the country. At The Old Globe, Ross also directed Michael Cristofer's play Breaking Up and The Boswell Sisters (which he co-wrote for the Globe with Mark Hampton). He directed the critically acclaimed revival of Enter Laughing: The Musical (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Award nominations) last season in New York. At The Public Theater, he wrote the script and co-wrote the lyrics for the musical Radiant Baby, based on the life of artist Keith Haring. His adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers was workshopped at Roundabout Theatre Company. On Broadway, Ross co-wrote the book (with Barry Keating) of the Tony-nominated musical Starmites as well as The Radio City Music Hall Easter Show. Off Broadway he wrote A Leap of Faith (a one-woman show for Faith Prince), The Heebie Jeebies, Not-So-New Faces, Tea with Bea and Fun with Dick and Jane: The Musical. His current projects include Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, opening this fall in Los Angeles, and the Broadway transfer of Enter Laughing: The Musical.

TICKETS to Plaid Tidings can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. Performances begin on Nov. 27 and continue through Dec. 26. Single ticket prices start at $35. Performance times: Previews: Saturday, Nov. 27 at 7:00 p.m., Sunday Nov. 28 at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7:00 p.m. Regular Performances: Tuesday-Friday at 7:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. There will be no performances on Christmas.

LOCATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego's Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Valet parking is also available ($10). For additional parking information visit www.BalboaPark.org.

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