Diversionary Presents [title of show] 7/8-8/8

To kick-off their 25th Anniversary Year, Diversionary Theatre will stage the musical [title of show] as the first show of its 2010-2011 season. [title of show] has music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and the book is by Hunter Bell. Diversionary's production will be helmed by James Vasquez, with musical direction by Tim McKnight. The cast of four features Tony Houck, Heather Paton, Karson St. John and Tom Zohar. [title of show] is an official event of San Diego LGBT Pride.

Just since January, productions of [title of show] have opened in St. Louis, Boston, Detroit, Tuscon/Phoenix, Pittsburgh, New Haven, Washington D.C., New Orleans, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Melbourne, Australia. Diversionary's production will be the West Coast Premiere of the musical.

[title of show] is the story of two struggling young writers writing a new musical about two struggling young writers writing a new musical! Jeff Bowen (Music & Lyrics) and Hunter Bell (Book) decide to submit something for the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival just three weeks before the deadline. They began chronicling their own process and crafted an original story that just happens to be (with some artistic license taken) autobiographical, so they cast themselves in the roles along with their two friends, Susan and Heidi. The evolution of [title of show], from its smash debut at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in the fall of 2004, to its successful Off-Broadway run at the Vineyard Theatre in February 2006, to its debut on Broadway in July, 2008, is chronicled in this "zesty, sweet and charming new musical." (The New York Times).

The boys (Jeff and Hunter) have a blurb on the [title of show] website (www.titleofshow.com) that reads, in part, ‘The New York Times called [title of show] "delectable entertainment! A postmodern homage to the grand tradition of backstage musicals like Babes in Arms, Kiss Me, Kate and A Chorus Line."' Jeff and Hunter are also well-known as the creators of the popular web series "the [title of show] show" (www.youtube.com/user/titleofshow).

Diversionary Theatre was started in 1986. The mission of the theatre is to produce plays with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes that portray characters in their complexity and diversity both historically and contemporarily.

[title of show] previews Thursday and Friday, July 8 and 9, opens on Saturday, July 10 and runs through Sunday, August 8. Food for the opening night party will be provided by Parkhouse Eatery. Performance times are: Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 3:00 and 8:00pm, Sunday at 2:00pm, with a pay-what-you-can performance on Monday, July 26 at 7:30pm. Single tickets are $33-$35 with discounts available for students, seniors (60+), military and groups (10 or more). Season subscriptions are also available for the six-show mainstage season. For information, call the box office at 619.220.0097 or log on to www.diversionary.org.

Financial support for Diversionary Theatre is provided in part by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.

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