Photo Flash: First Look at 42nd Street Moon's SATURDAY NIGHT

San Francisco's 42nd Street Moon (Daren A.C. Carollo and Daniel Thomas, Co-Executive Directors), currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary in continuous operation, has announced the full cast and creative team for the penultimate production of the 2017-2018 season: The Bay Area premiere of Stephen Sondheim's Saturday Night. Based on the play Front Porch in Flatbush by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, Saturday Night features a book by the Epstein brothers with music and lyrics by Sondheim. Saturday Night runs from March 28 - April 15, 2018 and will perform at the Gateway Theatre (formerly the Eureka Theatre). The press opening will take place on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. Tickets range from $25 - $76 and can be purchased through the Box Office at (415) 255-8207 or online at www.42ndstmoon.org.

42nd Street Moon's production of Saturday Night will be directed by Ryan Weible and choreographed by Allison Paraiso-Silicani, with Music Direction by Daniel Thomas.

The cast of Saturday Night will feature Mike Birr as "Artie," John Brown as "Crooner/Mr. Fisher/Lieutenant," Nikita Burshteyn as "Gene," Katherine Cooper as "Florence/Dakota Doran," JESSE CORTEZ as "Ted," Ayelet Firstenberg as "Celeste," Cameron La Brie as "Bobby," Jack O'Reilly as "Ray," Alison Quin as "Cotillion Guest/Clune," Nathaniel Rothrock as "Dino," DC Scarpelli as "Crooner/Pinhead/Mr. Fletcher/Headwaiter," Amie Shapiro as "Helen," Kalon Thinodeaux as "Hank" and Caitlin Waite as "Mildred."

In addition to Mr. Weible, Ms. Paraiso-Silicani and Mr. Thomas, the creative team will include Brian Watson as Set Designer, Bethany Deal as Costume Designer, Lauren Howry as Assistant Stage Manager and Kris Vecere as Production Stage Manager. Mr. Weible will also be serving as Lighting Designer.

"Saturday Night is a treat to produce for many reasons," said 42nd Street Moon Co-Executive Directors Daren A.C. Carollo and Daniel Thomas. "First and foremost is the music and lyrics of a 23-year-old Stephen Sondheim. Even though the story and songs are relatively lighthearted (especially considering some of the material Mr. Sondheim tackled later in his career), there is a maturity and wit in his music that outstrips the work of composers with decades of experience on Broadway. The show itself is also a treat for audiences - the characters are endearing, and many are hopelessly romantic and optimistic. You'll leave the theater wanting to share their joy for life and love - something that is sorely needed in today's often cynical and polarized world."

"Upon seeing his production come to life 40 years after its inception," said Director Ryan Weible, "Sondheim reflected on the work of his 23-year-old self. As any artist would in hindsight, he was struck by the things he could have done better, ultimately concluding: 'It's my baby pictures. You don't touch up a baby picture - you're a baby!' As the director of this piece, I find this sentiment to be the perfect parallel to the piece itself. Saturday Night, through its roller-coaster narrative, tells the story of rich characters who ultimately discover that who they are inherently, like a baby picture, requires no alteration."

Music Theatre International describes Saturday Night as follows: In 1953, Saturday Night was to mark the Broadway debut of a young, new writer named Stephen Sondheim. Owing to the death of the original producer, Saturday Night's New York opening was delayed some 47 years! But now it's here, brimming with all of the charm and youthful vitality of a talent blossoming into greatness.

Saturday Night tells the unassuming story of a group of Brooklyn boys, trying to make good in the stock market in 1929. Unfortunately, one of them, Gene, is so eager to climb the social ladder and impress his sweetheart that he invests his friends' money in a swank apartment near the Brooklyn Bridge, even going so far as to sell the gang's precious automobile!

Based on a play by two brothers who were responsible for the classic film, Casablanca, Saturday Night features a fetching, tuneful Broadway-style score that hints at Sondheim's triumphs-to-come while staying firmly rooted in the Rodgers and Hammerstein tradition. Saturday Night is a nostalgic charmer that will appeal to every audience and is a must for Sondheim fans.

Saturday Night runs about two hours and fifteen minutes, including one intermission.

Following Saturday Night, 42nd Street Moon's 25th Anniversary season will conclude with the hilarious British "Lambeth Walk" musical Me and My Girl by Noel Gay, Douglas Furber, and L. Arthur Rose, revised by Stephen Fry with contributions by Mike Ockrent (May 2-20, 2018). All performances will take place at The Gateway Theatre (215 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94111). The 2018-2019 season will be announced shortly. More information about 42nd Street Moon is available online at www.42ndstmoon.org.Tickets to Saturday Night and Me and My Girl may be purchased online at www.42ndstmoon.org or by calling the Box Office at (415) 255-8207 (Tues. - Fri., 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.).

42nd Street Moon celebrates and preserves the art and spirit of the American Musical Theatre. The organization contributes to its evolution and continuing vitality by presenting intimately produced performances of classic and rarely performed musical works. Through productions, educational programs, and community outreach, 42nd Street Moon is committed to increasing the awareness and appreciation of the rich heritage and cultural perspective of the musical theatre and its vast influence on the world stage. For more information, visit: www.42ndstmoon.org.

Photo Credit: Ben Krantz Studio

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