World Premiere Musical PRIDE & PREJUDICE Rings In The Holidays At TheatreWorks

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley rings in the holidays with the new musical Pride and Prejudice, the 2019 Tony-winning company's 70th World Premiere. Based on Jane Austen's iconic novel, this engaging work features book, music, and lyrics by Paul Gordon, whose musicals include TheatreWorks favorites Jane Austen's EMMA, Daddy Long Legs, and the Tony-nominated Broadway musical Jane Eyre. Pride and Prejudice follows delightfully liberated Lizzie Bennet and dashing, disdainful Mr. Darcy as they discover the irresistible power of love. A favorite from TheatreWorks's 2018 New Works Festival, this brand new musical romantic comedy will be directed by TheatreWorks's Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley.

Pride and Prejudice will be presented December 4, 2019 - January 4, 2020 (press opening: December 7) at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto. For tickets ($30-$100) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (650) 463-1960.

TheatreWorks has assembled a stellar cast for this production. Making their TheatreWorks Silicon Valley debuts, Mary Mattison stars as Lizzie Bennet and Justin Mortelliti stars as Mr. Darcy. Mattison has been seen onstage at the Northern Carolina Theatre and Theatre Raleigh, and in readings of Clueless, The Musical and Superhero at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center. Her television credits include CBS's "Blue Bloods." Mortelliti was seen on Broadway in Escape to Margaritaville and Off-Broadway in The New Group's Clueless, The Musical and The Columbine Project, for which he received an Artistic Director's Achievement Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama. His regional credits include starring in the original Las Vegas cast of Rock of Ages and performing at regional theatres including La Jolla Playhouse and The Wallis Annenberg Center. His film and TV work includes Netflix's "Orange is the New Black," CBS's "Numb3rs," AMC's "TURN: Washington's Spies," and Nickelodeon's "Victorious," in addition to performing as the musical guest for CBS's "The Queen Latifah Show."

The Bennet sisters will be played by Sharon Rietkerk (Jane), Melissa WolfKlain (Mary), Tara Kostmayer (Lydia), and Chanel Tilghman (Kitty). Originating the role of Jane Bennet in the 2018 TheatreWorks New Works Festival, Sharon Rietkerk returns to TheatreWorks where she won San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle (SFBATCC) Award for her performance in Triangle, a Theatre Bay Area (TBA) award for Marry Me a Little, received a SFBATCC Award nomination for her performance in The Secret Garden, and was also seen in Cyrano, Little Women, and the 2015 production of Jane Austen's EMMA. Other awards include a TBA Award for Born Yesterday at Center REPertory Company. Rietkerk has also performed onstage at Old Globe Theater, San Jose Repertory Theatre, 42nd Street Moon, and American Conservatory Theater, in concerts with the San Francisco Symphony and Chicago Cubs, and was seen in Streaming Musical's filmed theatrical production of Emma. Originating the role of Mary Bennet in the 2018 TheatreWorks New Works Festival, Melissa WolfKlain returns to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where she was nominated for a SFBATCC Award for her performance in the World Premiere of Tinyard Hill and was seen in TheatreWorks New Works Festival workshops of Caraboo and Asphalt Beach. Receiving a 2019 TBA Award nomination for Dames at Sea at 42nd Street Moon, she also won SFBATCC Awards for her performances in Broadway by the Bay's Singin' in the Rain and Crazy for You. Seen in the national tours of White Christmas and 42nd Street, WolfKlain has also performed at regional theatres including San Francisco Playhouse, Hillbarn Theatre, and Arizona Repertory Theatre, and her film and TV credits include FOX TV's "America's Most Wanted" and Lifetime's "The Truth about Jane." Making her TheatreWorks Silicon Valley debut, Tara Kostmayer has been seen Off-Broadway in A Chorus Line at Encores! New York City Center and has performed regionally at theatres including La Jolla Playhouse. Making her TheatreWorks Silicon Valley debut, Chanel Tilghman has been seen in productions at Berkeley Playhouse and Bay Area Musicals.

Returning to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where he was seen in Little Women, Christopher Vettel plays Mr. Bennet, the patriarch of the Bennet family. Seen in a national tour of Sunset Boulevard and 30th Anniversary national tour of Annie, Vettel has performed in the German company of Really Useful Group's production of Sunset Boulevard, the European tour of Cabaret, and Cameron Mackintosh/ JAR production's Hey, Mr. Producer!. Vettel has also performed Off-Broadway at New York Musical Festival and Westside Theatre, and his regional theatre credits include San Jose Repertory Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, 42nd Street Moon, and San Jose Stage Company. Originating the role in the 2018 TheatreWorks New Works Festival, Heather Orth makes her TheatreWorks mainstage debut as Mrs. Bennet, the matriarch of the Bennet family. Receiving 2019 TBA Award nominations for her performances in Sweeney Todd at Hillbarn Theatre, Passion at Custom Made Theatre Company, and Sister Act at Broadway by the Bay, Orth has won TBA Awards for her performances in Sister Act at Berkeley Playhouse and The Boys from Syracuse at 42nd Street Moon. Orth has won SFBATCC Awards for her performances in Jesus Christ Superstar at Ray of Light Theatre and The Secret Garden at 42nd Street Moon, as well as for Chess and Grey Gardens at Custom Made Theatre Company. Orth has also performed at Feinstein's at the Nikko and with Symphony Silicon Valley.

Seen as Miles Tuck in last season's Tuck Everlasting, Travis Leland returns to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley as Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy's charming, well-mannered friend. Leland's other TheatreWorks credits include the 2017 production of Rags and the 2015 production of Jane Austen's EMMA. Leland has also performed at The Geffen Playhouse and the Wallis Annenberg Center. Originating the roles of Caroline Bingley and Kitty Bennet in the 2018 TheatreWorks New Works Festival, Monique Hafen Adams makes her TheatreWorks Silicon Valley mainstage debut as Miss Caroline Bingley, Mr. Bingley's snooty sister. Also seen in TheatreWorks New Works Festival workshops of Eric Hermannson's Soul and Past, Present, and Future, Adams's honors include SFBATCC Awards for She Loves Me, Company, My Fair Lady, and Camelot at San Francisco Playhouse and The Liar at Center REPertory Company, as well as a TBA Award for Threepenny Opera at San Jose Stage Company. Adams has performed at theatres across the Bay Area including American Conservatory Theater, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Hillbarn Theatre, and Pear Theatre.

Making his TheatreWorks Silicon Valley debut, Taylor Crousore plays Mr, Wickham, a handsome soldier who catches the eye of the Bennet sisters. Crousore's Off-Broadway credits include A Musical About Star Wars, NEWSical the Musical, and Forbidden Broadway. He has also performed in The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival and at Carnegie Hall and trained with the Upright Citizens Brigade. Originating the role in the 2018 TheatreWorks Festival, Dani Marcus returns to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley as Charlotte Lucas, a friend of Lizzie Bennet. Playing Harriet Smith in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 2007 World Premiere production of Jane Austen's EMMA, Marcus reprised the role in productions of the musical across the country at The Old Globe, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and in Streaming Musical's filmed theatrical production. Marcus was seen in the national tour of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and her New York theatre credits include performances at National Yiddish Theatre and New York Musical Festival. Marcus won a SFBATCC Award for her performance in Beggar's Holiday at Marin Theatre Company and appeared in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 2003 production of A Little Night Music. She has also performed at regional theatres including San Jose Repertory Theatre, Center REPertory Company, and Broadway by the Bay. Marcus was seen in FX Network's "Lucky" and her voice can be heard in "Pokémon: The Dragon Master's Path" and "Pokémon: Keeping in Top Forme."

Originating the role in the 2018 TheatreWorks New Works Festival, Brian Herndon returns to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley as Mr. Collins, a pompous clergyman. Playing Mr. Elton in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 2007 and 2015 productions of Jane Austen's EMMA, Herndon reprised the role in productions of the musical across the country at The Old Globe, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Arizona Theatre Company, and in Streaming Musical's filmed theatrical production. Herndon has appeared in many TheatreWorks Silicon Valley productions including Rags, Being Earnest, The Elephant Man, The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue, and the World Premiere of A Little Princess. Other theatre credits include performances at Marin Theatre Company, San Francisco Playhouse, Aurora Theatre Company, Center REPertory Company, 42nd Street Moon, Berkeley Playhouse, and Shotgun Players. Originating the role in the 2018 TheatreWorks New Works Festival, Lucinda Hitchcock Cone returns to TheatreWorks as Lady Catherine de Bourgh, an imposing noblewoman who is Mr. Darcy's aunt. Cone returns to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where she was most recently seen in last season's Tuck Everlasting, in addition to appearing in Outside Mullingar, Ragtime, and Cabaret. Cone has also performed in the National Tour of Big River and regionally at American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage Company, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and others. Cone has won SFBATCC Awards for her performances in River's End and Lips Together Teeth Apart at Marin Theatre Company, Night of Hunter at Willows Theatre, and Mad World. Rounding out the ensemble is Sean Fenton, who returns to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley where he was seen in the World Premiere of The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga and the 2003 production of A Little Night Music. Receiving a 2014 TBA Award for his performance in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon at Bay Area Children's Theatre, Fenton has also performed at Custom Made Theatre Company, Broadway by the Bay, and Foothill Music Theatre.

Paul Gordon (Book, Music & Lyrics) received a Tony Award nomination in 2000 for composing the music and lyrics for the acclaimed Broadway musical Jane Eyre, seen at TheatreWorks in 2003. Gordon penned the music, lyrics, and book for the sensational TheatreWorks hit, Jane Austen's EMMA (TheatreWorks 2007 & 2015), and the music and lyrics to the TheatreWorks holiday favorite Daddy Long Legs (2010 & 2016). He also provided the music, lyrics, and book for Sense and Sensibility, which received its world premiere by Chicago Shakespeare in 2015. His other credits include writing music and lyrics for Greetings From Venice Beach and The Magnificent Ambersons. Gordon has written for, and collaborated with, numerous recording artists, including Bette Midler, Quincy Jones, Alanis Morissette, Smokey Robinson, and Dionne Warwick, has several hit songs to his credit, and is the recipient of nine ASCAP awards for songwriting.

In his 50th and final season at the helm of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Robert Kelley (Director) is TheatreWorks's Founder and Artistic Director and has served as artistic head of the company since its inception in 1970. He has directed more than 175 TheatreWorks productions, including many world and regional premieres. In 2003 Kelley was honored with the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle (SFBATCC) Paine Knickerbocker Award for Lifetime Achievement, and in 2016 was awarded the Jerry Friedman Lifetime Achievement Award from the SFBATCC. Recently nominated for a 2019 TBA Award for his direction of Tuck Everlasting, he received a TBA Award for his direction of Daddy Long Legs and SFBATCC Awards for Outstanding Direction for his productions of Into the Woods, Pacific Overtures, Rags, Sweeney Todd, Another Midsummer Night, Sunday in the Park with George, Jane Eyre, and Caroline, or Change.

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary Season, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is the recipient of the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award. With over 100,000 patrons per year, the Palo Alto-based theatre company has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity, often presenting Bay Area theatregoers with their first look at acclaimed musicals, comedies, and dramas, directed by award-winning local and guest directors, and performed by professional actors cast locally and from across the country.

Media sponsor for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 2019/2020 season is the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGATE.

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