David M. Lutken Plays Title Role in 'WOODY SEZ', Starting Tonight at Seattle Rep

The internationally acclaimed tale, Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie, is coming to Seattle Repertory Theatre. This musical portrait, featuring Woody's stirring ballads and joyous anthems, celebrates the colorful life and rich musical legacy of America's great folk troubadour.

Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie will run tonight, January 6, through January 29, 2017 (opening night is January 11, 2017) in the Bagley Wright Theatre. Tickets are on sale now through the Seattle Rep Box Office at 206.443.2222 and online at seattlerep.org.

This tumultuous, tragic, touching, and joyful tale of "America's greatest folk poet," told in his own words, features "Bound for Glory," "Pastures of Plenty," "The Ballad of Tom Joad," "This Land is Your Land," and two dozen more of Woody Guthrie's indelible protest songs. Celebrating one of the giants of American music, this joyful, uplifting narrative about a man's difficult life during difficult times is a tale of struggle, activism, patriotism, and commitment.

Having played in over 50 cities in the U.S., United Kingdom, Middle East, China and across Europe, this production will now be shared in Seattle. "It is a joy for us to have the talented David M. Lutken, who devised Woody Sez, reprising his role as Guthrie along with a fantastic, versatile cast of actor/musicians who not only play a wide range of instruments, but also bring to life the many characters who peopled Guthrie's fascinating life," said Artistic Director Braden Abraham.

In addition to Mr. Lutken, the production includes Darcie Deaville and Helen Jean Russell, both from the original cast, as well as multi-instrumentalist David Finch. The creative team includes Nick Corley (Director), Jeffery Meek; (Costume Designer); Robert J. Aguilar (Lighting Designer); Nathan Kahler (Sound Designer); Luke Hegel-Cantarella (Scenic Designer); Michael B. Paul (Stage Manager); Bryan Burch (Assistant Stage Manager).

About David M. Lutken (Deviser)
Broadway: Inherit the Wind ('07); Ring of Fire; The Civil War; The Will Rogers Follies. Off-Broadway: Southern Comfort; Stars in Your Eyes; Winter Man; Woody Guthrie's American Song; The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show. With the NY City Opera, he appeared in Benjamin Britten's Paul Bunyan as the Balladeer. RegionalUK: Dark of the Moon; Bonnie and Clyde; A Month in the Country. Regional U.S.: Man of La Mancha; Big River; Elmer Gantry; Finian's Rainbow; Fire on the Mountain; Buddy; Pump Boys and Dinettes; Stand By Your Man; The Love List; Death in England; Smoke on the Mountain; The Man Who Came to Dinner; On Golden Pond; and In the Deep Heart's Core. Originally from Dallas, Texas, David studied acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The 92nd St. Y, with the North Carolina Symphony, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, and The Louisiana Hayride. With his original show, Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie, he and his company have toured Europe, The British Isles, The U.S., the Middle East, and China. David won the Helen Hayes and the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Woody Guthrie.

About Nick Corley (Director/Co-Adviser)
West End and A.R.T. directing debut with Woody Sez. (The Evening Standard Award "Best Musical" nomination) He has directed many world premieres including Woody Sez for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the off-Broadway/NY productions of Tall Grass, Flight (Callaway Award nomination), About Face (NYMF Best Direction nomination), Fables In Slang, Tim and Scrooge, The Overcoat, and Tallboy Walkin'. Regional premieres include The Civil War (co-directed with Gregory Boyd at Houston's Alley Theatre), A Young Lady of Fashion (Fulton Opera House -also co-author), and Eliot Ness...in Cleveland (Denver Theatre Centre - also a co-author). As former Artistic Director of Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, he directed Sweeney Todd (starring Jeff McCarthy and Emily Skinner), The Music Man, The Who's Tommy, and Steel Magnolias. Other directing credits include The Bomb-itty of Errors(Adirondack Theatre Festival and St. Louis Rep. - four Kevin Kline nominations), Mother Russia(Carnegie Hall), The Little Foxes (Fulton Opera House), and The Robber Bridegroom, Drood, Man of La Mancha, Bat Boy, A Little Night Music, and Lucky Stiff, all for The Commons Group in Vermont. He has directed over 100 workshops and readings, many of them for NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. His appearances as a performer include Broadway (Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol, She Loves Me), off-Broadway, regional theatre, film (Kissing Jessica Stein), recordings, and television.

IF YOU GO:

Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie

devised by David M. Lutken with Nick Corley, Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell, and Andy Teirstein
directed by Nick Corley

January 6-29, 2017
Performance times: Wednesday-Sunday and select Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Select Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday matinees at 2:00 p.m. (no matinees during previews)
Opening Night: Wednesday, January 11 at 7:30 p.m.

At Seattle Repertory Theatre's Bagley Wright Theatre, located at Seattle Center at the corner of Second Ave. and Mercer St., Seattle, Washington.

Tickets Start at $17 - ON SALE NOW
Discounted tickets for groups of 10+ may be purchased by calling 206.443-2224.
For ticket reservations, call the Seattle Repertory Theatre Box Office at 206.443.2222 or toll-free at 877.900.9285, or go online at seattlerep.org.

Seattle Rep was founded in 1963 and is currently led by Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann. One of America's premier not-for-profit resident theatres, Seattle Repertory Theatre has achieved international renown for its consistently high production and artistic standards, and was awarded the 1990 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. With an emphasis on entertaining plays of true dramatic and literary worth, Seattle Rep produces a season of plays along with educational programs, new play workshops, and special presentations.

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