Hilarity Ensues in Village Theatre's THE NOTEWORTHY LIFE OF HOWARD BARNES

Village Theatre is thrilled to kick off the 2018-2019 Season with the World Premiere of The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond (Romantics Annonymous at The Old Globe in London, Disney Channel's Vampirina). This production will be directed by Village Theatre associate artistic director,Brandon Ivie (Lizard Boy, Jasper in Deadland) and choreographer Al Blackstone, who was recently nominated for an Emmy for his work on the popular television show So You Think You Can Dance

The Truman Show meets Spamalot in this hysterical new musical comedy where ordinary Howard Barnes is thrust into an all-singing, all-dancing quest. "I've been working with the writers on this show here at Village for over four years," said Ivie. "It truly is one of the most hilarious shows I have ever been a part of. I am so excited to share this show with our patrons."

Village Theatre audiences may remember The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes from The 2013 Festival of New Musicals and a 2014 developmental production. "This journey has been an absolute blast," said writers Kooman and Dimond. "The general conceit of the show has allowed us to pay homage to what we love about musical theatre, poke fun at some of its sillier elements, and ultimately celebrate it as an art form. It's been a true joy to watch it come to life."

Joining Ivie and Blackstone on the production team are music director R.J. Tancioco (Hairspray, Dreamgirls), scenic designer Christopher Mumaw (Newsies), orchestrator Mike Pettry (Spongebob Squarepants on Broadway), lighting designer Aaron Copp (Newsies), and costume designer Rose Pederson (Mamma Mia! at The 5th Avenue Theatre).

Joshua Carter (Pump Boys and Dinettes, Gregory Award-winner for Little Shop of Horrors) will bring the character of Howard Barnes to life. He will be joined by a bevy of Village Theatre favorites including: Gregory Award-nominee Taryn Darr (Chicago), Jeff Steitzer (Mary Poppins on Broadway), Jasmine Jean Sim (Hairspray), Richard Peacock (Dreamgirls), Paul Flanagan (Chicago), John David Scott (Hairspray, Singin' in the Rain), Greg McCormick Allen (Mary Poppins), Nick DeSantis (Hairspray), Sarah Russell (Dreamgirls), Gregory Award-nominee Brenna Wagner (My Fair Lady), Kate E. Cook (Singin' in the Rain), and Mallory King (Singin' in the Rain, Billy Elliot), as well as the Village Theatre Mainstage debuts ofAlex Crozier (Kiss Me Kate at The 5th Avenue Theatre), Hannah Schuerman (Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion at The 5th Avenue Theatre), and Danielle Kelsey (national tours of Billy Elliot and Young Frankenstein).

Can Howard escape? Or will he be trapped with singing orphans and dancing cats... forever? Equal parts satire, romantic comedy, and love letter to the American musical, don't miss The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes. Onstage in Issaquah September 13 - October 21, 2018 before moving to Village Theatre's Everett location from October 26 - November 18, 2018.

This production is sponsored in part by Encore Media Group, 425 Magazine, KSER Independent Public Radio, ArtsFund, City of Issaquah, Microsoft, The Seattle Times, City of Everett, The Shubert Foundation, United, Snohomish County hotel-motel tax fund, and Pogacha.

Michael Kooman (music) and Christopher Dimond (book & lyrics) are a New York City-based writing team for the stage & screen. Their most recent musical, Romantics Anonymous, debuted to rave reviews at Shakespeare's Globe last fall. They also currently serve as songwriters for Vampirina, an animated musical TV series for which they have written over 100 songs. The show airs on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior, reaching over 49 million viewers in 115 countries. Their other projects include Orphie & the Book of Heroes (The Kennedy Center), The Enlightenment of Percival Von Schmootz (commissioned by the Canadian Music Theatre Project), Judge Jackie: Disorder in the Court(Pittsburgh CLO; licensed by Samuel French), Dani Girl (Exit, Pursued by a Bear; licensed by Samuel French), Golden Gate (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Homemade Fusion(London's Ambassadors Theater, Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and Junior Claus (Orlando Repertory Theatre; licensed by Dramatic Publishing). Awards and honors include the Fred Ebb Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, the Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award, the Samuel French Next Step Award, the Burton Lane Award, and the Harold Adamson Award. They are members of the Dramatists Guild and ASCAP, and are proud alumni of Carnegie Mellon University. Michael and Chris have written songs for Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patina Miller, Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells, and Wanda Sykes. Their debut album, Out of Our Heads, featuring an all-star lineup of Broadway performers, is available on iTunes.

The Village Originals program of readings, workshops, and developmental productions represents one of the strongest commitments to new musicals in the nation, developing such musicals as Pulitzer Prize-winner Next to Normal, Tony Award-winner Million Dollar Quartet, Drama Desk Award-winner Cupid & Psyche, Stephen Schwartz's Snapshots, and the Drama Desk Award-nominated It Shoulda Been You, After the Fair, and Making Tracks. Village Theatre is one of the few resident theatres to provide regular opportunities at every step of musical development, from first table reading to full-scale premiere production. Each season, new works are included as part of Village Theatre's five-show Mainstage lineup alongside the classics. Anchored by The Annual Festival of New Musicals and the Beta Series, the Village Originals program is dedicated to the continued growth and evolution of musical theatre, and a determination that the form will remain vibrant and relevant for generations to come.

Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, WA, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining, quality productions since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's best-attended theatres, with approximately 20,000 Subscribers and 220,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having supported the creation of over 160 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow's audiences through its Youth Education and Outreach programs, KIDSTAGE and Pied Piper, serving over 58,000 young people and their families annually.

villagetheatre.org/the-noteworthy-life-of-howard-barnes.php

Photo by Mark Kitaoka

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