MURDER FOR TWO Kicks Off Rehearsals This Week in Seattle

This week The 5th Avenue Theatre and ACT - A Contemporary Theatre plot their first step in musical mayhem and begin rehearsals for the drop dead funny musical comedy Murder for Two.

With direction and choreography by Daniel Knechtges, this madcap tale was written by Joe Kinosian and Carnation, Washington, native Kellen Blair.

Seattle musical theatre favorite Richard Gray and piano-playing wunderkind Chris DiStefano star in this theatrical duet where one actor (DiStefano) investigates the crime; the other (Gray) plays 10 different suspects-and together they comprise the entire orchestra. A zany blend of classic musical comedy and madcap mystery, this ninety-minute whodunit is a highly theatrical duet loaded with killer laughs. Murder for Two is the perfect blend of murder, music and mayhem!

Murder for Two runs March 25 - June 11, 2017 (press night Thursday, March 30) at ACT - A Contemporary Theatre (700 Union Street, Seattle). For tickets starting at $49 (starting at $15 for students) and information, visit www.acttheatre.org or call the ACT Box Office at (206) 292-7676.

"Murder for Two is the kind of fast-paced brilliant comedy that you absolutely cannot do without top-notch talent, not to mention extremely nimble piano players," said 5th Avenue Theatre Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong. "We are so fortunate here in Seattle to have the brilliant Richard Gray-an actor, singer, dancer, musician, composer and more. And we are thrilled to present Chris DiStefano, whom we have long worked with in our music department, in his Seattle acting debut. This show would not be possible without the level of talent and dedication they will bring to the stage."

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Richard Gray has appeared in previous 5th Avenue Theatre/ACT co-productions including Assassins (Charles Guiteau) and First Date (Server), as well as ACT Productions of A Marvelous Party and Jumpers. His 24 productions with The 5th Avenue Theatre include The Music Man (Marcellus), Spamalot (Sir Bedevere) and A Room With A View (Reverend Beeber). Other favorites include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Baron Bomburst) at SCT, and The Producers (Max Bialystock) and Chicago (Amos Hart), both at Village Theatre. As a composer, Gray's musical scores include Cold Turkey, Love Is Love, Time Again in Oz, Lyle the Crocodile, The Flea and The Professor (Barrymore Award for Best Musical), Dick Whittington and His Cat (Gregory Award nomination for Best Musical) and The Long Game.

Chris DiStefano makes his 5th Avenue Theatre/ACT acting debut in Murder for Two. Previous ACT credits include music director for A Christmas Carol and Grey Gardens (co-production with The 5th Avenue Theatre). Other credits include the national tours of The Wizard of Oz and Annie: The 30th Anniversary. He also works as a private vocal coach. Yourmindonsinging.com.

Joe Kinosian (Book and Music) is the co-recipient of Chicago's Joseph Jefferson Award recognizing Murder for Two as Best New Musical following its record-breaking run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Kinosian was also nominated for Best Actor as The Suspects. Murder for Two had its Off-Broadway premiere at Second Stage Uptown, going on to a year-long run at New World Stages. Kinosian's work with Kellen Blair has been showcased at The Kennedy Center, The York Theater and on Broadway at the Theatre World Awards. Kinosian received the ASCAP Foundation Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award and the Harrington Award from the BMI Workshop. Kinosian also appeared in Dirty Blonde with Emily Skinner (Hangar Theater) and the NYC premiere of Dear Edwina Off-Broadway. www.kinosianandblair.com.

A native of Carnation, Washington, Kellen Blair (Book and Lyrics) is the Drama Desk nominated co-creator of Murder for Two (Off-Broadway: Second Stage Theatre and New World Stages. World premiere: Chicago Shakespeare Theater). The show is currently touring internationally (with productions in Tokyo, Shanghai, Buenos Aires and the UK). Blair and co-writer Joe Kinosian are the recipients of the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Musical Work in Chicago (2011) and the ASCAP Foundation Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award (2013).Their work has been showcased on Broadway, the Kennedy Center, and theaters across the country. They're currently developing an original musical farce with Second Stage Theatre in NYC. Blair is also the lyricist of Scrooge in Love (42nd Street Moon, 2015 and 2016), for which he and composer Larry Grossman won the 2015 Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for Best Score.

Daniel Knechtges returns to The 5th Avenue Theatre, having previously co-directed and choreographed Waterfall. Broadway credits include Lysistrata Jones (direction and choreography), Xanadu (directed by Chris Ashley, Tony nomination, Drama Desk nomination), Sondheim on Sondheim, 110 in The Shade (starring Audra McDonald) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (directed by James Lapine). His Off-Broadway credits also include Tail! Spin! (starring Rachel Dratch), Clinton the Musical, Lysistrata Jones for the Transport Group, Merrily We Roll Along for Encores, Vanities and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Second Stage, which earned him a Lucille Lortel Award nomination. Knechtges' film and television choreography can be seen in the Todd Solondz's movies Dark Horse and Palindromes, Fatboy Slim's music video "It's a Wonderful Night" (which reached #1 in the U.K.), White Collar and the 2011 TV Land Awards starring Liza Minnelli.

Kat Sherrell is in her third season at The 5th Avenue Theatre, currently as the Interim Music Supervisor. She has worked on a wide variety of projects, including Broadway shows In the Heights, Bring It On and The Book of Mormon, and NBC's Smash. She has music directed and written arrangements for numerous shows for readings and festivals, and is the composer-lyricist for a musical in development, Sweethearts of Swing. Sherrell's first book, Experiencing Broadway Music: A Listener's Companion, was published last fall, covering theater music from the Ziegfield Follies through Hamilton.

The creative team includes Carey Wong (scenic design), Harmony Arnold (costume design), Rich Paulsen (lighting design) and Christopher Walker (sound design).

Additional staff includes Kathryn Stewart (assistant director), Brendan Patrick Hogan (associate sound designer), Michael Notestine (assistant costume designer), Charlotte Emrys (assistant scenic designer), Nick Passafiume (set design assistant), Jeffrey K. Hansen (production stage manager) and Erin Zatloka (assistant stage manager).

Photo Credit: Jeff Carpenter

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