ROOMS A Rock Romance Returns To MetroStage After 10 Years

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that the musical ROOMS a rock romance with book by Paul Scott Goodman and Miriam Gordon, music and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman, and directed by MetroStage Artistic Associate Thomas W. Jones II will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a new production at MetroStage, running Oct 11-Nov 11.

Glasgow in the1970's. Monica, an ambitious singer songwriter meets Ian, a reclusive rocker. They quickly become entangled creatively and romantically with their music and their quest for stardom taking them from Glasgow to London and ultimately New York City, discovering a vibrant new punk music scene along the way. A gritty rock musical exploring the universal desire to escape and create, to love and explore. We are excited to celebrate the ten year anniversary of this award-winning musical that MetroStage premiered in 2008 with productions that immediately followed at Geva Theatre in Rochester and New World Stages in NYC.

"Rooms is the most emotionally real and authentic musical this reviewer has ever seen. Imagine if Rent or Spring Awakening was condensed down to an intimate two person show and you'll understand the appeal of this powerful rock romance." DCTheatreScene.com

Director Thomas W. Jones II most recently directed The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek by Athol Fugard at MetroStage. He has written and directed Harlem Rose, Three Sistahs, Two Queens One Castle, Bricktop, Cool Papa's Party, Pearl Bailey...by request, Ladies Swing the Blues, Bessie's Blues, Shake Loose, Uprising and Blackberry Daze, and directed The Gin Game, Anne & Emmett, and Gee's Bend (Helen Hayes nomination) at MetroStage. Last season he appeared on our stage in his one man show Wizard of Hip and directed Are You Now or Have You Ever Been. As an actor he has been seen locally in Topdog/Underdog and Waiting for Godot at Studio Theatre and Cherokee at Woolly Mammoth. He has also appeared on stage and directed at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis, and many other regional theatres around the country. He has directed Black Pearl Sings! at San Diego Rep, and his adaptation of Blackberry Daze in Atlanta and Buffalo. Next he will be directing Hooded or Being Black for Dummies at Mixed Blood and Big River at George Mason University. He returns to MetroStage in January to direct Three Sistahs, a play he wrote with music by William Hubbard.

New York based Matthew Stephens is Music Director and piano accompanist for ROOMS. He was most recently the associate conductor on the national tour of Sound of Music. He has been a recipient of a Keenan Fellowship at Lincoln Center and was music director/pianist for Voigt Lessons (with Deborah Voigt) and Kurt Weill on Broadway (feat. Mary Testa). He was music supervisor for The Body Politic at New York Music Theatre Festival (NMTF). He has music directed regional productions of The Light In the Piazza, The Most Happy Fella, Into The Woods, West Side Story, Side by Side by Sondheim and many others. He has degrees in Piano Performance from James Madison University and in Collaborative Piano from University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Candice Shedd-Thompson (Monica) most recently was seen as. Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Sophie u/s in Mamma Mia at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg. Regionally she has appeared in The Spitfire Grill (Highlands Playhouse), Mary Poppins (West Virginia Public Theatre), High Society, Rocky Horror (Winnipesaukee Playhouse), Tickling the Ivories (Broward Stage Door), and Fever! (Charleston Performing Arts Center). She has a B.A. in Musical Theatre from James Madison University.

Matthew Schleigh (Ian) most recently performed and wrote the music for Caucasian Chalk Circle at Constellation Stage. He has performed The Buddy Holly Story at Toby's Dinner Theatre Three times beginning in 2006 (Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor). He has performed at Signature Theatre, Ford's Theatre, Imagination Stage, Everyman Theatre, and others. In New York he performed Dizzie Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue Presents: The Brontes at NYMF. He also plays guitar in two bands, The Chance Club and The Hooligans (an Irish band), and he will be seen next in Comedy of Tenors at Olney Theatre Center.

Designers are: Carl Gudenius, set; Patrick Lord, projections; Michael Sharp, costumes; Alex Keen, lights; Michael Sharp is the Production Stage Manager.

Performances for ROOMS a rock romance will be Thursdays and Fridays at 8, Saturdays at 3 and 8, Sundays at 3 and 7, Oct 11-Nov 11. Tickets are $55 with student and active military and group discounts. $50 tickets are available with Flex Passes of 4 or more tickets. Press night is Sunday Oct 14 at 7 pm. For ticket reservations or information about group sales call the theatre at 703-548-9044 or go online to www.metrostage.org.

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