Camelot Theatre Company presents the multiple-Tony Award winning musical, "Promises, Promises."
Camelot Theatre Company opens its summer musical for 2008, the multiple-Tony Award winner for 1969, "Promises, Promises." Based on Billy Wilder's Academy Award winning picture "The Apartment" (starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine), "Promises, Promises" received three Tony Awards. The book is by Neil Simon with music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David.
The Neil Simon canon consists of such American classics (both on stage and in film) as "The Odd Couple," "Sweet Charity," "Plaza Suite," "The Out of Towners," "The Prisoner of Second Avenue," "The Goodbye Girl," "Chapter Two" and Simon's landmark autobiographical trilogy – "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (1983), "Biloxi Blues" (1985) and "Broadway Bound" (1986).
The prolific team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David are responsible for such mega-hits as "Wives and Lovers," "They Long to be Close to You," "Don't Make Me Over," "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Walk On By," "Make it Easy on Yourself" and "What the World Needs Now is Love," many of them made famous by Dionne Warwick.
Promises, Promises" is directed by Camelot's artistic director Livia Genise. Musical direction is by Gwen Overland and choreography is by Rebecca K. Campbell. Aaron Blenkush (synthesizer) and Bryan Jeffs (drums) join Overland in the orchestra pit.
Livia Genise is a former Broadway actress. She has both directed and starred in many Camelot productions, including "Do I Hear a Waltz," "Sockdology," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Master Class," "Woody Guthrie's American Song," "Man of La Mancha," "Into the Woods," and has starred in Spotlights on Julie London, Billie Holliday, Bonnie Raitt and Patsy Cline.
Gwen Overland is no stranger to the Camelot Theatre where she has both acted in and directed numerous productions over the past four years, including "The Sisters Rosensweig," "Enchanted April" and "Master Class."
Rebecca K. Campbell has choreographed "A Little Night Music," "Camelot," "Children of Eden," and "Zorba" at Camelot, directed "Into the Woods" and appeared in "Spotlight on Judy Garland," "A Little Night Music," "Master Class" "Enchanted April," "Sisters Rosenweig" and "Zorba."
Aaron Blenkush is a junior Piano Performance major at Southern Oregon University and has provided musical direction for theater productions including "The Great American Trailer Park Musical," "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown," "Into the Woods" and "Once Upon A Mattress."
Bryan Jeffs holds a Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance and Education from Southern Oregon and has played drums for "Meet Me in St. Louis" and "Once Upon a Mattress" at Camelot.
"Promises, Promises" stars Jeremy Johnson as Chuck Baxter, Shannon McReynolds as Fran Kubelick, Don Matthews as J. D. Sheldrake and Bruce Lorange as Doc Dreyfus.
Jeremy Johnson was most recently seen in Camelot's production of "Meet Me in St. Lois" as John Truitt. Other Camelot credits include "Shakespeare In Hollywood", "The Spitfire Grill", "Man of La Mancha", "Into the Woods", "Fahrenheit 451" and "1776."
Shannon McReynolds' Camelot credits include the starring role of Percy in "The Spitfire Grill" as well as roles in "Into the Woods" and "Man of La Mancha."
Currently the morning classical music host at Jefferson Public Radio, Don Matthews' Camelot credits include Edwin Stanton in "Sockdology," Lancelot in "Camelot," Frederick in "A Little Night Music" and Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha."
Bruce Lorange last appeared at Camelot as preacher Jim Casey in "The "Grapes of Wrath." Other productions at Camelot include "The Heidi Chronicles" and "An American Daughter". Bruce is a graduate of the Pasadena Playhouse and prior to moving here he worked in film, TV and theatre in Los Angeles for 20 years.
Also appearing in "Promises, Promises" as members of the singing and dancing Greek Chorus and as various secretaries are Amanda Andersen, Mae Jeffs and Alessandra Jenkins. The womanizing executives in "Promises, Promises" are played by Sunshine Bucy, Sam Cowan, Heiland Hoff and Brandon Byron Manley. Paula Flowers appears as goodtime girl Marge McDougall, with Maja Michelle Fein and Chris Toogood rounding out the cast.
The production team for "Promises, Promises" includes Camelot's resident designers: costumer Emily Ehrlich Inget; set designer, properties master and master carpenter Don Zastoupil, lighting designer Bart Grady and sound designer Brian O'Connor. Stage management is by Paul L. McCullough; assistant stage manager is Stephen Krause.
"Promises, Promises" is sponsored in by Jimmie L. Smith of Edward Jones in Talent.
"Promises, Promises" previews June 25 and June 26 at 8 p.m., opens June 27 and runs through July 27. All Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. and all Sundays at 2 p.m. There is a special Pay-What-You-Can performance on Wednesday, July 2 at 8 p.m. There is no performance on the 4th of July.
Reservations are recommended. June 25 is a fundraiser for the Talent Chamber of Commerce. Tickets for this performance ONLY are $20. June 26 preview tickets are $12. All other regular performances are $19 for students and seniors and $21 for Adults. Student rush tickets of $10 will be available 5 minutes before show time subject to availability. Reserved seating is available for $2/ticket. Tickets may be purchased in person, over the phone at the Camelot box office, located at the corner of Talent Ave and Main St in Talent or online at www.CamelotTheatre.org. (Please check online for any Web specials.) Box Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 1-5 p.m. and one hour before performances. To reserve tickets, call the Camelot Theatre Company Box Office at 535-5250.
Tags: Theatre Camelot Events
