FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CONTACT:
Cindy
Moran,
Public
Relations
Director,
414-‐224-‐1761,
[email protected]
SCORCHING,
TONY-‐NOMINATED
MUSICAL,
BLUES
IN
THE
NIGHT,
WILL
HEAT
UP
THE
REP’S
STACKNER
CABARET
THIS
FALL
October
2,
2012
–
[Milwaukee]
– The
universal
language
of
the
blues
speaks
eloquently
in
this
scorching,
Tony-‐nominated
musical!
The
twenty-‐six
hot,
torchy
numbers
that
tell
the
sweet,
sexy
and
sorrowful
stories
of
four
colorful
inhabitants
of
a
1930s
Chicago
saloon,
will
leave
audiences
energized,
inspired
and
ready
to
wail.
This
dynamite
revue
features
blues
classics
from
Duke
Ellington,
Benny
Goodman,
Bessie
Smith
and
many
more,
packed
into
a
larger-‐than-‐
life
score
that’ll
bring
down
the
house!
The
play
was
conceived
and
originally
directed
by
Sheldon
Epps
with
original
Vocal
Arrangements
and
Musical
Direction
by
Chapman
Roberts
and
Orchestrations
and
Additional
Vocal
Arrangements
by
Sy
Johnson.
The
show
will
be
directed
by
Megan
O’Brien,
who
returns
to
The
Rep
after
having
directed
The
Bomb-‐itty
of
Errors
during
the
2010/11
Season,
and
will
feature
a
group
of
talented
actor/singer/musicians:
Carl
Clemons-‐
Hopkins
(The
Man/Tenor
Sax/Bass),
Zonya
Love
(The
Lady),
Halle
Morse
(The
Girl/Percussion/
Washboard)
and
Lili
Thomas
(The
Woman/Trumpet/Trombone).
Associate
Artist
Dan
Kazemi
is
the
Music
Director
for
this
production
and
will
provide
piano
and
clarinet
accompaniment.
Patrick
Morrow,
a
frequent
Rep
collaborator,
also
joins
the
cast
in
the
orchestra
and
will
be
playing
drums,
percussion,
guitar
and
bass.
Blues
in
the
Night
runs
in
the
Stackner
Cabaret
from
October
19
–
December
23,
and
opens
Sunday,
October
21.
“Blues
in
the
Night
is
a
great
celebration
of
singers
and
dancers
kicking
back
and
doing
what
they
do
at
their
very
best,”
says
Artistic
Director
Mark
Clements.
“Our
take
on
the
piece
–
utilizing
actor/singer/musicians
as
the
cast
–
will
hopefully
prove
original
and
innovative.
This
will
definitely
be
one
of
those
shows
where
we
lift
the
roof
off
the
Stackner
Cabaret!”
“One
of
the
most
exciting
things
about
this
cast
is
that
they
are
so
multi-‐talented,”
added
Director
Megan
O’Brien.
“They
are
great
singers
and
actors
and
they
also
play
instruments
–
but
above
all,
they
are
storytellers.
They
are
able
to
accurately
portray
the
stories
of
the
blues
music
in
the
show
while
giving
the
stories
new
life.
I’m
looking
forward
to
the
rehearsal
process
and
I
can't
wait
to
see
what
they
bring
to
the
table!”
Blues
in
the
Night
was
originally
staged
at
the
Off-‐Broadway
Playhouse
46
by
Sheldon
Epps
and
Gregory
Hines
(under
the
supervision
of
Norman
René).
The
show
ran
March
26
to
May
11,
1980
for
51
performances.
Blues
in
the
Night
later
reopened
on
Broadway
at
the
Rialto
Theatre
on
June
2,
1982
and
was
nominated
for
the
Tony
Award
for
Best
Musical.
THE
CAST
Carl
Clemons-‐Hopkins
(The
Man/Tenor
Sax/Bass),
will
be
making
his
Rep
debut;
regional
credits
include
the
world
premiere
of
Eclectic
Society
and
My
Way
at
Walnut
Street
Theatre;
Pericles
(Georgia
Shakespeare)
and
Avenue
X,
Rent
and
Little
Shop
of
Horrors
(11th
Hour
Theatre
Company),
among
others;
Zonya
Love
(The
Lady),
just
returning
from
Lyon,
France,
where
she
performed
as
a
solo
gospel
artist
for
the
Absolute
Gospel
Festival,
is
also
making
her
Rep
debut;
credits
include
Celie
in
The
Color
Purple
and
the
first
national
tour
of
Avenue
Q
as
the
understudy
for
Gary
Coleman,
Dessa
in
This
One
Girl’s
Story,
Hattie
in
Kiss
Me
Kate
and
Lucy
Van
Pelt
in
You’re
a
Good
Man
Charlie
Brown;
Halle
Morse
(The
Girl/Percussion/Washboard),
making
her
Rep
debut,
comes
directly
from
the
Broadway
company
of
Mamma
Mia!
where
she
performed
the
role
of
Lisa
for
three
years;
other
credits
include
Rent
(Pioneer
Theatre
Company),
Hairspray
(Sacramento
Music
Circus)
and
Hello,
Dolly!
(North
Carolina
Theatre),
among
others;
Lili
Thomas
(The
Woman/Trumpet/Trombone),
is
happy
to
return
to
The
Rep
after
appearing
in
Cabaret
in
the
2010/11
Season;
regional
favorites
include
Mimi
in
Rent,
Fastrada
in
Pippin,
Marcy
Park
in
25th
Annual
Putnam
County
Spelling
Bee,
Gigi
in
Miss
Saigon
and
Tuptim
in
The
King
and
I;
New
York
credits
include
Reefer
Madness,
Sounds
of
Plaid,
Radiant
Baby
and
Metropolis,
the
world
premiere
of
Aaron
Jay
Kernis’
Garden
of
Light
(Disney
Millennium
Symphonies)
with
the
New
York
Philharmonic;
Dan
Kazemi
(Musical
Director/Piano/Clarinet
–
see
bio
below)
and
Patrick
Morrow
(Drums/Percussion/Guitar/Bass),
was
most
recently
seen
at
the
Stackner
Cabaret
in
Always
.
.
.
Patsy
Cline
and
was
just
seen
in
the
Quadracci
Powerhouse
playing
percussion
in
Assassins;
other
Rep
credits
include
Next
to
Normal
and
Cabaret.
CREATIVE
TEAM
The
Creative
Team
for
Blues
in
the
Night
includes:
Dan
Kazemi
(Musical
Director),
a
Rep
Associate
Artist,
is
a
Philadelphia-‐based
composer,
actor,
music
director
and
educator,
and
was
Musical
Director
for
The
Rep’s
recent
productions
of
Assassins,
Always
.
.
.
Patsy
Cline,
Next
to
Normal
and
Cabaret;
he
most
recently
orchestrated
and
musically
directed
the
world
premiere
musical,
Tulipomania,
at
the
Arden
Theatre
Company
and
musically
directed
Tick,
Tick
.
.
.
Boom!,
Austentations,
The
PhillyRocks!
concerts,
The
World
Goes
Round
(Barrymore
nomination),
Reefer
Madness,
Little
Shop
of
Horrors,
Rooms
and
The
Great
American
Trailer
Park
Musical
for
11th
Hour
Theatre
Company;
Kazemi
is
also
the
composer
of
a
new
musical,
The
Tapioca
Miracle
(thetapiocamiracle.com);
Megan
Truscott
(Scenic
Designer),
a
Chicago-‐based
scenic
designer,
is
a
graduate
from
The
Theatre
School
at
DePaul
University
where
recent
credits
include
The
Death
of
Gaia
Divine
(director
John
Jenkins)
and
Medea
(director
Damon
Kiely);
she
also
assisted
on
the
shows
Sweeney
Todd
and
Joseph
and
the
Amazing
Technicolor
Dreamcoat
(designer
Kevin
Depinet);
Holly
Payne
(Costume
Designer),
is
The
Rep’s
Costume
Director
and
has
designed
many
shows
there;
favorites
include
Lombardi,
The
Bomb-‐itty
of
Errors
and
Speaking
in
Tongues;
other
credits
include
Skylight
Music
Theatre,
Milwaukee
Chamber
Theatre,
Renaissance
Theaterworks,
Milwaukee
Shakespeare,
University
of
Tulsa
and
American
Players
Theatre,
to
name
a
few;
Craig
Gottschalk
(Lighting
Designer),
The
Rep’s
Lighting
&
Sound
Director,
is
happy
to
return
to
the
Stackner
Cabaret
after
having
previously
designed
Always
.
.
.
Patsy
Cline,
The
Bomb-‐itty
of
Errors,
Nobody
Lonesome
for
Me
and
Route
66;
other
lighting
credits
include:
Dirty
Rotten
Scoundrels;
Ivey
award-‐winning
Kiss
of
the
Spiderwoman;
‘Best
in
Twin
Cities’
award-‐winning
Jerry
Springer
–
The
Opera
for
Minneapolis
Musical
Theatre;
King
Lear
for
Minnesota
Shakespeare
Project;
Into
the
Woods
and
Wizard
of
Oz
for
Minnetonka
Center
for
the
Arts
and
1940’s
Radio
Hour
and
3-‐Way
for
8-‐Ball
Theatre;
Barry
G.
Funderburg
(Sound
Designer),
returns
to
The
Rep
for
his
60th
production;
memorable
productions
include
Othello,
In
the
Next
Room,
The
39
Steps,
The
Cherry
Orchard,
Pride
and
Prejudice,
Armadale,
Mary
Stuart,
Work
Song
and
Angels
in
America:
Millennium
Approaches;
Off-‐Broadway,
Barry
designed
the
critically-‐acclaimed
New
York
premiere
of
Wittenberg
at
The
Pearl
Theatre
Company;
other
regional
theater
credits
include
Fake,
Carter’s
Way
and
Mother
Courage
and
Her
Children
at
the
Steppenwolf
Theatre
Company,
and
productions
at
Utah
Shakespeare
Festival,
Actors
Theatre
of
Louisville,
Kansas
City
Repertory
Theatre,
Arizona
Theatre
Company,
City
Theatre
(Pittsburgh),
CenterStage
(Baltimore),
Alabama
Shakespeare
Festival,
Peninsula
Players,
American
Players
Theatre,
LA
Theatre
Works
and
Indiana
Repertory
Theatre;
Kat
Borrelli
(Choreographer),
choreographing
her
first
show
at
The
Rep,
recently
graduated
from
The
University
of
the
Arts
with
a
BFA
in
Musical
Theatre;
favorite
credits
include:
The
Marvelous
Wonderettes
(Betty
Jean/11th
Hour
Theatre
Company);
The
Adding
Machine
(Mrs.
Zero);
The
Realm
of
the
Unreal
(world
premiere/Choreographer)
and
next
up
is
Bloody,
Bloody
Andrew
Jackson
with
11th
Hour
Theatre
Company;
Sandy
Ernst,
(Casting
Director),
is
The
Rep’s
Associate
Artistic
Director
and
Casting
Director;
Stephanie
Klapper
(New
York
Casting
Director),
cast
Assassins,
Blues
in
the
Night
and
The
Mountaintop
this
season
for
The
Rep;
other
past
Rep
credits
include:
Cabaret,
Next
to
Normal,
Assassins,
The
Bomb-‐itty
of
Errors,
From
My
Hometown,
Fire
on
the
Bayou,
Grafton
City
Blues
and
The
Night
is
a
Child;
selected
Broadway
credits
include
A
Christmas
Story,
the
Musical!,
Dividing
the
Estate
and
Bells
are
Ringing;
Laura
F.
Wendt
(Stage
Manager),
now
in
her
seventh
season
with
The
Rep,
just
finished
assistant
stage
managing
for
Assassins;
Marissa
Robinson
(Stage
Management
Intern),
joins
The
Rep
this
season
and
is
a
recent
graduate
of
Emerson
College
in
Boston
and
Maggie
Ellsworth
(Assistant
Director),
is
a
Directing
Intern
for
the
2012/13
Season;
Rep
credits
this
season
include
Gutenberg!
The
Musical!
and
The
Mountaintop.
KEY
BIOGRAPHIES
Sheldon
Epps,
(Playwright),
Artistic
Director
of
the
renowned
Pasadena
Playhouse,
conceived
and
directed
the
Duke
Ellington
musical
Play
On!
which
received
three
Tony
Award
nominations
and
was
produced
at
Seattle
Repertory
Theatre
and
the
Goodman
Theatre
in
Chicago,
where
it
received
four
Jefferson
Awards
including
Best
Musical.
He
also
conceived
and
directed
the
highly
acclaimed
musical
revue
Blues
in
the
Night.
The
Broadway
production
was
nominated
for
a
Tony
Award
as
Best
Musical
of
the
Year,
and
the
London
production,
which
he
also
directed,
was
nominated
for
two
Laurence
Olivier
Awards
and
ran
for
over
a
year
on
the
West
End.
Mr.
Epps
was
a
co-‐founder
and
the
Associate
Artistic
Director
of
the
Off-‐Broadway
theater
The
Production
Company.
He
has
directed
plays
and
musicals
for
many
of
the
country’s
major
theaters
including
the
Guthrie,
the
Old
Globe
Theatre,
Manhattan
Theatre
Club,
Seattle
Repertory
Theatre,
Playwrights
Horizons,
Crossroads
Theatre,
Cleveland
Play
House,
Arizona
Theatre
Company,
Goodspeed
Opera
House,
Coconut
Grove
Playhouse,
Walnut
Street
Theatre,
George
Street
Playhouse
and
Asolo
State
Theatre.
For
television
he
has
directed
episodes
of
Frasier,
Friends,
Everybody
Loves
Raymond,
Joey,
Veronica’s
Closet,
Evening
Shade
and
Sister,
Sister.
He
is
currently
a
member
of
the
executive
board
of
the
Society
of
Stage
Directors
and
Choreographers.
Mr.
Epps
is
a
two-‐time
recipient
of
the
Theatre
Communications
Group/Pew
Charitable
Trust
National
Theatre
Artists
Residency
Grant,
which
supported
his
four-‐year
tenure
at
the
Old
Globe
Theatre
as
Associate
Artistic
Director.
Mr.
Epps
was
pleased
to
join
the
Pasadena
Playhouse
as
Artistic
Director
in
1997.
His
directing
credits
there
include
As
Bees
in
Honey
Drown,
Blue,
Play
On!,
Les
Liaisons
Dangereuses,
The
Importance
of
Being
Earnest,
The
Old
Settler,
The
Real
Thing,
On
Borrowed
Time,
Mr.
Rickey
Calls
a
Meeting,
Blues
in
the
Night,
and
Purlie,
a
co-‐production
with
the
Goodman
Theatre.
He
directed
the
world
premiere
of
Blue
at
Arena
Stage
Theatre,
which
was
also
produced
Off-‐Broadway
at
the
Roundabout
Theatre.
Following
its
record-‐breaking
engagement
in
Pasadena,
Blue
began
a
national
tour
co-‐produced
by
the
Pasadena
Playhouse.
Megan
Nicole
O’Brien,
(Director),
returns
to
The
Rep
after
directing
The
Bomb-‐itty
of
Errors
in
the
2010/11
Season.
Other
credits
include:
Little
Shop
of
Horrors
(11th
Hour
Theatre
Company/Theatre
Horizon);
Reefer
Madness
and
The
Great
American
Trailer
Park
Musical
(11th
Hour/Montgomery
Theater,
Barrymore
Nomination);
Rooms,
Avenue
X
(Barrymore
Nomination),
The
Bomb-‐itty
of
Errors
(Barrymore
Nomination)
and
Tick,
Tick
.
.
.
Boom,
(11th
Hour);
John
&
Jen
(Act
II
Playhouse);
High
Fidelity
and
Adding
Machine:
A
Musical
(University
of
the
Arts)
and
The
Irish
.
.
.
and
How
They
Got
That
Way
(Walnut
Street
Theatre).
TICKETS
Tickets
for
Blues
in
the
Night
start
at
$35.00.
Single
Tickets
for
all
of
Milwaukee
Repertory
Theater’s
2012/13
productions
are
now
on
sale
and
can
be
purchased
online
24/7
at
www.MilwaukeeRep.com,
through
The
Rep’s
Ticket
Office
by
calling
414-‐224-‐9490
or
in
person
at
108
E.
Wells
Street.
Group
tickets
are
also
available
for
purchase
by
calling
Patron
Relations
Manager
Christine
Yundem
at
414-‐290-‐5340.
To
learn
more
about
The
Rep
or
its
productions,
please
visit
www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
SPECIAL
PROGRAMS
AND
EVENTS
• Audio-‐Description
Performance
–
On
Sunday,
October
28
at
7:00
p.m.
there
will
be
an
Audio-‐Described
Performance
for
patrons
who
are
blind
or
have
low
vision.
#
#
#
FACT
SHEET
WHAT:
Blues
in
the
Night
WRITTEN
BY:
Conceived
and
Originally
Directed
by
Sheldon
Epps
Original
Vocal
Arrangements
and
Musical
Direction
by
Chapman
Roberts
Orchestrations
and
Additional
Vocal
Arrangements
by
Sy
Johnson
DIRECTED
BY:
Megan
O’Brien
THEATER:
Stackner
Cabaret
DATES:
October
19,
2012
–
December
23,
2012
DESCRIPTION:
The
universal
language
of
the
blues
speaks
eloquently
in
this
scorching,
Tony-‐nominated
musical!
The
twenty-‐six
hot,
torchy
numbers
that
tell
the
sweet,
sexy
and
sorrowful
stories
of
four
colorful
inhabitants
of
a
1930s
Chicago
saloon,
will
leave
you
energized,
inspired
and
ready
to
wail.
This
dynamite
revue
features
blues
classics
from
Duke
Ellington,
Benny
Goodman,
Bessie
Smith
and
many
more,
packed
into
a
larger-‐than-‐life
score
that’ll
bring
down
the
house!
PERFORMANCES:
Friday,
10/19/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
–
Preview
Saturday,
10/20/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
–
Preview
Sunday,
10/21/2012
–
7:00
p.m.
–
Opening
Tuesday,
10/23/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Wednesday,
10/24/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
10/25/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
10/26/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
10/27/2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
10/28/2012
–
2:00
p.m./7:00
p.m.
–
Audio
Described
Tuesday,
10/30/2012
–
6:30
p.m.
–
Early
Bird
Wednesday,
10/31/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
11/1/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
11/2/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
11/3/2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
11/4/2012
–
2:00
p.m./7:00
p.m.
Tuesday,
11/6/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Wednesday,
11/7/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
11/8/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
11/9/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
11/10/2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
11/11/2012
–
2:00
p.m./7:00
p.m.
Tuesday,
11/13/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Wednesday,
11/14/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
11/15/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
11/16/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
11/17/2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
11/18/2012
–
2:00
p.m./7:00
p.m.
Tuesday,
11/20/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Wednesday,
11/21/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
11/23/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
11/24/2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
11/25/2012
–
2:00
p.m./7:00
p.m.
Tuesday,
11/27/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Wednesday,
11/28/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
11/29/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
11/30/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
12/1/2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
12/2/2012
–
2:00
p.m./7:00
p.m.
Tuesday,
12/4/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Wednesday,
12/5/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
12/6/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
12/7/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
12/8/2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
12/
9/2012
–
2:00
p.m./
7:00
p.m.
Tuesday,
12/11/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Wednesday,
12/12/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
12/13/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
12/14/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
12/15/
2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
12/16/2012
–
2:00
p.m./7:00
p.m.
Tuesday,
12/18/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Wednesday,
12/19/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Thursday,
12/20/2012
–
7:30
p.m.
Friday,
12/21/2012
–
8:00
p.m.
Saturday,
12/22/2012
–
4:00
p.m./8:00
p.m.
Sunday,
12/23/2012
–
2:00
p.m./7:00
p.m.
–
Close
TICKET
PRICES:
Begin
at
$35.00
TICKETS/INFORMATION:
414-‐224-‐9490
or
buy
tickets
online
at
www.MilwaukeeRep.com
TICKET
OFFICE
LOCATION:
108
East
Wells
Street
in
Milwaukee’s
Downtown
Theater
District
TICKET
OFFICE
HOURS:
Monday
–
Sunday,
Noon
–
6
pm*
*On
days
with
performances
the
Ticket
Office
will
stay
open
until
show
time
Please
note:
The
Rep
Ticket
Office
is
closed
Thanksgiving
Day,
Christmas
Day
and
New
Year’s
Day.
###
Milwaukee
Repertory
Theater
is
a
nationally-‐recognized
company
that
presents
compelling
dramas,
powerful
classics,
award-‐winning
contemporary
works,
full-‐scale
musicals
and
side-‐
splitting
comedies
housed
in
its
three
unique
performance
venues
–
the
Quadracci
Powerhouse,
Stiemke
Studio
and
Stackner
Cabaret.
The
Rep
also
produces
an
annual
production
of
A
Christmas
Carol
at
the
Pabst
Theater.
Under
the
leadership
of
Artistic
Director
Mark
Clements,
The
Rep
is
committed
to
creating
plays
that
are
meaningful
and
relevant
to
the
society
we
live
in
–
plays
that
are
challenging,
visceral
and
engage
the
community
through
the
issues
they
explore.
Milwaukee
Repertory
Theater
Patty
&
Jay
Baker
Theatre
Complex
108
E
Wells
St
Milwaukee,
WI
53202
Ticket
Office:
414-‐224-‐9490
Ticket
Office
Fax:
225-‐5490
Administrative:
414-‐224-‐1761
Fax:
414-‐224-‐9097
Artistic
Director
Managing
Director
Mark
Clements
Dawn
Helsing
Wolters
www.MilwaukeeRep.com