August 15, 2013

Miss Saigon at Starlight

A CLASSIC LOVE STORY IS BROUGHT UP-TO-DATE IN MISS
SAIGON AT STARLIGHT, SEPTEMBER 7-13.
A team of international artists have been
assembled to produce one of the most stunning
theatrical spectacles of all time


Miss Saigon, one of the most stunning theatrical
spectacles of all time, will be produced by
Starlight Theatre, September 7-13. In Miss
Saigon, Puccini's Madame Butterfly is brought to
the modern world. This powerful pop opera is an
emotional tale about forbidden love, the tragedies
of war and the sacrifices made to achieve the
American Dream.

Miss Saigon is a love story about the relationship
between an American GI and a young Vietnamese
woman during the American occupation of Saigon
during the Vietnam War. The Tony Award-winning
musical was created by Claude Michel Schonberg and
Alain Boublil, the visionaries behind Les
Miserables, and features a series of sensational
musical numbers including, "Why God Why?" and "The
American Dream." It remains the 11th longest-
running Broadway musical in musical theatre
history.

"For Starlight's production of Miss Saigon, we
have assembled a stellar cast under the direction
of internationally recognized artists that
includes Director Fred Hanson, Music Director
Kevin Stites and Choreographer Baayork Lee," said
Denton Yockey, President and Executive Producer of
Starlight. "They are each established leaders in
the musical theatre industry, and I cannot
underscore enough what a thrill and a tremendous
privilege it has been to have them in Kansas City
rehearsing and preparing this production."

Starlight Theatre is the lead producer of Miss
Saigon. After opening in Kansas City, the co-
production will travel to the Bushnell Theatre in
Hartford, the Fisher Theatre in Detroit and the
Ordway Theatre in St. Paul. It is Starlight's
sixth and final production in its 2013 Broadway
Series, and is presented by U.S. Bank.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The creative team for Miss Saigon includes:
Director Fred Hanson who is based in New York and
Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, he has directed new
production of Baby and Jekyll & Hyde. Hanson's
previous experience with Miss Saigon includes
Associate Director to Nicholas Hytner on the
original Broadway productions and directing his
own versions for the St. Louis Muny, São Paulo and
Tokyo (2004 & 2008).

Music Director Kevin Stites served as the Music
Supervisor, Arranger and Music Director for the
Broadway musical A Tale of Two Cities; the Music
Supervisor and Incidental Music Composer for the
Broadway musical and the national tour of The
Color Purple; and the Music Director of the
Broadway revival of Les Miserables.

Choreographer Baayork Lee debuted on Broadway at
the age of 4 as Princess Ying Yaawolak in the
original production of The King and I in 1951. Lee
was a member of the original 1975 Broadway cast of
A Chorus Line, which won nine Tony Awards and the
1975 Pulitzer Prize. She has started her own
production company, the National Asian Arts
Project, in order to open theatre doors for people
of Asian descent.

The talented cast includes: Charlie Brady, Katie
Boren, Meggie Cansler, Andy Danh, Robyn DeGuzman,
Rona Figueroa, Nkrumah Gatling, Dan Gleason, Chris
Ignacio, Eric Anthony Johnson, Austin Ku, Jonny
Hsu Lee, Glen Llanes, Garen McRoberts, Orville
Mendoza, Shoba Narayanan, Manna Nichols, Rommel
Pierre O'Choa, Alfie Parker Jr., David Raimo,
Peter Romagna, Michiko Sasaki, Christopher Shin,
Richard M. Steele, Viet Vo, Allen Lucky Weaver,
Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Jessica Wu, Anna-Lee Wright,
Minami Yusui, Arianna Yi, Sam Simahk, Yuki Ozeki
and Daphne Valenta.

Other artists and staff include: Denton Yockey,
Executive Producer; Kirk Bookman, Lighting
Designer; Braxton Cornelius, Sound Designer; Mary
Traylor; Costumer; Joanne Weaver, Wig Designer;
Susan Kikuchi, Associate Choreographer; Robert
Thurber, Production Stage Manager; Kent Andel,
Production Manager; Caroline Lakin, Company
Manager; and Randy Moreland, Head Carpenter.

TICKET AND THEATRE INFORMATION
Tickets to Miss Saigon are now on sale for $10 -
$135. Tickets are available at kcstarlight.com, by
calling 816-363-STAR (7827) or in person at
Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road. Box Office
hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday;
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Discounted ticket
prices for groups of 15 or more can be ordered by
contacting Stacey Million, Starlight's group sales
manager, at groups@kcstarlight.com or 816-997-
1137.

All performances begin at 8 p.m. Dining options
for Miss Saigon include pre-show dining in the VIP
Club catered by Plaza Catering that includes hot
buffet items, extensive salad selections, a veggie
garden bar, desserts, and special children's menu.
Reservations may be made in advance; walk-ups are
also welcome. The menu for Miss Saigon is posted
at www.kcstarlight.com. Other dining options
include concession stand favorites and pre-
packaged salads and sandwiches on the Encore Deck.

Pre-show tours of the stage, Starlight's Walk of
Stars, gardens and fountains are offered nightly
along with pre-show performances at the Starlight
Square stage. Free nightly, behind-the-scenes
tours with information about Starlight and its
rich history begin at 6:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 7
p.m. at the top of the theatre behind Terrace
Section 1. The Ovation Gift Store is open from 6
p.m. through end of show. Accessible parking and
guest assistance getting in and out of the theater
are available. For information about other
Starlight services, visit kcstarlight.com.

NOTABLE DATES
September 7 - Opening Night. Performance will be
described for the blind and visually impaired by
Kansas Audio-Reader Network.
September 8 - Performance will be interpreted for
the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
September 12 - Young Professionals Night. Young
professionals receive a pre-show Happy Hour,
special seating and group ticket discount price to
the performance. For tickets, email
stacey.million@kcstarlight.com

ABOUT STARLIGHT THEATRE
Starlight Theatre opened in 1951 and is the
largest and oldest performing arts organization in
Kansas City and the second largest outdoor
producing theatre in the country. In addition to
presenting and producing Broadway musicals and
concerts, the not-for-profit organization offers
extensive community outreach and educational
programming which includes classes, scholarships
and Starlight's Blue Star Awards, the second
largest musical theatre award program for local
high schools and students in the country. Located
on 16 acres, Starlight's venue includes rehearsal
halls, gift store, club area for dining,
concessions, gardens, fountains and a 10-story,
climate-controlled stage.
# # #


----------------------------------------------------------
This message has been sent through KC Stage's Automated
Press Release System at http://www.kcstage.com/.

Any and all information listed in this e-mail is property
of the person sending this information and KC Stage
can not be held liable for the content.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.