(Left to right): Tabitha Judy, choreographer Jessica Garland, director Misty Theisen, Karen Covington-Yow, Daniel Hensley, and Strother Stingley. Photo by Alan Theisen
ACT: The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)
Asheville Community Theatre presents The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), a satire in which one story becomes five musicals, each written in the distinctive style of a different master of the form, from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim. The show will open Friday, January 6, and run through Sunday, January 22 at the black box theatre 35below, with performances Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 p.m. The play, which was the longest-running in York Theatre Company’s 35-year history before moving to Off- Broadway, is directed by Misty Theisen, choreographed by Jessica Garland, and stars local favorites Karen Covington-Yow, Daniel Hensley, Tabitha Judy and Strother Stingley.
“What’s really appealing about this production is the fact that it’s five musicals in one,” says Theisen. “It’s a treat to perform music from The King and I, Sweeney Todd, Hello, Dolly!, Cats, Chicago and more, all in a hilarious 90-minute show.”
The plot, in which an ingénue threatened by her evil landlord wonders if the leading man will come to her rescue, is presented in a Rodgers and Hammerstein version, set in Kansas in August, complete with a dream ballet; a Sondheim version, featuring the landlord as a tortured artistic genius who slashes the throats of his tenants in revenge for not appreciating his work; a Jerry Herman version, as a splashy star vehicle; an Andrew Lloyd Webber version, a rock musical with themes borrowed from Puccini; and a Kander and Ebb version, set in a speakeasy in Chicago.
The musical was written by Joanne Bogart and Eric Rockwell, who were nominated for a 2004 Drama Desk award for Best Musical as well as individual nominations for Best Music (Rockwell) and Best Lyrics (Bogart). In addition, the show received a 2004 Lucille Lortel nomination for Best Musical and a 2005 Drama League nomination for Best Musical. It ran Off-Broadway for 583 performances and has had subsequent productions in regional theatres across America and internationally in London’s West End, Scotland, Australia and Canada.
Asheville Community Theatre has been captivating audiences for more than six decades, making it the oldest continuously operating theatre in Asheville and one of the oldest community theatres in the nation. Its mission is to provide entertainment, enrichment and education through the practice and celebration of theatre arts.
“The thing I enjoy most about performing for Asheville audiences is their clear love of the arts in general and theatre in particular,” says Covington-Yow, who plays the role of the Matron in the show. “It is wonderful to have so much support from our community!”
35below is located at 35 East Walnut Street in Asheville. Reservations are strongly encouraged. The show is appropriate for all audiences. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Asheville Community Theatre Box Office at 35 East Walnut Street, by phone, at 828.254.1320 or online at ashevilletheatre.org.
