Posted on May 23rd, 2013
For immediate release
Press Contact: Jo Ann Holt
joannholt@gmail.com/469.363.7371
ANNOUNCING THE CAST OF THE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR OFPRESENTED BY DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS AT THE MUSIC HALL AT FAIR PARK JUNE 4-16
Dallas, TX…The North American Tour of SISTER ACT will star Ta’Rea Campbell (Book of Mormon, The Lion King) as Deloris Van Cartier, Hollis Resnik (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Les Miserables) as Mother Superior, Kingsley Leggs (Sister Act, The Color Purple) as Curtis Jackson, E. Clayton Cornelious (Wonderland, The Scottsboro Boys) as Eddie Souther, Lael Van Keuren (Sister Act) as Mary Robert, Florrie Bagel as Mary Patrick, Diane J. Findlay (42nd Street, Promises, Promises) as Mary Lazarus, Todd A. Horman (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) as Joey, Ernie Pruneda (Sister Act) as Pablo, Charles Barksdale (Fat Camp) as TJ, and Richard Pruitt (42nd Street, White Christmas) as Monsignor O’Hara.
The company will also include Melvin Abston, Brian Calì, Alysha Deslorieux, Karen Elliott, Danny George, Blair Goldberg, Erin Henry, Wendy James, Trisha Jeffrey, Mary Jo McConnell, Ashley Moniz, Michelle Rombola, Jason Simon, Angie Marie Smith, Tricia Tanguy, Kelly E. Waters, and Dashaun Young.
Single tickets, priced from $15-$85, are on sale now at The Box Office, 5959 Preston Royal Shopping Center in Dallas, or any Ticketmaster location; or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For groups of 10 or more, call 214-426-GROUP (4768).
“To hear people laugh and cheer the way they do at SISTER ACT — a show people think they know but are pleasantly surprised to discover is not what they were expecting — is a magical experience for a producer,” says Producer Whoopi Goldberg. “Happily, audiences across the country will be able to get in on the fun when Deloris and her fabulous sisters start spreading the love nationwide.”
SISTER ACT received five 2011 Tony® Award nominations: BEST MUSICAL, BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (Alan Menken (music)/ Glenn Slater (lyrics), BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL (Cheri & Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane), BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (Patina Miller) and BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (Victoria Clark).
SISTER ACT features an original score with music by multi-Academy, Grammy, Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning composer Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Enchanted), lyrics by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid), and a book by multi-Emmy Award winners Cheri and Bill Steinkellner (“Cheers”) with additional book material by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed). Directed on Broadway by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks (Guys and Dolls, A Funny Thing…Forum, Smokey Joe’s Café), the production features choreography by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Anthony Van Laast (Mamma Mia, Bombay Dreams) and is based on the Touchstone Pictures motion picture Sister Act written by Joseph Howard.
SISTER ACT opened on April 20, 2011 at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) to rave reviews. Elisabeth Vincentelli of The New York Post calls SISTER ACT, “One of the season’s happiest surprises! Off the charts and packed with goodies, to which we say: Amen!” Joe Dziemianowicz of The New York Daily News raves “A blessed event has landed on Broadway. Sister Act is a feel-good crowd pleaser worth celebrating. It keeps on purring from one happy moment to the next.” Charles Isherwood of The New York Times says, “When the wimples start quivering and the nuns start rocking to raise the Gothic rafters, all’s right in the kingdom of musical comedy!” and Mark Kennedy of The Associated Press calls SISTER ACT, “In a word, divine. This is a musical that hits all the right spots, achieving something close to Broadway grace. It will convert you.”
When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place cops are sure she won’t be found – a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior. Using her fabulous disco-ness and killer voice to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church, but in doing so blows her cover. Soon it’s nun-on-the-run time but she finds salvation in the heavenly power of her newly found sisterhood. Based on the mega-hit feature film, SISTER ACT features an original Alan Menken/Glenn Slater score with a vast inspiration of musical styles from Motown, soul and funk to great big disco anthems and Barry White inspired musical comedy.
SISTER ACT features scenery by Klara Zieglerova, costumes by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Ken Travis and hair/wig designs by David Brian Brown. The music department includes Musical Supervisor Michael Kosarin, Music Director Brent-Alan Huffman, and orchestrations by Doug Besterman. Casting is by Telsey + Company, Craig Burns CSA. For more information, visit www.sisteractontour.com.
Next up for Dallas Summer Musicals: FLASHDANCE, THE MUSICAL, opens June 25-July 7. The pop-culture phenomenon and runaway international success is now live on stage. It all started with a dream. To be bigger. To burn brighter. To dance harder. Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis, The Addams Family), this new musical features a score of smash hits including The Academy Award® winning title track “Flashdance – What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “I Love Rock & Roll,” and 16 new original songs.
Disney presents THE LION KING, October 2-20, 2013. Experience the phenomenon of Disney’s THE LION KING, Broadway’s Landmark Musical. Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by award-winning director Julie Taymor, whose visual images for this show you’ll remember forever. Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score, including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.”
DSM will continue its 73-year tradition of setting the standard in musical theatre entertainment as their 2014 season begins in December, 2013, with Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS at the Music Hall.
Season sponsors and partners for Dallas Summer Musicals are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA TV Channel 8, American Airlines, The Original Cupcakery, the Frontiers of Flight Museum and Texas Instruments.
Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) is the preeminent non-profit presenter of Broadway theatre in North Texas. DSM produces, presents and promotes excellence in live musical theatre with year-round performances for diverse audiences of all ages, impacting the lives of children and families through community outreach and education, and enriching the cultural landscape of Dallas/Fort Worth, North Texas and the Southwest Region.
DSM is the largest producer and presenter of live theatrical entertainment in the Southwest, the second oldest summer theatre organization in the United States, and the fourth largest non-profit theatre company. In addition to presenting national Broadway tours, DSM also produces shows on Broadway, presents and tours productions, and is involved in developing new works. Dallas Summer Musicals’ affiliates include DSM Management Group, Inc. (DSMMGI), which manages the Music Hall at Fair Park. For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, please call (214) 421-5678 or visit the website at www.dallassummermusicals.org.
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For media information about any of the individual shows or the Dallas Summer Musicals, and for videotape, photos, or reviewer’s passes, please call Jo Ann Holt at 214-413-3977 or 469-363-7371, or email joannholt@gmail.com.