The West Coast premiere of Twist – An All American Musical directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen (Golden Globe and multi-Emmy Award-winner) and starring American Idol’s Tamyra Gray (Rent and Bombay Dreams) begins previews at The Pasadena Playhouse on June 14, 2011. With book by William F. Brown and Tina Tippit, lyrics and music by Tena Clark and music by Gary Prim the show features 31 performers led by Gray and Cleavant Derricks (Tony Award-winner, Dreamgirls).
Twist - An American Musicalis a timely adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic with a contemporary score, set in New Orleanson the eve of the Great Depression. Twist tells the story of a young orphan boy born of a courageous white mother and an incredibly talented black father who navigates the colorful and sometimes rough waters of street life and racial intolerance in his quest to find his family and to find love. The score for Twist features the musical pulse of New Orleansin the 1920’s and is highlighted by a tapestry of soaring ballads, hot jazz, blues, gospel and tap-infused dance numbers that will take audiences along this magical journey.
“I can hardly sleep at night thinking about rehearsals and the work that we will do to realize the vision of this new telling of the Dickens classic Oliver Twist, now set in New Orleans,” stated Allen. “Born and raised in Texasand Louisiana, I know the sounds and smells and tastes of the people. The rich cultural fusion from the swamp to the French Quarter provides a dynamic tapestry upon which we will weave a story that takes place in 1918-1929, but is still so relevant today. Twist is the story of a boy lost in a river of racial hatred, greed and deceit, who is found on a road to hope, love and family, with a lot of great singing and dancing along the way.”
Twist previews begin 8 p.m.June 14; official press opening is 5 p.m.Sunday, June 26 and the show continues 8 p.m.Tuesday through Friday, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday through July 17.There will be two Wednesday matinees scheduled on July 6 and July 13. The Tuesday evening performances on July 5 and July 12 have been cancelled.
Ticket price range is from $39 - $69, with Premium Seating available for $100. All preview performances are $10 off the regular ticket price (except Premium Seating). Rush tickets are available for $20one hour prior to the performance time and are subject to availability. Rush tickets must be purchased at The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office.
Call 626-356-7529 or visit www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org or The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, Monday from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.and Tuesday – Sunday from 12:00 p.m.until 6:00 p.m.during non-performance dates and Tuesday – Sunday from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.on performance dates. Group Sales (8 or more) are available by calling 626-921-1161.
Send questions, comments and suggestions to columbuscommunications@yahoo.com.
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