September 3, 2015
For: IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Kirsten Park 801-581-6270
kirsten.park@ptc.utah.edu
PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Fiddler on the Roof Based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl Book by JOSEPH STEIN Music by JERRY BOCK Lyrics by SHELDON HARNICK
SALT LAKE CITY- Pioneer Theatre Company presents the 9 Tony Award-winning musical Fiddler on the Roof September 18 through October 3, 2015. Since its premiere on Broadway in 1964, Fiddler on the Roof has remained one of the most beloved musicals of all time, with an enduring score featuring “Tradition,” “Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Sunrise, Sunset.” A Broadway revival is planned to open December 2015.
PTC’s 1994 production is still one of the best-selling shows in the theatre’s history. “This show is a depiction of the importance of tradition and family for the Jewish people,” says Director Karen Azenberg, “It represents my personal heritage, but as I have come to understand, not surprisingly, tradition and family are also important to our community here in Utah.”
MICHAEL THOMAS HOLMES comes to the PTC stage playing Tevye after his Broadway debut in Oklahoma! and touring with The Producers (with Jason Alexander & Martin Short) and the recent 25th Anniversary production of The Phantom of the Opera.
TIA SPEROS returns to PTC playing Golde after playing Miss Tweed in Something’s Afoot. Her Off-Broadway credits include Tin Pan Alley Rag at Roundabout Theatre Company, The Taffetas (original cast album) and The Cocoanuts. Her regional credits include also playing Golde in Fiddler on the Roof at Maltz Jupiter Theatre.
ELEANOR REISSA, who plays Yente, is a Tony-nominated director, international concert artist, award winning playwright and Broadway actor. She is fluent in English and Yiddish, and has lived a life in the theatre for over thirty years. Upcoming work includes an anthology of her plays “The Last Survivor and Modern Jewish Plays,” writing the libretto for Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Taibele And Her Demon with composer Judd Greenstein, and concerts with Frank London and the Klezmer Brass All-Stars.
WILSON BRIDGES, playing Perchik, was last seen as Hippolyte Charles in Napoleon at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Previous credits include National Tours for both La Cage Aux Folles and My Fair Lady.
RAVI ROTH plays Motel, the tailor. His New York credits include Altar Boyz, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, and A Letter to Harvey Milk (NYMF).
MATT FARCHER is joining PTC for the first time playing Fyedka. Matt has performed at multiple regional theaters, last seen at the Maltz Jupiter Theater’s production of Les Misèrables as Enjolras and in the National Tour of Beauty and the Beast as Gaston.
MARK DAVID KAPLAN makes his PTC debut playing Lazar Wolf. He recently appeared as Thénardier in Les Misèrables at Chicago’s Drury Lane Theatre, for which he received the 2014 Joseph Jefferson Award. Other credits include Forbidden Broadway (Off Broadway/Chicago), Ragtime (Tateh at Drury Lane), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Panch), and Sancho in Man of La Mancha.
KIM SAVA returns to Pioneer Theatre Company as Tzeitel after appearing in last year’s The Rocky Horror Show. She has also regionally been in Guys and Dolls, Mame (Goodspeed), Footloose (Fireside), Grease (Tuacahn), Man of La Mancha (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), Annie (Fulton Opera House), A Christmas Carol (NSMT), Les Misèrables and The Producers (MSMT).
JAKE WEINSTEIN, playing Mendel, also returns to Pioneer Theatre Company after recently appearing in The Music Man. He was in the National Tour of A Chorus Line. The Equity ensemble includes JUSTIN KEATS, ERIC LEE BROTHERSON, J. MICHAEL BAILEY,GINGER BESS, BEN LOKEY and JUSTIN IVIE.
Also in the cast are BEN ABBOTT, DOROTHY BRIGGS, SPENCER BELNAP, SAM COOK, SUSANNA FLORENCE, JAIME FUENTES, TIA GALANIS, DAVID HOLMES, MANDY MCDONNELL, JOHN PETERSON, TANNER RAMPTON, BONNIE ROMNEY and NADIA VYNNYTSKY.
The children’s ensemble includes NATALIA BINGHAM, ZACHARY BROWN, AVA HOECKSTRA, J.T. O’REILLY and JACK SARFATI.
PTC’s Artistic Director KAREN AZENBERG directs and choreographs the show. This marks Azenberg’s fourth season as Artistic Director at PTC. Last season she directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Rocky Horror Show, Alabama Story and The Music Man. In previous seasons she has directed and/or choreographed Something’s Afoot, A Few Good Men, Sweet Charity, A Christmas Carol -The Musical, Next to Normal (Regional Premiere), Rent, Miss Saigon, and she created the musical staging for the record-breaking 2007 production of Les Misérables. Originally from New York, her work there includes Lyrics and Lyricists (92nd St. Y), Blocks (a collaboration with Jonathan Larson), Prom Queens Unchained, and choreography for Richard Greenberg’s The Dazzle (Roundabout).
HELEN GREGORY returns as the show’s musical director and conductor for her 6th production at PTC. Some of her past PTC productions have been The Rocky Horror Show, Rent, In the Heights, Something’s Afoot and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She will also be returning as the musical director and conductor on this season’s production of The Rocky Horror Show.
Scenic design is by Resident Scenic Designer GEORGE MAXWELL. Maxwell has designed over 90 productions in a 40-year career, including last season’s Peter and the Starcatcher and The Music Man. Other designs include Next to Normal, Rent, Sunset Boulevard, White Christmas, A Christmas Story and Chicago.
Resident designer CAROL WELLS-DAY is designing costumes for the show. Her many designs for PTC include last season’s The Crucible and Peter and the Starcatcher.
Lighting Design is by MICHAEL GILLIAM. Some of Gilliam’s Broadway credits include: Bonnie and Clyde, Brooklyn, Big River and Stand-Up Tragedy. He also designed Gershwin Alone for London’s West End: His National tours include Peter Pan, Brooklyn, Guys and Dolls and Big River.
Sound design is by JOSHUA C. HIGHT and hair and make up is by AMANDA FRENCH.
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MEDIA PHOTO SHOOT: There will be a media photo shoot on Monday, September 7, 2015. Please contact Kirsten Park at kirsten.park@ptc.utah.edu or 801-581-6270 to RSVP for time and location.
There will be an additional opportunity to film rehearsal on stage on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. This will be one musical number. Please RSVP to Kirsten Park at kirsten.park@ptc.utah.edu or 801-581-6270.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD: High-resolution color photos of this production will be available for media use on the PTC website beginning Wednesday, September 9, 2015. Go directly to http://www.pioneertheatre.org/press-room/media-photos/
TV CAMERA FILMING: Filming a short segment of the production during Preview or Opening Night for press use can be arranged. Call 801-581-6270.
INTERVIEWS: Interviews with the cast and artistic staff are available. Call 801-581-6270.
PRESS TOURS: Tours of the set for the press are available. Call 801-581-6270.
WHO: Pioneer Theatre Company
WHAT: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl Book by JOSEPH STEIN Music by JERRY BOCK Lyrics by SHELDON HARNICK
WHEN: September 18 through October 3, 2015
TIMES: Mondays – Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 8:00 p.m. Saturday matinees, 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre 300 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City
PRICE: $40 – $62 in advance and $5 more when purchased on the day of the show Early bird discount for tickets purchased before September 11, 2015. Children in grades K – 12 are half price on Mondays and Tuesdays
MORE INFO: Box Office: 801-581-6961 Open 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Mon – Fri www.pioneertheatre.org
Cast: Ben Abbott…………………………………………….. Nachum Dorothy Briggs Arnold……………………………… Mirala J. Michael Bailey*……………………………………. Mordcha Spencer Belnap……………………………………….. Constable Ginger Bess*…………………………………………… Hannah/Fruma-Sarah Natalia Bingham……………………………………… Bielke Wilson Bridges*………………………………………. Perchik Eric Lee Brotherson*……………………………….. Avrahm Zachary Brown……………………………………….. Fiddler Sam Cook………………………………………………. Herschel Matt Farcher*…………………………………………. Fyedka Susanna Florence……………………………………… Shaindel Jaime Fuentes………………………………………….. Russian Tia Galanis……………………………………………… Malka Chelsea Cree Groen………………………………….. Chava Ava Hoekstra………………………………………….. Shprintze Michael Thomas Holmes*………………………… Tevya David Guy Holmes…………………………………… Russian Justin Ivie*…………………………………………….. Yussel Mark David Kaplan*………………………………… Lazar Wolf Justin Keats*…………………………………………… Schloime Ben Lokey*……………………………………………. Rabbi Mandy McDonell…………………………………….. Franya J.T. O’Reilly…………………………………………… Yoshua John Peterson…………………………………………. Sasha Tanner James Rampton……………………………. David Eleanor Reissa*……………………………………….. Yente Bonnie Romney………………………………………. Ensemble Ravi Roth*…………………………………………….. Motel Jack Sarfati…………………………………………….. Moishel Kim Sava*……………………………………………… Tzeitel/Grandma Tzeitel Tia Speros*…………………………………………….. Golde Nadia Vynnytsky…………………………………….. Hodel Jake Weinstein*………………………………………. Mendel Artistic Team Karen Azenberg………………………………………. Director/Choreographer Helen Gregory…………………………………………. Musical Director George Maxwell………………………………………. Scenic Designer Carol Wells-Day……………………………………… Costume Designer Michael Gilliam……………………………………….. Lighting Designer Joshua C. Hight……………………………………….. Sound Designer Amanda French……………………………………….. Hair/Makeup Designer * Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pioneer Theatre Company operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. Pioneer Theatre Company, Utah’s only fully professional theatre, performs at Roy W. and Elizabeth E. Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, located on the University of Utah campus at 300 South and 1400 East in Salt Lake City, easily accessible by TRAX light rail. Free parking is also available and the theatre is equipped with an elevator, handicap parking, hearing assistance devices and other easy-access features.