42nd Street Moon

Andrea Marcovicci
as
COCO (1969)

Book & Lyrics by ALAN JAY LERNER
Music by ANDRE PREVIN

Directed by MARK D. KAUFMANN
Musical Director MICHAEL HORSLEY
Fashion Show Choreography JAYNE ZABAN

Cabaret and concert star Andrea Marcovicci brings her captivating high style to the role of the magnificent and mercurial fashion doyenne Coco Chanel!

This is the first production of Coco since the early 1970s. Lerner and Previn’s musical memory play focuses on the Divine Coco’s amazing 1950s renaissance as a fashion force, as well as her battles with a jealous rival designer and the boyfriend of her protégé. Songs include Always Mademoiselle, Let’s Go Home, When Your Lover Says Goodbye, Fiasco, and Coco.

WHERE:
Eureka Theatre
215 Jackson (between Battery and Front), San Francisco, CA

WHEN:
APRIL 24 - MAY 11, 2008
Family matinee: Saturday May 3 @ 1pm
Early Curtain Wednesday! May 7 @ 7pm
Discussions w/Director & Cast: Sunday April 27 & May 4
Low-Priced Previews: Thur & Fri, April 24 & 25 @ 8pm
Regular Performances: Thur & Fri at 8pm; Sat at 6pm; Sun at 3pm

gypsy

BIOGRAPHIES

		C.J. BLANKENSHIP (Georges Guerin) has been seen in CATS, Oklahoma!, Carousel, and Dreamgirls among others. He sang with the San Francisco Opera Chorus in the world premiere opera, Appomattox. He was a featured dancer in the San Francisco Opera Ballet Corps in Samson and Delilah and The Rake’s Progress. He has also performed with several other Bay Area companies including San Francisco Taiko Dojo, Na Hula O Moku’aina, Moving Arts Dance, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, and Huckabay McAllister Dance. Coco marks his debut with 42nd Street Moon.

		MICHAEL PATRICK GAFFNEY (Louis Greff) makes a welcome return to 42nd Street Moon for another “Uncommon Musical”! Some of his previous shows with the company include: Li’l Abner, Mack & Mabel, Minnie’s Boys, and his personal favorite, Finian’s Rainbow. Earlier this year he took on the role of legendary producer, David O. Selznick in Moonlight & Magnolias, with Town Hall Theatre. Other theatre companies Michael has worked with include: Encore Theatre Co., Word for Word, Porchlight Theatre, Broadway By the Bay, Playground and California Conservatory Theatre.

		HEATHER GORDON (Colette) most recently played the role of Clea in S.F. Playhouse's West Coast Premiere of Theresa Rebeck's The Scene. Favorite roles include Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday, Viola in Twelfth Night, Abigail Williams in The Crucible, and Toxic Passion in Thunderbabe, The Musical. As Miss Marin County, she will compete for the title of "Miss California" in June 2008. Later this summer, Ms. Gordon begins her studies in the Masters of Fine Arts Program at American Rep. Theater/Moscow Art Theatre School at Harvard University.

COLEY GRUNDMAN (Charles/Ginsborn) returns to 42nd Street Moon for his third show; having previously appeared in Pardon My English last season and It’s…Superman prior to that. Recently, he has performed such roles as Billy Jester in Little Mary Sunshine and Georg in She Loves Me, both at the Masquers Playhouse, and played 43 weeks in the original cast of Shopping! The Musical! By day, Coley is the IT guy for a downtown San Francisco brokerage firm.

		RANDEL HART (Julian/Berkwit) has worked regionally in Seattle, Washington, Santa Barbara, California, and Durango, Colorado. In San Francisco he has performed with the New Conservatory Theatre, Theatre Rhinoceros, The B.O.A. Festival and various other projects. He also appeared in 42nd Street Moon’s Do Re Mi (2001). He was seen in Gideon's Dream as all the Nazis and before that as Yanning in Judgment at Nuremberg for San Francisco Free Civic Theatre. randelhart@yahoo.com

		LISA HENSLEY (Jeanine/Docaton) is making her debut with 42nd Street Moon. She has performed across the greater Bay Area in dozens of productions; most recently portraying June in Chicago at the Altarena Playhouse. Favorite roles include: Magenta in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tess in Crazy for You, Mae Jones in Street Scene and the title role in Gypsy. During the day Lisa teaches middle school drama and is mother to Julian, 5 and Austin, 3.

		NINA JOSEPHS (Noelle Forrestier) was last seen in the title role of One Touch of Venus for which she won a Bay Area Theatre Critics Choice Award. At 42nd Street Moon she has appeared in Gay Divorce (Mimi), Pardon My English (Frieda), Li’l Abner (Appassionata), The Golden Apple (Circe) and the title role in Miss Liberty. Other favorite regional roles include Mrs. Potiphar in Joseph and the Amazing…, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof and Lady Larken in Once Upon a Mattress, for which she won a Dean Goodman Award. She holds a Bachelor’s of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

		CASI MAGGIO (Simone) graduated from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts last May after receiving her Bachelor’s in Theatre from Cal State East Bay. With CSUEB, she performed internationally as Olivia in Twelfth Night at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Ms. Maggio has worked with the following Bay Area companies: Impact Theatre, TheatreWorks, Active Arts, Theatre Rhino, and this summer, with Shotgun Players as Princess Boggerlas in Ubu for President. This is her first show with 42nd Street Moon.

		ANDREA MARCOVICCI (Coco Chanel) made her 42nd Street Moon debut as Daisy in On a Clear Day. Her many appearances in the Bay Area include starring roles at the American Conservatory Theater (St. Joan, Burn This, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). Other theater credits include Any Given Day (Broadway) and Lady in the Dark (Prince Music Theatre, Philadelphia). Her many film and TV credits include The Front, The Hand, Irene In Time (soon to be released), Taxi, Cybil, Magnum P.I,, and Trapper John, M.D. Co-stars have included Sir Michael Caine, Sir John Gielgud, Sam Waterston, Danny DeVito, and Woody Allen. Known as the “Queen of Cabaret”, Andrea has created over 30 nightclub acts, performed at the White House, and played to sold-out houses including Carnegie Hall. She opens this October at the Hotel Nikko’s Rrazz Room with her latest show, Marcovicci Sings Movies II. For more information, please visit: www.marcovicci.com.

		SEAN PATRICK MURTAGH (Alex/Rosenberry) most recently appeared in the world premiere of Emma, by Tony nominee Paul Gordon at TheatreWorks. He previously worked with 42nd Street Moon in Mack & Mabel (Fatty Arbuckle), Broadway By the Bay in Fiddler On the Roof/Joseph…, Ray of Light in The Secret Garden (Albert), Pacifica Spindrift Players in Jekyll & Hyde (Simon Stride). With a Bachelor’s in Drama from the University of California, Irvine, he appeared in Victor/Victoria (Juke), Skin of Our Teeth (Doctor/ Convener), King Lear, HAIR (Margaret Mead). Sean works as a Tenor with the East Bay Aria Club.

		TOM ORR (Sebastian Baye) is a veteran Moonie appearing in his seventh show (Mack & Mabel, Li'l Abner, Pardon My English, Plain and Fancy, One Touch of Venus and Moon About Town 2007 Gala). He is also an award-winning lyricist best known for Dirty Little Showtunes! and his recent solo cabaret, iTom_shuffle. Other credits: Naked Boys Singing!, Trog! (Theatre Rhino); Whoop-Dee-Doo!, Take Me Out (NCTC); Shopping! The Musical; and Simply Sondheim! A 75th Birthday Salute (co-director w/ Tom Segal; CD: www.kritzerland.com).

		TOM REARDON (Papa) is making his debut with 42nd Street Moon. His theatrical credits include: The Music Man (Harold Hill), Peter Pan (Hook/Darling), Little Shop of Horrors (Orin, et al), Chicago (Billy Flynn), The Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers (Chico), Noises Off (Gary/Roger), Once Upon a Mattress (Jester), Bye Bye, Birdie (Albert), Anything Goes (Billy), Our Town (Stage Manager, etc.), The Taffetas (Ricky) and Glengarry Glen Ross (Shelly).

		SANDRA SCHLECHTER (Pignol) makes her 42nd Street Moon debut in Coco. Locally, she has worked with Central Works (Every Inch a King, The Wyrd Sisters); TheatreFIRST (Nathan the Wise, Arab-Israeli Cookbook); S.F. Playhouse (Reckless); Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (Hush Up Sweet Charlotte); Theatre Rhinoceros (The A.I.D.S. Show, Cleopatra: The Musical, The Last Hairdresser); numerous roles with Wilde Irish and Hot Pants Homo Players; and cabaret performances at the late, great Valencia Rose. Ms. Schlechter also performs with Actors Reading Writers in Berkeley.

		STEPHEN VAUGHT (Dr. Pettijean, Bernstone, et al) performed in Pardon My English and Gay Divorce for 42nd Street Moon last season. His other stage credits include Twelve Angry Men, Eastern Standard, A New War, and A Funny Thing Happened…Forum. Steve served as photo-double in National Treasure and Backwater, and has appeared in Arrested Development, Gilmore Girls, The Closer, The OC, and The West Wing. He spends his non-theatrical work energy in the financial services field.

		BEVERLEY VILJOEN (Solange) is making her debut with 42nd Street Moon. She was last seen as Cinderella at the Alameda Civic Light Opera. Other Bay Area productions include: Show Boat and The Merry Widow. Her favorite roles include: Luisa in The Fantasticks, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas and Don John in Much Ado About Nothing.

•••

MARK D. KAUFMANN (Director) returns to 42nd Street Moon, having directed four shows in its first year of operation: Oh! Lady, Lady!, Sweet Adeline, The Cat and the Fiddle, and Hollywood Pinafore. Mark makes his home in Los Angeles, where he has directed productions of The Importance of Being Ernest, and Damn Yankees at the Actor’s Co-op, and the premiere of Oscar Wilde’s Wife at the Odyssey Theater. A playwright, Kaufmann has had work produced in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Evil Little Thoughts, originally produced at the Denver Center, won the Denver Drama Critic’s Circle award for Best New Play. His plays The End of Civilization as We Know It, and The Labors of Hercules Fitch are frequently produced in high schools around the world.

MICHAEL HORSLEY (Musical Director) makes a welcome return to 42nd Street Moon, where he previously worked on Goldilocks, On a Clear Day, One Touch of Venus (1993), among others. He is resident music director at the St. Louis MUNY, America’s largest outdoor amphitheatre where he has conducted over 40 musicals including the successful original works of Cole Porter’s Roman Holiday, and Jerome Kern’s Sleeping Beauty. He has conducted the national tours of Broadway’s Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Cinderella, and Chicago starring Chita Rivera and Ben Vereen. Regional credits include White Christmas in Boston, Detroit, and Toronto, Music Theatre Wichita, Barter Theatre, Kansas City Starlight, and Dallas Summer Music Festival. He also “sails with the stars” for the Theatre Guild’s cruises, arranging and accompanying artists such as Leslie Uggams, Lee Roy Reams, Patricia Neal, Shirley Jones, and Judy Kaye.

JAYNE ZABAN (Fashion Show Choreographer) began her career with the Atlanta Ballet Company. As co-owner and Director of Ballet for Dance Arts Center in San Carlos, she has instructed many students who now have professional careers in theater and dance. Jayne has choreographed for many regional and community theaters throughout the Bay Area including 42nd Street Moon, the Lamplighters, Broadway by the Bay, Aurora Theatre, Diablo Light Opera Company, Contra Costa Musical Theater and Hillbarn Theatre. She has also staged productions at the Plush Room and Shelton Theaters. Awards and nominations: Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Dean Goodman, Garland and Shellie.

RUDY GUERRERO (Stage Manager) has previously been stage manager for 42nd Street Moon’s Flora the Red Menace and Li’l Abner. His Moon performances include Gay Divorce (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle nominee), The Golden Apple, Once Upon a Mattress, and Can-Can. Awards include several Dean Goodman Choice Awards, an Emmy Award, and most recently, a BATCC award for his performance as the "Leading Player" in Pippin at Foothill Music Theater. He has a BFA in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory and a MFA in acting from American Conservatory Theater.

LOUISE JARMILOWICZ (Costumer) is costuming her ninth show for 42nd Street Moon, having just costumed The Student Gypsy. Ms. Jarmilowicz has been costuming around San Francisco for many years. Previous groups with whom she has worked, designing and constructing costumes, include the Handful Players, the African-American Shakespeare Co., Children's Fairyland, Stage Door Conservatory, The Lamplighters, the Dark Room Theater, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and many other local artists.

ELLEN BROOKS (Lighting Designer) has designed many productions for 42nd Street Moon – including Gay Divorce, Mack & Mabel, Oh, Lady! Lady!!, Red Hot and Blue!, Once Upon a Mattress, Paint Your Wagon, Can-Can and the Company’s annual Galas at the Herbst and Alcazar Theatres. For the past eight years she has also designed for Lamplighters Music Theatre at Yerba Buena Center and the Herbst in San Francisco, Napa Valley Opera House, Dean Lesher Center in Walnut Creek and Mountain View Center. She is the Resident Lighting Director for Marin Shakespeare Company and this summer will design Amadeus, The Winter's Tale and Much Ado... Her most recent work includes Ascension of the Blues, Shadowlands and Once on This Island.

MIKE FIGUEIRA (Set Decorator) is in his fourth season as set decorator at 42nd Street Moon. Making magic on the Eureka stage involves buying, building, and/or borrowing various chairs, cubes, and crates, as well as creating, recreating (with new paint and fabric), or locating other set pieces. He also designs and paints the look for the stage floor and proscenium, from solid black to faux hay to garden paths. Favorite sets include Plain and Fancy, Miss Liberty, and last fall’s Oh, Lady! Lady!!

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