CURTAINS Raise at the Arvada Center Tonight

The Arvada Center will open the award winning musical, Curtains directed by Gavin Mayer tonight, July 9. Curtains is written by Rupert Holmes, and is based on the original book by Peter Stone, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb (Chicago and Cabaret).

Performances are Tuesday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 1 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., through July 28. Preview performances are July 5 - 7 at 7:30 p.m. Moderated talkbacks with the cast are offered on Friday, July 19 after the 7:30 p.m. show and Wednesday, July 24 after the 1:00 p.m. show. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to http://arvadacenter.org/on-stage/curtains or call 720-898-7200.

Curtains debuted on Broadway in 2007 and was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Original Score. As Curtains opens, the chief sleuth, Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, who harbors a secret affinity for musical theater, investigates the murder of a Broadway-bound theater company's tremendously untalented star on opening night. Could the culprit be the hard-edged lady producer, one of the recently divorced songwriting team, the egomaniacal British director, or the seemingly sweet ingénue? Curtains will have you on The Edge of your seat - laughing!

In addition to director Gavin Mayer, the creative team includes David Nehls (musical director), Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck (choreographer), Brian Mallgrave (scene design), Clare Henkel (costume design), David Thomas (sound design) and Jane Spencer (light design). The Arvada Center artistic producer is Rod A. Lansberry.

The principal cast features: Jim Poulos (Lt. Frank Cioffi); Erica Sweany (Niki Harris); Lauren Shealy (Georgia Hendricks); Megan Van de Hey (Carmen Bernstein); Jeffrey Roark (Aaron Fox); Mark Rubald (Sidney Bernstein); Colin Alexander (Christopher Belling); Kara Dombrowski (Bambi Bernét); Scott Severtson (Daryl Grady); Thadd Krueger (Johnny Harmon); Michael Gold (Oscar Shapiro); Adam Perry (Bobby Pepper); Mercedes Perez (Jessica Cranshaw/Connie Subbotin) and David Nehls (Sasha Iljinsky). Ensemble members are: Johnny Stewart (Randy Dexter); Matthew Dailey (Harv Fremont); Stephen Bertles (Detective O'Farrell/Roy Stetson); Rachel Turner (Mona Page); MAddie Franke (Roberta Wooster); Samantha Berman (Marjorie Cook); Zina Mercil (Arlene Barruca); Jake Corcoran (Brick Hawvermale); Rae Klapperich(Jane Setler); Kitty Skillman Hilsabeck (Peg Prentice); Ben Delony (Ronnie Driscoll); Matt LaFontaine (Russ Cochran) and Parker Redford (Bill Lansbury).

Since its opening in July 1976, the award winning Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities has grown to become one of the nation's largest multidisciplinary arts centers, devoted to all aspects of the arts and generously supported in part by the City of Arvada, the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) and Colorado Creative Industries. The Arvada Center is located at 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. and provides free parking for all its patrons. For more information go to www.arvadacenter.org or call 720-898-7200.