SLOW DANCE IN MIDTOWN Opens 4/6 at Whitefire Theatre

By: Mar. 05, 2012
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Bella Vita Entertainment in association with the Whitefire Theatre (which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary) will present a world premiere play, SLOW DANCE IN MIDTOWN, written and directed by Elizabeth Sarnoff ("Lost," "Deadwod," Alcatraz") and stars Don Swayze, MerEdith Scott Lynn, Nick Stabile and Tricia Small.  SLOW DANCE IN MIDTOWN will preview on Tuesday, April 3; Wednesday, April 4 & Thursday, April 5 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 6 and run through Saturday, May 12 at the Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks.  

SLOW DANCE IN MIDTOWN is set in an empty New York City bar, where "fate, friendship and family secrets are up for grabs as four people, all brassy and burdened, come to terms with loss and late apologies. Simply put it's about people who love each other so desperately that they can't stand the f*cking sight of one another."
  
ABOUT WRITER/DIRECTOR ELIZABETH SARNOFF
   
ELIZABETH SARNOFF (Writer/Director) has written episodes of "NYPD Blue" "Crossing Jordan," "Deadwood" and "Lost." She is the co-creator of the FOX crime/mystery series "Alcatraz"   Sarnoff joined the crew of"Deadwood" as an executive story editor and writer for the first season in 2004. She was promoted to producer for the second season in 2005. Sarnoff and the writing staff were nominated for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2006 ceremony for their work on the second season. She joined the crew of "Lost" as a producer and writer for the series second season in fall 2005. Sarnoff and the"Lost" writing staff won the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2006 ceremony for their work on the first and second seasons.  She was promoted to supervising producer for the third season in 2006. Sarnoff and her co-writer Christina M. Kim were nominated for the WGA award for Best Episodic Drama at theFebruary 2007 ceremony for their work on the second season episode "Two for the Road." The writing staff were again nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2007 ceremony for their work on the second and third seasons. She remained a supervising producer and regular writer for the series fourth season in 2008. She was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2009 ceremony for her work on the fourth season of "Lost."  She was promoted to co-executive producer for the fifth season in 2009. The writing staff was nominated for the award again at the February 2010 ceremony for their work on the fifth season.  She was promoted to executive producer for the series sixth and final season in 2010. In 2011, Sarnoff, along with Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, co-created the FOX series "Alcatraz". It premiered in the U.S. January 16, 2012.
 
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST
 
Nick Stabile is a Colorado native who has been working in Los Angeles since 1995.  He is a graduate of The National Theatre Conservatory where he earned his MFA in Acting and has his BFA from Colorado State University.  His first break in Los Angeles was when Aaron Spelling cast him as a series regular on Sunset Beach which aired on NBC. Following that Nick was cast in the lead role of the horror cult classic Bride of Chucky.  His career includes recurring and guest staring roles on Saving Grace, Without a Trace, Saints and Sinners, CSI Miami, Half and Half, Popular Dawson's Creek, Step by Step.  He was seen most recently recurring on Days of Our Lives creating havoc for Bo and Hope.  Portraying Dennis Wilson in the ABC mini series "The Beach Boys an American Family" was one of his favorite roles to date. Recent theatre credits include Uncle Peck in the Pulitzer Prize winning play, How I Learned to Drive directed by Emmy-winner Veronica Brady, Captain Taylor in A Solidier's Story directed by oscar-nominated director, Graeme Clifford and most recently as a corrupt firefighter in Firehouse at the Whitefire Theatre.
 
DON SWAYZE - In 2010, Swayze guest-starred in six episodes in a recurring role as Gus, a werewolf, on theHBO series "True Blood."  He was Col. Sherman Rutherford in a Western-Film Noir hybrid called "Heathens and Thieves."  His film work includes an appearance as a dancer in the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy," as Ruben in the film, "Father for Charlie," and as Mark in the film "Shy People." He also starred in the film "Death Ring" and as the Alamo courier James Bonham in "Alamo…Price of Freedom," an IMAX film shown in San Antonio, Texas. Swayze's television work includes multiple appearances in "Murder She Wrote," "NYPD Blue," "Days of Our Lives," "NCIS," as well as dozens of other programs. Swayze had a role as a mentally handicapped man suspected of murder in an episode of the television drama "Matlock."He also made several appearances on the HBO drama "Carnivàle,"as well as "Criminal Minds, " "The Big Game" and "Revelations," in which he played Charles Hankel, the father and alternate personality of serial killer Tobias Hankel.  On "Cold Case," Swayze played the adult Grant Hall. He is currently appearing in "The Young and the Restless" and "Days of Our Lives." Swayze had a small guest appearance on "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" as a crazy boat captain. He has also appeared on "Beyond Belief."
 
MEREdith Scott LYNN founded Big Hair Productions and produced,"I Love You, Don't Touch Me!" which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in '97 and was released to critical acclaim by MGM.  Immediately following she produced and starred in the independent film "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" with Sean Hayes.A Sundance festival favorite, Billy's was the industry's largest grossing gay themed indie.  Meredith co-directed the original screenplay "Standing On Fishes" in which she co-stars with Kelsey Grammer,  Jason Priestley, Pamela Reed and writer Bradford Tatum.  "Fishes" won best feature or the audience award at a number of festivals nation wide.  She co-produced and co-starred in "How to Go Out On A Date in Queens" with Jason Alexander, Rob Estes, Ron Pearlman and Kimberly Williams.  She developed and directed the short film, "Demo Reel…a tragedy in 10 minutes" which opened the shorts program at HBO's prestigious US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen.  Meredith has starred in Justin Lin's mockumentary "Finishing The Game."  She co-starred with Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett and Bruce Greenwood in the comedy, "Hollywood Homicide."  She played lesbian activist Enid Wexler in MGM's "Legally Blonde," co-starred as the aggressive bridesmaid "Debbie" in Dreamworks "Forces Of Nature" with Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock and as the "Credit Vixen" in Paramount's "A Night At The Roxbury."   She co-stars in the first and only special FX Passover movie, "When Do We Eat?" with Leslie Ann Warren, Jack Klugman and Michael Lerner.  She recurs as tough Defense attorney, Carol Allred on the hit series "CSI," and her television acting resume dates further back then she can bear.
 
Tricia Small is a BMI singer/songwriter and actor from Malibu who was most recently seen as the Female Chorus in the Pulitzer prize-winning play, How I Learned To Drive at the Malibu Stage Company. She also starred last summer as Laura in the Chicago premiere of High Fidelity at the Route 66 Theatre Company and as Cathy in the Los Angeles premiere of The Last Five Years. Tricia has been seen in both NY and LA in productions of Pizza Man, Sunday In The Park With George, City Of Angels and Evita to name a few. Screen credits include the award-winning films "How To Ace An Intervention" and "The Gymnast" and the films "Vesting" and "Sheltered."
 
SLOW DANCE IN MIDTWON features an award-winning design team.  Set Design is by Tom Buderwitz and Andy Hammer. Lighting Design is by Jeremy Pivnick. Sound Design is by Bruce Greenberg. Costume Design is by Mara Bear.  Music supervisor is Shark Adelic.  Original music by Dave Bassett. ("American Idol").
 
ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

SLOW DANCE IN MIDTOWN will preview on Tuesday, April 3; Wednesday, April 4 &Thursday, April 5 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 6 and run through Saturday, May 12 at the Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. 
 
Performances are Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm. 
 
Ticket prices are $20.00 for all performances.  Tickets are available online at www.brownpapertickets or by visiting wwwslowdanceinmidtown.com or call 818-990-2324.


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