SD Musical Theater Presents THE STORY OF MY LIFE Previews 1/21/2011

San Diego Musical Theatre is thrilled to present its second production of its 2010-2011 season, the San Diego Premiere of the Broadway musical, THE STORY OF MY LIFE with music and lyrics by Neil Bartram, book by Brian Hill, musical direction by Don LeMaster and directed by Ovation Award-winner Nick DeGruccio. San Diego Musical Theatre is proud to be presenting the critically-acclaimed, Ovation Award-nominated Havok Theatre Company production that recently played in Los Angeles. The show will star Robert J. Townsend (Mamma Mia, Smokey Joe's Cafe) as Thomas Weaver and Chad Borden (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Laramie Project) as Alvin Kelby. Nominated for four Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, THE STORY OF MY LIFE will preview on Friday, January 21, 2011 and will open on Saturday, January 22 at the Lyceum Theatre at Horton Plaza, 79 Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego.

The Story of My Life tells the story of two childhood friends and how their friendship profoundly defined their lives. Thomas Weaver is a best-selling, award-winning author. Alvin Kelby was his best friend for thirty years. But time can test the bonds of friendship, and when it does, Thomas calls on the only resource he has - his stories of Alvin - to learn where things went wrong. A richly melodic musical, The Story of My Life is a soaring tribute to the power of friendship and the people who change our lives forever.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Neil Bartram (Music and Lyrics) is the recipient of a Dramatists Guild Jonathan Larson Fellowship, a Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, and was a finalist for the 2007 Fred Ebb Award. He is the composer/lyricist of The Story of My Life, which was developed at NAMT and Goodspeed before debuting on Broadway in February 2009 (Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.). Neil also wrote the music and lyrics for Somewhere In The World (5 seasons at the Charlottetown Festival), and The Nightingale and the Rose. With book writer Brian Hill, Neil is currently developing a musical based on Timothy Findley's novel Not Wanted On The Voyage (at Northwestern University with director Amanda Dehnert) and an original musical Clara's Piano (workshopped by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival with director and conceiver Susan H. Schulman). Cast albums include Somewhere In The World and The Story Of My Life (PS Classics). Neil is a member of the Dramatists Guild, ASCAP, and is an alumnus of the BMI Lehman Engel Music Theatre Workshop. In 2009, Neil was a double Drama Desk Award nominee for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics for The Story of My Life.

Brian Hill (Book) In collaboration with composer/lyricist Neil Bartram, Brian has written the book for a number of musicals including an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose and Somewhere In the World, which was a hit for five seasons at the Charlottetown Festival. Not Wanted on the Voyage, an adaptation of the provocative Timothy Findley novel, is in development with the AMTP and Northwestern University under the direction of Amanda Dehnert, and Clara's Piano, conceived and directed by Susan H. Schulman, was developed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. The Story of My Life gained recognition through the NAMT Festival of new musicals and received a workshop production at Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris Theater and had its Broadway premier in February of 2009 directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. and starring Malcolm Gets and Will Chase. Brian received a 2009 Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Book for The Story of My Life.

Nick DeGruccio (Director) is a three-time recipient of the LA Ovation Award for Direction and has received the 2008 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Joel Hirschhorn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre as well as the 2009 BackStage Garland Award for Direction for an Outstanding Season of Work. He received Ovation Awards for his direction of The Laramie Project (LA Premiere) at the Colony Theatre & Laguna Playhouse, Jekyll & Hyde at Cabrillo Music Theatre and 1776 at Performance Riverside. Recent credits include Putting It Together, A Year With Frog and Toad for South Coast Repertory, 1776, RENT, the West Coast Premiere of The Andrews Brothers at Musical Theatre West (also for Cabrillo Music Theatre) as well as The Story Of My Life (LA Premiere), Kiss of the Spider Woman (LA Ovation Award for Musical) and the LA Premieres of Thrill Me and Dog Sees God for Havok Theatre Company's inaugural season.

His other productions and Ovation-nominated works include Side By Side By Sondheim for The Rubicon Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse, the LA premiere of Side Show (Colony Theatre), Guys and Dolls and La Cage Aux Folles (Musical Theatre West), The Last Five Years in rep with I Do! I Do! (Pasadena Playhouse), The Full Monty (San Diego Music Theatre), The Spitfire Grill (Laguna Playhouse/OC Weekly Award Best Musical), Zanna, Don't! at West Coast Ensemble (LADCC Award for Direction), Bad Apples, a World Premiere Play for The Rubicon Theatre Company, Beehive at the El Portal Theatre, I Left My Heart...a tribute to Tony Benett, Altar Boyz and The Andrews Brothers for the Welk Theatre and City of Angels, An Ideal Husband and Putting It Together (Colony Theatre). For Musical Theatre Guild, he directed the L.A. Premiere of A Man Of No Importance and Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party. Other credits: Basic Training (2nd Stage), The Fantasticks (Performance Riverside), Pippin (BCLO) and Happily Ever After...After All (voiceovers byAngela Lansbury) ( 9 O'clock Players). Nick is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Theatre Director's Lab West

THE STORY OF MY LIFE features an award-winning design team. The set design is by Tom Buderwitz. The lighting design is by Steven Young. The sound design is by Larry Esau. The Stage Manager is Jill Townsend.

ABOUT THE CAST

Robert J. Townsend (Thomas Weaver) is excited to return to SDMT, where he previously played Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, and also appeared as Michael in Smokey Joe's Café, and is very pleased to have the opportunity to reprise his role in this incredible show. He has just returned from appearing on the road as Santa in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and his recent Los Angeles performances include Edward Rutledge in MTW's critically acclaimed 1776 and as the Pharaoh in Joseph....Dreamcoat at CLO of South Bay Cities. Robert has toured the country with the national tours of Grease (Kenickie), Camelot (Sir Sagramore), and Mamma Mia! (Father Alexandrios). His regional credits include: the title role in Jekyll and Hyde with CMT (Ovation Award), Nicky in The Seafarer (San Diego Rep), Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie (MTW and Sacramento Music Circus), Baron von Gaigern in Grand Hotel (Colony Theatre), Sir Percival Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel (CMT), and Chris in Miss Saigon (SD Starlight).

Chad Borden (Alvin Kelby) is thrilled to be reprising the role of Alvin onstage at SDMT after appearing in Havok Theatre Company's Los Angeles Premiere and Ovation Award-nominated production of The Story of My Life. Chad played Molina in Havok's Kiss of the Spider Woman (Ovation and LADCC Award noms for Lead Actor).

Chad has performed at Pasadena Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, Rubicon Theatre, La Mirada Theatre, South Bay CLO, Reprise!, Hollywood Bowl, Musical Theatre West, Cabrillo Music Theatre, Santa Barbara CLO, Sacramento Music Circus, AMT of San Jose and Elephant Theatre where his favorite roles include Bobby in A Chorus Line, Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, Motel in Fiddler on the Roof, Will Parker in Oklahoma!, and Larry in Burn This. Chad was a member of the Ovation Award-winning ensemble of The Laramie Project and was also Ovation nominated as Bud Frump in How to Succeed in Business (Colony Theatre). A graduate of Northwestern University, Chad did two National Tours (Mordred in Camelot and The Duke Ellington Songbook) and performed regionally at Cincinnati Playhouse, Chicago's Marriott Lincolnshire, and Boston's Merrimack Repertory. His TV credits include "The Cape", "General Hospital", "Bold and the Beautiful", and "Girls Behaving Badly".

ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

THE STORY OF MY LIFE will preview on Friday, January 21 at 8pm and will open on Saturday, January 22 at 8pm and run through Sunday, February 6, 2011 at the Lyceum Theatre at Horton Plaza, 79 Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego.

Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm.

Ticket prices range from $30 - $60. Children 12 and under receive a 50% discount. Discounts are also available for Seniors/Military/Students and Groups. For ticket reservations, please visit www.sdmt.org or call 1-858-560-5740.

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