'Russian on the Side' at Marines Memorial Theater

Before heading to Broadway, the incomparable Mark Nadler will bring his one-man comedy-in-music adventure, 'Russian on the Side,' to the Marines Memorial Theatre (609 Sutter Street, 2nd floor) for a limited engagement beginning October 16, 2008. Tickets are on sale now at the Marines Memorial Theatre box office, by phone at 415-771-6900 and online at Ticketmaster.com.

In 'Russian on the Side,' virtuoso Mark Nadler takes audiences on a zany 90-minute journey from Stravinsky to Sondheim. With music from celebrated American songwriters of the twentieth century such as Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Cole Porter and Ira Gershwin, Nadler "tickles the ivories" while dishing scintillating gossip about some of the world's greatest composers.

Nadler has been called a combination of Danny Kaye and all of the Marx Brothers rolled into one, while his show-stopping talents have earned him comparisons to Al Jolson. Nadler starred in and co-wrote the off-Broadway Gershwin revue, 'American Rhapsody,' which was nominated for a 2001 Drama Desk and two Lucille Lortel Awards and received the Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) Award for Outstanding Musical Revue. Regularly appearing at New York City's landmark cabaret The Algonquin, Nadler created and starred in over a dozen shows based on the great American Songbook. He has received four MAC awards for Outstanding Musical Comedy Performer and was awarded the Backstage Bistro Award for "Continuing to Raise the Standards of Cabaret Performance" (2003), as well as Outstanding Singer/ Instrumentalist and Outstanding Direction.

Nadler has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra, New York City's Town Hall, and has been a soloist with the Baltimore, Indianapolis and Oregon Symphonies. He has played in almost every significant nightclub in both New York City and Los Angeles, and has performed abroad in England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Belgium, Holland and Australia. On Broadway, Nadler appeared as "The Fingers on the Keys" in 'Dame Edna: The Royal Tour' and as "Pinky Pickles" in 'The Sheik of Avenue 'B',' as well as numerous productions off-Broadway and regionally. He also co-wrote, directed and starred in 'The Nose Knows,' a tribute to Jimmy Durante for the "Reel to Real" series at Lincoln Center and arranged and coached Glenn Close's performance of "Bye Bye Blackbird" for the 1985 film Maxie.

'Russian on the Side' is directed by Mark Waldrop, whose credits include 'Bea Arthur On Broadway' and the Drama Desk award-winning off-Broadway revue, 'When Pigs Fly,' for which he also provided book and lyrics. Mr. Waldrop most recently directed 'Little Shop of Horrors' at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse. Other regional credits include: 'Into the Woods' (Seattle's 5th Avenue Theater); 'Romeo & Bernadette' (at Paper Mill and Miami's Coconut Grove Playhouses); 'Gypsy' starring Betty Buckley (Paper Mill); and again, starring Judy Kaye (5th Avenue); 'Adventures in Love' (St. Paul's Ordway Theater); and Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Cinderella' (Maryland's Olney Theater). At the MUNY in St. Louis, he directed 'Damn Yankees' and a record-breaking production of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.' Mr. Waldrop also served as production supervisor and contributed special material for 'Bette Midler's Divine Miss Millennium' Tour. As a lyricist, Mr. Waldrop is the proud recipient of the Edward Kleban Award.

In association with the Marines Memorial Theatre, 'Russian on the Side' is produced by Michael Alden and Karen Lotman. Recently, Mr. Alden produced the Tony Award® nominee 'Grey Gardens' (Best Musical 2007). Other credits include 'Bridge & Tunnel' (2006 Special Tony Award®), 'Bad Dates' at The Laguna Playhouse (directed by Judith Ivey), and 'Palm Beach' at The La Jolla Playhouse (directed by Des McAnuff). In 2001 Alden produced 'Bat Boy: The Musical' at the Union Square Theater in New York (2001 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, and Drama Desk-nominee), which went on to a West End run at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London. His other stage credits include the Off-Broadway production of 'Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell,' and 'Save it for the Stage: The Life of Reilly,' written and starring Tony Award® -winner Charles Nelson Reilly. Mr. Alden has also enjoyed great success as a film producer, having produced the award winning 'UnZipped' (1995), 'The Hours' (2002) (associate producer) starring Nicole Kidman, and under his own production banner, the hit comedy 'Kissing Jessica Stein' (2001). For the stage, Mr. Alden is preparing the Broadway premiere of 'Palm Beach' directed by Des McAnuff, and Geraldine Aaron's London hit, 'My Brilliant Divorce' directed by Jerry Zaks.

Karen Lotman's previous credits as producer include 'Always: the Love Story of Irving Berlin' and 'A Swell Party - RSVP Cole Porter' at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, where she also produced Gala events that featured Mary Rodgers Guettel, Adam Guettel, Faith Prince, Sheldon Harnick and others. She produced the cast recordings of 'Always: the Love Story of Irving Berlin' and 'A Swell Party - RSVP Cole Porter,' as well as Mark Nadler's Tschaikowsky (and Other Russians), recorded live at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. In 2007, Ms. Lotman again produced 'A Swell Party - RSVP Cole Porter,' this time at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to celebrate the composer's posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition to her producing credits, Karen is an internationally known interior designer and antique specialist and is co-founder and director of the Macula Vision Research Foundation, a leading worldwide organization focusing on macular degeneration research, scientific conferences and a nationwide series of support groups.

'Russian on the Side' will play San Francisco's Marines Memorial Theatre (609 Sutter @Mason, 2nd floor) from Thursday, October 16 through Sunday, November 16, 2008. The press opening is Tuesday, October 21 at 8 p.m. Performances are Tuesdays - Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. (On Saturday, November 8, the evening performance will be at 9 p.m.) Tickets are $39 and $49 for regular performances; reduced-price previews and opening night (October 16-21) are $29 for all seats.

Tickets are on sale now at the Marines Memorial Theatre Box Office, by calling 415-771-6900, or online at Ticketmaster.com. Discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more by calling the number above.

For more information please visit MarinesMemorialTheatre.com or RussianOnTheSideOnline.com.

 

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