San Francisco Arts Education Presents LI'L ABNER, Now thru 3/2

Emily Keeler, San Francisco Arts Education's Artistic Director, announced today that the San Francisco Arts Education Project's 2014 musical is Li'l Abner, the 1956 Broadway musical featuring music by Gen De Paul and lyrics by the great Johnny Mercer. Li'l Abner runs for eight performances beginning tonight, February 14 through Sunday, March 2, 2014 at the Eureka Theatre (215 Jackson Street, San Francisco).

Tickets ($15 for students and seniors; $25 general admission) are available by calling City Box Office at 415.392.4400 or online at www.cityboxoffice.com. Tickets for The Players' Family Benefit Reception and Closing Day Party on Sunday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m. are $40 for general admission and $20 for student and senior admission. Ticket price includes drinks, hors d'oeuvres and dessert and benefits the San Francisco Arts Education Project.

Danny Duncan, a Master Artist with the San Francisco Arts Education Project since 1991, is once again directing The Players' show. Duncan is working with SFArtsED musical director Michael Mohammed, vocal directors Alex Stein and Ben Malkevitch and choreographers Natalie Greene, Erin Hewitt and Emily Keeler. The set is designed by the technical theater students at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts (RA SOTA) under the guidance of the program's co-director Paul Kwape and the school's resident artist Jenny King Turko; Tiersa Nureyev is creating the costumes. Jeffrey Hyche, an alumnus of The Players, is the stage manager, and SFArtsED's apprentice program with RA SOTA provides opportunities for high school students to design and build the set and operate the light and sound boards for the production.

Based on the comic strip by Al Capp, Li'l Abner debuted on the Broadway stage 1956 with a sterling score by Mercer and De Paul featuring the songs "If I Had My Druthers," "Jubilation T. Cornpone" and "The Country's in the Very Best of Hands." Perhaps the most memorable aspect of that original production was the musical staging and choreography by the legendary Michael Kidd. The movie version of the Broadway show was released in 1959 and featured many members of the original cast.

Li'l Abner runs Saturday, February 15 to Sunday, March 2, 2014 at the Eureka Theatre (215 Jackson Street, San Francisco). Show times are Saturdays and Sundays February 15 through March 1 at 2 p.m.; Fridays, February 21 and Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for The Players' Family Benefit Reception and Closing Day Party on Sunday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m. are $40 for general admission and $20 for student and senior admission. Ticket price includes drinks, hors d'oeuvres and dessert and benefits the San Francisco Arts Education Project. Regular tickets ($15 for students and seniors; $25 general admission) are available by calling City Box Office at 415.392.4400 or online at www.cityboxoffice.com.

About SFArtsED: Founded in 1968 (as the Alvarado School Arts Workshop) by renowned artist Ruth Asawa, SFArtsED has transformed the lives of children, their families, teachers, artists and volunteers. Programs include SFArtsED Summer, In-School Artist Teacher Residencies, After-School programs, The SFArtsED Players Musical Theater Company, SFArtsED Art & Design and apprenticeships for college and high school students.

About The SFArtsED Players: The SFArtsED Players is a musical theater company that reflects San Francisco in all its diversity. Hailing from the neighborhoods of the City and from around the bay, the SFArtsED Players comprises 46 theater performers who come from SFArtsED's performing arts residencies as well as form the organization's summer arts intensive, called SFArtsED Summer. The young performers are selected for their talent and enthusiasm for and commitment to the musical theater form. They work with directors of the company 10 hours each week, training as "triple threats" - actors, singers, dancers - and rehearsing for their performances. The company performs original musicals and revues as well as Broadway classics. This year's troupe represents 24 different Bay Area schools in San Francisco, Oakland and Marin County, including 15 public schools. www.sfartsed.org