Stages St. Louis to Present PROMISES, PROMISES 7/16-8/15

Stages St. Louis continues its 2010 season with Promises, Promises at The Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood from July 16 - August 15.

Combine Burt Bacharach and Hal David, one of the best songwriting teams of the 20th Century, with America's funniest playwright Neil Simon and the end result is the endlessly entertaining Promises, Promises.

Stages is known for bringing Broadway-quality musical theatre to St. Louis, and Promises, Promises continues with this tradition. The 2010 season opener Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn played to rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. St. Louis is a buzz with the only licensed professional production outside of New York making its way to Stages St. Louis.

The Stages St. Louis production will be produced and presented from the original script and score that premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in 1968. Adapted from Billy Wilder's 1960 Oscar-winning film The Apartment, Promises, Promises focuses on a rising executive, Chuck Baxter, who tries to curry favor with his superiors by letting them borrow his apartment for romantic trysts. Set in the Mad Men era of Manhattan's Madison Avenue, Promises, Promises remains slick, hip and timeless. With its propulsive score, eye-catching dances, dazzling designs, and laugh-out-loud hilarity, Promises, Promises is a show you will long carry in your heart.

Direction and musical staging are by Michael Hamilton, with choreography by Dana Lewis and musical direction by Lisa Campbell-Albert. Completing the artistic team are scenic designer Mark Halpin, costume designer John Inchiostro, lighting designer Matthew McCarthy and orchestral designer Stuart M. Elmore.

Appearing in the cast are St. Louis resident and Kevin Kline Award-Winner, Ben Nordstrom as Chuck Baxter, who recently was seen in Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and has numerous Regional and Off-Broadway credits; Broadway Actress Tari Kelly as Fran Kubelik returns to STAGES, having most recently played Janet Van De Graaff in last season's hit The Drowsy Chaperone. Her Broadway credits include How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Boy From Oz and Hal Prince's revival of Show Boat; Broadway Actor Richard Pruitt as Dr. Dreyfuss, who made his STAGES debut this season with Big River. Pruitt spent three years on Broadway in ^{42nd Street}; along with Broadway Actor Michael Halling as J.D. Sheldrake. Halling was last seen at STAGES in the Kevin Kline nominated performance as Jerry Lukowski in The Full Monty. His Broadway credits include A Tale of Two Cities, The Pajama Game, The Boy From Oz, In My Life and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

The cast will also include in order of appearance: PatRick Martin (Bartender Eddie/Knicks Fan/Clancy's Lounge Patron/Karl Kubelik); Edward Juvier (Mr. Dobitch); April Strelinger (Sylvia Gilhooley/Lum Ding Hostess); David Schmittou (Mr. Kirkeby); Ellen Isom (Ginger/Clancy's Lounge Patron); John Flack (Mr. Eichelberger); Lisa M. Ramey (Vivien Della Hoya/Clancy's Lounge Patron); Darrel Blackburn (Jesse Vanderhof); Abbey Elliott (Miss Kreplinski/Miss Polansky/Clancy's Lounge Patron); Maria Tholl (Company Nurse/Clancy's Lounge Patron/Helen Sheldrake); Borris York (Company Doctor); Kari Ely (Peggy Olson); Nic Thompson (Waiter/Clancy's Lounge Patron); Mark Roland (Knicks Fan/Bartender Eugene); Sarah Staker (Ms. Ross/Clancy's Lounge Patron); Brandi Wooten (Marge MacDougall); Andrew Laudel (Clancy's Lounge Patron/New Young Executive); Borris York (Clancy's Lounge Patron) and Lisa Campbell Albert (Orchestra Voice).

Promises, Promises is sponsored by Brown Shoe, Judy and Jerry Kent, Merry and Jim Mosbacher and Dan and Betty Viehmann. The 2010 season is made possible with financial assistance from the Missouri Arts Council and the Regional Arts Commission. STAGES is also funded in part by the Arts & Education Council.

Promises, Promises will run for a total of five weeks with evening performances Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 7:30 PM and matinees on Wednesdays at 2 PM, Saturdays at 4 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. For more information and to purchase tickets call 314-821-2407 or visit www.stagesstlouis.org.

The 2010 season also will feature Disney's The Aristocats (August 4 - 15) and Rodgers & Hammerstein's State Fair (September 3 - October 3). Tickets are $49, with numerous special single ticket and subscription rates available. Stages performs in the intimate, 384-seat Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Civic Center, 111 South Geyer Road, 63122.

The recipient of twenty Kevin Kline Awards over the past five years, six in 2010, Stages was founded in 1987 and has become the leading company for musical theatre performance and education in the Midwest.