Morrison and More Set for Guettel Evening in Seattle, 6/10

Matthew Morrison, last seen on Broadway singing the lush Light in the Piazza songs of Adam Guettel, will perform in a gala evening of the Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist's songs at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle on June 10th. Guettel will also perform, as well as host the evening.

The Intiman Theatre--this year's recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award--is where The Light in the Piazza received its premiere, before moving on to Chicago's Goodman Theatre and then to Broadway's Vivian Beaumont Theatre. The show, which follows a lovestruck young woman and her disapproving mother on vacation in Florence, Italy, was helmed by Intiman Artistic Director Bartlett Sher. It features music and lyrics by Guettel and a book by Craig Lucas (based on the novella by Elizabeth Spencer).

"An Evening with Adam Guettel and Friends" will also feature performances by Anna Bergman and Laura Griffith (The Light in the Piazza), with Adam Ben-David on piano, Page Smith on cello and Kyung Sun Chee on violin. It will include orchestrations by Piazza's Ted Sperling (as well as Guettel), and lighting by that show's Christopher Akerlind.

The following Piazza songs will be performed:

"The Beauty Is" - Griffith
"Il Mondo Era Vuoto" - Morrison
"Dividing Day" - Bergman
"Say It Somehow" - Griffith and Morrison
"The Light in the Piazza" - Griffith
"Let's Walk" - Guettel and Bergman
"Love to Me" - Morrison
"Fable" - Bergman

Tony-nominated for his performance as Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza, Morrison created the role of Link in Broadway's Hairspray, and has also been seen on Broadway in A Naked Girl on the Appian Way, The Rocky Horror Show and Footloose. He also played Sir Harry in the Disney television musical version of "Once Upon a Mattress."

Guettel won two Tony Awards for The Light in the Piazza--for Score and for Orchestrations (which he shared with Sperling and Bruce Coughlin). Currently at work on a Broadway-bound musical version of The Princess Bride, he also penned music and lyrics for Off-Broadway's Floyd Collins and for the song cycle Myths and Hymns. Guettel is the grandson of Richard Rodgers and the son of Mary Rodgers.

The Intiman Theatre is located at 201 Mercer Street at Seattle Center. Rickets range from $300 to $750; call Anne Marie Guerrero at (206) 269-1901 ext. 226 or gala@intiman.org for more information. Visit www.intiman.org for more on the Intiman.