Photo Flash: 'Avenue Q' Stars at Falsettoland Opening

Ann Harada, John Tartaglia and Stephanie D'Abruzzo - who were among the original cast members of the long-running Broadway hit Avenue Q - were on hand to celebrate the opening of the National Asian American Theatre Company's production of Falsettoland on Sunday, June 17 at The Dimson Theatre (108 East 15th Street).

The modern classic musical Falsettoland, about a an extended family of gay, straight and bisexual New Yorkers preparing for a son's bar mitzvah, features music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine.  The production is directed by Alan Muraoka and began previews on June 14 prior to its official press opening June 17; it runs through July 1. Featured in the cast of Falsettoland, portraying the merry, musical neurotics in Mr. Finn's groundbreaking work (which premiered Off-Broadway in 1990) are:  MaryAnn Hu, Christine Toy Johnson, Francis Jue (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Jason Ma, Manu Narayan (Bombay Dreams), Ben Wu and Ann Sanders.  Sanders returns to the cast of Avenue Q, in the role of Christmas Eve, on July 2nd.
 
"Under the artistic leadership of co-founder Mia Katigbak, the National Asian American Theatre Company was founded in 1989 to give Asian American actors, (as well as directors, designers, and technicians) the opportunity to play roles in European and American classical and contemporary works for which they otherwise might not get cast," state press notes.  The company will also present The House of Bernarda Alba, by Federico Garcia Lorca, from June 4th through June 23rd.
  
For more information, visit www.NAATCO.org.  Visit www.avenueq.com for more on Avenue Q.

Photos by Herb Perry

 
Falsettoland director Alan Muraoka, Ann Harada, Ann Sanders (Trina in Falsettoland), John Tartaglia and Stephanie D'Abruzzo

Ann Harada, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, John Tartaglia and Alan Muraoka

Ann Harada and Stephanie D'Abruzzo