Fame at the Little Shubert

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 9/12/03 at 10:08am

Okay, it's opening in a few weeks, why haven't we heard much about it? Does anyone have any idea who's going to be in it? Anyone we know or are they going with all unknowns? (which would make sense, of course.)

Thanks!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/12/03 at 10:12am

I am extremely curious also!

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 9/12/03 at 3:45pm

hmmm I don't know whos going to be in it! I'd like to see it though!! =-D Is that guy who won "Fame" the tv show in it?

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/12/03 at 6:17pm

Harlemm Lee will not be in Fame, according to playbill.com. He really would not have been the best in Fame, anyways.
Playbill Article

Updated On: 9/12/03 at 06:17 PM

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 9:41am

I heard Caren Manuel from Fame will be playing Carmen...I think that girl is around 30, so I'm guessing the rest of the cast won't be REAL 17-year-olds...ah, Gavin, the role of Nick just won't sound the same without you :)

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 9:44am

Ya, there is a thread a little ways down about the cast...the whole cast as been announced.

Updated On: 9/16/03 at 09:44 AM

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 9:47am

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED
FOR THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON
"FAME ON 42ND STREET"

-- CONCEIVED AND DEVELOPED BY DAVID DE SILVA -- BOOK BY JOSE FERNANDEZ LYRICS BY JACQUES LEVY MUSIC BY STEVE MARGOSHES DIRECTED BY DREW SCOTT HARRIS CHOREOGRAPHED BY LARS BETHKE

PERFORMANCES BEGIN: OCTOBER 7, 2003
OPENING NIGHT: NOVEMBER 11, 2003
LITTLE SHUBERT THEATRE ON 42nd STREET

The producers of FAME ON 42ND STREET have announced full casting for the dynamic stage musical that has electrified audiences around the world.
Inspired by the international hit movie, FAME ON 42ND STREET arrives home to the city where this universal story is set - New York. Performances begin Off-Broadway, Tuesday, October 7 at the Little Shubert Theatre (422 West 42nd Street, between Ninth Avenue and Dyer Streets). The official opening night is Tuesday, November 11.

The Cast of FAME ON 42ND STREET stars: JENNA COKER as Grace 'Lambchops' Lamb (drummer); EMILY CORNEY as Iris Kelly (classically-trained dancer); SHAKIEM EVANS as Tyrone Jackson (street dancer); CHRISTOPHER J. HANKE as Nick Piazza (actor); NANCY HESS as Ms. Greta Bell, the dance teacher; MICHAEL KARY as Goodman "Goody" King (trumpet player); NICOLE LEACH as Carmen Diaz (dancer); GANNON McHALE as Mr. Sheinkopf, the music teacher; DENNIS MOENCH as Schlomo Metzenbaum (violinist); PETER REARDON as Mr. Myers, the drama teacher; JOSÉ RESTREPO as José 'Joe' Vegas (actor); SARA SCHMIDT as Serena Katz (actress); Q. SMITH as Mabel Washington (dancer) and CHERYL FREEMAN as Miss Ester Sherman, the English/homeroom teacher.

The Ensemble includes: ANGELA BRYDON, ALEXIS CARRA, RYAN CHRISTOPHER CHOTTO, DAVID GARCIA, JESSE NAGER, JENNIFER PARSINEN, DAWN NOEL PIGNUOLA, EDUARDO RIOSECO, ENRICO RODRIGUEZ, and DANITA SALAMIDA (who also serves as the Choreography Supervisor).

Set in a four-year period from 1980-1984 at New York City's legendary High School for Performing Arts on West 46th Street, FAME takes the audience on a roller-coaster ride through the highs, the lows, and the ultimate triumphs of star-struck students in their quest for success. The musical chronicles their four-year odyssey from Freshmen, to Senior Class of 1984 -- the last class to graduate from the landmark building where the unofficial motto was "Fame costs and this is where you start paying."

There have been hundreds of productions of FAME on every continent in the world, and in almost every language, since Music Theatre International first published the stage musical in 1990. The FAME phenomenon is still growing with productions planned this year for Italy, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Switzerland, Japan, Spain, and Scotland. In the U.K. alone, it has played to almost 3 million people since it was first presented at the Cambridge Theatre, London, in 1995. FAME is currently playing in London's West End at the Aldwych Theatre. In North America, an all-new production of FAME begins a "100-city" tour, Fall 2003.

FAME is conceived and developed by David De Silva, with book by Jose Fernandez, lyrics by Jacques Levy, music by Steve Margoshes (title song "Fame" written by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore). The New York production is directed by Drew Scott Harris; choreographed by Lars Bethke; and produced by Richard Martini, Allen Spivak and Dodger Stage Holding by arrangement with The Father Fame Foundation. The design team is comprised of Norbert Kolb (Sets), Ken Billington (Lights), Paul Tazewell (Costumes), and Christopher "Kit" Bond (Sound).


CREATIVE TEAM - BIOGRAPHIES
DAVID DE SILVA (Originator) is known as "Father Fame." Creator De Silva conceived, developed and produced the MGM motion picture FAME. The film received four Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Song. As a native New Yorker with a background in education, he developed the idea for FAME from his belief in "magnet" schools like the High School of Performing Arts (now the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts). He was consulting producer on the television series, which ran for six years on network television and in syndication, and was broadcast in 68 countries.
Recently De Silva created The Father Fame Foundation, whose mission is to interactively promote the value of arts in education, especially theatre arts. De Silva believes FAME will truly "live forever" in the world of theatre. Its youth-oriented idealism of pursuing the performing arts in education will always be an inspiration to young people everywhere.

JOSÉ FERNANDEZ (Book) began his theatrical career as an actor. His Broadway credits include The Me Nobody Knows, Hair, Truckload and Two Gentlemen of Verona. His career as a writer began with the Off-Broadway musical, El Bravo! produced by Kenneth Waissman. Beginning in 1984, Fernandez collaborated with David De Silva on transforming FAME into a new and timeless musical. Born in Havana, Cuba on August 19, 1948, he died of AIDS on January 8, 1994, but not before he saw the Swedish production of FAME, and knew the impact it would have on the world.

JACQUES LEVY (Lyricist) has written lyrics for many well-known recording artists. With Bob Dylan he wrote the album Desire and the hit single Hurricane. Levy has written albums with Roger McGuinn for The Byrds and for McGuinn's solo work including the classic single Chestnut Mare and Lover of the Bayou. His lyrics have been recorded by: Carly Simon, Crystal Gayle, Joe Cocker, Jerry Lee Lewis, and soprano Jan DeGaetan. Levy has written lyrics for five musicals including Oh, Calcutta! and The Golden Land. He has also been nominated for three Grammys. Levy is currently the head of the theatre program at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.

STEVE MARGOSHES (Composer) currently has been composing and orchestrating light classical pieces for symphony orchestra and violin and orchestra in association with David De Silva. Two recordings with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra include Romantic Suite and Violin Suite from FAME (these CD's will be released by Albany Records.) Two other recent recordings of his music are Sawing to New Heights (with Dale Stuckenbruck, Musical Saw) and A Glass of Paint (a solo piano CD), which will be released by 4tay Records. As an orchestrator on Broadway, Steve is known for Elton John's Aida, The Who's Tommy and Smokey Joe's Café. Currently he is orchestrating Boy George's
Taboo.

DREW SCOTT HARRIS (Director) has directed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional and university theatres across the country. Most recently, he directed newly conceived productions of Titanic to critical acclaim at Lyric Stage (Dallas) and Wagner College (NY). On Broadway: Ain't Broadway Grand.
Off-Broadway: Johnny Pye and the Foolkiller, as well as the NY premiere of Opal at the Lambs Theatre (nominated for four Outer Critics Circle Awards).
Nationally, he has directed over 150 productions as diverse as three years of Princeton Triangle shows, Guys and Dolls (Atlanta's Alliance Theatre), The Mikado 2050 (Candlewood Playhouse), a regional tour of Rocky Horror Picture Show and a national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, which won Chicago's Jefferson Award for Best Musical while also receiving 11 other Jeff nominations. His production of The Sound of Music is currently on tour.

LARS BETHKE (Choreographer). Born and raised in Sweden, Bethke is a multifaceted artist who received a Laurence Olivier nomination for the London production of FAME, and a Gold Mask Award for the same production in Stockholm. He has worked with the Cullberg Ballet, Geneva Ballet, Royal Swedish Opera, Dramaten and his own company, 5th Art. He was a soloist dancer at the Geneva Ballet for two years and has also starred in numerous TV shows and plays such as Grease!, West Side Story, Hair and Cats. He was director/choreographer for the first North American tour of FAME.


TICKET/ VENUE /PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE /WEBSITE INFORMATION Tickets for FAME ON 42ND STREET are available through Telecharge at 212-239-6200.
For Group Sales, call 212-575-9710 x 325 or 1-877-536-3437.

Ticket Prices: $65.00 for all performances (except Friday and Saturday
evenings.) Friday and Saturday evening performances are $75.00.

Student Rush Policy: Student rush tickets are available day of performance, for $25.00 cash only, in-person at the Little Shubert Box Office. Rush tickets will be on sale 2 hours prior to the performance, subject to availability.

FAME ON 42ND STREET performs Off-Broadway at the Little Shubert Theatre (422 West 42nd Street, between Ninth Avenue and Dyer Streets, NYC).

Performance schedule: Tuesdays at 7:00pm, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00pm, with matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00pm and Sundays at 3:00pm.

ONLINE: Visit www.FAMEon42.com <http://www.FAMEon42.com>

Posted: 9/16/03 at 3:14pm

Where's Coco..

and Bruno??

[BrdwyThtr]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 3:17pm

Sorry Voiceanth! Their characters aren't in the musical.

[robbiej]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 3:23pm

And Ann Meara? WHERE THE HELL IS ANN MEARA???

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 3:40pm

Yeah, the movie and the musical are different...but pretty similar. The characters of Coco and Carmen are similar, and you know that scene in the movie when Doris says, "I must remember this moment and use it in my acting"....Serena has a song like that in the show. ("Think of Meryl Strepe.)

My favorite part of the musical:

Nick: (played by Gavin Creel!) You'll probably go off to Brooklyn College, and meet some guy and forget all about me!

Serena: You'll probably go off to New Haven and meet some guy and forget all about me!

Nick: Haha, very funny!

Posted: 9/16/03 at 3:46pm

And Leroy.

..and his ass....damn!

[robbiej]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 4:06pm

And what about the black girl Leroy dances with in the opening of fame, when she gets all pissed and starts screaming 'F*CK YOU LEROY!!!'

My FAVORITE!!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 4:15pm

There is Mabel Washington.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 5:06pm

Ugh! I hated the movie. I couldn't sit through it. It bored me to tears. The musical, in my opinion, is amazing- I love the music and characters a lot better. The movie was horrible.

[robbiej]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 5:33pm

I'm sorry...but unless the musical contains a scene EXACTLY like the one in the movie in which Coco cries and disrobes for the child pornographer, then I'M NOT GOING!

[theatrediva10086]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 6:05pm

Cheryl Freeman is so good... I cant wait to see the show...

Posted: 9/16/03 at 6:14pm

omygod, cheryl freeman is miss sherman????

belts teacher's arugment and these are my children for ALL it's worth!!!!!!!!!

[musicaltheatreman]

Posted: 9/16/03 at 6:14pm

is the guy that won the fame tv conset in it?? what is he up to now?

[alterego]

Posted: 9/17/03 at 9:12am

I love Cheryl Freeman! Isn't she a little too good for this show?

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/17/03 at 9:14am

No, Harelemm Lee is not in the show. There was an article on Playbill.com

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/17/03 at 9:14am

Do you think they will record this show?

[DoReMi]

Posted: 9/17/03 at 8:33pm

I'm sure they'll
After all, there have been many shows that run for a week and have been recorded.