John Herrera Returns Home for "The Medium at Large"

Chicago Actor & Tony Nominee Herrera Returns Home to Rehearse World Premiere Musical: The Medium At Large
 
Village Players Performing Arts Center announces that former Chicagoan and Tony Nominee John Herrera has arrived back in Chicago to rehearse the World Premiere musical The Medium at Large. Before moving to New York, John was seen in productions at the Goodman Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre, and Royal George, among others, earning numerous Jeff nominations along the way. His return to Village Players, where he first appeared 30 years ago, is a delightful homecoming for the theatre. Joining Herrera is best-selling author of 'The Artist's Way' Julia Cameron and her writing partner Emma Lively, authors of The Medium at Large.
 
The show explores what if those who have passed on have never really left us at all?  It's possible! The plot follows Bruce, a medium-at-large, as he plays matchmaker in this world and the next. As Bruce says, "Ask to be guided, life isn't one-sided." The Medium at Large asks audiences to set skepticism aside for an evening of romantic high jinks.
 
The Medium at Large does not open until October 17, but those interested in a sneak preview can join Village Players on August 28th, for a special Theatre Thursdays'event. Before a performance of Love in the Middle Ages, enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres along with a sneak preview from The Medium at Large performed by John Herrera and after the show, find out what goes into writing a musical when you spend a special Q&A session with the authors of Love in the Middle Ages.
 
John Herrera played Neville and was nominated for a Tony award in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Other Broadway credits include Che in Evita opposite Patti LuPone, the revival of 1776 playing Roger Sherman, Camelot with Richard Burton,  Man of La Mancha, The Threepenny Opera, Shogun, and Grease.  National tours include Anatoly in Chess (Carbonell Award), Les Miserables, Martin Guerre, Falsettos, Angels in America and singing the title song in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music of the Night.  Regional credits: Santiago in Anna in the Tropics at Seattle Repertory and Jupiter Maltz Theater (Carbonell Award), Fredrik in A Little Night Music at the Goodspeed Opera House and Signature Theater/Arlington, VA, Working (Long Wharf Theater/New Haven, CT.) A former Chicagoan, he is best remembered for his performances as Che in Evita (Shubert Theater), George in Sunday in the Park with George (Goodman Theatre / Jefferson Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical), Romance, Romance (Apple Tree Theater / Jefferson Award nomination), Tito in Lend me a Tenor (Royal George Theater), Marvin in March of the Falsettos (Theater Building) and Harry Chapin: Lies & Legends (Apollo Theater) singing Harry's most famous song: Taxi. John appeared as John Dickenson in the Village Player's production of 1776 over 30 years ago.
 
JULIA CAMERON & EMMA LIVELY have collaborated since 1998. Currently, they are thrilled to be writing music and lyrics for Rue McClanahan's one-woman show, My First Five Husbands. Cameron and Lively have collaborated on four original musicals and two children's albums. Most recently, their work has been performed in NYC at The Vineyard Theatre, directed by Tony award-winner Jack Hofsiss.
 
JULIA CAMERON is the author of more than thirty books, fiction and nonfiction. Best know as the author of 'The Artist's Way', her best selling works on the creative process have been translated into more than thirty languages and have sold over three million copies worldwide. An award-winning playwright and poet, she has distinguished credits in theater, film and television.
 
EMMA LIVELY is a classically trained violist who turned her focus to composition a decade ago. Her postgraduate studies include conducting, orchestration, and composition (Conrad Cummings, the Juilliard School). As a violist, she was a founding member of the Khali string quartet, and holds a Masters in Music from SUNY/Stony Brook.
 
Presented in the Mainstage Theater of the newly renovated Village Players Performing Arts Center located at 1010 W. Madison St., Oak Park. Plenty of parking is available on the street. The theater is handicap accessible; please call ahead to arrange for special seating.   More information is available at www.village-players.org or 866-764-1010.
 
Village Players Performing Arts Center offers an eclectic mix of entertainment that empowers and inspires while exploring the human condition.