MainStage Irving-Las Colinas' CURTAINS Begins Tonight

MainStage Irving-Las Colinas closes its 2014-15 Curtain Up! season with the musical mystery, CURTAINS (book by Rupert Holmes and music by John Kander & Fred Ebb). The production opens tonight, July 24 and runs through August 8 at the Irving Arts Center's Dupree Theater (3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TX 75062). Tickets range from $21-26 and are on sale now at the Irving Arts Center Box Office (972.252.2787/ www.irvingartscenter.com). Ticket discounts are available for seniors and students.

CURTAINS takes place in the brassy, bright, and promising year of 1959. Boston's Colonial Theatre is host to the opening night performance of a brand new musical. But when the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage, the entire cast & crew become suspects in a murder investigation. Enter a local detective who happens to be a musical theatre fan! In a quest to find the culprit, the detective feels the surest way to solve the crime will be to keep the entire cast of suspicious characters sequestered in the theatre. Music, mayhem and mystery... homicide never seemed so flashy!

Director B. J. Cleveland says, "CURTAINS is a valentine to those wonderful backstage musicals of the '50's celebrating show people, and spoofing whodunits and the 'show business.' Written by Broadway's best, Kander & Ebb, and featuring some top DFW musical theatre talent, it promises hilarious hijinks and great summer fun for its audience." ­

CURTAINS stars Corey Whaley (Lt. Frank Choffi), Arianna Movassagh (Georgia Hendricks), Sara Shelby-Martin (Carmen Bernstein), Ken O'Reilly (Aaron Fox), Daron Cockrell (Niki), and features a cast of Andi Allen (Jessica), Lon Barrera (Belling), Scott Eckert (Shasha), Jamie Ecklund (Bambi), Doug Fowler (Johnny), Tony Martin (Oscar), Dustin Simington (Bobby), and Brad Smith (Sidney). Ensemble members include Jeremy Coca, Darret Hart, Rachel Clo Reeves, Natalie Coca, Preston Isham, Marcus Jauregui, Aaron Green, Beth Lipton, Shannon Walsh, Abigail Palmgren, and Rachel Gifford. The Production team includes Director B. J. Cleveland, Musical Director Scott Eckert, Administrative Producer Evelyn Hall, Technical Producer/Master Carpenter Dane Tuttle, Stage Manager Kristen Frazier, Lighting Designer Sam Nance, Set Designer Michelle Harvey, Costume Designer Tory Padden, Choreographer Kelly McCain, Properties Dawn Blasingame, Sound Designer Ryan Brazil, Light Board Operator Kyle Harris, and Body Mic Operator Joel Gerard.

CURTAINS was one the last musicals written by legendary duo Kander & Ebb before Fred Ebb's death in 2004. Other noteworthy and award-winning musicals penned by the duo include Chicago, Cabaret, Flora, The Red Menance, Zorba, Kiss of the Spider Woman and 2015 Best-Musical Tony Award Nominee The Visit starting Chita Rivera.

Tickets to CURTAINS are available now by calling the Irving Arts Center's Box Office at 972.252.2787 or by ordering tickets online at www.irvingartscenter.com.

Photos by Mike Morgan Photography