Bill Russell to Take Part in MUSICAL MONDAY at Off Center Theatre Today

Tonight's MUSICAL MONDAY will feature the musical SIDE SHOW with its writer/lyricist, Tony Award Nominee Bill Russell, on hand to participate in the event. Musical Monday, now in its 5th season, is MTH's Musical Theatre flavored cabaret show featured six times each year at the Off Center Theatre in Kansas City.

Each Musical Monday is themed with a classic musical theater work interwoven throughout the show. MTH Executive Director, George Harter, then offers insights, anecdotes and back stories. Past shows featured include Porgy & Bess, A Chorus Line and Next To Normal.

SIDE SHOW, to be featured at Musical Monday on September 9th, debuted on Broadway in 1997 and was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Mr. Russell, nominated for "Best Book of a Musical" and for "Best Score", along with music composer Henry Krieger.

Currently, SIDE SHOW is being re-imagined and in pre-production with Academy Award winner Bill Condon as Director. The highly anticipated new production is slated to open at The La Jolla Playhouse this fall and will move to The Kennedy Center in the Spring of 2014. A Broadway transfer after The Kennedy Center production- though not certain- seems probable.

Since its inception in 2009, Musical Monday has gone on to garner critical acclaim and success as a dynamic and energetic show featuring top tier Kansas City talent. Musical Monday has sold out every seat of the 240 seat Off Center Theatre since June, 2010.

The September 9 Musical Monday will feature Lauren Braton, Seth Golay, Katie Karel, Julie Shaw, and Ashley Pankow. Musical Direction will be by Anthony Edwards, with Rick Willoughby on bass, Ryan Wurtz on guitar, Michalis Koutsoupides on violin, and Tod Barnard on drums.

Musical Monday is created and directed by Tim Scott, who also serves as the show's emcee.

Mr. Russell will also conduct a Masterclass at 8pm on Tuesday, September 10 at the Off Center Theatre in Crown Center. The Masterclass will give artists and patrons an inside look at what transpires in an actual Broadway audition.

The 2 hour Masterclass will feature six singers performing one song each in an audition format. Mr. Russell will then offer comments and insights of the performance as if it were an actual Broadway audition.

The six performer slots at the Masterclass will be determined by submission of a headshot and resume to:musicalmonday@gmail.com. If selected as one of the six performers, the cost $100.

The price to attend as an audience observer at the Masterclass is $10 for Artists (to qualify for the Artist rate you must have a headshot/resume on file with MTH) and $25 for the general public. To purchase tickets or for more information, contact Musical Theater Heritage at 816.221.6987.