Cabrillo Music Theatre Announces Casting for BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

Fresh on the heels of its 18 Ovation Award nominations (the most by any Southern California theatre company), Cabrillo Music Theatre continues the 2008-2009 season with the West Coast Premiere of the new musical sensation, BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO, featuring a book by Erik Jackson and Ben H. Winters, and lyrics by Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield and Cody Philip.  BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO weaves the incomparable music of Neal Sedaka into an engaging tale of love and laughter. Troy Magino will direct and choreograph, and Michael Paternostro will serve as Musical Director.  The production will be supervised by Artistic Director Lewis Wilkenfeld.  BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO will open on Friday, January 9, 2009 and run through Sunday, January 18, for Cabrillo Music Theatre in the Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Countrywide Performing Arts Center located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

Set in the Catskill Mountains in 1960 (where Sedaka got his start), BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO features such Neil Sedaka classics as “Where The Boys Are,” “Love Will Keep Us Together,” “Calendar Girl,” “Laughter in the Rain,” and the title tune.   Cabrillo Music Theatre’s production also features an onstage band and brand new scenery and costumes.  "It's the ultimate bubble gum-chewing, record player-blasting, alley cat-dancing, 60's show," says Carole W. Nussbaum, Cabrillo's President and Chief Executive Officer.  "And it's all happening to the effervescent tunes of Neil Sedaka. What an unforgettable stroll down memory lane!" enthuses Nussbaum.

An interactive participation experience that begins before the audience has entered the theatre, Cabrillo Music Theatre’s BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO promises to take audiences on a memorable musical journey.  The six-member cast includes Southern California theatre favorites Eileen Barnett, Nathan Holland, Julie Dixon Jackson, Jeff Leatherwood, Ryan Nearhoff, and Leslie Spencer Smith.  Lighting Design and Sound Design are by, respectively, Jean-Yves Tessier and Jonathan Burke, both recent Ovation Award nominees for their work on Cabrillo’s SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN.  Set design is by Andrew Hammer, while Debbie Roberts designs the costumes.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Troy Magino (Director/Choreographer): HONORS: 2008 Dancebreak, NYC Semi-Finalist, 2007 LA Drama Critic's Circle Nomination Best Choreography (Altar Boyz), 2006 Best Director IRNE Award (Thoroughly Modern Millie), LA Stage Scene Best Musical (Altar Boyz), Best Director and Runner-up for Choreographer of the Year (Altar Boyz, ...Millie), 5 Garland Award Honorable Mentions, In Magazine’s Top Ten of LA Theatre 2006 (...Millie)   DIR/CHOR: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (USC), RadicaLove, a new musical (Annenberg); Guys and Dolls (SDMT), Altar Boyz, Thoroughly Modern Millie, High School Musical, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat  (MTWest), Altar Boyz (Sierra Rep.)  ...Millie (Reagle Players, CFRT), CHOR: Gigi (Casa Manana), ...Millie (Welk)   TV: Choreography on 12 SAG commercials, NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show.  PERFORMER: 3 Broadway First National Tours, member of the original Fosse Project w. Gwen Verdon, over 20 AEA Productions, TV, Music Videos, numerous industrials and live events.  WRITER: RadicaLove, a new musical (co-writer). INSTRUCTION:  USC Musical Theatre (director), UCI Musical Theatre Dance, The Actor's Conference (San Diego) - Master Class and Guest Speaker, MT West Youth Conservatory, Private and Independent Instruction. 

Michael Paternostro (Musical Director/Keyboards) On Broadway:  Guys and Dolls (Rusty Charlie/crapshoot dancer), Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever (DJ Monty), as well as the original Broadway companies of Fosse, Sweet Smell of Success, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and the 2006 Revival of A Chorus Line (Gregory Gardner).  Touring: West Side Story (Action/Arab), and The Producers (Carmen Ghia).  As a musician, Michael has musical directed and played the piano for BC/EFA Benefits for Guys and Dolls, Fosse, A Chorus Line, and The Producers.  From the keyboard, he served as Musical Director for Havok Theatre’s productions of Kiss of the Spider Woman and Thrill Me.  He has also musical directed Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, and Guare’s Landscape of the Body.  As an onstage musician, Michael has performed the roles of Sidney Cohn in On Your Toes and Oscar in 42nd Street both twice.  He also assistant directed How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego.

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO has assembled an award-winning design team.   The set design is by ANDREW HAMMER (James and the Giant Peach, Dreamgirls, Seussical, My Fair Lady).  The Lighting Design is by JEAN-YVES TESSIER (nominated for an Ovation Award for Best Lighting Design for his debut with Cabrillo Music Theatre’s SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN). The sound design is by JONATHAN BURKE (this is Jonathan’s 16th show with Cabrillo Music Theatre, receiving an Ovation Award nomination for Best Sound Design for SINGIN' IN THE RAIN).

ABOUT THE CAST

Eileen Barnett (Esther) is delighted to be making her debut with Cabrillo Music Theatre.  She has appeared in several Musical Theatre Guild productions next door at the Sherr Forum, including Street Scene, Grand Hotel and Out of This World.  In fact, Eileen played the role of Aldonza in Man of La Mancha at the opening of that theatre. She starred on Broadway in Tommy Tune’s Tony Award-winning musical Nine, and in the national tour of Footloose.  She was recently in the Havok Theatre Company’s production of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Television credits include guest starring roles on  “The Ex-List,” “Brothers and Sisters,” “Still Standing,” “Knots Landing,” “Strong Medicine,” “Frasier” and a stint on “Days of Our Lives,” as the evil Stephanie Woodruff.  Other theatre credits include the Los Angeles premiers of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion and Putting It Together, Radio Gals at the Pasadena Playhouse, No No Nanette, Showboat and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

NATHAN HOLLAND (Harvey) Originally from New York City, Nathan just finished a run at the Rubicon Theater of She Loves Me in the role of the waiter.  Nathan studied acting under the G.I. Bill after a stint in the U.S. Air Force (thanks to Uncle Sam and Stanford Meisner). Favorite productions include Guys and Dolls (in the role of Nathan Detroit), Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Violet (Laguna Playhouse Steve Martin’s The Underpants at the Geffen Playhouse, Crazy for You (Bella Zangler), and Lullaby of Broadway (Al Dubin).  Special thoughts go out to his brothers from the award-winning play Tracers (Baby San).  Nathan may be seen on TV, hawking anything from KFC to Coca Cola to Mazda’s.

Julie Dixon Jackson (Lois) originated the role of “Betty-Jean” in The Marvelous Wonderettes that ran for more than 19 months at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as a summer engagement at the Laguna Playhouse.  Julie won an Ovation and Garland Award for her performance as “Daisy Hilton” in the LA premiere of Side Show (Colony Theatre).  In New York, Julie was seen as “Doris” in Cole Porter’s The Gay Divorce at Carnegie Hall and she spent a year on the National Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.  She has had the honor of performing in South Pacific at the Hollywood Bowl with Reba McEntire, Brian Stokes-Mitchell, Michael McKean and Jon Schuck.  Other favorite roles have included "Eva Peron" in Evita (3 separate companies), "Lucy" in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Colony Theatre), Mae in the LaChiusa version of The Wild Party, "Sally Bowles" in Cabaret,  "Lizzie" in Baby, "Agnes" in I Do, I Do (Pasadena Playhouse) where she also starred in Side by Side by Sondheim with Davis Gaines and Teri Ralston, and "The Narrator" in Joseph. TV appearances include “ER”, “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Shark” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

JEFF LEATHERWOOD (Gabe) previously appeared as a member of the cowboy trio in Annie Get Your Gun in ’04. Recent credits include Edgar in Bat Boy: The Musical, Matthew in Altar Boyz, Simon Zealots in Jesus Christ Superstar, Danny in Baby, Dewey Maples in The Diviners (The Kennedy Center), and Lt. Joe Cable in South Pacific. Jeff also toured the US last year as the lead male singer/host of the Kidz Bop World Tour, an energetic family friendly show, bringing popular music to kids and adults in arenas across the country. A recent Cal State Fullerton grad, Jeff is currently working on a solo album as a singer-songwriter.

Ryan Nearhoff (Del) is excited and grateful to be performing in his first show at Cabrillo Music Theatre.  He was recently seen with fellow cast member Jeff Leatherwood in Altar Boyz and RadicaLove, both under the direction of Troy Magino.  After graduation from Cal State Fullerton in 2007, Ryan was cast in the title role for the first national tour of Almost Heaven: The Songs of John Denver.  While at Fullerton, he performed alongside The Doobie Brothers, Gladys Knight, and Chicago at the Honda Center in Anaheim. 

Leslie Spencer SMITH (Marge) was last seen in the 2007 production of Smokey Joe's Cafe, a show that she will always hold dear.  Most recently, Leslie appeared in The Marvelous Wonderettes at the Laguna Playhouse.  She was a standby for all four roles, with performances as Cindy Lou and Betty Jean. She was also seen as Suzy and Betty Jean when the production enjoyed a long run in North Hollywood.

Earlier this year, Leslie portrayed AbiGail Adams in 1776, where her performance was hailed as "a winning portrayal" (BackStage West) and "golden-voiced" (Los Angeles Times).  Other regional appearances include The All Night Strut, Into the Woods (Cinderella), and The Pajama Game (Babe Williams).  Favorite roles include Miss Adelaide (Guys and Dolls), Polly Baker (Crazy For You), Marta (Company!), Fanny Brice (Funny Girl) and the comical Verges in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.  Leslie is a Vixen (background vocalist) in the Brian Setzer Orchestra.  The big band's latest album, Wolfgang's Big Night Out, features Leslie's voice and was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award.  She tours with the big band and has appeared on “The Today Show,” "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "The Rachael Ray Show," and, most recently, "Dancing with the Stars!"

ABOUT THE PRICING AND SCHEDULE
 
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO will open on Friday, January 9, 2009 and run through Sunday, January 18.  Performances are Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm.  A post-show discussion with cast, staff and audience will follow the Saturday, January 10th, 2:00pm performance.  Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at the Countrywide Performing Arts Center Box Office located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks or through any Ticketmaster location or by phone (805) 583-8700.  For groups of 12 or more, please call Group Sales, Cabrillo Music Theatre at (805) 497-8615.  Ticket prices range from $38 – $74. For ticket and theatre information, call (805) 449-ARTS (2787).

CABRILLO MUSIC THEATRE is located at the Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Countrywide Performing Arts Center, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

Cabrillo Music Theatre is the resident musical theatre company of the Countrywide Performing Arts Center at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and a non-profit theatre organization.  For over three decades, Cabrillo has been enriching the cultural life of Ventura County and its surrounding areas by providing an extraordinary performing arts experience through live, Broadway-quality productions of musical theatre. It is Cabrillo’s mission to provide the highest quality musical experience, to foster educational opportunities, and to promote cultural and artistic enrichment to enhance the quality of life in our community.  To this end, Cabrillo Music Theatre has established the Adopt-A-School, ADOPT-A-SENIOR, and PET (Project Entertainment Troops) outreach programs.  Since the inceptions of these programs, thousands of underserved children, in need seniors, active military and their families have enjoyed Cabrillo Music Theatre’s productions at no charge. With the ADOPT-A-SCHOOL, ADOPT-A-SENIOR, and PET programs, Cabrillo makes live theatre accessible to children, seniors, and military men and women who otherwise may never have the opportunity to experience a live musical theatre performance. For more information about Cabrillo Music Theatre’s outreach programs, contact Carole W. Nussbaum, President/Chief Executive Officer at (805) 497-8613.

Need more Los Angeles Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...