Celebration Theatre Presents BASH’d! A Gay Rap Opera, Previews June 7

Celebration Theatre is thrilled to announce the fourth show in its 2010-2011 Season of Shows, the West Coast Premiere of the gay rap opera BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA, written by Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow, music by Aaron Macri, musical direction and additional beatz by DJ Jedi, directed and choreographed by Ameenah Kaplan and produced for Celebration Theatre by Ryan Bergmann and Michael A. Shepperd with Nathaniel Mathis, CameRon Faber and Michael C Kricfalusi III. BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA will begin previews on Wednesday, June 7 and will open on Friday, June 10 and run through Saturday, July 22 at Celebration Theatre, 7051B Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA First comes love, then comes marriage, but the possibility of a happy ending is shattered for newlyweds Jack and Dillon after one is viciously attacked by a gang of homophobic thugs. Despair and rage turns the other down the path of vigilante justice with tragic results. Irreverent rapping troubadours Feminem and T-Bag tell the tale of the star-crossed Romeos as they skewer stereotypes with swaggering comedic flair against a pulsing hip-hop beat. BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA is loosely based on the real life spike in hate crimes in Alberta, Canada during the national debate on equal marriage for gays and lesbians. Since this debate, same sex marriage has been legalized in Canada, despite the fervent protests of the religious right. In America the struggle continues. BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA, explores the effect of homophobic violence and the emotions associated with being any marginalized population. Though the topic is serious, the play itself is fast paced, high energy and full of laughs.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

Ameenah Kaplan (Direction/Choreography) NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Choreography: The Women of Brewster Place, Altar Boyz, and Title of Show, The Daddy Machine for Celebration Theatre; Duel and Steel for Oasis Theater Company; The Legend of Alex for CTG; Oedipus the King-Mama, CHiPs, Frosty the Snow Manilow, A Christmas Carol King, Santa Claus is Coming to Motown, The Comedy of Aerosmith, Jackson Frost, Alice in One Hit Wonderland II, It's a Stevie Wonderful Life for Troubadour Theater Company. Sissy for Company of Angels. Prove It On Me for LA Women's Theater Project. Princess Bean's Messy World for Princess Bean Productions. Original work: Everyman for Himself (2007 NAACP Award: Best Choreography; 2007 LA Weekly Awards: Best Fight Choreography and Best Original Score). 2007 Richard E. Sherwood Award from Center Theater Group. 2009 LA Weekly Award: Best Choreography, Altar Boyz.

DJ JEDI (Musical Direction/Additional Beatz) is an Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles-based DJ, admired for his eclectic style of mixing, song-selection, and turntablism. Over the past decade, he has toured the globe as the resident music maestro for Russell Simmons' Tony Award-winning Def Poetry Jam, and later, with Grammy Award-winning hip hop pioneers, DIGABLE PLANETS. On any given night of the week, Jedi can be seen spinning high-energy, multiple-genre-spanning sets with the Rootdown Soundsystem, the Modern Audio Collective, and many more of the L.A.'s unsung DJ elites. He also contributes to Downbeat 720, a bi-weekly Santa Monica-based performance workshop for high school students

The CAST of BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA features Chris Ferro (TV: "All My Children," "Fugitive Chronicle," NYC and Regional: Noises Off (HomeMade Theater), OnlyThing East (Off-Off-Bway) and Sean Bradford (Broadway Debut as the Simba cover in Disney's The Lion King and most recently originated the role of Ozie Powell/Ruby Bates in Kander & Ebb's The Scottsboro Boys, directed by Susan Stroman).

BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA has assembled an award-winning design team. The scenic design is by Evan Bartoletti. The lighting design is by Christian Epps. The video design is by Marc Rosenthal. The sound design is by Robert Ramirez. The costume design is by Naila Aladdin Sanders and the prop design is by Michael O'Hara.. The show is Stage Managed by Sean Lambert. Celebration Theatre's Artistic Director is Michael A. Shepperd, Managing Director is Michael C. Kricfalusi.

ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING

BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA will preview on Tuesday, June 7; Wednesday, June 8 & Thursday, June 9 and will open on FRIDAY, JUNE 10 at 8:00pm and run through Saturday, July 22, 2011.

Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm. Ticket prices are $30.00 for all performances. Opening Night Gala on Saturday, June11 is $35.

BASH'D! - A GAY RAP OPERA is performed at Celebration Theatre, 7051B Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. For Tickets, please call 323-957-1884 or visit the Celebration Theatre website at www.celebrationtheatre.com.

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