Davis Gaines to Join MTW PRODUCTION OF 1776, Runs July 9-25

Paul Garman, Producing Executive Director and Steven Glaudini, Producing Artistic Director of Musical Theatre West are proud to announce that Davis Gaines, (LA's Phantom of the Opera) will join the cast of MTW's 1776.

Davis Gaines will play the role of Richard Henry Lee. Mr. Gaines performed the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera more than 2,000 times for over five million people during his run on Broadway, in Los Angeles and in San Francisco, where he received the Bay Area Critics' Award for Best Actor.

Mr. Gaines joins a stellar cast that will also feature Tami Tappan Damiano (The Full Monty, Never Gonna Dance) as Abigail Adams and Steven Glaudini who reprises his 2004 Ovation Award-winning role as John Adams.

1776, under the helm of Ovation Award- winning director, Nick DeGruccio (MTW's RENT and The Andrews Brothers) will run July 9-25, 2010 at the beautiful Carpenter Performing Arts Center.

1776, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone premiered on Broadway in 1969 and is based on the events leading up the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams, disliked by many in congress, joins up with Benjamin Franklin, Richard Henry Lee and Thomas Jefferson to bring forward a resolution for independence that will eventually set America free from England's tyranny. As relevant today as it was when this piece was written, this musical telling of our Nation's birth features the songs, "Sit Down, John", "Till Then", "But, Mr. Adams", "Yours, Yours, Yours" and "He Plays the Violin."

Now in its 57th season, Musical Theatre West is Southern California's premier musical theatre company. Under the leadership of Executive Director/Producer Paul Garman, the company has garnered numerous awards and accolades for its work presenting the entire spectrum of musical comedy (including 21 Ovation Award nominations over the past three seasons and the Margaret Harford Award for Sustained Excellence in the Theatre).

Musical Theatre West performances are at the beautiful 1070-seat Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. Season Tickets are available now and can be purchased through the MTW Box Office at (562) 856-1999 x4 or online at www.musical.org.

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff