La Mirada Presents COWBOYS AND ANGELS June 5

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & UPRIGHT CABARET are thrilled to announce the performers for its fourth show of their season, COWBOYS & ANGELS, starring Tony Award-nominee and T.V. star Valarie Pettiford (Film: "Jumping The Broom," TV: UPN's "Half & Half," "Criminal Minds," Broadway: Fosse, Chicago), Karissa Noel and Daniel Tatar (Life Could Be A Dream, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), performing the music of Patsy Cline, Garth Brooks and Loretta Lynn, performing such memorable songs as "Crazy," "I Fall To Pieces," "Friends In Low Places," "If Tomorrow Never Comes," "Coal Miner's Daughter," and more - as well as their own selections, under the musical direction of Gerald Sternbach, in a one night only concert - COWBOYS AND ANGELS which will perform on Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 7:30PM at the NEW Cabaret Lounge at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Valarie Pettiford has illuminated stage, screen and television as one of the finest actress/singer/dancers today. Valarie was thrilled to recently complete the feature film "Jumping The Broom" in the role of 'Aunt Geneva' opposite LorEtta Devine and Angela Bassett, due out spring 2011 from Sony Pictures. She co-starred in the show 'BABLU' - A tribute to Dezi Arnaz and his music at the 92nd Street Y (New York) and The Adrienne Arsht Center (Miami) where she received glowing reviews.

Her starring role in the AFI short film "Response," currently making the short film festival circuit, has been wowing audiences throughout and was nominated for best actress in a short film at the Method Festival. the indie film "Why am I doing this" has won several prestigious awards as well as giving her a wonderful mention in the LA Times, and the musical short "Not Your Time," also starring Jason Alexander is due out this fall. For the last three years she has been a Guest Artist with The Pasadena Symphony/Pops conducted by Rachel Worby. Now in syndication, her hit TV series "Half & Half " earned her three NAACP Image Award nominations for her portrayal as 'Big Dee Dee Thorne'. Her widely successful one-woman shows has performed to sold out audiences at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre, The Gardenia Room, the El Portal Theater, Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles, The Rrazz Room in San Francisco, The Metropolitan Room, where she received The 2007 Backstage Bistro Award and The famous supper club Birdland in New York City. Highlights in TV/Film; "Why Did I Get Married 2," "Stomp The Yard." "Criminal Minds," "CSI," "Bones," "CSI Miami," "House Of Payne," "The District," "Frasier," "The West Wing," "One Life to Live," "The Wiz," "The Cotton Club" and "Glitter".

Broadway/Tour credits; Fosse, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award, Outer Critics Circle, Dora Mavor Moore award and recognizes by the Drama League, Chicago (opposite Chita Rivera) London West End debut and she subsequently performed "All That Jazz' during Rivera's tribute portion of the 2002 Kennedy Center honors. Sophisticated Ladies, original cast and understudy for Judith Jamison. Grind, Dancin, Big Deal, Show Boat (NAACP, LA's Robby, and the Vancouver Sun Reader's Choice Awards, and nominations for Ovation and Jessie Richardson Theater Awards), Des Mc Anuff's production of The Wiz, and The Wild Party, (NAACP Theatre and The Garland Awards for Best Actress in a Play, Ovation nomination). Valarie continues to lend her support and talents to many charities annually and is thrilled to have fulfilled a life-long dream of recording an album titled "Hear My Soul," being sold at http://www.cdbaby.com/

Daniel Tatar made his Carnegie Hall debut as Fervio in Eric Whitacre's Paradise Lost: Shadows & Wings, which he will reprise at the end of this month at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Daniel originated the role of Denny in the long-running hit Life Could Be a Dream, which earned him an Ovation Award and LA Drama Critics Circle Award. Other credits include: Barfee in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (McCoy-Rigby, Ovation nomination), Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman (Havok Theatre, Ovation Award), Ahmet Ertegun in Ray Charles Live (Pasadena Playhouse, NAACP Award), Jamie in The Last Five Years (Pasadena Playhouse), the Reprise! concerts of Elegies andBaby (as Danny, opposite Kerry Butler), Mohammed in The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (Laguna Playhouse), Steppenwolf Theatre Company's The Ballad of Little Jo (with Judy Kuhn), and Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Drury Lane Oakbrook). Daniel originated the role of Man 1 in the Chicago and San Francisco companies of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, which he also performed on the national tour. Television credits include 90210, CSI:NY, Grey's Anatomy and Real Time with Bill Maher, as well as dozens of national and regional television and radio commercials. Vocal recordings: Georgia Stitt, Eric Whitacre, Lauren Kennedy, and Hal Leonard's Broadway, Jr. series. This fall, Daniel can be seen in Hairspray at The Hollywood Bowl, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell

Karissa Noel may be short (5'2"), but she sure is loud (84db)! Her mother taught her to sing when she was a mere eight months old and by the time she was two, she was singing better than girls twice her age. "It's all I ever wanted to do," she sings, "I used to carry around this little cassette player, make up songs off the top of my head and put on shows in front of the mirror. It was the best audience a girl could ask for."

In her teens, she appeared on such groundbreaking television shows as "Highway to Heaven" and "Silver Spoons." But she never forgot her first love, music, and later signed a recording contract with Epic Records. While her debut single, "Corrupt," had radio station phones ringing off the hook and hit Billboard's club and radio play charts, the album never made it to record store shelves. She is, however, ecstatic that the song- which she co-wrote- has been called a "legendary anthem" of the New York underground club scene.
For the past seven years Karissa has worked as a studio session singer, recording demos for songwriters and, more abundantly, singing jingles for the likes of Old Navy, Gatorade, Fisher-Price, Milk, Ross, US Bank, Manwich, Bally's Fitness, etc. Karissa has been called the Rich Little of female vocalists, even though she sounds nothing like him. But she could if she wanted to. Her chops are so tasty, that if her voice doesn't move you in even the most emotionally superficial way, we'll slap ourselves silly... and let you watch!

Gerald Sternbach (Musical Direction) One of LA's most honored musical directors, just completed a run at the Geffen Playhouse of the new musical, Nightmare Alley. The resident musical director of REPRISE in Los Angeles for six seasons he has earned nine Ovation nominations (finally winning in 2006 for Zorba), in addition to six LA Drama Critics Circle Nominations, (having been presented the 2007 Joel Hirschhorn award for excellence in Los Angeles' musical theater by this illustrious organization and winning again in 2008 for On Your Toes and two Garland Awards. He has also often been a guest musical director for Upright Cabaret. He made his LA Philharmonic debut at the Hollywood Bowl during the summer of '05 as on-stage pianist for "Stephen Sondheim's 75th Birthday - The Concert", assisting conductor, Paul Gemignani. At the Bowl, he also has assisted John Mauceri, rehearsing the summer Bowl musicals The Music Man, My Fair Lady, Mame, and Camelot and one opera La Boheme. Other credits: associate conductor for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Merlin, and The Tap Dance Kid (all on Broadway), Les Miserables (LA premiere company), and conducting the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song and Dance starring Melissa Manchester. He has accompanied a wide variety of artists from Marilyn Horne, Jennifer Hudson, Josh Groban, Carol Burnett, to Adam Lambert, Nancy Wilson, Donna McKechnie, John Lithgow, Kelsey Grammar, and Jason Graae. Other credits: on stage pianist for Carrie Fisher in her brilliant one woman show, Wishful Drinking, at the Geffen Playhouse; West Coast premiere of David Shire and Richard Maltby Jr's Closer Than Ever, musical direction-Fiddler on the Roof (Utah Shakespeare Festival), five S.T.A.G.E benefits (George and Ira Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harry Warren and Marvin Hamlisch, Comden and Green), one Actors Fund Benefit (Richard Rodgers) - each directed by David Galligan; two "Les Girls Benefits" (for National Breast Cancer Coalition), three WESPARK benefits (directed by Barbara Epstein), four of Sheryl Lee Ralph's "Divas Simply Singing" benefits -- all star studded.

He recently also accompanied a reading at the Music Academy of the West of the second act of Stephen Schwartz's new opera Séance on a Wet Afternoon (with Lauren Flanigan and Kim Josephson) preceding its world premiere for Opera Santa Barbara later in 2009. As a songwriter/composer-he has been featured in ASCAP Rising Songwriter Showcases on both coasts, Cabaret Conventions at New York's Town Hall, the Hollywood Roosevelt's Cinegrill; he has had music and songs (in collaboration with Lindy Robbins) performed in the '93-'98 editions of the Ringling Brothers' Circus; the musicals Heartbeats (in collaboration with Amanda McBroom), The Gay 90's - Looking Back and Moving On and Vampire Virgins from Venus. Gerald played his song "Mary" (written in collaboration with Faye Greenberg) - a paean to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, performed on the 2003 TV Land Awards show by Eric McCormack - in the presence of the original cast of the landmark sitcom. - one of the thrills of his life. And now-- his rave-reviewed (newly revised) musical - in collaboration with Elin Hampton Who's Your Mommy?! is in the process of being optioned for an Off-Broadway production

ABOUT Chris Isaacson AND THE "UPRIGHT CABARET" SERIES

Returning for a second year, this series will perform the first Sunday night of each of La Mirada Theatre's mainstage productions as UPRIGHT CABARET, the pre-eminent Los Angeles hot spot for the next generation of world-class entertainers, brings its unique brand of cabaret entertainment to La Mirada!

Chris Isaacson has created, produced and promoted over 450 events since forming his company in 2004. From small clubs to major theatres, Isaacson has produced some of the most influential stars of his generation including Adam Lambert ("American Idol)", Lea Michele ("Glee," Spring Awakening), Neil Patrick Harris (CBS's "How I Met Your Mother" & ABC's "Doogie Howser, M.D.") and more. Isaacson is also creator/founder of LA's renowned Upright Cabaret which has been redefining the cabaret milieu for a new generation of audiences in Los Angeles since 2005. Upright Cabaret seeks to celebrate old style cabaret while simultaneously turning it on its ear, bringing young Broadway and young Hollywood together in a live setting.

Isaacson produces concerts and events under the "Upright Cabaret" banner including the summer concert series at the Ford Amphitheatre, the successful "American Icon Series" which plays at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, as well as, his critically acclaimed concerts Shoshana Sings Streisand starring Shoshana Bean, Stephen Schwartz: Making Good featuring Wicked creator/lyricist Stephen Schwartz and Eden Espinosa: Me starring Eden Espinosa.

In Aug 2010, Chris Isaacson and Upright Cabaret began a relationship with The Grove in Los Angeles and The Americana at Brand in Glendale.

Chris Isaacson produced Summer Concert Series with headlining acts Grammy winners Steve Tyrell, Grammy winner Paula Cole, 3x Grammy Nominee Taylor Dayne and Grammy Nominee Natasha Bedingfield. Broadway veteran Jennifer Leigh Warren, Grammy winning songwriter Matt Morris, Broadway star & Grammy nominee Frenchie Davis and WB's "One Tree Hill" star Tyler Hilton. These concerts were featured on Access Hollywood, Extra, ABC's On The Red Carpet, and KTLA 5 Morning News. Currently, Chris Isaacson will present Broadway sensation Jennifer Leigh Warren's in Little Woman/Big Voice: the songs of Dame Shirley Bassey at the Renberg Theatre in Hollywood, CA in June 2011 with Dir. Richard Jay-Alexander (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters) and New York's Finest Leading Men of Broadway at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, CA in Sept 2011. Also look out for new projects with "Star Search" Grand Champion Jake Simpson and Broadway star and American Idol star Frenchie Davis in the fall of 2011. Upright Cabaret is also currently working with the City of West Hollywood to find a permanent home for Upright Cabaret in West Hollywood. Isaacson is committed to his humanitarian and social causes including The Trevor Project and AIDS Project Los Angeles. Visit Chris Isaacson at www.ChrisIsaacsonPresents.com.

THE SECOND SEASON'S SHOWS INCLUDE:

COWBOYS AND ANGELS • June 5, 2011 • 7:30PM
Music of Patsy Cline, Garth Brooks and Loretta Lynn

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' • July 10, 2011 • 8:00PM
Music of The Mamas & The Papas, Linda Ronstadt and Eagles

ABOUT TICKETS
Ticket prices for UPRIGHT CABARET Single Shows $45 (VIP)/ $35 / $25 / $15

Tickets to these extraordinary shows are now available by calling the Box Office at 562-944-9801 or 714-994-6310 or online at www.lamiradatheatre.com.

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