Lesli Margheita, George Salazar & More to Star in Pasadena Playhouse HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR

Pasadena Playhouse announces MaryAnn Hu (Broadway's My Fair Lady and Frozen), Lesli Margheita (Broadway's Matilda the Musical, You I Like at Pasadena Playhouse), George Salazar (Broadway's Be More Chill, Head Over Heels and Little Shop of Horrors at Pasadena Playhouse), and Jason Michael Snow (Broadway's Book of Mormon, Sunday in the Park with George at Pasadena Playhouse)  as the cast for Pasadena Playhouse Holiday Spectacular, a new Playhouse tradition co-created by Head Over Heels co-director Sam Pinkleton and Randy Blair, playing December 14 through December 23.  Tickets are available at pasadenaplayhouse.org, by phone at 626-356-7529, and at the box office at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101.
 
You better watch out, you better not cry, because something magical is coming to the Playhouse this holiday season. Sam Pinkleton, the creative mind behind 2021's production of Head Over Heels, returns to the Playhouse to sleigh audiences with a brand-new holiday show that's sure to leave you feeling merry and bright. So get ready to jingle all the way and join us for a holly jolly spectacular you'll never forget.
 
“As Pinkleton put it to me a few weeks ago from the midst of rehearsals {at Pasadena Playhouse for Head Over Heels}, “I kind of am only interested in theatre that is also an event, where, when you leave, if you think you just saw a concert or you think you just saw a play or you think you just went to a party—you did, right?” – (American Theatre)
 
MaryAnn Hu Broadway credits include Queen Iduna in Disney's Frozen, The Queen of Transylvania in My Fair Lady, Sunday In The Park With George (starring Jake Gyllenhaal), Lincoln Center's The King and I(Lady Thiang u/s), South Pacific (Bloody Mary u/s), and Miss Saigon. Off-Broadway, she has appeared in The Audience (Transport Group), Falsettoland (National Asian-American Theater Company) at Signature Theatre and the Vineyard Theatre. Regional credits include Allegiance (The Old Globe), La Jolla Playhouse's comedy Tiger Style! (also at O'Neill Theater Conference) and numerous shows at East West Players. Workshops include Disney's Hercules as Hera; My Life in Pink aka Ma Vie En Rose by Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater and Our Lady J; and Farewell, My Concubine by Jason Robert Brown. Film credits include Elanore in the indy film Wilde Wedding (2017), DeLoba, Falling for Grace. TV credits include HBO Max mini-series The Flight Attendant (recurring guest star), Elementary, Madam Secretary, Nurse Jackie, Law & Order, and also recurred on the NBC sitcom Whoopi as SooLin. She is an Assistant professor of Theatre Practice and current director of the BFA Musical Theatre Program at USC School of Dramatic Arts.
 
Lesli Margherita is thrilled to be back having last been seen virtually in the Playhouse's production of You I Like. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for her West End debut in Zorro: The Musical, and originated the roles of Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda the Musical and Mona Kent in Dames at Sea on Broadway. Off-Broadway she received Drama Desk, Lortel, and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Who's Holiday!,Emojiland, and A Scythe of Time. Select television credits include recurring and guest starring roles on Minx, The Fairly OddParents, The Rookie, The Crew, Raven's Home, Homeland, Instinct, Seven Seconds, and Elementary. On film she can currently be seen on HBO in The Many Saints of Newark, and on Netflix in Opening Night.  Her voice can also be heard on several animated films and shows including FOX's HouseBroken, Disney's Cinderella III: A Twist in Time and Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. Select favorite regional theater credits include leading roles in Damn Yankees; Guys and Dolls; The Flamingo Kid; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Kiss Me, Kate; Man of La Mancha; Little Shop of Horrors; and Spamalot. Her album Rule Your Kingdom, is out now from Broadway Records. @QueenLesli. leslimargherita.com
 
George Salazar is thrilled to return to the Tony Award-winning Pasadena Playhouse this winter! Past Playhouse credits include Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors and Musidorus in Head Over Heels. Broadway: Be More Chill (Drama Desk/Outer Critics Circle nominations), Godspell. National Tour: Spring Awakening. Off-Broadway: Be More Chill (Lucille Lortel Award); The Lightning Thief (Drama Desk Nomination); tick, tick… BOOM!; Here Lies Love. Regional: The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical (La Jolla Playhouse), The Bottoming Process (IAMA Theatre Company), Broadway Bounty Hunter (Barrington Stage). TV: Superstore, American Crime Story: Impeachment, Nancy Drew, Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Albums: Be More Chill (Original Cast & Original Broadway Cast), Two-Player Game, The Jonathan Larson Project, The Lightning Thief, Godspell. This and everything else for STL.
 
Jason Michael Snow Film/TV: Black Monday (Showtime), The Big Leap (Fox), Special (Netflix), This Is Us(NBC), One Day at a Time (Netflix) Theater Broadway/LA: The Book of Mormon (Original Broadway Cast), Sunday in the Park with George (Pasadena Playhouse), The Spongebob Musical! (Original Cast Recording), South Pacific (Lincoln Center PBS Broadcast), Xanadu (1st National Tour). Voice Over: Frozen (Troll in “Fixer Upper”), South Park, Emmy Nominated Episode - “You're Not Yelping” (Vocalist). YouTube: “Gaston” (Broadway Villains Party), “You're Nothing Without Me” (Mostly Musicals: Crime Scene).
 
ABOUT PASADENA PLAYHOUSE
Pasadena Playhouse, the official State Theater of California and recipient of the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is one of the most prolific theaters in the country. The Playhouse has staged thousands of original productions since its founding in 1917 including premieres of works by Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill, Suzan Lori Parks and hundreds more. For decades, its pioneering School for Theater Arts was a training ground for actors and theatermakers who went on to make significant contributions to the entertainment industry. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman since 2016,  Pasadena Playhouse's productions and community programs are centered on its founding idea of being a living force in its community, making theater for everyone.    
 
Calendar Listing for The Pasadena Playhouse Holiday Spectacular
 
The Pasadena Playhouse Holiday Spectacular 
Co - Created by Sam Pinkleton and Randy Blair
 
Holiday hijinks as only the Playhouse can do.
 
Venue:                        Pasadena Playhouse, 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
 
Dates:                          Saturday, December 14 to Saturday, December 23
 
Tickets:            Tickets start at $39
Online -- pasadenaplayhouse.org
By phone at 626-356-7529 
In person -- Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, located at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
 

Performance Schedule:  

December 14, 2023 - Thursday – 8:00 PM                 
December 15, 2023 - Friday – 8:00 PM                      
December 16, 2023 - Saturday – 2:00 PM                 
December 16, 2023 - Saturday – 8:00 PM                 
December 17, 2023 - Sunday – 2:00 PM                    
December 17, 2023 - Sunday – 7:00 PM                    
 
December 19, 2023 - Tuesday – 8:00 PM
December 20, 2023 - Wednesday – 8:00 PM
December 21, 2023 - Thursday – 2:00 PM
December 21, 2023 - Thursday – 8:00 PM
December 22, 2023 - Friday – 2:00 PM
December 22, 2023 - Friday – 8:00 PM
December 23, 2023 - Saturday – 2:00 PM
December 23, 2023 - Saturday – 8:00 PM
 

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