MR. CHARLES, CURRENTLY OF PALM BEACH Comes To Fort Lauderdale 7/3-5

In a two-for-one theater event, Fort Lauderdale’s ArtServe is hosting the one-act plays “Mr. Charles, currently of Palm Beach” by Paul Rudnick and “Mexico City” by David Leddick. Both plays will star Mr. Leddick, Merry Jo Cortada and Stefan Pinto. Funny and sad, sexy and sinister, the two plays promise an exhilarating emotional experience for the audience. With plays ricocheting between Palm Beach and Mexico City, this is a completely new adventure for theatergoers. The show is directed by David Kingery and the incidental music is by Andrew Sargent.  V.J. Colonna is producing with stage management by Jamie Cooper.

David Leddick has also written four musicals with Andrew Sargent as composer: “The Secrets of the Chorus”, “Quentin and I”, “Presenting Gilda Lilly” and “Escorts”. He starred in the musical “It’s A Fabulous Life”, which played to sold-out crowds at the Broward Center of the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale and the Colony Theater in Miami Beach.  Recently he appeared in the world premiere of the “The 11 O’clock Number” as well as in “Some Men” at the Rising Action Theater in Fort Lauderdale.

He is known worldwide for his novels and homoerotic art books.   The author of the Lambda Award-winning books: “Naked Men” and “The Male Nude”, David Leddick has published no less than 19 works. His latest book is the acclaimed “The Nude Male.”

Merry Jo Cortada is a native Miamian (yes! they do exist!) and has worked as a dancer, singer, actress, and voiceover artist.  Audiences this past season will remember her as Anita Bryant in the critically acclaimed production of Michael Yawney's “1000 Homosexuals”, and as the Queen of Broadway herself - Ethel Merman - in Rising Action Theatre's premiere of “The 11 O’clock Number”.  Merry Jo is very proud to be a founding member and past President of The Women's Theatre Project.

Model and actor, Stefan Pinto once worked on Wall Street. He was discovered on the beaches of Miami and got his start modeling swimwear. He was the August 2007 Playgirl centerfold. Recently he performed at the Rising Action Theater in "Say You Love Satan" and "Escorts".

David Kingery, Miami’s in-demand director, is directing the show.  This is his fourth collaboration with Mr. Leddick, having directed “Escorts”, “Quentin and I” and "Presenting Gilda Lilly."  He is currently Artistic Director for Arts at St. Johns on Miami Beach and has been performing and directing in musical theater professionally in New York, Los Angeles and Miami for the past 14 years.  He also was the founding Artistic Director for the South Beach Gay Men's Chorus. 

Jamie Cooper has been actively working as a production manager in South Florida for over fifteen years and served as technical director for numerous musicals and corporate events including include “La Cage Aux Folles”, “Zero Hour”, “The Life”, “Perfect Harmony”, “Jim Bailey as Barbra Streisand”, “The Kid From Brooklyn” and “Groucho” starring Gabe Kaplan.

Composer Andrew Sargent has also written the music for “Escorts”, “The Secrets of the Chorus”, a backstage-backstabbing musical romp, and “It’s a Fabulous Life.” His scores are featured in the mini-musical about Quentin Crisp titled “Quentin and I” and the starry-eyed Hollywood fable “Presenting Gilda Lilly”. Sargent studied music at the University of Montevallo, Alabama.

V. J. Colonna is the manager for Mr. Leddick and Mr. Sargent. His production company, V. J. Colonna Productions, Inc., produced “Escorts”, “Presenting Gilda Lilly”, “Quentin and I”, “The Secrets of the Chorus” and Mr. Leddick’s cabarets: “David Leddick at the Deauville”, “The Littlest Review”, and “Let’s Fall In Love”.  He also produced Steven Sondheim’s “Company” starring Polly Bergen at the Lincoln Theater in Miami Beach. He is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT.org)  

“Mr. Charles, Currently of Palm Beach” is produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

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